It was the first time Asuka had encountered traffickers.
Despite this not being the most horrifying thing she's seen, the fact it was humans who did this made her stomach drop.
The women and children didn't look like they had been beaten, but they were severely malnourished. Sunken cheeks, bony limbs and frail bodies unable to sit up straight. They couldn't even raise their arms to shield their eyes from the morning sun. Heavy bags hung under their eyes. They weren't even given the grace of rest.
And yet, it wasn't them that shook Asuka the most.
It was the man.
He lay curled on his side, just enough exposed to show deep, rotting lacerations across his chest. Likely worse on his back. His breaths came shallow and rapid, and despite the heat of summer, he trembled.
"How could someone do this to their fellow human."
But this wasn't the first time she'd seen how terrible humans can be. Mr. Baldwin. Margaret.
"Are humans really not that much different from demons."
Before she could enter the cage though, she heard a low groan. She looked over and saw the burly man trying to slowly stumble to his feet.
"I can't believe... a mere child..."
"I advise you remain as you are. Or don't. I wouldn't mind using you to vent my anger," said the girl.
"He's able to get up so quickly. He must be able to manipulate anima. But to what extent?"
The man looked up and let out a deep rumbling laugh.
"You think you can take me after one lucky hit. I warn you not to get cocky brat."
He then, with his right hand, reached for something on the left side of his belt. A barbed leather whip uncoils and drags on the floor as the man slowly closes the distance between him and the girl.
He tries to intimidate her by swiftly cracking the whip in the air multiple times, but it does not even faze her. Even when the tip just brushes past her hair, she remains calm. Almost apathetic. This infuriates the man and he tries to hit her in the eye only for her hand to flash and catch it.
"WHAT!?"
Before he could even register, she appeared in front of him and struck him in the knee with her sword still in its scabbard snapping it backwards with a sickening crack. The man fell roaring in agony and clutching at his now broken leg.
Asuka let the man writhe in pain and walked back to the cage. When she stepped inside, all of its occupants looked at her.
"Sorry for the delay," she said softly. "Time to get you all out of here."
She approached a small boy, maybe five years old. He flinched as she knelt, instinctively shielding a girl beside him, who lay sickly and unmoving.
A sharp pang hit Asuka's heart.
She forced a gentle smile.
"What's your name?"
He didn't reply immediately but weakly he spoke.
"W-William."
She made her smile a little wider.
"William... you are so brave. All that you've been through and still thinking of others before yourself. But it's alright now."
She slowly reached out with an open palm. Again he flinched back but after a moment he took her hand. She then took her other hand and covered the boy's hand. After that she broke the chains binding him. She made her way around and did the same for all the others there.
There were tears. Weak voices whispering thanks. Their names came slowly: Robert, the older man; Alice, Isabella, Ella-the women-and the girl the boy protected, Matilda.
Asuka wanted answers but when she went to Robert she realized his mouth had severe scars. Seeing her concerned expression he opened his mouth revealing his tongue had been cut out. The revelation made Asuka flinch back. She quickly recovered though, taking deep breaths.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
Robert shrugged his shoulders and gave a sign that it was alright.
She turned to the girls but one look and she could tell they were in no position to be explaining anything. So there was their captors.
When she looked towards where her master was, she saw he was already standing where the other man was. But something was strange. His body was limp. Eyes rolled back. Foam spilled from his mouth.
"How?"
Ichigo looked up at Asuka's voice, then down again at the dead man.
"A spell," he said. "On his tongue. When he tried to talk, it activated. Killed him."
"Great. Another thing I apparently need to know."
Noticing Asuka's scowl, Ichigo let out an embarrassed chuckle.
"I'll tell you about spells later. For now, let's worry about him."
They both then looked at the man still on the ground heaving. Noticing their gazes, he tries to scurry away but Asuka grabs his shirt and pulls his face close to hers. This makes the man scream more from the sudden movements in his broken leg but Asuka ignores his wails. She seizes his jaw, forcing it open, then hooked his tongue with her fingers to inspect it. She then sighed in disappointment.
"He's got a mark on his tongue as well."
"I see. I guess we won't be getting any answers from him."
Ichigo walked over to the tree. He knelt and reached for the tree's shadow. Pulling on it, the shadow stretched. He then connected the shadow to the other shadows making a big hole in space.
"Put everything in here."
It took a while getting everything inside of Ichigo's shadow world. Asuka threw the burly man into the portal without ceremony and then the two corpses.
She urged the people go inside as well. They were hesitant at first but eventually they got inside.
Using her contra, she set the cage ablaze and watched it burn to nothing.
"Now, then. We should continue. We're not to far from the capital. Only a couple more minutes," Ichigo.
But before they left, Asuka looked at the two horses still there and an idea came to her head.
"How about we enter the capital with a bit of...style."