In an instant, every survivor shot to their feet, including those who were genuinely injured. Some were even out of it, their heads still in a daze from the oppression of Ryuga, but so long as they had heard those resounding words from Finn, they immediately stood up without hesitation.

Only about thirty percent of the Ossuarists were left standing, the rest had died either during the initial battle itself, the abomination’s rampage, its battle with Syf, or the last attack from Ryuga. For those who had perished in the final moments, their ends were a chaotic mixture of those forces.

Finn observed the carnage without batting an eye. There was no remorse or guilt to be found anywhere in his expression at all. This was a battle, and casualties were par for the course. In fact, even if there had been no survivors, he wouldn’t have been bothered either because these were the same people who had decided to use his friends as hostages.

Of course, the lower level Ossuarists — the Caretakers that made up the majority of the Sanctum’s battle force during the fight, weren’t the ones making the decision overall. But still, it didn’t matter.

Finn turned his head slowly and looked at a spot in the distance where a man was struggling visibly to get on his feet. His entire left side had been charred black, likely from Ryuga’s blast. Though the fact that he was still alive meant he had been well away from the path of the beam. He had likely only been seared by the outward radiation of the heat Ryuga’s black flame emanated.

It was easily evident in how he’d been burned. The side that had been closer to the radiation was entirely charred, and it got progressively less gruesome the further away from his right side it was.

The man met Finn’s gaze across the distance with his single good eye, and there was still a visible fear in it. Despite being in a daze of agony, he still felt enough fear to want to stand anyway.

Finn looked on at the man’s suffering blankly, then suddenly, from the man’s point of view, the man felt life begin to slip out of him slowly. The agony retreated entirely, as if the plug connecting his brain to his pain receptors had been pulled. There was a heavy sense of disconnect... a kind of out of body experience as his life slipped out of him.

Instinctively, he knew it was the young man staring at him who’d done it. And surprisingly, he found he wasn’t angry or unwilling. If anything, he was actually grateful he could die so peacefully.

His eyes closed, and he breathed his last.

On the outside, everyone saw the exchange, but to them, it only struck a deeper fear within their hearts. This young man had killed that man, that much was evident. But he had done the killing with nothing but a gaze across a distance... Just what kind of powers did he possess?

Already, every Ossuarist on this battlefield had seen Finn’s might to an extent. And what they had seen had now formed a sort of deific image in their minds of the young man. So much that their usual sense of logic had been thrown out the window, and they immediately took everything he did as something that went beyond their understanding.

One had to remember that these were all Caretaker ranked Ossuarists. Every single Ossuarist on this battlefield, save for the few "Vested" — the lapdogs of the Ossuary. The same title that had been bestowed on Finn back in the golden city of Xanth — were all of the Caretaker rank and above.

These were powerhouses anywhere else in the world. In fact, it wasn’t far-fetched to say this was the greatest congregation of Ossuarist might in centuries.

In a normal scenario, these Ossuarists would’ve thought to decipher how the man had died. They would’ve used their knowledge of soul masses to deduce and eventually come to the conclusion that it was as a result of a soul mass.

Perhaps that would’ve even allowed some of the more perceptive ones to become aware of the microscopic soul masses that had filled the air the moment Finn locked eyes with the man.

But they didn’t. And it was this same fear... this same level of mind-struck reverence that ensured Finn’s next orders were carried out absolutely and perfectly by every single one of them.

Finn looked to Seer and to the Sanguis family ancestor and addressed them first.

"You two. You will both head to the main base of the Ossuary. The true Soul Sanctum on the outside world," he began ordering without preamble. "You will tell them of all that has happened here. Every single thing down to the last detail must be retold."

"I know you both are high ranking enough. So you will be the ones to deliver the message to those with power. Let them know the Errant has destroyed the Soul Sanctum. You will be the voice of validation, as I will send every witness here to spread the news to the farthest reaches of the world..."

His words were met with trembling hands and conflicted expressions from both the Sanguis Ancestor and Seer. Even though they had been so thoroughly beaten, knowing fully well how terrifying Finn was, they knew the implication of what he was about to do, and they dreaded the fact that it was they who would be the bearers of this news.

Their conflicted expressions eventually settled into crestfallen acceptance anyway. They had analyzed all possibilities and knew there was no way out. There was no way they could lessen the impact of what was about to happen either.

Even if it weren’t them, and even if the Ossuary chose not to believe any rumors, or if they put up a public front of dismissal to any who might hear the news around the world, all it took was for someone to come here themselves and see the chaos of the battlefield. They would see Finn here, waiting. A man who had taken hostage the fallen Soul Sanctum. And they would know it was true.

They listened as Finn continued: