Chapter 79 - The Chase II

Valentine, Fayette and Vera, couldn't believe the weight of balls this man has to show himself in front of them as if nothing happened prior.

He's the first person that scammed them in this city, it wasn't much... but it served to thoroughly trash their confidence in anyone to an extent, then Lucretia destroyed that wall.

If anything they could show their appreciation to him for exhibiting the authentic nature of hell, a shithole where you can't believe your own shadow.

The vagrant that hunched forward regarded the two growling bears with interest, sensing their master's intentions, they would have torn this bastard apart were they not to be restraint.

"I can't help but think since the last time we met... you have... upgraded" He grinned while holding the hand of a cloaked lady.

"..." They didn't pay attention to her, they just wanted to know what he wants, even if they wanted to kill him, it's not possible in the middle of the damn street and he knows.

"You're doing better, and I can literally smell your desire to leave this city..." The man concluded with a light smile, surprisingly, despite all the dirt, there are no missing teeth.

That's some fake-vagrant for you.

"Bastard, and I can also smell your rotting corpse already, how about we go to the alleyways?~" Valentine grinned and showed his knife only for the vagrant to release a brief laugh even as the lady behind him seemed to shiver. 

Fayette was also looking forward to killing someone after the last scene.

"There is no need to get violent, friend... how have I aggrieved you?!" He'd be the stupidest man in the world if he were to follow someone with a callisto bear inside the alleyways, Valentine or not.

"Scamming us at a start point, leaving the bill for us to pay as the second..." He growled. 

"Please, I beg you would reconsider, we're not bad people." The lady behind the vagrant finally spoke, they could see their visage slightly, she's a woman in her late twenties, blonde hair almost white and an expression that looked slightly dirty due to the lack of a good shower.

"That's not something you should say in hell." Fayette and Vera deadpanned, good people, for real?

"Say what you want and get lost" Valentine groaned in annoyance, this fool is delaying them.

...

"We want to leave this city... and for the looks of it, so do you... teaming out to accomplish this task, what say you?!" The man suggested with a crescendo as if he's sharing the price of a lottery ticket.

"You don't look very strong and we're facing Demon Soldiers, moreover... trust a human? I'd rather trust my balls"

"Anyone would, but there is no 'trust' in here... do you know where to go next after departing the city?~" The vagrant played his cards, and he played well.

"..." The trio was left momentarily speechless.

'Dammit.'

"As I expected, you may fool all of those ignorants into believing you're a protector with strength, but I'm aware of your origins, not more than a month ago I scammed you good~" He laughed as if an achievement.

"Motherfucker..." Fayette almost popped up a vein at his blatant admission of a crime.

"Just say it..."

"It's not a bad deal for you, I'm being considerate due to your strength and this pair of... cuties..." He said referring to the two bears.

"I'll help you cause a distraction and have your girls help mine squeeze out, if we make it... I'll personally lead you to the next safe place." He assured and even punched his chest a few times to remark how trustable he truly is, no one is buying that shit. 

"How do you even know what's outside?" Vera asked with doubts in her head, there is something that's not right in his story. 

"I come from outside the city, and that place I'm talking about, although I don't dare call it heaven, at least there you will be fighting common monsters rather than royal demons." He summarized, he'd be lying if he said anywhere in hell is 'safe', it's just a less dangerous environment for humans.

"..." Valentine considered his words and shared a few glances with his girls.

'Something is not right, why does he need our help?'

The gates are being guarded strictly for them, right? then why is this person having issues leaving the city as well? Is he being pursued too? 

"And what exactly can you help me with?" No matter how many times he regarded this vagrant, he's not the fighting type... unless beneath those rags conceal a shaman king.

"I have these~" The man lifted up his rags and bloody hell, he's ripped!

'Shit... something is not right.' There is no way a vagrant can be this ripped and bulky, Hell is truly an odd place filled with odd people, them as the primary example.

Not only he's ripped, several bombs are hanging up in there, Vera recognised them but those are different.

"These are to create smoke and I'm skilled with the bow, I have several explosives as well... my only desire is that you will help me and my woman out of this hell hole. You've had the easy point of the stick and are not aware of the things we commonfolk have to do to not get our souls stolen or pillaged by those bastards." The man released his mockery tone to turn into something more stern.

"I see, but I don't trust you... as far as I know, you could be one of them trying to lure us." 

'Sasha' could change her aspect into that of 'Sasha' so why can't these two be demons in disguise. 

"Fair enough, it seems hell hasn't been kind to you since you arrived, what do you want me to do then?" This is standard procedure in this place, if you want trust, you need to expose yourself.

"I want you to engage the demon soldiers first in front of me and kill at least one, if I see them attacking you indiscriminately, perhaps I'll believe..." 

"..."

"J-Jürgen don't do it!" The woman immediately yelled and held her man's hand, she knows how dangerous a Demon Soldier is, for him alone to kill one is ridiculous.

"Relax, if it's just this much... very well, I accept." The man, now identified as Jürgen said lightly, he'd do his best so long as she could leave the city, obviously, he intends to leave as well, but is aware of the difficulty of the situation.

"Nice, then let's crack on with it, I don't want to remain in this city another second, there are demon soldiers everywhere and these bears will be like a sore spot on a pristine sheet." 

The bringer of euthanasia pulled him on the bear and they started to make their way to the gate that was several hundred metres away.

**

**

'A protector? when did they enter the city?' One of the guards saw the bear coming from inside the city, they were here to capture a single individual.

These checkpoints always have demons taking note of who enters the city, their soul rank and their name, regardless of human or demon, so long as they come from the outside, they must get their names and soul ranks.

This person with a callisto bear is definitely a protector, let alone this is a mutation... a human can't possibly tame and ride one of them, the question is... who? there are no registries of any protectors in this city.

The Demon Soldiers only have a single piece of data regarding the objectives they have to take into 'custody'.

Three bronze ranks or above, a blondie, an auburn-haired beauty and a man with a weird knife... the one that slaughtered bellcroft, his appearance, in particular, was engraved in stone and publicly available.

'He's together with someone'

"Down from the bear... where are you coming from and where are you going? Place your hand in here." The Demon Soldier, a bulky purple-skinned demon with heavy armour asked the two of them, when they didn't come down from the bear, he knew they'd be troublesome.

He took out a weird ball that has the capacity to assert the rank of soul they have.

"I'm afraid we're in a rush, guard." The vagrant spoke first, sadly, with that appearance...

"Shut the fuck up, you two come down from the bear now!"

The only thing he received in exchange for his efforts, was that when he opened his mouth to scream, a ball found itself locked between his jaws!

Valentine immediately grew alert and bent the other way!

!!!

*BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!--------------

A bloody mess splashed all around as the head of the Demon Soldier exploded like a watermelon, the two of them even felt the impact of the wave coursing through their bodies!

'This fucker really did it!' Valentine didn't expect the man not only to follow with his words but to even cause such a bloody mess!

"I HAVE DONE IT! LOOK AT YOUR LITTLE CORPSE BITCH! NOW RUN RUN!!" The vagrant laughed maniacally and held tightly against Valentine, bracing for the unimpeded acceleration!

"YOU FUCKING MADMAN!"

*GROWWWLLL!!!*

He immediately commanded Miki to run as the commotion spread through all the onlookers, a demon soldier just died!

The other four demon soldiers regarded the corpse of the demon soldiers while the smaller demons started to scavenge for whatever they could find... surely his core blasted into tiny pieces that they can devour!

But they were in for the bigger price, three of them immediately noticed the assailant's gaze the moment the cloak literally blasted apart and the evildoers were covered in blood and braincells.

"IT'S HIM! GET HIM!"

The pursuit started, bells rang, demon soldiers ran and that was Fayette and Vera's cue, they pulled the vagrant's woman into their bear and started to make it for the gate!

*CRUNCH!*

*CRUNCH!*

"Prepare the arrows, Faye!" Vera commanded Teddi and ran forward, not bothering with the demons the bear crushed in the way, what matters now is that they have to escape.

"Right, careful!"

*WOOSH!*

!!!

Fayette's senses ringed and she lowered the three girl's heads as an axe literally cleaned their necks, one of the demon soldier guards had tried to slaughter them just now!

'Shit, that was close!'

"I... I'm good with the bow, I can help you!" The woman yelled from behind Fayette, trying to grasp hard against the blonde's body, riding a bear is just too hectic!

She felt that it might have been better to ride a bull.

"Then take this!" Fayette passed her another bow and a few arrows with lesser quality, she can't afford to risk the good ones.

"Yes!"