Red Flame (2): The Fox Is Helplessly Led
The fox was helplessly led along. Her body felt wrong. Her head spun, her legs buckled, and her eyes refused to focus. It seemed they had injected her with a sleeping agent—the usual method for transporting unruly slaves. Damn it.
The drug was strong enough to knock out even a bear beastman in one hit. No wonder her consciousness was slipping. Irene forced her heavy eyelids open, fighting with everything she had to stay awake. A new scene swam into her unsteady vision.
"......"
What she saw were rows of iron cages. A prison for holding slaves. Despite being inside a ship, the scale was enormous. It seemed to take up an entire deck; hundreds of slaves were packed tightly behind the bars.
The fox’s mind raced. No time to waste. She couldn’t afford to linger. If the ship set sail now, everything would become irreversible. No one would ever find the girl. Maybe… it’s already left port. That was the most hopeless possibility. She had no idea how much time had passed since she lost consciousness, but she could only pray it hadn’t been long.
If there was any chance to escape, it was now—especially since the hound had left his post. It’s worth the risk. The guards on either side looked relaxed. They trusted the sleeping drug completely. Even if she was caught, the businessman’s orders meant they wouldn’t kill her. A few blows that didn’t leave visible marks would be the worst of it. That level of risk was a gamble she was willing to take.
"Hoo..."
She exhaled slowly, centering herself. Her vision was hazy from the brutal headache, but this was the moment she had to push through. Irene slammed her shoulder into the guard beside her.
Thud!
"Whoa—?!"
Crash!
As one guard went down, the other drew his sword and charged. She knew it was only for show. So she didn’t retreat. She drove forward aggressively, hunting for an opening. Panic flashed in the guard’s eyes. Got you.
A sword that couldn’t be drawn was nothing more than a shackle on his own hand. He wouldn’t dare disobey orders.
"Damn it…!"
The guard dropped his weapon in frustration. His belated punch couldn’t match the speed of a fox who had already closed the distance. Her foot shot forward like a spear and struck his solar plexus.
"Guh!"
The guard let out a choked groan and staggered before collapsing. A clean hit. Irene snatched up the fallen sword and broke into a sprint. With a few quick slashes she severed the ropes binding her.
"Damn it! The merchandise is escaping!"
"Don’t let her get away!"
Guards shouted behind her. Irene ignored their sharp cries and kicked off the ground with everything she had, searching desperately for an exit.
Meanwhile, the hound in the reception room received the report late. The very fox he had captured only hours ago was evading the guards and causing chaos. Swallowing his rising fury, he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"These fucking idiots… can’t even keep one exhausted fox under control?"
The hound bit his lip. It didn’t make sense. He had definitely dosed her with the sleeping agent—how was she still moving with a clear head? The drug could drop even a famously vicious bear beastman in an instant. Any normal beastman should have stayed unconscious for at least half a day.
Tsk… Did I let my guard down because of that?
As the hound clicked his tongue and let out a troubled sigh, a voice suddenly spoke from across the table. It was the “guest” he had arranged to meet today.
"It seems you’ve run into some trouble."
"Mind your own business."
"Your expression is rather unpleasant."
"This is our side’s problem. Alliance or not, you should know when to stay out of things."
"Understood. If I caused offense, I apologize."
The guest bowed politely. He wore a spotless suit, neatly designed glasses, and had well-groomed green hair. A young man whose orderly appearance left a strong impression.
"Still, this does appear to be a matter that concerns me."
"What?"
"We formed an alliance, did we not? Moreover, I believe the majority of the cargo on this vessel was ordered by my lord."
"So?"
"Any disturbance on this ship gives us sufficient grounds to intervene."
"......"
His precise, perfectly phrased rebuttal was infuriating. The hound glared at the guest for a long moment before standing up as if he’d had enough. He was going after the escaped fox.
"I’ll step out."
"To handle the problem you mentioned earlier?"
"What if I am?"
"I will accompany you. If there is any way I can assist, please allow me to do so."
"I told you to stay out of it… Ha, forget it. Do whatever you want."
"Thank you."
The two left the reception room at a measured pace. As they walked with surprising leisure, the guest beside him asked curiously.
"Are you not being overly relaxed? It seemed quite urgent."
"It’s fine."
The hound answered with clear annoyance.
"She won’t be able to escape anyway."
"Well, that is true."
"The grunts will herd her into a corner. We’ll just go over, smack her around a bit, and recapture her."
"Is physical force permitted? I was told she is a top-grade product."
"I don’t fucking know. If I get an earful, I’ll take it. As long as I don’t kill her, it should be fine."
"I will respect your judgment."
The pair continued their light exchange. Inside the dark corridor, only the steady rhythm of their footsteps echoed for some time.
Irene ran. She crossed vast chambers, sprinted down long corridors, and leaped over staircases wherever they appeared. She never looked back. She simply drove her feet against the ground with everything she had. Her fading consciousness made her feel like she might collapse at any moment, but she forced her staggering legs back under control. The instant she slipped, it would all be over.
"Haah… haah…!"
Her breathing came rough and ragged. Moving while drugged required monstrous willpower. Irene clung desperately to her slipping mind.
"There she is!"
"Fuck! Cut her off!"
It wasn’t just running. Guards kept blocking her path. Every time her route was cut off, Irene had to change direction or raise her sword and cut down whoever stood before her. It was the fierce, desperate stride of a fugitive fighting for her life.
"Damn it…!"
The ship was as large as several passenger liners joined together. The wide spaces let her dodge and weave, but she couldn’t avoid every confrontation. Clashes were inevitable.
"Damn it! Why today, when guard numbers are at their lowest…!"
"Shut up and run!"
"She’s coming this way! Block the opposite stairs!"
Two guards appeared from an alley. The opposite staircase was already sealed. This time she would have to break through. Irene calmly leveled her sword and corrected her stance. She couldn’t slow down. Instead of a heavy strike, she prepared a rapid series of light blows that could be unleashed while moving at full speed. Her blade flashed along the swift current of motion.
Clang!
The first exchange was light. Without hesitation, Irene let the blade glide past her own and spun like a top, slashing the opponent. The sensation of flesh parting rippled through her fingertips.
Slice—!
It was shallow, but she didn’t need to take their lives. What mattered now was not victory, but escape.
"You little—!"
The fox’s movements were almost too fast to see. By the time the panicked guard reacted, her blade had already reached his arm. She thrust without mercy.
Squish—!
"Aaaargh!!"
The guard screamed with the sword buried in his arm. It had sunk deep. Irene released the hilt without regret, snatched up the weapon he dropped, and kept running. Sticky blood coated her hands.
"Huk… ugh…!"
The chase had already lasted thirty minutes. Her exhausted body was giving out faster than expected. The one saving grace was that she was nearly at the exit. From what she remembered, the ship’s exit was on the top deck. Her memory was hazy, but she recalled an open outdoor space. If she crossed the top level, she would surely reach it.
From inside the ship she couldn’t see outside. For all its size, there wasn’t a single window.
"Haah…!"
Irene pushed every stray thought from her mind and kept running. She prayed the ship had not yet departed. She prayed it was still docked. Even if it had already set sail, if the distance was something she could swim, she could still make it.
After a long, brutal series of battles, an exit finally appeared before her. It felt more like the ship’s roof than a proper exit, but anywhere that let her escape was good enough. Irene cut down the final guard blocking her path and stepped out into the open air.
But.
"Well~ I’ve been waiting."
"You’ve finally arrived."
The moment she emerged, two figures stood before her. One was the hound in a gray robe. The other was the unidentified young man in a suit. Irene’s feet came to an abrupt halt.
"......"
"What’s with that face? Did you actually think you’d make it?"
While she stood there stunned, the hound’s mocking voice rang out. His loathsome lips curled in derision.
"I told you—you wouldn’t be able to get away."
"......"
Whoooosh—
Crimson hair whipped in the sea wind. The girl’s pupils trembled. What held her gaze was not the two men before her, but the vast blue expanse beyond them. Irene let out a small, broken sigh.
"Ah…"
Waves surrounded them in every direction. She scanned desperately in all directions, but there was no trace of land. None at all.
That was right.
Shaaaa—
The ship was floating in the middle of the ocean.