Chapter 88: The Massacre

Chapter 88: Chapter 88: The Massacre

Brutus’s POV

I killed them all.

Every single one.

The soldiers charged at me. Their swords were raised. Their faces were twisted with rage. They screamed. They shouted. They promised death.

I gave it to them.

The first soldier reached me. He swung his sword. I caught it. I crushed it. I punched him. His head exploded. His body crumpled.

The second soldier lunged. I sidestepped. I grabbed his arm. I twisted. I broke it. He screamed. I silenced him with a punch to the throat.

The third soldier tried to run. I grabbed him by the collar. I threw him. He flew into a group of soldiers. They all fell.

I moved through them like a storm.

Punch. Kick. Grab. Throw. Break. Kill.

Each soldier fell. Each soldier died. Their blood soaked the ground. Their bodies piled up. Their screams filled the air.

They tried to fight back. They tried to surround me. They tried to overwhelm me.

It didn’t work.

I was too fast. Too strong. Too angry.

My mana was blazing. My muscles were bulging. My fists were like hammers.

I punched through armor. I broke swords. I crushed helmets. I shattered bones.

Nothing could stop me.

Nothing.

The leader watched. His face was pale. His hands were shaking. He had stopped shouting. He had stopped giving orders. He just stood there. Frozen.

I reached him.

He looked at me. His eyes were wide. Scared.

"Please," he whispered. "Please don’t kill me."

I grabbed him by the throat. I lifted him off the ground.

"Where is the noble?" I asked.

"I... I don’t know..."

I squeezed. He gasped.

"Where is the noble?"

"He’s in the village inn! Please! Please let me go!"

I stared at him. At his scared face. At his trembling body.

"You killed my father," I said.

"I... I was following orders..."

"You stabbed him. You left him to die."

"I’m sorry! I’m sorry!"

I squeezed harder. His eyes bulged. His face turned purple.

"You’re sorry?"

"Yes! Yes! Please!"

I dropped him. He fell to the ground. He gasped for air. He looked up at me.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you—"

I stomped on his head.

He didn’t say anything after that.

---

I found the noble in the village inn.

He was sitting at a table. Drinking wine. Laughing with his friends. He didn’t see me coming.

I grabbed him by the hair. I pulled him off his chair. I dragged him outside.

He screamed. He begged. He offered me money. He offered me titles. He offered me anything I wanted.

I didn’t want anything.

I wanted him to suffer.

I tied him to a tree. I stripped him. I beat him. I broke his bones. One by one. I made him scream. I made him cry. I made him beg for death.

But I didn’t give it to him.

Not yet.

I wanted him to feel what my father felt. I wanted him to suffer as my father suffered.

I tortured him for hours.

When I was done, when he was barely alive, when he couldn’t even scream anymore, I killed him.

I crushed his skull with my bare hands.

I stood there. His blood was on my hands. His body was at my feet.

I didn’t feel anything.

I was empty.

---

I left the village.

I didn’t pack anything. I didn’t say goodbye to anyone. I just left.

I walked through the forest. I walked through the plains. I walked through the mountains.

I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t care.

I just walked.

I became an adventurer. I took missions. I killed monsters. I killed bandits. I killed anyone who stood in my way.

I didn’t care about money. I didn’t care about fame. I didn’t care about anything.

I just wanted to be stronger.

I wanted to be strong enough to protect people. Strong enough to protect the weak. Strong enough to protect the innocent.

I wanted to honor my father’s last words.

I trained every day. I trained for hours. I trained until my body broke. I trained until my muscles screamed. I trained until I couldn’t move.

And then I trained more.

I became a null. A true null. A null who could use mana. A null who could enhance his body. A null who could fight with the strength of ten men.

I became strong.

I became powerful.

I became the strongest.

I joined the Night Owl Guild. I rose through the ranks. I became a vice leader. I found a family. A family of adventurers. A family of warriors. A family of people who didn’t care about talents or gifts. A family of people who only cared about strength.

I found my place.

I found my home.

I found my purpose.

I protected people. I fought for people. I saved people.

I became the man my father wanted me to be.

But I never forgot.

I never forgot the pain. The anger. The loss.

I never forgot my father.

I never forgot his blood on my hands.

I never forgot.

---

Present Day

I knelt in the dirt.

My body was broken. My muscles were torn. My bones were cracked. Blood poured from a dozen wounds. My breath came in ragged gasps.

The elf stood in front of me. His wind spear was ready. It pointed at my heart.

"You fought well," he said. "For a null."

I smiled. A weak, tired smile.

"Thanks," I said.

"But it’s over now. You can’t win."

"I know."

He raised the spear. He prepared to strike.

I looked at him. At his cold eyes. At his cruel smile. At his unstoppable power.

"You know," I said, "at least everyone in the guild is safe now."

The elf frowned. "What?"

"Elara evacuated them. The people in the city. The members of the guild. They’re all safe."

The elf’s eyes narrowed. "You’re about to die. And you’re worried about them?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Why?"

I smiled. "Because that’s what a vice leader does. He protects his people."

The elf stared at me. His expression was unreadable.

"You’re a fool," he said.

"Maybe." I coughed. Blood splattered on the ground. "But I’m a fool who did his job."

The elf raised the spear higher. "Any last words?"

I looked at the sky. At the clouds. At the fading light.

"How did my life even come to this?" I muttered.

The elf tilted his head. "What?"

I laughed. A quiet, pained laugh.

"Oh right," I said. "I remember."

The elf stared at me. His eyes were confused.

"What are you talking about?"

I didn’t answer. I just closed my eyes. I thought of my father. Of his smile. Of his voice. Of his last words.

"Use your strength to protect people."

I had done that. I had tried. I had failed. But I had tried.

I was ready to die.

The elf thrust the spear.

Then a blast of wind hit me.

I flew backward. I crashed into the ground. I rolled. I came to a stop.

I looked up. Elara was standing there. Her hands were raised. Her wind was swirling. Her eyes were blazing.

"You," she said. "You stay away from my brother."

The elf turned. He looked at her. His eyes narrowed.

"Another one," he said. "How annoying."

I tried to stand. My legs wouldn’t work. I collapsed.

Then Paul was there.

He grabbed me. He lifted me. He carried me toward Elara.

"You’re so heavy," he complained. "Why are you so heavy? You’re all muscle. It’s not fair."

I laughed. A weak, tired laugh.

"Sorry," I said.

"You should be. You’re crushing my back."

Elara looked at us. Her expression was a mix of relief and worry.

"You’re alive," she said.

"Barely," I said.

"That’s good enough."

She turned back to the elf. Her wind swirled faster.

"Stay behind me," she said. "Both of you."

Paul nodded. He carried me toward the edge of the clearing. He set me down. He stood in front of me. His hands were raised. His wind was swirling.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded. "I’ll live."

"Good." He smiled. A tired, nervous smile. "Because I can’t carry you anymore."

I laughed. Then I winced. My ribs hurt.

The elf looked at Elara. At Paul. At me.

"Three against one," he said. "That’s not fair."

Elara smiled. A cold, dangerous smile.

"I don’t care about fair," she said.

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[Magic castle = 5 bonus Chapter’s]

[space craft = 15 bonus Chapter’s]

[golden gachapon = 20 bonus Chapter’s]