The Elven Sinner

On the light screen, Nagu, still wearing his socks patterned with golden lion cubs, continued hosting with consummate professionalism: "...At present, the candidate with the highest number of votes is Valkas Ur. It seems the audience prefers to see this elven sinner attain redemption. "Allow me to briefly introduce Mr. Ur's curriculum vitae. He was born in 1542 at the Emerald Dragon Rearing Institute. Many of you might not be familiar with the Emerald Dragon Rearing Institute, but it is the predecessor to what is now the only Double First-Class rearing institute in Kaimeng City—the 'Emerald Garden' Rearing Institute. "For three centuries, the Emerald Dragon Rearing Institute was exclusively for elves, never accepting infants of any other race. However, driven by the 'Racial Equality Child-Rearing Act' of 1600, several rearing institutes, including Emerald Dragon, merged into the multi-racial rearing institute 'Emerald Garden.' To this day, it has nurtured numerous distinguished figures, boasting a sorcerer cultivation rate as high as twenty-one percent. Had he not broken the law and committed crimes, Mr. Ur would undoubtedly be a celebrated descendant that Emerald Garden took pride in." Although Yaxiu didn't know what a "Double First-Class rearing institute" was, he suspected it was probably far more important than academic degrees. In the Blood Moon Country, where all child-rearing was socialized and raising children privately was a crime, rearing institutes were likely the equivalent of family for children. The more prestigious the rearing institute, the better one's pedigree. If Yaxiu was not mistaken, rearing institutes likely held the "right of selection" over infants. Although many factors influenced an infant's development, in this sorcerer world filled with miracles, it was hardly impossible to use a few methods to screen for babies with better basic physical traits, greater potential, and superior temperament. With an exceptional environment combined with top-quality infants, children from prestigious rearing institutes snowballed their advantages, starting leagues ahead of everyone else from the moment they were born. If Yaxiu were living here as an ordinary person, he would probably feel despair at such an insurmountable divide. Once Nagu finished introducing Valkas's illustrious background, Yaxiu saw Valkas's tally jump by more than ten thousand votes. By now, Yaxiu vaguely sensed why Valkas was more "favored" by the audience than he was. "After completing his foundational education at the rearing institute, Mr. Ur attended Ateson Secondary School and then Kaimeng Comprehensive University. Over thirty years, he earned Silver degrees in eleven factions, including swordsmanship, painting, acoustics, and geomancy. He accepted an appointment from Kaimeng Comprehensive University as a research professor in the Department of Biology, while also serving as an academic advisor to the Forest Biotechnology Company. "In 1645, Mr. Ur was nominated for city councilor of Kaimeng City, losing narrowly to another candidate by a mere three votes. One cannot help but wonder: if Mr. Ur had been elected back then, would he have remained untainted and disciplined? Or would he have committed even graver crimes? "All in all, Mr. Ur was once an upstanding citizen of privileged background who received an excellent education and made substantial contributions to society. Regrettably, he took a wrong turn, his mind clouded by desire, and committed unforgivable crimes... "Only one minute remains until the voting phase concludes. Viewers who haven't voted yet, please hurry! "Every vote earns you redemption points, redeemable at any consumer brand participating in the 'Redemption Plan.' The latest brand to join the 'Redemption Plan' is Aizhe Jewelry Store, where every thirty points can be exchanged for a discount coupon! "And during the turn of the New Year, you can spend redemption points to enter the Blood Moon lucky draw! "Please do not hoard your redemption votes! Keeping them won't make them breed more! If you don't use things when they're meant to be used, they lose all purpose! "Every vote you cast means you've lent a hand in redeeming a sinner and contributed a ray of light to the Blood Moon! "Thirty seconds left... Whoa!" With Nagu's sharp gasp, a ferocious, brutal Executioner erupted from the ground. Seven meters tall, it possessed three heads and eight arms, each hand clutching a different weapon. Its three faces bore expressions of mercy, wrath, and serenity respectively, while its entire body was cloaked in ghostly blue armor forged of Purging Flame. It seemed like a descending deity, heavenly punishment incarnate! "It's over early!" Nagu shouted excitedly. "Valkas Ur has received 384,321 votes, surpassing fifty percent of Kaimeng City's total votes! The voting phase concludes ahead of schedule, advancing directly to the execution phase! "This is only the twenty-third time in Kaimeng City's history that the voting phase has concluded early! Respected viewers, standing before you is the legendary Executioner that has appeared only twenty-three times in the past! "Only when a single convict captures fifty percent of the votes will it be born from the crimson moonlight, redeeming the world in the name of the Blood Moon Sovereign! The nemesis of evil, the purifier of sin, the nightmare butcher that cuts across history, the emissary of justice bearing the hopes of countless citizens—the Titan Executioner has arrived!" *Clang!* When the Titan Executioner's six eyes snapped open simultaneously, they actually produced a metallic ring! All three mouths opened at once, exhaling a long breath that sent the air swirling violently! The Purging Flame across its body erupted like a tempest, setting all eight steel tightropes ablaze with blue fire simultaneously. As the flames surged, they formed a path of blue fire, a killing highway leading straight to the large platform! A tempestuous aura thick with despair, destruction, and crushing force bore down on them. The death row convicts all cowered shivering along the edges, terrified of drawing the Titan Executioner's attention. Yaxiu glanced at Valkas and took a step back on instinct. "Get lost. Don't get in my way," Valkas said coldly. Every cell in Yaxiu's body screamed at him to run. Valkas and the Titan Executioner were both monstrously powerful anyway; his presence wouldn't change a thing. Yet when he looked down, he noticed the hand Valkas held his sword hilt with was trembling. A few seconds later, Valkas glanced at Yaxiu, who was trembling beside him, and sneered, "Are you serious? Have your legs gone so weak you can't even run away?" Yaxiu was also holding a sword, his hands shaking so hard the blade blurred into afterimages, his teeth chattering as he spoke: "When—when I was in school, I noticed some kids had no one to play with. They'd go to the bathroom alone during recess, stand off to the side during gym class, and no one would team up with them on field trips... Back then, I'd go out of my way to hang out with them, chat with them, play ball with them, join the teacher's team with them..." "Hypocrisy," Valkas sneered. "You did that merely to satisfy your condescending sympathy. You sought onlookers' praise through your pity, fed your ego by bestowing charity, and even indulged your pathetic lust for power by controlling them. You're no different from a slave master, except the shackles a slave master puts on slaves are called violence, and the shackles you used were called friendship." "Yeah, I know I'm just a hypocritical drama queen. There were traits of theirs that annoyed me too, but I hung out with them just to feed those murky impulses. That's why once I grew up, I rarely kept in touch with them..." Yaxiu said. "But at a reunion, one classmate told me how grateful he was that I'd spent time with him back then. If not for me, he might have stayed a shut-in forever... Now he's got a girlfriend and is getting married. He even planned to invite me to be his best man..." Valkas raised an eyebrow, a hint of confusion touching his face. "Marriage? Best man?" "Anyway..." Yaxiu's trembling subsided a bit. He looked at the distant Titan Executioner. "Just consider it satisfying my hypocrisy. Let me stay here for a moment. When it gets closer, I'll take off." "Pointless, irrational, meaningless. I can't fathom why you'd do this. We were literally locked in a death match yesterday... Or are you trying to build a persona of benevolence before the audience to lay the groundwork for your next Blood Moon Trial?" "Oh, that works too? Thanks for the tip. In that case, I definitely have to stick around until the last second before bolting. Don't hold me back later, and don't worry about me. A hypocritical jerk like me will run faster than anyone the moment danger hits." Valkas fell silent for a moment, quietly watching the overwhelmingly oppressive Titan Executioner. "Suit yourself." Yaxiu tried to force a smile, but a heavy thud of footsteps sent a numbness shivering across his scalp. *Boom!* *Boom!* Step by step, the Titan Executioner advanced, transmitting violent tremors along the steel lines to the platform. The convicts could barely keep their footing. As it strode forward, it raised its weapons, each manifesting a four-winged sorcery spirit. Space collapsed where it passed, time warped in its wake, and the entire world seemed to pivot around it! "The Titan Executioner is unlike any other Executioner," Nagu's voice came through the light screen, ringing out with striking clarity beneath the terrifying pressure. "It is not like the Khorne Executioner, which awakens a criminal's conscience with whips; nor is it like the Blade Executioner, which purges their sins in blood; nor is it like the Mind Flayer Executioner, which makes them empathize through unending nightmares... "It relies solely on the mightiest miracles to grant criminals instantaneous redemption. Whether the target is male or female, strong or weak, it commits itself entirely, holding nothing back—this is its utmost respect for every life. "With solemn death, it forges the eternity of the Blood Moon. "When facing the Titan Executioner, most convicts choose to thoroughly repent and accept the Blood Moon's redemption. However, Mr. Ur appears intent on partnering with the Titan Executioner to stage a magnificent show for us." Yaxiu turned his head to see that Valkas had already adopted a sword stance. Wings flared open behind him, and a radiant two-winged sorcery spirit danced upon the tip of his blade! "Though no one has ever escaped the Blood Moon Trial, no criminal has ever surrendered their hope for a miracle," Nagu declared loudly. "So let us see whether Valkas Ur can create a miracle! "Or will he kneel in penitence before the justice of Kaimeng City?" *Boom!* Yet another thunderous step rang out. Yaxiu had almost grown used to it, but this time, dozens of crimson chains suddenly burst from the ground, yanking him downward and forcing him straight to his knees! "What the hell is this?!" Yaxiu struggled frantically, but he couldn't break free at all. They felt as though they had fused into his joints; the moment he tried to stand, the chains savagely tore at the nerves in his joints, racking him with agony until he could do nothing but crouch and kneel. "The first miracle, Earth Judgment!" Nagu announced. "The Titan's footsteps are the footsteps of justice, and the earth has answered that hope!" *Clang! Clang! Clang!* Valkas swung his sword, severing the crimson chains around him. Seeing that Yaxiu had actually fallen victim to this, he seemed on the verge of coming over to assist him. Just then, shrill howls tore through the night sky! *Clang! Clang! Clang!* Valkas suddenly broke into a swift, magnificent elven sword dance right where he stood, as if battling an invisible foe. Yaxiu focused his vision and realized that invisible wind blades were hurtling in from all directions. Should Valkas stop for even a split second, dismemberment by a thousand cuts awaited him! *Wait, why is Valkas the only one taking the beating while I'm completely fine?* "The second miracle, Sky Judgment!" Nagu said. "Any stubborn fool who refuses to kneel and confess will receive the heavens' admonishment! "Once both sky and earth complete their seal, what follows is the third miracle: Masses Judgment! "The Titan Executioner shall bestow death equally upon every redeemed soul!" Yaxiu looked up, only to realize the Titan Executioner had already covered most of the distance and was a mere two or three strides away from the main platform! Gazing up from his knees, he felt all the more keenly just how colossal, how terrifying the Titan Executioner truly was! The crushing aura of such a behemoth bore down on him, practically freezing his thoughts solid! The last remnant of reason roared madly in his head: *Run!* *Right, run... wait?* Yaxiu glanced at the crimson chains wrapped around him and blinked. *Oh boy.*