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"They have the Blood Curse Seal and the Blood Explosion Curse Seal on their bodies respectively. Once the Blood Curse Seal is successfully activated, all the blood in the victim's body will shoot out like long needles. Because these needles are thin and fast, they are extremely difficult to defend against. Meanwhile, the Blood Explosion Curse Seal causes the victim's blood to ignite, ultimately leading to a powerful explosion like high-grade dynamite."
"The most terrifying thing is when these two Curse Seals are combined. Their power isn't as simple as one plus one; the Blood Curse Seal becomes affected by the Blood Explosion Curse Seal. When activated together, the ejected blood also triggers explosive effects."
Lilith continued to explain, no longer the carefree girl she used to be. Her eyes showed visible fear and unease.
"Lilith, don't panic. Since you know which Curse Seals they possess, is there any way to counter them?" Irene turned her head to offer reassurance. She was the strongest among them and maintained her composure even in dire situations.
"These two Curse Seals have significant drawbacks—namely, a long activation time, and the caster is unable to move during the process. Normally, we could try to escape, but in this scenario, escape is obviously impossible!" Lilith said, eyeing the Thunder Cage around them, the true source of her concern.
The current situation was akin to locking people and bombs together, with no way to escape.
"If we can't escape, let's just kill these guys!" Irene declared, preparing to advance toward the three men in black robes once again.
"Don't do that—it will only speed up the time until they explode," Lilith hurriedly grabbed Irene, her voice urgent. Lilith was well-versed in the Blood Curse Seal and Blood Explosion Curse Seal, knowing exactly what should and should not be done.
"Why go through all this trouble? Wouldn't it be better to break this Thunder Cage?" Wadsworth said as he approached the Thunder Cage, wielding his giant sword. He struck it with all his might.
A loud noise echoed, but the Thunder Cage remained intact. Wadsworth, however, staggered back two steps from the shock.
"Sure enough, it's tough. Don't just watch—if we can't do it alone, let's work together. We'll break this cage soon enough!" Wadsworth said, swinging his giant sword once more at the Thunder Cage.
"Wadsworth is right, let's do this together!" Even Irene agreed. Everyone immediately put all their effort into attacking the Thunder Cage with their weapons.
Under their relentless assault, the Thunder Cage began to tremble violently, and the thick, interwoven bolts of lightning started to flicker and weaken. They were making progress, but it would still take some time.
Meanwhile, the spells on the three men in black robes were glowing brighter and brighter, seemingly approaching a critical point.
"Although your strength is impressive, you are still far from breaking through the Thunder Cage," taunted one of the men in black robes. "This is a Thunder Cage that can easily trap even large monsters. It's impossible for you to break through it. Accept your fate and meet the gods with us. Stop wasting your energy—it's futile. No human can shatter this Thunder Cage."
The three men laughed maniacally, their faces twisted with insanity.
Suddenly, there was a tearing sound as if something was being forcibly ripped apart.
The three men in black robes turned around simultaneously, only to see a pair of hands reaching into the Thunder Cage made entirely of lightning. Those hands then pulled apart, creating a massive hole in the cage.
A figure calmly stepped through the opening, and the three men in black robes were left dumbfounded. What happened to the Thunder Cage that no human could breach? How was it now being torn apart with bare hands? What was going on? Had they already met the gods?
"Irene, Wadsworth, don't linger here any longer. Get out now," the figure instructed.
It was Jason, who had been observing the situation with increasing unease and had followed slowly. Seeing Irene and the others trapped, he couldn't stand by any longer. If he didn't intervene, they would surely perish.
"Yes, Master Shield Hero!" the group responded in unison.
"Master Shield Hero, please be careful. The Curse Marks on them are extremely powerful," Irene cautioned. Despite their astonishment at how easily Jason tore through the Thunder Cage, they were not truly surprised. After all, he was the Shield Hero, and with him, nothing was impossible.
After Irene and the others had safely escaped, Jason turned his attention to the three men in black robes.
"Well, well, it seems the one behind you isn't just some ordinary figure. Are these spells on you cast by the Pope?" Jason asked mockingly, facing the five men who seemed ready to explode.
Jason had seen the incantations on their bodies before in a magic book he had taken from the Church, so it was highly likely that the Pope was behind them.
Because Lilith had previously encountered these magicians, she would recognize them.
"Shield Hero, I never expected it to be you!" one of the men in black exclaimed. "I can't tell if you're smart or foolish. Knowing the spells on us, you still came running in of your own accord."
"In that case, you can die with us. If our deaths can take you with us, the gods will surely bless me, and the Pope will ensure our descendants are well taken care of."
At that moment, the spells on the three men in black robes began to emit a brilliant and unprecedented light, indicating they were nearing successful activation. As Lilith had warned, it seemed they intended to sacrifice themselves explosively.
Earlier, Jason had only suspected these men were connected to the Pope. Hearing their words now confirmed it. Knowing this, there was no reason to hold back any longer.
Jason raised the shield on his wrist and pointed it at the three men.
"Prison Shield!!!"
A massive magic circle materialized around the three men in black, and from it emerged giant shields with chains. The shields closed in quickly, sealing all three inside completely.
"Boom, boom, boom~"
At that very moment, the spells on the three men were fully activated, and their bodies erupted simultaneously. The resulting explosions intertwined, magnifying the overall power. As a result, even Jason's [Prison Shield] couldn't entirely contain the force, which caused countless droplets of blood to scatter around and detonate on the ground, creating small bursts of sparks.
Just as Lilith had explained, when the two Curse Seals activated together, a chain reaction occurred.
However, thanks to the [Prison Shield] absorbing most of the impact, the remaining damage was relatively minor, at least for Jason.
"I didn't expect the [Prison Shield] to fail to block everything. These Curse Marks are truly troublesome. Jack and Irene should be extra cautious in the future," Jason mused, resting his chin thoughtfully.
"Master Shield Hero, are you alright?" Irene's voice came as the Thunder Cage dissipated following the death of the casters. Before the last remnants of the three men's explosive curse seals could fade away, Irene and the others rushed forward.
"Who do you think I am? How could something happen to me?" Jason replied, shaking his head. He scanned the group and saw they had only suffered minor injuries, which was a relief.
In the next moment, Jason noticed one of their number was missing. His eyes narrowed, and he asked urgently, "Where's Jack? Where is the other?"
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