"A-ahh…?"
Scylla had never seen so much blood rush out in a single moment.
She found the sight beautiful… but that was only for a second.
Soon, she realized just what kind of dread awaited her. She wasn't the one causing the rain of blood, after all.
It was the enemy!
'This wasn't… this wasn't in the plan at all…!'
How could nearly a thousand people die in a flash? It was unheard of!
Impossible!
'Even my own can't…!' She swallowed hard as she looked at her stationary guard.
It seemed he too was stunned by what was happening.
'Damnit! Damnit! This isn't… this isn't how it was supposed to go!'
Scylla held her breath for some reason, perhaps hoping the man in the dark mask wouldn't be able to detect her if she didn't breathe.
However—
~ZZZZRRRNNGGG!~
—Her pledge of silence was cut short by the vibrations that echoed from her ring.
'W-what?! Not now! Why are you calling me now?!'
Scylla felt sweat gather all over her face as all attention turned to her the instant her ring began vibrating.
"A communication ring, huh? You placed your Communication tool in a Spatial Ring for easier communication, I see…"
The words of the masked man caused her to shiver down to her bones.
'H-he figured it all out…?!'
She was meant to receive a call once the Royal Capital's mission was complete.
She didn't expect to receive it so soon, but it seemed like they were done on their end pretty quickly.
'M-maybe if they return to provide backup… we might stand a chance…?!'
But how was that even possible?
They were hundreds and hundreds of miles apart from each other. It was impossible to even dream of getting backup anytime soon.
"Pick the call."
"E-eh…?" Scylla muttered as she heard the masked man speak to her.
This would be the first time they would talk to each other, and she felt an overwhelming weight descend upon her.
It made her nauseous.
"Pick. The. Call."
Scylla instantly knew what would happen if she refused.
—Instant death!
"O-okay…"
She placed her ring on the table, and it projected a communication tool, which in turn produced sounds, which eventually turned into noise.
Scylla could hear screams in the background, with echoes of destruction raging forth.
She could tell that her subordinates had carried out their duties to the utmost level, ensuring their enemies suffered greatly while everything around them burned to the ground.
'S-serves them right!' A part of her thought, while another part feared even more.
What would happen if the wrath of the masked man was directed at them? Now that he knew what they had done… would he not grow even more upset?
'H-he's bound to kill us all at this rate!'
Fortunately for Scylla, she soon realized that she was completely mistaken about all that she was hearing.
"Uarghhhhhhh! Lady Scylla, please save us!"
'H-huh…?!' Scylla's thoughts went blank.
"T-the enemy… h-he's too strong! He's slaughtering all of us!"
"Please send reinforcements, Lady Scylla!"
"Guarghhhhh! He's closing in! Please help! H-heeelppp!"
Scylla didn't know where and how to begin processing the information she was recovering.
'T-the enemy…? He…?'
That signified the existence of only one person. Just one man was laying waste to five of the Nine Heads of Destruction as well as nearly two thousand troops?
'H-how…?'
How could this be allowed under the heavens? It was an abomination… an anomaly upon the world.
No single man ought to have such power!
"P-PLEASE HELP USSSSHHHHH—!"
~ZZZTTTZZZZZ!~
The communication device went dead as the last sound that Scylla heard was the gurgling of blood and even more screams in the background.
Once the call ended, Scylla didn't need anyone to tell her what had happened to Jawl and his men—as well as everyone else in the Capital.
They were most definitely dead.
She hung her head in despair as she looked at the communication device in sheer despondency.
'The plan… it failed.'
********
"Do you understand now? How pathetic you all are?"
Rey spoke up, looking at the shivering ones before him—both the ones who were seated, and the ones who stood.
'Looks like Ater is working hard over there. I should also try to finish things up here.' Hes smiled underneath his mask.
"I hope you're all ready to die now."
Rey counted seven entourages he had to eliminate, so he decided to get to work on those first.
"A-attack! Kill him already!"
"Protect me, you fools!"
Rouge and Bleue yelled out at their guards, shamelessly asking the men to die on their behalf.
It was all useless, though.
~SWISH!~
In one fell swoop, using [Severing Claw], Rey easily tore through the armor and bodies of the four guards who were still trembling under orders.
Their meaty remains sploshed on the ground as their entrails slopped out of their dismembered bodies.
The diced four were mere additions to the thousands of body parts that lay strewn all over.
"Next." Rey said, staring at the fat and thin men who shrieked in fear.
They jumped from their seats, slipping on the bloody ocean underneath them, as they tried to escape.
It was no use, though.
~SQUELCH!~
They were ripped apart in an instant, their body parts staining the walls a result of the momentum.
Just like that, two integral members of the New Order were eliminated.
All without any effort from the perpetrator.
Rey only had one word to utter after killing the two Ex-
Councilors.
"Next."
This time, he looked at Lord Noir, who was shivering like a scared little baby.
"P-please… I'll do anything." He fell to his knees and prostrated to Rey.
Fitzgerald didn't care that his body was being sullied by the blood and innards of those who were now dead. He didn't care for the pride and prestige he was known to display.
For the first time in his life, he broke character and bowed before the absolute one before him.
Tears fell from his eyes as he begged.
"S-spare me… please! Please!"
"…"
For a moment, there was no response from the man in the mask.
Fitzgerald Noir took this as a good sign and raised his head in slight relief and gratitude. However, what he found out were two things.
~SWISH!~
One was the fact that his head was slipping out of his neck.
Before he realized it, his head rolled on the ground, and his butchered body followed soon after.
As for the second thing he realized, it was the response of the masked man—the last words he heard before his demise.
"No."
Noir's wrinkled and aged body served as another addition to the pile of corpses that decorated the room.
The once crowded place had become a hellscape occupied by only a few.
Other than the seated Rebal and Kara, as well as their entourages, only Scylla and her guard, as well as Fenrir and his two captains were left.
A total of nine.
However, it seemed even this number was too much for the bringer of death.
After all, he said the words once more.
"… Next."