Though he had spoken, he didn't expect anyone to answer his question.
"Hmph, never mind. When the time comes..." The White Winged Lord quickly regained his composure, having made up his mind. Veterans who had survived for so long without perishing were always decisive.
Time slowly passed, and the entire canyon remained silent. Everyone was prepared for battle.
"You see, we don't even need bait. They've already come... This truly is a blessing from God..." Nrvnqsr Chaos chuckled, suddenly speaking up.
Lorelei glanced at her, then turned to look at the distant intersection with the forest. Sure enough, a figure rapidly emerged from there, charging into the mountains at an extremely fast speed.
She knew this person must be Ryougi Raku!
...
Ryougi Raku breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the nearby mountains. Once inside, with the complex terrain, he was confident he could shake off the Black Princess and her group. There, the Black Princess's flight would be greatly hindered.
Ryougi Raku swiftly entered the mountains.
Sturlhoute, in pursuit, said to Altrouge beside him: "Princess?"
Altrouge naturally understood his meaning, merely stating: "Continue!"
"Yes!" He responded decisively, and the three people and one beast followed Ryougi Raku into the mountains.
"They actually followed me in?" Ryougi Raku was surprised by Altrouge's actions, but then dismissed it. What others thought was none of his business. The most important thing now was how to escape their pursuit.
Ryougi Raku was like a fish in water in this place, using his agility to move quickly. This was a location like a great rift valley, as if a mountain had been split into countless pieces, intricate and complex.
As he advanced, Ryougi Raku discovered a fork with as many as seven paths. His heart stirred. He knew that by using this fork, he had a great chance of shaking off the pursuers behind him.
He randomly chose one path and ran into it. Soon, he noticed that the people tracking him were gone. He smiled slightly, seeing a corner ahead. He decided that after turning the corner, he would find a hidden place to hide, then leave this great rift valley after some time.
However, when he turned the corner, he was astonished to find Altrouge and her group right in front of him. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and stopped before they noticed him.
'I was clearly ahead of them, so why did I suddenly end up behind them?' Pondering, Ryougi Raku carefully recalled, but he didn't feel that the path he had just taken curved in a way that would lead him to the opposite side.
At that moment, he heard the voice of the White Knight not far in front: "Princess, we've been circling here for a long time, but we haven't found that guy." His tone was slightly displeased.
"There... seems to be a problem here." Altrouge frowned slightly, surveying the terrain around them, and said hesitantly.
"Yes, Princess, this place seems to be shrouded by something." Sturlhoute responded to Altrouge's words, then gripped his sword hilt, looking around solemnly.
Ryougi Raku was suddenly startled by this conversation, realizing that he couldn't perceive Altrouge and her group even though they were so close. The only reason he found them was by sight!
Ryougi Raku frowned, fully extending his senses, and only then could he vaguely feel the presence of Altrouge and the others.
"It seems a powerful bounded field covers this place..." Ryougi Raku thought to himself. Given the strength of this bounded field, it was definitely not hastily set up, but rather premeditated. Otherwise, with his perception, it would be impossible for him to only just discover it now. This bounded field not only blocked perception but also caused him to fall under some inexplicable suggestion, leading him to only now discover such an obvious flaw.
'Whose trap have I fallen into?' He didn't know much about bounded fields, so he couldn't tell who was behind it.
'It's either the Holy Church or the Mage's Association. Only those two factions operate on such a grand scale! The target might be me or Altrouge, but it's more likely the latter! So, did I enter the bounded field as someone predicted, or was it just my bad luck today?'
If it was the latter, that was fine, but if it was the former, the opponent's strength would probably exceed Ryougi Raku's expectations. To be able to bring him here without him realizing it—he was completely unaware!
'It should just be my bad luck... If an enemy that powerful could suggest things to me, why would they need to use these methods? They'd just come and kill me directly...' Thinking this, Ryougi Raku made a decision.
He resolutely walked out of his hiding place, looked at Altrouge and the others with their backs to him, and suddenly greeted them: "Hey! Are you looking for me?"
As if suddenly startled, the three people and one beast turned their heads and stared at him blankly.
"You've also noticed the strangeness of this place, haven't you? How about it? We don't have any deep-seated grudges, so why don't we team up?" Ryougi Raku smiled freely, though he himself didn't walk closer, to dispel their wariness.
The Black and White Knights, as well as Bremet, all looked at Altrouge, waiting for her decision.
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Altrouge gazed at Ryougi Raku with her scarlet eyes and said faintly: "This place is indeed a bit strange, likely aimed at me. Are you willing to fall into it like this?" Altrouge believed that with Ryougi Raku's intelligence, how could he not see that this was actually aimed at her?
"Regardless of the reason, I'm already caught in it. Am I supposed to resent you now and fight you to the death? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. How about it? Shall we team up? Since they dared to scheme against you, it means they've made thorough preparations. Now, an extra bit of strength is an extra guarantee." Ryougi Raku stood quietly, looking at Altrouge and her group, and said.
Nodding, fully agreeing with Ryougi Raku's words, Altrouge suddenly laughed, her sudden smile like a hundred flowers blooming.
Sturlhoute wanted to speak and stop her, but the words died on his lips. He had intended to say, what if Ryougi Raku was also part of the setup? But seeing that the Princess had already decided, Sturlhoute abandoned his thought. He merely kept a close eye on Ryougi Raku, to prevent any tricks from this person!
...
At both ends of the canyon, Lorelei and Nrvnqsr Chaos watched the interaction between Ryougi Raku and the others below. Lorelei coldly asked: "Aren't you going to attack?"
Nrvnqsr Chaos merely glanced at her, a grin spreading across her face as she laughed: "Of course, it's better to wait until they've gathered and then catch them all in one fell swoop..."
"Hmph!" Lorelei was noncommittal about Nrvnqsr Chaos's words. This just looked like Nrvnqsr Chaos's twisted sense of humor. As for the losses incurred after the two sides joined forces, Lorelei couldn't care less, since most of the losses would be the Holy Church's anyway...
"The fish have all taken the bait..." Nrvnqsr Chaos muttered to herself, covering her lips.
---
"Then!" In the next instant, Nrvnqsr Chaos seemed to transform into a victorious general, exuding an awe-inspiring aura as she announced, her voice filling the entire space, "All units, prepare for action! Enhansé, the Primate Murder is yours. As a Dead Apostle, the Primate Murder's authority is useless against you! Knights and Penitents, you will face the White Knight, Brad. His ghostly army will be countered by you! I will personally deal with Sturlhoute! Commander of the Knights, you will confront Altrouge!" Nrvnqsr Chaos distributed the tasks at the fastest possible speed.
"Barthomeloi, you will have your Clone Squad provide support wherever needed, and you will deal with Ryougi Raku... When necessary, we will need you to entangle the Black Princess... We will use our ultimate methods against her. How does that sound?" Since the Clone Squad was only here for aid, Nrvnqsr Chaos had no right to command them, so she used a consultative tone when addressing Lorelei.
Lorelei glanced at her and said indifferently: "No problem... However, I am very curious about your ultimate methods..."
Nrvnqsr Chaos smiled slightly, "You will see..." but her tone was full of malice.
"Sabra, you and Rudolf will assist the Knight Commander in dealing with Altrouge. When Barthomeloi switches positions, you will take her place to entangle Ryougi Raku... Is that acceptable?" She looked at the young man kneeling on the ground, self-flagellating, and spoke.
As members of the Burial Agency, they naturally had no objections and readily accepted the mission.
"Excellent!" She nodded with satisfaction; everything was going according to her plan!
...
As if suddenly, Ryougi Raku found that the bounded field suppressing his senses instantly disappeared. However, at that moment, his face darkened.
Altrouge and her group beside him were the same. In their perception, there was a large contingent of people on both sides of the canyon, looking down at them from above.
"The Holy Church and the Mage's Association..." Brad completely shed his unreliability, his face grave. He drew his sword, and his magical energy surged around him, ready to unleash his Reality Marble as soon as the battle began—this was not a minor skirmish like with Ryougi Raku, but a genuine life-and-death battle!
"The Burial Agency, the Heretic Inquisition Knights, the Magicians' Clone Squad! Hmph, and the One-Bladed Sword! What a grand display!" The Black Knight muttered under his breath, so quietly that even Ryougi Raku didn't hear him. The "One-Bladed Sword" was the Dead Apostles' derogatory term for Enhansé.
He suddenly turned to Ryougi Raku, "Are you sure you didn't lead us here?" He was still very suspicious of this person, because it was just too coincidental!
Altrouge stopped him in time.
"Lord Sturlhoute, there's no need to ask again. This should have nothing to do with him. Wasn't it our own will to choose to enter here?" She said calmly, still noble and elegant in the face of a lineup that could put her into eternal slumber!
The Black Knight heard his master's words and bowed his head slightly in apology.
"As expected of the Ancient Crimson, such courage and confidence!" Ryougi Raku exclaimed in admiration, "...And, how understanding you are..." Turning his head, he looked at her peerless face, and Ryougi Raku showed a gentle smile.
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