There're some people out there who love hearing screams of suffering and pain, but i can only conclude that they Sociopaths of Psychopaths because that was entirely unpleasant"
He said watching her slowly stand back up. Her body had stopped shivering from the pain. Her levels in the cleric class helped with the dulling and alleviating of pain, but it could only do so much.
"Now then, let me properly explain this time, no interruption, ok?"
He asked, but she didn't answer, but that was fine by Arthur. Obviously, she wasn't going to answer after experiencing that.
"Now then, as I was saying, next is a trial by fire. Much like what you have experienced, you just have to survive, extra points if you don't scream. However, there is a silver lining."
He paused and repositioned himself on the throne and placed his leg over his knee. By the looks of things, Zesshi was willing to listen this time, seeing that she was going to be obedient he smiled, and pain was a great teacher.
"The silver lining is that you get to have a single Blut vene. A Blut vene is your shield that helps defend against the coming trials. Choosing when to use it is up to your discretion, although I'd recommend saving it for the last trial."
Arthur explained, his gaze looking at his prey with curiosity, wondering if she's going to ask questions or if her mind was so easily broken. Had she been a normal human, it probably would have been broken.
Luckily, Zesshi was much more resilient and tougher than the average human.
Having heard his explanation, she couldn't help but be distrustful of his words. After all, why would he explain the inner workings of his ability and give her the opportunity to survive.
It was obvious. This was nothing but a ploy to get her hopes up before crushing her spirits and then killing her.
'I guess I'm the pathetic prey being played with'
She thought, almost finding it amusing how the tables had been turned.
Of course, this only made it all the more apparent to her that her actions had been a mistake. There was no doubt in her mind right now that she was going to die.
Had she been smarter, she would have asked to join forces with him rather than just attacking him on the command of the theocracy. Now, she's never going to achieve her goal and get revenge for her mother.
"What happens if I choose not to use this "Blut vene" of yours?"
She asked. Even if he was lying to get her hopes and then crush it, it was still worth trying to discern if his words were lies. Perhaps she found hints to her survival.
Despite knowing her fate, Zesshi was still not willing to give up on her goal as such. If possible, she would like to survive as long as she possibly can't.
It was ironic, really. Her epithet meant certain death, yet here she was clinging desperately to life and unwilling to accept the natural order of things.
"Nothing happens. You just get through the trial and experience the pain you're supposed to. Don't be stupid and think you won't need it."
He warned, and she squinted her eyes in suspicion.
"You could be lying, trying to trick me into a trap that will be worse than what I experienced earlier"
She said and saw him letting out a sigh.
"I promise you I'm not lying or trying to trick you. Yes, I'm doing to this out of revenge. After all, you nearly killed me, and I will make you experience the pain I felt tenfold. However, I'm not a monster, nor am I an edgelord"
He explained to her. Hearing someone suffer was definitely an unpleasant experience, but if he stopped with just one trial, he would be going back on his word, and as king, he must always follow through with his decision.
"In any case, it's completely up to you if you want to believe my words or not, I'm just here to make you suffer and maybe kill you, that's all."
Arthur informed the half elf before he let loose the second trial without warning. Flames spark into life, shaping themselves into an arrow before they casually fall down towards their unmoving prey.
Zesshi had little time to contemplate his words as her body made contact with the flames and felt the searing pain that forced screams of agony out her mouth.
Her skin felt the pain of the heat searing her skin like a barbecue, the fire did nothing to her body however the pain of being burned alive was there, she was experiencing the full brunt of it.
The pain of her blood boiled as the fire cooked her body, like a chicken inside a microwave. The pain of beautiful skin being charred like an overcooked steak. The boiling of the liquid within her eyes.
She screamed and coughed as she experienced suffocating due to the oxygen being burned up around her.
The flames were unrelenting and fierce, burning every speck, every cell, and every inch of her body. No part of her was left untouched.
After another full five minutes of undisturbed torture, the flames rescinded, and Zesshi was left as nothing more that shivering mess bawled onto the ground, tears slid down to the side of her faced.
Her body was shaking from the pain, but her screams had stopped, turning into unsteady breaths that seemed more like a voluntary action rather than the natural instinct.
"There's still like two more of those, so prepare yourself"
Her captured sounded, announcing that her torture was fair from over, and Zesshi felt the dread in her very soul.
She almost asked the question of what she had done to deserve this, but she knew the answer and dared not to even think such a stupid.
Zesshi's training to become a god-kin was harsh, one could even describe it as abuse; however, for that abuse she gained power that eclipsed everyone she's ever met personally because of that gain in strength she was mostly thankful for the harsh training
However, this was torture, not training. This was punishment for what she did. It was revenge, a similar type of revenge she wanted to inflict on her so-called father.
In her quest to kill him, she ended up making a huge mistake, one she was currently paying for and most likely going to die for.
"I'm… sorry"
Those words squeaked out her mouth, barely a whisper that could be heard. Zesshi has never thought she was above saying such words. However, till this point, she's never felt that she had wronged someone enough to warrant a heartfelt apology.
"What was that?"
"I'm sorry for trying to take your life"
He grinned as he heard her words before descending from his throne and stood before her.
"Why should I accept your apology? Why should I forget my vengeance? What do you offer in return for that?"
He questioned, and She found herself without an answer. She did not know what she could offer him, what could satisfy him enough to let her not experience such torture.
Zesshi was no fool. She understood that even if she managed to survive this and come out relatively fine, there was no guarantee that he couldn't continue this torture two more times.
Sure she could bank on the hope that he will run out of mana eventually but had no way of determining, She also thought that this space was a skill and thus must have a cool down but she can't be sure and she doesn't know how long the cool down might be.
Even if it does cool down and she escapes, is he going to be satisfied and not hunt her down? None of her own skill means anything, and no matter what fear she gets, it's irrelevant if she can't kill him.
"Well if you have nothing to offer, then there's nothing to talk about. Let's get back to it"
He said, He supposed it was too early for her mind to be broken enough, but no matter, it was only a matter of time until it was. Patience was key in acquiring a new and powerful servant
....