After Tuziku desperately persuaded Giō, the assassin finally agreed to free the trio.
In exchange, the Black Scabbards promised to help feed Nepa for weeks to come.
But first, the trio needed urgent medical treatment.
A few days later...
SPLSSSH!!
"HAAAAAH!!"
Tuziku was suddenly awakened by a splash of ice-cold water.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
He jolted upright.
"Sorry about that..." Giō stood beside him, wearing an awkward grin. "Your friends kept shouting for you, but you just wouldn't wake up!"
Kutcher and Prīōra stood behind him.
"Tuziku! Thank goodness you're alright!" Prīōra exclaimed, clasping her hands together.
"Tch! Don't scare us like that, you fool!" Kutcher snapped.
"You guys..." Tuziku mumbled, a bright grin spreading across his face.
Suddenly, he turned toward Giō with an annoyed expression.
"Giō... would you stop making a habit of waking people up with freezing-cold water?!" he snapped.
"Anyways, where am I?"
He carefully examined his surroundings.
Squeak... Squeak...
A mouse scurried out from underneath his bed.
Tuziku found himself in an old wooden room with a clear mouse infestation. Cobwebs covered nearly the entire ceiling, and the place looked as though it hadn't been properly cleaned in years.
"This place doesn't exactly give off the impression of a hospital, but it's the closest thing we have to one here in Nepa," Giō explained.
"And thanks to this place, you're still alive!" he added.
Tuziku wore a faint grin.
"I see..."
"Thank you."
As he gazed down at his stomach, which was still wrapped in bandages, he thought to himself:
My wounds aren't healing on their own this time...
That's strange.
Giō wore an annoyed expression.
"I don't need your thanks! More importantly..."
He glanced out through the nearby window.
"We have a much bigger problem," he said in a concerned tone.
"What is it?" Tuziku asked, still sitting on the bed.
Giō suddenly turned toward him, his expression hardening.
"You've been out cold for FIVE DAYS! The villagers are starving, and they've been nothing but eager to devour you!"
"Your friends woke up two days ago!"
"Do you know how many times I've had to stop the villagers from storming into this hospital and dragging you away?!"
"SIX TIMES, DAMN IT! SIX!"
He raised six fingers to emphasize his point.
"He's not lying," Prīōra added.
"I-I'm sorry..." Tuziku replied softly, his expression turning gloomy.
Giō let out a long sigh.
"I had to convince them that you could help me feed them for weeks. But even that won't keep them away for much longer."
He began tapping his forehead with one finger.
"Also, I got curious about how you planned on getting all that food, so I asked your friends when they woke up..."
"They don't have the slightest idea how you're going to obtain such enormous quantities of food."
Giō slowly turned back toward Tuziku, an eerie grin spreading across his face.
"So, I was wondering... could you tell me, Tuziku?"
Tuziku remained silent, his expression troubled.
"Tuziku...?" Prīōra called out.
He continued staring into space for a moment before finally speaking.
"I'm sorry, Giō."
"But I don't have any idea how I'm going to get all that food either," he admitted in a soft voice.
Silence filled the room.
Then—
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!"
Everyone shouted in unison.
Giō immediately rushed toward Tuziku and grabbed him by the throat, choking him.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"
"I'm... sorry..." Tuziku mumbled, his expression filled with regret.
"TO HELL WITH YOUR SORRY!"
Giō tightened his grip around Tuziku's throat.
"Giō, just hold on a second!" Kutcher rushed forward to intervene.
Suddenly—
Kchk!
With his free hand, Giō drew his weapon and aimed it at Kutcher's head.
"STAY THE HELL BACK!!" he barked.
"UGHHK!"
Giō continued choking Tuziku.
"Whoa... hold on a minute, Giō!" Kutcher pleaded.
"EVERYBODY, JUST CALM DOWN!" Prīōra interrupted.
Giō turned his furious gaze toward her.
"Just take your hands off Tuziku's throat!" she ordered, maintaining a surprisingly calm tone.
"HUH?!" Giō sneered, refusing to loosen his grip.
Suddenly—
"ENOUGH OF THIS CRAP!"
SHLING!
Kutcher drew his blade and charged toward Giō.
"STAY BACK! I'M WARNING YOU!!"
But Kutcher continued charging regardless.
"FINE, THEN!"
Giō tightened his finger around the trigger of his bizarre rifle.
However, just before he could fire—
BAM!!
Tuziku drove a powerful punch straight into Giō's stomach.
"URGH!!"
Giō immediately dropped his weapon and released Tuziku's throat. He doubled over, clutching his stomach.
Thud!
He collapsed onto the floor.
"That's for shooting me through the gut!" Tuziku declared, clenching his fist as he climbed out of bed.
"Tuziku...!" Kutcher mumbled before sliding his blade back into its sheath.
Giō lay on the floor, groaning in pain. Nevertheless, he reached toward his weapon, which rested only a few centimeters away.
However...
Kchsss!
Just before he could grab it, Prīōra kicked the weapon farther away.
"Don't you dare get any funny ideas!" she warned, glaring at him while cracking her knuckles.
She then turned toward her crewmates with a malicious grin.
"What do you say we give this guy some payback for almost killing us?"
"Sounds like a good idea to me!" Kutcher replied, drawing his blade once more.
"Tuziku?" he asked, glancing toward his captain.
Tuziku gazed down at Giō, who now wore an expression of pure terror.
"Oh, what the hell. Why not?!"
"YEAAAAAH!!" Kutcher and Prīōra cheered.
...
BAM! WHAM!
BAM! BAM!
The trio indulged in a brief moment of revenge against the assassin.
Several moments later...
"Owwww..." Giō whined, his face swollen and battered.
"Phew!" Tuziku exclaimed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"I'll... kwill fyou wor nis!"
Giō tried to mumble something, but his battered face made it difficult to understand him.
Translation: "I'll kill you for this!"
"Huh?!"
"What are you mumbling about?"
BAM!
Kutcher stomped on his face.
"Alright, then! Now that we've had our revenge, let's get back on track," Tuziku announced with a grin.
He turned toward Giō, who was still sprawled across the floor.
"Giō, despite everything that's happened... I'm still willing to help you."
He scratched his head, wearing an awkward position.
"I may have exaggerated a little when I said I could get you all that food, but I'm sure we can figure something out!"
Suddenly, Tuziku extended an arm toward Giō.
"What do you say? Wanna team up with the Black Scabbards until we help your village?"
He wore an innocent smile.
CHAPTER 75 END!