In tandem with the vertical swing that cleaved the air, the tip of General Vincent's spear unleashed a massive wave of lightning that had previously been concentrated into a single point.
The lethal wave of energy condensed extremely, ripping apart the surrounding air molecules and manifesting into a colossal projectile resembling a blue comet of lightning.
The energy comet plummeted downward at the speed of light, trailing an incredibly long, blinding tail of static electricity. Its brilliant light pierced even through the gaps of the earthen pillars caging them.
The deadly projectile crashed directly near the triangle formation fiercely defended by Idai, York, and Arman.
In the fraction of a millisecond that the tip of the comet struck the floor, a supernova explosion occurred. The blast formed a gigantic dome filled with immensely high-voltage electrical energy that was highly destructive and lethal.
"AAAAHHHHH....!!!!!!!"
The screams of the three adventurers erupted in the very first second of the explosion. However, the cries of despair lasted only a moment before they were entirely replaced by a deafening, high-frequency hum.
Inside the blinding dome of lightning, Idai, York, and Arman were battered by millions of waves of piercing micro-lightning. The deadly current pierced York's shield, tore through Idai's crimson aura, and obliterated the defenses of Arman's steel body at a cellular level.
Their bodies were mercilessly destroyed from the outside and the inside simultaneously.
Within the span of twenty seconds, the intensity of the light from the lightning dome began to dim and shrink.
By the time the dome vanished completely, the aftermath of the 'Extinction Spear' attack looked truly terrifying.
The guild's wooden floor had melted entirely, leaving behind a fairly deep, circular crater. Blue flashes of micro-lightning still crackled and arced repeatedly within the crater.
Of the three Rank S adventurers who had previously stood there brimming with arrogance, not a single one remained. The bodies of the three men left no remains behind. Their armor, weapons, bones, and even their blood had vaporized and vanished without a trace after being subjected to the destructive force of the attack.
At one end of the Earth Cage, Vincent, whose feet had touched back down on the floor, immediately lowered his spear and took a deep breath to neutralize the residual ions around his body.
He stared flatly at the smoking crater where the three adventurers had previously stood.
"That is what happens when I use the ultimate move of my [Flash Spear] blessing." the General stated in a straightforward, heavy tone, breaking the silence inside the cage. "If this isolation cage wasn't here, and I couldn't focus the epicenter of my destructive power... not only would this guild be reduced to ruins, but half of this city would also vanish without a trace from my attack."
Outside the Earth Cage, all the adventurers and guild staff in the lobby stood frozen in dead silence after seeing what their eyes had just witnessed.
The power of an Imperial General, capable of obliterating a Rank S party, to the point where the bodies of the three men left absolutely no remains, had instilled a profound sense of fear and respect. In their eyes, the strength of the Erthland Empire's military pillar truly existed on a terrifying dimension.
"W-Was the General deliberately holding back and letting himself be attacked this whole time so his strikes wouldn't destroy this guild?" an adventurer whispered, his voice trembling with horror.
"It seems that way." his comrade answered, his face deathly pale. "I can't imagine the disaster that would have occurred if their battle zone hadn't been isolated with earth magic by that elven general."
"His strength is truly insane and terrifying!"
Seeing that the three primary targets had been eradicated, Aesta immediately deactivated her Earth Cage magic.
With one slow wave of her magic staff, all the giant earthen pillars that had previously caged Vincent began to shrink. The earth moved like liquid, neatly fusing back with the guild's floor surface.
It didn't stop there. The cracks caused by the manifestation of the Earth Cage magic, as well as the crater created by Vincent's ultimate attack, began to shift and close.
In a matter of seconds, the floor was patched up and leveled once more using the elven woman's earth manipulation magic, leaving the area flat again, even though the original materials could not be restored.
Once the floor was evened out, Vincent walked tall and approached Elara. As soon as he arrived directly in front of the Emperor, he placed his right hand over his chest and bowed in a perfect military salute.
"I have completed the task and your orders to eliminate those three men, Your Majesty!" Vincent reported straightforwardly.
"Excellent work, General Vincent!" Elara praised proudly.
The Emperor then turned her head, shifting her gaze to the elven woman standing to her left.
"General Aesta!" Elara called out in a more authoritative tone. "Issue an announcement across the entire city using your wind magic! Order the innocent people who are currently bound by anti-mana and magic handcuffs to immediately head to this Adventurer's Guild! Order several of the soldiers out on the streets to secure and escort them here as well!"
Hearing the direct command from her ruler, Aesta's relaxed expression instantly turned serious. The elven woman pivoted to face the Emperor, then bowed in a formal salute.
"I will carry out your orders immediately, Your Majesty."
Aesta then turned around and walked gracefully past the adventurers. She walked out through the guild doors, intending to broadcast the announcement using wind magic so her voice could reach every corner of Gias City without exception.
Upon reaching the open area in front of the guild building, Aesta closed her eyes for a moment. She focused her mind and activated her wind element magic to execute the task ordered of her.
"Attention to all citizens and imperial forces! I am Aesta Fartwood, one of the three Magic Corps Generals of the Erthland Empire!"
The words spoken by the elven woman shot forth, carried by a wave of wind, spreading evenly across the entirety of Gias City like an echo from the sky.
Everyone within the Gias City area could hear what she said with crystal clarity.
The residents who heard the announcement spontaneously tilted their heads up, even as in the street corners, the imperial soldiers continued to move, hunting down and executing many traitors with yellow and black auras around them.
"Her Majesty the Emperor has issued a command! To anyone who is currently still bound by anti-mana and magic handcuffs by those slave-trading syndicates, proceed immediately to the Adventurer's Guild this very instant!" Aesta continued her announcement, her voice echoing with commanding authority. "And to the imperial soldiers currently on duty in the field! The Emperor has ordered several of you to immediately escort these victims to the guild! Remember this order well! Do not commit even the slightest negligence in escorting and protecting their lives!"
Hearing the contents of the announcement, the gripping silence that had blanketed the residents of Gias City instantly shattered, replaced by a massive uproar.
Many citizens covered their mouths with their hands, shocked beyond belief. Not a single one of them had ever suspected that the kidnapped people would be treated so cruelly, to the point of being bound with anti-mana and magic handcuffs.
Everyone born in this world naturally possessed mana within their bodies. That mana was just like blood, something incredibly vital that sustained the lives of all living beings.
Anti-mana and magic handcuffs were not mere restraints. The device constantly siphoned and obstructed the circulation of life energy. Anyone bound by that object would automatically feel incredibly weak, paralyzed, suffer prolonged pain, and even pass out due to the exhaustion of their continuously drained mana.
Learning the fact that the kidnapped victims had been tortured with such devices to break their resistance before being sold as slaves, the anger of Gias City's residents instantly boiled over.
To them, the actions committed by those syndicates were a form of crime that was incredibly barbaric and inhumane.