Emperor Of War

Chapter Five: The First Debt Paid

Adam Swift's POV

The entire bar had fallen silent. The smell of blood lingered heavily in the air. Bodies lay scattered across the floor. Broken tables and shattered glass surrounded us.

Moments ago, this place had been filled with arrogance and laughter. Now it was filled with fear. I stood in the center of it all.

My gaze remained fixed on General Otti.

The once-powerful man was no longer standing. He was kneeling. Trembling. Bleeding. Afraid. The same man who had terrorized countless innocent people now looked like a cornered animal. His remaining hand pressed against the floor as he struggled to breathe. His eyes were filled with terror.

"Who... who are you?" he asked weakly.

I took another step toward him. The sound of my shoes echoed through the silent hall.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Every step made him shrink further.

I stopped directly in front of him. For a few moments, neither of us spoke. Then I crouched down. Close enough for him to see my face clearly.

"Look at me."

His eyes slowly lifted. The moment our gazes met, his body trembled. I could see him searching his memory. Trying to understand why I had come. Trying to remember where he had seen me before.

Unfortunately for him, ten years had passed. Age had weakened his memory.

But mine remained crystal clear. Because I had relived that night every day. Every single day.

"Do you remember me?" I asked quietly.

Otti swallowed hard.

"No."

His answer didn't surprise me. People like him rarely remembered their victims. To them, it had been just another job. Just another night. But to me… It had been the night my entire world ended. I smiled coldly.

"No?"

I grabbed his collar and pulled him closer.

"Think carefully." His face paled.

"I don't know you."

I stared directly into his eyes.

"Ten years ago." His expression flickered. I continued. "A dark road." His breathing became uneven. "A convoy surrounded by armed men."

Sweat appeared on his forehead. "Two frightened boys sitting in the back seat of a vehicle." 

His eyes widened. The memories were finally returning. I saw it happen. The realization. The recognition. The fear. His lips began trembling.

"N-No..."

I nodded slowly. "Now you remember."

The color drained completely from his face. "You..."

His voice shook. "It was you."

I smiled. "Yes."

The room remained silent. Everyone was listening. Everyone was watching.

"The older boy survived.”

Otti looked as though he had seen a ghost. "Impossible."

"Is it?" I leaned closer. "You remember the first shot that night?"

His body stiffened. I could see the answer in his eyes. He remembered. Of course he did. Because he had fired it.

"You were the first man to pull the trigger."

Otti immediately shook his head.

"No." His voice cracked. "No, please."

I stood up. His panic intensified. "I was only following orders!" His words echoed through the hall. "I didn't have a choice!"

I laughed. The sound sent chills through everyone present.

"No choice?" I repeated. "You had a choice."

Otti shook uncontrollably. "Please."

His knees scraped against the floor as he crawled toward me. "I was ordered to do it."

"I don't care." "Jackson Carter gave the command!"

"I know.”

Tears filled his eyes. "I was just a soldier."

I stared down at him. A soldier? No. Soldiers protected people. Men like Otti destroyed them.

"You hunted children." His body froze. "You hunted my father." I tightened my grip around my sword. "You deserve no mercy."

For the first time in his life, General Otti truly understood fear. Not political fear.

Not financial fear. Death. Raw. Absolute.

Death.

He bowed his head. "Please spare me."

I looked at him without emotion. Ten years ago, my father had begged him to stop. Ten years ago, my little brother had cried for his life. Ten years ago, nobody showed mercy.

Why should I? My sword slowly rose. 

Otti's eyes widened. "No!"

The blade flashed through the air. A silver streak. Then silence.

For a brief second, nobody moved. Nobody breathed.

Then General Otti's body collapsed. His head rolled across the floor. The chapter of his life had ended. And one of my family's debts had finally been repaid. I lowered my sword. The room remained frozen. No one dared speak. No one dared move. The fear in their eyes was understandable.

They had just witnessed the fall of one of Quinzerland's most feared men. I cleaned the blood from my blade.

Then I turned around. As far as I was concerned, General Otti no longer existed.

My business here is finished.

"Thank you." A soft voice stopped me.

I looked over my shoulder. Wilson Carter had risen to his feet. His wife stood beside him. Their daughter remained close to them. All three looked emotional.

Wilson lowered his head respectfully. "You saved us.”

His wife nodded. "If you hadn't arrived..."

Her voice broke. She couldn't finish the sentence.

I simply nodded. "You are safe now."

The family exchanged glances. Relief flooded their faces. For the first time that evening, they could finally breathe. I turned to leave.

Then Wilson's wife suddenly spoke again.

"Wait."m

I paused. Something in her expression had changed. She stared at me carefully. Almost as if she were studying my face. Her brows slowly furrowed. "Have we met before?"

My heart skipped for a moment. She looked familiar too. Very familiar. Then I remembered. The old neighborhood. The children playing outside. Summer afternoons. Laughter.

And a little girl who used to run around with me and Taylor. Wilson's daughter.

Back then, she had been only a child.

Now she is a grown woman.

I quickly pushed the memories aside. "You're mistaken."

She shook her head. "No."

Her gaze remained fixed on me. "You look familiar."

I offered a calm smile. "I don't think we've met.”

She seemed unconvinced. Then she asked,

"What is your name?"

The room grew quiet again.

For a brief moment, I considered lying.

Instead, I gave her the truth. "My name is Swift."

The woman's eyes widened.

"So that's why."

She looked shocked.

"The family I knew also carried that surname."

I said nothing.

There was no reason to continue the conversation. The past belonged in the past. The future was all that mattered now.

Outside the bar, the sound of engines filled the night.

Several black military vehicles arrived. The doors opened. Dax stepped out. He immediately approached me.

"Boss."

I glanced toward the convoy. Everything was prepared. Everything was ready. General Otti was gone. Now only one person mattered. Jackson Carter. The mastermind.

The man who had stolen everything. The man responsible for my father's death.

The man responsible for my brother's death.

The man who believed he had won. A cold smile appeared on my face. "Let's go."

Dax nodded. "Where to, Boss?"

I looked toward the city skyline. My eyes darkened. It was time. Time to remind a certain bastard that the Swift family still existed.

"Let's go visit that bastard."

Dax smiled. "Yes, General."

The convoy engines roared to life. And somewhere in Quinzerland…

Jackson Carter had no idea that death was already coming for him.