<God's Punishment>
"...?"
...There is no reaction.
David paused and looked down at Vania, whose neck was being held in his hand.
Manifestation Stage 1: Transmits electric shock into the body of the contacted target.
With his teeth clenched tightly, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and his body trembling slightly, he was about to begin the interrogation while letting Ryan hear his younger sibling's scream.
Even as everything inside her body was being burned, Vania did not let out a single groan.
The reason was obvious.
Afraid that Ryan would be distressed seeing her writhing in pain.
'How amusing.'
The bond between the brother and sister, who shared only half the blood, was deep. To the point of being ridiculous.
"Hey."
David spoke to Vania so that Ryan, who did not know the torture had begun, could hear.
"Wouldn't the torture only be meaningful if you at least screamed?"
"...? Brother!!!"
Ryan's eyes widened as he finally realized something.
"Hey. Speak up! Tell me what you want... I'll answer what I know!"
"What are you plotting with the Imperial Family?"
"..."
Ryan's mouth dropped open in disbelief.
***
Belzer Castle, chapel basement.
Alexander covered his ears to avoid hearing the terrible sound of thunder pounding.
He thought that even at the very end, no one with supernatural abilities would ever invade this place.
The man called his father has a twisted side, so on the surface, he has conformed to laws, norms, and social order.
So he didn't know they would massacre people and interrogate Ryan based solely on suspicion and intuition without any justification.
'Where did it go wrong? I guess I was at fault?'
Perhaps sending Mario to him to resolve the mystery was his father's final act of mercy.
In that case, they should have just had a conversation that would confuse Father and let Mario go alive.
Yes, it should have been so.
It felt like it was all his fault.
Father and people with supernatural abilities were merely 'getting along' by blending into human society appropriately.
They are beings who do not hesitate to take the path of becoming monsters like this at any time if humans cross the line.
Alexander could always hold the trigger of the gun he was holding in his hand.
"Stop it. stop it..."
Ah.
At some point, the sound of thunder striking began to occur.
"Sis, sister..."
In the end, it seemed that Vania stepped forward.
"If I don't step in, the people of the estate will all become hostages. It would be madness to just stand by and watch."
Vania argued that it was right to put an end to the situation alone rather than sacrificing all the people of the territory.
Logically speaking, she was right. However, the human heart cannot always be rational.
He can't see Vania, but what about Ryan?
Ryan, who is not allowed to do anything while watching someone being tortured right before his eyes?
Alexander thought.
It was such a cruel thing to him.
***
It was impossible to tell if he had nothing to say or was hiding it. However, as if trying not to stall for time, Ryan stammered and spat out each word one by one.
"...Things like that. I don't know. All I did was accept whatever was given to me—the title, the expansion of the territory, everything... The Crown Prince did all that for me, probably to provoke my father...."
This is something we all already know.
Completely devoid of substance.
<God's Punishment>
"Ugh! Cough..."
“Vania!!!”
As a powerful electric shock was injected, Vania finally coughed up blood. Ryan screamed as he watched this.
"Why. Fuck why! I'm only telling the truth!!!"
"To provoke your father? Do you think it makes sense to have pushed you this far for just that one reason?"
David added, showing Vania's staggering body.
"The reason the Crown Prince keeps taking you along, even giving this girl the name of the Imperial Family... Really, is it just that one person?"
<God's Punishment>
“Phew.”
Vania's body convulsed.
"Ugh, you bastard!!!"
Ryan rushed forward. However, four guards immediately grabbed his struggling arm and subdued him, so he could not reach David.
"She did nothing wrong! I, I was wrong! Just blame me, blame me! Huh?"
"Did you know that they would also touch Diana and Gabriel?"
“...uhh.”
"The Imperial Family, with what audacity?"
David gestured toward the window outside, where several bolts of lightning had struck.
"Because you didn't foresee the entire Empire ending up like that? You didn't know the obvious fact that we superpowered ones are merciful only when humans don't cross the line?"
"So go there and ask! Why did they do that! Anyone can see they took them hostage to negotiate with Father!"
David nodded. He was, of course, aware of that point.
The Imperial Family must have made a life-or-death decision. Otherwise, they would not have dared to detain a person with supernatural abilities.
If Father goes to ask for the reason, he will answer why he did such a thing and what he wants.
"So, Father plans to go soon. To the Imperial Palace."
"...?"
Ryan opened his mouth in despair.
"Then why on earth... did you come here?"
"Because your father was curious about you."
"What?"
“Are you a person with special abilities?”
"..."
"That is the reason he tried to bring you into the family. He has suspected you for a long time."
"..."
It's terrible.
..That's what Ryan thought.
His father is a really terrible person.
It was truly a wise choice to suppress all the impulses to kill and wait for the right moment until now.
As expected, Father must have lived his life constantly preparing for every eventuality.
He must not reveal the existence of the instant kill device.
It is easily seen through how great a will for revenge he harbors, having not returned to his family despite possessing such power.
A son with no room for persuasion or negotiation.
A father who cannot willingly die for such a son will no longer show him any mercy.
"Dad, don't forget that saving just me costs a thousand, ten thousand lives. We have to ensure that those with supernatural abilities are merciful until the very end."
It has not even been half a day since David invaded Belzer, but it is unknown how many people have already died.
That is the reason why they must protect the mercy of those with supernatural abilities until the very end.
"No, brother, I'm incompetent. If I had even a useless talent... then I would have gone back and asked my father to take me in a long time ago..."
<God's Punishment>
Vania's body twisted. However, despite the pain, she gritted her teeth and did not let out a groan.
"Aargh! Aaaah!!!"
Ryan was the only one screaming as if in more pain; he could not endure this suffocating situation.
Kill him.
Let's kill him.
If he kills that guy now, this terrible situation will end.
Yeah, just die...
"Lord, it is impossible to eliminate these individuals with supernatural abilities one by one. Wassenberg's communication network is so dense that we cannot intervene first. We cannot keep up with the speed at which they communicate among themselves."
David and Elliott are both clearly aware that their existence is the family's strength.
Even the point that if something happens on one side, the survival of the other side must be prioritized unconditionally.
Now that he has come to uncover Ryan's immeasurable secret, David must have naturally considered the possibility of another incident.
If David dies, the news will reach Wassenberg as quickly as possible, one way or another.
"Even just gathering the private soldiers stationed across the numerous territories amounts to thousands. Even if we send troops to stop them one by one, innocent casualties are inevitable if civil wars run rampant in every region."
Even Wassenberg's power is not limited to just those with supernatural abilities. The moment their mercy crumbles, all citizens of the Empire become hostages.
<God's Punishment>
“You’re not answering?”
"Aaaargh! Damn it! Right, I'm a superpower user! I said I'm a superpower user!"
“Show me”
"Aaaaaaaah!!!!"
"Dad, you just have to hold on and endure this one time. You've hidden it well until now, so don't make a mistake at the end..."
<God's Punishment>
Vania hung her head limp, blood streaming from her mouth.
"Ah. No. S-save her. Brother, brother... Please, please don't do this!!!"
A plea of rage, despair, and desperation.
He was utterly helpless.
Ryan could do nothing.
No, he shouldn't.
<God's Punishment>
"Aaaargh! I'm a superpower user! I am!!!!!"
Ryan's screaming eyes did not leave Vania.
"What do I do? I told you I'm right... Cough!"
Eventually, blood gushed from his mouth as he was almost collapsing.
David's eyes widened at the sight of that.
Ryan, roughly tearing at his chest and coughing up blood.
Je couldn't tell if his throat had burst from screaming or if his intestines had been torn apart by rage. He was even spitting up blood in the desperate situation of having to just watch his younger sibling die.
Yeah, that much...
Vania meant more to Ryan than imagined. If so, what was being hidden should have come out long ago.
Ryan isn't hiding it.
It is simply that he really cannot show anything.
"...Ah."
David suddenly realized.
The hostage's body he was holding felt heavier than before.
He tilted Vania's drooping head to check.
She had stopped breathing.
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