"Have you ever seen the devil?"
The voice was cold. Not loud. Not furious.It carried no echo of mercy.
"You think because he stepped into Nerith, you have seen everything. How naïve."
A faint pause.
"I came here today because you have forgotten who holds authority."
The audience remained frozen.
"I pulled you from the trenches. I raised you from nothing. And you repay that gift with betrayal."
His gaze drifted across the auditorium like a blade.
"I lifted the name of SAINT from dust, and now you wish to stain what was sacred."
Silence followed.
"You came after it."
A thin smile formed.
"And you will leave before it."
The temperature of the room seemed to drop.
"I hereby declare: from this day onward, all followers of Tatum Drew are condemned to death by the hand of Theodorus Luxmont."
A sound like winter breaking glass swept through the hall.
The tall man—nearly seven feet in height—descended into the crowd.
There was no hesitation.No warning.
Screams bloomed like fire.
Blood painted the marble floor in widening circles. Bodies collapsed in waves. The air filled with iron and prayer.
Thirty minutes later, he emerged.
Completely drenched.
Behind him, three survivors staggered out, eyes empty, mouths trembling, unable to scream anymore.
A man in a white suit waited outside with a tablet and a folded towel.
"Total deaths: 2,497. Survivors: three."
He swallowed.
"My lord… may I ask a question?"
"Hm. If it concerns the survivors, do not worry. They were innocent."
A pause.
"James… did I ever tell you about the time I was a—"
BOOM.
"Hands on your head! This is Vanguard Squad!"
Red lights flooded the corridor.
"Theodorus Luxmont, you are under arrest for escaping solitary confinement, destroying corporate property, and committing mass murder."
Theodorus laughed.
Low. Broken.
"I may be guilty of breaking out and destroying property," he said calmly, "but murder?"
He tilted his head.
"Officer, do you remember what happens when you accuse someone of a capital offense without evidence?"
"Enough, Theo. We know why you came here. Look at you—reeking of blood."
Theodorus glanced down at himself.
"What can I say? I went hunting."
He turned slightly.
"Isn't that right, James?"
"Yes, my lord."
The officer's hand trembled near his weapon.
"So you expect me to believe that if I open that door, I won't find corpses inside?"
Theodorus stepped aside.
"Be my guest."
The door opened.
What lay beyond shattered the officer's resolve.
Bodies stacked like discarded garments. Walls carved with violence. Silence heavier than screams.
"…What did you do?" the officer whispered.
"Captain Sera to command. Status on Captain Theodorus Luxmont."
A voice answered through static.
"Not good. Over two thousand dead. Even death itself would call this excessive."
"I understand. I'm on my way."
She turned.
"Joan, hold my calls."
And vanished.
Moments later—
"Damn it, Theo… even for you, this is too much."
Sera's voice was soft, burdened with sorrow.
"You know you might not come back this time."
Theodorus smiled faintly.
"Maybe I went too far. But I do not regret it."
His eyes darkened.
"If time were reversed, I would do it again. Every time."
He looked at her.
"My only regret… is not seeing your smile every day."
A pause.
"But I will return. As I always do."
"Goodbye, my light."
He vanished.
Under her breath, Sera whispered:
"See you soon… my light."
Far away, atop a towering skyscraper, a man stood on a balcony overlooking the city.
"So… this place has a beautiful view."
A knock came from behind him.
"May I enter?"
"Yes."
A man in formal attire stepped in.
"Mr. Kael Fital. Your next course of action has been approved."
He handed over a document.
"You are to enroll in a four-month program at the Shrub Nigurath Institute of Research and Development."
Somewhere deeper in the city…
A shadowed figure sat in a chair, fingers steepled.
"Ah," it murmured.
"A new member."