CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 961: I Envy You

At another location, kilometres away from the Hotel where Arianna and the others from the Velkarin Empire were staying, the Awakener Association’s skyscraper stood tall against the skyline. On one of the highest floors of the towering structure, two bulky men, each standing well over eight feet tall, could be seen standing side by side as they gazed out into the world beyond through an enormous glass window panel, similar to the one Asher often stared through, only significantly larger.

One possessed golden hair and golden eyes, while the other possessed black hair and black eyes.

They were Azaron and Azazel.

"HAHAHAHAHA!!!" Azazel burst into laughter as he stared through the window. "I knew your son would make a move. My daughter is far too charming," Azazel declared between laughs.

Azaron remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"I’m still not opening my vault for your greedy ass," he said flatly.

He and Azazel had made a wager that Asher would definitely ask Arianna out on a date. Azaron had wagered against it, while Azazel had wagered in favour of it. The two of them had spent the past five days watching the Hotel lobby, patiently waiting for Asher to arrive at the Hotel where Arianna was staying. After all, a man was supposed to pick up his lady himself, so they hadn’t even bothered focusing their attention on the Gentle Hotel.

Hearing Azaron’s words, Azazel snorted before speaking.

"Nobody cares about your damn vault. Besides, if I accepted some bride price, wouldn’t that be no different from selling my daughter?" he asked. "I’ll settle for an all-out fight against you," he added, as that was his only demand.

"I’ll be waiting for you at the Zarethorne Empire after we return," Azaron replied with a smile as he watched Asher’s sports car disappear into the distance.

’Thank the stars we didn’t wager coins or anything valuable. I would’ve lost my money,’ Azaron thought to himself.

He loved making money from other people, not losing it to them.

"It’s official then," Azazel replied as his battle intent stirred ever so violently.

As for Azaron, he simply smiled at the thought of fighting an End-Class Monster before immediately going on to fight Azazel afterwards. A back-to-back battle, that was the very epitome of entertainment.

"Speaking of us returning, have you decided what you’re going to do? Are you going to make your daughter use a teleportation scroll while you happily fight whatever comes your way? Or are you going to let her fight right beside you?" Azaron asked as he snapped himself out of his thoughts.

Azazel’s battle intent immediately flickered before disappearing entirely as a contemplative frown formed on his face. He was genuinely conflicted over the matter.

"I... don’t know," he admitted honestly before letting out a sigh the next moment.

His black eyes shifted away from Asher’s red sports car as he looked towards Azaron and asked, "What about you? Have you made your decision?"

Azaron nodded before replying, "If anything happens on the way back, he’ll be fighting alongside every Wargrave. He doesn’t get to run away and hide back at the estate." He paused briefly before continuing, "Besides, he needs every bit of battle experience he can get. Life-and-death battles would be the best." He sighed softly. "He’s progressing far too quickly. He needs battles that are adequate enough to match the speed of his growth," he added calmly. "The only way he escapes that battlefield is if those attacking are opponents completely beyond what he can handle. Then he can happily retreat alongside Thalric and the others who also can’t match up," he finished, his tone firm.

The two of them had been discussing whether they should allow their monstrous children participate in the upcoming battle.

Azazel remained conflicted. Deep down, he was almost an overprotective father. He simply couldn’t bear the thought of allowing Arianna to fight behind him, only for her to lose her life. The mere possibility reminded him of his own wife, who had died on a battlefield while he wasn’t even there to protect her. Instead, he had been back home, completely unaware, living in peace while she fought her final battle alone.

If Azazel were ever forced to watch his daughter die on a battlefield, following in her mother’s footsteps while he remained unable to save her, he knew, deep within his heart, that he would immediately commit suicide afterwards. If Arianna died, then the last reason he had left to keep living would disappear with her.

He simply couldn’t take that risk.

Yes, as his best friend Azaron had repeatedly said, Asher and Arianna desperately needed genuine life-and-death battles if they were to continue growing stronger. But... couldn’t those life-and-death battles happen another time? Why did they have to occur during the journey back to the Velkarin Empire?

Although Azaron had countered his reasoning by pointing out that whoever was planning the attack might instead be lying in wait at Azazel’s own home, preparing an ambush. After all, it was only logical for them to assume that Azazel would teleport Arianna safely back home before personally remaining behind to fight on the battlefield.

Unlike Azaron, Azazel didn’t possess loyal Knights who would willingly die for him, nor did he have Crownstar Life Rank experts under his command, having rejected and turned down the loyalty and service of every single one throughout the years.

Azazel sighed once more, he knew he was merely making excuses. Even if he delayed this battle and chose another life-and-death battlefield for Arianna in the future, what then? Couldn’t she still die there?

Although he was widely acknowledged as the strongest man within the Velkarin Empire, and although he possessed enough power to protect his daughter on almost any battlefield, Azazel wasn’t arrogant or foolish enough to believe that Azaron was the only person alive capable of matching or defeating him.

Which meant that if powerful enough enemies appeared, they could simply keep him occupied, while another force moved in to kill, or worse, kidnap, his daughter.

"Sometimes... I envy you, my friend," Azazel admitted quietly as he looked at Azaron before slowly shaking his head.

Azaron didn’t respond immediately. He understood exactly what Azazel was going through because he, too, felt the same conflict deep within himself. No loving parent would willingly throw their child onto a battlefield where death lurked around every corner.

Yet Azaron also understood that such hardships were necessary. Crymora wasn’t a world meant for the weak. Still, if any one of his children were ever placed in genuine danger, he would gladly throw away his own life to protect them without a moment’s hesitation.

And if fate were cruel enough to let him survive while one of his children fell instead... then he would drown the entire world in blood.

After a prolonged silence, an idea suddenly crossed Azaron’s mind, and without hesitation, he voiced it.

"How about you return with us instead?" he suggested. "Knowing Empress Nymeria Sol Virelle and Principal Raiden, they won’t allow you and Arianna to tag along with the students. The same goes for Asher, so he’ll be travelling alongsids us, his family instead. That way, more eyes can remain on both Asher and Arianna. Besides, if we fight together, we can inflict far greater damage on the enemy, and it would be even more fun, just like the old days," he explained calmly.

Azazel’s eyes immediately lit up. He absolutely loved the idea.

Although everyone adored Arianna, she was also a ticking time bomb at the moment.

Still, Azazel knew he had responsibilities. He had to return to his own Empire. He couldn’t simply head to the Zarethorne Empire immediately. He opened his mouth to refuse, but Azaron interrupted before he could speak.

"You can still return to your Empire after the battle," Azaron explained. "Think of it as a diversion. Whoever is attacking will naturally split their forces to deal with both you and me separately. But the ’you’ they’ll be facing will merely be a clone, while your real body remains hidden alongside us. Then, when they finally launch their attack, they’ll be shocked to discover both you and me standing on the very same battlefield instead of travelling in opposite directions. After the battle, you can simply use your teleportation scroll to return home. And if there are already people waiting for you there..." He shrugged casually. "Well, that’s your business to handle."

A smirk slowly spread across Azazel’s face as he finally understood the plan. Unable to contain himself, he burst into loud laughter as he realized he had found a way for both himself and his daughter to participate in the upcoming battle.

"HAHAHAHA!!!" he laughted. "You aren’t all muscles and no brain after all," he said as his laughter gradually faded into a genuine smile. "Besides... have I ever told you that I love you?" he asked.

Azaron frowned as he looked at his idiotic friend before replying flatly, "No. And I don’t want to hear something like that coming from your mouth."

Azazel only laughed even harder and said nothing more. At this point, his only wish was that someone, anyone, actually attacked them, instead of all this preparation ending up being for absolutely nothing.

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