Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

Lucas moved swiftly, dragging the unconscious man toward a more visible spot. With a smirk tugging at his lips, he unsheathed the sword from the man's waist, carefully placing it in the limp hand and positioning the blade dangerously close to his own neck.

"Now for the finishing touch," Lucas whispered, his face shifting from its usual calculating expression into that of a terrified, helpless child. He forced his body to tremble slightly, making his fear look all too real.

[You're really going all out with this pathetic act, aren't you?] the system chimed in, its voice dripping with mockery. [I almost feel sorry for the guy. Almost.]

"Shut up," Lucas muttered internally, suppressing a grin. He took a deep breath and then, with practiced skill, let out a loud, panicked scream.

"HELP! LUCY!" His voice quivered, sounding every bit the frightened younger brother.

The piercing cry shattered the tense atmosphere of the battlefield. Caius, Varyn, and their allies flinched, their focus immediately snapping toward Lucas. Lucy, mid-battle, turned sharply, her eyes widening in alarm as her brother's voice echoed through the air.

Even the unconscious man stirred, the sudden noise shocking him awake. His eyes fluttered open, confused and disoriented, as though he had forgotten everything from the moment he passed out. He blinked several times, struggling to piece together what had happened.

The system let out a mocking laugh. [Look at him! Waking up to find his so-called 'hostage' already caught. This is priceless!]

The man's expression slowly morphed from confusion to realization as he noticed Lucas in his grasp, the sword pressed close to the boy's neck.

His lips twisted into a smirk, quickly deciding to go along with what seemed like a stroke of luck. "I-I've got him, boss!" he shouted, his voice hoarse but triumphant. "Her brother's mine! Now she has no choice!"

[Wow. He actually thinks this is his plan. Hilarious.] The system cackled. [You could win an award for this performance. Too bad there's no audience besides a bunch of idiots.]

"Oh, they'll get their show," Lucas thought with amusement, never breaking character as he allowed his body to shake even more, tears welling up in his eyes for dramatic effect.

Caius, who had been observing the battle with keen interest, couldn't help but smirk as the situation turned in his favor.

His eyes gleamed with a cruel satisfaction as he saw one of his men holding Lucas with a sword at the boy's throat. Seizing the moment, he called out, his voice dripping with malice. "Good job!"

The others turned toward Caius, their expressions relieved as they thought they had gained the upper hand.

Caius, reveling in the shift, locked his gaze onto Lucy, his tone becoming even more menacing. "Now that I have your precious brother, you'd better start behaving. One wrong move, and he pays the price."

His voice was thick with confidence, each word a threat as his smirk deepened. He stepped forward slightly, his posture exuding authority, as though he had already won. "If you value his life, you'll listen to what I have to say," he continued, his tone arrogant, fully expecting Lucy to submit.

But Lucy didn't react immediately. The fierce, explosive energy she had displayed just moments ago was now replaced by an eerie stillness.

Her fiery, volcanic aura, which had been burning brightly during the battle, seemed to simmer, retreating into a dangerous calm. Slowly, her gaze shifted toward the man holding Lucas. Her eyes narrowed, the intensity in them growing darker with each passing second.

A chilling silence settled over the battlefield.

Lucas, sensing the change in his sister, remained perfectly still, his eyes flicking from the man holding him to Lucy. Here we go, he thought, a mix of anticipation and amusement flickering in his eyes, though his face remained the picture of terror.

Caius, oblivious to the storm brewing, continued his taunts. "What will it be, Lucy? Give up now, or watch your little brother bleed." His voice was cold, filled with the self-assurance that came from believing he was in control.

But Lucy said nothing, her silence far more terrifying than any outburst. The air around her seemed to grow heavier, as if the very atmosphere itself was recoiling from the sheer force of her suppressed rage.

Her voice, when it finally came, was low and guttural, barely more than a growl. "How dare you…"

The words were soft, but the weight behind them sent a chill down Caius's spine. His arrogant smirk faltered as he felt a creeping sense of dread crawl up his back.

The others, too, shifted nervously, their confidence suddenly shaken. Even the man holding Lucas swallowed hard, feeling the sudden shift in the air but too afraid to let go of his supposed hostage.

The wind, which had been gusting wildly just moments before, stilled completely. It was as though the very elements around them were holding their breath, terrified of what was coming next.

The heat radiating from Lucy's volcanic aura intensified, though it was no longer the kind of heat that burned. It was suffocating, oppressive, like the calm before a volcanic eruption.

Caius's confidence began to crack, though he tried to maintain his composure. "I... I have your brother!" he stammered, his voice losing some of its bravado. "You don't want to make things worse, Lucy."

Lucy's gaze bore into him, her eyes now filled with raw, unfiltered fury. The molten heat within her simmered beneath the surface, threatening to explode at any moment. "You dare... threaten my brother?"

Her voice was a deadly whisper, filled with such venom that even Caius felt his body involuntarily tense. The others, who had once been so eager to fight, now found themselves rooted in place, uncertain of whether to continue their attack or flee.

For a brief, agonizing moment, the battlefield was frozen. All eyes were on Lucy, the predator who had just been unleashed. And in that silence, Caius and his men realized the truth: they had made a grave mistake.