That afternoon, the sun began to lower toward the western horizon, casting golden light through the leaf gaps. The forest where they camped was enveloped in a warm, tranquil atmosphere. Arya's group relaxed, waiting for nightfall to carry out their execution.
"All done!" Arya exclaimed, clapping his hands after setting up a board game.
Dina turned her head, puzzled. "So, how do you play?"
"This is... chess?" Venus replied confidently.
Arya and Dina both turned. "You know chess, Venus?" Arya asked in surprise.
Venus nodded. "Yes. This game is often in the King's study. He usually plays it alone."
"Oh? So it already exists there? But I've never seen anyone play it on the streets," Arya looked curious.
"Because it's a noble's game," Venus explained. "A strategy game like this is considered too complicated for common folk, so it's not distributed publicly."
"I see..."
"Sis, try it! I want to see how it's played!" Gamma said enthusiastically.
"All right. Since Venus knows it, let's play just the two of us," Arya said, sitting at the board.
"Okay. But I don't really understand the rules," replied Venus as she sat down too.
"No problem. These are called pawn, knight, bishop, rook, queen, and king," Arya pointed at each piece one by one while explaining their moves.
"Got it, right? I'll start first." Arya moved his pawn.
"All right," Venus replied, beginning to play.
A few minutes later...
"I lost..." Venus sighed sadly.
"Hahaha!" Arya laughed in satisfaction.
"This is so fun!" Dina said excitedly.
"I want to play too, bro!" Gamma replied enthusiastically.
"Hahaha! Here, you two can play on the other board." Arya pulled out a spare board.
"All right! Let's play, Gamma!" Dina said with a daring smile.
"I won't lose, sis!"
"Oho... you're so cocky, huh!"
The game began.
Several minutes passed.
"I-I... lost? To Gamma?" Dina looked stunned.
"Hahaha! I'm great, right?!" Gamma crowed proudly.
"Wahaha! Dina lost to Reisa-chan?!" Venus laughed loudly.
"You're amazing, too, Gamma!" Arya laughed too. "Now it's your turn with me!"
"No way! Beating bro Arya is hard! I want to play with sis Venus!" Gamma exclaimed, pivoting toward Venus.
"You're... arrogant too, Gamma..." Dina mumbled, still upset.
"All right. I won't lose like Dina the loser, Reisa-chan!" Venus gazed at the board with full determination.
Several minutes passed.
"Haaa... sis Venus is strong, too..." Gamma panted.
"You're great too, Reisa-chan!" Venus replied with a smile.
"Oooh... what an intense game," Arya grinned with satisfaction.
"Why is it not ending? It's dragging on!" Dina complained angrily.
"Hahaha! That's the fun, Dina! The longer it lasts, the more mentally draining!" Arya laughed freely.
Night began to descend, replacing the orange glow slowly vanishing behind the trees. The air turned cooler, while the rustle of leaves and birdsong blended with the light laughter of Arya's group. They continued playing chess amid the lingering aroma of tea and food from the afternoon.
But among them, one did not seem to enjoy the gathering fully. Dina sat with a morose expression, staring at the chessboard with a blank look. She had lost repeatedly, and only tasted victory once—and that was against Gamma.
"All right, it's night now. Time to move," Arya said, standing up and preparing.
Gamma turned to the still-sullen Dina. "Sis Dina, cheer up, okay?" she said, trying to comfort her.
"I… only won once," Dina murmured, still looking down, her voice barely audible.
"But you still won, Sis! You're amazing too, okay?" Gamma tried to lift her mood.
Venus crossed her arms and smirked softly, adding teasingly, "Ara~ but you only won because Reisa-chan felt sorry for you."
"Oh... right..." Dina sank further with hurt.
"N-no, Sis! You won because you're skilled, not because of pity!" Gamma looked panicked and quickly denied Venus's remark.
Arya patted Dina's shoulder with a warm smile. "It's fine, we can play again later. I'll make your favorite steak afterward."
Hearing "steak," Dina's face lit up instantly. "Steak? Promise? All right, let's go now!"
Gamma looked over with a blank expression. "Sis Dina, you get happy so fast when it's about food."
"Hahaha!" Arya and Venus laughed together, savoring the light moment before the night mission began.
They headed toward the ruler's mansion for execution, passing houses with doors tightly shut, a night breeze blowing around them. The footsteps of death echoed through the silent city lanes. Klak. Klak. Klak.
Dor! A bullet pierced a guard's head.
Srett! A dagger sliced through another guard's neck with deadly precision, sending the head to the ground. Brukk.
They approached the mansion gate. Krettt... It creaked open slowly, as if it knew who came.
The smell of iron from blood not yet dry pierced their nostrils. Faint smoke from oil lanterns mingled with the scent of damp earth after the afternoon rain.
"I'll go in first, Ar." Dina ran toward the mansion door guards.
Their footsteps came to a halt before the main entrance. The guards glanced at each other, hands trembling as they gripped their weapons.
"A Attacker! Gather! There's an attacker!" one guard shouted, breath ragged, as if hoping his voice could save his life.
The stench of sweat and fear floated in the night air.
"Attacker! Gather! There's an attacker!" the front gate guard shouted, terrified.
A calm, soft voice came from Dina's mouth. "Goodbye."
Sreettt. The door was cut.
"Attacker!" The guard's scream drowned out the pounding of their terrified hearts.
"Die!" The guards attacked Dina en masse.
She sneered. "Ara~ men who gang up on a single woman usually die first, you know?" Then she smiled and summoned "Water."
Blughhrr. Sounds of drowning issued from the guard's mouth as they choked and gasped for air… and died shortly after.
"Gamma, you search for hidden rooms and free the prisoners," Arya said flatly.
"Okay, bro." Gamma vanished and left.
Arya advanced slowly. "Dina, Venus, I'm going to the ruler's chamber first." He stepped past the bodies of fallen, trembling guards.
"Understood!" they replied in unison.
"You think you are someone?! We won't let you pass!" A guard charged at Arya.
Dor! A bullet pierced his head.
In a calm tone Arya said, "I'm nobody. We are bringers of death to bastards."
Krekk… krekk… krekk. The other guards trembled as they saw many of their comrades dead.
"Handle them, Dina." Arya stepped away.
"All right." Whooshh, Srett! Dina darted forward and beheaded the remaining guards.
The corridor fell suddenly quiet, and only the Klak. klak. klak. sound of their three footsteps remained.
"This is the place," Arya thought.
Krettt. The door opened.
"Hello." His voice was flat.
They trembled and tried to speak. "W-what do you want...?!"
"Your lives."
"N-nonono! Don't kill me!" The ruler sweated profusely. "Oh yes! Gold! I have lots of gold! Take whatever you want!" he said fearfully. "And if that's not enough, I have beautiful women! You can take them too!"
"Aahh..." Arya sighed. "Even in death, you remain garbage."
"P-please forgive me!" He wailed and urinated himself.
Dor! A bullet hit his head. "There is no mercy for you. When you have lost your humanity, why should I show you any?" Arya left the room.
He followed his own path. "What about his family, Ar?"
"They're next."
"You sound cool saying that!" Venus said with a thin smile. "'There is no mercy for you. When you have lost your humanity, why should I show you…?' Wahahaha!"
"Hahaha! Even if you praise me, you'll get nothing, Venus! Hahaha!" Arya joined in the laughter.
Dina thought inwardly, "Are those two insane? Suddenly laughing..." Her face showed numbness.
"You two go to where Gamma is and soothe the prisoners. They should be on the third-floor wing." Arya proceeded toward the ruler's family quarters.
"All right." They both left to find Gamma.
"This must be the room." Arya said.
Kreett. The door opened.
"What is…?!" The ruler's wife panicked. "A little kid?! What are you doing here?! Wait... Your face is handsome, do you want to play with auntie?" she teased, showing her body.
"Huh?!" She looked shocked.
"Come on, play with auntie." Her voice approached flirtatiously.
Dor! A bullet struck her leg. "Who do you think you are, old woman?!" Arya said flatly and irritated.
"Arghhh, that hurts!" she cried in pain.
"I have no desire for scum like you."
"Scum! How dare you! Who do you think you are?!" she screamed angrily.
Dor! He shot her in the head. Arya quietly left.
"This must be her child's room?"
Kretttt… The door opened.
"Forgive me! Please don't touch me sir!" a woman screamed.
"Oh come on, let's have some fun, you'll enjoy it soon." She tried to coerce.
"Hey bastard! What are you doing here?!" Arya shouted.
"Hah?! Who are you?! Get lost!" The ruler's child yelled.
"A little kid?! Run, child! Don't come near!" the woman cried, covering herself with a blanket.
"Need help, miss?" Arya offered.
"Help? Who are you? Don't you know who I am?!" she screamed, stepping toward Arya.
"Go away, child! Don't disturb her or you'll suffer death!" the woman sobbed, covering herself.
Dor! To the ruler's child's leg.
"ARGHHH! Damn that hurts! You… you dared to harm me!" he shouted.
"I dared." Arya said catatonically. Dor! He shot the other leg too.
"Arghh!!! Damn! Guards! Guards! There's an attacker!" he yelled in despair.
"Feel free to scream as much as you want, your 50 guards are already dead." Arya sneered.
"What?! Impossible! You'll never get away with this!" the child sobbed.
"Child? Don't fight! Run, child!" the woman begged.
Arya glanced at her. "It's okay, miss. We are EXONE who slaughter corrupt rulers."
Dor! He shot the child's head while looking at the woman.
"R-really?! So that's it..." she sighed in relief.
"All right, it's over. You're free now, miss. Please leave." Arya slowly turned to leave.
"All right, child. Thank you so much!" She dressed and left.
"All right, I'm heading to Gamma's place now." thought Arya internally.
He walked toward Gamma, passing a corridor with carpets, the smell of blood, hanging lamps, and statues lining the halls. Klak. klak. klak.
"Brother!" Gamma called as she approached.
"Are you done, Ar?!" Dina asked.
"Where have you been so long?" Venus complained.
"Sorry." "What's this?!" Arya jumped in surprise.
"Bro... O-one of them is dead..." Gamma cried.
Arya bowed his head. "I see... Forgive us for being late, okay..." he said sincerely.
The room was deeply somber… There were many women and children, totaling 23... But there were 3 young women who had lost their lives in that room from continued torture… Everyone there had equally tragic stories: bodies with slice wounds, bruises, missing limbs and eyes, gaunt frames, ragged and torn clothes…
"Forgive us... for being late..." Arya said sadly.
"Extra heal!" Arya healed each of them one by one with his extra heal, restoring their bodies completely.
"Aaa... I... I'm healed?!" a child cried in shock and tears.
"I'm healed..."
"Huaahhh!"
The room filled with tears of joy, marking the end of their dark days. Those with homes and parents were sent home... and for those without homes, Arya decided to take two of them along in the group's journey...
This execution ended with tears of happiness...
And in some room...
"There, the three cities where our goods circulated have fallen." ??? said in a flat voice.
"Yes, they cannot be left unchecked." ??? replied in a heavy voice.
"Who are they?" ??? asked in a cold tone.
"Exone." ??? said in a heavy voice.
"Exone?!" ??? said flatly.
There were five mysterious voices heard in that secret room...