(No difference of T or M versions of this chapter)

CHAPTER FOURTY: the Slaughter at Carne Village

"What is the meaning of this? Your military conscripts already took our men and boys to fight in your war, there are only women and children here, as well as the elderly!" The village chief of Carne said. The commander that was speaking to him kept his eyes trained on the large knight that stood back. It was wearing full plate armor that covered it's identity, the armor was terrible, however... probably bought for little more than scrap price...

"What about that man there?" The commander pointed to the knight in terrible armor. His sword and shield, however, looked very well made and ready to be used.

"This... knight, is not a member of our village, he is hired to work here from the Sorcerer King," The village chief told them honestly.

"What the hell is the holdup?" The prince shouted angerly at the negotiation party sent to talk to the army.

"Sir... attacking this village would be the same as attacking one of our own villages... they sent their appropriated men to the battle lines like all the others... there is no reason to attack them, they are little just women and children with the elderly mixed in." The field commander reported.

"Nonsense! These villagers have that weird Knight here from our enemy, the Sorcerer King! And we know he'd been here personally... they are in league with that Dark Elf Necromancer and I will not be so easily fooled!" The Prince barked.

"It's... true that weird Knight hasn't moved a single inch, but Master Gazzaff said it beat him and his men so..." The man now looked worried. The Prince frowned even deeper.

"I have decided we will arrest that knight for attacking our soldiers, the rest of the villagers will be round up for questioning about this Dark Elf Necromancer..." The Prince then spoke up and yelled so that his commanders could hear him.

"I AM OFFICIALLY LABELING THE VILLAGE OF CARNE A DEN OF TRAITORS, ARREST THE KNIGHT AND VILLAGERS... KILL ALL WHO RESIST!" the Prince declared.

"Hey... wait..." The Village chief began as he tried to take steps back into the gate, but a soldier was already moving to subdue him. The Knight that stood by the gates of Carne took a step forward.

The Death Knight looked at The human army. Each and every one of them made him sick. He'd love to just kill every last one of them, the villagers to. But that was not his orders, and he would never disobey an order from his maker, regardless of how he felt. Death Knight was told to protect this village and kill anyone who would do it harm. He suspected this human army did but until he knew for sure...

"I AM OFFICIALLY LABELING THE VILLAGE OF CARNE A DEN OF TRAITORS, ARREST THE KNIGHT AND VILLAGERS... KILL ALL WHO RESIST!" The human who seemed to be leading the rest of the sacks of flesh yelled.

That's it... he thought to himself. That was an open declaration of hostility! He scanned the army. A human was moving to subdue the village chief, that wouldn't do. The Death Knight turned his form into a shadow and raced to intercept this soldier.

"Kugurk!" The soldier managed to yell as Death Knight drove his Flamberge through the soldiers back, lifted him in the air and flinging it's body into the ranks of other humans who were dressed like this soldier. He was already moving to engage the awestruck humans who were still looking at the corpse the Death Kight had flung at their friends. Some turned just in time to see the black edged weapon cleave through their faces. In a single swing. The Death Knight killed five soldiers. he swung again, five more.

"YYAAARR!" the cries of death and panic soon began to echo to the back of the army who were wondering what was happening as a body would fly over their heads. From the back all they would hear is a crash, maybe some dirt then a body of two would sail through the air and crumpled like a fallen vase.

"ATTACK!" A panicked order came as the soldiers moved on the village en masse. But their march was slowed as the front lines refused to move, or were even pushing back. Death Knight swung his heavy black tower shield with killing intent. Smashing more and more soldier and knocking them back into the huddled humans. While watching the frail weak humans fly through the air was very amusing to The Death Kight, he did this for another reason.

"What? What the!"

"That's my blood!"

"NOooo!"

More screams from all over the surging army began to call out as the slain members of the soldier force began to move once more. The killed soldiers were rising up as undead minions and turning on their once friends. The unexpected and frightful attacks made the file of the army break as orders became drowned out over the yells of death and fear carried over the air.

More...more...must...kill...MORE! Death Knight screamed in his infernal mind as he lashed out with both arms. His Flamberge and Shield killing scores of weak humans, who would then rise up and help him cull this disgusting mass of flesh.

The Prince looked confused as the broken bodies of his men flew past his head.

"My prince! We have to escape! That Knight is A Death Knight of legend! We haven't a hope to kill it!" The field commander screamed as he tried to hold onto his own focus and resolve just to give obvious advice such as "we must run away" The Prince couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"What about... the flanking force I sent the other gate? They could turn back and lend us aid." The Prince yelled.

However...

The Hanzo moved through them with speed that, even if the humans could see him, his blinding speed would be more than they could hope to see. With a flick of his wrist, several heads would come flying off. As the soldiers of about 1,000 walked in a uniform straight line. Hanzo had to do little more than run up and down the lines of men removing their heads as he passed.

"What?" Was what most soldiers would get out as they saw the row of heads popping off like a wave, one after another in perfect timing. Hanzo would clear an entire line in less than a second, as such he had killed ever soldier in under a minute. After clearing the last row he turned to inspect his work.

The bodies were beginning to fall from his final row as the riding horses tossed their headless riders off to either side. He nodded in satisfaction at the cleanliness of it. Even from here he could hear his fellow protector enjoying himself. Death Knight's methods were much less clean than his own, but his job was to run amock like that, so it was fine.

"RU..." a Soldier tried to call out as a black Flamberge cut him in half, sending a wave of blood and guts through the air. The Death Knight, whose armor was now soaked red looked much more like his former form. that is to say, he no longer looked human.

By now the undead horde that Death Knight had created were tearing into the majority of the army. As such he concerned himself with cutting down the cowards that would attempt to flee. The ones that stood to fight he would save, or let their fallen comrades kill... should he let a single soldier escape he'd be laughing at by the Hanzo, who was probably already done by now.

The prince looked around him in horror. The men he led till just moments ago were either fleeing like cowards or getting eaten by their dead friends. From all around him bodies were still getting hurled through the air like clumps of dirt. Oddly enough no undead's made their way to him. Even the blood covered Death Knight would walk right past him as if he was not there...

"Can these undead not see me?" He muttered as his brain tried to keep itself together. Death was all around him. Fountains of blood slashed in red displays of murder.

"I... I have to escape..." The Prince thought... maybe it was luck or hidden power he never knew he had, all the undead around him ignore him.

"I... I MUST escape, to inform all about this!" he told himself and turned to run as the screams of his men filled his ears. The sound of men being eaten alive was almost as the sight of it... he threw up twice before clearing the killing field he had marched his men onto.

Death Knight swung and bashed over and over. He laughed to himself with dreadful glee every time his blade and shield took another worthless human life. He saw the leader of the humans running away like he knew he would do. This one he was told to let live so that Lupusrgina could enjoy some sport.

Run little rabbit! It thought as he saw the prince's horse gallop off. He turned his attention back to the screaming flesh bags that he promptly removed from this world with extreme prejudice.

The sounds of wailing and screaming grew silent at last as the prince ran his horse to death. He had met up with four survivors from his unit and they made a fire and huddled around it in shock and disbelief.

"The Knight of legend... The Knight of legend..." is all one man said over and over, his brain clearly broken from what it had seen. None of the others knew what to say to him so they just remained quite trying to keep their own sanity in check. But a sudden female voice cut the silence.

"Hello, boys!" A woman with red braids and a maids uniform was suddenly standing next to him.

"YAH!" he screamed out in fear as he leaped away from her, almost falling into the fire. She just stood there smiling sweetly.

"Who... who are you?" He yelled out as his men fell into position around him. They were all exhausted and not wanting to fight, but their training showed as they stood before him.

"Me? Oh, I'm just the personal maid to Lord Momonga!" She informed him with that same beautiful smile. The way she smiled so naturally in this situation is what really chilled his bones.

"Momonga?" He asked before pain shocked him. It happened so fast he didn't know what she had done but the blood gushing from his face soon told him she had removed his eyes. His whole world was dark and black and searing pain resounded where his eyes once were. he fell to the ground screaming as his men echoed his screams.

He would hear her giggle, followed by the snapping of bone which was followed by a scream. then that scream would abruptly stop after another loud snapping of bone. Finally, only his screams responded in the pale night as her laughing grew to near maniacal levels. All he could do is clutch at his face in permanent darkness.

"Okay! Now it's your turn!" she laughed as he was pulled into the air by his ankles.

"Let's see how many bones I can break before you pass out and make this boring for me.." just as her words were sinking in his dark world became white with pain as both his legs were snapped like twigs.

Unfortunately for Lupusregina, he passed out soon after. And as when the mouse stops twitching the cat loses interest so did she with him. She brought her heel into his head, cracking his unconscious head open before turning back to fly back to Carne.

By the time she had gotten back the undead minions had all shuffled out of sight of the villagers, they would each grab a body or two that hadn't changed so there only remained a large red blood soaked field before the village of Carne, with the odd severed head or limb laying about still.

Lupusregina walked among the village but was worried when the face of one of the ones she was meant to protect did not appear. She quickly found the girl who she was meant to keep safe.

"Enri!" Lupusregina called out. Enri Emmott was the village chief's daughter and was in love with the one she was looking for. Enri seemed distraught but she waved back at the maid who had been to the village once or twice.

"Oh, Miss Lupusregina... how is everything?" Enri asked. Lupusregina could tell she was being polite as she was nervous.

"Where is your boyfriend, Nfirea? The one with the potions who always stinks?" Lupusregina asked. Enri looked down in worry.

"A few days ago some soldiers came through here and requested we aid the war effort... as it was out villages duty because we had so many healthy workers... but they took Nfirea as well, even when we explained he wasn't well or a fighter... they took him all the same." Enri explained.

"But... I know most people don't die in this annual war, so it should be okay and he'll come back... I'm sure of it!" Enri said as the smile vanished from Lupusregina's face. She turned and cast [MESSAGE].

"Lord Momonga... the village of Carne is safe and all who would harm it are dead... yet the one known as Nfirea was conscripted to fight in the Re-Estize army... he will be among those that stand against you my Lord." She informed him. there was a long silence.

"Thank you Lupusregina! You have done well and I am proud of you, please remain at the village to provide whatever support you can." Her Lord praised her as she smiled stupidly.