Memories of a Vow in the Forest (5K)

A devastating blow.

Cid was thrown a hundred meters away, while Diablos' massive body was also jolted back and staggered, momentarily stiffening.

"The rest is up to you, my nemesis!"

"You talk too much nonsense."

Mahiro suddenly appeared behind Diablos, raising the Demon-Slaying Holy Sword high in his hand.

On the originally white blade, a terrifying purplish-black magical power, as thick as hemp rope, was intertwined with holy, pure white magical power.

Then, he swung it down suddenly.

"Let me fall!!!"

Swish--

The devoured magic power was released in an instant, like a floodgate bursting open.

A torrent of black and white magic spiraled out of control and engulfed half of Diablos's body.

The dissipated magic was even violently impacting the "Black Rose" passage above.

Click--

At that moment, a sound like shattering glass came from the passage called "Black Rose".

Then, it shattered with a deafening roar.

It turned into countless fragments and pieces of the slain monsters, which drifted down from the sky.

The remaining magic did not dissipate, but instead shot straight into the sky!

The entire sky was dyed a mix of black and white, instantly reflecting off the earth!

It then transformed into countless ribbons of light that streaked across the earth.

Eliminate the monsters that are feeding in every corner of the capital.

Members of the Shadow Garden who were injured by monsters and killed in their siege were thus resurrected.

The cycle of birth and death is in our hands; a single thought can determine life and death.

These words are the most fitting description.

When the light faded, half of Diablos's body had disappeared, and his exposed heart was beating strongly.

With each pulse, Diablos's physical body recovered a little.

The broken bones are being reconstructed, and the lost flesh is rapidly regenerating.

"Want to be resurrected? What wishful thinking!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Mahiro plunged the Demon-Slaying Holy Sword into Diablos's closing chest cavity, the sharp tip piercing through Diablos's heart completely.

"Roar--!!!!"

Diablos let out an unprecedented roar.

The roar was filled with sorrow, its final struggle before death.

It's completely over.

Chapter 229 Memories of the Vow in the Forest (5K)

The battle is over.

The defeat of Diablos was declared a victory.

But the price was naturally high.

For example, Yotsuba Mahiro, although he unleashed his most stylish sword strike, suffered a backlash because the Demon-Slaying Holy Sword had absorbed too much magic power.

His entire arm had crystallized.

"I'm sorry, Mahiro, you've become like this because of my curse...?"

A big question mark slowly appeared in Est's little head.

She had witnessed firsthand how Mahiro's right arm had become mineralized by the backlash of her own curse.

However, it has now returned to its original state at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Mahiro even patted her head with that arm, comforting her:

"It's okay, it's not your fault. Look at me, I'm perfectly fine."

Indeed, nothing was wrong, except that her skin seemed smoother than before, as if it were newly grown.

To be honest, Est's curse backlash wouldn't have any effect on him.

At worst, we can just use Regrowth to trace it.

But to his surprise, his body adapted to the curse on its own, and even turned it into his power...

As expected, Tyrant's adaptive evolution ability is simply terrifying.

This also successfully led him further and further down the path of inhumanity.

However, what happened to him was insignificant compared to Midgar's losses.

The capital of Midgar was now in ruins, almost completely destroyed.

The royal family was almost entirely wiped out; only Alexia survived the disaster.

The surviving nobles blamed everything on the Oriana Kingdom.

Someone spread the rumor that this disaster was caused by the Oriana Kingdom using ancient artifacts during the Bushin Festival, intending to kill everyone and then unify the world...

Although the rumors were outrageous, all the other kingdoms believed them without exception.

After all, there are indeed records of such horrific disasters in the history of the Oriana Kingdom.

This is also why neighboring countries have always feared the art kingdom, which has no military power whatsoever.

As a result, the Oriana Kingdom suddenly became the target of everyone's criticism.

In addition, the loss of the king and duke has left the kingdom leaderless, and Rose is too heartbroken by the incident to show her face.

Therefore, the vast kingdom was quickly divided up by other countries.

It's a result that we deserve.

However, the Midgar Kingdom was also in a difficult position, as the incident occurred in the capital and therefore it also bore some responsibility.

Alexia, on the other hand, had absolutely no understanding of the intricacies of diplomacy and governance.

Not to mention the clan's influence behind the scenes.

The Order had already received news that Diablos had been hunted.

They desperately wanted the remains.

The Shadow Garden, which they supposedly hunted, still occupies a place within the capital.

It can only be said that the allure of immortality is too strong, enough to drive anyone mad.

So, the Shadow Garden took action.

Follow the map to find the clues.

They traced the clues left behind by the cult to their strongholds, and then eliminated them one by one.

With Mahiro's strong support, both the Numberers and the Seven Shadows exerted their full strength and quickly wiped out the Order completely.

Meanwhile, Ita completely squeezed every last drop of blood from Diablos's remains, handing each vial of extracted blood to Mahiro.

They originally thought Mahiro would drink the Demon King's blood, but to their surprise, Mahiro actually mixed the blood into the evolution potion.

Following Dr. Fashion's original style.

The third-generation evolution potion was also successfully developed.

Using the compatibility of Gastrea Virus and the adaptability of Tyrant evolution factors as a base, it was successfully integrated into the blood of Diablos.

However, just as the capital was undergoing repairs with the support of the Arcadia Trading Company, Alexia suddenly came knocking on their door.

After some time apart, the second princess had lost her former carefree demeanor, and instead looked tired and weary.

Her once smooth, long silver hair seemed to have lost its luster, resembling weeds.

Exhausted, she dragged the two coffins, completely ignoring the astonished stares of the people on the street, and went straight into the depths of the Chamber of Commerce, finding Yotsuba Mahiro despite any obstacles in her way.

She made her request--

"You want me to resurrect your sister and father?"

"Yes, Yotsuba Clan. Clover, please... no matter the cost, please save my sister and father, please..."

Alexia bowed her head deeply towards him.

That day, the scene was like a miracle, and she remembers it vividly.

Even though the black-clad girls from the Shadow Garden had already fallen, they rose again after being enveloped in light and fought the demonic beasts once more.

In the end, Yotsuba Clan- sensei was unable to save those who died tragically.

But Alexia showed no sign of resentment towards the other party.

She knew very well that she had no right to criticize the other party. The fact that the other party had saved the king and left immediately was already an immense favor.

However, after several days of inner struggle and the exhausting state affairs, she...

She ultimately decided to go to their door.

She begs Teacher Yotsuba Clan to save her elder sister and father.

"Please, Yotsuba Clan- sensei, I'll do anything you ask..."

"No problem."

"R-Really?!"

Upon hearing his response, Alexia excitedly raised her head and looked at him with teary eyes.

"Of course, but I've been thinking about something. If I could only resurrect one person, would you choose to resurrect Alice or your father?"

As he spoke, a playful smile gradually appeared on Mahiro's face.

However, he was actually just making a bad joke.

But Alexia took it seriously, not as a joke!

"Why... can't I resurrect both my sister and my father at the same time?"

Alexia wanted to ask that question, but she swallowed the words back.

As mentioned before, she couldn't force Mahiro to do anything.

Even being able to meet her here was an immense stroke of luck for her.

So, Alexia really began to carefully consider and weigh the options, deciding who she should resurrect...

"Okay, don't be so tense, I was just joking."

Mahiro waved his hand, leaving Akurecia completely bewildered.

His eyes also held a hint of indignation and helplessness.

Why didn't I realize before that this Yotsuba Clan- sensei has such a twisted sense of humor!

How could someone joke about something that involves life and death!

If Mahiro knew what she was really thinking, one would have to say something like, "That's because you and I haven't spent enough time together."

But for now--

"Saving them is of course no problem, but I have conditions."

"... What are the conditions?"

"It's very simple. You and your sister Alice will join the Shadow Garden, abandoning everything, and from now on, you will have no further connection with the Midgar royal family."

When he said this, Alexia visibly paused in her breathing.

His body stiffened, and even his fists clenched tightly, trembling slightly.