Chapter 7: The Violence Doctrine

“Oh dear, what on earth happened here?”

“If that spreads over here, won’t it be a disaster?”

“Enough talking, men—let’s fetch water!”

Fortunately, the fire was not inside the village but rather a bit away from it, on the outskirts.

It was on the opposite side from the shop where Hio was, quite a distance to run.

“Let’s hurry before the fire reaches the village!”

“Quick! Hio, young man, lend us a hand!”

“Ah, yes.”

At Bill the farmer’s wave, Hio followed along, unable to suppress the growing sense of unease inside him.

‘Fire…? All of a sudden?’

This wasn’t modern society, and there was almost no reason for such a big fire to break out outside the village.

At most, it would be a traveler’s mistake… Or maybe—

‘A skill user.’

Someone like Claire, who could use flame skills.

But Claire had been with him just a moment ago.

‘Guess I’ll check it out first.’

Maybe it was a fight between skill users.

Or perhaps it was just a simple accident.

Either way, if the fire spread, it would surely reach the village, so they had to put it out first.

“What the—!”

“There’s no one here?”

***

When Hio and the other younger men from the village arrived at the scene, there was no one around.

Just a large fire, crackling and growing bigger by the moment.

“Those damned travelers started the fire and ran!”

“Bastards.”

“It’s definitely those rough-looking guys who came a few days ago!”

The culprit was nowhere to be seen, and the villagers were furious.

But just standing around fuming would only make things worse—they had to act.

“Let’s move for now!”

“Still, the fire isn’t spreading too fast.”

“The stream isn’t far. Let’s go!”

Even as he moved with the village men, Hio was still full of doubts.

There was a fire, but no traces of anyone having made it.

And if someone had used a skill…

‘No trace of mana.’

Hio’s primary trait, Genius of Mana Resonance, was proving to be far more useful than he’d first thought.

Mana was essential to use skills.

It was a top-tier trait for sensing and manipulating mana, so if someone had used a skill, he’d have noticed the lingering traces.

But there was no sign of mana here at all.

Which meant it was a natural fire.

Yet, there were no signs of camping or kindling either.

It was as if someone had deliberately set the fire.

Hio’s steps toward the stream slowed.

‘Wasn’t the whole situation just too odd?’

A sudden fire, yet no traces left behind.

In a place far from Hio’s shop, on the edge of the village.

All eyes drawn to this spot.

If you added one more assumption to this unnatural situation, it all made sense.

Someone had set the fire to draw Hio’s attention away.

‘…The target is obvious.’

‘Claire.’

‘Could someone really have wanted Claire enough to risk coming back even after that threat?’

…A mistake.

Hio came to a dead stop and turned back toward the way he’d come.

And at that moment—

BOOM!

A loud explosion echoed from deep within the village.

With that all-too-familiar sound, Hio tossed aside the basket he was carrying and sprinted back toward the village.

“That monster… it’s gone, right?”

***

Doris asked again, and Haman nodded once more.

“Yes, boss. I definitely saw it running toward the fire.”

Only after hearing that did the four of them start walking toward the now-chaotic village.

It was Doris’s group.

“R-Really, boss, the people from Heuka can beat that monster, right…?”

“O-Of course, idiot! Can’t you tell just by looking? You ever see anyone move like that? No matter how tough it is, it only has one skill. Heuka will win for sure.”

But he couldn’t stop the sweat beading in his palms.

The thunder and lightning that had rung out by his ears felt like they could strike down at any moment.

“Alright, call them. Everyone, get ready.”

Doris pulled out the Black Bell from his chest and began to ring it.

Ding—

Once, Ding—

Twice, Ding—

Three times, at regular intervals, the bell’s strange chime echoed far and wide.

And after a short moment—

“…!”

“O-Oh, you’re here!”

Five Black-robed Men, clad in black robes and black masks, appeared silently, without a trace.

Doris and his companions immediately knelt before them.

“Everything is ready! We can start the proof at any time!”

The leader of the Black-robed Men glanced over Doris, then looked out toward the village.

“Begin.”

“Yes!”

Doris’s group sprang to their feet and ran toward the village, with the five Black-robed Men following like ghosts.

“Move as planned! Get to your positions!”

“Yes, boss!”

Heuka is watching.

If they succeed in the proof, they’ll join Heuka and live proudly.

If not, they’ll die at the hands of the Black-robed Men.

That’s why Doris’s group was desperate.

“They’re all gathered as expected! Set the fires and regroup!”

It was a plan hammered out over two days.

Set a fire outside the village, and most of the men—including the monster—would rush out.

The noise would draw the villagers together in one place.

With the monster gone, light the prepared fires, surround the defenseless old folks and women, and take care of them all at once.

If Claire, the skill user, was among them, she’d have to be dealt with quickly.

Everything was going according to Doris’s plan.

“F-Fire!”

“You—what are you…! Gaaah!”

Any villagers they ran into were cut down without mercy, and those in the village center could see it too—but by then, it was already too late.

“Kyaaah!”

“Bandits! Bandits!”

Fires raged at the main crossroads of the village, and Doris’s group, bloodstained swords in hand, closed in from all sides.

There were only four of them.

But all four were mercenaries who’d killed before.

And all the young men were out fighting the fire.

The remaining people had nothing even resembling a weapon in their hands.

Those facts combined to make the numbers meaningless in the face of overwhelming force.

“Kill them all before the monster gets back! Find the girl!”

The old folks, women, and children—none of them holding so much as a stick—could only scream, shut their eyes tight, or collapse to the ground, legs giving out.

But even for them, there was a variable.

“You… you bastards are back again!”

Among those gathered in the village center was Claire.

Normally, Claire wouldn’t have come out, even for this kind of chaos.

But she’d seen Hio running out the window, followed him, and ended up in the village center.

“Everyone, stay back! Those guys are really bad people!”

Claire pushed past the villagers and stepped forward without a hint of fear.

“C-Claire…”

“Just come back inside…!”

The villagers, not knowing Claire was a skill user, tried to stop her quietly, but could do nothing more.

The four men with bloodied swords and the flames burning on all sides were just too terrifying.

Claire didn’t expect any more from them, ignored their feeble protests, and stepped even further forward.

As if to say, ‘Look at me.’

And the strategy worked—Doris’s group’s attention all snapped to Claire.

“Girl!”

“Get her first!”

“She’s one of the skill users we mentioned.”

Doris spoke quietly to the Black-robed Men following behind, but there was no response.

With only one target, they clearly expected Doris’s group to handle it themselves.

Doris was anxious, not knowing when the monster might return, but he couldn’t show weakness in front of Heuka.

All he could do was take care of things as quickly as possible.

“If you come quietly, we’ll spare the villagers behind you.”

Doris kept his eyes fixed on Claire.

“You just need to come. Then all those poor wretches cowering behind you will live.”

While Doris drew her attention, Haman and Folke crept up from behind.

And separating Claire from the villagers with their words was just a bonus.

“As if I’d fall for that!”

But Claire was not your average girl.

With flames blazing in both hands, she charged straight at Doris.

Doris’s group would definitely chase her first.

So she’d draw all their attention and, in the meantime, get the villagers to escape.

And break out of the encirclement before she was surrounded.

That was Claire’s split-second judgment, and it was the best possible decision.

“Everyone, run!”

Claire hurled a fireball at Doris, flames even bigger than two days ago.

“Hurry! Run!”

But despite her efforts, the villagers huddled together and didn’t budge.

Paralyzed by fear and confusion, they couldn’t make a decision and just milled around.

Meanwhile, Doris dodged Claire’s flames and bit his lip.

BOOM!

“You… you little bitch…!”

It had only been two days, but her power seemed even greater than before.

If they’d waited three days, she’d be even stronger.

Now, he couldn’t even see her pretty face anymore.

He realized.

She was a little monster.

Not just a naive, newly awakened skill user.

Give her a few more weeks—no, even just days—and he wouldn’t be able to face her at all.

“We have to kill her now!”

But not yet.

She still had plenty of openings, and all she could do was throw fire.

If the four of them attacked, they could win.

BOOM!

A blast exploded right where Doris had just dodged, flames shooting high.

If he hadn’t dodged, he’d have been badly hurt.

But that was a rookie mistake from the inexperienced Claire, and an opportunity for Doris’s group.

“Now!”

“Get her!”

It was impressive how much stronger she’d gotten in just two days, but she only had one fireball, and Doris had just dodged it.

The other three attacked from three directions at once.

“Tch!”

Realizing her mistake, Claire pulled back, conjuring two smaller fireballs and hurling them.

“Spread out!”

Folke and Paulo, now her targets, spread out and dodged the flames, while Doris and Haman closed in.

Claire conjured another fireball and shot it at Doris and Haman, but they’d been waiting for it, dodged, and pulled back.

Then Folke and Paulo charged in from the opposite side.

Claire conjured more fireballs and fired.

Folke and Paulo pretended to attack, then dodged, then Doris and Haman rushed her again.

From experience, they knew now.

Claire didn’t have much mana.

If they just took their time, she was an easy target.

They were worried about the monster coming back, but they couldn’t ignore Claire.

And at this rate, they’d kill the little monster before he returned.

“You… cowards!”

Claire was trapped in a dilemma.

If she didn’t attack, she’d be taken down immediately.

If she did, the enemy wouldn’t let themselves be hit.

Her mana was draining in chunks.

She only had a few shots left.

She’d increased her power and speed, but that also meant higher mana consumption.

‘How… where should I…?!’

No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t find a way out.

No one would come to help, and she was the strongest left in the village.

She had to solve it herself, but couldn’t think of a way.

And they’d even brought new people.

Those five Black-robed Men standing ghost-like behind—just looking at them gave her chills.

She could tell instinctively.

Those four before her were nothing compared to them.

Her mind was going blank, her limbs numb.

Her mana was dropping, her thoughts twisting into knots.

‘How to shake off these leech-like four.’

‘What were those ghostly figures behind them.’

‘Was Selly, at the shop, alright.’

‘Why weren’t the villagers running away.’

And…

‘Is Hio… coming?’

Why was she thinking of that coward at a time like this.

Maybe because, two days ago, in similar despair, the last thing she saw was Hio.

‘I hope he doesn’t come…’

True to his cowardly nature, he should see the fire and run away.

Staggering, Claire’s body began to tilt.

The same symptoms as two days ago.

Mana exhaustion.

The villagers sighed, while Doris’s group cheered.

“Kekeke… She’s nothing special after all.”

“If not for that monster the other day, you’d be dead.”

Hearing their footsteps drawing closer, Claire wondered.

‘That monster?’

But she quickly pushed the thought aside and forced herself to focus.

‘This is… just as planned.’

She was dizzy from the rapid mana drain, but it wasn’t full exhaustion.

This was bait.

She’d lure the four closer.

“Hehehe… Girl. Sorry, but you won’t be spared this time, so don’t get your hopes up.”

She summoned the last of her mana.

She pictured a wall of flames, encircling her on all sides.

The friendly flames always answered her desperate wishes.

‘So… this time, too, please…!’

She listened to the four sets of footsteps drawing closer, eyes closed.

Just a little more…

A little more…

And now.

“
“…Die!”

With a flash, a wild eruption of flame exploded around Claire.

The flames shot up as high as a house, heat blasting outward.

For a moment, Claire thought her last plan had worked…

“…Wow, this crazy girl.”

“She really is a monster. Thinking like that at her age, just like those guys we met on the battlefield…”

“Just like you said, boss.”

Familiar voices came from beyond the wall of fire.

Doris’s group had acknowledged Claire’s strength and never let their guard down.

They knew from experience that the truly awakened always had a last trick up their sleeve.

“Hah, stubborn girl. Now it’s really over.”

The last blaze, kindled with her remaining mana, faded away pathetically fast, leaving only blurry vision and four men approaching.

And then—

“Spare that girl.”

Even in her daze, the chilling, ominous voice sent shivers down her spine.

…Huh?

“Don’t make me say it twice. That girl looks useful—bring her along.”

It wasn’t a human voice, but a gloomy resonance echoing from hell itself.

The instant she heard it, Claire’s will to resist vanished completely.

That was a truly unbeatable being.

Compared to her own half-baked awakening, it was a being on another level entirely.

She could feel the overwhelming difference instinctively.

‘With monsters like that around… what makes someone like me special…’

She’d thought if she learned properly, she’d become someone amazing, capable of wielding fire and walking among people.

But that foolish delusion shattered in an instant at the overwhelming presence of the Black-robed Man.

And now she understood why the villagers hadn’t moved a muscle.

‘They… couldn’t move.’

That, too, was probably the work of the Black-robed Man, who had seemed to do nothing at all.

She heard four sets of footsteps drawing closer.

Claire gave up even opening her eyes and collapsed limply to the ground.

It was all over.

“Drag the girl along and set the fire even bigger… No, there’s no need. Kill all the remaining villagers!”

“Yes, boss!”

Even as she heard that horrific order, Claire could do nothing.

She just lay there, powerless.

She had no strength left to move, and no will to try.

The villagers would be slaughtered one by one, and she’d be dragged off to who-knows-where.

Even as her thoughts reached that point, she still couldn’t muster any will to act.

The overwhelming difference in power had crushed her will to resist.

‘…If I ever see Hio again… I should apologize.’

She’d always called him pathetic, told him to at least try to resist.

But now, in this position, she understood how pointless resistance could be.

‘I’m not a coward, I’m a pacifist, remember?’

A faint smile crept to Claire’s lips.

‘Pacifism, huh? That’s something only those with power… like those black ghostly things, can afford to say.’

Still, you know, Claire.

Violence might not be right, but…

‘Why was it that Hio’s words from before now floated up in her mind?’

‘Maybe one day I’ll have to resort to violence too?’

It was just a casual conversation, something she’d half-heard and let go, so why did it come back now?

Wasn’t it as if she was relying on Hio?

‘Well, when that day comes, I guess I’ll have to give up everything and start over.’

…And why.

“
Has the world gone silent?

Did she pass out without realizing…? For a moment, she wondered, but the crackling of the fire was still sharp and clear.

So why was it so quiet?

No villagers’ screams, no rough shouts from the mercenaries, no threatening footsteps approaching—nothing.

It was as if time itself had stopped.

Claire slowly opened her eyes.

What she saw was—

“He’s here!”

A sky filled with black storm clouds.

“T-The monster’s here!”

A flash of lightning through the clouds.

“P-Please help us! That guy… he’s really beyond comprehension!”

Rumble—thunder, low and beast-like, barely held in check.

And the Black-robed Man’s chilling, will-crushing voice.

“…You lot, stay back.”

All eyes turned to one place.

From there, a familiar silhouette walked forward.

A voice so familiar, it was almost strange.

“You sons of bitches.”

The Violence Doctrine had arrived.