9 Dioros Strength (2/2)
Unsure of what to do Zetro tried to scare him into submission, ”Dioro, think about this, your son will die if you act out. And if you can't hand it over, I may not be able to guarantee the security of your troop, or even your wife.”
Dioro closed his eyes as if accepting something in his heart. Zetro saw this and grew excited thinking he had finally convinced Dioro. Ania saw this, shook her head, and covered her giggling mouth with her hand.
”Who's laughing!?” Zetro hated being mocked more than anything in his life and was certain to never let it happen in front of his clan. ”Stop laughing or I'll—”
”Now you've done it, Zetro,” Dioro opened his eyes with a new resoluteness.
”Huh? What do you mean?” Zetro was caught biting his tongue and at a loss for words.
”With that, not only you shall die but your entire clan as well,” stated Dioro.
”What? And how are you going pull that off?” Zetro hadn't any idea what would happen next, beside yet another stalemate.
”It's like you said Zetro,” answered Dioro. ”I can no longer guarantee the security of your clan, not after threatening my son and wife.”
”You think that you alone can—”
Zetro couldn't finish the sentence before Dioro's aura of a peak-perennial stifled him. Suddenly Zetro's throat was grabbed and crushed in Dioro's hand. Unable to speak he thought to himself, A peak-perennial! He's already a peak-perennial, a full two tiers higher than me! Impossible!!
”It's too late to retreat and take back your actions. Besides, I would never get my hands dirty and cut a deal with the likes of you,” Dioro looked around him and released a single pulse of soul energy, with him at the center. It passed over the gorillas easily. The baboons, however, each collapsed to the ground without much struggle.
”H-how can he…”
”I know what you're thinking Zetro. How is this possible, right?” Dioro wanted to give him one last thing to think about. ”It's because instead of finding underhanded methods to accomplish madness, I train and cultivate for a cause. Your final act in this life will have been threatening that cause.”
Dioro's open hand jabbed into Zetro's chest just below the rib cage and shot up like an internal uppercut. But instead of attacking, he grabbed something. It was round and felt harder than diamond, not to mention it fit perfectly in Dioro's palm.
In one swift movement, Dioro retracted his hand, removing Zetro's divine core with it. No longer of any importance, Dioro tossed the corpse aside like a rag doll, not even bothering to remember the final look on his face that Rathe longed to see.
”I'm sorry that my past reputation has brought you all trouble, please forgive me,” Dioro directly bowed to his clan in search of forgiveness.
”Oh Dioro, get up,” Ania reached out to him. ”You've proven yourself as the chief again and even resolved it without casualties. Be proud of yourself.”
Dioro let out a sigh of relief as he got back up, ”I guess you're right.”
”Now hurry up and go find my son!” she couldn't contain her motherly worries anymore, ”And don't you dare slack off till I have him in my arms again!”
”Ye-yes, Ania!” startled by her burst of fury, Dioro took off at full speed in search of Oli.