Chapter 10 Rick’s Descent
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
How long had he been walking?
Every step crunched faintly against the stone. The sound of his boots grinding over the rough ground and the soft flicker of his lantern’s flame were the only things keeping the silence from swallowing him whole. The air was stale and cold, clinging to his throat, and the tunnel stretched on like an unending vein of darkness, no hint of where it might lead—or if it led anywhere at all.
Rick kept his eyes forward. He didn’t dare look back. It felt like if he stopped, if he so much as let himself hesitate, everything would collapse—his resolve, his courage, maybe even himself.
How had it come to this?
The thought slipped up from deep in his chest, raw and sharp. He remembered Sara’s voice back then, soft but insistent: “We should turn back.” He had smiled—cocky, certain—and said, “It’s fine. I’ve got this.”
It had been easier to believe his own bravado. Easier than listening to doubt.
”Treasure’s waiting ahead.”
”It won’t be that dangerous.”
”This is our chance.”
Lies. Or maybe just hopes he forced into shape until they looked like truth. He clenched his jaw. Because then Kanata had shown up—Kanata, with his lazy grin and unreadable eyes.
”…I should’ve never trusted him…!”
His voice cracked, echoing down the stone corridor like brittle glass. His fist tightened until his knuckles popped. From the very start, something about Kanata had rubbed him wrong. The way he carried himself, all casual politeness with something hollow lurking underneath. Rick had even punched him once, on impulse. Maybe, just maybe, that had been the only time he’d done the right thing.
And yet, somehow, he had ended up relying on him. He’d let Kanata lead the way. Let him handle the packs. Let his guard slip. He was supposed to protect Sara. That was supposed to be his job.
”—gh…!”
A strangled sound tore out of his throat. Anger, or panic, or maybe fear—he couldn’t even tell anymore.
Ahead, the darkness only thickened. No end in sight. No sign of where it went.
Still, he kept walking. Because stopping felt like it would shatter something inside him that he couldn’t put back together.
”Wait for me, Sara,” he muttered, voice shaking. “I’ll find you. No matter what he is, I’m bringing you back.”
The words vanished into the cavern’s hollow air, swallowed whole. But his lantern still burned, the flame trembling yet steady, painting the way ahead with its faint glow. So Rick walked on. For regret. For rage. For atonement.
* * *
”Fufu… he’s still moving. That boy’s more stubborn than I thought.”
In a dark chamber far away, pale blue light glowed across an array of monitors. A small girl sat cross-legged before one of them—El, giggling as she watched Rick’s lonely figure trek onward by lanternlight. Something about the sight was almost funny… and strangely pitiful.
”Shouldn’t we give him a little help, Kanata?” she chirped, fingers already skimming over her console.
Before Kanata could answer, a faint greenish spark blinked into life ahead of Rick on the screen, like a will-o’-the-wisp. He stopped, brow furrowing.
”…Huh?”
”Look, look! He saw it!” El clapped. “Boys always fall for stuff like that!”
The glow bobbed ahead, and as Rick took a hesitant step toward it, another appeared, then another—each one just far enough ahead to keep leading him deeper. He followed. Of course he followed.
”Poor thing. He doesn’t even know it’s a trap,” El sang.
”Make sure they don’t kill him,” Kanata said. His voice was low, almost bored, but the curve of his mouth betrayed the faintest smirk.
Soon, the path opened into a wide natural cavern, its jagged stone walls swallowing the flicker of Rick’s lantern. He slowed, steps faltering—and froze.
”…What the hell…”
Eyes. Dozens of them. Tiny, blood-red pinpricks glinting in the dark. Shapes skittered forward from the shadows—short, hunched bodies with ragged armor, rusted blades and spears gripped in gnarled hands. Drool slid down twisted grins as they ringed around him, cutting off every way out.
Goblins.
Not just a handful. Dozens. Maybe more. The weight of their stares pressed on his skin like claws. His hand shook as he reached for his sword. The lantern swung wildly, throwing lurching shadows across the cavern floor. His throat closed. His legs wouldn’t move.
”Damn it…!”
He forced his hand to the hilt, but his knees locked. The air was too tight to breathe.
”Pff—ahaha! Look at his face!” El shrieked, spinning circles around the console. “He’s gonna cry! He’s totally gonna cry!”
Kanata only sighed, leaning back in his chair. But his eyes were sharp, slitted with quiet amusement as they fixed on the screen like a predator sighting prey.
”Don’t kill him,” he said softly. “He’s still useful.”
El snorted. “You’re so mean, Kanata.”
”Says you.”
Kanata’s smirk deepened, his gaze still locked on Rick as the goblins closed in.
Whether what waited ahead was salvation—or despair—no one knew.
* * *
On another screen, Sara’s breath hitched. Rick lay curled on the cavern floor, lantern knocked aside, goblins swarming around him like rats. One of them drove a knife into his arm and his scream pierced the feed. They wouldn’t kill him—Kanata had ordered that—but anything short of death was fair game.
Her hands shook. She could almost feel the fear he must be drowning in, the humiliation.
”…Rick…”
”Then choose.” Kanata’s voice slipped from the shadows behind her, cold as the chains on her wrists. “If you want him saved, decide. Be mine. Or don’t.”
Sara bit her lip hard enough to taste iron. “Why… why are you doing this…”
”Why? He threw the first punch,” Kanata said with a small shrug. “This is just follow-up.”
”That’s not—That’s not a reason to—!”
”Reasons start small,” he murmured. “Tiny sparks. Then time fans them out, until they’re too big to smother, and before you know it, it’s a wildfire. But…” He stepped closer, eyes catching the monitor’s glow. “…you stood up for him. So I left you a way out.”
His hand gripped her shoulder, firm enough to make her flinch, and he turned her toward him. She met his eyes—and for a dizzy second, her heart stumbled.
”If I become yours… you’ll really save him?” she whispered.
”I keep my word,” Kanata said simply.
Her lips trembled. “Really…? I… I don’t know what to do…”
”Then prove it,” he said. “Show him. In front of him, make it clear you’re mine.”
Sara’s breath caught sharp. “No…! I can’t—!”
”Then Rick stays as he is.”
”That’s… no…”
Kanata glanced back to the screen. The goblins were slicing strips of cloth from Rick’s clothes now, carving shallow cuts into his skin just to hear him cry out. He was tough enough not to die from it, which only made them bolder. They were laughing.
”So,” Kanata murmured. “Which will it be?”
”…ah… ahh…”
A broken sob slipped from her. Then, barely audible: “…I’ll do what you say.”
* * *
Later, they dragged Rick into the cell. His wounds had been splashed with potion, enough to keep him alive, but blood still seeped from some. Dirt and sweat matted his hair. He was barely conscious when they chained him to the wall across from her.
His eyelids fluttered. “…Sara…?”
Then his gaze found Kanata standing behind her.
”Y…you…!”
Rage sparked through his foggy stare, but his body wouldn’t move. The chains would have held him even if it could. He could only snarl hoarsely, shaking with frustration.
Sara’s voice was quiet, almost tender. “I’m sorry, Rick. I… think I’ve fallen for him.”
His face went slack. “Sara… no… that’s not…”
”Sorry… but… so watch me. Watch while he holds me.”
Her words hit him like a blade. “Sara… stop… please…”
But she didn’t stop. She stepped toward Kanata, slow and steady, like every motion was carved from stone.
”Sara!! Don’t!!” Rick’s roar cracked, echoing off the dungeon walls.
Her feet kept moving.
”Stop! I’m begging you!”
Ignoring Rick’s anguished cries, Sara threw herself into Kanata’s arms. He caught her, his grip firm as he tilted her chin and pressed his lips to hers. Sara closed her eyes, yielding to the warmth of his kiss, her heart caught in a storm of surrender and shame.
Kanata’s hands moved with purpose, peeling away the single cloth that draped her, leaving her bare before Rick’s horrified gaze. He lifted her legs, parting them with deliberate slowness, displaying her vulnerability in a cruel spectacle.
”…Ah… ahh…” Sara’s voice trembled, her body flushed with the heat of exposure as Rick’s eyes bore into her.
Her skin burned under the weight of his stare, a crimson tide spreading across her. Kanata, with a calculated motion, freed himself from his clothing, positioning himself at her core. Slowly, he pressed forward, his presence easing into her with a deliberate intimacy.
”…Ngh… ahhh…” Sara’s body quaked, a shiver rippling through her as he began to claim her.
Kanata’s touch was unhurried, each movement deepening their connection, stretching her senses as he ventured further. “…Ah… nn… hnn…” Soft gasps spilled from Sara’s lips, her voice betraying her as waves of sensation stirred within her.
”…No… not like this…” Rick’s tears fell freely as he watched, powerless, his heart breaking at the sight.
Kanata and Sara’s rhythm grew fiercer, their bodies entwined in a dance of raw intensity. “…Ahh…! Nn…! Ahhh…! Hn…! Aahn…!” Sara’s voice rose, a cascade of breathless cries as she surrendered to the motion, her body swaying with each of Kanata’s thrusts. Their movements synced, her form rising and falling in time with his, caught in a tide she couldn’t resist.
”…Ah… ha…! Nnh…! Haa…! Ah! Ahn…! Hnn…!” Her core, overwhelmed by sensation, glistened with her response, the drip-drip pooling beneath her on the cold floor. Whether it was the thrill of being watched or the undeniable pull of Kanata’s touch, her body betrayed her, yielding to the flood of feeling.
Kanata’s hands guided her, rocking her with unrelenting fervor. “…Nnh…! Haa…! Ah… ha…! Hnn…! No… I’m… ahhh…!” Sara arched, her body seized by a cresting wave, and Kanata, in sync, released his own intensity within her.
”…Ah… ahh…” Sara’s face, dazed by the rush, stared blankly as she lingered in the afterglow, her breath uneven before Rick’s eyes.
But Kanata’s dominance didn’t end there. “Ahh… no…” Sara’s voice was a weak protest as he repositioned her on all fours, her form exposed before Rick. From behind, Kanata pressed into her again, his touch reigniting the fire within her. “Ah! Nn! Nnh!” Each cry was a stab of humiliation for Sara, her shame amplified by Rick’s gaze, yet a strange, conflicting spark flickered within her.
”Ah! Ahh! Nn!” Kanata’s hands roamed, teasing her sensitive places—her curves, her peaks, her hidden warmth. The awareness of Rick’s eyes on her most vulnerable self fueled her embarrassment, yet it also stoked an unfamiliar heat. Despite her mortification, she felt herself responding, her body awakening under Kanata’s relentless touch.
”Ahh! Nnh! Aahn!” Even as Rick’s stare burned into her, Kanata’s caresses drew her deeper into sensation, unlocking a hidden part of her she hadn’t known existed.
”No…! They’re watching…” Sara gasped, her voice trembling with shame.
”Watching? You’re reveling in it, aren’t you?” Kanata’s voice was a low taunt, dripping with mockery.
”No! Nn…! No, that’s not… ahh…!” Sara’s protests dissolved into breathless moans, her resolve fraying.
”Look at Rick,” Kanata goaded. “He’s watching every moment of your surrender.”
”No… don’t look… please…” Sara’s voice was a desperate plea, but the thrill of being seen, of being desired, pulled her under, drowning her in waves of forbidden pleasure. “Ahh! Nn! Nn! Aahn!”
”Let it take you!” Kanata urged, his hands teasing her most sensitive point, coaxing and twisting with cruel precision. “Ah! Aahn! No…! That’s… too much…” Sara’s voice broke as Kanata’s touch overwhelmed her, each motion pushing her closer to the edge.
And then—
”Ah! Aahn! Nnn…! I’m…!” Before Rick’s eyes, Sara’s body shuddered, consumed by a fierce climax.
”Haa… haa… haa…” She collapsed, lost in the aftershocks, her breath ragged.
”That’s enough for now,” Kanata said, lifting her into his arms and striding toward the door. The cell was left in silence, save for Rick’s despairing tears.
* * *
”Keh-keh!” El’s laughter rang out, sharp and gleeful as she watched Rick’s tormented face on the monitor. “Look at that expression!”
”Cruel as always, Kanata,” she teased, her voice dripping with amusement.
”Don’t start with me,” Kanata shot back, rolling his eyes. “I’m not the bad guy here.”
”Seriously?” El’s tone was incredulous, laced with mockery. “Oh, wait!” She snapped her fingers, as if remembering something, and darted back to the monitor. With a quick flick, she activated it. “Hello? Can you hear me?”
Rick’s head jerked up, his eyes darting around the cell.
”Looks like he can,” El said, smirking. “So, Rick, how’s it feel? Betrayed by some nobody you thought was beneath you, watching your childhood friend claimed right in front of you? Oh, and Syl-chan and Alma-chan? They’ve been through the same with Kanata.”
Rick thrashed, his shouts muffled by the silenced audio, his rage palpable but unheard.
”How’s it feel to have your precious friend stolen?” El taunted, giggling. “Pfft, keh-keh!” She flicked off the monitor with a flourish.
”El, come on,” Kanata said, exasperated.
”Hmph,” El huffed, crossing her arms. “That guy punched you, Kanata. He’s lucky I’m letting him off this easy.” Her grudge was clear, burning bright in her tone.
”Well… thanks, I guess,” Kanata said, ruffling her hair.
”Hmph! Show your gratitude properly,” El said, her cheeks flushing slightly.
”Alright, alright. Syl work for you?” Kanata asked, smirking.
”Nah, I want to try the new one,” El replied, her eyes glinting.
”Sara? Hmm…” Kanata hesitated, concern flickering for her well-being after the ordeal, but the thought of El’s skills with Sara’s form was too tempting. With a shrug, he let instinct override restraint, casting caution aside.
Notes:
• May – Blonde, soft-eyed shrine girl. ch14–15. Gentle and pleading (“Please… just let us go…”), timid but loyal, relies on Mina’s strength. Came with Mina to save Sara, but was disarmed and bound by Kanata as his captive maid.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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