The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2033: Freedom carries responsibility

After Azazel’s message ended, the psychic projection shattered into fragments of light and vanished from the sky. Silence gripped the kingdom. The True Depravita had not lingered to hear counterarguments or endure rebukes. He had said what he wished to say and then withdrawn, leaving only the echo of his ultimatum.

And now, all focus shifted.

The eyes of soldiers, wounded champions, and Archdeities alike turned to the Scarlet King. Cain felt the weight of thousands pressing against him, their stares heavy with fear, hope, and unspoken expectation. The enemy stood renewed—healed, bolstered by greater numbers—and they offered a way out. All Cain had to do was surrender his life.

Outrageous though the demand was, it struck at the heart of every soul present. For a fleeting instant, some among them almost dared to dream of survival, of exile, of safety.

Cain drew in a long breath. His willpower surged, steadying his heart until his expression was calm and unreadable. He raised his gaze toward the ArchDeities who hovered in the sky, their auras still flickering with strain.

"Come with me."

With those words, Cain vanished from the sky and reappeared within the throne room of the Scarlet Crown. Leonidas, Bael, Ozark, and Zeus followed instantly, the heavy atmosphere pressing down on them like a storm about to break.

This was not a conversation that could be held before the masses. Here, behind sealed walls, the Scarlet Kingdom’s future would be weighed.

The air was thick, silence broken only by the faint hum of the Scarlet Crown itself. They all knew the truth. The enemy was stronger. They were wounded. Even if they somehow healed in time, launching a direct attack would condemn the hostages to certain death.

Cain stood tall in the center of the chamber, his presence quiet but immovable.

"First," he said, his voice echoing through the vaulted hall, "I believe Azazel will keep his word."

The declaration stunned the chamber. The ArchDeities exchanged startled glances. In such a situation, most leaders would cling to denial—casting the enemy’s promises as lies, insisting their threats were bluffs.

But Cain was not like other rulers. He had never believed in deluding his people. There was no point in falsehoods now.

"If I were to surrender myself," Cain continued evenly, "he would release the captives. He would grant our people a path to exile. That is the reality we face."

His eyes swept across them, hard as steel.

"Given that... what are your thoughts? What do you believe I should do?"

For a long moment, no one answered. The silence was heavy, each ArchDeity lost in thought. There was no perfect choice. Every path led through fire.

At last, one voice broke through.

It was Bael—the Infernal Daemon, Amon’s brother. His tall, broad figure radiated power, but his eyes burned with a personal grief sharper than any blade.

"We have followed you into this war," Bael said, his voice low but resonant. "We trusted your vision, your insight. And now my only family is in the hands of the enemy."

Cain met Bael’s gaze and inclined his head, acknowledging the weight of his words.

Bael’s voice grew firmer, rising until it filled the hall.

"Yet we are not children. We all came to the Scarlet Kingdom for one reason or another, but we stayed because the Scarlet Path is freedom—the freedom to walk our own way, to carve our own destiny, unbound. If that path has brought us here, to this moment, then I accept it."

The other Archdeities studied him in silence. Slowly, some nodded, grim agreement dawning in their eyes. Freedom carried responsibility. If one chose a destiny, one had to face its consequences.

"We should do all in our power to save my brother," Bael continued, his tone hardening like tempered steel. "And the rest of our comrades as well. But we cannot relinquish our destiny. My brother is no coward. He would never allow his life to be used as a bargaining chip, much less traded for that of our king."

Cain’s lips curved into the faintest of smiles. For the first time since the message, a spark of warmth flickered in his chest.

Another voice rose, deep and resolute. Leonidas, the oldest of the ArchDeities, stepped forward. His scarred features were like carved stone, his gaze unwavering.

"The Imperium of Time may have healed their wounds and multiplied their strength," Leonidas said, his tone measured, "but despite that, they do not dare strike us in open battle. That alone speaks volumes. The last clash above the ocean scarred them deeply. They fear what we are capable of when pressed."

He paused, his words weighing heavy.

"It will not be easy. It will be a nightmare. But this war is not yet over. And the tide can still be turned."

The Archdeities’ eyes sharpened at his words. They remembered vividly—the Scarlet King rising from the depths of the sea, cloaked in world energy, facing Azazel and his army alone. They remembered the ocean boiling with power, the heavens trembling, and the moment one of the Imperium’s Archdeities fell by Cain’s hand.

Hope flickered again.

Ozark was next to speak. The hermit deity leaned lazily against a pillar, as though the weight of the world hardly concerned him, yet his eyes glinted with fierce determination.

"I am a wanderer. Their offer of exile means nothing to me," he said simply. "Better to fight, to take our chances. Win or lose, at least the path is ours."

Zeus followed, lightning crackling faintly in his gaze. His posture was proud, his words ringing with conviction.

"My aim is transcendence," he declared. "I will achieve it—or burn my existence trying. Surrender is not my path."

Their voices struck like thunder through the chamber.

Cain looked at each of them in turn, his smile widening ever so slightly. The weight of the universe still pressed upon his shoulders, but it no longer felt quite as suffocating. He was not alone. The fire of his people had not yet been extinguished.

"Thank you," Cain said, his voice quiet but firm. "I need time to think. To choose the path forward. I will summon you again soon."

The four ArchDeities clasped their hands and bowed, their expressions solemn, before vanishing from the throne room one by one.

Cain stood alone, the vast chamber echoing with silence once more.

Their support had given him strength, but the choice remained his. And now, with the weight of his kingdom, his son, and the fate of the world pressing against him.