Leon didn’t stop, nor did he rush toward Bravo. Instead, he walked forward slowly, one step at a time.

Bravo raised his hand and hurled a black sphere of smoky energy toward Leon.

Boom!

The sphere exploded the moment it reached him, thick smoke swallowing Leon completely.

"Watch out!" Archie shouted.

The scenery around Leon immediately began to change.

But Leon didn’t panic. He didn’t even seem bothered. "That same trick again, huh?"

The next moment...

The Frost Monarch’s Blade swept through the air in a white arc, icy energy trailing behind it. Instantly, the smoke surrounding him was split in half.

And then...

It vanished.

Bravo staggered backward before collapsing onto the ground.

"H-How... How is that possible?"

Both Archie and Oliver’s gazes fell on the Frost Monarch’s Blade.

’That sword...’ Archie thought. ’It’s special. And not by a small margin, either. The question is, how did he get his hands on something like that?’

Oliver had similar thoughts, if not the exact same ones.

Leon stopped before Bravo, his figure looming over him like a mountain.

"Where is my sister?"

"S-She... She’s supposed to be in the underground chamber beneath Bowen Mansion. Eira is with her."

Bravo spoke hurriedly. He didn’t bother using nicknames anymore. Right now, all that mattered was his life.

"Please let me go. I didn’t harm your sister, and I had nothing to do with bringing her here either. I only came with the team to enter the...."

Before he could finish, a green arrow pierced his head. His voice abruptly stopped. His eyes rolled back. Green and black veins spread across his entire body while white foam poured from his mouth.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Bravo’s lifeless body collapsed onto the ground with a dull thud.

Every gaze immediately turned toward the direction the arrow had come from. The mansion entrance.

Two women stood there.

One wore a tight-fitting combat outfit that covered her entire body down to her thighs. A cloak draped over her shoulders, black on the outside and crimson on the inside. A veil concealed her face, while a hood covered her head. Nothing could be seen except her eyes.

One of her arms was wrapped tightly around the throat of the second woman.

And that second woman was none other than Jenny.

"Brother..." Jenny sobbed. "Leave this place immediately... She’s dangerous. She’s going to kill you."

Leon’s jaw clenched. He waved his hand without the slightest hesitation. The Raging Inferno’s Wings whistled through the air, shooting straight toward their target.

But just before they could strike...

"If I die," Eira said calmly, her voice echoing across the battlefield, "she dies too."

The blades froze abruptly in midair, generating a powerful gust of wind. The hood covering her head was blown open by the wind. Black hair streaked with strands of blue spilled free, cascading over her left shoulder.

Eira continued. "I injected a poison into her body. A poison with no cure other than me."

"Let her go and cure her. Or else..." Leon paused for a moment. "I will make you wish you could die."

Eira chuckled. "Is that supposed to be a threat, boy? You are far too weak to speak to me in that tone."

Her gaze shifted toward Archie and the other two S-Class hunters, Jasper and Oliver.

Jasper had already broken free from the hallucination. He looked somewhat disheveled, but he wasn’t injured.

"I want safe passage out of here," Eira said calmly. "That other boy and the two girls in the interrogation room have been poisoned as well. Only I can save them."

She tightened her grip slightly around Jenny’s throat. "So, unless you want four innocent lives to be lost, you’d better agree to my demands."

"Like hell we’re going to listen to you," Oliver said coldly. "If you don’t want to die a gruesome death, cure those innocent people immediately."

"If you don’t want to listen, fine." Eira shrugged. "Go ahead and kill me. They’ll die with me." There wasn’t the slightest trace of fear in her voice.

Oliver’s veins bulged. He was about to speak again when Archie placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait."

He looked at Eira. "What exactly are your demands?"

"Not much." A faint smile appeared beneath her veil. "I only have three."

She raised a finger.

"First, you let me leave this place freely. No one follows me."

A second finger rose.

"Second, I want access to the Delvan Tower. The barricades shall be removed, and no sentry shall interfere with me either."

Then she raised a third finger and looked directly at Leon.

"And third... He comes with me."

Instead of replying, Archie looked at Oliver first, then at Jasper.

"What should we do?" he whispered so only Jasper and Oliver could hear.

"I say we beat her to death," Oliver replied without hesitation. "She’s only one person. These assassins are tricky, sure. But I don’t believe she can stand against all three of us at once."

"Don’t be too hasty, Oliver. People’s lives are at stake," Archie said before turning toward Jasper. "What about you? What do you think?"

Jasper frowned. "I don’t want anything to happen to my brother. But I don’t want to risk the nation’s security either. And we can’t even be sure she’ll cure those four after getting what she wants."

At his words, everyone fell silent. After a moment of thought, Archie finally spoke.

"Let’s agree to her demands for now. We won’t follow her immediately. But once she enters the Delvan Tower, we’ll surround the entire area."

Then Archie glanced toward Leon.

"But what about him? Will he agree to become the hostage?"

Archie’s gaze shifted briefly toward Jenny.

"After all, his sister’s life is at stake, too."

Jasper thought for a while before walking toward Leon. "Leon Bale, about her third demand... Are you..."

"I agree."

Before Jasper could even finish, Leon gave his answer.

"Are you sure?"

Leon simply nodded.

Seeing this, Archie turned toward Eira.

"We agree to all three of your demands. Now, please cure them first. After that, you can take Leon Bale as your hostage and leave."

Eira chuckled. "Good. Bring those three from the underground."

Then her eyes shifted toward Leon. A faint smile appeared on her lips.

’I can’t let you live. Once I form a bond with the demon, you’re going to die.’