Kill Each Other!
“……Kill each other!”
With someone's shout, the three factions collided.
Clang! Clash! Scraaaape!
Stab! Spurt! Thrust!
Blood sprayed everywhere. A massive brute roared as he swung his greatsword. Criminals were swept away by the blade, but as he raised it high for another swing, several men and women lunged at him.
They drove their weapons into the giant's body. He collapsed with a scream, and those whose blades were lodged too deep couldn't pull them free in time—their throats were swiftly slit by incoming strikes.
War. This place was no different from a battlefield. No guns or bullets flew, but magic and swords whistled through the air, lives snuffed out in an instant.
No one's coming at me.
The small fry must have pegged me as a monster—no one dared approach.
Instead, the three most dangerous big shots here had their eyes locked on me.
Names...? No clue.
They didn't call each other by name; just hurled insults and curses.
No names? Fine. Snake Tattoo, Whore, Airport Thief.
That'd do for now.
“Not coming at me? Good. Then lemme make you a sweet offer.”
“?”
“The one who kills me gets the Dark King's position—hell, I'll hand over control of the entire Back Alley.”
“……!”
“Hold up! What? Then what's this Dark King bullshit?”
“Dark King?”
I let out a smirk. The mask hid it, so I laced my voice with mockery.
“You think killing each other for the Dark King's throne gets you jack shit? You'd just be our puppet. I'm saying this is your chance to cut the strings.”
“……!”
“Play your cards right, you might even snag nobility. A shot at going legit for scum like you with filthy blood. Go on. Kill each other.”
“……Don't fall for it! You idiots! How can you trust that bastard? Kill him, and we'll just be the excuse they need to wipe us out!”
Tch. Not biting, huh.
I flung my robe dramatically.
“You lot. Know why I came all the way here myself?”
“……What?”
“I'm from the same gutter as you.”
“……!”
“Wonder why I look like a kid? This great family I'm repping—why send me here of all places?”
“……Urk!”
Stab!
Snake Tattoo—Black Mamba—doubled over. A sword tip protruded from his gut, thrust from behind.
“……Sauraba!!!”
“Sorry, Black Mamba. I'm sick of this life.”
“Oh? That's my line~”
Mana clashed against mana.
Badly wounded, Black Mamba staggered back as Whore—Medeya—and Airport Thief—Sauraba—clashed.
“Medeya!! Die quietly!”
“Haha! If you wanna kill me, do it in bed~ Though with that pathetic dick, you never could!”
Clang! Scraaaape! Clang!
Both at least high knight level. Daggers and rapiers collided.
I glanced sideways.
Black Mamba, who'd retreated earlier...
...Gone?
Clang!
I thrust my sword backward. His dagger, aimed at my throat, was blocked.
Black Mamba, wound staunched, dangled upside down from a tree branch, dual-wielding weapons. Bloodshot eyes glared at me.
“How dare you toy with us?! I'll kill you. I swear on my name, I'll end you!!”
“Hey. Who said to yap during a fight?”
I surged forward. War God's Blessing kicked in, layered with Sky Academy footwork.
My moves used to be sloppy as hell without basics.
But not anymore. I knew force distribution, breathing, stepping.
I accelerated, body blurring. Power control? Fuck that. He was just prey to kill.
“!”
Screeeeech!
Blades grated unpleasantly. His other hand flicked a weapon—a curved scimitar I'd never seen before. His style shifted.
No defense, just wild aggression. The oddly bent blade sliced my robe with each swing.
Claaaaang!
Swords met. Sparks flew; we locked mid-swing.
Blood trickled from Black Mamba's smirking lips.
“Local boy, huh? Lousy liar.”
“?”
“Sorry, but we don't even know our parents' faces! We don't get 'righteous path' types like you. Your sword's too honest. Too damn straight! Ever fought for real?”
Splat!
Something hit my face. No time to dodge. Powder invaded eyes and mouth.
Sizzle.
It stung. Something burrowed inside me. I parried a throat strike.
Black Mamba leaped back, grinning creepily.
“It's over.”
I wiped my mask. Skin burned where powder touched.
“……Poison?”
“Yep! Refined from the snake venom that named me Black Mamba.”
“Got it.”
I clenched and unclenched my fist.
Strong stuff—skin melted on contact!
But that's it. Red Divine Power welled up from my body.
“That all you got?”
“……What?”
“I said, that all you got?”
Poison? Sure, deadly mid-fight.
Unless you're a priest like me.
Crackle, pop.
Red light flared, purging every toxin.
“……!”
“Big shot on parlor tricks alone? Disappointing.”
Black Mamba gnashed his teeth and charged. I met him head-on. His strikes were dangerous at first—unpredictable curves.
But once adapted? I saw his paths.
Clang! Clang! ...Scrape! ......Screeeeech!
I preempted his swings. His scimitar held at first, but the blade chipped away.
Red aura coils around the sword. Movements sharpen beyond mere swings.
Riiiing!
His scimitar flew up. Arm exposed, I slashed for the throat.
Missed the neck. A red line split his mouth like a crimson mask. Black Mamba's eyes bulged.
“Grk…… Urgh!”
“Shut it.”
Buying time? He leaped back. I pursued, thrusting straight.
Too late to twist—
Stab.
Sword pierced his chest. He swung for my head with his free hand, but I was faster.
Divine Power surges violently, sword and hand trembling with output.
Ziiiiing!
“……This is……!”
His eyes widened, sensing Divine Power everywhere.
“War God's…… Divine…….”
Boom!
Before he finished, it exploded, shredding his heart.
I yanked my sword from his limp corpse. A chill from behind—I spun, slashing.
Scraaape!
A blood-soaked rapier met mine. Medeya, drenched in gore.
Bloody hair framed bloodshot eyes as she cackled.
“Ahahaha! Came just to fuck a noble once! Now screw it—die, all of you! I'll kill you all and bury my past!”
“Whore past?”
“DIE!!”
Past. Yeah, past.
I had one I wanted erased. Hated it so much I'd kill everyone who remembered.
“Fine. Bring it.”
Understanding? Empathy?
Not impossible.
But hating your past that much, turning criminal, witch, evil to others—repeating the hell you despise on them? And spout that crap?
“If you can.”
Rage exploded from my sword. Red Divine Power enveloped me. Medeya recoiled, steadying herself.
It roiled, ready to burst. I gritted my teeth, clamping it down, focusing on the Blessing.
“……Wh-what.”
Blessing swept my body, pooling in my sword. I raised it high. She braced with her rapier.
One shot?
No. I will cut her down.
Red layers upon red, deepening to black.
Her face paled.
“This... this is cheating!”
No need for vampire-level output.
That was uncontrolled frenzy. Now? Mastery.
High knight, sure—but no berserk vamp.
“Aaaah!”
She thrust. Mana spewed like a drill, smashing my sword.
But my Divine Power wasn't standard. Healing capable, but destructive—geared for war.
Veins bulged in my eyes and hands. I wrestled the explosive power, unleashing it solely on her.
Her mana split. Rapier cracked—shattered.
Red light filled her eyes.
“……Why can't I... be noble like that? I wanna forget my past too... reborn……”
Slaaaash!
Thunderous roar—she split apart. Pathetic end for a life-ruining witch.
To me? Just a strong foe. Fittingly hollow for her grand delusions.
I scanned around. All done?
One missing.
No Sauraba. Dead? Nah—Medeya would've noticed.
...Found you.
Eyes closed, senses sharpened amid corpses and fighters...
Gotcha.
I hurled my sword without hesitation.
Stab!
“Guhk.”
It pierced the heart of Sauraba, slipping through bodies with something hidden.
He forced his head up. Our eyes met as I approached.
“How……”
I drove the sword into his skull before he finished.
Stab!
No skull survives that.
Confirmed dead, I panted, retrieving my blade. Mask intact. Good.
“Hey.”
“Y-yes! You called?”
The hiding Dark King—Plague Rat—knelt swiftly.
I eyed the survivors. A third left, all broken-spirited.
Leaders dead.
By one man.
“Clean 'em up, recover all bodies. Heading to the lab now.”
“……Pardon?”
“Means I'll watch you work with my own eyes. Wasted my time and power. Lead the way.”
“……But,”
Plague Rat hesitated—I called the waiting elder.
“You. Old man. Guide us.”
“Understood.”
He bowed, leading. Plague Rat grabbed me from behind.
“Wait!”
“What?”
I glared coldly.
Battle heat lingered, killing intent thick.
His shoulders slumped, but he met my eyes.
“……I'll handle it from here.”
I chuckled.
“Hey.”
“……My name is Plague Rat.”
“Do I need to care? 'You,' 'hey,' 'that guy' works fine.”
I clapped his shoulder.
“Look like a request to you?”
Crunch!
Bone and flesh ground under my grip.
“This is an order.”