Infernal Academia

Chapter 61 - Trayer's Righteousness: Part 5: (The Simple Process of Elimination)

The school was completely overrun by the Sulfur Bloods, there was no doubt about it.  As Cobalt crept his way towards the entrance to the storage basement in the main school basement, he was horrified to see that Diate had ordered the Oni gangsters to hold the various students hostage in their classrooms.  They'd stand at the doors with their guns pointed at them as they cowered on the floor, and though it seemed like some of the braver delinquents tried to fight back, those same troublemakers lay bruised and bloodied on the classroom floors.  More Sulfur Bloods roamed the halls and courtyards, forcing the Incubus to duck into toilets and lockers in order to avoid being seen.  He had spent too much of his energy with that first guard; to be caught now would certainly spell his demise.

Sneaking past the teacher's lounge, he peeked through the crack in the door to see that all of his colleagues had been rounded up and held at gunpoint as well, though it seemed that Mistress Viola was not amongst their number.

"I hope she got out..." murmured the Incubus, scuttling away before the guards could notice his shadow beneath the door.

Sweat slicked the Incubus' forehead as he slipped down a small side corridor, his heart pounding as he heaved open a heavy metal door.  Beyond it was a large darkened staircase, leading down to the basement below.  As far as he knew, the basements didn't contain anything tactically important to the Sulfur Bloods; just old desks, chairs and other items of furniture.  Why would Diate take them here...?

"Hold on, I'm coming...!"

As he descended the staircase, the clammy heat gave way to an oppressive chill that dried the sweat slicking the Incubus' body and drove him to shiver uncontrollably.  Beyond the first few steps, the light waned significantly, forcing him to feel his way along the wall until he stumbled out into the main basement.

It was deathly quiet, saved for the muffled sound of clinking metal.

Though he was terrified down to the marrow of his bones, Cobalt took a deep breath and swallowed his fear, feeling it reach his stomach where it began to boil into something much more wrathful.

"Alright, I'm here!  Where are they, you monster?!" the Incubus roared into the darkness, clenching his fists.

The splitting pain returned as he heard the Devil laugh.

"Why Cobalt, there's no need to shout.  They're right here," Diate hissed cruelly.

The lights all flashed on at once, nearly blinding him.  Blinking a couple of times, he brought his hands away from his face and looked around, horrified.

Karazelle, Jelli, Izzbelle, Whitney, Elya, Lottie and Quinn.  They were all there, just as Diate had promised.  Each of them stood on their toes atop a rickety old schoolchair, their hands tied behind their back and their mouths covered with duct tape.  Coarse iron chains were wrapped tightly around each of their throats and linked to the support beams high above, like cruel mockeries of a hangman's noose.  

"Wh- What...?!" Cobalt gasped.

"Seven pretty little striplings, tied up just for you in nice iron bows.  I'm sure you're dying to get them down, but I'd be careful were I you.  One slip or fall, and those pretty little striplings are going to break their pretty little necks," Diate warned, taking great delight in the girls' suffering.

Karazelle choked out a muffled cry for help whilst her classmates struggled against their bonds to no avail.  Jelli was crying as her whole body shook, and Elya hissed and screamed through her tape as she struggled to rip her wings free from the bindings on her back. 

"You're a monster..." the Incubus breathed, feeling the ball of rage burn brighter in his gut.

"Don't think of this as a wanton act of cruelty.  Think of it as a test.  I want to judge your characters before you face me; to see if you really are Brass' kin.  Take a look at the table in the middle of the room."