The young heir of the 2nd most strongest clan couldn't even move under Kahn's Executioner's Gaze.
But before the skill effect time ended, Kahn punched him in the face and knocked him out.
SLAP!
"Wake up, Snow White." a grim voice and intense pain suddenly woke him up.
"Ugh.."
Reiner woke up again after time unknown and finally saw his surrounding. He was currently inside a rundown warehouse and was currently tied to a strong metallic chair that was big enough to tie up his 4 meter tall body. His tendons and ligaments were cut off and he could barely move.
Just then, Reiner noticed the blood and pieces of flesh on the floor, his body shivered in fear.
This was the same warehouse where Kahn had tortured Erwin & Levi.
Kahn had transformed back into his original human appearance. Now he was donned in his other persona of Azrael.
"Reiner Tu Odelschwanck.. You know what's about to happen. Make your last prayers to your ancestors. Because soon, you won't even get time to pray to any God. It's not he's listening anyway." Azrael's deathly tone scared the hell out of Reiner.
He took out his daggers and sharpened them against each other.
"NOOOO!!" screamed Reiner.
"Huh?.. Why are you screaming like a little girl? I haven't even started yet." spoke Azrael.
"No! Wait.. I can tell you everything I know. If you promise to let me go, I'll tell you everything about the whole incident." declared Reiner.
"Let's say that even if I were to accept your proposal.. what can you tell me that isn't already known?" asked Azrael under his head and mask.
"I can tell you exactly what happened behind the closed doors. It wasn't even us who planned it. It was the Volstov clan who planned it all!" shouted Reiner in hurry, trying to goad in his assailant before the torture even began.
"They're my next target anyways. So what difference does it make?" asked Azrael in return.
"What I know can not only help you take their heir down.. But also bring down their entire clan's reputation in the ground." he informed.
"I'm listening." spoke Azrael.
"The truth is.. The Vivaldi clan is the representative of Noble factions in the name only. It's actually the Volstov clan who pulls the strings from behind. And the whole public ra*e of that blacksmith's daughter was their plan. The other clans & the heirs were forced into this by them." said Reiner.
"Shifting the blame? I don't have time for this." spoke Azrael and quickly stabbed the dagger in Reiner's thigh.
"Aaaaahhhhh!!" screamed Reiner in pain.
"I'm telling the truth! At least listen to me first." pleaded Reiner and grunted as he tried to hold back his screams from the pain.
"Fine.. But any bullshit story and I'll make you beg me for a painless death." raged Azrael as he released his War Dominance aura.
"The truth is.. We didn't have any qualms with the blacksmith or his daughter. The other three families didn't even propose marriage to her. Only the Volstov clan did." replied the fear-stricken Reiner who was finding it hard to breathe.
"Ours and the Elves don't even allow marriages with other races to begin with. They only used us as scapegoats."
"And why would an extremely powerful clan which as you said, holds the strings of all the noble families would ask for marriage with Alberstro's daughter? He isn't even a Noble by birth or title." asked Azrael in his ghastly tone.
"To.. To hide the truth about their clan heir." replied Reiner.
"And what is that?"
"Their heir is actually.. He doesn't like women.. He likes men."
"Is that something so important? Noble clansmen fuck around with plenty of males and females anyway. Was it a good reason to make such an unnecessary public and brutal display of authority?" asked Azrael in a puzzled tone.
"In our circle.. It makes a lot of difference if you're the successor to the clan head's position. But since the Volstov clan couldn't force any of the noble clans to give up on their daughters and heiress as that would've even spread the news amongst top brass.. They wanted to use that blacksmith's daughter to cover up this fact. Even I heard about it by accident. The other two didn't even know about it." he said.
"But when the Blacksmith, who isn't even a noble or had the full backing of a single noble clan; outright refused saying that his daughter doesn't wish to get married to their heir.. It was like a slap in their face. All the other noble clans & government officials took it like a nobody challenging the Volstov clan's authority. And hence, they instigated this whole thing and promised many business deals to the three clans if we decided to go along with their narrative and made an example out of the daughter." elaborated Reiner.
"I see.. But does that make any difference? The girl is still dead.. And you partook in that crime anyway. The father still lives miserably and your so-called 'Noble' clans who don't even deserve to be called with that word still keep tormenting the normal people like their playthings. When does it end?" asked Azrael.
"Whatever little information you gave me changes nothing." replied Azrael and his four extensions and Drake Claw were revealed.
"I hear that your kind takes a lot of pride in your skin and fur.. Right?" asked Azrael as he let out a sinister chuckle.
And when the morning arose, in the same square and the same street.. Was another body.
This time, the assassins from the noble clans and the guards from the city security were already awaiting there as if they had already expected him to bring the body of the Odelschwanck clan heir to hang.
In front of Kahn who was comparable to peak Grandmaster during nighttime, they didn't even see him coming.
Kahn as Azrael didn't kill any city guards who were just doing their job and were following orders and came here to catch him. But he didn't leave a single assassin or any other fighter from the noble clans alive because they were here to kill him.
All he had to do was use shadow walk and finish off the hidden enemies before they could even alert their allies or anyone else.
When the common populace saw the huge body of the Tigerkin... Many people retched after looking at the bleeding and shredded body.
The Tigerkin was... Skinned alive.
This time, Azrael had earnestly enraged the Beastkins who prided their skin and fur. Even the Bearkins and Demihumans with beastly ears and tails felt a cold shiver in their spine.
Reiner's body was melted on many spots, his skull was wide open from the middle.. And his own tail was what Azrael used as a rope to hang his dead body.
[[Author : No real animals were harmed while writing this chapter.]]
Another set of words written with blood were present there on a nearby wall.
"THREE DOWN. ONLY ONE REMAINS. PREPARE EVERYTHING YOU CAN... BECAUSE I'M COMING!"