Chapter 329: Suppression

The secluded valley several dozen kilometers away from Steve's manor had long since lost every trace of its former tranquility. Massive craters scarred the landscape while countless trees had been reduced to ash by the lingering aftermath of devastating attacks. At the very center of the devastation, four figures hung suspended several meters above the fractured earth. 

Their once immaculate divine robes had long since become little more than blood soaked rags, their armor shattered beyond recognition. Every one of their limbs had been cleanly severed and lay scattered across the broken ground, preventing even the slightest attempt at resistance. 

Despite possessing divine physiques that continuously struggled to regenerate, Arthur had repeatedly interrupted the process, ensuring they remained trapped in a state between life and death. 

Judas' consciousness drifted in and out as his mind was consumed by pain. He had believed that becoming a god placed him beyond mortal suffering. Today that illusion had been mercilessly destroyed. 

Throughout the last hour, Arthur and Steve had questioned them again and again, neither raising their voices nor resorting to meaningless threats. Instead, every refusal was met with another precise application of agony that somehow bypassed their divine resilience without threatening their lives. 

Arthur stood several meters away, his expression never changing regardless of the screams echoing across the valley. He had long since stopped deriving satisfaction from their suffering. Steve, meanwhile, leaned casually against a shattered boulder with his arms folded, occasionally asking a question whenever Arthur's interrogation reached another dead end. 

Together they had gradually pieced together some basic information about the Divine Realm. They learned of the territories governed by different Godkings, the hierarchy separating Minor and Major Gods, and the vast political divisions existing between the numerous divine factions. Yet every time Arthur's questions approached subjects that truly mattered, like the security structure of their Pantheon, the location of divine cores, or the secrets hidden within the Divine Realm, the same phenomenon repeated without exception. 

Golden runes emerged beneath the skin of the gods before their bodies convulsed violently. Their mouths refused to form words, blood poured from their lips, and unbearable pain twisted their expressions until unconsciousness mercifully claimed them. 

Arthur had attempted manipulating their souls through Animakinesis, only to discover an intricate spiritual oath woven directly into the foundation of their souls. The moment they attempted revealing forbidden knowledge, the oath activated automatically, suppressing both mind and soul. Destroying it by force risked their death, thus freeing them of their torture. 

Arthur slowly withdrew his hand from Judas' forehead before exhaling quietly. "...It's useless." Steve nodded solemnly. "I expected as much. The Divine Realm has survived countless ages. They wouldn't entrust important information to Minor Gods without preparing safeguards." 

Arthur remained silent while glancing toward the unconscious figures suspended before him. They had obtained enough information to understand the general structure of the Divine Realm, but not enough to strike decisively. Even so, he had already reached his conclusion. 

Sitting here extracting scraps of information while the true masterminds remained comfortably seated upon their thrones accomplished nothing. The only remaining option was obvious, he would go there himself and find the one responsible for the death of Lisa and the others.

Without another word, he extended one hand toward the cracked earth. Blood that had soaked into the shattered stone throughout the interrogation suddenly responded to his will, flowing across the ground like living crimson serpents. Streams of divine blood converged into countless intricate lines that spread outward in every direction, rapidly forming a circular array nearly ten meters in diameter. 

Steve quietly stepped backward, watching Arthur work without interrupting. Although he had never witnessed the formation Arthur intended to create, he recognized its underlying principles almost immediately. It wasn't an offensive array, nor was it designed to kill. It would serve as a prison. 

Arthur's eyes never left the formation as his fingers continuously traced additional runes through the air. Every movement released faint strands of violet Aether that intertwined with the blood beneath, gradually constructing layer upon layer of suppressive runes. The design closely resembled the formation that had imprisoned him inside the rogue planet only hours earlier. 

Yet unlike that masterpiece, which had been reinforced using countless priceless heavenly materials and enough energy to restrain Immortal Kings, this version relied upon the gods' own blood as catalyst and spirit stones as fuel. "It won't last forever," Arthur finally said while continuing to inscribe another sequence of runes. "But it would give me enough time to find their cores and destroy them." 

Steve observed the rapidly expanding array before replying thoughtfully. "I have never seen this type of magic circle before… but they look complicated," Arthur replied. "...It's the combination of runes and formation from another world." 

Minutes gradually passed as nearly ten minutes later the formation grew increasingly complex. Blood red symbols rotated beneath the earth while dozens of smaller circles branched away from the central array like roots extending beneath an ancient tree. Every completed rune strengthened the suppression field a little further, causing the surrounding energy to become increasingly sluggish. 

Even Steve could feel the invisible pressure beginning to weigh upon his own divinity despite Arthur deliberately excluding him from the formation's target. Eventually Arthur carved the final rune into the center of the array before stepping back. For several heartbeats nothing happened, then every line of blood erupted into brilliant crimson light simultaneously. A strong vibration echoed throughout the valley as the ground began trembling violently. 

Judas' unconscious eyes opened just in time to witness the formation activating beneath him and panic instantly flooded his face. He desperately struggled despite having no limbs left to resist. "N-No...!" he croaked, immediately feeling the suppression on him. The remaining three gods regained consciousness one after another, their horrified screams joining his own as invisible chains wrapped around their battered bodies. 

Arthur merely watched silently, the earth beneath the formation suddenly softened as though transformed into liquid. A terrifying gravitational force erupted from below, dragging the four restrained gods downward. They struggled with everything they possessed, yet their attempts were for nothing. 

As Judas was dragged underground his terrified eyes remained fixed upon Arthur until the very last moment. "The Pantheons..." he screamed desperately. "...they'll come after…!" The earth swallowed the remainder of his words. Within seconds, all four gods had vanished beneath the ground entirely. 

The crimson light gradually dimmed before the entire formation quietly faded from sight, leaving behind nothing except ordinary cracked stone as though nothing had ever happened. Only Arthur could still sense the prison hidden hundreds of meters below, continuously feeding upon the divine blood and spirit stones used to construct it while suppressing the imprisoned gods.

Steve quietly approached Arthur, his gaze lingering upon the place where the formation had disappeared. "Let's go back." 

Arthur nodded and space folded inward around both of them before the surrounding valley disappeared from their view. A heartbeat later they reappeared within the familiar flower garden outside Steve's manor. The moment spatial ripples settled, the front door of the manor burst open. A purple haired figure rushed outside with tears already streaming down her cheeks. 

"Arthur!" Selene's voice broke as she took several steps towards him. She threw herself directly into his chest with enough force to stagger a Transcended rank powerhouse. Arthur instinctively caught her before she buried her face in his chest, clutching his clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white thus tearing them. 

For several long moments she couldn't form coherent words. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably as muffled sobs escaped her. Finally, between broken breaths, she whispered the only sentence that had repeated endlessly inside her mind ever since awakening. "...I'm... I'm sorry..." Another sob interrupted her. "...I couldn't save them..." 

Arthur remained completely still while gently resting one hand upon the back of her head. He understood immediately what she meant. She blamed herself, she had watched Lisa, Finn, and the others die one after another while being powerless to stop it. The guilt had already begun consuming her from within. 

Slowly, he stroked her hair with the same gentleness he had shown moments earlier while checking her injuries. "Selene..." he said quietly. She tightened her grip even further. "...I failed..." Arthur closed his eyes briefly before answering in a calm, reassuring voice. "No." His hand paused upon her head. "You didn't fail." 

Selene slowly looked upward, her eyes swollen from crying. Arthur met her gaze steadily. "And neither are they gone." Confusion momentarily replaced the despair inside her expression. Arthur continued softly, "I can bring them back." The words were simple. Yet to Selene, they sounded almost impossible. Her lips trembled. "R…Really...?" she asked so quietly that it was almost inaudible, as though she feared speaking any louder would shatter the fragile hope beginning to bloom inside her heart.

Arthur held her gaze for several silent moments before giving a slow nod. "Yes," he answered with absolute certainty. "I can't do it now... but I will be able to in the future." His voice remained calm, devoid of exaggeration or false comfort, yet it carried a conviction that instantly reached Selene's heart. 

She searched his eyes desperately, hoping to find even the slightest hint that he was merely trying to console her. Instead, she found only unwavering certainty. Arthur had never lied to her before, especially about something this important. The realization shattered the despair that had consumed her ever since she regained consciousness. 

Fresh tears immediately welled up in her eyes, but unlike before, they no longer carried hopelessness. They were tears born from relief so overwhelming that her body could no longer contain it. Arthur gently wiped the tears running down her cheeks with his thumbs as he cupped her face. 

Steve and Eveline exchanged quiet glances from the garden without disturbing them. Eveline smiled faintly before gently taking Steve's hand. Both understood that Selene needed this moment far more than words of comfort from anyone else. Nearly ten minutes passed before her sobbing gradually subsided. Embarrassed by how tightly she had been clinging to Arthur in front of her grandparents, Selene reluctantly stepped back, lowering her head while hurriedly wiping away the remaining tears. 

Arthur merely smiled faintly, the first genuine smile that had appeared on his face since returning to Avalon. "Feeling better?" he asked quietly. Selene nodded, though her eyes remained slightly red. "...A little." Arthur lightly tapped her forehead with one finger. "Good, stay here and recover. There are still things I need to take care of." 

Selene instinctively reached toward him, she felt he was going to do something stupid again, but she was still confident he would come back. "Arthur… Be careful." Arthur's expression softened. "I will."

***

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