From the shadows of the alleyway, the Fallen Knights emerged one by one.
Completely surrounding their prey, the corrupted and maddened knights salivated in unison.
The Fallen King Pendragon muttered in a tainted voice.
《Alright, it’s time for 13 equal parts!》
Then, he plunged his greatsword into the chest of the captured human mage closest to him.
“Keeaaak! Aaaahhhh!”
The mage, with a sword piercing his chest while still alive, convulsed violently. But soon, his movements gradually ceased.
As Pendragon was about to further dismember the dead mage, another Fallen Knight asked in a garbled voice.
《But, Your Majesty… didn’t you say we were going to capture them alive?》
《Huh? Ah, that’s right. I did, indeed.》
Pendragon, covered in blood, nodded, raising his greatsword.
《Let’s just finish slicing this one, and then capture the rest alive.》
《Keehee, keeheehee! Give me the eyeballs!》
《Then, I’ll take the ears…》
《Fingers! Fingers! Fingers! Fingers! Fingers!》
《Ahem, you ill-mannered lot. It’s 13 parts, I said, 13 parts?》
Listening to the insane conversation of the monsters who were once human, the faces of the subdued heroes paled.
It was then.
Swish! Whirr!
A dagger flew like lightning,
Thwack! Thwack!
And accurately lodged into the necks of the remaining four bound heroes.
“…I’m sorry. Being captured by these creatures, a peaceful end is not to be expected.”
The one who threw the daggers was Jackal, who had been moving with their party at the front. Jackal, the only one not subdued, had thrown his daggers to kill his companions.
“I’d rather send you off myself… Rest peacefully.”
The four heroes, though in pain, died gratefully.
Jackal, who had killed his companions with his own hands, bit his lip until it bled. But there was no time for sentimentality.
《Oh ho, who do we have here?》
The Fallen King Pendragon, with his blood-dripping greatsword raised over his shoulder, gestured with his chin.
《It’s the self-proclaimed Fighting King Jackal, who used to strut around in the backwater colosseum.》
“…”
《Everyone and their dog was calling themselves king, and now that the colosseum is wrecked, what do you call yourself?》
“It doesn’t matter what I’m called.”
Jackal adjusted the dagger in his hand.
“Right now, I am merely a subordinate of the one I follow… His Highness Prince Ash.”
《How absurd. A former self-proclaimed king crawling like a dog under someone’s legs.》
“Spout whatever you want, monster.”
《You’re a monster too. Don’t pretend to be human now.》
The Fallen King, having spoken coldly, clicked his tongue and looked around.
《Anyway, I was going to capture them alive, but you’ve killed them all. How are you going to take responsibility for that, Jackal?》
“Responsibility?”
Jackal scoffed.
“I’m just glad to have ruined your plans.”
《No, that’s not it.》
Pendragon chuckled.
《I’m saying that I’ll have to capture you, at least.》
“… !”
《That decision to kill your companions and set them free, it was admirable. But what to do.》
Pendragon’s helmet tilted to the side.
《So, who’s going to kill you, the one left alone?》
Jackal’s keen eyes scanned his surroundings. Thirteen monsters had completely surrounded him.
Jackal knew well. He had no chance of winning alone against these 13 Fallen Knights.
They were all specialists in one-on-one combat, and they were corrupted ghouls obsessed with human flesh. On the other hand, he had lost most of his strength from his time as the Fighting King.
‘Rather than be captured and used according to their purpose, I’d rather…!’
Jackal tried to commit suicide. He quickly raised the dagger in his right hand.
But, his right arm was already gone.
“… !”
Clang-!
The huge scythe of a Fallen Knight, who had ambushed him from behind, severed Jackal’s right arm.
Jackal tried to draw another dagger with his left hand, but a spiked chain that had already flown pierced and tore through his left hand.
Thwack!
The spike that had pierced Jackal’s left hand was embedded in the floor, and Jackal, chained, could no longer move.
“Kuh-!”
Jackal desperately tried to find another way to kill himself.
‘My tongue…!’
Just as he was about to bite his tongue, a tentacle immediately wrapped around and strangled Jackal’s neck. Jackal gasped for air.
Pendragon clicked his tongue in front of him.
《Come now. You know you can’t die just by cutting your tongue. Besides, you’re quite sturdy, aren’t you?》
“Kuhh, kuh… !”
Jackal’s method was to condense magic power in his tongue and then bite it off, destroying his brain with the impact.
But the tentacle blocked his mouth like a gag, making that method impossible.
Jackal, his whole body bound by chains and tentacles, floated into the air.
《You’ve grown weak, man who was once the Fighting King. You should have been wearing your crown, even if you were going to die.》
Pendragon sighed and looked at the struggling Jackal, tilting his head.
《Hmm. Anyway, capture means… as long as they’re still breathing, right?》
Pendragon effortlessly raised his greatsword, and then, just like that-
Thwack!
It pierced Jackal’s chest.
“… !”
Blood gushed out like a fountain. Jackal writhed in pain without even being able to scream.
《Bear with the pain. It’s been a while since my sword has tasted blood.》
Pendragon’s greatsword pulsed like a living thing, beginning to suck Jackal’s blood. Only then did Pendragon smile contentedly.
《After all, you were once a king. Try to hold on.》
***
It was only a few hours later that the reinforcements arrived at Crossroads.
District 8. The crumbling chapel.
The elite heroes of Crossroads had come right up to the base of the Fallen Knights. And.
Thud-
The standard-bearer, Commander Ash, waving a tattered flag.
The Guardian of the Mortal Realm himself.
“…”
Ash, standing at the entrance of the chapel, did not enter. He merely stood at the entrance, staring blankly at the scene inside.
Inside the chapel, the corpses of the five scout heroes were reduced to bones on the table, and the Fallen Knights were burping, patting their full bellies.
And Jackal, bound and hanging in the air.
With Pendragon’s greatsword piercing his chest, Jackal, withered and mummified, was barely breathing.
Having already lost all strength to resist, the tentacles and chains had been removed.
《Welcome, Guardian of the Mortal Realm.》
Pendragon, picking his teeth with a toothpick, easily rose to his feet.
《I never thought you’d come yourself. It’s a pleasure to meet you.》
“The 13 Fallen Knights. And their leader, the Fallen King Pendragon.”
Ash recited information about his opponent in a cold voice.
“Originally, they were legendary kings and knights of an ancient kingdom. But one winter, they went on a northern expedition, got stranded in the snowy mountains, and when their food ran out.”
Pendragon shuddered.
“You kings and knights captured and cannibalized one soldier each day. Placing them on the table in the chapel they used as a shelter. They didn’t even have fire, so they ate them raw.”
《…》
“And so, when winter ended, and the blizzard stopped… all the soldiers had become your food, and you had become monsters addicted to human flesh.”
Ash spat out fiercely.
“So, you returned to your homeland and devoured all your own people, a terrible legend of such monsters.”
《…Haha. You’re quite the historian. I’m almost embarrassed that you know so much about us.》
Pendragon smacked his lips.
《I like smart people. Because.》
“…”
《Their meat is so tender and delicious.》
Pendragon gestured upwards at the silent Ash. Towards the bound Jackal.
《I heard you care a lot about your subordinates, so come on. Come and take him.》
“…”
Ash counted the number of bones on the table. He made a sound of his teeth grinding together.
“I have confirmed the deaths of all the scouts.”
Ash said to his subordinates.
“There is no need to fight inside the enemy’s prepared base. We retreat.”
《That’s harsh.》
Pendragon tapped Jackal’s chest with his hand.
《Isn’t this one your subordinate? He’s still alive?》
“I already know, Pendragon.”
Ash spat out coldly.
“That the moment your man-eating sword, Excannibal, is pulled out, Jackal will die.”
《…》
“Don’t bother with such a pathetic hostage situation. I’m already tired of being taken hostage these days. You damn cannibal.”
《You have a foul mouth, Guardian of the Mortal Realm.》
“Blood-sucking bastards were annoying, but you’re no better. You son of a bitch. Shut your mouth. I don’t want to smell you.”
Ash stopped confronting Pendragon and faced the bound Jackal.
“Jackal.”
“…”
Jackal, who was hanging limply in the air, mumbled with difficulty.
“I’m sorry… Your Highness… If I had handled it better…”
“You did enough.”
Ash smiled with an incomparably kind and gentle face, as if the hostility he had shown to Pendragon was a lie.
“You’ve worked hard. I sincerely thank you for your dedication.”
“…”
“Everblack will remember you forever.”
At those words, Jackal’s eyes regained a faint spark of life.
Jackal smiled faintly and whispered his last words.
“…Thank you, Your Highness…”
Ash waved his arm. Then.
Bang-!
A gunshot rang out from somewhere, and a magic bullet sniper shot pierced Jackal’s head.
Jackal died smiling.
Whirr!
Ash turned around immediately. And strode away from the chapel.
《You think I’ll let you go!》
Pendragon shouted, and those among the Fallen Knights who used magic reached out their hands.
Whoosh!
Various evil magics made of blood, bones, poison, and curses flew towards Ash. But Ash didn’t even look back, lightly striking the ground with his flag pole.
Whirr-!
Then, a magical wall rose from under the flag, blooming in layers like a flower, completely blocking all the evil magic.
Ash continued to walk, and Ash’s subordinates also glared fiercely at the Fallen Knights before retreating, following their master.
Pendragon yelled.
《Can’t you see the horrific corpses of your subordinates!》
“I saw them. I’ve engraved them well enough in my mind.”
《And yet you run away! Aren’t you going to avenge them! You cowardly bastard, are you even a commander!》
“Because I am a commander.”
Ash, his black eyes burning with hatred, spat out.
“Therefore, I will fight a battle where I can be sure of victory.”
《…》
“I will not engage you on a battlefield where you have even the slightest advantage. If you want to fight, come to my walls.”
With the veins in his hand holding the flag pole bulging, Ash growled like a beast.
“Don’t worry, Fallen King. I promise you.”
《…》
“I will crush and burn you down to your last cell.”
And Ash walked away and disappeared.
Pendragon tried to pursue, but soon gave up. He was sure that man would have prepared a way to shake off any pursuit.
《He’s a king.》
A smile formed on Pendragon’s blood-stained lips inside his helmet.
《I’ve met countless self-proclaimed kings in this hell, but that one is the real deal. That one is truly a king…!》
Pendragon opened his helmet wide and began to laugh maniacally.
《That one is my food! I will devour him! Yes, that’s right! Down to the last bit of flesh, every fingernail! All of it! I will devour it all-!》
And all of this.
Hiding in a corner, Low was watching.
Low stared, as if entranced, at Ash’s retreating and disappearing figure.
‘That human is… the Guardian of the Mortal Realm.’
The little devil’s fist clenched tightly.
‘The strongest adversary… I must face…!’