The moment Arega fell to the ground, hundreds of birds filled the sky.
And the southerners knew exactly what that meant.
The bad omen was overthrown.
Everyone's face lit up, and their eyes locked on the soaring birds.
"Is it done? Hell…" They all thought to themselves.
A cool breeze washed away their tortured and traumatized faces, and now the curves of their smiles radiated the place.
Arega's knights stood in shock and disbelief after what their ears heard.
"I yield."
For so many years, those words were only uttered by those who faced Arega.
There was no one capable of making him fall.
But all that dominance had finally come to a shameful and embarrassing end.
…
Yin looked down at him, breathing the fresh air that engulfed him. He quickly dusted his shoulders and extended his arm as a gesture to help Arega get up.
Erik was right beside him, glaring at Arega's eyes with an unexplainable look on his face.
Arega jumped his sight from Erik and stared at the helping hand for a brief moment, and frowned like he always did.
He grunted and then slapped away Yin's hand as he pushed himself up from the ground.
He didn't tremble with his steps.
He stood up firmly and briskly, like he always did.
A thick stream of blood was pouring from his neck region.
Arega casually rubbed them and spoke.
"You got lucky."
"Did I?" Yin snickered.
"You lost, Arega. Accept it." Erik blurted.
"What do you want you brat? I yielded." Arega began unchaining his breastplates and armor.
"You fight very aggressively, and I enjoyed every bit of it." Yin lauded.
"You fight like a chicken, and I hated every bit of it." Arega fired back.
Arega's knights were still in shock.
"I can't believe that dork defeated you, Lord Arega." One of the knights uttered it from the back.
"Well, he did. So what? Are you gonna follow that dork now?" The knight next to him reacted before Arega himself could.
"That's not what I meant! Lord Arega! We will only serve you! No matter what!"
"Shut up." Arega said quietly.
"Loyal men, you got for yourself." Yin said it like he was impressed by it.
Arega glared at him.
He slowly walked towards Yin and halted right in front of him. He was so close that he could smell Yin's blood.
"Come on now, don't let this victory take over you. It's not entirely done." Arega said it in a mocking tone, grinning at the end.
Yin locked eyes with him for a moment and turned around to face the dreaded people of Tenby's Mark.
"My people! As I promised, Lord Arega will now apologize to you all for his unjust and inhuman behavior."
"NOO! WE DON'T WANT HIS HALF-BAKED APOLOGY! KILL HIM!" One of the ladies from the crowd yelled.
And she was followed by others.
"YES!"
"KILL HIM!"
"KILL THAT MONSTER!"
"KILL THAT THING!"
"KILL HIM OFF, PLEASE."
A range of voices—old, young, and even the voiceless—exhaled in anger.
Arega and his knights looked at them and grinned.
Arega walked past Yin and Erik and stood in front of the tied crowd of people.
They were now silenced.
His monstrous height froze them.
The shadow he cast covered the entire crowd.
Arega may have been defeated in a one-on-one battle, but he was still the monster they feared. He was still the monster who devoured the town. He was still the monster who haunted them when they closed their eyes. He was still Arega, the monster.
"I'm not dead, you know." He whispered to the crowd in a way that was audible to everyone.
They all swallowed their saliva.
"Will you not apologize to them? You cunt." Erik asked from behind.
Lars, Vegas, Colt, Mathen, and Brody stood in silence behind Yin.
"As I said before, I'm an honorable knight."
Arega grinned and kneeled down in front of everyone.
The crowd gasped.
Arega's knights gasped.
All in utter disbelief.
"I know that it is impossible for you all to forgive me, because forgiveness is not real. But still, try to forgive me." Arega's voice and tone shifted completely. It sounded like it not only came from an honorable knight but an honorable man.
"I cannot believe this." Arega's knights exhaled.
But it was believable.
Perhaps he is what he claims to be.
That is, only constrained by what his morals are.
He bowed his head.
And though he was bent, he was still taller than everyone.
He then quickly got up and walked back.
Before he could halt, a piece of rock hit Arega's head in the back.
"You fuckin' cruel animal! You killed and raped my daughter!" It was the frail voice of an old lady, crying and shaking with every word.
Arega turned around to see her.
"Yeah. I did." He said it casually.
"We will never forgive you." The old lady added firmly.
"Fine." He replied.
"Arega. I want you only your power. I need your assistance in the coming war. I don't how you are going to pay for these sins, but what's done is done. And from now on, you will now protect, serve, and save the Realm from a greater threat than yourself."
Yin's words pierced his ears.
"Hah, yeah, whatever. But I have a request."
"What is it?"
"Can I have the white-haired honey for tonight?"
Vegas burst into rage and gripped Juno.
She zoomed forward as she yelled in anger that had been stored in her for so long.
"AHH! YA FUCKIN' CUNT!"
She couldn't hold herself back.
Vegas plunged Juno into Arega's left rib.
That's where she was able to reach
It stuck firmly inside him.
A rapid flow of blood came pouring out.
"Aw. You truly are so beautiful." Arega grabbed her hand and kissed it.
Vegas was shook.
Her enraged attempt to kill him was obviously not enough to take him down.
Arega was different.
A tear rolled down Vegas's eyes.
Colt and Lars went over to Vegas and got hold of her, trying to calm her down.
"Vegas, it's fair to get angry, but he is going to be fighting along with us. You should learn to suppress it." Yin reminded her.
"How does that work now?" Arega inquired as he ushered one of his knights. "Bring me a glass of fresh mead." He ordered him.
"Right away, Lord." The knight immediately left the place to go in search of Mead.
"You and all your knights will join our crew. We shall share no ill intentions or bad blood. Remember that we are not your enemies. We are a team now." Yin ended.
"As you say, Lord Kong." Arega laughed, and so did his other knights.
"Good. We will spend the night here at Tenby's Mark and head for our last station, West." Yin Informed
The knight Arega ordered came back with a glass of tempting mead. Just a glance at it was enough to quench everyone's thirst.
Arega walked to the hut.
"Arega! You may be an aggressive fighter, but you are a good fighter." Yin admitted before Arega could step inside the hut.
Arega looked back at him and frowned.
"You still are a chicken, ya fuckin' dweeb." He blurted loudly as he sipped his drink.
Yin laughed.