Chapter 65
My consciousness felt like it was sinking to the bottom of a cold, murky swamp. Every struggle to emerge drained my entire body of strength. The intense pain had long since numbed, transforming into an all-pervasive dull ache that gnawed at every nerve.
Hunger churns in my stomach like a greedy maggot. Darkness, boundless darkness, is the only ruler here, devouring time and eroding my remaining will.
The thunderous sound of gunfire once again violently shattered the silence.
Keigo Atobe's head drooped limply on his chest, his messy hair sticking to his sweaty forehead.
This gunshot... how many times has it happened? Three days? Five days?
He had long lost his sense of time and could only guess the alternation of day and night by the vague calls of the guards outside the door as they changed shifts.
Every time a gunshot rang out, it was like a stone dropped into stagnant water, briefly stirring up a faint ripple of hope.
In his drowsiness, he had caught snippets of the guards' words, which described with mockery and complacency how easy it was to defend and difficult to attack the abandoned castle - the wide moat and the tall, slippery outer walls, like a natural cage and fortress.
So, after every gunshot, the heavy iron door, the only thing that separated him from the outside world, remained motionless, coldly mocking his every futile expectation.
Hope ignited and then extinguished, leaving only deeper despair and darkness.
This time, the gunfire seemed particularly intense and lasted longer.
The sound of exploding water, sharp noises, and dense whistling of bullets...
What was going on out there? Another failed rescue attempt? Or something else?
Consciousness floated on the edge of severe pain and weakness.
What did he see before he passed out this time?
Not darkness, not cold stone walls.
It's sunshine.
It was the tennis court of Hyotei Academy, warmed by the sun.
A black-haired girl stood at the sidelines, holding a tennis ball that had been hit off target. Her delicate eyebrows were knitted together, and her bright eyes, filled with undisguised anger and vivid stubbornness, stared straight at him. Her voice was crisp and a little fierce:
"If you're not good at it, practice more!"
That lively appearance and that lively temper were like a ray of light piercing through the haze, suddenly illuminating his chaotic consciousness.
It’s so beautiful... Was that what he was thinking at the time?
It was just that his pride at that time did not allow him to admit it.
His head dropped even lower, his chin resting on his cold collarbone, where something hard was poking him—the small, heavy gold tennis ball pendant.
How long had it been since he last contacted her? Ever since he was abducted here, there had been no contact. His phone had been confiscated long ago.
Would she be... worried sick? Would she be angry? Angry that he had put her in danger?
The corners of Keigo Atobe's mouth curled up into an extremely bitter arc.
What a pity... He suddenly felt extremely regretful.
In fact, from the moment he first saw the girl holding a tennis ball and glaring at him angrily at the tennis court, his heart had already gone off track uncontrollably.
People are really strange.
How can you fall in love at first sight with someone you meet for the first time?
His chaotic thoughts were turning with difficulty.
After thinking about it, I didn't find it strange.
She is so nice.
Strong as weeds, able to take root and grow in any adversity; brave as a lone wolf, daring to face any provocation and danger; yet hidden within is the softest kindness, like a quiet lake under the moonlight; and a beauty that no one else can match, like the most dazzling star...
Why shouldn't he, Keigo Atobe, fall in love with her like this?
I only hate myself for being such a complete fool, realizing it too late! Waking up too late!
I hate myself even more... Until now, I haven't even made a formal and decent confession.
My consciousness began to blur again, and the deafening gunshots in my ears seemed to become distant.
Kenichiro Yamamoto's face, distorted by madness and failure, appeared before his eyes again.
When he was first captured, the old man had personally visited this filthy cell. Perhaps the business in Britain and Japan had been cleaned up so thoroughly that it had pushed him to the brink of despair.
In those sinister eyes, only destructive hatred remained. All that hatred turned into fists, raining down on his tightly bound, immobile body.
Why was Yamamoto grinning at that time?
"Do you regret it, boy from the Atobe family? If you had just married my daughter and let the Yamamoto family have a share, you wouldn't have ended up like this. Now, you will die here! Isn't the prince's favorite castle? As you wish, rest here forever! Hahaha!"
regret?
At that time, Keigo Atobe used all his strength, raised his head suddenly, and spat out the fishy and sweet blood foam in his mouth.
Even though he was in a mess and tied to a chair, the look he gave Yamamoto was still arrogant, cold, and full of extreme irony, as if he was looking at a pile of smelly garbage.
"Heh..." He seemed to have uttered a short and contemptuous breath.
This kind of rubbish... is he worthy of speaking to me? He's even worthy of mentioning the word "regret"?
What greeted him was, of course, even more violent beatings and then being thrown completely into a dark abyss - without water or food, and without sight of the sun.
Darkness is a killer more terrifying than fists.
It is silent, but can easily break down the strongest will and drag people into a fantasy of collapse.
Every time when he felt that he was about to be swallowed by the endless darkness and despair and was about to give up resistance and sink, Keigo Atobe would lower his head with difficulty.
The rough rope rubbed against the skin of his neck, causing a sting. He used his chin and cheek to feel the small, cold golden tennis ball against his skin.
It is the gift from the universe to mankind, and the stars born from the collision of countless miracles.
It is also...his little secret, given to him.
His fingertips could not move, but the cold, hard touch became the only link between him and that bright, vivid and powerful world.
Every touch is like drawing on a weak spark that is enough to start a prairie fire.
The gunshots seemed closer? Or was it...his hallucination?
The darkness is still thick.
BANG!!!
A dull but penetrating thud, like a huge rock crashing into a deep, silent pool, suddenly came from above! The sound did not come from the noisy gunfight outside, but from this cell itself.
Atobe Keigo was shaken by the sudden loud noise, and his drowsy consciousness was violently torn back. He raised his head with great effort and extremely slowly, his heavy neck seemed to be filled with lead.
Above his head, the inaccessible window that was sealed with thick wooden boards and iron bars actually had a hole in it!
Broken wood chips and dust fell down, dancing in the cold moonlight that came through the hole, forming a gray smoke.
In the misty dust, a slender yet extremely agile figure nimbly came in like a sharp blade breaking through the darkness.
The moonlight outlined her neat silhouette, her black combat uniform was clinging to her body, and the silver whip at her waist shone with a cold luster in the dim light.
Her gaze, like the most accurate searchlight, instantly penetrated the dense dust and locked onto the bound, almost inhuman figure sitting on the chair in the corner!
"Keigo!"
That call, with the hoarseness of a long-awaited reunion, the ecstasy of regaining what was lost, and the determination to cross the boundary between life and death, exploded like thunder in the dead lake of his heart.
Keigo Atobe's body began to tremble violently and uncontrollably, as if struck by a high-voltage electric current.
He wanted to respond, wanted to call out her name, but his parched throat felt like it had been rubbed by sandpaper, and he could only make hoarse, discordant sounds.
He could only tilt his head up desperately and greedily, using all his strength to open his eyes wide, staring at that figure - the light he thought he would never see again!
Without a moment's hesitation, she flicked her wrist, and a thin yet sturdy rope dropped from above, which she grasped firmly. Her figure, as swift as a swift, slid down the rope steadily from the height. The moment her toes touched the ground, there was almost no sound.
As soon as I landed on the ground, I almost staggered towards the corner!
My heart was beating wildly in my chest, almost breaking my ribs. The distance of a few steps seemed like a long journey.
Finally pounced in front of him!
So close!
That handsome face that always exuded confidence and looked down upon everything was now pale without a trace of blood, his cheeks were deeply sunken, his cheekbones were high and protruding, his eye sockets were deep and covered with purple bruises.
Dark red blood clotted on his cracked lips, and the wound at the corner of his mouth was still slightly swollen...
He was so weak that he seemed like he could be blown down by a gust of wind, but his deep-set eyes were surprisingly bright at this moment, staring at me tightly and greedily, as if he wanted to carve my appearance into the depths of his soul.
The overwhelming heartache instantly drowned out all the fatigue and tension.
It was like an invisible hand gripping my heart, the pain stifling my breath. My fingertips trembled as they caressed his cold cheek, traced the bruises on his brow, and touched his cracked, bloody lips...
The exhaustion from days of running around, the tension from lurking and climbing, the fear of the unknown, at this moment, when he saw him so embarrassed and weak, all turned into a surging and uncontrollable torrent of emotions.
There was no time to think, the body reacted before the mind!
I suddenly leaned over and kissed his cracked and bloody lips with all the heartache, the ecstasy of regaining what I had lost, and the desperate determination.
It wasn't a deep, lingering kiss, but just a quick touch like a dragonfly skimming the water.
The cold, rough, bloody and bitter touch came, but it instantly penetrated each other's souls like an electric current.
This short but hot kiss was like a key, completely opening up Keigo Atobe's senses that were blocked by darkness and despair.
A real and familiar scent, belonging to Wushanyin. Crisp and clean, with a hint of the smoke of the dusty and lingering, and a unique cold fragrance that belonged to her. It was like the most powerful stimulant, instantly injecting every limb into his body!
She's coming! She's really coming!
Right in front of him! It wasn't an illusion! It wasn't the mumbling of a dying man!
"Um..." A vague, extremely trembling whimper came from his throat, his bound body struggled violently, and an astonishing light suddenly burst out of his eyes.
No time for more tenderness! Time is life!
I immediately pulled out a specially made portable knife from the small bag on the side of my leg, and the blade flashed a cold light in the moonlight.
"Bear with it!" I growled, turning my wrist. The sharp blade accurately and swiftly cut through the rough ropes soaked in sweat and blood that bound his wrists and ankles!
The rope snapped! Freed from his restraints, Atobe Keigo's body suddenly tilted forward, almost falling to the ground.
After being tied up for so long and feeling so weak, he didn't even have the strength to stand. I quickly grabbed him and held his heavy body halfway in my arms.
"Keigo! Look at me!" I held his pale, cold face, forcing his scattered focus to focus. "Hold on! Let's get out of here!"
He was breathing rapidly, his chest heaving violently, his eyes trying to focus on my face, and he nodded with difficulty.
I quickly pulled out the strawberry-flavored candy I'd picked up from the farm table from my breast pocket. I peeled back the sticky wrapper and pressed the glistening, sweet-smelling candy between his chapped lips.
"Hold it in your mouth! Get some sugar!" My voice carried an unquestionable command.
The sweet, cloying flavor of strawberries instantly filled his dry, bitter mouth, carrying with it a long-lost breath of life and hope. He subconsciously rolled the candy around his tongue, the cool sweetness seeming to bring a faint sense of strength.
He held my hand tightly with all his strength. The strength was astonishing, with the trembling of surviving a disaster and the determination to never let go.
"Let's go..." He squeezed out a broken word from his throat and gestured to the door with his eyes.
I lifted him up, letting his heavy body lean against me as much as possible, ready to take him out of this cage filled with the breath of death. We moved with difficulty towards the heavy iron door.
One step, two steps...
Just as we were about to approach the door, my hand had already reached for the silver whip at my waist, ready to deal with any guards that might appear——
Da…da…da…
Clear, unhurried footsteps suddenly sounded from the deep corridor outside the door! From far away, they approached, carrying a playful, cat-and-mouse-like sound and a cold murderous intent!
The footsteps stopped outside the door!
The heavy iron door was pushed open with a violent force, making a harsh friction sound.
In the dark corridor outside the door, Yamamoto Kenichiro's face, twisted with madness and rage, looked particularly ferocious in the dim light. Behind him, two trusted aides, each as strong as an iron tower and emitting a murderous aura, were like two moving walls of flesh.
When they met on a narrow road, the air froze instantly.
Yamamoto obviously didn't expect to collide with us head-on. He probably heard strange noises in the cell and realized that the outer guards had been breached, so he wanted to rush in and grab Keigo Atobe, his last amulet.
The astonishment in his eyes was instantly replaced by viciousness.
"Catch them!" Yamamoto screamed!
The confidant on his left reacted incredibly quickly. Almost at the moment the door opened, the heavy iron rod in his hand came down on my head with a whistling sound, with great force and speed as fast as lightning!
I used all my strength to push the almost unsteady Jibu towards the relatively safe corner of the wall. At the same time, the silver whip at my waist shot out like a venomous snake coming to life! The tip of the whip precisely wrapped around the falling iron rod!
"Clang!" The sharp sound of metal clashing!
The whip was entangled, but an overwhelming force surged along the whip!
The henchman's arm muscles knotted, and with a low growl, he yanked back violently. My wrist trembled violently, the knuckles instantly cracked, and blood flowed. The iron rod remained motionless, while the whip remained stretched straight, groaning under the weight!
This person's strength far exceeds my expectations!
My heart was pounding with alarm! Another trusted aide on my right had already pounced on me like a cheetah, the sharp machete in his hand carrying a cold breath of death, slashing straight at my waist and abdomen.
The angle is tricky and extremely cruel!
I twisted my body suddenly, and my waist and abdomen burst out with extreme strength, twisting my body into almost an incredible arc. The cold blade passed by my combat uniform, bringing with it a sound of tearing cloth.
It’s so dangerous!
These two people are definitely Yamamoto's best players!
With his kung fu skills, immense strength, and tacit coordination, he was no match for the rabble on the city wall!
If I were in top form, I might have been able to win, but the fatigue from days of running around and the immense consumption of climbing the cliffs had already stretched my physical strength to the limit!
Every dodge and every exertion seemed to be burning the last of his life.
My body felt heavy as if filled with lead, my muscles were wailing, and my lungs were burning with pain.
"Ugh!" The whip that was blocking the iron rod was pulled hard by the opponent again. The huge force made me stagger and my blood surged.
Yamamoto Kenichiro's venomous eyes were fixed on Atobe, who was pushed into the corner by me and was trying to struggle to get up with his last bit of strength.
His face showed a mixture of ecstasy and cruelty. He bypassed us who were fighting and rushed straight to Atobe. His skinny claws were like a hawk, and he was about to grab Atobe's arm!
"No!" Seeing Yamamoto about to touch Atobe, a wave of rage and fear that could destroy the world instantly overwhelmed his rationality. What bottom line for a martial artist! What taboo against overdrawing the body! To hell with it all!
The master's warning shattered in my mind!
My body, suffused with utter fury and a fierce determination to protect, erupted with strength beyond my control! I suddenly bent my body to an almost inhumane angle, narrowly avoiding another sweep of the iron rod!
At the same time, the fingers holding the whip handle pressed hard on the mechanism hidden deep in the grip!
Clang——!
An extremely subtle but murderous sound of a spring flickering.
The silver whip sections wrapped around the iron rod suddenly exploded, and countless poisoned steel needles as thin as cow hair and emitting a cold blue light shot out from the gaps in the whip sections in an instant, like a swarm of enraged bees!
Puff puff puff——!
The distance was too close, and the two iron-towered confidants had no time to react! Densely packed poison needles instantly covered their exposed necks, arms, and faces!
"ah--!!!"
The inhuman howls instantly tore through the air of the cell. The two strong men seemed to have their bones pulled out in an instant. Their huge bodies fell to the ground with a thud. They twitched and scratched the places where they were pierced by the poison needles frantically. Their skin turned a strange blue-black color at a speed visible to the naked eye, and white foam came out of their mouths. It was obvious that they were not going to survive.
However
Just when I pressed the trigger, my heart was excited, my old strength was exhausted and the new strength had not yet been generated!
The heavy iron rod, with the ferocity of a dying counterattack, hit me hard on the back!
"puff--!"
It was as if I was hit by a huge hammer, my vision suddenly went black, and my internal organs seemed to be shattered!
The sweet, fishy smell of rust surged up my throat like a flood! I forced myself to swallow it, but warm liquid still overflowed from the corners of my mouth.
The severe pain almost made me faint!
But I can't fall down.
Yamamoto's hand was only an inch away from Atobe.
The hideous ecstasy on his face, showing the impending success, deeply hurt my eyes.
"Don't even think about it!" A hoarse, beast-like roar squeezed out of my throat, and the bloody whip swung out again like lightning!
This time, the target was directly aimed at Yamamoto Kenichiro's neck.
The cold whip tip was like a poisonous snake's tongue, precisely wrapping around Yamamoto's skinny neck. I used all my strength to pull my wrist back!
A critical moment!
Extreme fear and madness flashed in Yamamoto Kenichiro's eyes. He suddenly retracted the hand that was reaching out to Atobe, and pulled out a dark pistol from his waist!
The gun fired in desperation!
Bang! Bang!
Two deafening gunshots rang out in the cramped cell like thunder. The immense roar instantly deprived me of my hearing! The flash of fire from the muzzle stung my eyes.
At that moment, time seemed to be infinitely stretched and distorted.
I don't remember how my body erupted with that final burst of strength that surpassed my limit. I only remember those two balls of deadly flames rapidly expanding in my pupils!
All I remember is a thought that was etched into my soul like a brand—Stop him! Stop him! Don't let him hurt Atobe!
The body is faster than the mind!
Like a cannonball, I used up the last bit of my strength and rushed towards the direction where Atobe fell! I opened my arms and blocked his way!
Puff! Puff!
Two dull, heartbreaking thuds hit my chest hard.
The huge impact force was like being hit head-on by a high-speed train. I didn't feel any pain, but it felt like two huge holes were suddenly drilled in my chest. The freezing cold wind rushed in, and my body was sent flying backwards by the huge recoil.
No! Yamamoto is not dead! He is still here!
This thought was like a final obsession! The body flew in mid-air, and the hand holding the whip handle tightly used up the last bit of consciousness to tighten it violently, fiercely, and desperately.
"Uh... ho..." Yamamoto Kenichiro's eyeballs bulged out due to the whip suddenly tightening around his neck. A strange hoarse sound came from his throat, and the gun in his hand slipped weakly to the ground.
He scratched the silver whip on his neck in vain, his face turned from red to purple, and finally froze in a state of extreme horror and disbelief, his body limply collapsing without a sound.
The body fell heavily to the ground.
Cold and hard.
The chill in his chest was instantly covered by the surging warm liquid.
I lowered my head and saw two hideous bullet holes on the chest of the dark combat uniform, from which blood was gushing out, and large patches of dark red quickly spread out, like two blooming, desperate flowers of the other shore.
Buzz——!
The severe tinnitus instantly swallowed up the whole world.
All the sounds - the dull thud of Yamamoto falling to the ground, Atobe's heart-wrenching cry, the faint footsteps in the distance - became blurred, as if separated by a thick layer of glass.
Everything before my eyes turned into a slow-motion silent film, with the colors fading rapidly.
It felt like all the strength had been drained from my body, and I couldn't even move a finger.
I lay on my back, my vision starting to blur and become unfocused.
All I could see above my head was the hole in the high-hanging window that I had broken open.
The cool, bright moonlight was quietly falling from the hole, like a silver beam of light, gently enveloping me and illuminating the flying dust.
So tired...
I'm really tired...
In the haze, there seemed to be a sound of collapsed, heart-wrenching cries.
Is he crawling towards me? What's that on his face? Are they tears?
What is he saying? I can't hear...
I can't hear anything at all...
The sound of chaotic footsteps came from far away and was very rapid.
Who was it? The first? The fifteenth? Or was it the British police who rushed in? It doesn't matter...
Someone suddenly knelt down beside me, and with trembling, cold hands, they pressed tightly against the wound on my chest that was constantly oozing warmth. Those hands were shaking so violently, pressing so hard, as if trying to use that meager strength to block the surging life.
Is it... Keigo?
I tried hard to open my eyes, to look at him again. I wanted to tell him not to cry, not to be afraid... I wanted to see him smile again... But my eyelids were so heavy, so heavy... like they were welded shut.
never mind……
The corners of his mouth seemed to be able to move...?
I used up my last bit of strength and moved the corners of my mouth.
Probably...laughing, right?
Jingwu...
Remember... the way I smile...
Moonlight, so gentle...
Consciousness, like a kite with a broken string, floated lightly into the endless darkness.
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