Bang.
A perfect arc.
A human-shaped shadow was launched through the air, then slammed heavily into the ground.
Splat.
The sound of flesh being flattened into mince.
The sheer impact left a shallow crater in the pavement.
"Pff… haa…"
Ke Ming let out a long breath, bending over with his hands braced on his knees.
After a full day of this, he was about to collapse.
The "ingredient" had been ruined again—reduced to a puddle.
"Chef… next time… maybe go a little easier."
This was supposed to be practice—getting him used to the prosthetic. Instead, it felt like the Head Chef was just showing off strength so absurd it didn't belong to a human being.
Even a rhinoceros probably couldn't ram someone two or three streets away and turn them into meat paste.
"Ahaha!"
The Head Chef scratched his head awkwardly.
"I got a bit too excited."
It was unusual. Normally, Ke Ming's head would've earned a vicious flick, or at the very least a long lecture.
Whether Ke Ming was right or wrong didn't matter—Chef was always right.
Guess he's made real progress, Ke Ming thought.
That was the most reasonable explanation.
In Alley Twenty-Three, everyone knew the Head Chef of Xinxu Garden had always pursued the absolute pinnacle of cooking.
…
Not far away—on a rooftop.
"So the chef's doing one of his freak experiments again?"
"In my opinion—yes, my dear Mr. Liffel."
"Damn it… the 'sacrifice' every time Xinxu Garden closes—was that kid?"
"Self-evidently."
"You're telling me a kid wearing the coat of a Section Chief from the Six Association's Third Division would be mixed up with the Chef?"
"I don't believe I would make a mistake in that regard."
"Then where did he—this—coat—come from?!"
Liffel grabbed Richard by the neat collar of his suit, eyes wide.
"Liffel."
Richard sighed and patted the back of Liffel's hand.
"Just as you suspect. It's Ko's coat."
"F—."
Liffel released him, lowered his head, and forced out a curse.
"Liffel…"
"Who did it."
He snapped his head up, staring hard at Richard.
"Answer me."
"All I know is that he completed a commission for us in the outskirts."
The floor cracked—Liffel's right foot sank deep into it.
He clenched his fists so tightly his hands shook, hunching forward as his whole body trembled.
"Calm down."
The silver-haired elder took a quick step and vaulted onto the roof, lightly patting the brim of Liffel's baseball cap.
Liffel spun around and threw a punch—hard—straight at the old man.
The elder didn't dodge.
The fist skimmed past his hair and halted a breath away from his nose.
Liffel suddenly deflated, dropping onto the rooftop with a heavy thump.
"Old man…"
"I know."
The elder in green took Liffel's cap off, crouched down, and met his eyes.
"I'll bring him back alive. I promise."
"But Ko…"
"Liffel."
The old man closed his eyes and sighed softly.
"In our line of work, partings in life and death are unavoidable."
"But that damn commission was supposed to be ours—"
"Enough, Liffel."
The elder opened his eyes and turned his head slightly.
"We are Fixers. We're paid to do the job."
Beside them, Richard flicked at the wrinkles in his suit and gave a polite bow.
"Mr. Lowie—if you'll forgive my bluntness, I told you long ago: Associations cannot be trusted."
"I know. But you're still young, and the City—"
"The City is vicious. The Associations are dogs raised by the Wings—they tell you where to bite, and you bite. You've said it a hundred, two hundred times. I could recite it in my sleep."
Liffel stood up and waved his hand.
"I get it. I do. But I can't swallow this. This mess should've landed on us, and instead it ruined his whole family."
"Stellar… is a discarded piece of the Six Association. Ko took the blade for us."
Richard adjusted his glasses, turned away, and clasped his hands behind his back.
"What we should do now, I believe, is clear to everyone. Mr. Lowie? Mr. Liffel?"
Lowie stood under the moonlight and looked into the distance.
A black-haired little boy was struggling along, dragging his overly long left arm, limping step by step.
"If it were you… what would you do?"
The silver-haired elder stared up at the stars again, murmuring to himself with a distant sadness.
Liffel secretly nudged the edge of Richard's coat and whispered,
"The old man's acting up again. Should we wake him?"
"…I'm not deaf yet."
Liffel stiffened instantly, reflexively snapping to attention, arms straight at his sides.
"You two go back first. I'll bring him back alive."
The elder paused.
"I promise."
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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