Just as Yamato and Burly were clashing, their blades sparking inches apart, Joone moved from behind like a shadow. His brass knuckles gleamed in the dim light as he threw a punch aimed at Yamato's head.
But before the hit could land—
BOOM!
A loud crack echoed as something slammed into Joone's gut. The man's eyes went wide as he was sent flying across the room, crashing through the counter and splintering wood everywhere. Anitta and Carolina screamed and jumped aside, barely avoiding the debris.
Standing there was Fenn, holding what looked like a long pole mallet, its end packed with round metallic balls. A confident grin crossed his face.
"Don't think about ambushing my friends, you big pork cutlet."
Joone groaned from the counter wreckage, clutching his stomach as blood dripped from his mouth.
Seeing this exchange, Burly sighed and stepped back, disengaging from Yamato. "This entire plan has gone to foil," he muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Still clutching his broken arm, Domiré growled, tears of pain and fury streaming down his face. "Kill them! Kill them all!"
But before his men could move—
A voice came from the broken wall.
"That hurt, man."
Everyone froze.
Out from the hole stepped Dante—his face bloodied, his left side bruised badly. He cracked his neck with a loud pop and stood tall, his tone completely casual.
The room went dead silent.
Like come on, man. Everyone saw him get hit clean on the side of his head with a metal baton! Why was he saying that hurt, man like it was just a light punch?
But the most shocked of all was Burly.
"You've got to be kidding me," he said in disbelief. "Are you even human… or are you on your last legs?"
Dante chuckled. "Nah, I'm pretty sure I'm human. And I'm not on my last legs. I feel a little dizzy, but I'll come to in a few."
Yamato shouted from across the bar, "You idiot! You let your guard down for one second and paid for it!"
Dante laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry."
Fenn couldn't help but laugh too. "Dante looks so manly right now though! A man who put his life on the line for a girl!" He turned toward Anitta, who was still frozen in shock. "Anitta, don't you feel like a little princess right now?"
Anitta's face turned crimson. She couldn't deny it—when Dante stood up for her without hesitation, something inside her chest tightened. Do I… like him? But she quickly brushed that thought away. Now wasn't the time.
Joone, still coughing blood, shouted, "Fenn! I'll kill you, I swear I will!"
But Burly raised a hand. "Joone. We're leaving."
Joone blinked. "What? Burly, what are you saying? Don't you remember what we came for—"
Domiré interrupted, still clutching his arm. "Who is Burly to be deciding what happens or what doesn't? I want them all dead!"
Burly ignored him, placing his baton across his back and digging a pinky into his ear lazily. "This operation failed the moment we came in contact with two combatants stronger than Fenn. Even Fenn himself wasn't supposed to be here."
He looked around the wrecked bar. "Now look at it. There's Fenn, who's a formidable opponent in his own right, and these two unknown combatants we know nothing about. Anitta might not be strong, but she's still got combat ability. That makes it four against two—since Domiré-sama here has zero combat ability."
He tilted his head. "Now tell me… who has more chances of dying?"
Yamato chuckled, sword still in hand. "You're quite smart for someone who looks like a battle brain."
Burly laughed. "I'm long past being a battle brain."
Dante groaned. "So we're not fighting then?"
Yamato sighed. "Unless you want to keep damaging the bar and face the wrath of Roy."
The entire room went still. Everyone turned toward Roy, who was standing near the counter, a terrifying aura radiating from him.
Dante squeaked, "Oh no…"
Roy looked around at the mess—the shattered counter, the broken wall—and thought grimly, What are these idiots doing in my bar?
Domiré grit his teeth and glared at everyone. Burly's logic made sense. Even if he didn't believe Burly and Joone would lose, those two unknowns—especially the monster who stood up after getting hit like that—were too unpredictable.
He clenched his jaw and forced a smile. "This isn't over."
Then he turned sharply. "Burly. Joone. We're leaving."
Joone tried to protest. "Domiré-sama, we can't leave yet! I still have to pay back Fenn for his unmanly sneak attack!"
Everyone in the bar silently thought the same thing—Look who's talking.
Domiré shouted, "Joone! I'm the boss here!" His eyes burned with fury.
Joone gritted his teeth, growling under his breath, but stepped back. He, Burly, and Domiré all walked past Yamato and Dante, exiting through the destroyed wall.
The moment they were gone, the tension snapped. Anitta dropped to her knees, exhausted, tears flowing freely.
"I'm not strong enough… I couldn't do anything…" she cried, voice trembling.
Fenn and Carolina were about to move to her side—but stopped when they saw Dante walking toward her.
They smiled quietly and backed off.
Dante crouched beside Anitta, blood still streaking down his cheek. "Anitta… is that guy the reason you want to get stronger?"
Anitta looked up, eyes glistening. Seeing his battered face, she nodded weakly. "Yes… I knew it would come to this someday. That's why I wanted to get stronger. But when the moment came… my fear took over. You got hurt because of me."
Dante stands up and says, "Huh!! Do I look hurt to you?"
Everyone in the bar looks at him confused.
Dante looks at everyone's faces, then at Anitta's face which clearly screamed, "The entirety of your left side is mangled, what do you mean do you look hurt?"
Dante coughs a little and says, "What I mean is this is just a small injury, it's going to heal in a few hours."
Anitta says, "What are you talking about, I don't think you've seen the severity of your injuries."
Yamato interjects saying, "He's not lying. Me and Dante have always had incredible healing."
Anitta stares in shock, then looks back at Dante.
Dante says, "See, this is nothing."
Anitta says, "Thank you."
Carolina, seeing this, says, "Oh my god, what a good-looking couple."
Anitta's face reddens and she says, "Carolina, stop, don't talk."
Dante laughs and says, "Your face is red."
Anitta punches him and glares at him. "Idiot."
Dante says, "Ouch."
Anitta then realizes where she punched him and rushes to pat him down.
Yamato and Fenn seeing this exchange twitch.
Yamato then asks something he's been wanting to ask. "Fenn, where did that weapon come from?"
Fenn smiles and walks back to the stage where his guitar is split in two. He picks up the two pieces. He starts by inserting the long part of the guitar on top of the pole of his weapon, then takes the guitar head and inserts it on the mace part of his weapon, effectively hiding it as a plain guitar.
He smiles and says to Yamato, "What do you think, cool right?"
Yamato says, "Now that I see it, it does look impressive. It's good at deceiving enemies."
On the other side, Anitta sits Dante down on one of the bar stools and puts her hand on the bloodied part of his face.
She says, "If you're telling the truth then this should heal in a few hours like you said, but I can heal you now and I will."
Dante says, "Huh, are you a doctor?"
Yamato stares in shock and says, "Don't do anything that'll make his injuries worse."
Fenn stops Yamato with a smile and says, "Just look."
Carolina says, "It's always such a beautiful sight."
Dante says, "Okay, go ahead."
Anitta says, "Heal," and purple flames engulf Dante's face.
Yamato's face shows anger and he shouts, "Anitta, what are you doing!" drawing his now sheathed blade, but Fenn quickly stops him and says, "It's non-harmful flames."
After a little while the flames die down and Dante just stares.
He says, "Oh, I feel so much better, like nothing happened."
He then looks at Anitta and says, "So cool," with a look of admiration on his face.
Anitta puffs out her chest, smiles, and says, "I can at least do this much."
Dried up tears still evident in her eyes.
Yamato breathes a sigh of relief and sheathes his sword.
Fenn laughs and says, "You really care about your little brother, don't you."
Yamato says, "Of course."
Dante looks at Anitta and says, "Can you do it again?"
Anitta glares at him and says, "My flames are not a party trick."
Then she says, "Even though you're healed, the blood on your face is still scary. You should probably take a bath or something."
Dante says, "Right."
Yamato says, "We still need to find an Inn."
Roy finally speaks and says, "I have an Inn on the island. You can go back with me."
Yamato says, "That's good, at least we can get a room for free."
Roy looks at Yamato maniacally and says, "Don't joke around, do you see the damage in my shop? I'll kill you, kid."
Yamato screeches, something about Roy's aura.
Dante says, "Okay, first we'll take Anitta home and then go to the Inn and rest."
Anitta waves her hand and says, "I'll be fine for now, my father's shop and home isn't that far from here."
Dante says, "But Miss Palm always told me to make sure the women in the village got home safe by making sure I leave them at the door of their house."
Anitta almost feels anger rise up inside her. "Did you escort a lot of girls in your village?"
Dante laughs and says, "A looot of them."
Anitta feels the urge to punch him but holds back.
Seeing this, Carolina chuckles and says, "Someone is jealous."
Anitta says, "I'm not!" in defense while embarrassed.
Then Anitta says, "Besides, I wouldn't want you to meet my father in such a bloodied state. First impressions matter, you know."
Carolina teases again, saying, "Why would you want Dante to make an impression?" and chuckles behind her hand.
Anitta turns red once again.
Roy says, "I'm sure your father would like him more if he saw him in this state and knew all that blood was spilled for you. But I understand what you want."
Yamato says, "Dante, just leave the escorting to Fenn."
Dante says, "Alright," and gets up, walking towards the door.
He turns back and says, "Anitta, Carolina, everyone — bye."
Everyone says bye back, Anitta and Carolina too.
Roy says, "Carolina, you can lock up, even though there's a hole through my wall so I don't know what's the point."
Just as they're about to step through the door, Dante turns back and says, "Carolina, you're not a hag, you're very beautiful." He smiles, then walks out.
Carolina is shocked, then smiles and says, "Anitta, you're going to have a tough time keeping this one for yourself."
Anitta says, "Carolina!" embarrassed.