Koneko...

Arnel...

Ymil...

Elena...

Their names echoed through this void.

I'm alone...

All alone...

I was able to save her. I was able to obtain my strength. I had finally achieved it.

And it disappears just like that.

Why...

Is there something wrong with me?

Is it because I'm weak?

Is it because I'm always being saved?

I did everything I could to make you proud of me. Why did they leave me?

"... Then kill them..."

That voice.

It's that voice again.

I'm in the same dark room inside my head. Curling up in pain and loneliness. I'm alone and I'm cold.

"... Accept me... And I'll warm you through blood and murder..."

It's calling out to me.

I stood in this void with nothing on me. I'm empty.

From afar, the dark flame ignites candlelight.

It's small yet strong.

".. Kill them... Kill everyone.. Kill those who betray us..."

Kill them?

Kill them...

Maybe I should.

I approached it and reached my hand to it. As my hand kept on reaching it, it's flames started to grow.

"..Kill them.."

Kill...

"Murder them..."

Murder...

As I was about to reach it, an arm embraced me around my chest.

"Yuichi nii-chan, I told you... Be careful with the darkness."

"Na... mimi..."

"Don't give up yet."

"Namimi..."

"You promised to protect her... Don't let the darkness consume you, my beloved brother."

"Namimi!"

"Graaah!" I woke up from my void. I was still falling down the abyss.

I can't. I can't make the same mistake. I promised. I promised to save protect them! I must not lose hope. I still have my faith!

Ayumi wouldn't do this to me in her own will. It must be Elena and the others! They must have abused the curse of slavery and ordered Ayumi to kill me.

I struggled as my body flipped through the air. The Abyss seemed bottomless yet the rocky spikes were near to be seen. I have to think of something.

My traumatic pain is interfering with my thoughts! I couldn't think of a way! I must not lose hope! I must keep on living!

Namimi...

Suddenly I felt an embrace. It was familiar and warm. There was no one here with me. But it felt comfortable. Thank you, sister.

My tension slowly faded away as I try to reach my feet on the surface of the wall. But my body kept on twisting and turning in the air and I couldn't seem to reach it.

No.

I can!

As soon as my feet touched the surface of the wall I held my body forward.

"STRIDE!"

BOOM!

It sent me flying upwards. I was defying gravity as I skate to the mouth of the abyss. I can see the light! I can be saved!

I flew out of the abyss soon enough and landed on my body.

"Ha.. ahahaha... I'm alive... I'm alive!" I screamed out in happiness as I inspect myself for injuries.

There were no injuries and seemed that my leg injury had fully healed.

The door slammed open and knights started rallying inside. I have to tell them the truth. I have to warn them about Elena.

"Knights! Elena is "

"Silence! Sc.u.m!"

He shouted at me and sent a punch directly to my face, knocking me out.

-------------

I was out of conscience when I heard a ruckus. There were people screaming and I could hear them cursing.

"Kill him!"

"Kill the murderer!"

"Hang him!"

"I knew it!"

My eyes started to open slowly and my vision was clearing up.

"H-huh?"

"Kill him!"

"W-where am I?"

"Silence, b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" a knight struck me with a heavy punch on my face and as soon he did, people started howling like it was a celebration.

I found myself in a pillory with my head and arms trapped. I was standing on an execution stage where the guillotine and hang rope was found.

"Kill the murderer who slaughtered the village!" A man threw a rock at me and blood started to flow scarlet down my head.

"Wha... what are you talking about? I haven't slaughtered anyone!"

"Lies!" They started cursing at me like I was a criminal or a pig. They threw rocks at me and each rock slammed into my face and my arms.

"Ugh! No! I-i don't know what you mean! I didn't slaughter anyone! And also Elen"

The knight punched me twice and I vomited blood.

"You dare accuse the queen?!"

The knight shouted at me.

Queen? I don't know what you are talking about!

"Bring the first accused on the stage!"

They pulled a chained man upwards the stage and it fell on its knees. It was the same man I saw in town who was chained and pulled inside the carriage.

"Yes! That's him! That's the one who slaughtered the village!" He accused me of something I haven't done. His face was full of bruises and scars. It was clear that he was tortured, trying to make him spill out or accept the crime.

He pointed at me like he knows everything me. Like he saw me slaughter the village. It was clear that he only wanted to frame me so that he could be free.

"Lies! I am innocent!"

"Silence! I did not tell you to speak!" The knight thrashed my face and broke my finger.

"AAAAAAAAH!"

The people were screaming more like they were enjoying me being hurt. The women covered the eyes of their children and the men continued to cuss accusations at me.

They continued to throw rocks at me and even rotten tomatoes.

My heart began to hurt.

"I.. I didn't do it.."

Just when I gained hope again...

"For the crimes of Yakiro! He will be punished by death!"

"No! No! I didn't do it!"

I struggled by the pillory as I trembled in fear. My face was soaking in sweat and blood. I had been accused of something I didn't do.

"He did it!"

A man came out from the crowd. He held a broken armor and tattered clothes. Those were... Mine.

"This is proof of his murder!" He roared angrily as he swung it around the air. He's the guy who runs the blacksmith shop by the town, the one I bought my armor.

"No! I just stole it!"

"Lies! You said to me that you stole it from the corpse of the party! Those group of people came from the village you slaughtered!"

"Your wrong! No! I didn't kill them and I didn't slaughter anyone! It was the fox demons who killed them by the gra.s.s valley!"

"Fox doesn't camp by the gra.s.s valley! Stupid! They roam by the forest! Why would a fox be in a lower level area? And in a demon cla.s.s? You must have summoned them otherwise!"

"No!"

"This proof is enough to kill him! Slaughter him!"

"By the visible proof! You are proved guilty! Death-"

A man interfered. He's... he's going to help me! I felt a swell of happiness.

"Don't kill him! Torture him!"

What? No!

"Yes! Yes!"

Everyone rejoiced like it was some kind of an event. The faith and hope I just collected, the faith and hope that Namimi tried to give...

...Was once again taken away.

The knight freed my right arm and a large masculine man walked on stage. His head was covered in a metal casing and had locks on it. He was a caged beast on loose.

The knight pulled my arm in a straight line and the buff guy took a tight grasp on my arm.

Level 30 Executioner Cla.s.s

My eyes began to tremble. My feet began to weaken. No... no...

"Somebody! Help me! Help me! Someone! Is there anyone!"

Crickkkked

"AHHHHHHH! MY ARM! MY f.u.c.kING ARM!"

The executioner twisted my arm in a clockwise. I feel my bones shattering and piercing out of my skin. My arm sprayed blood on its face and, his tongue struck out from a hole in his metallic mask and tasted it. His eyes were beaming death and torture.

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

*Warning! Warning! Lethal Damage Received!*

My vision started to waver. I was losing myself.

I glanced at the executioner and he took a giant tomahawk and sliced my arm off!

The people cheered and shouted.

They continued to laugh at me, threw rocks at me, and accuse me of something.

I was crying.

But it wasn't tears anymore.

It was blood.

I screamed and shouted but no one came to save me.

Not even Koneko, not even Ayumi.

They left me. They betrayed me. They have forsaken me. They used me.

".... then kill them all..."

I can't... I'm now terrified of this world... This is now h.e.l.l.

They chained my neck and my left hand and pulled me inside the carriage. I felt fear welling inside of me. I'm afraid.

I'm afraid.

I cowered in fear. I held my right shoulder trying to resist the pain. I lost my right arm.

"... where... where are you taking me?" I asked the knights guarding me inside the carriage. The horses began to walk and I can still people cursing at me. I was in Chesprych Castle Town, the capital of Chesprych.

"You will be tortured for your crimes."

"I didn't do it."

"You can't do anything about it, scoundrel. You even accused Queen Elena."

Queen... I see... She used me. As soon as she saw me improved, she wanted to steal everything from me. All my abilities, humanity and stats. She wanted to obtain power. She saw me as a tool. I see why Ryan hated the queen. Now I fear her.

They led me down the chamber where people were hung by the chains and whipped. It was basically a torture chamber. Most of them here are criminals.

"I'm innocent... Mister..." I asked him to release but he punched me instead.

This is cruelty. He took the chains and hung me by the window bar, my feet hanging off the ground. Then a shadow appeared and each step echoed through the chamber.

It was Elena and she was wearing her mask.

"... Elena... sama..." I lost my voice.

"I was looking forward to obtaining everything from you. I thought we were successful in sacrificing you on the pillar." She giggled.

"But who knew! You survived! We used the escape token and waited for your abilities to appear in our Collective Rewards but it didn't!"

She laughed haughtily as she held her stomach in laughter.

"It was pointless to kill you now. Since you didn't die before we got out. So instead, as thanks for failing me. I will torture you to death."

She took out a whip adorned with blades, broken gla.s.s and thorns. It still had stains of blood in it.

"... I'm... sorry..."

"I couldn't hear you." She whipped my chest and it ripped my skin apart. Blood came out gus.h.i.+ng.

"Ahhhhhhhh... ugh... ugh... Ahh!"

She continued to torture me for weeks. I hadn't eaten anything yet I'm still alive. This must be the suffering I deserve for dirtying the name of Nas.h.i.+ki. This must be the suffering i deserved for suiciding. She whipped and whipped. My right shoulder started to rot off.

I was dying...

But somehow I held on...