The member began nodding frantically, his head bobbing like a piston. He had no idea how this man had infiltrated the Troll Kingdom, but it was obvious he wasn't someone to be trifled with. For the sake of his own skin, loyalty was the last thing on his mind.
"What's your purpose for kidnapping these giant children?" Kael demanded.
"We… we plan to domesticate them," the member blurted out. "Once they're broken in, we'll lease them out to countries that need them."
"Lease them?" Kael narrowed his eyes, the idea not clicking right away.
"Yes! So many nations are at war right now," the member continued, and his voice grew unsettlingly eager as he spoke of the business. "Even if they're just kids, their size and strength are unmatched. Once we suit them up in armor and drop them onto a battlefield, each one becomes a living engine of destruction—a one-man army. Once we make a name for ourselves, kingdoms will be lining up to throw gold at us."
Hearing that they intended to turn innocent children into expendable war machines, Kael felt a surge of cold fury. The Black Magic Dark Guild wasn't just a group of criminals; they were subhuman filth who didn't deserve the air they breathed.
Suppressing his anger for the moment, Kael continued.
"Are all the kidnapped children being held in that dungeon?"
"Yes! Every single one. There are one hundred and twenty so far. Our goal was three hundred before moving on."
"And how did you abduct them in the first place?" Kael asked. This was the part that baffled him; he'd followed the trail, but hadn't seen a single captor during the march.
"It was…" The member hesitated, his eyes darting away.
Splurt!
Without a word, Kael drove a kunai into the man's other leg.
"WAAAAAHHH!!"
"Who?" Kael's voice was a razor.
"It was Father Hurel! Father Hurel!!"
"And who is this 'Father Hurel'?"
"He's a leader in the guild!" the man babbled. "He has a magic item called Hamiel's Magic Flute. He went to the Giant Kingdom disguised as a traveling bard and played for the children. Once they've heard the melody, he can put them under total control whenever he plays it again—no matter how far away they are!"
"Another flute…" Kael muttered.
His mind immediately jumped to the Lullaby incident. He couldn't help wondering if this was another "masterpiece" left behind by the Black Wizard, Zeref.
It seemed likely. Zeref always claimed to have a kind heart, yet the artifacts he'd left behind had caused nothing but misery and chaos for centuries. The legend of the Black Wizard was built on the suffering of people harmed by the "small things" he created—whether from boredom or grief.
"This item must have limitations," Kael said. "Otherwise, why control children? Wouldn't it be more effective to enslave adult giants?"
The member hesitated again. Seeing the murderous glint in Kael's eyes, he rushed to answer.
"Yes! You're right! I heard Father Hurel say that while the flute is powerful, it only works on those under the age of twelve. It has no effect on anyone older."
Kael scoffed. So it was designed to prey on the most vulnerable. That also explained their choice of targets—giant children had enough raw strength to be useful even at a young age.
"What does Father Hurel look like?" Kael asked. To end this nightmare, he needed to eliminate the leader and destroy the flute.
"We don't know his real face," the member said quickly. "He always wears a black hat, and an evil-spirit mask that covers the lower half of his face."
"And how many of you are here in total?"
"We started with eight hundred members, but only about three hundred are left stationed here in the capital." The man started blubbering. "Please! Don't kill me! I told you everything! I'm just a foot soldier!"
Splurt.
The kunai in Kael's hand slid straight into the man's throat.
The member's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. He had cooperated. He had given up everything. Why was he dying?
"Thanks for the information," Kael whispered, voice cold. "To show my gratitude, I made it quick."
Kael's hatred for the Black Magic Dark Guild had reached a boiling point. These people weren't worth the effort of a trial. Remembering what the guild had done to a young Erza—and now seeing their cruelty up close—only confirmed it: every last one of them deserved to be put in the ground.
Kael's hands moved in a blur, forming a series of seals.
Poof!
In a cloud of smoke, Kael transformed into a perfect double of the member he had just killed.
The Transformation Technique—a basic ninjutsu, but in the hands of a master, a god-tier tool for infiltration and intelligence gathering.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Kael used the seal he had left behind to return to the dungeon.
The room remained quiet. No one noticed that one of their own had been replaced by a predator.
Kael surveyed the area. The dungeon was enormous, and the members were spread out. Taking them all down at once would be difficult. If he didn't finish it instantly, they might use the giant children as shields—or trigger the explosive collars.
The priority was clear: get the kids out first. After that, he could cut loose.
Kael formed another set of seals.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof!
A perfect copy of his current "member" form appeared and melted into the shadows to maintain the disguise. Meanwhile, Kael's main body reappeared inside Buri's pocket, thanks to the Flying Thunder God formula he had placed there earlier.
"Buri," Kael whispered.
Buri's face lit up.
"Kael!"
"Listen to me. Did you tell the others?"
"I did. Everyone knows to be ready."
"Good. Hand these out." Kael passed him a bundle of specially marked kunai. "Tell everyone to tuck one into their collars. Then have them gather close and hold hands. I'm getting all of you out of here in one go."
Buri moved quickly, enlisting a few of his new friends to pass out the Flying Thunder God kunai.
Because they were in the heart of the Troll Capital and the children were fitted with explosive collars, the guards had gotten lazy. They never imagined anyone would have the nerve—or the ability—to attempt a rescue in total silence.
Once everything was in place, Kael's shadow clone in the hallway made its move.
The clone walked up to another member of the Black Magic Dark Guild.
"Hey, Slark! It's not time for shift change yet. What are you doing?"
Splurt!
The clone drove a kunai deep into the man's kidney.
"Uwaaaahhh!!"
The guard screamed in agony, staring at "Slark" in total confusion. This was the same man he had shared drinks with last night. Why was he stabbing him?
"Long live the Black Wizard Zeref!!!" the clone screamed at the top of its lungs.
The scream—and the fanatical shout—instantly drew the attention of every guard nearby.
"Someone get over here! Stop Slark! He's lost his mind!!"
As the members rushed toward the commotion, the real Kael seized his opening.
"Flying Thunder God Technique!!"