Chapter 39: Lynched

Prisoners writhed in pain across the prison corridor and mess hall floor. Some foamed at the mouth as others were forced to bear with the pain. Maverick along with his followers saw the mess before them, practically surprised.

"W…What happened here…"One of the followers uttered, stunned by the scene.

Maverick navigated through the mess of collapsed bodies. Looking at the table, he saw a strange stew and picked it up.

"Don't eat that!" a cook warned. "The food's been poisoned by the Immortal Maiden."

Maverick looked at the cook and turned his attention back to the stew at hand. He picked a white chunk from the stew. 

He felt its rubbery texture and squeezed it. Everyone watched as a little bit of green juice was secreted from the piece. "A white toad mushroom. This can paralyze a grown man for several days… If cooked properly. And several hours if it isn't." Maverick tossed the piece of the mushroom aside.

"W-wait, how can you even tell?" The cook asked.

"In the north these are grown plentifully, we'd boil 'em and use its juice for hunting. All you'd have to do is squeeze them once they're boiled to identify them."

Maverick once again sets off to leave. 

"We're leaving already Maverick?"

"I doubt that women will be coming back here soon…" he stated.

Demon guards start passed Maverick along with some other differently dressed demons.

"I'm just going to roam around until I find her again. I suggest you three do the same.... If you find anything, let me know." Maverick finished.

He continued to venture forth into the halls of the dungeon prison as his followers did the same, scattering in a frenzy.

********

Elsewhere in the prisoner corridor Kalika was being pursued by four other prisoners, some of them threw knives at her and were missing.

"Your aim sucks! Gimme those!" A thinner prisoner shouted, taking the other's knives.

The thin prisoner started throwing the knives himself, getting more direct shots at Kalika. He hit her back, then her legs, he aimed for her head but missed.

 As knives continued to be pelts, She pushed past the pain, outrunning all the prisoners to their own surprise. Some even start to give in, absolutely exhausted.

"H-how the hell is she still going???" They questioned.

Up ahead at an intersection, Kalika caught a glimpse of another prisoner planning an ambush. "Again!?"

This time a man with a club swung for Kalika's stomach. She's nearly hit, dodging backwards. She quickly grabbed his club pulling him past her and into the line of the three other prisoner's chasing her!

The prisoners all scurried up, starting to lose Kalika again. "Argh! Damn it! C'mon!!"

She started to take as many reckless turns through the hall as possible, looking for the possibility to lose these men.

She saw a particular hallway recognizing it to the hall leading to the arena balcony. It's normally blocked with a locked barred door, but it seems one of the guards left it unlocked. 

She didn't hesitate entering the hall and escaping any other future pursuers.

A sigh of relief as the prisoners chased her before running past the entrance. With her escape complete she follows the path of the arena balcony.

"I'm surprised they never caught up to me…" Kalika stops in the middle of the hall. "Actually…why am I not exhausted?" Kalika pondered for a moment. "Perhaps all that training with Tilus did help…"

"I'll worry about this later. I can probably hide on the balcony for the rest of the day." Kalika chirped. 

She continued forward. "If I knew dealing with those other creeps would be this easy I probably would've stuck around… Then again that Maverick guy is really tough to get around... I can't go a day without running into that bastard!"

Kalika crept onto the balcony, keeping her head low. "As long as I'm not discovered here, I should be just fine. The day shouldn't be too long now."

Out of curiosity, Kalika peeked over the solid balcony railing. She watched as prisoners played games, exercised and even fought with one another. And from the edge of the entire arena the guard stood stationary, they seemed like mere decorations from the up above in the festival of men fooling around.

She spotted a few familiar faces and the prison name she's been given had been mentioned a lot. Some seem to be interested in looking for her to simply kill her.

Kalika continued to look around, eventually finding Donovan entering the room with a demon guard. The demon guard seemed to have told him something before taking his leave.

"I wonder what that's about…"

 . She watched as he started exercising as if training for something. Not only did he run laps and did push ups like a professional. but then he started doing a variety of other strange exercises she hadn't seen before.

"Is he really still going about it?" a prisoner whispered.

"Yeah. I'm surprised he is still doing that routine, even after the 'Imperial Wall' left."

Kalika continued to watch in secret for a time and everything was going good. 

That was until she was approached from the back. Behind her stood Daji wearing a malicious and devious smile.

"<Found you~.>"

Kalika froze upon hearing those words. She knew who it was just by her voice alone.

Following her instinct she opted to jump from the balcony but immediately felt something entangle her neck.

A strange bloody rope now choked her with the assailant being Valam. She licked her lips, satisfied with her catch.

Florin, not far behind came from behind Kalika, placing her finger at the nap of her neck, a shock was sent through Kalika's body.

"N…Not again!"

Daji approached Kalika's side."<No more hiding girl. I think it's about time the other pigs had their fun with you. Don't you think?>

Kalika still couldn't understand much of what she was saying, but she did try to resist whatever was making her body freeze up.

Florin peeked off the balcony. "<Daji lets just drop her with the others.>"

"<That's not too fun Florin. I think it'll be much more to hang her. What do you of Valam>"

"<That sounds like fun. I'm up for it,>" Valam said.

"<Won't this make Rakon angry?>" Florin asked with curiosity.

"<What he doesn't know, won't hurt. Besides, it'll only be for a little while.>"

Florin quickly came around to the idea, smiling devilishly . "<Well this is a rare opportunity. It's not often he takes his eyes off her.>"

Florin got close to Kalika's ears with a giggle, whispered. "Jump down."

As if moving on its own Kalika climbed over the Balcony with the bloody rope around her neck. "No. No No No No No!!!"

Daji gave the final push off the balcony. The rope tightened. Her vision blurred seeing all the shock prisoners around her,

"I-I Can't…. Breathe…"

Kalika dug desperately to tear off the bloody rope around her neck to no avail. Donovan, far across that arena, watched in horror. The other prisoners around were just as dumbfounded as the next seeing this.

"W-wait, That's the Immortal maiden."

Not long after, Kalika succumbed to suffocation. 

She then awoke to find herself still hanging where she was before. "Why am I still here?? Is it because it's not inside my body?? I... I have to break free!!"

Kalika continued to struggle, trying to break at the rope in vain. Not long after, Florin started to conjure forth stones, dropping them down to the arena below.

"Throw. Throw. Have fun." she cheered with a smile.

Daji repeated Florin

"Have Fun!"

Now Valam did the same.

"Have fun!"

They kept saying the same thing over and over like a call for action. Soon prisoners became more confident.

"This is perfect. This is only what the bitch deserves." a Prisoner threw a rock. 

Others started to agree, grabbing the rocks, and pelting it at Kalika. They then started getting their own knives, throwing it at her too.

Before her she could see a world of hatred, with plenty of prisoners gleefully throwing rocks and knives. Pain rippled through her body as she desperately searched for air.

The scene obviously became too much for other prisoners who saw themselves out, uncomfortable with the event before them. All the while the laugh of the demon women above was the most clear thing Kalika could hear.

From behind the crowd a rock is thrown at the Balcony, hitting Daji square in the jaw. 

The perpetrator, none other than Donovan.

Kalika saw this. Looking at a completely frightened and shaky Donovan. "T…That idiot."

"<Bastard. Who threw that!>" Daji looked back down in fury. Everyone stopped, seeing this.

 Florin approached Daji, pointing out Donovan and whispering something in her ear.

"<Like I care!>" Daji pushed Florin aside, held out her hand, and soon after something shot out from the palm of her hand at a blinding speed.

Donovan is shot in the stomach with a bloody spear now in his body.

Daji fired again but this was redirected by Florin followed by Valam that let go of the rope holding Kalika. 

Kalika fell hard on the ground. Choking and gasping.

"<Let go! I wanna kill the little shit! How dare you ruin my face, dirty human!>" Daji yelled. Both Valam and Florin are now trying to restrain her.

The prisoner's quickly turned their attention to Kalika. "This is our chance!"

"Get her!" they yelled.

They start to rush at her from all sides with their weapons on hand.

Everything starts to slow around Kalika as the entire area erupted into chaos with blood spears being hurdled everywhere; she feels her heartbeat and breathing hasten, a boiling from beneath her skin returned.

"Call me…. Call me…" It was that familiar wispy voice from before.

Kalika wanted to question whatever entity was calling out to her, but found herself unable to speak. A familiar scorching hot sensation emanated from her hand, it felt as though her hand would melt.

"No…. Stay away from me!" she shouted.

The first inmate plunged a dagger into Kalika's chest, waking her from her trance. She grabbed his arm, stopping him from pulling it out. shortly after he got shot in the head by a spear.

"What?" Kalika became shocked.

"Crap, T-the wardens goin insane!" a prisoner yelled

She quickly pushed all thoughts of the chaos aside, realizing more men were coming for her. Not taking any more chances, she attempts to push past all the men before her.

She was attacked from all sides, slashes and cuts came her way. Approaching the arena wall, she ran up its side and quickly jumped off it. Without hesitation she used the heads and faces of the men chasing her as platforms to escape the enormous crowd.

"Argh!"

"Ow."

More of the blood spear nearly hit Kalika, instead killing the prisoner she jumped off.

"Hey! Hey! S-she's getting away!"

Attempts to grab her failed again and again as she ignored the chaos and the prisoner chasing her, being halfway through the crowd. Soon through all the chaos she finally pushed past the mob of men. The very mob that continued to chase her.

The attacks continued to rain down on Kalika from the prisoners and Daji alike with some hits being successful as others completely missed their mark. 

Within the mess she noticed and redirected an attack from behind into the wall. She dodged another and is pelted with even more knives from desperate prisoners that want her dead. Slowly the whole situation was becoming too overwhelming for her.

A killing shot finally came in. Unexpectedly, a prisoner came from the side and slashed her neck.

"I got her!!" he exclaimed.

"I can't stop. Keep going!"

Through sheer determination she continued pushing past the pain and death, getting closer to the exit before her.

"W-what the hell!? She's still going!"

She awoke seeing the exit just ahead, but was just as quickly shocked. "What the-!"

in front of her stood Donovan who held the door open with the spear still lodged in his stomach. Other prisoners attempted to pull him off realizing what he was doing, despite this he held firm.

"That idiot. Fine! If that's how you want it. So be it! But don't blame me if you die."

Kalika braced herself ready for the chaos she would face in the hall. That was… 

until her head flew off. And her body was kicked back into the arena.

She awoke to find Maverick now standing over her, tall and ready to kill. 

Everything around them seemed to have slowed to a snail's pace. the chaos from Daji's blood spears stopped. the prisoners that chased after Kalika stopped. Everything became silent.

 The writing was practically on the wall for her. 

"D-damn it…" Kalika slumped herself back onto the ground and tensed up. "I lost... again."

Kalika clenched her teeth, frustrated. "No matter what I do…" 

"I always lose…! Maybe it's better if I..."

"GET UP!!!!" Donovan shouted.

Kalika shook. She watched as Donovan got punched and the demon guards intervened with the scuffle. The guards quickly and forcefully escorted him out from the arena without a second thought. 

Daji, watching from the balcony, scoffed at this.

"What are you looking at? I'm right over here," Maverick said. 

"That new guy- No! Donovan… He's right. I can't give in now!" Kalika clutched her hands. "I refuse to be someone else's toy!!"

With a single swipe of his blade he cuts her neck, this time however she continues to pick herself off the ground. Maverick kicks her body back to the ground. This repeats once again. She attempts to get up. only to get kicked and killed. But she doesn't give up.

Again. And again. And again. She refused to stay down.

"Stay down!" Maverick yelled.

Kalika refused to give in, eventually dodging his killing blow, affording her an opportunity to regain distance from the relentless man.

The prisoners around could only stand in shock. "W-wait, since when could she still move after dying??" 

Even Maverick was surprised by this fact. "So even when you're killed, you can still keep moving, huh?" Maverick readied his sword again for an attack. "At this point I doubt you're even human."

 "S-shut up, I'm still human. So don't you dare say otherwise!" she growled.

"You should be happy, that was complimenting." Maverick quickly closed the distance, slamming his blade into the ground. Kalika nearly dodged, her prisoners clothes were cut straight down its side. she quickly checked to make sure it was fine.

 "There are still two-hundred forty-three men left. I need to avenge." Maverick gazed back up, revealing subtle madness in his eyes.

"You're a crazy bastard."

Maverick gazed more grimly at Kalika. He lifted and swung his blade around himself, aiming for her neck. 

Kalika avoided this attack, but just barely. She looked back at Maverick to find him still wearing that same grim expression.

"There are still two-hundred forty-three left," He repeated.

Kalika felt a sudden pain from her legs. 

She looked down briefly to find a bloody spear in her leg, pinning her in one spot. She looked up to find Daji looking much more satisfied along with her posse. Before she realized it, she got slashed in the chest.

"This should make it two-hundred forty-two."

Kalika could feel herself tipping over. She stopped herself, holding on.

"This… This is nothing! Compared to what Lily put me through.."

Maverick readied his sword once more. "Just die already."

Kalika darted her eyes around the arena. "There has to be something I can…" Kalika's glance turned to the spear in their leg. She grabbed it, pulling it from her leg in time to block his incoming attack.

Kalika staggered from the pain in her leg. She tried catching her breath staring down Maverick who's aura started to grow and become more and more malicious. It almost felt suffocating.

The prisoner's around started to become more cowardly seeing the clash between the two. Not long after, one by one some start scurry out of the arena. Mavericks malicious aura, proving too much for them to handle.

"H-hey where are all you going!??" a prisoner questioned.

"Are you stupid, when the Maverick gets like that, he'll kill anyone in sight!" Another explained.

"H-huh???"

The confusion enveloped the man who hesitantly followed behind. Eventually, Kalika was alone in the arena, standing face to face with Maverick. It felt unreal to see all the prisoners that were so eager to kill her leave because of the man before her.

After some time, she slowly felt herself becoming overpowered. She parried the sword letting it crash into the ground beside her.

Maverick slowly lifted the sword, revealing an indentation on the stone ground.

"And you doubted my humanity. You're just a monster." she said.

Maverick stared at Kalika uninterested. "I'll take that as a compliment."