Conqueror

Zieglind called out to us, "Zeta, Greta."

"Hmm?" The both of us looked at him.

"I strip you of our family name and the slave contract. Leave. You're no longer part of the Crimson Knights."

"..." Everyone's happy faces suddenly turned into a surprised, sorrow face. I was just in shock on what he just said. This is completely unexpected. "H- hey now, that's a weird thing to joke about Zieglind." Zeta tried to play it off.

"..." Zieglind stood there with an unfazed face. He wasn't doing anything but we could feel his intense pressure. 

No one spoke, until Rize did. "Hey Zieglind! What's the meaning of this!?"

"I said what needs to be said. This meeting is for the Crimson Knights. Zeta, Greta, LEAVE." 

It was like a spear that pierced my chest and someone just rips it out. "Wha-... We've been loyal to you for three years! We waited for you to come back! And now you're just going to dispose us like we're tools?"

"What? Did you want a ceremony? A farewell party?"

"You know DAMN well what she's talking about!" Zeta tried to stand up for me.

"I do. And what of it? Your journey ends here. You're no longer a part of this group. I want the both of you to leave."

"Zieglind! Stop that! What are you saying, they're our allies and they've been loyal to you for three years! Stop this! Right? Everyone!?" Rize looked around trying to find validation from the others but no one spoke. "Yefa?" She looked away from her. "Precia?" She also did the same. "Anyone?" But no one said a word.

Zeta was getting angry and confused about the situation. "FINE! If you want us to leave then you'll have to force us!"

"Is that so..?" Zieglinda looked Zeta in the eye fiercely. And in that moment, no one could see what Zieglind did but a loud thud was heard and Zeta was no longer in the room where we were in. "Now, leave."

I desperately tried to find where Zeta was but he was blown outside. And I couldn't see what Zieglind did. And that's coming from a beast person like myself. "Zieglind! Tell us what we did wrong, none of us wants to leave?"

"But I want you to."

"Zieglind! You've gone too FAR!" Zeta rose from the ground below and was hovering in the air looking down at Zieglind.

"Come, I'll drive you out here myself."

"Magus Armor! Trident of the Seas! Staff of Cataclysm!" Zeta's near transparent cloak appeared, on his body. His trident with a three prong was sending out waves of water magic. And that staff was something that he hasn't shown to me or anyone. I've never seen that dark staff.

"Come." Zieglind taunted him without even changing into any armor or drawing out any weapon.

"Dragon Lightning!" Zeta summoned a giant dragon formed with lightning. But this is the first time that I've seen how big this dragon is. His armor also changed into a much more volatile lightning armor when he casted that spell.

"Dragon Lightning!" Both of their dragons clashed but without any effects or buffs, Zieglind destroyed his spell and Zeta did the same cancelling each other out.

"Heaven's Destroyer!" Countless meteors were falling from the sky.

"Demon King's Domain." Suddenly, the world around us changed into a pitch black never ending darkness. It seems that everyone is here also. "There's people there and you try to pull of this skill? Barrier!" All the meteors fell into the barrier that Zieglind put up for everyone. His barrier's strength was more powerful than the meteors that Zeta casted.

"You were trying to discard us! I'm going to do everything I can within my power to prevent that from happening!"

"And I'm doing everything in my power for that moment to happen."

"Three years! Three years of complete loyalty! We were there for you for everything as I helped you with everything that you've asked. And right now, I still feel the same! I still haven't repaid you. Greta hasn't repaid you yet!"

"I don't need repayment."

"You've saved us from the depths of hell and at the lowest points in our lives. And now you're not going to take responsibility for saving a life!?"

"This is the decision that I have to do and have led to. Nothing will change my mind unless you beat me."

"FINE! I still haven't repaid you for letting me meet Greta, saving my life. I'll return all of that to you. I'll pay you for everything that you've done for me. You're the reason all of us are alive. And taking that loyalty away from us!? You were the reason why we kept on living!"

"I see."

"ARGH! Heavenly Call of the Lightning Dragon King!" Clouds were summoned from above and thousands of lightning strikes created a cage for us all. Those lightnings then slowly formed a head, then a body, then finally a tail. This dragon was giant, far bigger than anything I've seen.

"Hmm..."

"Dragon King! Lay waste on everything!" The dragon roared and began to spew out lightning from the ground. As soon as it hit the ground, it began to spread.

"Barrier." Zieglind shielded us all and faced the monster by himself. "Come, Demon Sword Acabar!" Zieglind summoned a small flame that turned into his demon sword. "Demon Form!" A beacon of light shot up to the sky. It was a purple flame emitting intense heat. His body changed of that of a demonic being. A core in his chest, horns, his skin was no longer there but swapped with something even more ominous looking.

"[Forbidden Lightning Seal] Za Ra Me Ur To Be Go!" The Forbidden Lightning Seal, able to imbue anything with lightning with ten times the rate. "Dragon King! Summon a lightning barrier!" The dragon king then set up a giant globe of circle around its body and Zeta's body. "RAIN TERROR!"

Zieglind flew up to face the Dragon King. And it was spewing out lighting at Zieglind. But he was just unfazed. I could see blood going everywhere but Zieglind has no intention to back out. "Hell's Retribution." His sword disappeared and turned into that small light again. He grabbed it with his hands and his hands began to intensely glow in a purple flame. Zieglind punched the barrier that was shielding the dragon and instantly broke it. The dragon was destroyed in the process too. The shockwave of his punch even shocked Yefa.

"I WON'T LET IT END LIKE THIS! EYE O-"

Zieglind teleported in front of Zeta. "But I will." And punched the shield that was around his body destroying it and sending him flying. 

"Argh..." Zeta was throwing up blood so I rushed over to his aid.

"That's the deal. Leave this place."

"Why do you... want us to leave in the first place!?" Zeta was shouting as his body was aching. I couldn't say anything nor do anything. I know it from the start. This was my fault. I could only hug his body as they talked.

"That's for you to figure out yourself. I don't want to see any of you ever again."

"This declaration of yours was something that came out of nowhere. So why did you want us to leave! TELL M-..." Zeta had a realization.

"This is enough. I have nothing more to talk about. Dispel." We were all back at the castle.

Zeta detached himself from me and stood up. "ZIEGLIND!" He then grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Is this about the baby!? Because if so I won'-"

Zieglind punched Zeta in the face down at the ground. "Complete that sentence and I will kill you. Right here, right now." 

Zeta began to tear up, "Then you're saying that in the first place we shouldn't ha-" I couldn't help but let out tears as everyone watched this scene. I knew it from the very start. Zieglind was trying to protect us. And this baby.

Zieglind punched him in the face again. "Do you know how MUCH I ENVY YOU TWO!? I'm giving you two the option that I never had in the first place! I'm giving you freedom, detaching the both of you from this world that we live in. A place to start over. With a child that you two have to care for. And you're saying you want to throw that away to repay me? Well here's news Zeta, I DON'T CARE WHAT I DID FOR YOU. All I care is how much I love the both of you to the point that I can't let you take with me on this journey. I don't need your repayment. I don't need anything at all. So leave. This is the best I can give you."

Yurid came out of Zeta's body. "..." And went over to Zieglind's side.

"Zeta, while I still can and while there's still time. I want you both to leave and start over. I want you to have the life that I want. So Zeta, Greta... thank you for everything and... goodbye."