Therizo 10, Imperial Year 1644
The Secondary Workshop, Hills Above Velathri
Five months had passed since Zero's declaration.
The workshop had expanded again – new workbenches, new cabinets, a larger forge. The alchemical bulbs had been replicated, casting their steady yellow light over a room that now held twenty knights. They sat in rows on wooden benches, their armor gleaming, their weapons within reach.
The original eight – Hound, Sparrow, Rook, Lynx, Titan, Phantom, Eagle, Striker – sat at the front. Behind them, twelve new faces.
Vlad stood at the head, the Zero mask hiding his face, the Geass crest on the wall behind him.
"Tonight, we welcome our newest members," Vlad said. "They have been tested. They have been trained. They have accepted the tenets."
He gestured, and one by one, the new knights stood.
The New Frontliners
Hammer – A massive orc, broader even than Titan, with tusks filed to points and arms like tree trunks. He wore segmented plate armor over chainmail, and carried a two‑handed maul that could crush a horse's skull. "I break things," he said. "And people."
Wall – A human woman, nearly as tall as Titan, with a shaved head and a face covered in scars. She carried a tower shield and a short sword. Her armor was heavy plate, painted black. "I don't go down," she said. "Neither does anyone behind me."
Anvil – A dwarf, stocky and bearded, with a war hammer and a kettle helmet. His armor was thick, overlapping plates, designed to deflect blows. "I hit hard. I take hits harder."
Brick – A half‑orc, leaner than the others but still powerful, with a spiked mace and a round shield. His armor was a mix of leather and steel, optimized for mobility. "I'm the flanker. I hit where they don't expect."
The New Skirmishers
Whip – A human woman with a coiled chain whip at her belt and a pair of short swords. Her armor was light leather, dyed dark grey. "I reach where they can't."
Javelin – An elf, tall and wiry, with a quiver of throwing spears and a buckler. His armor was a reinforced jerkin. "I soften them up before the frontliners arrive."
Fang – A wolf beastfolk, lean and fast, with a serrated short sword and a dagger. His armor was boiled leather. "I hunt. I kill. I move on."
The New Ranged Fighters
Bolt – A gnome, small and quick, with a heavy crossbow and a bandolier of spare magazines. His armor was a padded jack. "One shot, one kill. Usually."
Quiver – A human woman with a longbow and a quiver of broadhead arrows. Her armor was light chainmail. "I can put an arrow through a knight's visor at two hundred paces."
Rain – A half‑elf with a repeating crossbow – a device Vlad had designed. Her armor was leather and felt, for silence. "Volume of fire. They can't block all of them."
The New Support
Patch – A human man, formerly a field surgeon, with a satchel of healing supplies and a pair of scalpels. His armor was a padded jack. "I keep them alive. Don't make my job hard."
Echo – A human woman, quiet and observant, with a notebook and a set of lockpicks. Her armor was light leather. "I find what they hide. I open what they lock."
Vlad nodded. "You have your roles. Tonight, you will prove yourselves."
He walked to a large cabinet at the back of the workshop – one the original knights had never seen opened. He turned a series of locks, then pulled the doors wide.
Inside stood a machine.
It was a suit of mechanical armor, easily eight feet tall, its frame built of dark steel and brass. Joints articulated with pistons. A helmet with a single red visor sat atop broad shoulders. And mounted on the right arm was a weapon – a cannon with a barrel as long as a man, its bore wide enough to fit a fist.
"This is the Colossus," Vlad said. "A mechanical suit. Powered by a miniature steam engine and reinforced with alchemical alloys. And this…" He tapped the cannon. "A 50mm sniper cannon. Range: two kilometers. Projectile: solid steel core. It can punch through castle walls."
The room went silent.
Titan stood, his eyes wide. "You built this?"
"Over the past five months. It is a prototype. It is not yet perfect." Vlad turned to face them. "Tonight, it will be tested."
Hound stepped forward. "Zero… is this necessary?"
Vlad was silent for a moment. Then he removed his mask. His red eyes were cold.
"This does not even equal to what must be done," he said. "But we must."
He put the mask back on.
"The target is Orin Vex. Member of the Merchant Council. His crimes: repeated rape, funding a demon‑worshipping cult called the Circle of Ashes, and selling demi‑human organs to cannibals."
The room went cold.
Hammer's tusks ground together. "Organs?"
"Demi‑human organs. Orcs, beastfolk, half‑elves. Kidnapped from the streets, killed, and sold like meat."
Wall's face was stone, but her knuckles were white on her shield. "I want him."
"Men like Vex are top priority," Vlad said. "They are not corrupt lords who steal gold. They are monsters. And we hunt monsters."
Sparrow, who had been silent, spoke. "And the cult?"
"Next. One monster at a time."
Phantom, as usual, said nothing. Hound glanced at him. "You're quiet even for you."
Phantom's voice came from the shadows. "I am thinking of all the ways I could kill him."
"Save it for the mission."
Therizo 10, Imperial Year 1644 (continued)
The Mansion of Orin Vex – Night
The mansion was a fortress of white stone, surrounded by iron fences and patrolled by armed guards. The Black Knights had surrounded it – twenty figures in the darkness, their masks and armor invisible in the shadows.
Vlad stood inside the Colossus suit, its steam engine hissing softly. The 50mm cannon rested on his arm.
"Positions," he said into the communication device.
Hound: "East wall, ready."
Sparrow: "West wall, ready."
Titan: "Front gate, ready."
One by one, the knights reported in. Phantom's signal was a soft click.
"He never speaks," Lynx muttered.
"He speaks when it matters," Vlad said. "Now. Watch."
He raised the 50mm cannon and fired.
The sound was not a crack – it was a roar, a deep, concussive blast that shook the ground. The round struck the iron gate. The gate did not explode. It ceased to exist. Hinges, bars, and stone were vaporized in a cloud of dust and metal fragments.
The knights flinched.
"Move," Vlad said.
The Black Knights descended.
Titan led the charge. Hammer followed, his maul crushing a guard's shield – and the arm behind it. Wall planted herself at the breach, her tower shield creating a mobile fortress.
Hound and Brick swept the left flank. Sparrow and Rain took the right. Striker's longbow sang, each arrow finding a throat. Bolt's crossbow cracked.
Phantom was already inside. Echo followed, unlocking doors. Patch stayed with Rook, ready to heal.
Within fifteen minutes, the mansion was secure.
Vlad walked through the shattered gates, the Colossus suit whirring with each step. He found Vex in his study, trying to burn evidence in a fireplace. The merchant was fat, balding, with small, cruel eyes.
"You are Zero," Vex said. His voice trembled.
"I am."
"I have money. I can pay you."
Vlad raised the 50mm cannon – then lowered it. He drew his sword instead.
"I am not for sale."
He struck the poker from Vex's hand. The merchant fell to his knees.
"You are accused of rape, of funding a demon cult, of selling demi‑human organs to cannibals. The evidence is in your vault. The witnesses are in your dungeons. You will stand trial."
Vex spat. "The council will protect me."
"The council is already arresting your associates." Vlad turned to Hound. "Bind him. Take the evidence. We leave in ten minutes."
Therizo 11, Imperial Year 1644
The Workshop – Aftermath
The knights gathered. The evidence was stacked on the table – ledgers, letters, lists of victims.
"He's guilty," Rook said. "Beyond any doubt."
Hammer stared at the ledgers. "Selling organs. I've heard of it. Never thought I'd see the proof."
Wall was silent. Then she spoke, her voice low. "My cousin was a half‑elf. She disappeared five years ago. The guards said she ran away." She looked at Vlad. "Could she have been…"
"It's possible," Vlad said. "I'm sorry."
Wall nodded. She did not weep. But her grip on her shield tightened.
Sparrow broke the silence. "The cult. Demons. We need to find them."
"We will," Vlad said. "But first, we ensure Vex faces justice. Tomorrow, we deliver him to the Council of Merchants. In public. With witnesses."
Titan looked at the Colossus suit, now powered down in the corner. "That cannon… you really think we needed it?"
Vlad turned. "Vex had magical wards. His guards had enchanted crossbows. And the cult he funds – they have summoned demons before. If we had failed tonight, they would have scattered." He paused. "This does not even equal to what must be done. But we must."
The knights nodded.
"Rest," Vlad said. "Tomorrow, we deliver Vex. Then we find the Circle of Ashes."
End of Chapter Forty‑Five