"Though, not that I have any problem with it. More a distraction, than anythang."
The voice continued, a little quieter.
Caelum and Yezekael looked at each other.
"Ah, get off me."
"I feel sick."
They separated quickly.
The voice belonged to the large man in front of them. He wore the Pirate Association of Rogue uniform, the emblem plastered on his left chest pocket.
On his head, he wore a rough brown tricorn hat, stray strands of blonde hair leaking out.
"Now get back to work!"
With a smooth wooden stick that he had with a firm grip, he struck the back of their legs.
"Ack!"
"Oo!"
The two of them stumbled. Caelum fell, but Yezekael held his ground.
"Playin' around on my ship. I'd be damned."
He scoffed to himself, walking off.
"With an attitude like that, he must be the lieutenant captain." Caelum slowly got up, rubbing his sour butt, still wincing in pain.
"There's nothing to do here besides bird-watching. I can't wait to es— I mean, I can't wait for us to land in Sar, so I can quit this false persona of a weakling."
Yezekael looked at Caelum nervously, hoping he didn't hear him. He whistled, mopping fervently.
Yezekael stopped for a moment to stare at the ocean.
It was empty and dull, besides the few rocks that poked out the water, or the fish that occasionally jumped out.
The sun hung high in the sky, a beautiful glow cast onto the horizon.
— Despite its lacking qualities, it's extremely beautiful. Elegant.
"Screw this!"
A broom flew into the air, rattling as it hit the ground.
"Aren't you guys tired of this too?! Being controlled!
"If we work together, we can all escape!-"
The slave was trying to rile up the crowd.
"Haha… who's gonna tell him?" Yezekael laughed under his breath.
"Slaves can get so arrogant. A rebellious slave is a bad product. We cannot possibly sell bad products."
Tap. Tap.
The deck was quiet, besides the dull footsteps of one of the pirates.
He pressed down his cap with his right hand, covering his face. He stretched out his left hand, pointing his palm at the slave.
"H-Huh?" the slave was confused. A bit anxious.
[Cast: Barrier]
— Barrier magic. A form of defense. Unless…
A few slaves already knew what was to happen. They turned around, covering the eyes of their ignorant friends.
The slave was trapped in a translucent bubble, light blue in color. Cramped. He was put in a position where he had to bend his knees.
It got tighter.
"W-wait!" his voice came muffled from inside the bubble, his expression growing grim.
"Let this be an example for you all. Of what will happen to anybody that is defiant."
— Is that 'syndrome' contagious?
Yezekael stared blankly.
Tighter. There was no space left for movement, and it was encased around his entire body like a shield.
The slave hyperventilated. Until he realized he couldn't, as oxygen inside the bubble was thinning.
Tighter.
The crushing of flesh and snapping of bones was heard.
The few slaves who remained watching had wide eyes. Including Caelum and Yezekael.
"This guy…"
"He's a psychopath..!"
Yezekael finished Caelum's sentence in a whisper.
His lungs had failed on him. In pain, he let out a rugged squeal, familiar to a pig. His squeals died down, turning into him opening his mouth.
It compressed even further until it was about 4 feet tall.
At this rate, the man was dead.
His head could be seen within the mush of meat, blood, and bodily fluids.
His eyes were devoid of life.
It was a disturbing scene.
Yezekael ran to the railing to throw up into the ocean
But Caelum… in horror, he could not take his eyes off the disgusting scene, despite the sickness in his stomach.
The meat was packed into a 1-foot by 1-foot cube.
"Freshly compacted human meat. Even an inefficient slave can be refurbished into something neat. The occultist will love this."
Although the look in his eyes could not be seen, Caelum saw the nasty grin on his face.
The cube dropped into his hand. He threw it into a bag and went on his way back into one of the main rooms.
"…"
After a few minutes, the pirates went back to their typical behavior: bare-knuckle brawling and drinking barrels full of beer. Even the slaves went back to their typical behavior.
But Caelum and Yezekael… were stunned.
.
"It's… disgusting."
Yezekael contemplated to himself.
The two of them, along with all the other slavers, were again packed into the tight cabin, the hatch above them being slammed shut.
Darkness fell, and night black was the only thing in the sky.
Yezekael said, "These pirates are the sickest of the sick."
Caelum did not respond, nodding off.
"I'm sure of it now. I'll escape this place. Free everyone."