As soon as those words left her mouth, the crowd of young elves surrounding Yi Lin’s house fell into a kind of silence. Seizing this opportunity, Ye Xingyao quickly took stock of the team’s numbers.
There were roughly twenty of them in total, with the vast majority being Forest Elves, and only two being the relatively shorter Earth Elves.
These young elves certainly weren’t going to be scared off by her so easily. Firmly believing in things like solidarity and bonds, they paid her threats no mind at all, and instead raised their voices even louder.
“Who do you think you are? Tell Lady Yi Lin to come out and talk!”
“Despicable human, release Captain Ina right now!”
“York, why aren’t you saying anything? That Yi Lin broke the rules and tossed you out here. There’s no need for us to swallow our pride and suffer in silence!”
Finally, someone noticed that their teammate York didn’t seem to be doing too well. York, who had always been aggressive and assertive in the team, had now become quiet and withdrawn. They thus jumped to the conclusion that Yi Lin must have threatened York with powerful magic, which was why he was so dispirited.
As his fellow elves and teammates, they would definitely help York snap out of it!
Even with his teammates by his side now, York still didn’t dare lift his head to meet Xingyao’s gaze. His feet remained firmly frozen to the ground, and the biting cold had rendered his legs almost numb. All of this served as a constant reminder that the human girl before him was not someone to be trifled with.
But he didn’t want to admit his own failure, especially in front of his teammates. No matter how strong Xingyao was, how could she possibly defeat this many people from their team?
“Are you guys brain-damaged or something? If Grandma Yi Lin really had broken the rules you’re all whining about and actually made a move, wouldn’t you worthless fish have already run for your lives?” Xingyao listened to these elves’ passionate denunciations. She really didn’t want to ruin the great demon lord image she’d just carefully crafted, but she couldn’t help wanting to mock them. Just where did these guys get their confidence from?
Hearing Xingyao’s words, the elves fell silent once more, as if they were seriously pondering the question she’d raised. Truly, they were good kids who were willing to use their brains.
“So what if that’s the case? Holding so many of us captive like this—is Lady Yi Lin planning to turn her back on the Elf Forest?” It wasn’t until one of the elves let out a loud shout that they regrouped and became rowdy once again.
Yeah, they were willing to use their brains, but their brains weren’t exactly the sharpest.
They also happened to give Xingyao some interesting information. The Elf Forest… was that what these elves called their own race?
Xingyao had already sized them up in her mind. Already feeling a bit irritable, she couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words with them now.
“Give us back Captain Ina!”
“Set York free!”
“Or else we’ll… we’ll capture all of you! And hand you over to the Priest for judgment!” Just as she thought, they really didn’t seem to take her threat seriously at all.
Seeing Xingyao brush her hand across the edge of her skirt, that signature gesture immediately made a bad feeling well up inside Ina. Since her movements weren’t restricted, she hurried over to the doorway and shouted loudly:
“Hey, you human girl!”
Of course, she was still well aware of her current status as a prisoner. Just a moment ago, she’d tried to slip through the door and escape during the chaos, only to be driven back by the sharp glare from Yi Shiyue.
Even now, she wasn’t exactly conceding to this fellow Moon Elf girl her age, and she really wanted to spar with her. But all she could do was stew on the sidelines in a sulk.
“Captain!”
“Captain Ina!”
Upon hearing Ina’s call, the members of the Elf Dispatch Team perked up as if they’d been injected with adrenaline, making moves to bypass York at the door and charge toward the house.
However, they didn’t seem to pay much attention to what their captain had said. Whether they hadn’t heard clearly or subconsciously assumed the captain was calling for their help, it was unclear.
The current situation suited Xingyao’s wishes perfectly.
The black-haired girl raised her hand high, and the four fire-attribute Magic Stones she’d taken out burst open with fire-attribute magic power under her soft murmur of “Explosive Flame” in the Elven Language, only to be contained within a certain range by her Starlight magic.
Forced to halt by the wave of heat and the terrifying flame magic that seemed dreadful to them, the elf team members stopped in their tracks, dumbly tilting their heads up to stare at the girl who had suddenly unleashed such terrifying magic power.
Gradually, a greatsword wreathed in blazing flames took shape in the girl’s hands. It was the very same move Xingyao had used against those Forest Elf terrorists back then.
Against Forest Elves, fire-attribute magic power was the most effective.
She needed to assert her dominance in front of them all at once, to show them who the real powerhouse was, and to send these not-so-bright elves scrambling back to their Elf Forest once they felt their lives were truly threatened.
This move was absolutely perfect for the occasion.
Of course, this time when she used it, she’d be careful not to hurt herself. Her Starlight magic evenly and thoroughly guided the fire-attribute magic power, not letting these mischievous little playmates run wild.
“Hey, hey!”
Ina struggled with all her might. The human girl before her seemed genuinely provoked, planning to unleash a devastating magic attack on them that even a Moon Elf like herself didn’t recognize, regardless of the cost. She kept telling herself inwardly not to be afraid, to pull herself together. The only one who could save her team members right now was herself.
But Yi Shiyue and Yi Lin didn’t seem to have noticed her little struggle. At the very moment the vines binding her were about to snap, before she could even feel a flicker of glee, she inadvertently locked eyes with that blonde loli.
“Be a good girl now. Don’t make Sister Xingyao angry.”
The blonde loli said calmly. Ina didn’t pay her much mind at first, but just as she was about to continue struggling, she realized she couldn’t move at all. It was as if all the attention in her body was being drawn into those crimson pupils of the other girl’s.
All she could do was watch in despair as that greatsword that seemed ready to ignite the very air around it swung toward her teammates.
Facing this magic that had never been recorded before and was devastatingly destructive in the eyes of these young elves, the members of the Elf Dispatch Team could only barely manage to cast Magic Shields over themselves, and those with more initiative also raised the Field Magic they’d just prepared to block the attack.
What surprised Xingyao slightly was that these guys actually dared to take the hit head-on, standing their ground without budging an inch as they shielded York behind them.
These worthless fish—how come they didn’t even know to run?
Today she’d witnessed a hot-blooded fool who was an even bigger hot-blooded fool than the Magical Girl.
Xingyao thought viciously to herself as she slightly angled the blade, so these hot-blooded fools wouldn’t actually end up with any casualties from her swing. With their level of magical defense, it could only be described as better than nothing.
Using Wood-attribute Magic Shields to resist fire-attribute destructive magic—these guys were real characters. They’d have been better off having the two Earth Elves raise a dirt wall or something.
But damn, that swing felt amazing.
A smile that Ina considered absolutely evil spread across Xingyao’s small face.