Torture

Locus and Genken both went over to the blood-sprankled wall with the bleeding Lieutenant in front of it. This time, it was Locus' silhouette that bent over.

"Hey there, are you still alive?"

Genken kneeled down beside Lieutenant Golmer and took a closer look.

"It looks like he's still breathing. You sure are a tough one."

Golmer clenched his right hand to a fist and tried to punch Genken in the face. Due to his condition, however, the Lieutenant's attack was much slower than before. Genken teleported a few feet away. Locus interpreted the attempted attack as a sign of readiness for interrogation.

"Tell me, Lieutenant, are there other people like you who walk around and destroy villages?"

"Why should I answer that question?"

While saying that, the Lieutenant coughed up blood. Locus picked up his katana.

"You can't fight us with your ability."

Locus pointed over his shoulder at Genken.

"You may be a bad match for me, but he's a bad match for you."

Golmer looked up a little.

"Teleportation."

"Whenever you shrink down to such an incomprehensibly small size that we can't really hit you, your offense and defense both greatly suffer. Otherwise, you'd just stay in that form. But teleportation to you is a guaranteed hit. This means that your ability is rendered completely useless."

"I don't care."

"But you might die because of this?"

"That would also mean that you can't get any information out of me."

Locus thought about bluffing for a split second. No, a Lieutenant would see through that.

"Who said we were just going to let you die?"

Locus laid his palm on Golmer's left shoulder.

"You're pretty smart, so you have probably figured out that I have a nice ability up my sleeve."

"And I also know that it has nothing to do with reading my mind or something like that."

Locus smiled. But it wasn't a smile because he was happy. It was a smile without any emotions. The Lieutenant's blood came into contact with Locus.

"Have you ever felt acid on your skin?"

Lieutenant Golmer frowned.

"Once."

"And how about under your skin?"

The moment Locus used his ability, the Lieutenant began screaming.

"Who else goes around and destroys villages?"

"ARRGH!"

"WHO ELSE!?"

A tear came rolling down Lieutenant Golmer's eye.

"I'LL TALK!"

Locus reversed the process and Golmer let himself fall down onto the ground.

"Who else?"

Lieutenant Golmer was breathing heavily.

"WHO ELSE!?"

"There are many like me. No one is watching us, so we just go around and go rob a village here and there to earn some extra money."

"You're ruining lives for 'some extra money'?"

"You understand me, don't you? I mean, you're doing the same, aren't you? You're torturing me to find the other rich members. Maybe someone will even pay you extra to rob and kill them."

Without giving it a second thought, Locus grabbed Golmer, turned around, and threw him out of the building, right through his window.

"I'M DOING THIS FOR MY FAMILY!"

Genken massaged his temples.

"That was not such a great move."

"Ah, shut it! Both of us know that you could have saved him if you really wanted to."

"I'm not the one who's desperate to find his family's killer."

"We'll find another way."

"If you say so..."