Circus of Truth

Faithless's black eye was glowing with rage in the cell… He looked at the children, who were trembling with fear, and some were checking on the one Krans had kicked.

"Hey, clown, what are you looking at? Your opponent is right here," Krans said with a mocking voice as he patted his belly.

Faithless looked at him with a wide smile on his face, then shifted his gaze back to the children and said in a calm tone:

"Children, we have a circus… but it's a bit of a bloody one. So please, avoid watching."

"Hahaha, how funny you are, clown. You think you're strong just because you pulled your hand back? Hahaha!" Krans laughed in an irritating way.

Faithless charged at him and struck him hard in the stomach, but Krans wasn't affected at all; he stood firmly in place. He grabbed Faithless by the coat, slammed him to the ground, and then threw him out of the cell, where he crashed into the floor.

"You call that a punch? Even that kid I kicked hit harder than you," Krans said as he stepped forward, his expression filled with terrifying malice. He raised his sword and aimed to stab Faithless in the back—but Faithless raised Hermes' dagger and blocked the strike swiftly, then struck Krans in the stomach hard enough to push him back.

"What's wrong? Did the kid's punch hurt you?" Faithless said in a joking voice, scratching his head with the dagger.

Krans grew angry, gripped his sword tightly, and slashed it toward the clown… His strikes were powerful and fast, but Faithless kept dodging them while laughing.

Krans pulled his sword back and brought it down with both hands forcefully onto the ground—but he didn't hit Faithless. The funny part? Faithless was standing on the blade itself, laughing.

Faithless pulled out Apollo's chain and wrapped it around Krans's neck in a twisted way, choking his windpipe and making him breathe like a pig. Then he slashed him with the dagger from chest to stomach, lifted him with the chain, and slammed him to the ground.

Faithless stood on Krans's head, looked at the children with a wide, silly, exaggerated smile, and spoke in a terrifying tone:

"Children… did you enjoy the circus performance?"

The children were terrified by his cold and terrifying stare, yet they were also entertained by the torment of that pig. Krans suddenly grabbed Faithless's leg tightly.

Faithless looked forward and spoke sarcastically while shrugging:

"Looks like the pig woke up."

Krans slammed Faithless hard into the ground, then hurled him toward the end of the hallway, crashing him into the wall. Krans ran at full speed and stabbed Faithless in the stomach, breathing heavily in anger.

"You're one stubborn rat," Krans growled furiously as he twisted the sword inside Faithless.

Faithless placed all five fingers on Krans's face and said in a mocking tone:

"What's your relationship with bathing?"

Krans was confused by the question—then suddenly, he found himself upside down. Faithless had lifted him and smashed him violently into the ground, so hard that blood splattered from beneath Krans's black cloak.

Krans swung his massive sword, aiming to cut off Faithless's neck, but Faithless blocked the strike with Apollo's chain and sliced off Krans's fingers with Hermes's dagger.

Krans grabbed his hand in pain. His fingers were burning as if they were inside an oven. Faithless placed his hand on Krans's shoulder and spoke in a sarcastic tone:

"Oh no, you lost your fingers? What a shame… now how are you going to bathe? Hahahaha."

Krans became so enraged that blood began to pour from under his cloak. He grabbed Faithless by the neck, slammed him into the ground, then smashed him against the wall.

Due to the sound of the repeated blows and trembling walls, the maid woke up. She looked at Krans as he rained blows upon Faithless… At first, she was afraid—but she felt joy as she saw that clown being beaten down by Krans.

"I don't know what's going on exactly… but that idiot is finally getting what he deserves," the maid said in a relieved tone, placing her palm on her chest.

The children were frightened for Faithless, watching him take those heavy hits. Krans grabbed his sword, pinned Faithless to the wall, and sliced off his head with all his strength.

Faithless's head fell to the ground. The children were shocked… their only hope had vanished. The maid was clapping in delight.

"What a crazy clown. He thinks he's in a circus."

She approached Krans and began caressing his body, speaking in a filthy voice:

"What a brave nobleman you are… How about we do something fun tonight?"

Krans tried to touch her—but Apollo's chain suddenly wrapped around his neck, and a dagger pierced through his back and out his belly. He was lifted high, then split in half—his blood splashing onto the maid's face.

Each half fell in a different direction, and Faithless appeared, smiling wide—wicked, insane. He approached the maid, who was frozen in shock, speaking to him in a trembling voice:

"But… but didn't he cut off your head? What are you?"

"My head? Oh, that was just a magic trick…" he said in a mocking tone, pretending to be surprised. Then he grabbed her by the neck, lifted her high, and shoved her into the cell, glaring at her with his black, furious eyes… and that wide, twisted smile that made his expression utterly contradictory:

"I didn't expect a human to be this cheap… Selling yourself for a noble who doesn't even know the difference between falsehood and truth."

Then, with the same tone, as he brushed her hair back:

"No matter… I'll show you what truth looks like… from a clown's perspective."