Seeing Elaine get hurt before my very eyes while I was pathetically lying on the ground filled with an emotion that I only slightly felt when I visited the Fairy Clan; this type of rage wasn't something I was used to; very rarely have I wanted to kill someone, yet the monster standing over, I wanted to do far more than simply kill him.
I wanted to lock his body within the depths of the royal dungeon and torture him for all of eternity for harming my little sister, though before I did any of that, I needed to save Elaine; despite my physical state, I refused just to stay lying down while Elaine was trouble, what kind of Brother would I be then?
So with the minuscule amount of Qi I've regained, after having returned to my normal cultivation base of a peak Divine, I reinforced my body with it, and although I was very slow, I eventually stood on my own two feet, the whole time the monster was just watching me with its amusing expression which angered me.
"Release her this instant." Said Elif angrily with a deep, guttural voice between his heavy breathing from having a broken neck as he pointed at Elaine within the monster's grasp.
"Haha, this should be Elaine August, right? Your little sister? I wonder how you'll feel after I kill her before your very eyes!" Yelled the monster with a cruel smile and a sadistic gleam in his eyes as he squeezed Elaine's neck, causing her small frame to writhe about in pain as she tried attacking the monster, though her efforts amounted to nothing.
"Don't make me repeat myself for a third time, Demon; release her!" Yelled Elif, his pupils constricting in anger as he manifested a purple palm and attacked the monster, only for him to nearly collapse on the ground, causing his attack to disperse.
"Hehe, don't make me laugh, little Elf! Don't you know your situation? I'm sure you're used to always being in control, but not anymore; today, I'm in control, and I get to decide whether you live or die! Right now, my words are law!" Stated the monster in excitement with a devilish grin as he roared to the sky, seemingly embracing the madness that comes with being corrupted by Nether Qi.
"Now then, little Elf, I'm supposed to kill you quickly, but as you've thoroughly pissed me off, I'll enjoy myself a little; if you don't want your precious little sister to die, you'll do everything I say!" Declared the monster's crazy smirk as he grabbed Hokori, still stuck in his body, and tossed it toward Elif.
Catching Hokori without hesitating, I gripped the hilt and slashed toward the monster, launching a purple sword wave that did absolutely nothing to him once it landed on his body, which only frustrated me even further.
"Tsk, tsk, what did I just say? I'm the one in charge!" Said the monster with a slight frown as he squeezed Elaine's neck even harder than before, causing Elif to clutch Hokori angrily, but other than that, he didn't move, not like he could do much of that given his condition.
"Now that we've understood our new statuses, stab yourself." Said the monster with a smirk as he looked at Elif, though after seeing him just standing there eying him, he started squeezing Elaine's neck again.
"Stab yourself, or I'll crush her neck; it'll be easy, like breaking a toothpick." Added the Demon angrily, his actions causing Elif to gnash his teeth in wrath, though he reluctantly did as he was told.
(Note: Who got that reference?)
I wanted nothing more than to attack this pathetic monster, even if it meant being killed; it wasn't something I desired, but I also wasn't afraid of losing my own life; what I was fearful of was Elaine possibly dying. So, with great reluctance, not at the fact that I was required to stab myself but at the fact I was forced to listen to someone else's orders; I was a Crown Prince, besides my parents, grandparents, and Elaine, I've never followed someone's orders.
Still, as much as such a notion repulsed me, I didn't dare to wager Elaine's life, so grasping Hokori with a reverse grip, I didn't hesitate and stabbed myself in the chest until the hilt was pressed against my body, stopping the blade from going any deeper. Being run through was painful, but at this point, with how much pain that was throughout my body, I hardly even felt it.
"Hehe, HAHAHA! Good, good! Now then, for our next course of action, kneel!" Stated the monster with laughter containing his madness as he felt elated from ordering such an influential person like Elif.
"You want me to kneel to you?" Asked Elif with widened eyes as he spoke using his deep, guttural voice, spitting blood with each word.
Just the act of being forced to listen to someone's orders filled with utter disgust and repulsion; the mere thought of kneeling before someone was beyond revolting, let alone doing it; I couldn't even fathom a hypothetical reality where I would kneel to anyone in existence, even ancient and legendary figures. Yet this inferior, no-name monster from the Nether dimension wanted me, Crown Prince Elif August, the most talented and beautiful being in all of existence, to kneel to him?
Feeling pain in my abdomen; if it weren't for my stomach being significantly damaged, I'm confident I would be vomiting right now from pure repulsion at the idea of ever getting on my hands and knees and submitting myself to such a low-bred insect.
I'd rather spend eternity in purgatory, being tortured, than ever kneel to someone, yet as I looked at the heavily injured Elaine, whose physical state wasn't much better, I couldn't bring myself to refuse. I couldn't fathom a reality of me ever kneeling to someone, yet at the same time, I wouldn't allow a reality where I was forced to live without Elaine; she is the only person who I view as my equal, and without her, my life would lose much meaning.
"Tch; what's taking you so long, stupid Elf! Kneel right now, or I'll kill her!" Shouted the monster angrily, tightly squeezing Elaine's neck while watching Elif mindlessly standing there.
"I-I'll do it, I-I-I'll k-kneel, you bastard!" Declared Elif hesitantly as he helplessly clenched his fist while looking at Elaine's dangerous situation.
"Then do it and stop stalling for time; don't forget, her life is within my hands!" Said the monster, displaying a wicked smile while choking the life out of Elaine.
Looking at the monster, I glanced at Elaine, only to notice her cultivation had also returned to her usual cultivation base, a middle Divine, which caused me to frown since, coupled with that nasty attack she took, her condition wasn't much better than mine; she's putting on a tough front, but she wasn't too far away from dying.
Tightly clutching my fists, I glared at the smiling monster, which only increased his strength around Elaine's neck, causing me to angrily grind my teeth as I took a deep breath, and despite my very being vehemently attempting to go against me, I started to kneel. While doing so, I thought of everything that could get us out of this situation, but nothing came to mind; just when my knees were about to touch the ground, Elaine's voice echoed within my ears.
"D-Don't d-do it, B-Brother!" Yelled Elaine passionately as she glanced at Elif, who was mere inches from kneeling on the ground.
"Elaine." Muttered Elif softly while looking at Elaine, held within the monster's grasp.
"D-Don't kneel, Brother! E-Even if it's for me, just l-like how you w-will always protect me, I-I will always p-protect you! I-I know how important y-your pride is B-Brother if you kneel, y-your Dao Heart w-will shatter, and I-I refuse to be the r-reason why you d-didn't get to achieve t-the greatness you w-were destined for!" Stated Elaine between her breathing as she attempted to pry open the monster's palm that was clutched around her neck like a vice.
Everything Elaine said about my dao heart was true; I could currently feel my dao heart intensely shaking as cracks formed around it; it was on the verge of destruction. My dao heart is formed around the immense pride I have at being the absolute greatest talent to have ever existed, and knowing that, how could I not view everyone else as inferior beings beneath me when their power doesn't even compare to a mere fraction of mine? Yet because of that, If I were to kneel to someone I believe, someone I know to be beneath me, my dao heart would instantly crumble since a superior being such as myself wouldn't ever kneel to someone so inferior.
Though while I was deep in my thoughts from Elaine's words, it seemed like the monster was losing patience as he erupted in anger, his rampaging Qi pushing me back tens of meters until I finally managed to stop myself with the help of the mountain.
"Shut your mouth, stupid Elf!" Said the monster angrily, his eyes clouded by madness as he punched Elaine in the face, though he still seemed to have some sentience since he held back.
"Heh, I think I've had enough of you; if Brother and I are going to die, I'll make sure to leave with a trophy!" Declared Elaine with a feral grin, something befitting on her bloody and mangled face as she summoned Orcus from her dimension ring before stabbing him in the crotch, causing his eyes to widen.
"Y-Y-You; YOU FUCKING BITCH!!" Yelled the monster, full of rage as he lost any semblance of intelligence, and threw Elaine in the air while launching a dense sphere of volatile Qi toward her.
Seeing everything happen, from the instant he punched Elaine to attacking her with such a powerful attack, in my eyes, it all occurred in slow motion. Watching the deadly attack head straight toward Elaine, I once again activated the forbidden technique, ignoring any of the side effects for doing so, and flew right for Elaine; yet even with my increased speed, I wasn't fast enough.
'ELAINE!!' Shouted Elif anxiously via divine sense as he fearfully watched with widened eyes the glowing sphere of Qi near Elaine, who was too far away to arrive in time.
'Heh, maybe without me holding you back, you'll find a way out of this, Brother. I love you, Bro-' Said Elaine softly via divine sense as she looked into Elif's purple eyes full of fear that brought her an untold amount of peace, though she couldn't finish as she was engulfed in a glowing sphere of Qi before it exploded.
"ELAINE!!??"
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Created a discord server, so if anyone wishes to join, [https://discord.gg/TGc9yymDJP]
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Elven Legacy (Chapter 264: Night(s) Of Love) || Hero of Harmony (Chapter 146: All's Fair In Love & Fear) || One Piece: Chaos Kong (Chapter 251: Healing Amidst A War)|| Marvel's Black Steel (Chapter 204: Victory!) at [patreon.com/Ozonelayer691]