Chương 3: The Krieger

The raging winds of the stormcloud were deafening along with the booming thunderous sound of lightning strikes. Outside was the battle between the elements brought upon by the three judges, and inside was an unsettling silence that seemed to envelop the entire vast platform.

No one released a single word or a single thought within the silence that shrouded them. Nothing and no one was heard as if everything was frozen. Alastair stood quietly on her spot without moving a single muscle. She couldn't understand any of the words escaping from the judges.

Even Alastair herself couldn't make a single word escape from her mouth. As if it got trapped between the barrier created by her mind and heart. She was somewhat confused about the current situation she found herself in and the preposition they were giving to her.

The judgment of becoming the first applicant of the Krieger?

What was a Krieger to begin with, and why did they choose her to become the first applicant for it?

Alastair had numerous questions confined within her mind. The thoughts made her head jumble up, making her thoughts a bit chaotic. However, with the questions emerging from Alastair's mind, the beings of judgment have probably heard about it.

The first judge, who was a giant eyeball with bat-like wings, then spoke with its distorted voice.

*The Krieger Application is something we came up with and wanted to create. It is highly complicated, and I doubt that you would handle the explanation we would give you. If you want information about it, you can read the contract related to you and conclude for yourself.*

Alastair was about to question what contract they were trying to say. But before she could even release a word about it, an illuminating paper emerged before her. It was surprising at first until Alastair realized that it was the contract they were talking about.

She then took it under her fingers and looked at it. How it shone brightly was something she wanted to ask though she needed to read the contract before continuing whatever questions she had within her mind. She then started reading the paper seriously, and it took time.

After five minutes which passed almost too fast, Alastair completed her reading session and was finally on the same page as the judges. She looked at them with a serious expression and sighed. A second chance, though it would be different than before. Vastly different that she might not be able to relate her previous life and the new life.

"So this was what you were trying to say. You want me to become your personal assassin?" Alastair questioned with a cold voice as she thought she concluded everything with that kind of life. Would this be a life of becoming a slave once again? Such a thought silently emerged within her mind.

*There is no need for us to need assassins. With a single thought, we can destroy anyone we deem annoying. That is not the reason why we wanted to create the Krieger.* The distorted voice of the second judge sounded.

"Then what is this reason of yours? A puny girl like me would want to know." Alastair said with a calm voice though it had a tinge of coldness. She slowly calmed her heart down as the emotionless expression on her face came back.

She wanted to know the reasons though she was primarily curious about it. If she were planning to sign up for something, she would have to be careful as she would rather not meet an unexpected end.

*The reasons are something that not even you could understand. Your mind would break apart as your view of reality would instantly kill you. In simple terms, we want to create a group that would grant a wish of assassination in exchange for a soul. Nothing more, nothing less."

The third judge said as its distorted voice had a hint of annoyance.

Upon hearing the words of the judges, Alastair sighed as she uttered with a calm voice. "I apologize for going hard. I thought that I would leave that kind of life. I was evil before, and I didn't want to continue on such a path. I just wanted everything to end so that I can rest."

*We understand your anger, Alastair Hecate. We have known more about your life than you even know. And we also know that you question why we chose you when there are people more reliable and better than you.* The second judge uttered with its ancient and distorted voice.

"I do have that kind of question. It seems that your mind-reading isn't as simple as you make it out to be." Alastair had a slight smile forming on her face.

*No need to worry. It isn't mind-reading but a complete reading. From your future and past, we know everything. That is also why we know where to find you. And for the chosen part, there is no need to worry.* The first judge said with a distorted voice, though it had a casual tone.

*We understand your curiosity about why we have chosen you. You might think we chose you for dubious reasons, but we don't. As we had said before, we know the future and the past. Although, the future is ever-changing. The possibility is still there.*

*You understand many things about your current situation. You know that numerous people are better than you, whether in wisdom, intelligence, or power. You are aware of your limit, but you didn't let it bring you down. You have potential, and it is dependent on your choices whether you would achieve the highest of that potential of yours.*

*Besides, we have already randomized many things, so think of this as a part of luck.* The second judge explained with its primordial voice.

Alastair then nodded upon hearing the old voice of the giant eyeball. They knew how to make someone motivated though she still had doubts within her mind. 'My luck... I don't consider myself fortunate, but this is an opportunity never seen before. A second chance for myself.'

'And along with opportunity would be a risk if I accept the offer. I would face abominations beyond my understanding. It would be a bumpy road full of Rosen thorns. It is up to me to decide whether or not I should tread it. But I am curious about one thing; what about my sins?'

*We know a lot of things about you, Alastair Hecate. You may appear cold, emotionless, and aloof, but you care for those around you. They might not see it due to how you convey such feelings, but we can see it with hundreds of thousands of our eyes.*

"Me caring? Are you not sure that you have seen someone that is not me? Maybe me from another timeline of some sort? Most people don't consider me someone that cares for others. I am a lady that cares for the empire, not its people. Besides, I am as selfish as the most hated criminals."

Alastair said with a calm voice as she doubted the words of the judge. What the judge said and what happened in her previous life were completely different. There was no way that Alastair would believe any of its words.

*Is that what you want to believe, Alastair? A warp perception of yourself, brought upon by past trauma?*

The first judge questioned with its distorted tone as Alastair raised an eyebrow and found herself confused. "What are you trying to say?" Alastair asked with a calm voice as she was not following what the first judge was trying to say.

*There are many stories hidden within your memories and the memory of others. With thousands of lives blinking and emerging from existence, The eyes had seen life sprout and die. From your memories, we had seen everything and felt everything."

*The moment you got into the imperial military after years of hell-like training, the first thing you had done was abolish slavery by affecting the structure from within. Slavery was your origin, and you didn't want to let children end up like you, whom you considered a monster.*

*You mostly gave most of your money to orphanages for people like you. You always investigated them for any corruption, and you were good at hiding such an investigation. You manage to save people while doing it as they grow to become the next generation.*

*You also care about your soldiers, making you seem cold and strict. You turn them into serious soldiers, which is why your army was considered to have the lowest casualty within the imperial army. And finally, before destroying cities to the ground. You tend to warn its residents.*

*You may have been a personalization of fear, but you are not the personification of evil. That is the truth and the only truth. It doesn't matter how much you deny it.*

The first judge was straight up speaking the language known as facts. Upon hearing the words of the judge, Alastair found herself frozen as she couldn't counter any of the judge's words. She found herself confused as she questioned whether she even had done such things.

Why did she try to abolish slavery? Why did she give her salary to the orphanage? Why did she limit the casualty of her army? Why did she give mercy to those she considered as an enemy? Once again, questions emerged one after another within her mind.

After a while, Alastair sighed as she calmed herself. She shouldn't have fought against a being that could see and hear everything. That was a wrong move.

"I'd rather not talk about this for a while, besides, even if I did a lot of good things. I still had done evil actions." Alastair said with a quiet voice as she couldn't help but consider herself dumb for continuing the massacre of her mind. She couldn't help but ask reality to take back her words.

*Even if you were utterly evil as a supervillain, you are still worthy of becoming a Krieger. That is the reality. Good and evil are simply the perception of those in the materium realms. In reality, no such things exist, no matter how much you think about it.*

"But what about the Inferno?" Alastair questioned the only place she could consider hell. Why does it exist if there good and evil were not considered a law? Reality wouldn't create such a place and throw bad people there for no reason. That was the thought within Alastair's mind.

*Inferno is one of the places to keep the troublemakers of reality from causing more trouble. Without it would be unremarkable chaos. Just imagine trillions and trillions of naughty spirits all over reality. That would create more problems and would destroy the delicate balance.*

*We aren't imprisoning them because they are evil but simply because of the things they could do to the balance. We'd rather not handle them as things have been delicate ever since the creation of that place.*

*Anyhow, we have been side-tracked. Let us continue with our discussion.* The first judge said as Alastair sighed and answered with a calm voice.

"Then, I will accept the application to become a Krieger." Upon saying such words, she had a serious expression plastered on her face. It was the choice that would change the entire state of her destiny. She was nervous for the first time as she wondered what kind of future she would have from then on.

*Alastair Hecate has accepted to become the first Krieger. Before the acceptance of the application, Alastair must go through a tough test. To become the first Krieger, you must defeat a monster beyond your current strength. With bravery, stubbornness, and wits, we will wait for your victory.*

Alastair was confused as she heard the words of the second judge. It looked like she would have to go through a test before getting accepted to become a Krieger. That was fair, as a second chance doesn't come with a silver platter. She must get it herself.

"Let's start the test."

After saying such words, Alastair's vision turned black in an instant. She couldn't see anything other than darkness, just like before. It didn't take a while before she could feel being thrown somewhere. Ten seconds later, her vision returned, and she was on in an unexpected place.

It was a massive colosseum enveloped by darkness. There were torches everywhere, and there seemed to be no audience cheering for her. She was alone, and silence shrouded everything.

But even with the gloomy atmosphere surrounding her, the starry night sky was covered by thousands of illuminating stars alone with the moonlight of the pale silver moon. Even with silence under the darkness of the night comes beauty never to be seen before.

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