Danmaku, my skills refresh weekly.

The orc child was struck by a broken rock, blood seeping from his mouth and nose as he fell to the ground.

Several more Palums screamed as they fell into the craters that Lymton had gnawed out.

"Are you alright, Mr. Charles?" Phil Weiss nervously withdrew her cane and drew a short blade from her waist to protect Charles.

"I'm fine, thank you, Miss Phil Weiss." As soon as she finished speaking, a huge snake head emerged from the ground between the two of them, and its massive body forcibly separated them.

"Mr. Charles!!!"

Philweis reached out her hand, but in the blink of an eye, Charles had already disappeared into the crowd.

Before anyone could find them, the giant python, writhing and turning, swept across the crowd, its massive body like a rolling pin, crushing through the throng.

Buzz————

In the instant that explosions and screams rose in succession, a huge magic circle unfolded on the ground.

"Snow-covered landscapes, three harsh winters... [Ecstasy: Fimbulle Winter]!"

The noble elven royalty in the center of the square, his emerald hair billowing, unleashed a powerful surge of magic that transformed into a chilling current, instantly sweeping away all the fleeing crowds within the square.

The cold froze their bodies, and they huddled on the ground, shivering. The lit fuse also froze under the pouring ice and snow.

"Nine Demon Princesses!!"

The dozen or so believers who were still standing roared and threw the fire stones, which were stained with cold air, at the altar's bonfire.

"How dare they cause trouble during the grand ceremony hosted by my goddess?! Are these secret factions... tired of living?!" Hedin's face was full of anger.

With a whoosh, hundreds of lightning orbs filled the sky and poured down, precisely detonating the rocks in the air and engulfing the roaring believers.

At this moment.

Outside the plaza, a long spear spun and pierced Lymton's skull. Amidst the swirling black particles, a strand of golden hair swayed in the firelight. Finn opened his lake-blue eyes and smiled.

"Gentlemen, everything is alright now. Because... I've arrived!"

boom----

Finn drew his spear, unleashing a sharp, piercing thrust.

It flipped its body, launching the swarm of snakes that were attacking Finn, and after a brief pause in mid-air, it exploded into ashes, which scattered with the wind.

The attack by the secret faction was seemingly suppressed in an instant, and the outcome was decided in an instant.

"Oh my god... It's the [Hero], and the [Nine Demon Princesses] and the [White Demon Wand]! The Loki Familia and the Freya Familia have arrived!" The residents, shivering from the cold, cheered.

Among the cultists of Death, gritting their teeth, a male werewolf suddenly stood up, pulled out a lighter he had bought from the Shire shop, and attempted to ignite the firestones on his body, which were frozen by [Fimbourne Winter], by setting his clothes on fire.

"Hahahaha... So what if you're brave? Open your eyes and look! We're surrounded by lambs to the slaughter! You can't stop us! Comrades, for Lord Thanatos's tragic wish... give your lives!"

Flames slowly burned his clothes, and steam rose from his body.

At the same time, several more people stepped forward from the crowd, making the same gesture as the werewolves, bathing in flames, and uttering their final words.

"Lord Thanatos, please remember me! With our lives..."

Just as the believers were brimming with ambition, a golden figure flashed past and kicked one of them squarely in the abdomen, sending him flying backwards into the sky.

"Nani?"

With a deafening roar, the intense heat evaporated all the flesh and blood, leaving mottled white bones scattered among the crowd.

Golden figures flashed continuously, and the few believers who emerged instantly turned into fireworks, exploding in the sky.

One believer, who was a little slower to react, failed to ignite his clothes and simply tore off the cumbersome and heavy disguise, exposing the firestone wrapped around his chest to the air.

Before the flame in his hand could even get close, a strong, small hand pressed down on his wrist.

"Don't move..." Finn's eyes were sharp as he jumped up, grabbed the believer by the neck, and forced him to the ground.

"Tell me, what is the purpose of this attack by the Dark Faction? How many people are involved?"

The believer coughed up blood, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Hahaha, hero, don't get too excited. The moment we interrupted the goddess's ritual, you lost!"

"What does this mean?" Finn thought to himself that things were not good. This attack by the Dark Faction was too weak. Only a few Lymtons appeared, and not a single cadre appeared.

It was a completely suicidal attack, seemingly aimed only at disgusting the city and ruining what should have been a joyous festival.

but……

Finn's thumb started to hurt.

The believer spat and said disdainfully, "Ha ha ha, besides us, there are at least a hundred more comrades hidden among the people..."

"What's the meaning?!"

"Huh? You can waste your time interrogating them all... until our comrades wipe out all the adventurers in the dungeon!! Hehehehe..."

He suddenly roared, "Choose! Save the inhabitants of the land, or the adventurers of the underground!"

The sound was loud enough for everyone in the square to hear.

"A feint?" Finn frowned.

Because of the Goddess Festival, almost all of Ota and his group stayed by Freya's side, and the forces of each Familia were almost all in the city.

However, a small number of adventurers also enter the labyrinth for a living.

He suddenly realized that this might be a trap set for him, using believers mixed in with the crowd as bombs, and taking tens of thousands of people hostage.

The purpose was to have them carry out a strangulation mission in the underground city, thus restraining the city's combat forces.

Finn realized...

Without the suppression of multiple first-level adventurers, these madmen, who could turn into bombs simply by turning a button, could easily swallow up the human population.

Evacuate the crowd?

No, their goal is to buy us time; if they make any big moves, it might lead to a lose-lose situation.

It's a minecart problem: if you choose to rescue the adventurers from the dungeon, the surface inhabitants will die. Conversely, if you choose not to, the dungeon adventurers will perish.

Finn gripped the believer's neck tightly: "Anything else to say? If not, then die."

The believer suddenly burst into maniacal laughter: "Kill! Then kill me! If one of me dies, there will be thousands upon thousands more! As long as the despair of the world is not condemned, people like me will never disappear! Never!"

click-

The believer's neck was broken.

Finn slowly stood up, his cold gaze sweeping over the crowd gathered in the square.

Just as he was about to issue the order, melodious piano music rang out from a corner of the square...

Chapter 307 Ciel: Let Me Offer a Song for the Festival

Pure white feathers, made of magic, fell from the sky in an instant, then rose again with the wind, creating an eerie and strange atmosphere in the venue.

Ding-dong~ I have a secret to tell you quietly: Welcome to the entrance to Heaven!

The oppressive melody resounded in the central square, instantly calming the chaotic crowd. Whether believers or ordinary people, everyone turned their gaze to the west.

On the western altar, the goddess Damia was held hostage by a black-armored soldier, while a musician wearing a mask and elegant military attire played a lament on an instrument with black and white keys that had never been seen before.

Upon seeing that figure, some people looked terrified, while others smiled.

“Joker…” Ais murmured softly as she followed Rivera.

"It's him!?!" the adventurers exclaimed.

"Hahaha, it's the Joker! Our ace has arrived!" The believers beamed with joy.

Rivera was stunned: "Isn't he... dead?!"

Ais stared blankly: "No, back then... he got away."

However, she couldn't understand why the Joker had appeared at this time.

But as Ais quietly observed, she unexpectedly discovered that the chaotic situation had been brought under control, and the distinction between friend and foe became clear at that moment.

Finn's attention wasn't entirely drawn to the Joker's performance; his gaze was fixed on the crowd.

"Rivia, prepare to fire! Target those guys who are laughing!"

"!"

Rivera's pupils contracted; she too saw the ecstatic believers, about to swing their staffs...

Hush

Ciel raised his index finger to his lips...

The black and white piano keys fell.

Sizzle... Boom!

Among the crowd, a believer's head suddenly exploded without warning.

With each note of Charles's lyre, someone's head would explode, like a drumbeat, a mournful melody.

The adventurers, of course, did not know who had died. When the headless corpse fell to the ground with a thud, it struck the hearts of all the adventurers like a dull thud.

"Ughhhhhh..."

Sighs of pity rose around the headless corpse, only to fall silent abruptly.

As an invisible sound wave emanated from Charles's fingertips, the crowd, like marionettes, began to sway unnaturally.

As the melodious piano music played, the crowd swayed rhythmically, and an eerie atmosphere instantly enveloped the battlefield.

"Damn it, his music has taken over the people!" Finn shouted a warning.

"Stop him!" Riveria cried out anxiously, gripping her staff.

"No! If we act rashly, the people will..."

“Are we just going to watch him fool the masses?” Riveria asked sternly.

"The Dark Faction's goal is to keep us occupied! Wait, I'm thinking of something!" Finn licked his thumb.