In the distance, a piercing screech resounded from the horizon.

A colossal griffin, its body entirely black yet its feathers reflecting a spectrum of iridescent hues, cleaved through the air in an instant, exuding an invincible might.

Like a bolt of black thunder, it hurtled directly into the throng of high-ranking demons that were poised to charge into the fray!

The group of high-ranking demons, which ought to have been terrifying beyond measure, was annihilated in an instant, vanishing into the void.

The potent black battle aura, which struck fear into the hearts of the demons, brought a momentary hush over the entire battlefield.

As the smoke and the ashes of the demons dissipated, the black griffin once again came into view of the surrounding onlookers.

However, that formidable and terrifying black battle aura did not emanate from the griffin itself.

It originated from a female knight mounted upon its back, clad in light, dark-ink colored armor.

Her helmet obscured the upper half of her visage, revealing only her alluring, jet-black lips, devoid of a smile.

A cascade of sleek, black hair billowed behind her helmet, dancing in harmony with the undulating battle aura that surrounded her.

Her sudden appearance seemed to invigorate the morale of the griffin knights significantly, and the demons gradually found themselves at a disadvantage.

Upon witnessing this scene, a cohort of high-ranking demons observing the battle from atop the towering demon lair were immediately seized by the urge to swoop down and tear the female human knight to shreds.

However, the leader, perched upon the back of the bone dragon, let out a fearsome roar, halting the advance of these high-ranking demons.

"You are no match for her. Allow me to face her myself."

As the words left its mouth, the flames enveloping the bone dragon flared brightly, accompanied by a deafening dragon's roar. With the clanking of chains, it soared towards the female knight.

Fitt raised her knight's sword, pointing it at the demon leader, and declared in a voice devoid of emotion, "Fitt Baggio Bush, the vice marshal of the kingdom's griffin knights, shall bring your reign to an end here."

Upon hearing this, the demon leader let out a chilling laugh. Abandoning any further attempts at cautious approach, it accelerated directly towards her!

The massive black griffin, too, flapped its colossal wings, hurtling towards the enemy with a surge of potent magic!

The clash between the two gave rise to a magical tempest that stretched for hundreds of miles. The sky, already shrouded in darkness due to the arrival of the demons, seemed on the verge of a tempestuous downpour.

With the further escalation of the battle, thunderclaps resounded through the heavens, portending an impending rainfall.

The demons' advance had been temporarily checked, yet the ultimate outcome remained uncertain.

...

Dude Town.

Glen conveyed to Lila, Bonnie, and their mothers, whom he encountered on the road, the news that the demons would not be making their way to this place.

When they inquired about the reason, Glen stated that he had witnessed it with his own eyes.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"So, we don't need to evacuate?" Lila queried.

"It would seem so," Glen nodded. "However, you are still welcome to seek shelter at my abode."

The two pairs of mothers and daughters exchanged a glance. Mrs. Derry, Lila's mother, responded, "We wouldn't want to impose."

Glen did not press the matter further. With a brief farewell, he hastened towards Dude Town.

He needed to inform Dogli.

Yet, matters were not as straightforward as he had anticipated.

An odd symbol, outlined by red curves, materialized in the sky above Dude Town, flickering in a rhythmic pattern.

The moment Glen beheld the symbol, he instinctively sensed that it boded ill.

He immediately charged towards it at full speed.

Before long, he laid eyes on the culprits.

Five individuals, garbed in tattered red robes, had cleared a section of the town square and formed a circle around it. They were hunched over, engrossed in etching something upon the ground.

At the center of the circle stood a pillar, some ten meters in height, woven from interlaced red silk. More than twenty children were suspended from the pillar by red silk threads that resembled a spider's web.

Upon closer inspection, he discerned that the silk threads were emanating from the children's mouths.

At the sight of this harrowing scene, Glen slapped his forehead in frustration. "I should have sought the old man's counsel regarding these children. Perhaps this entire ordeal could have been averted."

At the time, he had assumed that the children were merely suffering from psychological trauma, and thus, he had neglected to mention it to the old man. Now, he wondered whether it was too late to rectify the situation.

"Glen! Don't approach too closely!"

A familiar voice reached his ears. Glen turned his head to see Sheriff Dogli emerge from behind a house, holding a gun in his hand. He was sweating profusely, his expression tense as he regarded Glen.

Glen flashed over to the other side and asked, "Are you okay? When did these guys show up?"

Dogli cast a cautious glance at the group of individuals in tattered red robes and then quickly averted his gaze. "I'm not certain. We only became aware of their presence when that strange symbol appeared in the sky. Against these extraordinary beings, our firearms are utterly ineffective. We lost several of our team members..."

Upon hearing this, Glen responded, "I understand. You should attend to other matters for now. The demons won't be coming here."

"What do you mean? Why won't the demons..."

"I witnessed the demon army turning back with my own eyes. There's no room for doubt. You should lead the nearby police officers and leave. I intend to attempt to rescue those children."

Glen interrupted him, speaking with a sense of urgency.

He had been closely monitoring the condition of the children suspended from the pillar, but he was unable to determine whether they were alive or dead. However, he was resolute that the five individuals responsible would pay the ultimate price.

Dogli regarded Glen's composed demeanor and finally nodded. There was indeed little he could do in this situation.

"Take care of yourself," he said. With a gesture, he signaled for all the police officers concealed in the vicinity to follow him as they withdrew.

After a lapse of more than ten seconds, Glen made his way towards the center of the square.

He had only taken a few steps when the pillar composed of silk threads suddenly let out a terrified shriek: "It's him! He poses a grave threat! He must be eliminated!"

Glen halted in his tracks, taken aback by the realization that the pillar was sentient.

The five individuals, who had been bent over, engrossed in their task, straightened up simultaneously and turned to face him. They shared a common characteristic: they were all blind in their left eyes.

After a brief moment of mutual scrutiny, the five resumed their work, seemingly indifferent to Glen's presence.

Glen offered a faint smile and continued forward.

Just as his foot was about to alight upon a particular stone slab, he abruptly withdrew it.

In the aftermath of this action, the five eccentrics, who had appeared nonchalant towards Glen, all froze in unison.

As he had suspected, there was a trap... Glen's senses were on high alert.

While advancing, he had been meticulously observing every subtle movement of the five individuals.

Just as he lifted his foot in the air for the final step, he noticed a discernible hesitation in their actions, as if they were concealing some nervousness.

It seemed that his instincts had served him well.

"It appears you've made extensive preparations. I wonder if this was all orchestrated with me in mind..."

Before Glen could complete his sentence, he suddenly felt the scene before him tremble. When he regained his bearings, he found that he had been shifted forward slightly.

"Damn it..." Glen muttered under his breath.

Evidently, some force had altered his position. He could only lament the ever-present danger that lurked around every corner.

The surrounding scenery contorted like a dream. Glen immediately transformed into his fifth-level werewolf form, his senses on high alert for any impending peril.

Once the environment stabilized, he found himself at the center of a structure reminiscent of a Roman colosseum.

The odd symbol in the sky above persisted, and the sky was bathed in a blood-red hue.

The five eccentrics were positioned on the high wall at the outermost perimeter of the structure, as if maintaining the integrity of this strange realm.

The pillar composed of silk threads stood at the throne in the viewing stand of the "colosseum".