Chapter 26: Portuguese Knife Fight

Chapter 26: Portuguese Knife Fight

The poor fucker flew through the window, his body rolling over several times and absolutely lacerated by the shattered glass. There were loud noises of alarm at the sudden commotion, followed by people doing their best to get away from the situation.

My quick thinking saved Bruno and meI took cover behind him. Most of the glass cascaded against him at just the right angle so as not to shred him apart. However, my right side was sticking out in my haste to save the big guy. Giving me a few hot slices of pain on my right arm where it stuck out of cover. I gave the guy on the ground a quick look. A goner. Before I could say anything, Suzaki ran off to help him. We had no clue who the guy was or what was going on, whatever. Hopefully, the kid could patch him up before he bled out.

Then a second body hopped through the window. A guy launched himself out, wearing a seafoam green daoist robe. He had long hair, pinned to his head with a dragon-shaped jade hairpin. There was a sneer on his face. He didnt even bother to look in our direction, nor at any of the other bystanders almost seriously injured by him picking a fight in a tea shop. The long sleeves of the robe concealed his hands.

Bruno broke out into a snicker which escalated into a deep belly-filled roar. I looked at him in shock as his laughter drew the attention of the monster thatd tossed someone through a window. Mockery drew his attention.

Hmmpf, and who are you laughing at mortal? the boy cupped his chin, trying to look down on Bruno. Even though the big guy was about seven inches taller than him.

Hahahahahaahaaa! Bruno wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. A mad grin on his face. I was worried we wouldnt do it! But we found one Luca! I knew with you around wed run across one of them! This is why I love the markets! Oh, were so lucky!

Quiet, peasant! I am Yang Pengfi, grandson of the great Cheng Pengfi

Youre in for a treat! Bruno gave me a strong pat on the back. As if we were joking and drinking, like we werent pissing off some sect guy with a bad attitude. My jaw hung open, not sure how to deal with this. Yang Pengfi stomped his foot, his face growing crimson as his facade of cultivator above lowly mortals vanished in the light of Brunos demeanor. If I took a stab at the guys age, Id put him a year younger than me. I didnt recognize the Sect colors. Which in a way was good, he wasnt in the Himawari Sect. But rather, some minor one.

Horror dawned on me, as I connected the dots. Why Bruno insisted on needing Suzaki; What hed been so excited about. He wanted to pick a fight with a sect member.

My grandfather could buy your houses several times over, and vaporize them with your entire family inside with a single burst of his Enlightened Souls powerhow dare you ignore me! Ill show you the difference between heaven and earth! Before me, you are nothing but a frog in a well! He spat as he yelled. There was a shift in the air, dust began to kick up from the ground. The current of wind swirling to form a nearly invisible figure, only perceivable due to the dust and bits of glass now caught up in its currents.

Fuck, he had a Manifested Soul.

Bruno cracked his knuckles, joy radiating off him like an inferno. First round is mine! You can go next Luca, its only fair since Im the one who found him!

Are ya fucking crazy!? Brunos fists ignited in flame as he called forth his Soul Seeds ability. He confidently strode towards the Sect member with an unknown immortals-damned Manifested Soul.

I felt fairly confident in my assessment of this guys stage, there wasnt the additional pressure that came from later stages. Like with Romeo, or that lady in the Segreto casino. But that still put him a full stage above either of us. The difference between stages was more prominent the higher the stages were but this guy was from a sect. They were people that spent their lives training and pumping themselves full of alchemical concoctions to draw out and enhance their Soul Seeds.

Worse, I realized from multiple angles that picking a fight with this guy was a bad idea; we couldnt let the poor bastard he threw through a window bleed out. And I saw myself in Bruno. It wasnt fear that made my hands shake. No. It was anticipation, a thrill from the risk. If I threw myself against this monster from a sect, there were slim odds of winning, but they werent zero. We had a chance. We had to have had a chance.

Yang kept his hands in his sleeves even as Bruno marched. But his Soul didnt stay fixed in place, the Soul flowed to meet my friend. It sliced through the air straight towards Bruno. The flames wrapped around the big guys fists grew brighter as he felt that same thrill as me. He broke out in a run to meet the Soulbefore he snapped to the left side in an attempt to dodge the figure composed of air.

Not quick enough. The Soul lashed out with its fist, its arm growing in length as the air currents extended to funnel directly into Brunos chest. In an instant he went from charging towards Yang Pengfi to flying several feet down the road in the opposite direction, bleeding from several lacerations as the glass mixed up in the Soul tore into him. Bruno rolled across the ground several times until he came to a rest. Yang Pengfi gave a high-pitched laugh.

I winced and tried to get to my feet so I could activate Fickle Fate. My body wasnt cooperating, and the Soul was closing distance quickly. Yang was at the window.

Bruno tackled Yang from the side before the disciple could crawl through the window to end me. I saw a flash of fire as the big man crashed into the bastard. Bruno let out a loud shout saying, My turn! Luca had two rounds, this is my second! occasionally interrupted by the meaty smack of his fists no doubt wrecking Yangs face.

Yangs Manifested Soul switched around, speeding through the air to return to his side and fling Bruno off.

I heard meaty thud after thud as the brawler beat the spoiled brats face. His flames grew large enough to see from the window frame, the strength behind each hit amplified. Yang's Soul almost made it back to him. Almost.

It tore apartcurrents lost to the air. Wed won. We fucking won.

I laughed. The sharp pain I suddenly felt told me that was a bad idea. But the thrill of our victory made me do it anyway.

Never did I expect the big guy to barrel in like that. Id thought Bruno was down for the count. Yang was so fixated on ending me since I damage him that he forgot I wasnt his only opponent. Bruno stood up and grinned at me from the other side window. The big guy gave me a thumbs-up before vaulting the frame and reaching my side. He offered a hand to pick me up, and I took it.

We walked out of the teashop together. I took a second to look at Yangblood from a broken nose spattered on his face.

W-we need to leave! Suzaki said, rushing from the road. He gave me an anxious look. We both knew I didnt have it in me to run. Carry him, please?

Bruno shrugged, before I could protest, he slung me over his shoulder like a sack of rice then took off in a jog with Suzaki. I sure didnt like being hauled around, but the mousy boy was right. The Lantern District would react harshly to a bunch of delinquents beating the crap out of a Sect member.

Suzaki conjured that emerald halo of his as we fled, throwing it on my head. Moving must hurt, I know, Im really sorry. Im especially sorry since I worried Bruno was up to something like this again but was too scared to bring it up in case it gave him the idea we were almost to the bikes.

Ha! Knows me well! Suzakis great when youre about to fight! Too bad he couldnt heal that young master so we could go again! They are the Best! Always getting worked up over small things, then we get to trade glorious blows! Hahahaaha! I dont even have to ask for a spar, theyre always ready to go! Bruno was still in a casual jog, despite the injuries hed sustained. Unreal.

Wasnt fair how he could take hits like that, and his Soul Ability. That fire was fucking overpowered. People probably avoided him when they found out about it, meanwhile, mine was a coin flip on whether or not itd hurt or help. I dug my nails into his shoulder, not to cling better, but to get a modicum of revenge. He didnt even flinch. Venom filled my veins, as Bruno shoved me on his bike. His bike. I didnt have one, that stung too.

Did he struggle like me? What life did he even live? Whenever I had a second to ask about where he was from, the big guy dodged my questions. Nothing ached anymore as the engine revved, leaving me with pure exhaustion and rage at these people. Then the emerald halo shattered, dunking me in shame.

My resentment vanished in an instant. But I still felt a flicker, buried deep in my heart. I hated it. We split from the Lantern District. Guilty. Tired, but also victorious. Id gotten that psycho Sect member in the back, and done a bit of heavy lifting in the fight. Maybe I wasnt Bruno. Didnt have a ridiculous Soul Ability like him. Wasnt capable of healing people like Suzaki could. But in my own way, Id done what they couldnt do. Without me as a distraction, Bruno wouldve never closed the distance to Yang.

Me?

If Id gotten a chance. Maybe if Fickle Fate went my way threeno, two times in a row in that fight. I dont think I wouldve needed Bruno at all. Hell, maybe I wouldnt have needed Suzaki to patch me up after if I got lucky enough. With my Soul Seed, the chance of winning was never zero. Those two didnt have that, no one else did.