There was another one! The revolutionaries, regrouping in the hall, plunged into despair upon seeing Mario flanked by two Relic Users. Their despair quickly turned to confusion and anger.
It was obvious their plan had been leaked. Mario had been well-informed about their every move, evident from the fact that he had called in another Relic User, one possessing a "control-type" Relic. The intent was painfully clear.
So, where had they gone wrong? Where had their information been compromised?
This was the burning question in the minds of the revolutionaries, now trapped within the mansion.
At this moment, Leng, who had been silent and pretended to be injured, spoke out. He shifted to an angry demeanor, as if he had anticipated this, and directed his venomous gaze towards Ashe, standing next to Nozomi.Th1s chapter is updated by n)ovel/\bin/\
"Ashe! It was you! Did you betray us to these humans!"
Whoosh!
With Leng's accusation, all eyes of the revolutionaries turned to Ashe in an instant. Upstairs, Mario chuckled lightly. With victory assured and the rebel demi-humans unable to escape, why not enjoy their final moments of infighting and struggle? It was the kind of drama he relished.
"No, I didn't! It wasn't me! I never..."
Feeling the suspicious, questioning, angry, and even hateful glares from her comrades, Ashe instinctively began to frantically defend herself.
Before Ashe could finish her plea, Leng, as if expecting her response, interrupted her.
"Even now, you still try to deny it! Should I expose your affair with that human noble?"
With Leng's words, the looks from many revolutionaries changed.
Indeed.
They all knew Ashe had been sent to get close to a human noble, but strangely, a week later, the mission was called off, and Ashe returned unharmed. Now, Leng's insinuations made the answer seem obvious.
"Ashe... you!"
"Why would you betray us!"
"I knew it! Cat race are a bunch of unreliable scum!"
"No, this can't be true, Ashe..."
The reproaches and questions from her comrades flooded Ashe's ears, along with their angry, frenzied, and contorted faces.
Fortunately, Jiu, who was close to Ashe, stood up for her, still willing to believe in Ashe.
However, Leng's next statement left even Ashe stunned and soon dropping her head, unable to muster a defense.
"Yes, I also believe Ashe wouldn't do this, but Ashe, have you ever thought that the human noble was just using you? All his kindness, everything, was just to make you lower your guard! To let you inadvertently leak our information to him!"
Each word from Leng hit Ashe like a hammer, leaving her feeling as if struck by lightning.
"Kill her! Kill the traitor!"
Leng, without hesitation, raised his blade toward Ashe, its cold gleam reaching her neck. He wanted this cat-girl to remember, wanted the other revolutionaries to know the price of fraternizing with humans.
Upstairs, Mario watched with even greater pleasure.
He reveled in this spectacle of internal strife, hoping for more, much more...
Bang!*
An unexpected gunshot abruptly halted the escalating drama.
The bullet accurately struck the blade in Leng's hand, deflecting his attack on Ashe.
"What!?"
Leng initially thought the shot came from Mario's Army upstairs, but when he saw Mario also looking surprised and confused, Leng felt an ominous chill.
Then, the Relic Wilder holding the "compass" showing the first signs of shock, was the quickest to realize the implications.
"How can this be! The barrier, it's impossible! How can this happen!"
Indeed, the Relic User's panicked statements made everyone realize that the sniper shot had come from outside!
It's no wonder the Relic User was in such a state of panic. He had used the "Relic" for many years and had experienced its barriers being violently breached before. But today was different; it was as if he suddenly lost control of the "Relic" like a locked door easily opened with a key by someone else. This shocking revelation was enough to throw him into disarray.
No, it was even worse. It was as if the intruder changed the lock after opening the door, making his key useless. He had completely lost control of the Relic compass. The Relic was still active, enveloping the mansion, but the control was no longer in his hands!
The Relic User beside Mario broke into a sweat, and no matter how desperately he tried, the Relic no longer responded to him.
'What in the world is happening?'
The answer was soon revealed.
lightsnοvεl The solution to this mystery was a sinister, terrifying laugh that echoed in the ears of everyone inside the mansion – Leng, the cornered revolutionaries, and the confident Mario and his Army.
"Hahahaha~!"
Accompanying this laugh, entering through the front door of the mansion, as if sealed by the "Relic," was a certain noble young man.
And following him, one on each side, were two figures.
One, a girl with a twisted smile, walking with a ruthless stride, yet emanating a strong Miasma aura.
And the other, an expressionless maid tucking away a smoking sniper rifle under her skirt....