Chapter 36: Silenced [Bonus]

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Silenced [Bonus]

The man slashed.

The blue aura around his sword flared bright, and the blade cut through the air with a whistle. Daniel stepped back. The sword missed him by inches.

"You’re slow," Daniel said.

The man roared and slashed again. Daniel ducked. The blade passed over his head, close enough to ruffle his hair.

"Really slow."

Another slash. Daniel sidestepped. The sword cut through a nearby chair. The wood split cleanly, the pieces clattering to the floor.

"Like, embarrassingly slow."

The man swung again. This time, the blade cut through a table. The thick wood parted like paper. The blue aura around the sword was growing brighter. Sharper.

Daniel’s eyes narrowed. He dodged another swing, then another. The sword was cutting through everything now. Chairs. Tables. The wooden counter. The man was swinging wildly, his rage giving him strength, but his aim was terrible.

"Hey," Daniel said, dodging another slash. "Why is your sword sharper now?"

The man stopped. He stared at Daniel like he had just asked the dumbest question in the world.

"Are you dumb?" the man spat. "It’s mana. I’m channeling mana into my sword. It makes it sharper. Stronger. Any idiot knows that."

Daniel felt his eye twitch.

He had been called many things in his life. Stupid. Idiot. Pervert. Man-whore. But being called dumb by this guy? This crying, sword-swinging, wife-abandoned idiot? That was too much.

"Okay," Daniel said. His voice was calm. Too calm. "That’s it."

He reached into his inventory and summoned his second gun. The Golden Jack appeared in his left hand, gleaming in the firelight. Two guns. One in each hand.

The man’s eyes widened. "What the—"

Daniel fired.

Both guns. At the same time. Mana bullets shot from the barrels, streaking through the air. The first hit the man’s shoulder. The second hit his thigh. The third hit his stomach. The fourth hit his chest.

The man screamed. He dropped his sword. He fell to the ground, blood pouring from his wounds. He twitched. Then he went still.

Daniel lowered his guns. He looked at the man. Then he shrugged.

"Probably alive," he muttered. "Probably."

He turned.

Baron was on the floor, exactly where the muscular man had left him. His face was still a mess of bruises and dried blood. His eyes were wide. His mouth was open. He was staring at Daniel. At the guns. At the blood. At the unconscious man on the floor.

Daniel walked toward him. Slowly. Deliberately. A smile spread across his face. A wicked, terrible smile.

"You know," Daniel said, "I sent them away for a reason."

Baron’s mouth moved. No sound came out.

"I didn’t want them to see this." Daniel stopped in front of him. He looked down at the pathetic man on the floor. "Lyra. Fluffy. They’re good people. They don’t need to see what I am about to do to you."

Baron tried to scramble backward. His hands slipped on the blood-slicked floor. He didn’t get far.

Daniel pointed his gun at Baron’s hand. At his finger. The index finger.

"You hurt Lyra," Daniel said. "You threatened her. You beat her. You tried to force her to marry you."

Baron shook his head frantically. Tears streamed down his face.

"You put your hands on her." Daniel’s voice was cold. Flat. "So I am going to take your fingers."

He fired.

The bullet tore through Baron’s index finger. The digit disconnected from his hand, flying across the floor. Blood sprayed. Baron opened his mouth to scream.

Daniel’s fist connected with his jaw. Teeth shattered. Blood poured from his mouth. The scream died in his throat.

"Shut up," Daniel said. "I’m not done."

He pointed the gun at the next finger. The middle one.

"I’ve always wanted to do this," Daniel said. "Ever since Lyra told me what you did to her. Ever since I saw those bruises on her arm. Ever since I saw that collar around Fluffy’s neck."

He fired. The middle finger flew off. Baron’s body convulsed. His mouth opened in a silent scream. He tried to beg, but no words came out. His teeth were gone. His mouth was full of blood.

Daniel pointed at the next finger. The ring finger.

"You’re a noble," Daniel said. "You have power. You have money. You have a family name. And what did you do with it? You used it to hurt people. To control people. To make yourself feel big."

He fired. The ring finger disappeared. Baron was sobbing now. Snot and tears and blood mixed on his face.

Daniel pointed at the pinky finger.

"But here’s the thing," he said. "You came here without permission. No one knows you’re here. No one knows what happened. So if you disappear... no one will come looking."

He fired. The pinky finger flew off. Baron collapsed onto his side, his body shaking, his mouth open in a silent, endless scream.

Daniel stared at him. Then he dismissed his guns. They vanished into his inventory.

He knelt down beside Baron. The man was a wreck. A broken, bloody, pathetic wreck. His hand was missing four fingers. His mouth was a mess of shattered teeth and blood. His eyes were wide with terror.

Daniel grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up. Baron’s head lolled. His eyes were unfocused.

"So you came here without permission," Daniel said. "None of your family members will know you came here. And to keep Lyra and Fluffy safe..." He paused. "You will have to be silenced."

Baron’s eyes widened. He shook his head. He tried to speak. Blood bubbled from his lips.

"Don’t worry," Daniel said. "I won’t kill you. But I’ll make sure you can’t write or speak."

He paused. Then he smiled. A dark, terrible smile.

"You know what? I changed my mind."