Selene after hearing what Finn said was a bit surprised at first but then her brows slowly furrowed. She had known Finn for years, he was reckless, sure but not a coward. More importantly, he would never willingly ask someone else to sacrifice themselves to save his life. Her eyes slowly lifted toward Judas. "What did you do to him?" she asked quietly.
Judas spread his hands innocently. "What do you mean?" he replied with a calm smile. "I haven't done anything at all." He looked toward Finn almost theatrically before continuing, "He's merely speaking out his own thoughts."
Selene's fists slowly tightened until her nails dug into her palms. "You expect me to believe that?" she asked, anger barely restrained beneath her otherwise calm voice. Judas sighed as though dealing with an unreasonable child. "You're only making this unnecessarily difficult for yourself." He looked toward the imprisoned group once more before speaking almost lazily. "Very well." He slowly raised one finger.
The effect was immediate. Without any hesitation, Finn's right hand moved against his own will. His fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword before drawing it from its sheath without any emotion on his face, the expression of fear had vanished. At the same time, Lisa, Leon, Eva, Natalya, and Sophia all mirrored the exact same movement and six weapons emerged simultaneously.
The expressions on their faces remained unchanged but panic flooded their eyes. Their bodies began trembling violently as they struggled against whatever invisible force had seized control of them, yet none of their limbs obeyed. One by one, the blades slowly turned inward until every sharpened tip rested directly against its owner's chest, positioned precisely above the heart.
"What..." Kai whispered. The six desperately fought for control of their own bodies. Veins bulged across Finn's forehead as he tried to lower his sword, Leon's arm shook violently. Lisa's breathing became ragged while tears gradually gathered in the corners of her eyes. Despite every effort, the weapons continued moving.
Slowly the tips pierced through fabric before gradually breaking skin. Thin streams of blood slowly trickled down each blade. Selene's heartbeat quickened. "Stop!" she shouted instinctively. Judas ignored her completely, the swords continued advancing another centimeter and fresh blood stained their clothes.
"WAIT!" Selene's voice echoed across the ocean. Instantly, Judas lowered his hand. The weapons froze where they were, their tips embedded just deep enough to threaten the heart without yet reaching it. Silence followed, Selene stood completely still behind the barrier, her breathing uneven.
Her eyes slowly moved from one familiar face to another. Lisa... whom she had watched grow from a mischievous little girl into the confident young woman standing before her now. Finn... Leon... Eva... Natalya... Sophia... Every one of them was someone Arthur trusted enough to call family. During Arthur's absence, she had accepted responsibility for Avalon and everyone connected to it, not only that in all these years she had become close with them. She couldn't simply watch them die while doing nothing.
Kai turned sharply toward her. "Selene..." His voice carried obvious warning. She quietly raised one hand, stopping him before he could continue. Her expression remained pale, but her eyes gradually settled into quiet resolve. "There's no other way," she whispered. "If I don't go... they'll die."
Kai clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms. He wanted to stop her, and every instinct screamed that stepping beyond the protection of the barrier was exactly what these mysterious enemies wanted, yet as he looked toward Finn, Lisa, Leon, Eva, Natalya, and Sophia struggling desperately against bodies that no longer obeyed them, the words caught in his throat. In the end, he could only lower his head slightly and mutter in frustration, "Damn it..."
Ever since Steve had entered seclusion to undergo his tribulation, they had effectively lost their strongest protector. They had already attempted contacting him after the first encounter with these strangers.
Eveline herself had informed them that interrupting Steve now would likely prove disastrous. There simply wasn't enough time. Selene slowly stepped forward, the barrier before her rippled gently before opening just enough for one person to pass. She took one final glance toward Kai. "Look after Avalon." Then, without another word, she crossed beyond the barrier.
The instant Selene emerged onto the other side, the barrier sealed itself once more behind her. She calmly flew across the empty stretch of sky until only several meters separated her from the four strangers.
Oros looked down upon her with obvious disdain before letting out a mocking laugh. "See?" he sneered. "Was it really so difficult to listen to us?" Selene didn't even acknowledge him, her attention remained fixed upon Finn and the others who were frozen with weapons pointed towards their heart. "Let them go," she said firmly, forcing herself to remain calm despite the anxiety clawing at her heart.
Judas smiled faintly, his expression almost gentle. "Of course." Then, without the slightest warning, he casually flicked one finger. Everything happened in less than a second, the six weapons that had previously remained frozen suddenly lurched forward all at once.
SCHHK!
Steel pierced flesh as six blades drove cleanly through six hearts. Finn's pupils contracted in disbelief, Lisa's lips parted soundlessly, and everyone widened their eyes at the betrayal. For one horrifying heartbeat absolute silence descended upon the world before blood blossomed across their chests almost simultaneously.
"No!" Selene screamed as every ounce of mana within her erupted. She shot forward desperately, reaching out toward them with trembling hands, hoping and praying that she could somehow stop what had already happened but it was already too late.
The invisible prison dissolved as though it had never existed, leaving nothing to support the six lifeless bodies. One after another they slowly tipped backward before falling helplessly toward the ocean far below, their weapons slipping from nerveless fingers as crimson droplets scattered through the air like rain.
Selene's outstretched hand grasped nothing but empty space. Behind her, Kai's mind went completely blank. Rage overwhelmed every other emotion as brilliant golden Chi erupted violently around his entire body.
The surrounding air exploded beneath his acceleration as he transformed into a streak of golden light passed through the barrier and appeared before Judas in less than a heartbeat, every bit of his strength condensed into a single mountain-shattering punch aimed directly at the god's face.
"You bastard!" he roared.
"Stop." Judas uttered only a single word. Instantly Kai lost all control over his own body, his fist stopped mere centimeters away from Judas's face. Every muscle in his body froze completely, his punch remaining suspended exactly where it was as though time itself had come to a halt.
His eyes widened in confusion and panic as he desperately tried to move even a single finger, but nothing responded. Before he could even comprehend what had happened, Judas calmly stepped forward with an indifferent expression and drove his fist straight through Kai's chest. There was almost no resistance as blood erupted into the air as the god's hand emerged from Kai's back still clutching fragments of his shattered heart.
Kai looked down numbly at the arm protruding through his chest, disbelief slowly replacing the fury in his eyes. His mouth opened slightly as though he wanted to say something, but no words came out. Judas withdrew his arm just as casually as he had thrust it forward, allowing Kai's body to remain suspended for one final second before all strength left him.
The golden Chi surrounding him flickered weakly, then vanished altogether as his body began falling toward the sea below alongside the six others. Selene froze completely, her face turned deathly pale as her mind struggled to process everything that had happened within the span of a second.
Finn... Lisa... Leon... Eva... Natalya... Sophia... and even Kai... Every one of them had died before her eyes, and despite throwing herself forward with everything she had, she hadn't been able to save a single one of them. A crushing sense of helplessness engulfed her entire being as her trembling gaze followed their bodies disappearing toward the endless ocean beneath them.
Then a heart-wrenching cry tore itself from the depths of her soul, echoing across the sea with a grief so profound that even the waves below seemed to fall silent. "Noooooooo!"
Selene's anguished scream had barely finished echoing across the sea when something inside her snapped. The grief consuming her heart was instantly drowned beneath a tidal wave of fury so intense that even her mana became unstable. Crimson lightning erupted around her body in violent arcs, illuminating the sky with blood-red flashes as the surrounding atmosphere trembled beneath the pressure.
Her eyes, once filled with despair, now contained nothing except killing intent directed at the man responsible for everything. Before Judas or the other gods could react, her figure vanished from where she stood. Space folded silently around her as she teleported, reappearing directly behind Judas. At the same instant, a crimson dagger materialized in her hand, its blade wrapped in dense red lightning that crackled violently enough to tear apart the surrounding air.
Without the slightest hesitation, she thrust the dagger straight toward the back of Judas' head. The entire sequence, from her disappearing to the dagger reaching its target, occurred in less than a fraction of a second. Judas' pupils contracted ever so slightly. However, it wasn't because the attack itself threatened him. Rather, genuine surprise flickered across his face after sensing the spatial fluctuations surrounding Selene.
'Spatial Element?' The thought crossed his mind as he casually raised one hand without even turning around. His fingers effortlessly caught the crimson dagger only centimeters away from his head. The scarlet lightning exploded across his hand, roaring like an enraged dragon, yet it failed to leave even the faintest mark upon his skin.
The overwhelming difference in strength between them rendered her attack completely meaningless. Selene desperately tried to wrench the dagger free, red lightning intensifying around both her arm and the weapon as she poured every ounce of strength into the struggle, but Judas' grip remained completely unmoving.
Slowly, he turned his head just enough to look at her from the corner of his eye before a faint smile appeared on his lips. "It's useless," he said calmly, almost pityingly. "You simply aren't strong enough to hurt me." His gaze drifted briefly toward the seven bodies still falling helplessly toward the sea below before returning to her. "This is your punishment for trying to defy us. Remember this feeling... remember it for the rest of your life."
***
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