Mordeci stepped in front of the camera, his hat removed but his mask still present. It was a bright room, with the gold and red flags of the Reich dangling from the backdrop. Centered in the camera, a man with a bag over his head sat in a chair, tied down. Behind the captured man, five Witch Hunters stood in formation, their helmets removed, their faces revealed to the world. The most decorated soldiers of the Inquisition’s military. They had aided in the man’s capture, and deserved to be recognized. Mordeci took a seat beside the man.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the galaxy, I have a warning for those of you viewing. If you are watching this with small children, I would recommend you turn the channel off or send them away soon. This will not be suitable for younger people. I am Grand Inquisitor Mordeci Smith, the military leader of the Inquisitorial Reich. I have heard whispers among the people of the galaxy, wondering what I have against magic. As if the crisis after crisis that we have experienced hasn’t been enough of a reason. Three years ago, three celestial beings in the guise of dragons’ fighting nearly destroyed our universe. Just recently, the demonic crusade has brought ruin to entire planets and species, costing billions of lives.”
“Now we fight the Asmodians, a faction of mages that seeks to wreak havoc on the galaxy. These threats have the common cause that the Reich has seen, as have the Nypherians. Magic. Magic has now, in three major events, cost the lives of billions. So the Reich has been formed to purge this evil from the galaxy. But this is still not enough for some. They understand Krieg, scarred for life and imprisoned in his mask by demons. I believe it is time to share a story.”
Mordeci reached up, taking his mask, and removing it. His face was revealed for the first time to every man and woman in the galaxy that was watching. The right side of his face was severely burnt, and with the damage shown it was a miracle that his eye was still healthy. His thin, straight black hair was disheveled slightly, but not enough to make him seem unkempt. “This is what magic has done to me. Once, before I hated magic, it was a simple dislike. I knew it led to chaos, and evil deeds, but I was naive enough to believe it wasn’t the sole cause. I married a young woman, my age, and in my young eyes, she was perfect. Even though she was a mage. We had a child, a daughter, but magic took them both. Her magic. It scarred my face. It killed her, and our daughter. I fight not for myself anymore, but so that others will not die or suffer by the hands of mages.”
He turned to the Witch Hunters. “These men helped me capture one of the most dangerous mages in the galaxy. One that most or all of you will know.” He reached over to the bag, removing it, revealing the face of Daniel Almis. “Daniel Almis. You are the head of the Almis family. You have led them in their tyranny, bringing several scourges to the galaxy. But a man deserves to choose how he dies. You can die in this chair, or you can die on your feet.”
Slowly but surely Dan rose from the chair, a look of disdain on his face as he glared between Mordeci and the camera. His face was still bloodied and worn from the fight, as well as the adverse effects of his aging and many deaths. Despite the hatred clearly within him he made no attempt to resist his fate or fight back against his captors. Instead he uttered words only just loud enough for the camera to pick up.
“Fuck you.”
Mordeci smiled grimly. “How unfortunate, that your last words be so grim.” He reached off screen, grabbing Krieg’s blade. “This is the Grand Inquisitor’s blade, designed to destroy magical creatures and enchantments. I know that you come back to life often. My intent is to not allow that again.” He lifted the blade above his head, his face grim.
“Daniel Almis, your evil existence ends here.”
With those final words, he swung towards Daniel’s neck, the blade chopping it off cleanly as the body and the head fell to the ground.
“Almis family, I will not stop here.”