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Chapter 039: How Deep Their Spies Go

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The War God Axe descended, Hossain's eyes was wide in shock when he felt the collision of the axe against his transparent shield.

"So there you are!" he cried in raging delight.

A loud noise rung and the barrier magic shook as it trembled with the noise, cracks appeared like webs on its surface.

Right now, Siva focused all his senses on this one fight and forgot everything else, centering only to the task of eradicating this malevolent unit.

WHOOSH!!

The brandished blood sword made another one of those wind blades but Siva was already nowhere behind him by the time Hossain fully brandished his bloody sword.

BANG!

—CRACK~!!

The sound of his attack came from behind him and Hossain insta-cast a Binding Spell behind him but it only hit air as Siva was gone.

BANG!!

Another attack and it came in front of him. Hossain met Siva's eyes but before he could roar in hate, Siva was only an afterimage, gone in a blink.

Hossain's mind was in fire. How can he just appear and disappear like that?

Just as he was about to swing the bloody sword in his hand, another bang followed by the cracking noise resounded above him.

"You...!!" Hossain was really incensed. Siva was toying with him!

Unable to singly target him, Hossain decided to be on a passive-defensive.

He slammed his left hand in an invisible table right in front of him and a layer of Tidal Wave erupted in his right flank, followed by an Earth Wall above and a Binding Spell on his left.

And right then, Hossain swung the Blood Sword on his left hand in a 18 swing behind him.

Halfway through it, Hossain met Siva's rising attack.

Both of them were startled but it was Hossain who felt the rattling impact of that clash between them.

His right hand flung up, numb, seemingly broken, as Hossain's fury boiled to another level as his pride and fear mixed into a fit of madness, using the last large bit of his Mana Pool to a Tier-5 spell to protect himself.

Another Barrier Magic rose underneath the one on the verge of being broken.

Only a few seconds passed.

Hossain panted and drank a Blue Potion to recover a bit of Mana. Of course Siva wouldn't let his hard-earned chance to quickly end this battle to go into the drain as his panting image —afterimage— was gone at the next instant before Hossain could even cast another insta-spell on his arsenal.

"AAAAAHHH!!"

Hossain was going crazy. His anger boiled at the fact that despite his sacrifice and status, he was yet to land a decent attack.

It was here that the last bits of bombardment fires from Siva's ammunitions started again and Hossain was put to the last bits of his wits trying to counter cast spell to minimize the damage to his shield.

Now that it was focused on him alone, the endless explosions of the bombardment fires and Lightning Bombs rattled Hossain's senses with the noise and the smokes, and so masked the direction where he was coming as he sent the BMA to add more pressure to his crumbling defenses.

"SIIIIVVVVAAAAAAAAA!!"

Hossain roared from both fear and anger. He was beginning to panic.

The attacks came from all six directions. And from the diagonal directions, he and the BMA attacked in random timings where Hossain had just turned his head to look alongside verbal provocations.

If there was a name for this attack tactic, that would be [Omni Slash] —the slash was universal. It can be any type of attack.

(AN: LOL. I just had to put it there.)

Only a few seconds and Hossain and Siva already spent a good amount of Mana and ammunitions respectively. It left the Acolytes jaw-dropped and forgot that they were fighting Siva with their lives on the line.

And since it was already embedded in their minds that they can't teleport from here, almost none of them every pulled out their T-Devices and fled. Of course, those who luckily escaped the hell already reported what was happening to the Popes. But by the time they could get in help, news of this attack would have already been sent to the Terrans and the Seven Dragon Clans and their plan spoiled. It was a lost cause for Hossain and the rest.

They can't even contact Bishop Morris. This plan, in its entirety, was actually a complete disaster.

"Siva! Come and fight me!"

"Are you stupid?"

The voice came from behind him and Siva brought upon him a slash followed by the crashing of the Barrier Magic.

Hossain's face twisted in fear and anger yet again as he saw the faceless-masked Siva not go for one of his teleporting again and instead pressed on for the final attack.

Hossain's ugly face morphed into a sinister grin.

"Got you."

CLAP!!

A Magic Circle appeared in front of Siva.

Hossain didn't retreat and instead punched out a lousy-stance with his left fist.

But the stance wasn't important. It is only an end-gesture to complete the 'chant' for the spell and as it was made, the Magic Circle in front of Siva cast out a trunk-fist.

"Haaaaaaaah!" Hossain roared and followed it with attacks from the blood sword. Then he followed it again with another... and another.... and another, like a frenzied soldier experiencing diarrhea.

Hossain spent all his Mana and just as he raised his hand to drink a vial of Blue Potion, he felt a bit of pain from his chin as his vision went up, or in this case, rolled up.

—huh?

His body went numb and shaking.

—what's going on?

There was the sound of electricity followed by the sound of 'thud' and 'poof' as he felt his body being rocked by something small continuously.

Punch after punch, kick after kick were delivered, Hossain was a punching bag receiving punishment from Siva.

And then he felt the pain last as there was a sound of a punch that made his body go C-shaped thus he met the faceless mask of Siva in an [Arrow Fist Stance] —a karate move... in midair!

He was blasted forth by the force of the punch as his vision returned in front of him and so he finally saw that face.

"You're alive...?"

He was sure he saw him being smashed and diced by his attacks earlier so how is this possible?!!

Just as Hossain was about to be blown further away by the last attack, the BMA caught his neck from the back and nullified the force along with his painful groan.

Siva blinked again and came in front of Hossain.

The BMA was behind Hossain and held him on the neck, ordering the Mini Realms outside the city to release the Space-locking Pillars to lock space in this region to prevent anyone escaping.

None of these people will escape here alive.

Siva laughed mockingly, "I only changed the timing of the short-distance teleportation. For people like you who were lost in the craziness of battle and in the bloodlust from rage, it would be easy for me to control your thoughts with simple programming."

Hossain wasn't stupid. He was also a man of the battlefield and understood the simple yet crucial trick in how he was defeated.

Thought Programming... or in other words was the art of Suggestive Hypnotism.

It was simple to do but very effective if completed.

Siva had been ambushing him with quick blinks and it was so perfectly done, alongside his anger from being verbally provoked on each attack that he had gotten used to the timing of his attacks earlier. So when he saw Siva not teleporting away immediately right after his attack, he thought then to implement his short-made plan—

—leading to this situation.

The [Killing Zone] erupted once again and Siva's left hand threw in a Spark Grenade to stun him.

"Guh!" there was a slight pain but he was alive.

Since he had just received an air combo from Siva via a surprise uppercut that briefly disconnected all his nerves from his body, paired with this grenade, there was no reason he wouldn't be stunned when his "Durability" had just received extreme damage.

Hossain could only talk now.

"Chu!" He spat a blood saliva on Siva's mask and laughed disdainfully, "Hehehe... a lowly Terran like you dares to antagonize the Pope. You will regret all of your actions today, Siva!"

"Where is he?" Siva disregarded the threat and just asked the reason why Hossain was still alive. "If you ask me, I will release you."

Hossain paused and then laughed. "Are you taking me for a fool?"

"We can sign a contract."

As soon as he spoke, Siva pulled out a contract and showed the 'promise' contents on it to Hossain who showed a surprised look and laughed again.

"Hahaha... Siva, oh Siva, oh Siva... so you were indeed connected to that ki—GRRRRGH!!"

The BMA tightened the grip on his neck as he both choked and felt the pain at the same time.

"Do you want to live or not?"

The BMA's hand slightly loosened and Hossain chased his breath and panted. Siva then released a few tiny parts of BMA and Hossain became like a crucified man on an invisible cross. The BMA was behind him.

A cold metallic hand touched his left arm and there was a sense of dread as Hossain felt that the BMA had just grabbed his arm in a death grip.

"Each time you don't answer me, I break one limb."

Hossain felt scared now. This is torture.

At this point in time, Hossain roared, "Attack him!"

Siva bellowed, "If you move one step away from your location, I will kill you all before I kill him. I am currently giving you all a chance to live and only he can decide if all of you will live or not."

These guys weren't stupid. They all were traitors in the Terrans and they have their own share of their own espionage missions.

It was easy for them to know why Hossain was still alive right now.

Besides, what Siva was holding is a contract. Is he trying to make a 'vow' with the Cardinal?

This action told them that Siva seemed to only want information. They have a chance to get out of here alive so none of them moved. After all, traitors like them have a huge sense of survivability and fears death more than anything else.

Siva was a monster. If they have a chance to live in this situation, they'd even lick his d*** just to prove that they are willing to survive.

It was the gutless, dishonorable, and opprobrious bunches like these that would always choose to be able to live than talk about honor and loyalty.

"These bastards..."

"It's part of the contract. Look." Siva pushed the Contract Paper on his face. "Let's make the vow and whoever dishonors it will die."

As the conditions to fulfill the [Heavenly Oats] are not available to NPC since they don't have a God, or someone with a [Unique Ability] (Primordial God-level soul/avatar), they are naturally ignorant of the existence of this higher-level promise between the Gods and Immortals.

Hossain read the contents and sure enough, if he told Siva the information regarding the kid they've once seen in The Union from their spies' reports, they would be released of his clutches.

"If you tell me where he is, I will set you free."

Hossain's tight hand moved on its own and it's only then he discovered that there are tiny somethings on his arm and fingers.

Siva already signed the contract and so it was only missing Hossain's Mana Signature along with the [Unbreakable Vow Spell Ceremony] to complete.

Siva's hand shook Hossain's and made the first vow to him, "I swear upon this contract that if the following conditions are met and completed yet I renege on the conditions stated, I will be struck by heavenly lightning or burnt by hellfire until death."

A harsh punishment but it was the vow.

Siva knocked his head at Hossain, "Your turn."

Hossain, having no choice and could only talk right now, had the light of hope to live alive and so said the necessary words as he signed the contract with a strand of his Mana.

A [lock] appeared between them and a bluish-gold strand of Mana-knot appeared to connect through their hand and into the [lock] above their hands.

Now, the contract is sealed and the vow complete.

Siva released the hand and the [lock] disappeared.

It was then time to complete the conditions.

"Tell me everything you know about him." Siva was really talking agitatedly and Hossain became aware that the kid was really an important weakness of him so he took note of it for his future revenge.

He would make sure that Siva will suffer. He will make sure that the kid will be abducted and used to torture Siva!

Yet right now, he was obliged to tell him everything he knew about that kid.

"It was after the attack in Alexandria. Jack, a newly recruited agent of The Union Council of Elders, came with the kid you're looking for. But at first, we didn't know it was connected to you since only at the time when the Enchantment Temple requested for the specific search for the kid did we connect the dots to your connection with him. After all, you did make a mark for that mask in your face back in Alexandria when you appeared in Aarun. Heh. We have our eyes and ears everywhere!"

"I don't care about those craps. Where is he?" Siva was beginning to grow impatient.

"Where else!" Hossain sneered, "In the Walled City of Dakar in the Continent of Espada. According to our Intel, there was a large chance that he's in the very heart of the city, in the Council Headquarters' inner barracks meant only for High-Rank guys of their organization. We can't get close to that place since only Immortals are allowed there."

"Then how did you know he was there?"

"Hasn't Grand Elder Mage Pistareen explained to you how their Search Magic works? The moment it was used in the Enchantment Temples in Dakar, it was already known to us."

At this point, Hossain laughed contemptuously at Siva, "And to tell you one bit... we control Dakar's Enchantment Temples for over three years now."

Siva's arm shot forth with Lancet Imperious but just as it was raised to pierce his throat, Hossain made a loud cackle at him. Siva stopped.

"The vow... the vow.... hahaha..."

Siva's hand paused and he spoke in a low tone.

"You're right. We did made a vow. So just like what was in the contract, I'm releasing you now."

Since they were running out of time because the Soul Puppet Spell Ceremony was about to finish, Siva had no more time to further squeeze out all of the information regarding Baron out of this guy.

And since he also had to fight with all his might out there, he also can't leave this guy with the parts of the BMA.

Siva turned to glance over the Acolytes and then back to Hossain, "I am now releasing you."

The BMA's hand and parts let go of Hossain as he regained freedom. The stun effects only last ten seconds and it has already been almost a minute.

"You're already released."

Hossain massaged his arm but his gaze never got out of Siva's faceless mask.

Just to make sure, he also re-released the Space-locking Pillars and fully declared that Hossain and his cohorts had already been released.

Hossain didn't trust Siva and so he pulled out a vial of Blue Potion to drink —or attempted to— before he noticed that the BMA was still behind him.

"What are you..."

Then he froze. It's a trap! But it was too late for him to do something even as he realized.

Just as the vial actually touched his lips, just as he was about to further back away and retreats, the BMA reached out its hand and crushed his neck.

A bowel-inverting snapping sound rung and Siva put Hossain's corpse back to his inventory along with the over twenty plus talismans for the Blood Magic Art, as he glanced over at the confirmation of his Loot Inventory registering his looted goods.

"I only said I would release you." He indifferently said, "Now then..." As Siva's voice echoed in the cave, he slowly turned to face the Acolytes. "...how about I ask you some questions?"

The Space-locking Pillars appeared above the city and locked space, then Siva blinked and started his kill-terrogation on how these guys are flying even without the aid of Flight Gears until his state had ran out... before heading towards the direction of the area near the entrance to this magma cave.

*****

Siva can travel around 150m or so every second through the blink ability of the Mini Realm and so it took him a good minute before he reached the area where the battle of the Vajras against the Fire Dragons had already on its crescendo.

[Well, isn't this place brutal?]

Siva had no say to that comment.

In this location, the Dragonkins with Fire-attributed bloodline that had successfully become Elemental Dragons through the path of evolution was already reduced to half their numbers but all the same, the Vajras was already down to 20+ people.

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