From the portal that radiated magical aura, the Otherworldly Priest Kaylin was the first to pass through the door, followed by Sadiri. During her life, the portal closed instantly, clipping off a demon's outstretched hand.

"Wow, you're obviously a lot more lively over there than ours. Muscle Daddy exclaimed. "You must have those grinders, didn't you?"

"Muscle Daddy!" said the Coral Witch in a voice of surprise. "You're probably the last person I've expected to see today, how did you get here?"

"Kokai, honorable samurai. Kaylin said, giving a brief salute.

"How did I get here? Naturally because I wanted to come, otherwise no one would have forced me to come. Muscle Daddy patted his chest and promised. "If I don't come, what can you do? ”

"We don't really need a booty right now. The Psychic teased him. "But maybe you can get ahead of the curve and detect traps for us. ”

"Then you have to be careful, I've heard that some traps don't target one person, but a group of people. You step on your front foot, only to find that the corridor behind you suddenly closes, squeezing everyone behind you to death. Muscle Daddy bragged. "If you let me go behind, I might be able to push two walls apart. ”

"You really have that much strength. Muhathir said. "You're just going to poke two holes in the wall and you won't change anything. ”

Muscle Daddy laughed. "Someone speaks like they have a root in their mouth. ”

"Alright, don't argue. "The Coral Witch stopped them. "You rescued Muscle Daddy, it's awesome. Did you tell me that by calling me here?"

"No, it's more important than that. Muhadi replied. "And you can't use psionic communication, I'm afraid someone will intercept it. ”

He was able to make sure that no one was using spells or abilities to peep at him before telling Sadiri. "Muscle Daddy has told me the worrying news that Mephistophelis Phyllis, the Devil Lord of this layer, may be in collusion with Ebupolis. ”

The Coral Witch lowered her voice, sounding odd due to the use of spells to prevent detection. "Are you sure it's true?"

"I didn't find any trace of memory manipulation or brainwashing in large chunks of my mind, he said what he saw. The psychic replied cautiously.

"It's also possible that he was an illusion and deliberately made him see a scene created by a spell to mislead us. Sadiri came up with her own idea. "Think about it, he was spared his life, locked in a cell that was not tightly guarded, and he was rescued. What are the odds of this happening?"

"I'm not a believer in probability, and I believe that what is supposed to happen is destined to happen. Muhati responded. "But I see what you mean. This does seem a little strange. But on the other hand, if it's a trap, what's the point? Why would anyone mislead us into believing that Polis and the Devil Lord had joined forces? If I hadn't discovered that prison, wouldn't it have been in vain?"

"Maybe, you have a point. Satili nodded in acknowledgement. "It's not quite a well-designed trap, it's too much of an uncertaintie. So what do you think we should do with this information?"

"Archduke Dispar on the second level forbids outsiders to use its portal, and Polis undoubtedly doesn't like to swim in the River Styx. Muhathir thought for a moment and said. "I don't think he's going to find a way to get here so quickly. ”

"He's the Witch King, he can always find a way, nothing can stop him. Even if it meant killing a thousand more people, draining their life force and tearing apart the passage from the second layer to here. Sadiri affirmed. "He'll come sooner or later. If he did work with Mephistopheles, he would have come much sooner than we thought. ”

Muhathir instinctively felt that Polis was not the kind of person to work with the Devilish Grand Duke Barthez, but he couldn't rule it out. "Maybe we can get rid of Mephistopheles before he arrives, and we might even ask him where the wise man is. ”

"Attacking it in the fortress of an archduke of Barthez? is probably the bravest and most foolish plan I have ever heard. Sadiri shook her head. "It's hard for us to defeat it, and an archduke of Barthez can teleport at will within his realm. Even if we get lucky enough to win, how are we going to deal with Polis when we're exhausted?"

"So we're going to keep looking for the Wise One, and pray that we'll find it before someone intervenes?" said the Psychic Warlock.

"Maybe we can have Mephistopheles deal with Polis for us. Sadiri said, rubbing her forehead with one hand. "Let one trouble solve another for us. ”

"I think that as a great devil, among the many qualities of Mephistophelis, there must be no such thing as helping others. Muhathir said. "I'm afraid that good words are not enough to impress it...... What other way do you not. ”

"There's a way to go, maybe it's worth trying. Satili explained. "If Polis is really in contact with Mephistophelis, perhaps we can pretend to be Polis's messenger to get close to the Great Devil. With a bit of luck, we can get words out of its mouth. And convince it that polis is a great threat to it. ”

"Your plan sounds as stupid as mine. Mohamad commented. "There's a good chance that Mephistophelis will see through our disguise and attack us, so what are we going to do then?"

"Then we'll switch to a backup plan. Sadiri said.

"What backup plan?" the telemancer wondered.

"Attack it in the fortress of an archduke of Barthez, as you say. Coral Witch smiled wryly.

"I thought you thought my plan was brave and stupid. Muhathir said.

"Stupidity is stupidity, but the good thing is that the devils probably wouldn't have expected us to do it. Sadiri said. "In that case, we at least have the advantage of surprise. ”

Muhatri pondered the other party's proposal and nodded slowly. "It might work. If it doesn't work, it's a big deal to fight again. I agree, so be it. ”

"Wait, we should also ask Muscle Daddy and Kailin for their opinions. Sadiri said again.

"I don't think the two of them should take such a risk, especially if a priest from an upper plane could be a messenger of Polis, which is too exaggerated. Muhadi shook his head. Mephistopheles Phyllis would never believe it. ”

"Not as a courier," Coral Witch explained. "Rather, as a token. ”

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

In the previous split up, Sadiri had encountered far more enemies than Muhadi's side.

The Coral Witch casts a spell to create a simulacrum of herself, and although the strength of this doppelganger is not as good as the main body, it is also quite impressive. Using this trick, she can search twice as many areas in the same amount of time and of course encounter twice as many enemies.

Most of the places she had explored had no reason to mention, either as armories in fortresses, desecrated altars and circles, or laboratories for the development of new weapons, without the slightest hint of a wise man.

But there was something interesting she found in one place, which seemed to be an audience room, or something like that. Some emissaries from elsewhere were waiting here, ready to be received by the Grand Duke Mephistopheles.

Among these people, there are allies of the Grand Duke in hell and the worlds, spies of the devil in the main material plane, and adventurers who covet the power of the devil and want to ask for some benefits. Some of the emissaries are also Barthez devils, but most are not natives of hell and include lichs, trolls, vampires, and more.

These emissaries were heroic in the face of a surprise attack, and there was a lack of cooperation between them because they didn't trust each other, but they were really, really heroic.

After Satiri knocked them all down with a spell, she retrieved the insignia of Archduke Mephistopheles Phyllis from their corpses. She tapped her finger at the surface of the badge, and an indescribable aura of blasphemy immediately enveloped her, almost disgusting.

The Coral Witch casts a small spell that allows her to learn everything about this badge. As she expected, the badge was a kind of credential that Mephistopheles had given to the messengers to prove their identity.

She took the two badges with her, and now they came in handy.

With the help of her spells, she and Muhati changed their appearances, posing as Polis's subordinates, with the coat of arms representing the messenger. The Psychic Warlock uses her abilities to enhance her ability to coax and persuade, allowing her to face the Devil Grand Duke more calmly.

Muhati concentrated, laboriously unleashing his supermorphic abilities, transforming Muscle Daddy and Kailin into ribbons with badges. This was Satilly's idea, and although the supermorphic change was powerful, with the natural ability of Grand Duke Barthez, it might be possible to see the original form of the changed object. So she suggested turning them into ribbons, so that the blasphemous aura of the badge itself could mask the fluctuations of psionic energy, and she would also use her own spells to disguise it.

The position of the Grand Duke himself was not difficult to find, and in the face of a strong enemy attack, it commanded resistance from the top of the fortress. The two of them used some means, and easily learned the location of the Grand Duke from the mouths of several devils.

They walked up the passages inside the fortress, trying to avoid patrolling devils and raiders who were destroying and plundering along the way. Some adventurers were so daring that they even took the initiative to ambush patrols inside the fortress and steal their weapons and treasures. At first, Muhati doubted whether Grand Duke Balzeb could come in handy by recruiting so many adventurers, but now he was completely convinced. These guys may not be of much use on frontal combat, but they are experts at creating chaos and destruction.

A cheap means of special warfare, Muhadi thought, is the role of these adventurers. There is no shortage of such people in the multiverse, who die faster and reproduce faster.

"There are too many troublemakers here. On the way, Sadiri said to Mohathir. "Perhaps good for us, Mephistopheles Phyllis may be in a hurry to extinguish the chaos in his fortress and will not scrutinize our disguises. ”

"I think the opposite, and with my knowledge of the psyche, I can tell you that some people are more careful the more they are in an emergency. "Psychic warlocks don't have the same confidence as mages. "But I'll pay close attention to its mood changes, and we'll do it whenever something goes wrong. ”

Outside the fortress, two armies of demons fought each other and were evenly matched.

Balzeb had been preparing for this raid for a long time, and this time attacking it was almost inevitable. But Mephistopheles was tougher than it thought, his army was better adapted to the cold climate of the eighth layer of Bato, and as the lord of this layer, it could summon all kinds of weather to strike its enemies.

An avalanche raging and roaring more violently, preventing the intruders from approaching. The ice storm never stops, squandering its endless power in luxury.

Satili and the Psychic finally made it to the top of the fortress, which was also the temporary command post of the Grand Duke. The scene was chaotic, with soldiers on both sides scuffling in the air, and from time to time they both fell, smashing a cloud of blood on the hard rock ground of the fort. The blood mist didn't last long, and soon turned into some red crushed ice slag in the bitter cold weather.

Several Barthez guards noticed the two approaching and immediately summoned a large group of companions to surround them. The Hellpurgatory, armed with a giant shield with a mace, is in the front, followed by a demon with a giant crossbow and a spell. They have a reasonable division of labor and work together seamlessly, and you can tell at a glance that they are well-trained.

Satili held up the badge representing the messenger so that the demons could see it clearly. This gesture prevented the Barthez from attacking immediately, but they did not mean to disperse, and remained in a vigilant formation.

"Leave! Human!" shouted one of the leading Hellpurgators. "Don't disturb the idle people in the battle!"

"We can leave. Muhadi replied with his head held high. "But then you should figure out how to explain to Archduke Mephistopheles that there was news that could have turned the tide of the battle, and why it was left out of the news because of your incompetence. ”

"Fuck off, psyker. The devil was unmoved. "A liar like you, I have to solve a dozen every day. Everyone wants to meet the Grand Duke as soon as possible, do you think that the Grand Duke can meet you if you want to? Even if you really have any valuable information, the Grand Duke will not punish me for following the rules!"

"Let me do it. Sadiri said in a voice that only he could hear. Then she cast a spell that swayed the devil's attitude without anyone knowing.

"So, according to the rules, how are we going to submit important information to the Grand Duke?" said the Coral Witch, following the devil's way of thinking.

"You have to submit a written application and get it approved to have this opportunity. The devil replied obediently. The other Barthez beside it gave it a strange look, wondering how its attitude had changed so quickly.

Satili stepped forward and quickly showed it what she was holding. She was standing at an angle that the other Barthez demons couldn't see clearly. The Hellpurgatory just glanced at it quickly, then nodded and spoke. "Okay...... You can go to the Grand Duke. He's on top of the second watchtower over there. ”

"How did you do that?" asked Shadiri curiously as the two walked towards the watchtower. "It's hard for me to brainwash a deep hell purgatory, at least not in front of so many people. ”

"Neither can I. Sadiri replied honestly. "At least not once. However, in the previous battle, I learned some new ways to use illusions from Nibennay. If I can't fool that Barthez, I'll cast a spell to rewind time and try again. ”

"That sounds amazing, remember to remind me not to go against the legendary mages in the future. Mohamad commented.

"There aren't many legendary mages who can do that. "After all, not every mage can memorize spells that have been retraced for so much time just to try again." Only I can cast spells without preparation and memory when there is light. ”

Muhati shrugged his shoulders and looked like he was no longer surprised.

"Why, I thought you were going to say that it's lucky that there's only one solar mage in the world. Satili said, turning her head to look at the Psychic Warlock.

"Actually, I'm trying to say that it's good that this sun mage is on my side. The Psychic corrected.

The Great Devil, Grand Duke Barthez, ruler of the eighth layer of the Nine Prisons of Barto, and Mephistophelis, Balzeb's sworn enemy, stood at the top of the watchtower, looking at the battlefield attentively. It was about three men tall, very muscular, and wore metal armor with intricate carvings. It has two thick horns on the top of its head, first reaching out to the sides, then upwards, pointing straight to the sky. In addition to these two horns, it has several other horns on its head, but they are much smaller and look like braided hair.

The Great Devil noticed the approach of the two humans, but it didn't look back, still staring straight at the battlefield.

Occasionally, Mephistopheles would make a gesture. The Barthez officer next to it would then unfurl the corresponding flag or totem to coordinate the movement of the troops. Satili called out its name and title, but the Grand Duke did not respond at all, not even looking back.

Satili called its name again, and this time the Grand Duke finally responded. It raised a hand and motioned for the Barthez officers beside it to leave. "The stage is almost set up, change those sacrificial fish belly to entangle the enemy, and remove our elite soldiers...... Let Balzeb think that his attack on the fortress will take effect, and let him be proud for a little longer. ”

After Officer Barthez had left, the Grand Duke finally turned around, and like a majestic giant, he opened his arms and made a welcoming gesture. "So...... Why did you come to me?"

"We are the emissaries of Polis, the witch king of Attas, and we have important news to report to Archduke Mephistopheles Phyllis. Satili spoke, using spells to fine-tune her voice to make it a little different, but very convincing.

The expression on the Grand Duke's face could be described as elusive, and it squeezed a word out of its mouth. "Go on. ”

"Witch King Polis wants us to tell you that he will be coming soon. Something is out of the basket. Sadiri deliberately kept her words vague so as not to reveal a flaw. Then, she decided to take a risk and single-handedly provoke the relationship between the Grand Duke and the Witch King. She had a feeling that it would work best.

"This is the message he wants us to convey......" Coral Witch said, and the Psychic Warlock looked at her nervously as if sensing what she was trying to say. “...... But what he really wants to do is to attack you!We think the Witch King has gone mad, so I've come to report to you!" Satili mustered up her courage and finished her words in one breath.

She wanted to be known as the devil for her suspiciousness, and Mephistophelis would at least be suspicious of Polis when he heard this, and could no longer cooperate.

Muhadi's mind was a completely different reaction from that of the mage. She was too impatient! The Psychic Warlock thought that if he could provoke a Devil Grand Duke with such a simple and crude method, he would simply give up the study of the mind and study magic instead.

He was ready to disdain the big devil to dismantle Satilly's provocation, and then attack directly.

But the attack that the psychic sorcerer had expected was delayed.

Archduke Mephistopheles Phyllis listened to the words of the Coral Witch, and at first it seemed to say nothing, making one wonder if it had really heard.

Finally, when it opened its mouth, it grinned as if it had heard a joke that only it understood. "You say, Polis wants to kill a Grand Duke of Barto's Nine Prisons, a Grand Nobleman of Barthez, the ruler of Kania?"

Muhati and Sadiri looked at each other, then nodded.

You may not know how true your words are. The Grand Duke touched his chin and laughed again. "But you're a step late, I've already slaughtered Mephistopheles, it's not an easy job, but I like a challenge. “

"I disguised myself as the Grand Duke of Barthez and commanded his men to look for you everywhere on the Bartoar Floor - to be honest, I didn't expect you to join Balzeb's army and attack the fortress directly. But luckily, you've delivered yourselves to the door—and dare to pretend to be my own messenger!" said the witch-king, who pretended to be the Devil's Grand Duke, and by the time he said the last few words, he had given up his pretending devil's accent and replaced it with Ebu's original voice.