"Boom!"
A massive explosion erupted.
It was followed by dozens of tornadoes appearing out of nowhere. The wind currents were so strong that they uprooted nearly every tree and house in the surrounding area. If not for the protective barrier within the Windi Clan's household, the damage it caused would have been much worse.
Schine's feet slid on the floor as he stared at his son in shock.
His son had pushed him back?
"Edmar, you...!" Schine couldn't believe what he was witnessing.
Had his son reached his level?
"Are you surprised, father?" Edmar grinned maniacally. His expression was unrecognizable. "There's no need to be surprised. Today, I break free from the shackles of the Five Master Clans! I will destroy this land that you wanted to protect so dearly!"
Edmar laughed as he charged at his father once again.
"Edmar, you're insane," Schine said as he waved his hand, commanding a huge tornado and hurling it at his son.
Boom!
The barriers around the household of the Windi Clan started to show cracks. The devices and cores that maintained these barriers were affected by their battle, so it was natural that this would happen.
All the other members of the Windi Clan had already retreated upon witnessing their young master and patriarch engaged in combat.
Just as Schine prepared to attack once again, he noticed several figures in the surrounding area.
"Hmm...?"
Schine narrowed his eyes, noticing that these individuals were wearing dark cloaks adorned with the insignia of the Deadly Sins.
"Edmar, you... you're really cooperating with these people," he said in a hushed voice.
"It's nothing, father. I will break the curse in our bloodline," Edmar declared as he held a white orb in his hand and tossed it into the air.
Whoosh!
The people quickly moved to grab the white orb.
Seeing this, Schine dashed forward to prevent them from taking the object. "No!"
Edmar smiled before he lunged forward, delivering a powerful punch to his father.
Bang!
Schine's figure crashed to the ground, leaving a deep gash. He spat out a mouthful of blood and stood, facing his son.
The experts wearing black cloaks immediately left the area after securing the orb, leaving Edmar alone with Schine.
Schine ignored the departing experts, knowing that he couldn't do anything to them with his son blocking his way. He turned his attention to Edmar and asked, "You let those people take the core of the All Filter Barrier Formation...? Son, you can still turn back now. This is your homeland. Haven't you felt any attachment to it?"
Edmar glanced at his father coldly. "I love this country, and I won't deny it, father. But this place suffocated me! It feels like I'm in a massive prison! For decades, I've watched people come and go from this land, yet I couldn't do the same. It's making me yearn to go outside! I'm tired of this life!"
Schine shook his head. "You don't understand, son. The significance of our barrier. It's been said that only a god could break the All Filter Barrier Formation. That's true, but at the same time, it's not. The barrier wouldn't break even if it were attacked by a god. That's why the neighboring large countries near our land never dared to invade us in the past. Our god, the Isolated Formation God, is no ordinary deity."
"You haven't told me anything! You've been keeping everything a secret, and now you're telling me I don't understand? You're right, it's because you've been keeping your mouth shut!" Edmar said angrily.
"I had planned to reveal the truth after you became the patriarch, but it's futile now... You've betrayed our country. The patriarchs of the Five Master Clans all swore oaths they couldn't break," Schine said calmly. His aura intensified, and the winds blew stronger.
Edmar narrowed his eyes, preparing himself for the worst. His father was about to get serious.
Whoosh!
Both of their auras collided, causing sharp winds to spread throughout the entire area.
In the next moment, both of their figures disappeared.
The two clashed repeatedly in midair, sending sharp winds in every direction.
Boom! Boom!
Schine didn't hold back at all. He kept unleashing powerful skills, yet to his surprise, his son could actually repel them. Edmar had hidden his strength well. Perhaps Schine should have noticed it sooner, but he had placed too much trust in his son. Edmar was his child, so it was natural for him to trust him. There was nothing wrong with that.
The two continued to exchange fierce blows, causing the entire terrain to change. The household of the Windi Clan had almost collapsed. The only thing keeping it intact was the protective runes and barriers placed all over the area.
"Our god died long ago, and he imprisoned us in this place!" Edmar roared.
He raised his hand, and a saber appeared, with strong winds swirling around the blade. At the same time, his elemental power spread out, enveloping the whole area.
[Element Drive: Wind Force]!
Seeing this scene, Schine also activated his [Element Drive]. He jumped away and waved his hand.
Whoosh!
Several pieces of yellow paper floated around him, each adorned with strange symbols.
"[Seal: Tiger]! [Seal: Boar]! [Seal: Snake]!"
Three of the yellow papers emitted a dazzling white light.
"The Windi Clan is the guardian of the seal! We are the masters of the seal in this country!" Schine declared as he pressed his palm downward.
A colossal figure of a tiger materialized in the air, its body composed entirely of pure energy. The tiger rushed toward Edmar, opening its mouth wide.
ROAR!
Just as it was about to swallow Edmar, he swung his saber downward. The energy he had gathered burst out like a tidal wave, colliding with the massive tiger.
Boom!
Edmar was pushed back several meters, feeling a numbing sensation in his arm. The power of that seal exceeded his expectations.
He gritted his teeth in anger. Suddenly, he glanced downward and leaped away, but it was already too late.
A colossal, semi-transparent snake, composed entirely of pure energy, coiled itself around him, cutting off all of his escape routes. Despite its transparency, he could still see what was happening outside.
Grr!
Edmar felt a taste of blood in his mouth. The snake was trying to crush him into meat paste.
...
In the heart of the nation, where the device was located, Alice was engaged in a battle against a Three Shackle expert. Eilish found herself in a similar situation, locked in combat with another Three Shackle expert.
Leilus and the Blue Cross Squad had no option but to advance while fending off several Two and One Shackle experts.
"This won't get us anywhere," Drami muttered.
"I'll attempt to create an opening. You all should focus on breaking through," Leilus said.
Drami, Marcus, Sekmet, and Paolo nodded in agreement.
Leilus gathered energy on his blade and lunged forward. With a sweeping slash of his sword, a violent surge of cold energy erupted from his blade.
Swoosh!
The enemies tried to evade, but Leilus's attack was aimed at the device, leaving them no choice but to defend against it.
Just as they prepared to counter, several figures dashed through the ensuing smoke. Sekmet and Marcus flanked both sides, while Drami and Paolo charged ahead toward the device.
Suddenly, a tremendous blast of energy descended from above, its force so powerful that it propelled everyone hundreds of meters away.
Argh!
Ugh!
Drami, Paolo, Sekmet, and Marcus crashed into nearby buildings.
Boom!
Alice paused, turning her head. "No... Another Three Shackle expert...!"
With the unexpected arrival of another Three Shackle expert, the group found themselves at a significant disadvantage.
How should she handle this?
The situation was dire.
"Alice!" Eilish's voice echoed.
Alice snapped back to consciousness, wracked with extreme pain in her stomach. Her form transformed into a stream of light as she crashed into the ground, creating a massive crater.
Ugh!
She spat out a mouthful of blood as she forced herself to stand. Gazing upward, she spotted a lightning beam hurtling toward her. Swiftly, she shifted to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly bolt.
Boom!
However, the shockwave from the explosion still managed to send her several meters away.
"Alice, we're not alone! Focus on your opponent in front of you!" Eilish's voice echoed once more.
Alice glanced at Eilish, who was locked in battle with a Three Shackle expert. She understood the message and turned her head.
There, she witnessed warriors from Asgard, Aaru, and other factions engaging the enemies on the opposing side. Most importantly, they were steadily drawing closer. Just minutes ago, these warriors had been several kilometers away.
"They're here, but what about Drami and the others? They can't match a Three Shackle expert. The worst-case scenario is they're surrounded by several One and Two Shackle opponents." Alice muttered to herself, tightening her grip on the spear. She shifted her full attention to her opponent, and her elemental power surged, causing strings of flesh to envelop her body.
