32 Chapter : 31 Hidden truth
[Tatsumi's Pov]
As I walked towards the outside of the Mansion, I noticed a guard I had seen with Aria before, so I stopped him in his tracks and inquired him about Aria's whereabouts.
The guard informed me that Aria was inside the shed at the backside of the mansion and we needed to prevent the assassins from reaching her. I agreed with the guard.
With a sense of urgency, we hurried towards the shed to protect Aria.
However, tragedy struck as the guard running beside me suddenly collapsed to the ground. Within moments, ominous black markings appeared on his neck and hands, and his movements came to a halt. After checking upon the guard, I found him dead.
As I looked up, I spotted a black-haired girl wielding a sword, casually flicking off the blood from her blade. It became evident that she was responsible for the guard's death.
My feet trembled, and my breathing grew laboured, but I forced myself to maintain composure. If I couldn't protect a girl who had sheltered me, how could I fulfil my promise to help the waiting villagers back at home?
With resolve, I stood up, gripping my sword tightly, ready for the impending clash. The black-haired girl, however, paid me no heed as she headed towards the shed. As other guards arrived and opened fire on her, she swiftly dispatched them with effortless precision.
Determined not to let her reach the shed, I positioned myself in her path and engaged her in combat. Despite my efforts, she quickly gained the upper hand, overpowering me with her superior skill and strength.
The girl finally spoke to me, urging me to step aside, as I wasn't her target. However, I didn't comply, and in response, she said something and unleashed a terrifying aura of bloodlust, signalling her intent to eliminate me.
Before I could process her words, she swiftly kicked me aside and aimed a fatal strike at my chest. Miraculously, I survived the attack thanks to a protective amulet given to me by the village chief, which intercepted the deadly blow.
But the girl wasn't finished yet. She charged at me once more, this time targeting my neck with a swift and deadly sword strike. Just as I thought it was the end, a girl with blonde hair and cat ears intervened, halting the girl's lethal assault.
She revealed herself as the busty thief girl who had scammed me at the inn, explaining that she had repaid her debt by saving me at that moment.
I questioned her about the senseless killings of innocent people, but her expression turned grim, and without further explanation, she headed towards the shed.
And when she approached the shed, she unleashed her incredible strength by kicking the iron door with her legs. The force of her blow shattered the door, granting her entry into the shed.
Determined to prevent any more bloodshed, I hurried after her. However, my steps came to a sudden halt as I saw the sight before me.
The gruesome scene that greeted me inside the shed was so terrifying that it brought my movements to a halt, nearly causing me to vomit.
Inside the shed, the atmosphere was oppressive, with dim light barely penetrating through small, barred windows, casting eerie shadows across the cramped space. The air was heavy with the putrid stench of decay and rot assaulting my senses.
The walls of the shed bore the marks of brutality, stained with dried blood and bearing the scars of past torture sessions. The floor was strewn with debris, faeces, and discarded tools, remnants of the horrifying acts that took place within.
Along the walls, dead bodies hung, shackled and lifeless, their faces frozen in expressions of terror and agony. These haunting scenes depicted the depths of despair and suffering endured by the victims, a grim testament to the cruelty that had transpired in this grim place.
As I struggled to comprehend the horrifying scene before me, my legs buckled, and my breath grew laboured. The naked figure hanging on the torture table unconscious, her body marred by unimaginable brutality, sent chills down my spine.
Blood seeped from numerous wounds, her once beautiful form now a testament to the savagery she had endured. Though her face was obscured by tangled, torn hair, I couldn't deny the sinking feeling that I knew who she was.
Amidst the chaos, a hoarse voice called out my name, drawing my gaze towards the cages nearby. There, I was confronted once again with a familiar figure, further adding to the nightmarish reality unfolding before me.
The person who had called me was none other than my other friend Ieyasu, but his condition was too brutal, displaying extreme distress and agony.
Ieyasu's face bore the gruesome signs of suffering—pale complexion, beads of sweat on his forehead, and clenched teeth, revealing the excruciating pain he endured. His upper body, stripped bare, showed visible signs of torture, while his eyes reflected deep redness, a testament to the torment he had faced.
Through clenched teeth, Ieyasu confirmed that the girl at the torture table was none other than Sayo, who had been brutally tortured.
And then he recounted the horrifying experience after he, and Sayo were brought into the mansion by Aria in a same manner as him. They were rendered unconscious and subjected to brutal torture by the entire family.
Ieyasu said a few minutes ago before I came into the shed Aria was tormenting Sayo by mutilating her legs, but abruptly ceased when the sounds of gunshots echoed from outside the shed and then she instantly took refuge within the shed to hide from the chaos.
The blond-haired girl then brought Aria in front of me, who was trying to flee but was unable to as she was caught in a tight grip by the blond-haired girl.
The blonde girl, now standing beside Aria, shattered any remaining illusions. She revealed that the kind girl I had sought to protect was, in reality, a sadistic tormentor who lured unsuspecting victims into her home, rendering them unconscious before subjecting them to unspeakable torture for her own pleasure.
It was a facade of benevolence, hiding the true horrors perpetrated by the entire family.
I was unable to utter a single word out of my mouth for an unknown amount of time, but through clenched teeth and boiling rage, I confronted Aria, demanding to know why she subjected my friends to such horrors.
At first, Aria tried to deny all the allegations, but when she realised that no one believed her lies, she fell silent.
But after a few seconds Aria's face reddened, and her expression twisted into a demonic visage as she shouted at me with a hideous voice, deeming me and my friends as worthless country hicks, mere Cattles whom she could treat however she pleased.
In her twisted justification, she revealed her jealousy towards Sayo's straight hair, comparing her to a farm animal, which led her to brutalize and torture Sayo for an unknown amount of time. Aria believed Sayo should be grateful for the "care" she received.
The blonde-haired girl, as if disgusted by Aria, moved her hand towards Aria's throat to end her life, but I intervened.
And with a swift slash of my sword, I severed the demon in half who could not be even called a human being anymore, putting an end to her vile existence.
As I looked into the now hollow eyes of the vile demon, my only regret was that I had granted her a swift end, which might have been an act of mercy she didn't deserve.
But pushing aside these thoughts, I focused on the task at hand: checking on Ieyasu and Sayo.
After freeing them from their bindings, the black-haired girl updated me on their conditions, delivering news that shattered my world.
Sayo was barely clinging to life, her breaths shallow and labored due to the severe torture and blood loss. On the other hand, Ieyasu, though in a slightly better condition than Sayo, had been injected with the deadly Lubora disease by Aria's mother.
Entries in her diary chronicled the sadistic torture inflicted on Ieyasu, and now he, too, was in the final stages of the disease. His life expectancy was just one or two days, while he was barely hanging on by his incredible will to live.
My mind came to a halt and hands began to tremble, thinking about the inevitable death of my only two friends.
But my thought as the blonde-haired girl began to persuade the black-haired girl about bringing me to their base as a workforce as currently they are shorthanded.
The black-haired girl remained silent for a moment before consenting to bring me to their base.
The blonde girl then appeared before me, informing me that my friends had only a few hours, at best two days, to live. She offered their help to let my friends die in a more comfortable place than this hellish place, but in return, I had to join and work for them.
Without hesitation, I bent my body, lowering myself to the ground while on my knees, fervently requesting their assistance. I declared my willingness to do anything for them, even if it meant sacrificing my life, as long as they brought my friends along. Despite knowing my friends' deaths were inevitable, I wanted to remain by their side until the very end.
After a brief silence, the blonde-haired girl nodded, and with my two friends in tow, we made our way to join the rest of the girls' team members, who also agreed to the blonde-haired girl's request.
As all three of us were brought into the Night Raid members' base, Sayo and Ieyasu received treatment and were provided with gas masks to prolong their lives for a few more hours. Despite this temporary relief, the fear of their inevitable deaths still haunted me.
Throughout the passing day, I remained seated beside my two unconscious friends, consumed by self-condemnation for being unable to save them from their inevitable fate. I grappled with the selfish desire to hold on to them, unable to let go despite knowing it would be a release from their suffering.
Turning my attention to Sayo, I observed her unconscious form lying on the bed; her face covered by an oxygen mask. Her nearly severed legs were stitched, with various medical tapes adorning her body, remnants of the severe torture she endured.
Sayo's mental strength and resilience had always been the strongest among us. She never ran from any problems and always had faced it head on.
During our training in the village, especially during the challenging nights, Sayo's soothing voice and her song were like a balm to our weary souls.
Her soft melodies helped us endure the physical and emotional strains of our training, offering moments of respite and comfort amidst the hardships.
Ieyasu had recounted to me how, despite enduring brutal torture, Sayo never yielded or begged for her life, not even when her leg was being amputated.
Instead of giving her torturer the satisfaction of her pain, she quietly slipped into unconsciousness, shielding herself from further agony.
As I looked at her face, a thought entered my mind. If I sing the song to Sayo, will it help ease her pain, even if just a little? Even if my voice isn't good, the lullaby should still have some impact, shouldn't it?
With a heavy heart, I mustered my strength and began to sing the lullaby that Sayo used to sing for us during our training days in the village.
"...Oh, the laughter that rings through the air, As they sing with …joy without a care,
For in each other's company they find,
The warmth of friendship…., the ties that bind.
Yet amidst the ….mirth, a longing stirs,"
Despite my parched throat and rough voice, I hoped that the familiar melody would bring some comfort to Sayo and Ieyasu, even if only momentarily.
"For the unknown, for ….what lies beyond the furze,
They yearn for ….adventure, for
….distant lands,
Where destiny beckons with ..outstretched hands."
As the notes of the lullaby filled the room, memories of happier times flooded my mind, and I poured my emotions into each word, hoping against hope that it would somehow alleviate their pain and suffering, if only for a brief moment.
"So they ride ….on through day and night,
Chasing dreams bathed in golden …..light,
With hearts …..ablaze and spirits high,
They seek the elusive, the unreachable sky"
As I sang the last verse of the song, tears began to stream down my face uncontrollably, as if a dam had broken within me.
The pain was unbearable, like someone was clenching my heart tightly. I wanted to scream out in anguish, unable to bear the thought of losing my two closest friends.
However, since both Ieyasu and Sayo lay on their beds, I could only sniffle quietly while wiping away my tears. But as I cleared my eyes, I noticed a masked figure standing in front of me.
The figure stood motionless for a few moments, their gaze fixed on my face.
"…..From where did you learn this song?" The figure asked, their voice melodious yet tinged with a hint of tremor.
As I looked towards the figure, I noticed the demon mask concealing their features.
Observing the figure's delicate frame and listening to the voice, I noticed their aquamarine eyes staring at me from behind the mask. The person who was standing in front of me was clad in a full black coat.
Realizing we were in Night Raid's secretive base, accessible only to team members, I explained that I had learned the song from my friend Sayo, who lay on the bed.
The figure simply nodded and slowly approached Sayo's bedside, standing silently for a moment as they observed her.
Then, in a slow voice, the figure whispered,
"L.i.y.a.?"
