A collective sharp gasp was heard after the heavy accusation thrown by a stranger to the villagers' resident healer.
The red-haired boy Heon dubbed as his newest friend, didn't react much. He didn't seem bothered by the girl who looked like she was about to choke him without much prompting.
Instead, Heon could feel amusement vibrating through the white and red kitsune mask Sunny wore as he said, "What will you do about it?"
The girl, dressed in an open cloak and high combat boots, brandished a staff that somehow turned into a spear in the blink of an eye. She brought the sharp tip of the spearhead right under Sunny's visible jugular. Drawing a drop of blood.
If his friend was not in a pinch, Heon would marvel at the similar situation Sunny caused him that first time they made contact. Karma indeed came back unexpectedly.
"I will drag you to the authorities. You will get the punishment you deserved!"
"Really? And who are you to do such things?" Sunny challenged, although he still acted with ease. "Perhaps I, too, was ordered by the authorities to bring punishment upon them. You don't know that, do you?"
Visibly tensing, the girl clenched her jaws. "You wouldn't deceive the villagers around here if you did."
"Deceive?" Heon could hear the slight difference in his tone. He imagined Sunny's manic expression behind the mask had soured. "I heal them from their pain, treating them for free when anybody else expects thousands Pasai just for a cure that might not even work. Tread carefully if you don't know what you are saying."
The spearhead deepened, drawing more blood from Sunny's neck. "But that's not what I am here for. I only need to bring you to the authority."
"No. You're here because you need me to heal your friend," Sunny mentioned to the unconscious man lying still on the floor. Momentarily forgotten after the girl's heavy accusation. "He'll die in five minutes if I don't treat him now."
Heon could see that the girl was having a hard time deciding if Sunny was lying or telling the truth. "Let him heal your friend. He won't run away from here."
The girl was a little surprised as if she had just noticed that there were other people besides Sunny who were present there. She glanced back to the sneering red and white kitsune mask. "Heal him."
"What's the magic word?" Sunny teased, most likely with a grin behind his mask.
"Or I will kill you."
"Not quite what I had in mind," Sunny didn't even flinch when the spearhead further burrowed itself into his throat. "But I guess that will do for now."
In no time, the red-haired boy kneeled beside the unconscious man. His hands were glowing blue, much like the shiny jade beads hanging on his neck and wrists. He placed them on the man's chest and head. Although Heon wasn't sure why he placed his healing hand on the head when the man was clearly poisoned. Shouldn't he start with the stomach?
"He's not hypnotized, for Shifas' sake!" The girl apparently had the same thought.
"Sssh!" Sunny chided, "I'm the healer here, not you."
It only took several seconds. The unconscious man began to stir. He opened his eyes and glanced around him groggily. "What happened?"
"Oh, you almost died, don't worry about it," Sunny chirped cheerfully, but his left hand was on the man's throat, holding him down like a hostage.
"Get your hand off of him!" The girl almost pointed her spear to the manic red-haired boy again, but she halted her movement when Sunny's hand tightened into a choking grip.
The barely conscious man's eyes widened, alarmed by the sudden change of situation.
"What are you doing?!" Heon couldn't help but turn to go against his newfound friend. "Let him go!"
"Why?"
An innocent question.
Only one word, but that brought a new realization to Heon's mind.
Threatening people and perhaps even killing them was nothing new for Sunny. His manic act wasn't only an act. Perhaps that was his true personality. One that he hid so well all this time behind his selfless healing act and red and white kitsune mask.
Another shocked intake of breath from the villagers peeking curiously from the doorframe made Heon sure of his assessment of Sunny. Even without looking, he could vividly imagine the villagers' grim faces.
For a healer that they trusted and regarded highly to turn out to be a wanted murderer must shock them to their core.
"I dare you to attack me," Sunny said as the wound on his neck started to heal, glowing lightly with healing magic even without using his hand to apply it. "I got a pretty decent shield, though he's a bit squishy for my liking."
The girl seemed even more conflicted now. After a few moments of silence, she glowered, "Do you think I came here alone? My backup will get here to arrest you."
Heon hoped that was true. If Sunny was indeed a murderer, he hoped some authority in this world would catch him and bring justice. Even though Sunny was the only person he knew in this new realm that he found himself in.
That made him wonder.
Perhaps, that was why Heon had so few friends in his entire life. He wouldn't stay loyal to his friends.
Sunny's masked face turned to look at Heon, then to the villagers still peeking from the door frame. He heaved a deep sigh and slowly rose to his feet, still gripping tight on the man's neck. He was dragging him up, not caring that the man was choking, and gradually reddened from the lack of air.
Sunny pushed the man to the girl in a blink, making them collide and tumble to the floor.
The red-haired boy grabbed his wrist a second later, dragging him to retreat back further inside the abandoned house. Heon almost stumbled at the sudden turn of events, but he tried to keep up with Sunny's surprising grace as they ran out of the house and to the forest.
He didn't know what compelled him to follow the accused murderer. He just did.
Or, well, many people were pointing their spears and drawing swords at their retreating back when Heon decided to look behind. They were the backups the girl talked about.
"Stop there!" One of their pursuers yelled uselessly. As if they would obey.
He heard Sunny cursing behind his mask. "I'll kill her for making me abandon my sanctuary."
Heon shivered but didn't stop to wrench his hand away from the red-haired manic boy. It would only aggravate him further.
Even so, he wondered if running straight to the forest was a good idea. More beasts might roam freely there. He was about to voice his concern, but something came out of his chest without his consent.
It was the girl's spear. So sharp that it could easily go through his chest as if he was a squishy giant banana.
The pain followed soon after.
Turning the world on its axis until it slammed on his face.