Great Demon of Heaven? Divine Punishment?
At first glance, Eddie's injuries seemed fatal, yet he stood defiant.
The most terrifying aspect was his eyes, which held a cold, ruthless intent, like a blade, the grim reaper's scythe, or a demon's claw ensnaring hearts.
Sinmon and Phosphor hesitated, unsure whether to attack together or wait for Phoenix Fairy Woman's move.
Bone Needle's decapitation and Saltold Old's death were witnessed by all, but how Eddie achieved it remained a mystery. His actions exuded an enigmatic aura that was inscrutable.
Phoenix Fairy Woman, who had been observing calmly, noticed something unsettling about Eddie.
He didn't seem to consider Saltold Old, Bone Needle, Sinmon, or Phosphor as his main threats; instead, he was wary of her. Was he hiding his true power, even at the expense of grave injuries?
A blood-curdling scream from outside caused Phoenix Fairy Woman to slightly change her expression.
"What happened?" Sinmon and Sinmon were alarmed, recognizing the scream as one of their comrades.
How could a fight of four against two end in failure? Their war beasts were meant to counteract Eddie and his allies.
Phoenix Fairy Woman sighed softly, kissed her exquisite fingernails, and announced, "The hunting plan has failed.
I agree to abort the mission. You all should leave." Her words shocked Sinmon and Sinmon. Phosphor couldn't believe they were abandoning the mission, especially without Phoenix Fairy Woman having engaged in battle.
Fearing the wrath of the Ten Great Heaven Demons, they hesitated, but then another scream echoed outside, clearer and distinctly different.
Sinmon and Sinmon realized the situation was bizarre and inexplicable.
The eerie silence that followed at the cliff's entrance only deepened their unease.
A chill crept in silently, causing both Sinmon and Sinmon to shiver uncontrollably.
They realized that whatever caused this cold was of an unimaginably high level.
The surrounding area began to frost over, and the water in the pool started to freeze, forming a thick layer of ice.
In just under a minute, the cave transformed into an icy, snow-covered world. Phoenix Fairy Woman, with her voluptuous figure shaking, teased, "You hid a master, no wonder you're so calm!"
"It's called being 'eggs-tremely calm'!" Eddie corrected, prompting confusion from Phoenix Fairy Woman.
Hearing Eddie's voice, Princess Jean shouted from above, exasperated, "You're barely alive, and you're still flirting?" Eddie, unfazed, joked about being ready for their wedding night.
As he feigned collapse, Sinmon leaped to crush him, leaving Princess Jean to Phosphor's hellfire.
As Sinmon prepared to strike, two shadows crashed from above, shattering on the rocks.
One was the frozen, lifeless head of a comrade, horrifying Sinmon.
Phosphor recognized another fragment as the upper body of a different comrade, confirming the demise of their outside ambushers.
The mastermind behind the plan had drawn the ambushers' attention, allowing a mysterious, ice-wielding expert to execute a surprise attack.
Princess Jean reentered the cave with the severely wounded Lady Laura, both bearing deep wounds and embedded blades from their enemies.
The mysterious expert had frozen two ambushers, showcasing deadly proficiency.
Now, only Eddie, Sinmon, Phosphor, and Phoenix Fairy Woman remained. Eddie, covered in blood and near his limit, prepared to face his final adversaries.
Sinmon and Phosphor, unnerved by the unfolding events, pondered their next move against the indomitable and enigmatic Eddie.
In the cave, Phosphor realized they couldn't disrupt Lady Laura's aura accumulation with the Ghost Spirit's mental disruption or trap Princess Jean with the Wolf Spirit.
Their abilities, though effective against the princess and the lady, were futile against the mysterious expert with ice powers.
Phosphor noticed a gesture from Phoenix Fairy Woman – a signal known only to the strongest in the Demon Palace with the power of summoning.
This gesture, "Demon Escape," indicated an order to retreat and preserve strength, a privilege granted by the Ten Great Demons only to those with summoning books.
Phosphor, though not the most powerful in the team, held the crucial summoning book.
Interpreting the signal differently, Sinmon thought Phoenix Fairy Woman decided to engage personally.
But Phosphor knew the mysterious expert lurked outside, making a solo escape impossible. They needed a decoy.
As expected, Sinmon leaped towards the exit first, leaving the battle to Phoenix Fairy Woman.
Phosphor silently scoffed at Sinmon's naivety. He didn't believe Eddie or Princess Jean would pursue them, assuming they'd reserve their strength for Phoenix Fairy Woman. As Sinmon and Phosphor headed for the exit, an icy storm suddenly erupted at the mouth of the cave.
In the cave, Phosphor deployed his summoning book, raising a protective shield amidst the icy storm. While he remained unharmed, Sinmon turned into a block of ice, crashing to the ground.
A shadowy figure in a thief's attire, with icy eyes, glanced at Phosphor but decided against attacking him, instead swiftly descending upon the frozen Sinmon.
Phosphor realized that without the summoning book, he would've been doomed against such a foe with overwhelming ice powers and terrifying combat instincts.
Grateful for his escape, Phosphor glanced down to see Phoenix Fairy Woman signaling to leave.
He wiped his cold sweat, leaped out of the cave, and with his winged beast, glided down the cliff. It was only during his descent that he spotted a badly wounded black dog, carrying a white fox, struggling to climb the cliff.
Shocked, Phosphor realized that their "Beast Hunter" Lycan, ranked within the Demon Palace's top hundred, was defeated by the wolf and fox duo.
Safely landing, Phosphor immediately used a teleportation scroll to flee, not daring to stay a moment longer, overwhelmed by the thought of such formidable beasts.
Inside the cave, Princess Jean carefully placed the unconscious Lady Laura beside Eddie, smiling apologetically at him.
She explained that the arrow, originally meant for her, was intercepted by Laura, saving her life. The mysterious woman, though appearing unscathed, had her mask soaked in blood, indicating severe internal injuries.
She urged Eddie to summon his book, insisting that there's no opponent he couldn't defeat.
Eddie, still staggering, stood up and handed the 'Golden Bell' he had acquired from the White Sheep Palace to Princess Jean.
"It's a pity, this is a healing artifact… Huh?" Suddenly, the mysterious woman swiftly took the bell from Princess Jean's hands, and instantly, a bright light began to emanate from it, enveloping the entire cave.
"Why is this happening?" Princess Jean wondered why the bell reacted to the mysterious woman but not to her.
"I don't know either!" The mysterious woman felt her severe wounds healing rapidly under the bell's light.
Phoenix Fairy Woman observed this with a complex expression of joy and regret. Princess Jean and Eddie's injuries also improved significantly under the healing light.
The mysterious woman coughed up blood from her lungs, while Princess Jean gritted her teeth and removed the broken blades from her shoulder and thigh, allowing the wounds to heal faster.
Eddie was about to remove the silver arrow from the mysterious woman, but she stopped him, concerned about worsening Laura's critical condition. The bell's light faded, and Eddie stored the now dull bell in his ring.
"The three of us will attack in turns; I'll lead, you support, and Jean, protect Laura. If we're in danger, you can join the fight. You're a strengthened type of beast, so summon your book and rest for now," the mysterious woman instructed.
Eddie was skeptical about attacking Phoenix Fairy Woman, who had poisonous hands.
The mysterious woman suspected that Phoenix Fairy Woman might be a Demon Palace member disguising her true strength.
"Why don't you suspect that I'm one of the three Great Demons of the Demon Palace, the Sky Punisher?"
Phoenix Fairy Woman's comment struck like lightning, stunning Eddie, the mysterious woman, and Princess Jean.