The sounds of chains swaying side to side rattle as the group of prisoners move.
"...?" The last prisoner of the group glances behind, his instinct screaming in fear at the darkness. His sight vaguely makes out the outline of the mountainous landscape.
"...!"
Under the knights' radar, the darkness creeps closer and leaps on the prisoner. Something in the shadows consumes his existence, pulling his body into the abyss. Screams of death masked by the raging blizzard.
His body rolls down the mountain into the void, echoing some sound that slips into a knight's senses. He looks back for a while, exchanging glances with me, who replaced the last prisoner.
...
Affirming nothing out of place, he continues his duty.
One line of prisoners trudge barefoot on a ledge, sight and movement hindered by the snow. Howling wind mercilessly tugged at their body, icicles hanging from their hair and flushed noses. The numbing cold seeps into one's bones. Every layer of skin tears from the whips of snowflakes. A few prisoners succumb to nature's wrath and the knights merely kick their corpses off the edge.
Each knight holds up one lantern, lighting the path while wearing stuffed armour, most are exhausted and irritated by the environment. I notice a few outstanding warriors exude firm demeanour, not bothered by the cold, both from the knights escorting and the prisoners. Particles of "aura" escape from their body, especially from one particular prisoner with a colossus physique, bright orange mane cascading down his back and beard around his jawline evoking a natural lustre of a lion predator.
...
Well, it doesn't matter. The future of this kingdom and the consequences of what I will do is none of my concern.
Our climb arrived at the bridge with a steep death below. I remember this when I last came here. The opposite end is the gate to the fortress.
The closer I am, the more imposing this place becomes. Finally, my shadows cross the gate into the veil of darkness within.
The prisoners follow the escorting knights through a series of dark corridors and stairs. We reach a large metal door where they throw everyone into a cramped room.
"We will sort them out tomorrow. The fucking cold is killing me." One knight yawns.
Another shorter knight looks inside. He seems anxious about this. "The chain suppresses their mana, not their physical body. Won't the weaker captives...die to the strong?"
The older knight furrows his brow slightly and rolls his eyes, sighing briefly. "Does it matter? They are criminal scums worse than pigs. It's less work for us too."
...
There's not enough space to extend one's leg. The claustrophobic conditions infiltrate the sanity of prisoners. Many shoot their gaze around with murderous intent, looking for prey to conquer.
As expected, most avoid the "lion" of the room.
One man sneaks behind me and swings the chains over my head down to my neck. I grab the chain and yank, throwing his body forward into the masses.
I click my tongue as I glare at the dispersing group. "I can't stand another second here."
Sheer brute strength snaps the chain withstanding my limbs and I pull out my sword.
!!!
"W-W-What!?"
"Sword!"
"How did he get that in?!"
"What the fuck!?"
Exclaims of terror explode in the room, each person frantically pushing back on one another trying to get further from me.
The captives at the door bang on it and shout at the top of their lungs. Their simultaneous cry for help sounds gibberish when chaos mixes in.
The two knights guarding the door outside glance at each other. "That didn't take long." One knight says.
"It happens all the time. It always becomes a bloody battle royale with every batch." The second knight replies. "Ignore it."
I look at the lion man who does not react to my stunt.
...
My blade zaps an arc, splashing crimson and guts out of human meat sacks.
---------
Fate:519820->521020
---------
Disgusting...how can criminals have so much Fate?
Anyone behind the door was butchered into a blood spa.
I glance back. The remaining prisoners cower in a corner at the sight.
My palms touch the door and blast it open.
*BOOOM!*
"W-WHAT?!" One knight exclaims.
A blade shoots out of the smoke and decapitates one knight. The second knight reaches for his sword but a flash takes his arm.
!!!??
"A-" My hand grabs his mouth.
He couldn't even scream as his arms splattered on the ground.
"Where is Vincent Krist?" I ask.
"T-That voice...you are Loi...Krist." The knight says.
"Answer me!"
"I don't know...I was dispatched not long ago..."
"Tch." I let go and the knight drops to the ground. His helmet rolls off to reveal a young man, possibly younger than me.
"W-Why are you doing...this? You...were my..." The young man asks with bloodshot eyes. I don't sense anger but surprise and betrayal in his gaze.
...My brow furrows to the sight. Pain stabs my conscience.
"...Fuck." I can only mumble as I move on, piling my sins higher and higher.
I remember the route my father took the last time when I first met Morja's clone. For now, I follow the path.
"W-Who are you-" A line of red splits his head, spraying the rolling eyeballs and brain.
Everyone on patrol meets a quick death such that not an ounce of scream escapes.
The further down I travel, the level of alert in the guards increases. My intrusion has already alerted the security personnel.
They start to activate magic traps and lock up parts of the corridor behind a barrier to restrict my movement. To combat this, for every jail cell I came across, I released the captives and allowed them to run free, stalling some time from the chaos.
Mindless running leads me to a large circular chamber extending deep into the void. Countless cells scatter haphazardly downwards, each accompanied by a platform and stairs leading to it. Opposite the entrance is the closest cell.
My sword cut down electrifying doors and chains. Inside this room is a woman completely covered in restraints, from head to toe metal holding her to the wall.
...The walls have weird enchantments that freeze mana. I slash it and the woman instantly breaks out, revealing a huge scar across her naked body and long black hair. The chunk of metal drops to the ground and destroys it. The sheer weight collapsed the very foundation.
I could sense it, she is a peak master.
"Who are you...?" She says. Her ruby gaze pierces through her ragged hair.
"..."
Without answering, I leave the room. Since someone of her calibre is here, I should be in the right place.
I leap down and break another cell. It's a stranger.
...
"Why are you following me?" I ask without turning around.
The woman from before squeezes her eyes. "You...are stronger than me."
"So?"
"I follow your commands."
?
...
"Break everyone out and help me find a man that looks like me."
She nods and leaps to another cell.
An odd woman...
YOU ARE READING
A Background Character's Fate
Fantasy"In war, commoners are the victims in victory or defeat." Struck by poverty amidst a long and devastating war, an ordinary mercenary dies among the countless corpses on a snowy battlefield. Yet by a stroke of luck, he regressed to his younger self...
