CHAPTER 291: CHAPTER 291- JUSTICE

She closed her eyes, her hands rising as she began to focus her power. A soft, golden light emanated from her, and across the citadel, and beyond, in every survivor branded with the Mark of Scales, the shimmering symbol on their skin began to flicker, weaken, and fade.

Outside the throne room, chaos erupted.

Confusion reigned first. Soldiers looked at their hands, then at each other, their faces a canvas of bewilderment. Then came the cacophony of mixed feelings—liberation for some, sheer panic for others who had built their entire identity around the Order.

"It’s gone... the Mark is gone!"

"What do we do now?What’s happening?"

"Heikal...where is Leader Heikal?"

The fragile discipline snapped. A scuffle broke out near the entrance hall. A man who had always secretly resented the control threw a punch at a fervent loyalist who was screaming about treachery. The sound of clashing metal and angry shouts began to echo through the corridors.

The New Order was turning on itself.

Inside the throne room, Zoe’s ears twitched, and her beast-like instincts picked up the discord immediately. "They’re turning on each other out there," she reported, her voice flat but her eyes alert. "The pack is fighting itself."

Rei, her face pale and streaked with tears of anguish and exhaustion, snapped her gaze back to Julian. "I’ve done it! I’ve fulfilled your demand! Now release him! Let Leader Heikal go!"

Julian, however, didn’t even glance at her. His cold, calculating eyes were fixed on the nullifier cuffs clamped around Heikal’s wrists. A profound curiosity burned within them.

"These cuffs are fascinating," Julian mused, completely ignoring Rei’s demand. "A technology or perhaps an art that can completely seal away a person’s skills. I’ve never encountered anything like it. I want to know everything about them. The principle, the creator, the materials used. Explain it to me. Now."

Heikal, despite his humiliating position, let out a low, disdainful laugh. "You think I would ever tell you? I would rather die than divulge the secrets of the New Order to a terrorist like you. All of you, silence! Not a word!" he commanded his subordinates, his pride flaring one last time.

Julian’s grip tightened. The air around him crackled with latent power as he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "Do you truly believe you are in a position to make such noble declarations? Your death is the simplest outcome. But have you considered the alternatives? I could keep you alive, trapped in these very cuffs, and make you watch as I... extract the information from your subordinates, one by one. I have methods to make even the strongest wills break. How long do you think Valeria or Gab would last? Or perhaps the child?"

The color drained from Heikal’s face. The threat was no longer just against him, but against his people.

"YOU LIAR!" Rei screamed, her voice cracking. "I did what you asked! I freed them all! NOW LET HIM GO!"

Julian finally turned his head to look at her, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk playing on his lips. "Who said anything about letting him go?"

The finality in his voice was absolute. He had gotten what he wanted, and the negotiator was no longer negotiating. He raised his free hand, dark energy swirling around his palm, coalescing into a vortex of pure destructive force aimed directly at Heikal’s head. The intent to kill was unmistakable.

"NO!"

"STOP!"

"LIAR!"

Panic erupted from Gab, Valeria, and the others. They surged forward, but Celestia and Zoe immediately shifted into defensive stances, ready to meet them.

It was then that the sleepy boy, Finn, who had been watching everything with those wide, tired eyes, moved. He didn’t rush forward or shout. He simply reached into his pajama pocket, pulled out a small, disc-like device, and casually tossed it onto the floor in the center of the room.

It landed with a soft clink.

A pulse of transparent, wave-like energy exploded outwards from the device, washing over everyone in an instant. It didn’t hurt, but a strange, nullifying sensation swept through them. Julian’s swirling dark energy winked out of existence.

The subtle hum of Celestia’s silver threads, the primal aura around Zoe, the enhanced perception of Westin every skill in the room was suddenly, utterly suppressed.

Finn looked up at Julian, his childish voice clear and calm amidst the stunned silence.

"The area nullifier is finally active," he said, stating a simple fact.

Celestia immediately closed the distance to Julian, her movements now purely physical but no less precise. Dori hovered nervously behind her, while Zoe positioned herself as a wary, instinct-driven shield, her body coiled like a spring even without her Beast skill.

"Julian," Celestia said, her voice low and analytical. "This entire area has been neutralized. We’re operating on pure physical capability now. We must be cautious."

From the New Order’s side, a wave of relieved praise washed over Finn.

"Finn, you genius!"

"You saved us,kid! I’ll get you all the candy you can eat after this!" Gab roared, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.

Finn, looking even more tired than usual, simply sighed. "Be quiet."

’The effect will last a maximum of ten minutes. The energy gathered wasn’t enough. The nullifier consumes a Zombie Core and needs a cooldown to reach maximum output. But in these ten minutes, we can fight back. We outnumber them here, and it’s just a battle of bodies now. We can win.’

Aloud, the boy pointed at Julian’s group. "You should surrender. You can’t escape the nullification zone. This room is neutralized."

Heikal, who had been hanging limply in Julian’s grip, slowly raised his head. A smirk, born of resurgent hope, touched his lips. "It seems... fortune is still on my side after all."

Julian’s expression didn’t change. He adjusted his grip on Heikal, his voice cold and steady. "A pointless effort. Your leader is still my prisoner. That is the only variable that matters."

His words were a signal.

With a guttural roar, Gab, no longer reliant on his earth manipulation, charged forward using his raw, brute strength. Rork, the beast-man, followed suit with a predatory snarl, his muscles bulging. It was a direct, physical assault.

Julian, still holding Heikal, was forced to evade. Celestia and Zoe moved to intercept, their martial skills clashing against the raw power of their opponents. But without their supernatural abilities, they were quickly overwhelmed by the numbers. Gab broke through their defensive line, his massive fist aiming directly for Julian.

Seeing an opening, Rei, her eyes burning with desperation, didn’t attack Julian. Instead, she lunged at Heikal, grabbing his arm and yanking him back with all her might. "I won’t let you!" she cried out.

The combined force of Gab’s charge and Rei’s pull tore Heikal from Julian’s grasp.

Stumbling back a few steps, Heikal caught his balance. He looked down at the nullifier cuffs on his wrists, then back at Julian, a wide, triumphant smile spreading across his face. He raised his hands.

"Did you truly believe you could hold me? That your underhanded tactics could prevail?" he declared, his voice ringing with restored authority. "This is the true order of the world. This is justice."

With a sharp, metallic click, the nullifier cuffs unlocked and fell to the floor.

"And justice, always wins."