Dark Magus Returns C.859: Stronger Than Before

Before the Crimson Crane joined forces to help the town of Flendon, they had met up with Rayna and the others. In the end, the two groups decided to split up as they entered the battle. With the large number of enemies from the Behemoth Clan, both Rayna and Alba knew that this battle wouldn't be won by stalling for time. They needed to take out key members and force the Behemoth Clan to lose their will to fight, making them believe that defeat was inevitable.

The Crimson Crane had clashed with the main army, demonstrating extraordinary skills and powers, while the 2,000-strong guards showed remarkable courage and resilience. The Behemoth Clan now knew this wasn't going to be a simple or easy fight. Still, there was something the warriors on the field feared more. They would rather risk death than upset their own clan, knowing the consequences of disappointing the Behemoth Clan and its ruthless hierarchy.

"Are we joining the fight?" Simyon asked.

"We need to disrupt the power of the Behemoth Clan as much as possible," Rayna replied.

The group was currently positioned a little away from the main fight, hiding behind a large protruding rock and staying in its shadow.

"What we need to do is target as many middle-stage warriors in the Clan as possible. Sense those with strong Qi. If we take them out, it will make things easier for the Crimson Crane," Rayna explained. "To maximize our impact, it's best we split up, but we also don't want to spend too long fighting just one warrior. Doing so will attract the attention of Sha Mo and his Pillars. So let's divide into groups."

It didn't take much deliberation-people grouped up with those they felt most comfortable with. Safa, Simyon, and Liam stuck together. They knew each other well from the academy, having trained together extensively, especially with Amir, and they had grown even closer since then. They worked well together, and with their newfound strength, they could take on lower-ranking middle-stage warriors, especially as a trio.

Ricktor and Mada teamed up, leaving Anna and Mantis as the last pair.

"I'll go with Anna. The two of us have fought side by side before. Mantis, you go with Ricktor and Mada. That way, we have two groups of three, giving us a better chance to support each other," Rayna ordered.

"I'm not part of the Neverfall Clan, nor am I part of the Crimson Crane. Who are you to order me around?" Mantis retorted. "Don't you remember? I'm the Black Tiger, the strongest student in the Demonic Faction!"

"Then let's have a little contest to see who can take out more," Ricktor challenged. "Mada and I were also top students in the Dark Faction. Of course, we can all forget about Raze for a moment, but let's see who really is the best."

Ricktor drew his sword, and on his other hand, he wore a strange white glove. Mantis could feel the intense Qi emanating from Ricktor, and it seemed the contest between the two was

on.

With the arguments practically over, it was time for the group to move out, and that's exactly what they did. The Behemoth Clan was vast, too vast to easily identify who was a member and who wasn't, which made it easier for all the groups to blend in.

Eventually, they split off from each other, and once inside the large throng of people, they had to bide their time, waiting for the right moment.

"Over there," Safa pointed. "That one's a middle-stage warrior. Simyon, get in front of him. Liam, block the view so others can't see. I'll take him out in one strike."

They were going to play dirty, striking from behind without warning. It wasn't an honorable way to fight, but none of them enjoyed what they were doing-it was all for the sake of victory.

Simyon got in front of one of the warriors and stomped on the man's foot. He activated the special trait of his earring, heavily concentrating his Qi into his feet. This made it feel as though his body was made of solid metal, keeping the warrior in place.

At the same time, from behind, Safa thrust her spear, piercing the man right through the chest.

As this was happening, Liam struck two more individuals, slashing their throats. Using his system, he identified who had noticed and swiftly took them down before the situation could escalate. As they fell to the ground, Liam picked up a fallen arrow and placed it in their chests. "Damn it, this town of Flendon-they killed Barry!" Liam shouted, causing the other warriors to momentarily glance over before ignoring what had occurred and continuing to fight.

It wasn't just Safa's group employing these tactics; Ricktor and his group were doing the same. After defeating a few middle-stage warriors, they had drawn the attention of several others around them, turning their skirmish into an all-out brawl.

That was when Ricktor noticed someone who stood out more than the others: a large man wielding a strange three-part weapon on his back.

"Hey, why don't we up the stakes a bit? Let's see who can take out that one over there!" Ricktor said as he was already making his way toward Kilper.

This was how Ricktor, Mada, and Mantis found themselves facing one of the Pillars of the Behemoth Clan.

Meanwhile, as Rayna and Anna fought side by side, they noticed the movements of another person.

"That man there!" Anna pointed at a figure towering above the crowd. "He's going after the Crimson Crane. We have to stop him!"

"I'm right behind you!" Rayna said, rushing through the crowd. She eventually leapt into the air, thrusting her spear forward.

Before she could make contact, the man turned around, blocking her attack with his sword.

"What's this... aren't you Belil's daughter from the Neverfall Clan?" Umonke asked, another Pillar of the Behemoth Clan.

"If you're attacking this place, did you not expect to see me? This land belongs to my family!" Rayna declared as she landed on the ground, her spear skimming through the air.

Anna quickly appeared by her side, her body already glowing red as she activated her strange powers.

"Even if you are from the Neverfall Clan, your name carries no fear, unlike your brothers and father," Umonke said, whipping his sword through the air.

"Right, right, I've heard that too many times," Rayna said. "But things are different this time." She struck the heels of her shoes together, and a golden ring began to light up on them.

Rayna had been involved in the attack on the Dark Faction Clans and hadn't come out empty- handed. She had taken the top artifacts belonging to the strongest clans in the Dark Faction, and she was ready to use them here and now.