/*Sorry for the delay. The country is a bit wild right now and I had to attend to some of the problems it is facing. */
As Radovid sat frozen on his horse, Triss and Keira stepped forward. Their eyes burned with the fury of all the mages who had suffered under his purges. The Redanian knights, though trembling, still had their duty. They rushed in, shields raised, swords drawn, determined to protect their king.
With a flick of her hand, a massive firestorm erupted between her and the knights, engulfing half of them instantly. Their screams filled the battlefield as their armor turned into searing hot prisons of molten metal. The ones who managed to avoid the worst of the flames found themselves caught in Keira's spell—sharp, glowing sigils formed in the air before unleashing a flurry of magic-fueled daggers made of raw stones, slicing through flesh and armor alike.
A knight charged Keira and she simply waved her hand, and the ground beneath him turned to mud, swallowing his legs. Before he could even process what had happened, Keira stepped forward and drove a dagger straight through the slit in his helmet.
Radovid could only watch in horror as his most loyal guards were slaughtered. He had been so certain of his invincibility, so sure that he was the predator and not the prey. That illusion shattered when Triss snapped her fingers, sending a fiery explosion at the last group of knights.
Now, there was no one left to protect him. And Liam watched all of this happen without interfering.
His horse still refused to move, bound by Triss's magic. He tried to dismount, but Keira was already there, yanking him down with a forceful telekinetic pull. He hit the ground with a grunt, his crown rolling away in the dirt.
"P-please!" he begged, "Mercy!"
"Mercy? Did you show mercy to our brothers and sisters? Did you show mercy to the women you burned at the stake? To the children who lost their parents because of your paranoia?" Triss said.
"You slaughtered us like animals, and now, here you are, groveling like a worm." Keira stepped beside her.
"I-I was just—just cleansing the world of monsters!"
"Then let's see what it's like to be treated like one."
They didn't make it quick. Keira used her magic to keep him from passing out, ensuring he felt every single wound, every ounce of pain. They flayed the skin from his arms, scorched his legs with controlled flames, and made him feel what it was like to be powerless. The same way he had made so many others feel before their deaths.
By the time they were finished, Radovid was barely recognizable.
"This is for all the mages you murdered."
With that, she conjured a final burst of flame, consuming his body entirely. His screams were lost in the roar of the fire, and soon, there was nothing left but ashes. Liam from the corner of his eyes saw Djikstra trying to run away only for Liam's shoulder brace to open and send a small missile which killed him from far.
The battlefield fell silent. Liam, Geralt, Steve, and Natasha stood waiting. No one spoke about what had just happened, and no one needed to. With Radovid dead and the battle over, they resumed their journey to Kaer Morhen.
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"He killed… so many people alone today." Natasha glanced at Steve, then at Liam, who was walking ahead with Geralt.
"Yeah. And have you noticed? He looks calmer now. Like he let something out back there." Steve replied.
"He poured all his frustration into that fight. All that anger, all that restraint—it all came out at once." Keira said as he had seen her student in frustration and for the first time she saw the horror of her students. They might be very powerful mages/sorcerers, but it would be near impossible battle for them to face so many of them. They would need someone to protect them always if they wished to utter their spells and have the maximum impact.
But Liam needed none of that and his magic replenished itself. His movement was so fast, that he didn't even need magic to bring his wrath down and for the first time everyone had seen how cruel Liam could be. And the terrifying part was he didn't seem to feel a bit of pain or disgust at what he did.
"I just hope it helped. No one should have to carry that much weight alone." Triss said, and though she didn't know the story of Liam, she could also feel the burden Liam always seemed to carry. This battle probably had helped him.
"You're awfully calm for someone who just butchered an army." Geralt said as Liam and him were on their horses treading the mountainous path.
"It's not the first time I've done something like this." Liam smirked.
"That so?"
"Yeah. This isn't new for me. I've wiped out enemies like that before—enemies who wouldn't stop unless they were all dead. At some point, you stop seeing them as people and start seeing them as obstacles." Liam said.
Geralt was quiet for a moment. And then he said.
"And that doesn't bother you?"
"It used to. But during trials, you can't be merciful. It would only lead to failure. And this is a trial for me. Though it doesn't mean that I would kill innocents in trials and thus I am very mindful of whom I kill in my world." Liam said. "The trials doesn't care. You either do what needs to be done, or you die."
Geralt didn't know how he should reply to Liam's words. For him, their world was a trial which Liam had to pass and thus he did what he did. It was a very unique topic which Geralt wasn't knowledgeable enough to discuss about. He was a monster hunter not a psychologist.
"I won't pretend it's a good thing. You remind me of myself in ways I don't entirely like."
"Is that so?" Liam asked.
"Yeah. You've learned to shut your emotions away, just like I did. Probably for good reasons. But let me tell you something. You don't have to be like me."
Liam frowned slightly, not expecting that.
"You have the luxury to be more than a killer," Geralt continued. "You can still let yourself feel. Let yourself grieve, laugh, get angry. Let yourself care. I don't have that anymore—not like I used to."
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