"Sorry, but this is a new revelation from God," Mother Venice said.
She stepped closer to Draven, her voice steady but her hands trembling slightly.
"I know you saved us, and we're grateful for that. But your death is for the village's freedom, as the god commanded."
"THE CHOSEN ONE WILL BE THE SACRIFICE, SO THE VERDANTS CAN BE FREE."
"This is the only way to change our lives as Verdants." Mother Venice added after recalling the instruction from God.
'Are they talking about that old man? What the hell is he planning now?' Draven thought bitterly.
He looked at the villagers watching him.
Every pair of eyes he met quickly turned away, unable to meet his gaze.
Draven couldn't help but remember his so-called friends in his old life.
They laughed with him during his early teenage years when he helped them out of trouble, fights, and rumbles.
But there came a time when they betrayed him.
They locked him up and handed him over to be beaten by the ones he had fought off for their sake.
They turned on him simply because they were offered money and a chance to join the rival group.
"They were just saving their asses!" Draven muttered.
'Nothing's changed,' Draven thought as he noticed Mother Venice's trembling hands and the looks on the villager's faces. 'I know they don't want to do it. But… still, they're selfish too. Just like them, they're willing to betray for whatever they can gain.'
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to think about his next move. 'Should I beat them all?'
"Stop!"
A woman's voice cut the tension.
Draven's eyes shot open at the sound of a familiar voice.
It was Naisha. She stood in front of him, her arms stretched out to block Mother Venice.
She was panting heavily, her face glistening with sweat as though she had run a great distance to get there.
"Hey, babe. You're right on time," Draven teased.
A smirk played on his lips as if he wasn't dangling from a tree about to be sacrificed.
"Shut up! I'm not your babe! Yet… Or whatever," Naisha snapped, glaring at him with fiery eyes.
"Naisha, step aside," Mother Venice said firmly. "This is the will of the gods."
"No! I don't believe that," Naisha argued. "This man saved us from slavery. I was there! I saw how he almost sacrificed his own life just to protect us."
"I didn't do it to save the—"
But before Draven could finish his talking, Naisha whipped around to him with a fierce glare.
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?!" She hissed. "Say another word, and I'll kill you myself!"
Draven blinked, momentarily stunned by her intensity. Then his lips curled into a grin.
"Wow, you're still pretty even when you're mad."
Naisha let out a deep sigh and didn't bother to look back.
After Naisha spoke, some villagers who had witnessed him fight stepped forward and stood beside Naisha.
One by one, they knelt before Mother Venice.
"Please, spare him," the bowman pleaded earnestly. "Whether he's the Chosen One or not, he fought for us. Even though he had no abilities like us, he defeated a Crimson I.D. He's shown us that we can fight back too."
Another villager clenched his fists and looked at Mother Venice with determination.
"We don't need sacrifices. What we need is to stand up and fight for ourselves!"
He added, "The Chosen One taught us that we don't have to hide anymore. We can fight back, too."
Slowly, more villagers began stepping forward. Women, children, and elders alike.
Their voices overlapped, pleading with Mother Venice to stop.
Draven's brows furrowed as he watched them.
Then he noticed Mother Venice's hands trembled even more as she gripped the dagger tightly.
"Everyone…" Mother Venice said softly, her voice cracking as she looked at the crowd. "But the gods told me…"
"This isn't who we are, Mother Venice," Naisha interjected, her tone softening. "This isn't what we stand for. We don't need sacrifices. We just need unity and courage."
Mother Venice's grip on the dagger faltered, her hands shaking more violently.
Finally, the weapon slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground.
She sank to her knees, tears streaming down her face.
"Oh God, what was I about to do?" She sobbed, covering her face with trembling hands.
Her heart had been torn from the beginning of a new revelation.
She wanted to save her people but couldn't bear to kill the one who had saved them.
When the villagers stood against her, it gave her the strength to let go finally.
Naisha knelt beside her, wrapping her arms around her in a comforting embrace.
"It's okay, Mother. It's over now."
Draven let out a deep breath, his expression blank as he muttered under his breath.
'Damn it, old man. This drama is your fault.'
The villagers quickly untied him, murmuring apologies.
Draven saw what Goodness meant when he said that they were trustworthy. At the same time, he felt bad for them, feeling like Goodness just used them to prove his point.
'I wish I could say that their god is cunning.' A laugh escaped Draven's face.
"So what now? Who's going to lead us into battle?" One of the male villagers asked hesitantly.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, whispering among themselves.
Being Verdants, they were unaccustomed to fighting in wars, let alone leading a rebellion.
'Sorry, old man. But I still do not agree to work with anyone, I have my way,' Draven thought.
But as he was lost in his thoughts, he realized that everyone had gone quiet.
All eyes were on him.
Gil, the bowman who had admired Draven for defeating ten opponents in an instant, stepped forward.
Bowing deeply, he said, "I don't want to burden you, but... please. Only you can lead the Verdants into battle."
For a moment, Draven didn't respond.
'This isn't part of my plan.'
He scanned the crowd, taking in the hopeful faces of the villagers, elders, men, women, and children, all watching him expectantly, waiting for his answer.
"C'mon. No, no, no. Don't look at me like that."
Then his eyes landed on Naisha.
Her soft, pleading expression and her gentle, soulful eyes seemed to pierce through him.
'Do you think you can sway me with that look? No way!' he muttered, snickering to himself.
But before he knew it, the words tumbled out of his mouth. "Okay, I'll help."
The villagers erupted into smiles and cheers, their spirits soaring at Draven's agreement.
"What the hell just happened? No, no, no! This is not what I meant!" he reacted furiously, but his voice could not be heard with the growing celebration around him.
Some villagers approached him, bowing respectfully.
"Please take care of us," one said.
Others expressed their gratitude with thanks and admiration.
Draven's face lifted in a plastered smile.
When the crowd dispersed, Draven walked over to Naisha, his face was blank.
"Babe, this is all your fault," he said.
"What are you talking about?" Naisha asked, clearly confused.
"Because I was struck by your beauty, I ended up agreeing to help this village," he replied.
"Huh?" Naisha blinked.
"Because of that, you need to take responsibility for me," Draven added with a sly grin.
"Sure," Naisha said. "All the villagers will take care of you."
Then she walked away with a knowing smile.
Everything worked out according to her plan.
Draven is now the leader of the Verdants.