Knock! Knock!
"Come in…"
—squeeekk—
Scar Face pushed the door open. The rusted hinges groaned in his ears. Inside was the same room, the same table, and the same man sitting behind the desk on a golden chair—one they'd stolen from a jewelry shop.
The man was tall, too tall, with a body that looked more like a mountain of muscle than flesh. His long hair and beard carried golden tips, catching the dim light. Unlike the others, he wore the uniform of the Japanese army.
He wasn't a prisoner. He was the one in charge. A temporary warden for the day.
But fate hadn't been kind. His shift had become the day of reckoning.
And he wasn't alone. Seven kids stood there, half-dragging a girl forward. She wasn't like the others. Scar Face had already heard the whispers from below—she was different. Beautiful. Her white hair and silver eyes made her stand out. Her body, fuller than most her age, only drew more dangerous attention.
Scar Face knew instantly: she was doomed. The leader wouldn't hand her to the others. She was his. If she thought what happened downstairs was barbaric, she hadn't seen the man in front of her yet.
"Come in, come in… damn, what happened to your bald head, Scar Face?" the leader bellowed with a laugh. "I'd use your real name, but I keep forgetting it. Hahaha! Anyway, look here—check out this new ojou-chan. Ain't she a beauty? How about it, want to give her a try?"
Scar Face stepped closer to the table where the girl and boys stood. His answer was silence.
"Hahaha… quiet as usual," the leader said, unfazed. He never minded Scar Face's rudeness—he was the second strongest among them. Strong ones were necessary to keep all the rats below in line.
"You all… get out," the leader waved at the boys, their bodies covered in bruises and cuts.
"B-but…" one tall boy muttered.
The leader's brown eyes snapped toward him, sharp as knives.
"But what?"
The boy trembled, but he still stepped forward, forcing the words out.
"O-our food… we haven't eaten all day…"
"Oh?" The leader rose from his seat. His massive frame seemed to stretch even taller, towering so much that even Scar Face's hardened expression faltered.
Was he always this big? Scar Face wondered. Strange things were happening lately—strengths awakening, bodies changing. He wasn't a thinker, but even he felt it.
The giant strode toward the boy. The boy shrank back with each step, his body betraying him under the crushing aura.
"You bring me just one girl…"
Step!
"…and ask for food?"
Step!
"And look at you—all of you. Beaten bloody by a single girl." His finger jabbed toward the silver-eyed beauty.
Step!
"You insult men and still dare beg for food?"
Step!
The boy's back hit the wall. His voice died in his throat.
"So tell me," the leader crouched, glaring into the boy's frightened eyes, "do you still want my precious food?"
The boy's lips quivered, sweat dripping down his brow. No words came.
The leader's hand clamped onto his head.
"You'd better answer…"
"S-sor—"
SMACK!
Before he could finish, the giant slammed his skull against the wall. Bone cracked, stone fractured. The boy's head crumpled into the wall, blood trailing as his lifeless body slid down.
The room went dead silent. The other boys swallowed their screams, pressing their hands to their mouths. They all knew: one sound, one wrong word, and they'd join their fallen brother.
Even Scar Face turned his eyes away. The white-haired girl clenched her fists, fury rising inside, though fear pressed heavy on her chest.
"Anyone else?" the leader asked, smiling with bloodlust.
The boys all shook their heads, pale with terror.
"Good. Now scram."
They bolted, leaving only Scar Face, the girl, and the giant in the room.
"So, where were we…" the leader said, sitting back down in his chair. "Oh right. A new slave. What's your name, ojou-chan?"
The girl glared coldly, silver eyes burning with silent rage. She wasn't like the others—no tears, no begging. Just fury.
The leader chuckled.
"Look at her, Scar Face. Is she your relative? She's just like you. Quiet as a damned owl. Hahaha!" He slapped his thigh, then leaned forward. "Come here, ojou-chan. Sit on daddy's lap."
She froze, body stiff. She wanted to run, but her mother's dying words echoed in her head: Survive. No matter what, survive.
"Come on… don't be scared…"
Her name was Aiko. She forced her feet to move, step by step toward the monster before her.
The giant licked his lips, eyes roaming her curves, hunger painted across his face. In his mind, he already imagined the torture—the screams, the begging, the breaking. He wanted to carve fear into her body, to make Scar Face watch, to break both at once.
His grin widened with every thought.
Aiko stopped before him, facing that hideous smile.
"Can I go out, leader?" Scar Face finally spoke.
"Hahaha! Finally used your tongue. No. You'll stay and watch while I enjoy myself."
Scar Face said nothing more. If he resisted, he'd die. And he knew exactly how monstrous this man was.
If that kid was here… he thought, teeth grinding.