#976 Downtown Hunter

It’s me, Clemon.

Who would’ve thought I’d get caught up in a kidnapping?

Being a young, naïve girl really didn’t help.

“Man, these chicks are real suckers. Falling for such an obvious scam...”

“That’s why we like them dumb. If they had any brains, they wouldn’t be cute or worth much.”

The crooks who nabbed me are laughing at my expense.

What are they talking about?! I’m a top student at the most prestigious school for future bureaucrats in the Demon Kingdom!!!

But getting caught in such a dumb trap isn’t my brightest moment.

Looking back, the job offer was as shady as it gets.

Negotiable work hours and pay? Yeah, right.

Those are the kind of conditions you offer because you never intend to give them in the first place!

And yet I fell for it...How can I ever make it as a bureaucrat now?!

No, at this rate, even becoming a bureaucrat is a far-off dream.

“Wh-What are you going to do with us...?”

“Well, aren’t you a feisty one? I’ll give you a hint for being brave.”

The leader, cigarette in hand, sneers at me.

Ugh, he smells terrible...!

“We’re just honest citizens making a profit by selling airheaded women like you. Of course, we’ve got other business ventures. This time, though, a special request came in from a customer out in the sticks, so we’re delivering some sophisticated city girls hot.”

What does he mean by hot?!

“To country folk, a city girl is a status symbol. Even an average one fetches a good price. Our clients get their ideal slaves, and we make more than an honest living. It’s a win-win.”

Except there’s no winning for me in this!

This is bad. If I stay, I’ll be shipped off to some remote place, never to return!

Not just that, but they’ll turn me into a slave and lose my dignity!

I have to escape!

As I look around, something cold presses against my cheek.

A sword, glinting ominously.

“Trying to escape now would be stupid.”

One of the kidnappers holds the sword to me.

He’s clearly ready to use it...!

“You may be a precious commodity, but we can’t risk you escaping and ratting us out to the Demon King’s Army. We can’t let you live.”

“Eek...!”

“You’re a city girl smart enough to know that being a slave is better than dying, right? With a good master, you could live much better than here. Being a slave isn’t always a bad thing, y’know?”

The boss smirks, though his eyes are dead serious.

Defy him, and I’m dead.

I knew that in an instant, and this time, my whole body froze.

***

“Enough with the nonsense.”

“?! Who’s there?!”

A voice rings out, making the kidnappers uneasy.

Who?

The bad guys’ flustered tone must mean they don’t know the person.

“Criminals always spout garbage. Slaves being happy? If you believe that, why don’t you try being one?”

“Wh-What?! Show yourself!”

Even the boss is visibly shaken.

“Everyone has the right to live with pride. Slaves are denied that right. Those who support slavery don’t deserve to be called human.”

“I said show yours- ...A human?!”

I gasped at the figure that appeared.

 I recognize the newcomer.

“Master?! Why are you here?!”

It’s my boss from the café!

He has no apron this time since he’s outside of work, but he’s dressed in sturdy, practical clothes. He looks completely different!

I want to ask more, but surrounded by thugs, I can’t speak.

Master glances at me but acts like he doesn’t know me.

Meanwhile, the kidnappers, especially their leader, are panicking...

“This is the Demon Capital! Why is a human here in our territory?!”

“The reestablished Human Kingdom is now allied with the Demon Kingdom. We have envoys and traders here. Didn’t you know?”

“What?!”

“You’re so out of touch with the world, no wonder you’re just a thug. You became a criminal because you’re dumb.”

“Ngrhhhhhhhh!!!”

Wow, Master is really pushing their buttons.

But is he safe? These guys are killers!

“Enough of this nonsense! I don’t care who you are; you’ve wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time! We can’t let any witnesses walk away from here! Men, grab him!”

When the boss gave the order, a few of the goons charged at Master.

But there are still plenty of baddies surrounding me and the other captive girls, so we can’t make a break for it!

“Then again, we’re not heartless. You can choose your fate. Die here and become fish fodder, or cooperate and live. Even male slaves are useful. Work in a mine or on a fishing boat. Either way, you’ll have a fulfilling life!”

“You’re worthless. Just trash.”

“What did you say?!”

What’s going on?

Today’s Master feels totally different from the one at the café. I guess that’s to be expected.

Usually, he’s all gentle and kind with a soft, approachable vibe. But it’s the complete opposite today.

Cold, sharp... like he could cut you just by standing near him.

“You guys are demons, aren’t you? Unfortunately for you, I’m something else entirely. To you, I’m a nightmare.”

“What the?!”

“Don’t expect mercy. You get no choices. Your only option is to descend into hell.”

“Are those your last words?! Fine, if you want to die, we’ll grant your wish! Get him, men! Slice him to pieces!!!”

A few of the bad guys lunge at Master!

Oh no, is Master going to die?!

I was too scared to watch and shut my eyes tight.

But my ears couldn’t block out the screams of “Gyaaah!” and “Aghh!”

Then, silence.

I open my eyes, trembling, and see... men writhing on the ground.

And in the center, the Master stands still, unshaken...

“It hurts! My arm! My leg!”

“Blood! There’s so much bloooooood!”

Did Master cut those guys down?!

Come to think of it, when did he get swords in both hands?!

“You’re nothing but street punks. Killing each other is just an extension of your brawls. You can’t compare to soldiers who fight to the death on the battlefield.”

“Who the hell is this guy?! How is he so strong?! I thought humans were a weak race that lost the war!”

“Humans might have lost, but we fought demons for hundreds of years without a decisive outcome. Don’t you get why that was?”

“Ugh...!”

“Only fools judge by the outcome alone.”

Wow, Master is insanely strong.

Even though he took down a few, there are still dozens of bad guys left.

But all of them are intimidated by just one look from Master!

The bad guys start to whispering among themselves...

“What do we do? Run?”

“I-Idiot. If we run without the boss’s permission, he’ll kill us later.”

“But if the boss is finished, it’s over for us too. Better than all getting caught here...!”

Typical bad guys, already turning on each other.

Maybe we’ll get out of this safely?

But I was too naive.

The bad boss grabbed me suddenly!

“Ahhh!”

“Don’t move! If you take one step, this girl dies!”

He presses a knife to my throat!

Taking a hostage when cornered, how cliché can this get?!

“...”

“That’s right! A hero can’t sacrifice an innocent! Drop your weapons if you don’t want her to die... ugh!”

The bad boss screams before he can finish.

A small knife is lodged deep in his hand...

“My specialty is throwing knives. Hitting an enemy without harming a hostage is easy. I can do it without hesitation.”

Master is holding several knives in his hands.

“At this distance, I can precisely hit anyone here in the eye. If anyone wants an eye patch for fashion, feel free to move.”

“Guh...?!”

The bad boss lets me go, unable to bear the pain.

Seeing that, the other bad guys freeze in place, not daring to move.

“And one last lesson. Taking a hostage when cornered is a bad idea. It limits your own movements and divides your attention between the hostage and the enemy. Your chances of escape drop to less than twenty percent. Not that I’ve ever let anyone escape.”

“Ah...! My hand...!”

“If you really want to escape, you should injure the potential hostage and run immediately. That way, the enemy will be too busy helping the injured to chase you. But even if you did that, I’d track you down and make sure you regret it.”

His tone and gaze are completely different from the Master I knew from the café.

What on earth is happening right before my eyes?