The crowd held their breath at Thomas’ final speech, instantly conveying his plan: to let Greed be the monster he is but focus their attention on the Twilight of Gods.
Dora looked at him and turned her gaze to the sky behind him.
"...Twilight...of the Gods?"
The sun shone brightly at its zenith, but as his eyes focused on it, images of a foreign mont ca to mind.
The purple vortex, the city on fire, the giant eye.
He grabbed his head as if in pain, and as he pulled away, he saw images of long green hair.
".....who...what is it?"
"Keep...that...in mind...every human...is...worthless...you want power...co on...Twilight...Gods..."
Thomas’ head hit the ground, his breathing slowing.
He turned his head to see Iris, but his vision went blank.
(.... so this is the end... damn... by a dagger?.... you really humiliated until the end...)
Little by little, the sounds beca inaudible. In his own world, his mind drifted.
He saw the footage of Eryl speaking before her first fight against Dora.
[Sir Thomas, I speak for your own good. You seem to be a little tense lately because of all the assumptions being made about a particular student. I can guarantee you that going now will be like a death sentence.]
(...I see...I understand now...but what else should I have done?...I was the vice president...it was my duty...)
He saw the images of Solaria and Zuri defending him.
[My knight only defended when these people insulted , that was chivalry. Of all things, they should be the ones expelled for insulting a baron’s daughter.]
[Hm, Thomas, don’t shout in front of dear Anesi, he is a very formidable student and I would appreciate it if you would not annoy him.]
He smiled.
(You... only thought about what you... wanted.... in the end... it led to this... but I never heard your apologies... this is not a world worthy to live.. .)
His mind blurred more, and he felt a will to sleep, as he closed his eyes, he rembered.
In his family’s manor, he rembered the peasant with a wooden sword using hero ti to destroy a tree. Proud of his feat, he raised his sword to the sky and shouted.
"I’m going to surpass her and beco a legend!"
One finger twitched.
(Hehe... I had forgotten that... hey, Hope, are you still trying to reach her?... oh... it’s true... I won’t see how you beco a legend... it would be best if you hated too now.)
He rembered.
[From what I see, you’re the one betraying your friend. I don’t know him yet but what I saw today was a guy fighting at your own place. Learn from him.]
His arm trembled.
(Why did it go that bad?... what did I do wrong?)
He rembered many things at once, the council etings, the training with Hope, the tireso paperwork.
Each ti he rembered the words of a specific person and giggled. All his thoughts culminated in this image of Iris running past him in a cute fashion.
His blood ran to his head and his view ca back.
(.... No.... I... can’t.... die here... I mustn’t.... everything I did... everything I worked for... I can’t let go of them....)
He put his hands on the ground and pushed with all his strength.
(I want.... to be a new person..... I want..... another chance..... I’ve changed..... but she doesn’t know it yet... I must show her... I want to see this smile..... I can’t accept... that our last discussion was a dispute... Iris...)
As he tried to stand, a mass of at fell to the ground, breaking the spirit of every witness.
(Hope.... I need.... to be here.... to support him... I need to teach him.... to forget the past... I’m everything he has. ...I want to go to....Kalaharis....I still don’t know....the na of this girl....soone....anyone...please... I need healing....)
He raised his head, gathering his last forces to scream.
"This is taking forever... are you dying soon or should I abridge your sufferings after all?" Dora, back to his senses stepped forward.
Thomas gave him a pleading look and slowly lay down again.
(You won’t even... let .... have a.... last word... what a... ah...)
Tears flowed, lting with the red mud, his view blurring again.
(.... my power.... my family... my future.... Iris.... my life..... you took everything from .... ah.... what did I do.... to deserve this?)
[....such is the fate of those who cross his path.]
(Uh?... who.... said.... this?... should.... have said... soon...er...)
Thomas closed his eyes and breathed his last. To the side, Hope fell to the ground with a scream.
The audience remained silent, observing the young man’s lifeless body with disgust. Their previous enthusiasm had given way to sha and anxiety.
They were aware of the nature of the battle, they knew that they were not there for a fight, but for an execution.
The guilt of being part of a battle to the death filled them with sha and they bowed their heads.
Candace fell to her knees, her empty gaze staring at Thomas’ body, soon obscured by the light of a glowing soul stone floating above him.
The luminous object floated towards Dora and levitated above his right hand.
"I’ll take that as compensation for wasting my ti."
He turned his back and walked towards the council mbers, shooting them death glares.
They stood up in front of the barrier and readied their weapons. Dora’s stopped right in front.
"Now I’m sure we all know how this is going to end. I’m not interested in you, so here’s how we’re going to do it. So of you will go to Thomas, others will jump and be sent to the ground, and one of you will punch and die. Choose your role."
With a snap of his finger, a powerful shockwave rippled through the air, obliterating the barrier in its path. The emissaries hurried towards him, but as they approached, not a single person dared to make contact.
They instinctively veered to the left and right, creating a path around him, all in their quest to reach Thomas. His power convinced them to never dare challenge him.
Dora, however, simply blinked and continued walking.
He joined Iris, Marie, Lilith, and Candace, who stood silently observing Thomas.
Finally, Dora halted in front of the dean and confessed
"Candace, I’m afraid I can’t be anymore the hero you had hoped for."
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