Neighbour Company

The bright sun smiled upon the town, gifting it with another great day.

That is, for everyone but Rachel, who gazed upon her ruined store with bitterness. Looking back at what happened yesterday just added more fuel to the fire she suppressed. The man in question, Enzel, stood beside Rachel, looking proud at the power that took this poor establishment to ruins, which cost him a lifetime's worth of slavery.

"Maybe throwing you out to the sea was the better idea after all." Rachel mumbled as she glared at Enzel.

"I thank you wholeheartedly for sparing my life and giving me a second chance," He replied with a sarcastic grin, earning a punch to the gut.

"Is that so?" Rachel smiled devilishly; smoke seeping from her right hand. "I guess it's time we start your oppression, then. You better work your ass to death for me, slave!"

Kneeling on the ground in pain, Enzel shot back an angry look at Rachel. "Don't fuck with me! I saved your ass there! We had a contract. Treat me properly!"

Sadly, none of his words would register through Rachel's thick skull. Everything he fired at her, she fired back twice as hard. Palm on his face, she looked ready to crush his skull in her hand.

"Slaves like you should keep your mouth shut! Dogs should be quiet and obedient! How dare you bark at me like that when you're the one who freaking crushed my business! Do you have any idea how much profit I lost yesterday because of your misguided heroism?!"

Enzel furiously grabbed onto Rachel's arm before he dies from a crushed skull, trying to pull it away from him. "Awawawaw! I'm sorry, okay?! I underestimated my strength because I was starving for days! I'll do what you want so let go already!"

"Do what I want?" Rachel grinned when she heard the magic word. "Then say 'I will do anything for my master, Rachel Mariner, even if it costs me my life'."

"Like hell I'll say that!" Enzel was desperately resisting against Rachel's iron grip. "Is this the new play you came up with? You'll need to think of better ideas to get me hard—AAAAARRRGGGHHH!"

She pulled back her hand, and stuck it in his mouth, violently tugging on his tongue as if it were a gum stuck to the wall. "I think this dog hasn't a need for its tongue."

Enzel finally resigned by raising both his hands. Rachel let go and the poor man fell on the stone pavement. Since yesterday, this kept on bugging him-this power that Rachel possessed. She never managed to cast the most basic of the spells back in their mercenary days and yet here she was, giving him a beatdown without a glimpse of a spell The possibility existed that she buffed herself through the use of magic, but his knowledge in that field was severely limited.

But that was only the tip of the iceberg as Rachel surprised Enzel once more by jabbing the air. Rather, it was more like she punched a hole into a different dimension. After moving it around for a few seconds, she pulled out; the hole closed, leaving ripples upon sealing up. What she seized of it was a rolled large piece of paper. Scratching his silver hair, Enzel stared in befuddlement.

"W-what was that just now?" He asked.

Rachel looked at him in disbelief as if she was watching a fish that couldn't swim.

"Right. You're all muscles and no brain after all." Rachel drooped her shoulders and sighed. "See, this is a pretty basic spell that anyone is able to use. It's called 'Inventory'. You should at least learn this. Actually, can't you use magic at all?!"

"If I can, then I'd have warped my ass out of here yesterday! I've always had a small mana pool so I never practiced using magic," Enzel stood up, dusting himself off.

"Thus the bottom feeder who insulted my magic abilities spoke," Rachel snickered, and then shrugged. "Nothing I can do about it. I'll just have to teach you myself then."

"Ha?!" Enzel fussed. "I don't need to learn shit from someone like you- " A gunshot echoed before he could finish his sentence. No bullet was seen and yet something that felt like it connected to his forehead, effectively knocking him down. There was only one person right now that Enzel knew can pull off such thing with all these strengths she was showing lately and it was none other than Rachel herself. Her left hand had its thumb and index finger sticking out like an assassin casually killing her target.

"Shut your trap and obey my orders. You have no say in whatever I want to do with you." She stated like a sadistic master to her masochistic servant. "Be grateful I'm even going through the trouble of teaching you, feeding you, giving you a room and clothing for free when you're supposed to be a slave."

Rachel was right. Despite being labelled as a "slave", what transpired yesterday evening didn't really feel like slavery to Enzel. What kind of slave gets to take a bath, a complete dinner, a spacious room with a comfortable bed and decent clothing? He could pass it off as her just being shy about wanting to help him, but the animosity she had towards him all this time said otherwise.

Or maybe it was her way of making him feel more indebted so he would work hard for her. Whatever it was, Rachel's treatment towards Enzel was weird in different aspects and the slave treatment could be thrown out of the window for good.

"Anyway," Rachel handed over the item to Enzel, "Take this map. I'll have you do your first errand."

Enzel took the map and unrolled it. A detailed sketch of the town was drawn on it, complete with labels, legends and descriptions. His droopy eyes looked back at Rachel. "So what do you want me to do with this?"

Rachel smiled, took the map from Enzel and rolled it again. "Why, of course you crumple it then swallow it so you can choke yourself to death." Immediately, she swiftly hit Enzel's head with the rolled map like they were bad comedians doing a stand-up. It was merely a piece of paper, but the force was strong enough to make him bow down. "Of course you bloody use this to find and go to a certain place! Are you a full-fledged moron or a professional twit?!"

"It's the same damn thing and shut it with the insults already!" Enzel snapped. "Just fucking tell me what you want me to do! Couldn't you give an answer that is not oozing with sarcasm or verbal abuse?!"

Rachel popped a vein. "If you don't want a sarcastic answer, then don't ask a stupid question! God, I didn't think your comprehension skill was this low!"

"What was that?!" Enzel wouldn't let that one slip by. "I'll have you know I fulfilled all my missions excellently back in the guild and I'm known to be a person that is easily instructed—" He paused. "Oh wait. You wouldn't know that cause you're always rotting away inside the gui— Buhaaaaa!"

A fist flew right to his chin, sending him flying for a brief moment then falling down headfirst on the road. Enzel was down on the ground for the third time today.

"Are you gonna do this or not?!" Rachel's voice switched to an eerie tone and Enzel felt it. It was time he stopped screwing with her or he might not even see tomorrow.

He got on his feet again as if that attack was just a tap to his shoulder. "It's not like I have a choice anyway." He took away the map from Rachel. "So what's the mission?"

Rachel looked away and held back a laugh. "Pfft! 'Mission', he says!"

"Hey! I'm serious here!" Enzel retorted, but even so, he was still rather embarrassed about the word he uttered. He was now a shop employee and not a mercenary, but it seemed like his past profession was still attached to his behaviour.

Still, that got his manager laughing at him. Looking at Rachel's happy expression, Enzel felt warm inside for some reason. He never saw Rachel smile back then so this was a first for him. He thought his red cheeks were of embarrassment, but at this point he didn't understand anymore if it was from the shaming or the woman with such heart-warming smile. And to make it worse, he cannot comprehend how she was able to evoke this feeling from him.

After a few good chuckles, Rachel reverted to her usual demeanor. "Anyway, you will go to the center of the town. First, drop by the Merchant Guild and report the incident there then ask for repair materials. They will do the rest once you delivered the report. Next, visit the Town Hall and hire two adventurers."

"Hm?" Enzel pointed out something from Rachel's clear and precise orders. "Why the town hall?"

Rachel elaborated. "The Town Hall also functions as the official Adventurer's Guild here. That's the system nowadays. Not like I know much about it."

"Well, whatever." Enzel rolled the map and asked one last question. "Is that all?"

"Yeah," Rachel answered and then shooed him away while snickering. "Now go and start your—" She covered her lips, tears leaking out her sockets. "Pfft! Mission! Kkkkkppfff!"

"Stop it!" Enzel shouted, crumpling the map in embarrassment. He turned away with his face as red as tomato when he was called by his boss again.

"Ah, one last thing."

Enzel faced her again only to be surprised by a sheathed sword flying towards him. He still managed to catch it quickly, but receiving a weapon just for an errand only had him wondering.

"Bring that, just in case," said Rachel, "It's not like the town is filled with thugs and thieves, but there are some 'weirdoes' here, so keep your guard up. Now scram!"

Enzel narrowed his eyes. "What kinds of people live here?" He wrapped the belt around his waist and placed the attached sword on his left side. Turning around, he stepped towards the inner part of the town. "I'm off."

And so began his very first errand.

+ + + + + + +

Enzel found himself in a not-so-busy street; houses made of brick and tiles lined up on each side. People walked past him, ignoring his presence like he was just another citizen of the town and casually treaded the road. Unlike yesterday when he wore tattered shirt and shorts, he now donned a cream shirt covered by a brown vest on top and a pair of baggy pants. A pair of brown boots completed his getup. He looked more human with his body in shape compared to his previous state where he was no better than a dead plant.

"Not a bad town she lives in." Enzel thought as he toured his eyes around. He stopped upon reaching a stone arch at the end of the road he was taking. Many townsfolk were heading this way too.

"Port Ikzel." Enzel read the text engraved on the arch. Looking from afar, what lied beyond it seemed to be stalls like a marketplace. Seeing it was called a port, he assumed there was one if he walked past the stalls. But this wasn't his destination so he had to save the visit for another time. "I guess from here, I turn left and the road should lead me straight to the center? Okay."

Following the direction on the map, he turned to the street to the left of the arch's entrance and proceeded on his way to the town's center. Soon, he reached a lane shaded by a stone hedge.

And then he stopped.

"Hm? I feel like someone's watching me," was what Enzel had in mind. He felt a chill down his spine, but kept his composure. With a clear mind, he assessed the situation by pretending to look around as if he was lost so he could observe his surroundings. He was proud of his terrific observation skill that helped him exploit his opponent's weakness. However, there wasn't anyone remotely noticeable among the people walking along him. He would check the crates and barrels rested on the side of the street, but the suspicion would be put on him instead if he did that.

Still, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being followed. It was like there were eyes behind him. He calmed himself by taking a deep breath. "I don't know if this was someone who is after my life or not, but just to make sure, I'm gonna deal with this chap before getting down to business."

And so Enzel continued moving his legs again; casual but cautious.

+ + + + + + +

Enzel ventured through different locations in the town for a good two hours, walking past a restaurant, a clinic, a bath house, a small graveyard, a shrine and a cathedral. He even reached the exit of the town and considered escaping, but recalling the contract and how Rachel just let him off easily like this told him not to do it. For all he knew, it would even cause him more trouble if he tried to flee now. It was no different from being house arrested.

But the threat was still after him as if it was tracking his trails. He could sense that it was always somewhere close to where he stood, but still failed to find it. At this point, he was definitely sure that it was someone who wanted to off him. No one would follow someone like him this long unless they need something from him and it wasn't like he had any money or any kind of wealth. Therefore, it could only be his life that the stalker was after. Since his presence was barely noticeable, he must be a professional, so Enzel thought. Still, this ability to keep hidden was something scarily potent.

If he cannot locate it with his keen senses, then there was another way for him to pinpoint the person. It was time to take some drastic measures.

Enzel pinched his forehead. "Ahhh great! Rachel's gonna give me a beating again at this rate! Well, whatever. As long as I get this done before sundown."

He turned his attention to a dead-end alley. "But first, I need to pee. I hope the people around won't mind."

He stepped in, then faced the brick wall and positioned himself to respond to nature's call. He pinched the zipper of his pants and started whistling.

Just as he was doing his business, something jumped down from the roof. The silhouette of a human dropped to where Enzel stood with its arms crossed, hands holding a combat knife on each, going for the kill as it inched closer to its target.

Unfortunately for the assailant, he saw this coming. "Finally showed yourself, eh!" He turned his face to the left and grabbed it by the arms, pulling it towards him. As soon as he made contact, Enzel twisted his upper body to the right and threw the assailant with all of his strength. The attacker was about to hit the wall headfirst, but reacted just in time to spin and pressed his feet on the solid stone, preventing his crash. Using the wall as thrust, he spun again and safely planted his feet on the ground.

It was then Enzel realized, the pursuer wasn't a "him", but a "her" as she turned around to reveal herself to be a woman in a one piece dress covered by an apron on top. Her red, long, spiky, but well-groomed hair stood out in the shade of the alley. Enzel's eye met with the redhead's purple eyes that reeked of bloodlust.

"Not bad." The woman spun her knives and dropped them inside the pocket of her apron. "I'm impressed by how you quickly responded to my ambush."

"Well, I could feel your menacing aura from the next town. Of course I would anticipate you coming for me, though your stealth ability is impressive." Enzel answered, his face scowling grimly. "The fuck you want with me?"

"At ease, rookie." The woman answered calmly with her deep, militaristic voice. "You have less worth dead rather than alive." As she spoke, she fished out a revolver from the pocket and pointed it to her target. "Still, I'd still like to have some fun—"

Enzel's toe reached the base of the revolver's handle, sending the weapon up in the air. Spinning for a few seconds, it then fell down to his right hand. The woman's words were cut off and her eyes widened in surprise. Enzel smirked and pointed the gun towards her. "Sorry, but I have no time with your test of courage—"

Just as he did, she already had another one on her right hand with the barrel pointed at Enzel. This time, it was not a revolver, but a pistol.

"I got twelve shots." She wrapped her index finger around the trigger and prompted at Enzel. "Ready?"

And then...

"Draw!"

Two loud gunshots echoed in the alley, but no blood was spilled. Rather, he and the woman dodge as fast as the bullet came out of the barrel with only Enzel having a graze on his left cheek. The stinging pain kicked in, but it was the least of his concern right now.

For a battle of life and death had begun.

The enemy had twelve bullets. Firing one now left her with eleven. Enzel was still at a disadvantage seeing his gun only had six and he already wasted one. At such a small distance, she could easily fill his face with holes. His best course of action would be to keep himself from getting hit until the redhead ran out of bullets. He entrusted his life to his natural speed, but was unsure if he could keep up. There was no time to take a good look at his opponent to find any weak point to exploit. Not like the woman had the upper hand as she was also in the same situation as Enzel's. Both readied their aim and at the same time prepared to dodge the next attack. They knew that just one shot from either and they're done for.

But the real trouble here was the woman herself. She aimed at his face faster than he could anticipate. He didn't underestimate this opponent, but he didn't expect she would be this fast.

Enzel hastily swatted the barrel away from him just a few milliseconds before the woman could pull the trigger. The bullet missed and bore a hole towards the wall behind him. Thanks to his instincts and agility, his left hand deflected the attack and he escaped certain death. But this bout was far from over.

He never had a hard time using ranged weapons like guns, but the situation and their position made it hard for him to fire back. She could aim at him with lightning speed so it was given that she could dodge just as fast. And given that he only had half the ammo compared to his opponent, he couldn't afford to miss or else he would be doomed. Enzel was being pressured by the minute.

Still, that didn't stop him from pulling the trigger as his quick counter managed to make a small opening. But just as he pointed it at her, the woman already slapped it away with her left hand, causing the trajectory of the bullet to change and miss its target. She quickly went for her third shot, but Enzel reacted just as fast and fired off another, forcing her to dodge it by cocking her head to the right. She found his reaction time to be pretty impressive for a man who looked like just another angsty thug down the street. She thought she'd try to pressure him more by firing two quick consecutive shots. However, Enzel did not fail to amaze and avoided the first shot by moving his head to the left and redirecting the second one by flinging the woman's right hand away. Enzel retaliated with the same speed, and she grabbed Enzel's arm and pushed it away from her, stopping the man from pulling the trigger.

There were only three more bullets for Enzel and seven for the woman. At this point, what mattered now was who would be emptied first.

Enzel blasted his fourth shot, but the woman smacked the barrel upwards, sending the bullet flying towards the sky. In response, she fired her sixth shot, but Enzel prevented it by slamming the gun downwards, bearing a hole in the ground instead.

The swatting and firing transpired at insane speeds. Despite the alarming sound of the gunshots, neither blinked nor averted their eyes towards their target. The roaring gunshots and quaint surroundings held no meaning when both were this close to being killed. Neither of the two paused as they fired another one and dodged at the same time by leaning their head backwards as if their bodies danced to the sound of the guns.

The stakes only rose for Enzel who finally reached his last bullet. The woman knew Enzel was at his final shot, but she knew she couldn't be cocky. Despite being at an advantage, she was still at a dire situation. Enzel had truly shown her how excellent he was in the battlefield. She kept getting her hopes up every time they exchanged attacks.

But this was as far as he went, so she believed.

She aimed once more and to her surprise, Enzel grabbed onto her left arm and then flicked her right arm away. Before the grip tightened, she detached it away from him, but this was what he wanted—the opening he was waiting for. That was the signal for him to fire his last bullet. If he couldn't reveal a weak spot, make an opening on his own instead. And so he decided to target the woman's slender arms. Regardless of her speed, she couldn't possibly counterattack him with her hands up in the air.

Or so he thought.

He swore not to underestimate his opponent, but perhaps he got cocky upon seeing that opportunity to strike as he found himself completely astonished at her response to his calculated move. Two fingers—the index and the thumb latched onto the cylinder of his revolver, pinching it really hard, preventing the final bullet from firing. For a woman this slim, she had the physical strength to hold down something like this with just two fingers. He was bewildered at how her grip prevented him from aiming the gun.

And this gave an opportunity to stage her counterattack as he left a large opening for her to fire. With a swift swing of her right arm, the woman aimed the barrel to his face.

But he once again proved himself to be just sharper than he looked. Using his left hand, Enzel caught the hammer of the woman's gun, preventing it from firing the bullet. Thanks to his iron grip, she was unable to pull away.

It was a stalemate. Neither could move from their position for a slight twitch of their body could be exploited into an opportunity to strike. They were safe for now, but both were aware that neither could prolong this draw match. They needed to find a way to overcome their foe without the use of their tied hands.

To think that someone could match him so well, Enzel was impressed. This woman was quite the formidable opponent. It was as if assassination had always been in her blood. He never recalled anyone succeeded in getting so close in battle as they were always cut down before they could draw their blades against him. Not even the best gunmen he met were able to scratch him with their bullets. She, however, wounded his face and even trapped him into a situation where both cannot attack nor defend. It was a new experience for him, a thrilling one. Never in his life did he encounter a woman of this caliber in combat.

That was why he had to prove himself once more as a battle prodigy. As their eyes fixated towards one other, awaiting a chance to strike, Enzel smirked, which alerted the woman. However, it was already too late for her as Enzel's leg darted towards hers. When it made contact, it tripped her, causing her to lose balance.

She wasn't going down without a fight.

As soon as she started falling down, she rushed her leg and hooked it around his, causing the man to fall down with her. When both crashed on the solid ground, a loud thud echoed in the alley.

They found themselves in a rather awkward position. Enzel laid on top of the woman who was pressed on the ground. Not like it mattered to him. She was after his life. His years as a mercenary taught him that mercy for the opposite gender spelt demise.

"Alright, woman." He threw aside his gun and held her hands down. The pressure of his grip caused the woman to let go of hers too. "Interrogation time. Why are you after me?"

As much as how menacingly Enzel glared at her, the woman was unfazed. Her narrowed eyes implied boredom, but her lips gradually arched into a smile. It wasn't a creepy one, rather, a gentle one which confused him.

And then she opened her mouth. "You looked like a random thug with a little bit of promise, but you exceeded my expectations." Her cheeks flushed red, drool leaking down her pink lips. "Instincts faster than a speeding 9mm round... Eyes sharper than a sniper's scope... A chiselled build as tough and durable as an antique pistol... And a face that thirsts for blood...! These are the qualities I seek in a soldier under my command!"

Her gibberish left him speechless. "What's with this woman? Creepy..."

But she wasn't stopping there. "Truly a weapon to surpass—" But her words were cut when the shadow of a lady stretched across the alley. She tilted her head to eye the intervention and grimaced. "Tch... She's here."

"Hm? Who is that—" But before Enzel could even see their interferer, he was sent flying back to a wall by a powerful gust of wind. After sticking to the wall for a second, his body dropped on the crates, crushing them under his weight.

"I knew this would happen." That familiar voice could never be mistaken for anyone else. That terrorizing tone accompanied with the eerie atmosphere every time she's around him.

With a face contorting in disgust, Rachel glared at Enzel. "I didn't think you'd go as far as touching a woman in broad daylight. Did the hobo lifestyle make you so desperate for a woman that you'd even go for this freak?

"Hey! You're wrong!" Enzel objected, jumping out of the pile of broken wood. He then pointed at the woman and stood beside Rachel. "This freak here tried to kill me! I don't know what her motive is, but I acted out of self-defence!"

Rachel moved her eyes to the assailant, receiving a smirk in response. "You know, you gotta stop trying to recruit my employees through your brand of harassment. I might consider asking the mayor to give you a restraining order."

"I wasn't harassing him," she pouted, "I was just testing his strength. You got yourself another good soldier, Mariner! But even if you outnumber our base four-to-two, we have just as much firepower!"

"Yeah, yeah. There she goes again with her war bullshit." Rachel sighed, hoping to end the conversation.

Enzel interjected. "Uhh... You know this nutjob?"

She turned to him again. "Yeah." She then gestured toward her. "This weirdo is our neighbour."

With a straight back and a salute, the woman introduced herself. "Commander of LaCampanella, Belle LaCampanella, reporting for duty!"

"Your tiny brain probably forgot, so for your information, LaCampanella's the shop across ours. This walking circus declared herself as my rival when she took over. Not like I care. As you can see, she's a military nut." Rachel added.

Belle followed up by striking a pose. "War, covert ops and assassination are my passion!"

"So by 'weirdoes'," Enzel pointed at Belle in disbelief. "You mean this woman? You're telling me all that shit was just a fucking game?! That almost got me killed, you know! And no, I'm not playing with you again!"

"What a killjoy, getting so upset over nothing." Belle picked up the revolver that Enzel dropped and fired it at him. Since his guard was down, he wasn't able to dodge and toppled to the ground. The bullet couldn't tear through his skull, yet his body went completely numb.

"See, it's a paralysis bullet. It isn't lethal, but it will paralyze you for about five seconds." Belle spun her revolver around her index finger then dropped it back into her apron's pocket. "I specialize in stuff like this so if you're interested in playing this game again, drop by my shop!"

"You need to get your brain checked!" Enzel retorted with all his might despite being immobilized. After what happened, he couldn't just get up, brush it off and call it a day. It was because it was a massive prank that he couldn't laugh it off.

Rachel squatted down beside him. He nervously awaited her next move as they gazed into each other's eyes.

Then he heard a clicking sound and felt something wrapping his neck. "Uh... What are you doing, manager?"

She flashed a cruel grin at him. "Well, you failed to do a simple errand today so I'll be dragging you home. Like a dog."

The paralysis wore off and Enzel got up, struggling to take the leash off him. "Take this off me, you dominatrix! The day hasn't even ended, you know!"

"It's already past five, you useless lump of muscles! There's no point going there now! Everyone's gone home!"

Belle stared at the two who were bickering on the ground like children. She was barely thinking when a question escaped her lips.

"Are you two uh... having that kind of relationship?"

"Hell no!" Enzel and Rachel shouted at the same time.

+ + + + + + +

The sun was touching the horizon when Rachel, who was pulling Enzel on a leash as if he were a dog, made her way home on a dirt road in the middle of two fields that led to their residence. Belle joined them, seeing as their destination was side-by-side.

She pulled out a cigarette pack from her pocket and offered one to the miserable Enzel. "Want one?"

"No thanks, I'm no smoker." Enzel refused. "You won't sway me into forgiving you so easily. I'm still pissed off that you tested your products on me. Is that your advertising style? Cause that's one shitty business model."

"Products? Advertising? Oh, no, those weapons were a part of my collection. I don't sell guns," Belle answered, sticking a cigarette between her lips. "LaCampanella is a clothing and flower shop."

"Hah?!" Enzel's jaw dropped upon hearing that.

Rachel interjected. "Yeah. She may look like a creep who gets off to guns and knives, but she's a top-notch tailor and florist here in Renner. You're wearing her product as we speak."

"This?!" He scanned the clothes he wore. Despite his rough handling, it still looked brand new. For a moment, he couldn't even imagine how the woman who almost gave him a nightmare could create such well-done garment.

She only gave his astonished face a playful wink. With a snap of the finger, a small flame blazed on the tip of her thumb, which she used to light her cigarette. With two flicks of the wrist, the fire was extinguished.

They can almost see the shops a few meters away from them, but the pressing issue at the moment was the gazes they received from the townsfolk when they reached the residential area of the town. The people that walked past them cringed in horror at the image of two women walking beside a leashed man.

Enzel noticed this and asked Rachel politely. "Could you please get this thing off me already? We're getting some really nasty looks from everyone."

"No! You'll stay like that until we get home. You want the slave treatment, you get the slave treatment."

"Tch. That's how you wanna roll huh?!" He had an evil grin plastered on his face. He remained quiet for a few seconds, which made her raise an eyebrow at this sudden change of behaviour.

And then his voice echoed throughout the area.

"Ahn! Master, it's not even that time of the night and you are already eagerly giving me such harsh treatment! This slave is grateful~!"

Rachel stopped and looked at Enzel blushing. "W-what are you shouting?! Quiet!"

Enzel continued his disturbing act of submission. "I cannot when I'm in such pleasure! Save something good for later, master!"

"Uwaa..." Belle tensely backed away from the two of them, the cigarette dropping out of her mouth. "I always knew you had some nasty kinks, but damn, you really are one hell of a dominatrix eh, Rachel?"

"I'm not!" Rachel furiously corrected the assumption, but to no avail. Not only Belle, but everyone was gasping at her in horror. "No, no! You got it wrong!"

Enzel was on cloud nine seeing Rachel humiliated "Oh master! Please punish me mo—Buhaaa!"

His fun came to an end when a pair of feet planted against his cheek, smashing him into the pavement. The rough surface of his collar made his fall even more painful.

He got up quickly as always. "Hey! What was that kick for?!"

"D-don't shame me like that! If you're not stopping, then I'll really give it to you!" Rachel was catching for her breath. The embarrassment was perhaps too much for her.

"M-manager..." Enzel heard a familiar voice of a young girl and a boy along with the sound of cracking glasses.

"W-what are you doing, m-manager?!"

Turning around, Rachel shrieked as a girl with red hair tied in twintails and a bespectacled boy stood behind her shocked.

As if things couldn't get any worse, they returned at the wrong time.

The other employees, that is.

+ + + + + + +

A/N: And that is Chapter 3 done. I am very sorry it took this long. I actually started writing this last year, but Christmas season got me so busy so I wasn't able to give time for writing. This chapter also went through so much brainstorming especially on the fight scene. I hope you guys enjoyed what was done here.

And so comes in our third character, Belle. Fun fact about her: Aside from her main weapons which are guns, she was originally a proper lady and more of a straightforward character who fell in love at first sight with Enzel. Then, we thought we couldn't flesh out anything out of that character. So she ended up becoming a military nerd to incorporate it better with her fascination towards firearms. To do so, we referenced games like Assassin's Creed, Metal Gear and Dishonored to get that assassin/soldier feel from her. And so, we have the current Belle LaCampanella. I hope you find her a rather interesting character.

So the story finally reached the town, but unfortunately thwarted by our new character. And oh who are those two, I wonder?

Look forward to the next chapter!