The crowds, the gangs, all looked on silently. The hulking, menacing form of Yoshiko turned to the espers and shrieked, “What do you think you’re doing? Strip her naked! Shame her to death!” But the espers didn’t move. “Shit! You’re gonna let this brat play you all for fools?”
“Such foolishness! What could be more shameful than sending others to their deaths for your own profit and satisfaction?”
With the crystal-clear eyes fixed upon her, Yoshiko was at a loss for words. The dignity radiating from the body of the slight Sayaka thoroughly outclassed the rough woman.
“Kill her, Shimura!” she shouted desperately.
A seedy-looking underling with a pockmarked face aimed a laser gun at Sayaka. But faster than Kyoya could run to her, lights like camera flashes lit up the surrounding crowds, the beams converging on the underling, setting his shoulder and the weapon afire.
“Drop it, punk!” somebody called out. “Nobody lays a finger on the little lady!”
Another added, “If she wasn’t here, your brains would be decorating the asphalt!”
“You go, girl!” a rough but warm voice said. Then addressing the espers, “You guys better treat your lives a bit more valuable.”
“Damned straight. Anyway, it’s noon. Any more killing’s just going to get in the way. You guys came to this city to get a life too, not dig a grave.”
The throngs supporting Sayaka had turned on the two gangs.
“Get out of here, shit for brains! We got businesses to run here!” A shop owner obviously.
“Yeah,” piped up a woman. “Nobody orders us around and tells us how to live our lives here. That’s the law of Demon City.”
A chorus of agreement, along with chants of “Get lost!” and “Hey, hey, goodbye!”
The gangbangers glared back in a threatening manner, not intimidated in the least. They were the baddest badasses in this town, seasoned pros at madness and mayhem. The hearts of these men and women were unlikely to be touched by the words of a cute girl who looked as if she would break in two if handled without kid gloves.
“Let’s call it a day, Hippos,” the Praying Mantis boss said with a wry smile. “No matter how much of the market you call your own turf, turn the customers against you and there’ll be nothing left worth fighting over.”
“It’s over when I say it’s over!” Yoshiko bellowed. She was bad to the bone, and determined to prove it with her dying breath. Her oil-drum sized torso shook with anger. “Same goes for you, bitch!”
The big cow charged at Sayaka. Then unexpectedly circled through the air in an elegant arc, before crashing down on the pavement in a cloud of dust. A repeat demonstration of Sayaka’s Aikido. This time accompanied by cheers and a round of applause.
At that moment, practically doubled over with laughter, Kyoya’s body suddenly tensed up, his senses coming alive in all directions. Threading through the noisy rabble, a blood-red demonic aura reached across the plaza. Its source was close by. It was stronger this time. There were at least two of them.
But as for where and how they would make their appearance, even focusing his mind and nen, it was like groping his way through a thick fog. He could make out only the vaguest details. He was still fighting off the fatigue, a real disadvantage in a long fight.
My best bet is to beat them to the punch just as they’re emerging and bolt. Except I’m facing more than one opponent this time.
He had to get Sayaka to safety. Standing there in the middle of the common, she might as well draw a target on her bare chest. If she didn’t have any more value to them, they’d take her out along with him in a heartbeat.
He started forward just as the demon vibe moved, concentrating with alarming speed in a space several yards away from Sayaka.
Damn. Found us!
A crimson flame silently appeared in the sunlight. The crowds gasped. Not in fear, rather more in the manner of those who lived in Demon City. They were accustomed to the supernatural. When something weird happened, their natural instincts were no longer to run, but to lean closer to get a better look.
Sayaka turned and stopped cold. Though she had the presence of mind not to look in Kyoya’s direction.
“Girl—”
A voice from within the flames, stripped of all human emotion. Less a “voice” than words strung together.
“As long as your shadow is in my grasp, there is no place you can go that I won’t find you. You and the boy who destroyed Doki will burn in the fires of hell. Where is he?”
“We split up. He said he was going to look for the Sorcerer. I’m here alone.”
The flames laughed coldly. “Really? It doesn’t matter. Your shadow will lead me to him.” He called out, “Show yourself, boy. Else I will snuff out the spark of this girl’s life. A death by my hand is a painful death indeed.”
“What’s this monster shooting off his mouth about?” A big bull of a man trotted out of the crowd and interposed himself between Sayaka and Kaki. He had a laser gun in his right hand. “Don’t you dare lay a finger on her. Or you’ll get what’s coming.”
“Ah, a gallant knight. Six hundred years ago in England, the fools I encountered said the same thing. Are you the one who fought Doki?”
“No,” said Sayaka. “He’s—”
She was about to step in front of him when the laser gun flashed. The beam passed through the heart of the flame. It didn’t even flicker.
Surprised more than he was afraid, the big man gaped at Kaki, just as a flying fist of fire filled his mouth.