The tavern didn't go silent.
But it shifted.
Not because of shouting.
Not because of violence.
Because of awareness.
In places like Brassfall, people learned to recognize when something important was about to happen. Conversations didn't stop — they simply lowered, becoming background noise beneath the weight of tension settling between two tables.
Ryu watched the man with the rifle carefully.
The weapon leaned against his chair like it belonged there. Long barrel. Reinforced stock. Clean. Maintained. Not decorative — functional. Used often and with care.
The man himself looked ordinary at first glance.
Lean build. Neutral clothing. No dramatic scars across his face. No loud pirate markings.
But his eyes—
Sharp.
Still.
Watching everything without appearing to.
Aira noticed it too.
She set down her cup slowly and leaned back in her chair. "…You've been watching us since we walked in."
The man didn't deny it.
"Yes."
Kenji grinned. "Direct. I like that."
He rested an elbow on the table and tilted his head slightly. "So what gave us away? The charming personalities?"
The man took another sip from his metal cup before answering.
"Your walk," he said.
"Your hands."
"Your awareness of exits."
His gaze moved between them calmly.
"You're hunters," he concluded.
Kenji's grin widened. "And you're observant."
Ryu leaned forward slightly, forearms resting on the table. "You work alone?"
"Yes."
"Bounty hunter?" Ryu asked.
The man considered the question briefly.
"Sometimes."
Kenji snorted. "That's not suspicious at all."
Aira leaned closer to Ryu and murmured quietly, "He's not tense."
Ryu nodded faintly. He'd noticed.
No hostility.
No fear.
No eagerness to attack.
Just… evaluation.
The man finally set his cup down and shifted his rifle slightly so it rested more comfortably beside him. Not threatening. Just ready.
"You're not pirates," he said. "You don't move like them."
Kenji tilted his head. "What do pirates move like?"
"Loud," the man replied. "Sloppy. Confident in the wrong ways."
Kenji laughed quietly. "Fair."
Ryu studied him. "And what do we move like?"
The man met his gaze directly now.
"Like you're looking for something."
Silence lingered a moment.
Then Kenji spoke lightly.
"We're looking for food," he said, gesturing at the plates that had just arrived at their table.
Aira immediately started eating, because priorities.
The man watched them for a few seconds longer.
Then—
A bullet struck the wall behind Ryu's head.
Wood exploded outward.
The tavern reacted instantly — chairs scraping, several patrons ducking or reaching for weapons, the bartender diving behind the counter. But the trio at the center didn't panic.
Ryu didn't even flinch.
Kenji turned his head slowly toward the hole in the wall, then toward the open doorway where the shot had come from.
"…Rude," he muttered.
Outside, boots hit the wooden street in unison.
Multiple.
Armed.
The sniper at the next table sighed softly and stood, lifting his rifle in one smooth motion.
"That," he said calmly, "would be for me."
Kenji blinked. "You bring trouble everywhere?"
"Yes."
Aira groaned. "Of course he does."
The tavern door burst open.
Six men stepped in — all armed, all scarred, all clearly used to violence. Their coats bore the same insignia: a jagged iron fang stitched over the chest.
Bounty hunters.
Or worse.
The one at the front raised a revolver lazily, eyes locked on the sniper.
"There you are," he said. "Been a while, Vale."
So.
A name.
The sniper didn't react outwardly. He simply rested the rifle against his shoulder, gaze steady.
"…You shouldn't have followed me here," he said.
The lead hunter smirked. "Didn't follow you. Followed the bodies you keep leaving behind."
Kenji leaned back in his chair, watching with interest. "Oh, I like this guy already."
Aira muttered, "Can we not get dragged into every conflict within five minutes of landing?"
Too late.
The hunters noticed them fully now.
The leader's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced between Ryu, Kenji, and Aira. He saw the weapons. The posture. The readiness.
"…Friends of yours?" he asked the sniper.
"No."
Kenji raised a hand. "Not yet."
Aira kicked him under the table.
The hunter leader smirked faintly. "Doesn't matter. We're only here for him."
He raised his revolver again — directly at the sniper's chest.
Ryu moved before the trigger pulled.
Not fast enough to be seen as a blur.
Just fast enough.
His knife flicked upward, deflecting the gun barrel slightly as the shot fired. The bullet slammed harmlessly into the ceiling instead of the sniper's torso.
The entire tavern froze.
The hunter leader stared at Ryu slowly.
"…You just made this your problem."
Kenji stood with a sigh, drawing his blade lazily. "We were eating."
Aira stood too, annoyed. "And now we're not."
The sniper — Vale — glanced at Ryu briefly.
"…You didn't need to do that," he said.
Ryu's voice stayed calm. "They were going to damage the tavern."
Kenji blinked. "That's your reason?"
Ryu shrugged slightly. "And it looked annoying."
Vale stared at him for a second longer.
Then gave a small nod.
Understood.
The hunter leader exhaled slowly, adjusting his grip on the revolver. "Fine. New rule."
He cocked the hammer back.
"We kill all of you."
Chairs scraped back.
Steel flashed.
___