Looks like We're Done

5 men were gathered around the low light of a lamp in the underground cellar . .

"You think he'll pull through?".

"Kid didn't look too bright to me . Whatever, he fails, we kill 'im . The end . ".

"At any rate, tonight's the big night . It's almost time . Where'd Zack go?".

"In 'is room . Stomach pains, he says . ".

"The h.e.l.l? b.a.s.t.a.r.d's been acting strange lately . You don't think, he's leaking intel to those Royalists—".

"Oi, it's time . ".

Signalled one of them as the door to the cellar opened . .

 .

In the dark, decrepit room, a single figure approached the five . .

The figure's ident.i.ty was slowly revealed as he approached the light . .

 .

"You're alone . Where's the girl?".

"Tsk . Didn't pull through after all . ".

The men were badly disappointed . .

 .

The black haired boy standing before these intimidating prisoners looked the definition of ordinary . .

His dark eyes were looking down, staring at the shadows extending across the floor . .

 .

"Hey, you better not say you got cold feet . ".

One of the men pulled out a knife . .

"Hey! Talk! Where's the princess!?".

He threatened, holding the knife at the boy's throat . .

 .

The boy began trembling like the weakling he was— or so the men had imagined . .

The boy didn't do that . He didn't shake, he didn't even move . He simply kept staring at the shadows below . .

 .

"The princess, Clara…".

He muttered softly . .

His voice wasn't loud but everyone could hear it clearly . .

"Isn't coming…".

His eyes were yet glued to the floor . .

However, his lips held a tiny grin now . .

 .

"The f.u.c.k are you talkin' about, huh!? Ya got cold feet and came here alone, that it!?".

The boy was silent . .

"What now? We kill 'im?".

"Gotta at least show him not to mess with us . ".

"Yeah . We beat him up and try again . ".

 .

The men all stood up and surrounded the boy . .

"Messin' with us, eh dips.h.i.t?".

The man who had the knife at the boy's neck grabbed a fistful of his hair with his other hand and pulled his face up . .

What the man saw there was the boy's eyes, pitch dark eyes lacking in emotion . .

"I don't like that look . ".

 .

Looking annoyed, the man grazed his knife along the boy's neck . .

A line of blood escaped the shallow cut . .

"I said, I don't like that look . ".

But the boy didn't comply . He just kept staring blankly . .

No, not quite . The small smile on the boy's lips had grown into a visible grin . .

 .

"What're you laughin' at!!".

The man smacked the boy's face with the b.u.t.t of his knife . .

But the boy's smile didn't falter, not in the least . .

"You don't seem to realize you're in deep s.h.i.t, brat . ".

 .

Another smack . .

Stronger this time . Enough to break the cheekbone, maybe even knock loose a tooth . .

Still no reaction from the boy . .

The boy simply kept on looking at the man with a grin across his face . .

 .

"—!".

"Oi, you goin' easy on 'im or what?".

From the side, one of the man's comrades came up and punched the boy in the face . .

"That's how ya punch a face . Leave 'em half dead and they'll never— Huh!?".

That punch was meant to knock the boy out cold . .

But the boy just stood there as if he felt nothing . The spot where he'd been battered had remained spotless . .

 .

Those emotionless eyes still peered at the 5 men . .

It was freaking them out . .

 .

"— Is that it?" Finally said the boy . .

"—!! You'll regret that!!".

Furious, the man began pummeling the boy with ferocious fists . .

He punched like no tomorrow, until his breathing became rough . .

 .

"See, this is what happens when you— HUH?".

"— Are you done?" Said the boy, ever smiling . .

His face revealed not one bruise . .

 .

"This kid's f.u.c.king strange . ".

"Tsk . Gimme the knife . ".

The man from the side took the knife and stabbed the boy in the ribs . .

 .

— But,.

"What, how—!?".

The knife, penetrating only the boy's clothes, stopped there . Even putting more strength into his arm, the man couldn't cut the boy's skin . .

 .

"O-oi, what're ya playin' around for?".

"Stab him, do it!".

"Sh-shaddap! Knife ain't going in!!".

The man tried stabbing again and again . .

The knife never penetrated even skin deep . .

 .

His breathing had gone arid as the man stepped away . His eyes couldn't believe what he'd just witnessed . .

"W-what, the h.e.l.l are y—".

"— So you're done?".

That's when the boy swung his fist . .

Yet, no one saw it move . Such was its speed . .

 .

What they saw was the result only . .

The boy's fist had punched through the man's chest and come out the other side . .

 .

"Ah… ahyauu…".

The man dropped to the ground, creating a large pool of blood . .

 .

"Wha!?".

"N-no, f.u.c.kin…".

"D-did this guy just punch a hole through…".

"Hyai…!".

 .

Splich, splich . .

 .

The boy walked on the the b.l.o.o.d.y floor . .

"— Done?".

He taunted the men, still grinning . .

 .

The remaining mens' faces stiffened . .

"G.o.dd.a.m.n… w-we'll take 'im down with all of us!!".

"D-don't mess with me!!".

"D-Die, f.u.c.ker, dieeee!!!".

"H-hyi-hyeeeeeeee!!".

 .

Four shadows converged on the boy . The flame in the lamp flickered . .

— Dancing shadows . .

Once the flame regained its calm, on the floor of the cellar lay 5 corpses with holes for a chest . .

 .

"— looks like we're done . ".

No one answered now . .

Splich, splich . The boy stepped over the blood as he walked away . .