Everyone in the courtroom looks at the nervous Lady Tessa Tate. She appears like she wants to disappear from the world.

I-I-I… Hic! I paid for my crime! Lord Adrian, you promised you’d let… Hic! You’d me go after it’s all done!

Do I look like I’m in a position to do anything, woman?

I… I did everything you asked… Hic! I… Whaaa! It’s not fair! Sob! I’ve already paid so much for my sins! Hic!

There, there, my lady, don’t cry. Nobody’s accusing you of anything… yet. We only want to know some information to help us better understand the situation.

It’s not fair… Hic! It’s not fair…

Oh, brother. We’re not getting anything out of this one.

Then I may be able to help enlighten you.

Who said that?

Wait, that man at the door…

Professor Declan?!

What!? I thought he died!

Dan Declan? The one in the memory?

Dan! Hic! Dan, you came back! Hic! It’s not fair… They shouldn’t blame me… I… Hic!

Calm down, Tessa. You look ugly when you cry. Here, blow your nose with this.

Pssuufff!

Better?

A-ha…

Professor Declan, what is the meaning of this? Your name is on the list of Adrian Acker’s victims.

Ah, yes, about that… As you can see, your honor, I’m alive and well. Although, I’m certain my reputation won’t survive this hearing. Haha.

Oh, Dan…

Go clean yourself, Tessa. I’ll handle this.

Lady Tessa bites her lips and excuses herself. Declan walks up to the edge of the audience seat and stares intensely at Amelia. The security guards watch him cautiously.

Would you like some tea, master? Bitter with sweets like usual?

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I don’t care.

May I suggest some side dishes? I believe you haven’t eaten since morning.

Whatever.

Declan smiles and snaps his fingers. The next moment, the defendant’s podium turns into a dining table with plates of food on top, and Declan is standing next to Amelia in a butler’s uniform.

Wait, how did he…?!

Code black! Code black! Someone broke through the barrier! Open fire on the target! I repeat, code black! Open fire!

The army of mages on standby unleashes their spells at the devil, but the judge slams his hammer, dissolving them all.

BANG!

Order in the court!

But judge—!

The defendant is simply executing her right to eat. Who are you to deny her a meal, captain?

…My apologies, your honor.

Now that’s dealt with, you say you will give your testimony, Professor Declan?

Yes, your honor. There are several elephants in the room, but let’s start with the most relevant one first—the identity of that herald. His name is Xerxes Xenos of the Ochre tribe, but you may better know him as King Xerxes, the benevolent.

X-Xerxes, the barbarian king?!

The same Xerxes who murdered his father to take the throne and unite the desert tribes?!

The man who almost became an elder?

That very one. King Xerxes, like Prince Gael, was promised a throne, and he got what he asked for. His strength, his mana, his rage, all came from a single source—the one we… I used to call ‘Leader.’

Does this ‘Leader’ have a name?

He had… but it’s not for my tongue to say… What I can say is the group went by many names—Antediluvian, Abominators, End Bringers, to name a few. They were a globe-spanning organization with long tendrils in every aspect of every nation on the planet. Their influence was unimaginable, and their power… as you can see, was on par with an elder.

I can attest to that, your honor. At first, I tried to hold back to not cause collateral damage. But as the fight dragged on, I had to put in everything I got to survive.

An elder had to struggle in a fight?!

Maybe if Amelia weren’t splattered on the ground, we’d have a better angle of the battle.

Damn, look at that! Spells rain down like shooting stars. It’s like the sky is falling!

Watch closely, kid. That’s what the peak of magic looks like.

As the two mages battle above, Aunt Gilda rushes to Adrian’s remains. She falls to her knees as tears stream down her eyes.

“Before you scream, just give me a minute.”

“A-Amelia?”

Adrian slowly puts himself together, but only manages to reach his red demon form.

“Huh… Huh… I need… energy…”

“Tell me what you need, baby, and mommy will give it to you! Is it mana? Is it blood?!”

“I’m not a... Cough! vampire… silly… go… go to the princess… tell her… tell her…”

“Yes? What should I tell her, Amelia?!”

“Cough! T-tell everyone… Tell everyone Adrian Acker is responsible for all this… Tell the princess that he betrayed her… Make her hate me… That’s the only… Cough! Cough!”

Auntie nods and rushes away. Adrian lay on the dirt, looking up at the battle in the sky.

“...Awesome… Wish I could… do that…”

Adrian waits for the hatred to pour in and put himself back together. To not waste energy, he only regrows his face and hides the rest of his red body under the black suit. He gets up and observes the surrounding chaos.

“Sigh… Why is it that there’s always someone or something that keeps stealing my spotlight?”

He takes out the gun—or the booster, as the conspirators called it—and puts a bullet into the chamber. He aims it at the herald.

“One shot, and he’ll burn up after a while. Sure, he’ll be stronger in the meantime, but that isn’t my problem… is it?”

Adrian shifts his eyes to Duke Ambrose.

“God dammit! God dammit, all to hell!”

Adrian aims the gun at himself… and pulls the trigger.