"Make them fear you, living in your shadow forever." — Nero Adams
°°°
For a fleeting moment, a dark thought crossed Nero's mind: 'I wish I could crush his limbs, torture him.' But he quickly chastised himself. That would be too easy, too quick. He wanted Barak to suffer, to feel the weight of defeat. Today, he had crushed him, but Nero understood that someone like Barak would eventually rise again. This was only a setback.
Nero's aim wasn't merely a one-time victory; he sought to completely obliterate Barak's spirit. If Barak hadn't provoked him, perhaps he could have lived a relatively peaceful life. But now, having earned Nero's ire, there was no turning back. The greatest revenge he could exact was to make Barak live in constant fear, forever in the shadow of his power. For Barak, this method was the most appropriate—an ongoing reminder of his failure and a psychological torment that would haunt him long after.
Nero's strategy was meticulously calculated.
