Emilia smiled, but it wasn't a human smile. The demonic energy still held sway, manipulating her features and giving her laughter a sharp, cruel, merciless quality. She laughed and said, looking at Side, "My husband… we've got rid of the bug that was bothering you."
Then she took a step closer, tilted her head slightly, and said in a softer tone, "Are you happy now?"
But she froze. She saw tears streaming down Side face. Her eyes widened in surprise. Side was staring into space, wiping away his tears with a trembling hand, but they wouldn't stop. His voice was broken, as if he were asking himself more than her, "Why…? Why are my tears falling like this…?"
He gave a short, desperate laugh, then said, "I've killed the one who caused my father's death… Shouldn't I be happy?"
And then he collapsed. He burst into tears, a silent sob at first, then a heart-wrenching wail, as if all the pain he had suppressed for years had finally found its way out. At that moment, the demonic energy within Emilia dissipated.
Regaining her composure, she stepped forward without hesitation and embraced Side tightly. Her voice, warm and filled with genuine concern, asked, "Why are you crying? Did something happen?"
Before he could answer, the fusion dissolved. Side vanished. Saruto reappeared, tears still streaming down his face. He raised his head slightly and said, his voice choked with emotion, "I… killed my father with these very hands."
Emilia froze. She hadn't expected this. But she wouldn't let him break down. She tightened her embrace, holding him close to her chest, and said softly, "Everything will be alright. You must have had a good reason for what you did."
Saruto shook his head slowly. "I have nothing left… after my father."
Emilia lifted his face with her hand, looked him straight in the eyes, and said firmly yet tenderly, "That's not true, Saruto. You have me… and Star, and Lucien, and Kyle, and Ryan. And you also have… Void and Ethan."
He couldn't reply. Together they sank to the ground, and Saruto lost consciousness, sinking into a deep sleep, his head resting in Emilia lap.
In the Abyss prison, Hidan and Kaven were fighting frantically,
keeping the prisoners from approaching Ethan and Warden Ragnar, lest they hinder the prison's rebuilding. "Old man!" Kaven cried, blocking an attack. "Aren't you finished yet?! I don't think I can hold them off much longer!"
Warden Ragnar smiled, his eyes gleaming with confidence. "We're done."
And a tremendous surge of energy erupted. The prison shook, its walls cracking,
then it began to rebuild itself, stone by stone, until it was whole and stronger than before. "Even if you fix it… you won't be able to bring us all back!" cried one of the prisoners.
But a dark energy surged from the depths of the prison. Black chains emerged, binding the prisoners one by one, and dragging them back inside. Some fled, thinking they had escaped, but even they were not free from the chains of the abyss.
In every one of the Ten Kingdoms, the spirits of the Ranked Prisoners were seen being bound and dragged into the prison. Even Niraval. He was bound, screaming madly, "Even after I die… I will not find peace?! I swear I will take revenge on all of you! Even you… Saruto!"
He was violently pulled out and disappeared inside the prison. Ethan, Master Ragnar, Kaven, and Hidan breathed a sigh of relief. But their joy was short-lived. Suddenly, more chains appeared, binding Kaven and Hidan. "What is happening?!" cried Kaven.
Ethan tried to free them, but the prison wouldn't yield. Master Ragnar held the chains, fighting against their power. "Ethan! Hurry! I can't hold them for long!" he cried.
Ethan activated his full powers. The prison instantly recognized him as the servant and right-hand man of the First Founder. The chains were freed. Kaven breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you had broken your promise," he said.
"Saruto never breaks a promise," Ethan smiled.
Then, in a solemn voice, he said, "From now on… you, Kaven and Hidan, are the Generals of War of the Dark House."
"It seems the catastrophe is over," said Director Ragnar.
"Yes… and I hope it never happens again," replied Ethan.
Days later, Director Ragnar, using the Creation Scroll, restored all the buildings destroyed in the Ten Kingdoms. Emilia, with her sacred energy, healed all the wounded.
Funerals were held for the soldiers, people, and kings killed by the Ranked Prisoners: the King of the Forest, the King of the Sand, and the King of the Sea. In the Dark Kingdom, a funeral was held for Saruto father.
He was buried in the family tomb. After everyone had left, Saruto stood alone, devastated and devoid of emotion. The rain began to fall. He didn't move. Ethan came and stood silently beside him. "It's my fault," Saruto said. "If I had killed Niraval sooner, none of this would have happened."
Ethan wanted to reply, but Saruto continued, "He knew my father had a disease called Energy Accumulation... and he was going to die anyway... but... at least he would have died a natural death. Not at the hands of his own son."
Ethan placed a hand on Saruto shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. Your father chose his own end. Not Niraval. And you told me he smiled in his final moments... that proves he was content with his choice."
Saruto calmed down. After a few moments, the rain stopped. He stepped out of the tomb. Outside, the entire Dark Kingdom army was waiting for him. They all bowed and said in unison, "Hail the new king!"
At the front were Kaven and Hidan, and Ethan joined them. They, too, bowed. At that moment, Saruto realized that he carried everyone's hopes and that he must not disappoint them as the new king. He smiled. "Long live the House of Darkness," he said firmly.
The soldiers echoed him until the entire kingdom trembled.