Chapter 124 The New Prisoners
Chapter 124 The New Prisoners
As the first light of morning spilled across the city, Iryoku’s heart thumped. His fear rose—yet not because of Alexander. It was because of the three cocoons.
Now he could finally see them clearly. His eyes locked on the fleshy orbs. Please… please, it’s not them, right? he prayed with all his being.
He squinted, trying to make out the figures inside. It wasn’t them—though the faces were still familiar.
In one cocoon—a massive, bald man, muscles straining against the living prison. The bandit leader.
In another—a hulking, gorilla-like woman, her enormous frame trapped in the pulsing flesh. Another of Mr. K’s people. Neither could move, but both had their eyes wide open—aware, terrified.
Beside him, Iryoku felt his demihuman partner tremble. Mr. K’s composure cracked as he stared up at them. “Moto… Goka…” he whispered, his voice barely a breath, drained of all strength.
But Iryoku’s gaze was already fixed on the last cocoon. He narrowed his eyes from their hiding spot, peering through the translucent membrane.
Inside—he saw the faint outline of a woman in a hooded cloak.
Then a long white ear.
Then the other.
A bunny woman.
Her eyes were open, frozen in despair—the look of someone who had witnessed horror just before being taken.
And then it hit him. Christina. The nun.
Memory surged.
He saw himself and Yumi standing in the chapel, defending Christina and the orphaned demihuman children from the Death Tree Knights back in Staraya City.
He remembered the kids lined up for food inside the church—their small hands offering him and Yumi a share, even though they barely had enough for themselves.
Where are the children…? he wondered, an eerie chill crawling through his chest.
He turned his gaze back to Alexander—and his son and daughter.
The old man had both of them lifted in the air by the neck, bound by two black metallic cords crackling with energy tendrils that sprouted from the armor on his forearms.
His expression twisted with fury.
“What do you mean the prisoner escaped? Did you two seriously let the killer of your eldest brother get away?”
“Gghhh—argh!” Both Vadia and Magnus struggled, choking as they dangled in the air.
Alexander’s rage deepened. Finally, he flung them down. Both hit the floor, coughing violently as the black cords retracted into his armor. “If you weren’t my blood,” he snarled, “you’d be dead already.”
Then he turned to his soldiers. “Quickly—spread out and find them! Close the bridge! It’s the only exit from the city!”
Dozens of armored boots thundered in response, scattering through the streets toward the bridge. The city echoed with the march of steel.
Alexander snapped his fingers.
“Well, luckily for you two, I’m in a good mood. We captured these lowlifes. They were leading a small band of warriors trying to breach our territory. The rest escaped—but I’ve already sent Atticus and Viktor with a squad to hunt them down.”
Both Vadia and Magnus forced themselves upright, trembling, careful not to anger their father further. Their eyes drifted toward the new prisoners encased in flesh.
Alexander smirked, gesturing toward Moto and Goka.
“These two were strong—at least on your level, I’d say. They’ll make fine subjects for Sigil’s experiments.”
“But this one…” He stepped closer to the last cocoon, peering at the faint, pale shape within. “This one is the best of all.”
He grinned.
“That demihuman nun was a freak. We killed her once, twice—and she kept crawling back up. Never seen anything like it, except for the demons. We’ll send her to Sigil—maybe he can figure out what’s keeping her alive.”
His chuckle turned into a low, cruel laugh.
“You should’ve seen it… those little demihuman brats, all impaled on the tree, bleeding out. And her—her face when she came back and saw the church burning, that tree of corpses—hah! I never get tired of that kind of despair.”
Both Magnus and Vadia nodded obediently.
“Great job, Father.”
“That’ll teach them not to mess with the Death Tree.”
Vadia stepped closer, her tone soft—seductive.
“Father… want me to help you relax after the trip?” she murmured, brushing her body against his arm.
“Later,” he said coldly. “First, get these ones to Sigil. I want to see how far he’s come with his research on that thing.”
The carriages carrying the pulsating cocoons rolled toward the prison carved into the mountain as they all entered the fortress gates.
On a nearby rooftop, Iryoku stared toward the horizon, his expression grim.
A storm of rage and sorrow churned inside him. He tried to steady his breath but couldn’t. This wasn’t just another atrocity on strangers—these were the children he and Yumi had once saved.
They had met for less than a day, yet he felt their loss to his core.
A few silent tears slipped down his cheeks.
He wasn’t alone in that grief.
A meter away, Mr. K sat with his head bowed, his trembling hand gripping his magic revolver. His cat ears twitched, his body trembling with barely contained fury. The air around him thickened—heavy, sharp, and filled with killing intent.
“Moto… Goka… my children…” he muttered, his voice breaking.
Your children? Just how old are you? Iryoku wondered.
“Calm yourself, ” Iryoku said tiredly. “You’re gonna give away our location.”
Then suddenly—both their eyes widened.
They leapt from the rooftop at the same instant.
CRASH!
A fire spell detonated where they had just stood, tearing the roof apart in a burst of flame and stone.
“There! They’re over there!” angry voices shouted. Dozens of warriors and mages flooded the streets.
Iryoku and Mr. K hit the ground running, sprinting deeper into the city as spells rained from all sides.
Civilians screamed, scattering in panic—some even turned on them.
“Look! A demihuman—he’s escaped!” someone shouted.
Iryoku shoved through the chaos, dragging Mr. K by the arm.
“Move, damn it! You’re supposed to be the only one who can match my speed—they’re gonna catch us!” he barked.
But Mr. K stumbled, slowing with every step. His body was matted with sweat, and his shirt was half-burned—revealing a crumpled armor plate across his back. The flesh chain linking them pulled tight between their arms.
“I… I know a place,” Mr. K rasped, panting hard. “A hiding spot. This way!” He was clearly near his limit.
They veered toward the mountainside at the city’s edge, enemy shouts echoing behind them.
As they ran, Iryoku snatched a few fruits from a merchant’s stall, biting into one while yanking the catman along. He tossed another to him, but Mr. K didn’t eat—he just stuffed it into his pocket.
“Where?” Iryoku demanded between breaths.
Mr. K pointed ahead. “That way—keep going!”
They sprinted around a corner—then froze.
A squad of heavy knights stood in their path, charging straight toward them, armor blazing with Leben.
“No…” Iryoku cursed under his breath.
From the sides and behind, more warriors appeared, closing in fast.
Mr. K gritted his teeth and stepped forward, raising his sword in a defensive stance. “Stay behind me!” he snarled, planting his feet. The blade began to glow.
The knights slammed in from all sides, blades thrusting as one.
CRASH!
A blinding flash erupted.
Mr. K’s parry flared to life—Leben energy bursting outward like a shockwave. His body spun, every motion precise and fluid, blades intercepting each strike with lethal grace.
The combined force of the knights’ assault rebounded, sending them flying backward, crashing into walls and debris.
Iryoku barely managed to dodge, throwing himself flat as the blast roared past. He rose, eyes wide in disbelief.
That’s what I’m talking about…
But Mr. K wobbled—his sword slipped from his grasp, and he collapsed to one knee before falling face-first to the ground.
“Damn it… stupid idiot! You’ve got no stamina!” Iryoku hissed.
He slung the catman over his shoulder and ran, charging toward the city wall. With a powerful leap, he kicked off the stone, vaulting several meters upward. Another jump—then another—scaling the rocky slope toward the mountains.
Spells whistled past, exploding against the rock face behind them. Shards of stone and fire rained down, but Iryoku didn’t stop. He kept going—higher and higher—until the shouts of their pursuers faded into the distance.
At last, they disappeared into the mist of the mountain hills, vanishing from sight.