"You damned bastard!"
The Scorpion didn't stop screaming, turning his words and insults toward Takeshi, who threw a bag full of silver coins at his face and broke his nose.Sota tried to speak and calm the situation, but it was useless.
"Don't you know who I am? Can't you see my clothes and my greatness, you idiot? I am the great merchant, the Scorpion!"
Takeshi turned his back to them, ignoring the Scorpion and his shouting. He walked a few steps and raised his left hand.
"Thank you, Sota, for the ride. I think we'll meet again. Take care."
The Scorpion kicked the bag Takeshi had thrown, anger twisting his face along with his bleeding nose, and he kept shouting and cursing.
"An idiot, a parasite, a fool like you does this to me? You won't escape what's coming! I remembered your name well, so wait for what happens next!"
Takeshi moved deeper into the city, away from the Scorpion's screaming, passing through the crowded markets under the traders' shouts calling out their goods despite the late hour.
'Damn it, I acted too fast breaking that fool's nose. I'm hungry, and I don't have a single coin to buy anything.'
In the end, the Scorpion's greed didn't allow him to abandon the bag; he took it, scolding Sota while memorizing Takeshi's face.
Minutes passed since Takeshi entered the city center. He reached a separate street filled with taverns, and a filthy smell rose from a dark alley nearby.
"Please, let me go—"
A trembling man's voice came from inside. Takeshi didn't stay still; he moved toward the source of the sound.
As soon as he entered, he was greeted by the stench of stale blood and scattered trash. The lighting was dim, and Takeshi could barely see what lay ahead.
He walked further until he reached the end of the alley. Two thieves wearing ragged clothes surrounded a man in formal clothing and glasses, thrown to the ground. One thief held a knife.
"Is this what the old man meant by the city of chaos and criminals?"
Takeshi spoke with a mocking tone. The two men turned toward him, and the unarmed one said:
"Who are you, bastard? Don't worry, it'll be your turn after this idiot—"
Punch!!
A blow to the stomach from Takeshi sent him crashing to the ground from its force.The other thief tried to attack Takeshi with his knife, but it was useless.
Takeshi grabbed the thief's wrist and squeezed until he dropped the knife.
"Stop! You're going to tear my arm!"
Takeshi didn't loosen his grip. Instead, he began asking questions.
"I'm going to ask you two some questions. If you don't answer, I'll bury you with these hands."
He released the thief, who stumbled back into the wall, holding his hurt arm.
"Do you know a gang called the King Skull Gang?"
The moment this question was asked, the three realized Takeshi wasn't from Galion City.
"Who doesn't know that gang? They say they caught five police officers, cut their heads off, and sent them to headquarters—"
Takeshi cut him off with another question.
"And what else do you know about them?"
The thief fell to his knees from pain, his eyes shifting toward the knife with cunning.
"All I know is that the distinguished members of that gang wear white cloaks. There are also normal people among them. So just look for someone in a white cloak and ask him… if you're not afraid of dying."
He dragged his words to distract Takeshi. Meanwhile, the other thief, the one punched earlier, slowly pulled himself toward the knife under the gaze of the man with the glasses.
"Be– Behind!!"
He shouted hesitantly the moment the thief grabbed the knife and swung it at Takeshi.
"Take this!"
Stab!!
Takeshi moved his hand in the way, letting the knife pierce his palm. His blood splattered directly onto the thief's face, followed immediately by a punch that shattered the thief's face and crushed every tooth in his mouth.
When the other thief saw this horrific scene, he gathered what strength he had left and bolted out of the alley at full speed.
"Wait, you bastard!"
As soon as the thief exited, Takeshi abandoned the idea of chasing him. Stirring trouble was exactly the thing Orphin had warned him about.
The trembling man with glasses tore a piece of his jacket and handed it to Takeshi to wrap the wound.
"Thank you, but your jacket—"
The man cut him off, still terrified as he looked at the unconscious thief.
"N– No, it's fine. You really saved me!"
Takeshi took the cloth, pulled the knife out of his hand, and tied the wound quickly while gritting his teeth in pain.
'Damn! That really hurts.'
The man with glasses dusted off his clothes.
"You were asking those two about the King Skull Gang—"
"Yes. Do you know anything about them?"
He hesitated, then gathered his courage.
"I only know one thing."
***
Beneath the abandoned district of the city, inside the headquarters of the King Skull Gang, the hall was empty except for the gang leader sitting on his throne and Graid standing beside him.Cold air filled the room and the smell of dried blood clung to every corner.
Suddenly, without warning, the opposite door was kicked off its hinges and slid five meters into the hall, scraping loudly across the ground.
A massive man entered with heavy steps that shook the floor, wearing a green cloak.It was Korch, the leader of the gang that attacked Eldra Village.
"I told you before not to break my headquarters' door, slave trader."
Korch stepped forward, staring directly into the leader's sharp eyes, ignoring Graid entirely.
"I lost valuable merchandise because of your stupid warning. But I'll overlook it this time. I'm here to ask about the source of that aura."
The leader smiled under his mask.
"A new rare spo—"
Korch stopped in front of him and cut him off.
"Don't you know the police stations and that organization are moving toward you? Or rather, toward your precious trophy."
The leader rose from his throne.
"Oh? So you came to warn me? That's not like you, Korch."
…
No answer from Korch. Only silence and a cold stare ahead.
"Fine. You know no one can face me…"
He raised a finger toward the high ceiling. Korch looked up—just as a droplet of blood fell before him. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened instinctively.
"That…?!"
More than twenty pale corpses hung from the ceiling—mutilated and torn apart.Each head and limb separated. Some bodies frozen, others pinned by metal rods stained with dried blood.All of them wearing the shredded uniforms of city police.
Korch lowered his gaze, turned toward the exit, and said:
"Damn it. I worried for nothing."
The leader sat back on his throne.
"I thought you came for a fight, Korch."
At the doorway, Korch gave the hall one last look.
"I'm not stupid enough to pick a fight I'll lose, Rasten."
The leader's eyes sharpened, anger flaring.
"I told you not to call me by that name again!"
Korch stopped for the last time.
"Right. They're sending one of the organization's strongest members to this city. And I heard Investigator Farloc is coming too. You know what danger you'll be in if either of them sets their eyes on the source of that aura."
Korch left the hall, leaving countless questions behind in the minds of the leader and Graid.
"Yui, Graid. Make sure the owner of that sword comes to the city."
The leader spoke to Graid, who replied:
"Fine, but finding him in a city this big is like finding a needle in a hay—"
His words were cut off by light footsteps approaching from outside.A man entered wearing the gang's usual cloak: Shido.
He stepped forward with a wide grin that nearly tore his pale face, an ominous aura pouring from him.
"No need. He's already wandering around the city."