"You lot."
The grey-clad shadow spoke for the first time since his arrival, instantly drawing every eye. From across the town, the scattered Inquisitors began to regroup, solemnly flanking Kromer.
Kromer gripped her long nail, her gaze fixed on Putato with a mixture of mockery and malice.
"This isn't something you can walk away from by just paying a fine. You coward, hiding your face, you will stay right here and repent!"
With a wave of her hand, four Mittelhammers warily closed in.
Putato remained still, offering no resistance. He even let the hammer in his hand rest against the ground, for the Death Tattoo had just reached its limit.
"Pain is unique. Attempting to seek sympathy from others only turns it into a common grievance, making even oneself trivial."
"Too many people loathe their own mediocrity, seeking their individuality from others, believing themselves worthless. But there is one thing that is, without question, one of a kind."
Kromer frowned, unable to grasp the grey figure's intent. She signaled a shoulder-clutching Guido to stay on high alert. Suddenly, she felt a pang of regret for not wearing her specialized Nagel und Hammer armor today, being dressed only in an ordinary school uniform.
What is he here for? Does he have Prosthetics? What is he even rambling about?
"At the very least, no two agonies in death will ever be identical. Please, savor it with me, this, the art of life."
"Kill him now!"
Kromer suddenly aimed her long nail at Putato, ready to hurl it. Even though Putato was speaking slowly, a frantic, uncontrollable unease had taken root in her heart, and she could no longer endure it.
The Death Aura expanded.
The vast clearing at the town entrance was instantly saturated with a leaden-grey mist, looking like the grim miasma rising from a withered wasteland.
"AAAAAAAGH!!!"
"Cleanse! THE SINS!!!"
"Merely... a necessary trial!"
Almost instantly, every person except Putato collapsed to their knees. Several clutched their armor, rolling across the ground in a frenzy of madness.
The desperate wails echoing through Calw Town struck terror into the hearts of the townsfolk. One by one, the lights in the houses were extinguished, and windows were slammed shut and bolted.
[Kill all of Nagel und Hammer!]
Enduring the torment of death himself, Putato had long ago learned how to keep fighting by reducing himself to a single thought and letting his body move through sheer, forced resilience.
He reached down and gripped the hammer on the ground.
Kromer had never imagined pain could be so localized and visceral; it felt as if molten lava was being poured into her skull. Her agonized screams twisted her features into a mask of horror. When she saw Putato was still able to move, her eyes bulged.
"G-Ge...!!"
As the person in charge of this operation, Kromer fought desperately to issue a command, but the sound she managed to force out was nothing more than a visceral howl.
THUD!
As Putato used the hammer to crush an Inquisitor's head along with their helmet, the vibration of death's agony spiked once more. Kromer, who had just managed to scramble up, was forced back to her knees in humiliation, her bloodshot eyes fixed intently on the leaden-grey silhouette.
"Execution! Continue!!!"
Amidst the spiraling agony of death, Guido, gripping his long nail with every ounce of strength, actually managed to force himself upright. This jolted the dazed Putato back to reality.
This level of localized, extreme pain should trigger the body's self-preservation instincts; even a will made of iron should succumb to physiological tremors. How could this guy still move without the support of a resilience talent?!
After executing over a dozen Inquisitors in succession, Putato could no longer hold back his own groans. He swung his hammer at the staggering Guido as he approached.
THUD.
Putato suppressed the urge to bash his own skull in and continued the executions. To his shock, he saw Guido crawling back up again; the man's vitality was unnaturally stubborn.
"Judgment!!!"
This time, it was Putato who was knocked down by a horizontal sweep of the long nail. Guido, however, was rendered powerless to follow up by the pain, gasping for air where he stood for a long time before attempting to advance again.
Suddenly, the battle between the two transformed into an agonizingly long turn-based contest. There were no spectators and no rest; the remaining survivors, including Kromer, had been tormented by the Death Aura until their consciousness began to blur.
CLANG!
The white helmet was finally pulverized by Putato's hammer. Guido's face was revealed, covered in translucent green tubes that looked like a nest of writhing green earthworms, nauseating and repulsive. Putato recognized the fluid inside those tubes instantly: Regeneration Ampules!
Putato let out a cold, jagged laugh and turned away, ignoring the rising Guido for a moment.
"Aaagh!!!"
The final few Inquisitors were executed, pushing the Death Aura to a final, peak level. Even Guido collapsed in uncontrollable convulsions, yet he still gritted his teeth and used his iron nail to brace himself upright.
CRASH!!!
The heavy face of the hammer slammed directly into Guido, instantly shattering his teeth, his nasal bone, and the fluid-filled tubes on his face. The liquid immediately sprayed out from the ruptured gaps.
Putato snatched up a long nail and aimed it at the struggling Guido, swinging his hammer with a primal roar.
"Heretic!"
SQUELCH!
The head, still tangled with a mess of hoses, was instantly skewered by the iron nail. Guido's head slumped lifelessly. The zealot's corpse remained standing, propped up by his own nail driven into the earth.
Putato immediately began to retract the Death Aura. He felt fortunate that the number of Inquisitors was limited and that the townsfolk hadn't interfered. The Death Aura, carrying that horrific, lingering shriek, crawled back into his body.
"Aaagh!"
There was no time for rest. There was still one person he had intentionally left for last!
Kromer's dilated pupils focused slightly as Putato approached. Her lips parted, trembling.
"Grey H..."
SQUELCH!
The agony of her right eye socket being pulverized by the iron nail drew no reaction from Kromer; she had been numbed by the prolonged torment of the Death Aura. But the sight of Putato raising his hammer with her left eye made her find her terror once again.
"I... my future... there's still..."
THUD!
The massive iron nail was driven home by the hammer, slamming into Kromer's skull with savage force. Brain matter and bodily fluids immediately seeped from her eyes, mouth, nose, and ears.
A survey of the clearing revealed a nightmare of shattered skulls and skewered corpses. The crude brutality of the scene stood in sharp contrast to the refined display of the Prosthetic users nailed to the billboard earlier.
Though exhausted in body and mind, Putato forced himself to rouse. He decapitated several of the Inquisitors and stored their heads inside the Stasis Preservation Packaging.
Leaning on a long nail for support, Putato slowly made his way toward Sinclair's home. There were no eyes watching him from the surrounding houses, but he could hear faint, stifled sobs, followed by sharp whispers of reprimand, and then complete silence.
Holy shit! K Corp's augmented humans are way too goddamn tanky!
Fumbling for the light switch, Putato slumped onto the blood-stained sofa with a long sigh. He looked at the mangled corpse of a man beside him and shoved it off onto the floor with a look of distaste.
Putato intended to rest for a moment before leaving, but the constant vibration of the communicator in his spare clothes made him realize he had forgotten something.
He picked up the call.
"Putato? Are you done yet? The flower market is about to start."
How could I forget about Yuna?!
"It's like this... I realized Calw Town was way too far and got lazy. My plan was just a whim anyway, I wanted to get some Nest souvenirs for my friends."
"Souvenirs... like concealed weapons? Kid, why do you sound so shifty? You definitely didn't go to Calw, did you?"
Putato's mind, still reeling from the battle, couldn't quite keep up with Yuna's train of thought. He hesitated, unsure how to answer.
"But then you saw a red-light district that was way more high-end than the Backstreets, and you tossed your souvenir hunt out the window, didn't you?"
"Holy shit! Senior Yuna, how did you?!"
"You think I don't know what young men your age are thinking? Exhausted just from a bit of travel... tell me the truth, did you even make it to Calw? You might not make it back to the flower market in time from there."
"Ahem, Senior Yuna, I'd appreciate it if you kept this between us. I'm on my way, I'll definitely make it."
"Don't kill yourself rushing. At most, you'll just miss the opening ceremony. See you there."
Putato dragged his exhausted body out of the house, stripping off the leaden-grey combat suit. He shouldered his backpack and hurried to leave.
Before Guido's body had gone completely cold, Putato yanked out one of the hoses and took a long drag. Though the taste was revolting, the effects of the Regeneration Ampule were undeniable.
Even though they were enemies, Putato respected a guy whose will was strong enough to trade blows with him; he decided to leave Guido's head attached to his body.
He skirted around Calw Town and began a frantic sprint toward the flower market.
...
A motorcycle screeched to a halt on the sidewalk, leaving a black tire mark as onlookers stared.
Putato hopped off the temporarily borrowed bike and hurried away before anyone could catch him.
His motorcycle skills were peaking; with his boosted reaction speed, drifting through traffic was child's play.
Just as Putato was about to contact Yuna, his phone rang, it was a call from the Molar Office.
"Putato, long story short: the conflict between the Void Fist and The Thumb is escalating. We're seeing Void Fist members all over this sector, and there's a surge in related commissions."
"When you're done with your vacation, come see me for the contracts. And be careful when you leave the Nest, don't provoke those lunatics who think they can challenge one of the Five Fingers. The Thumb will deal with them eventually, but stay out of their way for now."
Putato wasn't worried about himself, but these guys were clearly there to seize territory. They wouldn't be friendly to the locals, and he hoped they wouldn't disturb the orphanage.
"Got it. I'm about to head into the flower market; I'll send you some photos."
"Who cares about photos? See if they have any flower-infused wine for me to taste."
"Honestly, sometimes I feel like I joined a bar instead of an Office."
Hanging up the communicator, Putato rubbed his weary face to psyche himself up before finally contacting Yuna.
...
Magnificent, giant floats paraded down the wide boulevard. A colossal, shaggy Christmas tree adorned with countless jingling golden bells rolled past as pedestrians stopped in their tracks to watch.
"What do you think? The Nest is a lot more fun than the Backstreets, isn't it? If this were outside, some jerk would've definitely tried to smash something this beautiful by now."
"Oh? You even took a shower? Did you clean up just to come out and play, or was it a shared shower with someone else?"
Yuna, still holding her milk tea, teased Putato as he arrived late and out of breath, scanning him from head to toe.
"When visiting the flower market with Senior Yuna, one must pay attention to their appearance. I can't go around disrespecting your rank."
"You've got thick skin. For a Fixer, that's a pretty good trait."
The two followed the parade. Dancers atop the floats continuously scattered petals into the crowd, filling the entire street with a pleasant fragrance.
"Vanda, why come all the way to K Nest for Christmas Eve alone? Don't you have any friends? You're a rising star certified by Harold; plenty of people want to get to know you."
"Isn't Senior Yuna alone as well?"
"Hey, blame our small Office size. We have to work overtime even on Christmas Eve, otherwise, we wouldn't even be able to afford the rent for an Office inside the Nest."
"I heard you're a lone-wolf Fixer. Interested in jumping ship to the Dawn Office? I can give you a better cut of the profits."
"I guess taking that shower paid off. Look at me, already being scouted by Senior Yuna."
"HAHAHA, you're a funny guy, Putato. If you joined our Office, you could give Philip a few lessons. A Fixer needs to have confidence like yours."
The parade performance soon drew to a close. Putato ignored the phantom pain in his arm and tossed his empty milk tea cup into a trash can. His alibi for the time of the incident in Calw Town was now effectively solidified.
"I'll have to pass for now. I still need to ground myself at the Molar Office. The Hana Association said I haven't completed enough high-grade commissions yet; I'll have to pull some serious overtime when I get back to make up for it."
"I heard from my friends at the Association that you actually managed to rescue a target right from the hands of a Ring Maestro. Pretty impressive."
Putato waved goodbye to Yuna. As soon as he turned the corner, he nearly collapsed. He felt like he could fall into a deep sleep the moment he closed his eyes. He scrambled to find an inn to burrow into.
The grogginess hit him like a physical blow. The moment Putato closed his eyes, he sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.
...
The next day.
Through a thick fog of exhaustion, Putato heard his communicator ringing. Irritated, he scratched his head and rolled back and forth on the bed before finally forcing himself up to answer.
"My dear friend, thank you for being so dedicated to the cause of artistic creation. When I saw the news, I was literally shaking with excitement."
"Who the hell is this?!"
"Your friend from The Ring, the future Maestro, Kokochi."
"Beat it, you stray dog! Leave me alone!"
Putato tossed the communicator aside, hugged his pillow, and tried to drift back to sleep. But the moment his eyes closed, the device started chiming again.
Can't these City psychos just give it a rest for one minute?!
"You saw the N Corp bulletin, right? Quite a few of those Nagel und Hammer idiots died last night, skulls pulverized by iron nails. I'm willing to bet you've got five heads for me, don't you?"
"I'm actually a bit embarrassed. Please convey my gratitude to Maestro Grey Haze. I didn't expect my thesis outline to be treated with such... intense consideration."
Putato stared blankly at the wall, stunned by the bashful, almost shy female voice on the other end. This psycho's internal monologue was apparently quite vivid.
"Can you arrange a meeting with the Maestro? I'm willing to pay any price. I'll make sure no one else finds out."
"Get lost."
Kokochi's voice turned cold instantly.
"I wasn't talking to you. Just get the items to me as soon as possible. I have a gift I want to send to the Grey Haze."
"What kind of gift?"
"I wasn't talking to you."
The call disconnected. Putato's sleepiness had vanished entirely; he got out of bed, washed up, and headed out immediately.
[Find Obana.]
The streets were littered with confetti from the night before, and crushed flower petals were piled in the gutters. Putato strode forward, weaving past the leisurely strolling pedestrians.
Even though he wasn't doing anything overt, his hurried, predatory pace drew several sideways glances.
"Did you hear? Yesterday I saw a bunch of guys in armor heading over that way. I never thought something like that would happen."
"Is Grey Haze some lunatic from the Backstreets? How the hell did he even sneak into K Nest?"
As Putato walked, he felt a faint sense of familiarity from the surrounding architecture. An uneasy feeling took root in his heart, though he ignored the gossip, it wasn't the first time he'd heard it.
Wait... isn't this the road to Calw Town?!
Putato snapped his head up and realized the shortcut leading to Calw had been cordoned off. Standing before the police line were elite Zwei Association Fixers; they held their greatswords with both hands, their expressions cold as they barred anyone from approaching.
The surrounding crowd whispered and gestured in curiosity. That's when Putato spotted a person in medieval armor standing stiffly at the mouth of the alleyway.
Soon, a luxury car pulled up outside the security line. A petite woman opened the car door; her long, wavy green hair gave her an air of quiet cuteness.
As she stepped out, she frowned at the armored figure in the alley, her gaze lingering for a moment on the nail-and-hammer emblem on the person's chest before she moved forward.
Armed K Corp security personnel stepped out of the car to follow her, and a drone that had been perched on the roof took flight to hover overhead.
Hiding behind a wall, Putato was one hundred percent certain that this was the Obana he was looking for. He was both surprised and delighted; he hadn't expected Obana to be hiding inside K Corp, yet here she was, showing up in person.
But he quickly understood what was happening. After all, no one would have suspected Putato possessed an illogical talent like Unfettered, as long as they were in The City, no one could escape his tracking!
It seemed K Corp had just happened to dispatch Obana to handle the fallout from the Calw Town incident. For Putato, this was nothing short of a godsend!