437

Lonely and Bereaved

"Why?" Emperor Shiar exclaimed, his mouth agape.

"This... You'll have to answer yourself," Forseti replied calmly.

Emperor Shia erupted, lunging forward to grab Forseti's collar, roaring frantically, "She's my wife! How could I not love her?! Give me the Soul Gem, give it to me!"

Ria intervened, pushing him away gently. "Husband and wife may not always love each other, just as an emperor may not necessarily love his queen. This isn't uncommon. Whether you love your wife or not, you know better than anyone."

Emperor Shiar lunged again, his voice hoarse. "I know I love her! Give me the Soul Gem! I need it!"

Forseti sighed deeply. "I wish I could let you leave Vormir with the Soul Gem, but that's not up to me. According to the Soul Gem's judgment, you simply don't love your wife, and therefore the sacrifice is invalid."

Emperor Shiar remained defiant, breathing heavily but rendered speechless.

After a tense moment, he turned to a nearby vassal and spoke in a low, commanding voice, "Prime Minister Oka, you swore allegiance to me unto death, correct?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Prime Minister Oka replied, head bowed. Despite his age and gray hair, he seemed resolute.

Almost without hesitation, he offered, "If you require it, I am willing to sacrifice myself in exchange for the Soul Gem."

"No," Emperor Shia vetoed firmly. "I cannot afford to sacrifice you. The empire's revival hinges on your strength."

Then he turned to Oka's son standing behind him. "I want you to sacrifice your son."

Prime Minister Oka's expression shifted, instinctively shielding his son. "Your Majesty, he's just a child!"

Emperor Shiar placed a hand on Oka's shoulder, locking eyes with him. "I know he's your only child. But you must understand, this is for the future of our nation and the Shia people. I sacrificed my wife. You swore allegiance unto death. Did you not?"

Prime Minister Oka fell silent for a long moment.

Finally, he turned to his son. "My child..."

"Father..." the boy recoiled in horror.

Emperor Shiar seized the boy, dragging him to the cliff's edge, then turned to Prime Minister Oka with gritted teeth. "It's up to you. Push him."

Prime Minister Oka hesitated, his hand suspended mid-air, trembling with inner turmoil.

Meanwhile, onlookers murmured among themselves.

"That poor child..."

"I don't believe the Prime Minister would do it. His child means more to him than anything..."

But someone countered, "Shouldn't the Prime Minister refuse to sacrifice his own child?"

Prime Minister Oka remained motionless, his hand frozen in mid-air.

"Why hesitate, Prime Minister?" Emperor Shia demanded. "For the revival of Shiar, your sacrifices will be remembered."

Half an hour passed.

Prime Minister Oka drew a deep breath, lowered his arms, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I can't do it."

"What did you say? You can't do it?" Emperor Shia's eyes widened.

Prime Minister Oka bowed his head. "Yes. I cannot obey your command. I accept any punishment for treason."

"You..." Emperor Shia clenched his fists, visibly furious.

"Humph!" he grunted angrily, but refrained from executing the Prime Minister.

Emperor Shiar turned back to the crowd, scanning the faces before pointing accusatorily. "My Foreign Minister,

Your love for your wife surpasses the very sword of honor. Now is the time to pledge your life to our nation!"

His demeanor grew increasingly manic, his tone bordering on hysteria.

The crowd fell silent, tension thick in the air. The Foreign Minister remained silent.

Emperor Shiar seized the Foreign Minister by the collar. "What are you waiting for? Are you willing to watch the Shiar Empire fall and lose our only chance to turn the tide?"

"Your Majesty, respectfully... our comeback is impossible," the Foreign Minister replied.

Another voice chimed in, "Indeed, Your Majesty. Perhaps we should start anew, conquer a less advanced civilization first, and rebuild slowly. Didn't the Shiar Empire itself rise from humble beginnings?"

Emperor Shiar thundered, "With the Soul Gem, anything is possible! Sacrifice your wife now, or let your wife sacrifice you, for our nation!"

"This is your nation, not ours," a voice suddenly spoke out from the crowd.

Though not loud, the words carried weight, shifting the atmosphere from tense to perilous.

Emperor Shiar paused, glaring at the speaker. "What did you say?"

Cold sweat beaded the man's forehead, yet he stood his ground, pointing defiantly. "Enough! You tyrant, madman, killer of wives—for your rule and ambition, I care not for anyone's life!"

Emperor Shiar hesitated momentarily, then turned to his personal guards. "Kill him! Kill this traitor!"

The Janissaries obeyed without question, raising their weapons.

But not everyone remained loyal. Before Emperor Shiar's order could be fully carried out, another voice cried, "We can no longer serve this tyrant! He will sacrifice us all!"

"Kill the tyrant!"

"Kill him!"

About half of the assembled turned against Emperor Shiar, sparking a sudden skirmish. Former allies now fought each other, caught in a frenzy. Dozens clashed violently.

Amidst the chaos, some chose to flee, darting towards a nearby spacecraft and escaping Vormir directly. Among them was the green-skinned Zehouberry.

The battle unfolded rapidly, resembling a swarm of bees hurling stones at each other—an emblem of technological warfare.

To everyone's surprise, Emperor Shiar proved a formidable combatant. Armed with superior gear, he emerged as the last standing, though gravely injured.

Clutching his chest wound, he dispatched the final adversary, panting heavily as he surveyed the desolate scene, realizing he stood alone.

Apart from the sentinel-like guardian and the few who fled aboard the spacecraft, Emperor Shiar found himself the sole survivor on the vast expanse of Vormir.

"Soul Gem... Give me the Soul Gem... I will slay Thanos..." Emperor Shiar murmured persistently, dragging his battered body towards Forseti, eyes clouded with determination.

Forseti sensed the impending lunge, swiftly stepping back. "I've said it before—I don't possess the Soul Gem."

And many more questions lingered unanswered.

Thanos?

Forseti hesitated, suddenly recalling Emperor Shia's mention of Thanos.

"Did Thanos destroy the Shia Empire?" he muttered, turning around—only to find Emperor Shia gone, vanished without a trace.

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