Criminal X : Epitome Of Evil

In the ground 2 of the military camp situated in the Numb city of Forza Kingdom.

Hundred soldiers were gathered on the ground and in front of them, on the stage was their Marshal—Pablo Castillo.

The air was thick and no one even dared to breathe with sound.

The wind howled past their ears but they would only let Pablo's words enter inside. Wind be damned.

Behind Pablo stood eight slaves and they were also silent and they were the most afraid as they had no idea what they would be doing in the mission.

But they were sure of one thing—Pablo won't let them die.

And such belief was carried by his hundred soldiers as well. If they don't come in his way, Pablo would give their all to save them because he had promised it and Pablo could be anything but not a man who goes back on his word.

All eyes stayed on Pablo and with a gust of wind, Pablo opened his mouth.

"Everyone," he said. "What is our mission?"

The soldiers frowned.

What kind of question was that?

They were sure that Pablo knew the mission but he still asked it. Was it because he was expecting a different answer?

But the soldiers had no idea what was that different answer.

Thinking all that, no one gave an answer.

"There is no need to think too much, soldiers. Just answer what you think." Pablo said and the soldiers still paid some mind before answering anything.

Even Draxus was silent, mostly because he also didn't know what Pablo wanted to hear or was he taking a test like if someone answered opposite of his expectations, they would die. With Pablo, you never know.

But then—

"Just SPEAK, you wimps!"

The soldiers flinched.

The eight slaves standing behind Pablo almost pissed their pants.

Even a grown man like Gerald felt a shake in his spine.

However, now that Pablo had raised his voice, the soldiers didn't dare to stand in ceremony and blurted out whatever they felt would be the answer.

"The mission is to infiltrate the Hollow Kingdom."

"To know the ins and outs of the Cannibals."

"To know their army and inform our kingdom so that they can attack the Cannibals when they least expect it."

"This is to take revenge for what they did to us with the Demon summoning."

"The mission is to teach the Cannibals a grim and deadly lesson, marshal!"

One by one, each soldier shared his views and Pablo nodded along the way.

Only Draxus remained silent and answered nothing. This didn't escape Pablo's keen eyes.

Soon, the answers stopped coming and almost all of them said only one thing—Go to the Hollow Kingdom and know everything the Cannibals had to offer.

The soldiers waited after shouting all that and Pablo took in their gazes with his red eyes.

Then he took a deep breath and…

"You all are pitiful."

He dropped disrespect out of nowhere.

Pitiful? Why? What did they do?

Wasn't the mission the same as the answers they gave?

The soldiers weren't happy with Pablo's remark but naturally, no one had the guts to fight back. So all they could do was to hear their Marshal's next words.

Pablo eyed the soldiers and in his deep voice he continued… while smiling.

"For you, the mission is to infiltrate the Kingdom and know its secrets and other shit. Simple, right? All you have to do is enter and you can see the workings of the Cannibals and then you will reveal all this to our Kingdom and our army will attack the Cannibals and we will win and come back home. A perfect day full of sunshine and happiness. Right?"

Pablo's smile vanished.

The soldiers tensed up.

"You spineless cowards!" Pablo yelled.

The soldiers flinched again.

Pablo couldn't care less about it as he carried on.

"Inflitrate this, revenge that, secrets this, lesson that. Shut the hell up! I called you all pitiful because you are under me. Because for me this mission isn't that simple. Because for me infiltration is the mission at all!"

The soldiers frowned.

They were sure their mission was to infiltrate Hollow, the Admiral had said it after all. So what does Pablo mean by that? What was the mission according to him?

Pablo figured the questions of the soldiers and he won't let them stay confused.

"This kingdom we're hitting? They eat people alive. They celebrate screams. We're not going there to negotiate like some educated pussies. We're going to end a culture. Massacre a religion they made out of a false god. We are going to burn their gods. Rip out their teeth. And leave only one thing behind—fear of Pablo."

The soldiers heard their Marshal. Each word he said. And they were understanding what this mission meant for Pablo.

Meanwhile Draxus, he had already understood it fully and all he could do was to smile.

Some soldiers saw Draxus' smile and they were about to ask him but Pablo spoke first.

"You have 72 hours. I want weapons cleaned, blades sharpened, goodbyes bidden. I want you all to turn into people who are already dead and now have no fear of dying. I want nightmares planted in the minds of anyone who sees us in action, heck who sees us just by walking past them. You've got 3 days to prepare. Then we go in fast, loud, and final."

Pablo stopped talking and finally, everyone present on the ground 2 got to know what he wanted. They got to know what was the mission for Pablo.

It wasn't something childish and orthodox like an infiltration. That man, their Marshal, was going to Hollow with the intention of starting the war right there and then.

The orders of the Admiral could go to hell, Pablo would do what he wanted.

His words were that of a madman and the soldiers, after hearing them, they found a madman awakening inside them as well.

Their eyes didn't let go of Pablo and Pablo stared back at them.

"Let those Cannibals have their feast. When we arrive…"

Pablo raised his fist in the air and declared:

"They'll choke on it."