Chapter 26: Rescue Mission

-???-

"W-Where am I?"

A young girl with short pink hair and two cat like ears on top of her head asked in fear as she looked around the empty metallic room containing her within together with several other beings of the same kind as her, laying unconciously on the cold ground with several cuts and bruises visible on their bodies.

"W-Wake up!"

The nekomata shouted as she tried to move her injured body to wake one of her kind from their slumber with a frantic expression on her face.

"D-Don't shake me... it hurts"

A young nekomata with long jet black hair grunted in pain, feeling extreme pain from the large strains on her muscles from being captured and tortured alive for information.

"W-Where are we!?"

The pink haired nekomata asked as she looked around, noticing that some of the nekomatas contained together with her were unmoving in their place without any sign of life. While their pale bloodied skin slowly lost its color.

"... You... don't remember anything?"

The black haired girl asked as she tried to move her injured body to face her.

"W-What do you mean?"

She nervously asked before grunting in pain from the sudden sharp sensation that she felt on her waist.

"... So you were knocked out, huh?... Lucky you"

The woman said while holding her stomach, causing white liquid to flow out of her skirt together with her blood.

"Those that they knocked out aren't played around by those bastards... You were quite lucky for keeping your purity when you were captured... unlike the rest of us"

The woman said in disgust and grief as she gazed at the corpse of her sister, riddled with bruises while her eyes lifelessly stared at the dark ceiling of the room.

"W-Where are we?"

She asked once again in a fearful voice causing the woman to stare at her with her jet black eyes with a serious expression on her face.

"... We inside the laboratory of the Naberius Family..."

"Y-You mean!?"

"Yeah... that clan that has been capturing nekomatas for years"

The woman revealed as she gazed at the tightly shut metallic door in the corner of the room.

"... I suggest that you play dead when they go inside this room to check if there's any survivors... At least you can die without being raped by them..."

The woman advised as she patted the young nekomatas head with a gentle smile on her face causing the blood in her arms to smear on the nekomata's head.

"D-Die?"

"The chances of us getting out of here are slim... We can't kill ourselves because of the slave mark placed on us"

The woman said before showing a black tattoo on her once smooth neck which is now covered in scratch marks from their rough treatments.

"... Keep that in mind... You can use my blood to disguise your body... I don't think I will last by tomorrow..."

She said before coughing large amount of blood from her mouth with a tired expression on her face.

"B-but- the council! I'm sure they'll help us!"

The young nekomata shouted as she tried to reach out her hand to heal her wounded body but was stopped by the woman who laughed sarcastically whole staring at the young nekomata in front of her.

"Those geezers... even if they knew I'm sure they'll kill of us to hide this stain of the Naberius Clan"

The woman said in disgust causing the young nekomata to stare at her in disbelief.

"They will side with the devils no matter what... Even if they have to kill a few to keep this crime in the dark... and the current Devil King is too afraid to oppose their decisions"

She said before feeling a sharp pain in her previous wounds, causing her blood to drench the tattered cloth that was barely hiding her malnourished body.

"I-I can heal yo-"

"No... I don't want to experience that anymore... It's better for me to just die peacefully..."

She said as she shook her head in denial.

"... I'll be able to finally... meet my little sister"

The woman said in grief before desperately crawling towards the corpse of her little sister.

"I'm sorry... Onee-chan wasn't able to protect you..."

She muttered in grief before closing her eyes to rest her body and hopefully... end all of her suffering in death.

"... You should... hurry up and cover yourself with my blood... so that they wouldn't spot you... just pretend to be dead"

The woman muttered as she layed down beside the corpse of her sister with her eyes closed as her wounds opened, causing her blood to flow on the cold ground.

"At least... I was able to help someone before I die..."

The woman said before losing conciousness, causing the young nekomata to clench her fist in both anger and fear.

"Someone... please help us"

-with Justice and Judgement-

"... Target... locked"

Justice whispered in her earpiece while wearing a specialized gauntlet in her hands that amplifies all pain felt by her opponent without dealing too much damage to their body.

"Scums"

Judgement gritted her teeth in anger causing her bloodlust to unconsciously leak out of her body as she stared down on the laboratory hidden within the mountains located at the territory of the Naberius Clan.

[Remember, don't kill all of them. We might cause major conflict between our and the devil's faction if we got too far]

Sephie ordered at the other side of the call, causing Judgement to clench his fist in anger as she shouted at Sephie with a furious expression on her face.

"YOU'RE LETTING THIS SCUMBAGS LIVE!?"

[I know... but we have to do this... or else Lucias-sama might die since he still has to accomplish his quest]

"Tch"

[But... I don't think Lucias will let them live once the treaty between the factions is signed]

"Hahahaha you're underestimating him, Sephie"

Justice said with a large grin on her face before removing the sunglasses off her eyes, staring at Judgement holding the earpiece on her right ear.

"A massacre will happen once the treaty has been signed, I know he has been holding back for all this years from destroying the devil faction all together"

[...]

Sephie stayed silent as she was unable to retort, she herself knew how much Lucias wanted to wage an all out war against the devil faction for all of their crimes.

Be it from their reckless decision of attacking the Biblical God, weakened due to the strength he sacrificed to seal the Apocalyptic Beast from rampaging on earth, he sacrificed himself to protect his creations that he loved, protecting the underworld and the devils that betrayed him in the process. Up to the inhumane experiments that they conducted on Kuroka and Yami 8 years ago.

[Just keep some of them alive... To serve as a warning to the devils, if the council tried to interfere and hunt the two of you down-]

"Don't be so paranoid, even if they hunt us down I doubt that they'll be able to stop us"

Justice said as she casually sat down on the ground while crossing her arms on her chest, staring at the laboratory with an excited expression visible on her face.

[... I guess you're right... We can just assasinate any witnesses from the council if they track us down. I don't think they'll let this slide even if they know how reckless it is to be our enemy because of their pride]

"Tch... Those cocky bastards" (Judgement)

"Now now, calm down will ya?" (Justice)

[... I can't believe Lucias-sama assigned both of you to lead the rescue team...]

Sephie complained in a tired voice before gazing at Rimuru who was happily eating the treats that he bought from Korea when he was stationed their for his mission.

[Rimuru could've been a better choice for this plan]

Sephie said causing Rimuru to stare at her direction from hearing his name being called out.

"Oh you mean that slime? I doubt that he'll be able to control himself if he sees this"

Justice shrugged his shoulders before gazing the at small army of dhampirs standing behind them, staring at the devils below with a large frown on their faces like they couldn't control themselves from ripping the devils to pieces.

"So... When do we start?"

Timeskip

"Shit, wake up!!"

A mid-class devils shouted in anger as he kicked his fellow guard with an irritated expression on his face.

"Ugh... Can't you just let me sleep in peace? What do you want?"

His partner asked in irritation as he stood up from the bench, grabbing his sword placed on his side.

"It's your turn to guard this place, I haven't have my fun yet so switch me for the time"

"Tch, only for that? You could've just dragged one of them out of the cell and have sex with her here, they're all dying anyway, I think they'll be happy getting out of that putrid room before they die"

His partner shouted with an irritated expression on his face.

"Yeah, yeah, but if I do that I can't have her for myself because YOU will be joining in"

"Naturally, they're all used anyways why do you have to treasure them, its better if we enjoy them together right? Just like brothers"

"Your sick"

"Why, thank you for the compliment"

His partner nastily grinned at him before pointing at the metallic door located inside the gate.

"Drag the black haired girl here for me, it's boring to just stare at empty space in here"

"Tch, do it yourself"

The man said before opening the large gate of the laboratory.

"See you after 2-"

The man said but froze in his place as he felt a sudden sharp pain coming from his neck causing his partner to look at him in shock as his head slowly slid off his neck.

"WHOSE TH-"

He tried to shout but was cut off as a sharp katana pierced his back, causing him to look at his back, only finding a pale woman standing behind him while holding the hilt of the katana with her two hands.

"You're blood... smells disgusting"

The woman said before slicing the devil from his chest up to his head in half, causing his blood to splatter on the woman's body much to her dismay.

"... Good job, finally they opened this damn gate"

Justice shouted as soon as she landed in front of the gate along with 50 dhampirs specialized in assassination and scouting.

"What are your orders, Justice-sama?"

One of the male dhampirs asked while holding his katana in his right side, respectfully waiting for her orders.

"We already know where one of their Containment Unit is located so 5 Dhampirs will bring back the nekomatas in that containment Unit"

Justice said as she pointed at the metallic door situated at the corner of the hallway.

"The rest will split up into groups of and search the entire laboratory for the remaining 5 containment units"

Justice ordered causing all of the dhampirs to nod their head in response.

"Hai!"

They shouted in unison with a respectful expression on their faces causing Justice to puff her chest in pride.

"Damn, I didn't know ordering people around would be this satisfying. I should've registered as one of the generals"

Justice muttered as she scratched her chin with his right hand with a large grin visible on her face.

"Don't you think so, Judgement?"

Justice asked as she gazed at Judgement who was spinning a devils body like a pendulum up in the air using her Karmic Chains.

"Not really"

Judgement answered as she ignored Justice who was standing in front of the small army of dhampirs.

"Ano... Justice-sama, don't you remember what Lucias-sama said 5 years ago?"

One of the dhampirs asked as he raised his hand causing Justice to stare at his direction, signalling for him to continue his words.

"Lucias-sama said that a general must always be available no matter their condition. That's why Lucias-sama assigned males as the generals of the faction"

"But I'm always available"

Justice retorted as she placed her hands on her waist, staring at him with her pale grey eyes.

"... Justice-sama, that will not be the case once your pregnant with his child"

The dhampir said causing Justice to freeze at her place along with Judgement who accidentally let go of the chains from the shock that she felt from his words.

"... I... forgot about that..."