***
“Commander, we are part of Captain Lito’s troop, we got lost from the troop and are currently under attack!”
[Captain Lito is already on his way to meet your group. Hang in there. Who’s group are you fighting with?]
“Group?” The knight laughed with misery audible in his voice. “We are being overwhelmed by a single kid.”
[What?]
“All our mages and 3 healers are down!”
The knight who was talking to Commander Einar raised his sword while wandering his eyes through the thick forest surrounding them. “Where is that brat?” However, the next thing he felt was a clean slice on his neck with a scimitar. His head fell and rolled to the ground.
There were only 6 knights left.
The culprit suddenly materialized right in front of the group while squatting and chasing his own breath. His butler suit was covered in blood while his eyes were shivering in terror. However, the blood soaking his clothes was not from him.
Japheth stood up even though his entire body was trembling and raised the 2 scimitars he was holding. “This is for Agrona.”
“It’s him! Charge!” One of the knights shouted while rushing towards their enemy.
However, in the blink of an eye, Japheth disappeared leaving only a trace of black fog from his former position and instantly materialized right at the backline and took down the unaware preys. 2 of the knights fell. Immediately, the knights waved their swords in his location but once more he immediately disappeared in thin air and appeared behind the unsuspecting knights and sliced off their necks.
“Damn you, Brat!”
The knight rushed towards him and swung his sword but he managed to parry it using his scimitars and teleported behind the knight and sliced his nape.
As the knight fell to the ground, Japheth’s breathing became heavier, and dropped his weapons and stared at his strongly shivering hands. As his enlarged shaking eyes dwelled on the corpses around him, he vomited.
Before he knew it, a knight was already behind him and about to slice him with his sword. However, suddenly, the knight fell to the ground with his body slowly turning into ashes.
“You should not let your guard down, Japheth.”
Japheth kneeled to the ground and covered his shivering face with his bloody hand. “Fo… Forgive me, Ma’am Kuro, but… this is my first time killing someone. And I killed an entire group.” He rubbed his hand on his temple. “It’s… terrifying! I didn’t expect it to be this terrifying! Hearing their last words, and their faces at the very last moments of their lives… I was terrified. It’s frightening!” Once more he shoved his hands on his face. “I know I am doing the right thing, but the guilt is killing me!”
For a few seconds, Kuro just stared at him. She slowly exhaled and tapped Japheth’s shoulder. “Killing someone is not something you can just shrug off. All of us had experienced what you just experienced right now. And I am certain, so are your batch mates, that’s why the experienced ones like me are here to look after you in this war… because of this.” She handed her hand to Japheth. “That’s a completely normal reaction upon killing someone for the first time. Even I had the same reaction… The only difference is that you didn’t cry like a little girl. You are quite strong for a kid.”
Japheth looked up at Kuro and nodded before taking her covered in metal gauntlet hand.
Japheth grabbed his scimitars and unleashed a huge exhale.
Kuro shifted her gaze in front of her. “Only a remorseless killer would never react the same way or even would feel any guilt about the very idea of taking people’s lives.”
“Thank you very much, Ma’am Kuro.”
“Please refrain from calling me that, it’s starting to get on my nerves.”
“Ah, forgive me.”
Suddenly, the sound of rustling around them took their attention. As Kuro and Japheth turned their gaze in front of them, what greeted them was a massive group of knights already surrounding the area. All at once, an entire troop emerged from the thickness of the forest while raising their weapons.
“At last, we finally found you!”
“There’s only 2 of them, Captain Lito!”
“I can see that. Now, I am certain that there is no way that they could escape from us.” From the crowd of knights, Captain Lito emerged. He was wearing full-body armor that completely covered his entire body. “What would you do now, Marionette freaks?”
“Japheth.”
Japheth raised his scimitars. “Yes, Ma- Miss Kuro.”
Captain Lito’s baritone laughter resonated throughout the area. “Then, let the bloodbath begin!” Captain Lito raised his massive greatsword.
However, his massive sword suddenly struck the knights behind him and cut them in half with his own hands.
“Captain?” The horror was visible on the faces of the knights as their Captain slaughtered everyone near him one after another.
With his enlarged eyes, Captain Lito watched as he cut his own subordinates in half with his own sword. “Wha- what is happening! I can’t control my body!”
“Captain!”
Then, the once united troop started to murder each other. While expressing great horror on their faces.
“It’s me! Don’t kill me!”
“Forgive me! I can’t control my own body!” The knight screamed before stabbing his own ally on his head with his own sword.
The fighting didn’t last long, the entire team was wiped out by their own personnel.
“What is happening?” Captain Lito said as his hand removed his helmet and picked up a shorter sword on the ground. “This can’t be!” The great terror was visible in his eyes as his own hand aimed the sword at his forehead.
The last thing heard from him was his unnerving dying scream as he stabbed his own.
The entire troop was exterminated.
“Don’t let your guard down, you 2 are on the battlefield and not in a park.” From the thickness of the forest, Leal emerged and stopped right in front of them. His eyebrows were furrowed while staring at Japheth and Kuro.
Both Kuro and Japheth bowed their heads. “Thanks, Master Leal.”
Leal nodded at them and looked up. “This is just the start Japheth, the guilt that you are feeling right now is just proof that you indeed have a heart. Be more afraid if you didn’t feel that guilt after killing a person for the first time.”
Japheth nodded. “I understand, Master Leal.” He furrowed his eyebrows. “However, if you know what we were talking about, does that mean you were already here eavesdropping on us from the beginning?”
Leal closed his eyes and exhaled before clearing his throat. “The war is just at its start. We should move now.” And walked and ran towards the thickness of the forest.
Leaving Kuro and Japheth looking at him with their narrowing eyes.
