Turning Tail [Reader x Doldia Girls]

Part Two - 03 | In Every Corner

A cold sensation tickles your lips. Your consciousness, which once had slipped from your fingertips, returns all at once to open your eyes. Your senses come somewhat intact again, your fingers instinctively reaching for something, anything close to you.

All you feel is the ground. Cold chiseled brick and crumbs of dirt. You're lying face-down, your mouth kissing the floor. Slowly you pull yourself up, look around to try and find Linia, but within your blinking vision, your assailants are nowhere to be found.

Or so you thought. Just as you decide all is lost, the blonde boy flickers into sight before you. You look up and find him crouched in front of you, the grin on his face as mocking and resilient as before.

"Wakey-wakey," he chuckles. "Wouldn't want to miss the show, now would you?"

Weakened still by your former loss of consciousness, you fail to form complete sentences, but you still attempt this herculean task because you know Linia is in danger.

"Linia," you croak. "Linia. Where is..."

The boy sets his hand on top of your head, grabbing you to turn your neck. The moment he does so and lets out a small chuckle afterward, your half-lidded eyes land on a band of shadowy silhouettes standing within a dark, discreet alleyway tucked sneakily into this desolate part of Ranoa streets. You keep having to blink your eyes to reignite your senses furthermore, every little movement too much for your dwindling energy to handle.

When you finally have enough sense to see thoroughly, you see Linia among the silhouettes — which aren't really silhouettes at all. One female academy student holds Linia in a grip you'd only find professional fighters using, while three other students stand back and take shots at Linia's face.

Again and again they slam heavy fists into her jaw. One of them eventually pauses the act of torture and gets close to the beast-girl's weary face.

"I could do this all damn day," he says, cackling like a hyena. "Hehe. You had this coming. Meow for me."

In response, Linia barely wiggles, silent. Her body is far too limp. Even still she has enough guts to deny them their heinous demands.

"I said, meow for me!" The student raises a fist to her jaw, threatening to strike it again. That's when Linia whimpers and stops wiggling, as it is now useless in her position.

"M-meow..."

"Hehe, what a bitch!"

Yet another thump can be heard as Linia's face is struck.

You try to stand but the blonde boy crouching before you holds you down. You meet his eyes, heat flashing through yours.

"Now, now," he says. "Do you really want to protect her, of all people? Think about it. Linia and her sister have done nothing but terrorize lower classmen for years. Don't you think they're even a little deserving of punishment?"