Chapter 18: The Achilles’ Heel and an Unexpected Alliance

“I must seize the opportunity… when he attacks, that is also when he is at his most vulnerable…”

Issac gasped, her gaze fixed on the “lines” of power flowing across the Hunting Knight’s body.

Her scythe’s tip precisely struck the weakest part of the greatsword, striving to create an opening for herself.

Repelled by the Demon King’s Castle’s barrier, Issac’s strength had significantly diminished, quickly revealing her disadvantage.

She had no intention of using a Sacred Artifact here; a Royal Knight was one thing, but drawing in members of the Royal Court or even the Demon King would truly cause trouble.

‘So weak. I thought a rat capable of infiltrating the barrier would be more formidable.’

Beneath his visor, Hunting Knight Wolf’s eyes held a hint of regret, as Issac’s petite form tottered precariously under his powerful, heavy sword strikes.

“Then, this is the next move.”

The Hunting Knight stepped back, then leapt high into the air, his entire body’s strength converging into a devastating sword strike meant to cleave both the scythe and the small body in two.

‘This is it!’

Issac judged calmly, for she had spotted the “point” that appeared on the Hunting Knight’s right shoulder as he swung his sword with all his might.

That was the power about to erupt, and simultaneously, it was the Hunting Knight’s most vulnerable spot in that very instant.

In more professional terms, it was the critical vulnerability, the “Achilles’ heel,” that momentarily appeared on the otherwise impregnable Hunting Knight.

Ignoring the whistling, teeth-like sword wind that threatened to tear her body apart, Issac drew the twin-barrel pistol engraved with sacred runes from her thigh holster.

Highly compressed divine energy instantly filled its chambers, and just before the sword could strike her, Issac calmly pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The Hunting Knight’s shoulder plate shattered with a thunderous impact, sending him spinning, sword and all, more than ten meters away.

That single blow could easily have crushed the hard skull of a magical beast, yet it had only demolished Wolf’s shoulder plate; the solid muscle exposed beneath the armor slowly emitted smoke, utterly unharmed.

“Ahhh! That hurt!”

The face beneath the helmet grimaced, and the Hunting Knight shakily rose to his feet, pieces of his shattered armor flaking off.

Half of his body was rendered immobile by the immense impact, and his paralyzed right hand couldn’t even grip his sword, leaving him momentarily struggling to force himself back into battle.

“Hoo… hoo…”

Seizing this chance, Issac, who had gambled her life like a desperado, used her agile footwork to parkour through the gaps between buildings.

After the recent skirmish, her stamina was nearing its limit, yet with her exceptional explosive power and mobility, she quickly shook off the pursuing personal guard, now only a few steps from the Demon King’s Castle wall.

“Don’t even think about running.”

The Tower Knight stood atop the Demon King’s Castle, resting an anti-material sniper rifle, inscribed with magic runes, on her tower shield.

Her scope zeroed in on the faint, white figure, cloaked in optical camouflage, that shimmered into view.

Magic power surged into the rifle, heating the barrel slightly with its high concentration, and the magic runes glowed.

The Tower Knight’s eyes narrowed, and as the white cloak flapped into sight at the base of the city wall, she pulled the trigger.

Bang—-!

The magic bullet, traveling far beyond the speed of sound, tore through the air with a sharp shriek, like a cannonball exploding upon impact, blasting a gaping hole directly into the barrier-reinforced wall of the Demon King’s Castle.

When the smoke cleared, the personal guard who had rushed to the scene found no mangled corpse, not even a trace of blood.

The Tower Knight pressed her temple, scanned the surroundings, and then shook her head slightly, sending a message to the searching personal guard:

“No need to pursue. The infiltrator has already left the Demon King’s Castle.”

***

“This way, quickly, follow me!”

Just as Issac was about to escape the Demon King’s Castle through the wall, a clear, pleasant voice rang out.

Immediately, a slender hand pulled her away, as if someone had been lying in wait all along.

The next moment, the spot where Issac had been was struck by the magic bullet, erupting in a brilliant explosion.

“Phew, this should be far enough.”

The silver-haired, golden-eyed girl in a magnificent military uniform led Issac into a room within the Demon King’s Castle.

Turning on the light revealed a neat and orderly office.

“I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I? I am Executor Avril, acting on behalf of His Majesty the Demon King to carry out official duties.”

Before Issac could voice a question, the spirited girl proudly announced her name, her dignified and upright demeanor inspiring considerable goodwill.

However, unlike ordinary people, she possessed long, backward-curving horns, much like a goat’s.

Common demons do not have horns; only life-devouring devils possess long horns.

“Executor… Avril…”

Issac silently tightened her grip on the scythe beneath her cloak.

She had, of course, heard that name; the girl before her could rightly be called the most loyal executor of the Demon King’s will.

“No need to be so tense. You’re here to rescue the captured Healing Saintess, aren’t you? In that case, our interests align.”

Avril smiled kindly, her smile carrying a hint of sharpness, yet it caused no discomfort, for she skillfully conveyed her goodwill to the person opposite her.

“So, Life-hunting Saintess Issac, and the young lady over there who’s been eavesdropping with her familiar, let’s talk.”

“……”

After a few seconds of silence, under Issac’s wary gaze and Avril’s benevolent one, a delicate mechanical owl flew out from the shadows and landed on Issac’s shoulder.

Without a word, it harshly pecked Issac’s small head.

“Ow! That hurts!”

Issac clutched her head, teary-eyed as she stared at the magic-powered mechanical owl.

Upon seeing its familiar craftsmanship, Issac had already identified who this owl truly belonged to.

“I’m telling you, child.”

The owl flapped its wings, conveying its operator’s protest.

“Don’t infiltrate too deeply; if there’s danger, withdraw immediately! Haven’t I told you this before? Now look, you’re stuck right in the enemy’s stronghold!”

“Well, I encountered an unexpected opponent…”

Issac pouted, speaking in a wronged tone.

“That’s precisely why you infiltrated too deeply, you dummy!”

The owl pecked Issac’s head again, and seeing Issac’s almost tearful, pitiful expression, it sighed helplessly:

“Forget it, as long as you’re safe.”

The owl raised its round eyes to look at the frank, military-clad girl nearby and spoke:

“Executor Avril… may I address you as such? I am Oracle Saintess Joshua. What would you like to discuss with us?”

Even across a thousand li, Avril could still sense the wariness and distrust emanating from the mechanical owl, and Issac, having just been rescued, also gripped her scythe, not relaxing her vigilance in the slightest.

Even without Avril’s intervention, Issac was confident she could have escaped the magic bullet’s range, though subsequent pursuit would have been more troublesome.

“It seems I’ve been put on full alert.”

Avril enunciated clearly, her words carrying an undeniable firmness, quite unlike Noah’s soft, alluring cadence.

She poured herself a cup of coffee, maintaining a relative distance from the girl and the bird, and leaned against the office desk, stating calmly:

“If you wish to rescue the Healing Saintess, I can help.”