CHAPTER 153: EDWIN AND ELYSIA REFUSED TO KNEEL!

"Your Highness," Elysia’s father called, "spare them. They are but children, youthful and innocent but reckless. Whatever offense has been made... punish us instead!"

Edwin’s father’s voice joined him. "Yes, my lord! Let your wrath fall upon me, not upon my son! I beg of you—release them!"

All eyes turned to the Celestial Royal, the sovereign who needed only a finger to summon destruction.

He had not moved. He sat upon his throne of gilded ivory, high above the arena, one hand resting lazily upon the armrest as though none of this chaos mattered.

And slowly—so slowly—the Celestial Royal rose to his feet.

"Your Majesty," Elysia’s father spoke again.

He stepped forward, hands pressed tightly together in a desperate bow.

"I beg you—release them! They are but children! If there is doubt, then let the truth be sought through fair investigation. But this... this punishment... it is unjust!"

Then Edwin’s father’s voice followed. His fists clenched at his sides as he forced himself to remain respectful.

"My son is no traitor, nor is Lady Elysia. Whatever you believe, take me instead. I will bear the blame, the chains, or even the sword if it must be so. But do not punish them for shadows and suspicion."

Some faces were pale with pity, others wary of the consequences of speaking out.

The Celestial Royal had not moved through it all. He remained seated, still as stone, his head tilted slightly as though observing them with distant curiosity.

And then he stood up.

The simple act of standing was enough to silence the arena.

Everyone in the area bow down their head dare not to look straight at him.

The great throne was no mere chair, it was a dais, a massive platform carved of stone and gold.

But it did not rest upon the ground. No, it was carried—supported by dozens of human laborers crouched on hands and knees, their shoulders bent beneath the crushing weight.

Their backs trembled with strain, sweat dripping down their faces. Some bit their lips to keep from crying out, others stared blankly at the floor, broken by endless suffering.

Many turned their eyes away, but none dared to speak.

To bear the Celestial Royal’s throne was both a punishment and a privilege—one that demanded silence and suffering.

The Celestial Royal reached out his right hand, his long fingers curling around Calvane’s arm.

Calvane bowed instantly, lowering his head.

"You dare..." The Celestial Royal’s voice cracked. His gaze turned toward Edwin’s and Elysia’s fathers, burning with contempt. "...to speak to me? To question me?"

His voice deepened. "Do you know what you’re doing? You are standing in the way of celestial judgment. You are shielding those who may carry the blood of treachery."

Both fathers knelt lower, their foreheads nearly touching the scorched stone floor.

"Your Majesty—" Edwin’s father started, but the Celestial Royal cut him off with a sharp gesture.

"You have a death wish," he said coldly. "But I will tell you whose death it will be."

He raised his left hand, pointing with a single finger at the trembling fathers. The fire around Edwin and Elysia roared higher.

Actually the fire was caused by the subordinates of the celestial. Behind him was twelve bodyguards and they were expert fighters.

"It will not be yours," the Celestial Royal declared, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "It will be your children’s... and the blame shall rest squarely on the shoulders of their fathers."

And then—

BOOOOM!!!

A second explosion erupted, far brighter and louder than the first. A storm of fire tore through the air, bursting like crimson fireworks gone mad.

The flames spread outward in a dazzling arc, scattering molten sparks across the arena. Each spark struck the ground with the force of meteors, cracking stone and sending fragments flying in every direction.

The very earth quaked beneath the blast. Pillars shuddered, tiles shattered, and the protective barrier around Edwin and Elysia collapsed with a sound like glass splintering into a thousand shards.

The shockwave slammed into them mercilessly. Both were hurled back, crashing into the ground with bone-jarring force.

The roar of fire swallowed their voices, drowning the world in chaos. Smoke and ash swirled thick as a storm cloud, stinging their eyes and choking their lungs.

"FATHER!!" Elysia screams, ragged and desperate. She clawed her way toward the inferno, coughing as heat lashed her face.

"FATHER!!" Edwin’s cry tore from his throat. His voice shook, but it did not waver.

Through the thick veil of smoke, shapes began to emerge. The two fathers still stood—battered, scorched, yet unyielding.

Their silhouettes loomed like shields of flesh and willpower, their arms stretched outward, their bodies standing between the flames and their children. Robes smoldered, skin blistered, yet they did not falter.

Elysia’s eyes burned—not only from smoke but from tears that refused to fall.

Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword so tightly her knuckles whitened. Her voice shook as she shouted, every word dripping with rage.

"How dare you... how DARE YOU!!"

Beside her, Edwin staggered upright, his body trembling.

"This... this is madness," he spat, each word searing the air. "If you think I’ll kneel after this, you’re wrong!"

The Celestial Royal finally stirred. His head tilted slightly, as if the children’s defiance was an amusing jest rather than rebellion.

"Dogs who bark at lions," he said.

Edwin and Elysia were furious.

"Do you truly believe your cries matter? That your anger can reach me?"

The Celestial Royal raised one slender hand with a sharp snap..

At once, the flames surged again, twisting and stretching as if obeying his will.

They gathered into serpentine forms—massive coils of molten fire hissing with fury.

Their blazing bodies writhed in the air like living creatures, their fangs dripping sparks, their scales rippling with searing heat.

The serpents slithered around Edwin and Elysia in a tightening circle. Each movement left trails of fire behind, the ground beneath them glowing red-hot.

The celestial spoke, " but i like your confident"

Stone cracked and began to melt, trickling into glowing streams as though the earth itself could not withstand the heat.

The air shimmered, heavy and suffocating, making it almost impossible to breathe.

The crowd recoiled, horrified yet unable to look away. The entire arena buzzed with frantic whispers, voices trembling as fear spread like wildfire.