Blood Berserker - [ A Litrpg Apocalypse]

He dared...

Nathan followed after the seductive lady, her hips swaying from side to side as she led him out of the cathedral. He kept trying to keep his eyes straight, but they always ended up drifting in the wrong direction. Evidently, Piper was enjoying the attention he was showing towards her as she openly smiled, the emotion clearly evident even though Nathan was behind her.

"I'm glad you're enjoying the show," Piper giggled. "But I'll have to ask you to pay proper attention."

The lithe lady opened the heavy doors of the cathedral with ease, and right in front of Nathan was a scene he wouldn't have envisioned in a hundred years. His squad was on their knees, bound with what looked like runed ropes, and lots of blood coated the ground outside—Pirlo hadn't gone down without a fight.

Why can't everything go smoothly?

Nathan grimaced as his grip tightened around his sword. His every being raged at the audacity of these bumpkins to lay a finger on his people. His bloodlust was starting to rise, and unless the woman who'd been toying with his mind all day had a good explanation, she might as well be six feet under.

"What is the meaning of this?" Nathan asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh, this?" Piper said, gesturing to his bound squad. "A little bit of insurance on my end while we had our little conversation inside. Plus, you seem like a strong man. I could think of a few ways in which you could serve me."

"No," Nathan said, letting the rage fade to the background.

He let his gaze rip through the Lady's pitiful faction. Of course, Tirmon was present, but the rogue was pretty much dead from Nathan's estimation, and the rest of them weren't going to hold a candle to him. In other words, he was going to be the end of a lot of people.

A lot of bad people.

Or a lot of misled people who'd been misled.

"No?" Piper said, surprised. "What makes you think you have a choice?"

"I can't quite put it into words, so why don't I just show you?" Nathan grinned.

The Berserker dashed forward, going past the confused lady and heading for the rogue Tirmon. Before her mind could catch up with what was happening, Nathan was beside the rogue. A trail of blood splattered on the dirt as the big oaf's hands clutched at the stump where his head was supposed to be.

I promised you'd be the first to die, rest in pieces, you oaf.

The Rogue's head dropped the moment Nathan stopped moving. The Berserker had gone so fast that no one else had been able to react before the head of the smug rogue hit the floor, the blood of the big oaf decorating the dirt. A muffled chuckle left the lips of Pirlo, the wiry teen probably enjoying the show like the maniac he was.

"I'll let this disrespect slide if you free my friends and we'll be on our merry way," Nathan offered.

He could see the gears clicking in Piper's face as she considered the different things she was going to do—the different things she could do. Nathan knew she had limited options, and even though she probably had him outnumbered fifty to one, he was pretty sure he could clear the entire stronghold with one hand tied behind his back. It turned out that it didn't take long for the lady to make her decision on the matter; after all, she was a leader and was used to making tough decisions all the time.

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"Unfortunately, Nathan, I can't let you go. You've spilled blood on my lands, and now... I'm afraid you must lose your life," Piper said. "However, I'll make you an offer: swear fealty to me and take the place of Tirmon, and I'll let you and your squad live."

Nathan snorted at the offer, much to the displeasure of Piper. His reaction to the lady's statement made the guards that surrounded the cathedral and his squad shift uncomfortably. Not only was he ignoring the threat Piper had aimed at him, he was also spitting on her ability to carry out said threat.

Which was the biggest insult that one could give to any leader, an insult made worse by the fact he'd done it in front of her men. Fortunately for the Lady of the stronghold, if she insisted on her offer, she probably wouldn't live past today.

"You know, this is the stupidest offer I've ever heard in my life, and trust me, I worked for some really bad people who offered something similar."

"You mock my leniency!" Piper said, her face turning serious as her seductive facade fell apart.

"Mock? No, Piper," Nathan said, his voice as cold as ice. "The only reason you and your men still breathe is because I let you. If you think that I'm intimidated by the paltry force you have surrounding me, then you are wrong."

Nathan felt the air stir around him, the very winds whispering about something. He couldn't hear it, but he could feel something tugging at his soul, something forcing him to look to the side in a particular direction up in the trees where a sole figure crouched in the branches, a bow pointed at him with an arrow ready to release.

The berserker's sudden gaze at the spot caused the female ranger to freeze, her hands unsteady as she tried to figure out if she should go ahead with her lady's silent command. Ultimately, she decided to lower her bow, the gaze of the beast trapped in the young man's body enough to cow her.

"Smart lady," Nathan muttered, then louder, "Anyone who draws their weapons dies, simple as that."

Pirlo chuckled again, the gag in the teen's mouth muffling the sound as best as it could, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear due to the charged silence that had followed after Nathan's words. The rogue seemed to be having the time of his life watching Nathan's sudden switch from peaceful diplomacy to "I will crush you like a bug if you oppose me" kind of diplomacy. By normal standards, that wouldn't have been termed diplomacy, but Pirlo wasn't normal—he was different, and so was the situation they were currently in.

"You're outnumbered badly, and while I can't analyze your level due to whatever skill you're employing, I'll tell you this: whoever or whatever you are, you can't take on an entire stronghold."

"Want to bet?" Nathan's grin widened. "Because from where I'm standing, I see about thirty men and women who can barely hold their weapons straight, a handful of actual fighters who look like they'd rather be anywhere else, and you." He paused, letting his words sink in. "Oh, and one headless corpse who won't be joining the fight."

His gaze drifted to Tirmon's dead body, which had finally stopped twitching. The nerves of the man had finally calmed, a stark contrast to the nerves of everyone who wasn't Nathan or his squad. Some guards couldn't tear their gaze away from the headless corpse, while others looked like they were one second away from throwing up.

"Last chance," Nathan said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Free my people, and we leave. Nobody else has to die today."

The wind picked up again; it seemed to be calling out to him, promising him something, but Nathan tuned it out as he focused on his opponent. Piper stood her ground, though Nathan could see the calculation in her eyes as she weighed her options.

"And if I refuse?" she asked, her chin lifted defiantly.

"A lot of people will die, and I won't be a part of them. You will though," Nathan said quietly. "If you don't call off this madness, everyone in this stronghold not with me will die. Everyone!"

One of the guards, a mage by the looks of it, took a hesitant step forward. "My lady, please, maybe y—"

"Silence!" Piper snapped, her composure cracking slightly. "I will not be threatened in my own stronghold, IN MY SEAT OF POWER!"

"Not a threat," Nathan corrected her. "A promise. And you should know that," he glanced meaningfully at Tirmon's corpse, "I always keep my promises."

Nathan could feel it in the air, that moment of perfect stillness before all hell breaks loose. He'd experienced it countless times before, that precious second when time seemed to slow down and the world held its breath.

"Take him," Piper commanded, her voice sharp with anger.

Several things happened at once. The ranger with the bow finally worked up the courage to raise her weapon. The youth who had spoken up took a step back, clearly wanting no part in what was about to happen. And Nathan... Nathan moved.