About three minutes later, Cassy returned. Together with her, Kali, Tina, and Liz were all at the ready, with their battle faces on.
"It's those guys again, huh?" Kali whispered, her anger also audible in her voice. "We should wipe them out without leaving a single one alive."
"No." But Liz quickly shook her head. "We should rescue the captives first. After that's done, you should be free to do anything."
For a moment, Aster thought she would say that killing is bad or that it conflicts with her chivalry or something. However, Liz was a realist. She understands that scum like them wouldn't change even if they were thrown into prison for dozens of years. The only punishment befitting them was a swift death.
"Kidnappers, huh? Some of their faces are familiar." Tina muttered, trying to recall where she saw them.
Of course, she wouldn't remember them, as they were just one of the many guys who tried to approach her while she was hunting. And for those men, only one fate awaits them, regardless of their numbers.
"I... I agree with Liz. Let's rescue those poor adventurers first!" Even Cassy voiced her opinion.
After that, all of them turned to Aster, who was still lying by the cliff's edge, waiting for his words as the party's leader.
"... Sorry, girls. But I have a different plan." He declared. "You four will save those adventurers fast. Leave the bandits to me."
"..."
Cassy's expression turned to one of worry. The aura around Aster was, again, the same as when he ruthlessly lopped off the heads of the kidnappers who tried to capture them earlier. An aura that scared her to the core.
The other three, especially Kali, who had been with Aster about as long as Cassy had been, noticed his change too. The feeling she was getting from him was the same as when she was facing her master, who taught her all she knew about combat. Cold and merciless.
"Well, it should be fine."
"Huh?!"
But Liz's sudden response surprised the rest. The atmosphere was where they should have joined together to stop Aster's recklessness, but instead, she was approving of it!
"Hmm? Isn't that the best course of action?"
Seeing that the others weren't convinced, she began explaining.
"Aster can freeze or burn a wide area, and he remains unaffected by it. If we're close to him, we would simply get in his way or be dragged into his attack."
"That's... true." Kali felt frustrated at how accurate Liz's observation was.
To add to that, now that he can cast his Legacy Level Magic Carved Seal in just five seconds, he is slowly becoming unmatched by anyone around his level! As long as he has the element of surprise, he's unstoppable!
"Hack?!"
"*Thwack!*"
But in a flash, Cassy, Kali, and Tina had neutralized three enemies at the same time. As they did so, Liz rushed forward, heading right to the space where the captured adventurers were kept.
"Everyone, we're here to save you!" She declared gallantly.
However, only eyes filled with despair were turned to her. It was as if they didn't believe her words even one bit!
"Their mental states are at the bottom..." Cassy muttered in a pained voice. "Let me heal them first! Priodis Sirreo fen Cura! Minor Area Heal!"
A bright flash of greenish-white light covered the injured adventurers, closing their injuries at a pace visible to the naked eye. As the pain they suffered faded, some of them regained their minds and began to cry in disbelief. Finally, the fact that they were being saved sank into their heads.
"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
But of course, casting a skill as flashy as a heal would alert the enemies. A group of kidnappers came out of a nearby path between tents and aimed their guns forward.
Liz quickly moved between the enemies and Cassy and raised her mace across her chest. "Leave them to me! Knight's Challenge!"
"Fire!"
Due to Knight's Challenge's effect of pulling the "target's" attention, all guns turned to face right at her. The muzzles flared as bullets flew, drawing an almost straight line before landing against her body.
*TING!* *TING!* *TING!*
"..."
But all of them were shocked beyond words, seeing their bullets bounce off her skin. Right, Liz wasn't even using a skill! She was deflecting bullets with her very own body!
"F-Fire! Don't let up! Kill that bitch!"
The leader-like figure ordered, but no follow-up gunfire echoed. Instead, two soft thuds were heard before he saw his two allies fall forward, one with a bloody wound on the back of his nape and the other with his head twisted a hundred and eighty degrees, looking back at him with an expression of disbelief.
"Hiiik!"
Fear swallowed his mind, but unfortunately for him, it was too late.
"Assassinate."
Kali's words echoed before her two daggers dug into the man's neck. With a light snap sound, the man fell to the ground, lifeless as a rock.