UBD, Universal Bilmeridian Dollars, is a kind of currency used across the whole world. Bilmeridia is a kingdom located in the southwestern continent that is home to many of the richest people in the world. A kingdom known for its merchants that travel all over the world in order to start their own business.
While every country had their own currency, the overwhelming amount of trading done by Bilmeridian merchants all over the world allowed their own currency to circulate and become change that works no matter what kingdom or city one may find themselves in.
It came to the point where most people carry two separate wallets and use two pockets to hold both their own kingdom's currency, as well as UBDs in case it is needed.
---
"You may be a freak of a kid, but there's no way you can deal with a full group of us!" Titiana's father yelled out as they all presented their own weapons in an attempt to intimidate me.
Most of them had pretty basic weapons that you could expect from gangs—knives and knuckle… whatever-they're-called. But the one who stood out among them was Titiana's father himself. He held an arming, curved sword, a common weapon for those who were in the army of a kingdom, no matter how small of a battle it may have been.
"You aren't the first group that has fought with me, and you certainly won't be the last. I do advise you to flee. Because I don't have pity toward those who I fight against," I calmly commented as I took my hands out of my pockets. "And, even if you don't deserve pity, Titiana is someone I wouldn't want to suffer because I beat up her family members."
"Keep my sister's name out of your filthy reptilian mouth, you disgusting sharp-toothed, green-scaled monster!" Titiana's brother with the lanky, definitely weak build, yelled at me. Although, the shaking of his hands as he held onto the small knife and his sweat clearly denoted his fear.
"Whatever. I'll just finish this one quickly."
With that, I took heavy steps forward, ready to start a fight against this group of eight men.
Titiana's father gestured with his head and five of the men of the group ran at me with their weapons forward.
"Don't just stand there, go and fight!" the man with the eyepatch ordered his skinnier son.
"Heek—!" He flinched and ran toward me behind the group of men that were already dangerously close to me.
Body Strengthening technique: Hardened Scales.
The five men who charged at me seemed to at least be well-trained in street fights, which is way more than the average person. However, it wasn't a hard fight for me to win against. Even with the numerical disadvantage, I still pulled out without breaking a sweat.
Their weapons easily broke when clashing against my hardened skin. Their punches barely caused any significant damage. I took advantage of the temporary confusion they displayed when their weapons broke to punch and sweep my tail like a whip, knocking every single one of them down.
"Aaah! Please, don't hurt me!" The skinny brother fell butt first onto the ground with fear in his eyes as he looked at me. His hand was extended as a weak way to prevent me from getting close as he tried to stand up and run away.
"I've made quick work of this small group you assembled. Is that enough for you to leave me alone? Or do I have to also fight you two?" I asked the two men standing behind—Titiana's father and the athletic-looking older brother.
The father looked like he wanted to say something, but got interrupted by the athletic brother.
"I told you that I'd only bring my men, and I have no interest in whoever you're mad at," he told the father with a calmer tone than I was expecting him to have.
"I give you a house, a roof to sleep under, and you won't even help me kill a disgusting freak of nature trying to take away my own daughter!?" The father yelled out his question, which the brother silently answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
The father clicked his tongue and unsheathed the curved sword. He wore an angry expression on his face as he slowly approached me. He stopped when he got next to the other, scared son.
"Pthu!" The man spat on his own kid's greasy-looking hair—not that he was that young; he looked to already be an adult. "Things will change from now on."
I saw the face of the brother on the ground darken as he lowered his head. Disappointment was probably what the father was thinking of.
I clenched my fist as the man with red hair unsheathed his sword.
In just a single second, both the Vogel man and I attacked in our very different ways—him sweeping with his sword quickly, not wasting time or effort charging up an attack that would leave him open in the wind-up, and I punched forward with my fist, not bothering to defend myself from the edge since the hardened scales in my body would defend the blade from slicing me.
"!!!"
The edge of this man's sword connected with the side of my neck and I felt it bounce as it failed to cut me in any meaningful way. However, the punch I delivered at his chest had the same exact reaction from him—I did no damage to his body.
"You think you're the only martial artist who knows about the Body Strengthening techniques? I can also use them thanks to my time in the army!" he yelled out triumphantly.
"Knowing those techniques isn't the be-all end-all of fights. You can easily see that in that eye injury you've got." My comment seemed to strike a weak point in his mentality, causing him to kick me in the stomach.
However, I grabbed the blade of his sword before he kicked me, causing me not to separate too much from him.
"No matter how much defensive techniques you use at once, an attack can break through it if it's strong enough."
I clenched my fist once again. If he needed the defensive technique against my simple punch with no techniques used on it, then I could easily overpower him by using a technique on my next punch.
Body Strengthening technique: Heavy Fist.
I felt every muscle in my hand harden and freeze in the shape of a fist. It even needed me to put more strength into moving it than I use on the regular. This fist can now even break concrete with ease. Breaking through the defense of some old fart who clearly stopped training and ruined his body in the sorrows of his depression won't be a hard feat to achieve.
"!!!"
A thundering noise, as if someone had shot a weapon, was heard as soon as my fist connected with the Vogel's jaw. His face instantly jolted to the side as he fell to his knees.
I broke the sword I was holding on to and saw its metallic shards fall apart to the side of the now unconscious man.
Once I lifted my eyes, the scared son of the man had already fled the site, but the athletic-looking one stayed there with his arms crossed.
"You're also here to fight me?" I asked confidently.
"No. Unlike my useless father, I have no hatred against you. I was only playing into his hateful game out of respect for the man he once was."
"You gathered the other five—are they part of your gang?"
"It's at least reassuring that you're smart. Yes, they're all my underlings."
We stared at each other with calm expressions, gauging what the other might do. I thought he might want revenge for me harming his goons—which I'd completely understand on his part.
"What is your endgame with my sister?" His question took me by surprise, making me blink rapidly as I processed what he asked me.
"It depends on what he told you," I pointed at the blacked-out old man.
"My father told me that you were taking advantage of Titiana. My younger brother—the one who just ran away—saw our sister go out to buy you clothes and have you working with her. I'll ask once again, and you better answer this time. What are your plans with her?"
"Don't worry about it. I have no plans like that. She found me passed out on the beach after I suffered an accident at sea. She took care of me, and I'm repaying her by working with her. I plan on leaving once next month starts, and she knows about it."
He just hummed as he closed his eyes. "I don't feel as if you're lying. And, honestly, Titiana isn't dumb enough to be taken advantage of."
"You seem to really care about her. She told me she hated every single one of you. She hates that house and the family she lives with."
"And I don't blame her for hating us."
"You know she's saving up money to escape somewhere far away from here, right?"
"Everyone in our messed up family knows, or suspects, about it. But no one can do anything."
"Then she could leave whenever she wants?"
"I don't think anyone'd let her. My father and younger brother live off from what she makes. Our mother is more out with her lover than with us, and they don't want to get involved in the kind of money I make out of fear of what could happen if I get caught."
Hearing that made me feel sick to my stomach. Titiana truly lives in a house that doesn't deserve her. She needs to escape—not in the near future when she gets enough money, she needs to leave that place now!
"I've gotta hand it to you... whatever your name is..."
"Grey."
"Just call me Uli, no need to know more than that. Grey, you're not only strong, but you also managed to do something I never thought possible—making my sister smile even at our house. She gave up lots of things, but you lift her spirits up."
"I'm glad you at least care about her."
"I do. It's just that she shouldn't care about a brother like me."
Another tense silence between us. We stopped analyzing each other and were just having a normal conversation.
"As long as you don't hurt Titiana, you're golden to me. You can leave, I'll take care of this mess."
"Thanks, Uli." I slowly nodded and left the scene.