The man standing before Egrid was covered in blood. It coated his hands and face, matted his hair, dripped from his clothes. Surrounded by corpses, he wore a gleeful expression.

  “Well then, Reminus. Are you satisfied?”

  “Don’t be a fool. Of course not. There is no end to my ambition.”

  He knew that would be the answer. In the years they had known each other, Reminus had never once settled for “good enough”. It was as if he had set his sights on something so far beyond what anyone else could perceive. Egrid wondered what it could be.

  … The world?

  His eye twitched. He felt the old uncertainty seep back in. Back then, he had been an anxious child, desperate not to fall and be left behind. He had begun to follow Reminus, and that was how it had been ever since. He had stood in Reminus’ shadow all his life, watching as he carved a bloody path to even greater heights. Of course, he hadn’t just watched. He had brandished his own blade at Reminus’ enemies, cutting them down for the sake of his friend’s ambition.

  Egrid knew he was a coward. If the same uncertainty that had lingered for decades was still present, he should never have followed Reminus. He should have chosen a different path, long ago. And yet, a far stronger emotion flooded his mind and washed away the uncertainty.

  Egrid knew that if he continued to walk behind Reminus, he would not be left behind. He would always have a place in Reminus’ shadow. Swallowing his doubts, he spoke.

  “Then, what next?”

  The Black Barghest cast a shadow over the City as it sailed through the sky. Its course was unclear, but it seemed to be heading east, away from the city centre.

  “... So much for keeping a low profile. Alright, I’ll handle this. I’ve known Tanbrae for most of my life, I know how he fights.” Felhart proclaimed boldly. The old man who Felhart identified as Tanbrae held up a hand as if to stop him.

  “You can’t defeat me in hand-to-hand combat, young Master Dogaria. You never have been able to. Save your strength for the Commander. I’m only interested in that girl.” In a fluid motion, he pointed at Riina, casting aside everyone else. “Let me prevent any potential confusion. I’m not here to stop you. If you attack me, of course, I’ll cut you down. But I was watching you. It is regrettable, what happened to Captain Von Tahmer, but if he couldn’t stop a strategy like that which you used, it was inevitable. So, I only want to fight you.”

  “Fuck that. We have a job to do. If you didn’t want to take us all on, you shouldn’t have come alone.” Orlan stood by Riina’s side, ready to fight alongside her against this strange new opponent. As the others readied themselves, Riina felt reassurance, a warm feeling in her chest at being surrounded by capable allies.

  “... That is not acceptable. I had no desire to impede any of you, but if you’re going to force my hand…”

  He disappeared. A sudden terror overtook Riina, wracking her entire body with fear. She knew. If she did not act, all of her newfound allies, Exon, would disappear. She threw herself forward, praying she had predicted his path correctly.

  The katana whistled as it sliced through the air and dismembered her. Her head and neck were split apart. Her arms were sliced off, one at the shoulder, one at the elbow. Her torso was bisected at the abdomen. Her knees were slashed through, and the upper legs fell to the floor. Riina lay in a heap on the floor, dark red blood pooling around the chopped-up parts of what used to be her body. Crouching behind her initial position, merely inches away from the rest of the group, was Tanbrae. The katana, dyed with Riina’s blood, was gripped tightly in his outstretched hand. Rising to his full height, he cleaned the katana on the inner elbow of his sleeve, before sliding it neatly back into its scabbard.

  “You should all feel indebted to young Miss Ivyn. Had she not anticipated my attack, you would all be in her condition by now. Out of respect for her selflessness, I redirected all of my slashes at her. If she is forced to act to protect you all once more, I will not be so kind.”

  Behind him, Riina’s body seemed to be slowly knitting itself back together. Everyone was paralysed. Not a single person dared to move. To defy Tanbrae’s order would be to die. Riina gasped as her body was reassembled, standing up on shaking legs.

  “Gh… it’s okay, guys. I’ve got this.” Riina smiled at her allies and made eye contact with Exon, whose expression seemed to plead for her to change her mind. “Don’t worry. For putting you all in danger, I’m gonna tear this old guy to shreds.”

  “Hah!” He chuckled warmly, a genuine reaction with no ill intent. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

  Orlan was the first to move away from the battleground.

  “I’m gonna find the engine. There’s bound to be one, right? I’ll break it just enough to give us a nice, clean emergency landing.”

  “Karmen has likely retreated to Marinus’ side. I’d appreciate it if the rest of you could accompany me to deal with both of them.” At their client’s request, the others began to follow him to the next floor. Exon looked back briefly, finding Riina’s eyes with her own, seeking a sign that she would be alright. Riina just smiled back at her, and Exon was able to follow the others. Before long, only Riina and the man named Tanbrae remained.

  “Now then. Young lady, I want to tell you a story.”

  He slashed with his katana, slicing through Riina’s wrist as she reacted a millisecond too slowly.

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  “It’s the story of a man who defied all common sense and ignored every alarm bell ringing in his mind. A man who clung to what he knew would keep him safe, not out of conviction, but out of fear.”

  As Riina’s hand reattached itself, she ducked and came from below with an uppercut. Tanbrae blocked it with his free hand, grabbing her fist, and stabbed through her forearm from above.

  “Out of a selfish fear born from the trauma of being abandoned, he cast away his humanity and became a monster. He killed, and killed, defending his master’s back as he blazed a path forward.”

  Riina cried out in pain and kicked at Tanbrae, trying to separate him from his weapon. He stumbled backwards, then came after her, unrelenting.

  “Even as his master turned down every dark path he came across, he followed. When he drilled cruel lessons into his grandson and the boy’s friend, this man followed. He watched, unwilling to lift a finger to stop the bruises and scars being inflicted. When he killed his own son, leaving his grandson orphaned, this man followed and did nothing. The boy’s tears would only be dried by his friend.”

  With the blade embedded in it, Riina’s arm could not heal. Darting backwards and creating space between her and her pursuer, she gritted her teeth and yanked it out with a yell. Uncertain of her ability to wield it, she tentatively gripped the hilt with both hands. Tanbrae smirked as he approached.

  “When, broken by fear and grief, the boy began to internalise all of his grandfather’s teachings, this man silently approved. When the change in the boy’s demeanour created an ever-wider rift between him and his friend, this man did nothing to mend their relationship. When his master finally perished after a long, comfortable life filled with cruelty enacted towards others, this man’s position did not change. He merely changed which master he obeyed, from grandfather to grandson. And so, the cycle began anew.”

  A fist that appeared from nowhere drove itself into Riina’s abdomen. She doubled over, vomiting as her stomach was damaged by the impact. Even as she tried to maintain her grip on the katana, it was wrenched from her hands, nearly pulling her shoulders from their sockets.

  “The cycle can be broken. But this man has no intention of doing so. Even now, he is utterly committed. He intends to serve his master until the very end of his life, and will watch quietly even as his master turns down every dark path he comes across.”

  As Tanbrae swung the katana from above in a practiced strike, Riina ducked and kicked at his knee. It wasn’t enough to put him out of commission, but he missed and wavered, unsteady on his feet as the failed attack took its toll on his old body.

  “GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK!!” She shouted, frustrated at his monologue. “Enough of your sob story, old man. I don’t wanna hear about how useless you are. Here I thought you had something to teach me, but it seems like you just wanted someone to listen to you whine.”

  “Then what will you do?” He smiled, having regained his composure. “Will you put this old man to rest?”

  “No way. I don’t kill. Besides, dying doesn’t solve anything. If you feel so terrible about the way you’ve lived your life so far, use the rest of it to make a difference. I won’t let you martyr yourself as if that’s some kind of redemption!”

  “Oh? But what about young Von Tahmer? He was only a few years older than you. He had much more time left to make a positive impact on the world than I do. But you killed him, didn’t you?”

  Riina faltered.

  “I… I didn’t kill him. Luun did.”

  “No. You’re directly responsible for his death. If you haven’t realised even that, you aren’t ready to do what needs to be done.”

  “Shut up! I… It’s not like that… We have a job to do… I don’t want to kill anyone. I don’t want to get anyone killed. We fought someone last week and I didn’t let them touch her! She’s restrained, but she’s unharmed! I’m not… I’m not a killer.” Riina’s vision was swimming. Her head throbbed violently, and crouched down, grabbing at it with both hands. Tanbrae didn’t advance.

  “… I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be cruel.” His voice, which had developed a sneering quality, softened. “The world is too vicious for an innocent young lady such as you. But you must adjust to it. You’ve already begun to, but your mind hasn’t caught up. Realise what you have done, and accept it. That is the only way forward.”

  “I…” Tears filled Riina’s eyes, but the headache dissipated. She stood up straight, finding clarity in her mind. “I’m not a stranger to killing anymore. I can’t hide from that. But I won’t kill unless I have no other choice. It’s not because I don’t want blood on my hands. It’s because I don’t want to ever underestimate the value of a human life again.”

  Tanbrae smiled warmly.

  “It’s like I said. The cycle can be broken. Soon enough, two men who were once brothers are going to kill each other. I believe you are the one who can stop them.” Raising his katana, the blade pointed towards his body, he closed his eyes. Riina rushed forward, realising what he was about to do.

  The blade pierced Riina’s ribs as she grabbed it in both hands and pulled it away from Tanbrae’s body. Blood ran from her mouth as her lung deflated. He frowned.

  “Accepting your proximity to killing does not mean you should throw yourself upon others’ blades. You cannot save anyone by martyring yourself.”

  “Isn’t… that… a message for you?” Riina choked out between shallow breaths. He delicately extricated the blade from her, allowing the thin perforation to heal. “You’re the one who needs to realise that throwing your life away doesn’t help anyone. If you want this cycle broken, then let’s do it together.”

  The old man was lost in thought. He looked down at the blade, covered in her blood. Then, he tossed it on the floor, and shortly detached the scabbard from his belt and threw that away too.

  “… It seems I misjudged you. Very well then. I’ll lead the way.”

  The upper floors were quiet. Taking the stairs two at a time, Riina and her newfound ally rushed to the top floor of the building — what was now the ship’s bridge. At long last, they arrived at what should have been a grandiose set of oak doors. However, one was missing, and the other was hanging off its hinges. With no time to stop and take a breather, they ran into the vast room within.

  A man with black, slicked-back hair, peppered with streaks of grey, was surrounded by Riina’s allies. At the forefront was Felhart, disshevelled, panting with rage. Exon, Luun and Haritte stood further away from the man, as if halted by Felhart’s sudden hostility. Riina and Tanbrae joined the group, met with silent greetings. Felhart did not acknowledge them. Riina wondered if, perhaps, he was no longer aware of anything besides the man in front of him.

  At that moment, two things happened.

  A massive explosion rocked the room, sending the contents of shelves crashing to the floor. The room — no, the ship itself — tilted slightly downwards.

  With a scream filled with nothing but malice and misery, Felhart’s right arm transformed. Where once there was a gloved hand and a dark blue sleeve, there was now only a vicious spike, coloured dull grey, with a burning number “1” emblazoned on the side.

  “BURN THE WORLD!!!!!!”

  And the world burned.