Chapter 14: Free For All

“I do things ‘cause... I gotta do them... I guess.”

— Shizuka Shiinazaki

Ayame’s body already wrapped in red flames burning brightly, flared even more intensely as she took a single step forward—

BOOM!

The flames erupted violently beneath her feet, thrusting her forward to the boy still in place, with a leering smile beneath the crooked, conical hat that half-covered his face.

Ayame like of a spear of flames, rammed into the boy—still calm—and they both flew up into the night sky, high above the forest.

The silhouettes that Ayame created engaged the Explorers who tried hard to fend them off.

One of them targeted Seiji.

“Hmph!” he grunted, thrusting his fist forward. A blast of air passed right through the chest area of his opponent.

The flaming entity simply looked at the hole in its chest briefly, before it started to close.

It slowly lifted its arm—a wave of flames ensued, consuming Seiji.

As the flames died down, Seiji stood with both arms raised, shielding his face as he struggled to stay on his feet.

Another female Explorer across the clearing, threw a set of knives at three of the flaming silhouettes closing in on her from above.

FWOOSH!

The knives did hit their target, but...

“They melted on impact?” mused Gaspard, slowly turning back, walking into the forest.

Somewhere deep in the forest, was a battered Meisatsu, wedged in the middle of a split tree.

The path leading to him was lined with fallen trees he had collided into, scattered aimlessly across the floor.

Is this it for me...? He inhaled weakly, gazing upward at the leaves of the trees, looking like cracks of light. I’d say I had a good run, didn’t I...?

Meisatsu shakily raised his left hand—his fingers stretching out, then folding into a grasp.

Goodbye... cruel... world...

“......” He laid there, patiently, as though he were expecting something to happen. “Hmmmmm?”

Sitting up, he ran his hands over his body.

He checked his head, shoulders, knees... and butt?!

He wiggled his toes—confirming his legs were functioning.

TOTALLY... UNHARMED!

“...and the Meisatsu lives to see another day...” he said, imitating the narrator he once listened to in a nature documentary.

“How’s that even possible—Scroll!”

Eyes shut, and into the void.

“Back so soon?” Scroll asked.

“I’m alive!!!!” Meisatsu yelled back happily, flexing both arms.

“Wow... Good for you,” Scroll added, “Oh! Before I forget—”

UNLOCKED: BULLETPROOF

“—today must be your lucky day, huh?” Scroll chuckled, “If this hadn’t kicked in, you’d need an ER.”

“Getting a new ability, sure. Almost dying... not so much.” Meisatsu stepped closer to Scroll. “So, I’m bulletproof now?”

“Pretty much—but don’t get cocky though,” Scroll warned. “At your current level, you can take damage that’s about two times the impact force that some bullets generate. It’ll also block some low-level magic attacks too.”

“So basically, I’m bulletproof.”

“........” Scroll went mute.

“Sure, whatever suit yourself,” Scroll answered, annoyed at Meisatsu’s disregard for his “most wonderful” explanation.

Still sitting on the ground Meisatsu opened his eyes, remarking at the scene in front of him.

“Dang, what a mess...” he sighed, about to get up—

“Hello there. Would you like a baguette?” The body owning the voice drew closer.

Meisatsu shuffled back, kicking dirt. The strange and unusual question only added to his steadily growing tension.

Finally stepping into the few beams of moonlight that formed near Meisatsu... the figure of the being was on full display.

He was a clean-shaven man, tall and broad-shouldered. His soft gaze came from under the shadow of a white chef’s hat. The sleeves of the white shirt he wore rolled up neatly to his elbows. And a powdery white substance stained his brown trousers.

Eh?! A baguette? Meisatsu inched back so quickly, it looked like he teleported. Is he the one that attacked me back there?

The man’s body tensed and began to shiver lightly, with an occasional head twitch.

In a strained polite voice, he asked, “Excuse me Sir, would you like, a baguette?”

“No. Thank you...?” Meisatsu managed to force out the response despite the random question.

“I see,” the man responded calmly—a scowl forming.

“Stale Baguette Sword...”

A sharp crunching sound escaped the baguette—it suddenly lost its supple look and now appeared dry and rigid.

He lifted it, saying, “YOU’LL STILL GET A BAGUETTE!!!”

The baguette came down and Meisatsu reached for his Glock on the ground beside him—

CLANG!

A blade interrupted the baguette. The two locked in a power struggle.

“Wait!” Meisatsu shouted in shock. “You’re that dude from Umare’s party!”

A lean but fit looking man, with dark blue hair blocked the strike.

He stopped the attack with a wakizashi in his right-hand.

His outfit was a dark blue, the kind often worn by shinobi while a sky-blue sash wrapped around his waist like a scarf. Behind him—just above his waist—two sheaths were sturdily strapped, one atop the other in a horizontal line.

“Mm... I’m Shizuka,” he said, monotonous. “Sensei told me to help...”

He can talk?! Meisatsu assumed that Shizuka only responded in grunts and moans from the first sighting at the Guild.

Shizuka pushed back the baguette wielding man, creating some distance.

Meisatsu got up from the ground, shaking off dirt when he noticed a raging flame—heading straight for him.

It was one of Ayame’s silhouettes. When it got near Meisatsu, it stopped. Circling around him, it inspected his entire body meticulously.

“Oh... must be his sister’s...” Shizuka mumbled to himself.

“Hey... I’ll handle this one...” Shizuka said to the flaming body. “Stick with him till I'm done...”

Meisatsu just watched, mind blank. He stopped trying to keep up with the situation.

A flaming hand tenderly closed Meisatsu’s gaping mouth.

“Ah! Shizuka my favorite customer, what brings you here? Would you like, a baguette?!”

“I don’t take baguettes from scum...” Shizuka replied coldly.

“Someone please tell me, what the hell is going on!!!” Meisatsu asked with a shout that echoed through the forest.

“I am Pierre Ito, Baker extraordinaire!” He gripped the hardened baguette tighter. “A Level 32 Baker. Pleased to meet you. Would you like, a baguette?”

“No one wants...” Shizuka gulped. “...your... filthy baguettes...”

He then shot a glance at Meisatsu, then brandished a bronze-colored object that had been tucked somewhere around his neck. “I’m Shizuka... Level 24 assassin...”

His pendant read...

EXPLORER Level II

“With one of my skills, I noticed traces of magic in the stuff he sold...” Shizuka added.

“Correct! I used my baked goods to help mask the traces Gaspard’s control magic left in his wine,” Pierre laughed. “But to pick up on that Shizuka, I had no idea you were an Assassin! Scary!”

In this world the Assassin role is often seen in a bad light. People with skills intended to kill a target, it’s no wonder they are naturally feared.

“I’ll just get the two of you to guzzle down some of that wine and—”

CLANG!

Shizuka dashed forward, swinging his sword which Pierre blocked but got pushed back by the sheer power behind the attack.

With a swift leg sweep and a kick, Pierre was sent tumbling deeper into the forest. Shizuka didn’t want Meisatsu getting caught in the fight.

As the two watched Shizuka vanish into the thicket in a mist, the flaming silhouette slowly turned its head, looking at Meisatsu with the flames that served as its eyes tenderly.

Then...

It pushed Meisatsu, far away from itself as it erupted into an uncontrollable flame which then became a flicker that died in the wind.

“It would sacrifice itself for you? Magnifique!” Gaspard walked at a gingerly pace, arms wide. “I threw a bottle of one of my potent magic infused wines to set it ablaze. How magnifique!”

Meisatsu racked the slide on his Glock as his eyes glared with a flicker of red.

“SCOPE!” he shouted, locking his gaze solely on Gaspard. “I don’t get what all this crap’s about, but... I’m about to find out.”

“And find out you shall!” Gaspard proclaimed, as he whipped out a bottle from behind him and gulped it all down.

“Elegantly Drunken Fist,” Gaspard uttered with a faint drawl as he cast aside the bottle.

Gaspard in a crazed shout commanded, “SON! CAST STERIODS!!!”

A bolt of velvet red energy came down from the sky, striking him. And his muscles began to bulge and twitch right after. “Please Monsieur Hero, make sure your performance is magnifique!”

At the end of the request, the two ran toward each other.

The battle begins...