Danmaku, my skills refresh weekly.

"ten minutes."

"It will be done in five minutes."

The adventurers, along with their supplies, moved around frequently, talking in hushed tones and moving quickly forward with their work.

The Southwest District of Orario is also a trading area primarily responsible for foreign trade. One of the three major strongholds of the Dark Faction is hidden inside a complex warehouse building.

The Ganesha Familia and the Astrea Familia infiltrated from various directions of the trading area, lying in wait and gradually approaching.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, but they didn't hesitate at all. Since they knew it was a trap and had prepared countermeasures, charging straight in was the best option.

"Time is up!"

When the agreed-upon time arrived, the three strongholds launched a full-scale attack in an instant.

The locked gate was blown away along with the explosion.

"Enemy attack!" The Dark Faction soldiers shouted as they saw the adventurers pouring in along with the magical artillery barrage.

The next instant, he was slit in the throat by a long spear.

"go ahead!"

The thunderous sound of military boots rang out as soldiers wearing elephant-trunk masks launched a lightning-fast attack and charge, scattering the stunned Dark Faction.

The righteous girls hidden within Ganesha's army burst forth, their cold blades severing astonished heads.

"Suppress the warehouse! Niz, Maru! Take Iska and the others and split up! We'll continue with the main force." Alexie charged into the depths of the warehouse, flames still burning.

Kaguya unleashed another slash, her eyes fierce: "Don't let a single one escape. Don't even think about arresting them. Finish this quickly!"

"Understood!" "Got it!"

The senior adventurers responded and quickly and orderly split up.

"Upstairs, second floor, be careful, Zo!" Laila scanned the entire battlefield.

Adi, who is not good at hurting others, is also level 3 and easily stopped the Dark Clique soldiers who jumped down from the building.

The stalled battle line crumbled in an instant. Kaguya, dressed in a kimono, wielded a katana, forming a slashing barrier that instantly dismembered all her opponents.

The enemies fell one after another, and the enemy soldiers behind them turned ashen-faced, but Kaguya would not let them go. She brandished her twin blades, and bloody spider lilies bloomed.

Soaring through the skies, traversing the wilderness, moving at a speed surpassing all others. Conquering enemies with the brilliance of the stars...

Unlike Kaguya's swordsmanship, which was like that of a murderer, Ryu was surrounded by a dozen or so wisps of wind.

【Starlight Breeze!】

"Gooooooo!?"

The azure jade instantly incinerated the dark apostles crowding the passage, leaving azure-green debris flying in the air, and even the passage itself was half-destroyed.

"They've gone too far again," Ryu muttered indifferently.

“Too easy…” Shakti murmured, holding a large spear.

"Yes, it really was a trap."

Feeling reassured, they touched the special props wrapped around their arms, their expressions instantly turning cold: "Continue!"

Inside the passage, soldiers of the Dark Faction fell one after another in pools of blood, and the team quickly advanced to the deepest part of the warehouse.

This is a large room with a height of over ten meters. It's less like an abandoned factory and more like a desolate harbor where goods are unloaded. Messy iron baskets are piled high like building blocks.

A figure shrouded in a tattered black robe and wearing a pale, skeletal mask emerged from behind the abandoned crate.

"Oh...you're here." The skeletal figure wielding a curved dark greatsword sneered. "Finn's not here, huh? Tch, that woman only gives out useless information..."

Shakti stared at the weapon in the other's hand: "You are... the Emperor of Slaughter?"

"Ah...it's me."

Alexandra pointed at her sword and said, "Tell me, what schemes are you hiding!"

"Is that so? Isn't it just a scheme to wipe you all out in one fell swoop?" Valetta sneered, and from behind the container-like iron basket, one after another, elite soldiers of the Dark Faction wearing bone masks stepped out.

Their numbers exceeded a thousand, several times more than their own.

"ambush?"

Shakti's expression froze; the disguise of the Dark Clique gave her a bad feeling.

"We can't determine where the enemy's officers are!" Kaguya immediately noticed the change in the Dark Faction's style and saw through the danger.

When the skeletal mask appeared, their entire field of vision was replaced by the same face, and they somehow managed to lose track of Valetta's location!

"Hey--"

A merciless black slash sliced ​​through the body of an adventurer from the Ganesha Familia, and only then did Shakti realize that the [Killer Emperor] had infiltrated their back row!

"Hahahaha—Die!" The flower of slaughter bloomed in an instant.

By the time Shakti and Alexie gathered around, Valetta had already killed several of the Familia's mages.

"Haha, very capable! [Staff of Ganesha]! And [Crimson Flower] too."

The level 4 and level 3 girls used all their "skills" and "strategies" in order to restrain the level 5 Killer Emperor, and with the help of dozens of officers, they managed to drag the situation into a stalemate.

However, when the crimson magic circle lit up beneath their feet, the scales tipped.

"Fool! This is the trump card prepared to hunt down Finn! Feel honored to die from my magic!" Valetta laughed in a low voice, slashing Shakti, who was bound by the magic spider web, with a single blow.

Having suffered repeated taunts and emotional blows, Valeta, having set a trap, would certainly prepare magic along with it. The piles of debris around them conveniently concealed the patterns of the magic circle, preventing Shakti from discovering it immediately.

As crimson blood splattered on Shakti's chest, Alisha, disregarding Shakti's condition, shouted, "Kaguya! Leon! Lyra! Help!"

The Astrea Familia abandoned their respective opponents, instantly surrounding Valetta with their close and seamless teamwork, and once again overwhelming her.

"Hahaha, how long can you hold out? My magic... Pshaw, today, you will all die here!"

Realizing what was happening, Valetta stopped her boasting, parried the fiery slash from the side with her sword, and twisted to unleash a slash, only to be intercepted by Kaguya's katana.

As his fellow clansmen sprinkled the elixir, Shakti, clutching his chest, sat up and roared, "The magic circle will continuously weaken our speed and strength! Don't engage in a prolonged battle! Look for an opportunity!"

Shakti's reminder sent a chill down the spines of everyone in the clan.

Yes, they still have a trump card, but this trump card requires the cooperation of the secret factions.

"Ah, ahhhhhh."

Soon, a sharp scream came from a corner of the warehouse. It was a scream mixed with sorrow, fear, and tragic heroism.

Adi turned and swept his sword around, deflecting the attack aimed at his back. What came into view was a girl no more than 100cm tall, hidden under a black cloak and veil.

Even within the Palum community, this height would be considered that of a toddler.

“A…a child?!” Adi was shocked.

"Why are even children getting involved?!"

Seeing the little girl rushing towards him, her hands gripping a knife, tears welling in her eyes, Adi shouted, "Put down the knife! You can't fight! Don't listen to those adults who are forcing you!"

"Idiot! Adi! Get away from her!" Noticing Valetta's sinister grin, Lyra glanced at the corner of the warehouse from which the shouts were coming from.

The next instant, her pupils contracted, and she screamed.

Adi realized what was happening and gripped the prop in her arms, but she couldn't pull the trigger... In that moment of emotional struggle, the girl's hand clutched her chest...

"My God, please let me see my father and mother one more time!" Her eyes suddenly became empty...

The next second—

A dark shadow flashed by...

boom----

Chapter 172 Adi: I'm not dead yet!

“A-Di————”

Ryu's terrified and grief-stricken screams fell.

The sounds around me fell silent.

In the frozen moment, Adi's eyes widened, his hand, hidden in his prop bag, froze, and he subconsciously reached out.

Explosion, impact, intense heat.

"Boom—" The roar of evil shattered the stillness of time.

The firelight reflected off Adi's face, her hair whipped about by the impact. She instinctively turned and pressed the cold body of the baby girl in her arms to the ground.

The next moment, the girl raised her head with empty eyes and let out an incredulous roar. She struggled violently, but could not push away the girl who was pinning her down.

The scorching heat seared Adi's back, and hot oil dripped from the stone pillar with a crackling sound.

Adi's eyes widened, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Until his vision was blurred by a flash of flames and his hearing, robbed of its piercing roar, returned, Ryu dazedly looked back at the epicenter of the explosion.

“Liar… I clearly didn’t know… Why? Liar! Adi—Adi?—” Ryu raised her head, bounced up like a ball, and ran towards the place where her friend had been.

At that spot, there was only a pool of murky blood and bits of flesh.

"Don't go over there!" Lyra hugged the elf from behind.

"Adi—Adi—Adi!!"

Valetta covered her face, her lips curling into a wild grin: "Hahahahahahahaha—Finn, do you see this? This is the feast I prepared for you! Hahahahaha. Five years... the bomb buried for five years has finally exploded!"

however……

"Cough cough cough, Leon? Don't shout so tragically, I'm not dead yet..." In the distance, Adi crawled out of the abandoned debris, puffing out black smoke.

He was also holding a comatose baby girl in his arms.

"Ka-"

Valeta's cheerful laughter abruptly stopped, her crazed expression freezing on her face.