Chapter 383- Royal Flush

Two figures sat on top of the ashes which once made up a tall tower, looking down upon the green fields which spread out all around them.

Wooden beams with burn marks and rubble made up this pile, which the two sat on while dangling their legs, looking upon an encampment filled with thousands of soldiers.

The landscape was covered with men. From this distance, they appeared as mere ants before the two.

"What do you think?"

The one who spoke had a raspy voice.

This being had green skin, and had thrown off his armor and cloak to reveal a high class brown industrial suit.

Two fangs poked out from underneath his mouth, yet his face was not wrinkled or horrid.

It was a goblin, yet among goblins he was a less monstrous one. With a thin and short stature, if a normal man were to approach this monster they would view it as a small threat.

None would even bother to fear him.

To put it simply, he looked weak.

Throwing aside the spear, the goblin grasped the air, preparing his clawed hands for battle.

"What do I think? Well darn. It doesn't exactly give me a homey feeling. Not at all like the wonderful little abode that their excellencies prepared for us."

The woman who replied was dressed in overalls and a t shirt which would have been white, had it not been drenched in blood.

She wore her hair in braids and had freckles covering her face. Her appearance was that of a young southern woman, in her early 20's.

The woman thinned her eyes with a slightly disturbing smile, looking down upon the legion before her with a strange sense of hostile tranquility.

"But gosh darn..... I've never in my life seen such a large pen full of livestock. Did ya'll prepare this just fer little ole me?"

The goblin lightly chuckled, standing up as he turned his back to the encampment.

"It's all yours. Their excellencies didn't tell me much about you, but those men right there are members of the 4th legion. The same one as that lieutenant. According to their excellencies, there isn't enough food to feed the livestock, so we're going to be bringing em all to the slaughter and storing the meat for the winter."

"Ah..... so these pigs are of the same pen as that one?"

The woman looked up to the goblin with red eyes, a horrible and blank expression on her face.

"Yep."

"I see..... well if there ain't enough feed for em, then what else is there to do?"

Standing up, the woman jumped off the building.

Reaching behind her, she pulled out two knives from behind her back- both covered in blood which dripped as she held them.

"I wouldn't want to waste any of the meat by letting em all die of starvation..... so I suppose we'll just have to send em to the slaughter here and now."

----

"Why are we still camped up here?"

"Don't you know that, rookie? The legion commander gets to do what he wants. He looked like he was about to head off to the next village, but it seems that the woman he captured fancied his interest, so we're at a standstill while he has his fun with her. When he's finished we'll be off to the next village."

A couple of men sat around a small wooden table which had been temporarily set up, playing cards with one another to pass the time.

Drinks had been laid out, and the atmosphere was beyond lax. It was a wonder that these men were just fighting a battle to the death.

"I see..... what about us? Where are all the women? There were plenty of them, so why are we keepin' em in the jail back in the town?"

"Ha? You don't even know that much rookie? Man, they sure are letting anyone join our ranks these days. Back in my time you wouldn't be let into this legion unless you already knew somebody."

"Knew somebody?"

The man who was speaking to the rookie looked up from his cards, somewhat annoyed and stunned at the mans ignorance.

"Somebody from the black market, dimwit! How the hell did you get in here in the first place?"

"Ah, I happen to be an acquaintance of the Emperor. My sister is one of his concubines, you see."

"Oh? Well damn, boy. You must be livin it up then with your sister in such a high position."

"Raise."

Pulling out a sack of money, the man grinned as he threw it on the table, to the surprise of all those around him.

The men looked at one another, however soon enough the rookie continued his conversation.

"Well, it hasn't really gotten me much. It barely even got me a position in the military, and as a rookie at that. The young Emperor doesn't really care too much about those related to his woman, but my sister convinced him to do at least that much."

"Hmm...."

The man was now staring at his cards as another seemed to be considering his options seriously.

"So why haven't they brought the women out here for us to play with?"

The rookie asked this question, glancing up from his own cards.

"It's because that ain't how things work around here."

"I joined up because I heard that when the 4th goes on a raid that they come back with riches, women, and booze. Don't tell me that was all a lie?"

"Call."

The next man took his turn as he slammed another sack of money on the table, and the one who appeared to be the leader of the small group nodded his head no.

"Nah, that's not it. It's just that ya gotto respect the hierarchy. The Legion Commander always takes the first pick. After him comes the Colonels, and then they go down the ranking of officers. Unless it's a major campaign, rookies like you would be lucky to get something that's been used a hundred times."

"I see.... but what if I were to find a woman while we attack a village and take the opportunity then and there?"

The man thinned his eyes with a snort.

"If you were to get so lucky and find one out in the open, where nobody would catch on, then you'd be the luckiest man alive. Everyone around ya is an enemy in this legion. Don't ya realize that we're all competing for the same goal here? If anyone sees anyone do anything out of line, then snitching is the first thing that'll cross their mind. Fact of the matter is, if people don't listen to the hierarchy then those who have worked their asses off to rise in status won't let you off easy."

"So.... we have to collect the women even though we probably won't get a turn with them?"

"Nah, that's not how it is! Ya gotto start from the bottom. If you collect enough of em then you're sure to rise up in the ranks soon enough. Look at how many died in this battle. Don't ya think there are a few open spots for officers now?"

"Oh.... that's right."

The man nodded, however the veteran then threw down his cards.

"Full house son. Now ya'll better be ready to hand over those pouches you found."

The men all grumbled, throwing their cards to the table in annoyance.

"Mmm...."

"Ugh...."

"Whatever...."

The men reached into their pockets, throwing even more sacks of coins onto the table as they grumbled.

"Haha.... see? Even though I'm not a ranked officer, there's still plenty of loot to be had, rookie. You just gotto find the right ways."

"I see. Sounds interesting."

The one who made this statement was not a man, but rather a woman.

"Then.... what about this. Royal flush, of the suit..... of hearts."

The men were focused on the table which had their money thrown onto it, so they did not notice the woman sneaking up behind them.

As they were staring at the money, something fell onto the table on top of it with a splatter.

They were slices.

Slices that had been perfectly cut into the form of cards, with the exact inscriptions and pictures drawn into them.

Slices of meat.

Dripping with blood.

Looking at this in confusion, the men turned to see a woman.

She wore a bloodied set of overalls, and in one hand she held a knife. Another knife was at her side, and blood dripped all around her.

In her other hand was a heart.

A human heart.

It had a set of rectangles cut out of it, the exact same size as the 'cards' which had been thrown onto the table.

"Looks like I won, didn't I? Hahaha! Ah wait.... I guess I can't make my own cards, can I? Well that sure is unfortunate. Looks like I don't have any need for this anymore..... I thought I made such a good use out of the meat, but I guess not."

Throwing the heart to the side, the woman sat down at the table, taking a seat with the men.

"So? What are you betting on, boys? Let me play as well! I love playing cards with my two sweet little children, Faux and Durst. And when my husband plays as well, we all have so much fun as a family. He goes easy on the boys cause they're little, but once in a while if they get cocky he'll get all serious on em. Ah.... I've been rattlin off all on my own! Ya'll probably don't care at all about a darn thing I'm sayin. Isn't that right?"

The woman looked up to the men with the eyes of a murderer.

"Isn't that right?", she whispered a second time.

The men stood up from their seats quickly, visibly shaken at the woman before them.

"Wh- who are you!? What are you doing here, woman?"

"Ah!! How rude of me to barge in without introducing myself.... my name is Bella. I'm just a farmer who tends the fields for a living, though recently I got hired by a new set of employers and I've been focusing on the livestock so often.... so much meat, you know? Seems like all I've been doing recently is slicin' up the livestock! But my two sons here have been such a help. They've gotten so good with the knives that I barely even need to do it myself anymore! Ain't that right, boys?"

The woman placed her hands in a strange position as if she was hugging two children who sat on her lap, holding them close to her chest.

Yet there was nobody there.

"Oh, you two are so quiet today. I wonder why that is? Why don't you say hi to the piggies? After all, this is yer only chance to see em. Don't tell em, but we're about to lead em to the slaughterhouse."

The burly men who just moments before were sitting, playing cards, and talking about capturing women, were now standing back in terror at the sight of this madwoman.

She was beyond insane.

The way she looked up to them after speaking to her imaginary children, with that blank expression and that terrible smile, inspired chills in each and every man there.

'I.... can't move....'

'What.... what is wrong with this woman....'

'She's nuts.... she's mad.... she's insane....'

The woman stood up from the seat, pushing it in with a smile.

"It looks like I forgot something. How silly I am..... piggies can't play games! And more importantly..... animals can't understand words."

The woman pulled both knives, smiling as she approached the men.

"Now then.... follow my lead, boys. If you don't help me, then there's gonna be a lot more work to do."

The men fell to their knees in pure terror, shaking with every fiber of their being.

Before them was not a woman.

It was an incomprehensible monster.

'What..... what happened to this person..... what on earth made her.....'

One man thought this, yet a realization came to his mind.

His memories were filled with the horrible screams of the mothers as their children were ripped from them.

He too had joined in the laughter, taking part in this horrible campaign.

He too had assisted in the killing of husbands, and in the capture of the children.

"I wonder.... just where Klyde is right now? That man is always going off somewhere, isn't he boys? I hope he returns soon....."

"No....."

The man began to whisper these words, choking them out.

"No.... no!!! I didn't..... I didn't do anything to you!!! I wasn't the one who made things this way!! Are you taking revenge on me!? On us!?!?! Wait!!!! Stop!!!! Hold on just a minute!!!!"

The man was now on his knees, however he looked up desperately, begging for his very life as the woman stepped closer and closer, swaying with each movement.

"Hmm.... the pigs are squealing quite a bit. Do you think they've caught on, boys?"

Looking down at her side, she smiled brightly.

"I think they have. We had better finish them off before they get too rowdy."

"Wait!!!!! I'll find your children!!!! I'll find them!!! I'll take you to them!!!! Please!!!! Just don't kill me!!! I'll do anything!!!"

"Hm? That's strange.... I just thought I heard the livestock say something odd..... did you two hear it as well?"

Looking down at her sides, the woman ruffled the hair of the two 'children' who were by her.

"You did? Hahaha.... well isn't that something..... I could swear I heard the livestock say that you two had been taken somewhere..... and that they could find you..... but you're both right here, aren't ya?"

[Yes mama!]

[We're right here!]

"I see..... then this one right here must be delusional..... a delusional pig. Sorry piggie. There's only one cure for madness."

"Stop!!!! Don't come any closer!!!!!"

Slice.

The knife of Bella pieced the heart of the man and was ripped out with insane strength, causing the man to explode into an eruption of chunks of flesh and blood.

The soldiers around him were shocked and they had already relieved themselves, unable to move or speak. Their throats crackled in a desperate attempt to scream for help, but they could not let the words out.

[That's one down!]

[Next, mama!]

"Ok boys!"

It was at that moment that all three men who remained exploded into chunks.

The woman moved at speeds beyond human vision, slicing and dicing the men as if they were mere livestock.

"Ah.... there are so many pigs in this pen. We really have our work cut out for us..... don't we boys?"

----

What ensued was a slaughter.

In the course of 30 minutes, among the roughly 7000 men who remained alive, encamped outside the town of Repan, not a single survivor could be found.

Worse still, was the scene that was found.

The bodies of each and every person had been mutilated beyond recognition.

Some were diced up nicely into perfect cubes of meat. Others were squashed into a paste. Others still had their body parts perfectly separated and lined up.

Some were cut into slabs, and others into thin slices. The possibilities were endless.

The only similarity from person to person was the horrible smell of blood and flesh, and the aura of death.

A demon had descended upon the battlefield, slaying any and all present.

It was not a battle.

Not a single person fought back.

Mass confusion and terror wrecked the hearts of the men before they were able to do anything.

In the middle of the encampment, the woman looked around her at this scene of carnage with a nod and a smile.

"We finally finished, boys. You two left all the work for me to do. Are you tired?"

[I'm very tired, mama....]

[I just wanted to sleep....]

"I see! If you were tired then there's no helping it. Don't worry about today. Mama did all the work. I hope that when I get home your father is there....."

[I'll be there, darling.]

"Is that so!!! Darling, I'll be so excited to see you!!! I can't wait to get back!!!"

With that, the woman walked through the sea of corpses with a smile, wiping blood off her forehead.

"Ah.... looks like I should wash up real quick..... I guess I better have a bath when I get home."

Touching a gemstone on a ring she wore, the woman disappeared.

Leaving not even a single trace of her existence, only the proof of slaughter remained.

----

"You'll..... heh..... ha..... heh..... never get away with this....."

As two men carried the blue haired knight who was now missing her legs, she began to laugh ever so lightly, slowly losing her mind in the torment.

"Ha..... agh..... ugh... heh.... no.... no matter who it is..... even if the hero doesn't step forward..... it doesn't matter. Somebody will."

The men walked through a dungeon.

On their sides were many cells, and inside the cells were women and children who had been taken captive.

Many were beaten and bruised, and they looked on in fear as the men carried the newest prisoner through the jail.

"So energetic even in such circumstances.... you will do just fine, Knight of the Kingdom. Hahaha!! How wonderful!! How truly wonderful it was that I found someone like you!!"

The man with long black hair and the tone of a snake spread his arms in joy as he shouted in high pitch.

"You..... heh..... took in all these women and children as well? You monster..... hah..... I can't even imagine what punishment awaits you....."

At this statement the man turned around with confidence.

"Punishment? Awaiting me? Don't be so silly. Are you telling me you believe in equal retribution? HAHAHA!!! Such a thing is ridiculous. The notion that those who do evil will be payed back with evil and punishment for their actions.... it is a facade! It is nothing more than the empty hopes of those who wish for it!!! Listen up, my dear captive."

The man grinned as he took off his helmet, inching his face ever so close to look the woman in the eyes.

Pressing his face to the woman, the man was met with spit in his eye.

"Agh! Why you.... hahaha..... I suppose I shouldn't have done that without first sealing your mouth."

Rubbing his eye with a light chuckle, he continued to speak.

"Those who win are not the ones who are just. The winners are the ones who define and control the very view of justice."

Stepping forward, the man put out his chest with a sinister grin.

"Our actions have been unofficially accepted by the Indeterminant himself. We have been registered under the name of justice. So long as our actions are kept on the battlefield, there are none who can say anything against them.... for what happens to our enemies is no concern of anyone aside from our enemies themselves."

Walking forth, the four approached a metal door.

"And our enemies have already been placed on the side of injustice."

Opening it, the man grabbed a set of keys that were hung on the wall, walking over to the line of devices within the room.

"Strap her onto the wall, men. Catch."

Throwing the keys over, the man was met with the nodding of his subordinates.

With a sinister grin, he tapped his fingers together in excitement.

"We will see how much longer she can spout such things about even retribution."