Subduing Keith

"Bang"

As the roar echoed through the tavern, the doors and windows slammed shut, completely separating Langu and his officers from the Second Division troops outside. The tavern staff, all armed, menacingly surrounded Langu and Hain's group. Hain and the others stood frozen in place, utterly stunned by the scene before them.

After a long while, Keith was the first to regain his senses. He pointed at Elkley and shouted, "Elkley, what do you want to do?"

"What do I want to do? Keith Case, looking at the scene before you, can't you guess what I'm planning?"

Looking at the cold-faced Elkley, Keith felt a chill in his heart, but remembering their identities, he regained some confidence. Pointing to the bewildered Langu, Keith said to Elkley, "Elkley, you need to think this through. General Langu was personally appointed by the King. Aren't you afraid of incurring the King's wrath by openly attacking him?"

Before Elkley could answer the question, a calm and resolute voice rang out in the tavern.

"Langu Cordelia, the former Guardian of the Western Territory, openly led the Second and Fourth Division of the former Western Border Army to attack West City due to his dissatisfaction with the King's reassignment. With the help of traitors like Hain, they successfully stormed the city. Fortunately, the Western Border Army, the Brigade Commander of the Reconnaissance Brigade, Elkley, had prior knowledge of the enemy's situation and surrounded the rebels in a bar in front of West City's west gate. Later, after a full-scale siege by the Western Border Army, the Rebel Army were defeated in one fell swoop. Keith Case, do you think His Majesty will accept this explanation?"

Upon hearing the voice, Keith looked around for the speaker. Finally, he spotted a familiar silver-white figure above the tavern. Unlike before, the figure's eyes were now colder and sharper. The instant he saw that look, Keith knew that he and his companions had no chance of survival this time. So he abandoned any futile arguments, gripped his sword hilt tightly, and prepared to fight Sordil to the death.

After overhearing the conversation between Keith and Sordil, Hain instantly understood the truth. However, unlike Keith's resolute determination, Hain lacked the courage to fight Sordil to the death. He knelt directly before Sordil in the sky and said excitedly, "General Oddek Sordil, I'm innocent! I only intended to use this opportunity to get close to Langu, then capture him by surprise and present him to you, General! You must believe me!"

"Whoosh whoosh"

Suddenly, countless bluish-white wind blades appeared around Hain's body, instantly slicing him into a bloody pulp that spilled onto the floor. Just then, Sordil's icy voice echoed from mid-air.

"Take this opportunity to get close to Langu? Do you think I'm an idiot?"

Seeing Hain's miserable state, the other Brigade Commander who were planning to defect to Langu immediately knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly to Sordil and begging for mercy. Unfortunately, their actions had crossed Sordil's line, and soon after, several more splatters of minced meat appeared on the tavern floor. After witnessing the tragic end of the traitors, the survivors, including Zikkel, praised themselves for their quick thinking and composure.

After dealing with Hain, Sordil turned his gaze back to Langu and the others. Seeing Sordil staring at him, Langu knew he was doomed. His impending death didn't make him act like a shrew, hurl insults and curses at Sordil. He simply looked at Sordil calmly and then asked a question that had troubled him for a long time.

"Oddek, can you tell me why you're targeting me?"

Faced with Langu's soul-searching question, Sordil was momentarily at a loss for words. After a long period of contemplation, Sordil slowly said, "Actually, after I defeated you and seized the Western Border Army, I no longer cared about your life or death. However, you refused to give up West City, which you had cultivated for many years, and planned to take it back while I was on my way to the Kingdom of Donagunov. But this is something I absolutely cannot tolerate, so I have decided to make you disappear from this world forever."

"Ha ha!"

"Ha ha!"

Upon hearing Sordil's words, Langu threw his head back and laughed, two streams of tears sliding down his face. After laughing, Langu looked at Sordil with a complex expression, then said calmly, "So, you mean as long as I leave the Western Territory and don't come back, you won't target me anymore?"

"Yes!"

"Even if I were to take away your Western Border Army, would it still be the same?"

"That's right!"

Having received the answer he wanted, Langu closed his eyes, nodded, and then said to Sordil, "Thank you for your answer! Finally, I have one more request!"

"What's up?"

"Use all your strength and fight me one more time!"

"Okay! I promise you!"

Langu drew his longsword from his waist and charged towards Sordil. Facing Langu's attack, Sordil descended from the air to the ground. Then, he slowly raised his right arm, pointing it at the charging Langu, and slowly clenched his fist. As his fist slowly advanced, an invisible wave enveloped Langu.

"Void Burst"

"Bang!"

Langu, who was charging forward, suddenly stopped. Cracks began to appear on his body and in the space around him, eventually shattering completely. No blood was spilled, no flesh or bone flew out, only dark cracks flickered incessantly in place.

"Gulp"

The tavern was filled with the sounds of people swallowing hard, all staring fearfully at Sordil standing in the center. A moment later, Elkley and his companions were the first to break free of their fear and burst into cheers. Zikkel and his group, realizing what was happening, joined in the cheering.

Clang!

The weapons that Keith and his men had been gripping tightly fell to the ground. Their once upright bodies lost their support in an instant, and they all collapsed to the ground. A pungent, foul stench wafted from the direction where Keith and his men were, clearly indicating that one of them couldn't stand the stench and had fled in terror.

"Buzz"

A tremor ran through the space around Sordil, drawing everyone's attention. Three scrolls appeared in Sordil's right hand. Holding the scrolls, Sordil walked step by step towards the tavern entrance, finally stopping in front of Keith. Seeing Sordil arrive, Keith closed his eyes, quietly awaiting his death.

A long time passed, and he was neither sliced into mincemeat by the wind blades nor reduced to ashes by the collapsing space. Just as he was growing impatient and about to question Sordil, a deep and magnetic voice entered his ears.

"Sign your name on this contract with your blood, and you can live!"

Keith opened his eyes, looked down at Sordil who was looking down at him, and then asked softly, "What is the price for signing this contract?"

"In this life, as my most loyal servant, you must never again harbor the slightest thought of betrayal, or you will wish you were dead!"

After explaining the scroll's purpose, Sordil stared silently at Keith, making no further move. Having heard Sordil's explanation, Keith faced a difficult decision. After a fierce internal struggle, Keith finally wrote his name on the contract.