Chapter 76: Newcomers

Giliath demands your power stones!

Enjoy another longer chapter.

*

Time sure flies, even when you have absolutely nothing to do, huh?

Well, I wouldn't really call it nothing. My stats have been constantly on the rise for injecting Gnosis into my body. This drug is equivalent to Sepith in the games. It consistently was raising my stats during these last three years spent down here in the cult lodges.

And despite being in the main cult base for two years, it was rather uneventful besides getting to know Sherryl and Ennea. However at the time I did not know that my actions had caused KeA to temporarily wake up.

Being in the main base granted me two new Skills. One was Endurance. The other was an effect of the drug itself, which granted Perception. I did not gain Cognitive Speed like Renne would obtain, allowing more critical thinking and faster processing of the brain and such. That's what really made her intelligence soar. Perception though, that was more along the line of one of the newcomers who had recently joined our group of three.

That's right, we had officially encountered Tio Plato, albeit only being a five year old girl at this time. She was extremely frightened after going through the kidnapping process. I made sure to check their records to see when it would happen thanks to my Blood Magic, and sure enough, she ended up being placed in our cell.

Blood Magic is such a convenient thing, isn't it? Blood gets pumped through the whole body so using it on lower level goons like the guards here has been proven quite beneficial. The only downside is to get into them, one needed an injury. It didn't have to be big, just one single injury, and I had other magic I could use to compensate for that.

If there was an upside to the specific lodge we were now at in Altair, Calvard, it was none other than the facility itself, or to be more precise, this giant cave system. It was the same cave Lloyd and and his group explored to chase down Ernest and Heartmann in the prologue of Azure. To which the upside being that this cult facility was purely for research. Compared to the other facilities like Paradise, this lodge prioritized the experiments of Gnosis above all else.

While the sacrifices and torture were still happening in this place, they weren't not as prevalent as other lodges. Only those picked out for them were the unlucky ones.

However, with that thought, I thought Tio was the last to arrive in this place. I was wrong.

"Hey brats, we have one more coming for ya!", one of the guards suddenly yelled, only to open our cell. We saw the other guard quickly toss a figure who was bigger than most of us right now. They appeared to be a ten year old kid, a boy to be specific.

After being tossed our way, his body collapsed onto ours without a care in the world. The two guards treated us as if we were trash.

"Hey, isn't this cell getting pretty full? We've been getting quite lucky with the arrivals recently.", One of the guards said, looking at the five us us now.

"Three transfers and two arrivals. We are not to question the Head Priest that operates here. I could give a shit about how full this place gets. All we care about is the result of our experiments.", The other guard retorted.

"Right. I can't help but take note of this current child though. Did the Quincy Company really sell this brat out?", the first guard questioned.

"Heh, that aligns about with what the that Edmond fellow wanted. This brat was really pushing his luck to try and befriend that heiress. It was a surprise for this brat to take our beatings. Not many have survived this far.", The other guard answered with a grin.

Hearing that, the four of us saw a pretty badly beaten up blue-black haired boy currently fainted over our bodies. Despite that he still seemed to be the oldest of us five.

"Tch, seeing this puts a bad taste in my mouth.", I uttered softly, but it was loud for the guards to hear. They heard this and tilted their head my way.

"Hoh? One of you still has the energy to talk back at us?", The second said said, looking our way again, only to look at me.

"It is not yet time for the next round of injections according to the Head Priest, so why don't we have a bit of fun?", The first guard said, also revealing a grin. Expecting no force from us, the first of the two guards quickly approached my way and reached our their hand. All of a sudden they yanked it hard, latching directly onto my hair, firmly grasping it, acting as if the first two guards was was ready to drag me away.

Seeing this caused Sherryl's eyes to turn wide.

"No! Don't take big brother!", Sherryl's voice yelled out in panic. She suddenly stood up and tried to rush at the first guard. The guard saw this and sneered at the lilac haired girl. Besides the boy, most of us were still six to eight years old. Despite the ongoing use of Gnosis, it did not provide much physical enhancement to Sherryl.

Raising his spare hand, the guard swiftly punched out, striking right in Sherryl's gut,

"Ahh!", Sherryl responded, immediately sensing a severe pain spread through her stomach. She coughed out blood splatters before getting sent flying toward he left side of the limestone cell.

"Drop him, now.", Ennea, who stayed quiet during this, suddenly disappeared from her current position.

"Oh we know about you, little assassin girl.", The second guard said, and acted quickly to counter her. With a swift movement of his leg, he kicked Ennea who tried to slash out with her hidden knife at the first guard. Bang!

A dull sound struck the cell before Ennea felt a fast impact strike against her gut as well, only to cough out some blood too. She was sent the opposite way, crashing into the right wall. More blood spewed forth from her mouth, which flew far enough to splatter onto the blue haired girl and parts of the blue-black haired boy. As for the blue haired girl, she just sat there on her knees with a blank look in her eyes, not showing much emotion besides fear.

Seeing Sherryl and Ennea faint, the first guard sneered at me.

"What, is that all you've shitty brats got? Gnosis has definitely kicked in all right, haha!", the first guard retorted as he continued to clutch onto my hair before looking at me again. "And you're next you shitty noble brat. But we're going to take you some place to have some more fun.", the guard continue to say with another grin.

However, at this time, I also revealed a grin.

"Are you sure about that?", I answered back with a question, which caused the guard to blink at me.

"Hah? Have your ears turned? Did you see how easily we handled your so called friends? Or are they even your friends? You are just a bunch of shitty brats waiting to rot in this cell for our success.", the guard responded back at me.

"I guess play time is over.", I suddenly declared, which struck the cell.

Seeing Sherryl and Ennea not move for a moment, a moment passed in silence before Sherryl's lips started to frown a bit.

"Boo, I wanted to play some more.", Sherryl's lips moved, letting out her normal voice, and revealed a small pout. Despite blood pouring from her mouth she acted as if nothing happened.

"This is rather disappointing. I thought you guards could do more.", Ennea also responded, becoming uninterested once again. She just laid there, looking up toward the ceiling.

As for the newcomer, Tio, she continued to stare at the two guards with a blank expression. However, her fear vanished rapidly, only to reveal a small smile before saying a few words. Her current voice didn't seem to have much tone to it.

"Ha ha. You two reap what you sow.", Tio said as she continued to sit, watching two guards become more confused.

Before the two guards could react further, I quickly moved my left hand, grabbing onto the arm of the hand that was still holding up my hair.

"I only allow certain individuals to touch my hair like this. Would you be so kind to remove your hand for me?", I retorted at the first guard.

All of a sudden, a loud crack struck our cell. It was quite loud and the guard immediately start to let out a loud scream in pain.

"AHHH!", The first guard suddenly yelled, only to see his left arm get crushed in two, breaking the bone cleanly in half. It then limped, releasing my head entirely.

Feeling an intense pain in his right arm, the guard stood there dazed while half of his arm continued to limp. I looked at the guard briefly before raising my finger. It didn't go without saying that blood was spewing forth from the guard's arm since the bone was currently visible.

"Thanks, Sherryl, Ennea. I'll be able to form a good Blood Sphere with this.", I said, letting my mana run loose. As it did, an invisible air suddenly swept the cell before every single drop of blood in it, including ours, began to congeal into a bloody red ball over my finger.

"W-What is that!?", The second guard uttered in shock seeing the Blood Sphere finish forming.

"Oh this thing here? Just something Master taught me. I am still hesitant on drinking blood especially when it's rotten coming from you guards, so this Blood Sphere will have to do.", I answered, which only seemed to confuse the guard even more.

"Y-You're not a brat. You are a freak!", the second guard tried to respond back at me, which only caused Sherryl to giggle.

"Hehe, that's what you dumb priests always call us. We've done your experiments. Now you try to turn tail just by us showing a little bit of power?"

"You are stuck here like we are. Nowhere to run.", Tio also responded with a deadpan look in her eyes.

The moment Tio said that, the first guard looked at her, only to feel his vision start to blur. Perhaps it was his broken arm but he felt his blood escape more quickly than usual while the Blood Sphere formed. In the end he collapsed and passed out from blood loss.

Seeing his fellow guard collapse, feat started to strike the second guard. He tried to turn and flee, but I lashed out a strike with the Blood Sphere, only to cause an injury on his body.

"Unfortunately for you mister guard, I still have use for you. Time to say goodnight for now." I said, letting the Blood Magic seep into his body.

In no time at all, his eyes turned dull and he no longer became responsive. Yet my Blood Sphere continued to hover next to my shoulder now after moving it a bit.

Seeing the action end, Sherryl spoke out next.

"Well that was fun while it lasted. I'm surprised no reinforcements came.", Sherryl wondered.

"Cries for help is common here. I don't think the priests care about what happens. To them, all they care about is success.", Tio tried to answer.

"...What are we going to do now, Naoto?", Ennea asked who was now sitting upright again, wondering herself.

"Well, Tio you accepted us and remained by our side. Is it still not scary for you?", I decided to ask Tio, who had just recently joined our group.

"...It is still scary, but Sherryl, Ennea, and Naoto has comforted me in this rotten place. It makes passing time more enjoyable despite the treatments.", Tio said to us which caused Sherryl and I to smile. Ennea nodded her head. "I am glad we became friends.", Tio continued to say.

"Aww, I am glad we became friends to, Tio. But to be honest, this place is far more boring than the last one. Don't we have somewhere else to be, Naoto?", Sherryl asked.

Hearing this, Tio looked my way and confusion appeared in her eyes.

"You guys are going somewhere? Even if we can't go out?", Tio asked, confused.

I let out a laugh after Tio said that.

"Haha, how do you think we even got into this place, Tio? It is time to move into our next destination but I wasn't expecting another factor to get added into this whole mess.", I answered Tio who continued to look at me in silence after I said that.

After I did, I looked down at the blue-black haired boy who was badly beaten up still. He was still laying unconscious as well. His body didn't react to any of the action that just took place.

"Have you three seen this guy before? I know I haven't...", I said, only to point at the boy who seemed to be two years older than me.

"Doesn't ring a bell. But the guard said something about a Quincy Company.", Sherryl pondered.

"I have not seen this boy either.", Ennea answered.

"I have not either.", Tio also answred after staying silent.

"Hmm, I guess we'll have to ask him directly.", I said, only to shrug my shoulders a bit.

Leaning forward, I started to poke the boy's cheek a bit.

"Hey, you can stop pretending to be asleep you know.", I said, poking the guy's cheek as I did.

Expecting him to wake up, he became a bit startled.

"What the...", the boy started to say, only to feel his consciousness return.

Feeling some energy return, the boy found his eyes to the floor.

"Ugh...those bastards really did a number on me...", The boy uttered, still feeling his body in pain. However it didn't take long to notice he wasn't alone. He quickly sat up, only to find him in a cell he was used to being in.

Except this one, he saw a violet haired boy who seemed to be eight years old looking right back at him, which was of course me. The boy also saw a lilac haired girl, a blue-indigo haired girl and a vibrant blue haired girl also looking at him with interest in their eyes.

It also didn't take him long to see one guard fainted and the other not moving, remaining completely still and unresponsive.

"Yo. Enjoy your beauty sleep?", I asked the boy.

"Who the hell are you people? Did you seriously do this to the guards?", The boy asked, retorting back at me.

"Haha, it's a nice present, isn't it? One likely dead while the other incapacitated.", I answered the boy with a smile.

"You seriously caused this? And what the hell is that thing?", The boy asked, only to point at my Blood Sphere.

Hearing that, Sherryl pouted again.

"Hey! It's rude to ask questions right off the bat considering Big Brother went out of the way to protect you from the priests.", Sherryl retorted him.

"Tch. You call this protection? You lot seem like other prisoners in this accursed place like I am. How is that considered me being protected?", The boy scoffed at us.

"Hey, the door's wide open. Why don't you try heading out?", I said with a playful grin.

Hearing that, the boy turned around and sure enough the gate to the cell was currently wide open.

"Holy shit. You aren't kidding. With strength like this what's causing you guys not to escape from here?", The boy couldn't help but ask.

"Well, you actually. You just decided to ruin our parade by being tossed in here. We kinda got a thing going on right now.", I vaguely answered the boy while pointing at him.

"Me? And what do you mean by a thing?", the boy wondered.

"It is impolite to ask the other party, without introducing yourself first.", Tio said without much expression.

"Tio is right. Naoto could have continued to let you rot in here. You should be grateful to him for taking out the guards over our cell.", Ennea also retorted with a hint of disappointment.

Hearing that caused the boy to click his tongue.

"Yeah yeah, pay respect to where it's due. I know that much even if I'm just an orphan. If we can really get out of this place I'll show that bastard a thing or two.", The boy said, nodding his head.

"Oh? So you don't have parents?", I asked with interest.

"Unfortunately no. Been livin' in an orphanage not too far away from here. I became friends with a rather well off girl from a well known Company. Guess they weren't fond of me much. I found myself thrown in here couple years back."

"That is rather unfortunate. Most of us here were kidnapped as well.", I explained a bit. Hearing his story, it seemed awfully familiar, where have I heard it before?

"That so? Guess we're all stuck here together then unless you got a solid plan for us to actually make it out of this place.", The boy responded, feeling a similar sentiment.

"The name's Van. Van Arkride. Ten years old.", The boy said, formally introducing himself to us.

*

Time to go pick up our sadistic little angel.