Chapter 159: How Dare You?!!
"Move It!!"
A guttural cry of echoed through the cobblestone streets, punctuated by the sickening snap of a whip. The sound, a harbinger of pain, tore at Frederick’s already ravaged flesh:
"AHHHH!!!!"
He screamed, his body wracked with agony as the whip’s leather tip found its mark again. His tattered clothes offered no protection, revealing a tapestry of scars that adorned his back. Like the other men in his group, he was clad only in pants, while the women were reduced to wearing filthy rags, their humiliation paraded for all to see.
"You pigs! You are all my slaves! How dare you flog me!" Frederick spat, his voice hoarse with a mixture of pain and rage.
BAM!!!
His defiance was met with a swift and brutal punch to the face. The strike sent him sprawling face-first into the unforgiving dirt.
"Shut up!" Vince snarled, his arms crossed over his chest in a picture of cold authority. "Move! Do you want another whip?!"
’You! If my stats weren’t sealed, I would have taken off your head!’ Frederick hissed inwardly, a silent vow of vengeance. With a groan of effort, he pushed himself up, his body trembling, but his eyes blazing with hatred.
"Isn’t that the Queen and her son?" a commoner whispered, their voice a low murmur in the growing crowd.
"Why ask such a stupid question? Don’t you have eyes? You should be asking why they’re being punished," another replied, their tone sharp with impatience.
"Oh? Are you two just coming out of your houses? Or are you both deaf?" A woman with a knowing smirk interjected, her gaze sweeping over the two men. Their faces twisted in a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"You really didn’t hear the announcement? Or even the news on our nation’s site?" she asked with a frown.
"Jolie was the one who killed our beloved Princess! The one who chose to fight on the battlefield instead of sitting on a throne and giving orders. Jolie was also the one who killed Lord Hewson’s elder brother and kidnapped the little princess... She even tried to kill the prince, but he managed to escape."
She lowered her voice, a conspiratorial edge to it. "Frederick, on the other hand, has raped countless girls, destroying their lives... And he has wiped out so many families."
"What? So all those families who mysteriously disappeared--"
"Yep... Frederick killed them all... and don’t even get me started on the corrupt senators," she said, her arms folded, her face a mask of cold fury.
"These demons! And they are ruling us!" The man’s face contorted with unbridled anger. He bent down and picked a stone from the ground.
"Die! Die, you bastards! You killed our beloved princess and molested countless girls!"
He hurled the stone with all his might. It flew through the air and struck Frederick squarely in the face, the sickening crack of bone as his nose broke echoing in the sudden silence.
"Frederick," Jolie gasped, her voice laced with shock.
"Move!" A guard bellowed, his shove sending Frederick stumbling forward.
The man’s actions were a catalyst. A wave of fury swept through the crowd. People bent down, grabbing stones, rotten food, and vegetables, a storm of projectiles raining down on the group of seven.
"I want to ask... Who exposed them?" the man asked, turning to the woman who had shared the news.
"The princess. With the help of the God Wolf, she is now the Queen. No matter how you block a sea, it will always find a way to escape... The Princess took what was rightfully hers," she said, a sense of vindication in her voice.
"Yes! I support the princess!" the man roared, his voice filled with renewed passion.
"Not only that, the God Wolf will give each of us a million galaxy crystals... We just need to make sure these guys suffer more humiliation," she said with a smirk, her words pouring gasoline onto the raging fire of the crowd’s anger.
"That I can do!" The man got down, picking up two heavy stones.
"One million! Come to me!" With a powerful swing, the stones flew through the air, hitting Jade and Frederick once more.
"....?!"
Frederick, a figure of utter despair, was already crying like a baby. He couldn’t understand why everyone was targeting him when there were other men in front of him. His tears were lost in the grime and blood streaming down his face.
_
After ten minutes of this agonizing procession, they finally reached the town square. Standing before them were seven imposing figures—men with the lower bodies of humans and the upper bodies of bears, their muscles bulging under their fur. In their massive hands, they held huge, gleaming swords.
"No! No! I don’t want to die!" Frederick screamed, his bravado gone, his body collapsing onto his knees in front of Lola, who stood before the seven men.
"Lola! We are cousins! I know I made a mistake taking you out to get cake! But you shouldn’t be heartless! I saved you! I was the one who asked the maid to deliver you food every day! You must remember our times as kids! You can’t kill me! You can kill the rest, but not me!"
His words were a desperate, tear-filled plea, but Lola’s face remained a mask of ice.
"Cousins?" she hissed, her gaze boring into him:
"You joined your bitch of a mother and deceived me! You joined her in all her evil plans... You told the maid to deliver me food... Why? Because you wanted me to be healthy so you could abuse me later! If my brother hadn’t saved me by stealing the artifact, by now... I don’t know what you would have done to me! And you dare open your mouth and say we are cousins, and I shouldn’t kill you!"
"....?!"
Frederick was left speechless, his pleas dying on his lips. Jolie, Jade, and the others stood in silent acceptance. They knew their fate was sealed; speaking would only bring more humiliation.
"Kill them!"
"Kill them all!"
"Forgive no one!"
The surrounding crowd roared, their voices a deafening chorus of rage. Soldiers struggled to hold them back.
"Today! On the blood of these monsters! The Three-Eyed Nation will see a new sunrise! And with your support, I know we can all move forward!" Lola’s voice rang out, strong and clear as she addressed her people.
"This is all thanks to the God Wolf! If he hadn’t helped, these evil creatures would still be ruling over us!"
She moved aside, and the soldiers behind each prisoner pushed them forward, forcing their heads into the guillotines. Everyone watched, breathless with anticipation, as the muscular men placed their swords in the blade sections and turned to Lola, awaiting her signal.
Lola’s gaze moved over the eager, expectant faces of her people. She exhaled, the weight of the moment heavy on her shoulders. This was a monumental decision, and her mind was made up. She turned to the seven men and gave a firm nod.
"Do it!"
The men nodded in unison and released the blades.
"How dare you!!!"
BOOOM!!!
A deafening explosion ripped through the air as seven bolt of blue lightnings, brilliant and furious streaks, dropped from the sky. It smashed into the guillotines, shattering them instantly into a thousand pieces. The seven prisoners were miraculously unharmed, but the muscular men, caught in the blast, were instantly incinerated, their bodies cooked to a blackened crisp.
"This?! Someone actually showed up! He was right," Lola muttered in a low voice, her eyes wide with shock.