Chapter 15

As the boy approached the decrepit house, his heart pounded in anticipation, his steps quickening with each passing moment. Despite the dilapidated state of the building, he paid no heed to its crumbling facade, his focus consumed by the urgent need to reach his destination.

But as he drew closer, a discordant symphony of anguish and torment pierced the air, shattering the silence of the desolate street. The boy's smile wavered, his senses overwhelmed by the cacophony of mournful cries and sinister laughter that echoed from within the house.

Driven by a mixture of fear and determination, the boy dashed towards the door, his heart racing with a sense of foreboding. Ignoring the scattered debris that littered the path before him and the sharp pain that shot through his legs, he hurled himself against the door with all his might, the force of his desperation propelling him forward.

The door swung open with a resounding crash, revealing a scene of unspeakable horror that unfolded before the boy's eyes. Inside the dimly lit interior of the house, a group of men stood over a young girl, their twisted grins contorted with malice as they subjected her to unspeakable acts of cruelty.

The boy's breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight, his mind reeling in disbelief at the depravity that lay before him. With a primal scream of rage and anguish, he launched himself into the fray, his fists flying with a ferocity born of desperation as he fought to protect his sister from the clutches of her tormentors.

But his malnutrition body did not allow this act, as an unimaginable pain shot through his body after he received a kick from one of the men. "And who's this runt, boys?" One of the men asked, his tone laced with contempt, as he turned to the others, seemingly the leader of this group. Another one of the men answered with a smirk. "An older brother to this one," the man said, pointing to the young lady laying on the ground.

"Older brother? Are you sure? He seems like he's the younger one." The boss of the group mocked the boy as he walked towards him, his heavy steps echoing through the dilapidated room. With cruel intent, he delivered a devastating kick that almost broke the boy's ribs.

"Leave my brother alone," a quiet voice interjected, cutting through the air like a whisper. "You promised to leave him alone." The voice continued, a faint tremor betraying the speaker's fear, obviously belonging to Sheila.

"Don't you command us, young lady!" One of the men sneered as he rushed towards Sheila, his actions fueled by malice. In an act of brutality, he delivered a swift kick to her stomach.

"Sheila!" the boy's voice erupted with anguish as tears streamed down his bloody face. Desperate to intervene, he attempted to rise, but the quiet voice of his sister sounded again, imploring him to stay down. "Haruko. Stay down."

Haruko's eyes widened at his sister's stern tone. Despite being the older brother, he had always relished Sheila's protective nature towards him. She was what they called a prodigy, always looking out for him in their harsh world. Sheila looked at Haruko with a small smile, a silent reassurance passing between them, before turning to face the men.

With determination etched on her face, Sheila began to rise with the support of the wall. Slowly, she straightened up, her voice trembling but resolute. "Please leave my brot-"

*Swish*

A slivery light flashed throughout the house, illuminating the darkness with a haunting brilliance. The room fell into stunned silence, broken only by a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the neighborhood. "AGH!!!!" Haruko's voice reverberated with terror.

Inside the house, one of the men held a string in his hand. On the ground lay the lifeless body of a woman, her head severed from her body in a grotesque display of violence. The scent of blood filled the air, mingling with the palpable fear that hung heavy in the room.

"Sheila!" Haruko forced his trembling body to run towards his sister's lifeless form, his heart pounding with a mixture of anguish and rage. The pain coursing through his battered frame was nothing compared to the emotional turmoil tearing at his soul. Confusion, regret, anger, and sorrow warred within him as he knelt beside Sheila's body, her presence now a haunting absence that left him hollow.

The mocking voices of the men pierced through the suffocating silence, their vile laughter like poison dripping into his ears. Yet amidst the cacophony of cruelty, Haruko felt only a seething rage burning deep within his chest, drowning out any trace of fear.

"Did you just glare at me?" One of the men sneered, his tone dripping with contempt as he nonchalantly picked at his nose. "Boss, this runt just glared at me," he announced with a malicious grin.

The boss turned his attention to Haruko, a sinister smile curling on his lips. "Did you glare, boy?" he taunted, his voice laced with malice and superiority.

Ignoring their jeers, Haruko fixed each of them with a glare filled with raw hatred and determination. "I'll kill all of you, I swear it," he seethed, his voice trembling with suppressed fury.

The men recoiled slightly, a cold shiver running down their spines as they glimpsed the ferocity burning in Haruko's eyes. One of them, driven by a surge of anger at this display of defiance, lashed out and delivered a brutal punch to Haruko's already battered face.

As the other men joined in, raining down blows upon him, the boss remained behind with a pensive expression, his thoughts swirling with uncertainty. 'Was that... no, it can't be. He's just a boy from the slums,' he mused silently, a flicker of doubt igniting within him.

The relentless assault from the three men continued unabated, their fists raining down upon Haruko's battered body with ruthless precision. Each blow sent shockwaves of agony coursing through him, yet he refused to yield to the pain.

A vile spit landed on his face, mingling with the blood and sweat that adorned his bruised visage. The man responsible wore a sickening smirk, relishing in Haruko's suffering. "Keep that face on and you'll die, boy," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice.

Despite the overwhelming odds stacked against him, Haruko's expression remained etched in stone, his eyes burning with an unyielding resolve. "I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you," he muttered through gritted teeth, each word punctuated by his ragged breaths.

Summoning every ounce of strength within him, Haruko mustered the will to resist the onslaught of kicks and punches, pushing against the pain and rising to his feet with sheer determination. It was a herculean effort, his body protesting with every movement, but he refused to let himself be beaten into submission.

With a surge of newfound strength fueled by sheer determination and rage, Haruko seized one of the men's arms and twisted it with a savage swing, the sickening sound of bones snapping echoing through the room. The man's eyes widened in shock and agony as he let out a guttural scream, his arm hanging limply by his side.

Haruko's face betrayed no emotion as he turned his attention to the next assailant, moving with a fluidity and precision that belied his malnourished frame. In a flash, he appeared in front of the man and delivered a devastating punch that tore through his abdomen, blood spurting from the wound in a gruesome display of violence.

As the man doubled over in agony, Haruko withdrew his bloodied arms from the man's gut, his voice low and tinged with a dangerous edge. "Try not to die. I'm not done with you," he uttered with chilling resolve, his words carrying an ominous promise of further retribution. Turning to the boss and the other man.

Haruko's heart raced as he watched the boss conjure a scorching flame, unleashing it upon the man beside him before directing it towards Haruko with a furious gaze. Caught off guard, Haruko reacted instinctively, hurling himself towards the window in a desperate attempt to evade the deadly flames.

The searing heat licked at his skin, burning his left arm as he crashed through the window, the shards of glass tearing at his flesh. Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, Haruko clenched his fists, his arm throbbing with agony as he struggled to regain his composure.

Through the haze of pain and adrenaline, Haruko's eyes locked with the boss's gleeful smirk, his gaze burning with an intense hatred that fueled his resolve to fight back against his tormentors.

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That's it for chapter 15