Chapter 313: No Slavery
“Well~ What’s your choice?”
“Will you obediently surrender and come with us… or put up a symbolic resistance like in the stories?”
“Looking at you like this, you’re probably already at the end of one’s rope, right?”
Standing on the small boat accompanying the warship, Alberich leisurely waited for the Fish-Man in front of him to make a decision. At this distance, the other party absolutely couldn’t escape.
“……”
Lahel was silent, hugging the infant in his arms tightly.
Time passed second by second, and just before Alberich couldn’t help but urge him, Lahel finally spoke with difficulty. He asked the question he cared about most:
“……Navy, if I go with you, what do you plan to do with my child?”
“Ah~ You mean this ah~”
“I don’t know~”
Alberich slightly adjusted his stance, while casually saying:
“You’re a Celestial Dragons’ slave, right? The little fish fry in your arms should logically also be the private property of the Celestial Dragons. How it’s handled is up to them; we Navy have no right to interfere~”
“I can only guarantee your safety during the time before you see the Celestial Dragons…”
Whoosh—!
“……Safety.”
In the instant before his words fell, Alberich’s figure suddenly appeared behind Lahel, followed by a top-down knee strike.
Bang!
This strike solidly hit Lahel’s cervical vertebra. The unprepared Fish-Man immediately blacked out, nearly fainting.
“Eh~ A bit light?”
“They said to bring you back with minimal damage to you if possible, but the force is really hard to gauge~”
The sneak attack didn’t fully succeed, and Alberich couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.
Because of the need for ‘beast fighting,’ the Celestial Dragons ordered no significant damage or disability to Lahel’s body. This was also why Alberich chose to use words to lower the other’s guard before attacking.
As for the so-called persuade to surrender, he never considered from the start that Lahel would really surrender… The other wasn’t a fool; he didn’t need to think about what fate awaited him and the child in his arms if he truly surrendered.
Alberich was even too lazy to make up lies to deceive him.
Now that the first strike failed and the other didn’t faint directly, he had to change his approach next…
Slap!
His legs stepped on the water surface to borrow force again. Alberich twisted his body to come to Lahel’s side while reaching into the other’s arms, trying to snatch the infant.
Given how much the other valued that infant, threatening with its life would surely make him surrender!
『Sorry, only those without weaknesses can survive on this sea…』
『And you, with such a soft spot, never had a chance from the start~』
With his mind racing, Alberich reached out to grab the swaddling clothes…
“Eh?!”
The feel was wrong—empty?!
Noticing the anomaly, Alberich immediately tried to withdraw his arm, but it was gripped tightly by Lahel… He instinctively looked up and met a pair of scarlet eyes.
!!!
Madness, anger, resolve, pain… Countless emotions turned into bloodshot veins interwoven in those eyes filled with death wish, dyeing them blood red.
No creature could remain unmoved upon seeing those eyes.
“Let’s go to Hell together!”
“？!”
“W-What are you doing?!”
Alberich, who had always appeared at ease, finally panicked upon seeing those eyes.
Plop!
Without giving him time to react, seawater suddenly submerged his face. The sudden chill and suffocation made Alberich instantly panic… He was now being dragged entirely toward the deep sea.
Gurgle gurgle~
“Mmph—!”
『Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!』
『Let go now!』
After a few seconds, he finally realized his situation and immediately began struggling frantically!
At this moment, Alberich no longer cared about the Celestial Dragons’ orders. He wildly punched and kicked at Lahel’s vital points.
Neck, heart, head… He used his remaining hand and both legs to smash at these areas with full force.
『Rankyaku! Rankyaku! Rankyaku! Finger Pistol! Die die die!』
『Let go of me now, you lowly Fish-Man!!!』
Feeling the threat of death for the first time in his life, Alberich roared in his heart. Countless lethal attacks landed on the Fish-Man holding his arm, and the seawater was instantly dyed red with blood…
But the other showed no sign of letting go. No matter how hysterically Alberich attacked, Lahel showed no reaction, only sinking, sinking further…
Gulp gulp~
The seawater grew darker and colder… Lahel’s originally blood-red vision was gradually enveloped by darkness. His perception of the outside world was peeling away, his consciousness drifting apart.
At the corner of his eye, he caught a faint golden glow at the last moment. Lahel closed his eyes with a smile.
The walk-through of his life didn’t miss this final moment—
‘Run! Run fast! Take the food and run—!!!’
‘Older Brother!’
‘Bastard! Chop up this brat!’
‘……’
‘Lahel? What a formal name~ Did your parents give it? This Young Master is called Burufaruto. I named myself, not bad, right~’
‘Hey! Is the wound on your face okay? Who did it? I’ll go find them!’
‘You want to leave the Fish-Man District… Perfect, This Young Master has long wanted to set out to sea!’
‘……’
‘Woooh~~ Finally left that dump Fish-Man Island. From now on, the sky’s the limit! Sea, here I come!’
‘Damn it! Why did a storm suddenly hit out of nowhere?’
‘That’s a Sea King?! Lahel, careful! …Lahel?’
‘……’
‘Hee hee hee~ Boss, our luck’s good this time. We actually picked up a Fish-Man~’
‘Let’s go! Back to Sabaody!’
‘……’
’50 million Belly three times! Sold! Congratulations to the noble Saint Natania for acquiring this Fish-Man Slave!’
‘……’
‘Heh heh heh~ So tough, won’t even flinch no matter how hard I hit~ As expected of my strongest slave~’
‘Move aside, I’m going to personally mark my strongest slave, heh heh~’
‘……’
‘Such serious injuries! Don’t move, I’ll bandage you up…’
‘Lahel, so you’re from Fish-Man Island too? I’m Katie. I used to live in Fish-Man Harbor~’
‘……’
‘Haha~ So interesting! There’s actually such a fun place on the sea~’
‘I really want to see it with my own eyes~’
‘……’
‘Urp~ I’m fine, Lahel. Don’t worry about me.’
‘Eh~ Really fine, don’t worry… Idiot~’
‘……’
‘I miss home, Lahel. I really want to go home…’
‘Don’t let our child become a slave again. Take our child home, okay?’
‘……’
‘Run! Run fast! Take the child and run—!!!’
‘Bang!’
……
『Sorry.』
『Sorry.』
『Sorry.』
Darkness completely enveloped the flame of life. Lahel’s consciousness kept sinking, sinking… until it reached the bottom of the abyss, where a beam of light was calling to him.
Peaceful, serene… That was the feeling the light brought him. Lahel’s soul instinctively approached the light, finally stopping before a door.
“This is…”
Looking at the pure white door before him and the pure white light shining through from the other side, Lahel vaguely knew where he was in the dark.
Following the pull from the pure white world on the other side of the door, Lahel’s soul calmly stepped into the light…
Splash~
Crossing the door and passing through the baptism of light, Lahel’s soul arrived in another world. The light before him gradually dissipated… What entered his eyes was the person he had longed for day and night.
“Older Brother, Katie, and…”
“Burufaruto?!”
……
Calm Belt, unnamed desert island.
“Buruburu~”
Click~
A Den Den Mushi with a pale golden shell was answered.
“What is it, Obei?”
“Bad news, Big Sister! Aoxi has gone berserk!”
“…”
“I understand.”
La’s voice showed no change, still calm.
“Then…”
“No need to worry.”
“…Alright.”
Click~
“What happened? Something wrong?”
Queen, who was fiddling with his executive symbol nearby, heard the commotion and curiously turned back to ask.
“Nothing.”
La faintly glanced at the golden feather in the other’s hand, then lowered his eyes, ultimately taking no action.
