"*sigh.. I had done that with style.. but I don't have anything with me don't I..?" I really had nothing.. no money, no rations, nothing..
"Tsk.. maybe I should've asked Xal about what to do first.." I said with a frustrated sigh..
I continued to walk without knowing anything for a while until unknowingly I had entered a pretty shady place..
"Hmm.. this place looked like those shady dealer place.." I looked around and found nobody.. it is empty.. no. To be exact, it's weirdly empty..
"Come.. Sword That Pierces The Void.. Kyo.." I quietly summoned my sword which I held tightly with my right hand and I slowly walked forward.
'Behind..!' I immediately looked behind me as I felt something.. a feeling that I had felt too much in my past.. malice.
*Creak*
"Tsk..!" I heard something behind me again and this time.. it's not emptiness that greeted me.. but two children..
*CLANK*
I deflected both of their surprise attack with ease and retreated back a few steps while keeping an eye to both of them..
"Oi..! What are you both doing..?!" I tried asking them but they seemed to be the silent type and they seem to not back down easily..
"Tsk..! I am not the type to hurt children you know?!" I said as both of them suddenly charged at me.. their speed are impressive. But their power are greatly lacking and their agility is.. simply said.. shit.
*SWING*
I side stepped and swung my sword vertically to deflect and parry one of their strikes and threw them off by sending them to hit each other with their own weight and speed..
"Just leave me alone man.. I am trying to think of something.." I said as I sighed in annoyance at the two children. They still seemed quite persistent and kept on getting up..
"Can't you guys just stay down..?" I was about to just knock both of them out.. but suddenly a voice from someone could be heard..
"Iota! Nu! Are you both okay..?!" Suddenly appeared a woman probably judging by her voice is in her late 20's.. she wore a hood that covers her whole body down to her eyes..
"Who are you..!! What have you done to them!!" She seemed to be quick to judge and I am just standing here trying to calm myself down.. I feel like my nerves are about to burst open..
"Tsk! Lady! Don't get into conclusion too fast won't you? They attacked me first so I defended myself!" I said defending myself. She looked at me like I was crazy and refuted..
"There's no way both of them will do that! You must be lying!" She said screaming..
"Tsk.. whatever! Do what you want.." I said as I just walked away simply because I don't want to deal with a person like her..
"Oi! Wait..! Hu-" She continued to shout at me but suddenly she halted her scream.. I looked back in curiousity and found that a man had showed up..
".. Not my concern.." I assured myself as I walked away once again but then I heard a sound that I do not want to hear..
*BANG*
"Ahhhhh!" The sound of children screaming..
"Tsk!" I immediately looked back to see the sight of a man holding a gun that looked like a revolver.. the chamber was smoking indicating that it had just been fired.. I looked at the two children and saw that the woman had been shot on her stomach..
"O-Oi! What are you doing!" I shouted towards the man but he only looked at me with disgust.
"What? Demons like them who refused the grace of our Lord must die!" He said with such confidence without any remorse.. he kind of reminded me of.. that bastard..
'Those who kill without any remorse.. is the same as a monster..!' I always had that thought planted in my mind.. it doesn't matter who I will kill.. they are still humans.
"I don't know.. why you called them 'demons' or whatever.." I said to him with a cold face. He looked surprised and aimed his gun at me..
"But those who kills without remorse.. must be prepared to be killed..!" I suddenly disappeared from his sight and appeared in front of him. He immediately aimed his gun at me but..
"Kyo..! [Sword Arts: Vertical Slash]" I slashed upwards in an arch making a weird angle.. but he surprisingly evaded it..
"Tsk!" I was visibly annoyed but I kept my cool and composure.
"Not bad, kid! You sure are strong! But sadly- Argh!"
"You talk too much.." He was taunting me but I just don't want to hear those shits.. and so I just kick him in the face..
"You BRAT!" He seemed quite angry it seems.. but that anger.. also comes with quite the power..
*PUNCH*
"Aghhh!!" He punched me right on the ribs and it made cracking sounds..
"Tsk..!" He is powerful enough to break my ribs in a single punch yet he uses a gun!?
"What a pain..!" I rushed in once again but this time..
"[Sword Arts: Invisible Pierce]..!" This is a bad technique to use with a katana-like sword such as Kyo.. but this is the fastest technique I have to sure damage him..
I launched 5 quick stabs with the edge of my sword that I turned side a bit to let it's cutting edge stab.. and out of the 5 stabs.. all 5 of them were successful hits..!
*PIERCE* *PIERCE* *PIERCE* *PIERCE* *PIERCE*
And unlike a rapier.. the stab of my sword creates quite the nasty wound which renders him in pain..
"Oi! Both of you children! Carry her and follow me..!" I said to both of them as I ran away as fast as possible and leaving fake tracks to deceive him..
.
.
.
"*sigh*.. You guys good?" I asked the children as I inspected the wound on the woman.. the children only nodded in silent..
"Hmm.." The wound caused by the bullets are fortunately not that deep.. I can still extract this wound with enough tools.
"Oi, children. Where do you guys live?" I asked the children who looked at me warily. But I just don't have enough time for them to worry about this shit..!
"QUICK! Do you want this woman to die?!" I said as I pointed at her wound. Hearing this the children nodded to each other and looked at me as if asking for me to follow them..
"Good. Take the lead..!" I carried the woman on my back to prevent her slowing me down.
"Be quick or I'll caught up to both of you.. GO!" After I said that they both suddenly disappeared from their spot and could be seen leaping on the roof of the houses..
"[Flash Arts: Lightning Speed, Output: 5%]" I also suddenly flashed from my spot leaving crackle of lightning on my previous spot..
.
.
.
*Huft* *Huft* *Huft*
I could hear the children panting in exhaustion after running in full speed for that long.
"Quick! We don't have time!" I immediately barged into the house without any saying and the children followed suit.
"You! Go get some warm soapy water, clean cloth, and another warm water if you have it..!" I pointed to one of the child.. and the child immediately went to work.
"And you! Get a scissor, a needle, and some strings! We are going to have an emergency surgery..!" I said to the other child and they looked quite surprised but could only nod..
I gently placed the woman who was still unconscious from the wound to a soft surface. She is still raggedly breathing while sweating bullets. I inspected the bullet wound to identify the location of the bullet and see that it could be lifted with my hand. But the surgery was still necessary as the location of then bullet is awkward and a sudden movement to lift it could hurt her more..
Not long after, the child who I ask to bring some water came back bringing to buckets on each hand and a cloth on their shoulder.
"Good..!" I said to the child and immediately went to work. I had done this once back when I was still working on the streets. It was an emergency situation.. and there is only me who was operable. So a child is the one that must operate..!
'First.. take the soapy water with your hand with a scoop and wash your own hands!' I remembered the voice of the man who gave me the instruction to operate him..
'Second, with your clean hand go ahead and use the cloth to rub the wound with the soapy water!' I took the cloth and dip half of it to the soapy water and gently clean the wound until no blood was leaking anymore.
'Third, then clean it again with a clean warm water!' I dip the cloth again to the soapy water then to the warm water. I then gently wiped the residue of the soapy water to sanitize it the best I could. After I have done those, I noticed the other child was back and it's time to start the operation..!
"Child! Change the water!" I said to the first child and I went back to work.
"Give me the scissor..!" I said to the child and they handed me it warily. I ignored that wariness and went to work.
'Then, cut and penetrate the skin around the wound and safely avoid any nerves to get to the bullet safely' I gently cut the skin which made me quite uncomfortable no matter how much I had seen it..
'Next, locate the bullet and with the scissor's edge block the front of the bullet by stabbing the wound gently through the side' At first I was confused how this works, but after the first attempt with the man I understood.. I gently stabbed the original wound which.. earned me some glares from the children which I ignored and slid down one of the scissor's edge to under the bullet to prevent it to be pushed down further.
'Then, pick up the bullet gently by spreading the wound a little bit more using your one hand and the other to lift the bullet without spinning it' I pressed her skin lightly near the wound to spread the wound a little bit more and safely lifted the bullet.. the woman seemed to feel all the pain even when she's unconscious as she is thrashing quite a lot.. but as long as she's breathing I am safe..!
'Then! Quickly! Sew the wound!" I penetrate the needle with the strings to her skin and began sewing the wound.. albeit sloppily, as long as it works! I sewn the wound until I see that no blood was leaking out again and cut the strings that was not used.. her wound was closed.
'Finally, sanitize it again!' I take the the cloth and redo the first steps again.. and finally she is safe..
"*sigh*.. It's done..!" I said to both of the children who widened both of their eyes and looked at the woman who was now still unconscious but a little more calm..
"She should wake up after a little bit.." I said cleaning myself with the leftover clean water..
Both of the children who previously looked at me warily now looked at me with guilt.
"Tsk..! Don't look at me like that..! I am not mad at you both.." I sighed and sat down on the floor exhausted..
"Even if you guys went all out on me, I would be able to repel you guys without any trouble.." I said to them confidently. After all they are pretty shit in technique I must say.. if there are any techniques in their attacks. But their coordination is great.. so that's a plus point.
"Say.. why do you guys attacked me anyway..?" I asked them with a curious face. I really do not know why they attacked me in the first place..
"Mister.. look rich.."
"Need.. money.."
"..?" I am confused.. me..? Mister..? Rich..?
"..Do I look that old..?" I sighed to myself and the children looked at me confused..
"Listen.. if you need money from me.. you are going to the wrong person.. I have absolutely no money.." I showed them my pockets.. which are absolutely empty. Right now my possessions are my clothes that I am wearing right now.. and my sword, Kyo. It's not like I could sell any of them..
"Mister.."
"Poor..?"
"Kuh- You brats..!" I was getting annoyed at their innocence but I just sighed it off..
"*cough* *cough* *cough*.. Iota..? Nu..?" Suddenly we all stared at the woman who had woken up silently.. she called out to the two children and both of them immediately went and hugged the woman..
"Don't hug her too hard.. you'll open the wound again.." I reprimand both of them and they both backed up..
"Are you good now, Miss?" I asked the now awake woman.. She seemed to be quite surprised to see me here but she kept her composure well enough..
"Are you the one who saved me..?" She asked me a little wary of me still.
"Indeed, you were shot and I saved you and stitched your wound.." I pointed at her exposed stomach which showed the wound that I sewn a little amateurishly..
"I see.. thank you. I'm sorry.. I don't know how to repay you.." She said while gazing up in deep thought.
"Ah.. Please repay me with food.." I said while scratching my head in embarrassment..
"Eh..?" She seemed a little confused at me because I think in their eyes I looked like a rich person..
"I don't have any money.. or home you know..?" I said with a little chuckle and she widened her eyes in surprise..
"Oh.. I'm sorry" She said while bowing a bit in her sitting position.
"That's fine.. instead can you give me food..?" I said with my stomach growling..
"'Hahahahahaha!"' We both laughed together.