Bloodlight Goddess Ru

CHAPTER 22

[CHAPTER 22: THAT PLUSHIE DOLL]

Zeran had seen in his very eyes were the young-looking children chained and shackled down behind bars such as they were some kind of animals. Their faces were terrified and their scraped bodies were cowering in fear of their very lives that they had been witnessing. His very expression couldn't explain it in words yet, his sudden deep silence tells it all. Silent void seeped through the air and Mai noticed that Zeran's hand was shaking in utter fear of what he was setting his eyes into. Though, soon enough, Zeran shut his eyes and relaxed himself through deep breathing. Then, opened his calmed eyes and said,

"Okay...Mai...could you explain to me...on why are these kids inside these cages?".

Mai replies,

"What do you think?".

He shifted his look at Mai. Though, Zeran's face was no longer filled with terror yet, instead it was something much worse. His face looked kinda creeeped out with an unexplainable grin of a faking smile, trying to reach out a sarcastic humor despite the dark atmosphere. Not only that, he blurts-out a sensitive question to Mai,

"Could it be the ringmaster is a PEDOPHILE?!".

The wooshing mute was in the air. Mai wasn't pleased, as she heard that from his grinning mouth. The only response she gave to him was an intense facepalm that revered her pissed-off look for him. Though, her eyes were leaking burning rage for his utter idiocricy. Thankfully, she still tried to utter words at him,

"Sigh..."
"Zen...could you use your golden claw to free them?".

He crushed and destroyed the steel cages without any other word. Though he could still feel Mai's cold stare from behind. On a side note, the children were now able to go out of their hellish cages, yet none of them seem interested, instead they were frozen in fear if they ever take a step outside of their cages. It's as if the children were devoid of grabbing the opportunity of going to the outside world and thorns of darkness were clinged down to their shadows. Zeran looked dumbfounded since the kids didn't show any sign of rejoice nor gratitude. As for Mai, she went to one of the kids in their cages. Her look wasn't filled with intimidation, instead it was a very soothing angel's image giving out her left hand and said,

"You are all free now...free from living this wretched life...".

Suddenly, the colorful ringmaster of the whole circus emerged from the center of the place and said,

"I think that won't be necessary lady MAI...".

Mai noticed and turned to look at him, yet the offer that she was given was a swung of a naginata seeped in vile green liquid. Thankfully, Zeran was able to deflect the oncoming attack with his golden claw. Thereon, Zeran and Mai noticed two strange-looking rugged male mercenaries wielding naginatas and the ringmaster behind the two. As Zeran saw the silly looking ringmaster hidden in a masquerade mask, Zeran gritted his teeth with seething anger in his face and exclaimed, since he was seeing a familiar ally,

"Oi! Could you tell me on why...are you abducting kids?".

The ringmaster responds back,

"Lord Zeran...Circus business is slow these days so we had to resort to other desperate measures..."
"Even though we're one of the best...".

As Mai turned to them, her angelic aura had ceased and instead it was shrouded by a deaf-defying aura of death. Wrathful grudge was worn on her gorgeous face. She unsheathed and loaded her crossbow. The chilling presence of Mai made Zeran to feel a sudden surprise in silence, since he was no longer seeing the valkyrie-like maiden yet, it was much something worse, a white reaper of death. Sooner or later, Mai asks them a trivial question filled with cold hatred in her eyes,