The Show Comes To An End

Suzu Taniguchi looked at her friend and suddenly felt she had become a stranger. The formerly quiet, gentle, and graceful Eri Nakamura would never treat her this way.

"Eri, this isn't true, is it? You must be under the control of the demons! Wake up!" Hope flickered in Suzu Taniguchi's eyes as she looked at Eri Nakamura expectantly.

Suzu Taniguchi's words made Kouki Amanogawa's eyes light up, and he quickly shouted, "Yes, Eri, wake up! Don't be involved with the demons any longer. We're still comrades working hard together."

A shadow flickered in Eri Nakamura's eyes. If Eriri weren't present, she might have feigned ignorance and gotten away with it. However, seeing Daisuke Hiyama's outcome, she was unsure if Eriri would hypnotize her, which would result in even more severe consequences. Hence, she tacitly accepted the situation.

But now that she knew Eriri wouldn't interfere and her hidden trump card, "Soul Bind," hadn't been exposed, there might be a way to salvage the situation without going that far.

"Kouki, you're really kind, but unfortunately…" Eri Nakamura said with a meaningful look as she calmly regarded Kouki Amanogawa.

Then her expression changed again, returning to a gentle demeanor. She dropped the knife she was using to hold Suzu Taniguchi hostage and softly said, "Kouki, I promise to sever all ties with the demons."

"I'm sorry, Rei, I was forced to do this. Can you forgive me?" Eri Nakamura placed her hands on Suzu Taniguchi's shoulders, looking at her apologetically. Yet, hidden in her eyes was a coldness devoid of emotion.

"Mm, Eri, I knew you wouldn't do such a thing. As long as you're okay, I won't blame you," Suzu Taniguchi turned and hugged Eri Nakamura, crying loudly. She found it hard to believe her best friend would betray her, and now she could finally be at ease.

As Eri Nakamura embraced Suzu Taniguchi, she said worriedly, "But if the Heiligh Kingdom learns about this, I'm afraid…"

"Eri, I'm so glad you've come to your senses. Don't worry, we won't let this get out," Kouki Amanogawa quickly reassured her with a comforting smile.

The others also breathed a sigh of relief. Having only recently been ordinary high school students, unexposed to the harshness of reality, they easily believed in Eri Nakamura's remorse, still seeing her as the gentle and caring library committee member, not a demon spy.

"That's it?" Eriri watched the harmonious scene unfold before her, feeling that the popcorn in her mouth had lost its flavor.

Eriri's voice made the joyful crowd pause and instinctively turn their attention to her. Sitting on Eriri's lap, Arifureta now had a large box of popcorn, feeding herself one piece and then feeding Eriri, looking utterly relaxed.

Shizuku Yaegashi's face darkened, and she couldn't help but rub her forehead, unsure where to begin her critique. Seriously, did you really treat this like a movie?

"Forget it. We've seen enough fun. Nothing else to watch. Yue-chan, let's continue being foodies, shall we?" Eriri suggested to Arifureta, resting in her lap. She had no interest in what Eri Nakamura might do to Kouki Amanogawa and the others.

"Sure, I'm not full yet. Let's continue," Arifureta agreed, hopping off Eriri's lap, resuming her seat, picking up her utensils, and eating again, unfazed by the onlookers.

At this moment, the guild's doors swung open again, and a rush of footsteps echoed through the hall, the sound of armor clashing filling the air as they hurried to the second floor.

A group of knights clad in white armor ascended the stairs. The lead knight, a middle-aged man, scanned the second-floor dining hall, immediately spotting Daisuke Hiyama lying motionless in a pool of blood.

His face changed drastically, and he rushed to Hiyama's side, shaking his shoulder and calling out sternly, "Hey, Daisuke, what happened?"

Seeing no response, the middle-aged knight turned to Kouki Amanogawa, asking angrily, "Kouki, what happened here? Why is Daisuke in this state? Don't you have two healers? Why hasn't anyone helped him?"

"Captain Meld, here's what happened…" Kouki Amanogawa then recounted everything that had transpired, except for the part about Eri Nakamura, to Meld Loggins, the captain of the Heiligh Kingdom's knights.

After explaining, he asked, somewhat confused, "Captain Meld, why did you come here?"

"The servers noticed something unusual here and, given it involved the hero, notified us at the Adventurer's Guild."

Meld sighed, expressing his disappointment, "I never imagined Nagumo's fall into the abyss wasn't an accident. If it weren't for Nagumo, we wouldn't have escaped so easily back then. For Daisuke to repay kindness with treachery is truly despicable."

"Captain Meld, maybe Hiyama can still be saved. You should have him taken for treatment first. We can discuss these matters once he's recovered," Kouki suggested, knowing that Kaori Shirasaki and the other healer had no intention of treating Hiyama, so he turned to Meld for help.

"This is what he deserves. Even if he survives, he should be sentenced to death. What's the point of saving him?" Meld flatly rejected Kouki's request, as he despised ungrateful individuals the most.

"But…"

Before he could continue, a crisp, pleasant female voice came from behind.

"He can't be saved."

"…What?"

"This person, Daisuke Hiyama, can't be saved. He's doomed. That's what I'm saying," Eriri stated flatly, deciding Hiyama's fate with calm indifference.

"You…" Seeing Eriri's gaze, Kouki felt a strong sense of danger from within, forcing him to swallow his words. The feeling left him feeling extremely stifled.

By now, Meld had also noticed Eriri. Despite his composure, he couldn't help but be momentarily captivated by her unparalleled beauty. He quickly realized who this unfamiliar beauty was.

Taking a deep breath, Meld approached Eriri with a solemn expression and performed a formal knightly salute. He then thanked her sincerely, saying, "Thank you very much for revealing the truth about Nagumo's ordeal, so he didn't die without knowing the reason."

Eriri's gaze passed over Meld and lingered on Kaori Shirasaki, who was being supported by Shizuku Yaegashi and was in deep sorrow. Then she turned her eyes back to Meld, a playful smile on her lips, as she shared an unexpected piece of news that left everyone shocked and pleasantly surprised.

"Who said Hajime Nagumo is dead?"