The ruined dirt square of Orali went totally silent. The only sound heard was the crashing of the ocean waves against the broken shoreline. Saile stood tall in the center of the village, not holding any weapon. His worn tunic was stained with dirt and blood, but his brown eyes were locked directly on the three Holy Inquisitors.
"I am the one you are looking for," Saile repeated. His voice was steady. "I killed the beast. I am the Heretic. Take me, and leave my sister and the village alone."
The tall Lead Inquisitor just stared at him for a long moment. Then, he let out a sharp, cruel laugh. The two Inquisitors standing behind him quickly joined in, their chuckles resonated off the shattered stone walls.
"You?" the Lead Inquisitor sneered. He walked slowly toward Saile, his pristine white cloak fluttering in the salty wind. "Do you think we are stupid, boy? I can sense your mana pool. It is practically empty. You are a pathetic F-Rank peasant."
"I killed it," Saile insisted. He held his empty hands up in a peaceful surrender. "I swear it. Just arrest me. There is no need to hurt anyone else."
The Lead Inquisitor stopped right in front of Saile. The man was a full head taller, and his silver armor gleamed blindingly in the sun.
"A F-Rank rat taking credit for slaying a Level 30 Leviathan," the Inquisitor mocked softly. "You just want to play the hero."
Without any warning, the Inquisitor moved.
Boom!
The air cracked with a sudden sonic boom. The Inquisitor planted his silver-plated boot forward, burying it deep into Saile’s stomach. A visible shockwave exploded from the heavy impact. The brutal force sent Saile flying backward through the air.
Saile crashed hard into the dirt, skipping across the ground like a tossed stone. He tasted fresh blood in his mouth. He coughed violently, clutching his stomach. Even with his newly boosted Level 10 stats, the A-Rank holy skill behind that kick felt like getting hit by a speeding cart.
"Saile!" Avery screamed from the panicked crowd. She tried to run toward him, but an older village woman grabbed her tightly, holding the crying little girl safely back.
"Stay down, trash," the Lead Inquisitor said coldly. He did not even draw his sword. He just raised his empty hand and a sphere of burning golden light formed in his palm. He flicked his wrist.
The holy light shot forward rapidly, striking Saile directly in the chest. The ground trembled violently as the explosion tossed Saile into the air again. The heat scorched his clothes. He hit the dirt with a heavy thud, his ears ringing loudly. Every muscle in his body screamed in pain.
"You see?" the Lead Inquisitor said, turning his back on Saile. He looked at his two partners. "He cannot even take a basic light strike. He is way too weak to be the Heretic. The real dark mage probably fled the moment we arrived."
"What do we do with the village, sir?" one of the other Inquisitors asked.
The tall man looked around at the destroyed houses and the terrified, bleeding orphans. He wrinkled his nose in complete disgust.
"The air here reeks of dark mana," the Lead Inquisitor decided casually. "The corruption has already soaked deeply into the soil. Burn it all. Cleanse the entire village with holy fire. Leave absolutely no survivors."
Saile’s eyes snapped wide open. He spat out a mouthful of blood and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees.
"No!" Saile gasped. "You cannot do that! They are innocent!"
Inside Saile’s mind, a dark, heavy presence surged forward aggressively.
"Are you done playing the victim yet?" Naicul hissed. The ancient God’s voice dripped with pure venom. "They are going to burn your little sister alive, boy! They are going to laugh while they do it. Let me out! Give me control! I will tear their arrogant heads off and feed their A-Rank spines to the fish!"
The EX-Rank dark mana in Saile’s chest flared hotly. It begged to be released. It wanted to consume the Inquisitors.
"No!" Saile yelled out loud, speaking to the Inquisitors and to the God inside his head at the exact same time.
"You stupid, stubborn child!" Naicul roared, his voice shaking the inside of Saile’s skull. "You cannot beat them with your pathetic human strength! Use my power!"
"I will not let you take my soul," Saile thought back fiercely.
Saile forced himself to stand up. His legs were shaking, but he planted his feet firmly in the dirt. He wiped the blood from his chin. If he used the EX-Rank dark mana, the Sync Rate would rise immediately. He would lose another piece of his own mind. He absolutely refused to rely on the Fallen God. He was Level 10 now. His physical stats were strong. He just had to use them.
The Lead Inquisitor turned his head, looking mildly surprised. "You are still conscious? You really are a stubborn little rat."
"Do not touch my village," Saile growled.
Saile pushed off his back foot. The ground cracked slightly under his boots. He dashed forward with surprising speed, the wind shrieking past his ears.
The Lead Inquisitor raised his golden-glowing hand to fire another deadly blast of holy magic. Saile dropped low to the ground. He launched into a fast, fluid spin sweep. His leg swept across the dirt, aiming directly for the Inquisitor’s ankles to break his stance.
The Inquisitor sidestepped effortlessly. "Too slow."
But Saile did not stop moving. Using the momentum from the missed sweep, he planted his hands on the ground and pushed off into a rapid backflip. As he flipped upside down, his heel lashed out in a sharp upward kick, catching the tall Inquisitor right under the chin.
Smack!
The Inquisitor’s head snapped back hard. He stumbled backward half a step. The villagers gasped in total shock. An F-Rank peasant had just landed a solid hit on a Holy Inquisitor.
Inside Saile’s mind, Naicul groaned loudly. "A basic kick? Are you kidding me? You should have taken his eye out!"
The Lead Inquisitor rubbed his jaw. He was not hurt, but his face twisted into an ugly mask of pure rage.
"You filthy peasant," the Inquisitor snarled angrily. "I am going to break every bone in your body."
The Inquisitor charged. He moved impossibly fast, crossing the distance in a single step. He threw a heavy, glowing punch aimed straight at Saile’s face.
Saile reacted purely on instinct. He ducked under the glowing fist, twisting his body sharply to the side. He fired two quick, heavy jabs directly into the gaps of the Inquisitor’s silver armor.
Bam! Bam!
Saile’s Level 10 knuckles slammed into the man’s ribs. But it felt like punching a solid wall of iron. The A-Rank holy shield protecting the Inquisitor absorbed the entire impact. Saile’s wrists flared with sharp pain. His ordinary attacks were completely useless without the dark mana to pierce the magic armor.
"My turn," the Inquisitor whispered coldly.
The Inquisitor swung his heavy elbow, catching Saile hard in the side of the head.
Boom!
A visible shockwave travelled violently through the air. Saile was thrown sideways. He hit the ground hard, but he immediately forced himself into a tight shoulder roll recovery, popping right back up onto his feet.
He did not even have time to catch his breath. The other two Inquisitors eagerly joined the fight. One of them leaped high into the air, bringing his heavy silver boots down in a crushing stomp. Saile threw himself backward into another rapid backflip just to avoid getting squashed flat.
The boots hit the ground exactly where Saile had just been standing.
Boom!
The earth exploded. A massive crater formed in the dirt square. The ground trembled wildly, throwing Saile off balance just as his feet touched the floor.
"You move well for a rat," the Lead Inquisitor said, appearing instantly on Saile’s right side. "But you are still just trash."
The tall man unleashed a brutal tornado kick. His leg spun through the air, glowing with blinding A-Rank holy light.
Saile quickly brought both of his arms up to block the strike.
Crack!
The glowing kick slammed into Saile’s forearms. The horrible sound of breaking bone resonated across the silent village. The sheer force of the Level 30+ strike completely shattered Saile’s defense. The holy light burned right through his skin, searing his muscles down to the bone.
Saile screamed in absolute agony. He was thrown aggressively through the air like a broken ragdoll. He crashed through the remains of a wooden merchant stall, splintering the thick planks into hundreds of flying pieces. He rolled roughly across the dirt, finally stopping near the base of the destroyed watchtower.
The wind shrieked across the ruined square. Saile desperately tried to push himself up, but his arms would not support his weight at all. Both of his forearms were cleanly broken. His vision swam with dizzying black spots. He coughed hard, spitting a heavy mouthful of dark blood onto the dirt.
He was just too weak. Level 10 physical stats were nothing against Level 30 veterans. Without his rusted harpoon, and without using the EX-Rank dark mana, he was just a kid getting beaten to death in the dirt.
The Lead Inquisitor walked slowly toward him. He drew his long, silver sword from his waist. The blade hummed loudly with deadly, bright magic.
"A valiant effort, peasant," the Inquisitor mocked, standing right over Saile’s broken body. "But the Light always purges the dirt. Now, watch as we burn your friends."
Avery screamed his name from the crowd. The sound tore right through Saile’s heart. He could not protect her. He could not protect anyone.
"I warned you," Naicul whispered coldly in his mind. "You play the pacifist, and you lose everything. Now, go to sleep, boy. I will handle this."
Saile wanted to say no. He wanted to fight back. But his health dropped right past the breaking point. The pain was just too much for his human mind to handle.
A golden System screen flashed brightly in the center of his fading vision.
[HP: 2%... System Override Initiated.]