As we walked, I noticed Kai’s head swiveling constantly, analyzing everything with intense focus.

“Shin, we’re not detectives.”

Why’s he saying this out of nowhere?

“I know. Why bring it up?”

“We’re not the ones who should be investigating this case.”

“What’s your point?”

“There’s something fishy going on here.”

Hmm. I know Kai’s the restless type, always doubting everything, even whether he’s breathing right. But isn’t it a bit much to play the conspiracy theorist?

“Notice anything unusual?”

“For now, I’ll keep my suspicions locked away.”

“That’s not helpful at all.”

Always making things more complicated… Progress can stall over the smallest detail. It’s better to share everything.

We kept walking, getting closer to the smoke.

I was about to turn a corner when Kai’s arm shot out, stopping me.

“There’s a soldier.”

I remembered Jason’s orders: eliminate any soldier I see.

“I’ll handle it.” I moved forward slowly, drawing my sword.

But Kai stopped me again.

“You’re going to kill him without knowing if he’s innocent?”

“The boss’s orders were clear. Oh, right, you weren’t there to hear them.”

“If you don’t use your own judgment, you’re just a tool. This is something you need to decide for yourself. Think carefully—what’s the best choice? Is there a better option than taking a life?”

What’s he on about, wasting a life? If you kill someone who’s likely caused more harm than you ever will, that’s not a waste. A killer who kills will kill again.

“Tch. Wasting a life? This scum’s probably wasted more lives than I can count.”

“But what if he hasn’t? What if he’s just a soldier sent by a family looking for answers about a lost loved one? Killing isn’t good, no matter the reason, but some killings have justifications. If your justification is wrong, you’re no different from the soldiers who slaughtered civilians.”

With that, Kai leaned against a ruined wall, waiting for my decision.

Normally, I’d have followed orders and taken the soldier’s head off without hesitation. I was sure this guy was a civilian-killer. But… what if he wasn’t? How would that make me any different from a heartless murderer?

I held firm in my belief that this guy was guilty. But for now, I’d approach and question him. I’d weigh his words.

Depending on what he said, it could mean his death.

I sighed and walked toward the soldier, who was inspecting some destroyed houses.

“Hey, you!” I shouted. He spun around, drawing his sword.

“Who the hell are you?!”

“Name’s Shin. I’m looking for the body of a family member. Are you a soldier sent to investigate what happened here?”

The soldier flashed a sinister grin and shook his head.

“Oh ho~ So you’re related to one of the dead civilians? That’s a shame, but I’ve cut down plenty of them under my—” Before he could finish, I ripped off his helmet and threw it to the ground.

No hesitation. No benefit of the doubt. My judgment wasn’t wrong. I felt no remorse as I smashed my fist into his face.

When you hit someone, regardless of why, your brain usually begs you to hold back, to reason. It’s a defense mechanism to shield you from guilt and regret later—a pain as real as any physical wound.

Right now, I felt none of that.

I just kept hitting, my fist sinking into his flesh. With every struggle he made to break free, I hit harder. My only goal was to make him suffer.

Instead of my body urging me to stop…

It was telling me that if I stopped…

I’d feel the true guilt.

The guilt of doing nothing when I could have.

Blood mixed with my skin.

Blood stained my mask and fists.

Each blow wasn’t enough. It felt like every punch carried the weight of a soul urging me not to stop.

But I stopped when hitting him became pointless. The man was dead.

“Quite a scene,” Kai said, approaching with a calm expression.

“What? Gonna lecture me now?”

“No. I’m congratulating you. You made the right call.” He placed a hand on my shoulder.

Of course it was the right call. I didn’t regret it, especially after seeing that soldier’s expression.

That look of superiority.

The kind of look people wear when they think they’re gods, deciding who lives and who dies. A look of absolute arrogance, as if they’re untouchable, as if they’ve just done something that puts them at the top of the food chain.

People like that…

You devour them.

But their taste is bitter, disgusting.

So after chewing them up, you spit them out, sending them where they belong.

The dirt.

“Guys!” Jason came running toward us, looking frantic.

Captain Jason? He seemed distressed. If I recall, he went to look for info on the governor.

“What’s wrong, Captain?” I asked, eyeing him up and down.

He reached us, glanced at the dead soldier on the ground, and stepped over him without a second thought.

“Ahem… I found what I was looking for about the governor.”

I can guess what’s coming. The governor probably allowed this massacre in exchange for power or wealth, sacrificing the city’s people. Predictable. He’s likely involved, but we need to know why.

Jason sighed and continued.

“I spoke with a merchant who was salvaging goods from a stall in the commercial district. He told me about the governor’s situation. It’s been confirmed by the royal family.”

Here it comes.

“The governor was found dead the day before the massacre.”

What?

“The news was supposed to be announced the day after the massacre, but as you can imagine, with everything that happened, that didn’t happen.”

I see… That explains a lot.

Kai sighed and nodded. “I know what happened. I don’t know who orchestrated it or why, but I have my main suspects.”

No surprise there. Kai’s always been useful. Our last few missions succeeded thanks to him. We’ll probably crack this case faster because of him, as usual.

“Let’s start with the obvious details,” Kai said. “The day before the massacre, the city celebrated the arrival of an elemental family. You can tell from the banners still hanging on the remaining lampposts. That family is… the Copervilles.”

Now that he mentions it, I did see the banners. But why would that matter? The Copervilles don’t have the influence or power to pull off a massacre this massive. If that’s what Kai’s suggesting.

“Curiously,” Kai continued, “the governor was mysteriously killed the day before this family’s visit. Logically, the arrival of someone like us—ordinary people—wouldn’t matter to someone like the governor.”

That’s true. No one cares if a random merchant or traveler shows up in the city. And for this city, there won’t be a tomorrow.

“But let’s pause for a moment. Any Coperville family member would be as insignificant as any other civilian. Sure, they’re original elemental users, but they’re a small family just starting to rise. However, there’s one person capable of rallying crowds and catching the governor’s attention… and that person is…”

“Julius Coperville,” Jason said bluntly.

“Exactly. That guy’s the only Coperville who’d require the governor to be notified. But tell me… how could Julius notify the governor if he was already dead?”

I see…

“It’s likely the governor wasn’t notified,” Kai went on. “By official protocol, all recognized members of original elemental houses must inform the governor of their arrival in advance.”

Original elemental houses are families tied to specific types of elemental magic. In this case, the darkness element has about seven houses, with the Copervilles bearing the crow. Few members of these families gain recognition from all houses, and Julius is one of them. So…

“There’s a high chance the governor was notified days before his death,” Kai said. “But if he died and the visit was already scheduled, the visiting member should’ve been informed, and their arrival postponed until a successor took over.”

Something about this doesn’t add up.

“Kai, aren’t you missing a key detail?”

“I know. The banners were put up, and the city’s decorations show they knew Julius was coming. So it’s likely… someone orchestrated this from the shadows, someone with influence in the city.”

Besides the ruling family… the ones with significant power here are…

“The church,” Kai said. “Behind the governor, the church holds sway. They’re the only ones, besides the government, who can mobilize the population.”

Jason sighed and sat on a piece of rubble. “Kai, do you realize the weight of your accusations? Even if they’re well thought out, it’s still just conspiracy and theory.”

“True. But I’m not accusing anyone yet. I’m just saying I have my suspects.”

“Well, why didn’t you interrogate this soldier instead of killing him?”

“Impossible,” Kai said. “Dark mages are skilled at casting curses. It’s likely all the soldiers here are under a curse that prevents them from spilling information.”

“How do you know that?”

“Magical traces. I sensed mana emanating from that guy, but since he’s a knight, not a mage, he shouldn’t have a mana flow. Plus, the mana coming from his corpse isn’t unique magic—it’s elemental.”

Right, I forgot Kai’s unique magic lets him analyze anything. While Jason or I notice one thing, he’s already noticed twenty.

“See the smoke?” Kai continued. “Curses require a seal, something to keep them active. For a single person, writing their name on paper and casting the curse is enough. But to curse a large group, you need a bigger source. In this case… the houses.”

A bigger source… I read in one of Aaron’s books that some sects burn entire forests to curse civilizations or large communities. I guess the source for this curse was burning the houses with magical flames.

*Clap, clap, clap.*

“Well, well… you’ve unraveled the case perfectly~” A figure emerged from the mist—the mastermind behind this horrific massacre.

Julius Coperville.

The aura this guy exudes is unsettling. It’s an aura of absolute death.

Philosophers seek absolute knowledge, doubting, questioning, and challenging their beliefs, even if finding that knowledge is possible.

This guy’s aura is that of someone chasing absolute power.

And he doesn’t challenge his own power… he challenges the people around him. How? By ending them.

I drew my sword and lunged at him without hesitation.

But…

Julius drew a dark sword and parried me effortlessly. The force of his block shredded my yukata.

That sword… it’s like mine. Something special to the Copervilles?

Not that I care right now.

Our swords clashed, sparks flying in rhythm with our strikes.

His speed is unreal—too skilled.

I tried attacking from the sides, but his stance was solid, flawless, blocking every move.

I aimed a kick at his jaw, but a massive, shark-like dark maw appeared, forcing me to pull back before it devoured my foot.

Caught off guard, he sliced my abdomen.

I retreated, then lunged with a thrust. He blocked low and slid under my legs.

Before he could stab me, I struck his back with my sword’s hilt. He responded with a flurry of straight attacks.

I positioned my sword horizontally over my shoulder and boosted my speed.

A technique I learned from Alphine.

It syncs my sword and body.

Gripping the hilt firmly, I closed my eyes and visualized my surroundings.

Right now, I’ll trust my senses.

I don’t see—I feel.

I don’t distinguish—I listen…

To the enemy’s footsteps.

His ragged breathing.

I sense my surroundings, even the faint vibrations of ants marching.

In my mind, I visualize every possible attack route my enemy might take.

I’m not one with the sword.

I’m one with life…

I can’t see him, but I perceive him like frames in a film.

Right…

Julius attacked from the right, but I blocked elegantly, sliding his blade along mine to throw him off balance.

He stumbled forward, and I landed a full-force punch, sending him crashing into a wall.

“Tch… annoying…”

My eyes don’t guide me. What guides me is…

My enemy.

I lunged at Julius again. Before he could stab me, I kicked his sword’s hilt, disarming him.

I could feel it… hundreds of ways to kill him.

I’ll use them all!

But before I realized it…

I was sent flying into a ruined house.

“Guh!” I spat blood.

“Shin!” Jason ran toward me, but giant dark tentacles ensnared him and Kai.

“No, please! I’m not into tentacle stuff!” Kai yelled.

“Now’s not the time, Kai!”

I… I can’t move. It’s not the impact—is it magic?

“Behold! My new mass-destruction technique!” A black hole formed on the ground, swallowing everything in its path.

“What the hell is that?!” Jason shouted.

Julius laughed maniacally. “This beauty will devour everything it can, but it’ll reach a point where it can’t hold anymore and has to puke it out!” He grabbed my hair, forcing me to watch.

“Look, everyone! The embodiment of death itself! HAHAHA!” The hole stopped swallowing and began shrinking rapidly.

But then, it expanded again… its size indescribable, engulfing half the city.

A violet flash erupted from the hole, contracting before exploding outward.

The blast obliterated the entire area, reducing it to ash.

That power… it’s not human. Was there ever a way to beat this lunatic?

“HAHAHA! It’s just an unfinished prototype of my power!” He slammed my head into the ground before letting go.

Bastard… he’s completely unhinged.

“I’d kill you, but I need you alive~ So deliver this message to Aaron Coperville: ‘J will make even the darkness shine, but it won’t be a light of hope.’” Julius used the tentacles to drag Kai and Jason to my side, tossing them down.

“You bastard! If you think you’ll get away with this, you’re wrong!” Jason roared.

Julius placed his hands on the ground, and dark lines slithered toward us, entering our noses.

“Guh! Agh! What the hell are you doing?!” Jason glared at him.

“Aaah~” Kai just groaned, weird as ever.

What is this…? I’m… so tired… like I’m… falling asleep…

Julius cackled. “I’ve erased your memories of me—everything about me except today’s events. You’ll only remember my message and the fight.” He stomped on Kai’s head.

“This is just the beginning. The real game starts… when dawn breaks.” Julius donned his jacket and vanished into the shadows.

Every problem has a solution, but not every solution is the right one.

What happens when a problem demands a necessary solution? Desperation creeps in when you don’t know what to do.