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Chapter 22: The Pain And Risks, All Out Of Necessity III

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"My Earrings? Where are they?"

They're his most valuable assets, one of the only things that followed after him to this world. The memories they hold were strong and deep enough to kindle another emotion in Yovan's dark eyes.

He didn't just want his earrings back. NO! he needed them. He had to have them back. It was almost a necessity of his.

The door was locked, so Yovan twisted into his crow form, escaping from the small door window, finding no one in front of the door. Just like the Mafias, they were also quite careless. 

He transformed back, again biting his lips. The transformation always takes a toll on his body, and it's especially excruciating with his current condition.

The place was dark, and he could catch the putrid smell of piss. The place was a mess, almost like they get too drunk to stumble their way to the toilet.

Yovan was almost entirely naked, only adorned in worn-out pants. His hair also was still quite bloody. In fact, the blood on it seemed to have already clotted up quite a bit.

His stuttery steps led him towards the seemingly only source of light on the ship, the main deck. 

The light was bright there. The smell was still putrid, its only saving grace was the heavy smell of beer acting as a perfume of sorts, yet even the beer smelled like shit. Pick the lesser of two evils I guess.

Food was scattered around just like the bodies of some of the drunkards, basking in their own puke. Even the food was shitty. Yovan could swear the food he used to make on the island was thousands of times better.

Everything about them told Yovan that they could not be trusted. They're pirates, first of all. Most importantly, they took his stuff. 

Moreover, he couldn't allow them to take him whenever they want, they might get the home advantage, and he'll become nothing but a bird in a cage.

He just couldn't afford to trust anyone because his life depends on it. He could barely trust Francis, but that's because of how much manipulation and fear injection went into that.

The bunch barely paid Yovan any attention as he picked up a knife right in their midst, and held one of their members captive with the knife right at his throat.

"Give me my stuff back..." Yovan yelled as loudly as his state allowed him. He had one arm, yet it was enough to do the job. If the man were to move, only death would follow.

"Haha... Bwhahahahahaha!" What followed was a burst of laughter from the group's captain. Like the sheep they are, the pirate crew laughed alone, the ones still conscious that is.

"Do it." The Captain encouraged as he took a long gulp of piss-like wine.

"What?" Yovan frowned as he doubted the functionality of his ears.

"Go on, do it, bahahahahaa." The Captain encouraged yet again.

"Ok," Before the captive in his arms could beg or anything of the such, Yovan swung the knife right through his throat, "Now please give me my stuff back."

And then there was silence. All the laughter stopped as everyone froze in disbelief, even the Captain. The latter definitely didn't take Yovan seriously at all, not with his state.

He thought the kid was just messing around. After all, who would kill their only captive, "You motherfucker!! You killed Dangi!!" Even their names smelled like shit.

The pirates were on the brink of lunging at him, so without hesitation, Yovan twisted into his crow form, his beak instantly catching the knife before swiftly flying into his next victim.

The pirates were absolutely speechless, especially the Captain who certainly didn't see that coming. 

"I'll ask again... Give me my stuff back!" This time, Yovan's tone reeked of anger and impatience.

The Captain knew exactly what type of person Yovan was. His boss told the crew of some similar tales, and that's exactly why his eyes brightened, why he saw an opportunity.

The Captain held his double blades in hand as he signaled for the crew to get ready, "We can make a dea..."

Yet before he can finish, another of his crew fell to the ground dead. Yovan was ruthless and decisive because he saw no deal, merely deceit.

"You!!" The Captain wasn't sure how this guy's mind works because considering his state, he should be jumping at the deal, "Do you think you can fight all of us!??? You look like you can barely walk you shithead!!"

Yovan could barely walk. The amount of willpower it was taking him just to stand straight was unbelievable, and he was sure he wouldn't be able to stay in his crow form for even a little bit, something the Captain seemed to know?

The pirates assembled very close to each other, looking very tense at what they assumed to be a monster. Their weapons were ready though some of them were a bit too drunk.

Yovan took a deep breath as he forced his eyes wide open, keeping his focus to the absolute maximum, and then the battle started.

The area was very well lit, but not for much longer as Yovan's first objective was getting rid of the lamps, throwing them to the ocean in his crow form.

Darkness fell upon the area. Gulps of nervousness resounded at the same time as the sound of a body colliding with the floor.

"WHere the fuck is he!! Get the lights back on!"

The slight moonlight wasn't enough to illuminate the dark crow flying about, harvesting their lives one by one.

The pirates' blades were being swung just about everywhere in the hopes of nailing the crow, making it very hard for Yovan to act. 

His shitty condition made him very slow, allowing a few blades to catch him in the act, deadly attacks if he didn't react fast enough, but he was still hurt.

"Give me my stuff back..." Yovan appeared in his human form again, his eyes almost entirely red in what the Captain of the ship assumed to be agonizing pain.

Furthermore, his entire skin was almost crimson almost like it was burning, something the Captain noticed, "Do you think I don't know about your kind!? Cut the bullshit and give up right now. There is no longer an opportunity for a deal, just prepare to suffer!"

He knows that Yovan can't cause a fire on the ship because he'll die with it. He likely can't transform for much longer. He took the lives of five of his crew, so there was no going back.

Yovan's reaction was his eyelids trembling, seemingly fighting the loss of consciousness. He has to as the crew took the opportunity to lung at him. 

He did the same with much more nimbleness, allowing him to cut right through the first attacker before twisting into his crow form, and escaping beneath their legs only to transform back and roll on the floor.

"He can't turn anymore!! Get the fucker!!"

Yet he did transform again, right as they were about to reach him, and a second later he was in their midst, performing a single spin that manage to cut two pirates' throats while injuring another.

Yovan only had to deal with a blade slivering his back, leaving something akin to a steep cavity. 

That and a large cut on the left side of his neck, the result of a blade which would've certainly severed his head if he didn't lean sideways.

Transforming into his crow form again was what saved him from certain death as he flew high in the sky, and allowed himself to his human form.

As he was falling right to the pirates' blades, Yovan squeezed his knife with as much force as he can muster, causing the air around the knife to concentrate into something akin to a spear.

And with a thrust, the air spear flew right at the assembled pirates, causing so much destruction it almost took the Captain's life. Well, it certainly left him in a sorry state.

Turning into a crow again had Yovan stumbling not too far away from the distraught pirates, fear getting the best of them, understandably so.

Yovan could only stay on his knees, yet the fire in his eyes still burned brightly to the point it almost overwhelmed the still living pirates with fear... It was the fire of survival and necessity.