Birth of the Demonic Sword

Flying Demon used his individuality to stop the creature for a few instants, and Dreaming Demon exploited that window to affect its mind and prolong its defenseless condition.

The hybrid's sea of consciousness was only in the fourth rank, so the Demons didn't have any trouble in affecting its thoughts. Dreaming Demon could render their opponent defenseless and unleash attacks without risking their lives.

Destroying heads wasn't easy for them. Their attacks bordered the beginning of the sixth rank, but they lacked Noah's might. Yet, Dreaming Demon's mental waves affected the fabric of their tissues and made them frailer.

Their battle had a slow pace and saw a constant cycle of attacks and retreats, which depended on when the Hydra recovered its senses. They weren't as flashy as Noah, but they didn't suffer any injury even after four heads had fallen.

The Hydra's survival instincts took control of its body at that point, and their intensity temporarily fended off Dreaming Demon's will, allowing it to regain its freedom.

The Demons had predicted that outcome. Flying Demon's aura surged, and white flowers grew from its wounds and dead heads. They spread a thick layer of ice that covered the hybrid's body and stopped its movements once again.

The Hydra roared, but Dreaming Demon's mental waves had already resumed their assault. The creature became drowsy when her thoughts affected the correct functioning of its mind, and Flying Demon used that chance to detonate his flowers.

The ice that they had generated exploded too, and expanded the injuries on the creature. New wounds formed since Dreaming Demon kept on weakening the fabric of the creature's skin, and another head fell lifeless on the seabed.

Only two heads remained now, and the Hydra had yet to land a blow on the two Demons.

'As expected from them,' Noah thought as he waited for their battle to end. The Demons had perfect synchrony and could multiply their prowess by chaining different abilities in a row.

Moreover, their raw power was enough to leave marks on the hybrid's body. Their experience and teamwork could completely submit even a creature in the sixth rank.

"Come forward," Noah ordered with a growl as he kept his eyes on the Demons' battle. The hybrids bowing on the seabed shuddered at his voice, but they couldn't oppose his commands.

Forty or so creatures reached the waters right under him and kept their heads lowered. They mostly belonged to octopus and snake-related species, but there were other types of beasts too.

"Who of you can speak?" Noah asked with his human voice, and only a few specimens trembled at that time. A rank 5 Sea Snake with a sea of consciousness in the fourth rank swam forward and spoke using human words with a weird accent. "Lehader. Iss spehak."

The Demons continued their battle, and Noah stored his prey's corpses as he questioned the Sea Snake. "How did you gain intelligence?"

Noah's question wasn't specific, but the roars that accompanied his human words carried a meaning that the hybrid understood more easily.

"Meh remembeh golds homanss, greehn homanss, dark homanss." The Snake replied. "Meh wass sleehping whehn thehy light meh."

Its language was awful, but Noah could confirm that some researchers were behind those hybrids' birth. That put a new priority on the matters concerning the rebellion. He had to learn how the rebels triggered the transformation.

As for the brainwashing part, he didn't care about it. The Hive had never needed cannon fodder. It founded its strength on powerful and unique individuals. Also, no creature could oppose him and Skully anyway.

"You can go," Noah said, and the hybrid returned to the group before they all swam toward the rest of the pack. He couldn't learn anything specific due to its poor language, but he understood another critical aspect of the revolution.

The Snake had spoken about dark humans, which was the signature color of the Hive's robes. There were rebels even among his organization, but Noah couldn't think of anyone that would betray Chasing Demon.

'Maybe I have yet to realize how much the Hive has grown,' Noah thought as he heaved a sigh. The Hive wasn't the underdog of the political environment anymore. It had grown enough to match the other organizations in the number of assets and sheer power.

That was a good thing, but the chance of having rebellious forces among its ranks increased as its territories became more crowded.

The Hive had lost the unity formed when it had rebelled against the forces of the world. It was one of them now, and it had even nurtured a large number of inscription masters.

Breaking the loyalty oath was possible with the right expertise and materials, especially in the other world, due to the weak connection with the pact's core item. Foreign experts could take care of that matter too.

'I can only hope that there isn't anyone in the fifth rank,' Noah thought as he saw the Demons destroying another head. He had already decided to take care of the rebels on his way out of the world. He didn't want to lose the stream of hybrids that reinforced the Hive.

The Demons eventually defeated the Hydra, and Dreaming Demon stored its corpse before the duo flew toward Noah. Flying Demon even imitated him wielding the creature's neck like a whip as he swam.

"There are traitors among the Hive," Noah conveyed through his consciousness before Flying Demon could crack a joke about his battle style.

"We better hurry then." Flying Demon conveyed in a serious tone as he turned toward his lover. "Do you think the fortress can hold?"

Dreaming Demon thought for a while before replying. "Most of the defenses around the dimensional crack are automatic for this specific reason. I bet the rebels have troops inside the fortress, but they still need to cross those protections."

Noah sent a mental message to June before he ordered the pack to protect her cave. She was slightly annoyed that her condition didn't allow her to join the incoming battle, but she didn't complain.

Noah and June had spoken a lot during their time inside the cave. She had no chance to pass unnoticed if she broke through the defenses of the Academy, which meant that she would become a public traitor.

Yet, the couple had decided to use that chance to come out in the open. Noah couldn't hold back anymore anyway, and June only needed a few words to separate her family from the Royals.

As for the preparations for that significant event, Noah had a plan he didn't wholly disclose to June. He didn't want her to feel indebted, and he had a personal agenda too.

The trio shot in the direction of Angela's communication after they settled every matter. Noah used his innate awareness to follow the traces left by that humming noise, which led them to an underwater base of the continent.