On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

“It’s Shadow…”

“Our savior…”

“Are those the Dark Apostles?”

“They must be. Only three hooded figures are allowed to stand on Shadow’s side–the Dark Apostles.”

Listening to the comments of the people makes me cringe inside. I don’t control the rumor that Felix and the others propagate. I leave everything to them and they do me dirty. Why does our moniker have to be that cringeworthy?

Either way, I have to stay in character and act as if I desire to be called that way. Casting [Anima Sordiem], I begin to speak.

“Nobles call me Shadow because I loom over them, threatening to devour them like one. People like you–the wronged and oppressed call me Shadow because I came out of the Shadow and bring people out of it. I can see the shadow your suffering cast on your face. I am not going to be your light but I can show you where the light is.”

A famished man will eat anything he is given–even the cold and hard bread that he hates most. These people need better living conditions and I show them the hope to achieve it; foregoing their fear, they run toward the source of the shadow in the hope of being able to grasp the light that casts the shadow.

“Tell your family, friends, and neighbors it is time to change. Forsake those who have given up and move forward.” I look around. “I hope you have collected enough evidence for the Baron’s atrocities. We are not rebels–we need to show the world that we are fighting for our rights.”

“That is correct!”

“We won’t go against our ruler if we are treated fairly!”

“The world has to know why we are dissatisfied!”

“That accursed man shall taste his own medicine. My daughter…he will know what it feels like losing everything!”

As the people become heated, I raise my hand and calm them down. Their hatred toward the Baron is already immense; there is no need to rile them up anymore. They are determined to give their all. Now, it is time to tell them about the plan.

“Our fight for our liberation will start in eight hours. Tell everyone to stop working and take a rest until the designated time comes. I will attack the city hall myself and slay the Baron. That will be the cue to start the fight. Fear not; my Apostles and Middlemen will aid you as much as they can.”

The people nod solemnly. “Do behave as casually as you can. Don’t whisper in public and act as if you are on guard. I won’t guarantee that none of you will die but I can guarantee the success of our fight should you manage to keep our plan under wraps.”

Abigail raises her hand to dismiss the people; however, I stop her by raising my hand. I point my finger at one of the people in the crowd, causing the rest of the crowd to part, so they can have a look at the person.

“Traitor,” I say before shooting a high-pressure wind bullet at him.

Sputter!

As brain matters and bits of human skull scatter around, the people gasp in shock. The warehouse turns silent for a few seconds before a series of tongue-clicking noises fill the room. They lost their sympathy toward the man who has just died. For them, only those who are not on the Baron’s side are considered human.

The fact is, unfortunately for them, the person I have just killed might have been innocent. I can tell when people are lying or scared, but I was not sure if he was a traitor. I could sense deceit from him but I can sense it from these people too. His was coincidentally more prominent.

Regardless, I can now spot the people who I am sure are traitors. Their hearts pound so loud–their pupils dilated so wide when I mentioned “traitor” that it will be stupid to not consider them one.

I use [Senbonzakura] this time. By the time the people turn around, they find three bodies shredded to pieces.

“Pity not those who rejoice in your suffering.”

The people are dismissed soon after. They get out of the warehouse from a secret tunnel they made years ago. It turns out they have also been planning to rebel but always chickened out due to their lack of military power. They have been using the warehouse to talk about the plan that has never been realized…until today.

….

Eight hours passed in the blink of an eye. The street is quiet but none of the Guards seem to mind it in the slightest. Leaning on one of the people’s houses, I watch them as they pass by me. The girls must have already killed a few dozen of them by now but none of them seems to realize it.

As the group of Guards makes a turn, I right myself up and jog toward the city hall. There are a couple of Guards standing before it but they are not well-equipped. They are even slacking off; they don’t register my presence until I stand before them.

“What do you want–“

Schluk!

“Hey, what are you–“

Swoosh!

Six people die in the blink of an eye. The first one got his chest pierced by a hand and the other five got bisected by a great sword.

I walk into the city hall, leaving the dead bodies behind. I can sense the gaze of the people looking through the window. I can feel their anticipation and excitement. Even though they know they may die, their spirit is burning; they can’t wait to open the curtain that hides their bright lives.

Upon entering the city hall, I encounter two Guards who are on their way out. They don’t waste their time asking me what I am doing as they immediately pull out their swords.

Bam! Bam!

Of course, they are too weak to be able to scratch me; a kick in their solar plexus is enough to put the light of their lives out. I spread my Mana to scan the surrounding. The moment I detect the biggest presence in the building, I run in its direction.𝒐𝒱𝐥xt.𝗇𝓔t

It leads me to a room with a giant door with an obnoxious design. The pretentiousness is almost on the same par with what I have seen in the Temple.

Telling Teanosvera to bring me inside, his shadow devours me immediately. I want to be sneaky, so I can surprise the Baron inside but I immediately regret that decision.

“How do you like that, huh? How do you like that!?”

Smack!

“P-Please, stop hurting me…”

“You will always remember your first time–I guarantee!”

The Baron of Avares, Jerome Worder, attained his right over the Barony after killing the last Avares. Jerome is an ordinary but experienced Adventurer. Fate brought him to Avares. When he realized that the then Baron was easy to take care of, he had his shot.

Today, he enjoys his life by doing whatever he likes to the people of the territory he managed to seize. The fat bastard is violating a girl that is no older than twelve; my mood sours as I look at the crying girl.

“Of all people to violate, you choose kids?” I say coldly.

He immediately stops humping and turns to me in shock. “W-Who are you!?”

“Your judgment.”

Bam!

I circle-kick him in the head, sending his body outside by breaking through the wall. Turning my attention to the silently weeping girl, I take out a blanket from my Spatial Storage and then cover her with it.

The girl is bleeding from the abuse she has suffered. I won’t blink an eye hurting an adult but I can’t do that easily to kids. Adults are the weakest creature I won’t hesitate to hurt. I have hurt a kid once and I am not ashamed to admit that I regret it.

“Can you walk?”

The girl shakes her head. “It is painful…my down there.”

“I see…. I will carry you then.”

“W-Where will you take me to?”

“To the person who will heal you.”

I pick up the girl and then get out of the building. Jerome is already on his feet, fully clothed, head bleeding. Twenty or so Guards are behind him. All of them are looking at me as he is furiously pointing his finger at me.

I have lost any interest to play with him. Taking out Rexorem as I jump high into the sky, I activate [Great Impact], and swing it down as I fall. I drop like a meteor, so none of them has enough time to scatter. They can only widen their eyes in horror.

BOOM!

As Rexorem hits the ground, the ground rises like a wave, sweeping anything in its path. The Guards and Jerome are torn to pieces; their bits are scattered in every direction.

When the ground stops moving, people come out of their houses and look at me in awe. They cheer as they raise their machetes, pitchforks, and hails but I don’t feel like I have achieved something.

I tell them to fight and run in the direction where I can feel Lunea’s Mana. I find her not long after. She is massacring a group of Guards together with Winerva. I swing Rexorem to kill all of the Guards, earning their attention.

Lunea immediately runs up to me. “That girl…!”

“I am going to leave her in your care.”

I hand over the girl and dash off to hunt the rest of the Guards down. Jerome treated all of them nicely because they were on his side, so none of them shall be spared.

An hour passed in the blink of an eye…Avares Barony ceased to exist.