Piano Man lunged for Seagal at Miles’ command.
“AGH!”
Piano Man’s wide slap knocked Seagal to the floor. Seagal unsteadily pushed himself off while screaming through his bloody nose, “Y-You ingrate! Take him down, Ezekiel!”
Seagal’s Stone Golem Ezekiel threw a straight punch at Piano Man, launching him back to where he came from.
“Huh?” Seagal squeaked as if he had expected more.
“…Well, he ain’t a combat ready Golem,” Miles confessed, scratching his head.
The frightened Seagal instantly changed his tune. “You damn tranny! You’re in for a world of pain, underestimating us Rabbis!”
“Yer in for a world of pain if ya underestimate blue-collar workers!” Another voice bellowed through the pub just as Seagal threatened Miles.
Seagal quickly spun around. Customers who had been enjoying their ale—miners who were normally oppressed by the Rabbis on a daily basis—were standing in a formidable row behind Seagal, locking him in their bloodthirsty glares.
“How…?!”
Seagal was rendered speechless by their overwhelming contempt and eagerness for a fight. All of the men had taken up their pickaxes.
“I don’t give a damn what the Church minions do on Head Island,” one of the men said. “There ain’t much we can do about ya getting all huffy about the Golems either. But don’t act like a bigshot in this pub! Crawl on back to Head Island, Rabbi Scum!”
“Shut up, slum dweller!” Seagal snapped back. “Our workload never ends because you lowlifes are always breaking the rules with Illegal Golems and Golem-based crimes! I’m putting my life on the line for this shitty, dangerous job!”
“We haven’t committed any crimes!”
“You’re concealing a criminal! Bring out Ouka and the girl!”
“That ain’t something we can help ya with.”
The men gripped their pickaxes and slowly sidled up to Ezekiel.
“Hmph! You slum dwellers are just blowing hot air…!” A corner of Seagal’s lips curled up as he raised his voice in challenge. “Just try it, ACCURSED SCOUNDRELSSS!”
The men lifted their pickaxes overhead and brought them down on Ezekiel all at once.
The pub exploded in an uproar, much like a beehive after it’s been poked with a stick. Miles and the pub girls fled from the fight and took refuge behind the bar counter. Lingerie-clad women came to fill the cramped space underneath it.
Miles took a deep breath in relief. “Phew… I don’t really get what trouble you’ve gotten into, hun, but this should buy you some time. You should both run while you have the chance.”
“Hey now, will you guys be okay?” Ouka asked.
“This kinda thing happens occasionally in this line of business.”
“But, Miles…” Erie trailed off anxiously.
The pub girls comforted her.
“Don’t worry, we’re good. Everybody is stressed to the max. This makes for a perfect chance to let it all out.”
“Fighting is, like, totally a form of communication for the miners.”
“Besides, I’m sure they wanted to do something to impress you, little lady. Men always fight when they see a pretty girl. They’re so stupid!”
The women chuckled, and Erie smiled with them. Miles winked at her. “Time for you to hurry along, sweetheart. Isn’t there somewhere you have to go?”
Erie gave a firm nod then said timidly, “Um, thank you, Miles… And I’m sorry about destroying your pub last time I was here.”
“You don’t have to worry your sweet little heart about that! It’s about as common as a nonpaying drunk!” Miles stroked the top of her head with a kind hand. Then he opened the door hidden behind the counter. “Okay, make your escape from here. You hurry along too, Ouka.”
Ouka and Erie nodded to each other and darted for the door. Just before it, Ouka stopped to glance back at the pub’s main room, which had devolved into a melting pot of chaos.
“URYAAAAAAH!”
“TAKE THIS, RABBI SCUM!”
“COME AND GET ME, SLUM DWELLERS!”
Brawler shouts were tossed around the room as Ezekiel took on the miners. For some reason, Seagal and the miners seemed to be enjoying themselves. Confirming that the uproar was more of a brawl than a bloodbath eased Ouka’s conscience. He pocketed a bottle of peppermint water and said, “Add the bill to my tab, Miles.”
“Make sure to pay next time you come. You too, Erie dear.”
Ouka and Erie agreed and raced outside the pub.
The alley behind the pub was extremely dark. Ouka shut the door behind him and walked quietly through it. Then he suddenly spotted someone standing at the end of the alleyway.
It’s a Rabbi! He could tell from the person’s silhouette that they wore a vestment.
“RUN, ERIE!”
Ouka sprinted forward with his fist ready. The Rabbi blocked his path.
I’ll just punch him off his feet!
Ouka threw the punch with his entire weight, and the momentum of his run for an extra boost. But the Rabbi caught the blow with his left hand.
“What?!”
His opponent aimed an inside knifehand strike at his neck. Ouka narrowly sidestepped it, feeling the rush of cold air blow past him, and dove to tackle the Rabbi.
As he tumbled to the ground, Ouka spotted Erie out of the corner of his eye. She was rooted to the ground, watching him. “GO!” he shouted.
“I’m sorry! Thank you!” she shouted back, his words pushing her into a decision. She ran away from the alley, leaving Ouka alone with the Rabbi. Ouka stared after her, worrying.
If she’s set on going to the Torah Church, I have no right to stop her. I heard what I needed, and I have my own objectives to accomplish. I’ll start by beatin’ this Rabbi then head to the town doctor’s clinic—
The Rabbi he had knocked over moved while he was still planning his next move. Quickly slipping from Ouka’s restraints, the Rabbi grabbed his collar and yanked him off the ground by it.
“You idiotic moron….!” The Rabbi—his former boss Spinoza—looked exasperated with him. Realizing who he was, Ouka responded with a wry smile, which got Spinoza to release his collar. “I heard the whole thing from Kiriko. Even if we take her story about you selling the cubes on the black market with a grain of salt… Not even I will be able to protect you from aiding and abetting Erie’s escape.”
“I don’t care. I’ll take action my own way from here. Things have gotten to the point where I have no choice but to track down Jair, anyway.”
Spinoza snorted before his expression abruptly turned grim. “Hey, Ouka, why are you getting so involved in this? Don’t make it personal. This isn’t what I hired you to do.”
“……”
“Back down from this case. I’ll track down this Jair guy for you. I’ll settle this case in your stead while you eat some nasty food and pass the time relaxing in a jail cell for a bit.”
“Spinoza, I’m doing this to help me make sense of things. I’m moving for myself.”
“I’m sure you’re also doing it for Kiriko.” Ouka gulped. Spinoza cracked a wicked grin. “Ouka, Kiriko still only has eyes for Alita. You stand no chance against someone who’s already dead.”
“Mind your own business.” A bitter smile tugged at his lips, because Spinoza had hit the nail on the head. Ouka was annoyed with himself, but he clasped hands with his former boss. “Sorry, Spinoza. Lemme do what I need to do for a little longer.”
“You think I can do that? I can’t make any more excuses for you the next time you get captured by Kiriko or anybody else. You’d better just let me apprehend you here.”
“I see. Then I guess we’ve got no other choice than to go at it…” Ouka slowly shifted into a fighter’s stance.
Spinoza readied his legs and arms in his own stance as he quipped, “Have you forgotten that you’ve never once beat me in Krav Maga exercises, former Torah Officer Ouka Baraki?”
“I wouldn’t talk with how long you’ve been away from a real fight. Haven’t ya been enjoyin’ what’s practically retirement inside the Church with that creepy Golem of yours?”
“Let’s test that theory… Come at me, Ouka!”
Spinoza’s words were the trigger to commence the battle. Ouka fired left jabs, one after the other, at Spinoza’s face. Spinoza deflected them with his right hand.
He’s so full of himself! How do you like this, then?!
Ouka unfurled his thrust out fist right in front of Spinoza’s eyes. It was a trick to distract him—just as Spinoza knocked his arm out of the way, Ouka unleashed a body blow with all his strength.
“Tch!” Spinoza guarded against it by bringing up both arms. Ouka followed up by launching a sharp high kick to the gap now created in Spinoza’s defense.
It connected! A disturbing crack came just as he thought to rejoice.
Spinoza had blocked Ouka’s kick with his elbow. Sharp pain rushed through Ouka’s shin from colliding full-on with the hardest spot on the human body.
“AGH…!”
Spinoza slipped in close as Ouka groaned in pain. There was no time for him to brace himself by tightening his abdominal muscles. Driven with the force of a short rush forward, an intense elbow strike hit Ouka right in the solar plexus. The impact penetrated through to his back, knocking the wind out of him. Without pausing, Spinoza mustered his strength, pulled Ouka onto his shoulder, and while letting out a war cry, threw Ouka.
“GAHA!” Ouka crashed on the ground and tumbled.
Spinoza clapped his hands as if to dust the dirt off them and declared, “You haven’t changed a bit since then.”
What kinda middle-aged man is this? Ouka was half in shock but still flashed a confident grin anyway.
“…It’s true that I haven’t changed. But you’ve become weak!”
Spinoza eyed him suspiciously. Ouka pulled the peppermint water bottle out of his pocket and chucked it at him.
Spinoza intercepted the bottle with his fist, and the peppermint water inside spurted all over his face. “AGH!”
Ouka took advantage of Spinoza’s momentary blindness to swiftly jump to his feet and escape.
“Wait, damn it! OUKA! Who’s weaker?! And don’t run away!”
“It’s high time you accept you’re gettin' weaker if you fall for my tricks!” Ouka jeered pathetically and fled without glancing back. Spinoza’s angry shouts grew quieter behind him.
Shit. That does it. Things have gotten super complicated. I’m going to have to get serious now. But even if things go south, I have to get involved. I’ve wanted to for a long time now.
Ouka ran into the hustle and bustle of the town and made up his mind. He resolved to come to grips with the truth.