Chapter 161: First attack. The magical barrier that imprisoned them also blocked all forms of communication, creating complete isolation from their allies. Their warning signals simply dissipated against the king’s spell work without reaching any external recipients. "The signals aren’t getting through!" the first guard said with growing panic, shaking his crystal desperately. "We’re completely cut off!" confirmed his companion, his professional composure cracking as the the reality of them being imprisoned from the outside world became clear. .. Both guards drew their weapons, but their blades felt useless against the magical imprisonment that offered no physical target to attack. They were trapped within an air pocket, surrounded by water and magical barriers that defied their resistance. "This is at least a master-level spell work," the first guard assessed grimly, his experience allowing him to recognise the sophistication of their prison. "Whoever’s doing this can easily kill us...We are in trouble." "More than serious," replied the second guard, testing the bubble’s boundaries with cautious sword strikes that accomplished nothing. "This is archmage-level magic. We’re dealing with someone far beyond our ability to handle." Their panic intensified as they realised the hopelessness of their situation. Professional extremist operatives were accustomed to having escape plans and backup options, but this magical imprisonment offered no solutions. "Show yourselves!" the first guard shouted toward the water above them, hoping to negotiate with their captors. "We demand to know who dares interfere with our operations!" "Demand?" came King Aldric’s voice as the concealment spell finally dissolved, revealing the floating party of investigators. The extremist guards’ eyes widened with shock as they beheld their captors. a human king whose aura marked him as incredibly powerful, a princess whose royal bearing was unmistakable, a master-level succubus whose presence made both guards instinctively step backwards, and a normal-looking human at the novice rank. The human next to the three powerful individuals was like a small lamp next to the stars; they completely ignored him. Unknownest to them, the seemingly ordinary young man in front of them was the main reason that they would all be dead tonight. The reason why one of the most powerful demon bases near the human kingdom would perish, and alongside it, would perish the traitors to the human kingdom. "The human...king," the first guard breathed, recognising the royal insignia and overwhelming presence. The second guard’s weapon clattered to the ground as the full scope of their situation became clear. They hadn’t been captured by normal human adventurers or opportunistic bounty hunters; they were facing the legitimate ruler of the human kingdom, backed by forces that completely outclassed their defensive capabilities. "You will answer our questions," King Aldric stated with cold eyes that sent shivers done the spine of the demons in front of him. ... The trapped extremists found themselves facing interrogation by the most powerful man in the human kingdom, with no escape route and no hope of rescue from their underground allies. "How many demons are there inside, and what’s their strength?" the king demanded, his voice carrying the authority of absolute power. The demons stared at him with obvious confusion, their expressions revealing they didn’t understand his words. After all, they didn’t speak the human tongue fluently enough to comprehend complex interrogation questions. Seeing their confusion, Noah stepped forward to translate. The first demon responded with forced bravado despite his trapped position. "There are a few of us. With the strongest being near the master-class but still within adept shackles." Upon hearing Noah’s translation, the king frowned deeply. His enhanced senses had already detected multiple master-level magical signatures deeper in the underground facility, marking the demon’s response an obvious lie. Without warning, King Aldric gestured sharply and conjured a razor-thin wind blade that cut through the first demon’s arm with out any resistance. The limb separated cleanly, blood spattering against the magical barrier as the extremist screamed in agony. "You’re lying," the king stated with terrifying calm. "For every lie you spout out of that filthy mouth, you will lose a limb." The second demon, witnessing his companion’s mutilation, attempted another deception. "We’re just scouts! The base is mostly empty!" Another wind blade flashed through the air, severing the lying demon’s leg at the knee. His agonised howl echoed within the magical bubble as he collapsed to the bottom of their prison. Both extremists realised the futility of their situation. They couldn’t inform or help their team inside; they couldn’t escape, and their interrogator possessed both the power and ruthlessness to dismember them until they broke. Rather than face continued torture and eventual betrayal of their cause, both demons made a final choice that demonstrated their fanatical dedication. They glanced at each other for a second before subtly nodding. The first demon’s eyes blazed with resolve. "For the true demon kingdom!" he shouted, his hands moving to his chest where his mana core pulsed with contained energy. The second demon echoed his companion’s declaration. "Death before dishonour to humans!" Both extremists began expanding rapidly as they deliberately destabilised their own mana cores. Their bodies swelled like balloons as energy built toward a catastrophic level. "Boom!" They burst simultaneously inside the bubble, filling it with gore and blood. The barrier contained the explosion completely, preventing any damage to the surrounding area while trapping the extremists’ remains within their prison. Lola observed the aftermath with detachment, her centuries of combat experience having shown her similar fanatical behaviour before. To Noah, however, this was something entirely different. Witnessing beings willing to self-destruct for a cause. Seeing it firsthand was unprecedented. He stood frozen, staring at the aftermath in stunned silence. As much as he despised the demons, he couldn’t help but feel some respect for their unwavering loyalty. "They destroyed their mana cores," she muttered with a mixture of disgust and respect. "These extremists are loyal to their cause; they are truly delusional...it’s sad." The self-destruction demonstrated the depth of extremist indoctrination, these demons preferred suicide over the possibility of revealing information that might compromise their operations or ideology.