People had gathered in the plaza upon hearing the news of the execution of the Serolf Family and other traitors who had supported and aided the imperial family. Aria, Izekiel, and the others were now tied on the stage. Murmurs swept through the crowd, and fear hung in the air. Was this the end for the Serolf family that had ruled the empire for centuries?
"A-Aria!" Izekiel cried as he caught sight of her.
"Kiel..." she managed a forced smile.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he trembled, terrified of their impending execution.
Arthur sighed. "I suppose this is the end for us."
Napoleon muttered, "Haha, I swear my ghost will haunt them forever," while he watched his parents crying from afar.
Cedrik wept openly, his gaze fixed on his father, who had fainted upon seeing him.
William remained silent, blaming himself for not being able to protect Aria and the others.
"Grrr!!! Let me go!!!!" Hachi snarled, struggling to break free from the chains. It felt like the end for all of them.
Suddenly, a round of applause echoed through the plaza.
They all turned their attention to Gilmesh, who was walking toward them. "You all look great," he commented with a sinister grin.
"Curse you, Gilmesh!" Izekiel shouted.
"Aww, thank you," Gilmesh replied, then kicked him.
"Gilmesh! I swear that after we die, your life will be miserable, and not just yours but also the lives of your descendants!" Aria swore.
Gilmesh raised an eyebrow and held her chin. "Aria, it's not too late. Accept me as your husband, and I will spare your life," he whispered to her.
Aria simply spat in his face, further enraging him. "Seems like stubbornness truly runs in the blood of the Serolf family."
He wiped his face and turned to address the crowd. "Listen, people of this empire! These traitors have committed very serious crimes, and it's time for them to receive their punishment. Execute them!"
The crowd's reactions were mixed, with some cheering for their execution while others protested, believing in their innocence.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I dragged you all into this. I hope to see you again in my next life," Aria said with a bittersweet smile.
"Aria..." Izekiel whispered as tears streamed down his face.
"Your Majesty!!!" Cedrik and the others cried out.
Aria glanced at the crowd and saw someone who looked like Mikhail. She smiled, wondering if he was a spirit here to guide her in the afterlife.
The executioners seized Aria first.
"No! ARIA!!!" Izekiel shouted. "LET HER GO! KILL ME FIRST, YOU BASTARDS!"
"YOUR MAJESTY!!!" the others cried out in desperation.
Aria gave them a final, determined smile and turned her back to them, her gaze fixed on the guillotine. She would meet her end here, at the hands of these people.
Gilmesh, now in front of her, asked, "Any last words, Your Majesty?"
She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. "S-Save me," she mumbled.
"Huh? What did you say?" Gilmesh inquired, struggling to hear her.
"M-Mikhail," she continued, her voice rising in desperation. "SAVE ME!!! MIKHAIL!!!" she shouted.
In the blink of an eye, a masked man appeared on the stage and swiftly killed all the executioners, leaving Gilmesh taken aback. The crowd was equally surprised, their curiosity piqued.
Aria couldn't take her eyes away from the mysterious savior. The man pointed his sword at Gilmesh.
"Tsk. Who are you?" Gilmesh demanded.
An overeager guard attempted to attack the man but met a quick and lethal end.
"I said, who are you!" Gilmesh shouted as the guards surrounded them.
The masked man removed his disguise, revealing his face. Gasps rippled through the onlookers as they recognized him.
"M-Mikhail..." Aria's tears flowed again. Is this a dream? He was alive!
Mikhail glanced at Aria, his anger burning hotter upon seeing her in distress. He tightened his grip on his swords and confronted Gilmesh.
"H-Haha... So you're still alive?" Gilmesh's composure wavered.
"Gilmesh..." Mikhail began, "How dare you lay a hand on my Kaye!" With incredible speed, Mikhail attacked the guards protecting Gilmesh, sending people fleeing in fear.
Additional guards rushed to Gilmesh's aid, but Mikhail wasn't alone. The crowd was astounded as the Prince of Firenzan, Maximilian, and his troops, along with Aria's husbands and Nikolai, arrived. A massive group of barbarians also joined the fray.
"Who's the leader of these rats?" the barbarian leader taunted, their numbers dwarfing Gilmesh's forces.
"Miss us?" Xerxes quipped as he soared through the air, spotted Hachi and using a spell to free him from his chains.
Hachi grinned and ran to their side. Mages who had been aligned with Gilmesh also emerged, ready to confront him. Valentine appeared, backing up Xerxes.
"I guess you got my message," Xerxes noted.
"Yeah, if only I'd found her sooner, we wouldn't be in this situation," Valentine lamented. He'd been on his way to Aria's room when he spotted Gilmesh dragging her away. It was too late, because Xerxes' instructed him to search Gilmesh's office for something crucial.
"Did you find it?" Xerxes asked.
Valentine nodded, tossing a ledger to Xerxes, who caught it. This new ledger contained damning information about Gilmesh's crimes.
"Are you sure about hurting these people? Aren't you afraid of committing a sin?" Xerxes inquired.
"Forget it. These people are perpetrating evil. I'm here to cleanse this darkness," Valentine declared.
Xerxes smirked, and they engaged the mages, determined to right the wrongs and protect Aria.
Meanwhile...
"Aria!" Claudius cried out, his teeth clenched as he witnessed her being bound.
"Glad we made it in time; otherwise..." Gawain's fingers tightened around his sword.
"Eliminate these traitors!" Rasheen ordered his troops, who had just arrived from Targaryan.
The war had commenced, and Cedrik watched in terror as they fought each other.
The guards let out screams of terror when Hachi entered his berserk mode.
"Aria!" Nikolai arrived and swiftly untied her, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"N-Nik... Mikhail is..." she began.
"We'll explain later, for now, let's find a safe place," Nikolai urged. They began to free the others as well.
A guard prepared to stab Mikhail from behind, but Ryu intervened, killing the guard with a swift strike. Mikhail acknowledged him with a nod. The Crimson Blades emerged and joined the battle against the enemies.
"Gilmesh, surrender now! Your troops are falling one by one, and no one will come to your aid!" Mikhail warned.
"Hahha, who cares! I will never surrender. I've come this far," Gilmesh declared, determined to fight to the end.
"Then I have no choice!" Mikhail charged at him, and they engaged in combat.
As everyone was preoccupied with the fight, Ludwig seized an opportunity. He darted toward them and stabbed Gilmesh in the back. Mikhail momentarily paused.
"Y-You!" Gilmesh swiftly retaliated, striking Ludwig with his swords. The blades pierced Ludwig's heart, and he fell to the ground. Ludwig glimpsed Izekiel, who was now running with the others, and smiled. You are safe now, Your Majesty. He closed his eyes and passed away.
"Tsk," Gilmesh clutched his wound and faced Mikhail again. They continued their battle.
"Die!!!" Gilmesh yelled.
But Mikhail was too fast and landed a fatal blow. Gilmesh knelt as blood gushed from his wounds.
"This is the end for you, Duke of the South," Mikhail proclaimed.
Gilmesh forced a smile. Mikhail raised his sword and beheaded him. Gilmesh's troops witnessed the gruesome scene and surrendered; their leader was now dead.
Rasheen let out a sigh of relief; it was finally over.
Maximilian approached Mikhail, pointing his sword. "It's over now, don't forget our deal."
Mikhail rolled his eyes.
"Mikhail!"
They heard Aria's voice and turned to see her standing and crying, disbelief written all over her face. She still couldn't believe that Mikhail was alive.
"Kaye..." Mikhail whispered her name.
"Mikhail!" she cried as she rushed toward him.
They embraced tightly, and Aria continued to weep. "I thought you were dead! I thought you had left me!"
Mikhail cupped her face. "I'm sorry if I came late," he said.
She shook her head. "I missed you so much."
He smiled. "I missed you too. I promise I'll stay by your side from now on." He then kissed her on the lips.
The men were all surprised by what they were witnessing.
"Aria!" Izekiel called.
Mikhail turned to him and drew his sword again.
"Mikhail, don't. Please," Aria implored.
"Tss. This man is a traitor. I almost died because of him!" Mikhail said, ready to attack Izekiel.
Izekiel fell to the ground, overwhelmed by fear. However, Aria shielded him with her body, causing Mikhail to halt.
"Kaye, what do you think you're doing? Let me kill that bastard!" Mikhail said, seething with anger.
"You can't. He's innocent. Gilmesh was only using him. He had no idea that he was being manipulated since the beginning," Aria defended.
"Tsk. Don't defend that man!" Mikhail protested.
"I will defend him because I promised the real Aria to protect him," she declared.
Izekiel's eyes widened. "W-What do you mean?"
Aria looked away. "I'm sorry..."
"She's not Aria," Mikhail stated.
Izekiel was even more shocked, too stunned to speak. So all this time, the person who had always been by his side was a different person? And she had protected him because she promised the real Aria? Tears welled in his eyes as he came to the realization.
"Mikhail... Please. Spare his life," she pleaded.
Mikhail sighed, unable to refuse her request. He sheathed his swords.
.
.
After the war, Mikhail addressed the people of the empire and made a solemn announcement. He declared that all the nobles and ministers who had conspired and committed crimes alongside Gilmesh would face apprehension and execution. They have no escape because they had discovered a new ledger created by Gilmesh, containing a record of all their illicit transactions.
In the days that followed, many nobles and ministers were captured and faced the consequences of their actions, leading to their execution. The empire was now faced with the monumental task of cleaning up the mess left behind by these corrupt individuals, as they sought to restore justice and stability to their land.