Edmar looked down at his father's battered form, then shifted his gaze to the barrier enveloping the Windi Clan's household.
"This time... There will be no more barrier," Edmar muttered as he landed beside his father, who lay in a pitiful state.
Schine summoned the last of his strength to open his eyes. He fixed his gaze on his son and uttered with great effort, "Our god didn't imprison us... It was an oath we made for our survival..."
Edmar's mind swirled with confusion at his father's cryptic words. The revelation that their god hadn't imprisoned them, but rather, they had bound themselves by an oath for survival, left him with more questions than answers. Desperate for clarity, he leaned closer to Schine, hoping to uncover the truth, even as his father's life rapidly ebbed away.
"What do you mean, Father? What oath are you referring to?" Edmar asked urgently, his heart pounding as Schine's life slipped away.
Despite the excruciating pain coursing through his body and blood spewing from his seven orifices, Schine summoned his last ounce of strength to speak.
"Our god... save us from the... impending doom... discovered the t-truth... a... byss... curse... the... I-Imperium... is silent... after the... calamity..."
With great effort, Schine managed to speak these cryptic words before drawing his final breath. As black blood slowly enveloped his lifeless body, Edmar watched the bewildering scene unfold with a furrowed brow. What had just occurred? He hadn't taken any action, yet his father had inexplicably met his end. Moreover, an eerie and foreboding aura hung in the atmosphere, causing Edmar to shiver slightly.
Just what had transpired with the Isolated Formation God? Edmar couldn't help but ponder, realizing that the information he possessed remained incomplete, and even the intelligence provided by the Deadly Sins had yet to unravel the enigma surrounding the Isolated Formation God.
Bang!
As the barrier cracked and the shockwave echoed through the area, a shadow descended upon the ground behind Edmar. Slowly turning his head, he cast his gaze upon the silhouette shrouded in the dissipating smoke.
"This energy signature..." Edmar's eyes narrowed in recognition.
A figure emerged from the clearing smoke, revealing his distinct appearance. The young man had striking white hair that gradually transitioned into a deep blue at the tips. Clad in gleaming silver armor, his cold and penetrating black eyes remained fixed upon Edmar.
"Hoei Methal..." Edmar whispered the name of the young man.
Before him stood Hoei Methal, the Patriarch of the Methal Clan.
Hoei glanced at the lifeless body beside Edmar and uttered, "It seems I arrived too late. Breaking through the barrier took me longer than anticipated. Edmar, you've embarked upon an irreversible path. You've slain your own father."
"Let's not rush to conclusions, shall we? While I did engage my father in combat, I never intended to end his life. His death occurred as he attempted to convey something to me," Edmar retorted, his tone frigid. "Given your position as a Clan Leader, perhaps you possess knowledge about what he was trying to convey."
Hoei narrowed his eyes upon hearing Edmar's words. "What are you insinuating?"
Fury surged within Edmar, his voice growing more vehement. "Do not feign ignorance! My father was divulging secrets about the Selnes Country when he perished suddenly. You must be aware of the enigma surrounding the Isolated Formation God, correct?"
"Our god? Knowing its secrets? Spare me your jests, Edmar! You've allied yourself with our enemies. Even if I were privy to the secrets, do you honestly believe I would share them with you?" Hoei's countenance remained icy, his aura intensifying. He raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. "Come forth, you traitor. I shall impart upon you a lesson you won't soon forget."
"You...!!" Edmar gnashed his teeth, torn between battling his own father and contending with another Clan Leader. Disposing of this opponent would prove troublesome.
Hoei stood defiantly, his rage visible, yet he couldn't disregard Edmar's words.
The secrets of the Selnes Country?
Each of the Five Master Clans held disparate pieces of knowledge, with no one possessing the complete puzzle. Hoei only knew that the Isolated Formation God hadn't originated in Selnes Country but had come into existence nineteen thousand years prior, preceding even the emergence of the gods. At that juncture, Selnes Country hadn't existed. The country had only taken shape in the current era.
Schine Windi must have harbored some insight into Selnes Country's mysteries, considering his presence during their god's lifetime.
"I will end you, Hoei. I had believed you also sought to dismantle the barrier, having proposed it during our prior assembly," Edmar declared.
Hoei shook his head and retorted, "Indeed, I desired the destruction of the All-Filter Formation Barrier, but not in this manner. Are you even aware of the countless lives lost because of your actions? Windi Clan's warriors are currently risking everything at the front lines, yet you... you've murdered your own father."
Boom!
In a sudden burst of action, Hoei advanced, launching a powerful punch. Edmar's eyes widened, but he reacted with swiftness, raising his hand and seizing Hoei's fist.
Bang!
"Your treachery against your nation and your father will be revealed to all," Hoei declared as he unleashed another punch.
...
As the fierce battle raged near the device, Leilus and Drami were knocked away by the Three Shackles expert, leaving Sekmet and Paolo to confront their imminent threat. The Three Shackles expert, standing aloft in the air, cast a cold gaze upon them.
"It's futile," he declared, his tone icy. With a swift movement, he bent his knees and propelled himself toward Sekmet and Paolo at a high speed.
Whoosh!
Sekmet and Paolo maintained their determined charge towards the device, but their urgency grew as two additional figures, experts of the Two Shackles Realm, materialized above them. Panic welled up in Sekmet as she sensed the danger looming.
"Not good!" Sekmet exclaimed, her eyes narrowing as she veered to the side, attempting to evade the oncoming threat.
Paolo, equally alarmed by the sudden appearance of the Two Shackles Realm experts, voiced his concerns. "What happened to the support?" he questioned, anxiety in his voice.
"They are preoccupied with my comrades! Focus on yourself!" the two Two Shackles experts admonished simultaneously as they launched themselves toward Paolo and Sekmet.
Swoosh!
Recognizing the imminent danger, Sekmet channeled her energy with urgency, conjuring a protective barrier in a desperate attempt to shield herself and Paolo from the impending assault.
As the two Two Shackles Realm experts closed in on Sekmet and Paolo, Sekmet reacted swiftly. She channeled her energy and formed a barrier just in time to block the incoming attackers.
Swoosh!
The two experts collided with Sekmet's barrier, causing a burst of energy to erupt at the point of impact. Sekmet gritted her teeth and strained to maintain the barrier, trying to withstand the pressure exerted by the attackers.
Paolo, seeing Sekmet's predicament, moved quickly to provide support. He unleashed a burst of energy from his hands, targeting one of the Two Shackles experts and aiming to disrupt their attack.
"Go on! Leave this to me!" Sekmet's resolute voice rang out as she channeled more energy into the barrier.
"Understood," Paolo replied with grim determination, turning away from the battle behind him.
He blocked out everything else, focusing solely on his mission to destroy the device and turn the tide of the battle. With Marcus, Leilus, and Drami incapacitated, Paolo knew he had to succeed, no matter the cost.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the air from behind him – Sekmet's voice. She was engaged in a fierce battle against two Two Shackles experts, and the situation looked dire. Her chances of survival seemed slim.
Paolo clenched his fist, summoning every ounce of remaining energy. Drawing his hand back, he unleashed a potent beam aimed directly at the device.
Determination etched on his face, Paolo focused solely on his mission – to destroy the device and turn the tide of the battle. Ignoring the chaos behind him, including Sekmet's ongoing struggle against the two Two Shackles experts, Paolo steeled his resolve.
With every ounce of energy he could muster, Paolo channeled his power, summoning a formidable beam aimed squarely at the device before him. In his desperation, he unleashed a powerful cry, urging the beam forward.
"Get lost!!"
The beam surged toward its target with intense force, Paolo's last-ditch effort to accomplish the critical task at hand.
The bluish energy beam streaked through the air at an incredibly high speed, but a shadow materialized in its path.
It was the Three Shackles expert who had swiftly defeated Leilus and Drami earlier.
Ohm!
With a casual gesture, the Three Shackles expert intercepted Paolo's formidable attack, seizing it effortlessly. His disdainful words cut through the tension, "You're exhausted, and you think you can destroy it under my watchful eyes? You've overestimated yourself."
In the blink of an eye, Paolo was forcefully propelled a hundred meters away, the impact scattering his energy beam before it could even reach the device.
Ugh!
Paolo expelled a mouthful of blood, his breathing labored as he gazed skyward. The weight of the mission rested on his shoulders, yet it seemed he couldn't fulfill it.
All the top experts of the Alliance Army were locked in fierce combat against the elite members of the Deadly Sins. They strained every fiber of their being to gain an upper hand in this war, yet warriors like Paolo found themselves unable to fulfill their vital roles.
The Three Shackles expert gave Paolo one last contemptuous look before conjuring a crackling ball of lightning.
Swoosh!!
In that critical moment, Alice finally arrived at the scene.
"I'll handle him..."
She rapidly intercepted the lightning ball, effectively neutralizing it, and launched a relentless assault on the Three Shackles expert. Though taken aback by the sudden turn of events, the enemy displayed seasoned reflexes, engaging Alice in a furious exchange.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the span of a mere second, Alice and the Three Shackles expert clashed in a flurry of blows. Alice wore a resolute expression as she relentlessly pressed her opponent, hoping that the shockwaves generated by their battle might inadvertently destroy the device. However, it appeared that the enemy had anticipated this scenario, proving once again that the Deadly Sins were cunning adversaries.
Despite the intense combat raging around it, the device remained impervious to the shockwaves generated by Alice and the Three Shackles expert's battle. Its resilience was a testament to the meticulous planning and defenses of the Deadly Sins.
Alice continued her fierce battle with the Three Shackles expert, using her speed and strength to gain an advantage despite the injuries she was sustaining. She was determined to defeat her opponent and reach the device, even if it meant enduring further harm.
In the midst of the chaos, Paolo, struggling with injuries and exhaustion, attempted to reach the device using the shockwaves of the ongoing battle to propel himself forward. He fought through his pain, desperately trying to fulfill his mission.
However, a sudden and powerful lightning strike lit up the field, catching Paolo off guard. Despite his attempts to shield himself, the lightning struck him, sending him flying a hundred meters away, leaving him in excruciating pain as he crashed to the ground.
Paolo strained to lift his head with great effort, his vision blurry from the pain. As his vision cleared, he saw a figure standing before him.
