Beg

Momo was getting shivers. It was supposed to be a good thing that the lecturer was taking Cifer's side. It was supposed to be a good sign that he was interested in Cifer, or anyone in the Clan, since joining his Sect would allow even a failure there to return in glory. Let alone someone who graduated successfully.

But his bearing truly was like the Essence of Evil he possessed. Fierce, beautiful, tyrannical and very, very deadly. Momo did not believe this man would show the slightest hint of mercy to Akemi Sensei, and that he might even be ruthless enough to kill or cripple her. That concern prompted her to speak out to defuse the situation.

His answer had shocked her to her core. Nobody had ever talked to her like that! Precious few would even talk like that in front of her, let alone demand such an outrageous answer so clearly. Yet it kept playing in her mind as his gaze had come unfocused in looking at her.

"Who the fuck's side are you on, the old man's or the kid's?"

She was a smart young woman, and knew the implications of the question. If she was on Elder Naoki's side, then why even lift a finger for Cifer? But if she was on Cifer's side, then shut up and get out of the way. As if there was no longer a middle ground.

Why would he talk as if there wasn't a middle ground? Momo fretted nervously. She watched the drama playing out in front of her as that question stuck in her mind. The only answer she had was that if the stakes rose... no, he wouldn't actually go that far? Elder Naoki himself was showing signs of bowing to the handsome, devilish lecturer after getting his face smacked in front of everyone.

That was completely outside his character. Elder Naoki was easily the most volatile and proud of the Clan Elders, and was a thousand times touchier when it came to Akemi. If he thought it was safe to take a step back then the man probably wouldn't go overboard.

But right as Momo calmed back down, she saw that hideous smile. A teasing, hungry, just plain evil smirk! He was looking forward to giving her punishment! This bastard was enjoying the entire situation and only thinking about how to squeeze the most fun out of it!

A horrible thought suddenly came to her mind. Was the lecturer himself really on Cifer's side?

Momo had to rejoin events, looking to Cifer to see if the boy had realized just how insane this so called savior was. Then felt her heart sink. Either the boy didn't get it or he was just as crazy, watching the lecturer conduct things with a self satisfied smile. Almost as if imagining having been the one to smack Elder Naoki's face.

Events weren't waiting for Momo to catch up of course. Akemi Sensei had no choice but to answer the question the lecturer asked. "Yes, I kicked him out for trying to take over my class. I asked a question of the class and he took it as an invitation to start a small lecture of his own."

There was next to no warning. One moment Akemi was standing there, preparing to give her case. The next saw the lecturer grabbing her by the throat in a single motion, fast enough that Elder Naoki only a step away had just begun to move. The lecturer held him back with a perfectly controlled palm strike technique. Momo felt her heart jump into her throat.

"Sir! Please, don't judge Akemi Sensei too harshly. As the Clan Leader's daughter, with her confession heard by all the witnesses here, I swear my father will give judgement on behalf of our Clan as well. Her birth and life belong to us." Momo pleaded.

The lecturer laughed again, cold and cruel and ironic. He didn't pause, dragging Akemi in front of Cifer. "Don't worry your precious head Princess. I'm not going to blow this out of proportion or anything." The smile he gave Momo was wild, slightly crazy. Far from reassuring as she had the distinct impression that her idea and his idea of blowing this out of proportion were completely different concepts.

His next action did reassure her some though. The lecturer changed to holding Akemi by the back of her neck, forcing her to her knees in front of Cifer, as he roared. "Beg him to forgive you!"

Momo relaxed. A humiliation like this would be extremely effective on the proud Akemi, who never lowered her head to anyone for anything. All she had to do was swallow her pride and this matter would come to an end.

But Akemi refused. She looked up at Cifer from her knees and while her lips trembled they stayed shut. The look in her eyes was equal parts hatred, and fear. Momo felt her heart begin to fly again as horror grew in her. The lecturer was not a man who accepted defiance like this!

Moments later Akemi's head rammed the ground hard enough to crack the rocks under impact and leave an impression of her forehead a centimeter deep. Blood flowed from her head. "Apologize, and beg for forgiveness! I am already giving face to your Clan Leader's daughter here! Do not test my patience."

Momo felt her face turn crimson being drug into this brutal display. A horrific thought arose when she asked herself what this madman would have done if she hadn't pleaded for mercy a second time.

Akemi's face had paled, looking crossed eyed at Cifer as her will was shaken by the man's fury and deadly warning. If it were anyone else she'd have already given in and apologized, or even begged for pardon. But this was HIM! The hated, accursed Cifer! How could she?

Her head crashed into the ground with even more force, crushing her nose to paste as she felt a nightmarish energy against her back, opposite of her heart. The palm strike Technique that had so easily fended off her father! If that hit her in such a vital place she wouldn't have the slightest chance of survival.

Akemi was in a riot of indecision now as she desperately attempts to convince herself he wouldn't dare kill her in front of her father. The man's cold voice destroyed that thought. "This time I have spared you to give face to the Clan Leader himself and the judgement that his daughter promises on his behalf. Test me again and I will ignore all consequences and kill you directly."

Momo started to shake. He was serious! Not a single person in the audience thought he wouldn't do it. But he wasn't done. "And if your father so much as twitches I'll also ignore all consequences. Seeing you die or beg forgiveness are the only acceptable outcomes to me."

Elder Naoki froze. He thought his preparations had been subtle, but this man from the Crimson Sect had known without even looking. It was only at his comment that the crowd realized that the Elder had gathered his Essence for his famous Technique, Lightening Assault. Now it was clear he wouldn't be able to save his daughter by strength, meaning the only option was to give him what he wanted.

Momo couldn't believe here ears. Elder Naoki called to his daughter, with a few simple words. "Do as he says. I can't lose you to the Cifer as well. For me. Please, don't refuse him again."

Akemi sobbed. Her resistance finally crumbled. She didn't want to die, and she couldn't leave her father alone in this world either. She felt something inside her break as she spoke. "Cifer... I'm sorry... please... forgive me." She begged in tears, something deep in her crumbling further as she saw him smile and nod.

"I forgive you Akemi Sensei." The words made Akemi realize what the broken, shattered mess inside her was. It was her heart, still stuck on her 15th birthday as her mother, the strongest of the proud Grand Elders, was found dead after opposing the Cifer. Still bleeding with hate and set on the death of the baby she mindlessly held responsible. Locked so deep in her heart that she had forgotten her goal from those years ago.

And now, she had begged that mortal enemy for his mercy and forgiveness. And he granted it. Her aura swirled around her arm as she screamed wordlessly in absolute hatred and raised her arm to kill him for good! She couldn't let him live a moment longer.

Then she coughed up blood as a coldness filled her center from her back to her front. Her world went black as she looked down at the hole that had been blasted clean through her.

The last thing she heard was Oji's voice. "He might have forgiven you, but I didn't."