Romanoff Dukedom: Eschira Forest (11)

"What I want to know is, Erwin, do you want to be framed as a weakened elderly? Or perhaps…" Ius put a hand on Erwin's cheeks, digging his fingernails through his sunken cheeks, "Do you want to be accused as the main suspect of the recent incident with the Snake Clan?"

A scoff, first than any other, came out of Erwin's tightened mouth. His shoulders quivered, and soon, he was laughing while coughing up blood.

Disgusted by the old man's blood, Ius let go of his grip. He took a couple of steps back all the while watching Erwin fight for his consciousness. Ius clicked his tongue as he wiped his hand on the side of his shirt.

In an unexpected turn of events, Erwin managed to regain composure, both in his emotions and his body. He was even able to raise his head and stare at Ius straight in the eye.

Not a sliver of madness could be seen on his gaze. Tears slowly crowded the rims of his eyes as his lips trembled. Never had Ius seen Erwin show weakness before. Even in the face of his strongest foes, Erwin didn't waver. That was an aspect of the old man that Ius wanted to emulate.

Lamentably for the old man, Ius was past the age of innocence. He wouldn't be moved by a single act that warranted his pity. If anything, it made him all the more infuriated.

The only thing that the young man had set his eyes on was the peaceful conclusion of his mission. And that would come to fruition upon Erwin's death.

"Tell me, Young Master. What would be the better choice?"

The absence of hesitation in Erwin's voice gave the impression that he wasn't suffering at all. It just goes to say how much he was pushing himself.

"Alright, I'll tell you. Regardless of your choice, I will be pinning all the blame on you. I will make sure that the Empire incarcerates you for what you've done. I mean, am I in the wrong for doing that? You've admitted yourself that you were one of the members of the snake clan, the vilest of all beasts. There is no forgiveness reserved for you from the very beginning."

Ius went on to point at Zarya who was grovelling. She couldn't bear to see Erwin continue to suffer, so she averted his eyes. With Ius' nod, Fluger grabbed hold of the lady's head. However, she kept her eyes closed.

Since he didn't want to deal with another trouble, Ius thought of a way to subdue Zarya's adamance.

"Young lady, you'll either open your eyes to spare Erwin from my ire temporarily or cause his death by being stubborn. Make your choice this instant."

From the second that they met, Ius had remarked on how close Zarya and Erwin were. He was certain that they had some sort of relationship, one that was deeper than blood. It was not in his interest to unveil it, but failing to exploit it would be naive of him.

Zarya gritted her teeth, still reluctant to listen to Ius. But Erwin's life was far more important than her pride.

As she was about to open her eyes, she was stopped by the ever calming voice of her saviour.

"Zarya, I'm alright. Don't worry about me. Just keep your eyes closed so you won't have to see the cruelty that the world has in store for us."

"No!" She screamed, "I won't let you d--"

"Keep your eyes closed! If you don't, I'll be the one to end myself!"

She immediately sealed her lips, unable to refute Erwin's threat. In less than no time, her face was wet with tears, dirtying her skin that was already full of dirt.

"Cruelty?" Ius scoffed, breaking the woeful ambience between the two, "You're the one who subjected her to all this cruelty, Erwin. If it weren't for you, she would've been peacefully serving the family. Now that I remember, Dorothea should have been on this too. I'll make sure to confront her once I'm done with you."

In the blink of an eye, Ius narrowed the distance separating him from Erwin. He went and raised his hand, allowing his claws to shine under the moonlight.

"From the very beginning, you weren't planning on getting out of this forest alive. Well then, I'll be generous enough to fulfil that part of your plan."

With one swift motion, Ius let his claws dig down the muscles of Erwin's neck. The old man's head landed on the ground with a dull thud, thus ending his long, fruitful life.

Zarya heard Erwin croak upon his death. But it was only after a handful of seconds when she realized what just happened. She slowly opened her eyes, her body quivering from the very thought of seeing the body of the old man.

At that instant, she met Erwin's eyes that were still wide open. She tilted her head to fully match the old man's gaze.

"Er-- erwin?" Zarya called for him, meek and breathless, "Erwin? What's wrong with you? Why are you lying there?"

Zarya shook her head repeatedly, denying what she was seeing. Fluger had already freed her from his grasp. Hence, the lady was able to approach Erwin.

The young lady didn't mind the sharp rocks and twigs that embedded themselves on the soles of her feet. There was nothing more painful for her than accepting what had happened to her saviour.

She knelt on the ground, her hands trembling as she reached for the old man's severed head. Zarya laid Erwin down on her lap, and with tears crawling down her cheeks, she guided the man's eyelids to close.

Zarya bent her body and hugged Erwin's head. At that moment, she began sobbing uncontrollably. But it was only Erwin who could hear her cries.

'Erwin, how could I continue without you? You saved me from those savages, but I failed to save you from these monsters. I'm sorry… I'm really, really sorry.'