"Over here. This is the best spot to sneak in" [Elise]

"For the vice captain of the Valkyrie, is it really ok for you to expose this to us?" [Muse]

"Err..." [Elise]

"Come on. Answer her now" [Ash]

"Brother Ash!" [Elise]

"Let not get careless now" [Rean]

Right now, we are sneaking into the Estel's castle, with a single goal of having a one-on-one "talk" with the first prince. Talk is a rather soft word. On one hand, I am simply excusing him of working together with the meddling third party, since the only hand on my card for making this call is because of the intuition. I am rather anxious myself, should this intuition is really wrong, but since Diana also felt the same, I will trust it no matter what. Worst case scenario, and highly likely that will happen, I have to finish him off for good

(Hmm...) [Ash]

I give them a hand signal for them to stop moving. Rean, Elise and Muse take the message and stop. As for other three, they're taking different route from us, just to ensure they got the whole castle covered and will inform us of any movement that will likely hinder our goal

"Why do we stop?" [Muse]

"This" [Ash]

It's the mana from the Fortress Defense Magic of Estel's castle. Not just any mana, I can clearly feel Charlotte's mana woven together into it. My best guess will be, as the court magician of the country, she is also responsible for maintaining the spell, and as such, it isn't strange for her mana to be interwoven together with the spell. I must said, even when I wasn't there to teach her in-depth regarding this spell, she actually do a fine job. I can tell she's using Housey and Calypso Tree as a model to further improve the fortress defense magic of this castle, but alas, since she's Housey and Calypso Tree as a base model, I know exactly how to mess around with it and

"Done. Let's move" [Ash]

"Before we move any further... Shadow leap" [Rean]

"I'll add. Nine tail fox technique: Armour of tranquility" [Elise]

"I'll add one. No, two. Invisibility magic. Mirage magic: Barrier of Ignorance" [Ash]

"Appreciate it" [Muse]

Rean decided now is the best time to max out all the necessary precaution, and as such, Elise and ai added some spell from our own as well, to increase our chance of successful infiltration.

With this, we quickly search for the first prince, and what do we have here...

(Better record it) [Ash]

He's releasing those three fake doppelgangers, and not only that, some of the guards, they look strange. Not to mention, the guards on the floor. Wait! Isn't that... The Valkyrie and the hidden vampires guard! They're unconscious!

"And to finish it off" [First Prince]

Looks like he is trying to do something toward the unconscious Valkyrie! Oh no you don't!

~Leap~

"You're as impulsive as ever, Behemoth Slayer" [First Prince]

"Like Fawaz... No! This is different!" [Ash]

I manage to dodge his last minute attempt of grabbing me. His hand, it's fill with some sort of mana. My instinct is telling me it will be dangerous, and as such, long range attack will be the best

"Still, I wouldn't have guess you will take action this soon. I guess my little sister sharp intuition is with you after what she had done. Always annoy me, that girl" [First Prince]

"Guess there's no point hiding it from you" [Ash]

While we are conversing, I use my wind, earth and space magic to save the unconscious guards lying on the ground to safety. He doesn't seem particularly mindful about it at all

"So, why do you do this? Siding with those traitorous princes? If I'm being honest, you're out of character by doing so" [Ash]

"True. Still, if we can gather all the forces necessary to fight against the devil, wouldn't it be better?" [First Prince]

"That's rather true, but their methods are beyond shady" [Ash]

"A small price to pay, for the benefit of the royal" [First Prince]

"Pardon?" [Ash]

"While I am concern about the citizen, Should the top withered out, they will be left helpless after the threat of the fallen god pass by, and as such, will withered away in an instance. That's why, for the safety and benefit of all, I should at least make sure us survive this whole ordeal. For the benefit of the humanity as a whole" [First Prince]

"I see... That settles it then" [Ash]

Taking my scythe out, I quickly engage with him. I can tell that he is far stronger that what he look, and I'm sure he enhanced himself one way or another with some shady method, but

"I might be weak and recovering, but, there's no way I will loose!" [Ash]

"Get hi..." [First Prince]

"Dark slash" [Rean]

"Heaven and hell fire" [Elise]

"!" [First Prince]

"I guess you're also looking down on them as mere kids." [Ash]

He really didn't expect Rean and Elise to join the fray, and in an anti climatic fight, we win without breaking a sweat

"You! If it comes to this..." [First Prince]

"I'll be taking this" [Muse]

"Muse!" [Rean]

"Looks like I really underestimate all of you" [First Prince]

Is that it... Something amiss... Muse take some strange crystal from the first prince

(Titania. Mahsuri. If you would) [Ash]

((We will come and...)) [Mahsuri, Titania]

"KYAAAH!" [Muse]

The crystal engulf Muse, and just as she's about to vanish

"Caught you!" [Ant Aries]

The Holy Beast of Earth and her minion save the day. One of the minion ant looks rather different, as it gulp down the crystal and another one try to close down the portal

"I'm glad I was able to foresee this or else you will be tossed by now" [Ant Aries]

"Just now... That portal?" [Elise]

"It's unstable, but I can tell one thing. That's the portal to the devil side. He's planning to engulf you all there" [Ant Aries]

"Not to the world of Doppelganger?" [Ash]

"Close. While I do know the devil and Doppelganger live in one dimension, there's barrier erected by God of Light, Theia... No, by the current form of her, Holy Beast of Light, Angkasa that separate those two world, albeit, it's getting thinner" [Ant Aries]

"I see. Guess we are careless. I'm glad I bring you with us" [Ash]

I really am. I don't want to meet the fallen god once again. At least not now

"Now then, I suppose there's nothing much to do now except..." [Ash]

The first prince, while anticipating the involvement of the holy beast, didn't anticipate his back up plan will be spoil so quickly by Ant Aries. Rean and Elise mentioned that since the holy beats of earth here had been dealing with devil invasion on her nest before, she might develop some sort of six sense and countermeasure to it, and thus, her quick and prompt action to save us all

Just as I am about to swing my scythe to his neck

"Wait!" [Diana]

"Diana!" [Ash]

Just how did she know?