While Cassandra and the others had already put considerable distance between themselves and the battlefield, the zone of destruction had expanded to several kiloters, flattening the jungle with each explosive clash. Every blow left devastation in its wake, eradicating mana beasts and cultists alike. Julius had little concern for collateral damage—there were no innocents in this area.
Now, floating mid-air, Julius surveyed the scene below. His gaze locked onto the man responsible for keeping him away from his wife for far too many days: Pastor Abraham Cronus. To Julius's surprise, Cronus was an Astraval, a mage rank equivalent to his own warrior level. Even so, Julius wasn't concerned. He knew the pastor posed no real threat.
And he was right as now hovering above, Julius stared at the defeated man. Cronus knelt on the ground, his arms severed, blood dripping freely. Yet, the man still wore that unshakable smile. Raising his head slightly, Cronus spoke, his voice calm despite his dire state. "I rembered you. You're the man married to the Tower's Vice Director's daughter." His smile widened as he added, "You're Julius Raseac, the Blue Moon of the Raseac family. What an honor... to die at the hands of soone so noble."
Julius didn't seem surprised by the pastor's words. Anyone with even a bit of deeper knowledge about the world's affairs would know who he was. And given that this man belonged to an organization rooted in the shadows of the world, it wasn't unexpected that he'd know a thing or two about soone as prominent as Julius Raseac.
"Well, glad you think like that..." Julius replied with a smirk as he descended, landing in front of the kneeling man. "But to be honest, I don't know much about the man I'm about to kill," he added, his tone laced with mockery. "Other than the fact that he's a fanatic, leading a fanatical religious organization, and a murderer."
"If you're that interested in this fanatic, he might answer so of your questions, Mr. Raseac," Abraham said with a strained smile. Julius imdiately tensed, his sharp gaze darting to the sky. Four bright golden rays were streaking toward them, their intensity radiating power that rivaled the armless man in front of him. Adopting a defensive posture, Julius prepared for whatever was coming, though unease gnawed at him. These weren't ordinary attacks.
The golden rays halted just above him, bursting into a brilliant flash. As the light dimd, it revealed four figures, leaving Julius stunned.
Two of them were children, while the other two were adults—one male and one female in each pair. But the shocking part wasn't just their sudden appearance; it was the inexplicable familiarity they carried. Julius's eyes narrowed as his mind raced to the place where he'd seen them before. Then, as the realization struck, his gaze snapped to the man kneeling before him.
"What did you do to them?" Julius demanded, his voice laced with both anger and disbelief.
These four were none other than the missing mbers of the murdered families. Julius recognized them imdiately—their faces matched the portraits Cassian had brought back from their houses. They looked exactly like the images, except now they wore serene smiles, and a golden glow radiated behind them. It only deepened Julius's curiosity about what had been done to them.
As he voiced his question, the pastor's kind smile twisted into a wide, almost maniacal grin. His entire deanor shifted, exuding an unsettling excitent as he replied, "The sa thing I did to myself—I made them gods. They are Man-Made gods."
Julius's anger flared, and he pressed his sword against Abraham's neck, his patience wearing thin. The four figures hovered above, their eyes unfocused and lifeless, as though they were nothing more than empty shells.
"Don't give that 'god' nonsense," Julius growled. "Just tell —are they alive? Or should I destroy whatever monstrosities you've turned them into?"
Panic flickered across Abraham's face as the blade pressed closer. "No! Don't kill them! I beg you!" he pleaded desperately. "They're my masterpieces!"
"That depends," Julius said coldly, his tone laced with nace. "Tell —are they still the sa people they were before you did... whatever you did to them?"
"They are, but not people," Abraham said, his fanatical smile widening. "Call them gods—the gods I created."
Julius's grip tightened on his sword as his frustration grew. He wanted to end this madness now, to finish off Abahram and those four beings, but doubt lingered. Killing the pastor was a given—that man was a monster. But the four floating figures? Julius couldn't tell if they were allies, victims, or simply puppets under Abraham's control. They weren't attacking him, but that didn't an they wouldn't—or couldn't.
He struggled to decide. The question wasn't whether they were human anymore; it was whether they were a threat—now or in the future. The so-called "creator" seed to sense Julius's internal conflict, and his expression shifted from fanatical to desperate.
"I know what you're thinking," Abraham said in a pleading tone, his voice trembling. "They're not evil. They won't harm anyone—I swear it! Please, don't kill them… Kill instead!"
"How can I trust the words of a lunatic like you?" Julius growled, his tone sharp and threatening. "I could just end this now and kill them all."
"Please, no!" Abraham begged, his voice trembling with desperation. "They're my greatest creations! I'll make sure they're loyal to you. I've already wiped their mories. You've seen it—I can control them. If I wanted, I could've made them attack you, but I didn't. Doesn't that prove I'm not lying? Please… spare them!"
Abraham's plea, filled with the fervor of a parent protecting their children, only made Julius's decision harder. His grip on his sword tightened as he considered his next move.
Sensing Julius's hesitation, Abraham pressed further, his voice desperate. "If that's not enough, I'll give you information—valuable intel about the cult. Everything you want to know. Just promise you'll keep them safe!"
Julius's expression shifted slightly, his resolve softening just enough. He lowered his sword slightly and gestured for Abraham to continue, signaling that he was willing to listen—for now.
Soon Abraham had told everything he knew about the cult. he was mber off shocking Julius quite so tis and even trembled with anger and he finished Julius said, "You seed like a kind man," Julius said, raising his sword. His tone was calm but firm. "I don't know why you did those heinous things. To be honest, I don't really care. But thanks for letting vent my frustration a bit."
With that, he brought his sword down in a swift motion, severing Abahram's neck. The pastor's head, still bearing a faint smile, rolled across the ground as his body crumpled lifelessly. Julius, however, had already shifted his attention elsewhere.
He focused on a golden ring he had removed from Abraham's finger—a ring that had been used to control the four individuals standing nearby. They were little more than puppets at the mont, their wills completely suppressed.
Julius examined the ring, realizing he now held the power to either free or maintain control over them. For now, he chose to keep their wills restrained.
Turning toward the group, he issued a command. "Follow ," he said, his voice authoritative. Then, addressing the older man among them, who he recognized as the father of one of the murdered families, Julius added, "You, pack the body in sothing. Make it quick."
The controlled individuals moved chanically, their every action dictated by Julius's will.
As they completed their assigned tasks, the controlled individuals followed Julius obediently as he shot off toward Surock Village at blinding speed, leaving little trace of his presence.
anwhile, Cassandra and the others had just reached the village, their expressions heavy with worry. Dallas clutched Cassian's unconscious body tightly, tears streaming down her face. He had blacked out during their journey, his exhaustion finally overwhelming him.
Without drawing any attention, the group made their way directly to the city head's mansion. There, a visibly worried Lumine rushed to et them. Her eyes widened in alarm as she saw Cassian's limp body in Dallas's arms.
"What happened to him?" Lumine asked anxiously, her voice laced with fear as she turned to her sister for answers.
Cassandra's face showed traces of concern, but she forced a reassuring smile as she answered her younger sister. "He's fine, Lumine. He just passed out on the way back here. Nothing to worry about."
Lumine nodded, her imdiate concern for Cassian easing. Instead, her curiosity took over as she asked, "What about those booming sounds from the jungle? And the red pillar of light I saw earlier—what was that?"
As Alix and Dallas hurried inside the mansion with Cassian in tow, Cassandra lingered, her gaze fixed on the distant jungle. From their vantage point, she could make out the widespread destruction, the forest reduced to a barren wasteland.
"The sounds ca from the fight," Cassandra said, her tone heavy. "Detective Julius was battling Pastor Abahram Cronus."
Lumine followed her sister's gaze, her own expression shifting to shock and worry as she noticed the devastated expanse. Though the jungle appeared tiny from this distance, she could tell the scale of destruction was imnse.
Cassandra's keen vision allowed her to spot the approaching lights before anyone else. In the distance, she saw one blue streak and four golden streaks hurtling toward them. Alard, she imdiately assud that Julius was being pursued by enemies. Without hesitation, she gripped her spear tightly and launched herself toward the incoming streaks, her body glowing with a radiant silver light.
"Get to Detective Alix and run!" she commanded firmly, her voice leaving no room for argunt as she rushed forward to intercept the threat.
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