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715. The Executioner

[The Grand Fiendlord - Lvl. 196]

It was Manos the Executioner.

He was the leader of the Deathsquad Hunters, and one of the Demon King’s most powerful aides. It was he who was responsible for hunting down all traitors and defectors to Regnorex’s kingdom. And it was no wonder why he was held to such a high status.

After all, he was a Primeval Demon on the precipice of evolving into a Primordial Demon. At the same level as Jofis the Winged Horror— the [Disgraced Hellking] and a former Primordial Demon.

But that was not all. I was certain that Manos’s Subspecies was unique too, just like mine.

Which meant that Manos could have been just as dangerous or even more dangerous than Jofis. And considering how much trouble we had with just the Winged Horror so far… without even defeating him yet…

I pursed my lips, staring at the four-armed Demon as he twirled his golden axe over his shoulder. Hartia and Haec both remained silent, whilst Ultis and Aliq backed up warily. For a moment, I wondered if they were going to defect against us right at this moment.

Then Manos spoke, glancing dismissively towards Jofis.

“Seems like you’re having quite some trouble here. To think only a few Primeval Demons and a Sacred Spirit is able to give you so much trouble… they must be really strong, huh?”

Manos raised a brow, glancing towards me. I took on a defensive stance as he chuckled. Jofis just grunted as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

“I don’t need your help to deal with these weaklings.”

“Oh, really?”

The Executioner tilted his head curiously when he heard that. Slowly, he looked towards Haec, then me.

“You know, when I heard there was a rebellion, I did wonder how it was possible… after all, as long as the legions are still collared, they would never have the audacity to rebel. Even if the Traitor and the Enemy are on their side.”

But Manos’s gaze slid off me, landing at Hartia.

“However, seeing how you are on their side, it makes sense how this rebellion could happen.”

Hartia flinched when he heard that. Was he shaking? I was pretty sure he was.

Jofis snarled as he stepped forward.

“Did you not hear me, Executioner? Leave me be.”

“I don’t think I will.”

Manos said simply as he grinned back at the Winged Horror. I narrowed my eyes, glancing between them. I wondered why they were arguing if they were on the same side.

But right as the thought crossed my mind, another figure descended from the sky. A winged Demon that landed a dozen or so feet away from Manos.

[Fiend - Lvl. 190]

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

I whispered as I stared at the new Demon who joined the fray. Manos turned to face him.

“Sicar, I thought I told you to search the area for the rest of the rebellion.”

“I did, sir. I could not find them. They must have hidden somewhere far away.”

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Sicar responded, bowing his head. Manos placed a hand on his chin.

“I see.”

“Go do your job and crush that rebellion, Executioner.”

Jofis growled as he waved a clawed hand dismissively at Manos.

“If you dare interfere here, I will have your head.”

Manos’s eyes flickered when he heard that. He looked towards me, Hartia, and Haec, before he closed his eyes. He didn’t even gaze in Ultis or Aliq’s direction, but the two of them were already cowering.

The Executioner sighed as he stepped forward.

“Unfortunately for you, Jofis, I will not be doing that. Instead…”

“Manos you—”

Jofis spun around in alarm, glancing back at Manos. And my eyes grew wide as Manos swung his axe straight through Jofis’s neck, decapitating the Winged Horror.

Hartia gasped. Haec blinked in confusion, while both Ultis and Aliq recoiled in surprise. Even Sicar couldn’t help but gape in shock at what his leader just did.

I looked on uncomprehendingly as Jofis’s head landed heavily on the ground. It came rolling to a halt right at Manos’s feet. The Executioner just wiped the blood off his axe, staring dismissively at the Winged Horror’s face of shock staring up at him.

“What…? But why?”

I tried to work my jaw, but then I paused when I saw the standing body of Jofis moving behind Manos. It moved, swiping a claw down at the Executioner from behind his back.

“You really are hard to kill, huh? No wonder Regnorex kept you alive. Unfortunately—”

But Manos noticed it without even turning around. He raised his axe behind his head, parrying the attack with ease. He turned around and bared his teeth at the headless body of Jofis.

“You seem to have forgotten that I specialize in killing.”

And he pointed a finger at the moving corpse.

“[Execution Of The Fallen].”

Immediately, Jofis’s body was engulfed by a sphere of translucent white light. Like it was caught in a bubble. And it immediately began to float into the air as everyone gathered around just stared in shock.

Jofis’s body tried to break free from the bubble. It slammed at the bubble, desperately trying to claw its way out. It even tried to conjure up a sphere of black flames to blast its way out. But then, its hand was sliced off by an invisible slash.

I blinked, watching as another invisible slash struck the body across the chest. Then another. And another. And another.

Jofis’s body was inundated by thousands of slashes that tore it apart.

This continued for what felt like forever as the bubble grew brighter and brighter. And when the bubble’s surface became entirely opaque, it exploded.

A powerful blast shot out across the sky, completely obliterating what was left of the Winged Horror’s body. The entire valley shook from the sheer impact of the blast. Even Ultis and Aliq were knocked off their feet.

I braced myself as the blast cleared, and the trembling stopped. Then when I looked up at the sky, I saw nothing of Jofis’s body remaining. I looked back down as Manos dusted two of his hands off.

He raised his axe, aiming down at Jofis’s head. The only remains of the Winged Horror.

“Goodbye, [Disgraced Hellking].”

And right as Manos swung down, Jofis’s jaw unhinged, unleashing a blast of black flames up at the golden axe. But the Executioner sheared straight through the cone of flames as his blade gleamed.

Then he cleaved Jofis’s head in half. The flames stopped pouring out, but Manos wasn’t finished. He brought his axe up and down again. And again. And again.

He continued this until Jofis’s head was nothing but a black stain on the white ground.

And Manos stepped back, dropping his axe to the ground.

“Good riddance.”

I almost recoiled when I heard the notification of Jofis’s death echo in my head. Manos looked down at himself, surprised.

“Oh, I even leveled up from that. Nice. That hasn't happened in a while.”

He muttered. I caught myself from staring, before looking towards Haec and Hartia. The two of them still wore nervous faces. However, it was evident that they were just as confused as me.

And we were not the only ones who were caught by surprise by Manos’s actions.

Sicar stepped forward, staring at his leader disbelievingly.

“Sir, what are you doing?! I don’t understand— why did you kill Jofis?”

“Hm?”

Manos tilted his head back, before tapping a finger on his chin. He seemed to deliberate about it for a moment, then he shrugged.

“Two reasons. The first is that I never liked that [Disgraced Hellking]. Seriously, he was an indiscriminate murderer.”

Shaking his head, Manos stepped forward and looked towards me.

“But the second and more important reason is simple—”

Manos spread his arms as he explained simply.

“I am defecting, Sicar.”

And my head spun as I heard what he said.

“...what?”