The conversation between Crow and the Emperor left the crowd flabbergasted. Unbelievably, Zilsonia had publicly confessed to trying to kill the young hero! Long had the people believed that commoners whose deeds reached the royal palace would eventually suffer grave injuries—and though they couldn’t openly discuss the matter, rumor had it that the emperor was the one behind these happenings. Now he’d just admitted to being the wicked ruler of unscrupulous methods that everyone had always known him to be.
Naturally, folks were furious.
“Are you fucking shitting me?!”
“What the hell?! What have you done?!”
“Eat shit and die, Zilsonia!”
Countless insults echoed across the imperial capital, the echo of the people’s anger and deep resentment. The fear of being charged with a crime receded into the backs of their minds.
Inwardly, the emperor was growling. Fuck them! How dare these lowly bastards insult me! Damn it! This is why I didn’t want to speak about it publicly!
Even he, bitter old man that he was, understood that it was all over. With this much animosity from his people, he’d have no choice but to step down. He could no longer avoid his fate. Nevertheless...
I’m prepared! I don’t care about the throne anymore. All I want is to destroy Crow Titus! he thought, clasping his golden scepter.
He was not a stupid man. Given the absolute popularity Crow boasted after marrying Eldia—a royal—Zilsonia already knew the result: he would be dethroned, and Crow would take his place. So the emperor had preemptively given up his throne, his dignity...all he had.
He asked for only one thing in return. I’ll earn your trust, Crow Titus. And then, when you least expect it, I’ll end your miserable life! Bracing himself, the emperor faced his people. Here we go!
In one dramatic, swift motion, he dropped to his knees and bowed down low.
“My people! I beg your forgiveness!” Fuck all of you!
His prostration was truly exemplary, and he lay still as a statue after a vigorous bow of his head.
The people murmured, at a loss over his resolute behavior. Their arrogant, wicked emperor was groveling in a splendid, heartfelt display of contrition. (He was actually in a murderous rage, but whatever.)
The string of insults involuntarily died away. Between their confusion and the faint admiration rising within them, they’d all but forgotten to continue screaming angrily.
“Crow Titus!” the emperor announced. “And all of you, the hundreds of thousands of people of the imperial capital! Behold this old fool! Feel my repentance! I truly, truly beg your forgiveness!!!”
At these words, a typical bystander might have mused thus: Imagine being over fifty years old and having such high societal status, and still bowing your head in front of such a large crowd. Embarrassing, surely? It would make one want to die, no? Or at least weep, no doubt. What courage it must’ve taken to do so, especially before hundreds of thousands of people! Why, said bystander certainly couldn’t have done so!
“I beg your forgiveness! Verily! Forgive me, everyone! I know this hardly makes up for all I’ve done, but I beseech you, take solace in my disgrace!”
Most grown men would have balked at the idea of behaving in this way, and yet here was Emperor Zilsonia giving it his all.
“Forgive me!”
An apology could hardly atone for the deeds of such a wicked man. But how many wicked men would be able to honestly repent like this?
“Your Majesty...!”
“What are you...?”
“Well, shit...”
At the emperor’s desperate apology, as he cast aside his sense of shame and his reputation, many found themselves moved. Plenty of rulers in history had committed tyrannical acts, but how many had displayed the humility and courage to apologize to their people? How many had gone so far as to prostrate themselves?
They couldn’t forgive him—not fully—but not a single person in the crowd could ridicule his remorse. Once filled with shouts of resentment, the plaza now fell silent at the sight of the emperor’s sincere contrition.
But, of course, he was neither sincere nor contrite—not even the tiniest bit.
“I beg of you, sear the image of this foolish old man into your memory!” he yelled, but at the same time, he declared to himself, You’re all trash! Every last one of you! I’ll crush all your eyeballs someday!
Yes, internally, the old tyrant was flipping his shit.
He’d already been on the brink of losing it when his elderly mother had been publicly NTRed during the parade. Now, prostrated in front of the people, he was pushing the limits of human wrath.
Tears of rage spilled forth, and he sobbed loudly. I hate this! I hate everything!
The unknowing public, however, misinterpreted his cries of anger. There was no way that could be an act, they thought. The emperor had to be truly regretful.
And, of course, there was one other naive idiot present taking this all in.
“Oh, Zilsonia!” Yo, whaaat? The emperor’s such a nice guy!!! Crow’s five brain cells fully believed in the old tyrant. Wow, he’s amazing! He’s like, ancient, but look at him grovel! Not everyone would be able to do that!
Admiration crept its way into the young man’s tough-as-nails expression.
Crow—who up until now had been at the mercy of his abusive boyfriend Muramasa—greatly admired anyone capable of showing contrition, even if that person had just tried to kill him.
“You have made your feelings known, Zilsonia. Raise your head!” Crow said, out of consideration for the old man. It would’ve been the ultimate humiliation for someone in his fifties to continue to prostrate himself like this, after all.
The older man, however, refused. “I mustn’t!” he exclaimed. “I have yet to fully convey my remorse!” Don’t interfere, Crow! Feel my remorse! Feel it more! Trust me! Then fuck off and die!
Instead of getting up, the old bastard began to bang his head on the ground. There was nothing he wasn’t willing to do if it meant crushing this young man! He knew his time was short, so he behaved with maximum recklessness.
“S-Stop that, Zilsonia!” Crow said in horror. “You’ll crack open your skull!”
“Aaaaaargh!” the emperor cried out. “Chastise me, Crow! Insult me!!!” And diiie!!!
“Zilsonia!!!” Wow, what a great guy!!!
Utter chaos reigned.
Between the Elderly Mother NTR Parade and the prostrate old tyrant drumming the ground with his face, the masses’ excitement was reaching a fever pitch.
“Whoa! The emperor’s smashing his head open while apologizing! How remorseful he must be for what he did to Crow!”
People were almost dancing to the beat of the old man’s brains.
“Oh! Oh, Zil! My beautiful son!” Her voice choked with emotion, Eldia joined the chorus.
The crowd was now moved to tears at the sight of the elderly mother’s joyful reaction to her hopeless fifty-something son’s change of heart.
Who could’ve possibly imagined witnessing such an incredible performance live, after all? No one, that’s who! No matter how convenient and moving such a tale might be, there was no way such a twisted, middle-aged, hateful bastard could change his ways!
Yet such a miracle—as if from a fairy tale, yet too absurd for fiction—was taking place right before the eyes of the people.
Except, as we know, the emperor was still as furious as ever.
“Oh, Zil, my Zil!!!” exclaimed Eldia. I never thought the day would come when you’d see the error of your ways!
“Please forgive me, mother!!!” Screw you, you thirsty old bitch!
To those who didn’t know the truth, however, the moving scene between the royal mother and son felt so beautiful it could cure depression, and naturally it drew cries of “Congratulations!” from the people.
“Crow!” Zilsonia exclaimed. “You’re acting in place of my father, yes?! Then scold me! Chastise me!!!”
“Oh, yes! Of course, Zilsonia!!!” Crow replied. “You’re complete and utter trash!!! I can’t understand why you’d waste masks and aethereal arms on assassins instead of using them for national security!!!” Will this do?!
“Thank you! You’re absolutely correct!” Shut up and die!
“Oh! Oh, Zil!!!” Eldia exclaimed. “Oh, Crow!!!” We’re such a happy family!
Thus, all at once, the imperial capital was swept up in an emotional storm.
We had the emperor, Zilsonia, inevitably on the path to dementia after his head drum solo.
Then we had the wounded Empress Dowager Eldia in a wild frenzy at the sight of her son (while in the arms of a young man).
And lastly, said young man, and the reason for Zilsonia’s show of contrition. The author of this touching scene, young father and hero Crow.
The crowd erupted in a standing ovation for all three of them. Cries of approval echoed amid the applause.
“Hey! Your Majesty! Behave, a’ight?!”
“Aw, good for you, Empress Eldia!”
“Long live Emperor Crow!”
Mere days ago, the land had swirled with fear of monsters and dissatisfaction with the royal family. Now it was fully steeped in the warm fuzzies, toward both this heartwarming scene and the future.
But one man was muttering in a daze. “Inconceivable. Unacceptable. Unthinkable...”
Staggering, the man hobbled toward Crow and his little family. One of the knights who stood guard nearby, seeing the man’s addled state, gripped his shoulder.
“Hey. Stop!” the knight commanded.
“Out of my way,” the man snapped, suddenly striking the knight’s head.
A sickening crunch rang out. As if struck by a meteor, the knight was pulverized where he stood, laid low by a single blow. Barely a stain remained on the ground.
“Eeeek!” All at once, the crowd’s excitement gave way to fear, and the people froze at the sight of the man with sooty blond hair who had killed a knight for no discernible reason.
That man was getting on in years, but his striking features suggested he’d been handsome once.
“You!” Crow’s wife, Eldia, exclaimed in astonishment.
Crow’s son, Zilsonia, was trembling in fear. “It cannot be!”
“Well, hello there,” said the man. “It’s been twenty years, mother. Brother.”
The man with sooty blond hair was a member of the royal family too, after all.
“It’s me! Your long-lost family! Vortigern von Lemuria!” he said, gesturing at the seven-pointed star badge attached to his black clothing. “And current leader of the terrorist organization Wanpurgis, the Order of the Black Star.”
“What?!” mother and son both exclaimed in unison.
“Who could’ve imagined I’d ever have a new father, hmm?” Vortigern said to the trembling, terrified duo.
✦ ✦ ✦
A few moments earlier...
“I’m marrying Crow! ♡” said Eldia.
“What?!” said Zilsonia.
“What?!!!” said the final boss from the other side of the story.
And they’ve all been trembling since.