Chereads / the balance / Chapter 20 - Captive resolve

Chapter 20 - Captive resolve

Haruki groaned as he stirred, his vision blurry and his body aching. When his eyes finally adjusted, he found himself in a dark, cold room. He was tied to a wooden chair, the ropes digging into his wrists. Across from him stood a man in gleaming golden armor, his face obscured by a helmet. The man stood perfectly still, almost like a statue.

"Great. Tied to a chair in the middle of nowhere," Haruki muttered to himself, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He glanced at the armored figure. "Hey, gold guy. What's with the silent treatment? You here to intimidate me or what?"

The man didn't respond.

Haruki rolled his eyes. "Figures. You're one of those stoic types, huh? Let me guess—'no talking to the prisoner,' right? Or are you just bad at conversation?"

Before Haruki could continue his taunts, the door creaked open, and a familiar face stepped in. Jay strolled in casually, his presence filling the room with an air of menace.

"Ah, Jay," Haruki said, feigning cheerfulness. "What an honor. You've really got a flair for dramatic entrances, don't you?"

Jay ignored the comment, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at Haruki. "You're awake. Good. Saves me the trouble of waking you up."

Haruki smirked. "Oh, I've been awake. Just waiting for you to come in and grace me with your charming personality."

Jay's expression remained cold. "Cut the jokes, boy. You're in no position to mock anyone."

"Yeah, yeah," Haruki said, leaning back as far as the ropes would let him. "Where are Yuki and Dante? And what the hell was that magic you used to knock us out? You planning to give me a play-by-play, or do I have to figure it out myself?"

Jay crossed his arms. "That's enough questions out of you."

"Oh, is it? My bad. Guess I'll just sit here quietly and enjoy the hospitality," Haruki said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jay stepped closer, his eyes cold and unamused. "You think this is a joke?"

"Maybe," Haruki said, tilting his head. "Depends on how funny you make it."

Jay clenched his jaw but didn't rise to the bait. "We're going to get answers out of you. Starting with this: why were you following us?"

Haruki raised an eyebrow. "Following you? Wow, you must really think you're important. Hate to break it to you, Jay, but the world doesn't revolve around you."

Jay leaned down, his face inches from Haruki's. "This isn't a game, boy."

"Sure feels like one," Haruki replied with a grin. "And by the way, your silent guard over there? Top-notch intimidation. Real scary."

Jay's patience finally snapped. He straightened and gestured to the guard. "Stay here. Don't let him out of your sight."

As Jay stormed out, Haruki called after him, "Come back soon! I'll miss you!"

The door slammed shut, leaving Haruki alone with the golden-armored guard.

"Alright, big guy," Haruki said, testing the ropes around his wrists. "Time for you to keep being useless while I figure this out."

A few minutes later, the door opened again, and Arai stepped in, her eyes filled with irritation.

"Oh, it's you," Haruki said, smirking. "I was wondering when you'd show up. Couldn't stay away, huh?"

"Shut up," Arai snapped, crossing her arms. "Look at you now. Tied up and helpless. How does it feel?"

Haruki chuckled. "Honestly? Pretty boring. You guys could at least give me a snack or something."

"You're insufferable," Arai said, stepping closer. "You're not getting out of this, boy."

Haruki leaned forward, his grin widening. "You sure about that? Because tying me to a chair? Rookie mistake."

"What are you talking about?" Arai asked, her eyes narrowing.

Haruki smirked. "Oh, nothing. Just that I'm an assassin type. You know what that means?"

Before Arai could react, Haruki twisted his wrists, slipping free of the ropes with ease. In one swift motion, he grabbed the chair and swung it at her, the wooden frame smashing into her side.

"You son of a—" Arai shouted, stumbling back.

Haruki didn't give her a chance to recover. He lunged forward, knocking her to the ground with a well-placed kick. "You really should've tied me up better."

The guard in golden armor moved toward him, but Haruki was already sprinting toward the door.

"Later!" Haruki shouted over his shoulder as he disappeared into the corridor.

The facility was a maze of dimly lit hallways, the air damp and cold. Haruki ran, his mind racing. "Okay, first priority: find my gear. Second priority: find Yuki and Dante. Third priority: get the hell out of here."

After several turns, he stumbled into a room filled with shelves and display cases. His eyes widened as he spotted his dagger, Yuki's wand, and Dante's sword.

"Well, that was easy," Haruki muttered, grabbing the weapons. "You'd think they'd hide these better."

He strapped his dagger to his belt and slung the other weapons over his shoulder. "Now to find the others."

He moved cautiously, peering into each room he passed. Finally, he opened a door and froze.

"Yuki!" he exclaimed, rushing inside.

Yuki was lying on a cot, her hands bound, but her eyes fluttered open at the sound of his voice.

"Haruki…?" she murmured weakly.

"It's me," Haruki said, quickly cutting her bonds. "Come on. We've got to get out of here."

The chapter ends.