Helpless

I hit the ground as I heard Reg's laughter behind me.

"Oh, what is this? A little Castless girl?"

I heard Yuri scream, and I tried to get up, but a kick to the stomach flipped me on my back and knocked the air from me. I gasped for air and tried to get up, but a kick left my head spinning, and I was having trouble getting my hands under me.

I looked up, and the three Castless were tossing Yuri between themselves, and he cried out. I looked to Mr. Grim's door, and it was just closing.

Of course, there was nothing he could do now. This violence among Castless was the reason he had kept Yuri inside this whole time; now, if he were seen helping, that would be the end of his life.

[Calculating nearest magic source... Target acquired, confirm.]

"What is this, Reg? She ain't got no tits," Tim said, pointing at the sobbing Yuri's chest.

I pulled myself up the wall as Grit was reaching for Yuri's pants. I was struck with the helpless feeling of watching the world crumble before me.

[Confirm? You must confirm for me to continue, or your friend will be in more trouble.]

"Confirm!" I cried out, and everyone looked at me.

Suddenly rings and lines were appearing in my vision, and everything started to slow. The lines looked perfectly straight, stretching out from me to blanket the world.

Then more lines across them, making straight, square patterns that ran over everything.

The circles focus on a street cook making food, and then I moved closer to the fire, and the ring got smaller; it was like I had walked over there.

[Basic enflame spell rank 0, changing the magical parameter to increase spell by 2 ranks, changing the range of attack to 10 meters from 3 centimeters. Create a preferred target. Adding GRIT as a select target.]

Time sped back up, and my vision sucked back to me. What was that?

Suddenly the vendor's grill shot out a massive pillar of fire, and then it dove down towards our group. Grit tried to back up and turn to run, but the tower of fire crashed into him, setting his clothes and greasy hair on fire.

The fire disappeared, and only Reg and Tim stood to hold Yuri, who had stopped crying. Quickly, Reg pulled Yuri to his chest and out of Tim's grasp.

He pulled out a knife from his back pocket and put it up to Yuri's pale neck. Reg was pushing hard enough to make tiny drops of blood from under the blade.

"Don't move or fight back, or this thing loses its head. Go teach him a lesson, Tim," Reg sneered with a wicked look.

[I can not let him kill you, searching for new…]

'Don't! Don't you dare C6! This isn't your world! You don't understand the way things work here!' I ordered the voice.

[But…]

'No! I can take it! Or we both die, it doesn't matter! Look How scared he is! He is the only one that believes there is a chance that we might not always be like this! Please don't do anything!' I pleaded with C6.

[... Confirmed]

The first punch hit my right cheek, but it was a blur after I hit the ground. Punches and kicks came one after another, making it hard to think or breathe.

The pain wracked my body but then suddenly stopped. I opened my one eye that I could open and looked up to see Tim standing over me, but he was looking at Reg.

I rolled my head and saw the same blonde girl in a blue dress holding Reg's wrist that also held the knife. Behind her hid Yuri now, but Reg raised his other hand to strike her.

The greatsword that was behind her was now held in one hand. Three quick flashes faster than my eyes could follow made Reg's body explode in a shower of crimson mist. Tim tried to run, but a single flash and eruption of dirt, stone, blood and gore ended his life.

[She is using teleportation magic at its lowest level but wielding like a user of the God-ranked skill. She also uses buff magic at the rank 4.]

I didn't know anything about magic, but I knew I was hurt. Yuri ran to me, but I pointed to the door that was now open.

"G-get in," I croaked out, rolling to my side.

I knew he wanted to say more, but he had to get inside, or it was for nothing. Guards would be here soon, but who was this girl? Yuri quickly ran inside as I tried to stand up straight.

She was looking at me, but my one eye was completely swollen shut, and the other I could barely see out of, so I wasn't sure what kind of expression she had. I could see the blue dress she wore and that silver tiara, but no details. Suddenly, the girl spoke up.

"Did you cause that fire to go out of control?" The girl asked me.

"Kind of..." I said, with my voice traveling off.

"Then you have the system? What one did you receive? Speak now! Never mind, we don't have time; if you have the system, we should go!"

But it was too late.

"Go? No... Neither of you is going anywhere!"

It was the guard from earlier that had kicked me the day before and missed me today. This time he brought friends, though. Six guards blocked off the exits on both ends; some had snuck around to trap us.

"Little Miss, don't you know it's a crime to help a Castless? One punishable by death without a court?" I tried to tell her, be she just glared at me with fire in her eyes.

"Oh, I know it's my father's stupid laws!" She shout at me as the world suddenly changed around me.

Instantly, the great sword was in her hands with two flashes before anyone could move. Two bodies exploded in gore, but the guard had drawn their weapons all attack forcing her to defend. There were too many of them, and she didn't have room to fight back.

I couldn't just let her die, but what could I do? If I ran in to stop them, I would be just cut down and in the way. What was I supposed to do?

[Calculating nearest magic source... Female target acquired, confirm!]