Levon Zenflame stood still. However, his eyes were wide open with his pupils dilated. His lips were quivering, his jaws tense. His posture was slightly hunched, his fists released as though he was helpless, his overall demeanor one of hopeless resignation.
Choose between the millions of lives in the city that he was sworn to protect or the family he was also personally vowed to protect.
His withered face was pale with terror, but he didn't dare to turn to look at the Emperor of Death, who still held his shoulder.
"Spare… spare us…" His speech was shaky and low, begging to be forgiven.
His words instantly caused his entire family to know that their lives were in the hands of the Emperor of Death. They could not escape even if they could sacrifice the lives of others.
"That won't do. For shameless Elders of the Fire Phoenix Clan who come to the enemy and ask for forgiveness despite all the things they have done, they must be willing to sacrifice something, no?"
"…" Levon Zenflame shook.
Davis took off his hand and pointed in a direction as he turned to look at another Elder who was in the skies.
"Elder Tyler Zenflame, your family is in that direction, no?"
"Emperor of Death!"
Tyler Zenflame went down on his knees, his face full of despair as the direction which the Emperor of Death pointed towards was the direction his family was currently hidden. He kowtowed in mid-air, tears dropping to the ground outside.
"Please forgive us! Just take our lives! We won't say anything!"
He bellowed with all his heart. He was willing to sacrifice his life, but his family or the city…? He couldn't make a choice.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtLevon Zenflame also felt the same. Finally getting a bit of courage and suppressing the incredible shame of his family watching, he also knelt. However, a foot blocked his knee from bending, causing him to turn to look toward the Emperor of Death.
"You're going to make me repeat a fourth time?"
Davis's eyes were slightly wide as his cold voice echoed.
*Bang!~*
Levon Zenflame had just opened his mouth when his abdomen was punched, and he was sent flying, smashing into the wall, making him spit out a mouthful of blood again.
"Ahhh-"
Screams filled the balcony, but with a simple gesture of Davis placing his finger over his lips, everything went silent once again.
Davis saw the little girl, Leia, tremble as she hid her face over her mother's bosoms. He terrified her to death, but despite that, he turned his gaze around to Levon Zenflame once again as he walked towards him.
Levon Zenflame slid to the ground and looked thrashed. There was a visible dent on his stomach while blood kept spurting out of his mouth in minute amounts combined with pieces of his organs. His dantian was slightly cracked, but it wasn't broken, which probably meant the Emperor of Death held back enough to still let him survive or continue this nightmare.
Either way, his eyes lost color as he watched the Emperor of Death approach and stand before him.
"I didn't ask you to kneel or beg for forgiveness. I asked you to choose between one of the choices I have granted you. To massacre the lives of the city outside this home or your family... Just choose between one."
"…"
Levon Zenflame slowly lowered his head as though refusing to answer this question. He could feel the Emperor of Death's gaze for five seconds straight. Amidst the silence, it was no different than a demon looking at him.
"If you can't choose, I'll choose one for you."
"…!"
Levon Zenflame raised his head and saw the Emperor of Death looking at his family.
Just as the Emperor of Death took a step forward to them, Levon Zenflame's eyes went bloodshot. At the second and third steps, Levon Zenflame's expression sank into greater despair, and when the fourth step sank to the surface, his expression turned furious.
"The city! Fuck the city! Leave my family alone!"
His furious voice traversed to his family, causing them to be stunned.
The head of their family had chosen them over the countless lives in the city. In fact, there were more people living in this city with statuses far above them, so to choose them over the city, they knew their grandfather essentially sacrificed his life as he would be executed for letting this happen.
Davis stopped taking another step and lowered his gaze to look at Levon Zenflame, holding his feet in order to not let him move another step. The Elder's grip was heavy, finally having some backbone behind it, which made Davis's lips curl as he saw the Elder's face.
His voice had been furious, and his eyes had been bloodshot, but his expression was now nothing but one of acceptance.
His expression was downtrodden, but there was acceptance in it. He made peace with this decision, appearing to have prepared himself for whatever sight he was going to see.
Davis shook his leg off of his grip and lifted him up like he was lifting a child by grasping the collar.
"You have good eyes right now."
Davis saw the stare Levon Zenflame was giving him as though he couldn't wait to kill him. However, Davis still held him by the collar as though he weighed nothing.
"Every time you ask me to forgive the Fire Phoenix Clan, it sounds no different to me than telling me to forsake my family and allow your future descendants to harm my loved ones who have yet to ascend. If you can't make the decision to abandon your family, what makes you think you can ask me to forgive your clan?"
Levon Zenflame's expression sank.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe rebellious intent in his eyes fell, replaced with horror.
"No, you can't kill my family…"
Has the decision been already made? Did his delay cost the lives of his family…?
"Idiot." Davis sneered, "Why would I go out of my way to kill a lovely, innocent little girl who knows no wrong? Utmost, I'd just blow up the entire city and not care about the individual lives to spare me the guilt."
He threw Levon Zenflame to the side like he was trash and flew out, appearing before Tyler Zenflame in a split second.
"You still want to ask me to forgive your Fire Phoenix Clan?"
Tyler Zenflame had already stood up, lest he be beaten up for kneeling. He hurriedly shook his head, not wanting to do anything other than escape with his family right now as he abandoned all his duties.
"How about this? I'll give you a High-Level Immortal Emperor Grade gift. Let's go to your family, shall we?"
"No! I don't want it!"
Tyler Zenflame raised his arms and hurriedly shook his hands, finally understanding how foolish it was for them to give gifts or compensation in order to appease the Emperor of Death. It had only ended in offending him.
But what were they supposed to do other than compensate for their mistakes? Kneel and drop dead by committing suicide?
That is why no power would surrender before all avenues were lost, but since the other party was an Anarchic Divergent who was the manifestation of calamity, they swallowed their pride as Fire Phoenixes and begged for forgiveness, but it was of no use.
'Wait… spare me the guilt…?'
Suddenly, Tyler Zenflame realized something that he hadn't thought of before.
However, the Emperor of Death merely sneered at him before leaving the place.