Fursekai: Volume 1.1

2

Pain. If Maria had to describe her first year in that world in one word, that's the word she'd use.

Her brother however did not feel the same way.

Day in and day out they were subjected to brutal training.

Pain endurance as well as hellish physical training. It was enough to make their muscles burn within the first hour.

And it wasn't as simple as getting used to it. Their training master knew how to push them in a way that would maximize both pain and improvement.

But since the siblings aren't masochists, they disliked this training. Maria more than Johnny.

It was the other training Maria hated the most though. It was the other training Johnny loved.

Every day they would find themselves in a small arena facing off against groups of basic soldiers or mercenaries. Sometimes even a few gladiators.

And it was always a fight to the death. Should they fail, the hog would kill Elaine.

But, it got easier. Killing.

The first time was the hardest.

"I hope you entertain me young ones!" The hog had shouted that day from his seat above the arena.

Before them stood two young men, both racoons. It was clear that they were brothers. It was just as obvious that they were young. Probably around sixteen or even fifteen.

Each held a cleaver and each seemed terrified.

Meanwhile Johnny seemed calm with his own cleaver steady. To Maria he almost seemed to calm.

She was hesitant. She knew what she needed to do but still did not want to do it.

"Now fight to save your loved ones!" The hog announced.

Looking up Maria was shocked beyond words at what she saw.

Next to Elaine stood a small racoon girl, likely around eleven or twelve years of age.

At that moment she felt a sick feeling grow in her gut. Her hand began to shake at the thought of what she had to do.

But, nevertheless, she steeled herself and pointed her cleaver at the boy opposite her's throat.

"Fight!" Eudoros shouted.

Immediately Johnny rushes at his target while the other three hesitate, though not for long.

When Maria reached her target she saw him swipe at her head.

She ducked underneath and kicked his leg.

This caused him to trip and fall, leaving her the perfect opening to strike.

But her hesitation proved enough for him to get away.

Back on their feet they stare each other down.

Then he strikes again, diving at her.

She manages to spin out of the way and strike back.

Her attack severed his spine in between the shoulder plates.

As he lay writhing in pain she walks over to him and turns him around to face her.

"Please." He begs, tears at the corners of his eyes.

"I have a sister. You don't know what he'll do to her."

"I'm sorry." Maria says, knowing full well what the hog could do to the little girl.

And then.

She slashed his throat with such power that it almost decapitated him.

Her body shaking, she watched as his eyes became blinded by death.

"So you're finally done." Johnny comments.

Maria immediately looks up to see him sitting on the corpse of the man he had killed. She also sees that the dead man has cuts everywhere.

If she had to guess she'd say his tendons were cut so that he couldn't run and then he was essentially tortured to death. But since we has unable to handle the pain he died relatively quickly.

"What did you do?" She asks.

"Me? I just had some fun." He replies.

It was then that she realised. This man before her wasn't her brother anymore.

She can't help but ask herself, how long was he really in this world and what happened during his time here.

After the battle two guards escorted them away. Three days later they were brought before the hog and what she saw made her sick.

Before them was the hog. Under him was the little racoon girl. Her eyes were dead even though her body, broken and bloody as it was, still lived.

"They are here." One of the guards said.

Without saying anything Eudoros stands up, pulling his disgusting member out of the little girl.

"This one only lasted two days. Well, I was a fool for expecting more from a racoon." The hog comments as one of his servants come to retrieve the body.

Maria already knows where the living corpse is going. She will be taken to his slaves as a toy to be used even after her heart stops beating. In some cases the girls are used even as their corpses rot.

"At least I have you. Bitch Ruriko's servant girls." The hog says as six young women are matched into the room.

Maria notices that none are older than sixteen. Everytime she sees the hog her hatred for him grows more and more.

But so does her fear.

"Now, you two. You have passed your first test. You may ask me anything as reward so long as it does not harm me in any way." The hog tells them as he rips to clothes off of a girl who's probably no older than nine.

"I want a decent room for me and my sister to be together." Maria says, turning her eyes away.

"Granted. Although my men will keep watch over you." Eudoros replies, pushing the girl down.

"I want all the pleasures you have to offer from wine to women." Johnny says, shocking Maria.

This request causes Eudoros to stop with the girl and start laughing.

"Absolutely perfect! You are a man after my own heart you lad. You're request is granted! You and I are going to have lots of fun! You may stay here to discuss it further while your sister goes to her new room." The hog says.

Just as the guards start to escort her away she sees the hog push into the small girl.

Her screams of pain are deafening even as she walks away.

And ideed, her and Elaine's new room was lavish and comfortable.

But Maria couldn't help but ask herself.

Was it worth it?