Chapter 6: Getting away

Ishiki’s eyes went wide. His heart slammed against his ribs like a prisoner trying to break free—so violent, so desperate, that he was certain the beast could hear every thunderous beat echoing through the stone corridor.

The monstrous human approached the cell, huffing heretically as if it was exhausted, maybe, but still very much capable of ripping him apart.

Ishiki’s body couldn’t help but tremble at the sight of such a grotesque form, he had never thought he would see something like this in his whole life.

The monster clutched the bars of the gate and pulled it towards itself. The gate by no means was brittle, the beast had to exert more pressure. Muscles bulging beneath that sickly green skin, veins pulsing with dark and unnatural blood. The hinges screamed, then exploded from the stone walls in a shower of dust and fragments.

What happened next would’ve been hilarious if Ishiki wasn’t busy trying not to piss himself.

It looked as if the monstrous human was not capable of thinking. The moment the gate came free without resistance, the beast stumbled backward like a drunkard, crashed into the opposite cell with enough force to crack stone, and brought that gate down too.

“SHRIEKKKK”

“CLANGG!”

The hulking body collapsed in a heap of twisted metal and rubble, sandwiched between two gates like it was trying to pull some kind of silly joke…. but that didn’t make Ishiki laugh, not at all.

[Admin 70 – Haha, this is fun]

[Admin 81 – I think now its going to end soon]

[Admin 292 – I don’t believe so, come on boy don’t just stare at it… run]

[Admin 194 – This trial is certainly very entertaining]

The glowing text burned across Ishiki’s vision, snapping him back to reality. Right. Sitting around like an idiot wasn’t going to keep him alive. His legs needed to move.

He pushed himself up in panic… The beast thrashed beneath the metal, limbs flailing wildly like an overturned cockroach. How utterly broken was its mind?

’First things first—get the hell out of this cell.’

He slowly walked through the broken door, and through the passage that led towards the hall.

Every movement sent fresh waves of agony through his wrists and ankles where the cuffs had carved trenches into his flesh. The chains clinked softly, and the iron balls dragged behind him like anchors trying to pull him into the abyss. If only he could break these cursed things…

The beast, GROWLED slowly as it saw Ishiki move out from the cell. He turned back and met the eyes of the beast, glowing red in the darkness.

Screw exhaustion. Screw pain. When death stares you down, the body finds reserves it didn’t know existed. Adrenaline flooded his system, and suddenly his legs were moving faster than they had any right to.

He wanted to get out of here. Out of this cell, this prison, this whole damned trial.

But then his brain caught up with his feet.

’Wait… that thing came from the direction of the hall.’

Ishiki pressed his back against the cold stone wall, straining to listen past his own ragged breathing. From the hall came the symphony of a massacre—inhuman shrieks, wet tearing sounds, screams cut short.

More of these things had invaded the castle. The same castle that had twenty thousand people ready to stone him to death just hours ago.

Karma was a beautiful, terrible bitch.

“Pl…ease, — help me.”

The voice was barely a whisper, broken and desperate as something grabbed his ankle.

“Gah—!” Ishiki jerked away, his heart trying to jump out of his throat.

But his expression became complexed as he looked at his side, the one who was clutching his leg was the young guard. He was in a pretty bad condition… if it could even be said an condition.

Half his torso was simply… gone. Crushed into a red paste between the two beasts during their brutal dance. Organs glistened wetly on the stone floor.

Ishiki stared at him, breathing heavily and a look of disgust crossing his features.

’Thinking about it and looking it in front of my eyes… its a lot different.’ Ishiki’s eyes lowered, he felt pity towards the guard.

The guard’s eyes pleaded silently. He wanted release from the agony. This kid—and he really was just a kid, probably the same age as Ishiki.

He had shown him kindness. Brought him water and food when he had no reason to.

“GRAWWWWWRRR!”

’Oh… shit!’

Forgetting about the guard… Ishiki pushed himself towards the hall, it was a better option then to just sit and die in the prison area.

But the weight of the balls tried to his legs only seemed to increase with each step, behind the beast was already standing.

’I can’t die like that… no, i can’t.’ He gritted his teeth and pushed forward. A shuddering noise came from behind.

The beast jumped, visible cracks appearing on the floor. It whooshed through the air like a missile made of meat and malice, closing the distance in a heartbeat.

In a desperate panic, Ishiki’s leg tripped because of the balls and he fell to the ground. Luckily, the beast went over his head and landed a few inches ahead.

But… this was not for the better, because the exit was now blocked by the gigantic monster. There was no where to run. Behind there was a wall with a big window… and in front there was a monster ready to tear him limb to limb.

’Curses… what kind of situation is even this?’

“…the bir-d has lef-t the c-age. Soon- it wil-l bl-ow the wi-nds of fre-edom.” the voice drifted from the old woman’s cell, cracked and trembling, yet somehow… joyful?

The beast’s attention snapped to the cell of the old lady…

“T-he bird, cough cough… mu-st fly.”

’Is she insane? Doesn’t she see that thing?’

But maybe that was the point. Where every other prisoner had the good sense to hide and pray, this crazy old woman spoke as if she were commenting on the weather.

Again with the bird nonsense. Prison had broken her so much that maybe she’d simply decided death was preferable to one more day in this hole.

Ishiki, stood up, gritting his teeth and waited.

The monstrous human turned towards the cell and started shaking the gate vigorously like it was a toy, soon the walls gave away and the gate was rooted out. Having no use of the metal, the beast threw it in the direction of the hall and walked inside the cell.

This was the moment he wanted… Ishiki pushed himself through the pain and agony. The weight of the balls making the chains bite into his flesh, deepening the already made injuries.

’Just need something sharp. Anything that can break these chains.’

He slowly reached in front of the cell of the old lady, what he saw made his heart shudder. The beast was actually eating, it was eating a human, despite the fact that it resembled a human so much.

Ishiki tried to look the other way… it was that crazy old woman’s own fault that she was in such a situation. Yeah… she definitely didn’t do it in order to….

’Don’t think about it. Focus, you idiot.’ he mentally slapped himself and increased his pace, the exit was just about two meters away.

Bright light spilled from beyond the prison’s darkness, so intense after hours in shadow that it nearly blinded him.

“GROWLL!”

Ishiki’s soul nearly left his body. The beast was done feeding. Already. Did it even chew?

’At least… eat your damn food properly.’

Ishiki turned around and saw the beast looking his way… blood dripping from its mouth and claw like hands.

“Disgusting…” The word slipped out before he could stop it.

The absurdity almost made him laugh. His last words were going to be an insult to a mindless monster.

The beast coiled to spring. Ishiki’s mind raced through impossible scenarios, dodge left, duck right, pray to whatever gods might still be listening.

Then, in the space between one heartbeat and the next—the beast was cleaved in two. Perfectly bisected from head to groin.

Foul green blood splattered on Ishiki’s face. It was hot and had a rotting smell. But it was real, he was not dreaming, nor was he dead.

The two halves of the creature collapsed with a sickening thud, twitched once, then lay still. Its reign of terror ended in an instant by… what? Who?

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