Although no one knew why Yahar had acted so decisively, now that someone had made the decision, Allen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least he would not have to take the blame for this. Without hesitation, he led the others into the town.
However, the instant they stepped into the town, Allen's sharp instincts detected something strange. His brows drew tightly together, because the scene before him was far too abnormal. The entire town was eerily silent at night, with its lights extinguished far too early, as though the whole place had been shrouded in a mysterious shadow. Not only that, but with his extraordinary perception, Allen could clearly sense pairs of eyes watching them from the houses hidden in the darkness, like cold vipers spying on their prey.
The eerie atmosphere put Allen on guard. He subconsciously slowed his pace and quietly warned the people following behind him, "Everyone, be careful. I feel like something's wrong here. Be ready to fight at any moment!" Laxus, who had been on full alert all along, was not surprised in the slightest. He had already summoned all his strength and was constantly prepared to deal with any danger that might appear. With his extraordinarily rich experience, Yahar had likewise sensed the tense atmosphere in the air. He gave a slight nod, showing that he agreed with Allen's judgment.
By contrast, Laharl and the other three had clearly yet to notice the potential danger. The relaxed expressions on their faces vanished the moment they heard Allen's warning, replaced by shock. Fortunately, after a brief panic, they quickly composed themselves, gripping their weapons tightly and paying full attention to every movement around them.
Thus, the group continued forward cautiously. Before long, they finally arrived at the gates of the Foxes of the Forest. However, the scene before them completely exceeded Allen's expectations. All the members of the Foxes of the Forest had gathered at the entrance, and every one of them wore an indescribably strange look in their eyes as they stared fixedly at the approaching group.
In the middle of the crowd, Allen and Laxus unexpectedly spotted Harry and the three people who had come to assist him at the time!
The gazes of the four had undergone a complete transformation since then. Even more astonishingly, strange and extremely unsettling waves of magic power continuously emanated from their bodies, making everyone shudder.
Allen had already locked onto Malcolm, the man bearing his magic mark. Malcolm had shed his black robe and was standing openly in the very center of the crowd. His face was twisted by extreme rage, making him look ferocious and terrifying. His eyes glared viciously at Allen, as if they were about to spit fire.
After carefully confirming his identity, Allen turned to Yahar beside him and quietly pointed him out. "It's the man in the center of the crowd."
Yahar nodded slightly to show that he understood. He then stepped forward without hesitation and solemnly faced the members of the Foxes of the Forest. In a loud, righteous voice, he declared, "We are members of the Investigation Team from the Council. I am Yahar, the captain of this investigation operation! According to the latest intelligence, someone in your guild is suspected of participating in activities related to the Dark Magic Group. I hereby solemnly warn you all: Unrelated personnel, leave! Do not obstruct the Council in the execution of its duties!"
Yet even after Yahar finished speaking, the entire group from the Foxes of the Forest remained deathly silent for quite some time. No one answered him, and no one moved to leave. They simply stood there quietly, their faces still wearing those spine-chillingly strange expressions, like silent statues.
Yahar watched the scene with a grave expression, then raised his voice and said, "I'll say it again! Anyone uninvolved, step aside!"
At that moment, Malcolm, who had been standing among the crowd, curled his lips into a chilling sneer and said darkly, "Heh heh heh... What unrelated people are there left here? We're all on the same side now! Oh, right. Why don't you turn around and take another look behind you?"
Hearing this, Allen and the others tensed and hurriedly turned to look behind them.
The sight before them left everyone present utterly astonished!
At some point, the townspeople had begun staggering out of their homes and slowly gathering around them. Even stranger, every one of their faces displayed the same bizarre expression as the members of the Foxes of the Forest, as though they had lost all self-awareness. Not only that, but faint, terrifying waves of magic power emanated from each of them.
Allen knew that the situation had become serious. He did not dare delay for even a moment and quickly walked to Yahar's side before asking, "Captain Yahar, do you have any reinforcements on the way? If there aren't any follow-up forces coming, then our current situation will be very difficult. I think these townspeople have all been controlled by some kind of dark spell and lost their free will. But judging from the situation, whoever is controlling them will launch an attack against us before long. When that happens, if we're forced to fight back, we'll inevitably injure these civilians."
Allen paused to give Yahar a brief moment to think, then continued, "I have an idea. I'll capture Malcolm while you stay here and hold the line. I guarantee I'll catch him as quickly as possible, but I need your promise. If I injure anyone during the process, it has nothing to do with me, and I won't be responsible for what happens afterward. My only responsibility is capturing him!"
Seeing the townspeople drawing closer and closer, Yahar made up his mind as well. He looked seriously at Allen and said, "We have reinforcements coming, but they won't arrive quickly. The soonest they'll get here is tomorrow morning. So I agree to your plan. As long as you capture him as quickly as possible, I'll take responsibility for you!"
After receiving his promise, Allen said to Laxus behind him, "Laxus, defend alongside the Investigation Team. I'll deal with this."
Laxus did not reply. He merely watched the steadily encroaching townspeople with a solemn gaze. Meanwhile, the three people beside Laharl were already trembling from tension. Yahar stepped forward and gave each of them a hard slap on the back. "There's no need to be nervous. Just focus on defense. Relax a little."
Allen's eyes were like two icy flashes, fixed directly on Malcolm. His murderous gaze seemed capable of piercing every obstacle and stabbing straight into Malcolm's soul. Even Malcolm, who had long since fallen into the abyss of endless darkness and grown accustomed to death and bloodshed, could not stop his body from trembling when he met that gaze.
Then, as a wave of energy swept over them, Gram and Aegis appeared in Allen's hands. At the same time, Chrono-Adamantium rapidly spread over Allen's body, protecting him completely. The Digi-Crisis emblem on his chest radiated an indescribable sense of oppression.
Allen began walking slowly toward Malcolm, one step at a time. Every step carried an overwhelming pressure. When he finally stopped just a few steps away from Malcolm, he spoke in an utterly cold voice: "Now, have you decided how you want to die?!"
Before you continue