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The King of North America fell by my blade; our battle was intense, and I could notice how powerful he was and how much untapped potential he possessed. But at this stage, he lacked finesse and technique, or perhaps the very techniques of his family simply worked around brute force.
However, what use does brute force have if you can't use refined, meticulous techniques to let out the best of such a power? It was the very same reason why the Primal King ended up losing to the combination of my Doppelgangers, despite being so immensely strong.
I felt slightly threatened when he actually started learning and figuring out his own Martial Arts related to Prehistoric animals. It was too worrying for me, so I had to cut it down immediately.
But unlike the Primal King, the King of North America is much more intelligent; he used some sort of technique, but it was simply lackluster in comparison to mine.
However, all these thoughts had little point right now; the fall of a king was something everyone saw, and my disciples stepped out of the pagoda to see the battle, including my family.
There were flying drones I noticed, filming the entire fight and broadcasting it on TV.
I descended from the skies slowly, and as I saw the man fall to the ground, his knights and magicians managed to grab him in time before he was to get crushed.
They surrounded him, screaming in horror and disbelief at his current situation.
There was a large hole that I had pierced through his chest; his heart must have barely survived, but one of his lungs was crushed, and he was most likely going to die very soon.
Yet his immense vitality and stamina made his tough body still survive such a terrible agonizing death, groaning in pain while constantly coughing blood, his wound painting the stone beneath him red.
"My King!"
"Y-Your majesty…"
"No, please don't die!"
"Q-Quickly, feed him the elixirs!"
"Use healing magic, hurry!"
The magicians conjured healing spells, and the knights brought all their potions and elixirs, pouring them over his wounds. Yet I knew that his fate was already sealed; the damage my techniques dealt always left Dao Marks with wounds.
These wounds infected with Dao Marks cannot easily recover unless you use another healing technique from my world that could counter those Dao Marks.
Magic, Potions, and Elixirs did not work, and the knights and magicians despaired as the King kept coughing blood.
"M-My wife, my daughter," he muttered as I slowly walked towards him. "Tell them that... That- ugh… Cough, t-that… I'm sorry…"
As I approached him, his servants and knights quickly panicked, pointing their weapons and magic at me. Yet I could tell from their faces that they were all terrified. They knew they couldn't win against me after seeing what I did to their king, but they tried to act brave and die with honor.
"S-Stand right there!"
"N-Not a single step, you monster!"
"You want to finish the job, don't you?!"
As they roared back at me, I felt a slight hesitation to step forward. Not because I was afraid, but because I felt bad for them.
"Your king came to my property, attacked me, and tried to kill me. I defended myself," I explained. "And I am a monster to you for doing something anybody would do? I know you're his loyal servants, but did you expect me to sit down and be slaughtered by him?"
"T-That's…"
"But the King did this to…"
"To save our Kingdom…"
They were not really well in their heads either, perhaps still too shocked about how quickly the battle ended. Their king was now on the floor, dying. And I…
Why did I feel so awkwardly hesitant to finish him off?
I have done this many times before in Murim, with countless foes that have fought me and then fell against my might.
Yet this might be the first time I hesitate so much to kill one.
Why?
Is it because my family is watching behind me?
Or is it because I am being broadcast?
No, it's none of those things.
Or is it?
Perhaps not, because I am being broadcast.
But my family and my disciples.
Hesitating is not a good thing either; if I hesitate, I could die.
But at this point in my life, I have grown so much stronger.
This king was reckless and tried to attack me without even talking, uncivilized even.
Yet he wasn't doing it out of hatred and pride; there was something within him.
The desire to protect his family and his people...
While holding the blade covered in the blood of a king in my hands, I could hear the hearts of his servants beating faster and faster, afraid of death.
Yet giving it all to him.
They were not under any brainwashing spell; they simply had great loyalty.
And unlike all those tyrants I've killed in Murim, they were genuinely sad over his death and not shaken over their leader's death only because they would not have any protection anymore.
They were willing to put their lives on the line just so he could live a few more seconds, even when they fully knew he was going to die now.
"Do you love your King sincerely?" I asked. "Did he brainwash you into making you love him? Was he abusive towards you?"
The knights and the magicians looked at one another; none nodded.
"Our King… He took us from our original world and promised us a new, fertile land where we could prosper."
"Our families are living in this world now... We can't back down."
"He has always cared for his people and his family."
They were not lying.
"I see."
I placed the sword over the dirt as I glanced in silence at the king's last breaths.
FLASH!
And in that moment, a blue-colored magic circle was conjured, and two people appeared out of nowhere, running towards the King, both in tears.
One of them was a beautiful elf woman with long blonde hair and emerald eyes, wearing a green and golden dress, and also wearing a small crown with red jewels.
The other was a half-elf girl with long black hair and emerald eyes.
"D-Dear?! No… No, no, no! PLEASE DON'T DIE!"
The elf woman kneeled in front of the King, hugging him as she started crying.
"Daddy! Nooo! Daddy!"
And the child started crying as well, hugging her father even as he was covered in blood.
"E-Elphiette…"
The King tried to say a few words to her.
"You said you wouldn't die... You say we would rebuild my home... That you would always protect me!" The woman kept crying, her tears falling over the king's wounds.
"I… I'm… sorry…" He muttered, coughing blood. "I was driven by my own greed."
"Why is nothing working? Why are you not healing?!" She kept crying.
"Daddy, don't die!" his daughter kept screaming.
I see how it is.
He had a family too.
"I wanted to… make… make a world where you could be… happy…" the king gasped. "Hahh… Ugh… Forgive me… I…. I was weak at the end… fa- father… was right…"
"No, don't say that! You're the only person… the only person I love…" The woman kept crying. "I… Please don't leave us…"
I noticed sparkles of golden and green light coming from the woman's tears, which fell over the man's wounds. Their magical power was intense, so powerful that it slightly began to override the Dao Marks, but it wasn't enough.
"My tears… They're not working..."
"It's... this is... the end... Leave, please, find a safe place before she… she- ugh…!"
The King couldn't hold back anymore, vomiting more blood.
I stood in front of them in silence, leaving behind my sword.
The sky was cloudy out of nowhere, and it started raining all of a sudden.
Amidst the rain, they saw my silhouette; perhaps to them, I was like the Grim Reaper.
"Aah!" the woman cried, stepping back in horror. "N-No…! G-Get away! Don't kill him, please! D-Don't hurt my daughter!"
"Y-You…" His daughter glared at me furiously as she cried, her eyes glowing red.
Her aura erupted as she unsheathed her magic blade.
"I WILL AVENGE PAPA!"
She rushed towards me with her sword in her hands, fully knowing I could kill her with a single swipe of my hands.
CLASH!
Her sword hit me once, yet I received no damage. My clothes weren't even torn apart.
"RAAAH!"
Her aura blazed with crimson and black flames as her power kept rising.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
Her attacks didn't hurt yet.
Why am I doing this?
One part of myself is telling me to kill everyone and that they don't deserve my pity for daring to attack me.
And another part of myself tells me...
I should do what I think is right.
"Die! Die! Die!"
The girl kept attacking me; her attacks became more intense, but there was no damage.
This is my fault for forcing a child to avenge their parents.
To leave them without family.
I've done this before, yes.
Many times…
I always thought I killed bad people; they were bad.
But even the most villainous person could have a family behind them.
And sometimes, they are doing everything for them.
Where can you truly draw the line between what's correct and incorrect?
Maybe this is where it is drawn.
When a poor child is trying to kill me because I killed their parent...
"Cecil! No! Stop, don't attack her!"
Her mother ran towards her, trying to drag her away.
Yet my hands moved towards the girl's head.
She was probably no older than sixteen.
"NO!"
The elven woman cried, conjuring countless branches of wood that rushed toward me like deadly spears.
Yet my hand reached her daughter's head much faster than her spell.
CLASH!
Her attack hit me, though; they were strong, but not enough to hurt me either.
"I'm sorry."
"H-huh?"
The girl, Cecil, looked up at me with eyes full of tears.
"Your father will not die; don't worry."
I walked past her, moving towards the king.
He was already dead, yet I could still sense his life force and his soul attached to his body.
The king was resilient.
"I took your life, and now I will give it back to you," I said, waving my hand.
All the Dao Marks within his wounds disappeared, and the magic tears of his wife acted immediately, completely healing the large hole in his chest and everything else.
A spark of golden electricity came from my hands as I reanimated his body, making his heart start beating again.
"Hahhh…!"
He woke up with a loud gasp, coughing up blood stuck inside his lungs.
"D-Dear?!"
"Father!"
His daughter and his wife ran towards him, hugging him. The King, with his shattered armor, didn't know what had just happened, looking around in confusion but ultimately accepting their hug.
Then he looked back at me.
"Why..." he wondered. "You… You could have just left me dead."
"And upset your wife and your daughter?" I sighed. "I am softer than you imagine... I could never hurt a child."
"Hah, you've beaten me completely. You humiliated me in front of my people, and even after all of that, you showed me mercy," he sighed. "I am no longer worthy of carrying my crown anymore."
He took off his crown and threw it at me.
"Take it… You're the queen of this territory now."
I admired the crown for a moment and even thought about wearing it.
But it wasn't for me, not at all.
"I am a guardian, not a queen." I smiled. "Take it back."
I gave it to him, and as he took the crown, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"W-Why? Didn't you want this?" he wondered.
"Why would I want that?" I laughed. "I only wanted to have a civil conversation. You were the one who jumped on me and attacked me. Although I dislike how you're doing some things, it doesn't mean I want to overthrow you, or even kill you. Even if you're not from this world, you saved a lot of people—millions. If it weren't for you, maybe my mother and my sister wouldn't have been alive when I came back."
"That's..." he muttered, feeling awkward. "This is not how I expected things to go."
"Of course you didn't, you big dummy! I told you that she was strong; I told you that there was no need for a fight; she wanted to talk!" His wife started reprimanding him.
"Elphiette," he muttered. "I'm sorry…"
"I am done with being Miss Nice here; you died!" she cried. "You big idiot! Think more carefully before you jump on others like a savage. You told me you weren't like your siblings; you told me you weren't like your father! Yet you proved yourself wrong. Do you know what could have even happened to us if you had died?! To your people, to your daughter..."
"I…!" The king got slightly annoyed but then sighed again. "I'm very sorry."
He apologized and hugged his family; he knew he had to move away from his pride, which had only brought his death.
"You're starting to learn," I nodded. "Would you care to talk things out now, without violence?"
"…I don't have another choice anymore."
"Of course you don't."
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