From every shadowy corner of the alley, the Fallen Knights began to reveal themselves one by one.
Surrounding their prey completely, these corrupted and deranged knights all gulped down their saliva in unison.
Pendragon, the Fallen King, murmured in a tainted voice,
"Now, it's time for the thirteenth division!"
He then plunged his greatsword into the chest of the closest bound human mage.
"Aaaaagh! Aaaaaaaaah!"
The mage, stabbed in the chest while still alive, shook violently in all directions. But soon, his movements gradually ceased.
Another Fallen Knight, with a slurred speech, asked Pendragon as he was about to further mutilate the dead mage's body,
"But, great king... did you not say we were to capture them alive?"
"Eh? Oh, right. Yes, that was the plan, indeed."
Covered in blood, Pendragon nodded while holding up his greatsword.
"Let's finish slicing this one up and capture the rest alive."
"Kihi, kihihihi! Give me the eyes!"
"I'll take the ears, then."
"Fingers! Fingers! Fingers! Fingers! Fingers!"
"Hey, you disrespectful ones. I said thirteen parts, didn't I? Thirteenth parts!"
Listening to the mad conversation of the monsters that were no longer human, the color drained from the faces of the subdued heroes.
Then, suddenly,
Swoosh! Whirr!
A dagger flew like lightning,
Thud, thud, thud!
and accurately impaled itself in the necks of the remaining four heroes.
"I'm sorry. Once captured by these creatures, a peaceful end is too much to hope for."
The one who had thrown the dagger was Jackal, who had been leading the party. He, the only one not subdued, had thrown his dagger to kill his comrades.
"Better I send you off... May you rest in peace."
The four heroes, in pain yet grateful, breathed their last.
Jackal, who had killed his own comrades, bit his lip till it bled. However, there was no time to be lost in sentiment.
"Oho, who do we have here?"
Pendragon, with his greatsword dripping with blood, gestured with his chin.
"The so-called Gladiator King Jackal, prancing around in the outskirts coliseum."
"..."
"Now that the coliseum is destroyed, what do you call yourself?"
"It doesn't matter."
Jackal gripped the dagger in his hand tighter.
"Right now, I am but a follower of the one I serve... His Highness Prince Ash."
"How preposterous. Once a king, now crawling under someone else's legs like a dog."
"Ramble on, monster."
"It's you who's also a monster. Don't pretend to be human now."
Pendragon scoffed coldly and looked around.
"Now then, having killed them all, how do you plan to take responsibility, Jackal?"
"Responsibility?"
Jackal sneered.
"I'm pleased to ruin your plans."
"Not really. That's not it."
Pendragon chuckled.
"I'm saying, perhaps I should capture you instead."
"...!"
"Your decision to grant your comrades freedom by killing them was commendable. But now, what to do?"
Pendragon's helmet tilted sideways, revealing his face.
"Who will kill you now that you're alone?"
Jackal scanned his surroundings with alert eyes. Thirteen monsters had completely surrounded him.
Jackal knew well. Alone, he stood no chance against these thirteen Fallen Knights.
They were all specialists in combat against humans, crazed by human flesh. Meanwhile, he had lost most of his strength as the Gladiator King.
'Rather than being captured and used for their purposes, it's better...!'
Jackal intended to take his own life. He quickly lifted the dagger in his right hand.
However, his right arm was already gone.
"...!"
Dang!
Suddenly, a Fallen Knight's giant scythe had sneaked up from behind and chopped off Jackal's right arm.
Jackal tried to draw another dagger with his left hand, but chains with hooks had already torn through and penetrated his left hand.
Crack!
The hook that penetrated Jackal's left hand embedded itself in the ground, and Jackal, skewered by chains, could no longer move.
"Ghk-!"
Jackal desperately sought another way to end his life.
'My tongue...!'
As he attempted to bite his tongue, tentacles swiftly wrapped around him, tightly strangling Jackal's neck. He gasped for air.
Pendragon clicked his tongue in front of him.
"Really now. You should know biting off your tongue won't kill you. Besides, you're quite durable."
"Ggh, ghk...!"
Jackal's intended method was to concentrate magic in his tongue and then bite it to explode, thereby destroying his brain from the shock.
But the tentacles blocked his mouth like a gag, making that method impossible.
Suspended in the air, bound by chains and tentacles, Jackal floated helplessly.
"You've weakened, Gladiator King. Even in death, you should have worn a crown."
Pendragon sighed, examining the struggling Jackal.
"Hmm. But about capturing. As long as you're still breathing, that's what counts, right?"
Effortlessly lifting his greatsword, Pendragon then-
Thrust!
Pierced Jackal's chest.
"...!"
Blood spurted like a fountain. Jackal couldn't even scream, writhing in agony.
"Endure the pain. It's been a while since my sword tasted blood."
Pendragon's greatsword vibrated like a living creature, beginning to drink Jackal's blood. Only then did Pendragon smile satisfactorily.
"After all, you were once a king. Try to hang on."
***
It was just a few hours later when reinforcements from Crossroad arrived.
Zone 8. The crumbling chapel.
Arriving right in front of the Fallen Knights' base were Crossroad's elite heroes. And.
Tap-
The standard-bearer, carrying a worn and tattered flag, was Commander Ash himself.
The guardian of humanity.
Ash didn't enter the chapel. He just stood at the entrance, gazing into the interior from afar.
On the high altar inside, the bodies of the five scouting party heroes were left, reduced to bones, while the Fallen Knights burped, patting their full bellies.
And Jackal, suspended in mid-air.
With Pendragon's greatsword still embedded in his chest, Jackal had turned into a mummified figure, barely breathing.
Already having lost all strength to resist, the tentacles and chains had been removed.
"Welcome, guardian of humanity."
Pendragon, picking his teeth with a toothpick, casually stood up.
"I certainly didn't expect you to come in person. Pleased to meet you."
"The Fallen Knights. And their leader, the Fallen King Pendragon."
Ash recited information about his adversary in a cold voice.
"Originally, you were the legendary king and knights of an ancient kingdom. But one winter, on a northern expedition, you became stranded in the mountains, and when the food ran out."
Pendragon shivered.
"You, the king and knights, began to cannibalize a soldier each day, placing them on the altar of the chapel you used as shelter. With no fire to cook, you consumed them raw."
"..."
"And when winter ended and the blizzards ceased... all the soldiers had become your prey, and you had turned into monsters addicted to human flesh."
Ash spat out fiercely.
"So you returned to your homeland and devoured your own people as well, becoming the monstrous legends."
"Haha. It seems we have someone deeply versed in history here. It's a bit embarrassing to be known so well."
Pendragon smacked his lips.
"I like smart people. After all."
"..."
"Their flesh is exceptionally tender."
To the silent Ash, Pendragon gestured upwards, towards the bound Jackal.
"I hear you're quite fond of your subordinates. Come, take him back."
"..."
Ash counted the number of bones placed on the altar. His teeth clenched audibly.
"I confirm the death of the entire scouting party."
Ash told his subordinates.
"There's no need to fight within the enemy's prepared stronghold. We're retreating."
"That's too bad."
Pendragon tapped the chest of Jackal lightly.
"Isn't he your subordinate as well? Still alive, isn't he?"
"I already know, Pendragon."
Ash spoke coldly.
"The moment Jackal is 'eaten' by your cannibalistic sword, Excannibal, pulling it out will kill him instantly."
"..."
"Stop with the unfitting hostage drama. I'm already tired of such acts lately, you fucking cannibalistic bastard."
"Such foul language, guardian of humanity."
"Being sucked dry by a leech was bad enough, but you're no better. Shut your mouth. I don't want to smell it."
Ash turned his gaze from Pendragon to the bound Jackal.
"Jackal."
"..."
Dangling limply in mid-air, Jackal murmured weakly.
"I'm sorry, my... lord... If only I had dealt with it better..."
"You did enough."
Ash's face, which had been radiating hostility towards Pendragon, suddenly softened with warmth and kindness, as if all the animosity had been a lie.
"You've worked hard all this time. I sincerely thank you for your dedication."
"..."
"Everblack will remember you forever."
At those words, Jackal's eyes regained a faint spark of life.
With a faint smile, Jackal whispered his last words.
"...Thank you, my lord..."
Ash waved his arm, and then.
Bang!
A gunshot echoed, and a sniper bullet flew, piercing Jackal's head.
Jackal died with a smile.
Whoosh!
Ash turned around and walked away briskly from the chapel.
"Did you think I would let you go?"
Pendragon shouted, and the Fallen Knights capable of magic extended their hands.
Swoosh!
Various evil magics made of blood, bone, poison, and curse flew towards Ash. But Ash, without looking back, lightly tapped the ground with his flagpole.
Swoosh!
A barrier of magical energy rose from under the flag, blooming like a flower, blocking all the evil magic.
Ash kept walking, and his subordinates, after glaring fiercely at the Fallen Knights, followed their leader and retreated.
Pendragon yelled out.
"Don't you see the horrific state of your subordinates' corpses!"
"I've seen. It's etched in my memory well enough."
"And you still run away! Don't you want to avenge them! You coward, are you even a commander!"
"Because I am a commander."
Burning with hatred, Ash spat out.
"That's why I'll fight a battle I can surely win."
"..."
"I won't engage on a battlefield where you have even a speck of advantage. If you want to fight, come to my walls."
With veins bulging in the hand holding the flagpole, Ash growled like a wild beast.
"Don't worry, Fallen King. I promise you."
"..."
"I will grind you down to your last cell and burn you myself."
And with that, Ash walked away.
Pendragon considered pursuing but eventually ceased. He was certain that man had prepared a way to shake off any pursuit.
"A true king."
A smile tinged with blood formed under Pendragon's helmet.
"Of all the self-proclaimed kings I've met in this hell, that man is the real deal. He truly is a sovereign...!"
Pendragon began to laugh maniacally, spreading his helmet wide.
"He's my prey! I will devour him! Yes, indeed! Down to the last bit of flesh, the last piece of nail! All of it! I will consume everything-!"
And watching all this from a corner...
Lowe observed silently.
Gazing at the retreating figure of Ash, Lowe watched as if under a spell.
'That man... the guardian of humanity.'
The little demon clenched his fist.
'The supreme adversary I must face...!'
--TL Notes--
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