Danmachi- Hell’s Forge

To anyone not looking closely enough the figure looked like they were cowering as the adventurers beat up on them but I could see the vengeful gleam in those blue eyes. Oh there was certainly pain in those eyes but it only made that storm cloud glare all the sharper. 

"Excuse me fellas but I couldn't help but notice your actions and can't help but be curious why you are doing it." I said casually as I walked up to the group of sinful souls.

"You'd be better served minding your own business." one of the bullies said with a warning tone.

I nodded "normally you'd be right but my curiosity has unfortunately gotten me into trouble before as it's simply insatiable. Now then might one of you tell me what this individual has done to deserve this treatment?" I asked not bothered by the warning.

"She owes our familia a rather pretty bit of coin and missed a payment so we are just reminding her is all, isn't that right boys?" one of the adventurers says as he eyes me with a greedy look.

"Ah I see, and pray tell how much does she owe?" I asked as if I didn't notice the other two adventurers slowly creeping around my sides.

The leader of this group sneered though "Not like it matters since you'll not be leaving here alive!" he said as he and the other two rushed me from three different directions.

The girl on the ground grabbed the leaders ankle tripping him and earning a spiteful kick to the face for it that sent her lights out. I merely smiled widely at this however as the girl was clearly trying to help me escape but didn't understand I was right where I wanted to be. The two adventurers from my sides arrived first.-

But to their horror I snapped out my hands and grabbed them by the throat before they were engulfed in black flames and incinerated before they could even scream. The leader watched this with a terrified expression as it finally caught up to his pitifully sized brain that anyone dressed as I am who can walk about at this hour without worry couldn't be a simple character.

"Please!" he went to beg but I merely walked past him as my flames leapt onto him greedily before incinerating him and returning to me.

"Now then, let's see if you are worth my time or not after all." I muttered with a grin as I scooped up the girl and started walking back to the manor while whistling up a tune.

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Unknown POV

'Ugh, my head is killing me.' I mentally complained before my mind woke up enough for me to realize I should be in far more pain than I am.

My eyes snapped open as I shot up from the ... bed? My eyes darted around the room and I didn't recognize the place and it was far too nice to be in Daedalus street which sent alarms off in my head.-

I quickly checked to see if I was naked and finding my clothes still on immediately wrote off a brothel. I quietly walked up to the door and tested the handle but to my surprise it was unlocked. Carefully I cracked the door open and found that there wasn't even a guard at my door much to my confusion. Now I was genuinely wondering what the fuck was going on as this fit none of the scenarios I could imagine a defenseless girl ending up in where I was knocked out.-

Daedalus street was not a friendly place at all and for a girl of any age or appearance to be knocked out there, well lets say their fate was never good. I'd seen it all after growing up there for the past ten years. The only reason I hadn't fallen to such a fate myself is because I'd always been careful not to let my gender slip when I went out. Baggy clothes, altered voice, short cut hair and dirt and mud all over my face to throw off my appearance when I actually needed to show my face.-

It had worked to until my little brother had gotten sick and I needed a certain type of medicine to heal him, the type that only a familia could get. I was forced to reveal my gender to beg for the medicine and even put myself into debt with them to get it only for it to be too late and my little brother died anyways. Selling the medicine in the black market offset a large part of the debt but the familia had overcharged for it as was usual so I still had an over ten thousand valis debt to my name and needed to make payments.-

That is a lot of money for a Daedalus street rat like me but I was managing until the familia chose to play dirty. In hindsight I should have seen it coming. They didn't want me to pay off my debt, not really. What they wanted was a new plaything in those disgusting whorehouses of theirs. If I couldn't make payments that's where I'd end up too as eventually they'd force the issue under the premise that they needed to make back their losses.-

Last night was merely the first step on that path of theirs, a warning in defiance since I refused to accept the fate they set up for me to fall into. When that oddly dressed man appeared to try and help me and I saw the look Rosco gave him I went against my better judgement and tried to help him escape. Next thing I know I catch a foot to the face and it's lights out for me before I wake up wherever this is with a suspicious lack of injuries. Focusing my senses I hear the sound of footsteps on the wooden floors approaching and hurriedly rush to the opposite side of the room cautiously putting the bed between me and the door.-

When the door opens I see a woman with long straight black hair wearing a dark blue robe carrying a tray with what appears to be food and a glass of some sort of juice.

"Oh! You are awake, I'll go tell Captain Alex." the girl says as she sets the tray on the nightstand and turns to leave.

"Wait!" I call out anxiously.

"Yes?" the woman says as she stops to look back at me.

"Where am I? How did I get here?" I asked the questions that had been burning me up inside.

"The Hestia manor, Captain Alex brought you in when he returned from his date. I healed your injuries while you slept." The woman said with a smile before leaving.

'Hestia manor, Captain Alex? A familia then, better play it cautious.' I thought seriously as I processed the information I had.