The Thrill Killer

Chapter 18: The Thrill Killer

"Whoever takes an innocent life is the same as killing all of humanity."

― Saint Emperor Profeus Zakari Dudarka (LS 401)

----------------------------------------------

Year 1212, 28th day of the 4th month- Evergrey~

[General POV]

Lucian and his party were sitting in the inn dining area eating their breakfast. They had decided to stay one more day here to understand the situation of the border.

Spike and Julian was missing from the group for this very reason. They were out there gathering intel.

As for the others they were acting as usual. Only difference is the new party member the black blob or now known as Lobira was staring at the child Casper as he too stared back.

While Celine's pouty face could be seen.

'She seems jealous.' Lucian chuckled as he looked at the three of them. He looked towards Axel and he grinned.

'He sure is taking peeks at Celine a lot now days. I never thought he would take interest in someone like Celine. Although...

That could be the reason.' Lucian let out a chuckle again as he thought of a certain young lady of a certain family.

'Hope she is doing well in the North.'

Honestly they were not that far away from the northern fort that Lady Angeline was in charge of. It is at most five- seven days journey through rough hilly terrain if they sped up.

Evergrey town was near the north eastern side of the country, almost at the furthest point of it.

Lucian was still in his though and everything seemed to be in order.

There were other guests aside from them. Mostly the regular townsfolk who usually came here to eat occasionally.

They were as expressionless as always though.

But staying here for a day, they all noticed that the people here did show emotions. And it was through their gestures and their eyes. While their mouth kept somewhat stoic.

Sometimes it felt really awkward as most people are used to reading normal facial ques.

The peace continued for a few more minutes as one of the barmaids came near the tables to serve some juice. A man rushed in the inn.

He was rugged and out of breath. There seemed to be some wounds on his body.

*Huff..Huff*

He wanted to speak to the innkeeper but he was totally out of breath. The inn keeper seemed worried and gestured him to sit down and take a breather.

As the man was still trying to calm down Julian and Spike returned with somewhat grave faces.

Lucian raised his brows and looked at them and then at the man. His face turned serious as well.

"Innkeeper, mind if we hear what the good man has to say?" Lucian inquired. To which the innkeeper just nodded and gestured to one of the tables near them.

"Sir, when you have calmed down please tell us all that you know." Mavis gestured the man and used a small charm to increase the breathable air near the man.

Which earned acknowledging nod from Lucian and a grateful look from the innkeeper.

The man soon calmed down.

Then he looked around and then at the innkeeper who just nodded gesturing him to start.

"My name is Anos. I am a farmer and I live in the village 2 hour walk from here."

'So about 9-13 kilometers (depending on average people's walking speed.) from here that's close.' Lucian thought as the man continued.

[A/N: Normally on earth people can walk from 2.5 kilometer to 7 kilometers in an hour depending on pace and considering that this is a different world which involves people with better physiques the average was deemed higher.]

"Yesterday evening a weird man came to our village… He identified himself as Horacio Battleborn… Blood red hair and crimson eyes. He mumbled about something… About 328 more people to go then started his merciless slaugh-hter." By the end of the conversation the man started crying as he was horrified.

But the party looked towards Celine. They all knew her Mother was from that house so they wanted some answers.

Celine looked shaken as she knew the name of the man.

"Umm…umm." She panicked as she looked at Lucian. Tears started forming in her eyes. She didn't want that one person to hate her for this.

She saw Lucian get up and she closed her eyes. Waiting to be shouted at but that never came.

Just like last time a gentle and warm hand was on her head as she heard Lucian saying.

"Don't be anxious Celine, I would never hate you for something that you aren't even involved in. Why would I hold you accountable for someone from your clan did."

Lucian comforted her with a kind smile. And Celine just nodded and excused herself to return to her room.

Lucian became stoic after she left. He turned to Julian.

Julian got the que and started informing him. "My lord, when I went out for gathering information I heard of a man slaughtering whole villages… He didn't even leave… an infant alive…"

He paused as the whole inn's temperature rose by a large margin. Lucian's kind stature was nowhere to be seen only wrath was evident on that face.

Everyone except Julian and Lobira took a step back. The villager was on his bottom and the innkeeper was doing his best to hold out the pressure.

Mavis wanted to say something but stopped.

'Merciful as a deity yet wrathful as a demon God. Now the Battleborns have done it…'

*Cough*

Julian coughed and Lucian lowered the pressure but didn't dissipate it. He gestured Julian to continue with his brows.

"The person who is doing this is indeed a Battleborn. But the name that I just heard from this man do ring a bell."

Lucian tilted his head to one side.

"Horacio of the house Battleborn is one of thirteen grandchildren of Duke Battleborn and the child of Viscount Battleborn the current head of the Battleborn House.

He is the third son of the main lineage but was disowned a year ago."

He paused as he saw no one was interjecting he continued.

"The reason was he killed all the servants that served him."

The temperature rose again. "Why?"

Lucian asked in a solemn voice.

"He.. He said it was… for fun….. He named it as a sport…

Called it Thrill killing…."

*Silence*

The temperature turned normal for some reason.

"M-mew.M-eoow-w." Lobira seemed terrified as she looked at Lucian who wasn't showing any emotions.

The cat started shivering at the sight and vanished itself in Lucian's shadow.

Lucian looked at the villager.

The villager had already soiled his pants; strong scent of excreta was evident in the air. Even Mavis didn't feel safe to clear the air in the current situation.

"How many people was in your village?"

"fif-fifty s-six my lord…. Including me."

Lucian started at him and the man was not able to hold anymore and fainted.

Then Lucian looked at the innkeeper.

"If there were at most 55 people in that village at that time then there will be a lot more people the man wants to kill.

So tell me are there any other village near that village or this is the only one?"

*gulp*

The innkeeper took gulp even his throat hurt from being dry. "M-my l-lord, T-there i-is one mo-ore village towards the northern mountains."

He answered whole stuttering and there was clear fear on his previous expressionless face.

Lucian nodded at him and then looked at his party.

"I want him in front of me alive by the end of the day."

Then he walked out of the inn but no one stopped him.

-------------------------------------------------------

[Julian's POV]

I really did it this time. Well not that it was my fault per se. But this fiend…

'What have your raised old friend?'

I couldn't help but curse this year. Everything is falling apart this year. I looked towards the exit that Lucian took without saying anything. I know he is going towards the village that was massacred.

His orders were simple. To go and capture the psychopath and bring him back 'Alive.'

I am afraid we will witness that flame again today…

I looked towards the others. Mavis was stoic. Axel was shaking and Spike..

'He is still standing, impressive…?'

Julian patted the boy who fell backward like a statue. 'He fainted while standing.'

Then he looked at the youngest one who was at the corner of the room in a fetal position and crying. Not that anyone could blame him.

"Mavis and Axel you two will follow me to the mountain village. Mister can you get the young lady who left earlier? Tell her the location of the village and if possible escort her there. Our master should be there burying the dead…."

The innkeeper was surprised but nodded.

"We will take some of the villagers they will help the dead too. That village had good relations to ours…"

Julian just nodded and gestured the two to follow.

"I really hope that boy hasn't started killing yet…"

Axel and Mavis could just nod as they mounted the horses.

--------------------------------------------

[Lucian's POV]

[A/N: Mature audience only warning]

.

.

What I was looking at could not be described by mere words. Tears were apparent in my eyes as I stood in in front of the village.

The whole place was covered in red. There were bodies everywhere…

Men.

Women..

Children…

Elderly….

None was spared.

My heart was hurting from the sight. I felt a huge pull in my heart strings my stomach felt sick as I eyed a half skull of a child.

*Blugh*

I vomited. I couldn't stomach that sight.

The child was cleaved in half and the innards were gutted out…

*Blugh*

I vomited again.

I changed my view to only be welcomed by an elderly woman with a crushed head with brain matter falling out.

The whole place reek of blood and filth.

Everywhere I look I see dead bodies. And none of it seemed painless quick deaths.

I could see women with missing body parts.

He was sick. He was a monster. He took fun in this.

He piled all the lady parts in one side after cutting them out…

That can not be a human's work…

The men were all gutted out and tortured. He killed all of them after he cut one piece at a time.

Then cutting their guts out.

No man died by a head crush or sword slash on the neck…

They all died by a cut gut and blood loss…

My eyes became hazy and my blood almost ran cold when I went a bit further…

The young girls were all naked… hung upside down…

By

Intestines not ropes…

All of their faces had horror struck on them…

Blood was curdling out of their orifices..

A went a little further and I knelt down in front of a huge burned pit.

The rest of the villagers were burned here mostly young boys.

He cut their heads and burned their bodies only to put them on a stick and place them again…

I lost my bearings…

I knelt…

Blood tear coming out of my eyes.

*Clip Clop*

Around the same time the help arrived only to stop and start vomiting. Celine seemed horrified. She stood there like a statue.

Even the forever stoic Race was showing horrified faces with tears and vomit.

This was hell. This wasn't done by a human.

I felt lost.

I didn't know what to do.

I felt guilty.

They were once all my people.

I failed them.

I couldn't save them as their prince…

I can no longer save them as their king…

I cannot even save them when I was so close…

I was almost lost in self blame. My eyes were losing light.

"Meow!"

At that time Lobira came and patted my hand with its paws trying to comfort me. Even the little creature was uncomfortable with this place.

I got back from my stupor.

I looked around once more, I then looked at the people who arrived.

'I can't let myself drown in despair now… I need to avenge my people. I need to stop that demon before he goes any further.'

'I want to purify these souls…

But I don't know how to control those flames…'

.

Everytime I used the golden flames they came out on their own as if they responded to my extreme emotion. But I never could control them.

Maybe…

'I will request the flames to come out.'

And just as I was about to the flames covered me like a cloak. I was surprised. The flames covered me in a warm light and it felt like it was trying to communicate.

'*Use us as you see fit, You are our Master to obey you is law, A law set by the old one.*'

The fire seemed to speak inside my head an spoke those words.

Fascinating.

I looked towards the help that came I gestured them to get back and out the village.

They complied readily.

I made my way to the center of the village and It felt like I already knew what I had to do.

I closed my eyes and the golden flames surged further covering me in a golden ball.

.

|| Souls Be cleansed, Let the pain end

The suffering thou faced shall be burned away

The horror shall be kept at bay

All that is evil shall be cleansed.

........

......…

Paradise wait thou at the end of the path

I offer thy mana as to pay the cost

I Invoke the great flames of the ancestor||

<Fire: Flames of Redemption>

A massive ball of golden flame was created above the sky of the village and fell down creating a deluge of fire that covered the whole village.

But miraculously not a single thing was burned. Only the bodies of the villagers were purified and dissipated. Their souls freed and cleansed as they made way to their new journey.

There was no longer any blood present on the scene. All that was blood and filth was cleansed…

[A/N: Same spell as Chapter 8: Bullmar; Only difference being when he last casted this he was in his usual trance when he gets emotional over useless deaths and casted it directly like a veteran. But this time he was sane and had total control over his power. So he needed to use almost the full verse (Most verses were omitted of course!). But he will be able to use this spell as second nature when he gets used to his bloodline flames.]

All those who were witnessing this scene were speechless and watched the young man standing in the middle with golden light covering his body…