“Wait! I’m sor—”

Crunch!

Kai killed the last gang member, stepping on the man’s head and crushing it under his boot with an audible crack. Blood pooled around the lifeless body as silence fell.

Finn whistled, shaking his head with exaggerated dismay. “Oof. Remind me not to get on your bad side, Kai. That was... yikes. Brutal. Like, you weren’t stomping out a life—you were stomping out his hopes and dreams. The guy didn’t even get to finish his last words!”

Kai didn’t reply, his expression dark as he turned away.

Lorien walked back to where Seren was standing, carefully inspecting his blood-spattered sleeves with an irritated huff. “Fantastic. Another set ruined. You know, Seren, you could have stepped in and saved me the cleaning bill. Or do you just enjoy standing there looking stoic?”

Seren’s gaze was fixed on the bodies before them as he remained silent.

Lorien opened his mouth to say something again but stopped short as the villagers, who had been cautiously watching from a distance, erupted into jubilant cheers.

“They did it!”

“Blackwater’s gone! We’re free!”

“Thank the gods!”

The outpouring of joy left Lorien blinking in mild confusion. “W-what the…?” He looked at the cheering crowd, then at Seren. “They’re acting like they just won the lottery. Just how badly were these people terrorized?”

Finn threw his arms out theatrically, his grin wide. “Ah, the sweet sound of adoration. Finally, people who get me! Shower me with your applause, good folk! Blow me kisses! Name your firstborn after me!” He spun in place, pretending to catch imaginary roses.

Elise watched the scene unfold from a distance with her arms crossed and a contemplative expression. ‘Haaaa… just how messed up is this world?’ she thought. ‘These people are cheering for a group that just massacred a dozen men’

Lorien’s gaze wandered as he suddenly spotted his little sister Emma standing beside Elise. Her arms were crossed, and a cute frown adorned her face despite the cheering villagers around her. Curious, Lorien strolled over, smirking slightly.

“What’s with the pout, Emma? You look like someone just stole your lunch,” he teased lightly.

Emma’s face scrunched in frustration as she huffed. “It’s because I wanted to be the one to beat up those bastards!”

Lorien blinked, momentarily caught off guard by her response. Then he let out a soft chuckle. “Oh yeah, you were there when these guys tried to mess with you all, weren’t you?” His expression grew puzzled as he tilted his head. “Why didn’t you just take care of them yourself?”

Emma threw her arms up, exasperated. “Because Sister Elise was holding me back and protecting me!”

Lorien turned to Elise, his confusion deepening. “Why didn’t you just let her deal with it?”

Elise looked equally confused by the question, blinking at Lorien before answering, “Ah… because she’s a child?” She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

For a moment, Lorien stared at her in silence. Then he burst out laughing, doubling over as he clutched his stomach. “Bahahaha! A child? You’re making a huge mistake treating that little demon as a kid!”

“Hey! Who are you calling a demon?” Emma shot back, glaring at him.

Still laughing, Lorien wiped a tear from his eye. “Even if Kai and I teamed up, we still wouldn’t be confident we could beat her without using our relics. Seriously, you’re lucky she didn’t cut loose.” He then pointed toward Finn. “Ask that idiot. He had ten sparring matches with Emma yesterday and got his ass handed to him every single time.”

“I heard that!” Finn called out from a distance.

Elise’s jaw dropped as she turned to Lorien. “Wait, he wasn’t joking? He actually lost to her?”

Lorien nodded, a grin still plastered across his face. Emma, meanwhile, looked a bit smug, her lips curling into a proud smile.

‘Haaaa… I really need to stop treating the people from this world with my outdated common sense,’ Elise thought, shaking her head in disbelief as she glanced between Emma and Lorien.

Seren, meanwhile, was watching Kai. Kai’s usual composure was gone, replaced by a brooding intensity. Seren stepped closer as he said to him. “Kai, you’ve been acting… different today. What’s going on?”

Finn sauntered over, still grinning. “Yeah, you’re stealing my thunder. I mean, I know you hate scumbags like these, but you were going full rage mode back there. What’s up? Did one of them insult your haircut or something?”

Kai stayed silent for a long moment, his hands clenching into fists. Finally, he exhaled, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” he said, his voice low. “But… seeing what these people were doing—right under my family’s nose—it enrages me. The Valorheart name is supposed to mean something. And yet, here we are.”

Seren tilted his head slightly. “Right. You’re the sole heir to the Valorheart family. It must sting to see this kind of rot festering in your domain.”

Lorien, arms crossed, chimed in. “Now that you mention it, those guys wouldn’t shut up about some Lexarch backing them.” His tone was skeptical as he looked at Kai. “Sound familiar?”

Kai’s jaw tightened as he snapped. “That’s exactly what I’m wondering!” His gaze flicked to the injured gang member cowering beside Seren, clutching his broken arm. The man saw the anger in Kai’s eyes and tried to crawl backward, fear plastered across his face.

“Wait! Please! Don’t come near me!” The gang member flailed, throwing dirt and rocks in a futile effort to ward Kai off.

Kai was about to rush at the man and interrogate him when suddenly, Seren stepped in front of him. “Hold on. I’ll handle this.” His tone was calm, but there was an edge of finality that stopped Kai in his tracks. “You’re too angry right now. If you touch him, we’ll never get the answers we need.”

Seren suddenly stepped in front of Kai, raising a hand to stop him. “Hold on. Let me handle this.” His voice was calm but edged with authority. “With how angry you are right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if you killed him before we got any useful information.”

Kai glared at Seren, his fiery gaze locking onto him, but Seren stood his ground, his expression unflinching.

‘I let you be the one to break this guy, it’ll only make things messier,’ Seren thought coldly. ‘I need to be the one who acts furious in front of Susie.’

“Yeah, Kai. Let Seren deal with this one,” Lorien said, placing a hand on Kai’s shoulder. “You’ve already done enough for the day.”

Kai took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he tried to cool down. After a long moment, he spoke quietly. “You’re right… I’m not in the right frame of mind.” He opened his eyes, his usual composed tone tinged with guilt. “Sorry. I lost it.”

Seren nodded curtly. “It’s understandable. But now, let’s get what we need.”

Kai stepped back, still tense but no longer advancing. It was clear that, while he rarely lost his temper, anything involving his family brought out a side of him he struggled to control.

Seren turned toward the gang member, who had managed to crawl a few meters away in his desperation. The man’s face was streaked with tears and snot, and he flung dirt and rocks in a feeble attempt to fend Seren off.

“Stay back! Don’t come near me!” the man cried, his voice cracking as terror overwhelmed him.

Seren moved forward with eerie calm, easily sidestepping the man’s frantic throws. He closed the distance without hesitation, towering over the trembling figure.

With a deliberate motion, Seren lifted his foot and slammed it down on the man’s leg.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Crush!

A piercing scream ripped through the air as the man writhed in agony, clutching his shattered limb.

Crouching down, Seren grabbed the man by the hair and yanked him upright, forcing their faces inches apart. His cold eyes bore into the man’s.

“Now,” Seren said in a voice as sharp as ice, “you’re going to tell us about this so-called Lexarch backing you. Or I’ll make you regret wasting my time?”

“I-I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you everything! Just—please, no more!” the man sobbed, his body convulsing in fear.

The man trembled, his words spilling out in panicked fragments. “I-I don’t know his name! I swear! Or which family he’s from!” He clutched at his broken leg, his breathing ragged. “But… but he’s one of the strongest. A patrol guard on the outer periphery of the village… he’s the one backing us.”

The revelation hung heavily in the air as the man continued, his voice quivering. “You know how many Lexarchs pass through the village every day. Hundreds! But thanks to him—either through bribes or threats—none of them ever found any trouble with us. We… we could do whatever we wanted because of him...”

The gang member’s words trailed off as a thick silence settled over the group. Slowly, all eyes turned to Kai. His expression was a mix of shock and disbelief, his brows furrowing as he stammered, “Y-you’re saying… someone from the BPS supports you?”

The man winced under Kai’s incredulous tone. “I-I don’t know if he’s from the BPS or whatever! I just know he’s a patrol guard!”

Kai’s mouth tightened, and his gaze dropped to the ground. His fists clenched at his sides, trembling. The BPS was tasked with protecting the village from Law Beasts and external threats and it was under the jurisdiction of the Valorheart family. If a patrol guard was truly behind the Blackwater gang, it would be the same as saying the Valorheart family was terrorizing the commoners.

To think someone meant to uphold justice could betray it so completely.

Seren ignored Kai as he turned back to the gang member.

“What wrong things have you done?”

The man blinked, confused. “W-what?”

Slap!

The sound echoed loudly as Seren’s hand cracked across the man’s face, leaving a red imprint on his cheek. The man’s head jerked to the side, and he clutched his face, eyes wide with terror.

“I said,” Seren repeated in an icy tone, “What. Wrong. Things. Have. You. Done?”

The man stammered, his voice shaky. “I-I… I stole from the villagers! I beat them if they didn’t pay us protection money—”

SLAP!

This time, the man nearly fell sideways from the force of the blow, blood pooling at the corner of his mouth.

Seren said in a chillingly calm voice. “Keep going.”

“I-I… we kidnapped their daughters! We… sold some of them off to slavers—”

SLAP!

The man screamed as the impact rattled his teeth. Blood splattered onto the dirt, and his trembling hands flew up to shield his face. Seren grabbed his wrist and wrenched it away, forcing the man to meet his cold, emotionless gaze.

“Every time I hear something unpleasant,” Seren said in a tone devoid of mercy, “I’ll keep slapping you. If you hesitate, or if you take too long to answer…” He let his voice trail off, pulling a dagger from his belt and holding it to the man’s throat. “I’ll cut off all your fingers and shove them down your throat. Now, keep talking.”

The man’s sobs grew louder, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I… I killed them… The ones who resisted us… I—I—”

SLAP!

The blow was brutal, sending the man sprawling backward. He coughed violently, spitting blood onto the dirt. His face was swollen, his eyes barely able to focus as he looked up at Seren in pure, unfiltered terror.

Seren gazed at the trembling man like he was looking at something less than human.

The slow, painful scene of confession dragged on, each answer wrenched from the man under Seren’s merciless interrogation.

“We… we bu-burnd their h-houss… whn… they… didn’t… pay…”

SLAP!

“W… poizned… th-th wells… m-m… made ‘em beg… but… buhh… c-cuh—”

SLAP!

“K-k-k… cilled… th-their… ammals… s-s-starvv…”

SLAP!

Blood began to pour freely from the man’s mouth, dripping onto the ground as his grotesquely swollen face became almost unrecognizable. His words, now garbled and distorted, were barely distinguishable from the desperate noises of an utterly broken man.

Lorien, Finn, Elise, and the others watched in uneasy silence, their gazes fixed on the grotesque transformation of the man’s face. The villagers, who had moments ago cheered with jubilation, now stood somber and quiet. Some looked away as their hands gripped the shoulders of their children. Others stared, faces pale, unsure whether to feel satisfaction or pity for the wretched man.

Every slap seemed to echo louder than the last, punctuating the man’s incoherent cries.

Elise’s wide eyes refused to leave the scene. Her mind reeled as she tried to reconcile this Seren with the one she’d cradled so tenderly in her arms the night before. ‘Seren…’ she thought, her breath catching in her throat.

“Agh… Agh…” The man’s breathing was labored and uneven. “I… I… t-touched… that… lady over t-there…” His bloodshot eyes flickered over to Susie as his trembling hand weakly pointed to her.

Seren froze suddenly.

For a moment, the air was still. Then his expression darkened into something cold and terrifying. Without a word, he raised his hand—no, his fist—and brought it down hard on the man’s face.

CRACK!

The man crumpled like a ragdoll as his head smacked on the ground. A choked gurgle escaping his lips with blood bubbling from his mouth.

Seren lifted his fist again, his knuckles already streaked with blood and eyes burning with fury. But before the next strike landed, a firm hand grabbed his shoulder.

“That’s enough,” Lorien said with a serious look on his face. Seren’s arm froze mid-air as he turned, his glare meeting Lorien’s unflinching gaze. “You’re going to kill him at this rate.”

Seren’s eyes narrowed, his breath shallow. Lorien didn’t budge, glaring back at him.

“Control yourself,” Lorien's voice softened just enough to make Seren pause. “Can’t you see? You’re scaring everyone.”

Seren’s eyes flickered behind Lorien, catching sight of Susie. She stood still, her face filled with concern and… even some fear. The look in her eyes struck Seren harder than he expected. His gaze swept the crowd. Villagers stood rooted in silence with unease in their eyes. Children peeked out from behind their parents, shrinking back whenever his gaze fell on them.

Then his eyes fell on Emma hiding behind Elise. Her small hands clutched the back of Elise’s clothing with her usual confidence gone as she peeked out cautiously. Even she, with all her bravado, looked unnerved.

Seren realized he might have gone too far. He then closed his eyes, forcing himself to reevaluate his strategy. Slowly, he exhaled, his fists unclenching as the tension drained from his posture. The harsh edge in his expression softened. “Sorry, my bad,” he said in a measured tone. “I let my temper get the better of me”

Without waiting for a response, Seren stepped back and turned away, leaving Lorien to deal with the man.

As Seren walked toward the others, internally his thoughts simmered. ‘That should be enough acting angry for now. It’s about appearances, after all’

He stole a glance at Susie. She was watching him, her worry written clearly across her face, though she quickly averted her gaze the moment their eyes met. For a brief moment, he wondered what she truly felt about him now.

‘Haaa… I think I went too far with this one’ he admitted to himself. ‘I keep forgetting they’re just kids right now. They haven’t become accustomed to the brutality of the world yet. They haven’t learned what it demands.’

He cast a lingering glance over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing as they landed on the man who had been his real target all along. A flicker of cold resolve surfaced. "...But that doesn’t change a thing. Either way, I’m still killing that guy. Fear is a tool—a spark that ignites respect and caution. A bit of fear is always necessary to remind people where power truly lies. As a wise man once said, I am not to be overlooked.’

As he slowed, his gaze caught Emma hiding behind Elise, her fingers clutching at Elise’s clothes. Though her boldness was dimmed, her wary eyes still peeked out. Seren thought of something as he decided he needed to fix his mistake.

He approached slowly. Stopping in front of Emma, he crouched down to her eye level, his expression softening. “Hey,” he said gently. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I didn’t mean to.”

Emma’s eyes darted to Seren’s face and seeing his kind smile, she straightened up, a frown forming as she tried to act brave. “I-I wasn’t scared!” she said loudly, though her voice faltered. “There’s no way something like that could scare me!”

A quiet chuckle escaped Seren as he reached out to ruffle her hair lightly. “Of course not. You’re too strong for that”

Emma blinked, her cheeks coloring faintly. She nodded after a moment, muttering under her breath, “Y-yeah. Strong…”

Elise, standing next to Emma, watched the scene unfold. Her lips couldn’t help but curl into a small smile as the Seren she recognized returned. ‘Right,’ she thought, a gentle warmth spreading through her chest. ‘This is the Seren I held in my arms’

Meanwhile, Seren thought to himself silently. ‘Fear and love are two sides of the same coin, bound together by necessity. Love breeds loyalty, a desire to please, but fear ensures obedience, a certainty that lines are not crossed. Without love, loyalty is hollow, and without fear, respect is fleeting. Only by mastering both can one truly command. This world is cruel, and to be overlooked is to invite disaster. The Authority of a Leader demands both the warmth of affection and the edge of terror.’

“Hey, this guy says he’ll show us where that patrol guard is stationed,” Lorien suddenly called out as he had finished his interrogation.

Kai’s eyes narrowed, an edge sharpening his voice. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go settle this already!”

Lorien strode over to the trembling man, grabbing him by the neck with ease. Lifting him up like a ragdoll, he turned and tossed him toward Finn. “Here, you carry him.”

Finn barely managed to react in time as he caught the man, who curled up into a shivering, bloodied ball in his arms. “W-what? Why me?! You carry him!” Finn exclaimed, his voice a mix of bewilderment and dismay.

Lorien shrugged nonchalantly. “Seren got him to spill the identity of the Lexarch, I got him to reveal the location. Now it’s your turn to pull some weight.”

“Ugh…” Finn groaned, glaring at the man in his arms. The pathetic, oozing figure twitched slightly, and Finn’s face twisted in disgust. “Great. Lucky me.”

Still grumbling under his breath, Finn adjusted his hold on the man, trying to touch him as little as possible. “Fine, whatever. But if there’s a next time, someone else gets the human jelly.”

With that, Finn led the way toward the patrol guard’s supposed station, the rest of the group falling in line behind him.