In the room where candlelight danced, on a rather cramped pink wooden bed, a plump, half-naked middle-aged man lay with his eyes half-closed, his smile sleazy.
Underneath him was pressed a little girl in a short lace dress.
The girl was only about twelve years old, with shoulder-length golden hair adorned with a pale green hairclip. Her face was youthful and pretty. However, her pale blue eyes were dull and lifeless, staring blankly at the ceiling as if she were already dead, completely oblivious to the overweight middle-aged man lying on top of her.
Next to the small pink bed, another girl was sprawled on the floor, her face and attire almost identical to the girl on the bed, as if they were cast from the same mold. But she was sobbing, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
The corpulent middle-aged man was Marquis Felix Luffman, and his favorite aspect of "Julina's Forbidden Paradise" was the array of secretive and forbidden services it offered.
In Forbidden Paradise, beyond human females, elves, and beastkin, anyone with enough gold or power could indulge in the dark services hidden within the depths of human nature.
The loli twins, who had recently arrived, were his favorite.
One was named Kuuderika, the other Ureirika. They might have been kidnapped and sold here, or perhaps their desperate parents sold them.
However, Marquis Felix didn't care about this at all; he didn't even know whether the girl he was pressing down was Kuuderika or Ureirika.
All he wanted was to take a brief respite from the oppressive political struggles of the Baharuth Empire and unleash his twisted desires.
The girl beneath him had vacant, lifeless eyes and her body was utterly still, which greatly displeased Marquis Felix. After enduring prolonged abuse, her psyche had completely collapsed, and only healing magic kept her body intact. However, this magic could not mend the deep scars of her tormented soul, leaving her as nothing more than a walking corpse.
Such a little girl, despite her beautiful face, was a lifeless doll.
Marquis Felix grabbed her throat and shouted, "Cry quickly, cry quickly, if you don't cry, how can I get erection?"
The pale face of the little girl spasmed slightly, but her gaze remained fixed dully on the ceiling. Marquis Felix, annoyed, released his grip on the girl's neck. With his left hand, he fiercely slapped her across the face, followed by a sharp smack from his right hand, and then alternated blows. The girl's clean cheeks quickly swelled up, turning red.
Another little girl, sobbing under the bed, struggled to her feet, her childlike cries pleading, "Don't hit Ureirika!" She crawled on all fours onto the bed and fiercely bit into Felix's bare shoulder with her not-so-sharp teeth.
The Marquis pushed her away with a single motion, and Kuuderika crashed into the sturdy bedpost and tumbled off the bed.
On the bed, Ureirika's lifeless eyes finally shed a tear that trickled down her cheek.
Marquis Felix gets erectioned and starts groping for his short dick.
"Creaaak," the door to the room opened. Marquis Felix turned his head disapprovingly and saw a black-haired girl dressed in coarse linen pushing the door open, staring blankly at him.
Being interrupted at such a moment greatly infuriated Marquis Felix!
He glared at the solemn-faced black-haired girl and angrily said, "Did I ask for a nun's services? Get out of here immediately. Just seeing your face ruins my mood."
Marquis Felix turned back, ready to resume his actions with the girl beneath him. His hands tightened around Ureirika's throat, just about to make a move when he suddenly felt a chilling sensation up his spine, his hair standing on end.
This was a warning of death, a sign of a looming storm. He could sense the terrifying, silent presence behind him spreading like the wings of an ancient dragon, opening wide in fury, ready to unleash a storm of fiery breath.
Trembling, Marquis Felix turned his head. In his final glimpse, all he saw was a giant sword.
With a single slash from EeDechi, Marquis Felix's bulky body flew off the bed, smashing through the solid stone wall and crashing into the next room.
In the adjacent room, a woman wearing an emerald crown was whipping a man chained to a chair when the wall suddenly shattered, and a bloody figure tumbled in. The elven woman dropped her whip and fled screaming.
Ignoring the terrified shouts from the next room, EeDechiwalked to the pink bed, tidied up Ureirika's tear-streaked dress, helped her up, and then picked up Kuuderika, who was sobbing on the floor, holding their frail bodies as she walked out of the room.
Julina's Forbidden Paradise was already in chaos. Unconscious guards lay scattered on the roads and stairs. Cries of "Intruder!" echoed continuously. Barely clothed patrons and women ran about in panic, while fully armed guards with sharp blades ran up and down the stairs searching for the intruder.
…
Zona Quinn, clad in dark green Gorgon leather armor, hurriedly dashed up to the third floor. His job was to ensure the safety of Felix Luffman, Marquis, whenever he stepped out into the world.
It was supposed to be an easy gig, but out of nowhere, an intruder had stormed this brothel. On his way up, Zona passed guard after guard sprawled across the floor in a chaotic mess, each with a single wound. Some were killed in one blow, others knocked out cold. Whoever this intruder was, their strength was downright terrifying.
Still, Zona had faith in his own skills. Before becoming a bodyguard, he'd been a damn famous orichalcum-level adventurer. The twin Blooddance Blades strapped to his back had cut down just as many humanoid warriors as they had monsters.
On the narrow spiral stone staircase, someone blocked his path. Zona looked up and saw a black-haired girl in dark clothes, cradling two scrawny little girls in her arms, staring down at him with a cold, commanding air.
The staircase was tight and pitch-black, the kerosene lamps on the walls all snuffed out. Only a glass window cracked open slightly, letting a sliver of chilly moonlight spill through. It landed on the black-haired girl's face, which radiated a killing intent that could freeze your blood.
Zona didn't recognize her, but he sure as hell knew the two loli twins she was holding. They were Marquis Felix's newest favorite toys. So how the fuck had they ended up in this girl's hands?
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Zona's back. He drew his swords and pointed them at the stern-faced girl, barking, "Where's Marquis Felix?"
"That pig?" The black-haired girl tilted her head, thinking for a second. "He's already dead."
"You…" Zona's blood boiled. If Marquis Felix was dead, then he, the guy in charge of security, was fucked. The Marquis's family would have his head on a pike for this. His only shot now was to take this girl's skull and hope it'd cool the nobles' rage!
Martial Art: Invulnerable Fortress.
Martial Art: Flow Acceleration.
Martial Art: Sky-Shattering Thrust!
In a split second, Zona unleashed three Martial Arts back-to-back! With his blood-red twin blades, he crouched and coiled on the stone steps like a loaded spring, then shot forward like an arrow straight for EeDechi's throat!
EeDechi, with both arms wrapped around the little girls, couldn't draw the sword on her back. In this cramped stairwell, there was no room to dodge such a lethal strike. She lashed out with a kick, slamming the dual-wielding bastard into the glass window.
The colored glass shattered into a million pieces. Zona screamed as he smashed through the window and tumbled out of the building.
Two more dumbass guards charged up with spears in hand. EeDechi leaped, planting a foot square in each of their faces. They dropped like sacks of shit, out cold. She strolled off without a care.
Down in the first-floor hall, the courtyard was a goddamn mess—bodies everywhere. A dozen fully armed guards lay scattered in heaps.
Next to the pile of corpses, Barrett, his face wrapped in black gauze, was frantically scurrying around.
He flipped over an unconscious guard sprawled on the ground, his thick, calloused hands deftly unfastening the chestplate of the guard's full armor. He rummaged through the cotton lining underneath with practiced ease.
EeDechi stepped out, clutching the two little girls, and frowned at Barrett's actions. "What the hell are you doing?"
Barrett shrugged. "Obviously grabbing whatever I can before the law shows up."
He pulled a small coin pouch from the guard's inner shirt and dangled it toward EeDechi. "Money doesn't grow on trees. An adventurer's gotta make a living off monsters, sure, but also off the dead and the living. And let me tell you, the guards in this Forbidden Paradise joint? Not only do they have top-notch gear, they're packing some decent cash too."
EeDechi shook her head. "How's that any different from being a bandit?" She set down the two pale-faced girls and said to Barrett, "Watch them for me."
Barrett pulled down his black cloth mask and exhaled through his nose, retorting indignantly, "You're one to talk. You're the one who knocked out all these guards. I'm just collecting some loot. They were minding their business when you barged in and caused a ruckus. We should leave soon. The knights will be here any minute. We don't want to be caught by the sheriff and become wanted criminals."
"I just couldn't stand seeing all this," EeDechi said, her face showing a hint of anger. She took the giant sword from her back and headed back into Julina's Forbidden Paradise.