Kill Them All

"Teach them a lesson. Don't kill anyone," Lorist said.

"Yes, Your Highness." Pat and more than a dozen guards cracked their knuckles and charged forward. A series of thuds and screams rang out as the dozen-odd patrolmen who had rushed over aggressively were all knocked flat and disarmed.

With one hand, Pat pulled up the longsword he had just planted in the ground. With the other, he grabbed the bearded patrol leader by the collar and dragged him straight before Lorist. "Your Highness, it's done."

"Get on your knees!" Pat kicked the limp bearded man in the thigh. Two guards came over and hoisted him up, forcing him to kneel properly before Lorist.

The bearded man struggled weakly while enduring the pain of his injuries. He called out in broken gasps, "You, you are—who are you? How dare, dare you defy His Maj—His Majesty's ban and, and kill people in the street? You even dared to resist arrest... I, I advise you to surrender, wait, wait for His Majesty's judg—judgment..."

Pat raised his hand and slapped the bearded man hard across the face. "Are you blind? Didn't you see the Angry Bear emblems we're wearing? How dare you threaten our lord with death? Are you tired of living?"

"The Angry Bear emblem... Angry Bear... You're people from the Norton Family..." The bearded man cried out in alarm. Now he understood whom Pat had addressed as "His Highness." "Grand, Grand Duke Nor—Norton, Sword, Sword Saint..."

"I'm sorry, Grand, Grand Duke Nor—Norton... Your Highness. It, it was our fault. We shouldn't have, have rushed at and offended Your Highness. We, we deserve to die... Please, please forgive me, us..." The bearded man immediately pressed his head to the ground, trembling as he begged for mercy.

"That's enough. Kneel properly. I only want