The Iron Moon Execution Decree is a punitive measure employed to quell rebellions, mutinies, and large-scale desertions. The punishment involves grouping five individuals together; those who draw the Iron Moon will be struck down by their fellow culprits with a flurry of blows. Initially used only in Twilight City, it soon spread across the kingdom, becoming the most loyal accomplice of Death itself. — *The Coming of Our Lord: The Iron Moon Execution Decree*
...
Among the deserters, a bald man who drew the Iron Moon collapsed to his knees, weeping uncontrollably before his former comrades. "Owen... you know... I have two children at home, they're only six, waiting for their father to come back..."
Owen bit his lip, trembling as he spoke, "Sykes, I know... but I'm sorry, I just want to survive..."
"Thud!" Under the pressure of the crossbowmen, Owen swung his first blow, shattering Sykes' cheekbone, causing half of his face to collapse.
Human beings are social creatures; when one leads, others inevitably follow.
Soon, those holding Copper Moons all began to strike.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!" The sound of blows echoed, mingled with the screams of pain.
Some were ruthless, sparing no mercy as they struck the ones holding Iron Moons. Each blow landed mercilessly on their skulls, crushing them into death.
Others, faced with old comrades, remembering the days of joint service and care, found it hard to strike with force. Weeping as they hit, they murmured apologies, each blow feeling like it landed on themselves.
In fact, those struck by the first type were somewhat fortunate, for their attackers dealt heavy blows, knocking them unconscious with a few swift strikes—ensuring their deaths were quick and painless.
But for the second type, the blows lacked strength. Unable to kill immediately, it was akin to using a dull knife to slice flesh—both tormenting the victim and the one delivering the strike.
At 4 minutes and 37 seconds, the last deserter holding an Iron Moon was struck dead, collapsing in a pool of blood.
The dead were forever gone, their end a form of release.
The living, however, would endure a fate far worse than death. They would be cast into death camps, where they would sleep amidst their own filth, surviving on rotting grains so foul that even pigs would turn their noses up.
Next time war broke out, they would be thrown to the front lines as human shields for the regular army. Unless they performed some miraculous feat in battle, they would never see the light of day again.
As for some deserters, they wouldn't even last long enough to become the death camps' human vanguard, like Owen, who killed Sykes.
Each night, he was tormented by nightmares, endlessly replaying the scene of Sykes' death.
He dreamt of his hands soaked in blood—Sykes' blood, and the blood of his two children. He had not only killed their father, but also sentenced the helpless children to an untimely death.
Countless nights of sleeplessness, countless moments waking in cold sweat, until, in an unbearable torment, he ended his own life by crashing into a wall. His blood stained the filthy straw mat and prisoner's rags.
Returning to the present, after the rewards and punishments had been dealt, the bodies of Li Minkai and the other reincarnators were brought forth.
Li Minkai was bound to a torture pillar, alternating between fits of laughter and sobbing, clearly driven mad by Kino.
Many did not recognize him, whispering amongst themselves and pointing fingers.
"This man is Li Minkai, the mastermind who bribed the bandits to attack Shilin Town, the root of all this chaos. And he has another identity..." Kino gazed down at the crowd, his voice rising like a crashing wave, "An Outsider!"
In an instant, the air was thick with shock, ripples of horror spreading through the guests. The soldiers, too, were stunned, even the closest of Kino's companions, Paladin, gaped in disbelief.
One soldier, unable to contain his astonishment, shouted, "My Lord! You mean to say he's the Outsider who killed the Sun King in the 'Eclipse War' 2700 years ago? I cannot believe it!"
"He did not kill the Sun King 2700 years ago," Kino replied, his gaze drifting toward the western sky, where the setting sun struggled to leave its final rays, the darkening blackness creeping like ink into water, swallowing the last remaining light.
The sun slowly dipped below the horizon, the cry of ravens echoing in the twilight, the heavens dimming, heralding the arrival of night.
Time ticked on, every soldier holding their breath, the only sound being the manic laughter and crying of Li Minkai.
"Now, I shall prove my words." Kino took a dagger from one of the soldiers and thrust it into Li Minkai's heart.
"Thud!"
Li Minkai opened his mouth in agony, his eyes bloodshot, almost popping out of their sockets.
With the tautness in his body loosening, his heart stopped, and Li Minkai... disintegrated!
Not only did the body of the deceased Li Minkai disintegrate, but the corpses of all the reincarnators, starting from their feet, shattered into countless fine particles of light. Like fireflies disturbed from their sleep, they shot upward, glowing with intense brilliance, merging with the stars emerging in the vast sky, both magnificent and mysterious, as though the heavens themselves were aflame.
When the last spark of light faded into the dark expanse, the bodies of all the reincarnators vanished, leaving not a trace behind, as if they had never existed in this world.
Paladin stood dazed, gazing at the night sky, his eyes seemingly still holding the faint glow of the moment. Unconsciously, he sank to his knees, murmuring the words from an ancient text: "They know not whence they come, nor whither they go, their light takes no form, just as the fire consumes itself in the stars..."
The onlookers stood in a daze, staring at the stage where Kino stood, proud beneath the burning torches, his exquisite features unlike those of a mortal, his pale skin even more radiant than the cold winter snow. His amber eyes sparked with myriad arcs of fire, gazing down at the world below with an aura of superiority.
Blood surged within their veins, and it was not clear who led the charge, but the entire crowd collapsed to the ground. They bowed, forming a wave that radiated outwards from Kino, like black clouds under the celestial dome. Their eyes burned with fervent flames, as they bowed to the Twilight City Administrator, to the Slayer of Outsiders.
This scene resembled an act of reverence to a deity.
Yesterday, Kino had spent the entire night pondering whether to reveal Li Minkai's true identity.
There were benefits to both keeping it hidden and exposing it.
Keeping it hidden would allow the Reincarnation invasions to remain more stable and manageable, without too much interference from the native forces of this world.
However, if it were revealed, the news of the Outsider's return would spread rapidly through all channels, reaching the noble families, the Dugoland Royal Family, the Far Eastern Empire, and every corner of the world, like a soaring raven.
Beneath the starry sky, the evening breeze, tinged with the scent of blood, swept through. Kino gazed down at the darkened crowd, his amber eyes shifting towards the Triple Shackles domain.
Suddenly, a smile appeared at the corner of his lips, one that had never been there before.
[Respect: 424]
[Fear: 4043]
Alongside the modest rise in respect, the fear value surged dramatically, and after a long period of silence, the third value finally saw an increase.
[Awe: 528]