Chương 3: Sin to be Weak

The Doctor walked through the forest without a care in the world. Behind him, the owl-masked man followed in silence, with the young girl in the raincoat walking close beside him. Soon, the gates of Gram came into view. The knights stationed there noticed him immediately. One of them went still.

"That mask…" he whispered to the knight beside him.

"Is that the Doctor?" The others drew their swords. The Doctor stopped a few steps away from the gate and looked up at them through the beak of his plague mask.

"You are under arrest," one of the knights ordered, his voice tense.

"Remove your mask and put your hands behind your back." The Doctor did not move. Instead, he glanced toward the owl-masked man.

"Owl," he said, "please cover Labyrinth's eyes." The girl in the raincoat stiffened.

"A child shouldn't see what is about to happen." The owl-masked man placed his hands gently over Labyrinth's eyes. She trembled beneath them. The Doctor turned back to the knights.

"Now then," he said, "I'm sure none of you want to die for a mere paycheck." The knights tightened their grips on their swords.

"Run along," The Doctor continued.

"Evacuate with your families, and you may survive today." He lifted one finger.

"I'll give you a five-minute head sta—" A blade flashed. One of the knights lunged forward and cut off The Doctor's arm. The severed limb hit the ground. For a moment, no one moved. The Doctor stared down at it. Then he sighed.

"That was rude." Another knight rushed in, swinging for his neck. The Doctor stepped aside with little effort, bent down, and picked up his severed arm. Then he pressed it back against the stump. Flesh reconnected. Bone snapped into place. Even the torn fabric of his sleeve stitched itself back together as if the attack had never happened. The knights froze. The Doctor flexed his fingers once.

"Fine," he said. His voice lost all warmth.

"Die." He removed his crimson gloves and let them fall to the ground. Then he reached forward and grabbed one of the knights by the throat.

"Ability Activate." The knight struggled in his grip.

"Divine Hand." The screaming began instantly. The knight's body convulsed inside his armor as something beneath the metal came apart. His cries turned wet and broken, then stopped all at once. The Doctor released him, and the body collapsed to the ground. A second later, blood poured from every opening in the armor, spilling across the dirt in a thick red pool. When the helmet rolled loose, there was no face beneath it. Only bone.

His skin had melted away completely, leaving nothing but a skeleton in a suit of armor. The Doctor looked down at the remains for a moment. Then he laughed.

"Are you interested in having fun, my esteemed vice leader?" Owl did not move from Labyrinth's side.

"Go ahead," he said calmly.

"Have your fun. Waste your stamina." His hands remained over Labyrinth's eyes.

"I'll babysit." The Doctor chuckled.

"I'll end this quickly. They're all trash." He raised his bare hands. Thin veins burst from his fingertips, twisting through the air like crimson threads. Before the knights could react, the veins wrapped around their throats. One by one, they were lifted from the ground. The Doctor smiled as dark wings sprouted from his back. He rose into the air, looking down at the gates of Gram while the knights dangled beneath him. Their swords fell from their hands. Their legs kicked uselessly.

Then, one by one, they stopped moving. The Doctor floated back down and pulled the veins into his body. The dead knights collapsed around him. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"Now for the fun part." He turned toward the young girl in the raincoat.

"Labyrinth, use your ability and summon our dearest friends." Labyrinth trembled.

"Y-yes, Commander." Owl finally removed his hands from her eyes. The girl knelt in the dirt and began to write with her finger. Her movements were shaky, but the symbols she drew were precise. Line after line formed an incantation beneath her hand. When she finished, she clasped her hands together.

"Um…" Her voice barely came out.

"Ability Activate." The symbols in the dirt began to glow.

"Heaven's Door." A gate rose from the incantation, forming out of light and shadow. It opened slowly, and numerous masked figures stepped through. The Doctor spread his arms.

"Go ahead," he said.

"Kill to your heart's content." The masked figures rushed into Gram. Screams began almost immediately. The Doctor looked toward the center of the city.

"The manor is mine." A moment later, Inari joined them at the gate. His katana was sheathed at his side.

"All finished, sir," Inari said. The Doctor glanced at him.

"Good. Follow me to the manor." He looked back at Owl.

"Owl, you can keep babysitting. She is our most valuable asset, so let nothing happen to her." Owl gave a silent nod. The Doctor began walking through the town, with Inari following at his side. Behind them, Labyrinth stood close to Owl, shaking as the sounds of the invasion spread through Gram. Inari looked back at her.

"Don't you feel bad?" he asked quietly.

"She's just a child. Her ability may be powerful, but this is too much for her." The Doctor did not slow down.

"This world is cruel and vicious," he said.

"It is best she gets used to its hardships sooner rather than later." For a moment, his voice lowered.

"I know I did." Inari stared at him from behind his fox mask.

"Is it truly a sin to be a child in this world?" The Doctor walked through the burning street without looking back.

"The only sin this world does not allow is the sin of being weak." His voice remained calm.

"Unfortunately, children are born weak." A scream echoed from somewhere deeper in Gram. The Doctor stepped over a fallen sword and continued toward the manor.

"Whether we like it or not, everything will be taken from us." Inari walked beside him in silence for a moment. Then he spoke.

"Just as the emperor took everything from you?" The Doctor stopped. Only for a second. Then he turned his plague mask slightly toward Inari.

"Just as your family abandoned you for being weak." Inari went quiet. The words had struck their mark. The Doctor continued walking. At the manor, Walter Fafnir stood by the window, watching the chaos spread through Gram. Smoke rose between the trees. People ran through the streets. Masked figures moved through the city like shadows, cutting down anyone who stood in their way. Walter's expression hardened. He turned from the window and grabbed a spare sword from the wall.

"Sarah," he said. His wife looked at him from across the room.

"Stay here and watch over Isaac." Sarah's face tightened, but she nodded.

"The people need me," Walter said. Isaac sat quietly at the table, his red eye fixed on his father.

"Be safe, Dad," he said. Walter looked back at him and smiled.

"Oh, please." He rested the sword against his shoulder.

"I'm the strongest." It was meant to reassure him. Then Walter ran outside. He moved quickly through the streets, passing broken stalls, fallen knights, and civilians fleeing toward the deeper parts of the city. It did not take long before he found them. The Doctor and Inari stood in the middle of the road, walking toward the manor as if they owned the city. Walter stopped in front of them. Inari's hand immediately moved to his katana.

"Commander," he said, excitement slipping into his voice, "he looks like a strong swordsman. May I face him?" The Doctor raised one hand.

"No." Inari paused. The Doctor tilted his head toward Walter.

"You already killed his son." Walter's body went still. The Doctor's voice carried through the street, just loud enough for him to hear every word.

"I get this Fafnir." Walter stared at him.

"Noah?" His grip tightened around his sword.

"What did you do to him?" Red scales began to bloom across Walter's arms, spreading over his skin like armor. The Doctor looked pleased.

"Go ahead, Inari," he said.

"Spill the details." Inari glanced at Walter, then gave a careless shrug.

"Let's see…" He tapped a finger against the hilt of his katana.

"First, I chopped off his arm." Walter's breathing changed.

"Then his head." The red scales spread further.

"It was a fairly easy fight," Inari continued dryly.

"But he had good spirit, at least." For a moment, the street was silent. Then Walter lowered his head. His sword arm trembled. Not from fear. From rage. The Doctor watched him closely.

"Walter Fafnir," he said.

"One of the Three Swords of Álfheimr." Walter slowly raised his gaze.

"A man who hunted the Black Dragon that nearly burned this forest to the ground." The Doctor stepped forward.

"You will make an excellent opponent for me." Walter's draconic eyes burned with fury. The Doctor spread his arms.

"Now come at me."