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It was as if a switch had been flipped. One second, Gollier and his thugs were swaggering around, but the next, their courage vanished completely. They all fell to the ground in unison, pressing their foreheads against the cold floor, not even daring to breathe. The only sounds left in the market were heavy breathing and the rustle of armor. The only person not on his knees was Tesoro, who was too severely injured to get up and could only gasp in pain on the ground.
His vision was blurry from a mix of blood and sweat , but he forced his eyes open to look toward the entrance. A figure surrounded by attendants walked in. He had a bloated body squeezed into jewel-covered finery and wore a transparent bubble hood over his head. His eyes arrogantly swept over the kneeling crowd as if they were ants, his very presence demanding submission.
"Hmm, so this is the one I fancy?" Saint Rosward said, raising a hand to point at Stella. His tone was as casual as if he were picking out furniture, and his eyes were filled with possessiveness. "Take her away."
Those words were like a final death sentence. The last shred of hope in Tesoro's heart was completely shattered, and an overwhelming despair washed over him like a cold tide. But even in that despair, a deep-seated anger and defiance gave him the strength for one last act. He used his final ounce of energy to drag his broken body forward, stumbling to block the Celestial Dragon's path.
"No... you can't..." he growled hoarsely, each word flecked with blood. "You... you can't take her away!!!"
"Hmm?" Saint Rosward was startled by the sudden obstacle. An irritated, offended look appeared on his face. "What's going on?!"
Gollier was terrified. He knew that if the Celestial Dragon was displeased, he would suffer for it. He scrambled on his hands and knees to Rosward's feet, his voice trembling and fawning. "Your... Your esteemed Saint Rosward! Please calm your anger! It's all this damned commoner's fault! He actually dared to covet the goods you reserved! I had already told him that she was your property, but this commoner, who doesn't know his place, refused to listen and even tried to snatch her! I was just about to teach him a lesson for you when Your Holiness arrived..."
Hearing this, Rosward became furious, and his face turned crimson under the bubble hood. "What?! A commoner dares to snatch my things?! Guards! Seize him for me! I want him to become my slave too!"
The guards immediately pounced like wolves. Several iron-like hands pinned the heavily injured Tesoro to the ground. No matter how hard he struggled, it was useless. He could only watch helplessly as the soldiers roughly unchained Stella and dragged her toward that monster.
Why? Tesoro's soul screamed in anguish.
Why are these people born so far above everyone else, allowed to trample on everything others hold dear? Why is it so hard for me and Stella to find just a little ordinary happiness?
He had never believed in gods, but now, in this moment of complete darkness, he could only cry out from the bottom of his heart.
'God⌠if you truly exist⌠I am willing to sacrifice my soul⌠everything I have⌠please⌠save her⌠save StellaâŚ'
But the answer to his desperate prayer was not the light of a god. Instead, a clear, young voice, full of wild excitement, suddenly shattered the oppressive silence.
"Hoh! I wondered why it was so lively!" Takero said, looking at the strange creature in the bubble hood with great interest. A brazen smile spread across his face. "You dog, I finally found you!"
The young man's sudden appearance stunned everyone. Even Saint Rosward was incredulous, his voice cracking. "Commoner! You⌠you dared to call me a dog?!"
"Huh? Who else would I be talking to, you pig-head?" Takero shot back impatiently. "Also, stop calling me commoner. My name is Takero! I'm your father, understand?!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the expression on everyone's faceâexcept for Rosward and Tesoroâchanged drastically. Where did this lunatic come from?! Did he have a death wish, insulting a Celestial Dragon right to his face?
Saint Rosward froze for a few seconds before he started laughing with rage. As a descendant of the Creators, he had never suffered such a humiliating insult. "Good! Very good!" he roared, his heart burning with fury. "Guards! Seize this little beast for me too! I'll take him back to Mary Geoise and make him pay for this disrespect for all eternity!"
In an instant, a group of guards rushed forward. They had to shut this lunatic up before his words implicated them all in the Celestial Dragon's wrath.
Seeing the guards surge toward him, Takero clicked his tongue in annoyance. "All you cannon fodder, get out of my way!" With that, he swiftly grabbed the guard in front, swung him around like a sandbag, and smashed him into the charging crowd.
"Bang! Crash!"
It was as precise as a perfect bowling strike. The other guards toppled over, rolling into a heap. Takero didn't even glance at the fallen men. He walked directly toward Saint Rosward, his tone impatient. "Hey, don't you have any capable bodyguards? Hurry up and call them out."
"You damned beast! I'll skin you and mount you on the wall! I'll..." Saint Rosward ignored him, spewing hysterical curses.
Takero raised an eyebrow and decided to use a more physical method to get his attention. "I'm talking to you, are you deaf?!"
Slap!!!
A loud crack echoed through the hall. A huge palm struck with the force of a gust of wind, shattering the bubble hood completely. Several of Saint Rosward's teeth, mixed with blood, flew out of his mouth as blood gushed from his nose. The entire place fell silent. Everyone was frozen in place, as if they had turned to stone.
"You⌠you dared to hit me?!" Saint Rosward clutched his face, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. A commoner's hand had dared to touch the face of a god's descendant.
"Is there a problem?" Takero said with a matter-of-fact expression. "You have a face, I have a pair of fists. Seems perfectly reasonable to me."
A moment later, the intense pain and humiliation finally registered, and Rosward let out a beast-like roar. "You scoundrel! Bastard! You just wait! I'll have the Admiral crush you!!!"
Hearing this, Takero was suddenly startled.
Rosward thought he had finally scared him. A twisted, pleased look appeared on his swollen, pig-like face. "Now you know fear? Too late! Youâ"
"Boomâ!"
Before he could finish, a tremendous force slammed his head into the ground. The floor tiles cracked, and spiderweb-like fissures spread out from the point of impact.
"There's such a good thing?!" The excitement on Takero's face was practically overflowing. He looked up and shouted at the few terrified guards still standing. "Hey! You guys over there! What are you standing around for? Quickly! Quickly go call your so-called Admiral!"
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