Blurs moved through the forest, the leader of the last branch of the Tamara clan chasing the traitor, who had no intention of stopping or confronting him.
A few moments earlier, Dabrio prohibited teleportation again, so now it was purely a physical contest. Despite being suppressed, a normal person would be unable to keep up with them, only hearing the wind left behind by the two demigods as they moved. Even half-sequence beyonders would find it difficult to keep up unless they were from paths that strengthened the body.
Pam! Boom! Pam!
Whenever Dabrio used his punishment to attack Cristhian for trying to flee the fight, Cristhian countered with his own punishment for trying to stop him.
Although Cristhian had lost his voice, he could still directly attack his opponent's powers to make them resist their bearer. This way, the more he attacked, the harder it would be for Dabrio to use his abilities. And this was repeated in reverse with Dabrio himself.
The leader of the first branch could no longer use Psychic Piercing, Lashing, Fog, and Command, the abilities he needed most to stop the escape. Meanwhile, the traitor could no longer use anything but punishment and only carry out specific punishments.
They exchanged punishments several times, a never-ending cycle that would not end unless one surrendered.
Because he was constantly chasing and cutting off his path, Cristhian had not yet broken the "Running Away is Prohibited " rule. And while he was trying, Dabrio couldn't punish him with the maximum penalty without him actually 'escaping' first.
Of course, in exchange, the order gave him a general location of his opponent.
If his divinity had not been suppressed, his punishments would have been more dangerous, but now he could only settle for cutting off the traitor's path.
Meanwhile, Cristhian, having lost his voice and his most useful escape abilities, could only use his punishment to defend himself and close the distance to try to get away again.
Although this was extremely frustrating, Dabrio did not let it distract him from his role. No matter how much he wanted to kill the rat in front of him, he couldn't—not yet.
A soft murmur suddenly reached his ears. And Dabrio felt his heart leap.
The signal!
Knowing that the final part of the plan had finally arrived, he blocked the traitor's path again. Still, instead of using a punishment, he pushed his palm forward, fighting against the resistance of his own powers, and shouted in Ancient Hermes—normal Hermes no longer working.
"Exile!"
An invisible force sent his opponent flying to the planned location, while Dabrio fell to one knee, one hand covering his mouth.
Cough! Cough!
Frowning in annoyance, he removed his hand and looked at his palm, which was covered in red.
Clenching his fist tightly, Dabrio straightened up and sped off in the direction he had sent his family, his eyes shining coldly...
Kraboom!
With thunder accompanying his journey and twisting his body in the air, Cristhian did his best to avoid as much damage as possible as he fell to the ground.
Grabbing several branches that broke from his speed, unable to stop completely, he cursed as he watched an orange light get closer and closer.
Crash! Pam!
His legs sank a few inches into the trunk of a tree, his body shaking a little from the impact, but Cristhian wasted no time. He grabbed a nearby branch before gravity pulled him down and hung there like a monkey.
'What is this?' With a deep frown, he looked around with high suspicion.
Dabrio had sent him back to where they had met and separated him from his group.
Everything was worse than he had thought. The clearing was burned entirely, small fires drowning in the heavy rain. But the area where he had first used his exile and where he now returned was still burning fiercely. The fire burned with great intensity but, curiously, did not spread.
Looking a little more closely, Cristhian noticed that where the fire continued to burn, a red liquid was feeding it. The familiar color made him open his eyes a little.
'Blood?'
Not letting that strange detail interrupt his actions, he exerted force on his legs and leapt to another tree. He had no intention of being on the ground; height was the best place to have some control, at least still.
Reaching another tree, he took another leap. In midair and halfway there, he saw a piece of glass resting among some leaves.
He saw his reflection, replaced by a woman with blonde hair and expressionless blue eyes. She emerged from the glass like a ghost.
Wraith!
The woman floating in midair opened her mouth, and a horrible screech echoed through the forest.
Shriekkkk!
The horrible screech reached his bones and spirit, and his vision became blurry. Stunned, Cristhian could not time his next jump and violently crashed into a tree.
He fell to the ground and, gritting his teeth, relied on his strong constitution as an Imperative Mage to force his body to move, barely dodging some ice stakes thrown by the Wraith.
Followed by that, a loud stomp to his side made him turn around. He barely raised his forearm in time to block an ice-covered fist.
Pum!
The remains of his shirt whitered, falling to the ground and dissolving. A thin layer of ice covered his forearm.
Pam!
In response, the same arm was used. Cristhian's fist connected with the figure's abdomen, sending it flying.
The figure dug its feet into the damp earth, its body shaking slightly but remaining upright. Pieces of ice fell from its stomach, where it had formed a layer of ice in advance.
Cristhian paused momentarily, both arms raised, quickly considering what to do next. With the exchange just now, he had realized who he was dealing with.
'Zombie... Dabrio allied himself with the Rose School of Thought? With his personality, he would never accept that. No, the Zombie and the Wraith look in good shape; they don't seem deranged or ruthless, and their mental state is very good... The Temperance Faction? With how elusive they are, how did he manage to make contact? When? What's going on?'
The moment he realized who was supporting Dabrio, realization hit him.
'Why didn't she possess me? We made eye contact, and the distance between us was considerably short. So why... Wait, Laufu? Are these the ones who ambushed them after Dabrio separated us? They must have fought, and Laufu must have given a command, which is why the Wraith is still under its influence.
'But if they're here...' His heart suddenly grew heavy as he realized what that meant.
Escaping by conventional means was becoming increasingly complex; at this rate, he would have no other choice-
That pause was welcomed and punished, as the Zombie pulled a dark gold charm from his robes.
He brought it to his lips and whispered "law" as he threw it forward and proclaimed.
"Revealing the form of a mythical creature is prohibited here!"
The charm dissolved into thin air, the new order dispersed into the forest, and Cristhian could only curse himself.
What kind of demigod would stop at a moment like this?!
At that moment, the fire burning around them pulsed and quickly spread like a hungry snake consuming itself.
In a few seconds, a large circle cut off all his exits.
The zombie seemed unfazed by the intense heat of the flames, standing there impassively. Meanwhile, the Wraith floated sinisterly in the air.
Seeing himself surrounded, Cristhian seriously considered revealing his mythological form to escape.
His condition right now was not ideal, but as this fight dragged on, it would worsen, making it even more risky to use his most powerful card. But at this point, there was no other choice.
The large circle of fire pulsed. The orange flames took on a slightly crimson hue and rose a couple of meters higher, dancing silently.
The shadows moved to one side of them, and another figure emerged from among them and joined them.
In that fiery dance that seemed to be the very gates of hell, a part of the fire broke away, and something came out of it.
At that moment, the shadowy figures in dark robes stopped completely, turned to one side, and straightening up, they saluted.
Dabrio jumped through the flames and stood to one side, joining them.
The fiery knight stood in front, his armor burning orange-crimson. His crimson eyes curved into a mischievous smile.
Such a ridiculous scene greatly stunned Cristhian, who did not understand what was happening.
An alarming possibility arose in his mind, and cold sweat covered him.
Had Dabrio been so passive because it was never his plan? Was he obeying someone else?
That fiery knight? That Hunter?
'But who is he?! He's only sequence 6!' Trying to see through that fire helmet, Tamara's eyes moved down to the rest of the man's body.
Multiple veins popped out on his neck, and Cristhian could feel his control slipping through his fingers like desert sand.
'You...' His teeth gritted.
A familiar sword lay at his left waist, resting in a black sheath bathed in golden dust...
The Sword of Dawn!
That's why the knight had taken so long to appear! He made a contract with it!
Looking back at him, the knight's crimson eyes widened exaggeratedly before lowering to his waist.
Glittering, they returned to their previous size, but this time, they had a glow that made Cristhian's eyelids twitch.
"Oh? Do you like my new toy?" The knight rested his left hand on the sword's hilt and caressed it gently.
"Some idiot left it lying in the middle of the forest. Can you believe it? He said with a chuckle, as if it weren't his fault that it had happened.
"Such a beautiful piece, lying there abandoned. There are people in this world who are born without brains, no doubt.
"I'd love to show it to you and tell you how I got it. I could even brag about some of the abilities I chose! But... Um..."
Although the helmet hid his face, the crimson flames that acted as eyes took on a thoughtful pose.
The fiery S-shaped dagger in his right hand rose and rested against his chin in deep questioning.
"Mmm..."
His dagger tapped his chin once, twice, three times. On the fourth, he stopped.
"Fufu~"
The fiery crimson eyes of the helmet narrowed in satisfaction, and a mocking voice echoed through the forest.
"Nah. You're not worth it."
A red curtain fell over Cristhian's eyes. His skin cracked slightly, and a golden glow emanated from the cracks.
The dark figures trembled and recoiled in shock, their hands covering their eyes. The knight's armor fragmented slightly, and he also covered his eyes.
Even Dabrio closed his eyes, red tears falling from them, and his brow deeply furrowed.
He had used the short time the knight had spoken to prepare his mind and spirit to reveal his mythical form, but that control had been broken.
The consequences no longer mattered. He would die satisfied if he took at least one of them to the grave!
Because of Dabrio's previous command and that charm, revealing his form would take a few seconds, but that mattered little. His enemies were stunned, and he had the time he needed!
He could still win!
At that moment, a short figure shot out between fallen trees and burning fire, several dark golden charms with some reddish details glistening in her right hand. Her eyes were tightly closed.
Throwing the charms forward with all her strength, she shouted in Hermes, "Execution!"
At the same time she said that, she clutched the pocket watch in her left hand and turned the crown.
Cristhian's spirituality skyrocketed, his pupils shrunk. His intuition screamed at him to get as far away from that women—no, those charms! Now!
If he let her get close, he would die!
With his heart in his mouth and without thinking, Cristhian lunged forward, straight toward the woman.
At his action, an incredulous expression blossomed, followed by alarm. 'Disorder!?'
His action of moving away had been disordered to become the action of moving closer!
Pam! Pam! Pam! Pam! Pam!
A barrage of hammer blows rang in his ears, shaking his soul. Multiple judges' gavels appeared before his eyes, their bloody golden glow blinding him instantly.
All those gavels came down on him at once.
Pam! Crush!
The demigod's head sank into his neck with a horrible crack! Visible teeth in his skull were shattered, bloody gray matter was scattered.
The fragmented skin peeled away, revealing a layer of bronze covered with magical-order-like symbols.
Cristhian took one, two wobbly steps. On the third, he fell to his knees but still stood.
From among the flames surrounding the man, the fire knight shot out. His armor faded, revealing a red-haired man who quickly pounced on the short figure and carried her under his arm like a sack, speeding away.
Next to Cristhian, Dabrio appeared. His fist and eyes flashed with electricity. With a twist of his body and his fist raised high behind him, he threw a powerful punch at the fallen body.
PUMMMM!!!!
The ground shattered and broke. A small shockwave pushed the air and stirred the leaves and the fire, which still burned in a silent dance.
Cristhian's already weak head exploded in a shower of gray matter, blood, and bones. Parts of the man's body were covered with deep lacerations that shattered and mutilated his bones.
Huff... Huff... Huff...
Slowly straightening up, Dabrio looked with cold eyes at the unrecognizable body of his family. His right fist dripped blood and gray matter.
Drip... Drip...
Just before striking, he had released the command 'Weaken Divinity, Strengthen Humanity,' so his attack had destroyed not only the body but all aspects of the traitor's soul—using his spirit was now impossible.
But this did not bother him. They could not risk him unleashing his mythical creature form if they kept him alive, no matter how close to death he was. As long as a demigod remained alive, they would never be dangerous. It was not a risk worth taking unless they could seal him completely.
Looking at the body, Dabrio closed his eyes and sighed silently.
Lifting his face to the stormy sky and letting the rain cleanse his bloodstained face, he murmured slowly.
"In a way, this is also a poetic ending... You died without understanding what was happening, just like Analiz..."
Reminiscing a little, the demigod took out a fine handkerchief with the family crest on it—a shield wall covered with thorns and vertical swords protecting it.
With elegance, Dabrio wiped his fist with it. In no time, the white handkerchief was stained red.
Once his hand was clean, he extended it over the body and let the handkerchief fall onto it.
Bathing a handkerchief in the blood of a recently deceased member, the Tamara family bid them farewell to the next life... This was a ritual with special symbolism in the family.
Even if he was a traitor who murdered his own blood, this traitor was still family.
"Goodbye, Cristhian," Dabrio spoke. His voice dropped several degrees in depth and took on a suffocating heaviness...
...
"..." Watching the farewell from a safe distance, Adryan shook his head slightly before focusing on the figure he was still carrying under his right arm.
"See? Easy and safe, just as I promised."
Shivering a little, either from the cold of being wet in the middle of the forest or the adrenaline from what she had just done, Xio looked up with expressionless eyes.
"Put me down, Kenway." She growled like an annoyed cat.
"Hiss. Come on, don't get hysterical." Rolling his eyes, the redhead did as he was asked.
Grabbing the short woman's coat collar, he placed her on her feet.
"..." Xio said nothing, staring blankly ahead.
If being treated like a sack bothered her, the Sheriff was a master at hiding it. Her emerald eyes focused on the scene before her, unconsciously taking a few steps forward.
A strange feeling of disbelief filled her, unable to believe what she had done.
Maric walked over to stand a few steps away from them while Sharron appeared out of thin air and stood next to the zombie. Flora emerged from the shadows beside Adryan. All of them stared ahead with different emotions on their faces.
After a few moments of silence, Xio muttered, "We killed a demigod..."
Adryan smiled simply in response, not trying to hide his satisfaction with the plan's results.
The movement from before had only been an act; as soon as Dabrio had arrived, they had already closed their eyes.
The primary purpose of the explosions and fire was to disrupt the order of the area so that Cristhian couldn't use it to notice anything strange. He had used his blood to fuel them to ensure that the rain didn't put them down.
All his fighting, acting like a knight, and charging head-on had only two objectives. One, to get rid of the man's Grade 1 Artifact, and two, to make the Demigod think it was a direct combat—fist to fist, no tricks, man to man.
Once Cristhian Tamara thought it was a direct combat and was sure of that decision, he had already fallen into Adryan's trap. He would lose his artifact and his life shortly after. His intelligence was working against him.
After all, once they reach a conclusion, intelligent people become blind to other possibilities.
Of course, it doesn't help that one of the first deceptions you must overcome to realize is a deception in the first place is a guy on fire who keeps attacking you with a dagger that's also on fire, which is nothing more than a distraction from the real danger.
Revealing that he had made a contract with the Sword of Dawn and boasting about it served the same purpose while provoking Cristhian, altering his mind and concentration. Likewise, revealing themselves all at once was only intended to make Cristhian think that there were no more hidden enemies.
In that simple way, by the time he realized that Xio was behind him, it would be too late.
That was why he chose Xio over Sasha. Although the giant woman could be considered more useful, Adryan did not need strength or size. He knew well that no matter what they had, it meant nothing against a demigod.
Therefore, he chose the old reliable.
The elephant would always notice a boar approaching, but the elephant would never see the ant.
Xio was chosen solely because of her small size. The Monarch's "blessing" would hide her much better than other members, and being a Sheriff, she knew how to move carefully. No one would notice her easily.
And if they did, it would be when she came out of hiding.
By the time that happened, the Death Penalty would have already been issued~
'I always found it curious that they never used multiple charms simultaneously in the original story, always using them one at a time as if it were turn-based combat... Hmm, although it's not as if they had a large supply of high-level ingredients, so they had to be economical...' Thinking for a moment, the redhead raised an eyebrow with slight interest.
Was this cheating?
Of course it was!
But how else could you defeat a demigod cleanly without losing any members? Except by cheating?
Honor kills you here—only the dishonored live.
Turning his attention to the curious trio, Adryan asked, "Did you manage to do what I asked?"
Sharron nodded almost without moving her head, "We managed to capture two."
A happy smile appeared on the redhead's face. "Excellent!"
Without another word, he went over to the silent Dabrio, whose eyes were closed.
Standing next to him and looking at the headless body, Adryan tilted his head slightly and said without haste, "We have two under our control. Will you take the body, or shall I?"
Three seconds passed before the demigod responded, and his voice was gentle when he did.
"Thank you, Lord Adryan, but I prefer to do this alone..."
"If that's what you want." The redhead shrugged his shoulders without much interest.
Once this was over, the body was his, and the characteristics would take a while to appear. Although he could ask Sharron to speed up the process, he was in no hurry.
It could even be better for what he was planning to do~
Turning around, he began to walk back to his group calmly.
Now that he was alone again, Dabrio opened his eyes and looked at the body. He crouched down silently and grabbed the remains of the brain and blood that had been scattered around, putting them in a container he had prepared earlier.
He couldn't leave anything behind, so he would take his time preparing the body for transport...
Returning to his group, Adryan caught a bag thrown by his beloved worm.
"Change already," Flora sighed in exasperation.
Smiling amusedly at that, the redhead winked mischievously.
His beloved worm was right.
He couldn't go greet his "volunteer" guests shirtless. While Adryan didn't consider himself a gentleman and found anything related to that a bit annoying, he had enough decency not to go anywhere half-naked.
Reaching his dear worm side, she threw him a burnt bandana. Taking it, the redhead let it sink into his shadow.
Following that, he raised his hand and crossed his fingers.
Snap!
The flames covering the forest died suddenly, his master ending their lives. With them, the blood that fed them accompanied them, turning to ash. Darkness rules once again...
However, the darkness was repelled again quickly. Several fireballs the size of basketballs surrounded the group, providing them with much-needed warmth.
Xio approached one, extended her hands to the warm flame, and let out a trembling but satisfied sigh.
It was very cold today...
"If I don't get sick after today, it'll be a miracle..." The sheriff grunted a little and sneezed loudly after a second.
"Ah, bless you," Adryan said unconsciously.
"... Thanks."
The group continued through the dense forest with several fireballs warming them and lighting the way. A silent demigod followed them a few meters behind, carrying a headless body covered by the remains of his robe in his arms...