Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 652: Favor-2

Azaron, who had been ready to kill Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor and Emperor Zolthemir Lux Vanthelmor at the same time as though they were not Emperors but mere commoners, could not help but pause in his tracks, his face twisting into a deep frown as he stood rooted on the spot, the killing intent that once radiated from him momentarily halted by something far more binding than power.

He did not know what to do; on one hand, he had given the order to wipe out the Imperial family, and he knew that would take days, after all, Emperor Zolthemir Lux Vanthelmor was merely a child amongst the true protectors of the Imperial family. He had expected them to come when he killed Zolthemir Lux Vanthelmor, for he had wanted to remind the world why he, Azaron, was the Primarch and a father, a being whose wrath could not be provoked without consequence.

But now... the former Emperor had called upon a favor that dated back to almost two decades ago, a binding obligation that weighed heavier than any blade or decree.

On one hand, he wanted to fulfill his deceased wife’s wish, and on the other, as a man of his word, he could not simply disregard the favor he owed someone, especially not a favor of that magnitude and origin.

Ender, his soul-bound spear, a weapon that reveled in battle and destruction, seemed to stop humming with killing intent as it too understood what was happening and the reason why Azaron owed the Emperor a favor, despite his mind-boggling power that had transcended the Crownstar Life Rank.

At the side, Emperor Zolthemir Lux Vanthelmor sat stunned, truly stunned, as his mind struggled to process what he had just heard; he had never heard of any favor, not one that Azaron owed his father.

’What happened that made Azaron owe such a favor?’ he thought to himself as his black eyes shifted between his father and Azaron, both of whom now stared at each other in silence, as though only the two of them understood what was truly going on beneath the surface of this tense encounter.

Azaron closed his eyes for a moment as though contemplating, his thoughts churning beneath his calm exterior; after a brief pause, he opened his eyes and spoke, "I acknowledge this favor," he stated, his usual flat and indifferent voice carrying an unusual heaviness this time, as he was visibly angered that he could not kill the fool who had attempted to mentally manipulate his son.

Azaron’s words left Emperor Zolthemir Lux Vanthelmor in even greater shock, as he could scarcely believe what was happening... Azaron, a man who had seemed utterly unwilling to take even a single step back, had actually relented, something that defied everything he thought he knew about the Primarch.

’I have to find out what this favor entails,’ Emperor Zolthemir Lux Vanthelmor thought to himself; despite his battered state, his mind still functioned sharply, forcing itself to ignore the pain that coursed through his body as curiosity took precedence.

As for what the favor between Azaron Wargrave and Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor entailed, one would have to go back in time... specifically, eighteen years ago.

The Tenth Sun’s birth, Asher Wargrave, had been far more chaotic than most people truly understood or knew; Lily Of The Abyss had already been on the verge of death before Asher could even leave her womb, as though her body had grown exhausted from giving birth to so many children, to so many monsters cloaked in human form.

Now, one had to ask: if Azaron’s wife was already dying before Asher even left her womb, before she could give birth, how was it that she was able to hold her son and even manage to give a dying wish to Azaron, her husband, in those final moments?

That was where Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor came in.

As Crownstar Life Rankers, both Lily Of The Abyss and Azaron already knew that Lily was going to die before she could give birth; they could sense her rapidly depleting vitality, an irreversible decline that no conventional means could halt. Hence, they had no choice but to secretly contact the former Emperor, Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor, for help, placing their hope in a power that bordered on the absurd.

Just like how Emperor Zolthemir Lux Vanthelmor possessed an ability that existed outside his Bloodline ability, Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor was the same, he too possessed an ability outside the royal Bloodline.

But unlike his son, whose ability was to manipulate minds, Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor could manipulate Time.

Although not absolutely, he could influence it to a certain extent, bound by strict and unforgiving rules due to the inherent limitations of such an ability, for Time was not something a mortal could wield freely without consequences, and even touching it came with risks that most would not dare entertain.

Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor had been invited, and using his Time manipulation ability, he managed to alter the flow of time around Lily Of The Abyss for a few fleeting minutes, allowing her to give birth to Asher, to hold her newborn son in her hands, and to deliver a dying wish to her husband, moments that would have otherwise been erased from existence entirely.

Without Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor, those precious minutes of interaction between mother and child, between husband and wife, would never have existed; Azaron and his children would never have had the chance to say goodbye to the woman they all loved, and instead, they would have been left with nothing but her lifeless body, forced to cut open her stomach to retrieve a dead baby from her womb, a fate far crueler than death itself.

So, without Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor, even Asher Wargrave, the Tenth Sun, would not exist, for he too would have perished before ever seeing the world.

Now, after this, Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor, being a wise man, a former ruler, and one who had once been acquainted with the former Primarch, immediately declined all forms of payment, fully aware of how powerful each Wargrave Primarch was, and instead opted for a favor on Azaron’s personal account, a favor he could cash in at any time, as long as it did not directly harm the Wargrave family itself.

This was the reason behind the favor; this was why Azaron had been hesitant to attack, for without Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor, this very moment would not even exist, because the Tenth Sun would not exist to ignite this war in the first place.

And of course, this favor was known only to Azaron and Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor, as Azaron had told the Elders and Great Elders that he had simply paid the former Emperor for his time, concealing the true nature of the agreement.

Hearing Azaron acknowledge the favor, Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor could not help but shake his head; although he had saved his son, he could not shake the feeling that he had come out on the losing end of this exchange, sacrificing something invaluable.

Azaron’s eyes shifted toward Emperor Zolthemir Lux Vanthelmor, who stared back at him, silence passing between them once more, heavy and laden with unspoken understanding, while Emperor Cyrvexis Lux Vanthelmor remained silent, knowing full well that Azaron would no longer do anything drastic.

After a moment, Azaron spoke, "Thank your father for your life, and remember, this was his one and only favor, another does not exist. If this happens again, I will not just wipe out the Imperial family, I will obliterate the Empire itself," he stated, his tone finally turning icy at the thought of being unable to kill the Emperor because of a favor.

"Also, the Wargrave Ducal family will not be paying any taxes to the Royal family for the next century," he added in finality, before turning and walking away with calm, measured steps, Ender floating beside him with a low humming sound, as even it understood the immense weight of what had just transpired.