Before infiltrating First University's Special Plane, Nikita had imagined many ways she might be discovered.
For instance, she might accidentally trigger the plane's demon alarm and be surrounded by the escorts rushing over; she might run into an old university classmate aboard the plane and be forced to strike first; or perhaps an ancient Archwizard had happened to "accidentally" board the flight and would carry her back to the Black Prison like a chick.
For every possibility, she had prepared several different responses.
The only thing she had not expected was for her flawless infiltration to be ruined by a freshman.
She narrowed her eyes at Zheng Qing.
Perhaps the aura that stirred her demonic bloodline could help her answer some of the captain's questions and lessen the punishment for her failure.
The she-demon's lips curled slightly.
She raised one finger, and four or five ropes shot out of thin air, lashing toward Zheng Qing, who lay unconscious on the floor.
"Stop her!" A furious shout rang out. The red-faced boy charged from nearby and crashed down in front of Zheng Qing like a cannonball. The heavy impact made the entire Special Plane tremble.
Two ropes shot right toward him.
The red-faced boy raised his fist and slammed it into the rope ends, producing the clash of metal. The two ropes hissed in agony and drooped limply onto the floor.
Xiao Xiao stood beside Zheng Qing, silently taking out an ancient tortoiseshell and chanting a spell. Runes flowed across the shell, and a faint golden film emerged from it, shielding the two of them.
The ropes rushing in from afar stabbed viciously into the golden film, producing a shrill drilling sound.
The other freshmen in the dining hall covered their ears and stared blankly at the rapidly escalating scene, unable to understand why the two people who had been at each other's throats three minutes earlier had suddenly joined forces against the she-demon.
Zheng Qing covered his forehead and woke amid the drilling noise.
His eyes were blank and unfocused as he stared at the twisted, distorted golden chandelier on the ceiling.
Fragments from before he had fainted flashed rapidly through his mind.
Special Plane, sprite, flight attendant, she-demon.
His eyes widened. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to his feet.
"Awake?" Xiao Xiao stood before him, his voice sounding exhausted.
"Is everyone all right?" Zheng Qing's voice was hoarse and low as he pulled a stack of yellow paper talismans from the Gray Bag.
"No one was hurt except you." Xiao Xiao's hands, which held the tortoiseshell, trembled constantly, but his voice remained very steady. "It's just that we're in serious trouble."
With that, his hands loosened, and he dropped onto the floor.
After flickering several times, the light film around them suddenly shattered into specks of golden light and fell back onto the tortoiseshell.
The ancient tortoiseshell spun slowly twice in the air before falling.
The three ropes that had been drilling into the light film merely paused before once again stabbing viciously toward them.
Zheng Qing understood.
He stepped forward, placing himself in front of Xiao Xiao.
With a sweep of his hand, the stack of yellow paper talismans scattered into the air like a great net, blanketing the three incoming ropes.
Without a sound, the three ropes became covered in yellow paper talismans and fell stiffly to the floor with a thud.
The smile vanished from Nikita's lips.
The red glow in her eyes slowly brightened.
"It seems I've been a little too merciful."
"Perhaps I should show you how a real lich handles fresh ingredients."
The she-demon's voice remained sweet, and her words still sounded playful, but the meaning behind them sent chills through every freshman.
Her jet-black hair floated upward, and the red gleam in her eyes flared brightly.
A heavy pressure descended upon the entire dining hall once more.
Under that terrifying aura, the tableware clinked and rattled, while the tables and chairs creaked in protest. The pets buried their heads in their owners' arms and shivered, and the Guardian Talismans on the freshmen burst forth with dazzling light again.
Sitting on the floor, Xiao Xiao raised the ancient tortoiseshell once more.
A pale golden barrier flickered with a reassuring glow, blocking the she-demon's terrifying pressure outside.
Zheng Qing reached out and dragged the red-faced boy, who was outside the barrier, in.
The red-faced boy dropped onto the floor, then turned and glared furiously at Xiao Xiao. "Why didn't you act earlier?"
Zheng Qing knew he meant how Xiao Xiao had desperately tried to stop everyone when they had called for resistance earlier.
"Because she hadn't attacked." Leaning against the sofa, Xiao Xiao's voice sounded faint and distorted beneath the pressure.
"Then why are you acting now?!"
"Because they're here." Xiao Xiao tilted his head toward the dining hall entrance, seemingly letting out a sigh of relief.
Zheng Qing and the red-faced boy turned toward the entrance at the same time.
The dining hall doors were still tightly shut.
However, a vague figure had appeared in the shadows beneath the liquor cabinet to the left of the doors.
"I was just wondering which big shot was so determined to show no respect." A lazy voice sounded from behind the U-shaped bar. A young man with a dejected face and copper studs and iron rings embedded all over his exposed skin slowly emerged from the liquor cabinet's shadow.
The heavy pressure in the dining hall silently dissipated.
He walked to the bar, picked several pieces of crushed ice from an ice bucket, and dropped them into his glass.
Seemingly sensing the delighted gazes around him, he raised his glass and looked at the she-demon in the distance. "Who would have thought it was merely a little creature making trouble... Sure enough, life is full of boredom everywhere."
The she-demon tilted her head toward the abruptly appearing young man, surprise showing in her eyes.
The young man whose face was covered in thumbtacks swirled his glass, seeming more interested in the liquid spinning within it. Lowering his head, he muttered, "Did your elders send you to deliver a declaration of war?"
"Probably not." A gentle voice sounded beside Zheng Qing and continued, "That isn't something a little lich who hasn't even made it onto the wanted list could handle. By the way, I'll have a margarita, with extra lemon if possible. Aren't you ordering anything, Victor?"
Zheng Qing twisted his head sharply, nearly wrenching his neck.
It was a young voice, but its owner's hair was somewhat gray.
Unlike the punk-dressed young man, this figure was enveloped in a broad robe. The robe rose from his feet, its high collar tightly concealing the tip of his nose. Through his blurred vision, Zheng Qing could only see his smooth forehead and that slightly graying hair.
"Vodka, thank you." A deep voice sounded from another direction.
Zheng Qing looked toward the voice.
A tall man in sleeveless armor sat cross-legged in the open space before the floor-to-ceiling windows. At that moment, he propped up his head and watched the she-demon with half-lidded eyes.
A tall, purple-haired woman stood beside him.
"Show some respect for your opponent!" The purple-haired woman's voice was beautiful but cold. "Even if the opponent is a she-demon who only knows how to scare children. Also, no drinking during the mission, Hilda."
"The shackles of mundanes," the lazy voice behind the bar muttered. "What I'm drinking isn't alcohol. It's atmosphere."
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