Discharge Day for the Meat Toilets
The discharge date for the meat toilets was drawing near. Normally, when a patient's release from the infirmary approached, friends and acquaintances would linger around the entrance. But strangely, the infirmary doorway was crowded with far more commoner magicians than usual. Their faces all bore a predatory gleam, especially the men, who outnumbered the rest. A tense silence hung in the air, like the hush before a brawl, when the infirmary door creaked open.
Three witches emerged hesitantly, peering around as if expecting their friends to greet them. But there were no familiar faces—only a sea of commoner magicians. Their expressions darkened.
"Let's go," one said.
They shuffled down the corridor in dejected tones, but the commoners on all sides—left, right, front, back—stared with chilling intensity. One witch gritted her teeth, trying to ignore them, but finally lifted her head and glared around defiantly.
"Just leave them be," a companion warned. But she couldn't stomach it.
She raised her voice. "Filthy commoner scum! Keep your eyes down or what?"
Normally, commoners would avert their gazes or slink away. But not this time. Something was different. Instead of cowering, they stared back steadily, their round eyes emotionless yet flickering with rage. The witches shrank back in fear.
"I-I said keep your eyes down!"
She raised her staff, but the other two grabbed her arms, trying to hold her back.
"Stop it and let's go."
"You think we're some pushovers just 'cause we got hit once? That you bottom-feeders can climb over us?"
"Please! We don't have anyone to help us right now. There's too many of them!"
As they bickered among themselves, I stepped out from the crowd of commoner magicians. The moment they saw my face, the shouting witch fell silent, her mouth clamping shut like she'd swallowed honey.
"I-Instructor…."
"Congrats on your discharge."
I tossed the three wilted flowers I was holding at their feet. They landed limply in front of the witches.
"W-Why are you here? Wasn't killing our kids that day enough?"
"……."
"We'll just go quietly. We won't bother anyone, we'll lay low till graduation. Just let us go."
"……Got it."
I nodded agreeably. Still eyeing me suspiciously, the witches tugged at each other and hurried off. I jerked my chin at the commoner magicians.
"Grab 'em."
At that single command, the surrounding commoners swarmed. Like hyenas pouncing on prey, they lunged forward, snatching the witches' staffs and kicking them down. Thud. Thud. Crack! Thud!
"Kyaaack!"
"Let go! You crazy bastards!"
"You said you'd let us go!"
They kicked relentlessly, venting their fury until resistance crumbled, bound them all, and vanished into the shadows with their prizes.
Somewhere on the third floor of the underground prison—a place that should have been deserted—crowds of people waited in the corridors and empty cells.
"You actually caught them."
Igneel drawled arrogantly, her legs propped up on the table. Her face mixed lingering arrogance with astonishment at my boldness. She praised my guts even as she fretted.
"Impressive nerve, but Ios won't let this slide."
"You told me yourself."
I knocked her legs with a small bundle I'd brought. She moved them, and I set it down. An apple tumbled out.
"You said Ios abandoned them."
"That's not solid proof. No hard evidence yet."
"Doesn't matter. We can send our message loud and clear."
I plopped into an empty chair.
"Not a single magician from Ios's faction visited them in the hospital. Even grunts deserve at least one bedside check-in, right?"
"Declaring war like this—can we survive?"
"Don't worry."
I grabbed an apple and started peeling it with a knife. My skills were mediocre; the fruit ended up angular and mangled.
"As long as I haven't lost my mind, they won't touch you with me around."
"Still, spread the word to lay low for a while."
"Will do."
I handed her the butchered apple. She snorted at the sight.
Then came the rattle of chains from up front. Someone groaned.
"Ugh… w-where are we?"
"My head hurts."
"Girls, you're awake?"
Once they were all stirring, I stood. The three witches sat bound against the prison wall, naked and locked in wooden restraints. Called "stocks"—two planks clamping their necks and wrists. Picture medieval movies where crowds jeer at restrained criminals, or hard-core porn with AV actresses fixed in wooden boards. That was the setup.
Their waists were strapped to a pedestal, legs chained to prevent kicking.
"What… w-where're my clothes?"
"Kyaaack!"
"Help! Somebody… gasp."
I strolled right up to them. Seeing me, their faces paled to ashen defeat.
"You bitches know your own crimes."
I stroked each head fondly, then smirked vilely.
"Plenty to do living right, but dragging innocent commoners into prostitution? Really?"
"We were just following Ios's orders!"
"W-We had no choice. She made us."
"You think we wanted to?"
"What were we supposed to do? We'd die by Ios's hand if we refused!"
I pinched the nose of the loudest one.
"Ow ow ow!"
"So what? You saying 'top brass ordered it, no fault of mine'?"
"O-Okay, we're sorry!"
"Say 'I'm sorry.'"
"I'm sorry!"
I released her nose. Tears welled as she shook her head, then looked up at me in terror.
"S-So what're you gonna do with us? Stripped and tied up like this."
"An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth."
"Huh?"
"Whatever you did to those kids. We'll give it right back."
"Give it back…?"
I nodded outside. A waiting magician entered, eyes blazing with rage, mouth curled in sadistic glee.
"You fucking whores. Been waiting for this."
He rolled up his sleeves, gripped a thick switch, and lashed the leftmost witch's ass without mercy. Crack!
"Kyaaaaack!"
"What! Emily! What's wrong?"
"S-Someone's behind us! Who's there?!"
"They hit my ass. It hurts so much…."
And so it went, one by one. Crack!
"Kyaaack!"
"Camella? Camella?"
"Arabela… it hurts so bad…."
"Emily, snap out of it. What's happening… why…."
Crack!
"Kyaaaaack!"
This wasn't play. Pure hatred, pure payback—"attack." In play, you'd control your strength. Here, there was none. The switch bent like it might snap after three strikes.
"Can I break it?"
He asked about the switch, but it sounded like he meant the witches. I nodded indifferently.
"You dog-shit trash bitches!" Crack!
"Kyak!"
"Being born common such a crime?" Crack!
"Agh… p-please… forgive me."
"Pimping kids? Fuck… fuck!" Crack!Snap.
The switch finally broke. Darian had enchanted it not to snap easily, so this meant brutal force. Undeterred, he pulled a new one and swung wildly. Crack! Crack! Thwack! Crack!
Deep red welts bloomed on their asses. Blood trickled from one, another lost bladder control from the pain, sobbing as urine dribbled. Drip drip…
"Hic… sob… ugh… waa…."
But deep hatred doesn't fade easy. He thrashed the piss-soaked witch mercilessly. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Crack!
"Kyaaaaack! Sorry! Sorry! SORRYYYY!"
Snap! Another broke. He hurled the pieces down, kicked her ass, and stormed out panting.
"One at a time takes too long. Three at once. Let's start."
"Waited for this day!"
"Emily! I call dibs on her."
"Who? Fuck! This ass? Arabela's?"
"I'll ram you till your hole's loose. Brace yourselves!"
What followed was a gruesome execution scene.