Irina headed towards Eryon, scanning her surroundings.
The stadium was almost completely destroyed. Around them, only rubble and piles of debris remained after the chaotic battle.
A faint trace of mana.
Irina quickly turned her head toward the stands where she sensed it. But there was no one there. The mana vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"Was that…" She muttered under her breath, thinking for a moment.
"Never mind."
She dismissed the thought, continuing forward to Eryon and the others.
At Eryon's side, inside the crater formed by his impact, Shigure was kneeling next to him. Sato arriving just a moment later.
"This is…"
Sato's eyes widened when he saw the fallen knight.
Through the cracks of Eryon's armor, remnants of black blood dripped onto the ground while he was unconscious.
"It seems that Manachor tortured him."
Shigure placed his hands on Eryon's helmet, wanting to free him at least a little from the crushing weight of his armor.
"Manachor?"
Confused, Sato tilted his head as Irina arrived next to them just in time to hear the name.
"Manachor is the cursed sword that he wields. Because of it, Eryon ended up like this…"
Shigure spoke with a heavy heart as he lifted the heavy helmet, revealing the face beneath.
Eryon's face was severely scratched, covered in open wounds from which blood still poured, regenerating painfully slow.
So this is Eryon…
Irina ignited a flame above her palm, ready to finish what she started.
"Irina, what are you planning?" Sato asked, concerned.
"What does it look like? I am going to finish him."
Silence fell on the field for a moment, everyone's attention snapping to Irina.
Just as she prepared to launch her flame, Sato stepped in, positioning himself between Irina and Eryon.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"I am not going to let you eliminate him."
"Sato…" Shigure looked at him helplessly.
For a second, Irina froze. She didn't extinguish the flame, but she was stunned by his unexpected behavior.
"That guy eliminated Butterfly, and you still want to keep him in the competition?"
I know it's wrong.
Sato bit his lip, struggling to find the words.
The fact that he is Shigure's hero doesn't excuse him. Above everything else, he is a foe that not even Irina can attack efficiently… But still… still—
"Kill him!!!"
Before Sato could speak, his thoughts were cut short by Megumi's scream.
Everyone turned to her. Supported by Killa, she was limping toward them, eyes burning with tears.
"That monster killed Butterfly! Someone like him… someone like him shouldn't ever be left alive!"
"Megumi…"
Hearing her, Sato was left completely silent. He gazed at Killa for a second, silently asking for help.
Killa looked back at him, her expression pained. She simply shook her head, a sign that it wasn't worth fighting Megumi on this.
At that moment, Sato stood not only between Irina and Eryon, but between the people he held dear and a stranger who had taken away someone he cared about from him.
Above the stadium, black clouds formed. Rain began to pour over the field, soaking Sato as he stood firm, staring at the wet ground.
Silence settled once again, the only sound being the heavy drops of rain hitting the debris.
Sato could have ended everything right then. All he needed to do was step aside. Just one step. That was all it took.
But he…
"I refuse to let him be eliminated like this."
A serious expression rose on his face as he lifted his head to face them.
"You!" Irina's tone was filled with pure hatred. "Are you planning to stand in my way?"
"Sato… please... Please step aside." Megumi's eyes were full of tears, begging him to let Irina finish the monster.
"..." Killa decided to stay silent, watching him closely.
The atmosphere had shifted completely. Everyone was against Sato. They wanted to put an end to this nightmare immediately.
"Let's hear him first!" Sato raised his voice, his words resounding through the rain.
Everyone was stunned by his proposal.
"Let's hear him out. Before we do anything rash, let's hear what he has to say."
"It doesn't matter what he has to say! He is a danger." Irina was still furious, piercing Sato with her gaze.
Sato stood face to face with her, refusing to be intimidated, holding his ground.
The tension lingered until Megumi's voice broke through again.
"If…"
Attention shifted to her.
"If we hear him out… will you step aside?"
"Yes." Sato nodded firmly.
"Very well then…"
Megumi lowered her head, giving in to Sato's proposal, while Irina boiled in frustration.
"Irina…"
"What?!"
She turned her head to face Sato, but his expression left her speechless.
"Please wait a little longer until he wakes up. If we don't reach an agreement then, I will no longer stay in your way." Sato's expression shifted from seriousness to deep concern—concern for her.
"Tsk… very well."
Irina extinguished her flame and backed off, leaving Shigure and Sato alone with the fallen knight.
"Thank you, Sato."
"This is not over yet."
Sato's eyes lingered on Irina, who walked further away from them, leaning against a destroyed wall with her arms crossed, watching from a distance.
A while passed. The rain eventually stopped, leaving behind only puddles of water reflecting the gray sky and the biting cold air.
Suddenly, Eryon's hand twitched. Slowly, he opened his eyes and pushed himself up, sitting on the cold, wet ground.
"Shigure…"
Facing his partner, Eryon's expression was heavy with regret.
"Eryon, are you okay?"
"...Tell me, Shigure. How many people died because of me?"
Ignoring Shigure's question, Eryon jumped straight to the fear that had haunted him from the moment Manachor took control.
"..." Shigure remained silent, unable to find the right words.
"Nobody."
Sato, standing next to them, answered confidently.
"Who is he?" Eryon asked, looking at the boy.
"He is one of the exis that helped me calm you down."
"I see… so nobody died…" Eryon exhaled a long breath, relieved. A faint, sad smile rose on his face as he looked at the ground.
"Yes… you didn't kill any civilians. Instead, you eliminated a lot of heroes. Including…"
Sato stopped, his gaze shifting toward Megumi while Eryon followed his gaze.
A little further away, Megumi stood hunched over, mourning the spot where Butterfly had vanished. She was supported by Killa, who was trying her best to keep the girl steady.
"Including the one who caged you in order to protect everyone else. She was the one that that exhausted all of your mana as well."
"...I see."
Eryon stood up. His figure was imposing, solid and athletic, worthy of a knight who had endured countless battles.
"What are you planning to do now?" Sato asked, watching him closely.
"Make amends."
Sato's eyes widened in surprise as Eryon walked past him, heading straight toward Megumi.
His heavy steps squelched through the wet field, the clank of his armor making his presence known instantly. Everyone looked at him when he stopped just two meters away from the grieving girl.
"You!..."
Megumi broke away from Killa's grip and ran toward Eryon. She stopped right in front of him and began pounding his heavy steel chestplate repeatedly.
"Because of you… because of you, Butterfly is gone!"
She pounded on his armor with all her might, desperately. Yet, against the massive knight, her blows were nothing. Eryon didn't flinch. He didn't move. He simply took it.
"Because of you I won't be able to see her again! She won't be able to wake me in the morning anymore! I won't be able to eat her cooking…"
She choked on a sob for a second before screaming at the top of her lungs, her voice breaking with pain.
"She just wanted to see her family again!!! And you took that away from her!"