Chapter 8 : Fight to the death

The expected pain and blackout never came.

Qianyu had to admit—today really was her lucky day. Half-squatting, she felt only a hot gust brush the back of her head.

Like pressing her scalp against a space heater.

“Hm?”

No matter how she thought, something was off. Believing she’d escaped doom, she exhaled and slowly opened her eyes skyward.

“Zzzzt.”

A vivid flame-red laser, rapid and fierce, endlessly surging with energy,

streaked from somewhere above her head. At this distance, its malice was clear.

Stick a hand in that torrent three seconds—no more—and she’d be crippled for life.

Qianyu was certain.

Following the beam forward—

The thug who’d swung a wooden club to end her a second ago

had his flesh pierced—no, absorbed.

The laser vanished upon entering his body.

“W-What the…”

Confused, he stared at his coal-glowing, reddening form, then

[Crack like shattering stone.]

His body “collapsed.”

Unable to hold shape, it broke into dozens of corpse fragments scattering the ground.

Not a drop of blood—the laser’s heat had vaporized all fluids.

This scene stunned even the murder-hardened thugs,

eyes bulging, lips bitten bloody, forgotten to release.

Never seen a death like this.

Described in text, it might seem long—

but it happened in under ten seconds.

After the shock,

time froze; silence and stillness enveloped all.

“Tch. Missed?”

Breaking the freeze was Leila, appearing not far behind Qianyu.

Her pansy-like pale lavender hair danced with falling leaves in the wind,

residual magic traces forming visible red aura around her.

She hovered mid-air, pose still in release—

arrogantly looking down, one finger extended.

“Y-You bstard, what did you—”

“Shut up, trash.”

Leila’s fingertip shifted slightly;

another same-colored, same-sized laser shot at near-light speed,

targeting the unfinished speaker.

This collapse was faster—

no final sound escaped.

He turned to pale ash, scattering in the breeze.

Even magic-ignorant Qianyu could tell

this blast packed more power than the last.

The result—unexpected.

Her back, though, was drenched in cold sweat. Another matter.

“Aaaaaaaaaah!”

“Run run!”

“You lot—stop, protect me!”

Five became three.

The remaining panicked, fleeing in all directions.

Like crabs under lifted rocks.

The two skinny, lightly equipped ones aside—

the tree-trunk-fat one,

Qianyu’s “Pig,” the boss, had no such luck.

Couldn’t even run properly,

thighs too thick to bend—only hop, comically.

Most crucially, facing death, he still refused to release the enslaved girl.

Like treasured property. Even in death, an inheritance.

But his “cherishing” only brought her endless pain.

Unable to flee—or incapable—she stood doll-like,

letting Pig yank her withered body via chain.

A breeze could topple her; naturally, she was dragged down.

“Gah, guh—”

Zero resistance.

Kited along, leaving gruesome blood trails on rocky, thorny grass.

Weak, pained whimpers.

“You! Let—go!”

No speed possible in this state.

Snapping awake, Qianyu chased in two strides, hugging the girl.

Fragile—slight force could crush, tofu-like.

Her icy skin felt deeply wrong.

The urge to seize her grew stronger.

“Huh? Y-You jinx—get lost!”

“No—unless you release her!”

Just as Qianyu prepared to wrestle—

new issue surfaced.

If both pulled opposite ways,

the girl in the middle became a tug-of-war rope.

Not just tears—given her frailty, upper and lower body could split.

But without pulling, she’d keep being dragged…

“Right!”

Idea flashing, Qianyu closed distance fast,

grabbed the chain beyond the collar, wrapping it several times around her arm like Pig.

Pull from this end—bypass the collar, spare the girl.

“Persistent btch!”

Chain at limit, unable to advance, Pig stopped.

Gripped with both hands, yanked hard.

“Guh.”

The wrapped chain tightened,

hard metal pressing “口”-shaped marks into tender skin through thin cloth.

Her gripping palms scraped raw by burrs.

Warm blood flowed, dripping to grass. Hands numbed.

(D-Damn, if my old body were here—I wouldn’t lose…)

Release the chain—escape pain and binding.

She knew this better than anyone, yet refusal was impossible.

Pity, perhaps—or lingering male competitive spirit.

“Enough. Stop here.”

Clear, effortless,

emotionless voice rang in Qianyu’s ear.

(Ah, I know this—it’s hers—)

Blood loss dizzying, vision blurring,

she glanced aside.

Captain Lilix had arrived, standing between the standoff,

smiling as always.

“Good work, Qianyu. You did great.”

“C-Captain, please… help her…”

Seeing her meant safety. Lilix gave that feeling.

Murmuring the plea, Qianyu’s taut muscles and nerves relaxed.

She’d been pushing limits—now she noticed the brink.

No magic, no enhancement, no gear.

Qianyu had squeezed this body’s scant strength dry.

“Leave it to me.”

“Mm…”

Squeezing that reply, strength failed; Qianyu toppled forward.

Her unclosing eyes last saw—

Lilix gently catching her body, other hand firmly gripping the chain.