“Since when did these three become so close..?!” Zouren angrily grit his teeth.
If it were just Hakros, Zouren was confident in his ability to escape. Although he may suffer some injuries, it would not be anything so severe that he could not recover given some time.
However, it was not just Hakros he had to worry about. Izroth and Sychia were also present!
There was also a few strong individuals among the people they came with and there was no guarantee that they would sit still as he escaped.
“What do you intend to do?! If you lay a hand on me, my Eight Heavens will track you down to the underworld to avenge me! Do not think they have overlooked what you did to my junior brother during the second team’s selection! If I put in a good word, maybe you can keep your life! But, if I do not return to the Mortal Realm from this place, all of you will be hunted down for all eternity!” Zouren exclaimed.
Right now, Zouren could only see three options in front of him.
The first was to risk everything in order to escape.
The next choice was to strike fear into the hearts of those present by using his background. While Hakros may not care about it since he lived in the Wild Lands, a place outside the influence of the seven kingdoms and the powers there, that was not necessarily the case for the remaining two.
Sychia was a part of the Order of a Thousand Blossoms and Izroth was just some nobody who had a bit of talent with no strong backing. Both were individuals who could not afford to offend the Eight Heavens!
“Even if that’s true, you won’t be around to see. What good is vengeance once you’ve departed from this world?” Izroth responded indifferently.
Eight Heavens? If they wanted to hunt him down, so be it. However, whether or not they would be able to bear the consequences for doing so was another story. In the end, Izroth did not mind making them follow in the footsteps of the Siren organization.
Of course, given that the Eight Heavens had disciples like Zouren, Izroth knew that their power and influence were well above that of Siren. Nonetheless, what did he have to fear?
Izroth would not go out of his way to start trouble; however, if someone started trouble with him, then he would be the one to finish it—no matter who was behind them!
“This crazy guy…! Is he really planning to kill me here?!” Zouren’s eyes widened in shock as he saw Izroth’s unbothered and distant gaze.
Without a doubt, this person, be it from ignorance or arrogance, did not put the Eight Heavens in his eyes!
“Wait! What do you want?! Money? Items? If you just name it, I can make it happen! All you have to do is be willing to set things between us aside!” Zouren spoke hurriedly.
“This humiliation…! I’ll never erase it!” Zouren internalized as he buried his anger and killing intent deep within his heart.
It would not be too late to get revenge on they were back in the Mortal Realm. For now, even if he had to swallow his pride, he would find a way out of this place. Then, when the time was right, he could pay them back for this humiliation a hundred—no, a thousandfold!
“Your offer is tempting, but before that—aren’t you forgetting something important? A man who does not keep his word cannot be called a man.” Izroth mentioned.
Zouren’s heart sunk when he heard Izroth’s words. It couldn’t be that he actually wanted him to go forth with such an absurd act! He was the Third Disciple of the Eight Heavens! How many people were willing to crawl at his feet and beg for ten days and ten nights just for a chance to be in his good graces?!
“If I, Zouren, need to use my domain to defeat someone like you, then I will crawl on the ground like a dog for the rest of my life—were these not your exact words? Though I am not a heartless person. You only need to do so until our group is ready to depart.” Izroth stated in a carefree manner.
“Don’t go too far!” Zouren shouted as he almost coughed up blood in anger.
“Ahahaha! You bastard—you actually went ahead and made such a crazy promise? Ahahaha! Then, he’s right! A real man has to keep his word, you know?” Hakros said with a grin.
As Sychia witnessed the scene before her eyes, she furrowed her brows and could not help but feel somewhat conflicted.
While Zouren was by no means a good person and certainly deserved retribution, to have him behave like a wild animal was too much. She felt that it would be better to simply put him out of his misery. She also did not think that Izroth was the type of person who enjoyed seeing others despair for his own entertainment. That’s why she could not fully comprehend his actions.
Naturally, Sychia’s behavior did not escape Izroth’s perception.
“Is there something you find wrong with my method?” Izroth asked without averting his gaze.
Sychia knew instantly that his question was clearly directed at her. She was taken aback that she was seen through so easily; however, since he asked, Sychia chose to speak her thoughts. After all, although they had not known each other for a long time, Izroth had more than earned her respect.
“I understand that I may be speaking out of turn since you seem to have a prior conflict with him, but… It is just that I did not take you for someone who enjoys employing this sort of method.” Sychia commented.
“You are mistaken,” Izroth said as he unsheathed his Sword of the Storm and held the tip of the blade to Zouren’s forehead.
He then continued, “The world is an unpredictable place that’s in a constant state of chaos. It may occasionally give the illusion of order, but it is nothing more than a mirage. That is why it becomes important for one to set principles. In a world that is unpredictable, one must possess the means to find a way back to themselves should they ever become lost in the chaos. It is not that I find enjoyment in this, rather, it is my way of upholding a set principle. In this way-“
“Wait! I’ll do it! I’ll-!” Zouren tried to call out. But, his voice soon fell silent as a look of disbelief formed on his face.
Phhhhtk!
Izroth drove his Sword of the Storm through Zouren’s head without hesitation. At the same time, a terrifying sword intent swept throughout the surroundings before quickly coming to a calm.
“I shall never become lost in the chaos of this world,” Izroth stated calmly.
Zouren’s body began to wither away as if it were rapidly decaying.
‘Tenth Sword Form: Life Closing Raze…’
A few moments after the sword penetrated his forehead, Zouren’s body disintegrated into nothingness.
Zouren did not have time to react. In the end, he never expected that Izroth would be so insane as to actually go through with his action!
Izroth returned his Sword of the Storm to its sheath and turned to face Sychia.
“Ultimately, a man without his word is nothing. If a man is nothing, then their existence is the equivalent.” Izroth said as he walked towards Sychia.
As he stepped next to her, Sychia almost instinctively took a step back. She did not know why, but at that moment, her body just reacted on its own.
“If one’s existence is nothing, then the worth of their life is… Nothing. Take this as a lesson.” Izroth commented as he walked past Sychia and continued to walk off towards the hill they originally came from.
When Izroth was finally far away enough, Sychia released the breath she had been holding in as she felt cold sweats running down her back.
This… Was this the same person she had been traveling with this entire time? The one who always walked with that carefree expression on his face?
No, his carefree expression had not changed. But, for some reason, even though it only lasted for a split moment, that same look caused Sychia to catch a glimpse of it—the endless abyss that was Izroth.
Gazing into that endless abyss, Sychia could not help but feel that it was fortunate Izroth did not hold a grudge against her for attacking him back at the village. Otherwise, her fate may have been the same as Zouren’s!
“Oh? This stone-faced guy… What did he say his name was again? Ah, that’s right… Izroth.” Hakros internalized.
“Heh, I’ll remember it,” Hakros said to himself.
…
Several minutes later…
Izroth, Sychia, Hakros, and the celestials finally met back up with Astratis on the other side of the hill.
They finished clearing up the battlefield to the point that no one would be able to tell that an intense fight had just taken place.
