Silver Infinity ((Kamukura X Komaeda))

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Execution

Komaeda shifted in his seat uncomfortably, attempting to avert his eyes from witnessing what was within the arena.
Strange people he hadn't seen before took seats around the area, all excited for the pirate execution.

Guards stood on either side of Ryoma, protecting him vigilantly from any possible assassination attempts, but even they almost looked excited about the killing.
Although Nagito could go without steel ass in front of his face.
He swallowed back his anxiety, catching glances of people that had decided to stare him down, but they all turned away whenever he made eye contact.

Did any of them know the truth? Did any of them even care? What was running through the minds of people he'd never met?
The buzzing of the arena was only drowned out by Komaeda's own thoughts. Would any of them get out of it without being hurt?
Fuyuhiko looked slightly more awake after supper had passed, but still too out of it to properly register his situation.
They really beat him up, didn't they?

One of the men, lime green hair ruffled and messy, appeared to be awake more than the rest but he didn't look in the best of shape either.
Nagito turned to the King, trying to mask the fear in his voice,
"Who are these people? What happened to them?"

To that, Ryoma didn't even crack a smile upon looking down on them as though they were ants.
"Invaders of my country, criminals that tried to hide here. I leave no sorrows for men that chose their life of crime. I've been waiting to have enough in my dungeons to have a public execution, and show everyone how serious I am."

"But... We are within the castle?" The pirate rose an eyebrow, to which Ryoma waved off.
"Protection purposes. There's less of a chance of me getting assassinated if I keep within my walls with my guards. If I left, I would be wide open for guns or hell, even arrows."
He wouldn't mention the fact guns could still shoot indoors, but having the execution inside the castle brought Ryoma comfort, so Komaeda wouldn't say anything about it.

Still, these people all had names and faces and families, probably people waiting for them.
"That one," Nagito gestured to the green-haired man. He stood out among everyone else with his bright, soft features. "Who is he?"

"I don't ask their names," The King relaxed back into his throne. "I don't care either. But I know my men captured him a few months back, attempting to steal from a shop. He didn't struggle in his arrest."
"I know his name," Tsumugi piped up from where she sat nearby. "I went to feed the prisoners one day, do you recall? He told me his name as I pushed the food into the cell."

"I do recall," Ryoma nodded in understanding. "The day the normal guard caught a bad illness and we didn't have time for anyone else to fill in for him."
"That's right," She returned a smile before shifting her eyes to the fluffy man, "He said his name was Rantaro Amami, and he used to serve under Captain Mondo Oowada before he..." She made a gesture, signifying he had died.

That name... It sounded familiar, wasn't that the same pirate Toko used to serve?
Could it be he was another crewmate, lost without his crew?
Komaeda pulled his eyes back to Rantaro, now looking weak and tired, barely understanding where he even was. What sort of treatment did prisoners get in the dungeons, did he even want to know?

It took a moment to realize Tsumugi was still staring at him, and when he met her eyes, she turned away quickly, as though hiding she hadn't been staring.
A strange woman...
What was she thinking about?

The King suddenly cleared his throat and stood up, though most of the room had a tough time seeing his face with the walls of the inner circle hiding him.
"We've wasted enough time, let's begin," A few approving claps could be heard but most of the room was eerily silent.
When eyes turned to Komaeda, it struck him that it was his cue.