Elric strode forward with an arrogant smirk plastered across his face. Behind him, the high-level awakeners of the Federation Police formed a tight line, their numbers nearing thirty.
Though they were not as powerful as the Silver Crest Guild, their affiliation with the Federation alone inspired fear.
To oppose them was to challenge the very authority that governed humanity itself.
"Thoren Starfall! For your numerous killings, you are under arrest." Elric’s voice rang with forced authority as he stopped a few paces from Thoren.
"Raise your hands and come quietly. You do not want to become an enemy of the Federation, do you?"
A victorious grin curled on his lips.
He believed the combination of the Federation’s name and their overwhelming numbers would ensure compliance.
Thoren, he thought, was just another strong awakener who thrived on fear—but now, he was about to learn the meaning of real power.
For a moment, the air thickened.
Silence fell over the square as everyone present fixed their gaze on Thoren.
Whispers and speculation rippled through the crowd.
Would he surrender?
Would he bow to the Federation?
No one dared oppose them.
But when their eyes met Thoren’s, disbelief overtook all assumptions. His expression was bored.
Flat.
Indifferent.
The sight left many paralyzed.
Why did he have such a calm expression?
Did he not realize the danger?
This was the Federation, a hegemonic power with countless high-level awakeners at their disposal.
The Federation was absolute, unquestioned, unstoppable.
Elric’s fury flared.
He had expected trembling, fear, even a flicker of uncertainty. But Thoren’s eyes betrayed none of it. His disregard for authority was infuriating.
"Are you deaf?!" Elric bellowed, veins bulging on his neck.
His blood roared with rage as his command went utterly ignored. He had come to assert dominance, to intimidate but now, his authority crumbled before him.
"Sergeants! Arrest him!"
Two Level 11 Knights stepped forward, legs trembling as their hands shook.
Their lips quivered, betraying the panic that surged through them. Fear carved deep lines into their faces.
The crowd witnessed the absurdity and horror unfold. This was not merely an opponent, this was the Grim Reaper.
Thoren’s eyes never wavered.
He did not glance at the trembling officers nor at Elric, whose once-proud smirk had begun to fade.
His gaze settled on the Silver Crest Guildmaster, whose eyes still burned with hope.
’First, let’s snuff out that hope of yours,’ Thoren thought coldly.
Thud! Thud!
The hooded figure standing beside the Guildmaster moved. Each step echoed like a war drum, reverberating through the silent square.
The Guildmaster stiffened, realizing far too late that his life was hanging by a thread.
"Captain Elric!" he screamed, forgetting rank, prestige, or dignity. "SAVE ME!"
Elric’s expression darkened. "If you touch him, you will..." he began, but before he could finish, the hooded figure struck.
Ahhhh!
The Guildmaster’s leg was stomped upon with merciless force.
Bones shattered beneath the impact, each crack echoing like a cannon through the street.
Pain wracked his body as the relentless assault continued, crushing every bone, joint, and sinew.
His scream tore through the air.
It was soul-rending and raw.
The crowd shivered, eyes wide, hearts frozen in terror. The level of inhuman brutality was incomprehensible. Even those who stood close to Thoren found themselves trembling uncontrollably.
Then the hooded figure seized the Guildmaster’s jaw, forcing it open. With a swift, practiced motion, the tongue was ripped free.
Blood spattered the ground in a horrifying arc.
Gasps and involuntary cries erupted from the crowd.
Many recoiled.
Their skin crawled with dread.
The scale of the violence was unimaginable.
Elric himself staggered backward, his smirk gone, replaced by stark terror. His heart thumped violently against his chest like a war drum.
He had heard tales of Thoren’s brutality but witnessing it firsthand was a revelation that sent chills down to his core.
Just then...
Every hair on his body stood on end. He looked up only to meet Thoren’s piercing blue eyes, which bore into him like molten steel.
’This is...a devil,’ he thought, trembling.
’If I had known, I would never have come.’
Elric had come seeking to intimidate, to leverage the Federation’s prestige against Thoren.
Perhaps he could curb the Reaper’s rising fame, perhaps even force him to bow. But now, he understood the foolishness of that decision.
Thoren’s voice cut the tension like a knife. "Do you still want to arrest me?"
It was not a question. The implication was clear.
Elric’s gaze flicked to the Guildmaster, whose agonized wails and dangling tongue told him everything he needed to know.
Fear surged like a tidal wave.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the two sergeants he had ordered to act retreating hastily, disappearing into the distance.
Soon, the rest of the officers followed, leaving him completely alone.
’Those bastards! How could they leave me like this?’ he cursed silently, even as sweat drenched his body and his breathing became erratic.
"I will not repeat myself," Thoren added, his voice calm yet deadly.
"Ah—" Elric choked, forcing the lump in his throat down. "W-We were merely...conducting a police drill! We are not here to stop you!"
Shame contorted his face, but it mattered little right now.
Survival was all that matters to him right now.
Without hesitation, he turned and fled, ignoring rank, prestige, and pride alike.
Those watching understood in that moment the true weight of the Grim Reaper’s terror.
Even the Federation...
The pinnacle of human authority was powerless.
If their officers could flee before him, who dared stand against Thoren?
Not unless they wanted to become dust beneath his boot.
Unknown to all present, the events unfolding that day would be recounted for decades.
Tales of Thoren Starfall, the Grim Reaper who sent the Federation Police fleeing, would become legend.
It would be whispered in awe and fear wherever awakeners gathered.
With the Federation Police fleeing as if their life depended on it, everyone knew the situation had come to an end.
In a few seconds, all the few remaining Silver Crest Guild members were killed. Thoren without care turned all of them into his undead servants.
The area was deafeningly quiet.
No one dares to breathe loudly.
No one dared move.
Thoren turned his head and looked in a particular direction. With slow measure steps, he began to walk.