The forest was crawling with pirates.
Most groups moved in small clusters—6 men at most, a few larger, but none over 10. They prowled through the thick fog, scavenging, searching, laughing.
Except for one group.
One group had found entertainment.
A pink-haired girl. Young. Pretty. Frightened.
And completely at their mercy.
"Hey, bitch, stop squirming."
"I'm going first."
"Go to hell," another snapped. "I was the one who grabbed her."
The biggest of the group leered at her, stepping closer, his hands outstretched toward her chest. His fingers brushed against her collar.
"Useless clothes. They're in the way."
Then he stopped.
His lips parted like he wanted to speak. But he never got the chance.
Because in the next breath—his upper half slid off his lower half and crashed to the ground with a wet thud.
The other pirates barely had time to process what happened before they noticed him—the intruder.
A tall young man with white hair and sharp, handsome features—though his clothes were ragged, stained with dirt. He held a saber in his hand, its blade still dripping red. His blue eyes flickered with something distant, something unreadable, as he gazed at the fresh corpse.
[Allen POV]
"Ew," I muttered, staring at the body—the blood, the guts, the whole grotesque mess. "That looks disgusting."
"What the fuck?!" one of the pirates yelled.
"Kill him!" another roared.
One lunged at me, swinging his sword wide. Sloppy. Slow. I raised my hand and—
Grabbed the blade mid-swing.
His eyes went wide.
His mouth opened in shock, but before he could speak—I drove my saber straight through his face.
It felt… weird. Not hard. Not heavy. Just weird. I wasn't used to killing people. And despite everything, something about it made my stomach turn.
But I had no time to dwell on it.
Two more blades came crashing into my back.
I barely noticed.
No damage. Not to me. Not even to my clothes. Good thing, too—I wasn't exactly eager to run around naked.
I exhaled, turned, and swung. Two effortless slashes.
Two bodies hit the ground.
There was no technique to it. No grace. I probably looked like some mindless machine, an unfeeling golem programmed to kill.
Yeah… definitely need to learn how to use a sword properly.
I lifted my gaze.
Three pirates remained.
Horrified.
One fumbled for his pistol, raising it with trembling hands.
Bang.
The bullet hit me square in the chest.
Nothing.
His face went pale.
The other two didn't wait. They turned and ran.
The last one—the one holding Hana—shoved her aside and bolted after them.
Pathetic.
I took a breath. Then moved.
By the time they realized what had happened, their bodies had already been split apart.
It was over.
I turned back toward Hana. She was lying on the ground, eyes wide, her breath unsteady. Tears clung to her lashes.
When I stepped closer, she flinched.
Right. She had no idea what to expect from me.
I scratched the back of my head, feeling the awkwardness settle in. "…So, yeah. I saved you."
My voice came out stiff. Too blunt. Too casual for what just happened.
She didn't respond. Just stared.
"I'm not with them," I added quickly. "I'll explain later."
I extended my hand toward her.
She hesitated. Looked at it. Looked at me. Back at my hand.
Then, finally—she took it.
With a quiet grunt, I pulled her up to her feet. She was shaky, but she was standing.
"Alright, what's easier?" I asked.
"…What?"
I turned, flashing a slight grin. "Would you rather ride on my back or in my arms?"
She blinked. "I, I don't… what?"
"Well, I'm carrying you back to the village," I said plainly. "Which do you prefer?"
A pause. Then—
"…I guess, your back?"
"Good choice."
I crouched slightly. "Go ahead."
She hesitated again, then climbed onto my back, her arms wrapping around my shoulders. I grabbed her legs, securing her.
"Just hold on tight," I said.
"Uh-huh," she murmured.
Then—I ran. Fast. Too fast.
The moment I started to run, she clung to me for dear life. A small, startled gasp escaped her lips, and her grip around my neck tightened as if she thought she'd fall off at any second.
The trip didn't take long.
Less than a minute. That's all it took to reach her house. To get her out of that nightmare.
I stepped inside and slowed to a stop.
"We've arrived."
Hana opened her eyes, blinking as she took in the familiar sight. The walls. The floor. The dim
light filtering through the window. She was home.
For a brief second, I saw it—the relief in her face. The small, fleeting moment where she almost forgot.
Then she remembered.
The color drained from her expression, her body tensed, and the weight of everything that had just happened came crashing back down.
Her friend. Died. Right in front of her.
"…Hey." I frowned. "Did something happen?"
"Nothing," she murmured.
A lie. But I didn't push.
"Alright," I sighed. "Then you can get off. I'll take care of the rest."
She slid off my back, her movements stiff, mechanical—like her brain hadn't quite caught up to the fact that she was safe now.
I straightened up. "I'm going."
Then, just as I turned toward the door—
"And my dad?" Her voice was quiet. Hesitant.
I glanced back at her. "Huh? I saved you first," I said, matter-of-factly. "I'm sure he's fine. Almost all the pirates are heading here anyway."
She didn't react much. Just nodded, her face unreadable.
"Okay."
Something was off, but I wasn't going to ask. Whatever it was, it wasn't something she wanted to talk about.
"Alright," I said simply.
Then, with a lazy wave—"Bye."
And I walked out the door.