Chapter 213: Cooperation Against the Enemy, Abyssal Lesser Demon

(I feel as though this particular arc was indeed poorly written in places! As an author, I cannot be stubborn! Due to limitations in my writing ability and time constraints, I simply failed to execute this subplot well, and I apologize for the poor reading experience I have brought to you all! It is a grave sin that I failed to write this subplot properly, but I guarantee that the main storyline to follow will be free of such issues!)

"Whew, Captain, I arrived just in time, didn't I?" A familiar voice reached Shuguin's ears, carrying a hint of mockery, though underscored by the relief of someone who had finally let go of a heavy burden. It was Charles.

"You... how?"

Shuguin’s gaze swept across his surroundings. They appeared to be in a room on the edge of the mansion. Looking out the window, one could see the bizarrely colored boundaries of the pocket dimension carved out by the sorcerous reflection world.

"Ah, that’s a long story. Simply put, I am, after all, a member of the Lade family. My past self must have glimpsed something regarding you, Captain. I knew a stubborn guy like you would inevitably come alone to seek revenge on this Marquis Enkai. Though it seems you succeeded, in the end, you also..."

As Charles spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture, stuck out his tongue, and rolled his eyes.

"You... shouldn't have come. My death was a foregone conclusion. The things within me, as time passes, become increasingly... impossible to suppress. As I grow stronger, so do they. When I can no longer control them, they will become a calamity."

Shuguin’s condition remained dire; Charles’s use of his tarot cards to transport him away from the immediate threat had brought no improvement.

The rampaging demons within him had almost entirely broken free from his control, and various demonic features were vying to manifest upon his skin.

Those deceived demons, no longer suppressed by Shuguin’s battle aura, were no longer willing to offer any aid; they sought only to seize Shuguin’s flesh, hoping to claim the freedom they had craved for so long.

"I know you're stubborn, Captain, but I didn't think you were this stubborn..."

Charles sighed, clutching his forehead in helplessness; he had no way to deal with Shuguin’s complete disregard for his own life.

"The 'Demon Possession' internal skill should never have existed in the first place. My hands are stained with sin, and the things inside me have turned me into an anomaly. Only when I am doing what I believe to be right do I consider myself human."

"Becoming one of the leaders of the Night's Edge truly helped me reclaim that sense of humanity. The members who fight for their ideals—their actions and philosophies make me feel as though I am walking the path of righteousness. I must thank Father Fang; he was my guide as well."

"But, in the end, I am not such a noble person. Faced with the choice between defending the capital and completing my revenge, I chose the latter, even though my mission was of the utmost importance..."

Shuguin spoke with difficulty, fighting the demonic riot within his body. He did not give up on channeling his internal skill to suppress the demons.

Even without these demons, he still possessed the strength of a Grand Knight. His revenge was not yet finished; the end of this vengeance would be the moment of his death.

"An anomaly, you say... Captain, stop thinking of yourself as so special, will you?"

Charles scratched his head, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, he remained silent. He simply walked over to Shuguin, who was unable to move due to the demonic upheaval, and placed a hand on his back.

The voice that emerged from Charles suddenly shifted in tone, uttering strange syllables. Simultaneously, a surge of power flowed from Charles into Shuguin.

Shuguin’s eyes widened sharply. The demons within him stopped their riot; more accurately, they lost their connection to him. Those demons, which had been ravaging him incessantly, were now completely imperceptible.

"How about that? That’s convincing enough, right? We aren't so different—it’s just that you have a few demons inside you, while I have a devil inside me."

Charles flashed a smile at Shuguin, who was staring at his own hands in astonishment.

"I don't mean to lecture you, Captain, but I want to say that, at the very least, when doing something like this, you could call on us. Even if you don't trust the strength of myself, Wang Yu, or Edward, surely the Professor would suffice."

"My devil friend has temporarily severed the connection between those demons and you. Even without your internal skill, you are still a Grand Knight, aren't you?"

"Since you are bent on revenge, it shouldn't be a problem for me, your subordinate, to help you finish it. I am a writer, after all, and in my story, a stubborn guy like you is not allowed to die."

Charles pointed at himself with a smug expression; it was clear he was quite satisfied with his self-appointed profession of "writer."

"Hmm, thank you. But you are still too weak. Let me do this alone. When the hour is up, this pocket space will dissolve, and you can just leave. As you said, based on the vision you saw, I killed Marquis Enkai regardless."

Shuguin fell silent for a moment, expressing his gratitude, yet he still refused Charles's request to fight alongside him.

He simply picked up the longsword that had fallen to the ground, downed a potion to replenish his stamina and battle aura, and headed toward the location where Marquis Enkai had been.

Shuguin had already destroyed the room that controlled the perspective of all the Mage's Eyes; Enkai no longer had a view of the entire mansion. Even without his internal skill, Shuguin still had a chance to complete his revenge.

"By the Light, Captain, can you stop carrying so much on your own shoulders? It was the same way back at the Night's Edge."

"You handled almost all the paperwork and emergency missions yourself. Zig always joked that he had nothing to do. Please, stop trying to shoulder everything alone."

Charles felt like pulling his hair out. As expected, Shuguin was a stubborn-to-the-death kind of guy. It wasn't always obvious, but in a situation like this, Shuguin’s obstinacy was enough to drive anyone mad.

The man simply refused to let others take risks to help him. Charles truly didn't know what kind of past could have forged such a temperament.

"Ahhh, so annoying! I just need to prove my own ability, right?"

Charles tugged at his hair in frustration and pulled a tarot card from his sleeve: The Fool, upright. He displayed it to Shuguin.

"The reason all prophets predict the fates of others eventually returns to themselves. Perhaps it is for money, perhaps for something else, but the fates spoken for others eventually reflect back upon the speaker."

"I am no prophet, but I do use these arts to influence fate. My tarot cards will eventually return to me. This Fool card, which represents myself, will allow me to gain the power of all the tarot cards I have used in the past."

As he spoke, Charles flicked the Fool tarot card. In the air, it transformed into an intangible object infused with void energy and magical fluctuations. These energies flowed into Charles, causing changes that did not manifest on the surface.

"And this, too."

Space fluctuated in his palm. Charles invoked the power of the Star tarot card without even using the physical card. An alchemical firearm appeared in his hand—the Furnace's Fury, given to him by Wang Yu.

"Boom!" Without hesitation, he charged the weapon for three seconds and fired at the adjacent wall. The explosive energy blew the wall to smithereens, and molten brick and dust cascaded down.

Watching the annoyed Charles, Shuguin knew that the power he had displayed was more than sufficient. With the ability to freely use the power of those tarot cards, combined with this formidable alchemical weapon...

"I really can't find a reason to refuse you. Thank you for your help."

Shuguin pressed a hand to his face; he simply had no way to turn down this man who was even more stubborn than he was.

"That’s more like it! Let’s go finish off your enemy together."

Charles clapped his hands together, saying excitedly.

"Stay vigilant. Marquis Enkai is not so easily dealt with, even if he has lost control of the mansion's magic arrays."

Shuguin felt no relaxation despite gaining an ally; he had defined this revenge from the very beginning as a mutual destruction.

"Understood."

Nodding, Charles shed his excitement and grew calm.

The two began to move through the mansion, searching for the location of Marquis Enkai and his Grand Knight.

...

"How is this possible? How could a second person have infiltrated the mansion? The feedback from the magic array only detected one object—the demonic aura. That was Shuguin."

"That tarot card... it must be Charles Lade from the Special Operations Group. Is that the ability of the Lade family? It’s not surprising he could track Shuguin’s movements. But if that’s the case, does he have a demon inside him too? How can that be..."

Having left the main hall to prepare for the potential attack, Marquis Enkai pondered silently.

He could not fathom how Charles had managed to bypass his detection to enter the mansion. What he did not realize was that the guess he considered the most impossible was, in fact, the correct answer.

"Shuguin is already spent, and Charles Lade is only a formal mage. To be safe, I have no choice but to sacrifice you. Kill them both within the hour."

Marquis Enkai’s expression was grim as he took out a magic-engraving stylus and began to carve directly into the back of his Grand Knight's neck.

"Otherwise, given Charles Lade’s special status, once this pocket space dissipates, I truly won't be able to lay a hand on him."

The stylus slid, the sharp blade easily peeling back and severing the tough flesh of the neck, exposing the bloody tissue beneath. Blood trickled down the Grand Knight's neck; his body trembled uncontrollably, yet he did not utter a single sound or cry.

"Those Night's Edge fellows will surely come sniffing around like dogs smelling blood, and then all my efforts to retire in peace will have been in vain."

He carved the final stroke. An evil, intricate array was complete. Using flesh as a carrier and the magic-conducting tracks left by the stylus as the structure, the bloody array began to pulse.

As an expert on demons, Marquis Enkai intended to activate a specific demon within the Grand Knight. The result would be the Grand Knight being completely devoured by the demon as a sacrifice, but if it could kill Shuguin and Charles Lade, that would be enough.

The scent of sulfur emerged around the Grand Knight. Hard, keratinous growths spread across his body, and the normal color of his pupils shifted to yellow, replaced by vertical slits.

"Kill them. This Grand Knight is yours." Enkai did not waste words, issuing the command directly to the entity that had lost its humanity.

"Roar..." Letting out a low growl, the Grand Knight looked back at Enkai, the malice and bloodlust in his eyes undisguised.

Then, he turned and charged into the corridor, leaving Enkai behind, drenched in cold sweat.

"This monster..."

It was precisely because he had dealt with demons for so long that Marquis Enkai understood how difficult it was to control such creatures from the depths of hell.

Fortunately, the sacrifice had satisfied it, and besides, the beast seemed to have taken a keen interest in Shugin and Charles Reid.

…………

"Watch out, something is coming. Damn it, that stench—a Pit Fiend. Captain, it's your nemesis. What on earth is Marquis Enkai playing at, to unleash a thing like this?"

Charles, who had been maintaining a vigilant watch with Shugin while searching for the Marquis, felt his expression darken instantly.

His nostrils flared as he caught that trace of demonic musk, and the answer provided by "One" in his mind filled him with unease.

A Pit Fiend was a creature entirely distinct from a common imp; while both wielded infernal flames, an imp could only toss pathetic fireballs and possessed a frail, pathetic frame.

But a Pit Fiend, a demon from the deeper circles of hell, possessed physical strength rivaling a Great Knight, alongside a terrifying mastery of fire and a predatory combat instinct. In short, it was a nightmare to face.

"Boom-crack-crunch..." The sound of destruction drew near, the cacophony of walls being pulverized and torn asunder.

Something was barreling toward them, carving a path of ruin through the mansion's walls and furniture, hunting them in a straight line.

Shugin immediately assumed a defensive stance, shielding Charles behind him. He gripped his longsword with both hands, holding it before his chest as he channeled his battle aura, which manifested as a shimmering armor over his skin.

The next moment, the sound of shattering reached a crescendo, and the wall in front of Shugin exploded inward.

A monster with crimson, exposed muscle, devoid of skin, with thick legs and long, muscular forelimbs tipped with claws, tore through the debris and lunged—a Pit Fiend.

"Roar!" With a piercing shriek, the monster ignored Shugin, its eyes locked solely on Charles as it hurtled toward him.

"Get back!" Shugin roared, swinging his blade toward the creature's torso. His battle aura surged, extending the edge of his sword into a razor-sharp blade of energy.

"Roar!" The leaping Pit Fiend was impossibly agile; it twisted in mid-air, its forelimbs igniting with ghostly green flames, and slammed its burning claws against the arc of Shugin’s aura.

The flames erupted, scattering sparks like falling stars that burned deep pits into the surrounding walls, floors, and furniture, the fire spreading hungrily.

The force of the explosion pushed the demon back slightly. It adjusted its posture, digging its claws into the floor and dragging deep furrows into the stone. After the first collision, the Pit Fiend remained unscathed.

Its blood-red vertical pupils fixed on Shugin. It kicked off the ground, sending bricks flying, and turned into a blur of motion as it lunged at the knight.

Shugin raised his sword, blocking the monster’s gaping, tooth-filled maw, and the two collided with a thunderous impact.

"Ugh!" Shugin let out a muffled groan. Despite his expectations, the creature’s strength was beyond imagination; as a Great Knight, he nearly lost his grip on his blade.

The Pit Fiend was lightning-fast. While biting down on the sword, it latched its claws onto the metal, using Shugin’s own defensive force to swing its body forward, its thick, powerful legs erupting in searing flame.

Shugin’s brow furrowed. Without his inner cultivation, a knight’s strength was severely compromised, and that was his current state.

He tried to shake off the sword, but the weight of the Pit Fiend clinging to it slowed his movement, and the burning leg was destined to strike him.

Fortunately, he was not alone. An invisible barrier instantly materialized over Shugin’s skin; the searing flames struck the shield, and both vanished into nothingness as the barrier shattered.

At the same time, a beam of scorching light tore through the air—Furnace Fury: Charged Shot. The Pit Fiend, still clinging to the sword and being swung through the air, had no room to dodge, and the powerful blast struck it head-on.

A deafening roar followed, accompanied by a blinding flash and a shockwave. The demon was blasted away, and Shugin, standing nearby, was caught in the wake and thrown back several meters.

"Bang, crash!" The demon’s body slammed into the wall with immense force, punching a massive hole through it and disappearing into the darkness beyond.

"It didn't take much damage. Keep track of its position."

Shugin had glimpsed the Pit Fiend’s state during the blast. Its formidable demonic hide meant the Furnace Fury had only carved a large, bloody gash—a minor inconvenience for a creature with such monstrous vitality.

"Understood."

Charles immediately invoked the power of the Tarot. *The World (Upright)*. His perspective pulled back into a third-person view, searching for the Pit Fiend that had vanished through the wall. It was still nearby, plotting something.

His perspective shifted, piercing through the walls to capture the demon circling the room where he and Shugin stood.

"What is it doing..." Charles’s face grew solemn as he tried to discern the intent behind the demon’s frantic circling.

"No, run!" The sudden message from "One" in his mind made Charles’s heart skip a beat. He shouted to Shugin while activating the power of *The Star*, vanishing from sight.

Shugin reacted instantly, slamming his fist into the floor and plummeting through the shattering stone to escape the room.

The next moment, searing flames surged from every direction, incinerating the walls and completely consuming the room they had just occupied.