Saving the Kidnapped Girls – Part 2

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Maria focused her senses and said hesitantly,

"It sounds like someone's fighting upstairs."

Before she could finish her sentence and the others could agree with her a series of tremors and the unmistakable sounds of battle reached them.

"Could someone be fighting to rescue us?" Lúcia wondered, a faint glimmer of hope rising in her heart.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and four masked hunters rushed inside.

***

Of all the girls present, Maria was the most deeply frightened. She had spent the longest time in that dreadful place. She had seen many girls come and go.

She had witnessed countless horrors there girls only a little older than herself being treated as mere objects to satisfy the twisted desires of vile men.

Some arrived so broken that they took their own lives right in front of her. Some lost their minds and went insane. Others returned empty, missing some of their organs.

A few girls who were particularly beautiful simply disappeared taken away and never seen again.

No matter how much time passed, Maria could never grow accustomed to what happened in that place. She knew she was nothing more than a criminal, and in her own eyes, her worth as a person was almost nothing.

Even so, she still wanted to be saved.

Maria remembered the day she was brought there. She had awakened as a hunter though, of course, she didn't possess a star level.

She had used her abilities to steal food and provide for her family on the streets. Now, she couldn't help but wonder how they were managing without her.

Then, the door opened again. The sound of the metal hinges a sound Maria despised echoed through the room. As always, every girl shrank back in fear, terrified of being taken away or abused again… or worse, being sent somewhere even more dreadful than where they already were.

A man entered, looking around as if searching for something. Maria recognized him the moment she saw him. When she had tried to escape and failed miserably, she was taken to this man, who punished her severely.

The man without a mask Thomas. Maria had that name engraved in her mind. Fear took hold of her, forcing her to retreat toward the other girls.

Thomas began freeing the girls from their bindings that extended to the wall. In his hand was a set of chains connected to each of them, and they trembled more violently every time he approached.

Seeing such a display of fragility before his eyes, Thomas smiled faintly. He pulled the chains, making the girls scream in despair. Some of them had lifeless, fish-like eyes, showing they were completely broken.

"Today is your lucky day. We're leaving this place. I'm taking you somewhere better." Maria noticed the contrast between Thomas's words and his actions.

She felt something was wrong. First came the tremors, and now this. Was someone actually here to rescue them this time? The last time she thought help was coming, the newcomer had been taken away instead, and no one had come.

Maria mourned the novice who had been taken. That girl had been someone important in society, unlike her a mere thief who was good for nothing.

A loud noise snapped Maria out of her thoughts. The door was violently forced open. This time, the massive metal door was completely destroyed, and she saw hunters being thrown inside.

Everyone's eyes fell upon the hunters, whose bodies were completely charred. Currents of electricity still coiled around them.

Seeing this unfold right before her eyes, Maria trembled. Then, a figure appeared.

A man from the Association entered. Maria knew he was from the Hunter Association because of the distinctive suit he wore she used to watch dungeon raids broadcast by the Association.

She saw the hunter looking around with a worried expression. Maria wondered if his concern was for them or if perhaps one of the girls was someone he knew.

She looked at the others, but none reacted as if they recognized him. Then she followed the hunter's gaze to see what troubled him so much.

Unfortunately, the hunter's expression turned into one of disappointment mixed with concern. Then his eyes fell upon the chained girls, and a surge of rage rose within him so fierce that Maria trembled and turned her gaze away for a moment.

" You bastard, how did you get in here?" Maria saw the surprise shining in Thomas's eyes.

" Let them all go."

The association hunter pointed the electricity-covered sword at Thomas, hearing the man's short phrase, causing all the girls to be touched by such words.

"Let go? Are you crazy? Why would I let go of my merchandise?" When Thomas said this, Maria saw the association hunter's anger deepen and electricity coat his body.

"Merchandise? You dare treat people as mere objects; you don't really know what hunters are for, do you?" Maria felt that the last words spoken by the man might have been directed at the one who spoke, not at those who heard.

"I'll give you 1 minute to free all the girls and get out of this place before I tear you in two." Somehow Maria felt firmness in these words she could not explain at the moment.

To her it was as if the association hunter were issuing a decree, although Maria did not really know the meaning of the word decree, but that was what she thought.

"HMPH, and I'll give you 1 second to move your ass out of here," Thomas said arrogantly, gripping the chains that imprisoned Maria and her friends tightly.

"Stay there." Seeing that the association hunter intended to move, Maria felt her chain being pulled and she fell without resistance into Thomas's arms; she tried to struggle to free herself from the grip but without success.

As Thomas expected, Maria saw the association hunter stop at the first man's command.

"How laughable, you hide behind a little girl and still claim to be a two-star hunter?" the association hunter mocked Thomas; if Maria were free, she would have uttered those exact same words.

"How I use my merchandise is my problem; now step aside so we can leave and don't you dare follow me if you do I will kill them long before I finish you."

Maria could feel anger in Thomas's words, because the grip on her tightened slightly.

She tried to fight, but the strength of a one-star hunter was not something Maria could handle.

For a moment the association hunter's eyes

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