ăSebas faced the heavy steel door near where he picked up Tsuare. It was made of wood sheathed in metal plates, making it both thick and heavy. It was immediately apparent that an ordinary human being would have a lot of trouble breaking this door down without tools.
ăSebas grabbed the doorknob and turned.
ăIt stopped halfway through its turn. Naturally, the door to an underground enterprise like this would be locked.
âI am not adept at opening locks. However⌠It canât be helped. Iâll do it my way.â
ăSebas muttered to himself in frustration, and turned the knob again. If there was an observer, they would think that he simple turned the knob. That was how gentle he was. There was no way he used an unnatural level of force.
ăHowever, the power in the turn.
ăHow much would it be if measured? It would probably be outside the realm of human possibility.
ăThe sound of metal being twisted rang in the room, the knob could not bear the pressure, deformed, and broke. Sebas then opened the door. He was not finished with the door, and put more force into it.
ăThe hinges shrieked as they were torn from the wall.
ăA thick metal door with a large weightâ A door made with the intention of protection, was pulled apart with nonsensical strength.
âWhat⌠the hellâŚ?â
ăBehind the door was a straight path, and a bearded and muscular man who poked his head out of the inner door was at a loss for words.
ăThat was natural.
ăIf there was an old man holding a thick metal door with a single hand, everyone would make that expression. Especially those who knew how much it weighed.
âThe door was rusty, so I had to use a bit of force to open it. For the customers, you should probably oil the hinges.â
ăAs Sebas spoke to the man, he threw the door behind him. The door that seemed like paper in Sebasâ hands returned to its original weight in midair and created a large clamour as it hit the floor.
ăThe man was completely frozen in shock.
ăSebas used that time to continue to proceed inside the room.
ââOi, what was that?â
ââThe hell was that noise?!â
ăMore male voices came from behind the first one.
ăHowever, the man facing Sebas did not bother about them. Instead, he addressed Sebas.
ââŚEr⌠W-welcome?â
ăCompletely baffled, the man stood stock still as Sebas walked up to him. The people working here were used to violence. However, the scene before him far exceeded what he had encountered in his accumulated experiences.
ăThe man smiled to Sebas in an ingratiating manner, ignoring the shouted queries of his colleagues from behind him. His survival instinct told him that the best choice here was to get into Sebasâ good graces.
ăOr no, perhaps he had reacted like this because he had deceived himself into thinking Sebas was the butler of one of the customers here.
ăThe sight of a big, bearded man trying to keep a twitching smile on his face was quite hard to bear.
ăThat was true even for Sebas.
ăSebas smiled.
ăThat smile was gentle and compassionate.
ăYet, there was no trace of goodwill in his eyes.
âCould I trouble you to let me pass?â
ăThump.
ăOr rather, it was more of a splat.
ăA human flew, and the sound made on top of that.
ăHe was a muscular man in armor. He weighed 85 kilograms at the very least
.
ăHe now spun through the air like some kind of joke, flying to the side at speeds invisible to the naked eye. His body savagely impacted the nearby wall with a wet splattering sound.
ăThe entire building shook violently, as though a giantâs fist had struck it.
ăSince the obstructing man was gone, Sebas entered from the open door. Closing the door behind him, he looked across the room in a graceful manner.
ăIt felt more like he was walking through an empty house than invading an enemy base.
ăThere were two men within.
ăTheir attentions were stolen by the crimson flower splattered across the wall. The smell of blood told of what it was.
ăThe smell of cheap alcohol hung in the air, a scent which one would never find in Nazarick.
ăSebas went over the information he had obtained from Tsuare and the assassin, then tried to figure out the buildingâs structure. Her memories were spotty and she had not recalled anything important, but she had told Sebas that the actual establishment was located underground.
ăHe looked to the ground. However, the trapdoor leading underground was cunningly concealed, and Sebas could not find it.
ăStill, if he could not find it, then all he had to do was ask someone who knew where it was.
ăSebas did such a natural thing.
âExcuse me. Iâd like to ask you a question?â
âAiiiiieee!â
ăThe man he addressed immediately responded with a hoarse scream. It would seem that he had no intention of putting up a fight.
ăOne man entered. Basically the strongest man amongst the three of them was killed by this old man.
ăIf they normally met him, they would not be in fear. However, facing a monster that could easily blow away a man and make mincemeat of him using a wall, a 60 centimetre weapon could not give them the courage to face him. No, that would not be courage but stupidity.
ăThe fact that Sebas was a simple old man with a great bearing only increased their fear. If he were a monster even in appearance, they would think ah thatâs how it is, so the fact that he seemed human only served to increase the strangeness.
ăAs the men trembled, they stuck to the wall, doing their utmost best to move away from Sebas.
âI have business downstairs, so could you please tell me how to get there?â
ââŚThat, thatâsâŚâ
ăThis would be betrayal. It would not be strange for them to turn into targets themselves.
ăThe man was still hesitating over whether or not to speak when Sebas cut through his reluctance with his next words.
âThere are two of you.â
ăThe manâs forehead broke out in oily sweat, and his back shuddered.
ăSince there were two, one was unnecessary. The monster in front of him made its decision.
âAh, ah.â
âThere! There is a hidden door!â
ăDue to fear, one of the men could not speak, and in that time, the other man shouted in a large voice. The man who could not speak began glaring daggers at the other man. They were eyes of a man who knew that he lost the chance to survive to another person.
ăOn the other hand, the man who spoke had eyes of superiority.
âSo itâs there.â
ăIf one knew about it and looked, they could indeed see the seams in the floor.
âI see, you have my gratitude.â
ăSebas had a happy smile on his face, giving the man he spoke to hope.
ăHe would run away with all his might, and when dawn broke he would leave the capital. He would clean up his act so as to not meet with another man like him. He had some savings. While surviving on that he would look for a job.
ăHe regretted his life until now, and made a promise to a god he did not believe in until now that he would live a new life. If one made of ranking of belief of those in the capital, this man would be quite high in the rankings.
ăHowever, in the end, his life until now was filled with dirt.
âYour usefulness to me is now at an end.â
ăSebas smiled, and the man realised would happen to him after those words. His face turned gray and he trembled uncontrollably. Still, he clung to a faint hope and cried.
âPlease, please donât, donât kill me!â
âNo.â
ăThe room froze. The menâs eyes opened wide. As if they heard words they could not believe.
ăSebas turned his head. The joints of his neck grinded together.
âBut I told you, didnât I? Please, Iâll do anything, just spare me!â
âIndeed you did. HoweverâŚâ Sebas sighed deeply and shook his head. âI cannot.â
âAre⌠are you kidding me?â
âYou can take it as a jest if you wish. However, the outcome will still be the same, no?â
ââŚOh⌠godâŚâ
ăSebas recalled the tragic state of Tsuare when he had rescued her, and he narrowed his eyes.
ăWhat right did villains have to beg the gods for aid? More to the point, Sebasâ gods were the 41 Supreme Beings. The manâs plea was like an insult to them.
âYou reap what you sow.â
ăThose words, as cold and hard as steel, slashed through all hope and made the man painfully aware of his own demise.
ăWould he choose to fight, or would he choose flight? Given only an instant to decide, the man chose immediatelyâ
ăHe chose flight.
ăThey could see the result of fighting such a monster. In that case, they might as well flee. Doing so would grant them a faint possibility of survival. They was correct to think that way.
ăSeveral seconds, no, for one second, they extended their lives.
ăThe men ran towards the door. Sebas caught up with them in an instant, and their body whirled. A swift wind blew across the menâs head, and their bodies collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Two balls hit the wall and slid to the ground, trailing blood in its wake.
ăA moment later, the menâs headless bodies spewed a geyser of blood from its neck, covering the ground in gore.
ââŚ.If you thought about the things you did until now, it should be obvious what happens to you right?â Sebas gazed into midair. âI pray that you do not turn into thatâŚ.Now.â
ăSebas slowly walked, avoiding the blood splatter. The feat of decapitating someone with a roundhouse kick would have required incredible strength and speed, but the most impressive thing was that Sebasâ shoes had not been stained at all.
ăSebas kicked in the hidden door in the floor.
ăFirst, there was the sound of metal components breaking. Then, there was a large hole in the ground. The smashed door slid down the stairs below with a resonant crash.
ăIt was a small room.
ăThe only furniture in this almost-empty room was a cabinet and a bed.
ăThe mattress was not a simple mass of straw bedding, but an actual cotton-stuffed mattress. It was well made, of the sort that noble homes might use. However, this mattress was designed for functionality and so it looked plain, without any decorating and would not be used by nobles.
ăA naked man sat on the mattress.
ăHe was well into his middle years, and gluttony had made his frame flabby.
ăHis looks had originally been average at best, but putting on the pounds had made him that much uglier. He looked like a pig from every angle. Even though he was a pig, he did not have a shard of a pigâs intelligence, and was one in the sense of an insult.
ăHis name was Bloom Havish.
ăHe raised his fistâ and punched down onto the mattress.
ăThe sound of flesh striking flesh rang forth.
ăA look of delight blossomed on Bloomâs face. The sensation of smashing flesh travelled up his arm, and his body shivered even as goosebumps of pleasure sprouted on him.
ăBloom was pressing down a naked woman.
ăHer face was swollen and bruised, and the skin was flecked with spots of blood. Her nose was broken and the blood leaking from it had clotted on her skin. Her lips and eyelids were similarly swollen, completely distorting her originally beautiful face, There were bruises on the rest of her body, but the damage was worst on her face.
ăShe had been trying to protect her face with her hands until just now, but now her arms lay limp on the bed. Her hair spread out messily on the mattress, like it was floating in water.
ăThe woman seemed to be unconscious.
ăThe sheets around them were stained with old, dried blood.
âOi, whatâs with you? Tired already? Huh?!â
ăBloom raised his fist and punched downwards.
ăWith a thud, his fist connected with her cheekbone, and pain surged up Bloomâs hand.
ăHis face twisted.
âCheh. That hurt, you bitch!â
ăHe angrily punched her again.
ăThe mattress creaked in time with the thud of flesh striking flesh. Her swollen skin split, staining his knuckles with blood. Said blood splattered stickily onto the mattress, dying it with carmine spots.
ââŚâŚUuuu.â
ăThe woman no longer struggled despite the beating. Non-stop bludgeoning like this could end up killing someone. However, the woman had survived, but not because Bloom had been merciful. Rather, it was because the womanâs death did not concern him. All that was needed was to pay to dispose of the problem.
ăThe woman clung to life because the mattress had dissipated the force of the blows. Had she been beaten while lying on a harder bed, she might well be dead by now.
ăIn truth, Bloom had beaten several women to death in this place.
ăwever, he had to pay for the cleanup every time he killed someone, which strained his wallet. Thus, he unconsciously went easy on them.
ăAs he looked down at the womanâs unmoving face, Bloom licked his lips.
ăThis brothel was perfect for satisfying unique sexual fetishes. Normal bordellos would not permit their customers to do such things. Â No, they might, but it would be expensive. If it were a noble with territory, they could use a reason and take a commoner to do it.
ăHowever, he could not do that.
ăBloom used to be a commoner.
ăHe was simply picked by his noble master, and was chosen. Thus even if he were given money, he could not gain territory.
ăLife was good when slavery had been permitted.
ăSlaves were a form of property, and people who manhandled them had been scorned. It was just like how others would roll their eyes at people who threw their money around.
ăHowever, slaves had been the only way for someone like Bloom, with his special  sexual preferences, to satisfy his desires.
ăOn top of that being stolen, to Bloom, he had no other place to release. If he did not know about this place, what would he do?
ăIt was correct for him to agree to work with his noble master.
ăNormally, Bloom did not have the status to enter this shop, and entered due to his authority and faked an identity.
âThank youâ my master.â
ăA look of calm came over Bloomâs eyes. It was hard to imagine that he could be so grateful to his liege given his personality and his sexual proclivities.
ăHoweverâ
ăThe embers of a flame blazed up in the depths of his bellyâ the flames of wrath.
ăThis emotion was directed at the woman who had deprived him of slaves with which to satisfy his lusts.
ââThat bitch!â
ăHis face turned red with anger, and his eyes were bloodshot.
ăHe imagined the face of the Royal whom he should have been serving, the Princess, on the body of the woman beneath him. Bloom gathered the anger within himself into his fist, and laid into the helpless woman.
ăFresh blood flew with every blow he struck.
âIf only, if only I could smash that face of hers! How good would that feel!â
ăHe rained punch after punch into the womanâs face.
ăHis fist struck her cheek, and a surprising quantity of blood spurted from between the womanâs swollen lips. Perhaps she had cut the inside of her mouth on her teeth.
ăThe womanâs sole response to this beating was to tremble slightly.
ââHuu⌠huuâŚâ
ăAfter a few more strikes, Bloom was panting as his shoulders rose and fell. His body and forehead were slick with sweat.
ăBloom looked at the woman he had pinned underneath him. Her condition could only be described as âtragicâ, and she was close to death at this point. What lay there was a puppet whose strings had been cut.
ăBloom swallowed audibly.
ăNothing pleased him more than to rape a battered and bloody woman. The prettier she had originally been, the better. There was no better way to satisfy his sadistic desires than to destroy something beautiful.
âIf only I could fuck that woman like thisâŚâ
ăBloom thought of the haughty features which belonged to the young lady of the house which he had just visited. She was as beautiful as the Princess, who was herself known as the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom.
ăOf course, Bloom was very clear that he would not have the chance to abuse such a high-class lady. The only people Bloom could indulge his fetishes with were the dregs of humanity who had been dumped into this brothel, to be used and then discarded.
ăSuch a beautiful woman would surely be bought up by a wealthy and powerful noble for a huge sum. Of course, Bloom had to move so that that will happen.
âHow I wish I could beat up a woman like that, beat her to death.â
ăHow happy and satisfied would he be if he could do that?
ăOf course, that was nothing more than a madmanâs ravings.
ăBloom looked down at the woman crushed beneath him. Her bare bosom was moving slightly. He smiled lewdly as he confirmed that fact.
ăBloom reached down to grab the womanâs breasts, deforming the soft flesh between his fingers. There was no kindness, and only had force. There was only pain.
ăThe woman did not react at all. She was on the verge of death and could not respond to such trivial pain. The woman Bloom was squeezing differed from a doll only in the softness of her body.
ăHowever, Bloom was somewhat dissatisfied by her lack of resistance.
ăSave me.
ăSpare me.
ăIâm sorry.
ăPlease stop.
ăThe womanâs cries echoed in Bloomâs mind.
ăShould he have fucked her while she still had the strength left to scream?
ăBloom continued squeezing her breasts, a vague sense of regret in his heart.
ăMost of the women who had been sent to this brothel were no longer in a right state of mind. They had chosen to run away from reality. When one took that into consideration, the woman chosen to serve Bloom today had been better off than most.
âWas that woman like this too?â
ăThe woman who escaped appeared in Bloomâs mind. There were several problems, but as an external member he did not know much. Â He had no interest in what happened to the brothel employee who had let her go.
ăHowever, when he thought of the butler he had encountered during his visit, Bloom could not suppress the mocking laughter in his heart.
ăThat thing had coupled with countless men, and even with female or nonhuman partners. There was no point in protecting her at all. And yet that old butler had said he was willing to pay hundreds of gold coins for her. It was a miracle he had not laughed out loud on the spot.
ăDid she have such a worth?
âAh, the woman who ran away screamed very well too.â
ăHe searched through his memories and recalled her wails. She had been fairly normal by the standards of the girl sent to this brothel.
ăBloom smiled lewdly, and began to slake his bestial lust. He seized one of the pinned womanâs bare legs and spread it wide. Her emaciated, slender leg was thin enough that he could encircle it with one hand.
ăBloom pressed himself between the womanâs legs.
ăAs he grasped his tool, now turgid from the burning desire that consumed his bodyâ
ăâThe door behind him clicked, and slowly opened.
âAh!â
ăBloom hurriedly turned back, and a vaguely familiar old man appeared within his field of view. Then, he remembered who that old man was.
ăIt was the butler he had met at that mansion.
ăThe soles of the old manâs, Sebasâ shoes clicked neatly as he walked into the room. Bloom was speechless in the face of his casual, natural movements.
ăWhat was that houseâs butler doing here? Why had he come to this room? Bloomâs mind went blank in the face of this inexplicable situation.
ăSebas walked up to Bloom. Then, he saw the woman crushed beneath Bloomâs bulk and directed an incomparably frigid glare at him.
âYou like to beat people, do you?â
âAh!â
ăThe strange mood in the air drove Bloom to rise as he went for his clothes.
ăHowever, Sebas moved faster than him.
ăA thwap resounded in Bloomâs ears, and then his vision shook wildly.
ăA beat later, Bloomâs right cheek caught fire as burning, stinging heat radiated out from it.
ăHe had been struckâ no, in this case it would be more appropriate to say he had been slapped. It took a while for Bloom to realize that.
âWhat!â
ăFaster than he could say anything, his cheek rang out with a slap. It did not stop there.
ăSebas closed in on the retreating Bloom and with a thwap! he dealt out yet another resounding slap.
âStaph!â
ăBloom covered his face like a child being struck by his parents.
ăHe liked using violence, but he had always used it on those weaker than him. Bloom could not do anything do those who would resist and hit back.
ăEven if Sebas appeared to be just another old man, Bloom would not dare raise his hand to him. He had no guarantee that he would not resist.
ăPerhaps he had sensed Bloomâs craven nature, but Sebas lost interest in him and looked back to the girl.
âHow tragicâŚâ
ăBloom ran past Sebas as he stood over the girl.
âYouh ihiot!â
ăBloom fumed. What a foolish old man.
ăHe was going to gather everyone in this place to teach this old man a painful lesson. How dare he strike someone like himself! He would not go easy on the old man. Bloom would make sure he had his fill of pain and fear.
ăThe image of the butlerâs mistress, the angelic-seeming girl, appeared in Bloomâs mind.
ăThe mistress would have to take responsibility for her servantâs mistakes. He would have her bear the burden of the pain that the old man had caused him. Bloom would teach that old man exactly who he had hit.
ăAs those dark thoughts went through his mind, Bloom charged out the door as his beer belly jiggled violently.
âHomeone! Homeone help meehh!â
ăHe shouted.
ăSurely an employee would come to check on him if he called for help.
ăHowever, his hopes were dashed the moment he stepped into the hallway.
ăThe passage was silent.
ăIt was as though nobody was around.
ăBloom looked around nervously, still naked.
ăThe bizarre silence of the hallway filled him with fear.
ăAt a glance, there were several doors on both sides of him. It was only natural that nobody would answer him. This place catered to clients with exotic tastes, dangerous ones, in fact. Thus the rooms were all soundproofed.
ăHowever, there was no way the employees would not have heard.
ăHe had seen several of them when he had been brought to his room just now. Each of them was a burly man with bulging muscles. How could an old man like Sebas compare?
âWhyâh hobodyh homingh?!â
ââThey are all dead.â
ăHe replied to Bloomâs cries in a soft voice.
ăWhen he turned around in a panic, he saw Sebas.
âThere are some insideâŚ. But most are dead.â
ââŚThere were three who looked like employees on top and ten more down below. There were seven others like you.â
ââŚâŚ..â
ăWhat nonsense are you babbling?! Sebas looked incredulously at Sebas.
âOf course, some are alive. However they will not come to help you. I have broken their limbs after all.â
â!â
âAlright, I do not think there is a need to spare your life. That being the case, please die here.â
ăSebas did not draw a sword or ready any sort of weapon. He simply walked up to Bloom in silence, like it was the most natural thing in the world. That nonchalance only served to frighten Bloom, because he knew Sebas truly wanted him dead.
âWahe! Wahe!! Aih khen gihe hyu⌠uh⌠Aih khen gihe hyuu ha hot ohhh muhnehh!â
ăIt was a lie. He did not have such things. He just wanted to buy himself time. However Sebas paid him no mind.
âI have no interest.â
âThan fhy phare you woing phis!â
ăThere was no reason to do this. Why did he have to kill him. Bloomâs thoughts finally reached Sebas.
ââŚDo you not know, even after searching your heart?â
â?â
ăBloom tried to recall. What did he do wrong?
ăSeeing the emotions on Bloomâs face, that nothing resembling guilt came up, Sebas sighed.
ââŚReally now?â
ăAs he said that, Sebas savagely kicked Bloom in the gut and sent him flying.
âSo that is what they mean when they say that something is not worth keeping alive.â
ăSeveral of Bloomâs organs broke, and Sebas spat out those words to him who had died from the pain. Sebas then proceeded inside, towards were there were still people.\n