Moreover, it was far harsher than the ones done at Strano Village. A normal blood offering was done on one arm in one place, but this girl had tubes in both arms in several places. Having so much blood stolen from her would place a tremendous burden on her body. It was surely ruthlessly reducing her lifespan.
He realized she was being held captive here. Tonight was the Blood Offering Festival, and this was a blood offering. Not only that, it was being done far more viciously than in the village. This girl had been brought all the way out here from her home and made into a sacrifice. A torrent of emotions gushed forth all at once from within Nagi’s heart.
Stories of nobles using commoner women as their playthings were far too common. While he might have been spurred to save her because of desire, or a sense of chivalry, his primary emotion was anger. This girl, whose beauty surpassed that of anything he had ever known, was being made to taste a form of humiliation he knew far more of than he wanted to.
“I’m coming to save you!”
“Huh?”
Nagi ran toward the surprised girl, and in the next instant, he took a hit from the side and was sent flying.
“You filthy maggot!”
It was the guard who’d crashed through the ceiling with him. Nagi stood back up and observed him. The man showed no signs of injury. It was possible his noble body had healed any wounds he’d received from the fall in an instant. Nagi still didn’t know much about how Halahala affected a noble’s body; he had no idea how long it was supposed to last.
On the other hand, Nagi was covered in wounds. His whole body was racked with pain. His right arm was in particularly bad shape, still throbbing in pain from the fall. It wasn’t broken, but it was pretty much useless for now. Additionally, Nagi’s knife was still on the floor.
His opponent had also dropped his weapon after their fall, so it appeared that they were on even ground... but that was entirely wrong. Nagi’s only weapon was his Halahala-coated knife. The bottle of poison was still in his bag, which he had also dropped upon their landing. It was possible the bottle was broken. Even if it wasn’t, it served no use if he didn’t have it on hand.
The guard sneered at him. It was the face of a carnivore standing before its prey. He understood that Nagi was no match for him without his knife.
“You’re just a commoner,” he snarled. “I’ll kill you.”
“Stop!” the girl screamed.
But the guard only gave her a glance and ignored her plea.
“Die!”
He came down with a punch. While it was not a particularly skillful attack, Nagi couldn’t dodge it. The pain and numbness assaulting his body made him incapable of moving freely. Leaning over and making the strike deviate slightly was the best he could do. Still, it wasn’t enough to get out of the way completely. Nagi took the punch to his cheek. He was sent flying back while vomiting blood. The guard walked up to the now fallen Nagi and stomped on him with the heel of his boot.
“You lowly plebeian. You dare inflict a wound on me, a noble? Just killing you won’t be enough. I’ll break all the bones in your arms and legs and then tear out your bowels.”
The guard’s eyes were bloodshot, flickering with a cruel delight.
“Stop! He’s still a child! Can’t you hear me?!”
I’m not a child, Nagi thought to himself needlessly as pain staggered his mind. The girl looked about the same age as him. I’m not a child anymore. I’m way past that point. As proof, I don’t have that much time left to live.
The guard continued to ignore her.
“That’s why I hate this job,” he said in a purposefully loud voice to nobody in particular. “Getting stuck here today of all days... Fuck me, I think my ears were done in by the fall. I can’t hear a thing.”
The girl realized the reason for the guard’s act and clenched her teeth. He was planning on ignoring her completely. A cheerful smile took shape on his slightly dirtied face.
“Oh well. Guess I’ll distract myself by torturing this maggot! Playing with men isn’t really my thing, but I’ve got no other choice.”
The guard kicked Nagi hard in the belly, causing the contents of his stomach to lurch out of his mouth. His face was now a mess of tears, blood, and vomit.
“Haha. How filthy. Well, you are a commoner. Filth suits your kind. Now, now, you’ll dirty my boots.”
Am I going to be killed by a noble in a place like this? Without obtaining a thing? Being made fun of the entire time? Nagi thought to himself hazily.
“A low-born like you is no different from cattle. When you forget you’re only being allowed to live so that you can offer your blood, you need to be properly punished!”
Is this all my life amounts to? Nagi wondered, then suddenly realized something. If I die, what happens to her? He didn’t believe she would be all right after such a vicious blood offering.
“Run! Get away from here!” Nagi yelled.
“Run...?” The girl once more looked like she couldn’t understand what he was saying.
“Quit your yapping,” the guard said, grabbing Nagi by the collar and lifting him off the ground.
He chucked Nagi toward a large tree in the courtyard. Intense pain shot through Nagi’s back. As his body bent around the tree, he spotted a dim light. It came from his knife, which had fallen to the ground just a short distance away. It was the one and only weapon capable of defeating his enemy. The guard hadn’t noticed it yet, but it was still too far away. Nagi wouldn’t be able to pick it up in time with his wounded body.
“Shall I start by crushing that noisy throat of yours?” The guard moved in to torture Nagi some more.
“Don’t!” the girl cried as she began running toward them.
She was completely ignoring the tubes in her arms. After a moment of resistance, the needles at the end of the tubes were plucked out, scattering red blood into the air. She threw herself between the guard and Nagi to block his path, but the guard frivolously thrust her aside, sending her down to the ground next to Nagi.
“Shit, I’ve really done it now. Well, guess I’ve got to seal that mouth of yours, too.”
Nobody noticed.
Not Nagi, still hazy from the pain.
Not the guard, who was trying to figure out how to hide the fact that he’d unintentionally hit the girl.
Not even the girl herself.
When she had fallen, a single drop of the blood coming out of her arm had stuck to the guard’s body.
“Hey,” the girl whispered to Nagi. “Is it really okay for me to run?”
He thought it was an odd question. There was nothing else to do but run. Defeat the enemy before him and run away.
“Of course it is. Let’s run away together,” he answered.
All for the sake of living.
Nagi unconsciously gripped the girl’s hand. He was surprised by the soft sensation against his palm. He had never felt anything like it in his life. That fleeting feeling caused him to reflexively entwine his fingers with hers.