The crowd that had once formed a throng scattered in chaos, fleeing as fast as they could.
In the city square, only Zork, the orc, remained, facing a short-haired woman assumed to be Sir Arthur II's daughter.
Meanwhile, on the podium, the queen escaped with a group of nobles back to the castle. The only one ensuring her retreat was Mako.
"What an interesting world, don't you think, Crown lapdog?" Sir Arthur said, his hands still in that strange position.
Mako didn't respond, staring determinedly, waiting for Arthur's first move to counter with his rapier.
Sir Arthur II took a step forward, almost a lunge.
"But I'm not like you!" Arthur shouted, preparing to strike.
Sir Arthur II charged at Mako, palms still pressed together. Mako, seeing this, didn't hesitate to rush forward, aiming a precise thrust to end him.
But as the rapier targeted Arthur's chest, he parted his joined palms…
"Verdict," Sir Arthur II said.
With those words, Mako felt an immense weight on his entire body. In an instant, it was as if he were carrying a massive backpack on his shoulders.
Then, that backpack felt like carrying another person.
He had nothing on him, but the weight crushing Mako grew and grew.
"Ugh," Mako groaned, dropping to one knee, struggling to stay upright. "W-what is this?"
"Something you nobles rarely face," Sir Arthur II replied, "the weight of your sins."
Around the gray-haired, bearded man, three blue glimmers of light began to manifest.
From each glimmer emerged three swords—not of iron, but of pure energy.
"The verdict is clear," Sir Arthur II said again. "You are guilty."
While Mako grappled with this ordeal, he could hear that Zork wasn't faring much better.
"Hold still!" the orc roared, trying to grab or land a blow on the woman.
But Zork couldn't catch her as she leaped with incredible pirouettes, dodging each attack with grace.
Whenever she caught her breath, the young woman with short black hair tried to assume the same strange prayer-like stance as her father, Sir Arthur II.
Unfortunately, the orc didn't give her a second's pause, launching another attack to prevent her from activating her ability.
"REBECCA!" Sir Arthur II bellowed from the depths of his lungs, his tone stern.
Mako, Zork, and the young woman all turned to look at Sir Arthur II.
Arthur's emotionless face now bore a deep scowl.
"You're being careless. Snap out of it!" Arthur scolded his daughter.
Zork burst into mocking laughter.
"So your name's Rebecca!" Zork said.
With that, the orc wasted no time, pulling a strange object from his pocket, hidden in his hand.
"You're fast, I'll give you that," Zork continued, "but your father's right. Your movements are sloppy. You can't beat me!"
Rebecca, the short-haired woman who'd felled all those guards, braced for the next attack, but what she faced left her stunned.
Zork didn't swing a fist or attempt a tackle as he usually did, relying on brute strength. Instead, he opened his palm, revealing the odd object from his pocket.
It was a flute.
"This cost me a fortune, you know," Zork said with a hint of regret. "What's the fair price for music?"
Rebecca… had no idea what the orc was talking about.
"Many crave wealth or power in their souls, but to my misfortune, what my soul yearns for is music," Zork said, his voice brimming with passion.
Thinking this was a bad joke, Rebecca prepared to use her ability. She ran to gain distance, positioning her hands, but then…
"Listen, you insolent girl, to the most divine sound on this earth!" Zork shouted, euphoric.
Grasping the flute with his massive fingers, he began to play.
What came out was a piercing screech from the blown air. Mako, Sir Arthur II, and Rebecca felt their eardrums might burst.
Instinctively, Rebecca clapped her hands over her ears.
Sir Arthur II endured the flute's wail.
"Damn it! What an awful sound!" Mako complained, only able to cover one ear with a hand.
Zork stopped playing the single, dreadful note.
"You know nothing of music…" he said gravely.
To any human, that tune would've caused bleeding ears if it went on longer, but to an orc's ears…
Or rather, to Zork, it was what stirred his soul, what gave his spirit purpose. In other words, it was the trigger for his abilities.
"Verdict this, verdict that," Zork said, striding toward Rebecca.
Rebecca, staring at the orc's face, noticed his features change drastically. Before, Zork looked like a refined noble, but now his eyes glowed a murderous red.
"The only ones who'll be sentenced are you!" Zork roared, breaking into a run straight at Rebecca.
Rebecca prepared to activate her ability again, but…
"Daughter! Watch out!" Sir Arthur II shouted from the podium.
But it was too late…
Zork threw a punch, slow as before, which Rebecca dodged easily. But as she moved, she felt something strange.
Indeed, it was too late. The orc's ability took effect, and though it seemed to miss, Rebecca was sent flying through the air.