One bloody hour
My shoulder was numb. I could feel it no longer, let alone move my arm. I was already suffering, and funnily enough, I am already wounded, and the tournament has not even begun. The atmosphere still bearing a tense vibe within a bright, happy surrounding area such as a palace. I was breathing heavily, I tried to maintain it, but my respiratory system was in a rapid cycle of fear, pain, and adrenaline. On my knees and one arm to my shoulder, barely being able to stand. I truly looked like a tuna among whales: each and everyone with the ability to erase me with ease. I just kept looking around the room. The eyes of these monsters were no longer at me, and it was clear they had already summarised my existence as nothing but a twig, lying in their path towards victory.
The hooded figure said no more and faced the way towards the enormous yet glossy stairs. Looking closer, everyone did. I followed in my deep panic to witness the descent of a man, accompanied by a group of soldiers. One soldier, the guard which I had analyzed as the one from back then, who had attempted to cease my participation in the tournament before the hooded figure's assistance. The man leading the group bared a cold face and a supercilious aura about him. He spoke...
"Welcome; my name is captain Benjiro. I do commend you all for getting to this stage; well done. One thing before I get to the subject at hand. The doors...seem to not be in their original form, may I ask why?"
His voice was just as unwelcoming, it was quiet, but it felt hassled, irritated and lazy-like. He was someone not to be made light of. His presence triggered the very stance of everyone in the room. He just sat on the very stairs, not relaying any regard towards the ones before him.
His build was a taller one than average, with solid black hair. He also had a tired expression with bags under his eyes. He did not look like much in the eyes of a spectator; however, his very persona could explain it all. This man was used to ending lives without second thoughts.
"I'm not going to ask twice, who severed the doors of this palace?" his voice still the same, no change in its entirety, one that could easily be ignored, However feeling the atmosphere that followed it, you were forced to listen.
I knew.
It was clearly the one in the mask of the cat, The girl that could manifest wind. I was a witness, and so was the flame-bearing brother.
Was justice served?...
Haha, funny question...of course not.
The girl in the mask, the silver-haired silent one...
pointed at me.
The purple, dark army girl simply laughed. She laughed so loudly the whole room was under her humourless laugh...why?Because she knew someone as weak as myself...everyone in that room knew it could not be me. There's no way I could have, but if even one more witness appears, what would happen? Straightforward, really, The innocent one is punished.
The very brother of the cat masked girl looked distressed. It was against his persona, his very pride. He pointed at me as well...
"Thank you for your cooperation." was the simple answer of the captain. Followed by...
"you there, yeah, you the one who looks like they came out from a hard-fought battle." hard-fought? More like one-sided torture! I was forced to follow through. I did not defend myself nor deny the simple allegation of a gesture. I felt no reason to do so.
"It's you! How...?" The voice of the previous guard, outstood by my presence here like anyone, would be...
"You know him, Yamato?" The lower seated captain of the group asks while I make my way to his calling.
"No, it's nothing, sir..."
I made my walk from the area at the far backside of the room from where the motionless hooded man who left me with some words "Too bad boy, you're on your own for this one."
As I made my way to the one called captain.
"what's your name?" His question I answered so quickly and fearfully. Not surprising, just his presence felt like torture to do so.
"Satori, Satori Anzai" for the first time, I answered with my full name without a need to do so. My very will to oppose the one before me was no longer...not a trace of my body wished to defy...him.
"You realize that door was the property of the princess herself, do you not Satori?" I was silent. I did not know the way to handle the situation. It's almost laughable how similar this situation is to the one at the beach with Reo...again, I could not defend myself...
I stayed silent...
"so be it..." he stated after a full thirty seconds of silence.
Swiftly, he pounds my head against his foot and kicks me on the floor. The noise it made echoed along with the room...
He did not stop...
He constantly pounded my head on the floor again and again and again and again...
A full hour passed...
Everyone was far from bored they got to witness a beating...
blood was flooding the entire area, my blood...
"uhh disgusting, stained my new shoes", one of the five uniformed personnel from before let out.
"Be quiet Oda, we arent here to layout our opinions." Among the five similarly clothed individuals, one seemed to have authority over the four others.
"Captain, isn't that enough? He's basically dead already." The same guard from before...Yamato interfered.
"No, you don't see it. This brat is still conscious." He knew the captain knew.
In that one hour of the constant pounding of this kind of force would kill anybody...however I survived, I was still conscious.
I looked at the one who sent me down to this hell, The one in the mask, that damn cat girl.
She just minded her own business...?!
For a whole hour, I have been beaten nonstop, and she...I felt like I wanted to die. But I couldn't how dare they all of them! When will I die? Why can't I die? Why does my body constantly heal itself? This isn't a blessing. It's hell.
"Anyway, I think that is enough, normal doors wouldn't even suffice for human life but when it's our... the princess's the same cannot be said. The disrespect she faces cannot be paid by even a hundred lives."... "brat considers yourself lucky"...
My pain ended...
I was overjoyed, so happy for the end of brutal punishment.
"I can't handle this anymore", one of the ones amongst the five, a girl asked a question on top of her own statement...to the cold captain who took his seat on the stairs again.
"Is it alright, is it ok... if I treat his wound."
"Hiriko...what did I tell you about being too soft!", again the authority of the group of five questioned.
"Sorry, general Genkei... just this once."
"Young girl, please do that. I do not wish to talk about the matter at hand over a corpse." With the acceptance of Captain Benjiro, the girl made her way towards me...
She pulled me out and took out a bandage. She constantly wrapped it around my head in a circular motion. It was soaking in too much of the blood. Her hands were being stained all over with the dispersing blood drops from my head. Her knees were all covered in nothing but dark saturated blood.
"Sorry, it's not much, but... it's all I can do...I'm sorry," in my moment of near haziness. I could not believe it in this group of people. There were someones with life in them. I was not happy; I was only relieved.
"Now, as I was going to announce earlier, The tournament will be held at the grand ice colosseum created by her majesty the princess in three days. You will each be fighting against each other, and we will be creating the arrangements of opponents most satisfactory to our needs. For the first phase, there will be six rounds of one on one. For the second phase, three rounds of one on ones by the winners of the previous rounds. The final stage will be a battle royal by the three winners of those matches. You get the idea...killing is permitted, but there is no requirement to kill. We would like to avoid torturing opponents as much as possible to avoid displeasure among the viewers who will be present. Any questions should be asked now."
The one muscle thug of a participant, I forgot was present, proceeded to ask a question in great wickedness "The winner will gain the ice empire and the right towards the princess, right hahaha."
He replied, "That's is correct," but he wasn't feeling comfortable at all to state it. In reality, he wanted to dispose of the thug right then and there. It was obvious if the ice empire really found these traditions so troubling attracting such dark individuals, why will they carry it out? Only because of traditions? This was deranged. This country, this empire as big as it had perceived itself it continues to apply, its unrequired traditions from when it was poor?
"Any others?"
"How about if the winner is a female?" Another one of the five revealed themselves—another girl.
"We have no rules restricting female individuals from participating and naturally the same to the right of the empire...as well as the partner to her majesty." Further thought also had me thinking. There were actually about four female females present, if you include the one from the dark army as well.
"If there are no other questions,you may all leave! and a letter will be sent of matchups as well as dates for each battle!"
Everyone made a leave...
The hooded man disappeared in a flash...
The two siblings Chiharu of the wind and Homura of the flames, walked away. Homura paid one last look into my eyes before leaving with any regrets. Chiharu displayed no sympathy at all, even with a mask...
The boy with the arrow stood up and left, carrying his arrow on his back...
The muscular thug left with a confident smirk on his face...
"It", the purple-haired demonic presence also started to depart...laughing and letting out a few words towards me..." I'll see you soon, my dear ...little...rat" ...
"Hiriko! Let's go..." The group of five was making a leave. She left my side..."Sorry, I'm sorry" Her sorry was making me sick...I did not want pity, even if you are different. It's always about pity...
Everyone was gone...I was still on the floor...
"Take Satori, get him treated as soon as possible with care!"
What?
Why?
Was I hallucinating?
No...
"Satori, I'm sorry...forgive me" The same cold dark persona who feared no one kneeled down before me?
"Captain Benjiru, why! Sir, stand up!" everyone was confused, even the very men before him.
"Silence!"
"Why?" I questioned with the pool of blood below me.
"I knew you were not the one who broke down those doors...the one who did it in the mask, I realized from the very start...in a normal circumstance I would definitely have carried out the rightful justice, but that person is special you see...she is someone important to our country."
"To further add on, there's no demon or heartless girl in that mask. They did feel regret, if I know them as much as I do...they felt regret for their actions. Your hour of suffering had definitely triggered their suffering to guilt, but again I'm so sorry I made this selfish decision."
"So as a token of my apology, I would like to grant you one wish I can handle within my power."
I knew what I wanted the moment it came...
"Tak care of Ai..na", I stuttered to say.
"Take care of who...?" He could not hear my request at all.
"Sir, I think he's was talking about the girl with him. She was suffering from a high temperature, and we took her to the nearest place of treatment". Yamato had spoken...
"I see, this boy...Take her to the highest level of treatment at once! And also, on my behalf, allow her to stay in the royal house...the most protected area of the entire kingdom!"
An hour of pain became worth it in a single moment as I doze off again to sleep.
-do you believe?-
Continued in the Next Chapter...