Helia's heart races, and her mind desperately searches for any possible way out of this situation.

One of the masked men speaks first and steps forward, his voice cold and intimidating.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Two little birds trying to escape the nest, hm?"

He looks at Helia and Anna with a menacing gaze, his expression unreadable behind the mask.

Helia holds her knife in front of her, trying to look as serious as possible while she threatens them.

"Stay back!!"

Her attempt to intimidate the men falls short, and it only elicits a mocking chuckle from the one who spoke earlier. He smirks at Helia, and his tone drips with disdain.

"Oh, how cute. Playing tough, huh? You think that little knife is gonna keep us away?"

Her attempts at defiance fall on deaf ears as the men's mocking laughter fills the air. Her grip on the knife tightens as she feels a mix of anger and fear rushing through her.

"It would be wise to lower that knife, sweetie. You don't stand a chance against us, and resistance is only bound to make things more painful."

Helia is trying her best not to show that she's scared, but her hands won't stop shaking as she maintains the knife up, towards the men.

The man who spoke notices her trembling hands. A sly smile forms on his face as he senses her fear, his voice becoming smug and condescending.

"Look at that, you're shaking like a leaf. How adorable. You might as well put that knife down, sweetie. It's pointless."

It's Anna's turn to scream a threat this time, not wanting to let her friend be the only one to act. She moves the knife in direction of the men who are getting closer.

"Stay away!!"

The men cast a brief glance at Anna as she follows Helia's lead and brandishes her knife, her voice filled with defiance.

"Ooooh, two feisty birds. How cute. But let me make something clear. You're outnumbered and outmatched. Lower those knives, and things might go more smoothly for you."

The men continue to advance, their steps slow and deliberate, closing the distance between the girls and them.

The sound of their heavy footsteps echoes through the air, creating a sense of increasing danger and confinement.

Helia can feel her heartbeat speed up at each step they take. She's not even sure she knows how to defend herself with a knife.

Suddenly, one of the men steps forward, seizes Anna and yanks her away from Helia with a swift motion. Helia turns in direction of the man but it's too late.

He holds his sword to Anna's throat, the cold blade pressed against her skin. Helia's heart sinks as she watches helplessly, panic and anger welling up inside her.

"Let her go!!" Her voice filled with desperation and anger. The man holding Anna grins coldly as he responds to her demand.

"Or what, sweetheart? You'll wave that kitchen knife around again? You're in no position to make demands. You should've lowered your weapon when you had the chance."

As one of the men moves forward to approach Helia, her reflexes kick in, and she wields her knife defensively, waving it in his direction.

The man hesitates for a moment, taken aback by her determined yet desperate gesture, and takes a step back, wary of the sharp blade in her hand.

Her trembling intensifies, her body clearly showing the effects of fear and stress. Her grip on the knife is faltering, her hands shaking uncontrollably, the blade quivering in the air as Helia tries to maintain a sense of threat.

Her focus momentarily shifts as a familiar and very annoying voice resonates through the air.

"It's not very nice to pick on the weak."

The men react to the unexpected interruption, turning their attention towards the source of the voice. One of the men speaks, his tone slightly uneasy.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!"

Helia's eyes catch sight of Toji and another man at the end of the corridor. The masked men exchange startled glances, and the one holding Anna hesitates, his grip on her weakening slightly.

"Now let the ladies go, would you?"

Toji's presence and authoritative tone seem to unsettle the men, their confidence wavering.

Toji moves with lightning speed, closing the distance to the man holding Anna in an instant. In a swift, precise cut, he slices through the man's arm.

The man releases his grip on Anna, his scream of pain filling the air as he clutches his injured limb, blood staining the ground.

The sight of the bleeding man sends a wave of nausea through Helia's stomach, and she struggles to hold back the urge to vomit.

She wants to look away or close her eyes, but she can't tear her eyes away from that sight.

With the one man incapacitated and Anna free, Toji's attention turns to the remaining masked men. They charge towards him, their swords raised, ready to engage in battle.

The other man with Toji stands beside him, a determined expression on his face as they brace themselves for the incoming attack.

Helia watches in silence, her body frozen in a mix of shock and relief, her hands still wrapped tightly around the knife. The clash between Toji, the man, and the remaining masked men is fierce.

The sound of clashing blades and grunts of effort fills the air as they fight, each side determined to emerge victorious.

Suddenly, Helia feels someone seize her from behind, strong arms wrapping around her as a hand covers her mouth, and a cold, sharp knife presses against her vulnerable throat.

Her eyes go wide but she doesn't budge, afraid that one wrong move could get her killed.

"Stop right now or I kill the girl!!"

The man's voice is cold and menacing as he calls out to Toji and the man fighting with him. His knife is digging into her skin, eliciting a muffled whimper from her. The threat hangs in the air, clear and immediate.

Everyone's attention is now focused on Helia, the knife at her throat acting as a silent yet powerful deterrent.

The man's voice echoes through the hall, demanding and authoritative.

"Drop your weapons!!"

Her heart races, and Helia can feel the sharp edge of the knife against her throat, emphasizing the severity of the situation.

She looks at Toji with pleading eyes, of course she still despises him, but right now he's her only chance.

"You can kill her, she quite an irritating one."

Toji's cold remark sends a chill through the air. His words seem nonchalant, as if dismissing Helia and her life without a second thought.

She feels her stomach drop, of course he wouldn't save her, he's just an infuriating bastard.

The men around, including the one holding her hostage, look surprised by Toji's response. Helia tries to get out from the man's grip and scream, but her efforts are useless.

In a flash, the man's momentary surprise turns to disbelief as Toji seizes the opportunity.

With a remarkable speed, he grabs a nearby knife and throws it with precision. Helia squeezes her eyes shut, thinking that he might be aiming at her.

The knife whistles through the air, striking its target with deadly accuracy. The man holding Helia grunts in pain, his grip on her weakens, and the knife drops from his lifeless hand.

Helia opens her eyes. The entire ordeal, from being held hostage to witnessing the sudden and brutal execution, leaves Helia shook to her core.

Tears stream down her cheeks, and a wave of nausea washes over her as she tries to process the violence and death unfolding around her.

The fight continues as a response of the man's death. Toji's focus shifts from the ongoing combat to Helia. Pushing through the chaos, he makes his way over to where she stands, shaken and tearful.

He grabs Helia by the waist, his grip on her is firm but not painful as usual, as he pulls her closer to him. His voice is authoritative but not unkind when he speaks to her.

"Stay close to me and don't get in the way again." He says, his eyes scanning the ongoing conflict around them.

She wishes she could just push him away from her, but her body doesn't seem to respond correctly as her shaking hands clench onto his shirt tightly, not wanting to let go.

She closes her eyes and puts her head against his chest in an attempt to protect herself as she hears another man attacking them.

The sound of Toji's sword clashing against another is intense and jarring, each strike sending a jolt through her body.

She can feel and sense his every movement, his body shifting and tensing as he dodges, parries, and strikes, the fight happening so close to them.

[...]

The sounds of battle gradually subside, and a stillness fills the air. Toji's voice, calm and steady, breaks the silence and reaches her ears.

"It's over. You can open your eyes now."

As she slowly opens eyes, her grip on Toji's shirt remains tight, her knuckles turning white from the force of her hold. The scene around her is a mess of bodies and blood.

Toji's voice snaps Helia back to reality. She hears his slightly annoyed tone as he speaks.

"Hey, could you let go of my shirt now? You're going to rip it apart." He says, looking down at her.

As if she had been electrified, Helia immediately lets go of his shirt and moves away from him. She feels a pang of embarrassment, realizing she had been clinging to him tightly.

She takes a few more steps back, increasing the distance between them, her eyes now avoiding his gaze.

Toji watches Helia retreat, his expression seemingly irritated. He brushes the wrinkles out of his shirt, a small frown on his face.

Anna's voice breaks through the quiet moment, her concern evident in her words.

"Are you okay?" She asks, her voice soft and tender.

She looks at Helia, her eyes filled with tears and worry.

Helia nods, still shaken by everything that just happened. She tries to sound reassuring. "I'm alright, what about you?"

"I'm fine, don't worry. Just a bit shaken, that's all."

Helia turns her attention to Toji. He was looking at the two girls with a slight frown as if he had just realized something. Helia tries to hide her embarrassment from clinging onto him earlier as she speaks.

"What just happened?"

"The house was under attack." He replies, his words brief barely providing more explanation for the chaos that had unfolded.

Helia nods. She knows she should be thanking him, but the words don't seem to want to leave her mouth. She still forces them out as she mutters, not looking into his eyes.

"Thank you..."

It's clear that expressing gratitude to Toji doesn't come easy to her. Toji, hearing her reluctant thanks, gives a small smirk, amused by her struggle to show appreciation.

"You're welcome." He replies, in a playful tone.

"But I'm not the one you should be thanking." He continues, his voice nonchalant. "I never would've come near the maid compound if my father hadn't asked me to."

Of course, he wouldn't have come out of his free will to help people, especially not the maids that he thinks are insignificant.

Toji's gaze moves from Helia's face to her pyjamas, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

"Nice pyjamas, by the way." He remarks, his voice laced with a hint of mockery.

Helia's face heats up at Toji's remark, and she instinctively tries to conceal her pyjamas with her hands while shooting him a glare.

Given the chaotic situation, she hadn't had the opportunity to change out of her pyjamas before everything happened.

A few seconds later, to Helia's greatest relief, Naobito runs into the hallway, his sword in hand. He takes in the scene of defeated attackers scattered everywhere.

"Ah, I see you've already taken care of this hallway, boys." He remarks, a slight smirk on his face.

"There are still a few of them left in the east wing." Naobito says, his voice firm. "Come with me."

He gives a command to Toji and the man with him, gesturing towards the east wing.

Toji lets out a sigh but complies with Naobito's command. However, before making his way to the east wing, he shoots Helia one last glance, his hard gaze lingering on her for a moment.

Helia and Anna stand side by side, watching as the men make their way down the hallway and disappear into the east wing.

A mix of relief and tiredness washes over them as the tense moments of the attack ease.

Anna's voice breaks the silence, echoing the sentiment that they both share. Her words carry a mixture of exhaustion and a touch of amusement.

"Well, this is certainly a night we won't forget."

Helia nods, still confused about everything that had happened during the last hour.

"That's for sure."

•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•

Hello! How are you guys doing?

This chapter was very fun to write, and I hope you had fun reading it too!

See you in the next chapter!

Sarah ☆