The Terrifying Sight

The blonde girl jumped down from the wall, her heart pounding. "I have to get out of here, or they'll catch me again. If they do, I'll definitely be killed."

But as she turned, her heart sank.

A large group of Imperial soldiers stood before her, their uniforms instantly recognizable. The Imperial Guard. Despair set in as she realized where she was—the upper city. Of course, the Imperial soldiers would only protect the wealthy here.

She thought back to the slums of Slam, where people were dragged off by slave traders, while the Imperial police didn't even glance their way. The high-ranking Imperial Guard? They wouldn't care at all. They existed to serve the powerful, the rich.

"Am I going to die? My revenge hasn't even begun... No, I can't die yet! I haven't avenged Slam yet!"

"I won't submit, you damn—"

Before the blonde girl could finish her curse, a cold female voice cut through her thoughts.

"Stand down."

"Yes, ma'am!" The soldiers instantly responded and dispersed.

The girl, still bewildered, felt her survival instincts take over. She didn't waste time questioning it and quickly fled. But before she disappeared into the night, she glanced back and saw the figure of the woman who had saved her—a radiant silver-white figure that etched itself into her mind.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, understanding that this high-ranking officer had let her go. She vanished into the darkness.

"Where is that damned slave?! How could so many of you not catch a single girl? You're all useless!"

Suddenly, the mansion's door flew open with a loud crash. A fat man, draped in gilded clothes, stormed out, followed by a group of henchmen. Upon spotting the nearby Imperial soldiers, his eyes lit up with arrogance.

"Hey, you there! Have you seen my slave? A blonde girl..."

"Hey! I'm talking to you! Are you deaf? Answer me! Do you even know who I am? Do you still want your jobs?!"

His shouting fell on deaf ears. The Imperial soldiers paid him no mind, and his face flushed with anger. Enraged, he bellowed again.

"You worthless fools! Do you know who I am? I am a close relative of Minister Honest—"

Before he could finish his boast, a large, iron-fisted Imperial officer appeared in front of him in an instant. The man's beady eyes glinted with murderous intent as his massive fist, as large as a boulder, swung through the air.

Boom!

The fist connected with the fat man's nose, and the sickening sound of bones breaking echoed. His face collapsed like a deflated balloon, his nose shattered, and blood sprayed everywhere. His skull caved in, and his body crumpled to the ground, dead on impact.

"The Imperial Guard is not something scum like you can insult!" growled Gensa, the officer, as he completed his strike. The fat man's lifeless body was flung against the mansion wall with a deafening crash.

The force of the punch sent shockwaves across the ground, splitting the walls like a spiderweb. The mansion's outer wall crumbled, and the henchmen, finally realizing what had happened, stared in shock at Gensa.

The leader of the henchmen, his face twisted with fear and rage, spat out, "Do you even know who he was? You dare kill Minister Honest's relative?! You're dead meat!"

But before he could continue, a cold voice interrupted.

"Kill them all."

"Yes, ma'am!" came the unified response.

Blades flashed, and within moments, the henchmen's screams filled the night air. Blood spilled under the fading light of the sun, the scene turning into a horrifying massacre.

Meanwhile, in the southern mountains of the Empire...

"Lord Gozuki, we've confirmed that there's significant human activity near the basin ahead. The fires in the surrounding mountains were put out by the recent rain."

"Additionally, during our search around the basin, we encountered several rebel outposts forming a perimeter. They're stationed to guard the entire area."

A member of the Imperial assassination squad, dressed in black and masked, knelt as he delivered his report.

Resting a blood-red blade on the ground, Gozuki, a blond man, asked, "Any survivors?"

"There are some... but... the rebels there..."

The assassin hesitated, his body trembling slightly.

"Hmm?" Gozuki's dissatisfaction grew as he watched the stammering assassin. His thoughts turned toward forming a new elite assassination unit—clearly, the current group was losing its edge. But for now, the mission from Minister Honest took priority.

"Speak! As the elite of the Empire, why are you trembling like a coward? Are they dead or alive?"

"Th-they're alive, sir, but you should see for yourself. I can't explain it..." The assassin seemed haunted by what he had seen.

"Show me."

As Gozuki approached the rebel outpost, the stench of rotting flesh became overpowering. "The smell of corpses?"

Inside the small outpost, Gozuki, hardened by years of witnessing death, was shaken by the sight before him.

Piles of rebel corpses filled the area, stacked layer upon layer. The scene was horrific—severed limbs were the least of the grotesque imagery. Many bodies had fused together, creating monstrous abominations that defied description.

No signs of animal predation, no maggots that would normally accompany decay. It was as if the bodies were liquefying on their own. The eerie silence only added to the terror.

More disturbingly, it seemed the rebels hadn't died at the same time. Judging by the condition of the bodies, they had entered the outpost in waves, only to meet the same gruesome fate.

Swallowing hard, the assassin spoke, barely able to contain his nausea. "The sole survivor is inside, sir..."

Nodding, Gozuki stepped forward cautiously, picking his way through the bodies until he reached the small building in the center.

Inside, a man lay in a pool of blood, dressed in the uniform of a rebel officer. When he saw Gozuki, he struggled to speak.

"Kill me... please, just kill me..." the man begged, his voice weak and ragged. But as he tried to speak, his body convulsed in pain, and he let out a pained scream.

His skin was rotting, his flesh swollen and splitting. Pus-filled blood oozed across the floor.

Even Gozuki, with his iron will, felt a chill run down his spine. The man was barely clinging to life, his body falling apart in the most agonizing way possible.

With all his remaining strength, the rebel officer pleaded, "Help me... kill me... please..."

Silently, Gozuki drew his pistol.

The officer whispered, "Thank you..."

Bang!