"Now, for the final reason why I will destroy your small group of rogue Knights. I am simply doing so for the pay and because the Arks see your team as a detrimental force against the peace of the Five Domains. And the fact that you mentioned your King became Corrupted..."
"Would instantly make your King an enemy against the Arks."
"And why is that? We've only killed the humans that wanted to take advantage of the women in Albion, so it shouldn't be the Arks' problem. From what I know, the Arks are a group that solely welcomes Mages and no humans. This problem is a human affair, so please stay-"
"You are not human anymore," finished Ashley as he placed the gun's tip at Tristan's chest.
The archer's eyes' widened as he slowly looked down at Ashley's hand, who had a gun in his chest. Yes, that was no mistake. The weapon wasn't just touching the chest, at least a centimeter into the flesh. Tristan was trying to comprehend what was happening and trying to move away.
However, the Knight had been backed up into the wall and was at Ashley's mercy.
"You haven't noticed it... Haven't you? After I've fired those shots... You are no longer human. As much as you want to believe it, you have not been human since we've battled," Ashley explained, pushing the gun further into the archer's chest.
"You are wrong! I am human! I've got feelings... I am sad... This was a bad choice... What a tragedy has this battle have been for me..."
Tristan started sweating nervously as he was still vulnerable since the Marksman could end his life with a single trigger. Ashley sighed and looked at the poor Knight with eyes filled with pity.
"Why are you sad? Shouldn't you be angry? Aren't you supposed to be furious about me having a gun at your chest? Why are you not angry and fighting for your life?" questioned Ashley.
Tristan remained silent as he racked his brain for an answer. Ashley was right; why was the Knight so sad about it? That someone was going to kill him? No, that wasn't in his blood. Maybe the sadness that he might not have the chance to serve the King after this battle?
"Look at yourself, Sir Tristan. Your legs are broken, and my bullets shredded your arms. Yet, you're still standing despite your shattered spine. Your bones should be broken beyond repair, yet you stand here, breathing. That shows that you are not human and have to accept that."
"You died, and your King has revived you to do her bidding, chasing a dream never meant for you. You will never see Avalon for as long as you continue this mess of slaughtering. You are working endlessly for a goal that will not make sense nor give you peace."
"You left the Round Table because the King was too perfect, and he was driving the kingdom into ruin. You couldn't bear to see the end of King Arthur, so you left early. The King of Camelot's reign has been gone for the past 700 years. Even your remains should be gone by now."
"You're not even seen as a historical figure; the kids nowadays think that the Round Table Knights are only a distant fairytale, not worthy to be solidified evidence of the past. So it's time for you to go back and rest forever. Or if you are too scared, I can help you with killing yourself."
Tristan started breathing heavily as he tried to understand what was going on.
"Why... Why was I revived then?! How could I have been revived when I died far away from my King?! Why would the King revive a traitor like me?!" yelled Tristan.
"The same reason why the King revived Lancelot. I don't think your King restored you according to your familiarity with him but rather your strength and prowess as a combatant. And one more thing I'd like to add... You'd mentioned that your King had the power to Corrupt, right?" asked Ashley.
"Correct; our King had bestowed upon us specific weaponry that cannot be touched by the human hand, or they would get a sting or burn. The King called it 'Corruption.'"
"Within the Mages circle, the Corruption would refer to the hostile Element; the Corruption Element. It was the leading cause of the significant War within the Universe about a thousand years ago. But that's none of your concern. The real reason why your King has revived her Knights is that..."
"Your King wanted to revive the Husks again. The ex-leader of Camelot wants to turn humans into lifeless creatures to assert dominance over the Five Domains. Making Avalon over here would be far-fetched, but turning the remaining humans into mindless puppets should be easy."