THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 709: The Trial of Blood and Betrayal (3)
Previously on THE VILLAIN'S POV...
Capítulo 709: The Trial of Blood and Betrayal (3)
“Both Ada and Carmen will awaken the instant I call upon them, signaling the start of the trial. Within that arena, they are forced to clash. As I previously stated, the victor shall live... while the loser faces certain death.
Naturally, should any meddling outsider enter the ring, the trial is voided, and the Scale will execute them both on the spot. Furthermore, if the master of the Scale perishes, they both die alongside him.
Therefore, I apologize, Frey... but killing me is not an option. Not yet!”
As Maika continued to speak, the darkness in Frey’s gaze deepened.
Though Frey had already envisioned Maika’s death a thousand times in his mind, he did not dare dismiss the man's warnings as mere bluffs.
Observing that he remained unharmed, Maika’s confidence swelled as he continued to spew his delusions.
“Let us place a wager, Frey! Who do you bet will emerge from this trial alive!
Will it be your beloved sister?!
Or perhaps my own mother?!”
Maika’s voice rose in a manic cheer, deliberately stoking Frey’s fury.
“Why would you ever commit such an atrocity?
Against your own mother... against your own blood?”
Frey was at a loss. He could not fathom how Maika had obtained such a sinister artifact.
The hysterical laughter died in Maika’s throat the moment he heard Frey’s inquiry.
“You ask why? Why I would do this to the woman who birthed me?”
He lingered on the thought, a repulsive smirk stretching across his features.
“Why wouldn't I?”
Maika’s face contorted into a mask of pure malice.
“What reason is there not to slay that whore? Without her, the world would finally be at peace! Death is the only thing she deserves—nothing more and nothing less!”
He shrieked with renewed insanity, letting years of suppressed rage boil over.
“That woman is a filthy slut... she discarded her own flesh and blood at the first opportunity. My entire childhood was spent rotting in isolation because she abandoned me. I was forced to survive the Starlight family alone. When I finally reached adulthood and sought her out—only because she was my mother—do you know her first words to me after all those years?”
“She claimed I was merely a mistake!
Nothing more than an accidental byproduct of a meaningless affair!
Ha! Indeed! I am the offspring of the illustrious Carmen Starlight... a woman who opens her legs for anyone!”
Maika snapped completely, a lifetime of bitterness cascading out of him.
“That whore was infatuated with Abraham—your father—but the great Abraham naturally had no interest in garbage like her. He shunned her. Consequently, that slut threw herself at one man after another, chasing her own depraved whims!
She left her son to decay, indifferent to my fate!
I existed only as a bitter reminder of her countless failures!”
Maika prepared to continue his tirade, but a suffocating wave of pressure from Frey forced him into silence.
“Your filth and your hatred do not interest me.
I want an explanation for why you involved my sister in your pathetic quest for vengeance.”
Despite the crushing weight of the pressure, Maika stood his ground, now devoid of fear.
“Why? You truly ask why?!”
“That slut spent years ignoring her own son—and then what? She began doting on you and your sister, shielding you as if YOU were her actual children!
How do you expect me to react when I witness such a sight, huh?!”
Upon hearing these words, Frey remembered every instance Carmen had assisted him, often claiming she was merely settling a debt owed to his father.
Carmen had been a constant presence... saving his life multiple times when his Cultivation was at its weakest. He would have perished long ago without her intervention.
In Frey's eyes, she was akin to an older sister... but for Maika...
It appeared as though his mother had simply traded him for the offspring of the man she desired.
“That whore’s obsession with Abraham is so deep that she tried to claim his children after failing to claim him! That wretched fixation is the reason that pile of filth is lying there right now!”
“She deserves only to die! And here, I shall reveal her true nature to you! AHAHA!!”
With a grand gesture, a burst of aura hit the arena, triggering an arcane mechanism that instantly jolted Ada and Carmen awake.
A bizarre countdown manifested above them as a synthetic voice resonated through the area:
“Five minutes remaining until execution.”
Maika squeezed his fist, his laughter echoing his overflowing spite.
“They have five minutes to settle this. If neither dies before the clock runs out, both face execution.
Now, Frey... watch closely as this whore reveals who she truly is.”
“I bet those filthy hands of hers will be the ones to slaughter your sister! Why?
Because she is a self-centered creature who cares for nothing but herself!!!”
Maika was certain of his conclusion. In his mind, a mother who could not love her own son was incapable of loving anyone.
“What is your choice, Frey?!!” Maika bellowed, savoring the torment he was inflicting.
Frey stood motionless, his grip so tight that blood began to drip from his palms.
Within his mind, he reached out to his masked companion.
“Nameless... tell me there is a way to stop this cursed thing?!”
He demanded, his voice thick with rage.
Nameless remained quiet for several heartbeats before delivering an answer.
“It cannot be done.
This is no ordinary tool that a mortal could possess...”
Nameless spoke, having realized a terrifying truth about the object.
Meanwhile, Maika’s smirk grew wider as he retreated into his own dark thoughts.
‘It is impossible to cancel, Frey. You are ignorant of the one who provided it to me.
I spent years within the Church searching for a path to vengeance, but they offered nothing...
It was the demon Wesker who granted me this!!’
‘This artifact belongs to an Upper Demon—it can neither be deactivated nor destroyed.’
Maika shifted his gaze from Frey to Carmen.
‘You have no idea how deep this trap goes. Carmen’s strength far exceeds Ada’s, making her survival the natural outcome. And once she takes your sister’s life, you will strike her down in your grief.’
‘At that point, your vengeance on me matters not. I only wish to prove to you... and to the entire world... that this woman is nothing more than a selfish whore... once that truth is laid bare, and I see you kill her with your own hands... the son she cherished MORE than her biological child...
Then I can die with a smile on my face.’
He chuckled, having meticulously orchestrated this tragedy.
‘But your agony won't end there. After the slaughter is finished, your true struggle begins... against the demons already descending upon this location! Your suffering is eternal, Frey. The real battle hasn't even begun!’
As Maika’s grin twisted further, he yelled once more:
“Well!!! What is your bet, Frey?! The trial is in motion!!”
Simultaneously...
Ada and Carmen rose to their feet, their eyes fixed on the shimmering timer.
The nature of the artifact allowed them to immediately grasp the gravity of their situation.
Now... they were left with no alternative but to fight.
Ada looked toward the glass partition concealing Maika and Frey for a brief moment... before turning her attention back to Carmen.
The latter returned the gaze, her face a mask of cold emptiness.
“Carmen...” Ada softly spoke the name of the woman who had protected her for years.
Carmen tightened her fist... and began to walk toward Ada with heavy, deliberate steps.
The game was heartless.
And this was merely... the opening act.