Novel Full Chapter 413:Human Hearts
Chapter 413:Human Hearts
Sharp energy waves scattered in all directions, slicing through what little remained of the surroundings. The shockwave rolled outward, extinguishing lingering flames and flattening the scorched land even further. The ground was ripped apart again, forming deep craters and jagged fractures that spread endlessly.
When the light faded, the result was clear.
Ethan’s swords had cut straight through the attack.
“What’s that!” Az shouted, his eyes widening in absolute horror.
His sword wave was split apart, torn into fragments of fading energy. And behind it, the five swords of light continued forward without losing speed, their targets locked.
Straight at him.
Az reacted on instinct. He grabbed his sword tightly and swung it upward, trying to strike down the incoming swords. His movements were frantic now, driven by fear rather than confidence.
But the sword of light moved.
It dodged his strike effortlessly, slipping past his blade as if it had a will of its own. Before Az could react again, the swords slammed into the ground around him.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Each impact shook the land violently.
Light erupted from the points of impact, surging upward and outward. In an instant, towering walls of glowing energy rose from the ground, forming a sealed prison around Az. The cage hummed loudly, its surface covered in flowing runes and radiant lines that locked together tightly.
Az found himself trapped.
He looked around wildly, his breath coming fast and uneven as the prison of light closed in completely. The glow reflected in his eyes as panic finally broke through his fury.
Outside the cage, Ethan lowered his hands slowly.
The swords of light hovered briefly before dissolving into shimmering particles.
The battlefield was silent once more.
And Az Mammon stood bound, his ultimate attack shattered, his escape sealed, and his fate no longer in his own hands.
The prison of light hummed steadily.
Az Mammon stood at its center, his breath ragged, his chest rising and falling violently. The glowing walls were close, far too close, and every time his fingers brushed against them, a sharp pain shot through his body. The light was not burning him, yet it crushed him all the same, pressing down on his bones and soul together, leaving him gasping.
He tried to move his mana.
Nothing responded the way it should.
The flow of mana that once obeyed him like an extension of his will now felt distant and broken, as if someone else was holding it tightly in their grip. His eyes trembled as the truth finally settled in. This cage was not meant to kill him quickly. It was designed to hold him, to strip him of control, and to break him slowly.
Outside the prison, Ethan stepped forward.
His movements were unhurried, yet each step felt heavy. Even though there was no longer any structure left to echo from, the sound of his footsteps carried clearly. The ground beneath his feet was cracked and lifeless, scorched black from the earlier destruction. His presence alone made the air feel dense and oppressive again.
Az gritted his teeth.
He spat blood to the side, his voice shaking despite his effort to sound firm. “You think killing me changes anything?”
He laughed harshly and forced the words out. “Even if I die, there will be more. In fact, once I die, the stronger ones will come.”
Ethan stopped a few steps away from the cage.
He looked at Az quietly, his expression calm and almost bored, as if he were listening to something completely unimportant.
“I never said I would kill you immediately,” Ethan replied. “You seem to misunderstand your situation.”
Az laughed again, but it came out rough and broken, mixed with pain.
“Torture?” he sneered weakly. “You think I will talk?”
Ethan tilted his head slightly, as if considering something trivial.
“You already will,” he said. “You just don’t know it yet.”
He raised his hand.
The light prison reacted instantly.
The glowing walls tightened inward by a small margin, and Az’s body jerked violently. His knees slammed into the ground as crushing pressure descended from every direction at once. The force drove the breath from his lungs.
“GRAHH!” Az roared, his claws digging into the scorched earth as he tried to resist. His bones creaked under the strain, and blood seeped from the corners of his mouth, dripping onto the cracked ground.
Ethan did not move.
“I will ask simple questions,” Ethan said evenly. “You will answer them.”
The pressure increased slightly, enough to make Az’s vision blur.
“First,” Ethan continued calmly, “who ordered this camp to be built?”
Az clenched his teeth and stayed silent, his body trembling as he fought the pain.
The prison shrank again.
CRACK.
A sharp sound rang out as something in Az’s shoulder snapped. He screamed, his voice tearing through the ruined land as agony flooded his senses.
“ARGHHH! STOP!”
Ethan watched him without emotion.
“I want to know the answer.”
Az panted heavily, his pride burning fiercely, but fear was now creeping in faster and deeper than he wanted to admit.
“…The Council,” Az muttered finally. “The Demon Council.”
The pressure eased just a little, enough for him to breathe again.
Ethan’s gaze sharpened. “What is the Demon Council?”
Az swallowed hard. “It’s the body that helps the Demon King govern the land and make suggestions. They decide many things.”
“Why are you invading again?” Ethan asked.
Az hesitated.
The light flared violently.
A surge of energy ripped through Az’s body, and his vision blurred as his limbs spasmed uncontrollably. Pain tore through him like knives.
“I don’t know the real reason, damn it!” Az shouted in desperation. “We just do what we are told!”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Your eyes,” he said quietly. “They’re hiding something.”
Az gasped for air, sweat and blood dripping from his face as his body shook.
“If you’re asking about the harvest,” he said hoarsely, “then yes. We steal human hearts and use them to craft elixir.”
Silence fell.
The light prison continued to hum softly, and the ruined land around them felt eerily still.
Then Ethan stepped closer.
“What?” His voice dropped.