The two men stared at each other silently, while around them nature began to change.
Gradually, the green hue of the hills started to dim, the grass turning grey. The looming trees darkened ever so slightly, their branches drooping low.
"I have doomed you all?" Michael repeated Malice's words, a frown etching onto his face.
"Quite the opposite, in fact." He reasoned. "Finally, after so long, I have freed us from the Emperor's rule. Sure, with our leader dead, it will not be easy in the beginning. I am not claiming that… But surely, with time, humanity will rise for the better!"
Malice studied Michael's eyes. Then he scoffed, took another long puff of his cigar, and gently settled onto the ground.
"Freed us?... Heh, you definitely freed us, alright." He shrugged.
It was bizarre… Michael carried the Emperor's head, regarded as the strongest human in existence, yet the man before him displayed no trace of worry.
"I can't fathom why you are so calm." He admitted.
