Thus, she quickly turned her head to the other participants, who had formed a barricade to protect themselves against the mad, entranced battlefield.
She screamed out loudly, "EVERYONE, FOLLOW ME!!" before turning around to follow Orion as he began to make his way through the chaotic battleground.
Quickly activating his gift, Orion felt a surge of strength as a burst of chaotic lightning streaked out of his hands, illuminating his path.
He picked up a long sword from the ground and charged forward, coating it with his lightning as he swung it down on an unsuspecting orc.
He tore off the orc's limbs before beheading it, sending its lifeless charred body to the ground.
Without hesitation, he continued to charge forward. Perhaps it was because they were all in a trance, too focused on cutting down each other. Orion and the survivors manoeuvred through the chaotic battlefield, dodging some opponents and cutting down others to save time.
Finally, they reached the visibly collapsed highland.
"STOP!" Orion roared loudly, halting everyone in their tracks.
Up above, he could see White Flame with his hospital gown now torn from various angles, and a slightly battered body, standing in the air as though he was trying to recover from their previous clash.
Observing the current scene in front of him, he could finally understand once more why Princess Crystalia and Flintor had succeeded in obtaining the Divine blood, possessing a fraction of mysterious divine energy, but had failed to complete the trial.
Orion turned to Princess Crystalia and said, "We need a distraction if we want to approach and collect several drops of her blood."
Princess Crystalia understood what he meant and turned her head to address the group on the ground once more. She spoke with determination, "Listen up, everyone. We are on the verge of completing the trial. However, in order to do so, some of us may not make it back."
She paused, taking a deep breath, before continuing, "Some of you may need to make the ultimate sacrifice so that the Prismerion race can escape this mountain."
Silence fell over the one hundred and twenty-one participants, now reduced to a mere eighty-one before it was suddenly broken by an audible voice that resonated around them.
"What's with the silence?" One of the participants, holding an axe he had picked up during the battle, stepped forward, followed by about ten others. "We, the 8th Elite division, the Shadow Vanguard Legion, are ready to sacrifice ourselves for the Prismerion race."
Princess Crystalia nodded, and as she was about to speak, more of them stepped forward.
"The 9th Elite Division, the Iron Bane Legion, is ready to sacrifice itself for the Prismerion race."
"The 10th Elite Division, the Starfall Legion, is..."
"5th Elite division, the Verdant Legion is..."
"The 4th Elite Division, the Starforged Knights, is..."
And the declarations continued until every participant had come forward with unwavering determination in their eyes.
Orion sighed inwardly as he gazed at the group. No wonder the Queen had entrusted such a vital task to them.
Who wouldn't place their trust in individuals ready to lay down their lives for the cause?
Princess Crystalia turned to Orion and said, "We are ready."
Orion nodded in understanding and began to explain the plan.
Meanwhile, atop the broken highland, which had significantly crumbled and caved in, the winged woman surveyed the chaotic scene below with a wide-eyed and shocked expression. Her creations were mercilessly slaughtering each other, turning on one another in the midst of madness.
Then, she shifted her gaze upward, focusing once more on the one responsible for this turmoil.
"Why?" she began to speak, her voice crackling and weak. "Why art thou causing mine children to kill each other?"
"Who art thou?" She said as she began to weakly rise up from the rubble around her. "What giveth thee the right to stop our passage? Have I not felled enough gods?"
She looked at her scattered blood, which had spilt from her wounded body, and began to control it.
Her blood obeyed, listening to her command. "Art thou not also god. How canst thou not comprehend the agony of beholding thine children kill each other, after all the sacrifices thou hast made?" Soon, they began to converge around her and take shape.
"Oh, thou god that wonneth on earth, I curse thee, for thou hast rendered all my sacrifices in vain," Slowly, the shape began to solidify, taking the form of an enormous four-meter (13 feet) crimson-coloured greatsword. "Oh, thou god that wonneth on this earth, since thou feelest not the pain, I will make thee feel it by consuming thee in mine own suffering."
Meanwhile, at a distance, Orion watched as some of the participants climbed the highland to retrieve the spilt divine blood from the collapsed high ground.
He couldn't help but be left speechless by the scene, feeling his heart racing faster as he gazed at the four-meter-long crimson-coloured sword.
'Divine blood,' Orion thought, his eyes widening with realization.
Now he understood. Of course, now he realized what Aegis of the Arctic Deity meant, or more so, his underlying intentions, when he said that obtaining divine blood would not only grant them an opportunity to leave this mountain but also provide them with a solid foundation once they gain their freedom.
Having understood what they needed to do next, Orion turned to Princess Crystalia, holding her shoulders firmly as he gazed deeply into her eyes. He said, "When I give the signal, do whatever you can to run towards the gate."
Although he didn't know how they were supposed to exit the trial after obtaining the divine blood or if it would end automatically, he wanted to ensure their safety. Running towards the colossal stone gate seemed to be the safest course of action.
Princess Crystalia, however, couldn't help but stare at Orion with wide eyes, wondering about his intentions. "What are you planning to do? We're supposed to leave together after we've finished collecting the divine blood for everyone."
