Dark Justice (Please Keep Reading!!)

Deep within the harbor, a dark, damp warehouse had been converted into a temporary prison.

Five hundred soldiers of the Karandi Kingdom were being held here. Most of them were curled up on the cold ground, and many still bore bruises from being beaten by pirates.

Suddenly, the pirates' shouts and heavy footsteps outside the warehouse shattered the deathly silence.

The soldiers instantly tensed up and raised their heads, all eyes turning toward the heavy wooden door, their gazes filled with vigilance.

"Creak."

With an ear-piercing scrape, the wooden door was shoved open roughly.

Several pirates holding pistols and wearing vicious grins walked in. Behind them, they were escorting a tall, upright youth—Lucci.

"Move! Quit dragging your feet!"

One pirate impatiently jabbed the butt of his pistol hard into Lucci's back and said arrogantly, "Behave yourself, or you'll regret it!"

Lucci remained expressionless, his steps not slowing in the slightest as the pirates shoved him forward. A chilling aura that kept strangers at bay radiated from him, as though everything before his eyes had nothing to do with him.

"You can stay with this bunch of trash too!"

The leading pirate sneered and shoved Lucci toward the soldiers, his tone full of mockery.

"Keep them company while you wait to become bargaining chips for our negotiations with the World Government!"

The soldiers stared at the youth brought in by the pirates, their faces instantly filling with surprise as whispers rose one after another.

"Who is that kid?"

A young soldier lowered his voice and asked in confusion, his eyes full of bewilderment.

"Who knows? Maybe he was captured too? But he doesn't look scared at all..."

Another soldier frowned, staring intently at Lucci with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Hearing their discussion, the pirates escorting Lucci could not help bursting into loud laughter.

One of them slapped his thigh and said smugly, "You guessed right. He really is a prisoner."

"But he's an envoy sent by the World Government!"

"What? An envoy from the World Government?"

Those words instantly exploded among the soldiers. Everyone looked at Lucci in shock, the confusion in their eyes turning into disbelief.

"Hahaha, surprised?"

Another pirate swept a teasing glance over the stunned soldiers, his tone becoming even more arrogant.

"Looks like he came to save you! Too bad he still got captured by us."

"Now that the World Government's envoy is in our hands, they'll have to obey us too. Our captain has the king's throne in the bag!"

The two pirates exchanged glances and broke into another round of wild laughter, making no effort to hide their smugness and arrogance.

"You'd better get along. Once our captain takes the throne, maybe he'll even spare your lives!"

After tossing out that taunt, the leading pirate took the others and left the prison, laughing loudly.

Bang!

The wooden door slammed shut, and the prison sank back into darkness. Only a faint sliver of moonlight filtered in through the window, barely illuminating the room.

After a brief silence, an older soldier who looked like a captain painstakingly moved over to Lucci. Full of concern, he carefully asked, "Kid, are you all right? Did they do anything to you?"

Another soldier sighed, disappointment and worry filling his voice. "Why did the World Government only send a child? Aren't they taking our kingdom and the lives of five hundred people far too lightly...?"

"Yeah, how is the kingdom now? Is His Majesty the King all right? Have the pirates done anything to the kingdom?"

The soldiers spoke over one another, their voices filled with anxiety, worry, and disappointment.

Yet Lucci seemed not to hear them at all. He remained standing there expressionlessly, his gaze slowly sweeping across everyone in the prison, cold and indifferent.

After a moment, he finally spoke. His low, icy voice cut through the clamor in the prison. "Are all the hostages here?"

The soldiers froze for a moment, thinking he was concerned for their safety. The weight in their hearts eased slightly.

The captain who had spoken earlier quickly nodded, gratitude in his voice. "Yes, kid. All five hundred of us are here. Not one is missing."

Lucci ignored the gratitude in his words. Slowly raising his head, he used the faint moonlight to roughly scan the soldiers before him, his gaze rapidly counting their numbers.

A cold curve lifted at the corner of his mouth as he calculated how long it would take to eliminate all five hundred hostages cleanly and efficiently, without wasting even a moment.

After finishing his count, he slowly withdrew his gaze. His tone remained flat and devoid of emotion. "Yes, I understand."

"Rankyaku..."

Lucci's voice was cold and utterly calm. He slowly raised his right leg, and a pale blue cutting wave gathered at his toes, ready to howl forth.

The soldiers froze in place, the gratitude and hope on their faces instantly replaced by terror.

At that critical moment, a gentle yet unquestionable voice suddenly came from behind him.

Beiyuan Heng appeared silently behind Lucci, as though he had been standing there all along.

The kind smile remained on his face as he reached out and lightly pressed a hand onto Lucci's shoulder.

The force was not heavy, yet it completely restrained Lucci. The cutting wave gathering at his toes instantly dissipated.

"!"

The soldiers in the prison shuddered at the sudden appearance, instinctively shrinking back as they stared fixedly at Beiyuan Heng.

Like Lucci, this youth carried an inexplicable sense of oppression. Yet unlike Lucci, the friendly aura around him unconsciously eased their taut nerves, scattering more than half their fear.

Beiyuan Heng slowly turned around. The smile on his face remained gentle, and his eyes were full of kindness as he lightly waved at the panicked soldiers.

"Don't be afraid, everyone. I'm here to save you. Your king is fine, and the kingdom is safe. Wait a little longer, and I'll take you out of here."

After reassuring the soldiers, Beiyuan Heng slowly turned back, his gaze falling on Lucci.

The smile on his face remained gentle, but a trace of barely noticeable hostility flashed deep in his eyes. His tone also sank slightly as he softly asked, "Lucci, what were you trying to do just now?"

Lucci's body stiffened slightly. His shoulder instinctively tried to break free from Beiyuan Heng's hand, and his eyes were full of hostility.

He opened his mouth, wanting to argue.

He had merely been carrying out his "Dark Justice," clearing out these incompetent weaklings.

But when he met Beiyuan Heng's seemingly gentle eyes, which actually carried an overwhelming pressure, the words on his lips were forced back down.

After a moment of silence, Lucci slowly lowered his head and replied coldly, "Nothing."

"Heh."

Beiyuan Heng chuckled softly and released Lucci's shoulder. "Lucci, the Dark Justice you believe in is far too shallow."

Lucci abruptly raised his head and stared intently at Beiyuan Heng.