Crossover Anime: I Became Invincible Starting as an Ajin

Chapter 159 Ambush!

Just as Buck peeked out halfway, something unexpected happened!

"Clang!"

A heavy metallic clang suddenly came from the direction of the passage entrance behind them!

That was the sound of the disguised fence they left at the entrance being forcibly closed and locked!

Almost simultaneously, dozens of torches lit up the previously dim courtyard, illuminating the entire area as if it were daytime!

Cold crossbows emerged from the surrounding rooftops and windows, their dense arrows aimed at the eight men who had just emerged from the passage and were not yet fully deployed.

"Welcome, mice."

A cold, mocking voice came from above.

The castle's captain of knights, fully armored, stood on a corridor in the courtyard, looking down at them with eyes that seemed to regard prey that had fallen into a trap.

How could that be?

Buck and Gus stared in shock at the soldiers lying in ambush!

How did they know we were here!

However, even if one doesn't want to consider a certain possibility, the harsh reality still reveals the answer.

"We've been betrayed!"

Buck growled, his face filled with shock and rage.

He turned sharply, looking towards the passageway, as if trying to find traces of the traitor.

Rick's face was deathly pale, and he pressed his body against the wall, searching for cover that didn't exist.

Gus gripped his short sword tightly, not looking at the enemies around him, but instead focusing his gaze on the general direction where Wang Bai was.

There was no fear in his eyes, only a betrayal-induced anger and a trace of worry—not for himself, but for his brother who was directing operations from the outside.

Through the vision of the "Wings of Obscurity," Wang Bai clearly "saw" everything that was happening in the courtyard.

The sudden burst of light and the well-prepared ambush troops confirmed his earlier ominous premonition.

ambush!

His heart sank.

The plan was leaked. And at the most critical moment, at their most vulnerable moment.

His brain worked at lightning speed, eliminating all possible sources of error.

Finally, a figure became clear in his mind—Gambino, who had been lying silently in the tent due to his serious injuries and loss.

Wang Bai's eyes instantly turned icy cold.

The first step in revenge came from an internal betrayal.

He looked at the besieged mercenaries, including Guts, in his "vision" and knew that every step from now on would be even more bloody and brutal.

Gambino —

This name was like a poisonous thorn, piercing Wang Bai's heart.

He ruled out all other possibilities, leaving only his foster father, who was disabled and remained in the camp.

He overestimated this person's moral character and Gambino's conscience as a human being.

His mind raced with unprecedented speed, analyzing all the information transmitted back by the "Wings of Darkness." The ambush was mainly concentrated around the courtyard and above the passageway exits, intending to wipe them out in one fell swoop. From the direction of the lord's main tower, that unusually cold...

The distorted energy clusters continued to flow slowly, seemingly unaffected by the external turmoil, maintaining an air of superiority.

indifference.

"We can't launch a direct attack; we can only disrupt them," Wang Bai made a quick judgment. He needed to create a glimmer of hope for the people in the courtyard, even if it was just a moment of chaos.

He focused his mind, no longer merely sharing his senses through the "Wings of Obscurity," but began to actively guide its power.

The magnificent yet eerie butterfly-like creation that hovered above the castle began to tremble slightly.

Invisible ripples spread out from it towards the courtyard below, illuminated by the firelight.

Sensory interference!

In the courtyard, the soldiers, who were on high alert, suddenly sensed something was amiss.

An archer was about to obey orders and shoot the guy who was pressed against the wall when he suddenly felt the target's figure blur, as if it had merged into the shadow of the wall.

He blinked, and the target became clear again, but the momentary sense of disorientation made his fingers, which were gripping the bowstring, pause slightly.

Another soldier saw that one of the mercenaries, Buck, seemed to suddenly swell up, becoming tall and ferocious.

He subconsciously took a half step back, drawing puzzled glances from those around him.

The Knights captain also frowned.

He felt that the figures of the "rats" below seemed somewhat elusive.

The firelight twisted and flickered eerily around them, as if looking at something through the shimmering water.

He even heard faint, indistinct hissing sounds that interfered with his hearing.

"What happened?"

He shouted sharply, trying to dispel the sudden discomfort.

This is not a strong hallucination, but a pervasive and disturbing sensory bias, enough to cause even the most elite soldiers to hesitate and misjudge for a moment.

Wang Bai seized this brief moment of chaos through "Dark Wings".

He couldn't directly command the battle in the courtyard, but he could give them a signal, a breakthrough for a counterattack!

He manipulated the "Dark Wings" to focus an even stronger wave of interference towards the area on one side of the courtyard where clutter and wooden barrels were piled up.

In the soldiers' perception, the wooden barrels seemed to come alive, began to roll, and some even "exploded" with a "bang," emitting non-existent "smoke."

"Watch out! There's an ambush!"

It was unclear which nervous soldier shouted out.

The officer in command didn't know what illness the soldiers were suffering from, and how could there possibly be an ambush in their castle?!

Especially since the ambush was carried out by their side!

Although they were immediately reprimanded by the officer, a commotion had already begun.

In the center of the courtyard, Guts was the first to notice the momentary wavering and confusion among the surrounding enemies.

He knew that his brother Laka was helping them, and his beastly instincts seized this fleeting opportunity!

"gap!"

Guts let out a short, clear growl with all his might.

The short sword was pointed in the direction where the soldiers' attention was drawn to the "explosion," revealing a slight opening.

Buck realized what was happening the moment Gus spoke. His survival instinct and pent-up anger erupted at that moment.

"Charge with me! Fight your way out!"

He roared, like a tiger cornered in a desperate situation, brandishing his battle axe, and pounced first in the direction Guts had pointed out!

The other mercenaries were also inspired by this sudden opportunity and Buck's bravery. Their despair turned into a desperate frenzy, and they followed closely behind, launching a desperate charge like trapped beasts!

Buck, brandishing his battle axe, charged into the enemy ranks like a raging whirlwind.

He roared, each strike filled with the fury of betrayal and the longing for his dead brothers.

The axe blade tore through leather armor and severed bones.

He managed to tear a gap in the dense gunfire.

A soldier's spear pierced his side, but he seemed oblivious, and with a backhand axe, he cleaved half of the soldier's shoulder open.

The intense pain left Buck somewhat dazed.

His consciousness suddenly returned to many years ago, when the young Buck first joined the Gambino mercenary group.

Gambino handed him a heavy battle axe and said gruffly, "Kid, a mercenary's life is worthless, but a brother's life is! Follow me, and you'll have meat to eat and wine to drink!"

Back then, Gambino was a bold and reliable leader, and the mercenary group was like a noisy yet warm family.

Another spear pierced his thigh from behind.

Buck staggered, his battle axe hitting the ground, blood gushing from multiple wounds on his body.

He looked around and saw that Rick had already fallen not far away, and his other companions were also being submerged one after another.

He looked at Guts, who was still fighting hard and covered in blood, and a trace of regret and resentment flashed in his eyes.

"Kid—I'm sorry—I couldn't—"

Before he could finish speaking, several arrows struck his chest and neck simultaneously.

Rick watched helplessly as Buck's mountain-like body crashed to the ground, his once carefree and cheerful eyes now wide open, frozen with resentment and anger.

"Buck!!!!"

A grief-stricken roar tore through his throat, and Rick's small body trembled violently from the extreme emotion.

He forgot to dodge, forgot about the arrows around him, and only had one thought in his mind—to rush to Buck's side!

This brute who always called him a "skinny rat" but gave him his last piece of dry rations when he was on the verge of death couldn't just die like that!

Like a stone ignited by anger, he charged recklessly toward where Buck had fallen.

A crossbow bolt grazed his cheek, leaving a trail of blood, but he was completely unaware.

"Don't go over there, Rick!"

Gus tried to stop them, but his voice was drowned out by shouts of killing and the clash of blades.

He could only watch helplessly as Rick lunged at Buck, futilely trying to lift the massive body.

Just then, more soldiers surrounded him, their spears like a forest, thrusting at Rick who was crouching on the ground.

Rick turned around abruptly, his eyes filled with a wild, mad look.

He drew the dagger from his waist, parried a thrusting spear, and kept his other hand firmly gripping Buck's shoulder armor.

He was too weak, far less powerful than Buck, and lacked the skill to withstand the combined attack of several soldiers.

The cold spearhead easily pierced his thin leather armor, protruding from his back. Rick's body stiffened, and excruciating pain instantly swept through his entire body. He looked down at the blood-stained spearhead on his chest, his consciousness beginning to fade.

In a daze, he seemed to return to that snowy night many years ago when he was starving and freezing.

He was beaten half to death by the villagers for stealing and left to die by the roadside.

The Gambino mercenary group passed by, and Buck picked him up while cursing, shoving a hard, dark bread into his rough hands.

"Kid, if you come with us, at least you can make a living and won't have to be a rat that everyone hates anymore."

That's what Buck said at the time.

Within the mercenary group, he remained the inconspicuous "rat" Rick.

But he had companions to rely on, and a place that could barely be called "home".

He was skilled at scouting, unlocking locks, and eavesdropping, and he repaid this kindness with his own insignificant way.

But now—his home is gone, and the person who took him in is dead.

"Buck—this time—I didn't slack off—"

He muttered to himself, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Her small, thin body slumped softly beside Buck, and her once bright and cunning eyes gradually lost their luster.

Gus watched Rick fall, watched Buck sacrifice himself, watched his other comrades being swallowed up one by one by the enemy's tide.

Even a stubborn child like Gus, who rarely socialized, received care from Buck and Rick.

Seeing his usual comrade die before his eyes, anger and sorrow filled Guts' chest.

But he didn't stop.

Guts brandished his longsword, relying on his innate fighting instincts and tenacious vitality to charge through the crowd, inflicting countless wounds on his body, his clothes stained with blood.

He was like a wounded wolf cub, fierce yet helpless.

The encirclement was getting tighter and tighter, and his movements became sluggish due to blood loss and exhaustion.

A soldier's greatsword slammed into his short sword, the force of which sent him staggering backward. Another soldier seized the opportunity and stabbed him in the thigh with his spear!

"Ugh!" Guts groaned, kneeling on one knee, barely managing to stay upright by using his short sword as a support.

More weapons were pointed at him, and the knight captain's cold command rang out: "Leave them alive! The lord wants to interrogate these rats himself!"

The shadow of death loomed over him. Gus looked up, his face covered in blood and dust, his vision blurring.

He seemed to see his childhood, where he and Wang Bai supported each other on the training field, and listened to Wang Bai tell those bizarre "stories" under the starry sky.

My brother said he wanted to show him a wider world.

"Raka—" he murmured, with a hint of regret that they hadn't been able to walk to the end together.

Just as the soldiers grinned and stepped forward to capture Gus, a terrifying explosion, far beyond human capability, suddenly erupted from the cliff wall on the side of the courtyard!

It wasn't the dull thud of a boulder hitting the ground; it was more like the explosive sound of some invisible and enormous force being forcibly compressed and then released in an instant!

Everyone, including the cold-blooded captain of the knights, was shocked by this sudden turn of events and instinctively looked over.

The castle's outer wall, built of thick stone and considered indestructible, was now being violently gripped and torn apart as if by an invisible giant hand!

The abandoned sewage outlet, sealed off by an iron fence, was surrounded by a large section of wall.

With a sickeningly twisted groan, it turned into countless fragments of stone and dust, which suddenly collapsed and sprayed inward!

Smoke and dust rose into the sky like a roaring dragon, instantly filling half of the courtyard.

The flying debris, like deadly shrapnel, riddled several soldiers near the area with holes, turning them into bloody rags before they could even scream.

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, a small figure slowly stepped inside.

A figure slowly emerged from the billowing smoke and dust.

It was the figure of a child, whose right arm looked as if it had been blasted by explosives, with the bone exposed and only a little flesh remaining to hold it together.

Despite such injuries, the figure seemed completely unaffected, radiating a chilling aura.

Wang Bai walked step by step into the courtyard through the opening he had forcibly created.

He was surrounded by a faint yet concentrated magical glow, and his eyes, as cold as ice, were fixed on the knight captain.

Wang Bai looked at the location where Gus was with lingering fear.

Guts had already been captured by the ambush, and the blade was already at his neck; he seemed to be just one step away from being executed.

Thankfully, he wasn't too late!