Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 38

Speaking of torture, what do people think of it? Is it the bloody torture tools, as represented by the "iron maiden"? Or is it the image of a whip being lashed and the flesh being cut off?

　In reality, most torture involving bloodshed is more a form of punishment than torture. Or they are often exaggerated to instill fear in the people or are fictional creations of later generations.

　Fundamentally, most of the torture is intended to extract information such as confession, and it is a waste of time if it causes pain, shock due to injury, or bleeding to death, and such torture is basically second or third-rate.

　In fact, many of the more practical and refined tortures take longer to be lethal and can inflict pain for as long as possible with as little blood loss as possible. And many of them do not seem cruel at first glance. Well, at first glance.

　"Higggh!!? Agggghh...!!?"

　Involuntarily I let out a scream of agony with saliva dripping from my mouth and I could hear the sound of something snapping inside my body.

　Fishing torture is a torture in which the body is literally hung up. There are some differences, but basically, a rope hanging from the ceiling is tied around the arms behind the body, and the body is hung up. From the outside, it may appear to be nothing more than a form of restraint. However, it was feared as one of the cruelest tortures in ancient Japan.

　Think about it. A body hung up from the ceiling, in other words, the whole weight of the body is on the rope. At the same time, the arm around which the rope is wrapped is similarly burdened.

　The outward cruelty is kept to a minimum, while the rope digs into the flesh and blood of the arm, and the muscle fibers are shredded internally by the given weight. Within a few hours, the knots in the arms begin to bleed and eventually necrosis begins, and the strain is so great that the arms will never move again. It was a simple and efficient method of torture that protected the torturer's labor and mental stability.

　...and I was forced to suffer this torture exactly for the time it took for my arm to bleed out.

　"...It's time to let him go. I don't want to break his arm too soon."

　"Oh? Seriously? Good thing it's time for a break, huh?"

　Ryuuto's command is obeyed by Iruka, who looks a little unhappy. He removes the rope that hangs me from behind... and I fall to the floor face-first, unable to move my arms and legs.

　"Hgghh...!? Ha~a... Ha~a... Gghh... Ughh!?"

　On the floor, when I am short of breath from the pain in my arm, cold water is splashed on my face. This was probably done to take away my body heat. Apart from the water torture, I had already been tortured several times. Now, I was forced to stand up and sit on a chair. Of course, the chair was made to be uncomfortable.

　"Now, what did you see in the underground tunnels? Tell me the story you made up with your rich imagination."

　Ryuuto asks. It was probably the fifth time he asked this question. The same question for the fifth time...