"That's exactly my thought," Ines replied. "No matter what happens, tonight I have to make sure she dies quietly."
"But don't rush. I'll go with you, and use my spells to assist your move."
Ilthreza frowned in annoyance. "What, you don't trust a dark elf's skill in assassination?"
"Of course I do." Ines smiled warmly. "But she's a magic-user herself and is already wary of me. I'm afraid if there's too much noise, we'll draw unnecessary trouble. I'll keep her attention on me, and then also cast magic to be sure nothing leaks out. It's just a safer plan."
She added with sincere flattery for the drider, "As long as the two of us work together with complete unity, nothing in this world is beyond our grasp."
Ilthreza laughed softly and nodded, "Indeed. With your spellcasting and my assassination, even that so-called Archdruid, the highest leader of their alliance, would surely meet her end."
The two women exchanged cold smiles. They both possessed formidable strength, and their target was nothing more than a naive little girl—success seemed all but guaranteed.
Confident and eager, they turned together, Ines leading, Ilthreza close behind, and slipped silently into the camp, moving towards the satyr residential area.
Guided by memory, they found Adele's private tent. A faint glow still spilled from inside; clearly the occupant had not yet gone to bed.
It was now past midnight, and yet, as a druid, Adele still had not taken her rest. This only convinced Ines further that Adele was certainly up to something secret, plotting matters better left in the dark.
Perhaps it had nothing to do with Ines herself, but the succubus was done gambling. She would eliminate all possible threats tonight with overwhelming force.
No longer bothering to disguise herself as a female minotaur, Ines approached in her true form, smoothing her voice into a soft, syrupy tone as she called out, "Adele, are you in there? Sister's worried about you, so I came to check in~"
Strange noises came from inside, quickly followed by Adele's startled, nervous voice: "Ines? Why are you…"
Clearly, her secrets had been discovered. Panic was already setting in.
Ines and Ilthreza's smiles only grew wider. Ines stepped forward, lifted the tent flap, and entered with a single stride. "What's wrong? You aren't hiding your little boyfriend in here, are you? Is that why Sister can't peek in…?"
Her voice trailed off, fading into confusion. Because instead of Adele's frightened face, she was greeted with a tall and strikingly familiar silhouette.
The figure stood wrapped in an elegant nun's robe, pure white edged with shining gold, the fabric clinging in all the right places, accentuating a curvaceous figure. Waves of wheat-gold hair poured down her back, and within eyes of yellow-green shimmered an enigmatic depth.
She faced the tent's entrance, hands clasped calmly at her chest, body inclined slightly in prayer. Even the faint smile at the corners of her mouth might normally have brought peace, but in this moment, Ines saw only death.
It was Theresa.
The same woman who, not long ago, had hunted both her and Ilthreza nearly to the grave, shattering Ilthreza and almost killing Ines as well.
Behind Theresa stood several other silhouettes, some familiar, some not—among them Adele herself, and her mother, Willo, matriarch of the satyrs.
Adele's face was pale, stricken with fear. She spun, glancing at the white-haired young man nearby, then at her mother, then at Willo, before frantically waving her hands, "I didn't know she would follow me, I—"
They had been planning the safest way to dispose of Ines, never expecting that Ines would come to them first, spoiling the plan.
"It's fine," the white-haired young man said gently. "Forget the trap—let's just take her out now."
"Theresa, do it."
A gentle white light flared in Theresa's hands at the doorway, and Ines's pupils contracted. "Run!"
Buzz—
The next moment, a blinding brilliance blew apart the edge of the tent, flooding the camp in dazzling radiance, engulfing Ines and Ilthreza completely.
From outside, one could see a thick pillar of light shoot up to the sky, nearly rending it in two. Energy roared through the night—Ines and Ilthreza took the brunt of it before they'd even exchanged blows, both gravely wounded in a heartbeat.
"Ah—!"
The succubus wailed, her body twisted, struggling to escape, turning to flee with every ounce of strength.
But it wasn't just Theresa hunting this time; Charles, Ekta, Nidalee, and Adele—all powerful spellcasters—were here too.
As Ines staggered for escape, Charles calmly intoned his incantation, Hexing her, then drew his +3 battlemage's wand, unleashing four blasts of searing eldritch force, hammering her with merciless fury.
Under the onslaught, Ines's succubus wings were reduced to rags. Screaming, she plummeted from the sky, crashed to earth, still unwilling to give up, still trying to cast for escape.
But a moment later, vines erupted from the ground, snaring her hands, gagging her mouth—she could form no gestures, speak no incantation, and was left fully at their mercy.
Across the tent, Ilthreza's odds were even slimmer; if she'd had a better escape, Theresa wouldn't have left her so broken last time. Now, Theresa knew her fighting habits well. As Ilthreza spun to run, a guiding bolt streaked true, striking her full on and wringing tortured howls from her inhuman throat.
Beside Theresa, Ekta knew she couldn't match these foes alone and chose wisely to assist. Four Fire Bolts lashed out, searing Ilthreza's fur and leaving her badly burned, every shriek echoing with pain.
It was all but over. Before such overwhelming force, Ines and Ilthreza could barely resist—they were subdued, helpless.
"Whew..." Charles exhaled, surprised at how weak their foes proved in the end—though perhaps it was simply that Theresa's strength was overwhelming.
He stepped forward to examine their captives, to see if any information might be dragged from them.
Behind him, Nidalee's spellwork followed, vines surging forth to bind Ilthreza just as tightly. Now it was truly safe.
Slowly, Willo approached. She gazed at Ines's true form, bound and disgraced in the dirt. Her expression grew complex, but then she remembered something and looked up, "Damn, we made too much noise. Everyone's probably awake by now—the minotaurs are coming!"
Even as she spoke, in the distance came the pounding of hooves. Dozens of horned, burly minotaur figures charged their way, wielding greataxes and warhammers.
"What happened here?"
"An enemy attack?"
"Seinites? How are Seinites in the camp?!"
"Enemy attack, it's Seinites! Grab your weapons—kill them all!"
"Willo Matriarch! Why are you with them?!"
"Ines Madam is there too! And a black spider monster!"
"Get the elders!"
"Surround this place, don't let them escape!"
"Seinites! Let go of Willo Matriarch, or I'll kill you myself!"
...
Dozens of minotaurs rushed up, squinting in the light to see what was going on. On the ground, Ines triggered her succubus talents, transforming instantly back into her seductive, buxom female minotaur form.
She struggled against the vines, tears brimming in her eyes as she looked pleadingly at the newcomers, feigning pain and injustice—hoping to enrage the minotaurs.
It was her only hope now: if a battle erupted, the ensuing chaos might give her a chance to get free and escape.
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