173: Chapter 173 Two Generals Defeated in Succession

To dismantle the combat power of the Phantom Demon Alliance as quickly as possible, Chaldea promptly finalized a decapitation strike plan within their stronghold.

According to intelligence gathered by Sherlock Holmes, Yan Qing, who sought wealth and glory, would appear tonight at an underground masquerade ball hosted by monsters and remnants of Phantasms.

The infiltration operation officially began.

Inside the ballroom, the lights flickered, and the melodic waltz echoed beneath the luxurious dome.

PD had changed into a stiff black tuxedo, feeling completely awkward.

Opposite him, Saber Alter, wearing a dark purple backless evening gown, kept a cold face as she led PD in a dance in the center of the dance floor, moving to the beat of the music.

Even though she had been corrupted, the elegant etiquette belonging to King Arthur was still carved into her bones; every turn and step was as precise as a textbook.

Beside the dining table at the edge of the dance floor, Jeanne dArc Alter held a half-eaten cookie in her hand, watching the eye-catching pair on the dance floor with dark golden eyes full of sourness.

"That gluttonous woman who only has burgers on her mind, what right does she have to accompany Master to dance..."

Jeanne dArc Alter muttered through gritted teeth, then, as if in a fit of pique, stuffed the cookie in her hand into her mouth, looking just like a grumpy cat that failed to protect its food.

The viewers in the live stream watched this scene of the "Dual Saber Shuraba" and couldn't help but laugh:

"The country girl is jealous! The country girl is jealous!"

"Boss P is making a huge profit this time, being able to dance with Saber, this tuxedo was worth wearing!"

"Don't worry, Jeanne dArc Alter, let her release a few more Noble Phantasms to vent when the fighting starts later!"

As the song ended, the assassin, who had been hiding in the shadows of the ball, enjoying the attention and the false prosperity, could no longer suppress the killing intent in his heart and revealed his true form from the shadows.

"Oh my, the Master of Chaldea has actually delivered himself to my doorstep."

Yan Qing assumed a starting stance, a confident sneer hanging on the corner of his mouth, "You asked for this."

"Enough talk."

PD tore off his bowtie, quickly retreated to a safe distance, and loudly issued a tactical command, "Pin this bastard to the ground and rub him into the dirt!"

Jeanne dArc Alter, who had been holding back a belly full of fire, exploded instantly. She tore off her disguise, and the black flames of vengeance, like a roaring dragon, instantly engulfed the gorgeous decorations of the entire ballroom! Saber Alter also summoned her pitch-black holy sword, cutting into the battlefield with a violent posture.

Yan Qing's Chinese martial arts were indeed exquisite, but in the face of absolute firepower coverage, all techniques appeared pale and powerless.

Under the bombardment of two top-tier Evil-attribute Servants, it took less than three minutes.

Accompanied by a terrifying "Roar, My Rage," Yan Qing's agile body was completely swallowed, turning into golden stardust filling the sky.

"Phew, job done!"

PD clapped his hands in satisfaction.

However, just as everyone was preparing to retreat, and the old man was sneaking in from the back door with his cane to rendezvous...

"Boom—!"

The heavy crystal glass door of the ballroom was suddenly shattered by an invisible, massive force!

"Enemy attack!"

Saber Alter's eyes sharpened, instantly shielding PD behind her.

What was eerie was that there was nothing outside the door.

But on the dust-covered marble floor, huge, deep, and terrifying claw marks appeared out of thin air!

Those claw marks were approaching the group at an extremely violent speed!

Moreover, there was a hair-raising sound of a scythe cutting through the air coming from mid-air!

"Everyone, be careful!"

Sherlock Holmes scanned the venue quickly with his deep eyes and issued a warning loudly, "That severely injured beast has fused with a new Phantasm! It is currently in an invisible state!"

Hearing Sherlock Holmes's hint, Chu He's eyes lit up instantly.

He quickly recorded this unexpected situation in his notebook, his brain working like a precision computer, beginning to synthesize all the intelligence at high speed.

"Invisible enemy... fused with a new Phantasm..."

Chu He pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, his tone certain, "In the world's famous science fiction and urban legends, the only one that fits this characteristic is that crazy tragic character — [The Invisible Man]!"

"The concept of The Invisible Man grants it the authority of invisibility! But the most critical thing is still the true name of that wolf's main body!"

Chu He called up the recording from the skirmish at the clothing store, looking at the pair of eyes full of dead silence and fury before the giant wolf fled in the video.

"The informant mentioned earlier that it doesn't eat people and can even avoid all modern traps. Jeanne dArc Alter also mentioned that it was looking for something."

"Possessing astonishing intelligence far beyond its kind, hating humans, avoiding all bait, just to find a supreme treasure taken away by humans..."

Chu He's breathing quickened slightly, and a long-buried literary memory roared back to life in his mind.

"In *Wild Animals I Have Known* by Seton, there is a wolf king who ruled the plains. Humans tried everything, set countless ingenious traps, but could not capture it."

"Until one day, humans utilized its only weakness — they caught its beloved white female wolf, Blanca."

"That arrogant wolf king, in order to find his companion's corpse, knowing full well it was a death trap, still stepped into it without hesitation and was eventually cruelly killed by humans."

Chu He placed his hands on the table, spoke into the microphone, and revealed the truth hidden behind the tragic legend:

"It is not looking for prey, but for its companion! Its hatred for humans stems from the despair of being deceived and having its beloved taken away!"

"And the true name of that giant wolf is the King of Currumpaw — [Lobo]!"

Chu He took a deep breath, stood before the messy claw marks, and loudly proclaimed the incantation to break the mystery:

"Your true form is [Hessian Lobo], an Avenger fused with [The Invisible Man] Phantasm!"

As the incantation fell.

"Crack —"

A crisp sound like glass shattering came from the void.

The invincible armor and invisible barrier covering the monster, constructed from unknown concepts, completely collapsed at the very moment the truth was revealed to the world!

A dark blue ripple appeared in the air.

That huge black giant wolf, covered in burn marks, and the Headless Knight holding a giant scythe on its back, were finally exposed to everyone's view in despair.

[Target mystery has been stripped! All attribute resistances decreased!]

"Finally caught you, you damn dog!"

Chu He shouted, "Jeanne dArc Alter! Saber Alter! Send it on its way!"

The battle instantly entered its most tragic and white-hot stage.

Having lost the protection of its invincible mechanism, Lobo still displayed the terrifying vitality of a beast king. It roared, lunging at the defensive line again and again, trying to tear apart the humans it hated most with its sharp claws.

But this time, the black flames of vengeance and the pitch-black holy sword were no longer deflected.

Accompanied by two earth-shattering Noble Phantasm beams piercing through its body simultaneously, this arrogant giant wolf finally let out its last shrill cry and fell heavily into the ruins.

Its breathing grew weaker and weaker, and those eyes, originally filled with scarlet killing intent and violent hatred, miraculously recovered their clarity and tranquility at the very last moment of its life.

In its gradually blurring vision, the ruins and blood disappeared.

Replacing them was that boundless Currumpaw plain, lush with rich grass.

Under the moonlight, a female wolf with pure white fur, beautiful as an elf, stood on a nearby hillside, looking back at it gently.

Lobo opened its mouth slightly, letting out a low, weak whine filled with longing and relief.

It had exhausted its whole life, crossed the boundary between life and death, and carried the malice and curses of the entire world.

Now, it could finally lay down this heavy burden and return to the grassland that belonged only to them.

A breeze blew by.

The massive giant wolf turned into golden stardust filling the sky, drifting toward the distant horizon with the moonlight.