Chapter 246: 246. Night of the Banquet - 11
Orion's eyes widened in shock and terror when heard Kane's words. He couldn't believe he would say such words. A war between three domains all because of him sounded very idiotic but Kane's very words suggested the same thing.
'Damn it! What is he thinking?
He cursed softly under his breath, the thought of a war erupting because of him gnawing at his mind. He only wanted Kane to protect him and while Kane had indeed protected him, the cost of that protection was now becoming horrifyingly clear. The idea that his very presence could lead to such catastrophic consequences was both overwhelming and deeply unsettling.
Orion clenched his fists tightly, struggling to reconcile his expectations with the grim reality unfolding before him. He had hoped that Kane, with his immense strength and authority, would find a peaceful resolution to this escalating crisis. Instead, the situation had deteriorated into the worst possible scenario he could imagine.
Turning to look at Erick and Runo, Orion saw the same shock mirrored on their faces. They were just as stunned and dismayed as he was by Kane's decision.
"Erick, ask your brother to change his decision," Orion implored urgently.
Erick's response was a wry, hollow laugh. "If only it were that easy," he replied, his voice tinged with a mix of helplessness and resignation.
"You don't understand," Runo interjected, his expression serious and grim. "The issue is with the lady from the Archons. She wanted you to accompany her, and if the Sword Sage blocks her from doing so, she will initiate the war. It seems like the Sword Sage knew he couldn't prevent her from acting, and so he chose to agree with her, starting the war himself."
Orion understood the gravity of the situation all too well, but the way the Sword Sage spoke about the war, casually mentioning the potential loss of millions of lives, left him deeply unsettled.
It wasn't just the words themselves that disturbed him; it was the indifferent tone with which they were delivered.
To Orion, it seemed as though the Sword Sage didn't care about the countless lives that would be lost in the chaos, as if the suffering and death of millions were mere trivialities in the grand scheme of things.
The thought sent a shiver down his spine, making him question the true nature of the man who could discuss such devastation with such cold detachment.
It was as if, in the Sword Sage's eyes, the lives of ordinary people were expendable, mere pawns in a game of power and strategy.
Orion couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread, realizing that the decisions being made here could lead to unimaginable consequences, all while those in power remained disturbingly indifferent to the human cost.
He found himself wondering if this was truly the real face of the Sword Sage, the same figure he had once looked up to with admiration. The contrast between his former image and the present reality was jarring.
"So, what have you decided?" Kane asked Luna, his tone dripping with amusement as he chuckled softly, seemingly unfazed by the turmoil he had instigated.
Luna stared at the man before her, a deep unease settling in her chest. She felt that the man in front of her was no longer the same person she and her sister had known for so long. It was as though he had become a completely different person when she gave him a moment to decide whether to surrender Orion or wage war between the three domains.
This made her wonder if all of this was a result of his anger towards her from 'that' time or if he was truly serious about everything. As far as she could remember, he had always been someone who made wise decisions in every situation.
This made her question whether Kane's bluster was just an elaborate bluff or if he was truly prepared to follow through with his threats. She chose to believe in the latter.
"You think I don't know what you're planning?" Luna sneered, her voice laced with a mix of defiance and fear.
Kane's smile widened. "Do tell me, what am I planning?"
"You think I won't dare to use the War Medallion, don't you? That's why you're pushing for war," Luna said with a calculated smile, feeling she had unraveled Kane's strategy.
"Hahaha," Kane laughed loudly, the sound echoing ominously through the hall. "Then what are you waiting for? Do it! DO IT RIGHT NOW!"
As he shouted, he suddenly appeared right in front of her, his intense gaze locking onto hers.
"Do it," his whisper, though soft, was enough to send a shiver down her spine, causing her to stumble back and take several hurried steps away.
"You—you stay away from me!" Luna cried, her voice trembling with fear.
Kane's laughter took on a lighter tone. "You've forgotten that you're the current bearer of the War Medallion. You're essentially an immortal walking in the mortal world."
He pressed further, his voice carrying a cold edge. "Are you going to use the medallion or not?"
Luna held the medallion tightly and stared at Kane. 'I don't know what has gotten into him, but he is very frightening now.'
Looking at Kane's smiling face, she understood one thing: he would not change his decision no matter the cost—even if billions of lives were lost.
At this point, she couldn't understand him—or his motives. It made her recall what her father had said about Kane to her and her sister. They had dismissed his words at the time, believing their father took everything too seriously, but now she realized that everything her father had mentioned about Kane seemed to be true.
It was just that he had hidden it too deeply, or they hadn't been keen enough, unlike their father, to notice it.
Thinking along these lines, she closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, a resolve could be seen on her face, as if she had made a decision.
"Alright, since you aren't going to stop interfering in my business, then you leave me with no choice," Luna said, holding the medallion in her right hand.
"Young Miss, you shouldn't do that!" One of the middle-aged men from Orion's group shouted.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Luna said, shaking her head as she began to activate the War Medallion, when it suddenly disappeared from her hands.
"Luna, don't let yourself be swayed by this plague!"
At that moment, a middle-aged man appeared in the hall. He had dark blue hair and a very stern face. He wore armor over his clothes, and his hand held the War Medallion, which soon disappeared from his hand and reappeared in Luna's.
"Father!"
A smile appeared on Luna's face when she saw her father, and all her worry seemed to disappear as she ran to him.
The middle-aged man caressed her head dotingly. "I was busy with the officials of the Celestial Court, but when I heard you were given the mission regarding the Magus Kingdom, I had to come here."
Luna nodded, feeling relaxed.
At that moment, the middle-aged man turned his head toward Kane. Seeing Kane glaring at him, their eyes met, and a shockwave radiated from them, catching everyone off guard as they were thrown backward.