He took a few steps forward and leaned closer, only a few inches away from our faces. His breath was stinky enough to melt rocks, made our faces curl up in disgust, unable to breathe any longer.
Should we kill? I shared a look with Alya. He was just threatening us at this point, but he just gave the perfect opportunity to take him out silently. Just need a punch strong enough to kill him in one strike.
Alya nodded, a smirk tugged on her lips. She clearly treated this suggestion as an order. She was just waiting for this, wasn't she?
He kept staring at us, as if wanting us to confess ourselves. I don't know why Alya's delaying!
Alya's eyes were locked towards her right, completely ignoring my looks.
He placed a hand on the hilt of a short katana at his waist. Wait, maybe he's a strong fighter? He seems like our boss.
"You!" My back straightened. He sounded like my dad.
"Yes, sir!"
"Don't ignore me again, lad, or I will actually kill you. Did you run away from the fight, or not? Answer in yes or no."
"We were—"
"Yes, or no." He cut us off.
Fuck it.
"Yes. All of them are like animals. I saw one holy knight getting kicked in the balls repeatedly by five people, then being stomped to death. I was scared…" I put on my best about to cry face. Alya still didn't look up.
"Ba…Balls? That many people." His face paled. Unconsciously, he was covering his crotch with his hand. Maybe, we actually don't need to kill him!
"Yes, sir! Balls. I barely escaped. I am not going back. Kill me if you will, sir…" I lowered my head, glancing at him through squinted eyes.
"Lad… They also used to beat the cats. Even when they killed the rats. Or simply put them down when they weren't needed." He said in a deep voice. I gasped at something else entirely; a housefly had just burrowed inside his ears. Gross!
He continued, "They couldn't kill all cats who didn't kill mice. Some managed to run away. Those cats… They managed to live longer than any cat in the town." His cold smile turned into something warmer on his middle-aged face.
"Sir… You mean…" My lips curled upwards, a tear escaping my eyes.
"Yeah, lad… To tell you the truth, I abandoned my post in the fourth world war too… I abandoned my comrades."
He sighed deeply, "They're all dead. But I am still standing, remembering them every day, earning more than I ever had. I am alive, lad. I am alive." He patted my head.
My face softened. He didn't seem all that bad, even though he worked for slave traders.
Pacifist plan worked! I nudged Alya on her waist since she still wasn't paying attention. There was no need to kill him now.
SPLAT!
My pupils dilated. Splashes of liquid with some rubbery particles hit my face.
I blinked. Alya was painted red. Her pale white face, her snow white hair, all red. Bloody red. Something akin to blended flesh was also sticking to her face and hair.
My stomach curled. With almost unwillingness, my head turned towards the front slowly.
Thud!
A headless heavy body fell to my feet. The previously black brick walls all around us were painted red.
"Phew… I did it! Sorry, what were you saying, Luci? I was focused on my ability since we had to do it silently."
"Alya…"
My voice was too low to be audible.
He was just speaking moments ago…
"This robe is amazing, Luci. I hid so many insects inside it and vampified them! That fly exploded so perfectly inside his brain. You did a good job keeping him distracted!"
"…"
For some reason, she wasn't reading my emotions at this moment. It was better. She will be sad if she does so.
His death's on me. I could've been patient. Alya despised humans, slavers, and the church. It was obvious. She didn't even blink at Vanitas's probable death, only even affected because of me.
But from what she had experienced, she's actually much kinder than she should be. As irrational as people get with their hatred, keep killing each other with unreasonable anger after even hundreds of generations from when they actually had reasons to be enemies, it made sense.
She was far kinder for someone who saw that level of cruelty at face.
His death's on me.
"That was… amazing. Let's move! We can't stop now." I grabbed her hand with a forced, bright smile. She nodded repeatedly.
I couldn't focus on Vampified insects or whatever ability she mentioned.
Fortunately, no one suspected us among the other guards around the staircase. My disguise was quite perfect.
…
Thum! Thum!
As we entered the main hallway, hundreds of people were running all around, men in expensive suits and beautiful women in adorable dresses, or guards and holy knights with their swords out.
I doubted if even any other prisoners like Ren or Kael would survive now. They are all grouped together, so it might just take one Jah-level person to neutralize them all. And, even if they could outnumber guards before, that won't be possible any longer.
I shook my head at hundreds of squads of tens of Mari Swan agents and holy knights sprinted towards the basement.
Suddenly, Alya whispered, "They were destined to be a distraction from the beginning, but I hope they survive."
My eyes widened a bit as we continued to walk lowkey across the vast hallway. Weren't most of them humans? It was good to know she didn't want to eat human children for breakfast at the very least. Vanitas was a church captain, and that guy worked for Mari Swan.
"Most had given up hope in that cell, so when we suddenly opened their doors, they had to be desperate enough to give it their all," I replied in a low whisper as well.
Her lips parted as she glanced at me, "You're right… At least some will." She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Help us! Please! Our daughter's lost. And our slaves ran away… Oh! You there, guard! Please help us find our daughter."
A white haired man in a fancy white coat with a blonde-haired young wife who looked like his daughter herself entered our sight. I turned back, confirming he was actually waving at us.