A strange red flame curled around it—no smoke, no heat… as if it had emerged straight from hell itself.
The man holding it was massive, with bloodshot eyes and smoke dripping from his mouth from a short cigarette. Behind him stood two others. One was extremely skinny and held in his hand a yellow roll—thick adhesive tape.
"Debt?"
What did they mean by debt?
Had the owner of this body truly found no one else to borrow money from except these people?
"Salmon," I tried to defuse the situation calmly.
The three men froze in place for a moment.
"What did you just say?"
asked the massive one, his face scowling.
I tried again, with all the strength I could muster:
"Tonkatsu."
His face twisted instantly, anger blazing in his eyes.
"Are you mocking us, you bastard?! Grab him!"
I didn't move.
No—I couldn't move.
Ever since I was reincarnated here, I felt this immense weight on me.
The skinny man lunged forward with surprising speed. Before I could react, he wrapped the tape tightly around my body—around my arms, then my chest, and finally down to my legs.
"Tsssshhhk!!"
I heard the sound clearly.
I collapsed to the ground, bound and helpless.
The massive man approached me with a mocking grin.
"Three months you've been telling me you'd pay your debt, and now you try to mock us? 'Salmon'? You've really lost it, haven't you?"
He raised the bat high.
I couldn't scream.
No defense.
No escape.
No words to save me.
Then—
"BOOM!"
A powerful kick—or rather, a direct hit to my stomach—so strong it forced the air from my lungs in one violent rush.
I felt it reach all the way to my spine.
"Aaaargh!"
A muffled scream escaped—mixed with pain and humiliation.
I tried to move, to speak a word of destruction like Toge from anime… but all that came out was:
"Mackerel… curry… salmon…"
The man leaned closer, staring into my face.
"Still want to play games, huh?"
He gestured to the skinny one.
"I won't hit you with this bat… but I do know something that might cheer you up."
He pointed at his friend.
"Bring it."
The skinny man disappeared for a few seconds… then returned.
In his hand was a small knife.
But it wasn't ordinary.
It was glowing red—its edge pulsing like it had just come out of a furnace. The heat radiated from it, vibrant and dangerous.
He knelt by my feet… then reached for my face, grabbing my eye and bringing the blade dangerously close to my pupil.
"You know what we do to people who delay payments, right?"
My mind started to spin.
I felt something inside me trying to emerge, like a trapped power, but it was bound.
Yet my body remained frozen, as if fear had locked me in a block of ice.
The blade was nearing death.
Closer… closer…
I felt the heat of the knife sting the air separating it from my eye—
Then, unintentionally… unconsciously… a word slipped from my lips.
"tuna..."
The massive man's voice cracked with pure rage, his veins fully bulging on his forehead. "From now on, if you dare utter a single one of those cursed food names, I swear I will smash your teeth!"
I tried to speak, but the realization hit me: anything I uttered would become a death warrant in this powerless body. I remained completely silent, simply staring at the man.
"...." I tried to remain silent as much as possible, especially after I scrutinized the house and realized the miserable state of the neighborhood. Therefore, they might truly go as far as killing me if I try to anger them.
"Hey, why don't you say anything?... Tell me where my money is, you bastard!" The massive man gripped my head in his hand, cursing incessantly. Inside, I was screaming:[ Damn it... how can I speak when I'm stuck in this body?]
I persisted in my silence, hoping this fool would eventually give up, but my quiet defiance only fueled his fury.
"Hah... so now you're mocking me!" The massive man sighed, his momentary disappointment instantly transforming into overwhelming rage.
"Hey, you damned idiot!"
With an unbelievable, savage grip, the massive man seized my hair, yanking my head back violently and exposing my neck completely. The pain was searing, like my scalp was being forcefully ripped away.
"Remember, you started this!"
The first punch landed heavily on the side of my head. It wasn't a professional strike, just a huge, messy fist, but it was enough to cause a loud, painful ringing in my ears, making my eyes tear up.
The other two immediately joined the assault.
The The huge man bandoned the knife and focused on pinning me, pressing his knee forcefully into my back as I lay bound on the ground, making breathing a desperate struggle. The third man, who had been silent until now, began kicking my left side mercilessly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each kick that landed on my ribs and waist felt like an electric shock. I felt a sharp, tearing pain with every exhale. My body bounced violently off the rough ground with each blow.
"This is what happens to those who ignore their obligations!" the huge man yelled.
"Where's the money? Where is it?!" the skinny man screamed, tightening the adhesive tape around my chest, further constricting my frantic attempts to draw a deep breath.
"AAAAAAH"
I tried to utter a word, but his throat wouldn't produce any sound, only a distorted moan.
The massive man stood up, muttering vile curses, swaying his hand for a moment before raising his colossal fist, ready for the final blow.
"hoooh....."He took a deep breath, then aimed a thunderous punch directly at my temple.
Boom !!!!!
I felt something warm and metallic flooding my mouth. It was blood, the result of the previous blows that had rattled my skull. The thick, salty taste of iron spread across my tongue for a fleeting moment, bringing a final spark of consciousness.
In that critical instant, across the void that was starting to consume me, a single, crazy desire was born in my heart, a feeling I hadn't known before: "I hope you are all crushed to death!"