Ashleen opened the window, A cool breeze of wind hit her face as she looked at the moon shining brightly. She looked at it asking in her heart 'You knew this would happen, didn't you?... How do you feel about that? What do you expect me to do?' She smiled, closed the window, and walked towards the table opposite the window.

She sat down on the chair opened a notebook took out a pencil and started writing. To go back there she needs to stop whatever Sebastian is planning. If it was not for Ashleen being Vanshika's sister she would have bought it too. Since she knows Vanshika closely, it's not entirely impossible that Vanshika was the planning head all this time.

The information the demon gave her says that Sebastian's skill allows him to change his appearance. So he was the one pretending to be Gayatri. But they can't be this dumb, can they? There is a huge status difference between Demon and Sebastian, Demon can easily tell this. Then why? And why didn't he expose him on the first day?

What would her plan be next? Given the details they know there is no way for them to know that Ashleen is back, if she's not back means Demon is not back either... I don't think she'll buy into this. There should be some other reason for this.

Vanshika is the type to get rid of problems from the root. She is not an easy enemy. Her first approach would be divide and rule, but since Anik is not here, there is no one to divide and others don't pose a threat, that's what Sebastian would convince her to believe since he never saw them in frontlines. Ashleen always tried to end the scenarios as soon as possible so except for Anik no one got to be in front a lot. Ashleen can't be sure that Vanshika would choose to believe but that is the best-case scenario here.

There is a huge chance she'll try to get this area in her hands. The demon appeared here countless times, he can't be confined to a single body but he sure seems confined to this particular place, first the Queen now her. Who knows how many other times his hosts were from here?

When would she decide to strike? No need to think a message popped up,

Protect your kingdom and people.

The barrier the demon prince and queen placed on the borders would work till the morning, later there is a huge probability that she managed to gather many others to join her.

Sebastian knows that they have Akansha and Dhruv so their first strike would be to get these two down, there should be an assassin as well, for the healer lady. Vanshika would most probably play safe...

These are the things she would have done, her partner... Ashleen doesn't know him personally so there is a probability of things going south if her partner is the one planning.

The first time she met him was in the selection hall, he walked to them to get in teams. He chose Anik first and then Vanshika, he didn't wait to get invited into means he is not the insecure type nor the formal type. He talked freely and Ashleen didn't feel any malice in his voice, if it wasn't for Anik's warning she was kind of sure that Sebastian was not much of a threat. This means he is not the type Ashleen can understand yet.

As Gayatri, he played her role well. The only thing Ashleen was sure about was that he was a good actor.

Since there is going to be a big group of people, talking sense into them is not entirely possible. They are all here to get rid of the demon without trying to gather any information... all of them are useless. Or maybe someone planned it smartly enough not to get in her eyes or anybody else's eyes. There is only one candidate for that one.

Ashleen got up and moved out of the room, before closing the door she said looking in the air, "Mr. System, get some makeup on me as well, just enough for me to look healthy".

She knew where to find others, her clothes changed. The dark blue belt on her waist matched the sky-blue colored fabric of her clothing. It was the same as the time she first appeared here.

Ashleen felt a dagger under her belt and Anik's sword appeared in her hand. It was heavier than expected. The scabbard was sea green and the hilt was silver-colored with a green leopard pattern on it. She had never seen it this closely before, it made her realize how absent-minded she had been since entering this place. She drew the sword out and there ran a thin strip of green running in the fuller of the sword. It was not a simple sword but a double-edged one. But it is smaller in width than normal ones. A double-edged sword in a scabbard is something new for her.

Ashleen smiled and walked toward the garden. Dhruv was standing at the door thinking deeply with his face down.

"Dhruv, get some tear bombs from the healer lady and stay prepared. You need to get the enemy troops on their knees, feel free to use the weapons. Just make sure not to kill."

She said and walked out. Dhruv looked at her back walking out of sight. He sighed a small sigh and walked towards the healer lady's room, a small knife slipped from his sleeves in his hands.

Akansha and the healer lady were given their pieces of work and now it was the other's turn. Dhruv was everyone's major suspect. He might be a spy or something.

As expected there was a small camp near the barrier and numerous people were using their everything to break it down, there was a person on a white horse ordering all the sorcerers to work collectively. The barrier was uniquely designed by those two. Things could be heard and seen from the inside but the same doesn't work from the outside. She looked at the scene for a while, taking notes of the frontiers but that is of no use. The main ones will enter later. Sebastian and Vanshika are the keystones here. Ashleen didn't expect so many strong ones. Tear gas won't be enough. She stood there and said, "Aunty I hope you can prepare mild poison bombs as well which work according to mana, it would be best if those can make people faint or nauseous immediately. Our win or defeat is in your hands from this moment on.".

Ashleen walked into the small tent. The king was saying something but stopped and all three looked at the newcomer.

Ashleen wasn't formal and moved to the point immediately but before she could speak, she was interrupted by the demon,

"I can kill of these immediately but since I owe you, I'll listen to you first."

Without any reactions, Ashleen continued what she wanted to say,

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"A blackboard"

Prince snapped his fingers and it appeared in front of them and a marker was in her right hand. Ashleen was holding onto Anik's sword with her left one.

Ashleen drew a smaller circle representing the palace surrounded by a larger one and continued.

"We are surrounded by enemies on all sides. When the barrier is broken, we will lack manpower. We need to get masks ready as we'll be using tear gas, but that won't work at all since we are in a system where stronger people can have a mask immediately. And if strong enough they can give it to others too." "Mr. Demon, crack the barrier from multiple places right before sorcerers break it. It shouldn't be destroyed or the poison and tear gas would be less effective."

"Using tear gas as an entrance test, we'll cross out the stronger ones and use mild poison on those few. If someone manages that too, the queen will take care of them from the front door." Ashleen knew she wouldn't kill. She didn't kill the kids back then. "The king will take care of the back door, make sure not to kill, and feel free to cripple them if too much of a hindrance." Demon will stay in my close contact, I'll give you the information regarding the potential troublemakers."

"How are you going to keep surveillance of such a big area?" Asked the queen.

"That's not something you need to worry about."

"What about your sister and her partner?" The king asked in a stern tone. He was irritated by Ashleen's rudeness.

"That's not something you need to worry about." She said without looking at him.

Ashleen has been using her 3rd personal perspective since waking up. She hasn't sensed anyone at all who can sense her presence except the Demon Prince. The head sorcerer was suspicious means he was near a breakthrough point. Is he someone old here? But then he shouldn't be here. Or maybe he is here because he's old here...

The Queen and the King walked out of the tent towards their designated places.

"What about Dhruv?" Asked the prince with no expression on his face but his eyes showed an inexplicable feeling.

"He is not the spy so I'll have him working with the queen, Akansha will accompany the king." "What is your story? Why did you leave the underworld? You don't have any intention of ruining this world."

"What makes you so confident?"

"The masters are no match for you, You are not forcing your way out, that's what I thought earlier, but now they are even helping you."

"Don't trust so easily that might end you in ruins."

She looked at him with pure disgust "Don't play dialogue games just tell the story"

"Why should I?"

"Vanshika can be talked sense into."

"..."

"If you don't trust me why bother bringing me here? You could have just left me there. Since you owe me one, don't lie. I won't bother you after today anyway."

"Your body won't be able to take it."

"That's not up to you to decide."

Prince was aware of the fact that she was using her skill to keep an eye on such a huge place. In the Palace, outside the barrier, on her sister and her partner. That's too much for the human body in the first place, if he was to share his mana with memories now, that would slow down her body functioning at a considerable rate. Her aura was pure as soon as the demon left her. It was so pure that she wouldn't be able to handle his mana anymore.

He knew he'd have to share memories so he decided to share information through mana to test the waters. The results were clear, she just couldn't handle it.

"You think I can't handle it, huh?" Ashleen smirked. A dark red aura started forming around her. "You didn't expect that, did you?" There was a dark self in Ashleen herself. She knew since the beginning. Ashleen chose the pure one to dominate. It wasn't the demon who attacked Anik back in the room. It was her. It was her dark side trying to take over. But she managed it somehow. Anik helped her manage it.

"Now you think I can handle it?" She said as the red aura calmed down while she stood there looking at him with no patience in her eyes.

The prince walked towards her, completely surprised. She hid it so well that even the demon wasn't able to detect it. She didn't bother to unleash it even when she was on the door of death, so why now? He thought as he placed his index finger on her forehead. What he didn't realize was that Ashleen was like a hand grenade. Anik worked as her pin till now but since it got pulled out Ashleen got a short amount of time before going off.

Ashleen herself didn't realize when Anik became so important, was it because of the 80% power thing?

"Don't ruin the makeup, I need to look healthy." She said as tons of memories poured into her head. She stumbled a bit but was supported by the prince with his other hand. After 15 minutes or so as soon as he removed his finger, they started hearing bombing outside.

The demon got out of the tent followed by Ashleen. He raised himself about 20 meters from the ground and brought Ashleen along with him. The visibility was poor thanks to tear gas, but her skill can work regardless. She closed her eyes and got into a cross-legged position.

Everything worked according to the plan. Weaker ones started crying with the tear gas stronger ones were not strongly affected by poison either, but they were no match for queen and king after all. In less than an hour enemy was on their knees and two figures approached her in the air.

Two Days Ago

Inside the Monument

"You didn't kill him, did you?" Asked Earth Master looking at Anik.

"I didn't kill him, he did that to himself." Said Wind Master sighing.

"Why didn't you treat him till now?" 'Bro was looking concerned over Anik's appearance.

"I can't, This guy made the poison with his mana core, only he can provide the remedy."

"What to do? There is still some time before we can wake them up."

"He should be able to handle that, his body is working on keeping him alive."

"Why not just pass the remedy instead of trying to keep him alive, I thought people with Poison skills had self-healing capability if poisoned."

"He forced poison out going against what he can take care of..."

"It's a backlash?"

"Yeah."

"These two are both idiots I'd say. She activated her 3rd personal perspective instead of trying to preserve her soul. I thought they knew about re-birth if the soul is alright. Gayatri did the same, right?"

"Incarnations this time are on a different level"

"I agree, that guy who changed his appearance to look like Gayatri, that is a bold plan."

"I know" Both of the guys were sitting on chairs around a circular jade platform. It was greenish cyan and on it were lying Ashleen and Anik.

They looked at them and sighed in their hearts. These two ruined the plan to a large extent. We'll need to get the king and queen out now, it's not safe for them though...

After an hour or so, 'Gayatri' stood up and started moving in the direction she came from. An orange aura surrounded him and his appearance changed to a young man with subtle features. He kept moving in the same direction till he was out of sight.

Ashleen woke up long ago, she heard the two talk about this year's incarnations. She hasn't opened her eyes yet, as she can't be sure if these two can be trusted. The guy who changes appearances, who can that be? Demon told her already that it was not the real Gayatri but who it was what Ashleen wanted to know. One thing is clear it is someone from this year. Ashleen felt a slight pain all over her body while she struggled to adjust back after her perspective skill. She felt a calm wave of mana slowly entering her body. It was comforting and helped with re-adjustment. That was because of the Jade platform.

"Get up if you are up," said 'bro' in a botherless tone. "Do something about your partner as well. You got the fluctuation message long ago, didn't you?"

A slight panic took over her as she quickly started fumbling with her message box. Seen messages were in a different folder

Your powers are fluctuating.

Ashleen sat up quickly.

"Careful, your body isn't healed yet either." Said the old man. Ashleen ignored and looked at Anik, she was horrified at his look. The handsome face she knew was all blue and cold now.

"What happened to him?"

"He poisoned himself-"

"But he was doing that you!?"

"Backlash."

"What to do?" Ashleen said she tried to pass Mana.

"That won't w-"

"Ack!" Ashleen felt a strong electric repulsion from Anik's body. 'Bro' quickly slapped her hand away from him using his scabbard. "Idiot! Now you are poisoned too."

"How... huh?... what?"

"It is mana deteriorating poison, so this moved to a stronger source on touch. His body can't accept outsider mana, it can only hurt others."

"Then what?? His mana is not working."

"It is working but it is degenerating slowly."

"What do you mean?"