Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Fight Side by Side

Richard stepped forward, his expression unreadable. “You didn’t seriously think you could handle all of them alone, did you?”

“I had it under control,” she replied, though the sweat on her brow betrayed the effort she’d been expending. Why does he always appear everywhere?

“Sure you did,” Richard smirked faintly. Without another word, he raised his hand, summoning a surge of dark energy. The shadows hesitated as if recognizing the power he wielded.

With a swift motion, he unleashed the energy in a concentrated blast, tearing through several of the remaining entities.

Ahcehera took advantage of the distraction, her sword cutting through the remaining shadows with renewed vigor.

Within moments, the clearing fell silent again, the oppressive energy dissipating. The forest seemed to breathe again, the tension easing.

Richard lowered his hand and turned to her. “You’re welcome.”

Ahcehera rolled her eyes but allowed a small smile to grace her lips. “I didn’t ask for help.”

“Maybe not,” Richard said, his voice softening. “But you needed it.”

Their eyes met, the unspoken tension between them hanging in the air.

But before either could say more, the compass in Ahcehera’s hand began to glow brightly, its needle pointing toward a nearby clearing.

“The portal,” she said, breaking the silence.

Richard nodded. “Then let’s finish this.”

As they made their way deeper into the thick woodland, Ahcehera and Richard walked cautiously, their senses keen and vigilant.

The surrounding trees became denser, their gnarled roots extending like bony fingers.

Ahcehera felt a chill run down her spine as the air was heavy and infused with unearthly energy.

The glowing compass in her hand pulsed more intensely with each step, its light illuminating the darkened path ahead.

Richard moved next to her, his eyes searching the area with an attention that contradicted his composed demeanor. When they reached a small rise, Ahcehera signaled for them to stop.

Peering through the thick foliage, they saw it, a massive circular portal, its edges shimmering with chaotic energy. That should be the source!

Surrounding the portal was a glowing array, the ancient markings etched into the ground pulsing with a dark crimson hue. But why is there an ancient array in existence?

Are those… Above the array, several students floated in mid-air, their bodies limp and unresponsive. The missing students!

Faint tendrils of dark energy connected them to the array, their life forces visibly feeding the glowing markings. The entire scene reeked of malice.

Ahcehera’s eyes widened as she murmured under her breath, “A demonic sacrificial array… They’re using the students to power the portal.”

Richard’s jaw tightened. “Whoever set this up knew exactly what they were doing.”

The two ducked behind a large rock, ensuring they remained out of sight.

Ahcehera pulled out a small crystal from her satchel, whispering an incantation to enhance its ability to detect life forces.

She closed her eyes briefly, focusing. “There are at least four distinct presences near the array, and they’re not students. Their energies are darker… corrupted.”

Richard leaned closer, his voice low. “Demonic energy carriers. This array is dangerous, Your Highness. If it completes its activation, it could open a stable portal to the Nether Plane.”

The Nether Plane is a place where demons are born or created.

Ahcehera nodded grimly. “We can’t let that happen. But we need to understand their plan first. Rushing in might put the students in more danger.”

Richard’s eyes narrowed as he studied the array. “We’ll need to disrupt the markings to stop the energy flow. But if we’re too slow, they might notice us before we can break the array.”

Ahcehera glanced at the unconscious students, her heart heavy. “I’ll figure out how to free them. If we can sever their connection to the array, the flow of energy will weaken.”

“Fine,” Richard said, his tone cautious. “But if things get out of hand, we retreat. Agreed?”

She shot him a determined look. “Agreed. But I don’t plan to leave anyone behind.”

As they continued to observe, the shadows near the array shifted, revealing hooded figures moving in a synchronized manner.

They chanted in an ancient tongue, their voices rising and falling like a sinister melody. Ahcehera clenched her fists. “Those must be the carriers. We need to take them out quietly.”

Richard smirked faintly, his dark energy already crackling faintly at his fingertips. “I’ll handle the ones near the perimeter. You focus on finding a way to disrupt the array and free the students.”

“Be careful,” she whispered.

“You too,” he replied, his tone softer than usual.

With that, they separated, each moving silently through the shadows.

Ahcehera moved swiftly but carefully, her heart pounding as she assessed the situation. The students hung limply in midair, their life forces visibly draining into the array.

I need to save them. She knew the portal’s activation was drawing near, time was running out.

Summoning her light energy, Ahcehera focused on each student, creating an ethereal glow around their bodies.

With a delicate wave of her hand, she began to construct intricate replicas, false images that shimmered like real flesh and blood.

These duplicates were designed to mimic the students’ unconscious forms perfectly, complete with faint traces of life energy to avoid detection.

Her focus was intense, beads of sweat forming on her brow as she worked quickly. One by one, the real students vanished, their bodies transported into the safety of Cresencia.

“Stay calm,” she whispered under her breath, steadying her shaking hands. I hope the energy will be enough to finish the task.

The array’s pulsing energy seemed to react to her actions, but her light was subtle enough to avoid suspicion, for now.

On the other side of the clearing, Richard made his move. He crept behind one of the hooded demonic chanters, his dark energy coiling around his fists like venomous serpents.

The chanting figure had no time to react. Richard struck with precise ferocity, his energy slicing through the air and cutting off the chanter’s connection to the array.

The figure crumpled silently to the ground, their hood falling back to reveal a grotesque visage twisted by corruption.

Richard suppressed the urge to grimace as he dragged the lifeless body into the shadows, his movements swift and efficient.

He glanced back at the array, his dark eyes narrowing as he saw the remaining three chanters still engrossed in their ritual, oblivious to the loss of their comrade.

Good, he thought. At least for now, the element of surprise was on their side.

Ahcehera continued her delicate work, her light energy flickering slightly as she replaced the final student with a replica. It’s done!

With all the real students safely inside Cresencia, she turned her attention to the array itself. She studied the markings, searching for the focal point of the energy flow.