I created my own system

Chapter 419: Breaking apart

APOLLO'S POV

How should I deal with this?

That look she gave me.

Horrified.

Yet still trying to appear stronger.

My lips curled into a smile.

My eyes met hers.

For some reason, I knew there was a subtle understanding between us.

I don't know if it was because we were the same.

Twisted beings with hearts capable of manipulating others.

I saw her tremble.

She knew what I was capable of.

Her heart swayed, and so did her surroundings.

The capital trembled.

Yes.

Because I could no longer control it.

This enormous pressure.

I wasn't attacking.

Not because I cast a spell.

Not because I released my mana.

I simply existed.

And somehow, that alone was enough.

The sky darkened further.

Cracks spread across the ruined buildings.

Soldiers struggled to breathe.

Some collapsed onto one knee.

Others stared upward in terror.

The pressure leaking from my body alone was enough to make the battlefield feel like the end of the world.

Yet none of it mattered.

My eyes never left Emilia.

Not for a second.

The screams.

The fighting.

The destruction.

All of it faded into background noise.

Because suddenly—

everything made sense.

"I understand now."

My voice was quiet.

Almost gentle.

Yet Emilia's face immediately paled.

I slowly lowered my head.

A laugh escaped me.

Soft.

Broken.

"...I understand."

The realization struck harder than any blade.

Harder than any spell.

Harder than any betrayal.

From the very beginning—

Why reveal a secret like this?

Why expose something so damaging?

Why tell Eros?

Why tell me?

Then I understood.

My resentment.

My grief.

My hatred.

All of it would naturally flow toward her.

Not him.

Not Eros.

Her.

And once she died—

everything would end with her.

The dead could not be blamed.

The dead could not answer.

The dead could not suffer.

"I see."

A faint smile appeared on my face.

"I didn't notice it."

The air distorted.

A shockwave spread throughout the battlefield.

Several soldiers stumbled.

Even powerful knights found themselves struggling to remain standing.

Yet I never looked away from Emilia.

"What were you thinking?"

Silence.

"What?"

My smile widened.

"I knew your kindness was a lie. Deep down, I was aware of it. However, I failed to recognize your goal. I knew you were merely trying to bait me into leaning toward you."

Emilia's expression worsened.

Still—

she remained silent.

I continued.

"Was my brother the backup plan?"

I tilted my head.

"I mean, if I were to fail to destroy the Lionhearts, becoming the Duchess would give you the power to manipulate them."

No answer came.

Only silence.

Slowly—

more artifacts appeared around her.

Golden shields.

Ancient relics.

Protective enchantments.

Layer upon layer.

Preparing.

She would do anything to defend herself.

However, it seemed her shields were not meant to fight me.

Only to brace against my anger.

Emilia.

You are really smart.

She knew.

She knew she couldn't win.

And that made me laugh.

A hollow sound escaped my lips.

"Hah..."

"Hahaha..."

The battlefield became even quieter.

"I see."

I shook my head.

"You've already accepted your death."

Another artifact activated.

Then another.

And another.

The sight amused me.

"Is that why you're doing this?"

My eyes narrowed.

"Trying to elevate my resentment?"

"Trying to make all of it pour onto you?"

A long silence followed.

Then I smiled.

A genuinely amused smile.

"Well."

I spread my arms slightly.

"Guess what?"

The next words never reached anyone else.

Not Eros.

Not Midgar.

Not Edmund.

Not even the soldiers surrounding her.

Only Emilia heard them.

Because I made certain of it.

A private conversation.

A final cruelty.

"I will do the exact opposite."

For the first time—

fear appeared in her eyes.

Real fear.

Not fear for herself.

Fear for someone else.

How sweet.

To think you have such a weakness.

Your words contradict your actions.

Your expression.

And that made everything obvious.

I slowly pointed toward Eros.

"I'll tear my brother apart."

My smile widened.

"Only him."

The words struck harder than any attack.

"Since he's so important to you."

Emilia's body stiffened.

Her breathing faltered.

Good.

For once—

she understood exactly how I felt.

I slowly looked up at the sky.

The armada of Aileen was collapsing fast.

One by one.

Then another.

The pressure grew heavier.

I extended a hand toward her.

Not to kill.

Not to attack.

Simply to touch her face.

To see what expression she would make next.

Would it be guilt?

Regret?

Fear?

But before my fingers could reach her—

a familiar presence appeared beside me.

Warm.

Steady.

Comforting.

"Apollo."

Her voice, both commanding and soft, made my body tremble.

Alicia.

"What are you doing?"

Her hand reached mine.

The moment her touch connected with me—

something loosened inside my chest.

The suffocating rage.

The endless resentment.

The desire to keep digging into old wounds.

It didn't disappear.

But it stopped growing.

Alicia stepped between us.

Not protectively.

Not forcefully.

Simply standing there.

And somehow—

that was enough.

Her crimson eyes met mine.

"We need to go."

I stared at her silently.

"The Emperor needs help."

The battlefield returned to focus.

The war.

The Pillars.

The destruction.

The countless lives hanging in the balance.

For several seconds—

nobody spoke.

Then I exhaled.

Slowly.

The pressure surrounding the capital weakened.

Only slightly.

But enough for everyone to feel it.

"...Right."

My gaze shifted toward Emilia one final time.

All traces of amusement vanished.

Only cold certainty remained.

"Let's go."

I turned away.

Then paused.

Without looking back—

I spoke one final sentence.

"Let's go see the King of Aileen."

The moment those words left my mouth—

Emilia's face lost what little color remained.

Because she knew.

The real nightmare had only just begun.

Just like the vow I made before:

I will pick every person you cherish.

Once I have them, I will break them apart piece by piece until they realize what kind of monster they have created.

If you think you can use my pain to tame me—

you're wrong.

This pain will haunt you.

Just like it haunted me.

EMILIA'S POV

The battlefield slowly returned to motion after Apollo's departure.

Yet my body remained frozen.

Not because of fear.

But because of his words.

Words that felt like a shackle pressing down on my shoulders.

"I'll tear my brother apart."

The sentence echoed repeatedly inside my mind.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Each repetition felt like a knife twisting deeper.

I lowered my head.

My grip around my sword tightened.

Ever since this mission began, I knew what I needed to do.

I had a role to fulfill.

However...

When did things go wrong?

When did this charade of love and goodwill become real?

I couldn't help but close my eyes.

I refused to acknowledge such emotions.

So I buried them.

Even if it meant ruining your life.

Yes.

I tried to kill you.

But deep inside...

I was longing for you to survive.

Eros.

Your existence to me was a doubt that made my duty heavier.

A constant question I could never answer.

Were your feelings real?

Or were they simply born from necessity?

And for someone like you...

someone who always placed duty and connection above everything else—

how could I be certain that your love for me was not just another obligation?

How could I abandon my duty?

How could I surrender everything when I couldn't place my trust in you to truly choose me?

My chest tightened.

The memories I tried to bury resurfaced one after another.

Your words.

Your expressions.

The way you looked at me.

The way you reached out despite everything.

My mind suddenly flashed back to his words.

And now...

I finally understood.

You really are my greatest karma.

My punishment.

My pain.

Even in this situation...

even after everything that happened...

you were still finding a way to torment me.

Not because you wanted to.

Not because you hated me.

But because my own choices had brought us here.

The moment I realized I loved you...

I already knew what awaited me.

My ending was never going to be happiness.

It was never going to be forgiveness.

It was to be hated by you.

So for years...

I prepared myself.

I prepared myself for death.

For failure.

For the consequences of every choice I made.

I accepted that one day, my actions would return to haunt me.

I accepted that you would look at me with hatred.

I accepted that my hands would never be clean.

But never this.

Never this outcome.

Never Apollo hurting you.

My breathing became uneven.

My fingers tightened around my sword again.

Because I knew.

I knew the truth.

This was not some cruel twist of fate.

This was not some unavoidable tragedy.

It was my fault.

I was the one who pushed him.

I was the one who planted the hatred.

I was the one who created the wound that he now carried.

Knowing full well...

it was me who instigated it.

And now he coming back like a dagger to stab you