I had a hunch it wasn’t going to be easy, and my gut ended up being right. When I burst into Kormadino’s chambers, I found more guards than I’d anticipated—six of them, all seasoned soldiers, drawing their swords in spite of their surprise.
Kormadino seemed to be the only one who was actually taken aback. He sipped his tea as if nothing was amiss—a classic move to mask one’s anxiety. Or maybe this idiot was just thirsty.
“I’m surprised,” said Kormadino, smirking. “Xylo Forbartz, I was wasn’t expecting you to do something so foolish. I’m assuming you just had to dispose of me yourself?”
“Shut up. I’m the one asking the questions here.”
I stepped into the room, confident there weren’t any soldiers in hiding. I’d already checked the place out with Loradd. Still, I knew the manor held more guards; Kormadino was only answering my questions to stall for time. For now, this little arrangement benefited both of us.
“Come on, answer me. Back when I killed Senerva, we were sent to rescue some unit known as the Uthob Front, Unit 7110. In the Voikouk Forest. Ring any bells?” I took another step forward, as close as I could get. Any closer, and I’d risk being attacked by his six guards. “Why were there faeries waiting to ambush us when we got there? There was no unit to be rescued… Unit 7110—why are they taking orders from you?” A few steps still separated me from Kormadino. “Answer me, dammit. Why did Senerva have to die?”
“…Sigh. I am simply amazed that you would come all this way just to lose to me again.” Kormadino had just confirmed my suspicions. “You, Xylo Forbartz, are why Goddess Senerva had to die. Because you were a fool. You didn’t see the whole picture. You were using people as your pawns to fight against the Demon Blight. You were fighting a meaningless war and dragging everyone else down with you.”
“‘Meaningless’? Trying to eradicate the Demon Blight is meaningless?”
“Yes, it is. Do you honestly believe you can rid the world of every last one of them?” He was obviously trying to taunt me. “Are you not aware that it’s dreamers like you who are leading mankind to destruction?”
However, Kormadino seemed stirred by his own words, his voice gradually rising.
“The other captains of the Holy Knights are no different: They’re all false heroes who seek glory on the battlefield, believing they can lead mankind to victory by slaying the demon lords… They simply refuse to face reality!”
“But not you, huh? Is that what you want to say?”
“Yes! There is only one path to peace, and that is coexistence. We should embrace the Demon Blight.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. “They eat people… Are you aware of how many will have to die for us to coexist with them?”
“The solution is simple if you use your head. If anything, we could improve society by creating a system where we offer criminals and others deemed worthless as sacrifices. That would benefit both mankind and the Demon Blight. It is what a true champion of humanity would do.” Kormadino nodded emphatically, as if agreeing with himself. “Yes… I will achieve peace through negotiation and compromise, not war!”
“Doesn’t sound like peace for the ones you decide to sacrifice.”
I couldn’t bring myself to argue with his viewpoint. If that was how he saw things, then we had fundamentally different definitions of peace, and our moral standards were worlds apart. In fact, as far as I was concerned, his notion of peace was absolute garbage. So I gave him the finger—the most aggressive gesture I knew.
“I’m gonna slam that face of yours into the floor so hard nobody will recognize you! Don’t move!”
“Hold on, penal hero Xylo. I’d stay put if I were you.” Kormadino sounded almost cheerful. “A criminal has dared to trespass onto my property and has committed a heinous act, and I intend to report him to the proper authorities. I will request that they remove his personality when he is resurrected as well. Do you understand what I’m getting at? As the governor-general, I have that power.”
“Then do it.”
I unsheathed my knife, and immediately the guards sprang into action. Two of them approached, swords drawn and held low, while the remaining four protected Kormadino. What a cautious bunch of assholes, I thought. This could’ve been over in seconds if they’d all charged me at once. But of course, life was never that simple.
“Don’t move!”
The two guards issued a kind warning as their one-handed swords flashed in the light. They must have been quite skilled, but they knew too much about me without truly understanding me. And that was why I knew I was going to win. The moment I raised my knife, they reacted, trying to shield Kormadino from the blast of Zatte Finde’s explosion.
It was a classic mistake. I saw their opening and pounced. By mixing in feints, I could keep attacking endlessly. The more human my opponent, the better tricks like these worked.
“Got something for you.”
With a flick of my wrist, I sent the knife sailing between the two guards. The one on the right attempted to retreat, while the other tried to block it with his sword. Neither move was sufficient. As soon as the blade made contact with the soldier’s sword, it detonated in a flash of blinding light, sending shock waves through the air.
“Dammit! Zatte Finde…!”
“Yep.”
Closing the distance, I kicked the guard on the left toward Kormadino, forcing his partner to engage. With one guard down, the smarter one, who had tried to keep his distance, immediately charged at me. As he thrust, I slipped beneath his blade, then pressed my left palm against his stomach. While clearly a misuse of my probe seal, unleashing it like this at maximum output was extremely effective on human opponents. It brutally shook the soldier’s innards, prompting him to vomit.
“Uhnf…!”
I kicked him out of the way before he could throw up on me, breaking a rib or two of his in the process. The exchange was swift, leaving two of the guards incapacitated, but the other four still remained by Kormadino’s side.