The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

Phoenix's face gradually turned pale, and his breathing became rapid.

He realized that if things continued this way, defeat was only a matter of time.

We must find a way to break the deadlock, or... find Philippa and get out of here as soon as possible!

His sharp gaze swept across the hall, trying to find any possible clues or breakthroughs.

The battle reached an extremely dangerous stalemate, but the balance was slowly tilting in favor of the men in black robes.

—————————————————————

Beneath the black robe, a hint of surprise flashed in Capa's alluring eyes. Then, through the mental network she had quietly opened, connecting all her sisters, she transmitted a thought tinged with mockery and bewilderment:

"Sisters, something's not right~ This legendary ninth-tier space master seems... not as difficult to deal with as I expected? I thought it was going to be a tough battle, but it seems like he's been bound hand and foot by something, making him feel quite restricted~"

Alpha, who was relentlessly tearing through spatial barriers with exquisite swordsmanship and exerting maximum pressure on Phoenix, paused slightly. The soul fire beneath her mask burned steadily; she, too, had sensed the anomaly. Through their mental link, her response was calm and swift:

"Indeed. His spatial control is still exquisite, and his response is perfect, but he lacks the 'room for maneuver' and 'deterrence' that a ninth-tier expert should have. It's more like he's... on the defensive, and his mana consumption is unusually high."

Ipsilon, who had been calmly observing the battlefield from the rear, using various types of magic to suppress and disrupt the enemy, received a mental connection. Her voice, transmitted through the mental link, was clear and calm, carrying a knowing understanding after analysis:

"His Majesty Phoenix's greatest skill is his ability to teleport multiple times in a short period of time, but this place has rendered that ability useless. In addition, he has to protect those two members of the hero team, one of whom is unconscious and the other is crippled, so he can't act freely at all. It's not that he's not strong enough, it's just that we chose this place well, and the conditions are too unfavorable for him."

Ipsyron addressed Phoenix with the respect due to her familiarity with the Olmec chief mage. While she knew Phoenix well, she was far inferior to him in spatial magic, and Ipsyron still held Phoenix in high regard.

"Meow~ So, he's now a ninth-tier cultivator with a limp and his hands tied?" Aita nimbly dodged a spatial ripple, her mind filled with realization and a sense of relief.

"Awooo! Who cares why! Strike while the iron is hot!" Zeta the dog let out an excited growl, his attacks becoming increasingly ferocious, completely immersed in the thrill of battle, attempting to forcefully break through the spatial defenses.

Alpha's thoughts swept over Zeta, completely ignoring the option of tactical communication with her—this girl's brain circuits only consisted of "charge" and "bite," and complex commands were simply a waste of breath.

However, to be able to say something as sophisticated as "take advantage of his illness to kill him," perhaps we should praise this dog for having a little bit of brains.

"Calm down, Zeta, and focus on cooperating."

Alpha first briefly stopped Zeta's overly aggressive move, then issued more detailed instructions. Her thoughts, transmitted through the network, carried an undeniable determination: "Ipsilon's analysis is reasonable. A forceful attack might bring us to victory faster, but if we push him too far, his desperate counterattack might injure one of us. Don't forget Lord Shadow's instructions: our mission is to 'stop' them, to prevent them from interfering with Lord Shadow and the Hero's important conversation. If we go too far and cause deaths, affecting Lord Shadow's plans, that would be a major problem."

She instantly adjusted her tactical deployment, and her instructions were clearly communicated:

"Attention everyone, slow down the pace of close-range attacks. Ipsilon, Sita, maintain mid-to-long-range magic suppression, focus on disrupting him and making it difficult for him to maintain his defenses easily. Beta, keep your arrows aimed at the weak points in his barrier and the places where he might move, don't let him escape. Kappa, continue the mental disruption, take it easy, focus on making him irritable and wear him down."

"Delta, use your blood magic to control the situation and limit their movement. Aita, you and Zeta retreat to the flanks and keep an eye on the exit. Once he realizes he can't win and tries to run away, or reveals a major opening, then you two go in and stop him."

"Listen up, everyone. The primary objective is to trap them and exhaust their magic and stamina. Unless absolutely necessary, or His Majesty issues new orders, try not to use lethal force. Prioritize Lord Shadow's negotiations."

Alpha's decision was calm and effective, and it took into full account the situation on Gray's side.

The originally fierce siege immediately transformed into a more flexible and controlled encirclement.

The ranged attacks continued, but the killing intent had diminished, and they were more like constant harassment and pressure.

Although Zeta was somewhat reluctant to be stopped, he still let out a howl and retreated to the flank with Aita, baring his teeth and staring at Felix, ready to pounce at any moment.

Only Zeta was not explained to Alpha in detail through the mental link; he simply gave her the most basic "standby" command.

Because everyone knows that explaining complex strategies and "don't kill" restrictions to this dog whose mind is only focused on "fighting" and "loyalty" is a complete waste of energy. Just tell her who to attack and when to charge, and that's enough.

The men in black robes were like precision instruments that had switched modes, shifting from killing to besieging.

Alpha stood in front, sword in hand, his aura locking onto Felix like a mountain, a powerful deterrent and the core of the entire encirclement.

She knew perfectly well that as long as they maintained this situation, victory would eventually belong to them, and it wouldn't interfere with Lord Shadow's important matters.

—————————————————————

Phoenix keenly sensed that the attacks of the men in black robes around him had suddenly changed.

The fierce attack, which seemed to be overwhelming him like a storm, came to an abrupt halt at a certain moment.

The two most ferocious figures (Zeta and Aita), who had originally been fearless and attempted close combat, retreated to the flanks and stared at him like lurking beasts.

The dense elemental magic and eerie dark rays continued unabated, but their intensity and frequency were clearly controlled, making them more like continuous harassment and suppression rather than a fatal blow.

Even the annoying mental distractions seemed to have lessened somewhat, but they were still like maggots clinging to his bones, trying to erode his concentration.

This change did not make Phoenix feel relieved; instead, it made his heart sink completely.

"As expected... I was seen through?" He sighed inwardly, his wrinkles deepening on his aged face.

While maintaining the spatial barrier to withstand attacks that seemed to have weakened but still landed precisely on the defensive nodes, he thought rapidly.

The opponent was clearly not exhausted or giving up, but rather making a proactive tactical adjustment.

This shift from "aggressive annihilation" to "controlled attrition" only indicates one thing—the leader of the opposing swordsman has accurately assessed his current predicament: unable to teleport, needing to protect a burden, consuming a huge amount of magic power, and... constantly searching in the shadows for even the slightest chance to break through!