Eryon stood still, taking everything she threw at him while everyone else watched, pained by her grief.
Only Irina seemed indifferent. Her eyes held no pity, only hatred toward the monster standing before them.
Eventually, Megumi's pounding on his armor slowed, until she stopped completely. Her hands fell to her sides, exhausted. She stood completely silent, head down, facing the wet ground and Eryon's steel boots.
"I have wronged you."
Eryon's deep voice broke the silence.
"Due to the negligence of myself and my comrades, we were sent to recover a relic that would help us aid our nation. But the same relic we hoped would be our savior led to our end…"
Everyone's attention shifted to Eryon. Megumi slowly raised her head, looking him in the eyes.
"Once I picked up the sword, I lost control over my body. I killed my comrades. I destroyed the nation I swore to protect, as well as the nations we struggled to win against. And once I finished… the memories of my sins flooded my mind…"
Clenching his fist, he recalled those moments.
He remembered leaving the cave where he found the sword, heading to his capital, and with a single swing, completely destroying the castle walls.
In those moments, he didn't even bother to hunt people down one by one. Instead, he released a toxic cloud of black mana, poisoning the very air they breathed.
But Manachor was cruel. The only people the sword chose to make Eryon kill personally… were his family.
He reached his son first. He remembered grabbing the boy by the collar, lifting him into the air before piercing him with the blade. He did it right in front of his wife, who was paralyzed by fear, unable to move.
After making sure his son was thoroughly stabbed but still left alive, bleeding to death, he threw the boy against the wall of their home.
Finished with him, he turned to his wife and slapped her with the back of his gauntlet, sending her crashing into the muddy ground.
Looking down at her, he saw her pain, her face tainted by mud and tears.
"Dear, please stop."
She pleaded with him but her plea was answered by his boot stomping on her head, planting her face into the dirt.
"DAD, STOP ALREADY!"
His son, watching the madness unfold from the brink of death, screaming at him, but Eryon couldn't listen. Instead, his body moved on its own. He took the sword and stabbed his wife through the back, pinning her to the earth.
Leaving both of them bleeding out, he made his way to the castle.
There, he met the King, the same man who had sent the party to find Manachor.
The King's expression was one of disbelief. He had been so sure that once he obtained the relic the war would be won, only to be wrong.
Finished with him, Eryon turned his back, leaving the entire throne room sliced in half, the King dying on the spot.
After he had decimated his nation, for a brief moment, Manachor returned control of his body. Just long enough for the memories to flood in.
Freed for a second, Eryon was paralyzed. He couldn't comprehend what he had just done. But he didn't have time to process it. Manachor took control again and repeated the slaughter with every neighboring nation, until nothing was left.
His action left everyone speechless. Silence fell once again over the field; it was now Megumi's turn to dictate Eryon's future.
"In that case…"
She rushed to say what she wanted, but then stopped, biting her lip to hold back the words she had planned.
I don't want to see him anymore. He is the one who took Butterfly away from me… But if I order him to die now, her sacrifice would mean nothing. Instead…
Megumi gazed at Sato for just a second, before looking back at the kneeling knight.
"Raise your head."
In that instant, the atmosphere shifted.
Raising his head, Eryon no longer felt the presence of a grieving little girl. He felt the weight of a Queen, ready to pass judgment on her subject.
Eryon wasn't the only one who felt the pressure. Killa and Irina felt her aura change instantly.
This is… just like hers.
Irina clenched her teeth in frustration, the girl reminding her of someone from her past.
Not bad.
A small smile rose on Killa's face, impressed by how the girl held her ground.
"That is our council president."
Even though Sato didn't sense the pressure that Irina and Killa felt, he knew very well how thorough and serious Megumi could be from their school days.
"Sato, was Megumi always like this?" Shigure asked, surprised.
"I guess you aren't aware, considering you didn't spend much time at our school, Dr. Shigure… but she can be very scary if she wants to be."
Megumi's tears dried, leaving only a look of steel determination in her eyes. She sighed once, long and heavy.
"It is true that you wronged me, Eryon. Butterfly was my hero. She gave everything to contain you. She sacrificed herself to save everyone."
Megumi's words were heavy, making Eryon feel smaller with every sentence.
"She was truly special. Someone I will never be able to forget…"
She closed her eyes for a second, cherishing the memory, before opening them again, sharp and cold.
"I thought about ordering you to end your life right now. Personally, I don't want to see your face in this competition ever again. But if I ordered you to die, her sacrifice would mean nothing." She looked down at him with a mix of disgust and pragmatism.
"That is why I have come up with another idea. Even if I am no longer in the competition, it doesn't mean my allies are out. Therefore, my order is this: You will help Sato and Asahi reach the end of this competition. Once all three of you reach that point, you may consider yourself redeemed, and you can fight for your own wish."
Eryon bowed his head deep, his forehead almost touching the mud.
"I understand. From this moment forth, I pledge my blade to bring those two to the end of this competition."
"Very well."
Having said her piece, the adrenaline finally left her. Megumi suddenly went limp and collapsed from exhaustion, in that moment Eryon caught her gently before she hit the ground.
This little girl… just now, she reminded me of my Queen.
"Megumi!"
Sato rushed to her side, only to notice that Megumi was breathing rhythmically. She was sleeping peacefully.
"She must be tired." Relieved, Sato sighed, dropping his guard.
Slap!
Suddenly, he felt a sharp slap on his back.
"Ouch!"
"She has been through a lot. Everyone here has. So relax a little, you are all tensed up."
"Killa…"
She really knows how to lighten the mood.
"You are right."
Irina arrived next to them, staring silently at the sleeping girl in the knight's arms.
"Is this alright with you, Irina? To let him stay in this competition as long as he helps us reach the end?"
"It's fine," she responded in a monotonous voice, hiding her thoughts.
"It's settled then."
Although I find it hard to believe she changed her mind so easily… I will need to talk to her later. Until then…
"Should we go home for now and schedule another day to talk more?"
"Sounds like a wise choice," Eryon agreed, standing up carefully with Megumi in his arms.
"How about her?"
"I will take Megumi with me."
Once Eryon passed Megumi to Sato, placing her gently on his back, the group began to leave the ruins of the stadium.
Outside, Eryon and Shigure waved goodbye as they took their separate paths.
"Sato! What is this?"
Killa was standing by her motorbike, holding up a small piece of paper she found tucked into the seat. Sato then leaned in to look, only for his face to sink immediately.
"It's a… parking ticket."
"Huh? Should I pay that?" Killa asked, confused.
"I am sure you don't need to worry about it."
An idea sparked in Sato's mind.
"Do you have a pen, by any chance?"
"Here."
From thin air, a pen materialized in her hand.
"Can heroes really make anything from mana?"
"There are limitations, but as long as you know the structure of the object, yes."
"That is sure handy."
Taking the pen, Sato scribbled something on the back of the ticket and handed it back to her.
"See you."
Waving goodbye, Sato hurried to catch up with Irina, adjusting Megumi on his back who drooled a little on his shoulder.
"Bye."
A small, genuine smile rose on her face as she waved back, looking at the piece of paper.