70 OUTNUMBERED KNUCKLES (1/2)
Holding in her arms, a boy who looked so wounded and hurt, he might as well be dead, Sariyu plastered on an emotionless expression, like a still volcano, ready to burst out all the raging fire in her stomach.
”You want to save your friend? His death will be on you, not on us. Besides, you were only given two options, to begin with!” all the seven men attacked Sariyu, throwing their knuckle fists at her mercilessly, but to their surprise, they ended up hitting each other's knuckles as she jumped high. Using one of the men's heads as footing, she landed about a dozen feet away and didn't stop, leaving the men in a mild surprise, but they quickly chased her.
”She jumped over six feet with ease and while holding a person in her arms at that,” one of the men said in an alarmed tone, ”this one's going to be more troublesome to thump than we thought.”
”There are seven of us, and that makes fourteen fists. If even a quarter of our attacks land, our work will be done.”
”Yeah, let's not bring shame to our guild.”
Casting aside their apprehensions, the seven of them caught up with Sariyu in a matter of seconds and blocked her way on both sides again and stood still, like a pack of trained wolves that knew how to bring down their prey.
”If you can jump, then we can wait,” one of the men said and grinned. The other six of them also looked level-headed. ”If you want to get going, you'll have to face at least one of us, but before that, we all would very much like to know how you plan to fight us while carrying that mess.”
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Anger throbbed in Sariyu's heart, and she was now visibly upset. One glance at Lirzod only worsened her temper. A dark-blue vein popped in her neck as their knuckle dusters pointed in her direction, the emotion came bursting forth.”You scum! Move, or I can't guarantee your lives!”
”Hehe, what are you going to do? Scare us to eternal sleep—with words? Do you see any wet pants among us or what?” they all sniggered like sadists, not at all unnerved by her vocal belligerence.
Their scornful laughter was akin to a sick song sung by sickly voices and made Sariyu so angry that sparks flew in her head, and she was on the verge of getting the link between her brain and behavior severed.
”No, we don't!” a loud voice came from afar, ”but that will change in a minute.”
”Who's that?” when the seven men looked, they saw a single youth whom Sariyu recognized. ”Just one?”
”I wish I alone am enough to deal with you guys,” the blonde youth said and made eye contact with Sariyu, ”but now I no longer live in the clouds, thanks to a certain someone.”
”What can you do alone, fool?”
”Who said I'm alone, fools?”
More than a hundred people entered the street and joined behind the blonde youth, who was none other than the one who had attacked Sariyu in the drill hall.
Seeing so many people, the seven men felt a tightening in their chests, which then brought up a fearful look on their faces.
”Judging by your appearance, you lot must be from the Knuckle Dusters, wait, is it Knuckle Hounds?” the blonde youth pondered and smiled. ”Whatever it is, I feel so honored to meet members of that guild, or should I say dishonored to see how much of crooks you all are.”
”Shut your mouth and scram,” the seven men barked, seeing how the blonde youth was being sarcastic with his words, ”unless you're looking to get your ass whopped.”
”Why so serious?” the blonde youth exposed his palms. ”Rumors seem true after all, that you lot never take things with a grain of salt. I wonder what kind of dreams you people dream.”
Even though the seven of them wanted to flee, they couldn't even dare to make the first move.
”Y-Yeah, we are,” one of the seven men shouted, ”so you all better think twice before you do anything silly.”
”Oh, is that so?” the blonde youth didn't know whether to laugh or cry, ”But given how the seven of you were willing to take on a single person, you obviously belong to the bottom tier of your guild. Am I right?”
At the moment, seven stomachs stumbled, hearts ached, and pants wetted.
Sariyu, on the other hand, didn't move an inch. She didn't want to make any careless move given the number of men that showed up, but Lirzod's situation forced her feet to proceed forward.
The blonde youth glanced at Sariyu as she came in his direction. ”There's a clinic right next to Drill Hall. You can take him there.”
Sariyu was surprised to hear that, but the fire in her settled down a bit after realizing that all those men didn't come looking for her.
The blonde youth continued, ”That said, I hope you'll be free enough to fight me again one day.”
Sariyu nodded without even thinking and dashed through the way that men made her.
”Now then,” the blonde youth cracked his knuckles, ”let's see who's got better knuckles, shall we?” As he said, all the dozens of men behind him wore scary looks.
All the glow vanished out of the seven men's faces. They turned back and increased their walking pace.
”Where are you going?” the blonde youth shouted.
”W-We forgot to brush our teeth in the morning. We are going back to our deck.”
Everyone dissolved into laughter at the seven men as they fled. ”Haha, run like the asswipes that you are!”
At the same time, Sariyu hastily covered a great distance and ran through a couple of streets, but to her surprise, tens of people blocked her way in a street as they all ran toward a particular open-ended booth, a loose booth. Most of those people were handicapped in one or two ways, and a few in very many ways. Even dogs and cats among them. All of them rushed to the Loose Booth, for a food parcel, a giant bag just fell from the ceiling into the booth that was already foul and dirty due to not cleaning regularly. However, nobody really cared and tore their way through the parcel and plucked whatever food was edible. As for dogs and cats, they had no problem filling their stomachs with even rotten food.
And the masses still blocked Sariyu's way, so she didn't know how to move to the other side. Just then, someone stepped on a dog's foot, making it howl. Thanks to the sudden shrieking, many people fleetingly moved away and made room. Sariyu used that opportunity to slip through that gap and got to the other side in the nick of time before the masses converged again.
But afterward, Sariyu had to go through the busy Heat Street, an area present on every deck where contests of all kinds were held, but betting wasn't allowed in this place. Even though it was crowded, she kept going without stopping, and a few eyes looked at her and the boy with pitiful gazes, but most people were busy with their life.
”We are almost there, Little Hale,” she tensely and tenderly looked at Lirzod. ”Just a bit more.”
Meanwhile, at the Drill Hall.
”Oh, your name is 777 now?” some of the trainees who gathered near 777 were quite surprised, for meeting somebody like him happened maybe only once in a blue moon. ”Just from many years are you living on this ship?”
”Haha, that's a secret,” 777 said, leaving others in disappointment, ”but I can leak a hint if someone's hands are itching enough to drop a silver in my hands.”
”Eh, a silver for just letting a kitten out of the bag[1]?” the trainees were left baffled. ”Why don't you fight with one of us? If we win, you'll answer us for free, but if you win, then we'll give you ten copper. What do you think?”
”No, I'm not a martial artist, but a swordsman.”
”Swordsman? A swordsman is also a martial artist who prioritizes in using a sword, but wait, you are not carrying any sword.”
”Well,” 777 put up an evil smile. ”When I have a sword in my hand, I tend to end lives. I can't be doing that on this ship, so I had to part with it for the time being.”
”O-Oh,” some of the trainees stepped back a little.
”If someone can be kind enough to give me a bottle of fresh water, I'll be in their debt,” 777 looked at them with a saddened face.