Nine stared at the scene in front of her dryly. That one kid in front was running away from the mage who was chasing after them super slowly. She then looked at the charred bodies lying on the ground and couldn't help but feel sad over the fact that they were dead. Just base on his companion's ages, Nine could deduce that these were the so-called 'recruits'.
Instantly, Nine shot out a spell so fast that the bastard chasing after the kids couldn't even see the spell, causing him to tumble and lay flat on the ground in a split second. His creepy laughter cut off abruptly, leaving him face down on the ground as he struggled feebly.
"Fuck! Who is it? Fuck off before I make you!"
Todd couldn't move an inch. He furiously wondered who dared to stab him in the back when his brother was an elder in the organisation. They must not want to live! Couldn't they see that he was dealing with these pests?
Nine ignored his shouts, looking at the bodies on the ground. Although they had been burned beyond recognition, it hadn't been long since they died.
The symbols of the runes flashed in the air, forming a complex and magnificent circle of magic. Ten layers of magic revolved in the air, causing those who saw it to feel awe at the grandeur and aura that the spell gave off.
Just looking at it caused one's soul to shake as they withstood the urge to prostate before it.
"I've been wanting to try this out," Nine said faintly. "Tenth Tier magic: Divine Resurrection," she said, omitting the entire chant needed for the spell. Spreading the magic, she covered all of the bodies on the ground.
Luckily for her, the souls had not yet departed from the bodies, allowing them another chance at life. As long as they were willing, the call from beyond would awaken them again. This was a true resurrection, unlike the call from necromancers.
The restrictions on the spell were extremely strict. They couldn't be dead for more than half an hour. Their soul had to be in the vicinity. The emotions the person felt last had to be strong. And last but not least, they couldn't have died from natural causes.
Thankfully, the five bodies on the ground fulfilled all the conditions to activate the magic spell.
The light elements gathered in the air, practically saturating the entire corridor. Even the blindest person could have sensed this from a mile away.
Todd struggled under his bindings, trying desperately to break free as the aura and strength of the magic in the air filled him with dread.
Who was this person? Why were they doing this? How could a person ever be this strong? Even the elders from the organisation weren't as strong as this! This person was a monster!
Nine spread her arms as the light elements in the area overflowed, gently brushing over the five bodies on the ground.
At a speed visible to the naked eye, the burned flesh on the bodies slowly recovered, being replaced with new skin. The skin looked tender, as if touching it could cause it to break. The muscles damaged by the fire awoke as the cells were revitalised in their body, forming under the newly created skin. Step by step, their organs started to work once again.
At last, their hearts started beating, causing Subject Six, Eight, Nine, Ten and Eleven to awaken with a start, their consciousness flooding back.
They gasped, the feeling of dying and coming back to life was so overwhelming that their brains could not handle the new situation.
Subject Six broke out of the spell and desperately searched for Subject Seven.
"Seven!" she cried, stumbling towards him.
Seven ran towards Six, frantic in his joy and gratitude. Tears pricked at his eyes. He could scarcely believe that it was true.
Subject Six and Seven hugged tightly. They thought that they could never again meet in their lifetime. Their true feelings flooded out from the bottom of their hearts after being repressed for so many years. Under the tutelage of their 'instructor' Todd, they had been careful not to show any signs of their feelings. They didn't know what could have happened had their 'love' for each other be deemed unacceptable.
One by one, their eyes were drawn to Nine's form. They even ignored Nocturne who stood behind her. They couldn't help but feel worship and gratitude to her. In their eyes, Nine was the most beautiful person they had ever seen in their short lives. Even though they hadn't seen many people due to the closed-door style training of their organisation, they felt like there was no one else in the world like this.
Nine's strength and magnanimity had thoroughly imprinted itself into their hearts.
"Thank you," Subject One said on behalf of everyone, the two simple words containing a world of meaning. Nine couldn't help but be moved at the simplicity and sincerity of the thanks given, reminiscent of her students, and felt like they were rather cute as well.
Nine smiled at them, causing them to fall into a daze.
Nocturne walked over and kicked Todd, causing the swine to roll over with a painful grunt. He looked pathetic, a far cry from how he looked earlier when he was torturing the recruits for his own pleasure earlier on.
Clearly, he was the type of person who feared the strong and bullied the weak. He struggled to look strong and intimidating even as he trembled conspicuously. "Just kill me," Todd spat, sneering at the teenagers. Even if he had to die, he refused to cower and beg. He hoped that if he made them angry enough, they would accidentally kill him and end him before he could suffer.
When no one made a move, he harboured a faint heart that perhaps the person he didn't recognise was the type of healer specialising in light and recovery magic. The kind that was soft and kind-hearted, who would believe in the good of people. Todd made sure not to show any of it on his face. Though he wasn't very strong, he was smart enough to read the situation. He had no advantage here. No matter how hard he tried, he could not break out of these bonds.
It had already been so long since the release of that magic, but no one was coming. Clearly, something had happened to the organisation.
"Look at you," Todd said, his sneer growing on his face. "Bunch of recruits that still hasn't grown since infancy. You're weak. You're inexperienced. You're being held back by your feelings!" Todd spat, glaring righteously at them, looking like the part of a righteous teacher teaching his wayward students.
Saying everything so long-windedly, he hoped that he would garner some sympathy from the rescuer, looking like he just wanted the best for his students. On the flip side, if it really couldn't be salvaged, then one of those pests would be enraged enough to end his life instantly.
When Nine smiled at him, Todd felt like he had made the right choice. He started unhurriedly explaining himself. "It really wasn't my idea, Sir. It was orders from the higherups. I was just doing my job. You understand, right? I can't go against the higherups. I was helping these children grow to their full potential."
What Todd didn't know was that Nocturne felt a chill once he saw Nine's genial smile. That smile never boded anything good for those on the receiving end of it. It was the same smile Nine wore whenever he was feeling particularly bored and wanted to play around.
Nine let out a laugh low and filled with humour.
"Swine," Nine said, the smile and gentle tone she used at odds with the harsh words she used. "It isn't that they're afraid to take action on you," she said, walking over towards Subject One.
She patted him on the head, stroking his hair. Subject One's face was filled with awe and devotion even as his face lit up red at the positive attention he was getting from their saviour.
"These good children are waiting for my permission, that's all."
The shaky smile on Todd's face fell at those words, his heart sinking. He seemed to realize that he would not be getting out of this.
"Well then, have fun, children. Make sure not to break him too quickly. The more he barks, the longer he'll last."
Without a moment wasted, the children darted forward save for Subject One, who couldn't bear to break himself away from Nine. Though unwilling to do so, he shifted slightly so he could watch the torture.
Nocturne glared at Subject One.
Nine looked at Subject One's enthralled face, and felt her heart soften. The white hair under her hands were soft and silky, and his face still held traces of innocence and childhood. Her heart ached when she thought about how mere children were being forced into this facility without any choice. They would know nothing until they passed the organisation's 'test' or they died.
As the curses from Todd started after the children started their torture, Nine hugged Subject One to her from behind, his head barely reaching her stomach.
The screams that left Todd's mouth started escalating, quickly becoming shrill.
All the while, Nocturne's glare was trained on Subject One's form, his hands itching to pull the kid out from Nine's arms. That should only be for him!
Nine casually disregarded Nocturne's glare, watching the scene in front of them in interest. These kids were pretty good. Ignoring Nocturne was also an added side-effect of enjoyment. She was slowly getting into the feeling for teasing him as her anger lessened with each passing day. His reactions were pretty cute. 'Like a puppy,' she thought, smirking.