Chapter 36 - A Broken Doll

" C-Can you... walk me home? "

Cecilia stood beside Zio, her feet are scratching the leaves and the leftovers of this morning flowers. Her gaze feels so empty and distant. It's as if she was somewhere far away, staring into something non-existent.

" Why? " Zio answered briefly. Normally he would decline right away, but there's something more behind her cold look. He’s not sure what it is, but it feels mournful. It feels blue.

" Because I'm scared... and tired. "

" Of? "

For some brief seconds, her eyes are getting even more gloomy and dim, like it wasn't part of the living anymore. She then quickly shakes her head and laughed awkwardly.

" J-Just kidding, hehe. Although it's true that I'm quite scared of dogs, b-but it's okay. It was nothing that I can't handle! "

Zio kept silent as he saw Cecilia walking away from him. She waved to him and bid him a goodbye with a smile from afar.

" Sigh. There's nothing I loathe more than liars. "

After Cecilia has vanished from his sight, Zio decided to walk after her. He saw her walking through the dark and narrow alleys surrounded by abandoned buildings. ‘This is new’, Zio speaks to himself as he thought that this kind of ugly atmosphere only exists on the shabby part of the downtown and the sewage.

Zio kept following her unnoticed, until he found her stopping on a forked alley. He heard some unpleasant yelling and chatters before he finally saw a bunch of men grouping up against her. They forced her to take the right path, down to the dim alley.

Zio knows where this is going, and how it would end up to be.

*Step*

" Oi oi, she looks nice, mind if I join in? " Zio showed himself before the street punks.

It’s exactly as he thought. Cecilia’s blouse is torn open, and she was also being pressed to the wall. It’s as clear as day that she was about to get raped. Zio couldn’t believe himself that he would go to such length for a stranger whom he just met only a few hours ago.

" Huh? Get lost fucker! " One of the thugs shrugged him off.

" Aw, come on! Lemme do her! It will be quick! A half-hour or so! "

" You are deaf, aren't you? Let us teach you some street manners. "

'Street manners'? Zio would love to hear what they have to say. But too bad, there's nothing left for him to learn. Most of his life is nothing but troubles in the backstreet.

There are four men in front of him, Zio believes that they must be just some hot-headed scumbags around the area. Three of them are making a move on him, throwing their fists wildly. Zio regretted ever expecting something from a bunch of thugs in the first place.

*Fwoosh fwoosh* He easily dodged their attacks, before taking a few steps back.

" Okay so, here's the deal… I'll give you three seconds. I will spare your life if you all bend your knees before me with your mouth open, and patiently wait for my meat stick to mess with your throat, one by one. "

Zio pointed at his groin with his middle finger, provoking them. And just as expected, the thugs took the bait and immediately rushing towards me simultaneously with their knives and pipes ready in their hand.

" One... "

Zio entered his combat stance, lowering his body and relaxing his muscles.

" Two... "

The big guy among them brutally swings his pipe on Zio, aiming to split his head open. His swing is too powerful to the point that there's no way for Zio to guard against it. But it's also too predictable at the same time.

*Step* Zio dodged to the left. But even before his right feet touches the ground, another one swiftly rushed in. He is trying to pierce out his lung, but missed it as Zio grabbed his hand and tackled his legs. Resulting in him eating the dirt.

" Damn you! "

They keep swinging and swinging wildly like madmen, until Zio has no other choice but to take another step back. To settle the score, Zio pretended to make a mistake by creating an opening for one of them to land a very promising attack to the right side of the chest.

" You're so dead! "

" ...Three. "

Zio chuckled a bit before deflecting the knife, throwing the thug unbalanced before finally twisting his hand, snatching his knife, and sink it down to him hard and deep. Zio pulled the knife upwards, opening his stomach until his intestine came out of its place.

" ...Next? " Zio spread his arms wide, challenging the rest of them to try and take him on.

The big guy was enraged. He's calling out the name of the lifeless corpse on Zio’s feet until he couldn't hold his anger any longer and immediately charged on to the smirking man. The big thug grabbed the pipe with both of his hands, doubling his power output and make it even deadlier than the previous one.

*Crack* His pipe bounced back to his face, crushing his skull until the brain leaks out from it like cranberry juice. It was an instant death, and there's nothing much to be described off. Just like anyone who went up to Zio with steel on their hands up until now, except for Masatora.

" ...Next? "

There are only two persons left. The one who currently stands before Zio and the other one next to Cecilia. The nearest one to Zio tried to run away, leaving his 'friends' behind to save his own hide. Zio quickly throw the knife in his hand and landed it right on the thug’s neck, piercing it solid until the hilt touches the skin.

" Don't be so cocky just because you can take out some trash! Let's see how you fare with this deadly fire! " The last guy shouted at Zio. He put a knife on Cecilia's neck while releasing a fireball from his other hand.

Luckily for Zio, he had seen and reacted to something much faster than that. So, there's no way something that petty would work on him.

" I gave you a deal, haven't I? But too bad you spitted on it. You should've been a good dog and suck me till I'm satisfied. " Zio said to the guy while dodging his attack.

" Shut your fucking mouth! You will pay in double for what you did, asshole! "

" Sigh. "

The thug released another barrage of fireballs. Yet again, all to no avail. Zio ran towards him while dodging all of his spells, but stopped as soon as he threatened him by putting his knife closer until Cecilia's neck slightly bleeds.

" Don't you even fucking try, motherfucker! I'll fucking kill her! I dare you! "

" Oi girl. At times like this, you should struggle with all your life. "

Zio tried to reach out to Cecilia, but she didn't reply to him. She didn't even cry or plead for help or something. She just staring down at the ground with the look that she gave him earlier. With the look of those who have lost their will to live. The look of a hollow husk without a soul.

" Hahaha! Are you trying to talk to her?! Talking to a lust doll like her?! "

‘Lust doll? Cecilia? What does he mean?’ Zio is wondering what he means by that. Wondering about why the thug is talking as if he knows her. What is happening here? Who are they? And what is their business with a girl like her? Question after question pops out inside his head. There are too many things that he hasn’t figured out.

" Bitches like this one are worthless! The family can turn anyone to become like her as much as they want! "

" The fuck are you talking about? Running out of 'Fairy dust'? " Zio replied.

*Creak* The thug ripped off Cecilia’s skirt, exposing her legs. There Zio can see there's a marking on the inner side of her right thigh, near her privy parts. There's a drawing of a snake inside a heart.

" Look! She's marked by the family! She is a property that is given to us as our plaything! "

Zio found it very nasty. He doesn’t like their means of entertainment, not one bit. He’s not a fan of such a hobby, especially when it involves someone as very young-looking as Cecilia.

" Alright, that’s enough. " Without much further ado, Zio run towards him.

" S-Stop it! D-Don't get any closer! Or I'll-! "

" Shut it, you sick fuck. "

Zio pulled the thug’s knife to him, removing it from his hand before sticking it back to its owner’s hand and on to the wall. The last thug screamed so loud and it was so noisy. Thus, Zio crushed his jaw and gagged his mouth with his boots after he breaks both of his hands.

" Hey, come here. " Zio called out to Cecilia.

The girl quickly answered submissively to his order like a slave. Zio takes a pity on her, she does seem like she is already got broken down to her core. But Zio can worry about the details later. Because now, there's a more important thing to tend to.

" Kill him. He ruined your life, didn’t he? "

Zio gave Cecilia her knife back, but her hands are trembling. It's as if the subconscious part of her is denying the order. Slowly but surely, her pupils are starting to look alive. The part of her soul that was hiding is starting to regain her control and appeared to the surface.

" Z-Zio...? "

" Sink it to his chest. " Zio grabbed Cecilia's stuttering hands and dragged her down to the man on his feet.

" I-I can't.... "

" What are you waiting for? Kill him. "

" I-I can't! I.... I shouldn't hurt my master!! "

Zio grasps her neck and lifts her up. She was choking but Zio doesn't care, he is very mad right now. The one who keeps up a fight and loses is a loser indeed. Yet those who are tortured and abused but didn't even have the will to raise their hands. They are far worse than a loser. They might as well as being dead.

" I am your master. " said Zio, before he dropped Cecilia on the ground making her coughing out of air.

With her trembling hands, she slowly reaches for her knife. Her eyes were wide opened as she lifts her knife up. 'Come on. A single swing is all you need to free yourself ' Zio speaks to his inner self.

" Kill him. Isn't this the dog you've always been scared of? He hurt you. He dishonored you. He raped you. He took everything from you. What more reason do you need? "

“ Kill him!! ” Zio finally screamed as he is so exasperated from seeing the girl being all hesitant and scared.

" Aaaaah! "

With tears rushing down her face like rain, she stabbed her tormentor in a scream, ending her long nightmare. She stabbed him. Again, and again, and again, and again. Until she finally ran out of her breath.

It was at this time; Zio took away her knife and throw it far away.

" You did a good job. Well done. "

Zio hugged her tightly. He doesn't know why he did it. It’s only just because his sister has always done the same every time she saw his smile fade away from his face. And it never failed to make him feel better, even if it doesn't solve the problem right away.

‘Maybe this is just the right thing to do after all.’ Zio thought to himself as Cecilia cried on his shoulder.