Confessions in the Flames
Kraaaah!
That spear I threw earlier definitely hadn't pierced it?
"?!"
I froze for a split second, but my body moved on instinct.
I charged at the monster, its arms now riddled with holes, staggering back.
The dark elf tried to interfere, but it wasn't just Jenella and me here.
"You're playing with me now."
"This...!"
I left that bastard to Ash and Adria, focusing on taking down this monster first.
"Aim for the heart!"
I slashed at the monster's chest several times. Long gashes opened up, deep enough to reveal the heart embedded inside.
Crackle, fizz!
Jenella's hair sparked into the air.
Her eyes filled with flames like sparks.
Not ordinary fire. Flames that ticked and popped like electricity.
That unusual fire had amplified her power enough to pierce even the variant troll's skin earlier.
"Pierce it!"
The same incantation as before.
But the magic manifesting in the air was entirely different.
Szzzzzzt!
A massive spear that could pierce anything!
Composed not of normal fire, but electric flames, it seemed specialized for battling huge monsters rather than humans.
Where the hell did she learn that?
I'd noticed it every time I saw her in action, but her abilities were tailored for magical beasts—especially massive ones—rather than humans.
Fire was inherently an attribute with wide-ranging destructive power to begin with. And mixed with lightning as her unique property.
Family heirloom or something?
Kraaaah!
The monster shattered the spear piercing its arms and charged at me in rage.
My role was to ensure her magic landed properly.
"Hup!"
I didn't dodge the incoming fist. Instead, I swung my sword from above downward.
In one motion, I split it from hand to arm.
Spluuurt!
A path opened.
The spear flew through the gap, slamming straight into the exposed heart.
KABOOOOM!
A massive explosion engulfed the monster's body. It howled from within the smoke.
Kraaaak!
The smoke cleared with a whoosh, revealing the monster.
Half its body was gone, flames covering it entirely. No matter how it thrashed, the fire wouldn't extinguish.
"Haa, haa..."
"No follow-up strike?"
One solid hit now and it'd be done.
But Jenella looked pale, her mana depleted.
"N-no... M-mana's empty."
"Then I'll finish it."
I swung at its neck. With all means of resistance gone, it couldn't react to the blade.
Slash!
Its head came clean off. Honestly, surviving with half its upper body blown away was a miracle.
"Kraaah..."
The flames clinging to its body spread to the severed neck, burning the stump.
At the same time, I saw hallucinations. Souls of the unjustly slain.
Resentful spirits of all shapes and sizes glared at me, then charged with wails.
Aaaaaah!
Like they wanted to vent their grudges on anyone nearby.
Seemed they mistook me for some kind-hearted savior who'd freed them.
"Hah."
Freed? Then that's the end of it. How dare they come at me?
I laughed in disbelief.
"Ghosts do exist, huh."
Technically not ghosts—more like half-baked undead rejects.
I poured divine power into my sword. Crimson aura wrapped the blade.
Vrrrrm, vroom!
"If you're really pissed, haunt the ones who killed you—even in death. Get revenge on those bastards."
If they couldn't do it alive. If they'd lingered as souls.
Not latching onto some random easy target, but the ones who murdered them.
Clinging to the weak just 'cause they're easy? I hated that.
-----!
No need to even swing.
Light burst from the sword, washing the spirits away in an instant.
The blade hummed, like it was telling me not to sweat trash like that.
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue, brushing back my disheveled bangs.
As the Black Forest's gloom returned, I spotted Jenella, Ash, and Adria.
Ash and Adria looked fine, but Jenella was ghostly pale from burning through so much mana at once.
"Jenella. Come here."
"Haa, haa..."
I took her hand, channeling my divine power and casting a holy spell for the first time in ages.
Cure
Her wounds and fatigue washed away like debris in a stream.
Her breathing evened out in an instant, and she blinked wide-eyed.
"...You're really a priest?"
"Yeah. I told you like a million times."
"Thought you were joking..."
Fair enough. Normally I'd snap, How could you say that to me?! but not now.
I fixed my cold gaze on the subdued dark elf.
"Cough... Heh. Gonna interrogate me now? No. You won't learn a thing!"
He bit his tongue hard. The severed piece blocked his throat.
But I didn't stop him—just reached out.
"You're not dying."
Recovery
It wasn't a spell I used often, but it worked perfectly.
Vrrrrm...!
Everything threatening his life vanished.
The divine power incinerated the tongue chunk blocking his throat, regenerating a new one so he could speak.
And that was just the start. Wounds from Ash's subduing, severed fingers—all regenerated.
"...?!"
"Ash. You know how to interrogate?"
"Of course."
"Adria. Jenella."
I called them in a low, sunken voice.
I didn't want my friends seeing this side of me.
Sensing the shift, they nodded quickly.
"We hang back?"
"Yeah. Take Eodukshini just in case."
I tossed the slime from my pocket.
-Guh!
Adria caught Eodukshini and backed off with Jenella.
Eodukshini glanced around, then whispered tiny at my foul mood.
Loud enough for everyone to hear, though.
-...Why's Master like that?
"No idea..."
Sorry, but we're going rated-R from here.
Ash drove her dagger cleanly into the dark elf's handback.
Stab!
"Grrk!"
"Now. Your job from here is simple."
Darkness rippled in Ash's eyes. Those deep-ocean blue depths looked pitch black in this moment.
"Spill everything you know."
"I-I won't say a word!"
Stab!
"Gaaak!"
"That's not up to you."
Three reasons I asked Ash.
One: She's used to it.
Two: Way better at it than me.
Three: Her suspected identity.
She's gotta be a reincarnator, regressor, or possessor. Combat-savvy, plenty of kills under her belt—interrogation pro compared to me.
...Doesn't make me feel less guilty.
I'll get her a gift later.
"Just decide what info you give us."
"...Heh. Think you can pry it out like this? I've got a mana oath."
"Bullshit."
I snorted.
"No mana left in you, dumbass."
Checked his whole body during healing.
No mana at all.
Just freakishly tough physique.
"Plus, that weird bug in you? I burned it out."
"...What?"
"Burned it. Know what that means? Play nice here, and I'll heal you up, change your face, even let you vanish."
Memories flooded my mind.
Winning wars meant swaying the enemy.
I whispered like a devil.
"Choose. Die here, or give us info and get a new shot."
No answer.
Expected.
Won't flip instantly. Not some random merc—been here long enough.
But that's why I could sway him.
"Don't it piss you off? Looks like you've been here ages. Following dumb orders, killing people, living with freak monsters. Probably couldn't even fend off roaches, let alone live well."
"..."
"And once your job here's done? Think your bosses save you?"
As if.
I smirked crookedly.
"You'd rot here."
"...That's ridiculous."
"How'd you know? You some big shot? Nah. You're disposable. Why keep a risky card like you unless your bosses are shaky themselves?"
Swaying humans ain't hard.
"No way. Place pulling strings without getting caught has real power. Risk dragging a 'fake dark elf' like you along? Think about it. Are your bosses that secure?"
"..."
Almost there.
"Want a mana oath? I'll release you, give you the chance."
"!"
"Deal?"
Not long deliberation.
He swore a mana oath with me, spilling everything.
"So you're a fake identity cooked up by the Arishion family? Lure bounty hunters, kill 'em, supply corpses to the Back Alley."
"Y-yes."
"Just corpses?"
"...Variant monsters too."
Scared I'd swing, he rushed to add.
"B-back alley's publicly an illegal gang, but really backed by Arishion family."
"Got it."
Back Alley. Famous underworld crew.
"And when you're marked for extermination, Arishion dispatches guys to grab you... clean the place, claim credit, you get new orders or freedom. Right?"
"Y-yes."
I chuckled.
Explained why Arishion scheduled the hit. Pieces fit perfectly.
Just why wait past deadline? Minor mystery.
"You'd be dead here."
"Y-yes..."
He nodded frantically, glancing between me and Ash.
Ash asked me.
"Release him?"
"Yeah."
Ash pulled the dagger from his wrist, cut the bindings.
I healed his wounds, spoke clearly.
"Now. Go."
"...R-really?"
"What? Don't wanna?"
"N-no!"
He bolted.
Limping on one leg.
"...?!"
I grinned at him.
"Chance time. Dodge Ash's sword, you live."
"This violates the contr—"
"What're you on about?"
Slash.
He couldn't dodge Ash's blue sword strike. It severed his neck.
"I said I'd give you a chance, not that I'd let you live."
Not soft enough to spare a murderer.
"Kill people, gotta know you can die too."
Mana oaths even divine power can't break.
But.
Contracts always have loopholes.
I promised release and new life chance—not no death.
And Ash killed him, not me. Read the fine print.
Was fake anyway.
I tore the mana oath paper.
Ash shook off her blade, wiped blood from my cheek with a handkerchief.
Guilt hit hard.
Couldn't meet her eyes, stared at the sky, mumbling.
"...Sorry about today."
"It's fine. Routine stuff anyway. Honestly grateful—you trusted me."
Just remembered her old mana oath. She won't betray, she'll help.
I met her eyes.
Those enigmatic deep blues held warmth.
"I'm your fan, after all."
"...That damn fan talk. Whatever. Let's go. Adria! Jenella! Eodukshini! Heading back. Burn this forest."
Anyone we leave to report? Later arrivals wipe traces anyway.
Better erase all intel completely.
8 hours later.
"...We're late."
Two shadows fell over what had been the forest.
Charred to ash, nothing left.
Already a dead zone, but we'd scorched it so even top mages couldn't recover intel.
"Young master. Looks like we were too slow."
The shorter figure looked up.
Hood fell back, revealing his face in the moonlight.
Bulria Arishion, eyes bloodshot.