The two groups were moving at the same time. As expected, Jean led his group into the forest first. They needed to enter first to prevent the Libation Fiesta from spreading forward. It would be bad if the Libation Fiesta sent its members to look for the lily.
If they could just hold it for a few minutes, they would win even if they didnât manage to defeat them all.
That was why they needed to spread out a bit while monitoring the incoming Libation Fiesta.
Clovis, on the other hand, had expected all the movement from the start. This was actually what he wanted from the beginning.
...
Stefany was looking into the distance. She wasnât a fighter, so she couldnât do anything for this one.
However, she couldnât help but think about Clovisâ request.
"Are we really going to accept this challenge?"
"Yes. We will do it. Try to set up the time in four to five months."
This was a decision that shocked Melody at the time, but Clovis didnât stop there.
"I can try setting up the time." Stefany agreed to his decision. Setting up the time was not actually hard.
After all, Jean had requested the location.
"Good. How will the competition be?"
"I donât know. However, it may end up being the same as before. We will have to seek something."
"Something..." Clovis fell silent. "How about you try to negotiate with Jean and even the Dark Supreme? Considering your status and the importance of this battle, I donât think itâs bad to hold a meeting with both of them, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"Proposing a term for the competition."
"!!!" All this time, she had been doing exactly what the Dark Supreme intended. The Dark Supreme set the rules.
However, this was a competition to find the successor of the Dark Supreme. The Dark Supreme might still be the leader of the mercenary group, but they would become one soon.
Clovis wanted her to act first so that she could show that the new Dark Supreme would surpass the old one.
She couldnât surpass him yet in everything, especially in strength. However, if there was one thing that she could do to make a difference, it would be by taking initiative.
That was right. If they succeeded in taking the seat and became the next Dark Supreme without doing it, the former Dark Supreme could simply tell them something, and they would have no choice but to obey.
This was the way to show that she was ready to take over the group.
Stefany felt nervous and excited at the same time. "What do you want to propose?"
"Letâs find something easy. A flower... maybe a white lily."
"I donât mind, but why?"
Stefany never received an answer from Clovis. She thought it was her job to figure it out, but even after the competition began, she couldnât figure out his request.
That was why she muttered as she looked at the wall from her hotel. "What are you thinking, Clovis?"
...
"Letâs stay together and take it easy. Please believe in me." Clovis gave them only a simple instruction. Melody would be the one taking care of the targeting. It was her job to make sure that each of them got a target.
Ultimately, they reached the forest where they had to stop because Jean had stopped him. His group hadnât raised their stances yet, but they were clearly ready to fight.
However, it looked like there was a reason for Jean trying to stop them at the edge of the forest.
As soon as Clovis and his team stopped, they grabbed their weapons, only to be surprised when Clovis raised his hand, telling them to halt.
"It doesnât look like they want to fight right now." Clovis smiled.
Jean clapped his hands. "I have to praise you, Clovis Hacfield. There is no way Stefany can make such a concrete plan like this. There is only one person who can do this. It must be the same person who orchestrated the entire scheme in the previous competition. It must be you, Clovis Hacfield."
"So, you are praising me? Do you want to surrender as well?"
"Thanks to you, six of my people are gone. However, itâs very clear that I will win this competition."
"Isnât that too far-fetched for you? We have the number advantage." Clovis smiled.
"Not at all. You should have expected that a Tier 9 human is behind us. And yes, you must have prepared a Tier 9 human to support you as well. You know what? Have you even received a message from them yet?"
"!!!" The Libation Fiesta and its allies were surprised. They always expected that Michael Hacfield would be here. This was their only chance to win.
Clovis didnât say anything or even make any change of expression.
"What? You donât know, or are you just playing dumb? Either way, itâs going to be impossible for you because the Prophet and the Moon Bow have sealed the movement of the Madman and the Guardian." Jean smirked. "You have no backup."
"What?" The three masters couldnât believe what they had just heard. If there were no backup, they couldnât win.
"Meanwhile..." Jean clapped his hands. Suddenly, they could feel three incoming presences approaching from behind.
There was a man in his late thirties landing on the ground, carrying a sword. Two men behind him were the Tier 8 humans that had been captured by the police.
"Sorry for taking a bit too long. I have to free both of them first." The man shrugged with a smug smile. If it were a Tier 9 human, he would definitely be able to free them without causing any harm.
"Meet the eleventh Tier 9 human in this world. The worldâs first Sword Saint, Mr. Troy Hackiman." Jean clapped his hands. "And now, with the Madman and the Guardian unable to help you, what can you do now?!"
"This..."
"Whatâs going on?"
"We have no backup?"
"It looks like weâre going to kick the bucket this time..."
The people from the Three Swords and the R.A.I.D. couldnât help but panic. However, the members of the Libation Fiesta didnât miss Clovisâ words. He told them to trust him, and that was what they did.
"Thatâs why..." Clovis took a deep breath.
"Taking a deep breath? Feeling nervous after knowing youâre going to die now? Thatâs why this might be the last time you see this world."
"No." Clovis shook his head before a smile appeared on his face. "Thatâs why I have a contingency plan."
"Aaahhhh!" The two Tier 8 humans behind the Sword Saint suddenly screamed before their necks snapped.
"!!!" Jean widened his eyes. The Sword Saint turned around, his body shaking.
"Welcome. Thank you for coming." Clovis smiled.
The man tossed the two Tier 8 humans as if throwing trash. "You know, kid? You are definitely more devilish than your grandmother. I guess Iâm supposed to say you inherited her charm?"
Clovis just chuckled, while Jean was completely taken aback by who had come.
"You are... the Berserker, Kayne Ghorn!"