Chapter 50: Here They Come!
However, Bai couldn’t face Kweil and Kruse now, not in her current form, which resembled a Shadow Demon.
“And…” She looked at the unconscious Isabelle, a troubled expression on her face.
From what she had overheard, the Legendary Knights suspected Isabelle was the intruder.
Bai didn’t want to hand Isabelle over, partly because she still had questions for her, about Ara, about her own past, and partly because this Isabelle was so different from the one she had fought.
Although their memories were the same, their personalities were completely different.
And right now, in the capital, Bai could only trust Leticia, who was close to Lin Yan and Lugner, and the sickly Princess Lilia.
But…
She adjusted the mirror, her gaze falling on Rolof, standing before Kweil and Kruse.
She hadn’t forgotten Isabelle’s words, that she had colluded with a Crown Guard. And with the massacre at the execution ground, and Rolof’s convenient appearance here, the truth was obvious.
Rolof had sided with the demons, or perhaps had already become one.
When a human was corrupted by Demonic Runes, there were usually only two outcomes.
Either they resisted the corruption through sheer willpower, becoming a half-human, half-demon Demon Hunter, their hatred for demons fueling their resolve.
Salred, who had died in “Vikarn,” was a different case. He had been under the influence of Ara’s [Lost] Authority, which had ironically protected his mind from the demonic corruption.
Or, they succumbed, becoming a mindless, grotesque Fallen Demonspawn, a monster controlled by demonic power.
However, there was a third, almost impossible, outcome.
If a demon commander of the same race as the corrupting Demonic Runes acknowledged the tainted human, they could purge the mixed blood, transforming them into a true demon.
Not a Demon Hunter, not a Fallen Demonspawn, but a genuine demon.
“Rolof, so that’s your plan,” Bai sighed.
The situation was clear now.
The reason this was considered impossible was that most demon commanders wouldn’t deign to perform such a… distasteful act.
Turning an inferior being into one of their own was an insult to their pride.
Even now, hundreds of meters away, Bai could sense the repulsive aura emanating from Rolof, a stench of corrupted blood.
She now understood her aversion to him; it was a primal rejection, rooted in her demonic bloodline.
She looked at the unconscious Isabelle. “So, what’s your motive? To overcome even this… physical revulsion?”
Isabelle, as if hearing her, whimpered, a pained expression on her face.
“Bai, those people are starting to look for us again,” Ara whispered, her head nestled against Bai’s shoulder. “Should I… kill them? They seemed to want to harm Bai…”
She glared at Isabelle, and even in her unconscious state, Isabelle shivered, a flicker of fear crossing her face.
“…That’s not necessary,” Bai said, pinching Ara’s cheek, then adjusted the mirror again. “Have the civilians been evacuated? It seems they’re starting a thorough search…”
The Crown Guards were now holding crystal ball-like devices, which Bai recognized as simple Demonic Rune detectors. The closer they got, the brighter the light would shine.
“…Search every inch, don’t miss a single crack… Three times? Five! No, ten! Search the same area at least once every ten minutes! No rest until you find them!” Kweil’s voice echoed faintly, and Bai’s expression turned grim.
Escaping would be difficult.
Rolof was clearly behind this.
Why else would two Legendary Knights be deployed so quickly?
But she couldn’t understand why he would betray Isabelle.
And Isabelle, at her full strength, should have been able to kill Bai easily.
Normally, she would have been able to escape from two Legendary Knights, even all nine. The Shadow Demons’ reputation for elusiveness wasn’t just for show.
Wait!
Bai suddenly remembered Isabelle’s sudden collapse before the Shadow Realm disintegrated.
She leaned closer to Isabelle, sniffing, her eyes narrowing. “I see…”
Rolof had poisoned Isabelle, a poison specifically designed for Shadow Demons. It wasn’t lethal, but it would severely weaken her.
“I’ll have to question her thoroughly when she wakes up…” Bai thought, sitting up straight.
For now…
She looked at the Crown Guards, who were already spreading out, their search swift and efficient.
Kweil and Kruse stood together, ready to face the hidden Isabelle.
Kruse’s [Illusion] Authority was more of a support skill in direct combat, so he couldn’t stray too far from Kweil.
Rolof stood beside them, a worried expression on his face, as if eager to join the search, but held back by the two Legendary Knights.
“…I never noticed before. He’s a decent actor,” Bai muttered. He looked concerned, but she knew he was secretly gloating.
This was exactly what he had planned.
As for his motives, she couldn’t guess. She would have to wait for Isabelle to wake up.
The immediate priority was escaping the Crown Guard’s search.
Just then, she heard a faint sound, soft footsteps approaching, and the door to their hiding place creaked open, a sliver of light piercing the darkness.
“They’re here!”
