Spreading Fear

That night, the old noble was summoned by the Emperor and brought into the imperial hall.

Sitting upon his throne, the Emperor asked anxiously,

"You survived the Giant Monster. What information can you tell me?"

Still stained with blood, the old noble numbly raised his head and glanced at the Emperor seated in the grand hall.

When he saw the urgency and terror on the Emperor's face, he gritted his teeth and said,

"Terror!! This Giant Monster wants us to be terrified!!"

The civil and military officials in the hall had no idea what he meant. The Emperor asked shakily,

"My loyal subject, what exactly happened? Tell me everything!"

The old noble gritted his teeth.

"The Giant Monster brought his Demon Army and blocked the small city gates with boulders, leaving only the main gate open.

His Demon Army is stationed on Peach Blossom Mountain opposite the main gate. The moment anyone dares flee the city, they can charge down the mountain and hunt them to death. He has trapped us inside the city!

One hundred people. The Giant Monster will enter the city every day and eat one hundred people. He wants to use this method to let us—let Kyoto—mature!"

The Emperor asked tremblingly, "Mature into what?"

The old noble ground his teeth. "Fear!! He wants our fear to mature!!

That demon! He kills a few of us every day, making us more and more terrified, more and more afraid of him!

Only then will we become more delicious, and only then will he find us sweeter to eat!!"

At those words, the officials looked at one another, utterly speechless.

The threat of national ruin hung over their hearts, crushing them like Mount Tai.

Just then, a warrior rushed in from outside and reported loudly,

"Terrible news! The citizens