Release that Witch

”Don’t move,” said Elena.

With another two whooshes, one stone needle was slashed in half. The numbness gradually dissolved into an excruciating pain that seared through her legs.

Andrea clenched her teeth, managing to suppress her groan. As she looked up, she saw thousands of needles rain down where everybody had stood a moment ago. Had the God’s Punishment Witches not come to their rescue, they would have probably been dead by now.

Nevertheless, even for the God’s Punishment Witches, it was hard to avoid all the showering needles. One stone needle had forced its way into Andrea’s legs and knees and penetrated them obliquely. Through furled flesh, Andrea could vaguely saw her bones. Her pants were soaked in blood.

Elena was no better than her. One needle reached her stomach. Fortunately, the God’s Punishment Witches could not feel pain, which enabled Elena to still concentrate on the fray.

Within a few seconds, perspiration ran down Andrea’s forehead. She forced herself to gulp down one of the painkillers produced by Leaf, struggling to pull herself together.

Ashes was now fighting the Magic Slayer strenuously.

Everyone looked a little unkempt and windswept after this narrow escape. Many sustained injuries. They definitely could not dodge a second round of stone needles.

Just then, there was a clattering of footsteps coming from the depth of the forest.

Andrea realized that there must be some other demons other than the two Spider Demons awaiting them.

However, bounded by the wounded witches, the God’s Punishment Witches could not commit themselves totally to the battle.

The situation was precarious.

Andrea grasped Elena’s hand and croaked, ”Head to the west, before it’s too late!”

”West?” Elena echoed, momentarily stunned. ”But the First Army is in the south...”

”I don’t think we can go that way anymore. The demons must be waiting for us there. The only place in which we could take refuge is the Misty Forest in the west — ” There were probably numerous well-prepared, fully-recharged demons down in the underground passages. If they rashly ran into their ambush, they would be doomed. Although the Misty Forest was far away from the First Army, at least the demons would have to travel a long way to pursue them.

It suddenly dawned on Andrea that the Magic Slayer was probably not waiting for his reinforcements but was waiting for his army to assemble. Their underground passages must have covered every inch of the land so that the witches would not have a single chance to escape.

The demon army probably had taken action when the decoy had flown out of Taquila.

”I see,” Elena said while nodding and informed her fellow companions.

Meanwhile, Ursrook successfully dodged all the grapeshots whizzing toward him whilst gliding along the outer ring of the defense effortlessly. He conjured gusts of wind that consumed the witches’ energies. A shield of blue light protected him from harms in any form. Apparently, singular shots could not cause him serious injuries.

When all the witches were congregated, the Mad Demons arrived at the forest.

”Look out for the spears!” Ashes yelled as she slashed a bone spear flying toward her in half.

The God’s Punishment Witches, on the other hand, threw more grenades to defend against the hailing spears. For a moment, there was quite a commotion at the clearing.

Andrea knew that their greatest crisis had yet to be resolved.

She snatched the Sigil of Listening from Ashes and shouted at Lightning, ”Find and kill the two Spider Demons!”

”But — ”

”Only you and Maggie can do it. Go! You’ll help us a lot if you succeed!”

The Spider Demons typically projected stone needles every seven or eight minutes. It had been three minutes since their last attack. If they failed to eliminate the Spider Demons before their second shot, they would all be killed on the battlefield.

”And ask Tilly to run!” Ashes added, without looking back.

”I...” Lightning hesitated but finally chose to obey. She said through gritted teeth, ”Got it. Please hold on, you guys!”

”Of course we will,” Andrea said as she summoned a bitter smile. ”We haven’t given up yet...” With these words, she turned to Elena and said, ”Give me a weapon!”

”Are you sure?” Elena asked, her brows drawing together. ”You’ll slip off my back if you don’t hold tight.”

”Don’t worry. I’ll be perfectly fine with just one hand.”

She then took the bolt rifle from Elena, pulled the bolt between her teeth and loaded the gun, after which, she propped her hand on Elena’s shoulder, ready to fire. Even though she lost her legs, blinding with pain, with scarcely any magic power left, she was still a formidable sniper.

Savage Ashes was still fighting fiercely.

How could she surrender?

...

”Lightning... what should we do, coo?” Maggie asked anxiously.

”Stay calm,” Lightning said as she watched dozens of Mad Demons sprint in the forest and thick smoke coil in the distant sky. She forced herself to concentrate. Andrea was right. Her only strength was her tremendous flying speed. She could not let the Magic Slayer block her power again.

A great explorer should learn to maintain his composure and carefully analyze the situation. Since she could not provide much assistance in helping the witches retreat, killing the Spider Demons seemed to be more practical. To kill these monsters housed in stones, she had to utilize the grenade propellers newly developed by His Majesty.

”You go find the Spider Demons, and I’ll contact the ’Seagull’. Princess Tilly has the weapons we need!” Lightning instructed curtly after making up her mind.

”Got it, aw!” Maggie yelled as she turned into a gray goshawk and shot high up in the air.

Lightning raised her speed to the maximum. Within a blink, she had reached the glider far away from the ambush field.

”Where are they? How’s the plan going?” Wendy asked apprehensively as she pulled back the cabin door.

”There’s no time to explain. I need the spare weapons!”

Lightning crept into the cabin and fastened the propeller and the grenades to her back when Tilly asked, ”Things aren’t going well, right?”

Lightning nodded and said hesitantly, ”Yes, Ashes asked you to leave as soon as possible.”

”I see. I’m leaving right away.”

Lightning and Wendy were both frozen for a second.

”Because my stay won’t help her with anything but only give her more pressure...” Tilly said, a tinge of tremor in her voice as though she was fighting back her words that were threatening to come out. ”My instinct is telling me that it’s best to return to the campsite.”

”Your Highness...”

”But tell her that I’ll come back! The ’Seagull’ will soon bring new reinforcements. Tell them to hang in there just a little longer!”

Just then, a goshawk wailed in the distance.

”I’ll let Ashes know,” Lightning promised as she leapt out of the cabin while casting Tilly one last glance.

The weapons on her back weighed her down. Lightning dropped around ten meters before she was able to steady herself. If the Magic Slayer came after her again, there would be no chance for her to escape this time.

She needed to trust her friends and be brave!

Lightning took a deep breath of the cold air and zoomed in the direction Maggie had pointed out.

30 seconds later, she caught sight of her target — a Spider Demon that lay flat on the ground, slowly spewing out obsidian. The ground underneath it had sunk a few inches, forming a large dent, at the bottom of which she could vaguely see a few small holes that appeared to lead somewhere else.

Two Mad Demons were guarding the Spider Demon. Lightning hurtled low over the treetops, aimed at the crooked monster, whose armor was flown open, totally unaware of the danger above, and pulled the trigger without the slightest hesitation.

With a moderate clang, the grenade sank into the Spider Demon diagonally. The heat generated by the high-explosive shell instantly penetrated its stomach, crushing its veins and muscles underneath the obsidian!

With a horrible, bloodcurdling wail, the Spider Demon collapsed.