The sound of dark laughter came from the two gangsters as they walked towards Ken and Katsuya who had just been roused from their sleep.
Katsuya's eyes were dull, almost as if he'd given up. Throughout his life he had never received such pain and torture, therefore it was clear this experience had changed him.
Ken on the other hand, looked at the two approaching gangsters with rage in his eyes. The hatred he felt towards Tetsuhiro was boundless, fueling his will to survive and take vengeance upon him.
"Dibs on the pretty boy first." The shorter one said, licking his lips as if savoring the moment.
"Alright, I'll take the tall one then."
He walked up to Ken and grabbed his chin, lifting his face and seeing the seething hatred staring back at him. However, that didn't seem to deter him, only making him more excited.
"I heard you're a National level pitcher… I wonder what sort of expression you'll make if I ruin your arm hehehe." He chuckled darkly.
A shudder ran down Ken's back as he saw the sadistic face of the gangster. He had no doubts that the man would do as he said.
'Damn you TETSUHIRO!' Ken shouted in his heart, feeling a sense of both helplessness and anger threatening to break him mentally.
Even if he survived, if he were to lose baseball again, would he really be able to live a happy life?
As he was in the midst of despair, he saw something quickly appear in the corner of his vision, flashing in the light.
THUD
A dull and sickening thud echoed into his ears, eliciting a gasp of shock from Ken's mouth. He turned to see the once haughty and sadistic gangster on the floor, blood beginning to pool from underneath his head.
"W—What the f—"
SHIIING
Before he could finish his sentence, the shorter man's words were stuck in his throat, never to be released again.
The sound of something heavy rolling along the ground sounded out. Thankfully, the room was dark enough that it wasn't in plain view.
"Ken, let's get you outta here."
Ken was still in shock, but hearing the thick kansai accent brought him back to reality yet he was still filled with disbelief.
"T—Tetsu? Am I dreaming?" He muttered.
It wasn't that he didn't want to believe it, just that he was afraid it was all a hallucination. Lack of water and food in addition to the beatings had made him frail and delirious.
If this turned out to be an illusion, he would probably lose the final thread of hope he was hanging onto.
"This ain't no dream." He said simply.
Next to him, Katsuya raised his head, his dull eyes finally shifting.
"Uncle Shin? Is that you?" He said with a strained voice, tears already pooling at the corner of his eyes.
"Mmm. Your father is outside waiting for us, let's go." Shin replied, casually striking the chains with his Katana.
CLINK
The chains fell to the ground, echoing within the empty basement. He briefly left Katsuya in his chair before cutting through the metal chains that tied up Ken.
Feeling the pressure rescind, Ken almost let out an audible sigh of relief, however it was quickly replaced by a dull and persistent pain all over his body.
"Packages are secured, we'll be out soon." Shin said into the radio casually.
Tetsu turned to the guy, raising an eyebrow. However, he quickly shook his head, now was not the time to ask about the man's hobbies.
"Can ya walk?" Tetsu asked Ken. Things would only grow more difficult if he had to carry the guy up so many flights of stairs.
"Mmm, I think so." Ken replied in a hoarse voice.
He got up to his feet slowly, trying not to give into the dizziness. It took a few moments, but he finally gained some sense of balance, despite the throbbing from his entire body.
"Have some water."
With that, Tetsu handed Ken a water bottle and he greedily drank from it. Yet as if thinking of something, he stopped and held it out towards Katsuya.
"You have some too." He said.
"He's got his own." Shin said, producing another bottle.
Thankfully, Chris was thoughtful enough to prepare these in advance, thinking they would be both dehydrated and starved by the time both Shin and Tetsu arrived to save them.
Finally feeling some strength coming back to his body, Ken felt his mind work.
"What's the plan? Do we just try and escape unnoticed?" He asked, switching his gaze between both Tetsu and Katsuya's uncle.
As much as he appreciated Tetsu for saving him, he was aware that the man was more suited to physical tasks than strategy to put it nicely.
"Our main priority is to get you guys out of here in one piece. The rest can wait for later." Shin stated simply, helping Katsuya to his feet.
"He's right, let's go before the cavalry finds out we killed their men." Tetsu added, moving towards the door and beckoning Ken forward.
Ken didn't need to be told twice, willing his body forward to follow Tetsu.
Thankfully, both he and Katsuya could still walk, albeit a little shakily.
The group was silent as the door was opened, revealing the slightly brighter stairwell. Only after the two men had confirmed there was no noise did they begin their ascent.
Shin made a shushing gesture as they approached the first flight of stairs. This was the floor where the Hokori family were gathered, if they made noise now, things would quickly escalate into a blood bath.
The four creeped past the door, slowly ascending up the stairs while controlling their breathing. They could hear the sounds of people talking, their voices filtering into the stairwell and echoing off the walls.
It felt like an eternity had passed as the group did their best to remain undetected. By the end, Ken felt as if his nerves were shot.
He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, feeling as the worst part was over.