Chapter 3: First Kills

The moment I entered the village I started heading straight for the orphanage.

Since the most important person to me on the island, Alfia is there.

As I ran as fast as my child legs could carry me I stopped in my tracks when I came upon a scene.

Several people from town huddled in a group, on their hands and knees cowering in fear.

Surrounded by several males wearing torn and ragged clothing, who are also wielding weapons.

I immediately knew they were pirates.

The pirates grinned in glee as the townsfolk cowered before them.

"Please, let us go." One of the women asked.

"Hahaha!!"

As she did so the pirates broke into a chorus of laughter.

But that only lasted for a moment before they all stopped.

When they did one of them stepped forward and started reaching his left hand towards the woman who spoke up.

But as he did so one of the men got in between them.

*Bang!*

The second after he did so one of the pirates holding a pistol shot him in the head.

As the man fell to the ground and his blood started covering it as it leaked from his head wound the pirates started laughing again.

While I stared into the lifeless eyes of the man who was just killed.

...

...

...

'Kill...Kill them all.' I heard a voice in the back of my mind say.

Agreeing with it I raised my left hand in the direction of the pirates and then focused.

A moment after I did so an ethereal white energy began leaving the bodies of all the pirates in front of me and converging into my raised hand.

The instant the energies came into contact with my hand I felt empowered.

Meanwhile I noticed the pirates started to slowly look pale and sickly.

"Fuck, what's going on?" One of them asked.

"It's that kid!" One of them shouted. Having finally noticed me.

I guess they were too busy terrorizing innocent people to do so earlier.

"Kill him." One the pirates spoke, pointing at me.

The moment I heard this I willed the energy I am absorbing to come at a faster rate.

Which it did.

Empowering me further, while causing the pirates in front of me to become even paler and sickly looking.

All of them basically lost any energy they had, dropping their weapons and falling to their hands and knees.

The moment this happened I quickly closed the distance and picked up one of the pirates swords.

I then cut dim down with it.

After I did so I quickly made short work of his friends.

In no time all the small group of pirates was dead.

By my hands.

The moment I realized this I placed my free hand over my mouth and kept bile from coming up my throat.

This is no time for me to break down.

I can do that later. After I make sure the island is safe and the rest of the pirates are dealt with.

Inhaling and exhaling through my nose several times I eventually calmed down, making sure no bile came up.

Once I did so I continued on my way to the orphanage.

Upon arrival I saw several dead pirates littering the ground just outside the entrance, along with several injured marines guarding the building.

One of them being Keith.

"Roberts!" He shouted, upon seeing me. "What are you doing here?!"

"I came to check up on the orphanage when I noticed all the smoke pillars." I explained to him.

"I see." Keith said. "That's very kind of you, but you shouldn't have done that. We're under attack by pirates. It's not safe to be moving around on your own right now." He explained to me.

"Right." I said. "Anyway, is everyone here at the orphanage okay?"

When I asked Keith this question he put a tight expression on his face. Giving me an answer before he even spoke.

"Roberts-"

Keith began.

Only to be interrupted a second later.

By a voice from a den den mushi.

"-Lieutenant Roberts we've managed to locate the pirates who took the children. They are on there way back to their ship. Requesting permission to engage."

The moment I heard those words my blood ran cold.

A single thought crossing my mind.

"Keith, where is Alfia?" I asked him.

"Roberts. Listen to me-"

"-Alfia is among the kidnapped children isn't she?" I asked.

Not saying a word Keith slowly gave me a curt nod, confirming my suspicions.

"I see." I said.

So Alfia has been taken by the pirates.

Which means there is only one thing for me to do.

Gripping the sword in my hand I took from the pirate I killed earlier I broke into a sprint.

Heading straight in the direction where I saw the pirate ship docked earlier when I first entered town.

"Stop. Roberts, stop!" Keith shouted after me.

But I ignored him.

My mind focused solely on saving my best friend.

As well as making the ones who laid their hands on her suffer.

Very, very, horribly.