novelraw Chapter 159: Forced to Hold Hostage
Chapter 159: Forced to Hold Hostage
Fisher gazed at the bounty hunters coming and going in the distance, and placed his gaze again on the firearms in their hands. There were at least a hundred or so people over there. Erupting into a frontal conflict would easily increase the risks. Furthermore, the gang managing the black market was a gang situated entirely right at the foot of the Imperial City; they could not be easily underestimated.
The battle conditions of the two people above their heads had already reached a climax. Even the bedboards, bringing the wooden boards along, shuddered lightly issuing soft sounds. Jasmine's ears stuck up a bit, but after recalling Fisher's exhortations, she didn't raise her head up to look, merely relying upon sounds to form imaginative pictures within her mind of whatever kind of scenes that actually was.
Are they fighting?
Jasmine thought similarly in this way. Simultaneously, the curiosity within her heart was completely like a cat scratching, making her heart itch. Wanting to look yet not daring to look because of Fisher's words, she had no choice but to concentrate her entire attention to listen using her ears, and subsequently utilize imagination to make up for vision.
Fisher wouldn't know what she was thinking if she didn't speak. Not pondering for a while, Fisher already possessed countermeasures. He turned his head lightly back, having just prepared to whisper a few sentences into Jasmine's ear, yet abruptly caught sight of those two long ears of hers drooping at the sides of her face.
Silent for one second, he thrust out two fingers to pinch one of her soft ears, raising it up. Subsequently, he only then neared somewhat preparing to open his mouth to speak something toward her.
"Squeak."
Jasmine's complexion reddened slightly, issuing a voice completely like a small animal. Just as Fisher wanted to release her ear, who knew she proactively leaned her head toward his side a bit again, seemingly indicating Fisher to speak.
Like the whispering of nursery children engaging in ear-to-ear conversations, Fisher lowered his head and spoke softly, arranging the plans hereafter for a bit. Subsequently, he handed his own Walking Stick to Jasmine.
After finishing listening to Fisher's words, she hugged Fisher's Walking Stick tightly and nodded her head, wearing an appearance of "leave it to me".The rescue operation formally commenced.
Wearing a hat with light and agile footsteps, Anna hugged her chest with both hands, following the guiding personnel of the gang in front to walk into the artificially chiseled grottos.
In the front half section of the grottos, quite a few hunters were currently leaning on both sides resting. There were also gang members standing guard here, patrolling to see if there were some uninvited guests paying a visit. The genuine black market still required walking a very long distance toward the inside.
The moment Anna entered the grottos, the gazes of the bounty hunters and gang personnel by the sides were immediately pulled by that lady walking into this narrow space, utterly unable to be moved away no matter what.
Her skin was entirely like cream, her visage being even more astonishingly beautiful. She was exactly like an Angel dispatched by the Mother Goddess to descend to the mortal realm, enticing people.
Quite a few men swallowed a mouthful of saliva. If sight could devour people, Anna didn't know how many times she would have already been devoured by those men.
As mentioned previously, the vast majority of bounty hunters were Desperadoes burdened with human lives upon their bodies. Of course, there were also not a few forced to join this trade compelled by livelihood. However, very quickly they would also be dyed pitch-black by this profession utterly like a giant dyeing vat.
The ones truly earning money amidst the bounty hunters mostly had relations to human lives. For the sake of money, they were capable of slaughtering an entire family lacking any feuds or grudges with themselves down to the last person, using the heads of those dying with remaining grievances to exchange for bounties.
Were it not for the group of subordinates trailing behind Anna, they would presumably already be plotting on how to tail this lady, dragging her to a place bereft of people to properly enjoy it a bit.
Regarding the passionate gazes of those men, Anna acted entirely as if she was already wholly accustomed to it. Ignoring those disgusting, sticky sights, she toted a small bag, her footsteps neither hurried nor slow.
Under the asylum of her accompanying personnel, she very quickly arrived at the genuine entrance of the black market, which was also precisely the place issuing missions and claiming bounties.
The inside was an expansive grand hall. It was clearly the deep of night, yet the fiery light of the surroundings remained bright. Conversational sounds were everywhere, while simultaneously suffused with an aura intermingling the sweat stench of men, bloody stench, alongside the scent of alcohol.
Anna was somewhat unadapted; thus, she lightly covered her nose. Very quickly, a middle-aged man carrying a smile came out to welcome them in front of them. That man's attire was tidy and neat, departing greatly from the image of traditional gang personnel. There were even two strands of meticulously maintained small mustaches turning upwards above his lips.
Walking to Anna's front, he looked smilingly toward Anna while synchronously thrusting out a single hand,
"Good evening, Lady Anna. I am Little John of the Vulture Gang. Your order is also under my full authority. Very pleased to encounter a lady as beautiful as yourself on such a night."
Anna cast a glance at him, yet didn't thrust her hand out to shake hands with him. She merely continued covering her mouth and nose, entirely as if unwilling to breathe the air here,
"I am here to fetch the 'goods'. Where are the items?"
Little John, who was refused, didn't feel annoyed in the slightest. On the contrary, he naturally used his extended hand to point towards the subordinates behind, commanding quite dissatisfiedly,
"How do you guys handle matters? Even when Lady Anna has come you didn't arrange a separate room. What does it look like making a distinguished guest stand here? Roll away and arrange it quickly! Incidentally bring the 'goods' and those few fellows who completed the order over."
His subordinates voiced a flurry of agreements, subsequently running toward the depths of the grottos.
Anna cast a glance at Little John. Yet she only saw the angry expression he previously had abruptly withdraw after turning his head back, transforming into an apologetic smile. He rubbed his hands in embarrassment, pointing the way toward a certain direction within,
"Truly very sorry. Your arrival was sudden. We lacked beforehand preparations... Please come this way. One 'commodity' has already fallen into the net; the remaining two are injured and still fleeing, but they shouldn't be able to walk very far... Actually you needn't have come so urgently. He still has two partners who haven't been captured. Waiting for them to all be captured before coming over also wouldn't be late."
"No need. Let me see."
Little John chuckled in a low voice and no longer answered, merely leading Anna heading forward to the front of a certain room door amidst the grottos.
Waiting until arriving at the location, he pulled out keys to open the door leaf, revealing a spacious room along with a humanoid creature suspended mid-air while bound by iron chains right in the center.
That figure possessed a visage analogous to a human. It was merely that the entirety of his hair was deep scarlet-red. Ass the rear there also existed a carapace analogous to a lobster. Of his both hands, one hand was a pincer while the other hand was anew a human palm growing webbings. On his back furthermore was a massive shrimp tail curling up faintly.
His entire body was entwined by iron chains top to bottom. He had suffered injuries upon his body; bit by bit of cyan-green blood was dripping downward along the iron chains. Right now he fundamentally entirely lost Consciousness. It was precisely Lingjiu, the lobster-kind Demi-human Fisher and the others wished to rescue.
Beside the room, quite a few ferocious people with fierce appearances, biting Cigarettes and hugging firearms, were currently staring at Anna's group entering the room. They were precisely the hunters who had captured this Demi-human at that time.
"Ding ding. This is the ocean Demi-human the hunters captured. I am also seeing a Demi-human originating from the sea bottom for the first time... At that time we even thought these ocean Demi-humans were even more ferocious than the Dragon-kin of the Southern Continent. Upon issuing the mission we even deliberately sought out some hunters whose practical capabilities were strong. Fortunately they are merely comparatively proficient at running away. Hehe..."
"Do you wish to pay the price for this one first to take him away, or wait until everyone is assembled before paying together?"
Confronting Little John's words of inquiry, Anna indicated toward the subordinates behind for a bit. A single box was then carried to the front of the crowd's faces,
"One hundred and seventy thousand. I want to take this fellow away right now."
One hundred and fifty thousand was the price of this lobster Demi-human. The remaining twenty thousand was the publishing commission given to the black market. The moment a mission succeeded, the black market would extract equivalent-amounted fees from both the buyer and seller sides based on the unit price. Anna paying an extra twenty thousand meant the bounty hunters would take twenty thousand less.
Little John accepted the box and sized up the Narios filling the inside to the brim for a glance. Subsequently, he snapped the box shut with gratification. Clapping his hands towards the subordinates behind, he indicated for them to put that Demi-human down.
"As expected of Pink Pavilion possessing extravagant outlays. One hundred and seventy thousand Narios is actually able to be tossed out this straightforwardly and boldly... and merely for a single Demi-human! May I ask a bit regarding the reason within? If Lady Anna is willing to share a bit of intelligence, I will refund fifty thousand Narios."
Anna commanded her subordinates to take that lobster-kind Demi-human away, while synchronously warning with a cold face,
"This is our matter. Do not poke your nose into other people's business."
"It's merely wanting to earn a bit more money, nothing more. However, if you don't speak, we also won't force questioning it. After all, we have already earned sufficiently much on this order... Just a reminder, once the goods leave our hands we are completely devoid of responsibilities. Serpent's Head Street is very long. Saint-Nazareth is also not safe. Also please safeguard the goods properly, oh."
Anna cast a glance at that Little John whose face was full of smiles. Subsequently, she directed the Pink Pavilion's personnel to take that Demi-human away.
Little John behind her smiled smilingly. Waving his hand toward the departing Anna, he stated,
"Walk slowly, ah, Lady Anna! There are still two outside uncaptured! We will capture them as quickly as possible."
Anna followed the Pink Pavilion's personnel walking out of the grottos, lacking any intent to reply to Little John. Outside the grottos was considerably serene. Only upon clustering close to the street edges could one see the gang members currently smoking, staring at every single part of the street with unkind complexions.
Clustering close to the locations near Serpent's Head Street's end managed by the gang didn't have many people. Heading even further forward would only then manifest those idle thugs and addicts.
Anna ordered her subordinates to toss that lobster Demi-human into the inside of the carriage cabin, and anew set up a protective magic to prevent that Demi-human from being robbed away or awakening to struggle and flee.
After confirming lacking problems, Anna also grasped her skirt and boarded the carriage, saying towards the carriage driver stationed at the front,
"Return to the Pink Pavilion."
"Yes."
Following the carriage beginning to slugggishly move, Anna sat all alone within the carriage cabin. Gazing at that Demi-human having lost consciousness, her absolutely gorgeous facial features lacked any expression. She didn't know what matters she was currently pondering over.
Time flowed sluggishly. The carriage was also continuously swaying due to that uneven ground of Serpent's Head Street.
Right while this sort of serene traveling time was fast approaching its conclusion, right when the carriage was close to arriving at the doorway of Serpent's Head Street, the carriage driver in front seemed to have seen something alike. He abruptly issued a loud shout,
"Roll out of the way quickly!"
Anna knit her brows. In the next instant, the entire carriage abruptly stagnated. Inertia brought Anna shifting towards the front. Fortunately she thrust her hands out to resist against the interior of the carriage cabin ahead of time; only then did she not topple down.
The horses issued a嘶吼声 because of the reins being fiercely pulled just now. Anna's complexion was faintly cold. Tearing open the window curtains of the carriage cabin, she looked toward the outside. She only saw a person donning a cloak standing right in the center of the road, looking straight at the carriage situated within the road's center.
That Jasmine wearing a cloak sluggishly raised her hands up. She only saw a Walking Stick covered by the cloak being pinched in her hands. By following alongside the Walking Stick being raised up, only then did Anna catch a glimpse of roots of illusory silk threads concealed within the darkness manifesting line by line in sequence. The Weavers on the Walking Stick began blossoming from the Walking Stick located within her hands, linking towards the street lamps alongside the architecture situated on both flanks of the street.
Anna hadn't yet figured out what she was intending to do holding the Weavers, but very quickly, she then found out.
"Rumble!"
She only saw Jasmine profoundly sucking a mouthful of breath, frantically absorbing the surrounding gases completely like a vortex identically. One second passing over, as she raised her head anew, a smear of flowing black-colored water streams had already suffused within her eyes.
She fiercely grabbed the Walking Stick within her hands and yanked. A burst of colossal power was subsequently transmitted propagating along the Weavers. Tearing the street lamps behind as well as the walls of the architectures until they cracked open, separating from the ground Surface or the main bodies of the architecture, they flew toward the carriage's direction.
Countless streetlamps and stones behind the Weavers were pulled by that tiny figure to sweep towards her direction. Not only did the neighboring pedestrians alongside the Pink Pavilion's personnel feel terrified out of that shocking spectacle, even Fisher hiding in the shadows hadn't expected Jasmine's strength to actually be this massive.
Fixing his gaze upon her with a single look, in front of the body concealed by that cloak, those proud softnesses had shrunk once again, signifying Jasmine had already entered a battle state.
He truly hadn't figured out just what the battle state of the Whale-kin was like. Was it only Jasmine who would shrink like this, or would all Whale-kin be like this?
Then what would happen if it were a male of the Whale-kin?
Since the chest area had no way of shrinking, would they only be able to shrink other places?
Fisher's thoughts reaching here, With a Face Covered in Black Lines he covered his own face, stopping his own groundless associations.
He hoisted the Fluid Sword vertically, aiming at the carriage below, silently waiting the timing to strike.
"Protect Lady Anna!"
"Come over quickly."
"Urgh, ah!"
Outside the carriage, chaotic startled cries transmitted over. He only saw several electric lamps being yanked to crash toward the carriage, smashing the carriage directly overturning it upside down and dashing out.
But prior to that, Anna had already dragged Lingjiu and leaped out from the midst of the carriage cabin. The protective magic over Lingjiu was analogous to a bubble, rather unalike that kind utilized by Fisher previously. However, it seemed the effectiveness was quite superb; it could actually still be hauled along carry-on like this.
Thrusting out a single finger entirely like leading a balloon identically to drag Lingjiu down, Anna looked towards that figure wearing a cloak situated at the front of the street. She stated towards the people beside her,
"That fellow has the possibility of being the accomplice of this ocean Demi-human! Go! Capture her back!"
"Yes!"
Quite a few brawny men pulled out firearms and short knives from their embraces, charging forward toward that Jasmine standing amidst the road.
The people by Anna's side diminished considerably. She merely just wanted to see what the battle unrolling circumstances of the opposite side were like; a strip of silver light had already flickered over from beside her. The target was precisely Anna's hand leading Lingjiu!
She hastily retracted her hand, allowing that silver light to sever the protective magic connecting herself alongside Lingjiu off. Lingjiu hit the ground accompanying the sound, yet the magic still remained covered atop his body.
Behind, Fisher charged toward Lingjiu employing an extreme speed. His Gentleman's Hat perfectly concealed his own visage. Under the circumstances lacking street lamps, everyone was only capable of seeing that slim-fitting suit of his.
He wanted to directly take Lingjiu away!
But the Anna having suffered the attack reacted faster than everyone else. With a single arrow step, she blocked in front of Lingjiu's body, obstructing him reaching out a hand to take Lingjiu away!
Watching helplessly as being unable to directly take Lingjiu away, Fisher had no other choice but to modify his plans. Altering his action mid-air, he extended his hands restraining Anna's neck in a death grip. Afterwards, falling behind her, he securely restrained her.
Jasmine had attracted away quite numerous personnel of the Pink Pavilion, yet the people located by Anna's side were still not few. Watching helplessly as Anna being captured, they unceasingly used firearms pointing towards Fisher harboring behind Anna's back. So long as he dared make a sudden move, they would fire directly.
"Let go of Lady Anna!"
Anna's expression was exceptionally chilly. Yet one second passing later, the tip of her nose quivered for a bit, seemingly having smelled what kind of scent.
Immediately following, she then realized something. Her gaze shook faintly for a bit. She proactively controlled her body heading backwards, tightly leaning alongside Fisher located behind her. The curves of that soft body perfectly conjoined with his; nearly equating to devoid of distance.
Fisher was rather astounded. For the sake of preventing her from playing whatever tricks, he even utilized the Fluid Sword to hold against her waist. Yet very quickly, he then realized what Anna's action was intended for.
Anna's figure was rather tall. Following this single conjoinment, the Gentleman's Hat he had faintly lowered formed a perfect angle together alongside Anna's shoulder, completely obstructing his facial visage, averting Fisher's exposure of his external appearance following him nearing other people.
Feeling the power behind her leaning backwards, Fisher surprisingly cast a glance at Anna. Yet he was merely capable of seeing that fair-skinned and jade-like neck of hers, as well as that body carrying fragrance...
Fisher Turn Someone's Trick Against Them, riding the momentum of her leaning backward to lean backwards, leaning into the shadows positioned by the side of the overturned carriage. Simultaneously thrusting a hand out prohibiting other people from nearing toward this side.
"Don't move, otherwise the safety of her life won't be guaranteed."
"Let go of Lady Anna!"
The situation gradually sank into a deadlock. Anna also seemingly extremely nervously panted incessantly.
Fisher, on the contrary, seemed very calm. Lowering his head to look towards Lingjiu still being covered by magic by the side, he opened his mouth softly directed towards Anna's earlobe,
"Release him; I will let you leave."
Hot wind flapped atop Anna's earlobe. With a struggling expression she cast a glance to the people stationed behind. Yet she didn't dare shift her own skull. She had no other choice but to bite her lip saying,
"What if I say no?"
Her words newly dropping, the Fluid Sword positioned within Fisher's hand then twisted ascending. The sharp blade edge completely like a Hydrus identically surrounded her neck together with her body,
"I could very well slay all of you and leave. I do not mind making a move to test one by one, until that person who released the magic is slain and the magic is released."
Anna pursued her lips shutting her mouth. Her expression seemed utterly conflicted.
Yet what whoever none of them knew was she softly placed her right hand placed behind her. Taking advantage of this time, her fingers began flexibly writing texts upon the inner side of Fisher's thigh!
Fingers completely like green scallions drawing past atop Fisher's clothing brought about a bit of an itching sensation for Fisher. The expression Fisher concealed behind the Gentleman's Hat altered faintly for a bit. Subsequently, he concentratedly discerned the texts she was writing.
"Next Wednesday."
"Full Moon Church..."
"Volunteer Teaching class."
"See you."
Fisher knit his brows. Yet having hesitated for a single second, he didn't make any superfluous movements.
He planned to observe what this fellow intend to do.
Following along with her finishing writing, Fisher also lightly patted her waist. Subsequently, he felt her fiercely pinching the inner side of his own thigh. The pain bundled with the previous text, made Fisher Turn Someone's Trick Against Them to release her soft body.
Anna, identical to struggling, fled towards the outside, but owing to the escaping power being rather large, her footsteps were unsteady to the point of being about to topple onto the ground. Simultaneously, she extremely carelessly used the bracelet bound on her wrist to smash the Fluid Sword Fisher stood beside her perpendicularly!
"Buzz buzz!"
An ear-piercing sound of severing transmitted over. That bracelet of hers shining with the radiant brilliance of magic was instantly sectioned. The magic on Lingjiu's body was also dispersed following suit.
Anna toppled upon the ground. Subsequently looking at Lingjiu by the side who had already had its magic dispersed, she angrily shouted towards the subordinates stationed in front of her bodies,
"Slay him for me!"
That angry sound was thus authentic, with a single look it was an appearance of Flying Into A Rage Out Of Shame subsequent to being threatened.
Aside from Fisher knowing she was writing texts atop his thigh, she hadn't revealed a sliver of flaws.
It appears women are all born actors...
Lowering his head, Fisher peered at Anna lying upon the ground along the boundary of the hat brim for a single glance, firmly memorizing her facial features inside his heart securely.
The sounds of firearms exploded with a boom following Anna's commands. Fisher also matched her theatrics, reacting extremely quickly to bend his body and run toward Lingjiu. Concurrently, he brandished his Fluid Sword to cut the coming bullets down.
He grabbed Lingjiu who was toppled on the ground. Pressing down on the Gentleman's Hat upon his head, subsequently hoisting Lingjiu onto his back, he madly dashed toward the exit of Serpent's Head Street.
Over there, Jasmine striking one child a punch. Seeing Fisher already dragging Lingjiu treading across the hailing bullets to arrive, her softness instantly suffused transforming back into its initial sizing.
After reverting to her original state, she threw an apologetic glance at the humans injured and lying all over the ground by the side. Though she initially hadn't laid a murderous hand, she still wordlessly uttered a sentence of "Apologies," and afterwards along with Fisher madly sprinted toward the outside along Serpent's Head Street.
The escape speed was exceptionally fast, very quickly vanishing from the sight scopes of Anna and the others.
Anna lied prone upon the floor. Without even finding the time to wipe the clothing body soiled by the dust, she stood her body up. Gritting her teeth, she gazed at the littered street ground. Resentfully glaring at their escaping direction, yet entirely failed to stifle out whichever words.
A subordinate stationed beside ran over, lowering his head inquiring,
"Lady Anna, do we want to pursue..."
"Pursue what? Are you intending to poke the matter of us seeking Demi-humans to what place? Nobody manages in the Serpent's Head Street; does the Saint-Nazareth street outside entirely have nobody managing as well?! Roll away quickly to lift the carriage, pack up a bit after that and we will return!"
"Yes..."
Subordinates obtaining commands, some part went to heave the carriages, some part went to lift the subordinates pummeled into unconsciousness up by Jasmine. Momentarily, busily toiling endlessly.
Merely solely Anna paused over the original spot. Patting off the dust smirched onto her own body, her gaze tracked the escaping directions of Fisher and the others overlooking the exit of Serpent's Head Street.
Inside her scope of sight, it was precisely adequately capable of viewing the horizon external of Serpent's Head Street.
The moonlight colors of Saint-Nazareth were profound, yet a singular stream of moonlight pierced past the cloud layers plopping straightforwardly atop the large ground. Moonlight completely like liquid spread alongside the Surface, stopping solely after reaching a segment of span fronting Anna's tiptoes.
The street entrance of Serpent's Head Street manifested chaotic owing to the preceding struggle. Pink Pavilion subordinates tidying up the streets, gangsters and drug addicts covertly appraising secreting at behind additionally atop architectures...
Merely solely Anna entirely identically to severing away such chaos. She solely glared at that spotlessly white moonlight devoid of whatever verbiages. A long while, a long while, she raised her arm once again, sniffing male aromas along the areas positioned on her wrists. That was the aroma of that person...
Fischer Benavides.
The corners of her mouth upturned a bit, stealthily revealing a smear of faint smile.
Waiting after the subordinates chased the horses back, having hoisted the carriage erect, her facial features instantaneously reverted back supporting the chilliness prior, boarding the carriage lacking a single word of utterance. At a single glance, irked to the absolute degree,
"Return to Pink Pavilion!"