"You the ones who called us?"
Six guys, each nearly a head taller than me, formed a ring around us. Behind them stood a Fero woman named Sua and a brown-haired Caust boy. Both looked to be around our age.
"Oh? Short on words, are we?"
"Want me to make it longer? You nobodies who think you run the show—were you the ones who called us?"
"This bastard... doesn’t seem to have checked the situation board yet, huh?"
"Hyun... no, Ji-hoon, knock it off."
"Hey, did you piss your pants or something? Don’t worry. Guys like these never back up their bluster with a punch. They see a bunch of nobodies swaggering together and think they’re untouchable."
"What the hell are you? Some brat? I’ve never seen your face around here, and you’re already mouthing off."
"Oh-ho... so you're the boss around here, or what?"
The Fero girl was a head taller than the rest. Now that I looked closer, she seemed a bit different from Otis.
Was Otis from a non-feral tribe or something?
I recalled that Fero and non-feral tribes hardly differed. I’ll have to ask later.
"This bastard is daydreaming right in front of me... what? A Magpie, of all things? Jackpot."
"I have no idea why everyone thinks money is going to fall out of my head the moment they see me."
"Hey. Show me everything you've got. Or you'll die today—"
"Ah, fuck it. I can’t be bothered with this shit."
I’ve been street fighting for years, facing every style imaginable. Six guys relying on raw strength? I could beat them blindfolded on my toes.
A straight punch rocked me square in the face, and before I could react, a surprise blow sent me flying into a trash can behind me.
"This brat... the moment I look away!"
"Slow."
After learning to read breathing patterns, I could almost see the trajectory—the flow—as if it were in slow motion.
"You little psycho, you don't know how to handle a gang assault—get him!"
"Sinclair... Hese. Just survive however you can!"
When was the last time I threw down like this? Brutal memories. I can’t kill them; it would cause too much of a commotion. I’ll just knock them out.
I kicked the heavyset kid who first charged me right in the neck, knocking him out cold in one blow. Landing on my feet, I rolled and struck the lanky kid’s leg hard, unbalancing him and—
—crack.
"Oops. Maybe that was a bit too hard."
I tried to drop a knee as he fell to knock him out... maybe I got carried away.
"Fu, fuck... he’s a monster!!"
"Relax, brother. I’ve been called worse every day."
I’m tired of hearing that, too. Meanwhile, the one who looked the most terrified grabbed a steel pipe—
"Oh, don’t come near me!! Stay the fuck back!!"
"Whimpering already?"
He could've shown some backbone, but kids these days...
"Alright then. Goodnight."
I swung the pipe, stopping it an inch from his face. That should keep him out cold.
"Impressive..."
"Is it? I just fought."
"Sto, stop!! You want to see this bastard’s head come off?"
Right, that guy. I knocked him earlier but never finished him off. I got too excited, damn it.
Sinclair had barely subdued one kid before he got flipped around again.
"Getting your back taken by a guy... you... seriously?"
"Stop teasing me, would you? Jokes at a time like this?!"
"Then when are you actually going to strike?"
"You think this is a joke?! I’ll stab you! Kneel and drop your weapon! You want to watch your friend die?!!!!"
The knife pressed against Sinclair’s throat. It looked serious... we’ve been cut by real blades before.
"Kid. You’re still under my blade."
"Fine, fine, I surrender. Now move the knife, will ya? It’s cutting me."
"Don't make a fuss just because you're bleeding."
"Bleeding from the throat, lady! You crazy hag!"
"Who do you call a hag!!!!"
You should’ve seen it. That knife he was holding was no more than a toothpick to us.
"Hey, you might want to call it quits. I'm telling you for your own good."
"Ha! Ha-ha! Looks like you're scared, huh?!"
"No? It's just that my friend got real pissed."
Since we breathe life into our blades with an E.G.O, two swordsmen may wield the same weapon but fight in entirely different styles.
My style accelerates to top speed mid-fight, unleashing a flurry. Sinclair, on the other hand, is a counter-attacker: he takes one hit and pays it back twofold.
Judging by the cuts on his face, I’d already let him land that blow once. Damn, he shifted his gaze just then.
"Hey... well then, goodbye. You won't be going far, will you?"
"You mean... Fuuck!! Ack... ugh!"
He never got the chance to finish. I landed a clean punch to his solar plexus, followed by a twin strike that sent the thug crumpling.
"Ugh...ughh...aaaargh!!! Let's go together!!"
Come to think of it, there were six of them at first, but now only five remained, counting the one who bolted. One must have fled immediately.
"Huh... here, make a wish. Hope this rock hits you in a really painful spot!"
I levitated a rock of decent size and, wielding the steel pipe like a bat, lined up the shot just as—
Whoosh!
"Ack!!"
"Ha! Nice! Home run! B-b-b boom!"
Baekhyun, a clean turn from a single to a bases-loaded home run~! Another win banked!
"Um..."
"Oh right, you guys. Planning to fight too?"
"What? No, no!! Absolutely not!!"
"Really? That's a shame. I'm Baek... no, Kim Ji-hoon. Nice to meet you."
"I... I'm Hese. No, Hae."
"I... I'm Yu Ji-hyeon. And this is Sua, Kim Sua."
"Who are you, anyway? Here to shake us down too?"
"Not really. We were just called, so we came."
It wasn’t heroism that made me help; I was just in a good mood after eating and felt like teaching those jerks a lesson.
"Come on, Hese. We have work to do!"
"Oh, right! Everyone, be careful out there!"
"Hah...hah... Jesus, where did such a...hah... monster come from..."
Meanwhile, the last kid, who had been the leader, ran off into the depths of the alley.
The temperature difference between the shallow and deep alleys is like that between a mere sea and a pitch-black abyss. The little punk strayed too far and—
"Oh dear... you should be more careful, kid."
"I... I'm sorry..."
Pzzzt!
"Sorry? Thanks to you, my quota... is still coming up short..."
I couldn’t comprehend it. I touched his shoulder, felt an electric shock, and then he just collapsed.
"Take this kid with you. Me... ah, these kids will suffice."
From what I saw, one girl and three boys—just the right number for this month's quota.
"Uh? Did you just...?"
"Ji-hoon, what’s wrong?"
"...Nothing. Just felt like shit all of a sudden."
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