Ye Zi felt that all the blood in her body had coagulated.
In the night sky to the left, two shadowy figures slowly emerged—massive and bizarre, unmistakably the appearance of a sinister creature. As Ye Zi drew closer, he realized they were two humanoid beings mounted on a hybrid beast. Their bodies, twice the height of an average person, stood naked, clad in what could hardly be called clothing—more like swollen animal hides, tightly wrapped from head to toe, with many areas bulging.
The most striking feature was the headgear worn by the two figures, clearly crafted from the skull of a monstrous beast—fierce and terrifying in appearance. The eyes had been gouged out and replaced with reddish-brown crystal plates. A patched leather tube extended from the base of their headgear, leading to a massive armored sac behind them. One rider carried several spears, while the other wore peculiarly shaped iron gloves that appeared to have only three fingers.
A single word flashed through Ye's mind: "Devil".
"Engage the enemy!" Hakkara was the first to react, her shrill scream drawing everyone's attention back to the foes. The stone woman pressed her hands to the ground, transforming the vast expanse of snow before her into a soft swamp. This was a perfectly calculated move: the enemy's mounts were hybrid wolf-headed, winged creatures—swift in motion and capable of short-distance flight. But these two were clearly no match; their wings had been severed, their exposed bones bound with hemp ropes and held by Devil. Unable to fly over the swamp, they would have to circle around, buying time for the other sisters to react.
Yet the enemy defied the witches 'plans entirely. They spurred their mounts forward, plunging headfirst into the swamp, then leaped off the monster's back with the momentum, covering several yards before landing behind the Stone Maiden. There, the non-combat sisters had gathered.
"Scatter!" Before Ye Zi could finish her command, Devil—clad in three-fingered iron gloves—had already unleashed a slaughter on the crowd. His agility was a stark contrast to his imposing frame. A Witch too close to react was crushed under a single blow. Two more sisters were crushed to death by the iron-clad hands, and the others, finally realizing their danger, fled in panic. Only Sino remained rooted to the spot. Though her abilities were useless in combat, she didn't flee. Instead, she drew a crossbow from behind and hurled it at the enemy. Devil sidestepped, then kicked her with a thunderous force—so powerful it sent her tumbling to the ground, blood gushing from her mouth as she rolled.
Devil, spear in hand, turned and approached the stone maiden who had been terrified beyond recognition. Just as his spear was about to pierce the Witch's chest, a burst of flames erupted before him. Red Pepper rolled under the enemy's legs, grabbed the stone maiden's hand, and turned to flee. The pursuer was stopped by a wall of black energy.
The leaves channeled all their Magic Power into the earth, unleashing a surge of plants that grew wildly, coiling into a thorny vine that reached toward Iron Hand Devil. The "Pain" serpent summoned by Hakkara clamped down on his arm with a crushing bite. As he swung his hand to shake off the venomous snakes, the vine that had crept up from behind suddenly lunged, entangling his feet and yanking him backward. The enemy's massive body crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud.
"Run, sisters! Hurry!" Yezi screamed, her voice trembling with fear. "Get out of here! These monsters are the very evil creatures from ancient texts—the Devils emerging from the gates of hell!"
The venomous torment of the serpent seemed to have no effect on them. Iron Hand, who had fallen to the ground, arched his body as if trying to grasp the vines that were dragging him around. Seeing his companion in peril, Devil swiftly turned his attention to the leaf manipulating the vines. He raised his spear, assuming a throwing stance, and his arm rapidly expanded. The originally swollen outer layer was stretched thin, revealing dark red veins and bones beneath the skin.
"Leaf, watch out!" The stone woman once again transformed the ground into a mud pit, this time directly under the opponent's feet. Devil suddenly lurched downward, and the spear he hurled instantly deflected, slicing diagonally into the ground in front of Leaf. The spear, nearly a man's height, was almost entirely buried, sending a chill down Leaf's spine.
The swollen arm quickly shrunk back to its original size after the spear was thrown, becoming as dry as dry wood.
The spear-wielding Devil couldn't keep throwing! She instantly realized this was the perfect moment to flee. The other witches noticed too. The Stone Maiden, Red Pepper, and Wind Chaser darted past Iron Hand, who was still grappling on the ground, and rushed toward the neglected Hakkara, intending to take their mentor with them. Only Leaf saw Devil, pulled by vines, reach out her hands toward the three.
What does he want to do? Wait!
"No—" Before she could utter a warning, a blinding blue light erupted from Devil's iron grip like a lightning bolt piercing the sky, twisting and striking the three sisters. The blue light leaped between them, crackling with explosions. White smoke billowed from their bodies as they convulsed and collapsed, their robes ablaze.
The attack seemed to drain the enemy's vital energy, leaving him gasping for breath and motionless. Meanwhile, Ye Zi's Magic Power had reached its peak, causing the vines to crumble and fragment into withered weeds.
It was all over, she thought. The desperate cries of her mentor seemed to fade into the distance, and her strength drained away like a tide. She collapsed onto the ground, utterly powerless.
After a brief respite, Iron Hand slowly rose from the snow and approached Hakara, his face etched with terror. Now, no one could stop him. Devil seized his mentor by the throat, and the latter desperately tried to break free, but the overwhelming disparity in strength rendered his struggle futile. As he struggled, a swarm of serpents emerged, biting at the enemy's arms and neck, yet he remained unmoved, tightening his grip on Iron Hand.
Just then, an unexpected incident occurred. A demonic serpent launched a frenzied attack, severing the leather tube beneath Devil's headgear. Red mist erupted from the severed end, swiftly enveloping both Hakkara and Devil. The former let out a horrifying scream as his skin began to rot under the crimson haze, exposing tendons and white bones. Meanwhile, the latter released his iron grip, desperately trying to seal the tube. As the mist dissipated rapidly, his body began to tremble uncontrollably, and within moments, he collapsed, motionless.
The spear-wielding demon, half-submerged in the swamp, let out a scream so piercing that Ye Zi—never having heard such a sound before—could only hear a mangle of shrill whimpers and guttural roars, the piercing noise cutting into her ears like a knife.
But the enemy's roar did not make Ye Zi flee in panic, but made her see the only chance of victory.
With her lip torn, she struggled to her feet, retrieved the hand crossbow Sino had dropped, and reloaded it before approaching Devil with his spear. The demon knew exactly what she intended. Though he flailed his arms desperately, the swamp waters only deepened his descent. His attempt to shield the barrel left the section extending behind his scutum completely exposed.
For the sisters I lost, Ye Zi thought, and pulled the trigger on the pipe.
The arrow pierced the leather tube with pinpoint accuracy, and red mist gushed from the breach. When the mist dissipated, the enemy's head drooped.
She killed Devil.
Leaving the crossbow behind, Ye Zi turned to look at her dozen or so sisters who had already died, Ye Zi fell to her knees and burst into tears.