After a day’s work, Uriel and Isaac went drinking at the local tavern with their hard-earned money. Lifting lumber and mixing cement was an exhausting task, and the two men were glad they finished for the day earlier than usual.

They entered the tavern and a waitress welcomed their arrival. They were guided to an open table and serviced a glass of water, after which the waitress asked for their orders.

The finest ale the tavern could offer! That was what they came for, and that was what they ordered. The waitress took notes and excused herself, bowing as she left.

As the two awaited their drinks, Uriel took a look at the entire tavern from his seat. There were a lot of people drinking already, some were even drunk. The place was lively, and it was the pleasant kind of atmosphere to enjoy mugs of ale. 

On the other hand, Isaac observed the waitresses. He looked at them and defiled those who caught his interest in his mind. It wasn’t his fault they wore thin and seductive clothing. After all, he was just human. 

The waitress from a while ago came back carrying their drinks. As she placed the mugs, Isaac grabbed hold of her butt and pressed firmly. The waitress shrieked from the sudden harassment. She moved away from the molester and then left in a hurry.

Uriel glared at his friend but shrugged it off. 

The two men raised their mugs to each other, then clanked them in cheers. It was truly a wonderful day.

As the two chugged their ale in enjoyment, they suddenly felt a weight on one of their shoulder. 

They stopped chugging and looked at what caused the mysterious weight. 

“Hello, boys.” A stranger greeted them. The man was tall and bulky, and he easily shadowed both of them as he stood. He wore a grin that made them uncomfortable. His blue pearly eyes felt like death was staring at them.

The two men tried removing the arms placed on their shoulders, but they couldn’t. No matter how hard they pushed or moved around, the arms remained intact, as if an invisible force glued them together.

“Now, now. I want you to act as natural as possible,” the man stated. “I’ll crush you if you don’t.”

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Uriel felt the weight behind the man’s words. He really meant it. Cold sweat dripped down his face, as he slowly placed back his mug on the table.

However, Isaac reacted differently. 

“What’chu say, son of a bitch!?” Isaac asked, loud enough for the entire tavern to hear. All eyes were on them.

Uriel had tolerated Isaac’s behavior, whether it was his laziness or sexual harassment. But this time, he wanted to throw his friend under the bus. This time Uriel’s life was on the line.

“I see, I must’ve been mistaken.” The man lifted his arms from the shoulder. 

Uriel was confused. There was something wrong with this situation, and he could only feel discomfort. The weight was gone, but the tension remained.

Isaac acted more arrogantly, demanding the man to pay him three rounds of ale as compensation. He spouted curses at the man, who deep in thought. 

However, it didn’t take long before the man grabbed Isaac by the neck, raising him high enough for his head to reach the ceiling. Isaac struggled for air, throwing punches at the man’s arm which lifted him.

“Didn’t I tell you, I’ll crush you?”

The man grabbed Isaac’s head with his other hand—

… blood and brain bits splattered. Isaac was literally crushed.

Everyone in the tavern watched the violence unfold. However, they only watched in silence. The man frowned at the lack of reaction. He threw Isaac’s headless body in the middle of the tavern, landing beside one of the waitresses.

The waitress screamed and fainted from the horrid scene. The rest of the people running for their lives in terror, fleeing in chaos, finding the exits before they meet the same fate as Isaac.

The man’s frown turned into a wide grin, enjoying the sudden turn of events. He raised his hand… a sword appeared out of thin air. And just like that, a bloody massacre took place in the tavern.

“You fucking idiots, you think I’ll let you live just like that?”

As blood painted the entire tavern, innards, and limbs flying all over the place,  Uriel remained speechless. He just witnessed his friend get murdered by a man they’ve never seen. And now? It was a matter of time before he was next.

Uriel finished the rest of his ale. For some reason, it tasted more bitter than a while ago. 

The screams slowly died out. Uriel didn’t bother looking, he already resigned his fate to the man. 

After a few minutes, the man sat in front of him. He was drenched in blood, and a few innards stuck on his clothes. He grabbed the mug of his friend, and the man drank from it.

“Ahhh,” the man said in pleasure. “That’s the good stuff.”

Disgusting. That wasn’t a man who sat in front of him. It was the devil.

The grin remained from the man’s face, undisturbed by his massacre. 

Uriel waited. 

But the man only delighted on his ale. 

Why was he the only one spared?

The man drank from the mug but was disappointed when it was already empty. He looked at his drinking partner, only to see him in tears. It was a refreshing reaction to witness.

While Uriel despaired in tears, the man laughed in tears. 

Truly, what an interesting tavern.