Chapter 15: Kneel and Call Me Daddy
The prayer ended.
Krista raised her voice to draw everyone's attention. "People of the god, it is time for the sacrificial offering."
The entire hall fell into dead silence.
A sacrifice meant death.
Although they were followers of evil gods and demons, it didn't mean they weren't afraid of dying.
Every ritual filled them with dread, fearing they might be the unlucky one chosen.
"Do not be afraid. This time, we have two new offerings for our god, so we don't need to select a sacrifice from among us."
Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Countless eyes turned toward the two captives, Bruce and Oliver, who were bound tightly with ropes. Their faces were filled with schadenfreude.
As long as it wasn't them, it didn't matter who died.
"Bruce, what do we do?"
"Oliver… let's leave it to fate."
They were tied up so tightly that their limbs had gone numb from lack of circulation. Escape was impossible.
Their only hope lay in Allen descending from the heavens to save them.
But that seemed like nothing more than a fantasy.
Krista walked over, casually pointing her Redemption Blade at them as she asked, "I'll give you a chance. One of you will be the first sacrifice, and the other will be allowed to live for five more years."
The two men remained silent, their heads bowed.
No one should have the right to decide another's life or death. At least, their moral compass wouldn't allow it.
But sacrificing oneself required immense courage.
"…Take me first."
After a long silence, Bruce slowly raised his head. "Oliver, if you get the chance, please take my remains back to Wayne Manor and bury me beside my parents."
"Why the hell do you get to be the hero?"
Oliver roared, "If someone has to die first, it should be me! I should have died at sea with my father anyway. Let me meet the end I was meant to have!"
"No, listen to me. As long as you're alive, there's hope. You still have family waiting for you. I… I'm just an orphan."
"Bullshit! Being an orphan makes you noble? Gives you the right to play the hero?"
The two argued heatedly, each insisting on sacrificing himself.
The scene left the congregation in silence.
No one interrupted.
They couldn't help but admire these two men.
If it were them in this situation, they would only think of saving their own skin.
"Shut up."
Krista's patience ran thin. "You're both going to die anyway. What's the point of arguing? I'll decide for you."
"You die first."
She strode toward Bruce, whose face had turned ashen.
"Just make it quick," Bruce pleaded calmly.
"Sorry. The ritual requires you to die in pain."
The reason the congregation feared the sacrifices was because the process was worse than death itself.
If it were just a quick execution, perhaps they wouldn't be so terrified.
Several guards dragged Bruce over to the relic shard. Krista had to subject him to unspeakable torment before the sacrifice could be completed.
"To ascend into the embrace of our god—you should be honored."
Krista lifted the Redemption Blade high, her expression solemn as if she were conducting a sacred ceremony.
"The only honor I feel is reuniting with my family."
Bruce's words were filled with disdain. His face showed no fear—only readiness to meet his fate.
Krista no longer wasted words. She slowly lowered the blade toward his face.
The first step—skinning.
The blade had to draw blood, as if cleansing the offering through fire and agony.
But just as the blade was about to touch Bruce's cheek, Krista suddenly frowned deeply.
Bruce opened his eyes in confusion—only to see her struggling to push the blade down, but no matter how hard she tried, it never touched his skin.
"What's going on? Is the god rejecting the sacrifice?"
Krista was bewildered, as if some invisible force was stopping her blade.
The next second—
A sudden force struck her waist.
Before she could react, her entire body was sent flying.
At that same moment, Bruce's eyes widened.
Because Allen had appeared out of thin air.
"Surprise! Didn't see that coming, huh? I was invisible the whole time."
No one in their right mind would have expected that.
Not even those who weren't in their right mind.
"Kill him and retrieve the Redemption Blade!"
Krista, regaining her composure, furiously commanded the congregation. That was when she realized—Allen had already taken the Redemption Blade from her grasp.
Allen spun around and seized the relic shard, tapping it against the blade with a playful smirk. "You know, squares are way more fun. Circles? Ugh, the worst."
"Don't panic! The relic shards can't be destroyed again. Everyone, get him and take back our sacred artifacts!" Krista urged.
But Allen retrieved another shard, merging the two into one—restoring the once-broken Flaurus Emblem.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
No one dared to move.
He held their lifeline in his hands.
Allen smirked. "Release Green Arrow. Otherwise… I'll shatter this emblem into eight pieces."
"If you destroy it, Alessa will never forgive you." Krista's voice was cold with warning.
"She's the one who sent me."
"..."
Oh.
So he was working with her.
Krista was speechless.
But an idea struck her, and she quickly suggested, "Trade the emblem for his life."
Allen glanced at the golden emblem, then at Oliver, before decisively saying, "Kill him. No way am I giving up this gold."
Before Krista could even react, Oliver—who had just regained hope—panicked.
"Allen! I'm the heir to Queen Industries! Save me, and I'll transfer a hundred million dollars into your account!"
Allen put on a serious expression. "Do I look like the kind of person who would betray a friend for money?"
Then, his face turned playful. "Release him. Or I'll have to introduce the leading lady."
He knocked the emblem harder, the sound striking like a hammer on the congregation's hearts.
Under this invisible pressure, Krista finally gave in and nodded.
Oliver was freed and immediately rushed to untie Bruce.
"What else do you want?"
Having their weakness exploited was unbearable. Krista had no choice but to swallow her pride.
Allen's sly grin signaled he was about to say something outrageous.
"Kneel. Call me Daddy."
The moment he said it, Bruce and Oliver turned to him, stunned.
Was he really going that far?
Krista, by appearance alone, was old enough to be his grandmother—maybe even a great-great-grandmother at this point.
Even the congregation marveled at Allen's… unique taste.
Krista ground her teeth in fury. "I'd rather die than let you humiliate me."
She wanted to maintain her dignity, but others weren't as stubborn.
The congregation didn't care. It wasn't their problem.
"Chief, just say it. It's not a big deal."
"For our survival, your humiliation is a noble sacrifice."
"Chief, don't make me kneel and beg you. Just say it already."
"Yeah! If you do, we'll call you Mommy instead!"
"Chief, you might be ready to die, but we're not."
One voice after another tried to morally coerce Krista.
Her eyes burned with rage.
Especially when the guards—holding electric batons—were approaching her, persuading her with their words… while preparing to force her into submission.
At that moment—she felt utterly betrayed.
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