Chaos Of Past

Moving towards Benard's cabin, Zero noticed him sending gestures to the gatekeeper to surround and call for reinforcements.

He couldn't think they would be this welcome and as they showed their true nature.

"Baali, I want to go to the bathroom." Zero asked.

Uncomfortable Baali looked at Benard.

"Just around the corner besides the infirmary signboard." With a smile Benard spoke.

As Zero walked towards the direction he got, Baali and Benard sat down inside the cabin.

Simple and adequate accommodations, Benard has kept a nice attitude until now.

"How did you come to this place? I mean..."

Baali answered without needing to explain, " I just got lucky. But what has actually happened here huh?"

"The walls? right. Our forces were not pathetic enough to need such walls but..."

"But what?" Baali intensely asked.

"It's a long story but anyway it's about entities like Gods and Goddesses interfering. Your disappearance was too caused by them." Benard was not finished but Baali was already angered enough.

"Then?" Baali wanted to know how they survived.

"Truce? We came to a truce while sustaining a lot of sacrifices." Benard looked unhappy about it as it forced them to live under influence and a lot of pressure on top of that.

"There must have been a lot of losses." Baali sympathised.

"Yes! And how about you? I don't think it is any less to have you back. We hope we can again stand our ground."

Benard wanted him to join forces again and help them fight but the variable was Zero.

"I want you to...."

"Aaaaaah!"

As Benard was not even finished with his words, a loud scream came from the direction Zero went.

"Zero!" Baali exclaimed and stood up.

"What happened?!" Benard shouted.

Some knights came running towards the cabin,

"There's a monster attack."

And reported to have been attacked.

Baali was concerned about Zero.

Benard smirked as he thought Baali's companion was dealt with.

But to his surprise, Zero came walking towards them with blood on his shirt and blade which knights usually use.

Benard ran towards the place of the incident and couldn't believe his eyes.

"How?! Can a human do such a thing?" He thought.

Returning back he was shocked enough, surprise to be seen on his face clearly.

Baali stood there quiet as he now was clear what Benard's intentions were.

Zero spoke, " How can such a thing happen? Right? Mister Benard."

Benard looked at his face, intense pressure and suffocation, which he could compare with something he already knew.

"This pressure? Aura? How...?" Benard sweated heavily.

"I am hungry." Zero looked away and sat down.

A whistle blew outside as Benard gave a signal.

Zero felt pity on him and on a whim released his aura and intense pressure blocked everyone who was jumping inside.

Mages which entities left for this city were as shocked as Benard to see their attacks blocked with just pressure and aura released.

Baali watched everything unfold as he couldn't do anything.

Benard shouted amongst all the mess.

"Sir Baali! Help us!"

Baali clicked his tongue and held Benard with his neck in the air.

Everyone was shocked to see what just happened and stopped their tries.

"Truce? I don't know why you lied to me but to see my own kin surrender and do servicing to the enemies rather than dying in the battlefields. HOW PATHETIC?!"

With just a gentle swing, Benard found himself on the wall, stuck and vomiting blood.

"We... cou...couldn't do anything back then. cough... and strong... fo..forces like you disappeared too."

Benard fainted as he slumped down from the wall.

....

TWO HOURS LATER... IN THE EVENING..

"Agh! Aack!"

Benard, tied down on the chair, woke up in pain.

"You woke up." Zero said, chewing the food from the table.

Benard looked furious and pathetically held the anger in.

He thought their power was not enough and joined mages but they too failed. His defeat was not satisfying but one corner of his heart wanted to switch sides.

Baali entered the cabin with an upset face and looked like he lost all his hopes.

"Baali! I think. The people you knew, you won't be able to meet them again."

Zero finished his food and stood up.

"This guy might have something to say regarding that." Zero's words woke up Baali.

Benard understood what those words were indicating. As he looked at Baali, he knew he might die if he didn't do something.

"I am sorry." Benard's face was pitiful but Baali couldn't care less.

Tightly gripped the face and Baali asked, " What do you mean?! You are sorry?! Huh?!"

"Ahem!" Zero signalled he might die at that rate.

With a slap, Baali withdrew and Zero asked something which shocked everyone.

"You have been sacrificing your own kin to save your life. When are they coming back?"

"How did he know?! Only a few higher-ups know about it. Wait..." Benard knew what Zero wanted.

"You killed them!" Baali jumped at Benard and nearly crushed his face.

Stopped as Zero needed him for something. After knowing what had happened and not finding the comrades from back then, Baali was already broken but after hearing someone was deliberately killing them to save his own filthy life.

Filled with anguish and hate, he stood quiet.

"What do we do?" Zero asked Baali.

"I am a mercenary." Baali said and looked at Zero.

Zero gently smiled and walked towards Benard who was grunting in pain. All the sides of Benard he called were done in by Zero. Being helpless, he was at mercy of Zero.

"Tell me everything."

Benard nodded his head and started from the beginning.

"Soon after when Baali and Sugriv disappeared, a turmoil started within the palace. One after another riots and fights started. We held it with the help of Baali's aides at the palace but the situation changed when monsters and entities calling themselves gods and goddesses started appearing suddenly. First the monsters were manageable but when gods intervened we were utterly defeated.

One of them came to us one day with a deal. He said they will stop the fight if we surrender but the thing was not easy too as they asked for materials we didn't hear. They built large buildings and devices which we had never seen before. We couldn't find the materials and that person suggested giving a living sacrifice. Regarding that we had a meeting and most of the people who were against the palace agreed. They had nothing to lose and would save themselves by killing others.

And losing the opinion, slowly aides in favour of the palace and fighting the enemies slowly got driven to death. But the number of monsters didn't decrease. We asked for their help but they said they couldn't do anything about it. We were betrayed on our face and also were helpless against their power."

Zero listened to his story quite fascinatingly.

"And you also joined hands to live. But I didn't see any monsters on my way here." Baali asked angrily.

"That they said, the device they built would prevent monsters from trespassing." Benard looked to the ground as he said that.

"But the monster in the bathroom?" Zero spoke with doubt.

"Yes! To prevent monsters and keep the device working we have to sacrifice one person every month." Benard's words boiled again Baali's blood.

Zero grabbed the broken shoulder tightly and asked to Benard,

"Where is that device?"

"That!"