She had no choice but to lie low as the ceiling loomed just above her. Carefully peeking over the edge, she spotted the massive man below, his frantic movements resembling that of a wild animal. With each swing of his club, the steel cages surrounding him bore the brunt, causing those trapped inside to flinch. Her priority was clear: ensure the safety of those imprisoned before confronting the imposing figure.
As she distanced herself from the row of cages, she leaped down and slipped into the shadows. In a nearby enclosure, Rin discovered a woman with striking purple hair, her figure remarkably thin. Huddled in a corner, she held onto herself, exuding an aura of vulnerability. Despite her fragile appearance, she looked smaller than Rin, leading Rin to ponder if she might be younger than herself.
rin tapped her katana very quietly against the a bar on the cage trying to get her attention
Rin gently tapped her katana against the cage bars, hoping to catch her attention without making much noise.
Startled by the sudden noise, the woman visibly reacted, her eyes reflecting both fatigue and tears. Letting out a deep sigh, she slowly shifted towards the cage's perimeter, her gaze fixed on Rin.
Rin gently pressed her index finger against her lips, signaling for silence, as both of them caught the distant echoes of someone shouting that echoed in the background.
"WHERE ARE YOU!?!?! I'LL KILL YOU YOU B*TCH! I'LL FEED YOU TO THAT F*CKING FOX MYSELF!!"
The woman nodded and did exactly as Rin signalled, holding down a loud cough that threatened to give her away. It wasn't easy to remain quiet under these circumstances, and not without cost. Her face had gone a rather sickly shade, and her expression betrayed her exhaustion. Even from this distance, you can tell her body language and expression were not only tired, but desperate.
Rin skillfully sliced through the lock, freeing the girl and offering her a helping hand to guide her out of confinement.
The woman got out and hugged Rin tightly, burying her face in the latter's shoulder. Her breathing had become even louder and more ragged. Her limbs felt numb and her whole body felt weak, and she was shaking.
they moved silently, trying to get to the exit, but about half way through, Rin stopped, she heard it. The giant footsteps of a man that really wanted to kill them, Rin looked around and found a small squeezing space between the cages
They crept along in silence, aiming for the exit, but halfway there, Rin froze as she caught the thunderous footsteps of someone intent on their demise. Her senses on high alert, Rin scanned the area and spotted a narrow gap between the cages, offering a potential escape route.
As the footsteps echoed closer and closer, she swiftly guided the girl into the narrow space between buildings getting in Herself too. Just in time, the man turned the corner, anticipation etched on his face as he scanned for the woman he sought.
Rin gently covered the girl's mouth with her hand, a shared moment of tension passing between them as their hearts raced in unison, the sound of the approaching footsteps grew louder.
The young girl, too feeble to put up a fight, simply nodded in agreement and held her tongue, praying silently that the man wouldn't discover their hiding place. Any sudden noise could spell disaster, sealing their fate and that of the other woman. The pounding of her own heart reverberated loudly in her ears, almost as though it could give away their location. They were teetering on the edge of peril, and neither of them could afford to make a single mistake.
The relentless, echoing footsteps were pushing her to the edge, each one resonating closer, almost as if she could pinpoint their exact location. In the dimly lit expanse of the gap, the atmosphere grew darker, amplifying the tension. Suddenly, they spotted him – the colossal man strolling calmly past the gap. The woman's body that she was holding shivered as he approached, mere centimetres away. She closed her eyes and braced herself, eagerly anticipating the moment when this imposing figure would finally move past.
As the man's shadow gradually receded, Rin noticed the sound of his club scraping against the ground fading into the distance.
They got out of the gap and ran. Realizing the urgency of the situation, she knew she had to reach the exit swiftly. Seeing the frail woman struggling to keep up, Rin decided to act. Without hesitation, she scooped her up in her arms, carrying her like a princess, determined to get them both to safety as quickly as possible.
The girl let out a slight gasp when she was picked up. She didn't struggle or complain. Instead, she hugged around Rin tightly.
They got to exit and rin let her down
"go i need to get the other that are in there, i have to friend waiting up there to protect you"
The girl looked up at Rin with wide eyes. Her voice shook as she spoke
Rin was right the voice she heard was younger
"Why are you saving us? You don't even know us! What are you going to gain out of this? How are you so calm?"
"Go, I'll tell you when i come back up with the rest"
The girl gave her a hesitant look, but ultimately, she just nodded her head. With a final look at Rin, she moved up the stone stairs
Rin looked back into the facility
'looks like i have 28 or some more people to get out'
*****
"Thank you so much"
As the frail and desperate man slowly made his way up the stairs, he expressed genuine gratitude, just like the 36 others before him. more than Maggie had anticipated.
Being careful not to alert the man, she knew she had just two tasks left: eliminate the scoundrel and indulge in a bit more exploration.
She already had a plan to deal with the bloated man
'this could go amazingly, or backfire horribly'
She entered the cage-filled facility and settled herself at its heart she walked around silently till she found it, the spot where she fought with the man before , she was looking for one thing
'ahh there it is'
Delightful indentations where her back was very 'softly' rammed into the bars of the metal
She inhaled deeply, mustering all her courage before unleashing a barrage of insults, aiming to cut as deeply as possible with her words.
"OI YOU B*STERD, HOW ARE YOU THIS BIG IN THIS CITY, YOU BEEN EATING THE PRISONERS FOOD OR SOMETHING?"
A hushed quiet filled the air, creating a palpable stillness that was abruptly shattered by the thunderous echoes of colossal footsteps. She could sense the reverberations before laying eyes on him—a formidable figure careening into view down the corridor, hurtling toward her with the unstoppable force of a juggernaut.
'come on run faster you idiot'
She quickly flicked her gaze over her shoulder, tracing the indentation she had been searching for moments ago. Returning her attention to the man with a bull-like presence, she couldn't help but think how utterly foolish this plan was.
He steadily closed the distance between them, resembling a speeding bullet train with an unstoppable momentum. As he approached, it became clear that nothing could deter him. The impending consequences for him would only intensify the closer he got, especially if she moved before he could react.
As the consequences of gravitational potential would be his demise
'way to scientific sorry'
With every fiber of her being, she poured energy into her legs and swiftly lunged aside, narrowly escaping being crushed. In the midst of her dive, she missed the ensuing events, but the sharp snap of metal and a symphony of crashing noises echoed around her. As she lifted her gaze from the ground, she witnessed the horrifying sight of massive cages toppling over, burying the man beneath them in a chaotic heap.
She only heard the spell, speak of his demise
[Cult of the Fox member killed light fragments gained]
She sighed laying her head on the ground
'didn't even use your advice Sunny, haha, i don't owe you anything'
As she rose, she traversed the expansive corridor that had caught her attention earlier, encountering a man along the way. To her left and right, she noticed two distinct spaces: on the right, a dormitory filled with numerous beds, and on the left, a bustling kitchen with hanging lines of various meats.
'i don't think anyones using those beds anymore'
She smiled
Upon reaching the end of the corridor, the final structure she encountered wasn't merely a door; rather, it presented itself as a substantial gate, adding an intriguing touch to the surroundings.
And so she opened the gate, it took her whole strength to swing the huge gate, she stopped pushing the gate and let the momentum swing it open, an action she was already regretting as she saw what was on the other side…
She finally knew what was causing her Sensory technique to go Haywire with the malicious intent she was feeling
And it was staring right at her as well…