Break

The prisoner shut his eyes, clenched his teeth, and contracted his every muscle.

"Shhh... No screaming, okay?" The Young Master whispered, as the tip of his blade traveled across the prisoner's right arm, freeing the hot blood that came flowing down. "They're just shallow cuts. Nothing to worry about."

Why? That is all the prisoner wanted to ask. But he couldn't. Because he knew that if he opened his mouth, he would shout it, he would scream.

Is it revenge? Did someone pay for this? The families of one of his previous victims? That was possible. But then... Why now? Why is it happening three months after he was caught and brought to this place? And why would the Young Master do it himself? It doesn't make any sense!

"Mmmm..." The Young Master brought an index finger to his mouth as he thought.

'Oh, I see... This isn't revenge. It isn't... Anything like that...'

"I found some pretty fun things at the entry." The Young Master's eyes were round and sparkly. "Let's leave those for later though."

'This guy... Is having fun. He's having fun... At my expense!!'

"Let's try this." The Young Master gently took hold of the prisoner's index finger.

The latter's pain and fear fused and turned to anger.

'I'm the one... I'M THE ONE... WHO HAS FUN AT THE EXPENSE OF THOSE LIKE YOU-"

Crack-

A moment of silence followed that crack, and the Young Master's hand shut the prisoner's mouth before a sound could be uttered.

With wide eyes, he stared at the Young Master.

The latter's lips parted and,

Piiiierce-

A blade was slowly pushed through his left hand.

'ARGHH!'

A second blade was pushed through his right hand.

A third through his left thigh.

A fourth through his right arm.

"Would have been easier if I had daggers, don't you think?"

The prisoner didn't hear that sentence at all. All he could do was focus on his breathing, and pray... Pray that the sword appearing in the Young Master's hand will be the last. That there won't be another sword appearing from thin air.

"Mmm... That's all seven of them. Could've sworn I had taken more from those Assassins-"

"If..." It took everything from the prisoner to utter the words. "If I wasn't... Stuck to this chair."

"Mm." The Young Master nodded. "Those Seals take away your ability to use Qi. Without them and the chains, I wouldn't be able to do this."

"Ha! You know that and yet-"

"Well, of course." The Young Master let his head hang to the side. "You gotta know when you're in a position of strength, and when you're in a position of weakness. You were chained up and sealed, but still thought you were in a position of strength. See this as me educating you, okay?"

"You fucker-" The words gave way to grunts.

"Huh? Can't hear you! Speak a bit louder, will you?" The Young Master said as he twisted one of the multiple swords piercing the prisoner's body. "You're holding on pretty well though. If I was in your place, I probably would have lost already."

"Ha! You-"

Another finger was broken.

"Mm... You're pretty durable. This is taking longer than I thought it would." The Young Master muttered as he tapped his cheek with an index finger. "Guess I'll use them." 

The Young Master's hands moved so fast that the prisoner's gaze couldn't keep up.

Additionally, the instrument only appeared at the last moment.

Cut-

"ARGHHHH!!" 

"You look like you're going to explode. Let it out, let it out!"

The prisoner held on.

"Amazing..." The Young Master muttered.

He was truly impressed. Both by the prisoner's will and by how indifferent he felt.

The cut-off finger fell to the ground.

'If I want to break him... Pain isn't the way to do it.'

The Young Master's smile widened. An amusing puzzle.

'You get them on their knees, huh? Let's see...'

He placed his palm in front of the prisoner's face. He moved it to the right. He moved it to the left.

Attentively, the prisoner followed.

The Young Master clenched his fist.

He opened slightly, and a Sabre appeared. It disappeared as he squeezed on it. He unclenched his fist, and the Earth-Qi Hammer appeared. 

"I can make anything appear in my hands, see?"

The Young Master started moving, and the prisoner's pressure dropped.

His heart was about to explode, as the palm moved out of his field of vision.

The prisoner was panting. His breathing was uncontrollable. Panic set it. Horror. 

The Young Master was standing behind him. There was no way to know... No way to know what was about to happen, what was about to appear in that hand, no way to-

The Young Master swung the Earth-Qi Hammer twice, and the chair fell over.

The prisoner's knees and chin hit the ground.

"Are you... Ready for this?"

The one who takes advantage of them is me. 

The one who puts them on their knees is me.

The one who takes them is me.

Me. Me. Me!

The Young Master lay his cold, cold palm against the prisoner's bare back and,

The prisoner's face twisted and contorted. Lei couldn't see it, and he didn't want to.

The prisoner screamed and screamed and screamed.

"I'M... I'M SORRY..."

The screams pierced through the darkness of the dungeons and woke every other prisoner. They all were woken up. And they all shuddered.

The prisoner screamed, and cried.

'I really broke him, huh?'

The prisoner banged his forehead against the ground again and again and again.

"I'M SORRY!! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY! I SWEAR I WON'T EVER GO OUT AGAIN, I'M SORRY!"

The Young Master took a deep breath in, and walked out of the cell. 

The screams and cries of the miserable prisoner did not stop.

The Young Master walked and walked until,

FATHER, I'M SORRY-

He brought a hand to his mouth, but couldn't fight against it.

The Young Master bent his back, and threw up uncontrollably. 

'I broke him...'

An instant later, he straightened up and wiped his mouth.

'Just like I wanted.'

The Young Master continued walking through the darkness of the dungeons.