Chapter 320: Confrontation

Selene was quietly wrapping up the last of Avalon's administrative work inside the central government building, the spacious office remaining peaceful as morning sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows and cast warm rays across the polished wooden desk before her. 

Reports from every department of Avalon had been neatly arranged into organized stacks, ranging from infrastructure expansion proposals and agricultural production summaries to defense logistics and resource allocation requests. 

Since Arthur didn't remain on the island for long, the responsibility of ensuring the city's smooth operation had naturally fallen upon the shoulders of everyone he trusted, and among them Selene handled a significant portion of the administrative affairs. Though most mundane tasks were taken care of by the AI that maintains the cities, important decisions were first discussed with the governing council of Avalon and signed.

She carefully signed another document before placing it aside and reached for the next report, her eyes calmly scanning the contents regarding the latest expansion of Avalon's residential district. A faint smile unknowingly appeared on her lips after seeing that the city's population had continued growing steadily while food reserves had already exceeded Arthur's original projections. 

"Looks like we'll have to expand the western district sooner than expected," she murmured softly to herself while making a small note on the corner of the report. Outside the enormous windows, Avalon looked as peaceful as ever. 

Wide roads bustled with activity as vehicles moved orderly through the city, children laughed inside parks while soldiers trained within military compounds, engineers supervised ongoing construction projects, and civilians carried on with their daily lives without the slightest worry. 

It was difficult to believe that the entire continent had been consumed by war but in Avalon there was no sign of it. She reached for another document, intending to finish the remaining paperwork before checking on the training grounds later that afternoon, when suddenly her hand froze midway through the motion. 

Her beautiful golden eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as she felt a subtle fluctuation pass through the gigantic barrier surrounding Avalon. To anyone else, the disturbance would have gone completely unnoticed. The protective formation continuously circulated unimaginable quantities of energy every second, creating countless tiny fluctuations as part of its normal operation. 

Yet Arthur had personally explained the barrier's basic operation to her before leaving. Over the past week she had become familiar with every normal fluctuation within the formation. This... wasn't one of them, something had touched the barrier. Without the slightest hesitation she immediately stood up, the chair sliding backward across the polished floor as every trace of relaxation disappeared from her expression. 

"Someone's outside..." she whispered, already realizing the seriousness of the situation. Space distorted around her figure almost instantly, and before the unattended documents could even settle back onto the desk, she vanished from the office through teleportation. The next moment she appeared high above Avalon near the outer perimeter of the barrier, only to witness a scene that caused even her eyes to widen slightly. 

Dozens... no, hundreds of gigantic magic circles had materialized outside the transparent dome protecting the island. Each formation stretched across several kilometers while impossibly intricate runes ignited one after another with dazzling golden brilliance. 

The surrounding atmosphere violently trembled as immense quantities of fire and lightning mana condensed within every array simultaneously. Before Selene could even determine who had triggered the defensive formation, the attacks descended. A pillar of crimson fire intertwined with countless arcs of golden lightning crashed downward from the heavens like divine judgment itself. 

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! 

The explosion illuminated the entire sky, followed almost instantly by another beam... and another... and another. The killing formation unleashed its attacks continuously without the slightest pause between them. Massive shockwaves rolled across the surrounding ocean while thunder echoed endlessly through the heavens. 

Entire clouds were obliterated beneath the relentless bombardment as pillars of destruction repeatedly struck the exact same location outside the barrier. Even though she stood safely within the protection of the formation, Selene could still feel the terrifying destructive power contained within each attack. 

Arthur had explained that the killing formation possessed enough offensive capability to threaten even Minor Gods, but hearing those words and witnessing the formation operating at full power were two completely different experiences. 

Every impact shook the sky itself, turning the world beyond the barrier into a sea of fire, lightning, and smoke. Barely a second later Kai appeared beside her after sensing the commotion from elsewhere within the city. His eyes immediately followed the endless barrage raining from the heavens before his expression became one of complete disbelief. 

"What in the..." he muttered under his breath before looking toward Selene. "Who's attacking Avalon?" 

Selene slowly shook her head without taking her eyes off the battlefield beyond the barrier. "I only sensed the barrier react a moment ago," she answered truthfully. "I arrived just before the killing formation activated. Whoever approached the island must have triggered Arthur's threat detection." 

Kai folded his arms while quietly observing the terrifying display. "He really wasn't exaggerating," he murmured. "I knew the formation was powerful... but this..." Another beam descended, followed immediately by two more that completely engulfed the distant figure hidden within the inferno. Kai subconsciously swallowed. "...This is terrifying." 

Selene gave a small nod. "Let's wait until the attacks stop. If anything survived that..." She didn't finish the sentence, because she honestly wasn't certain anyone could.

Several more moments passed before the final magic circle gradually dimmed and disappeared into the surrounding atmosphere. The deafening explosions slowly ceased, leaving only countless wisps of smoke drifting above the ocean while residual lightning crackled through the air. 

The world seemed eerily quiet after enduring such overwhelming destruction. Selene and Kai patiently remained where they were, neither making any attempt to leave the barrier despite the silence. Under no circumstances would anyone with a bit of intelligence exit the barrier if suspicious individuals appeared outside. 

Eventually the smoke dispersed beneath the sea breeze, revealing four figures hovering silently in the sky. Without saying anything further, she and Kai slowly flew closer to the inner edge of the transparent barrier until only several dozen meters separated them from the barrier. 

The four strangers simultaneously turned their attention toward the pair standing safely behind the invisible dome, though the gaze of the man standing at the front lingered noticeably longer upon Selene. 

Kai calmly stepped forward half a pace, his posture relaxed but his eyes remaining vigilant. "Who are you?" he asked in a clear voice that easily carried across the barrier. "And why are you attacking Avalon?" 

Outside the barrier, Judas silently suppressed the irritation rising within his heart. A mere mortal... questioning him in such a manner. Under ordinary circumstances he would have erased the insolent human's existence before the first sentence had finished leaving his mouth. 

Unfortunately, the absurd barrier separating them prevented even the slightest trace of his divine aura from penetrating into Avalon. After witnessing Ignis being obliterated moments earlier, he had absolutely no intention of provoking that monstrous formation again. 

Taking a slow breath, Judas forced a warm smile onto his face, his high charisma made dealing with mortals extremely easy for him. "Greetings, gentleman... and lady," he began politely while inclining his head ever so slightly. 

"Please forgive the unfortunate misunderstanding. We are representatives of the Divine Realm, sent here hoping to discuss future cooperation with the lord of this island regarding the ongoing war against the demons. Unfortunately, none of us were aware that such an extraordinary defensive formation protected this place." He gestured lightly toward the barrier surrounding Avalon before continuing in an apologetic tone. "The moment we approached, your formation naturally mistook us for enemies. A regrettable misunderstanding, nothing more. If you would be so kind as to temporarily lower the barrier, we can discuss everything peacefully." 

Silence followed his explanation. Kai stared at him for several long seconds before suddenly letting out a quiet scoff. "Do you really think..." he asked while folding his arms across his chest, "...that anyone would believe that?" 

Judas' smile remained unchanged, yet inwardly his eyes narrowed. Kai continued without waiting for a response. "You arrive without announcing yourselves. The formation immediately identifies you as hostile and tries to kill you. Then you expect us to believe you simply came here for a friendly discussion?" He slowly shook his head. "That's a terrible lie." 

For the first time since arriving at Avalon, genuine surprise flickered through Judas' mind. ‘Impossible…’ His expressions didn't change. His breathing remained perfectly controlled and he suppressed even the slightest involuntary twitch through divine control. 

Mortals had always been susceptible to his words due to his charisma and it was one of his divine powers using it he could compel mortals to do his bidding, yet this old man had seen through his deception almost immediately and more importantly the barrier seemed to even block something as esoteric power as charisma. ‘How...?’ 

Realizing the diplomatic approach had completely failed, Judas allowed the pleasant smile to gradually disappear. When he spoke again, the warmth had vanished from his voice entirely. His gaze settled directly upon Selene. "Girl," he said calmly, though unmistakable authority now accompanied every word. "It would be wiser if you came with us willingly." 

Selene's expression remained unchanged as she quietly waited for him to continue. Judas looked directly into her eyes before speaking the next sentence. "Unless..." His tone grew noticeably colder. "...you wish to watch your grandfather die." 

The threat lingered in the air between them. Kai instinctively glanced toward Selene, already understanding exactly who the stranger meant, Steve. For several silent seconds Selene simply looked back at Judas. Then, much to the god's surprise, she smiled faintly. There was no fear within her eyes... only calm confidence. 

She knew how powerful her grandfather was, after Arthur left for the cultivation world Steve had come to test the power of the killing formation and the killing formation failed to harm him. And seeing the four not daring to approach the barrier, she knew they were weaker than him, so she was not worried. 

"You can try," she answered simply. Without waiting for another response, she turned toward Kai and gave the slightest nod. Space immediately distorted around both of them. The next instant they vanished back into Avalon, leaving the four gods standing alone outside the impenetrable barrier. Judas watched the empty space where the two mortals had disappeared before slowly exhaling through his nose. "...So much for diplomacy."

***

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