The Mercenary Slayer Of Holy Knights

The Church of Solaria, all-powerful and omnipresent, governs each aspect of our life. His saint knights are the armed arms of the divinity, the blessed warriors who spread light, justice, and ... fear. They carry sparkling armor, marked with the divine seal, and are venerated as celestial messengers. Their duty is to protect the kingdom, but in shadows, their power is also a burden. Far from sermons and songs of worship, there is a darker side to their mission. And those who dare to challenge the church or its knights often end up.

I walk slowly through the forest, the smell of the damp earth tickling my nostrils. The fresh wind rushes between the trees, and the sunlight struggles to filter through the dense foliage. My wandering mind, bringing me back to memories that I prefer to forget. A soldier's life, a betrayal life. Now I am a lonely mercenary, without allegiance. Nothing holds me back.

By approaching a small clearing, I see the first buildings in a village. It is not very big, but it is enough for a break. My stomach rumbles, and I'm thirsty. I advance a decided step towards the local tavern. The smell of grilled meat and beer welcomes me as soon as I cross the threshold. Some looks turn to me, but I don't know them. I sit at a table near the counter and raise my hand to attract the attention of the Tavernier.

"A beer," I just say.

The Tavernier nods without saying a word and walks away to fill my order. I appreciate this silence. No questions, no curiosity. A single man in a tavern is just another traveler, nothing more.

I take a sip of amber beer, enjoying the freshness of the drink. It's then that something makes me start. A small luminous flash crosses my field of vision, and a notification appears before my eyes. This is the system, the only tool that still allows me to know where I am going.

「New quest received: investigate the knight Saint Vincent.」

I frowns. The name is familiar to me, but not enough to be sure. Why me? And why now?

I rest my mug on the table, thoughts full of questions. This is a quest that does not seem trivial.

I look up at the tavern keeper, observing his face marked by the years. His tired gaze sweeps the room, carefully avoiding mine. I drink another sip of my beer, then I put the mug on the table with a slight thud.

"Tell me ... Do you know a certain Knight Saint Vincent?"

Silence settles. The Tavernier nervously wipes an already clean glass, always avoiding my gaze. His hesitation speaks for him.

"Vincent? He frowns as if he were trying to remember. No ... never heard."

Obviously, he lies. It shows in his nervous ICT, with a slight tremor of his fingers. I sigh and get up slowly.

The room freezes when my hand whistles in the air and hits her cheek with a sound slap. The shock resonates in the tavern, and the man staggers under the impact. Before he even resumed his balance, I grab it by the collar and plate violently against the wall.

"Listen to me well, I said in a cold voice. I don't have time for your little games. Where's Vincent? "

He swallowed, his panicked look looking for support among customers. No one moves.

"All right! All right! The knight is at the exit of the village, near the old mill ... but I advise you not to approach it"

I slowly release my catch and go back. The Tavernier collapses on the ground, massaging his jaw.

"Thanks for the information."

I get my mug and finish my beer in one line. The atmosphere in the tavern is heavy. No one speaks, no one moves. Alright. It's time to visit this dear Vincent.

Drakmor's wild lands stretched as far as the eye can see, vast and hostile. Here, the law did not exist. Only the strongest and the most cunning survived. The Church of Solaria regularly sent its saint knights to track criminals and mercenaries there, imposing their justice by blood and fire. Vincent was one of those men.

I was walking on a clay path, bordered by dilapidated houses with collapsed walls. The smell of ashes still floated in the air. A massacre had taken place recently. Similar and fearful silhouettes gathered near the ruins, scrutinizing my approach with distrust.

I stop in front of them. "What happened here?"

An old man advances, hard look. "A holy knight and his squad came. They destroyed everything, accusing some of us to help criminals. They took what they wanted and left for the city of bandits."

I clench my fists. Classic. The Church called it justice. I called it a man hunt.

Without a word, I turn my heels. It's time to catch up with Vincent.

The flames of the torches danced in the dark when I finally arrived on the scene. Vincent and his squad surrounded a group of kneeling criminals, hands tied in the back. The sparkling soldiers sported the symbol of the Church of Solaria, imposing and formidable.

My gaze meets that of Vincent. His golden eyes fold while he recognizes me as a threat. With a slow gesture, he puts his hand on his sword's guard.

"Stop there, mercenary, he rumbles. Records immediately, or I will make you capture like these rats."

I continue to move forward without hurrying. "Capture? I let out a slight laugh. You should know that I was once one of yours, Vincent. A high ranking of holy knights."

His eyebrows are frozen, intrigued.

"But the church and me ... let's say that our convictions ended up opposing. I chose to leave. You have chosen to consider me a traitor. "

A flash runs through his gaze. He remembers.

"Ahron ... Kurogane ..." he whispers.

Around us, his squad seems perplexed. But he knows. He knows who I am. The man who once crashed an army of demons in a single night.

I let out a slight sigh and invoke my system.

「In progress analysis…」

Translucent windows appear before my eyes, revealing the detailed statistics of Vincent and his squad.

Vincent, Knight Saint - Level 72

Skills: 「Sacred judgment」, 「Solaria blessing」, 「celestial sword」

His soldiers, however, were much lower.

Church soldiers - Levels 35 to 50

Skills: 「Sacred discipline」, 「Just strike」

A well -trained, but insignificant troop in front of me.

I close the notifications and put my hand on the handle of Akatsuki, my black sword with absolute edge. As soon as I draw it, an icy wind rises, invisible pressure crashes in the area.

The Knights stop.

A moment later, they collapse.

Their bodies fall without a noise, life leaving their eyes before they even understand what had happened to them. There had neither sudden movement nor a splendor of steel. Just my murderous intention, transmitted as an irrevocable sentence.

I rest my gaze on Vincent, who hits his teeth when he saw his squad destroyed in a second.

"I just issued a targeted deadly intention, I said in a calm voice. At this level, there is no need to hit to kill."

Vincent fixes the bodies of his squad, misunderstanding in his golden eyes. His fingers tense on the guard of his weapon as he slowly draws his sacred sword, Lux Divina. A blade blessed by the Church itself, capable of deciding darkness and cremating heretics.

" For what… ? His voice trembled slightly, torn between anger and disbelief. "Why are you doing this, Ahron?"

He cannot understand.

My system had been configured according to one and only principle: all the activities of the holy knights must be annihilated.

As long as they execute the will of the Church, as long as they sow death and destruction in the name of corrupt justice, I would have only one role: their execution.

Vincent tightens his grip on his sword. Its sacred aura explodes, illuminating at night.

"Sacred judgment! "

A blinding light condenses around his blade before he cut it in my direction.

But it's already too late.

Even before his attack could fall on me, my murderous intention is triggered. Invisible, relentless.

His body stiffens. His eyes go away.

Then, without a word, Vincent collapses.

He was already dead before he even understood what happened to him.

A notification is displayed before my eyes, floating in the air as an irrevocable sentence.

「Mission accomplished: Knight Saint Vincent eliminated.」

「Reward: +120,000 EXP, +5 statistics points, +1 unlocked skill.」

A shiver travels through my body while the EXP is automatically distributed in my statistics. Another window opens.

「Distribution of points」

Force: +2

Agility: +1

Endurance: +1

Intelligence: +1

My power continues to grow, slowly but surely. But it is not enough.

I take a last look at the corpses scattered around me. The church will surely send other knights to investigate this execution, but it doesn't matter to me. I've already lost too much time here.

I rengate Akatsuki and resume my journey, my steps resonating on the hard ground of the wild lands of Drakmor.

My destination is the city of bandits, a hideout of criminals, fugitives and assassins. A place where Solaria's law has no grip.

And there, someone is waiting for me.