Shattered Glass Staircase
The succubus clearly didn't understand why Sixth Level succubus would exist in the Material Realm.
Even more incomprehensible was why she sat so quietly on Iver's shoulder, like a pet...
But the succubus inherited all of Emma's memories and experiences, and she knew very well what she should do and when.
So she raised her whip and lashed it fiercely at the Grand Guardian stood in front of her! The scarlet whip fell like lightning, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound like the wailing of ghosts.
The Grand Guardian was lashed by the whip, and the pink crack on his back, resembling a hideous scar, immediately spread outwards in a large circle.
What was originally a twisted wound about one and a half palm lengths and two fingers thick has now expanded to cover almost the entire back, with the skin and flesh in the center completely shattered, revealing scarlet flesh steaming with white mist.
The flesh writhed as if alive, vaguely sprouting fleshy wings like bats. His skin gradually turned crimson, and he let out a hoarse roar like a wild beast, becoming unusually excited and aggressive.
"Ughhhhhhh!"
The Grand Guardian is much faster than usual.
Enveloped in crackling lightning and a storm, he vanished from his spot in an instant.
When he reappeared, he was already in front of Iver!
He clenched his fist and punched at Iver.
Night Demon stood in front of the Grand Guardian with a cold expression.
She didn't even raise her hands. The pair of illusory black wings behind her simply curved forward, forming a shield-like barrier that easily blocked the attack.
At the point where the attacks converged, a twisted and violent force exploded!
The dazzling and magnificent Glass Staircase beneath Iver shattered with a bang.
The glass shattered outwards from the foot the Grand Guardian was standing on. The closer one got to him, the more it shattered, and the shockwave spread outwards like a shattered iceberg, sending countless shards of glass of varying sizes flying upwards.
The next moment, countless bursts of lightning and gales scattered in all directions!
The Grand Guardian's arms bulged with muscles that seemed about to burst, his skin turning a deep, almost purplish-black red. Two layers of lightning, wrapped around his arms, unleashed an incredibly swift punch at the Night Demon! The lightning accumulated like a drill, growing ever more violent and deafening.
The ground beneath his feet shattered again, then exploded completely! Yet the Night Demon did not retreat an inch.
She didn't even glance at the Grand Guardian; she simply focused on the succubus, raising her right hand towards her with her palm open.
Seeing that the barrier could not be broken, the Grand Guardian slammed his last punch into the ground!
The lightning-streaked drill was guided to the ground by his final punch, and all the electricity in his body disappeared into the earth. Then, countless bolts of lightning rose from the ground, shattering the floor of the Silver and Tin Palace, which had been repeatedly reinforced by preservation spells! The Night Demon simply enlarged the shadowy wings on his back several times over.
Like a slap in the face, it landed squarely on the Grand Guardian! George was like a baseball hit to a home run, sent spinning back like a cannonball. The speed was so great that it even created a gust of wind after a brief moment of hesitation.
The Night Demon's other wing transformed into a hand, tightly gripping Iver in its palm. The lightning that erupted from the ground shattered the palace reinforced by preservation magic, yet it was utterly unable to penetrate the giant hand of shadow.
Immediately afterwards, a giant shadowy hand emerged from the ground behind the succubus.
Simultaneously with the Night Demon's right hand clenching tightly, it gripped the succubus's hand fiercely!
The succubus sensed danger without even looking behind her.
She nimbly dodged backward, and then two more hands appeared in the air. They clasped together as if in prayer, clamping down on the succubus, who leaped into the air once more, spreading her wings—
But at that moment, the Night Demon's right hand, which was clenched into a fist, suddenly flicked out a finger and pointed it fiercely at the succubus.
— [Weakness Curse]! A sudden chill made the succubus tremble, feeling her body suddenly become weak and powerless, as if she had just recovered from a serious illness.
The Night Demon released its grip on Iver's shadowy hand and vanished from its spot.
She moved behind the succubus, leaving a gray afterimage, and raised her right hand high.
Her right hand turned bright red, as if bathed in blood. It looked more like an axe than a hand.
But just then, the Grand Guardian, who had been driven back, charged back on a griffin.
His fists were loosely clenched, clearly indicating that he had drawn and grasped the invisible twin blades at his waist. That was power enough to instantly kill a large group of Fourth Level superhumans; Night Demon had to return to protect Iver.
So Night Demon had no choice but to return to his previous position, one wing protecting Iver, while the other transformed into a shield.
The Grand Guardian, having drawn his weapon, instantly became a level of threat. The shield formed by overlapping shadow wings was no longer as capable of easily blocking all attacks as before; instead, it was quickly cracked.
However, the succubus was already bound by Weakness Curse, making it difficult for her to move.
Then the Night Demon could free up a hand and vaguely clench its fist at the storm in front of it! As an invisible hand of shadow appeared in the void and slowly tightened its grip.
Philip the Griffin, who had completely transformed into a storm, was forcibly pulled from thin air by the Night Demon! The moment Philip was grabbed by the shadowy hand, one shadowy hand after another appeared and enveloped him. Philip was completely sealed within it, and his aura grew weaker and weaker.
— [The Jealousy Grip]! Once grasped, it is a bond that will never be released, even when faced with something invisible.
As if bound by chain after chain, Philip's vision gradually darkened. The curse was constantly draining the power from his body, causing it to grow weaker and weaker with the passage of time.
Only an external attack could shatter this cage... but the succubus would never risk coming to rescue it.
Meanwhile, Night Demon took a moment to point sharply at the succubus who was trying to approach.
The succubus's vision suddenly dimmed, and even her senses were largely stripped away. Her body, previously weakened by the Weakness Curse, had recovered somewhat, but only to about half its previous strength. Traces of the Weakness Curse still lingered within her.
— [Blinding Curse]! The succubus's heart sank, and she immediately felt the urge to retreat.
... No, I have to run.
The Night Demon's ability to continuously weaken enemies was too strong, and the blood rain outside had already begun to fall.
If you have too many curses stacked on you, you will suffer knife-like injuries every moment once you enter the Blood Rain.
In truth, she hadn't really wanted to fight after seeing the Night Demon. As one of the highest-level demon species, the Night Demon was no easier to deal with than the Succubus. And since the Night Demon's energy level was one level higher than hers, she would almost certainly be unable to escape the curse it had placed upon her.
The succubus's supernatural charm is enough to bewitch nature, and non-targeting attacks against her are prone to deflecting. It's as if she's "unlucky" and misses, so she can barely manage to hold off the night demon for a few rounds.
If she could just abandon the Grand Guardian, she could create an opportunity to escape! But she was also a little reluctant to part with the Grand Guardian.
This is only natural.
—This is Fifth Level servant! She originally had no intention of being an enemy of Iver or fighting here; this was an unexpected encounter.
Because the succubus simply couldn't fathom why anyone would refuse a contract offered to them by someone who had offered it up.
She's a succubus! Not one of those ugly, other succubi!
Although the griffin was captured by Night Demon, impairing the Grand Guardian's mobility, he himself was still handsome and powerful enough. He also possessed National Artifact capable of harming Night Demon!
It can only cause some trouble for Night Demon, but if he regains his senses and turns against him, it will be a deadly threat!
If it happened again, I might not have the chance to control the wary Grand Guardian.
Just as the succubus was still struggling with whether to advance or retreat.
A girl with long, silver-white hair, whom she recognized well, seemed to have heard the series of explosions in the Round Table Hall and rushed over in a panic.
—That was Yulia Moriarty! She could even sense the presence of the Suggestion Brand within her! It was the Yulia she had dealt with before!
Didn't I send Yulia home?
A hint of doubt flashed through the succubus's mind, but she quickly dismissed it—she had been staying at the Silver and Tin Palace recently, and perhaps she had subconsciously run back.
At that moment, the succubus had a plan.
—Let the Grand Guardian attack Yulia directly!
Unlike Emma, the succubus was not actually interested in Yulia's heart.
Because she had no intention of returning to Star Antimony, let alone handing over Hercules' Heart to the Red Prime Minister—her hatred for the Red Prime Minister was arguably the greatest of all. And the treasure vault, which required Yulia's heart to open, held no value for her.
It's not even as valuable as the Grand Guardian of Avalon!
However, whenever Yulia is attacked, Iver will inevitably send Night Demons to protect Yulia. By repeatedly attacking Iver and Yulia, Night Demons, who must protect these two "weak points," will have no time or energy to attack their own bodies.
Iver is smart. He will quickly realize the problem and then actively move closer to Yulia.
At that point, he could detonate the Suggestion Brand in Yulia's mind, directly controlling her and making her attack Iver from behind! Taking advantage of the chaos, he might be able to leave with his pet...
This was the tactic that suddenly came to mind the succubus the moment she saw Yulia.
—Just you wait. Once I've recruited more powerful individuals, I'll bring them back to capture you and enslave you!
The succubus thought viciously to herself.
She immediately ordered the Grand Guardian: "Attack Yulia!"
But for some reason, the Grand Guardian, who was about to attack Yulia, suddenly froze in mid-air with his hand that was holding his weapon.
It was as if he were restrained by some invisible law, unable to attack in the slightest. His forward momentum was as if he had hit a wall... even his cloudy and lifeless eyes seemed to become clearer.
Without hesitation, the succubus lashed out with her whip again.
"Go!"
She angrily issued the order again.