Chapter 42: Kanao's Redemption
Inside a dilapidated house, a fierce argument raged. For the occasional passersby, the shouting had long become just another part of the neighborhood's dreary soundtrack.
"Damn it, you were out fooling around again! The moment you get a little money, you run off to gamble it away. Do you really expect that unwanted thing to be worth anything?!" a woman shrieked.
"What do you mean, 'fooling around'? I was so close! A huge win, I was that close!" a man slurred back. "Where did you hide the rest of the money? I swear, I'll go back and double it this time!"
"Get out! We're almost out of money for rice, and you're still lost in your delusions! I'd rather die than give you what's left!"
"Hey, hey, hey, just put the knife down first. I don't want the money anymore, alright? I won't take it..."
"..."
In a corner of the dusty yard outside, a thin little girl crouched motionlessly. Only the faint, occasional puff of warm breath from her nose gave any sign that she was still stubbornly alive.
Her hair hung in a messy, tangled curtain, obscuring eyes that, though wide open, were utterly devoid of any spark of life. They were vacant mirrors, reflecting nothing but the dirt.
At some point, the sounds of the argument inside ceased. The girl's body tensed instinctively, a conditioned reflex, but she just as quickly gave up the struggle and remained seated, a small, forgotten statue.
She knew what came next. The one who lost the argument would come out to take their anger out on her.
Sure enough, a moment later, the flimsy door was slammed open. A disheveled figure stormed toward the corner where she huddled.
She didn't move. Just from the sound of the heavy, stumbling footsteps, she knew it was her "father."
A flicker of fear stirred in the girl's heart. It always hurt more when her "father" hit her.
But even so, she remained perfectly still.
"You unwanted money-loser! Why aren't you dead yet?!"
She couldn't count how many times she had heard those words.
Compared to her "wanted" older and younger brothers who could supposedly "make money," she, the "unwanted" one, did indeed seem like a "money-loser."
As the thought drifted through her mind, the little girl braced herself, waiting for the familiar storm of kicks and punches to land.
But to her great surprise, the pain never came. Instead, a pair of strong arms swept her up, pulling her into a warm embrace.
"You… you… who are you?" The man's voice reached the girl's ears—it was familiar, yet utterly strange. That blustering tone was laced with an uncontrollable terror, an emotion she had never heard from him before.
A cold sweat was breaking out across the man's brow.
Just a moment ago, as he'd prepared to vent his rage on his unwanted "daughter," a young man had appeared from nowhere, snatching the "money-loser" from the corner with a speed his eyes couldn't even track.
Now, that young man was staring at him. His black eyes were deep and unnervingly calm, yet they held a glint of killing intent that froze the man in place. It was a long time before he dared to speak again.
The young man ignored the man's reaction entirely, his attention focused on gently comforting the little girl in his arms. Even as winter began to set in, she was wrapped in nothing more than a single, thin piece of clothing that looked more like a tattered rag.
Beneath the flimsy fabric, he could feel her skeletal frame.
Even held by a stranger, the girl didn't struggle. She remained as deathly still as ever.
'This embrace is so warm…'
As the thought formed, a feeling she couldn't name—a feeling called "longing"—arose in her heart for the very first time. It was a desperate wish to stay in this embrace for just a little longer.
"How old is she?"
The girl heard the voice of the one holding her. It was clear and bright, sounding like a divine melody to her ears, yet it was highlighted by a deep calmness, like a volcano holding its power in check.
"Who… who?" The man was stunned for a moment, not realizing who the young man was asking about. Then his gaze shifted to the "daughter" in the stranger's arms, and a wave of ecstasy and greed erupted in his eyes, powerful enough to overwhelm his fear.
"Nine… yes, nine! You're taking her, right? Then let's be clear, it can't be less than this amount." As the man spoke, he held up one hand, spreading all five fingers wide.
The woman who had been arguing with him inside heard the commotion, her ears perking up at the mention of money. She immediately ran out.
"Exactly, exactly! We've spent a lot of money giving birth to her and raising her all this time. You have to give us at least this much!"
Standing side-by-side, they now looked like a couple bound by an unbreakable bond, a far cry from the people who had nearly killed each other over a few coins just moments ago.
"Nine years old..." The young man ignored the words and actions of the two humanoid creatures before him, merely repeating the girl's age in a low voice.
Then, he freed one hand to gently lift the girl's chin. Looking into those dull, oversized eyes, he softly stroked her dirty and gaunt little face.
The girl finally saw the owner of the embrace. It was a handsome face with delicate features, though the sharp lines of his jaw tempered the softness, adding an edge of keen intensity. His black hair swayed gently in the breeze, and his dark eyes were filled with a deep pity for her.
With just one look, the girl etched his face deep into her heart, committing it to memory forever.
"You've suffered all these years, little one." The young man made his promise in a soft, steady voice. "Don't worry. It won't happen again. Everything will be alright."
He then gently pressed her face against his chest, letting her vision momentarily fall into darkness.
Though everything was dark, the girl felt an unmatched sense of peace. She even took the initiative to close her eyes, quietly and almost greedily savoring the warmth of the embrace.
She felt herself being carried as the young man moved with impossible speed, and then several screams tore through the air.
It was a sound she had heard countless times before, yet for some reason she didn't understand, it now sounded distinctly distorted, cut short in a way that was final.
A moment later, two dull thuds echoed in the yard, and the screams stopped abruptly. The sensation of rapid movement ceased, replaced by the steady rhythm of being carried, step by step, away from that place.
Where was she being taken? The girl didn't know, and she didn't care. She only wished, if it were possible, that she could stay in this embrace a little longer.
No, not just a little longer. If she could, she hoped to enjoy this warmth—a feeling she had never known—forever.
After carrying her for some distance, the young man gently moved her head away from his chest, allowing her to see again.
As light returned to her vision, the girl felt a bit disoriented, but she didn't show it. She just tilted her head slightly, looking at him with eyes that were still dull, yet now seemed to contain something new stirring in their depths.
"Let me give you a name," he said, his voice soft. "How about Kanao? Your eyes… they look a lot like a girl I know named Kanae. As for your surname, we'll think about that slowly, once you're settled. Oh, by the way, my name is Kanzaki Akira."
Kanzaki Akira.
Kanao didn't care about anything else. She just firmly remembered that name, just as she had firmly remembered that face.
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