Ch.417What are you guys?

The slums had become quite noisy, unlike moments before.

The addicts were still lost in their dreams, but those with their wits about them were either hurriedly hiding inside buildings or running in the opposite direction from me.

Like beasts fleeing a forest fire.

Having demolished Dermont and his underlings, this was to be expected, but any hope of stealth was already gone.

News of a powerful knight’s attack would be spreading throughout the back alleys by now.

Even those who hadn’t witnessed the hellscape inside the tavern would have at least heard the screams of Dermont’s men.

[They’re running like mice that spotted a cat. At this rate, won’t that executive go into hiding too?]

‘Well, we’ll find out when we get there.’

If he’s confident in his abilities, he’ll fight me; if not, he’ll flee.

Personally, I’d prefer the former.

I moved toward the executive’s residence that Dermont had revealed, Durandal drawn.

Cutting down every thug I encountered along the way.

With the best option of stealth now ruined, it was time for the next best thing.

A thorough cleanup should satisfy Gwinel as well.

—-

“Run awaaaaay! It’s a crazy knight!”

“Fuuuuck! Call the Paladins! The Paladins! There’s a monster heeeeere!”

The slum thugs screamed and ran whenever they encountered me, but to me, their sprinting was hardly different from crawling.

“You’re looking for Paladins? How absurd.”

It’s like drug dealers begging the police for help.

I charged at a man screaming about a crazy knight appearing and split him vertically in half, then grabbed the head of the one calling for Paladins and smashed it against the alley wall.

– Splat!

His face shattered upon impact with the bricks, and the remains of his flattened head painted the wall like thick paint.

His body twitched like a balloon doll, wetting itself.

Around his neck, which was gushing blood, hung an identical necklace to Dermont’s.

An identification tag with strange markings.

A symbol of membership in the Council of Dream Utopia.

I grabbed his necklace to check the mark, then put it in my pocket as evidence.

[You’re rampaging like a fish in water. Are you planning to exterminate everyone in the slums?]

‘What does it matter? Everyone walking around here is already a member of the Council of Dream Utopia anyway.’

According to Dermont, there were only two types of people roaming the slum district.

Members of the Council of Dream Utopia who controlled the entire area, and the drug addicts who fell victim to them.

Apparently, there used to be other gangs, but they either eliminated them all or absorbed them.

Essentially, this entire slum was their territory.

Knowing that, I had no reason not to kill them.

—-

So I slaughtered every enemy I encountered like vermin.

Distinguishing between victims and perpetrators wasn’t particularly difficult.

The drug addicts were skin and bones with half-glazed eyes, unable to move, while the dealers were disgustingly healthy from sucking the lifeblood of the poor.

There were some women among them too, and the difference between victims and perpetrators was equally clear.

The victims who sold their bodies for drugs wore rags that barely qualified as clothing or were completely naked, while the women in the organization wore shabby but proper clothes.

Perhaps their role was to seduce outsiders and get them addicted to drugs, as most of the female members were decent-looking prostitutes.

Though they wouldn’t be able to boast about their looks anymore.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Kyaaaaa! S-somebody help meeeee!”

With each swing of my right arm, dismembered corpses piled up, and anything my left hand touched—person or object—exploded.

The alley had transformed into a sea of blood. The entire district reeked of blood.

By now, they were dying at a rate of one every few steps. There sure were a lot of them.

“You crazy bastard-!”

Some who seemed to be of similar rank to Dermont even charged at me fearlessly.

They seemed to think they were some kind of special hero or honorable martyr…

– Rip!

“Gwaaaaaah!”

When I grabbed and tore their limbs apart, they all squealed like pigs.

Admiring their courage to charge at me, I limited myself to just pulling off their limbs and crushing what was between their legs.

With luck, they might survive if help came within three minutes.

—-

After killing about three hundred of them…

“Demonic butcher…! Your rampage ends here!”

A commanding voice rang out from above.

A resolute voice filled with deep anger and steadfast duty.

Looking up toward the source, I saw five warriors standing on the rooftops of nearby buildings, looking down at me.

What are these guys? Clowns?

They wore pitch-black armor without any decoration, hooded cloaks, and black masks instead of helmets.

Their armor looked identical, as if made in the same forge.

I thought it might be black iron, but seeing how dull and lusterless it was, it seemed more like steel armor painted black.

Three men, two women.

Though I couldn’t see their faces because of the masks, I could tell their gender by their smell and build.

“How can you commit such atrocities while wearing human skin? Do you not fear heaven’s judgment?”

As I stared blankly at them, a female warrior with long hair berated me in a sharp voice.

Asking if I feared heaven’s judgment—shouldn’t I be asking them that?

“Vile and cruel slaughterer, this shall be your grave!”

As if that were a signal, all five warriors simultaneously aimed their weapons at me.

Two men with longswords.

The woman who had been scolding me held a thin rapier, while the other woman gripped two daggers in reverse grip.

The last one, seemingly their leader as he wore a mask with gold engravings unlike the other four, wielded, surprisingly, a massive scythe.

The metal handle was longer than his height, and the blade was as long as a person’s torso.

It looked like an impractical weapon for actual combat.

It would be more efficient to fight with a halberd than swing something like that.

“Are you also from the Council of Dream Utopia? I’m looking for someone named Kist Amon. Do you know him?”

Kist Amon.

The name of the executive in charge of military affairs that I heard from Bermont.

“…Where did you hear that name?”

The man with the scythe glared at me as he asked.

So he does know. That means these guys must also be related to him.

“My friend, Dermont, kindly told me.”

“Dermont… I didn’t think he’d be so loose-lipped. How disappointing.”

No need to be disappointed.

He was actually quite tight-lipped for his level. He withstood basic interrogation quite well.

“That just shows how deep our friendship was. So, who is Kist Amon? Would I find out if I became friends with you?”

I twirled Durandal as I smiled at him.

Though they couldn’t see my lips behind their masks, they could surely see my crescent-shaped eyes.

“Your arrogance is excessive, youngster. Do you think you’re something special just because you defeated some followers who aren’t even core combatants?”

“You’re the ones being arrogant.”

These country bumpkins can’t even recognize Durandal.

I cracked my neck side to side as I asked my final question.

“Why don’t you just answer my question? Where is that bastard Kist? While his subordinates are being turned into well-sliced meat, what’s he doing not rushing out? Is he so scared that he’s hiding in his mother’s embrace?”

“How dare this bitch…!”

One of the men with a longsword shouted in an enraged voice, looking ready to jump down and charge at me.

Their leader extended his left hand to stop him.

“Calm down, Navis. We’ll kill her soon anyway.”

“Ha, you have big dreams.”

Kill who? These idiots don’t know their place.

Do they really think they can defeat me with one master and four knights?

It was surprising to find a master-level warrior in a drug organization like this, but I had roughly anticipated it since the name Council of Dream Utopia came up.

“You want to meet Lord Kist? That’s impossible. You’ll die here. By the hands of our Five Swords.”

He placed his scythe on his shoulder and provocatively wiggled his left fingers.

“Oh, is that so? Well, tell me when you feel like talking. While your mouth is still attached.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

This must be what they mean by a frog in a well.

Five Swords? A name I’d never heard of before.

“I am Heinz of the Five Swords. Heinz the Executioner.”

“Executioner, what a grandiose name. And the rest of you?”

When I gestured toward the others with my chin, they stepped forward proudly and introduced themselves.

“Radeli. Remember the name of the knight who will deliver divine punishment upon you!”

The long-haired woman with the rapier shouted.

Talking about being a knight. Since when could drug dealers call themselves knights? Did they leave their conscience in their mother’s womb?

“Navis Leo.”

“Kellogg Flake. You’ve probably heard of ‘Kellogg the Repose’? That’s me.”

Following them, the two men with longswords introduced themselves.

I didn’t know what “Kellogg the Repose” was, but he seemed quite attached to his nickname.

“…Hush.”

The woman with two daggers answered in a low, cold voice, almost mumbling.

I wasn’t sure why she was trying to create an atmosphere with just daggers.

If you lack skill, you should at least use a longer weapon, not just put on airs.

After they finished their introductions, Heinz addressed me again.

“So, who are you? Given how boldly you’re rampaging, you must be a notorious killer. State your name.”

“My name? What good would knowing it do? You’ll be dead soon anyway.”

Acting tough when they’d run away like dogs if they knew my name.

“…Seems you don’t want to talk. Then I’ll ask again after cutting off your limbs!”

“Go ahead and try!”

Heinz revealed his pent-up fighting spirit.

I smiled fiercely and kicked off the ground toward him.

“How dare you!”

“Die!”

As I leaped, the Five Swords members also charged at me all at once.

Like moths diving into flames.