Therizo 19, Imperial Year 1644
The Secondary Workshop – Evening
The Black Knights gathered around Vlad. He had announced his intention to go alone – to recruit the disgraced inquisitor, Brother Aldric. The response was immediate and unified.
"No." Hound crossed his arms. "You're not going alone."
"I am faster alone."
"You're also a target," Sparrow said. "The Holy Knights are looking for him. They might be watching."
Titan stepped forward. "If you insist on going alone, at least upgrade your armor. That old suit is too light."
Wall nodded. "You need protection. A real suit."
Vlad was silent for a moment. Then he nodded.
"Very well. But I design it."
Therizo 20, Imperial Year 1644
The Workshop – The New Suit
Vlad worked through the night. The steam engine hummed. The forge glowed. By dawn, the suit was complete.
It stood six feet tall – a knightly figure of dark steel and black fabric. The chest plate was broad, angled to deflect blows. The shoulders were layered, allowing full range of motion. The legs were reinforced with articulated plates. A black cape, trimmed in silver, hung from the shoulders.
The helmet was the most striking feature – the visage of Anubis, the jackal‑headed god of the dead. Long, angular snout. Pointed ears. A single red lens where the right eye should be. On the right arm, a rifle was mounted, its barrel extending past the wrist.
"This is the Mk. II Zero suit," Vlad said. "It can connect to the Colossus. The rifle is a 20mm, short‑barreled, for close support."
He put it on. The suit moved with him – silent, fluid, like a second skin.
"Now. I go alone."
The knights did not argue.
Therizo 20, Imperial Year 1644 (continued)
The Free Cities – A Derelict Chapel
Brother Aldric had not prayed in weeks.
He sat in the ruins of an old chapel, its roof collapsed, its altar cracked. A single candle burned beside him, casting flickering shadows on the walls. He was a thin man, gaunt, with grey stubble and eyes that had seen too much. His holy robes were tattered. His hands were steady, but his heart was not.
He had been an inquisitor of the Holy Knights of Dike. He had healed the sick, comforted the dying, and hunted heretics. Then he was ordered to heal a noble – a man whose gluttony had destroyed his own body. The noble's heart was failing, his liver swollen, his lungs drowning in fluid. Aldric refused. "The gods do not waste miracles on pigs," he had said.
But the order was not a request. They commanded him. And when he still refused, they dismissed him.
Now he lived in the ruins, surviving on scraps, waiting for death or purpose.
He heard footsteps.
"Brother Aldric."
The voice was calm, amplified, theatrical. Aldric looked up.
A figure stood in the doorway. He was tall – six feet of dark steel and black fabric, the Anubis helmet gleaming. The red lens glowed.
"I am Zero," he said. "Leader of the Black Knights."
Aldric did not stand. "I know who you are. The masked man who kills corrupt lords."
"I also rescue the innocent. And I am looking for a healer."
"I am a healer. Or I was."
"You still are." Zero walked to the altar, his boots echoing on the stone. "You refused to heal a gluttonous noble. Your order cast you out. You have been living in this ruin for three months."
"You've been watching me."
"I watch everyone who might be useful."
Aldric laughed – a dry, bitter sound. "Useful. I cannot even heal myself."
Zero removed his helmet. His pale face was bare, his red eyes sharp. "You restored a man whose body was failing from excess. That requires more than closing wounds. That requires restoring organs – hearts, livers, lungs. You have a gift that few possess."
Aldric's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"
"Because I investigated you. The noble you refused – he found another healer. But that healer could only slow his decline. You could have reversed it completely." Zero stepped closer. "I need that gift. For my people. Victims of monsters who have lost limbs, organs, hope."
"And in return?"
"A place. A purpose. And the chance to see justice done."
Aldric was silent for a long moment. Then he stood. "You are asking me to join your Black Knights."
"I am asking you to save lives. What you call yourself is your own choice."
Aldric looked at the ruined chapel, the broken altar, the dying candle. He had nothing left.
"I will come," he said. "But I will not kill."
"I do not ask you to. I have others for that."
Zero put his helmet back on. The red lens glowed.
"Then let us go."
Outside the Chapel – The Class Arrives
Elara had tracked the inquisitor for three days. The rumors led her here – a derelict chapel on the outskirts of Velathri. She, Roderick, Gregor, Kaito, and Daiki approached from the east, moving through the trees.
They saw the figure first.
A tall suit of armor, black and silver, standing in the chapel doorway. Anubis head. A rifle on its arm.
"That's Zero," Roderick said. His hand went to his sword. "But different. New armor."
Kaito's eyes widened. "Look at the articulation. The joints – they're like nothing I've ever seen. He can move in that like it's cloth."
Daiki shook his head. "The helmet. Anubis. He's going full Egyptian god now." He paused. "And that rifle is integrated into the arm. No separate weapon. It's part of the suit."
"He's not alone," Gregor said.
Another man emerged – thin, gaunt, wearing tattered robes. He walked beside Zero, his head bowed.
"That's the inquisitor," Kaito said. "Aldric. He's already recruited him."
Elara stepped into the clearing. "Zero."
Zero turned. The red lens fixed on her.
"The fools return." His voice was flat, but there was a hint of amusement. "You are persistent."
"We came for the healer."
"You are too late. He has already chosen."
Aldric looked at the class. "You are the ones Zero mentioned? The fools?"
"He called us fools?" Roderick asked.
"He said you were persistent. And that you ask too many questions." Aldric's voice was tired. "I have decided to join him. He offers what I cannot find elsewhere."
Elara stepped closer. "We could have offered the same."
"Could you?" Zero's voice was cold. "Can you protect him from the Holy Knights? Can you give him a place to heal without fear of arrest? I can."
"You're a vigilante."
"I am justice." Zero raised his rifle arm. The barrel gleamed. "You have seen what we do. The slavers. The drug lord. The merchant who sold organs. We do not hide. We do not apologize."
Aldric looked at Zero, then at the class. "You know them?"
Zero was silent for a moment. Then he said, "I know their kind. Lost souls chasing a past that no longer exists."
The class froze. Roderick's eyes narrowed. Kaito and Daiki exchanged glances.
Lost souls chasing a past that no longer exists.
Only a reincarnator would phrase it that way.
"What do you mean by that?" Elara asked.
Zero turned to walk. "Exactly what I said."
He began to walk. Aldric followed.
"Wait," Elara said.
Zero paused.
"We need a healer. For our people. If you have one, we would ask for his help. Not now. But someday."
Zero turned his helmet toward her. The red lens reflected her face.
"Perhaps. When you have earned it."
He walked into the forest. Aldric followed.
The class stood in silence.
"That hint," Kaito said. "Lost souls chasing a past. He knows."
"He's one of us," Daiki said. "He has to be."
Roderick grunted. "Or he's been watching us long enough to guess."
"Either way, he's more dangerous than ever."
Elara stared at the empty chapel. "We need to find our own healers. Before we need them."
They turned and walked back to their camp.
Therizo 21, Imperial Year 1644
The Secondary Workshop – Aldric's Arrival
The Black Knights gathered to meet their newest member.
Aldric stood before them, still in his tattered robes, but his eyes were clearer. Patch had given him clean clothes and a hot meal.
"This is Brother Aldric," Vlad said. He was not wearing the mask. "He is a healer. He can restore organs and limbs – a gift so rare that only a handful in the world possess it."
Wall's eyes widened. "He can grow back a lung?"
"Yes." Aldric's voice was quiet. "It requires time and rest – both for me and the patient. But I can do it."
Corin, sitting in a chair, raised a hand. "I'm the one with the missing lung."
Aldric walked to him. He placed a hand on Corin's chest and closed his eyes.
"The wound is healed. The lung is gone. But I can restore it. It will take several sessions. You will be weak during the process."
"I don't care. Do it."
Aldric looked at Vlad. "I will need a quiet room. Clean bandages. And food – the patient must eat well."
"You will have everything," Vlad said.
Patch stepped forward. "Can you teach me?"
Aldric studied him. "You have no spark. But you can learn to assist. I will show you what I can."
Patch nodded. "I'll learn."
Mira, who had been cooking in the corner, brought a tray of bread and tea.
"Eat," she said. "You look like you haven't had a proper meal in months."
Aldric smiled – a small, tentative expression. "Thank you."
The Black Knights ate together.
End of Chapter Forty‑Nine