A Sudden Situation!

Although the reason for Yahar's decisive action remained unknown, since someone had already made the call, Allen breathed a quiet sigh of relief—at least he wouldn't have to shoulder this black pot himself. Without hesitation, he led the group into the town.

Yet the moment they set foot inside, Allen's sharp instincts caught a hint of wrongness. His brow furrowed tightly, for the scene before him was far too abnormal—the entire town was eerily silent at night, the lights extinguished far too early, as if a mysterious shadow had draped itself over everything. What's more, with his extraordinary perception, he could clearly feel countless gazes piercing through the darkness from the hidden houses, like icy vipers stalking their prey.

This unsettling atmosphere put Allen on high alert. He instinctively slowed his pace and, lowering his voice, warned the others behind him, "Everyone be careful. I sense something's off here. Be ready to fight at any moment!" Laxus, already on guard, showed no surprise; he had long since mobilized all his power, prepared for any danger. Yahar, drawing on his exceptionally rich experience, also caught the tension thickening in the air and nodded slightly in agreement with Allen's judgment.

In contrast, Laharl and the other two had yet to realize the looming threat. The relaxed expressions on their faces vanished instantly at Allen's warning, replaced by shock. But after a brief moment of panic, they quickly pulled themselves together, gripping their weapons tightly and focusing intently on their surroundings.

Thus, the group pressed forward cautiously. Before long, they finally arrived at the gates of the Foxes of the Forest. However, the sight that greeted them exceeded Allen's expectations—every single member of the Foxes of the Forest had gathered at the entrance, their eyes carrying an indescribable eeriness, staring straight at the approaching party.

In the midst of the crowd, Allen and Laxus spotted Harry and the three who had come to his aid earlier!

Now, the look in those four's eyes had undergone a complete transformation from before. Even more startlingly, an extremely sinister fluctuation of magical power was surging from each of them, sending chills down one's spine.

Allen had already locked onto Malcolm, who bore his magical mark. At this moment, Malcolm had shed his black robe, standing unguarded at the center of the crowd. His face was twisted with extreme rage, making him look hideous and terrifying, and his eyes glared at Allen as if they were about to spit fire.

After a careful confirmation, Allen turned to Yahar beside him and whispered, pointing, "It's the one in the center of the crowd."

Yahar nodded slightly to show he understood, then stepped forward without hesitation. His face solemn, he stared straight at the gathered members of the Foxes of the Forest and declared in a righteous tone, "We are investigators from the Council. I am the leader of this investigation—Yahar! According to the latest intelligence, someone in your guild is suspected of involvement with the Dark Magic Group. I hereby warn you all: non-involved parties, step aside! Do not obstruct the Council's official duties!"

Yet, after Yahar finished speaking, the entire Foxes of the Forest formation remained deathly silent. No one responded to his words, nor did anyone move to leave. They all stood there quietly, their faces still wearing that bone-chilling, eerie expression, like silent statues.

Yahar's expression grew heavy as he watched this scene, then he raised his voice, "I'll say it once more! Those not involved, get out of the way!"

Just then, Malcolm, still in the crowd, curled his lips into a chilling sneer and said in a sinister tone, "Hehehe... What non-involved people are there here? We're all on the same side now! Oh, by the way, why don't you take a look behind you?"

Hearing this, Allen and the others' hearts tightened. They quickly turned to look behind them.

The sight that met their eyes left everyone present utterly stunned!

At some point, the townspeople had all staggered out of their homes, slowly converging on them. Even more bizarrely, their faces bore the same strange expression as the Foxes of the Forest members, as if they had lost their self-awareness. Not only that, but each of them was faintly emitting a chilling fluctuation of magical power.

Allen knew things had taken a serious turn. Without a moment's delay, he hurried over to Yahar and asked, "Captain Yahar, do you have any reinforcements on the way? If there's no backup coming, given the current situation, it's going to be tricky. I think these townspeople have been controlled by some kind of dark art, losing their free will. But judging by the look of things, it won't be long before whoever's controlling them launches an attack. If we're forced to fight back, we'll definitely hurt these civilians."

Allen paused, giving Yahar a brief moment to think, then continued, "I have an idea. I'll go capture Malcolm. You all hold your ground here. I promise I'll catch him as fast as possible. But I need your word—if I accidentally hurt anyone in the process, that's not on me. I take no responsibility for what happens afterward. I'm only responsible for catching him!"

Seeing the townspeople drawing closer and closer, Yahar made up his mind. He looked seriously at Allen and said, "We do have reinforcements coming, but they won't arrive quickly—at the earliest, tomorrow morning. So for now, I agree to your plan. As long as you catch him quickly, I'll cover for you!"

With that promise secured, Allen turned to Laxus behind him and said, "Laxus, you hold the line with the investigation team. I'll handle this."

Laxus didn't reply, only fixed his stern gaze on the encroaching townspeople. Meanwhile, Laharl and the other two were already trembling with tension. Yahar stepped forward and gave each of them a firm slap on the back. "No need to be nervous. Just focus on defense. Relax a little."

Allen's eyes, like two cold blades of light, locked directly onto Malcolm. His murderous gaze seemed capable of piercing through all obstacles, stabbing straight into Malcolm's soul. Even Malcolm, who had long fallen into the abyss of darkness and was accustomed to scenes of blood and death, couldn't help but tremble at the moment their eyes met.

Then, with a surge of energy, Gram and Aegis appeared in Allen's hands. At the same time, Chrono-Adamantium rapidly covered his body, encasing him in a tight protective layer. The Digi-Crisis emblem on his chest radiated an indescribable pressure.

Allen walked step by step toward Malcolm. With each stride, he exuded an overwhelming aura of authority. When he finally stopped just a few paces away from Malcolm, he fixed him with an ice-cold glare and said in a voice devoid of warmth, "Now, have you decided how you want to die?!"