Three days had passed since Aiko left, and Haruki was struggling to find his footing. He spent most of his time in a haze, feeling hollow.
"She's the one who pulled me out of that darkness," he murmured to himself, staring at the empty chair Aiko used to occupy in the guild hall. He leaned back, his dagger resting on the table. "If she saw me sulking like this, she'd probably smack me and tell me to toughen up."
Dante had tried to cheer him up, dragging him on quests, but Haruki turned down the latest one. Dante eventually left without him, and Haruki spent the afternoon aimlessly wandering the streets.
As he walked through the bustling town square, his eyes caught sight of something unusual. A group of rough-looking men were dragging a young girl, roughly his age, through a side alley. Her silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her pointed ears betrayed her as an elf.
Haruki's heart clenched. They're taking her against her will… just like I was taken once.
Without hesitation, he followed them. The trail led him to an abandoned warehouse. Haruki crept through the shadows, his dagger drawn. He peered through a crack in the wall and saw the men shove the elf girl into a rusty cage. Her wrists were chained, and tears streaked her face as she struggled against her bonds.
The two men stood nearby, laughing and leering at her.
"Stop squirming, girl," one of them said, stepping closer. "You're just making this harder on yourself."
"Get away from me!" she shouted, kicking at him.
The man slapped her hard across the face. "Feisty, huh? I like that."
The other man chuckled. "We'll break her spirit soon enough."
Before he could take another step, his head jerked back suddenly, a fountain of blood spraying from his neck. His head tumbled to the ground, and his body followed with a heavy thud.
"What the—?!" the second man shouted, reaching for his weapon.
From the shadows, Haruki emerged, his dagger dripping with blood. His eyes burned with fury. "Touch her again, and you won't even have time to scream."
The man lunged at Haruki, swinging a short sword. Haruki ducked under the swing, driving his dagger into the man's chest. He twisted the blade, and the man gasped, collapsing to the ground.
Haruki turned to the girl. "Are you okay?" he asked, kneeling by the cage.
She nodded shakily. "Y-Yes. Thank you."
"Hold still," he said, slicing through the chains with precision. As the chains clattered to the ground, he noticed her ears again. "You're an elf, right?"
She hesitated, nodding.
Haruki stood and offered her his hand. "Come on, we need to get out of here."
She took his hand, and they began moving toward the exit. As they approached the surface, more men appeared, blocking their path.
"Well, well," one of them sneered, raising a gun. "Looks like we've got a hero."
The gunman opened fire, but Haruki zigzagged through the barrage of bullets, shielding the girl with his body. As he closed the distance, he leapt into the air and threw his dagger. The blade struck the gunman's wrist, forcing him to drop his weapon with a cry of pain.
Before Haruki could recover his dagger, a man in a black robe stepped forward, wielding a crimson sword. His dark hair framed a cruel smile as he swung at Haruki in a wide arc.
Haruki grabbed a fallen pipe from the ground, using it to parry the attack. Sparks flew as the crimson blade scraped against the metal. With a quick maneuver, Haruki slid the pipe along the man's sword and struck him in the stomach with the hilt. The man stumbled back, and Haruki followed up with a kick to his chest, sending him crashing into a wall.
"Keep moving!" Haruki shouted to the elf girl, grabbing his dagger as they ran.
But their escape was cut short when an old man in ornate robes stepped into their path, his staff glowing with magical energy.
"You think you can just walk out of here?" the old man said, his voice cold. He raised his staff, and a bolt of magic struck Haruki in the chest, sending him sprawling.
"Haruki!" the elf girl cried as she was grabbed by two other men.
The old man approached her, his eyes gleaming with malice. "A little fire magic, hmm? That won't save you."
The girl glared at him, her hands trembling as she conjured a small flame. "Stay back!"
The old man smirked, easily deflecting the flame with a wave of his staff. "Pathetic. Is that all you've got?"
Before he could finish his sentence, blood sprayed from his back. He froze, his eyes wide with shock, as Haruki stood behind him, his dagger buried deep in the man's spine.
"You talk too much," Haruki said, pulling his blade free.
The old man crumpled to the ground, and the other men hesitated, their confidence shattered.
Haruki turned to the elf girl, extending his hand once more. "Let's go. We're not out of this yet."
She nodded, her eyes wide with awe and gratitude, as they disappeared into the shadows together.
The chapter end.