Merka knelt down with a large piece of Mulan in her arms, until a bright sun hung high in the sky.
A red dragon descended from the sky, kicking up a gust of dust.
"Merka... Merka."
"The competition is over."
"I followed your orders and destroyed that machine."
"Although someone tried to stop me..."
"But I annihilated them all before they could react."
Samael spat out the woman from his mouth, transforming back into human form from his dragon form and slowly landed on the ground.
"They really tried their best..."
"But I had no choice."
"I had to kill them all."
Samael calmly sat next to Merka, who had become almost like a bloody figure, her gaze unnaturally drifting away, wiping the bloodstains on her body with one hand.
"What about the small stone... the mechanical deity?"
Merka's lips were cracked, complex emotions like wandering spirits attached to her spine.
"It's still on that woman."
"As you said, I woke her up for a while and then knocked her out again."
"But I can't touch the mechanical deity, or else I'll suffer serious backlash."
Seemingly influenced by Merka's gloomy expression, Samael also became somewhat melancholic.
Clearly, they had won.
But now, she only felt pity for the boy in front of her, with his bangs covering his eyes.
Merka gently placed Mulan's body on the ground, trembling as she rose and walked towards the unconscious Manchester.
She reached under her hair and found the small stone tied up.
The moment the black stone touched Merka's body, the shadow appeared again beside Turing.
The shadow patted its long, nightmare-like ghost hand, lightly clapping and smiling with a horrifying grin.
"Sincerest congratulations,"
"You've won..."
Merka greeted the shadow with an angry punch.
"You..."
"Didn't you say that thing was for escaping?!"
A punch knocked down the shadow, but Merka showed no intention of stopping, straddling the shadow and unleashing a flurry of punches.
"Why did you deceive me..."
"Why did you deceive me?!"
"You knew what I was thinking, didn't you?"
"You knew I wouldn't use it unless you said it was for escaping..."
"You heartless..."
"You monster... You lunatic!"
Merka's furious voice gradually faded away like the ebbing tide, leaving behind a Merka in place like a withered reef.
Tear drops the size of beans fell on the hollow body of the shadow, and Merka was in so much pain that she could barely hold herself up.
"It's all my fault... If only I were stronger..."
Choking on her words, Merka fell into silence for a long time, remorsefully speaking bit by bit.
"... Have you vented enough?"
Instead of recoiling after being beaten by Merka, the shadow extended a hand silently, comforting Merka's back.
Her voice, neither male nor female, seemed to reveal a touch of femininity and gentleness.
"For thousands of years, I have witnessed countless instances like this."
"Don't burden yourself too much."
"This has nothing to do with you, it's all my fault."
"If I didn't set you up like this, you wouldn't be in such pain."
Merka raised her head in astonishment and looked at the face covered in shadows, speaking.
"What do you mean?"
Before Merka could ask for an explanation, Samael stepped forward.
She couldn't see the shadows, she didn't care about the details.
"Merka... who are you talking to?"
Merka wiped away a tear and shook her head.
"No one, Sister Samael. I'm just a little emotional."
Although Samael was puzzled, she didn't think too much about it and immediately spoke again.
"Let's go to the closing ceremony first."
"We've worked hard for this victory..."
"It would be a pity if we were disqualified for being late, wouldn't it?"
Samael reached out her hand towards Merka.
Merka numbly stood up with her support.
"Don't worry, when we get back to Erisburg, we can talk properly."
The shadow looked at Merka and said coldly.
"You go back to Erisburg first, Sister Samael."
"Thank you for your hard work."
"I'll go to the closing ceremony alone."
Merka, dressed in ragged clothes, limped towards the edge of the forest.
"What about Manchester?"
Samael asked Merka's back.
"Just leave her there, she'll go back on her own when she wakes up."
Merka replied, without looking back.
The pale sunlight seemed afraid of melting this gentle boy, shyly hiding among the dense clouds.
The emerald grass, verdant woods, and vibrant moss were awakened by the golden brilliance of the Thindal Effect, exuding an enticing and lively atmosphere together.
Ether seemed to take on a form suddenly and danced in the air, stepping on the swirling dust.
Merka strolled along, looking up.
He had a feeling as if he suddenly grew eyes,
and was dazzled by the layers of brilliant scenes.
"Turing..."
"I finally won."
Merka didn't know that the radiance permeating beneath the forest was like a unicorn for a kind and pure-hearted person.
It silently came to Merka's side, enveloping him with a golden glow.
----------------------------------------
"Where's your horse?" Diana asked, her voice filled with sarcasm as she had lost a tooth and got covered in mud and dust, but still had the mood to taunt Merka.
Merka glanced at Diana helplessly, didn't say anything, but sat quietly in the audience seats at the closing ceremony, waiting for the final results to be announced.
"Don't bother with her."
"At least we finally got rid of her favorite horse, so this trip wasn't a complete loss."
Scarlett pulled at Diana's sleeve, gave Merka a disdainful glance, and led Diana away.
In the end, Merka still couldn't find the horse she had brought with her.
She had originally left it in the cave, but now it was nowhere to be found.
But it didn't matter. Merka thought it was already difficult enough just to win.
"Merka, you won."
The shadow sat next to Merka and spoke.
"I went up earlier and there is no one with more badges than you."
"But Oedipus might give you a hard time."
"I don't think so," Merka said.
"Even though the Duke of Oedipus doesn't like Turing, he wouldn't let his own family suffer the humiliation of defeat."
"..."
The shadow was silent for a moment and then spoke.
"Before the closing ceremony begins,
let me tell you something else."
