Chapter 124 - Betrayal (1)

Inari lurched at the sidewall, ignoring the bloody leg. She had just worn the suit, and it was damaged already from the assault from the dogs. The next waves of attack after the initial were far more dangerous for them. Her innate healing factor was working, as she ran even in the situation where she used it to help two others.

Funny, one of the two was already captured in the assault, while the other one was making things difficult for one of them. She was on the forefront of the group, while Leroy was at the back, engaging in dogfighting with the others. Fortunately, they have managed to get some weapons from the other party that attacked them.

Leroy lurched his dagger on the shoulder of one of the dogs, as his body spun to deliver a knuckle of elbow at the other one on his side; he collected back the dagger with his good hand, delivering a swift slash at the face of the dogs. His legs crept towards the young Devarian running, shouldering the injured one, while another was protecting from any potential attacks.

They were barely making it. Well, making it will be an overstatement. With the terrible beating, they went through an injury-ridden body. It was only natural they would like this even if they have the blood of the immortals.

Leroy threw his dagger, as it bolted in a golden flash to piercing the chest of one of the dogs. His body followed quickly like a storming wind, zipping back the dagger to pin it down a couple more than he assaulted the next one of the dogs.

Leroy was terribly fast, even faster than he had appeared in the tournament a few days ago, and he was fast because there was no other option. He spun to dodge to approaching blade, legs undermining the slaves' knees. But the collared slave did not fall. Even though their mind had broken long ago, and could not think like normal people, they were really good at one thing. Fight. Fight like dogs. Fight like there was no tomorrow. And there was no tomorrow for them.

There are two reasons why Leroy was so anxious about this ordeal. First, he wanted Inari to get out of the ship as soon as possible, and the other one was similarly connected. Unlike the other time when he's supposed elder sister came to take him back, this time, no superior came.

Perhaps they had better things to do, but Leroy would be damned to believe that. Even a single one of the world more than all these saves trained dogs together. Yes, it would hurt them, but not dearly. The superior should be somewhere near, perhaps watching for them to get exhausted, or trapping them here.

Inari was the first one to the chamber they were searching for, but only getting to open the door. She learned Leroy had the keys.

"The door is locked," she bellowed.

Leroy peeked a glance at her, and his expression twisted instantly. "Look behind you." He roared.

But it was too late.

A rough arm strangled her neck like she was nothing but a plaything, pressing further. Inari grunted and winced, and struggled with her legs to get out. In her horror, she saw the face of the dark figure. A man of height and shape, but she doesn't have time to shock in horror. Working her arms around the sturdy palm, she lurched her body high to come up with a dropkick at the face of her opponent.

She got the elevation she needed and her leg was only a couple of inches away to get what was intended when the huge assailant threw her body off. Her splendorous body struck the door frame.

The door did not break, but a few of her bones did.

Inari felt strength leaving her. She used her everything to linger on the little mana left on her body and let the remaining of her blessing to be activated. The golden light did not even start to condense when a violent kick came to her stomach.

Cursing her bad luck, she got away, rolling on the ground. The superior came again with a cruel smile on his lips. Just looking at that cruel smile, she felt sick and could not tell if this man was capturing her or was about to kill her instead. She barely managed to stand back again. When trying to dodge another punch, she had to duck and get back to the floor.

The cruel smile never left the lips of the slaver, as he came with a violent kick again, only this time, Inari had no time to dodge. She still tried, but a golden figure came to his rescue.

Leroy, glowing in the golden light, blocked the foot, jerking his dagger towards the huge man. The superior withdrew, as Leroy dropped the keys towards her. "Go. Fast. I will take care of him."

Inari collected the keys and noticed the corpses on the floor. The floor was bloody with the dead, and even one of their companion had died. Yes, it seemed the situation went so overboard that the dogs killed one of them. It was the one that was shouldering the injured one, while the others were still fighting, though Leroy left them with some leeway that they could manage to keep their lives for some time.

She had no idea how Leroy grew so fast in a lower world—special it may be. It could never be better than the resource their clan held. No, it was not just level. It appeared Leroy got better at killing, even though he was always the most proficient of their younger generation of the clan.

Inari cursed herself for losing in those thoughts. Collecting the keys, she pulled herself against the door frame, trying to open the door with uneven breathing. Lord, her back was throbbing like it went through a storm. On the third try of the keys, did she manage to open it.

Without looking back at Leroy, she pushed it to get inside. The metal clanging told everyone else that she managed to open the door. "Get in," bellowing that, she got her head around the equipment of the room. What captured her sight was half a dozen huge levers that would open the path of water. Breathing heavily in a failed attempt to steady her breath, she started to push one of the levers down.

The lever did not just need huge physical force; it needs enough mana to be opened as well. Unfortunately, she did not have abundant off any of them, and with screaming, pulling everything, she managed to drop one to its midrange. After that it got easy.

As the first lever went down, she heard the red light popping in the high wall of the chamber, with the beeping, indicating the danger.

Good, she thought. That means it was working.

She moved to the next one of the levers and one of their companions joined her to pull another one of the levers. Unfortunately, it was not Leroy. Her cousin was still busy dealing with the superior.

Inari had no time to worry about him. Her breathing stopped, bringing all her strength. The beeping rose, as slowly a canal opened further below. Water surged in mad instantly, as it skied to the roof. Such force of the current, there was no chance of swimming away in such a current. Fortunately, she did not have to.

The other one of her companions managed to open another one, though no new path opened. Two levers open one path, so she got to another one as the entrance they entered was locked as a safety protocol. Now if they could not get away from here, and would die drowning.

She did not manage to pull her third lever when the water was already on her knees. Leroy was fighting on the water with his opponent, still not gaining an advantage.

"Go, go, go," he bellowed at her. "I will be fine."

Inari hated herself for believing that. After finishing her third lever, she found there were only two others of her companion remaining, except Leroy. She did not even look back at the situation again, and when all the levers done, exchanging a nod with others, she dived into the open water.

Swimming against the surge of the current was as difficult as she had expected, but pulling extra effort with her mana, she bared managed that, and so did the other two, though one of them was pulling the other. But once they managed to get away from its path, it turned fur easy.

Now they have two tasks here and both need to finish before they could die of no air. First, they have to close the path they opened for the water so that it won't cause the death of Leroy. She gestured the two of them to finish the job, while she tried to find the thing that they would need to get away from here.

She found it rather quickly. It was a dozen metre long submarine, capable of running against the surge easily. It was not only she who was looking at the submarine, even the other two devarians—the two who were reluctant to help the injured first was looking at it.

And it appeared they have no plan to close the lever for Leroy now.

Inari shot a blow of mana to swirl the water towards her. Getting their interest, she gestured with her arms to ask what they were doing?

The two of them looked at each other, and gave an apologetic look, before swinging toward the submarine.

Betrayal.