Gregustus readied his spear while Glynpatra activated her bow. Tiberos's henchmen immediately aimed their weapons at them.
"I only want to duel Gregustus alone! All of you leave this place now... and that includes you as well, Glynpatra!" Tiberos shouted at the soldiers behind him before glaring sharply at Glynpatra. She looked extremely furious and prepared to fire her arrow. However, she was stopped by Gregustus's spear.
"My daughter...!!! Listen to what he says...!!! Get back into that aircraft and leave me alone with him! I will handle this myself immediately!"
"Fatherrr...!!! I don't want to lose youuu...!!! I will keep fighting alongside youuu...!!!"
"You are so stubborn, Glynpatraaa!!! I already told you to leave this place!!! How will you ever lead Grivendal if you still depend on me!!!" Gregustus glared at her.
Glynpatra immediately stopped her stance and turned around toward the aircraft while crying hysterically. Tiberos's henchmen also appeared to do the same. After both aircraft took off, only Gregustus and Tiberos remained, ready to duel each other.
"She will never lead Grivendal, Gregustus! The future of these planets is already in my hands!"
"I will punish you right now and restore the order of Grivendal that you have been destroying behind me all this time, Tiberos!"
They took battle stances and attacked a few moments later. Gregustus swiftly slashed his spear several times at him even though Tiberos blocked them with his axes. Even though Gregustus was already middle-aged, he still managed to damage Tiberos's armor several times even though Tiberos was able to evade his fatal thrusts. Gregustus was also capable of blocking Tiberos's twin axe counterattacks, whether direct attacks or thrown attacks. Those axes could return to his hands simply with a gesture of his hand, which apparently was equipped with special gloves.
"Daaamnn...!!! The title of 'Master of Spear' still hasn't left you, Gregustus!!!" Tiberos cursed in the middle of the battle.
Gregustus did not respond and continued launching relentless spear attacks at Tiberos to execute him as quickly as possible. The duel became even fiercer as both of them were still capable of blocking and counterattacking.
Inside Gregustus's aircraft flying through the sky, Glynpatra was still crying after hearing her father's final words. Sherubiel immediately embraced her tightly.
"Your Highness, are you certain they truly left only the emperor and Tiberos there alone?" Mendicore asked.
"I-I don't knooowww, Mendicoreee...!!! I really waaanttt to fight alongside Fatherrr...!!!"
"My apologies beforehand, but through my sensors I can actually still detect three of his subordinates hiding behind the bushes. I don't know what else he has planned with those men..."
Glynpatra immediately stopped crying and stared wide-eyed at Mendicore.
"Create a portal there for me right nooowww!!!" Glynpatra shouted.
Back at the battlefield, Gregustus and Tiberos continued exchanging attacks. However, Gregustus began showing the limits of his physical endurance. Tiberos launched another axe attack, successfully damaging his armor and even wounding Gregustus's arm. The emperor immediately retreated to catch his breath while kneeling briefly.
However, something completely unexpected happened. Gregustus was suddenly shot in the chest, causing him to spit out blood immediately. He struggled to keep himself from collapsing by continuing to support himself with his spear. Enduring tremendous pain, Gregustus glanced forward and saw Tiberos already standing together with his three henchmen while slowly walking toward him.
"HAHAHAAAA...!!! You are such a fool, Gregustus! Your carelessness in leaving yourself alone has brought you to an end like this. After I finish you off here, I will hunt down your weak daughter so she can follow yooouuu...!!!" Tiberos laughed like a maniac.
He ordered the three soldiers to riddle Gregustus with bullets. The emperor could no longer move, not even to stand. As the three henchmen lined up and aimed their weapons at him, Tiberos witnessed something completely unexpected.
Three yellow arrows of light flew at incredible speed and pierced through the heads of the three soldiers, instantly killing them. Tiberos glanced to his right and saw Glynpatra already standing beside a large rock some distance away from Gregustus. She had apparently hidden behind the rock first and released her arrows just as the soldiers were about to execute her father.
"Youuu... damn bastaaarddd...!!!" Glynpatra shouted at Tiberos.
She quickly aimed another arrow at Tiberos and fired it. However, with quick reflexes, Tiberos was still able to dodge the arrow by leaping aside. Glynpatra advanced while continuously trying to shoot arrows at him. At one moment, while Glynpatra was recreating another arrow of light, she saw Tiberos had already swung one of his axes toward her, and she instinctively jumped away to avoid it, falling onto the ground.
Glynpatra glanced toward Tiberos as he swung his other axe, this time toward Gregustus. She tried to stop it by firing another arrow. However, tragically, Tiberos's thrown axe pierced straight through Gregustus's chest, and at that very instant he collapsed.
"FATHEEEERRRRR NOOOOOOOO...!!!!!!"
Glynpatra cried out in agony. Tiberos turned toward her and drew the pistol from his waist. He walked while aiming the pistol at Glynpatra. Shock, grief, and rage mixed together within Glynpatra as she stared fiercely at him. Just as Tiberos was about to pull the trigger, something unexpected happened again.
Tiberos's chest suddenly exploded as though something had shot him from behind, leaving a gaping hole. He instantly collapsed to the ground. Glynpatra was shocked beyond belief, and she saw David already standing before her, having apparently shot Tiberos with his magnum pistol. David then walked toward Gregustus, who was still lying on the ground. Glynpatra immediately got up and ran toward her father. He repeatedly coughed up blood and appeared to be on the verge of death.
"FATHEEERRR...!!! HOLD OOOONNN...!!! I WILL SAVE YOU NOOOWWW...!!!" Glynpatra cried once again.
Gregustus merely gazed at his daughter, smiled, and gently touched her cheek. However, what Glynpatra feared most finally happened. His hand fell, accompanied by Gregustus no longer breathing. Glynpatra immediately screamed as loudly as she could, crying uncontrollably while calling out to her father and desperately shaking Gregustus's lifeless body. David merely watched her without saying a single word.
A few moments later, three shuttlecraft arrived before them. Gruzhnil, Grelmure, Johann, Sherubiel, and Mendicore stepped out. Upon seeing Glynpatra crying beside Gregustus's fallen body, Gruzhnil immediately ran over while screaming hysterically.
"FORGIVE MEEE, YOUR MAJESTYYY...!!! I FAILED TO PROTECT GLYRESA, AND NOW I HAVE FAILED TO PROTECT YOU TOOOO...!!!" Gruzhnil cried repeatedly beside Gregustus's body. Johann and Grelmure also cried while embracing each other. Sherubiel merely sobbed beside Mendicore, who silently observed them just as David did.
Suddenly, all of them were startled by a loud sound resembling a siren echoing across the entire planet. Each of them looked around in every direction, searching for the source of the sound.
"T-This is baadd...!!! Very baaadd...!!! High Heaven is about to pass judgment upon us...!!!" Mendicore shouted.
Everyone except David panicked and crowded around Mendicore, begging it to stop this somehow. Not long afterward, they suddenly heard someone speaking from the sky above. They recognized it as Geriel's voice.
"To all the people of Grivendal, you have violated the covenant not to shed the blood of your own brothers and sisters. The Emperor of Grivendal has been slain by one of your own people. We hereby declare that the Grivendal Empire has come to its end, and now it is time for us to perform the ritual of purification across this entire planet from your sins. And as for you... Heir of Marsiel, you must confess your guilty and surrender yourself immediately, for you have been deemed to have failed in preserving the unity of this planet's civilization!"
Everyone stood frozen after hearing High Heaven's proclamation. However, David stepped forward while staring sharply into the sky.
"No!" David declared firmly.
***