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Shadow Guard (6)

He slowly took out his halberd and quickly stabbed the youngest man closest to him. He was blinded by anger and wanted nothing more than to cut down the people who dared to hurt his family.

"M-Mr. Knight Captain, pl-please! Spare us!" The older man shouted as he tried to slam his head down into a bow but he felt he couldn't even move downwards.

"You dare to try to kill my family and ask me to spare you?! Fucking shameless don't you think?"

"W-we were paid to do so, Sir!" The last younger man left cried as he tried to bow as well.

"We had no choice!"

"Please spare us!"

Hearing them shout and cry for their lives, he hesitated for a moment before seeing the two men being stabbed at the same time through their backs. The two men didn't know what had happened before they had perished.

Blaine looked up in shock at Grey who still had his mask on. He couldn't tell what Grey was thinking.

[Side Mission: Save the Hero's Family, has been completed. Keep up the good work, Host.]

Number 18 mentally thanked System 225 before putting away his weapon.

"Sir Blaine, I apologize for rushing you, but I understand that you empathize with them. Even if you let them go, it wouldn't have made a difference. This is how their industry is."

"Industry?"

"Yes, they are a part of the Association. Even though they are simple bandits and not the Assassins, they are still a part of it. They had lost their humanity the moment they entered the Association regardless of their reasoning. They wouldn't have survived even if we kept them alive... The Association would've tortured them before killing them as punishment for not finishing a mission. We are saving them with a quicker death."

There were different ranks to the Association as well as different sectors. But in the end, they all had one rule in common. If you don't complete the mission, you are as good as dead.

"I see..."

Blaine clutched onto his halberd, conflicted on what to do next. He had been someone who fought on the frontlines for his country. He had killed many people in his line of work because he had to do it... But in times like these, he realized he wasn't a killing machine. He really didn't like to kill people even with how clouded he was with anger. He felt so much regret and grief after killing that man. He wasn't as good a person as he thought he was. How was the man in front of him able to kill without batting an eye?

Blaine looked over at Grey. Did he feel something similar? Did he like to kill people or has he always felt some sort of guilt and suffering from each kill he had to make?

Grey sensed Blaine looking at him and could tell what he was thinking just by looking at the man's face. This was his best friend. They have been through three worlds together already, he should at least know what the man was thinking from time to time.

"I do not like killing, but there are times when it is necessary. Even if I feel guilty or upset, I know that what I am doing is right. I must survive and protect my Master. If I hesitate, if I waver, I too, will be as good as dead."

Yes, he still didn't like to kill no matter how long he suffered through the Villain System. Even if he had to go through millions of years of killing people, that would still weigh down heavily on his mind. Each person who dies under his blade or bullet was a real person. They had a life they had to live, had family and friends. Loved ones. Passions. Purposes. Dreams.

When you kill a person or when a person dies, they leave behind so much, making it feel as though the people around them had lost something so important to them. They had left behind tears, heartache, and sometimes even dreams that could've been fulfilled. People begin to lose their way, question the meaning of their existence or anyone's existence. Humans begin to question whether it was fair or right. Some even get angry.