Chapter 114: He Will Return
Old Darrin let go of the stuffed doll’s hand with a silent farewell... He had made his final decision in those fleeting moments and was now fully prepared to surrender himself to that army encircling the venue.
For him, it was not a matter of surviving or finally submitting to his fate.
Rather, it had transformed into a matter of trust in that individual... even more so, transforming into an unwavering core principle within his innermost being regarding his master who had never once failed his expectations: "Cain."
The strongest figure he had ever witnessed in his entire lifetime, and the person most worthy of trust.
He knew deep down in his heart that the moment Cain learned, upon his return to the realm, that the government had breached every prior oath made with him—exploiting his techniques and magical arts as instruments of war and persecution to tyrannize everyone in pursuit of the apex of power—he would never stand idly by with folded hands.
Although Darrin fully comprehended that surrendering himself meant exposing himself to the most hideous forms of torture to extract any remaining secrets or techniques that Cain had not granted them... and despite the tiny probability that the half-robotic commander was fabricating the recent incident... he even considered him foolish for not hearing the full details of the incident from him...
Yet he knew that breaking the curse Cain had placed upon the siege commander required sacrificing a colossal portion of life force.
Not to mention that he had become an old man on the precipice of death... He possessed nothing left to lose... He feared neither death nor torture, capable of ending his own life simply by halting the blood flow to his heart at any second he desired!
Outside, behind the heavy wooden door... when the silence stretched and the commander heard no further reply from the old man, he nodded his head and looked toward his soldiers, signaling them to initiate the rapid breach operation.
A soldier with metallic limbs stepped forward, attaching a small device to the smooth texture of the wooden door’s surface for a single second...
Before he could catch his breath, a colossal implosive shockwave erupted, propelling the door with supernatural force to fly through the air with a sharp, piercing whistle, before colliding with the opposite wall and shattering into scattered splinters!
In less than the blink of an eye, dozens of special forces and semi-human robotic soldiers surged into the room, armed with exclusive weaponry, surrounding the entire venue and encircling every corner and window.
Following them entered robotic reconnaissance hounds, stepping cautiously and sniffing the floors and walls with precise sensors, searching for any trace or atom of Mana energy or explosives.
Through the window that had been breached, other soldiers descended using tactical ropes, while massive helicopters materialized out of nowhere in the expanse, shining their bright spotlights upon the castle. From among the dark forest trees, heavy armored tanks advanced, crushing the green grass beneath their weight to form an impenetrable security perimeter encircling the entire property!
On the coast, a high-ranking military officer emerged, issuing his orders through the comms device: "Deploy the mine-clearing hounds immediately! Have them sweep the perimeter and dismantle any potential bombs!"
The bright lights of the helicopters intersected to illuminate that castle that had remained plunged in darkness for long years... In that soaring upper room, Old Darrin—the Second King of the Smile Organization—was officially placed under arrest by the "Supreme Unit."
The siege commander stepped forward with his half-metallic body, standing before the medical chair, contemplating the exhausted old man, stating with sarcasm and triumph: "It has been a long time, Darrin... How do you feel now that you have been arrested and your entire empire has fallen?"
Darrin looked at him with lowered, cold gazes, stating in a tone brimming with disdain: "You are a thoroughly vulgar individual..."
At that moment on that arduous day—which appeared as though it would never conclude in a normal manner—the era officially drew to a close with Darrin’s arrest.
Rapidly, press coverage and news channels with their private helicopters expanded to cover the venue via live broadcast that shook the foundations of the underworld and syndicate society, occupying the attention of most of the nation from east to west!
Numerous photographs were taken of Old Darrin as he was led away in shackles, published in bold headlines stating that the government had finally overthrown the last member of the legendary "Smile Organization," and that justice had prevailed, accompanied by explicit hints that he would face imminent execution!
It was even claimed that the perpetrators of the incident in Ohio were merely individuals influenced by the group’s ideology and would soon be captured.
Amidst hordes of soldiers and military vehicles, dozens of journalists gathered; a specific female reporter was chosen and granted permission to penetrate the crowd and approach the old man during his transport.
The reporter brought the microphone close to his lips, asking in a grave tone: "How do you feel following your arrest today? The charges leveled against you are extremely severe—not only that, but one requires an entire document just to view them in full... Most legal experts affirm that the penalty will not be less than execution or imprisonment for 1,000 years at the very least... I wonder: how do you feel at this critical moment? And do you feel remorse or guilt for what you have perpetrated?"
Everyone paused, awaiting the answer of the "Second King"...
Old Darrin smiled a very brief, ambiguous smile, looking at the reporter with his sunken eyes that carried a strange majesty capable of piercing souls, despite his frail body and stark exhaustion.
He stated in a weak voice that nonetheless possessed a resonance that shook the hearts of those present:
"What do I feel?! I feel absolute pity... I feel pity and sympathy for these delusional individuals who believe they have won today after living all those years in constant terror and anxiety! I bet my life they are still terrified even to this moment... and they will still wear the exact same diapers out of fear before sleeping! They will never be able to overcome this nightmare..."
Darrin paused for a moment, then added in a tone as tranquil and decisive as iron:
"Let me tell them all: their eternal nightmare is on the verge of returning—if not now, then later! He is undoubtedly preparing his glorious plan now to reclaim control and sovereignty once again... Stay tuned!"
The reporter stood frozen in her place, feeling a cold shiver course through her entire body; for those words were no mere babbling of a criminal facing his end, but a deep, majestic summons carrying the seeds of an inevitable coming earthquake!