Chapter 208: Are All of You... Traitors?!

“Demon Generals... Krulu?!”

The weight of those words crashed over the adventurers, freezing them where they stood.

Even Oshu, locked in a desperate struggle against the Evil God Cultists, could only stare at the scene behind him as if he’d seen a ghost.

“What did you just say?!”

Holy energy surged from Oshu’s hands, colliding violently with the swirling, malevolent power before him. From the moment this senseless battle began—from their sudden teleportation to this strange, otherworldly platform—he had fought on, the paragon of Heroic resolve.

But that thunderous revelation shook him to his core. Even the hand channeling holy energy began to tremble uncontrollably. He nearly lost focus, barely evading a lethal strike from his foe.

“Aileen! What the hell are you doing?!”

“Didn’t you promise to marry me after we defeated the Demon Lord?!”

He forced himself to rally, pushing the Evil God priest back with every ounce of strength he could muster.

His glare was wild, burning with fury and disbelief—he wanted nothing more than to storm across the battlefield and demand answers.

“And Krulu? How did she become a Demon General? Was she working with the Holy See all along—did you infiltrate the Hero’s Party just to betray me?”

“Was all your admiration just an act? Don’t think you can fool me!!!”

The flood of revelations threatened to overwhelm his mind.

It had all begun at the exit of the Labyrinth. Then Lin Wei appeared, and the Cult of the Evil God launched their sudden assault.

Now, after a spatial distortion, they found themselves stranded on this bizarre platform.

Demon soldiers and cultists had swarmed in from every side, along with hostages missing for months.

But the cruelest blow—the most devastating of all—was that half his party had chosen this moment to betray him.

In less than thirty seconds, the team he’d trusted had splintered and collapsed.

And the ones who stung most were those he’d relied on: the demi-human girl who’d always doted on him, and Aileen, who’d clung to him obsessively, never satisfied.

“Tch... Hearing filth like that from a worm like you is enough to make me sick.”

“You should be grateful to die bathed in such empty flattery.”

If not for the Demon Lord’s command, Krulu would never have uttered such nauseating words.

She stepped back, brow furrowed, contempt blazing in her amber eyes for these fools who refused to die quietly.

Yet, when her gaze fell on Aileen, a flicker of wariness surfaced.

“And you—who are you, really? I don’t recall any elf among the demons.”

“Lord Krulu, you’re a Demon General. Why would you remember a nobody like me?”

Aileen’s smile was languid, almost lazy, as she shook her head with a sigh.

But something in her eyes stirred a faint memory in Krulu.

“I greeted you all back at the Demon Lord’s castle, but I suppose I’ve changed quite a bit since then. Otherwise, that idiot Hero would’ve noticed something was off about the elf he picked up halfway through his journey... But of course, I climbed into his bed the very first night. I solved his suspicions with my body, didn’t I?”

Pure, unadulterated humiliation.

Across the battlefield, Aileen’s face remained elegant, her allure undiminished.

But to Oshu, it was nothing but a mask.

“He believed a few sweet words from a stranger, turned against Iresha, and not once, but twice.”

“Sabela was right—human men, especially the foolish ones, are so easy to trick. Give them a good time and their brains melt away. Even the so-called Hero is nothing but a puppet! Hahahaha, it’s hilarious.”

“You... you bitch!!!”

Oshu’s roar of rage was drowned by the blast of evil god’s energy.

He swung his weapon wildly, but the Evil God Cultists pressed in, giving him no chance to break free.

His gaze darted to Iresha, who stood at the ready, magic swirling at her fingertips.

Iresha was right!

There really was something off about those who’d joined the team through back channels.

I was fooled, plain and simple. None of this would have happened otherwise.

That’s right... It’s all Lin Wei’s fault!

If he hadn’t shown up, everything would have been fine.

Even if Aileen had swayed me for a while, a return to the Imperial Capital would’ve set things right.

At worst, I’ll shoulder half the blame for this mess.

Losing Iresha, watching the party fall apart—it all goes back to him.

“Rein, kill Aileen!”

“She’s an archer—she won’t survive a surprise attack from you.”

For now, taking down Lin Wei would have to wait.

Oshu, regaining his composure, barked orders. He’d already accepted that this wasn’t an escape route but a trap.

Drawing on years of adventuring experience, he quickly formed a plan.

Radiant holy energy burst forth, forcing the Evil God priest back. Oshu spun, sword flashing, as he lunged straight at Aileen.

The enemy’s numbers were overwhelming, but that was fine—he wasn’t alone.

From their earlier clashes, he’d sized up Lin Wei. As much as he hated the man, he had to admit Lin Wei was skilled.

And from what the enemy had let slip, Lin Wei had single-handedly defeated three Legacy-level foes.

“Krulu is a Demon General and apparently a traitor, but for now, she’s fighting on our side. That means she can keep the Headless Horseman, another General, occupied.”

“Lin Wei can hold off the three Evil God priests. If I can kill Aileen quickly... we can rally and take down the remaining demon Transcendents!”

Yes, that’s it!

Iresha was still in the fight; their firepower was far from lacking.

And as the Hero, he hadn’t even unleashed Alicia’s blessing yet!

It wouldn’t last long and would leave him spent, but it was the perfect trump card for this crisis.

Plus, the adventurers could serve as cannon fodder, slowing the demon soldiers’ advance.

There was hope for this battle after all!

“If we take down Aileen, we can deal with the demons next!”

“Kokoxi, give us a buff—the real Hero’s Party is about to make its comeback and save the world—huh?”

The next moment—

Something happened that Oshu could never have foreseen.

No warning, no signal, not even a raised hand.

The air was thick with chaos, but there was no response—only the echo of voices fading.

“Bang!!!”

His holy sword’s radiant slash was blocked—completely—by a massive black shield.

The collision of energies made the very air tremble. Standing between Aileen and the blow was Rein, his gaze cold and unwavering.

“Rein, have you lost your mind?!”

The party’s stalwart shield, the dependable fool who’d always praised Oshu, who’d never complained even after being beaten—Rein had just shielded Aileen, who was clearly on the enemy’s side.

Oshu’s mind reeled, unable to process what he was seeing.

Unlike Aileen and Krulu, Rein had been certified by the Holy See—a loyal human Transcendent, a champion of justice.

He knew Aileen’s true allegiance—so why was he protecting her?

“Are you really telling my lover to kill me?”

“Hahaha~”

Aileen, safely behind Rein’s protection, laughed with unrestrained delight at Oshu’s look of disbelief.

Her slender fingers trailed over Rein’s shoulder, their intimacy obvious to all.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Oshu. Rein’s my man. Why would he take your orders?”

“Running you in circles was just business. But Rein... he’s different. He’s not a useless waste like you.”

She licked her lips, savoring her triumph.

Betrayal, humiliation, the public shattering of the Hero’s dignity!

If Rein, the Holy See’s chosen, had hesitated after learning Aileen’s demonic allegiance, that hesitation vanished now, swept away by the reality before him.

“You planned to kick me out of the party once we got back to the Imperial Capital, didn’t you?”

Shield and sword trained on the battered Hero, Rein’s voice was icy.

Oshu froze, the answer plain for all to see.

“If that’s what you were thinking, then I have no reason to stay on this team.”

“After all... I’m just as qualified to be the Hero as you are!”

A surge of power coursed through Rein. He lunged at Oshu, holding nothing back—no restraint, no mercy.

The Evil God priest who had been fighting him paused to watch, clearly entertained.

And with an extra hand to help, the priest was more than happy to press the assault, creating the perfect opportunity for a kill.

“Did it feel good to order me around like a servant? To use me like a tool?”

“You bastard, bastard, bastard!!!”

Rein’s shield and sword, now bolstered by the Evil God priest’s interference, hammered down on Oshu with relentless fury.

All the long-simmering resentment exploded with every blow. Even his famously cheerful, simple face was now twisted with rage.

“I have dreams too—I want to save the world, to stand in the spotlight for once!”

“Why should you always be the one in the limelight? Why should the whole team revolve around you?”

“If I kill you... if I just kill you, I can become the new Hero! I’ll have Aileen, and my own party!”

The relentless double assault, fueled by hatred, finally broke through Oshu’s guard.

“Damn it!”

Overlapping attacks tipped the balance. As Oshu staggered, Rein brought his shield crashing down on the Hero’s head.

Scarlet energy coiled around Rein, like blood-red vines, channeling all his strength into one final, furious blow.

“This is the retribution you deserve!”

“Go to hell, Oshu!!!”