Volume 6 Chapter 26 Escape
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The bastards who snatched us didn’t say a word. After a disjointed car ride that felt like hours, Shu-shuria and I were hauled into a cramped room. They’d stripped us down and shoved us into oversized T-shirts-and nothing else-before binding us again. My blindfold was gone, but my wrists, ankles, and mouth were still locked tight. We’d been taken right out of the bath, totally stark naked, so I suppose I should be grateful for the shirt. Still, having a half-dressed Shu-shuria right in front of me made it impossible to think straight, let alone plan an escape.
The kidnappers vanished, likely taking up positions just outside the door. I couldn’t just sit here. I had to get Shu-shuria out, no matter what happens to me. I strained against the ropes, my muscles screaming as I tested for any slack. Come on… give… There! The hemp groaned and loosened. I gave one desperate jerk and my left hand slipped free.
Untying the rest with one hand was a nightmare. I fumbled with the knots, teeth gritted, until I put everything I had into one final tug. My right hand snapped loose, but the force tore the nail clean off my left thumb.
”Gah… owwww…” I hissed.
I yanked the gag from my mouth and sucked on the wound, trying to dull the throbbing. Blood was already slicking my palm. I didn’t have time to bleed.
”Shu-shuria,” I whispered, leaning in close. “I’m going to untie you. Stay quiet, okay?”
”Mmph! Mmm-mph!”
Shu-shuria was trying to tell me something, but a noise now would be suicide. I ignored her muffled sounds and went to work on her restraints. It was slow going without a usable thumb, and I ended up staining the ropes red before her hands and feet finally fell free. I reached for her gag last.
”Listen, Shu-shuria. I’m getting you out of here, but you cannot scream!”
The second the gag came off, Shu-shuria started wailing at the top of her lungs.
”＄６(＄＄ＨqHalt４６＋／／ｓ! ! )”
”Whoa! Shu-shuria, quiet! Stop!”
I scrambled to cover her mouth with my left hand, smearing my blood across her face in the process. Wait… what did she just say?
Ah, right. I don’t have the translator. That was Elvish¹. Crap. I’ve spent so much time leaning on that translator that I haven’t studied a lick of the language. How are we supposed to escape together if we can’t even talk?
Shu-shuria seemed to pick up on my desperation, though. She quieted down, looking up at me, and then slowly took my mangled, bloody thumb into her mouth.
”Whoa… Shu-shuria, that’s gross…”
I said it, but honestly, the sensation wasn’t bad. If anything, the pain felt like it was dulling. We were both wearing nothing but those thin T-shirts; if we weren’t in the middle of a kidnapping, my heart would be racing at MAX capacity. Fortunately, there was no sign of the guards. We had to move.
I scanned the room. It looked like a storage unit-cluttered with cardboard boxes, old desks, and chairs. There was a small window high up on the wall; we were likely in a semi-basement.
”I wonder if we can fit through that window?”
”ｋ６６Ｉ, ｂｌｍ＄あ”
Yeah, I still have no idea what she’s saying.
Seeing me pile desks and chairs under the window, Shu-shuria started helping, dragging over another chair.
”Can I reach? Almost… got it!”
I peeked outside. Nothing but thick woods. I couldn’t tell if there were guards out there, where we were, or which way to run. I was totally flying blind.
But we’d only been in the car for an hour since leaving Atami, so we were definitely still in Japan. It’s not like we were in some unexplored primeval forest. If we could just break out, we’d eventually find someone to help us.
The glass looked breakable, but the frame was small. Could we both fit? I figured I’d make it, but Shu-shuria… My eyes involuntarily drifted to her chest. No, no time for that! The kidnappers could walk in at any second.
”Shu-shuria. I’m going to break the window, then I’ll get you out so you can go find help.”
”＊: ＞Ｒｒれサン＃…”
Did she get it? Probably not.
I found a small screwdriver in one of the boxes and went to work on the frame. Before long, the glass was out. My thumb had finally stopped bleeding, too.
”Shu-shuria, come here.”
I pulled her up onto the desk and gestured toward the opening. For some reason, she hesitated to grab the frame.
”Shu-shuria, please! You have to go first so I can push you up!”
”…Ｔａめ＊＊””｝Halt!”
Shu-shuria’s face turned bright red, but she finally reached for the window. As she gripped the ledge, I grabbed her legs to hoist her up-and then it hit me.
Right. Both of us were naked under these T-shirts.
So that’s why she was so embarrassed.
”Dammit, Halt! Don’t lose it now!” I hissed to myself. It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen her before! I braced myself, grabbed Shu-shuria’s knees, and shoved her upward with everything I had. Of course, that put her rear and… everything else… directly in my face. My thumb had stopped bleeding, but now I was about to have a massive nosebleed².
”Halt ＸＪｋ６”オ! ! “
I’m pretty sure that was Elvish for “Halt, you pervert!!”
Despite the struggle, Shu-shuria made it outside. She reached back down for me.
”Thanks, Shu-shuria. Here I-“
The door to the room slammed open. Several men burst in.
”Son of a-!”
I couldn’t get caught. Not now. I threw every ounce of strength into a pull-up, trying to vault through the frame. I almost made it-I was a hair’s breadth from escaping their reach-when my lower body got snagged on the frame.
Damn you, physical distractions!
I felt hands wrap around my ankles. I was hauled backward, dragging back down into the room.
”Shu-shuria, don’t worry about me! Just run! GO!”
I screamed until my throat burned, but all I could hear as they pulled me away was Shu-shuria crouching by the window, desperately calling my name.
”Halt! Halt!”
* * *
”How is it, Saran-san? Is Shu-shuria’s reaction this way?”
”Yes, Ms. Tomori. There is no mistake. It’s on the other side of that ridge.”
We were able to have Saran-san use magic thanks to Sheena’s outrageous advice, and succeeded in searching for Shu-shuria’s current location. I’m driving the car under Saran-san’s direction, but we’ve now reached the shores of Lake Ashi, and the destination seems to be toward Sengokuhara.
I had already contacted my husband George and the AWCC, and the US military and Japanese police were also moving in secret, and everyone was supposed to be heading here, but around the time we entered Route 138 from Route 1, a call came in from George.
”Tomori. The military and police have pulled out of this case. I’m sorry, but you and Saran-san alone go and pick the two of them up?”
”Eh? George. What does that mean?”
Without understanding the meaning of my husband’s words heard over the hands-free, the inside of mine and Saran-san’s heads became filled with “?”
—
Summary:
Halt and Shu-shuria attempt to escape their kidnappers in a basement storage room. Halt manages to free himself and Shu-shuria, but they struggle to communicate because Halt’s translation machine is missing. Just as Shu-shuria escapes through a high window, Halt is recaptured because he is momentarily distracted by Shu-shuria’s nakedness and gets stuck in the frame.
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Trivia:
- Halt’s missing translator makes Shu-shuria’s speech appear as corrupted text.
- The boys are only wearing oversized T-shirts with nothing underneath.
- Halt literally tore off his thumbnail to escape the ropes.
- The rescue team (Tomori and Saran) has been abandoned by the military and police due to high-level interference.
- Shu-shuria sucks on Halt’s bleeding thumb, which seemingly has a numbing effect
—
Character Insight:
Halt shows selfless bravery but is still easily derailed by his teenage hormones and attraction to Shu-shuria. Shu-shuria displays extreme vulnerability and shame but refuses to leave Halt behind, even when urged to run.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The corrupted text for Elvish is a stylistic choice to simulate the protagonist’s disorientation.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Halt – A sixteen-year-old high school sophomore living in the suburbs of Washington D.C. He is the grandson of the President of the United States and is recognized as a severe otaku by his peers. He attends a prestigious high school for children of celebrities and elite families.
• Saran – An elf; part of the joint team working on the Gate. A Royal Palace Guard Officer from the Zerlant Royal Family. She has very white skin, is small in stature, and is described as incredibly cute. Despite her appearance, she is a master of all martial arts and exceptionally strong. She is described as ‘stiff’ or serious.
• Sheena – A Lizardman from the Apocalypse Empire, specifically a junior researcher in the teleportation research team of the empire’s army. She is the 47th resident (hence ‘No. 47’) of the secret underground facility in Nevada, where she has been living for several years after accidentally being transported to this world through a failed gate experiment. Yuuta’s saffle too. Grey hair, long hair.
• George – An U.S. military officer and the son of Michael Anderson, a high-ranking official. He is also the brother of Gregory. Tomori’s husband. Halt’s father and a Major General in the military.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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