Everything went silent.
Satoro was on his knees, hands trembling over Sable's lifeless body.
Tears streamed endlessly down his face.
Not for the king.
Not for the enemy.
But for something far worse:
He had destroyed their only chance.
His voice cracked in a whisper:
"…No… no… what did I do…?"
Sable was the strongest ancient-magic user alive.
Without him…
They didn't have enough power left to break the book.
Which meant—
Haruto was doomed.
Satoro's sobbing grew harsher.
"I just… I just killed the only person…
who could've saved my brother…"
Behind him, the battle raged on:
Mira fighting.
The Dreaded Knight staggering.
The cellar collapsing.
Arkhamis screaming through Haruto's throat.
But Satoro could barely hear any of it.
His mind drowned in guilt.
And then—
Everything got worse.
Arkhamis Targets the Baby
Haruto's possessed body snapped its head toward Nova…
…and the baby in her arms.
Satoro's son.
Arkhamis hissed through a twisted smile:
"A newborn vessel…
Perfect."
He launched forward—
a blur of red and black aura.
Nova froze, legs locked by instinctual terror.
"S-Satoro…!"
But Satoro was too far away—
Too slow—
Too broken—
Arkhamis was almost on top of them—
When—
MIRA INTERVENES
Mira FLASHED across the room like a silver comet.
She grabbed Nova and spun her out of the way—
Shoving her behind a pillar—
And then Mira took the attack herself.
Haruto's arm—
no, Arkhamis's arm—
shot straight through her abdomen.
All the way through.
A loud, wet, sickening sound echoed.
Everyone froze.
Even Arkhamis.
Mira coughed blood but grabbed Haruto's wrist—
and pulled his arm in even deeper, trapping herself.
Arkhamis snarled:
"Let go of me—LET GO—!!"
But Mira clamped down harder, expression cold and fearless.
"You really are… an idiot.
You impaled yourself so deep…
you can't pull away."
Arkhamis tried yanking—
But she held firm.
Satoro screamed:
"MIRA—!!"
Nova cried out, clutching the baby tightly.
The Dreaded Knight staggered toward her, horrified.
But Mira just smirked, blood dripping from her lips.
"…Someone had to buy time."
The Last Spell
Mira placed her free hand against Haruto's forehead.
Her cursed silver aura ignited.
Arkhamis panicked.
"NO. STOP. STOP—!!"
Mira whispered:
"…Death taught me this one."
Her voice broke as she chanted a spell in a forgotten tongue—
one only she and Death understood.
Arkhamis thrashed—
But Mira held him in place by keeping his arm buried inside her body.
Her aura grew brighter—
Silver tendrils wrapped around Haruto's body—
Darkness was pulled out of him, inch by inch—
Arkhamis screamed:
"NO—NO—NO—NO—"
Mira's voice grew quieter.
Her blood spilled faster.
But she finished the incantation—
And with her final breath, she whispered:
"…Come back… Haruto…"
Haruto Returns
Haruto's body collapsed.
Arkhamis's aura dispersed.
The boy was unconscious but freed—
temporarily.
Mira shuddered and fell to her knees.
Haruto's arm slid out of her stomach—
And she slowly pulled the blood-soaked limb free.
The hole in her abdomen was massive.
She wouldn't survive it.
Satoro crawled toward her, shaking.
"Mira… Mira— NO—"
She smiled faintly, touching his cheek.
"You… need to find a way… Satoro…"
She coughed violently.
"Break the cycle…
or the boy… your brother…
will die."
Satoro broke down completely, holding her as she sagged.
"MIRA—PLEASE—DON'T—"
But her eyes were already unfocusing.
The Dreaded Knight's Goodbye
Armor clattered as the Dreaded Knight limped across the floor.
He knelt beside her with surprising gentleness.
He placed a skeletal hand over her wound and bowed deeply.
"Sister…
forgive me… for all the lives we lost together."
Mira, barely conscious, looked up at him.
"…Take… care of them…
Dread…"
Her voice faded.
"…don't… repeat the sins… we made…"
Then her head dropped.
Her body went still.
The room filled with silence.
The Dreaded Knight lowered himself even further—
a full warrior's bow—
as tears dripped invisibly through his helmet.
Softly, he whispered:
"…Goodbye, Mira."