Chapter 276: Welp... What Did You Expect?
Having one of their three strongest warriors taken out so unceremoniously dealt quite the blow to the pirates, not only by literally taking out one of their strongest, but also by simply making them realize that they were outmatched.
If we had people who could come out of seemingly nowhere and take out their leaders, what exactly would happen to these rank and file pirates that were just trying to make a living, albeit through rather nefarious means?
I could see those thoughts running through the minds of quite a few of the pirates already, and when Captain M’Koli Valigeaux raised her blade and shouted "Any who throw down their weapons will be given leniency in their trials!" the resolve they had to remain loyal continued to waver.
Professor Mira stepping forwards and summoning a rather large amalgamation of crackling lightning sealed the deal immediately, with four pirates instantly kneeling down and throwing their blades aside as they surrendered.
Seeing their comrades surrendering was yet another mental blow that the remaining pirates had to deal with, and after they were given another few breaths to contemplate their decision the order was given for the attack to recommence.
The few pirates that remained - and weren’t injured by the shrapnel - let out determined cries before they charged at the guards, engaging in fights that they hoped they could win... only to realize they were truly outclassed.
A life of fighting against mostly weaker, terrified and otherwise inexperienced opponents proved to be the recipe for disaster that they got to enjoy first hand, and it was something that Tanya and Corina had to swallow despite their yearning for victory.
Taji made victory impossible as she darted around and dealt with a few of the remaining pirates, not giving a damn about honor as she just appeared behind those that were engaged with the guards and slid her blade into their ribs before they realized what was happening.
Her actions weren’t viewed favorably by our allies either, but they couldn’t really reprimand her since Tanya was swift to shout "If you kill me you’ll never cure Natalie in time!", her expression still rather neutral despite her voice cracking ever so slightly.
It might not have been true fear that she was feeling but she was certainly feeling something as she parried a strike from one guard before jumping away from another, putting some distance between her and everyone else.
Corina lowered her shoulder and drove it straight into the sternum of one guard, pushing through that unlucky futanari and driving her into a comrade as she freed up some space for herself, though upon seeing five more guards swarm around her she had to make a quick calculation.
A single glance over at Tanya and she tossed her mace aside, clicking her tongue and pressing her wrists together as she just turned towards Captain M’Koli Valigeuax, accepting her situation and deciding that fighting against it was futile.
"You would stoop so low, pirate?"
The snarl that ripped out of Professor Mira’s mouth made me raise a brow, while the calm smile on the Captain’s face seemed rather at odds with the situation we were in; all the while Taji roamed the deck, her steps utterly silent thanks to the ambience of the ocean around us.
"Do you expect anything different?"
The slight curl of her lip as she glanced back towards Taji was also rather telling, since she was more than aware that her current position was rather precarious; there was no guarantee that she could get out of this alive... without using my life as a bargaining chip yet again.
Twice in only a few days... it was odd how that happened...
"Well, we brought along a few potions that might help. Some came from the wonderful Professor over there, who I trust quite well with something like this. Tell me, Professor, what are the chances of us getting Natalie the help she needs without acquiescing to the whims of this scum?"
"Likely. However, seeing as it is her life, she has the final decision."
All eyes immediately turned to me, all with varying emotions that overwhelmed me slightly; Taji was still looking at me with that same intensity, Corina was curious, the Captain was smirking, the pirates were either afraid or angry, and Tanya...
Tanya was simply staring at me, the realization that I was what stood between her and certain death finally settling onto her shoulders, likely causing her memories of our last moments together to course through her mind at a rapid pace.
She was likely weighing the decisions she made against the ones that I was being forced to make now, and I could see from here that her mask of neutrality and partial indifference was finally cracking; it made sense, after all, since not a single soul ever wanted to really die.
If you had a chance to continue living, everyone would take that chance no matter what; it was just how we all functioned biologically, because continued existence was all that our body craved, even if mentally we were yearning for the ’sweet release’ of finality.
The pirate that had been keeping me in her bed was coming to that realization now, and I don’t think she was rather keen on it since her eyes sharpened as she stared at me, the first glimmer of fear creeping into them as she waited, not wanting to ruin her chances by saying something that might expediate her death.
It was quite the decision that I had to make as well, and although I had taken a life before the realization for me was that I had never really known the people that I had killed, which made this all the more difficult for me.
So after a few long seconds, I took a breath and said "Let her go through whatever legal system is in place. Besides, she might have some information that’s useful...", deciding her fate in what I felt was the best way possible.
Jail and being a potential informant; perhaps this legal system worked differently, but honestly if she got a trial and ended up being put to death, that was out of my hands... and that was fine with me.
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