"W-Who are you?" Kuroka didn't dare to lower her defenses. In her mind, whoever or whatever is inside this facility aside from her and her sister is always up to no good.
Even Shirone, guided by her feline instincts, couldn't help but slowly hide behind Kuroka. To her, it's better to stick with someone she has known her entire life even if that same person has gone down a dark path.
Yasaka was the first one to step forward. Her graceful figure and composed demeanor calmed the heaving Kuroka and shivering Shirone.
"My name is Yasaka. I'm the Queen of the Kyoto Yokai faction. I'm here to help you…" Stretching her hand forward, Yasaka offered it for her to take.
"I just came here and although I have no idea what's going on, I'll always side with my fellow Yokai before anything else. You're suffering, child…"
Hearing her introduction, both Kuroka and Shirone froze on the spot.
Yokai Queen? The Queen herself has personally come to fetch and help them?
It sounds a bit suspicious. Instead of reeling in joy, Kuroka defensively accused, "What if you're lying? You smell and reek of a devil. What? Did the Queen also reincarnate as a De—"
Before she could finish her words, they became stuck in her throat when Yasaka released her disguise instantly.
Her pair of golden fluffy ears along with the nine golden tails flaring behind her was undeniable. The devil smell that she's been sniffing from Yasaka was also gone, replaced by an enormous amount of Ki, the largest and purest she had ever come across in her entire life.
Yasaka calmly asked her, "Is this enough, child?"
Kuroka was about to nod her head but remembered the other person in the hallway aside from them, so she pointed at Kenshin, "What about him?"
Kenshin seemed surprised at first before shrugging his shoulders and also released not only his disguise but also flared his Ki. One that is purer than Yasaka's.
This time, Kuroka finally fell to her knees, weeping as relief was plastered on her face, "F-Finally…"
"Onee-chan…" Behind her, Shirone's expression was complicated. Why did her sister, who looked like a monster and acted like one earlier start crying?
Her fickle mind was unable to comprehend what was going on. One time, she was playing with the other kids in the garden, and then suddenly, when she got lost in the hallways, she accidentally stumbled upon the brutal scene of her big sister ferociously killing the researchers she used to see as friendly and kind for giving her home.
Yasaka wasted no time and rushed forward, crouching in front of the fallen Kuroneko and engulfing her in a hug.
For some reason, Yasaka's womanly instincts instantly came surging in when she saw the state of the twin sisters.
An unbridled rage swirled inside her chest. It's as if it can only be doused if the real perpetrators get punished by her own hand!
And of course, Kenshin would be there by her side, supporting her without batting an eye.
"H-Help me please…I don't know what to do." Whne Kuroka first felt the hug, her mind instantly went back to her deceased mother. She used to hug her like this, same feeling and warmth.
"Onee-chan…" Shirone crawled forward, tears forming in her eyes, her voice announcing her presence to the two.
"Shirone!" Kuroka sobbed loudly as she went and grabbed her, joining her in a group hug.
Seeing them, Kenshin couldn't help but roll his eyes, Right, do this kind of thing in the middle of the enemy base where they could arrive at any moment.
But still, he didn't disturb them. Doing so might touch a nerve or resurface a hidden trauma in one of the two sisters or maybe even both of them. Who knows what they've been through in this facility?
For all the films and series he watched, research facilities like this are always the bad guys, mercilessly kidnapping people and using them for cruel experiments. Either for power or simply curiosity.
Nevertheless, in Kenshin's mind, he already deemed whoever owns this facility as his enemy. Normally, he wouldn't resort to such a thing but he has this thing called Evil Slayer, one of its hidden functions allows him to know whether someone is inherently or made evil.
"Are you two the only ones here? There's something in here that's blocking my senses from prying around…" After giving them ample time to recover and reassure each other, Kenshin thought it was time to leave and by leaving, he meant taking others with him.
Who knows if there are other Yokais kidnapped and subjected to harsh experiments? Since they're already here, they might as well take everyone they can.
Kuroka wiped the tears off her face and stared at Kenshin, as if she was trying to express her gratefulness through eye contact before replying, "There are also others. Kimmy and Loke."
"Kimmy and Loke, alright. Let's go get them." Kenshin nodded his head and let Kuroka lead the way.
———
"Ne~ Ne~ Loke-chan. Do you think they'll let us out of here someday? I want to see mom and dad…" Inside a full-white room a single bed, two figures were sitting on the bed, facing each other.
One particular girl with pure black hair and a familiar bunny ears, bore a sad and longing expression, dazily staring at the same old white walls that she's been staring at for the past few years.
Hearing her, the other kid, Loke, clenched his fists. His tousled black hair with white tips flared slightly out of anger.
The both of them has been in this place along with Kuroka and Shirone for years under the guise of serving a powerful man and promises of power and protection.
The two of them were Yokais, the girl, known as Kimmy, is a Bunny. Which is pretty obvious if you look at her long floppy ears.
On the other hand, Loke belongs to a rare species of Yokais, a Dragonoid, they're almost nearing extinction. The Naberius clan found out about him and has decided to save him as the best for last.
But now, he has been planning an escape plan. He may not be that versed in using his inherent draconic powers but it has at least gifted him strength beyond what normal reincarnated devils can do.
He may be a low-class devil like the others but when it comes to bodily strength, he's around mid-class.
"It's gone quiet…" He murmured to himself. Earlier, they were woken up by the sound of fighting and grunts of pain outside.
Shuffling out of the bed, Loke slowly approached the door, much to Kimmy's distress, "Loke come back! Don't leave me!"
Loke shook his head at her, "I'm not gonna leave, don't worry!" He assured her.
However, just as he was a few inches away from the metallic door, a fist pierced through, penetrating the hundred-inch door made of pure metal and enhanced in protection using demonic energy.
Loke jumped back in fright, clenching his fists and raising them forward, preparing himself to fight whoever was beyond that door.
He watched as the fist formed into a claw that pressed against the metal surface before pulling back, bringing the metallic door along with it, recklessly pulling it out of its hinges.
When he opened his eyes again, they widened in surprise upon seeing the familiar figure of the twin sisters, Kuroka and Shirone, albeit the former being covered in blood and tattered clothing.
"Kuroka! Shirone!" Behind him, Kimmy instantly jumped out of the bed and rushed towards the two.
That's when Loke saw two unfamiliar figures standing behind the twin cat sisters, thinking it was a trap, he quickly tried to warn Kimmy, "Wait! Kimmy no!"
Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case as Kimmy safely reunited with her friends, getting engulfed in a hug.
A sigh of relief escaped from his lips as the two mysterious figures didn't make a move, one of them, Yasaka was even smiling softly like how a mother does when she sees her children happy.
"Are you two Kimmy and Loke? My name is Yasaka, the Kyoto Yokai Queen. I'm here to bring you back." The golden-haired woman with a large bosom Yasaka, stepped forward with so much grace that it could put even the human royal families to shame.
Loke gulped his saliva, clearly not expecting to meet the Yokai Queen today.
"Y-Your High…ness?" He nervously called out, unsure of what to refer to Yasaka as.
Yasaka shook her head and gave him a hand, "Just call me Yasaka-sama, it's fine. Are you okay?"
Loke nodded his head and turned to his companion, Kimmy, who was still engrossed in a hug with the neko sisters.
Just then, footsteps rang out behind them, followed by a voice filled with anger, "What is going on here?! Who are you two?"
Turning around, Kenshin was met with the sight of a man with a straight back. His long hair cascaded past his shoulders. A huge scar ran down from his left eye to his chin along with a small goatee.
"Who are you?" Kenshin raised a brow and asked straightforwardly.
The man's face twitched upon witnessing such a rude attitude in front of him. As the head of the Naberius clan, he has always been met with nothing but respect and fear.
Those who didn't show those aforementioned emotions were either higher than him in terms of status, a bunch of people he definitely won't mess with, or a few idiots that doesn't know the height of the world.
From the looks of Kenshin and Yasaka's unfamiliar faces along with the slumped child on Kenshin's shoulders, the Naberius clan head assumes the latter.
"Kill them…" Without hesitation, his face bore a cold stare as he ordered his men behind.
However, when no one responded and the two were still standing in front of him, the head clenched his fist and repeated with more clarification, "You bunch of idiots, I said kill them!"
In response, Kenshin just tilted his head and replied with an eerie composed face, "Who are you talking to?"
The Naberius head felt a chill down his spine as he instantly turned around, only to see his previously armed subordinates had vanished into thin air, leaving only their clothes sprawled all over the floor tiles.
Blood trickled down his face as the Naberius head realized the gravity of the situation. The people he's facing belong to the category of Never-Mess-With-Them kind of people.
Just as he was about to turn around and try to de-escalate things, his vision was met with darkness and his last thoughts were filled with nothing but regret and disbelief.
"That was anticlimactic. He's like what? Peak High-class? I wonder if the Ultimate-class devils are close to him or on a different level…" Kenshin murmured to himself in curiosity.
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[Next Chapter: Ch. 88 - More Naberius Facilities!]