After staring at each other for a moment, David was ultimately the first to speak, breaking the suffocating silence.
His voice carried a trace of indescribable exhaustion and confusion:
"Why? Sage... why did you do this?"
The man known as Sage slowly raised his head.
His face was unexpectedly calm, even carrying a faint detachment, as though he had seen through all the ways of the world.
He looked calmly at David. "Actually, from the very beginning, I never admitted defeat."
"It's just that I also knew very well that, with the rational way you Wizards operate, Eloria's civilians truly would live better lives after being occupied by you. And I also admit that I had no power to stop your invasion."
"But..." His voice suddenly became low and resolute. "My dignity would not allow me to simply admit defeat! So, after I confirmed that every surviving remnant of the Eloria Plane had been thoroughly transformed by you into people of the Wizard World... I could finally begin my revenge!"
"However, I also know very well that with my current strength alone, I am simply not qualified to inflict any substantial harm upon Wizards like you." A flash of self-mockery passed through Sage's eyes. "So, I needed to... borrow an 'external force'!"
The moment he finished speaking, a blood-red glow that made hearts quail slowly lit up across the ground beneath Sage's feet!
Countless complex and sinister runes spread out from beneath his feet like living creatures.
The light continued spreading in every direction, growing faster and faster, until it finally formed an incomparably enormous blood-colored magic array that covered the entire island!
"Ha ha ha ha!"
At this moment, Sage's expression finally became slightly crazed!
He spread his arms as though embracing his victory and roared triumphantly at David