"What about you?"
Elric's voice broke the silence, low and steady. His eyes fixed on Elsa, who sat against the wall with her wrists bound. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
If she hadn't met his system's survival metrics, he probably would've left her behind already. She hadn't been the one who led the humiliation before the world fell apart — but she'd stood by and watched it happen. And that, to him, was just as bad.
Elsa lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I was wrong before."
Her voice trembled, but she didn't sound like she was lying. "I shouldn't have gone along with Ryan and the others when they… played those games with you."
Elric didn't reply.
She continued, "And the messages on your phone — it wasn't me. It was Ryan and Matt. They used my name to get close, so they could take your supplies. I didn't even know until it was too late."
Elric's brow furrowed slightly. He'd expected excuses, lies, maybe some desperate plea for mercy. But her words were clear, unflinching — even remorseful.
"I know sorry won't fix anything," Elsa said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I don't expect forgiveness. You saved my life tonight… that's already more than I deserve. Whatever happens next, I'll accept it."
She met his gaze — not with defiance, but with a strange calm.
Elric studied her face in silence. For the first time, there was no mask, no manipulation, no pretense. Just raw truth — or maybe she was that good at pretending.
He wished his fruit "Insight" ability was high enough to read through her lies. But at Level 1, he could only get faint emotional traces. — Emotional Perception.
A soft pulse of blue light flickered across his vision.
Her aura appeared before him — half red, half blue. Fear and guilt tangled with genuine warmth. Shockingly, her emotional signature toward him was stronger than even Natasha's.
"What the hell…?" he muttered under his breath.
Was it gratitude because he'd saved her? Or something deeper — that strange human instinct to cling to strength when the world burns?
Whatever it was, it was real. And it was enough to make him pause.
Still, Elric wasn't about to let his guard down.
"Alright, Elsa," he said finally. "You said you'll accept whatever comes next."
He picked up the survival knife from the table and stepped closer.
"Then prove it."
Her eyes flicked up. "Prove… what?"
"That you've cut ties with them," he said, nodding toward the three restrained figures — Ryan, Matt, and Jacob. "They're the reason you almost died tonight. Finish it, and you walk free. You'll earn your place beside me — in this new world."
Elsa stared at him, speechless. "Elric… are you serious?"
He didn't blink. "You said you're ready to accept everything. So accept it."
The blade gleamed faintly in the light as he cut the ropes around her wrists and handed her the knife handle-first.
She held it, her hands trembling, staring down at the cold steel.
"Do it," Elric said quietly. "Or I'll know you're still the same person you were before the world ended."
From behind them, Nina gasped. "Elric, wait — they've already apologized! You can't—"
He turned his gaze toward her — calm, merciless, unyielding.
"I can," he said. "Because in this world, sorry doesn't mean survival."
The room fell silent again, the storm outside roaring against the shattered windows.
Elsa closed her eyes, taking one long, shuddering breath. The old world was gone. The rules had changed.
And now… she had to decide whether she'd change too.
"Come on, Elric, it was just a stupid fight!"Ryan's voice cracked as he strained against the duct tape binding his wrists."Yeah, man," Matt stammered. "You're not really gonna do this, right? You'll get arrested when this is all over!"Jacob nodded rapidly, sweat glistening on his temple. "Please… we were wrong, alright? Just spare us!"
Their voices tripped over each other in panic — threats mixed with begging, pride mixed with fear.
Elric didn't respond. He just stared at them, silent, unblinking.
He remembered every bruise, every humiliation, every time they'd laughed at him when he was powerless. Back then, laws and cameras had protected them.Now? The world was lawless.
And for the first time, he was the one holding all the power.
He turned slightly toward Elsa. "What are you waiting for?" His voice was calm but cold. "You said you'd accept anything. Prove it."
Elsa froze, the knife still heavy in her trembling hands. She looked from Elric to Ryan, Matt, and Jacob — men who had once been her friends, her protectors.
"Don't let me down," Elric added softly.
This was his test for her. Her decision tonight would define whether she'd stand beside him — or under him — in the days ahead.
Elsa took one uncertain step forward. "Okay…" she whispered.
Her hands were shaking so badly the knife rattled against the air. She'd never even killed an animal, let alone another person. But she could still see the image burned into her memory — what Elric had done to Paige and Jane. What would happen if she hesitated now.
Ryan's voice broke the silence."Elsa, wait—look at me! You don't have to do this! You're not like him!"
She flinched but didn't stop.
"Elric, she can't—she's scared!" Nina cried, her voice trembling. "She's not like you!"
Elric didn't look away from Elsa. "That's exactly why she needs to decide who she wants to be."
Elsa closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe. The sound of her pulse filled her ears.
Then—she lunged forward.
The knife clattered a moment later. She'd dropped it. Her entire body was shaking, breath shallow and uneven. She hadn't struck anyone — just plunged the blade into the ground beside Ryan's knee.
Elric watched silently. Then he moved, slow and deliberate, picking up the knife from the floor.
He didn't raise it. Instead, he spoke — almost gently.
"You made your choice."
Elsa looked up, confused. "What?"
"You couldn't do it," Elric said, wiping the blade clean and setting it aside. "You still believe mercy matters. That's good."
The three tied men exhaled, relief washing over them — too soon.
Elric's eyes hardened again. "But mercy from me," he said, "comes with a price."
He raised his hand slightly. A faint pulse of dark blue light rippled through the room — a psychic command. Within seconds, the air grew heavy. The temperature dropped.
Ryan, Matt, and Jacob fell silent — not dead, but paralyzed by the telekinetic field surrounding them.
"They'll wake up outside," Elric said simply. "If they survive the night, that's their punishment. If not…" He glanced toward the fog-covered campus outside. "That's the world's decision, not mine."
He turned back to Elsa, whose wide eyes were still trembling between fear and awe.
"You passed," he said quietly. "You didn't need to kill to prove your worth."
Elsa looked away, biting her lip. "Then why does it feel like I failed?"
Elric didn't answer. He just walked to the window, staring at the dark city where lightning flashed over collapsed buildings.
"Because this world," he said at last, "doesn't let anyone feel clean anymore."
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