Chapter 12: A problem from different Timeline. (2)

The warehouse's air was thick with a musty, oppressive smell. Dust motes floated lazily in the weak sunlight streaming through cracked windows.

The girls, huddled together, trembled under Dudley's gaze.

Olivia, tied to the pillar, felt the rough rope dig into her skin, every slight movement sending fresh waves of pain through her raw wrists.

Her heart pounded in rhythm with her ragged, laborious breaths.

Hyperventilating, she fought off a meltdown only because of the endurance she'd unwillingly built over the past month.

As she struggled with the rope that bit into her wrists, her eyes remained fixed on the man before her.

It was unclear if her defiance had any impact, but she persisted nonetheless.

Dudley's smile was a twisted mockery of kindness, his eyes cold and unfeeling.

"So adorable," he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.

"I've always dreamed of making a noblewoman cry, begging on her knees."

His ridicule sent the men behind him into raucous laughter, their hyena like cackles echoing through the warehouse, their appearance that of someone from the slum intimidate them even further.

The pirates moved closer, their heavy boots thudding ominously on the tile floor.

One of them, a bulky man with a scar running down his cheek, knelt beside the long haired girl.

His presence loomed, casting a dark shadow over her as he leaned in with a cruel smile.

His breath was hot and sour, nearly making her retch, but she reminded herself just in time that it would anger them.

Even so, she couldn't hide her disgust, her face twisting involuntarily.

Seeing her contorted expression, the man's hand shot out and clamped around her throat.

With cruel amusement, he leaned in closer, his voice a venomous whisper. "Why are you making that face? Just be quiet, and we'll make it quick... probably."

""""Ha ha ha ha.""""

"He said 'Probably', that bastard... Ha ha ha."

The man was nearly twice their size. Even if all three of them ganged up on him, they probably wouldn't be able to injure him.

His imposing presence and violent demeanor naturally terrified the girls.

Let alone olivia, the two behind her, who hadn't even been directly involved, were teary eyed and whimpering, their eyes darting around desperately for any sign of escape.

Olivia tugged at her bindings, desperation clawing at her, but the ropes only tightened, as if to remind her that what she hoped for would never come to pass.

[Ah, perhaps I was meant to bleed.] She mused.

"Ha ha ha." Everytime she chuckled a drop of tear fell down on her thigh.

[Maybe I was destined for suffering] The last ember of her hope threatened to flickered, still weakly glowing, nearly extinguished.

She sought to embrace her undeserved fate, but the tears trembled at the brink, her heart pounding fiercely, ready to burst.

Dudley who had been laughing with the men turned his gaze at her, his expression a mix of curiosity and cruelty.

Approaching and crouching down to her eye level, he asked, "Why does Lady Stephanie hate you so badly I wonder?"

"I-I don't know," Olivia whimpered, "Why? Why? Why?" Tears streamed down her face violently.

Dudley was genuinely happy, The expression on her face was truly to his liking.

"It doesn't matter to us either way."

"Please let us go." The short girl said.

Rolling his eyes to her direction he laughed. It was hollow, devoid of humor. "Let you go? No no no, Why would a predator just let go of its prey?"

The men inched closer, their faces twisted with vile anticipation. The walls seemed to close in, the air heavy with the stench of sweat and fear.

The pirates' eyes gleamed with sadistic delight, and Olivia's heart pounded painfully in her chest, each beat like it was forced to leap onto a blade.

However, at that moment, everyone in the room froze, they instinctively sensed something approaching.

It wasn't fast; its pace was leisurely, almost deliberate, as if to announce the arrival of a reaper.

No one in the room possessed the capability to sense a distant presence, the room that was previously filled with the noise of the barbarians was deathly quiet now.

The instinc was more of a primal sense. If it had to be named, it would be survival instinct.

But just as suddenly, the sensation vanished, as if it had never been there. No one questioned it; it was too vivid, too familiar to be merely an illusion.

It was replace by the sound of heavy, deliberate footsteps, the pirates finally able to move, snapped their heads toward the door.

Dudley's previously confident smile wavered for just a moment. But as if to deny the allegation, his face contorted with anger and he stood up, as if annoyed for feeling as such.

Just then, the door creaked open, revealing a figure silhouetted against the fading light. Tension spiked in the room, and the pirates exchanged wary glances.

The figure stepped forward, finally revealing the one who owned such a presence that it commanded the space.

He wore a dark robe, its hood casting shadows over his face, obscured by a stark white mask.

The robe, adorned with a subtle gray stripe, draped almost too loosely, enveloping his form but revealing the tips of his legs and dark boots, hinting at a youthful frame.

His appearance was strikingly unique, something you might expect to see on a fashion parade.

"Who the hell are you?" Dudley spat, his grip tightening on his pistol.

The newcomer's stood still after his first initial step, his cold eyes piercing through the mask, scanning the room.

He didn't spare a glance for the guys, not even Dudley, even the giant who nearly ripped the long haired girl's uniform only receive his gaze just for a moment.

Slightly, just slightly the room felt a slight tremor of his anger when he saw the girls' condition.

As his deep eyes finally met Olivia's, everyone could felt the heavy and violent bloodlust in the air.

Olivia herself felt like she knew who the person was and could only wore a stupefied expression.

The man in hood slowly removed his mask with lazy grace, tossing it aside. Beneath the mask was the face of a boy, around 16 or 17 perhaps.

"Huh?" Olivia could only utter a stupefied sound. She had anticipated it, but expecting it and witnessing it were entirely different experiences.

Dark circles framed his piercingly deep eyes, and his jet black hair was slightly trimmed on the sides.

His face wasn't remarkably handsome, but it wasn't unattractive either.

His movements were smooth and elegant, yet his face betrayed no emotion whatsoever.

Though he was undoubtedly furious, the stark contrast with his stoic expression was as terrifying as could be.

Finally, he moved his head and gaze back to the men.

Not a soul moved an inch while he carry out all of those movement, as though waiting for his next move.

"Oh, Just passing through," he said, voice low and steady. "What bout you?" He asked apathetically.

The pirates tensed up, although none of them desired to make the first move, they were ready for a fight.

Dudley's eyes narrowed, annoyance etching lines across his face.

"You've got a lot of nerve," he snarled.

"Yeah, I'm quite Abundant with it... And?," he replied nonchalantly, With the same monotonic voice, dudley shut his mouth unable to make a rebuttal.

Dudley didn't make any move not because he was afraid or anything, but because of the extremely confident demeanor the boy exude.

It was as if the outcome had already been decided, as if he had already won.

In truth dudley burned to bust the boy, break him and crippled, he wish to see him tearfully beg for his life, he wanted to wipe off that languid expression off of his pretty face.

He was utterly convinced that he could effortlessly crush the boy who dared to come without armor or support.

But, by nature the man was very cautious and thus did not do anything.

[Maybe we are already surrounded?] He look outside with suspicion.

The room held its breath, the air thick with Tension. Olivia's hope flickered once more... weakly.

But as if to trample on the last bit of hope she had left, the boy spoke again with his usual nonchalance, "Oh, I came alone, in case you were wondering."

Hearing that dudley laugh, with a bloodshot eye, "Ha ha ha ha.... You were so fucking confident when you enter, and you came alone?"

"Let's also sell him too."

"I'm sure there are some old Lady who will be interested in an edgy boy!"

"Puhahaha."

Olivia, whose tears had ceased upon the boy's arrival, found them falling once more.

"Why didn't you bring anyone?!" She rebuked him in a whisper, though it was questionable whether the boy heard her or not.

"Ha ha ha ha, You heard her Boy? She basically said you are stupid." The giant who had become one with the background chimed in.

In a swift, fluid motion, the boy drew his sword from beneath his robe, parting the tightly shut front to reveal only his arm holding the blade pointing at them.

The slight opening exposed his chest, adorned with multiple throwing knives and various tools.

The sword itself was not like those of a longsword, it was thin, slightly curved, and ominously black.

"Now, If you finish with your chit chat, shall we start?"

Author's Note: The Fight scene will be focused on choreography and H2H combat rather than Mecha and Magic (it will be only small part of it.)

Also give me a review, powerstone etc. It motivate my lazy ass to write top tier literature.