Chapter 111 United Front

Hassu's elite Demon Hunter squad and Hao Ren's investigative team encountered each other as planned in front of the family hall. The moment they met, everyone except Hao Ren and his group instinctively tensed up. Wayne and Hesperia maintained a calm facade, but magical light began to shimmer in their hands. The Demon Hunters gripped their crossbows and sacred silver short swords. The atmosphere instantly became strained.

Even though they had prepared themselves, they were, after all, millennia-old enemies. This immediate, battle-ready response was practically ingrained in their bones. It wasn't something that could be suppressed with a bit of mental preparation.

As for Lily, who was waving a sign around... she was ignored.

The young Demon Hunters instinctively raised their crossbows, aiming at the otherworldly beings across the square. Wayne responded with a threatening display of fangs. The battle atmosphere was on the verge of eruption. Vivian, however, calmly observed the confrontation, nodding distantly to Hassu. "What, are you really going to fight? Have the Demon Hunters degenerated to the point where they can only think with their muscles?"

"Hold your fire," Hassu raised his hand, stopping his subordinates. He then nodded to Vivian. "Countess, it's been a while."

The two "leaders"—at least, the Demon Hunters considered Vivian to be the leader on the other side—exchanged a few words at a distance, slightly easing the tension. The Demon Hunters warily lowered their weapons, but everyone's Leta Runes remained active. Wayne and Hesperia were the same: though they outwardly displayed peaceful intentions, they were ready to strike at any moment.

This was the greatest degree of restraint that could be maintained when otherworldly beings and Demon Hunters met face-to-face.

Vivian was satisfied with this situation. She gave a small smile. "This is good. I don't like seeing you all fighting all the time. It's been so many years; isn't that enough to erode even the greatest hatred?"

Most of the Demon Hunters curiously sized up Vivian. Some of them had only heard of the "Countess of the Red Moon" but had never seen her. Now, seeing the legendary progenitor—said to be the oldest of her kind and even predating the origin of the Demon Hunter organization—even the hunters who had been educated to hate from a young age couldn't help but look at her with reverence. Hassu ignored his subordinates' actions. He, Bai Huo, and the bald, dark-skinned man walked forward a few steps. "I think we don't need to waste time on unnecessary pleasantries. We all know what we're here to do today. Do you have any suggestions?"

Vivian glanced at the warriors Hassu had brought and said casually, "Let's work together."

This statement caused a stir not only among the ordinary Demon Hunters but even Hassu and Bai Huo were surprised. They both exclaimed, "Work together?!"

Vivian nodded seriously to show that she wasn't joking, then moved slightly to reveal the family hall behind her. "You'll understand once you go inside and see for yourselves. This situation is different from anything you've dealt with before."

Hassu gave Vivian a suspicious look before striding into the Anketallo family hall. Several master-level Demon Hunters followed him inside.

A moment later, Hassu led his people out of the hall. His face was as dark as a thundercloud, a mixture of extreme seriousness and shock. He waved to the warriors outside, signaling them to stay calm, then turned to Vivian. "Let's do it your way."

The Demon Hunters' expressions varied upon hearing their leader's decision. Some were surprised, some found it difficult to accept, and others were simply at a loss. These hunters had been taught absolute hatred for otherworldly beings since childhood, and the strange phenomenon of "innate animosity" permeated every moment of their lives. Their minds simply didn't have a "cooperate with otherworldly beings" option. Therefore, Hassu's words sounded like something out of a fairy tale to many of the hunters. But after a brief commotion, no Demon Hunter stood up to object: Hassu was the absolute leader of this team. As a highly respected "elder" level hunter, he only had to answer to the twelve highest-ranking "Saints," and his orders were considered the decision of the highest Elder Council when operating in the field. There was no questioning it.

Vivian tilted her head slightly to the side. "Wayne, you don't have any objections, do you?"

Wayne sighed, a strange expression on his face. "I'll follow your orders. But… this is quite a rare experience."

A group of Demon Hunters reluctantly joined Hao Ren and his group. This strangest of "joint investigation teams" was forcibly cobbled together. Hao Ren had never imagined that the atmosphere created by a group of people could be so strange. Walking in the middle of the group, he felt goosebumps all over his body. The atmosphere of universal caution, suspicion, hostility, and tension, yet no one dared to make the first move, was like sitting on pins and needles. He certainly wasn't the only one who felt this way. Even the Demon Hunters themselves were tense, their faces pale. Hao Ren figured the situation was like a large group of people holding gas tanks, then suddenly realizing that someone might be thinking of lighting a cigarette to calm down...

Lily was quite sensitive to the atmosphere. She uncomfortably snuggled up to Hao Ren, her tail puffed up like a sword mound. "Landlord, these guys aren't going to start fighting, are they?"

"I don't think... they will, will they?" Hao Ren looked at Vivian and Hassu with concern. "These two seem to be able to keep things under control."

The combined investigators walked towards the family hall, but Hesperia quietly approached Hassu. "Long time no see. Last time... was it in Athens?"

Hassu had noticed Hesperia earlier, and Bai Huo and the bald man beside him knew about the feud between the "Twilight Goddess" and Hassu, so they tensed up when Hesperia suddenly approached. Hassu's expression, however, didn't change. "Long time no see, Hesperia. Your injury... is healed."

"I should thank a certain strange 'doctor'," Hesperia said calmly, without showing any joy or sorrow. "As for you, you still seem to be blind."

Hassu's gaze drifted slightly towards Vivian, and he smiled self-deprecatingly. "Losing an eye to her is an honor. I remember you suddenly rushing out like a madwoman at the Athens shelter back then. I was worried you were going to do the same this time."

Hesperia gently stroked the spot on her forehead where the hole used to be, her smile revealing nothing of her thoughts. "Heh—it seems that taking the arrow out also restored my personality."

Hassu's expression was calm. "Looks like I inadvertently turned a peaceful 'god' into a tyrant."

Hesperia quietly looked at Hassu for a moment, her twilight-amber eyes concealing unfathomable thoughts, but in the end, she simply nodded slightly and returned to Vivian's side as if nothing had happened.

Hassu maintained his usual cold, serious expression, the conversation seemingly having no impact on him.

The two mortal enemies with deep-seated grudges had exchanged a few casual words, causing those around them to break out in a cold sweat. After they separated, Hao Ren was a bit confused. He nudged Vivian beside him. "What was that about?"

"'I still remember what you did back then, but the circumstances aren't right now, so we won't fight.'"

"Oh, your translation makes it clear..."

Although the Demon Hunters and Wayne and Hesperia maintained an uncomfortable tension, this atmosphere lessened after everyone entered the hall: the Demon Hunter corpses inside the hall left Hassu's warriors no time to think about anything else. They immediately went forward to examine each corpse, and soon someone identified several important figures.

"This is Master Abaddon!" "Master Kroani is over here!" "Found the body of Elder Marduk!"

The Demon Hunters' reports rang out from all directions. They couldn't bother confronting Hao Ren and his group at the moment. They were either examining the corpses, checking the magical residue in the hall, or examining the damage to the hall itself to deduce what had happened during the battle. The scene became busy and noisy. Although these Demon Hunters seemed like a bunch of stubborn, violent people, it had to be said that they were experts in this area.

At least more professional than Hao Ren.

Vivian led Hassu to Amutura's body. "Do you recognize this? Is this Amutura?"

Hassu identified the body. "That's him. Hmm? He left this behind?"

His gaze fell on the message left on the pillar next to Amutura's body.