Redmont, Serisis.

8:36 p.m. 21st Banem 1092.

The ballroom's atmosphere grew rife with tension as Kashi and Vanzuela glared at each other, neither willing to back down. Vanzuela's expression, in particular, turned nastier with each passing second, seeming like he was about to lose his rationality to rage. Luckily, just when it seemed like he was about to lose it, the adjudicator received a system prompt.

"Tch," Vanzuela clucked his tongue as he glanced at the prompt. "Time's up." He regarded Kashi with a condescending snare as he said, "Count yourself lucky. We'll continue this another time." He then glanced at Lunette and said, "And you... it's only a matter of time. Enjoy your holiday."

"Hey!" shouted Kashi before Vanzuela could leave. "I've decided." The daeben drew an arc across his neck with his thumb as he declared, "I will kill one of you every time you show up in front of me. I will kill two of you every time you show up in front of my guildmates; And, if you ever dare harm any of my friends," The daeben's glare turned hellish, and a teasing smile rose up the side of his lips as he said, "I will render you all extinct."

Vanzuela snorted in response. "I would like to see you try." He then turned to his companions and ordered, "Let's go." Following his command, the adjudicators unfurled their wings and burst to the sky in a flash of light, leaving him behind. Vanzuela made to leave, but then a thought occurred that made him pause. He stopped, looked at the ballroom guests, and then snapped his fingers.

"What's happening?" King Parissius shouted as he stumbled, "What's that shakiiiiiii—It's not shaking anymore?" The young king paused as he realized the tremors had suddenly stopped.

King Parissius was not alone in his confusion. Vanzuela had unfrozen the Residents, but because, mentally, they did not experience the last couple of minutes, they were understandably confused.

"Humes!"

King Parissius and the rest looked up at the open ceiling, eyes wide in shock as they stared at the adjudicator flying above. No matter which god or deity one served, they'd all heard of the 'Representatives of the Gods' or Adjudicators. Legends said they brought the wrath of the gods upon the worst sinners. Seeing an adjudicator was akin to coming face to face with death.

Fear and panic immediately seized many Serians, Rosens, and Merrites. The scared civilians knelt in submission to the higher power, praying they had not somehow run afoul of the gods.

Vanzuela's eyes shone as he glanced at Kashi with a proud smirk. Without waiting for the daeben to seize the momentum, he spread out his arms and shouted, "Humes of the various Kingdoms! This daeben, Kashi, has insulted the glory of the adjudicators, and in doing so, the gods! In due time, he and his guild will suffer divine punishment meted out by the gods." A chaotic grin spread across Vanzuela's face as he warned, "At that time, whoever is caught in cahoots with him might also fall victim to divine punishment. For your sakes, I hope you seize all collaboration henceforth."

"That!" Leila and Miote shouted in unison, appalled and incensed by the adjudicator's shamelessness. To think he would go after Kashi this way. Crippling the daeben's leveling was not bad enough. Now, Vanzuela wanted to make Kashi a pariah to Residents everywhere.

"What?" retorted Vanzuela with a malicious smirk. "Do you dare blaspheme the gods? In public?"

Leila, Miote, and the Maggots ground their teeth in rage, but indeed could not bring themselves to attack, whether verbally or physically. It was one thing to mock the adjudicators amongst themselves, but the rest of the continent was profoundly spiritual. The gods played a part in their everyday lives and were ever-present. As a result, it was difficult to find anyone who viewed the gods with apathy, let alone with mockery.

This was a multi-dimensional trap. If the Maggots kept quiet, then their prestige would drop, and it might have a severe impact on the alliance. However, if the Maggots spoke up, they would be seen as heretics who challenged the gods. That might even be worse.

When Kashi could no longer handle the humiliation and chose to step forward, an unexpected voice shouted from above.

"Hey, Kashi!" Everyone in the ballroom, reeled back in shock as they gaped at a floating King Parissius who was examining Vanzuela's wings with an angry frown. "You failed to disclose your discovery of a sentient chicken!" Glaring at the daeben, he admonished, "You do realize you can hang for this!?"

To the room's surprise, Kashi laughed and then replied like it was the most natural thing in the world, "My apologies, Your Majesty. I only stumbled upon it recently myself. It's IQ seemed to low to be adjudged sentient, so I hesitated. I did not wish to disappoint you."

"Mm... I understand," replied King Parissius with a nod. He then glanced at the gobsmacked Vanzuela and clapped his hands. "Chop chop. Display your intelligence. Can you clap your hands? Like so." *clap* *clap* "Now, you try."

Vanzuela froze for a good second, unable to believe his ears. What in the hell? Now a program was making fun of him? These bunch of 1's and 0's that were supposed to fear his mere presence? What gave him the audacity!? The adjudicator finally exploded in rage, roaring as he drew his sword. "You cretin! You DARE!?"

"It would seem you are even stupider than we thought." Rather than panic, King Parissius leaked out a small smile and regretfully shook his head as he brushed back his hair. "Incapable of a task as simple as clapping. Aethir's Mercy; Calling you a chicken would be an insult to those beautiful creatures."

Vanzuela's eyes burned with fury as he glared at Paris. "You; a mere Resident dare make a mockery of the gods' representative? You must be tired of living."

"Gods' Representative?" muttered King Parissius as he looked around the ballroom. "Where? All I see are my companions and a floating imbecile."

"You—"

"Also, so what if you are the gods' representative?" King Parissius questioned as his glare turned heavy. "All that tells me is that the gods are dumber than I thought." A collective gasp echoed across the room, but the young king continued, "Why exactly do I have to listen to you? Because you represent the gods? Leaving aside the validity of that claim, why exactly must I live my life as the gods dictate?"

"You—"

King Parissius sneered as he challenged, "You seem to have forgotten, but the gods have been asleep for over one thousand years, defeated by a former Summoned of all things. Even without the gods' guidance and support, humes learned to thrive, survive, and grow all these years. Now, because the Summoned are awaking them from slumber, we have to obey everything they say?"

"I—"

"There is nothing to say," interrupted King Parissius, seemingly determined not to let Vanzuela get a word in edgewise. The young king revealed a beautiful smile as he shrugged and said, "I do not wish to be reincarnated as a frog in my next life, so, I will live the life of a good man, caring for my neighbor as I care for myself. However, I shall never surrender my life to the whims of gods who see us as mere amusement and chess pieces. I shall live a life I am proud of, gods' wrath be damned!" He then looked at the other kings and their constituents with a powerful gaze. "That is the sort of Empire Rosendun shall be. One in which every man, woman, and child can live a life they can be proud of, established norms, practices, and gods' wrath be damned!"

"Ignorant fool," chided Vanzuela with a sneer. "You have no idea what you've done. Your country and its people are now in our sights."

"So what?" retorted the proud king. He matched the adjudicator's gaze with one of disdain. "What's the worst that will happen? You kill us?" With a mocking grin, he questioned, "You do not know why our land is called Rosendun, do you? Rosendun, the land of Roses. This might be quite taxing for a bird-brain, but do you know the beautiful thing about roses?"

"I—"

"As expected," interrupted King Parissius. "Do not fret. I will sacrifice myself and bestow knowledge upon you this day." Ignoring Vanzuela's glare, the young king smiled and said, "Certain roses, if taken care of well, can bloom continuously, year-round. You just have to cut off the dead petals to let new ones bloom." Smiling, the king extended his hand and said, "Those dead petals fall to the ground, where they decay and provide nourishment for the next generation." The king's eyes shone as he declared, "Ever Rosen man and women is a petal in the country's rose. Individually, we all live beautiful lives, but our true beauty is exposed when the country blooms. One day, we inevitably grow old and die, but the cycle does not end there. Our knowledge, beliefs, wishes, hopes and dreams, are passed on to the next generations, nurturing them that they might one day also bask in the country's blooming rose."

King Parissius grinned as he clenched his hand into a fist. "No Rosen man fears death, for it is an inevitability. The only thing we fear is that the next generation does not bask in the bloom we once did. As such, I will not stand by as you attempt to infest the next generation with a useless parasite like fear and submission." The king then revealed a wicked grin as he said, "But, you know what? Words are useless. Nothing inspires more than action..."

BOOOM!

The entire building trembled as a terrifying pressure erupted from within King Parissius. A magnificent pink aura burst out of the king, the immense ki causing even Kashi to wince. For a second, as many stared at the floating King, they saw what could only be described as a god descended upon men.

King Parissius revealed a radiant smile as he looked at Vanzuela. "As a King, I must repay you for threatening my people." No one knew when he got it, but he suddenly raised a beautiful, golden rapier. "Now, do us a favor and just die."

Whoosh!

Before anyone could react, King Parissius disappeared in a flutter of petals. Half a second later, he appeared behind a stunned Vanzuela with his back to the adjudicator. The adjudicator frowned as he examined a flower bud that had appeared on his chest. "What did you do?"

With a weary smile on his face, King Parissius swiped his rapier and said, "Bloom for me, [Morte Rosa]."

Vanzuela's eyes went wide as the rosebud quickly bloomed. BOOOOM! A thunderous storm of ki exploded out of the rose, instantly buffeting, and consuming the adjudicator. A giant, four-meter pink rose bloomed from within the explosion, its glowing light illuminating the smiling King.

Moments later, the rose disappeared, revealing pieces of Vanzuela's shattered corpse floating in the sky.

King Parissius brushed his hair back and then winked at the princesses. "A rose for the divine ladies."

Chu Ling's eyes twitched, and as a result, she grabbed her sister's hand. "Sis?"

Chu Ming, wondering what was wrong with her sister, asked, "Yes?"

"...I'm wet."

Now, it must be understood that most of the individuals in the room were at least level 100 and above. Part of the perks of that advanced level was slightly better hearing. Chu Ling made no particular effort to hide her voice, and as a result, more than half of the room heard her declaration.

King Parissius stumbled in the air, his cheeks red with second-hand embarrassment. Several ministers and nobles awkwardly coughed and looked at the sky while King Chu glared at his daughter with an urge to bury her underground. No one knew who laughed first, but soon, the entire room burst out in animated laughter. The tension from the adjudicator's threats was temporarily forgotten as the attendants laughed away, their fear and anxiety.

Chu Ling scratched the back of her head, grinning as she looked up at King Parissius. Her eyes went wide. Her expression suddenly turning frantic as she yelled, "Watch out!"

King Parissius's gaze trembled as the thick stench of death suddenly overcame him. The young king looked over his shoulder, brows tightening as he spotted a fully healed Vanzuela swinging down his red blade, eyes red with rage. The king spun around, hoping to parry the blow, but as he watched the sword consume his vision, he knew it would be too late.

BAM!

"Kashi!" shouted King Parissius, delight on his face as the daeben appeared before him with the blade firmly grasped within his grip.

Kashi's eyes burned with rage as he glared at the fuming adjudicator, "I warned you." The daeben's gaze turned cold as he began a low chant. A suffocating, mind-numbing pressure burst out of Kashi as he chanted. The expressions of every warrior present changed as they suffered under that presence. This ki did not belong in the hume realm. It was more akin to something from the gods themselves.

Kashi's pupils began to change color as the chant intensified, but before he could finish, Vanzuela's face turned white as he recognized the chant.

"Damn it!" Vanzuela shouted as he quickly retrieved his blade. "Just you wait!" Without waiting for Kashi to finish, he transformed into a bolt of light and shot into the night sky.

Following Vanzuela's exit, Kashi forcefully stopped his chant. Unfortunately, this resulted in a massive backlash that caused him to cough up blood. The daeben lost his balance and almost fell, but King Parissius caught him in time and then supported him as they descended to the ground.

"You had to steal my limelight, didn't you?" joked the young king as they touched down.

Kashi chuckled as he looked at the mass rushing towards them. "Apologies, Your Majesty. I'll be more mindful next time..."

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