[Ok, I understand; I get it now… If I win, I'll get those innocent souls back; I'll give them the life they could have had, or the life they will have…]
A fierce determination hardened Ashutosh's gaze as he stared out at the empty arena. The weight of his inaction still pressed heavily on him, but a new resolve was taking root. He would find a way to atone.
Lost in his grim determination, he didn't notice Ritso approach until he felt a gentle, hesitant touch on his shoulder. He twisted his head, finding her standing there, her bovine eyes filled with a quiet concern.
"You here… how long you been there?"
Nervousness flickered in her eyes. "When you…" She hesitated, then tried again. "Mhmm, when you walked here… that's when I saw you."
"So you heard?"
She nodded slowly, unable to meet his gaze, the lie unspoken between them. "I didn't want to, but I did… Btw, who were you talking to? I saw no one here."
"Don't worry about it; I was talking to myself," Ashutosh said, offering a dismissive wave of his clawed hand.
Ritso shifted her weight, her hooves clicking softly on the stone floor. "Muda… you seem different lately… what happened? If you need any help, you know I'm here, right?"
Instinctively, Ashutosh reached out and patted her head between her horns, a gesture that felt surprisingly natural despite his unfamiliarity with this body. "I said, don't worry about me. If you want to help so bad, then take care of Kelly. Where is she, by the way?"
"Ahhh, you said to keep her somewhere safe…" Ritso's eyes darted around nervously. "Well, so I hid her here in the slaughterhouse (Arena)…"
Ashutosh's ember eyes narrowed slightly as she continued, her voice gaining a nervous conviction. "Mhmm, it's just… everyone will check the sewage; no one will think to look for her here… The arena Is safer… among all the comings and goings…"
A slow smile spread across Ashutosh's face. She was right. It was a counterintuitive but surprisingly sound plan, something he hadn't considered. The slaughterhouse, a place of brutal spectacle, could also be a place to disappear amongst the transient crowds from countless realms.
"Hey, Ritso," he said, his voice softening slightly, "I want to know something very important."
She looked up at him, her curiosity tinged with a nervous anticipation, a faint pink flush rising on her furry cheeks. "What… do you… want to… know… mhmm, Muda?"
"Can you tell me about Beast Will?"
The curiosity and excitement in her eyes visibly dimmed. "Oh, that's… What do you want to know exactly about that?"
"How do you do that? Like when you grew your size to help me."
She tilted her head in confusion. "Why are you asking me that? You know better about Beast Will than me."
Ashutosh cursed inwardly. He had fumbled, revealing his ignorance. He looked around frantically, trying to come up with a plausible explanation. "Ahhh, I know that, but I want to know your perspective. Everyone experiences it differently, right?"
Her eyes brightened with enthusiasm. "Ohhh, that's okay… Yeah, I can easily tell you that!"
[Ohhh, thank God…]
The rich aroma of dark roast coffee mingled with the savory scent of perfectly grilled steak filled Victor's lavish office. He leaned back in his plush chair, taking a slow sip of the bitter brew, the warmth a pleasant contrast to the cold calculation in his eyes.
His Indulgence was abruptly interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. "Come in," he commanded, his voice still thick with satisfaction.
A dwarf-like creature, his face etched with subservience, entered the room. He kept his gaze respectfully lowered as he addressed Victor, who was still chewing contentedly. "Sir… one of the slaves bit her tongue and committeed suicide… She is dead."
Victor didn't lose his composure, his chewing slowing only slightly. "Was she mature enough?" His words held a chilling indifference.
The dwarf understood his meaning. "No, sire, she was a child."
Victor looked up, his expression devoid of emotion. "Don't care. Our profit is stagnant. Doesn't matter; new slaves are coming next week… I heard they raided a new village… So we won't have a problem regarding mature women. Don't care if blood flows freely or the sewers run red."
The dwarf was visibly shocked by his callousness but quickly regained his composure. "Yeah, sir."
"Meat is still stagnant; you can list her in the main meal."
"Sure, sir. Do you want her medium rare, like always?"
"You said she wasn't mature, so make it light. I want to taste every blood cell in her meat."
"Sure, sire. Which part do you want?"
Victor paused, a morbid contemplation flickering in his eyes as he considered which part of the child's remains would best satisfy his twisted cravings. "Gut, I suppose."
His words were met with a silent nod from the dwarf, who backed out of the office, leaving Victor alone once more. Victor shrugged slightly, his gaze returning to his half-eaten meal, and resumed his repast.
He cleaned his face meticulously after each bite, a gentle breeze from the open window carrying away the faint scent of blood. He looked out into the endless darkness of the Underpaths, the faint, scattered lights of the subterranean city a stark contrast to the brightly glowing Underpass Arena in the distance.
His eyes darkened, his mind drifting back to the harsh realities of his past – the gnawing hunger, the taste of scavenged scraps, the desperate thirst quenched by sewer water. [Well, it's all different now… because I was stronger, and smarter. Now I can savor any and all kinds of meals and I will.]
Another knock, sharp and insistent, shattered his reverie. "Come in."
The door creaked open, and an unexpected guest stood on the threshold. "Muda?" Victor's fork clattered against his plate. He paused, forcing himself to maintain a semblance of composure, though a flicker of surprise betrayed him. "Well, well, my little old friend~ How may I help you?"
Shock registered on Victor's face, his eyes darting around the doorway, unable to comprehend the sight before him. [How had Muda entered? Where were the guards?] His office was on the 20th floor, with his men stationed on every level. [It supposed to be impossible.]
Ashutosh casually walked into the office, his gaze sweeping over the opulent furnishings. Victor instinctively recoiled, his eyes fixed on the ground as Ashutosh moved, noticing the trail of greasy residue he left on the expensive carpet. Mud water? Victor sniffed the air; it was faint, but it wasn't the usual stench of the sewers… it was different, subtle. Ashutosh stopped in front of Victor's desk, dropping the dirty blanket that had concealed his form onto the floor, his gaze fixed on the unfinished meal. Then, his eyes moved to Victor, unwavering and unreadable.
Victor felt a prickle of unease under that intense stare. He forced a strained smile. "Why are you here, Muda?"
Ashutosh remained silent, his gaze continuing to roam the room, as if assessing its worth.
"Where are you looking? Ash, I'm here, damn it! Look at me… LOOK AT ME!" Finally, Victor's carefully constructed composure cracked. "WHAT IN THE UNDERPATHS ARE YOU DOING HERE? WE BEAT YOU TO A PULP! YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO WALK!"
Ashutosh still said nothing, his gaze locked on Victor, his expression as hard and unyielding as stone. Victor slammed his hands on the table, the force rattling the coffee cup, and shot to his feet. "aghhhaaaa MUDAAAA! GUARDS… LESTER… ROWEN… IS ANYONE THERE?" His voice rose to a panicked shout.