As Kir gazed around the battlefield, he estimated forty or more corpses had been strewn about the village square.
Another building was on fire, and a group of surrendered n were on their knees near the cages, hands held high as Noir pointed his crossbow at them.
To Noir’s right, sitting on his chair, as if he’d simply decided to take a rest, was Brooker; a crossbow bolt sticking through his temple and into his brain, blood seeping out from behind one eye.
Amarena was nearby, holding Kangetsu in her hand as she kept it at the throat of soone Kir recognized.
Warmancer Cadence, and behind her a troop of about twenty adventurers, all looking fresh and pristine. Most had their weapons drawn, but not her.
Kir felt the fight go out of him as exhaustion finally caught up to his body, his form shrinking along with his waning adrenaline.
As soon as he was out of his war form, he fell to one knee, bracing himself while Stella flapped free of his back to land at his side with a supporting hand.
"You need a healer and a week in a bath," Stella said, swallowing hard as she visibly tried not to gag.
Kir wasn’t so able.
As soon as he saw and slled the mound of death, he threw up. And only once he was emptied did he force himself to stand.
It was as he approached Noir and Amarena that the villagers finally recognized him for who he was.
In fear, they whispered his na. Those who sheltered in the church stayed sheltered.
Those who had been caged held still, as if rely drawing his gaze would doom them.
But amongst those whisperers, Kir heard other tones.
"Is that Bridget’s boy?" "What’s he doing back?" "Are we saved?"
Most stayed silent, and Kir noted that many simply remained silent.
He approached Warmancer Cadence, surprised to find Vatima standing close behind her, looking rather wan but still able to fight.
"Master Gale, I’m glad to find you alive," she said as Kir ca within arm’s reach.
He did not extend a hand, though he noted so of his claws had ripped out from both. His whole body hurt, so their pain was lost in the noise. "Don’t call ’master,’" Kir said, his voice hoarse. "Do you intend to fight?" he asked.
"As I told this one, no. My employer mandated my presence, but we adventurers were mostly reserves. He seed intent on delivering the Syndicate’s version of justice to you personally... and then when the angels arrived," she shrugged. "I had no way out of coming here, but my contract and obligations ended with his death, so I see no further need for bloodshed."
"Good," Kir rasped, looking to the prisoners. "I require your help," he said to Cadence next.
"My help? I had thought we were even," she said.
"We are less than even," Kir said, almost snarling as he turned. "Had you held that man back," he pointed at Brooker’s corpse, "I would not have lost two of my friends for the cri of sticking around after we helped find your daughter."
Kir knew his logic was, to put it mildly, bullshit. He was still angry. Still full of hurt and afraid of what his oath mark was itching for him to do.
"What do you need of ?" she asked, a dark look on her face.
"I need only for you to tell who speaks truth and who lies," he gestured at the surrendered warriors, counting thirteen. "And to answer any questions you can and they can’t."
"Should I swear it?" she asked.
"No," Kir replied, stepping towards the prisoners.
As he lood above them, he saw that two were demonkin like himself. One was white-skinned and holding a broken arm. The other was greenish with shimring scales, and missing the back half of his tail.
"Are you alright?" Noir asked as Kir neared.
"No," Kir answered, "but I need to keep going or I’m going to collapse." He said the last part quietly, then looked at the prisoners as Cadence ca to stand beside him.
Amarena joined them, and Kir reached quietly for Kangetsu. After she gave him a reluctant look, he said, "If I’m going to decide their fates, I should wield the blade."
She gave him the sword by the hilt. "You are a strange warrior, Heres-" she corrected herself, "Kir."
Kir smiled just a little and turned to the prisoners. "Who amongst you serves the Syndicate?" he asked. "Stand."
Of the nine, six stood. Kir felt his oath mark begin to tingle, an urge to kill them rising. But he forced it back. Strangely, it was far easier to do now that he barely felt able to do anything.
Kir approached the first, a human man. "Did you serve willingly, or were you enslaved?" he asked loud enough for everyone to hear.
"En-enslaved, sir. Mr. Demon... sir..." Hurriedly he turned, pulling down the collar of his shirt. On the back of his neck was a brand. "I-In the fight Master Brooker compelled us... it was fight or burn..."
Kir felt a wave of revulsion. How many of the fighters had been slaves? His stomach had nothing left to give up, but he still paused for a mont, searching the man’s eyes and finding only fear.
He stepped to the next. And the next. Asking, "Willing or enslaved?"
Of the six, five claid to be enslaved. The last to be asked, Kir recognized as the giant who had smashed him into the village hall.
"I served willingly, and without regret," he said in a gravelly tone. "It is the nature of the strong to make use of the weak. My na is-"
"No regrets? None at all?" Kir asked, interrupting him.
"None but for my weakness in failing to kill you. Rember my na, demon-"
With a single stroke of Kangetsu, Kir cut the giant’s head from his shoulders.
Now there were only five standing.
He turned to Cadence. "Of these five, who lied?" Kir asked.
Cadence swallowed, then raised her hand. She pointed at the second in line, a beastkin man with dog-like features, and the fifth. The green-skinned demonkin.
"Please, kin- Kir," he stamred as Kir took one step back. "Your na is Kir, right? We’re kin. We both know we do what we must to live-" He reached out with an arm, and Kir cut it off. Before he could scream, he brought down Kangetsu and finished the job, severing his head.
Then he approached the beastkin.
Instead of making excuses, the man tried to bite Kir as soon as he approached, but was held back when the slaves to either side of him grabbed him by the arms and forced him down. He continued to struggle, even then, shouting expletives and curses at Kir.
Kir rely waited. Then, when Amarena stepped forward and wrenched his head upward, Kir slit his throat with a precise cut from Kangetsu.
To the three who remained, Kir said, "You are free now. Take what you can from the dead," he gestured behind him.
It took them a long ti to realize what he ant, but a growl from Amarena sent them moving, and left Kir with the surviving adventurers.
"You fought for the Syndicate," he said to the three of them, "Why?"
"For pay," one answered quickly. "It wasn’t personal," another added. The remaining demonkin remained silent, and when Kir looked at him, the man raised his throat to expose a long scar.
"Lemon’s mute, but he’s one of us. Honest, the three of us was just trying to stay out of the way," the first adventurer, a rotund orc with elvishly long ears explained. "We call him Lemon because sotis he gets all sour slling after cooking and he didn’t even break his arm in the fight! He tripped and that giant stepped on it."
The demonkin, Lemon, glared at his companion.
Kir looked over at Cadence. "They’re speaking truth," she said.
"Where did the angel’s co from?" Kir asked.
"Well, um, there was this portal... and at first we thought it was one of the demon ones because hell was on the other side, see, but then the three angels ca out and... did you really kill them?"
"Angels coming from Hell?" Kir asked, ignoring the question.
Amarena cleared her throat. "It’s a Harrowing. Every Heavenswar, the Heavenly Host goes on campaign. Most of the ti they get two, maybe three Dukes. When the armies break up and everything goes to shit, that’s about when the portals let us co to Ayther, normally. A year or two after the Harrowing starts."
"Yeah but, these ca from there, I swear. They told that one," he pointed at Booker’s corpse, "That they would take care of the demons. He seed pretty happy with that... but, well..." The adventurer shrugged.
Kir looked to Cadence for confirmation and she nodded.
"What else do you know?" Kir asked them next.
It was the middle adventurer who answered this ti, a beastkin with small antlers. "I heard one angel promise Mr. Brooker a reward... sothing about moving him up a ladder..."
Kir continued to ask questions patiently until he was satisfied.
At the end, they had a question for him.
"Um... Mr. Kir, sir, what’s going to happen to us?" the beastkin asked.
Kir thought for a long mont. It didn’t feel right to kill them, and thankfully the dull burn from his oath mark had long since ceased when he killed the three willing slavers. After a few breaths he ca up with an answer.
"You are free to go... but when you report back to the Guild, tell them this: Justice is coming for the Syndicate. Any adventurer wishing to remain alive should stay away from them at all costs."
Cadence cleared her throat. "Do you three attest that Mr. Gale fought in self-defense?" Almost as one the three nodded, the two who could raising their voices as they vociferously confird it. Cadence continued, "Good. Get back to camp and count yourselves lucky."
"Amarena, Noir... please help the villagers free." Kir handed Kangetsu back to Amarena, feeling too exhausted to raise his arms enough to store her himself. "I’m going ho for a bath."
Exhausted, he began to walk.
As soon as they were out of sight, Stella joined him.
"Here, Kir, take so of my mana. Whatever you need to get ho."
"Thanks," he murmured, his mind to muddy to resist as she pulled him down and kissed him.
It took him a long mont to muster the mory to drain her, and then another long mont to stop himself.
He expected Stella to say sothing lewd, but instead, she simply coughed into her hand and said, "Let’s get you that bath. You earned it."
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