The figure in armor didn't answer.
He simply stood there, his gaze heavy enough to feel like a physical weight pressing down on their chests.
The ominous aura radiating from him alone was enough to freeze even the level 3 adventurers in place... veterans who had spent years delving into the Dungeon, who had faced death more times than they could count.
Their bodies reacted before their minds did, muscles stiffening, breaths turning shallow as a primal sense of danger screamed at them to not move.
'Is... that a... Death Knight?'
Judas lifted his head with visible effort, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Be... careful..."
His gaze struggled to focus on the armored figure one last time before the strength left him entirely.
His eyes closed as darkness swallowed his vision.
Under normal circumstances, even in his injured state, Judas should have been able to stay conscious.
His healing abilities alone would have been more than enough to keep him on his feet.
Ais tightened her arms around his limp body.
She didn't need anyone to tell her what had happened to him.
Neither did the others.
"Mind Zero."
Tiona said it quietly as she stepped in, carefully lifting Judas from Ais' grasp before turning toward the healers.
There was none of her usual cheer in her voice.
To block that sword slash earlier, Judas hadn't held anything back.
He had poured every last ounce of mind he had into that protective spell.
Although most of them weren't mages, just sensing the dense amounts of magic power colliding with each other was enough for them to understand how intense that brief clash had been.
"This pressure that he is exuding... level 7, or maybe above..."
Finn muttered quietly, his voice deadly serious.
A level that only two other people currently alive in the entire world had reached.
Even for a level 6 veteran like Finn, a level 7 was still an achievement beyond what he could handle by himself.
After hearing their captain's words, the expressions of those around him varied.
While the lower-level members' faces went pale, those who were higher-leveled had their expressions warp into absolute seriousness.
"A l-level 7? Captain, did I hear you right?"
The naturally timid second-string captain Raul questioned, trepidation clear in his voice.
"To be able to knock Judas out in one attack like this... I had my suspicions..."
Riveria muttered as she tightened her grip on her staff.
"Are you kidding? Where do these freakishly strong bastards keep popping out from?!"
Bete cursed as the hair all over his body stood on end.
The others, like the Amazon Twins... and even Bete himself... clenched their fists, their gazes fixed on the intruder as a drop of sweat slid down the side of their faces.
Because they knew, especially after recent events, just how terrifying a level 7 adventurer truly was.
'Level 7... just like Alfia and Ottar...'
Ais thought as she unsheathed her sword, readying herself for battle.
"Ah... marvelous. It's nice to see you all in good health, the great Loki Familia."
An amused voice cut through the tension.
A man with white hair, wearing a skull mask, walked through the destroyed gates and stopped beside the armored figure.
A few seconds of silence followed as the skull-masked man looked at each and every one of their faces, the smile beneath his mask seemingly widening.
"Although I would've loved to stay and chat with all of you while sipping a cup of tea... you lot have a friend of ours that we want you to return to us."
The man in the skull mask added.
"I see... you must be Revis' companions, huh..."
Finn muttered as he settled the end of his spear against the ground.
'I anticipated that her companions would come and try to rescue her... but to do this directly and quickly was outside of my calculations.'
The blond pallum narrowed his eyes.
During the meeting, he had crafted dozens of scenarios in his mind regarding how the secret organization behind Revis would react upon hearing of her capture.
'I thought the most likely scenario would be for them to wait until we transferred her over to the Ganesha Familia. That would've been their biggest opportunity to strike.'
He had even prepared a trap for that possibility.
However, he had never considered that the other side would possess a level 7 fighter.
After all... how many level 7s actually existed in the world?
That single overlooked variable was the reason Finn found himself completely thrown off.
In the end, Finn was still mortal.
With unknown factors thrown into the mix, it was impossible to calculate everything in advance.
"You are a smart man, Braver. You should know that the best thing to do is listen to my demands like a good little boy... and no one will get hurt."
The skull-masked man spoke as he briefly glanced toward Judas being treated off to the side.
"Heh... well, except for that one, of course."
He added with a smug grin.
Hearing this, both Ais and Tiona furrowed their brows and glared at him fiercely.
"Your ability to negotiate seems a bit lacking... because there is no way in hell I can agree to your terms."
Finn replied with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Not only did you come to our home with hostile intentions, but you also hurt one of our core members..."
A shadow fell over his eyes as Finn exuded an intimidating presence.
With the rest of the Familia standing behind him, that pressure multiplied, forming a hostile aura that could be felt clearly in the air.
"To let this go would be no different from tarnishing my pride as the hero of the pallums... and my pride as the captain of the mightiest Familia in the City of Heroes."
Perhaps fueled by their captain's resolve, the members who had initially been nervous straightened and readied their weapons.
'To be able to boost morale with just a few words... as expected of Finn.'
Riveria thought with a faint smile.
A man whose name had already spread far and wide across the world.
As a level 6, he was already among the strongest men alive despite his small stature.
More than that, he was renowned not just for his strength, but for his sharp wit and leadership.
The man who bore the burden of becoming the hope of his entire race.
That man was Finn Deimne... also known as Braver.
"Everyone, battle formations!"
Finn shouted as he raised his spear, his voice carrying clearly to every corner of the field.
"The enemy before us is formidable, so treat this as if we're about to face a Monster Rex."
The other side had a level 7.
But so what?
'It's not like we haven't defeated someone like that before.'
A glint flashed through Finn's eyes.
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