Chapter 322: Hostages

The overwhelming pressure blanketing the battlefield continued to suffocate everyone present as the four mysterious figures hovered silently above the blood-soaked plains. Tens of thousands of soldiers from both sides remained frozen in place, none of them daring to make the slightest movement. 

The wind seemed to have stopped flowing, while even the cries of wounded men gradually faded into an uneasy silence. Countless pairs of eyes remained fixed upon the newcomers, some in reverence and some in fear, especially the six Sage ranked youths who had been dominating the battlefield only moments earlier. 

Finn, Leon, Eva, Natalya, Sophia, and Lisa all instinctively tightened their grips around their weapons as every instinct screamed that these four strangers were opponents they couldn’t face. Even the pressure released by the demigod level Demon Lord during the invasion which took multiple sacrifices to kill couldn't compare to what they were currently experiencing. 

Yet what happened next exceeded everyone's imagination. Judas slowly lowered his gaze toward the retreating remnants of the demonic army, his expression remaining completely indifferent, almost as though he wasn't looking at living beings but insignificant insects crawling beneath his feet. 

His lips parted slightly before he uttered a single word. "Die." The voice wasn't loud. In fact, it barely rose above a whisper. Yet the moment the word echoed across the battlefield, every surviving demon abruptly froze. Their scarlet eyes instantly became vacant, all traces of intelligence disappearing as though their souls had suddenly been stripped away. 

One after another, the demons slowly turned their own weapons toward themselves. Some raised enormous battle axes above their heads, others pressed their swords against their throats, while countless spears gradually pointed toward their own hearts. For several horrifying seconds, nobody understood what was happening. 

Then the first weapon descended. A demon general calmly drove his sword through his own chest. Almost simultaneously, another demon crushed his own skull beneath a war hammer, and thousands more followed without hesitation. The battlefield instantly descended into a macabre spectacle. Blades pierced hearts, spears impaled throats and axes split skulls. 

The sounds of flesh being torn apart echoed continuously across the plains as the demons silently slaughtered themselves with expressions completely devoid of emotion. Blood erupted like crimson fountains while bodies collapsed one after another. Those who survived their initial wounds simply repeated the process, driving their weapons deeper until life finally left their bodies. 

Even unbearable pain failed to awaken them from whatever control had seized their minds. Within barely half a minute, the battlefield became eerily quiet. Tens of thousands of corpses covered the ground where an enormous demonic army had stood only moments earlier, not a single living demon remained. The silence that followed proved far more terrifying than the battle itself.

The two Sage ranked Church experts hovering high above the battlefield stared at the horrifying scene with widened eyes, their initial shock rapidly transforming into overwhelming excitement. Their breathing quickened as realization finally dawned upon them. 

One of them suddenly dropped to one knee in midair, his face filled with ecstatic devotion. "The gods..." he whispered, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "The gods have truly descended..." 

The other Sage immediately followed, lowering himself respectfully while bowing his head toward the four figures. "This humble servant greets the honored gods!" he exclaimed loudly, completely ignoring the countless stunned soldiers surrounding him. Their fanatical reaction quickly spread throughout the human ranks. 

Many priests and devout believers instinctively knelt, tears streaming down their faces as they interpreted the complete annihilation of the demonic army as undeniable proof of divine intervention. Yet not everyone shared their excitement, several human generals who didn’t belong to the church exchanged uneasy glances, unable to celebrate what they had just witnessed. 

Finn slowly lowered his weapon while staring blankly at the sea of corpses below. His hands had begun trembling almost imperceptibly. Throughout countless battles against demons, he had witnessed unimaginable brutality. He had seen entire cities burn, families massacred, and monstrous creatures devour innocent civilians alive. Yet somehow... what he had just witnessed disturbed him even more. 

Those demons hadn't even resisted. They had simply… followed an order without caring for their life. Leon swallowed hard before quietly muttering, "Who... are these people?" No one answered him. 

Eva instinctively wrapped her arms around herself as an unpleasant chill crawled down her spine. "I don't like this," she admitted honestly. "That wasn't magic... or at least not any magic I've ever seen." 

Natalya slowly nodded, her usually calm expression noticeably tense. Even Lisa, whose illusion abilities directly affected the minds of others, felt unsettled. She understood mental interference better than anyone present, yet even she couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Her illusions merely distorted perception. 

What the mysterious man had displayed was absolute domination over the minds of the demons, he had completely erased their free will. Sophia quietly stepped closer to Finn before speaking in a low voice. "We should leave." 

Finn didn't hesitate. "Yes." Their instincts had never failed them before, and every instinct now screamed exactly the same warning, run. Leon gave one final glance toward the four strangers before nodding. "Let's go." Without another word, the six prepared to withdraw from the battlefield together. Unfortunately... they never got the opportunity.

Before anyone could move, the four mysterious figures descended from the sky and calmly landed directly before them, completely blocking every possible path of retreat. None of them released any visible aura, yet their mere presence caused the surrounding air to become unbearably heavy. 

The six immediately came to a halt. Finn let out a quiet sigh of exasperation before muttering under his breath, "Now what..." Leon remained outwardly composed despite the uneasiness filling his heart. "Let's hear what they want first." 

Judas calmly studied the six young Sages standing before him. After several silent moments, he finally spoke. "You six..." His indifferent gaze swept across each of them one by one. "...will be coming with us." 

Leon frowned immediately. Although he clearly understood these strangers possessed unimaginable strength, he still stepped half a pace forward. "Who are you?" he asked calmly. "And why exactly do we need to go with you?" 

Before Judas could answer, the god standing beside him, Oros, suddenly laughed. It wasn't a warm laugh. It carried nothing but contempt. "Remarkable," Oros said while looking at the six as though observing curious animals. "I truly am amazed by the audacity of mortals." His lips slowly curled upward into a sneer. "I suppose ignorance really is bliss." 

The words had barely finished leaving his mouth before he casually raised one hand. Instantly, an invisible pressure descended upon the six youths. It felt as though an entire mountain had suddenly fallen onto their shoulders. Their knees instinctively bent while the surrounding space solidified into an invisible prison. 

Every one of them immediately attempted to resist. Sage Realm mana erupted simultaneously, yet nothing happened. Their powers simply... vanished beneath the crushing pressure. Before they could even comprehend what was occurring, a transparent barrier materialized around all six of them. 

The prison resembled a crystal sphere, completely isolating them from the outside world. Finn slammed his fist against the barrier with enough force to shatter a mountain. The transparent wall didn't even ripple. Eva immediately attempted to cast a spell, only to discover she was unable to manipulate any vines outside the barrier. Leon unleashed dozens of light spears, every one of them dissolved the instant they touched the barrier, every one of their attacks were useless against the barrier.

The difference in strength was so absolute that despair silently began settling into their hearts. Judas looked at them once before calmly turning away. "We're leaving." The next instant... every one of them vanished from the battlefield together, leaving behind an entire army staring blankly at the empty sky where they had stood only moments before.

…

The surroundings around the imprisoned group distorted, and before any of them could even comprehend what was happening, the scenery around them blurred. The sensation lasted for less than a minute. Then a sea appeared beneath their feet, the transparent prison surrounding the six Sages stopped several hundred meters away from the barrier protecting Avalon. 

The familiar island came into view immediately, its modern skyline standing peacefully beneath the afternoon sun as though completely unaware of the storm that had just arrived at its doorstep. Judas slowly lowered his hands behind his back while looking toward the invisible dome protecting the island. 

Unlike before, he didn't attempt to approach recklessly. Ignis had already paid the price for underestimating this place. Instead, he stood comfortably beyond the killing formation's effective range and calmly spoke, his voice amplified by divine energy until it echoed across the entire coastline. "Girl," he called, his tone carrying neither urgency nor anger. "If you don't wish to watch your friends die... come out of the barrier."

Only a few moments passed before space twisted and two familiar figures emerged from within Avalon on the other side of the barrier. Selene and Kai appeared side by side, both having teleported directly from the central administration building the instant they heard Judas. Neither of them spoke immediately. Their attention first landed upon the four strangers standing beyond the barrier. 

Then it shifted toward the transparent prison suspended nearby. Selene's expression immediately changed. "Lisa..." she whispered unconsciously. Inside the barriers, Finn, Leon, Eva, Natalya, Sophia, and Lisa stood completely motionless, every one of them visibly restrained by the invisible force surrounding them. 

Kai's jaw tightened. "What have you done?" he demanded coldly while taking half a step forward. Judas merely smiled faintly. "Nothing unreasonable." His gaze settled upon Selene. "You ignored my previous offer, so naturally I needed to find another way to encourage your cooperation." He gestured casually toward the imprisoned youths. "Fortunately, these six proved remarkably useful." His smile widened ever so slightly as he looked at the group of six. "Wouldn't you agree?" 

The instant those words left his mouth, Finn suddenly raised his head. His face appeared pale, while cold sweat covered his forehead. His voice trembled as he looked directly at Selene. "Miss Selene..." he said desperately. "Please... go with them." His breathing became increasingly uneven. "Otherwise... they'll kill us..." The plea echoed across the silent shoreline. 

Lisa, Leon, Eva, Natalya, and Sophia all instinctively turned toward him in visible surprise. For a brief fraction of a second, genuine confusion flashed through their eyes. Then, almost simultaneously, every one of their expressions turned neutral before quietly lowering their gazes. 

***

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