Chapter 627: I will give you this honor (I)
The Demon God Emperor had a warm-looking gaze. His looks were really young, looking just a bit older than Long Haochen. At the very moment, he seemed like an older brother chatting with Haochen.
“I was really shocked that time, and that was the first time I felt that you were a threatening existence. Unfortunately, I still did not know that you were the one chosen by Austin Griffin at that time, bringing him into this world. That’s until Ah’Bao reported this information about you, along with the fact that Austin Griffin had already grown four heads. Then I came to realize that the one who would cause our future destruction was actually you.”
Long Haochen coldly remarked, “So you launched the Holy War putting the people in a terrible situation.”
The Demon God Emperor responded indifferently, “No matter how unwilling to kill you I was, your very existence threatens my race’s safety, so I had no other choice. Mercifulness doesn’t fit a general, especially a race’s head like me. Even if Ah’Bao was the one sheltering Austin Griffin, I would have made the same choice. For the sake of making you come here, I was forced to put on a play with Agares, but I knew long before that the Holy War would show no results. It was just for the sake of consuming the human force. What a shame, unlike me, you are no ruler, and won’t ever understand what a ruler has to give up on, and what he has to choose.”
Long Haochen declared, “If you hadn’t personally put on such a play, how could we be fooled? By attracting us here with such an irresistible bait, you succeeded. To keep speaking would do no good, now do what you ought to!”
The Demon God Emperor shook his head, letting out a light sigh, “Listen to me until the end. I have no desire to kill you, but just no other choice. I want to do one last thing for you. By killing you, Austin Griffin will naturally die in his own world and my goal will be attained. I will let your comrades go so you can at least die at ease.”
“Majesty!” On his side, Agares couldn’t help but shout loudly. Long Hoachen was not the only excellent person in his Demon Hunt Squad Bright Glimmer of Hope! In this Demon Hunt Squad were two other gods’ chosen ones, and almost all god’s chosen ones in Shengmo Dalu’s history inflicted them with terrible damage.
In such desperate straits when gods’ chosen ones have still not completely grown, letting these enemies with unbounded potential go was the release of young humans with future endless rancor, nothing less than future calamities stored up.
“Shut up!” Fengxiu’s look suddenly became cold, and an incomparable aura of terror burst out from him, keeping Agares from saying the words he still had. This was an undoubtable display of the Defying Devil Dragon Emperor’s might.
Agares, who had a pale face, lowered his head respectfully and didn’t dare utter a word.
Fengxiu coldly swept a glance at Agares, “No one is to question my decisions.”
“I accept Your Majesty’s punishment.” Agares hanged his head low.
In a wave of his hand, Fengxiu reappeared in front of Long Haochen, paying no more attention to Agares.
Although he knew fully that the Demon God Emperor wouldn’t give empty words, Long Haochen couldn’t help but lose his voice, “You… Are you for real? You are willing to let my comrades go?”
After learning earlier that they had fallen into this trap, Long Haochen and his comrades had already made the resolve to die. But now, the Demon God Emperor was suddenly declaring he was willing to let go of his comrades. This was an immeasurable pleasant surprise in his ears.
“I never take back my words.” Fengxiu slowly shut his eyes as he said so.
Long Haochen was unfamiliar with this Demon God Emperor, but the Moon Demon God and Star Demon God were extremely familiar with Fengxiu. The Star Demon God Vassago did not express anything, but the Moon Demon God Agares was in secret shock, because he knew that the Demon God Emperor would only show this expression when in an extreme internal conflict. Even after having followed the Demon God Emperor for so many years, this kind of situation happened only a few times, and it was now taking place in front of an enemy he must kill.
“Boss, we want to stay with you in life as well as death.” Behind Long Haochen, almost everyone from Bright Glimmer of Hope spoke these words in unison.
Long Haochen suddenly broke out in anger, “Drivel! Don’t tell me you think your lives are mine? From the day you became Demon Hunters, your lives belong to the Alliance.”
His body was sligthly shaking, as he deeply watched the group attentively, “Still remember those words I told Yang Wenzhao and Duan Yi? Live on, and you will have the chance to take revenge for your comrades in the future. But if you die, you won’t ever have any chance. Death is not a fearful thing, but if you follow me just like that, I won’t ever forgive you even from the other side, because that’s the act of a coward. I will always keep watching you from an unseen world, until the day that you come back to this Modu Core City. If you still recognize me as your captain, don’t do foolish things. I am ordering each of you from Bright Glimmer of Light to keep living and take revenge for me in battle in a short time.”
Seeing his stubborn look, the eyes of the others watching him gradually became red. Everyone from Bright Glimmer of Hope unconsciously shuddered from the emotions. Right, to die was a very simple thing, but to keep living was even harder.
“No!!” Cai’er suddenly let out a shout close to hysteria, fiercely throwing herself on Long Haochen’s embrace, but without leaving her any time to give voice, Long Haochen’s hand noiselessly pinched her neck. With a light groan, Cai’er slowly fell limp on the ground.
Two clear drops flowed along Long Haochen’s face as the various memories starting from his encounter with Cai’er flashed incessantly. He remembered clearly about the first time he met Cai’er, as she was still a little girl. He reminisced clearly on every moment he spent with Cai’er. Every one of them flashed through. The happiest moments of his life were probably the times of sending off Cai’er every day during his participation in the Demon Hunter Selection, pulling her hand and slowly walking on the streets.
But this couldn’t happen again anymore. He knew that he could convince the other members, who would righteously obey his plans, but he had no way to convince Cai’er, so he could only force her into a calm state first.
Lowering his head and lightly kissing her forehead, then her fair cheeks, his feelings of reluctance to part were clearly visible in the eyes of all members from Bright Glimmer of Hope.
“Captain!” Lin Xin, who was long since unable to bear his tears, called out loudly.
“Shut up!” Long Haochen shouted. He obviously knew what Lin Xin wanted to say, but he couldn’t let him do that. After he managed to make the others press down their feelings with such difficulty, if they were ignited anew, he had no confidence to make everyone calmly accept the incoming tragedy.
Long Haochen didn’t look at the others any further, but lowered his head, directing all his last emotion to Cai’er in his arms.
“Foolish girl, how could I look at you doing such a stupid thing? Did you know, I really hope you can once again lose your memories after leaving from here. Forget about me and about all this pain. Sorry that I cannot stay by your side until growing old.”
Saying that, he delicately took off her the blue forget-me-not ring, flickering a dark gold color inside the Star Demon Pagoda.
Long Haochen put it on Cai’er’s finger then softly kissed her cheek once again. With a stride forward, he handed her over to Wang Yuanyuan.
Raising his head to give another look to the group, he saw them all teary, their eyes all filled with grim sadness.
“Don’t be sad. I already feel blessed and happy that you can all leave from here alive. Remember this: live well. From the other side, I will be waiting for you all to take revenge for me. My soul will be watching over you. I have a last request for you all; no matter what, don’t let Cai’er take revenge impatiently. You must keep her alive, even if you have to knock her out after she awakes. Just don’t let her do anything stupid.”
Wang Yuanyuan accepted Cai’er and nodded vigorously. Even someone as strong as her was unable to bear her tears, totally speechless.
To die could be an easy thing compared to living on. They really hoped to share Long Haochen’s fate here, but understood deeply that Long Haochen was right. They were Demon Hunters, whose lives were already not their own anymore but the Alliance’s, and all humanity’s. They couldn’t die here like that, as they were the only ones who could take revenge for Haochen in the future.
Abruptly turning his head, Long Haochen didn’t dare look at Cai’er further, afraid to be unable to repress his inner feelings any longer. Lowering his head, he murmured to himself, “Sorry Haoyue, I couldn’t protect you, and had to implicate you in my dying fate. If there’s a next life, I am willing to make one with you, so that we can stay good brothers this next lifetime.”
Saying that, he abruptly raised his head, forcibly throwing off his tears. Raising his head and shutting his eyes, he turned toward the Demon God Emperor who never stopped him from bidding his last farewells to his comrades.
“Your Majesty Demon God Emperor, although we are enemies, I thank you for being willing to let my comrades go. But I just have a last request that I hope you can grant me.”
Fengxiu replied calmly, “Speak.”
Long Haochen showed some pride on his face, and declared loudly, “I am a knight from the Knight Temple, who has grown learning a knight’s essence. As a knight who couldn’t protect his comrades well, I must die here today, but as a knight, I hope that you could let me die in a fitting way, as I am unwilling to face a cowardly end. I want to challenge you.”