The honored one- From commonplace to the world's strongest

Chapter 6- Yue

"The hell is this freaky place?" asked Steve, seeing a girl stuck in some metal cube.

"Is... is it still alive?" asked Hajime, a little creeped out.

"Is someone... is someone there?" came a tired, soft voice.

"Sorry for bothering you," Hajime said as they both turned and started to leave.

"W-wait! PLEASE! Help me," the girl cried desperately, but the duo didn't stop.

"No thanks" Hajime said continuing to walk.

"Why... I'll do anything..." she said, her voice growing weaker and more emotional.

As much as Steve wanted to just keep walking, he just couldn't after hearing the despair in her voice.

"Look, no one in their right mind would free someone who was very intentionally sealed in one of the most dangerous places in the world," he said before continuing to walk.

"No... it wasn't my fault... Please..."

Hajime could feel the grimace forming on Steve's face, and he knew why. Before proceeding, on Hajime's request, they had decided to not indulge in any unnecessary things. But he also knew that Steve could never turn away from someone who asked him for his help. Even if this was most likely her trying to trick them, if they left, Steve would always regret it. That's just how he was. Yue by now had started to sob, so Hajime stopped, prompting Steve to stop too.

"I guess we could listen to her, or you'll carry that sour look on your face for a while," Hajime said with a sigh and irritated face, as Steve's troubled face lightened up.

"Alright, Miss, we'll hear you out," Steve said in a lighthearted tone walking up to her, who stared at him, surprised.

"... Could you speak?" he asked, getting up close to her face.

"I-I was betrayed! I didn't have a choice," she said choking on her words, making both their eyes widen.

"... How exactly?" asked Hajime, sceptical, yet softer in tone.

"Yeah, even if what you said is true, it still doesn't make sense. How are you sealed way down here, and how are you still alive?" Steve asked.

"I'm a vampire... an immortal one. I was extremely strong, and I worked hard to protect my people. But one day... the ministers said that I was no longer needed, and I was fine with it. But they said I was too dangerous. They... they couldn't kill me, they really tried. They tried to behead me, maul me, stab me multiple times, and even burn me, but nothing worked. So they sealed me down here..." she said, her hair hiding her face, as tears dropped onto the ground.

"That... sounds painful," Steve muttered, as both he and Hajime got flashbacks of the bridge incident.

"Wait, what are these powers that make you immortal? Like are you actually immortal, or is it something else?" Hajime questioned further, making sure there weren't any loopholes and this wasn't a lie.

"W-well... I heal very quickly. I-I healed faster than they could cut me. My healing even out healed the fire... and I can manipulate mana, without even a circle. After you save me, I'll be us-" Before she could go further, Steve put his hand on her lips, stopping her, and looked at Hajime while wiping her tears.

"...At this point, we'd have to be worse than that Ifrit bitch to abandon her," Hajime said with a deadpan.

Steve took off his coat and put his hand on the cube, which started to absorb his mana.

"... Damn, this is taking a lot out of me. I'll be shaken for a few minutes after this," he muttered as the cube started to spark and tremble.

"COME ON!" yelled Steve before suddenly increasing the output manyfold.