Chapter 174 The Stuff Of Legend

"Captain Leonard!" A soldier called out from behind as he brought his horse up next to Leonard's.

He was a young man in his early twenties. He had a nervous look on his face as his twirled his curly brown hair in his fingers.

Leonard gave the soldier an expectant look but didn't say anything. He was still in a bad mood because of the squad leaders behavior so he wasn't in the mood to talk.

" Erm... I uh... I was just wondering if you knew anything about the next town we're checking out. Was it also attacked or..." The soldier didn't finish his sentence and just eluded to more potential options.

"We don't know anything specific. We're being sent there as a routine check up, to make sure there isn't anything happening there at the moment." Leonard answered.

"Ah, I see...do you think there will be cultists there when we arrive, will we have to fight...?" The soldier asked, clearly nervous.

"Probably." Leonard bluntly replied with an expressionless face.

"Im glad you're with us then, Captain... I'm not much of a fighter but I joined the army to try make a difference. We're lucky you're so strong." The soldier said.

Leonard didn't say anything and the soldier understood he wasn't in the mood. He took his horse started to slow down and eventually joined the back of the group.

'I can't get used to it. I'm looked at like some sort of savior whenever I go on missions with regular people...among the Infernai I'm just seen as being a leader with slightly more power than others but here I'm expected to deal with everything dangerous because of my ability.' Leonard couldn't help but get annoyed.

His reasons for feeling that specific emotion were varied. It bothered him that they saw him as a disposable fighter that should alway be in the front.

It bothered him that the soldiers who hide in the back out of fear are grown men, yet they expect a 16 year old to fight for them.

It also bothered him that he felt this way. These people looked up to him and treated him like he was above them. Typically people would enjoy this treatment but instead it annoyed him.

'Maybe it's because I know they're only treating me like that so I'll feel obligated to fight for them later on.' Leonard thought.

He scoffed at his own thought and pushed them aside as he directed his horse to ride along side the carriage.

"How is she." He asked the healer.

"She's getting worse and my ability isn't working so there's nothing I can do to help. It's up to her body and it's capacity to fight back." The healer replied.

Leonard looked at the woman, her face was scrunched up as she winced from pain. Her son, William, seated next to her unconscious body with her hand in his.

"Are you alright, William?" Leonard asked.

The boy looked up from his mother "Yes but... it's my mom, she keeps saying something..."

"So she talking in her sleep?"

William nodded.

"What is she saying?"

"It's the same thing over and over again. She keeps saying red m..."

"Captain Leonard!" Someone shouted from the front of the group with urgency in their voice.

Leonard immediately directed his attention forward and could see that they were approaching the town.

There were people running away from the town in all directions and there were cultists at the entrance directly ahead.

"We have to help those people!" Leonard shouted as his horse picked up speed. He passed several soldiers as he moved to the front of the group, going ahead of the squad leader as well.

By the time he had reached the front, the rest of the group had picked up their speed and were now matching him. All expect for the cart.

William, his mother and the healer were inside the cart as it slowed down, coming to a stop a safe distance away from the town.

A cultist had just exited the town through the front entrance, chasing a woman who was trying to escape.

The cultist grabbed her by the arm before she could get too far and pulled her to the ground. He pulled out a knife and started violently cutting and ripping away at the women's clothes.

Leonard felt his blood boiling at this sight, an intense anger rising within him. He jumped off his horse as his skin and uniform turned silver.

He hit the ground and instantly charged forwards, running at double the speed his horse was previously going.

The cultist had just ripped away at the woman's top layer of clothing, revealing her underwear. He was about to continue when out of his peripheral he noticed a large metal man running towards him.

He turned to get a better look at the metal man and realized he was much closer than he initially thought and would reach him within the next few seconds.

He released the woman and tried to run back towards the town. The woman was in the process of getting up and running away when Leonard came charging passed her.

His large, heavy mettalic frame creating vibrations in the ground with each step he took. The loud thumping of his footfalls drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

Several cultists and civilians stopped what they were doing to watch this man, this force of nature, as he barreled towards his target.

As he approached the cultist from behind and swung out his right arm with full force, essentially back handing the cultist. Only this couldn't be considered a regular back hand.

Leonards arm connected with the cultists upper torso, just under his armpit. His arm felt no resistance as it tore through the man's flesh, cracked his bones and ripped apart his muscles.

The cultists body was blown apart, with pieces of him being scattered through the air. The blood from his body fell to the ground in the form of a momentary rain shower, covering everyone nearby in crimson liquid.

Leonards arm was completely red from the elbow down while the rest of his body had blood streaks all over. His mettalic form stood motionless as he stared at his own hand.

The civilians, understanding this man's intentions, ran from the town as fast as they could. It was clear to them that he wasn't here to harm them, no he was here to save them.

The cultists nearby were stunned, their bodies frozen from the fear that they would become the next source of rain.

After a few seconds passed, Leonard looked up at the cultists around him. His emotionless face twisting into one of anger as he charged towards his next target.

The cultists simultaneously turned to run away, their bodies moving of their own volition. They all had the same thought running through their minds.

'This man is a monster!'

Leonard moved at a speed that you would never expect from someone his size. Among those who didn't posses speed related abilities, Leonard was one of the fastest.

He grabbed onto a cultists head with one hand and crushed it with ease. He shoved his hand through another's back and ripped out a piece of his spin.

The next had two arms shoved into his body, only to be torn in two when Leonard ripped them away again.

It was a complete bloodbath. The cultists didn't bother trying to fight, they were far too afraid. They all tried to run as fast as they could, doing anything to escape this butcher.

It was a futile effort. Leonard chased them down, ripping, tearing and crushing each of them apart from one. Becoming more brutal with each kill.

The one that got away didn't do so by luck. He was allowed to leave because Leonard knew he would tell his cult of this day, spreading this story to each of them.

By the time the rest of his squad had arrived, Leonard had already massacred most of the cultists.

Although they were his allies, they too felt immense fear from his actions. Their bodies refused to move, refused to join the fight.

They sat on their horses with wide eyes, watching the scene unfold. Some couldn't contain themselves and silently wept as the gruesome scene was seared into their memory, threatening to haunt them for the rest of their lives.

This was the day that a legend was created. One that would strike fear into anyone who heard it. But the people knew.

The Butcher didn't kill at random. No, he targets the evil of this world. During a time like this, the only evil that came to mind was the cult.

The cultists that burned their homes, defiled their women, murdered their fathers and turned their sons into beasts.

It was a comfort to most, knowing that the cultists would be lying awake at night imagining the day their lives would end. The day a large man made of metal would rip them to pieces.

The day the Butcher would come for them.