The Fairy-tale Witch had fallen into a crisis.
On the narrow, winding path in the heart of the lush forest, she had only two lone Familiars beside her, while surrounding her were Shadow Soldiers who left no impression other than the pitch-black night.
There were so many that it was impossible to tell whether shadows formed them or they formed the shadows.
Even if the ninja-like Shadow Soldiers from earlier had only been slightly stronger than ordinary people, their ability to survive in this Night's Banquet and freely turn into shadows demonstrated that, in terms of Mystery, they were not far removed from their surroundings.
And once the premise that they could not interfere was set aside, even Alice Kuonji could not remain absolutely confident in the face of such a lethal disparity in numbers.
Moreover, according to the attacker who had already disappeared, these Shadow Soldiers' advantage did not lie in their individual strength. Their numbers and the combinations of their different factions were their true nature.
"The Shadowkhan..."
Alice Kuonji calmly surveyed the Shadow Soldiers around her. Among the humanoid ones alone were samurai, ninja, and small giants. There were also inhuman beings standing at the very front, with ten fingers like blades, spikes for legs, and even streamlined heads, as well as those soaring through the sky on black wings.
There were also monsters lurking deep in the undergrowth, crawling like mollusks and sporting bizarre tentacles. But they did not emerge, merely circling the outermost perimeter as though preventing outsiders from interfering with this battle.
Despite their differing appearances, every Shadowkhan soldier shared the same coldness in their pupils, which flickered red like flames. Merely meeting their gaze sent shivers down one's spine, giving the sensation of being frozen from body to soul.
There were six corps