Everything Fell Apart

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One minute earlier.

After fully adapting to Aibe's fierce attack rhythm, Corvin gradually found some breathing room.

At the same time, he could not help marveling at how vicious this crazy woman was, and he was grateful his body could keep up.

Otherwise, the result would have been ugly.

With the pressure of defense dropping sharply, Corvin finally had a little attention to spare for the situation around him.

He noticed Wolf Rat trading heavy blows with Kazt.

Thinking of what would have happened if Wolf Rat had not stopped Kazt, Corvin felt a chill after the fact and silently praised Brother Wolf Rat.

But very soon, he saw that Wolf Rat could not last. After only a few exchanges, the man looked like he was about to be flattened by Kazt.

Corvin immediately realized this was not a place to stay.

'I need to leave before Wolf Rat collapses.'

Once he made that judgment, Corvin stopped dividing his attention toward Wolf Rat's fight.

Aibe noticed that Corvin still had enough room to pay attention elsewhere. Anger surged through her, and veins rose near her brow.

The earlier seductive charm vanished completely.

In her rage, the foil stabbing toward Corvin suddenly became a fraction faster, but her technique also began to show a trace of disorder.

"Hm?"

The sudden increase in speed put pressure on Corvin again.

But the threat itself dropped hard.

'Should I counterattack?'

Corvin avoided one thrust after another, considering whether drawing a flintlock or the dagger hidden on his body would be practical.

Aibe's breaking rhythm meant that if she had to shift from attack to defense in a hurry, she would expose some kind of opening.

That would be the chance to counter.

But Corvin also considered the risk after the counterattack.

Drawing either a gun or a dagger would require several extra movements.

Aibe's pattern had become messy, but her blade was faster.

Under those conditions, a single movement that failed to keep up with her speed could become the opening she needed.

If there had been a reward, Corvin would have taken the risk.

But without one, his priority was escape.

'Then I can only use my hand.'

Rejecting the idea of countering with a gun, Corvin found his next move.

The gradually disordering sword storm had already lost most of its threat.

After defending for dozens of seconds, Corvin caught an opening. As he turned sideways to avoid a thrust, he moved forward instead of retreating, driving off the floor in a sudden rush.

As his body passed close to Aibe's, Corvin used the momentum of his raised arm and slapped her across the side of the face.

A crisp sound rang out, then vanished into the clash of blades and the chaos inside the tavern.

Aibe lost her balance for a moment, and her continuous assault broke.

Corvin seized the chance, escaped her attack range, and ran toward one of the holes in the wall.

Aibe's mind stalled. She stared blankly at his fleeing back.

Wolf Rat happened to see that exact scene.

His attention, however, was not on Aibe. It was on Corvin, who was running faster than a rabbit.

At this point, Wolf Rat accepted everything.

He no longer even had the energy to curse Corvin.

Exhausted in body and spirit, Wolf Rat looked back at Kazt and tried to explain.

"Believe me, this is a misunderstanding!"

What answered him was Kazt's brutal hoof.

With a heavy bang, Wolf Rat flew backward and slammed into the wall.

"Hm?"

After sending Wolf Rat flying, Kazt seemed puzzled by the feel of that hit.

Had he gotten harder?

Kazt had no time to think. Seeing Corvin about to escape the tavern, he suddenly roared.

"Stop!"

Hearing Kazt's furious shout, Corvin did not even feel like looking back.

'Is Brother Wolf Rat done for?'

The hole in the wall was right ahead. Corvin sped up.

Then he noticed a white skunk running frantically in front of him. Its legs were too short, so it was not moving very fast.

Recognizing it as the pet Aibe had brought, Corvin grabbed the skunk in passing just before leaping through the opening.

The skunk trembled when Corvin suddenly lifted it. Its glossy black eyes filled with a very human fear, but it did not dare struggle too much. It was afraid this baffling human might suddenly stab it.

In the skunk's eyes, humans were exactly that dangerous.

It stiffened obediently and watched as Corvin carried it through the broken wall and escaped outside.

In that instant, the skunk realized this human was helping it escape.

The fear in its eyes melted away.

Its view of humans changed a little.

'Finally. A human who's different.'

The skunk was moved.

Corvin had no idea that the object he had casually picked up to throw later possessed such rich inner feelings.

When he smelled the strange fragrance coming from the skunk, he was even more surprised.

A fragrant skunk?

He felt as if he had seen a similar description somewhere.

At the same time, inside the tavern.

Kazt watched Corvin escape and widened his eyes in fury. He immediately chased after him.

But another figure was faster, sprinting toward the hole in the wall.

It was Wolf Rat, still in his hybrid form.

Seeing that Wolf Rat was fine, surprise crossed Kazt's eyes.

Just then, a streak of sword light stabbed toward him.

Kazt stopped hard and avoided the sudden thrust.

"Crazy woman, what are you doing?!"

Seeing Aibe block him with bloodshot eyes and a twisted face, Kazt cursed.

Aibe said nothing. She drove her foil toward Kazt again, weaving a wide sheet of sword light in an instant.

Kazt was in his hybrid form. His strength had increased, but his speed had fallen slightly.

Facing Aibe's ruthless strikes, one mistake was enough for several wounds to open across his body.

Kazt grew even angrier.

After wounding Kazt so easily, however, Aibe's twisted face revealed a strange, satisfied smile.

The look she gave Kazt carried a rising urge to keep thrusting.

Seeing the complex expression on her face, Kazt's cheek tightened several times.

Everything had gone wrong.

Everything.

"Crazy woman!"

Kazt roared, and another wave of sword strikes answered him.

Forced back, Kazt could only retreat and dodge while ordering his cadre.

"Wells, take people after that brat. Dead or alive!"

Hearing his captain's order, Wells did not waste a word. He led several gunmen out the front door and chased after Corvin.

Outside the tavern, Corvin sprinted down the street with the skunk in his hand.

After crawling out through the hole, Wolf Rat used the physical boost from his beast form and forced himself to catch up.

"Usopp, wait for me!"

Seeing Corvin's back, Wolf Rat shouted in excitement.

Hearing the shout behind him, Corvin reacted on instinct and threw the skunk in his hand backward.

The skunk, who had just been praising its good human, froze.

Wolf Rat, whose eyes held only Corvin's back, froze too.

The skunk drew a graceful arc through the air and struck Wolf Rat square in the face.

Bang.

Wolf Rat was knocked to the ground.

Wells and the others, who had just rushed out of the tavern, stopped abruptly and looked at Wolf Rat and the skunk rolling in front of them.

For a moment, the air went quiet.

Corvin realized he had overreacted. He looked back toward Wolf Rat and shouted, "Brother Wolf Rat, I..."

Then he saw Wells and the others holding guns.

Corvin changed direction mid-sentence.

"If we get the chance, hear me out."

With that, he ran without looking back.

Wolf Rat came back to himself and drew in a deep breath.

His lungs hurt.

The skunk, who had landed headfirst, looked dazed.

'Human hearts are dangerous. Too dangerous.'

Wells frowned slightly, hesitating over whether to waste bullets on Wolf Rat.

Within the flow of people on the street, a short figure flashed past.

"Brat..."

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