Chapter 459. Day of Execution, The Ultimate Hero
「Just as Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had predicted, after the Kingdom captured the villagers, they indeed intended to use them as bargaining chips to threaten him.」
「Following Sword Saint Kureha's trail, they tracked him all the way to the location where Ayanokouji had saved Setsuna, but the clues ended there. The leading General determined that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka must be hiding in a nearby town or village.」
「They used this as an excuse to sweep through the neighboring villages like a plague of locusts, plundering a vast amount of gold and grain, and violating many women, leaving the entire region in a state of miserable devastation.」
「As for the cities, they didn't have the courage to pillage those. After all, the Lords of each city possessed considerable power and backing, making them difficult to provoke.」
「After finishing their plundering of gold and grain, the army stationed itself in a city. After searching for several days without finding a trace of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, the General leading the soldiers grew increasingly impatient, his face darkening day by day.」
「As a General directly subordinate to the First Princess Flare, now that the Princess was dead, he had finally fought for this opportunity to eliminate the culprit and atone for his failure. If he couldn't find the target, he would surely be hanged alive by the King upon his return!」
「"Oh, so it's him."」
「After sending out his subordinates to conduct reconnaissance and mastering the specific intelligence regarding this army, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka nodded thoughtfully.」
「According to Flare's memories, that General of hers was mediocre. This meant that the ability to link Kureha's strange disappearance with Ayanokouji himself and find this place was clearly the result of someone's guidance from behind the scenes.」
「"There is an eighty percent certainty that the Second Princess Norn is directing this... Heh, it seems you are more useful than your idiot sister. Perhaps you don't have to die after all, Norn."」
「Although the trail left by Kureha was a loophole he had intentionally provided to see if the Kingdom had any clever people worth cultivating, finding a loophole he specifically left was still "alright" and showed potential for development.」
「In contrast to Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who was calm, composed, and even had the leisure to evaluate his enemies, Setsuna, Kureha, and his sister appeared very nervous. His sister, in particular, asked flusteredly: "Shouldn't we retreat quickly, Keyaru?"」
「"Please do not look down on Lord Keyaru like that. A mere army—with Lord Keyaru's current power, winning this battle would be as easy as flipping a palm." Kureha couldn't help but retort upon seeing her state.」
「Unlike the sister, who lacked a clear understanding of her brother's strength, Kureha and Setsuna's nervousness stemmed only from the fear of exposure—fear that the King would dispatch Heroes and Legends to surround and annihilate them.」
「As for this specific army, they didn't hold them in high regard at all.」
「"Exactly right, Kureha. And Sister, you truly do not understand my strength at all."」
「After reprimanding his sister, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka prepared to speak again. Kureha thought he was about to deploy the troops for battle, but Ayanokouji's words left her stunned: "What does a mere army amount to? I alone am sufficient."」
「"What?" Setsuna was greatly shocked. "Lord Keyaru, you couldn't possibly mean to resolve this alone!?"」
「Ayanokouji Kiyotaka cast a cold, sideways glance. "Do you have an objection to my decision? Do you dare defy me, the Healing Hero?"」
「"N-No, Setsuna didn't mean that! Setsuna is just... just worried about you! Setsuna wants to fight for you! To watch Lord Keyaru face the enemy alone makes Setsuna feel so useless!"」
「This was a lie. This new Kingdom army was different from the previous group disguised as bandits; they had no need for disguise, so they were well-equipped, and their combat effectiveness was on a completely different level.」
「"Heh, you are very loyal; that is good. But loyalty cannot override my orders. Do not be self-righteous. Do you understand, Setsuna?"」
「"Ah..."」
「Ayanokouji Kiyotaka gripped Setsuna's jaw and said coldly: "You shall be alone for the next three days, Setsuna."」
「"...!?" Setsuna's whole body trembled. Her eyes filled with an expression of despair, and she slumped to the ground as if struck by divine punishment, cast into the eighteenth level of hell.」
「Kureha and the sister, who had originally intended to offer a few words of persuasion like Setsuna, were terrified. Ayanokouji glanced at them and asked indifferently: "What, do you have any opinions as well?"」
「Kureha and the sister shook their heads frantically and knelt down together. They stole a glance at the despairing Setsuna, mourning for her in their hearts while feeling fortunate for themselves.」
「"I believe... I believe that Lord Keyaru's decision will definitely be fine. You will surely succeed!"」
「Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's autocratic decision caused a massive uproar within his base. Even though his prestige had been built through repeated successful raids against bandits, many still found it difficult to accept when he claimed he would personally deal with an elite army of the Kingdom alone.」
「Some people tried to advise Ayanokouji. Those who offered advice were essentially his most loyal followers.」
「It was precisely because they were die-hard loyalists that they disregarded everything to speak up. Conversely, those subordinates who had been forced to join and hadn't fully committed their hearts hoped that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would die quickly due to his arrogance.」
「But Ayanokouji Kiyotaka not only refused to listen to these pleas, he also ruthlessly ordered that all those loyalists who spoke up be thrown into the dungeon.」
「From then on, everyone in the faction fell silent like cicadas in winter, filled with unease and not daring to say another word. Many began to harbor grievances and mixed feelings... was this the fate of those who served him with total loyalty?」
「While it hadn't reached the point of wanting to rebel, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's prestige had indeed diminished.」
「Setsuna, Kureha, and the sister saw this and were anxious in their hearts, yet they could do nothing.」
「"Keyaru, get the hell out here! If you don't come out, all your villagers will die!"」
「"It is because you were possessed by a demon and committed the treasonous act of killing the First Princess, Lady Flare, that your fellow villagers were captured and will die!"」
「Dispatching soldiers to spread these words far and wide to break his spirit, the General ordered the dying villagers to be tied to crosses, loudly announcing their execution while inviting the city residents to witness the spectacle.」
「Though he was mediocre, he was not a complete waste who relied solely on connections; he was capable of creating this kind of blackmail scenario. He waited expectantly for Ayanokouji Kiyotaka to be forced out.」
「Then, the day of execution quickly arrived.」
「Step, step, step...」
「Accompanied by the slow sound of footsteps carrying a powerful sense of force and presence, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka stepped into this place of execution—completely alone!」
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