Rael responded, "Huh... yeah."

  What had he told him again? His aunt's daughter? No. Niece, Rael corrected himself.

  The knight responded, "You know. Explain it to me. Why is your aunt's niece always with Abella's and Goldbon's children?"

  Rael raised an eyebrow, confused.

  What the hell was he talking about? he wondered. The only time she was with Ferzan was when she was being chased by that man-eating creature.

  The knight noticed his confusion and said, "You're not so smart, are you? You didn’t stop to think why she wasn’t brought in? Put into Juvy Vlandos detention?"

  No... he hadn’t. That thought had completely escaped Rael. It wasn't like she was ordinary. He guessed he hadn’t thought much of it.

  Rael asked, "So. What do you want? You going to force me out of here? Put me in jail?"

  Saying that gave Rael a weird chill in his stomach, and he realized something.

  He added, almost without meaning to, "You were the one who opened your mouth?" The one who told Lo'jul he was in his house. "The one who turned this into shit for me?"

  Knights... Guardians of Settlements, his ass, Rael thought bitterly. The man had no idea what he’d done, the danger he’d put this city in. Even if Rael’s motivations weren’t noble, the effect would’ve been for the greater good.

  Truly, knights were just meant to stand and look good, he thought.

  The man leaned in to whisper, "Don’t play victim here, monster pet." His voice gradually became rougher. "Nasty lies you told. Lied to my face. Played my kindness like a joke, so you could keep being a little predator. If you had a brain, you would've played it smart. You could’ve used the law to back your little pedophiling."

  What the hell was he talking about? Pedophiling? What? Rael thought. When the hell had he ever looked at a damn child with interest?

  Had this man lost his mind? No. He was making up bullshit to justify hurting him, Rael realized.

  Then Rael had a certain thought. He remembered a particular interaction. The fakeness in their tone.

  How they had baited him to the walls using trigger words—ones his Vanquisher-modified mark-stone had been filtered to search for. But not enough to incriminate themselves.

  The little demon. She must’ve warned Lo’jul, then somehow found out he got the information from a knight. Or perhaps a knight had told her, concerned that Rael was looking for his aunt’s niece.

  Then she told him Rael was stalking her, taking advantage of how knights think to get rid of him.

  Rael’s heart felt an odd chill. As soon as she’d learned of him, she had twisted things against him so quickly.

  That... demon. That DEMON! he raged inwardly.

  The knight grabbed Rael’s shoulder and said, "Don’t speak of this. I know we knights aren't supposed to speak badly about Terrafall and its laws. But let me tell you a secret. No one likes your kind. We had to grow up seeing scum like you walk into our villages, looking at us like we were purchasable goods. Had to watch you take our friends and then disappear."

  His grip tightened, and Rael sat, stunned into silence.

  The knight said, irritated by Rael’s silence, "Say something."

  The trembling in Rael’s hands had vanished, replaced by an odd, comforting sensation.

  That chill was a calm fire. A fire that cooked the confining shell of his, ready to reveal the true him. Not the him he wanted, Rael thought.

  So Rael said, "Do me a favor."

  The knight cocked his head, listening.

  Rael added, "Tell me where the little shit is, so I can find her and—"

  Allow Rael to remind himself: he was level 27. The most common level for a Monster Fighter was around 21.

  This individual was only level 24.

  Rael saw a blur of gold, then felt pain, and his body lifted off the seat.

  He flew like a damn bird, soaring for a moment before crashing through the wooden ceiling and tearing through the galvanized roof.

  Rael gasped as he hit the ground.

  The pain... was unimaginable.

  "Ah..." Rael tried to close his mouth to avoid humiliating himself. But he couldn’t. "Ahhhhhhhhh!"

  A scream tore out of him, and he rolled on the ground, gripping his stomach. Then something surged up his throat.

  It burned going up, and Rael vomited up bread, tea, and vegetables.

  The knight walked over, unaffected by the frightened crowd. The carriages moving up and down the street came to a slow halt.

  The eyes that fell on Rael weren’t full of pity. No, no... Maybe they would’ve been—if not for the man in gold and silver walking toward him.

  A Knight.

  "You go!"

  "Be careful!"

  "What’d he do? Think he killed someone?"

  "Probably some messed up shit in another town."

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Not a single person cared about him, Rael realized. They didn’t know either of them, but immediately, the knight was the one in the right.

  Because he was a knight? Weren’t knights people too? Capable of evil?

  What was this bullshit, huh? Rael thought. He’d done good all his life.

  He was a Vanquisher. A damn Vanquisher. Did these ants know what that meant? What they did in the shadows to protect them?

  The entire damn reason they could probably afford bread was because of them. Those ants... lowly ants thought all the Senate acts passed without resistance from nobles and corporators?

  They weren’t aware of the blood and sweat and sleepless nights the Vanquishers spent keeping this nation in check.

  He deserved more than this...

  The man's weak hands shuffled against the concrete as he tried to push himself up.

  His whole body trembled, but eventually, after a few failed attempts, he rose—only to sway backward from the pain.

  He grabbed the guardrails that protected people from falling into the Midrem River, which ran from the west to east of Sundawn.

  Terlin spoke again, "Who gave you such confidence?

  "Such delusions. If you were wise... you would’ve stayed down.

  "You can’t fight a knight." Not without monsters.

  Rael’s stomach hurt, and blood began escaping through the corners of his lips.

  A single hand scrambled in the air, opening his Personal Space to take a healing tablet.

  No time for an elixir. Smart. Not that Terlin would’ve given him the chance, he thought.

  Terlin walked toward him, slow, confident. He didn’t even draw a weapon. A Knight’s body was the weapon.

  Rael told him, between shallow breaths, "Vanquishers fight in the shadows. You should know that."

  Terlin took a massive step, and by the time he finished blinking, Rael was off the ground, held by the hair.

  Terlin said, "Oh really?"

  "You know, I always hear kids say knights would win in a fight against any other Vlandos defense agency."

  "I wonder why." Terlin’s free hand found Rael’s soft, very breakable throat.

  "Because... they’re ignorant." Rael reached for Terlin’s neck, but Terlin wasn’t concerned.

  Then Terlin began to squeeze. "You shouldn’t be resisting arrest."

  Rael could no longer speak—only make struggling, ugly expressions. His neck began to compress. There wasn't a need to rush. It would be horrible for civilians to see such a gory scene.

  Then suddenly, people screamed. "Behind you! Knight, he’s taking something!"

  "A weapon!"

  Huh, Terlin thought.

  He saw Rael’s forearm tense. He threw something?

  Terlin turned just in time to see a metallic sharp disk embedded in the café wall.

  An exploding disk.

  Rael said, gasping, "What are you waiting for...? You’re a Knight, right? Did you forget your First Promise?"

  To honor and to protect the people, no matter what. If he must die to do so, then he would happily die. This was his First Promise. A Knight’s Promise.

  And knights...

  Rael whispered, "Don’t break promises... do they?"

  Terlin threw Rael over the guardrails and ran as fast as he could, leaping toward the disk.

  He could easily survive a normal bomb, but Rael wouldn’t have put his trust in one. This must’ve been far more powerful, Terlin thought.

  He collided with it, bracing for impact.

  ...

  There was no boom—

  A shadow passed overhead. Before it hit the wooden walls, Terlin saw it.

  A glass bomb—fire at its core, surrounded by animal fat and the bluest blu-dust he’d ever seen.

  A fire bomb. An almost ancient one. Vanquishers fight in the shadows, he recalled.

  It hit. Instantly, an inferno exploded. The flames whipped at Terlin, covering half the building in seconds.

  They rushed into the cracks of his armor. Even if they couldn’t harm him, he had to get everyone out.

  Terlin leaped toward the entrance—but immediately, something under his feet snapped up.

  Metal jaws—the sharpest he’d ever seen—clamped through his armor and bit into his skin.

  Then came a dry cough, and Rael’s voice: "We’re also trained to kill rogue knights, dumbass."

  A lie. Knights dealt with their own, Terlin thought. The screams inside were terrifying. He grabbed the trap and tried prying it open.

  Then a thick disk hit his left arm. The front half made an explosive pop; a cable shot from it and wrapped around his arm.

  The opposite half shot to the ground, penetrating it with ease, anchoring him.

  The flames moved oddly—alive, yet not supernatural.

  The same thing happened to his other arm. Then his left leg.

  Motors whirred, dragging his limbs down. Designed to destroy leverage, Terlin realized.

  More flames entered his visor.

  Rael coughed, clutching his neck. He pulled out another disk—but stopped.

  "Nah... just burn to death."

  "You..." Terlin thrashed, all his strength focused.

  The devices creaked. Cable wires slowly tearing.

  Snap.

  Snap.

  But it was taking too long. The flames hurt.

  Worse—the screams. He had to save them.

  Rael turned to the crowd.

  With a chuckle, he said, "So... I’m a Vanquisher. He was... was a..."

  His voice faded. He turned back to the burning café and stared.

  Defeated, Rael muttered, "I’m getting executed, huh?"

  He was silent for a long while. It was like he couldn’t believe what he’d done—or what was about to happen.

  Then Rael pulled out a pyramid communicator and hesitated.

  "Rezac... it’s me. Tell me, are you still selling slaves? Got Vlandos ones? Yeah? Good. And a Vlandos mercenary. One with a &&&&& monster."

  A pause...

  "My house. My bank account. My monster farm. I’ll give you everything if that ain’t enough."

  There was no going back. Rael had made his bed, and now he had to lie in it.

  There was only one thing he could do now.

  Vernisha is friends with those Star children... staying at Goldbon’s estate. She’s more than protected, Rael thought.

  That was okay. If he couldn’t go to her... he’d make her come to him.

  She wasn’t the only one who could track people.

  Then Rael heard another scream. He turned and saw the knight, wiggling in pain, burning alive.

  What a pathetic knight. You couldn’t even keep your promise in the end, he thought.

  Rael thought of something strange. That doctor... he couldn’t recall the name. Sir Maxwell Xeland. Yes. An annoying man, trying to play therapist.

  He was right in the end. Rael was no Vanquisher. No patient man.

  No one special. No one meant for greatness. But that was okay.

  Because he was free now. Free of the lies he told himself. Free to act how he saw fit. Logic was his compass.

  Haha... My mother must be so worried.

  Don’t worry. Your Yanson will return to you.

  But first... I’ll kill a demon.

  When Vernisha woke up that morning, the day hadn't broken yet.

  She was tired, rubbing her eyes as she made her way to the bathroom.

  She’d drunk too much water last night. As she was nearly reaching the bathroom, she suddenly heard a sound from outside and noticed many servants on the ground floor, watching through the windows.

  It was odd—too odd, she thought.

  So she went down the stairs and asked, "What's going on?"

  Zec’op slowly gestured outside with his chin, his mood clearly soured.

  Vernisha walked through the doorway and saw Abella, Ferzan, Katie, and many others gathered around a corpse.

  But through the gaps between them, she saw a green person. A Punchio?

  Katie somehow noticed Vernisha’s presence and turned to her in a panic. "You should go back inside."

  Vernisha raised an eyebrow. "What? I've seen dead bodies before."

  Abella’s eyes flicked between Vernisha and Katie, and she seemed to come to an understanding. "Yes. This isn’t a sight for you."

  Now Vernisha was anxious. She quickly ran over. Ferzan didn’t understand their reaction, so he said nothing.

  Katie’s attempt to push Vernisha back was pointless—not because Vernisha was a Vlandos (those god genes in her made her ridiculously strong)—but because she had already seen the corpse.

  On both sides of the person’s head were scorch marks and melted skin.

  The individual’s eyes were gone, and their face had been frozen in agony.

  Vernisha’s heart pounded against her chest, and she almost didn’t want to believe what she was seeing.

  She tried to speak, her mouth opening and closing, but no words came out.

  Written in deep wounds across his chest were the words:

  Be careful with the help you seek. I know secrets. Everyone will die until a demon presents itself.

  They tell me, say balash wirl fallen, I say, I don't understand it. Tell me, do you recognize it?

  Surrounding those words was dry blood shaped like palms.

  Lo’jul... He’d been tortured to death. And those words—Natasha sang them.

  He killed Lo’jul and... and...

  Then finally, Vernisha screamed, “Where... where is he? Where’s Yanson?!”