The friendly facade of the merchant crumbled, revealing a truly menacing expression.
"Then, can you take responsibility for this as well?"
Hearing his voice, the guards who had been standing off against them drew their real swords.
Killing intent was just an idea, but it was an idea powerful enough to overwhelm a person when imagined.
Even just having the keenly sharpened blades aimed at him made it feel like the air was being sucked out of his lungs.
"What are you waiting for? Get rid of him!"
At the order, the guards closed in slowly from both sides, applying pressure.
They wouldn’t swing their swords recklessly, but if necessary, they were fully prepared to cut him down.
A puff of dust exploded into a guard’s eyes.
A split second later, a small rock flew through the air and struck another guard squarely on the forehead.
When Shirone turned around, he saw a woman standing at the corner of the alley, her arms full of rocks.
"What are you doing? Get over here! Hurry!"
The woman, who had thrown the rocks at the guards, grabbed Shirone’s hand and ran.
Shirone tried to slow down, worried about the basket he had left behind, but the woman shouted at him.
"That’s not the problem right now! If you get tangled up with those guys, you’ll be in serious trouble!"
Shirone knew what was more important, so he pushed forward. The two of them dashed through the maze of alleys.
Thanks to the woman’s knowledge of the area, they managed to lose the guards with relative ease.
From the marketplace, Gamos’s furious voice roared.
"What are you all doing?! Get after them! Catch them and beat them to death!"
The warehouse was stifling with heat.
On the floor, curled up in pain, was Gis, taking merciless kicks from Falcoa.
"Ah! Ah! Please, stop!"
Every strike felt like it stopped his heart.
He could no longer even register where he was being hit. The only thing his brain could process was the shock, sending waves of fear through his entire body.
"You little maggot. Feels good to be beaten, huh? It must feel great. So let’s keep going."
Gis’s friends, kneeling nearby, rubbed their swollen eyes from crying and pleaded desperately.
"Please, forgive us! We’ll go out and earn money! He’ll die at this rate!"
"Oh, really? Then should I start with you guys instead?"
Falcoa’s sharp, sinister eyes made him look like a demon.
If he wanted, he could kill Gis right now without hesitation.
After all, who would care if a few thugs from the harbor suddenly disappeared?
Yet, Falcoa deliberately avoided hitting Gis’s face. That fact alone made it even more terrifying.
Falcoa grabbed Gis by the hair and yanked him up, his body jerking up lifelessly despite his exhaustion.
Even though his head hadn’t been struck, his pupils were completely unfocused.
"P-Please... I was wrong..."
"Does it hurt? Does it? Say it. Does it hurt?"
Falcoa lightly slapped his cheek.
Though he didn’t use much force, Gis convulsed at the touch.
His friends burst into tears again.
’That crazy bastard. He really might kill him at this rate.’
Falcoa threw Gis to the floor again.
Not because he had a specific reason. If anything, it was because the drug he had taken was wearing off.
"You threw away five gold because of your pride? Impressive. Really impressive, Gis."
"I-I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!"
Gis wasn’t just any street thug. He had a reputation outside as well. He even dared to stand up to nobles and paid the price for it.
But Falcoa was different from those people.
The constant scent of blood on his body was proof of the kind of life he lived.
"I lost five gold because of you. Taking back what was given is the worst crime. You’ll have to compensate for that."
Falcoa pressed his foot down on Gis’s waist.
The weight was so overwhelming that Gis couldn’t even breathe.
A little lower, and his spine would snap.
"Hurts, doesn’t it? This one’s gonna hurt. I’m really strong, you see."
"P-Please, spare me!"
"You want me to make it painless? Here, chew on this. Then you won’t feel a thing."
A root came into Gis’s view.
Having grown up on the island, he knew.
Loop, the native stimulant once used for spiritual rituals, was more addictive than any drug.
Some even believed the overuse of Loop was what led to the downfall of the Kergo civilization.
"Please, anything but that..."
Tears welled up in Gis’s eyes.
Once addicted to Loop, his life would be over.
He would be trapped in a downward spiral, and his only family—his younger sister—would eventually end up on the streets as well.
As if he had expected this reaction, Falcoa smirked and tossed the root into his own mouth instead.
What did it matter if it was addictive? If he couldn’t live without it, then he would simply keep taking it for the rest of his life.
After running for thirty minutes, Shirone and the woman finally managed to lose their pursuers.
The guards were relentless, but tricking them with psychological tactics had proven effective.
Both of them leaned against a wall, catching their breath. They had run so hard that Shirone could taste blood in his mouth.
The woman looked at him and chuckled.
"You’ve got more stamina than I expected. Thought you’d give up midway, looking all delicate like that."
"If I gave up, I’d be caught. I’m exhausted... But, um... Are you really okay?"
The way she had stayed composed even in the face of danger was surprising.
"I’m Marsha. Running away is second nature to me. This was nothing. Anyway, let’s head inside somewhere and rest. I’m thirsty. I’ll buy you a drink as thanks."
"A drink? You mean alcohol?"
Even if they had shaken off their pursuers, Gamos wouldn’t give up so easily.
And if she had money, why had she stolen in the first place?
"Ah, I should probably get going—"
"You can’t leave yet. Let’s wait it out in a place I know. After an hour, they’ll give up. Even Gamos won’t search the entire island."
Shirone hesitated but then sighed.
"Alright... But I can’t stay long. My friends are waiting for me."