The Author's POV

"We're here."

When I shut my eyes, I was able to perceive the barrier that blocked my path to the city that was directly in front of me, despite it being invisible from view.

Ohm―! I reached out my hand in front of me and stopped when I came into contact with something hard and smooth.

I was able to catch a glimpse of a tiny ripple that was forming around the area that I touched, and the ripple, to my relief, stopped moving a couple of meters away from where my hand touched.

"It's pretty strong."

Even though I hadn't put it to the test, I had a hunch that not even someone with an rank could break through the barrier in a single attack.

However, I couldn't say for certain since I hadn't tested it yet.

That being said…

Swoosh―!

When I shut my eyes and concentrated on a specific energy within my body, a dark hue centered over the palm of my hand, and I brought it forward in a slow, methodical manner.

…Nothing said that I needed to break the entire structure.

WOOOM―! After the thin film that was surrounding the city was cut cleanly through by my hand, I slowly brought my hand back down.

In that short moment, a small cut appeared on the barrier before me.

It was small, but it was still there.

'I can cut it.'

There was also a fair amount of resistance coming from the barrier, but it was nothing that I was unable to handle in any way. The only issue was that it was a rather slow process, as that single cut took quite a few seconds.

When I turned around to look at the others, I was taken aback to see that they had already surrounded me and were attentively observing the area around us.

'That's good.'

I smiled at the sight.

I had just been considering telling them to cover for me, but it didn't appear as though they required any kind of reminder.

With my back secured, I returned my focus to the barrier in front of me, and I brought my hand up.

'This'll take a couple of minutes.'

***

"The humans have started to breach the city; what should we do, your highness?"

"Nothing for now."

On top of a large structure, Prince Plintus was looking in a specific direction as he stood there gazing outward.

Even though it wasn't obvious, and there didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary happening, the Prince smiled as he lowered his head and stared at the orb that he held in his hand.

was going according

the demons patrolling of what's going on. We don't want to startle our guests into

"Understood."

Prince replied. Thinking of

about the other

"Which ones?"

are surrounding the city outside.

"Nothing yet."

images within the orb shifted, and Prince Plintus's eyes squinted at what

several large groups of humans outside and were all waiting

hoods, and although he was unsure of who

and he was aware that the most

Just that…

never get

Prince smiled and fiddled

starting to get

human who was tampering with the barrier. Particularly the dark film that

gaze changed at the

we'd have a

them and had formed a contract with him. Prince Plinuts wasn't sure who the demon responsible was, but he

information out of him once

his mind, the five of them were already in his

finding out who the demon that had betrayed them was and how he should get the information out of them once

forces ready to ambush them. As soon as they settle,

tearing his

one with the blue eyes alive. Kill the others if

Fwap!

wings once,

***

"We're in."

able to carve out a space that was almost big enough to

well, that'll

of sweat trickled down the side of my cheek, and I

a lot more tiring

"Here."

face. I didn't need to look to understand what was

"Thanks."

"Um."

I noticed Amanda's nose crease ever-so-slightly as she looked at the towel in

the sweat from the towel, but it surprised me that she didn't throw it away as she normally would have done

brief seconds, she had returned to her normal self and put the towel away,

freak of all

call that

laughed to myself before turning

meeting their gaze, I nodded my head. Only when all of them reciprocated did I finally enter the

"Follow me."

I was brought into a whole new

in thick clouds that blocked out the sun, casting a perpetual gloom over the