Heroes to Hunted

Several minutes passed while I salvaged equipment from the dead thugs.

While scavenging, I tore the most pristine portions of cloth from their clothing and used them as makeshift bandages to stem my bleeding.

'I'm going to get an infection for sure….' I thought as I wrapped my gashed wrists. I guess asking for a place of torture and surgery to have clean bandages lying around was too much.

Before setting off, I took inventory of my current arsenal.

I had two holsters fastened to my waist, one from each guard, and three knives to occupy them. To put it lightly, storing them both in one sheath was a snug fit. So snug it brought the holster to nearly bursting.

Lastly, I had those keys. Out of the dozen there, I figured at least one of them would for sure be useful at some point. "Especially considering all the damn locked doors," I growled.

There was one thing I had to leave behind. I groaned with frustration after every glance I took at it. "Why couldn't your owner have been bigger?" I grumbled, discarding the leather armor.

Not only was it too small for me, but it would be even less of a fit for Agawa due to her bust. I couldn't even imagine hauling such cumbersome things around all day.

'It must be tough to be a woman sometimes,' I sighed, then hoisted Agawa onto my back.

She wasn't extraordinarily light, probably due to her muscle tone and chest, but she wasn't particularly heavy either. It was uncanny how perfectly her weight was centered in the "Goldilocks" zone.

After lifting her up, a dilemma quickly emerged to taunt me.

My hands were occupied carrying her, which left me with nothing to wield my weapons. I wasn't a fool; I knew trying to kick my way out of here seemed idiotic at best. I was no Takagi, after all.

'I could carry her over my shoulder; that'd give me a free hand to work with. But, then again, I don't think she'd appreciate that very much,' I chuckled, but that soon gave way to confusion.

'Huh?' I was taken aback by how considerate I was toward her. 'When did I start caring about the opinion of civilians?' I reflected on my previous missions, recalling numerous times when I was in a similar position.

Something would render a civilian unable to walk, and I'd need to carry them as a consequence. I never worried about their comfort in those situations, so long as they survived. Why was this time any different?

Glancing at Agawa's face, I had my answer.

Typically, the people I helped were never really people at all. Instead, they were just numbers and photos clipped to a mission briefing folder.

However, she was different from them. It may have been short, but I traveled, broke bread, and even danced with her. Those experiences wouldn't let me think of her as just a "blank face" anymore.

Because of that, a pang of ache shot through my chest once I realized this girl had now loathed me.

Since enlisted, I have always kept everyone at arm's length. Probably because I knew they wouldn't last long anyway. It'd been so long since I truly enjoyed time with those I'd call friends. So long that I forgot how warm they could make you feel…as well as how cold.

'This is how things should be,' I consoled myself. As a soldier, I wasn't meant to have these attachments.

'Okay, that's enough feeling sorry for myself,' I shook my head. "It's time to go."

I stepped outside the cell with Agawa in tow, amazed to see how empty the corridors were. I thought the commotion of the fight would've raised some alarm, but not even a rat appeared out of curiosity.

"No point in questioning it," I smirked, then began walking in the opposite direction of where I initially came from. There was no reason to risk confronting Malgam since the cells in that direction were empty.

During my travel, I was confronted by a chilling realization. One that was brought up by the hooked corpses I saw earlier. 'Could everyone have all been killed already? Are we the last ones left?'

Pressured by the idea that everyone was dead or dying, I picked up my pace to a desperate sprint. 'I'm getting out of here. They won't kill me, no way!'

I passed dozens of cells, each showing no signs of being opened, let alone having contained a recent prisoner. The idea that Agawa and I were the only ones left seemed like the only possibility.

However, that thought was dispelled when a voice cried out in the darkness.

"No! Please! What are you doing?! N-" Following the pleas was a bone-chilling shriek and then…silence.

As I grew closer, slicing and grinding filled the corridor around me. The grotesque sounds bounced between the stone brick hallways before disappearing deep into the shadows.

I crouched low to avoid detection and peered around the corner. Within the room was a workstation similar to the one I was brought to. Everything was the same, down to every last detail. However, there was one difference.

On the table in the middle lay a newly deceased corpse. Hacking away at it was a short, crazed-looking girl. She severed muscles, ground bone, and tore cartilage as she dug through the corpse's chest cavity. Then, following a crack from broken joints, her expression lit up in joy.

As she maniacally smiled, she removed her hands from the body's innards. When they were finally visible, a pulsating organ was revealed within her grasp.

The organ took a direct likeness to that of a heart. In fact, I wouldn't have been able to differentiate it from one if not for the irregular violet glow it emitted. Veins containing a radiant purple fluid ran along the organ's surface.

"Aren't they just beautiful when freshly harvested?!" the girl asserted to no one, raising it toward the torchlight above her.

I had to consider my options carefully.

On the one hand, I could burst into the room and neutralize the girl. Aside from potentially finding new gear, I could verify the dead's identity. Though that was more of a habit than a requirement.

The other choice was to continue forward, leaving this room far behind in the darkness of this dungeon's hallways.

I took a glance at my holstered knives. 'Guess I could use some more equipment,' I shrugged.

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