Forgive? Why Not

*WOOSH*

Thick, green vines erupted from the roots of the elder tree, twisting through the air to grab Nero's legs without harming Suzuki.

Nero didn't care. He floated under the canopy with a wide grin on his face as he effortlessly snapped the branches.

"Wow," Nero laughed, 

"It was suffocating only being allowed to be out for ten or fifteen minutes at best. But now? I feel alive!"

He looked down at Suzuki, who was frantically clawing at the calloused hand tightening around his throat. Suzuki’s face turned purple, his lungs starving for oxygen under the crushing weight of Nero's mana.

"After I'm done with you," Nero whispered, his eyes dripping with bloodthirst, "I am going to slaughter every single Hero on this continent."

Nero suddenly vaulted into the air, flying lazily around the tree branches as he amused himself with his newfound freedom. Suzuki trembled in sheer terror.

*BOOM*

Kara appeared from the leaves. Using her massive physique, she jumped blindly into the sky and tackled Nero from behind while he was distracted. But Nero merely twisted his torso, slipping out of her heavy grip with ease, and delivered a single-handed hammer fist to her chest.

Luckily, Kara's armor saved her from any major injuries.

The impact drove Kara forcefully back into the dirt, kicking up a massive storm of dust.

As the smoke settled, Nero landed lightly on the grass. "Really? Stop now, before you really hurt yourself."

From the crater of the impact, Kara slowly unclasped her armored arms. She had completely coiled her body around Suzuki, shielding the powerless teenager from the blunt trauma of the fall. Suzuki gasped for air, staring up at the female knight.

"Bravo," Nero smirked, clapping his hands. "That was smart. But I can always take him right back."

"Not on my watch!" Amber roared.

With a massive surge of primal mana, the grand mage summoned giant, ancient tree trunks from the deep earth.

The wooden pillars slammed together, completely pinning Nero from every side. The vines multiplied rapidly, layering on top of one another until they formed a massive, reinforced wooden dome that entirely covered Nero's torso, face, and finally, his eyes.

"I cannot hold him for long!" Amber shouted, sweat pouring down her face.

"Take the prince brat and run into the deeper part of the forest!"

The witch blew a sharp whistle. Instantly, dozens of hidden forest elves appeared from the high branches, bows drawn.

"I know I abandoned my royal responsibilities in the past," Amber commanded the archers, "But I am still your princess, am I not? Help us!"

*RUMBLE*

The massive pile of vines began to shake violently, it sounded like a monster's roar.

Suzuki was already sprinting through the thick elven forest, flanked closely by Zale and Kara. Behind them, Lily and Luck stubbornly refused to runaway.

"I am not leaving my brother!" Lily cried out. Luck took position with his sword, acting as her protector.

Suzuki, Kara, and Zale were pretty far from the elder tree. Suddenly, a massive explosion detonated behind them. The wooden dome vaporized into splinters. Nero was completely free!

The elven guards rained down an endless volley of enchanted arrows and elemental magic, but Nero simply flicked them aside, his physical strength amplifying by the second. He flew through the canopy like a stray meteor, diving down to grab a female elf guard by the hair, preparing to violently detach her head from her shoulders.

"Please stop!" Lily screamed, tears streaming down her face as she stood strong on the ground.

"Brother Toshio would never hurt innocent people! Please... do not use his body to commit such atrocities!"

Nero paused. He looked down at Lily's weeping face, thoroughly annoyed by the emotional atmosphere.

With a clicked tongue, he carelessly dropped the elf into the brush and redirected his trajectory, flying straight after his main objective.

"No more playing around!" Nero shouted from the sky.

He dived straight down like a bird of prey, his open palm aiming directly for Suzuki's exposed neck as the trio was running through the forest.

*WHOOSH*

A sudden gust of wind blew across the dirt. Nero’s hand stopped just three inches away from its target.

Zale had thrown himself directly between Suzuki and Nero’s hand, his arms raised high in a desperate attempt to protect the prince.

Nero's red eyes narrowed.

"Move. You do know he is the reason your parents are dead, right? Why are you saving him? What if I had simply sliced straight through your chest?"

Zale stared dead into Nero's savage eyes, his gaze completely steady.

"The Perfect Prince is dead. You know it. If you know everything Sir Toshio knows, you know it well. The person standing behind me is just a powerless boy now."

Nero didn't say anything. He felt conflicted for the second time.

Suzuki sank to his knees on the moss. He was trembling under the crushing weight of guilt. And even after everything he had done across a million timelines, the desert bard was still standing there, risking his life to save him.

"You don't need to hunt this boy. The continent is full of wicked Heroes... yet you are wasting your time running after a powerless brat?" Zale argued firmly, lowering his arms slightly.

Nero remained silent for a long moment, the wind rustling his snow-white hair. He slowly pulled his hand back, a dark chuckle escaping his lips.

"Right," Nero declared, pointing a sharp finger straight at Suzuki's nose. "You! Live an honest life from this point forward."

He shifted his weight, preparing to launch into the upper atmosphere.

"Wait!" Suzuki called out, wiping his face. "Where... where are you going?"

"To the capital," Nero replied with a wide grin.

*BOOM*

With a massive sonic wave that shattered the surrounding tree branches, the white-haired hero vanished into the northern sky.