The Devil's Cage

Braid was stunned when he saw what "Kieran" was signaling with his mouth.

Just as Braid was caught in his own absent-minded state, "Kieran" poofed into nothing, disappearing from the black shackles.

Maybe Braid was different from the common mystics in certain aspects but his strength was legit, otherwise, he wouldn’t be there handling all the operations and plans.

Just when "Kieran" went poof, Braid didn’t turn around nor look elsewhere but instead, he jumped up to the sacrificial platform

Fuuu!

The black rubbery liquid gushed out from his back, like an underground water pipe bursting and enveloped "Kieran" who appeared behind him again.

Different from the shackles before, the black rubbery liquid had strong corrosive elements this time around, when it was splashed on "Kieran"’s body, it turned him into a black skinned, red-eyed skull within a breath.

However, the red-eyed skull figure revealed itself as the high demon, Bloody Mary! It touched the strong corrosive rubbery goo and its skull face revealed a sneering smile.

"Demon!" Braid’s fanatic voice roared at it and his other cold voice declared, "You will die!"

However, Blood Mary replied with more sneering and mocking, it raised its hand and pointed at the surroundings.

The dense black energy was rumbling and boiling. The negative energy that blocked the sunlight and corroded life energy started to swirl up.

The whirlpool started to take shape on the ground one after another and quickly gathered into a storm. A storm which consisted of purely negative energy rose up high from the ground.

The souls of the dead wailed and the demons and evil spirits roared

Death was like a shadow, trailing behind all life in that area, killing all survivors.

"A mere high demon dares to frighten me? Do you know it is I who built this stage? How would I not know what is going on around here?" Braid’s fanatic voice sounded, his cold side didn’t say anything though, as if he was too disdainful to speak.

Though someone did speak and it was not just a single person.

"Frighten you? You Goddamn bastard, who do you think you are talking to?"

"Is it really necessary? It’s tiring..."

"Doesn’t seem delicious at all!"

"Too bad this baldy look hideous!"

"I like his coat, I want it!"

"Why couldn’t I have such a sacrificial platform for myself?"

"Humph!"

Each line came from a different person and they started to reveal themselves amidst the negative energy storm.

As each of them revealed themselves, the negative energy around Ciaran City was weakened by a certain amount. It didn’t disperse but accumulated again to form a denser energy clump.

The negative energy flowed like water being swallowed by a whale, all the energy within Ciaran City and the outskirts were gathered to the city center, or more precisely, gathering around the seven "people".

The storm grew violent, black lightning shattered the sky and shook the land.

The sky was corrupted, robbing away its light, so was the land, robbing away its life energy.

The black negative energy was in a more vicious, violent state than before, plundering any life in its path.

But...

The seven people standing in the eye of the storm felt comfortable like never before. The storm that was ravaging outside was mild and tender to the people inside as if it was swirling around its masters like a slave.

The negative energy storm was tributing itself selflessly, it turned itself into the nutrients to nourish the most wicked cardinal sins that ever walked the earth.

Everything happening was an act of nature, obeying the natural laws.

The seven figures had seven identical faces, the seven of them looked like Kieran but had seven different auras respectively.

Amidst the negative energy storm, they stared at Braid.

The demonic aura plus the gazes from the cardinal sins.

A moment before this, Braid was still acting arrogantly, clamoring like never before but a moment later, he froze on the spot as if his body was physically frozen.

The coldness started from Braid’s heart as if it could seep into the deepest part of his soul and it spread throughout every inch of his body until his soul was completely frozen.

The high demon, Bloody Mary laughed.

It acted as a polite performer, bowed down and thanked the audience that saw her magnificent act. After that, it disappeared into nothing as its task has completed.

The stage was passed to the other seven, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride.

The seven cardinal sins were wreaking havoc over the place with their thoughts and it was natural that the Old Southern country mystical members had become their targets.

Lust was softly smiling happily, trying to look for a handsome beautiful target.

Greed and Envy were agitating the target’s deepest desires, trying to pick their obsessiveness.

Wrath struck when its targets were weak, taking advantage of the moment.

Gluttony was working with Sloth, all their targets were forced to forget everything and soon, all they knew was to eat and sleep.

Though the members of the Old Southern mystical did not notice the abnormalities that happened to their bodies, they assumed that it was the things they should go after.

The dogmas of their societies faded quickly from their mind, all they could do was give in to their instinctive desires.

They cheered, scream, wailed.

Their lives were fading fast and welcomed death in their own ways.

"An... Ancestors of Spirits!" Braid spilled the term out in a difficult tone, not this fanatic voice nor his cold voice but the real voice that belonged to himself.

It has been a while since he spoke with his own voice. The reason was by nature and also by the faction he followed. The path Braid had chosen caused him to lose his true self.

Although he had high chances to achieve great achievements that no one in his factions could, the scene before his eyes told him clearly that everything was finished!

Not only the plans they plotted for years but also his ambitions, his plans fell a step short following the appearance of the Ancestors of Spirits.

"Barry! That damned bastard! You will die a horrible death! And you all! Even if you are the Ancestors of Spirits, nothing will change!"

Braid spoke with his fanatic, cold and true voice together, all the voices sounded in unison when the words escaped his mouth.

Then...

Kapuush!

The scarred bald head of his exploded all of a sudden.

Two gemstones with two different unusual glimmer flew out of Braid’s brains.

Pak!

The gemstones that flew out exploded as well as soon as it came in contact with the air.

Braid who had just lost his brain also lost his body right after the gemstones exploded, his body vanished into nothing. Not only his body but his belongings disappeared without a trace as well.

Though, back at the walls of Ciaran Central Bank, or more precisely the wall of the once temple, the paintings of the Gods started to glimmer with light different from the mortal realm.

Each of the paintings lit up and dimmed away one after another.

In the end, the only intact painting was lit up completely.

The divine figure inside the painting came alive!

It had the head of a man, a lion, and a snake, holding a scale on one hand and a spear on the other, it then slowly walked out of the painting.

Its body was illusory, nothing close to the real world just like the white scarf that covered the man’s eye.

"Judgement!"

The phantasmal figure cried loudly.

The man, lion, and snakehead roared at the sky together, giving out a deafening roar throughout the premise.

But a moment later, the deafening roar was overpowered.

KABOOOOOOM!

A blazing figure plummeted down with great speed like a falling comet.

Its fiery greatsword was swung down directly, at the heads of the phantasmal divine figure!