The sludge around Nero's palm started aggravating as if it was alive and wanted to devour everything.

Nero closed his palm and formed a fist to launch the sludge.

'If they regret what they did and promise never to harm anyone again, then you should forgive them' Nero heard a voice, and he looked at his side to see a figure wearing a clock.

Nero's eyes widened as the sludge around his arm disappeared.

It was impossible for anyone to stay still and hear anything due to the heavy storm, but the voice was crystal clear— almost as though it directly sounded in his mind.

Nero averted his face from the figure and focused on the knights. Even the knights looked confused when Nero looked at the side. It was almost as if they couldn't see the figure.

'There may be thousands of reasons to kill them, but even if there is one reason to forgive them, then please forgive them.' the voice said again.

This time, Nero was sure of what was happening.

He sighed deeply and lowered his hand, then looked at the figure. Nero opened his mouth to say something but stopped and uttered inwardly, 'There might be thousands of reasons to forgive one, but even if there is one reason to kill them, I will kill them!'

The figure disappeared as though it never existed.

Nero then walked to the knights as the sky rumbled with thunder and lightning.

The sound of the lightning overlapped the sound of ripping, crushing, breaking, and screams that echoed in the entire forest.

Then, Nero raised his hand in the air, and a huge and sharp crimson sludge appeared in the air. It had a shape of gigantic blades and long swords— but they were moving on their own. They were sharp enough to cut anything in one go— including the air itself.

The sludge covered the entire area and eventually devoured everything that came in its way— including the trees and rocks as well as the rain and the lightning— leaving nothing but an empty horizon.

Nero turned around and walked to Emilia, and looked at her.

Her eyes were still closed, and she was trembling. "You can open your eyes now."

Nero asked Emilia to open her eyes, but she didn't and shook her head.

Nero exhaled sharply— as though he wanted to sigh— and retracted his wings as his form slowly changed.

Emilia's clothes were drenched because of rain, but Nero's clothes were completely dry.

He shrugged his body as his hair and skin dried off but started getting wet again as the rain kept pouring.

Nero reached his hand towards Emilia and sighed, "You may open your eyes now."

Emilia opened her one eye and glanced at Nero, then opened her another eye before jumping into Nero's arms— totally ignoring his reaching hand.

Emilia squeezed Nero's body with her body and hugged him— but she couldn't wrap her arms around Nero's body because she was still chained with the shackles.

Nero's clothes didn't get wet by the rain, but they got wet by Emilia's wet clothes. He swiped his thumb on his index finger and created a small ball from his blood, then flicked his middle finger to launch the blood-ball in the sky.

The blood-ball soured through clouds and exploded as all the clouds faded away, leaving the clear sky with two moons in the starry sky.

The one thing Nero hated the most was rain. In his previous life, it was raining outside when his girlfriend killed him. It rained when he lost his mother, and the night of betrayal… it was also raining.

Even though Nero had already launched the blood-ball, his middle finger was still upright as he looked at the sky. He then raised his hand and showed the middle finger to the gods and heavens, knowing well the gates were closed and they weren't seeing it— but Nero hoped they would see it.

Nero could feel Emilia's wet body as her clothes were ripped, and Emilia was squeezing him tightly.

Nero placed his hands on Emilia's shoulder and pushed her a little, so he could see her face, but he regretted doing so.

After looking at Emilia's swollen face, he wanted to go back in time and kill those knights again and again for eternity.

Emilia tried to cover her face with her hands, but Nero grabbed them and placed his hands on the shackles.

The shackles started cracking and eventually shattered into pieces.

Tears fell down Emilia's cheeks as Nero swiped his thumb on his finger and inserted that finger inside Emilia's mouth.

Emilia quietly sucked Nero's finger like a baby as her wounds slowly started healing.