"How exactly is spoiling her tragic past to everyone going to increase your image in Kyouka's eyes, may I ask?"
"That…"
Kouyou suddenly struck in her throat with my question, as I just glared at her with an indifferent look while trying to comfort Kyouka here.
Well, based on her reaction, I can confidently say that she doesn't possess any parental skill. After all, despite favoring Kyouka, she didn't exactly teach her anything valuable besides killing, believing that the little girl can only survive by taking from others.
She believes that with such dangerous ability, along with how she likes towards Kyouka, that the little girl cannot live on the bright side, or at least being just a normal girl… and that Mafia is the only place she belongs to.
In other words, she manipulated Kyouka for her to make the conclusion… that she can only kill to live, and no one else outside of her can truly her being accept Kouyou herself.
And that's exactly why…
"Although… I agree with you on one matter, miss Kouyou."
"Hm?"
Kouyou glinted her eyes with confusion yet curious with what I just said, as I slowly made a motionless grind.
"Being innocent is nothing wrong, but you can't just keep being innocent and clueless for your whole life…"
"?!"
"And that's why I won't let Kyouka back to you, miss Kouyou."
Kouyou widens her eyes in surprise at how I agree with her ideology, but I then immediately reassure with my statement, not letting her react to my agreement.
"You…"
"If you want to take Kyouka back, you'll have to walk over my corpse!"
And with it, our possible window for conversation is cut off, leaving no more chances to figure things out between us for now.
"Kyouka!!"
While we were staring down all intimidating, the dreadful scream of Atsushi could be heard from the battle, as his figure quickly approached and knocked down one of the black suits over there with his tiger claw.
"Get away from her!!"
"You…!!"
With an intimidating scream, Atsushi ferociously attacked all the black men as they surrounded Kouyou to protect her and opened fire at once, which didn't budge Atsushi one bit as he continued to smash through their defense despite the injury.
Surprisingly, despite his anger, I can see that he just only knocked me down and not even left a scratch on them, meaning that this guy has held back his strength all that time…
Damn, even at this enraged state he still can't kill them properly… Seem like I have to talk with him a bit about this.
"That's enough, Atsushi!"
"?"
"Let's just leave at that! We don't want to deal with anymore of them!"
After the guy knocked down every single of the black men, beside Kouyou, I signaled him to leave this place as soon as possible which then calmed him down. Also for the record, Demon Snow somehow still managed to pin Golden Demon as of speaking.
We then both try to leave the park as quickly as possible, leaving a frustrated Kouyou behind for the rest to take care of, but then…
"Well, seems like we're just on time ~"
Oh come on!!!! Really, right now?!
I immediately glare back at the two new additions that show up at the park, which are then followed by others' surprise yet concerning looks from Atsushi and Kyouka.
"Those two are… "
"… The Guild member."
Each of them mumbling their identity as they perfectly connect their own words as of one, which I'm paying a hint of surprise at.
Hm, come to think of it, they did have chemistry with each other more than I thought. Both have no parents, possessed uncontrollable ability pre-Agency, having traumatized childhood yet can still grow up with great personalities…
Should I prepare a date for them? As a way to compensate with the fact I pretty much messed up everything?
"Oh my, is that the newcomer?"
Right, Steinbeck, thinking later.
"Yo, Steinbeck-san, Lovecraft-san."
I wave my hand casually at the arriving duo, one farmer-looking man, John Steinbeck and a long coat man with an exhausted face, H.P.Lovecraft. Both Atsushi and Kyouka immediately tensed with their arrival, knowing beforehand with their own eyes how formidable they are.
"It is you! Hi there man!"
"Hrg…"
Realizing who I am by now, Steinbeck greeted me with a widened smile, while Lovecraft just huffed with no focus.
"So, you guys here only mean one thing… taken the tiger back with no witnesses?"
"Yep, you catch on quite fast."
Both Steinbeck and I giggle with each other before the confusion of Atsushi and Kyouka, while Lovecraft just looks around the park with dead fish eyes. Only Kouyou looked at us with a clearly bloodlust gaze, which none of us really cared about a bit.
"Um… what do you mean by that—?"
"He's gonna shredded me, Kyouka and Kouyou-san over there to pieces and carry you back to their lair, you silly ~"
"EH?!"
Atsushi let out a terrified scream, as his gaze toward the duo became more intensified along with Kyouka.
"You know the drill, tiger-man. You either come with us, or there'll be 3 more tombstones after today."
"Never!! I won't go with you!!"
"Well then, suit yourself."
Just as Steinbeck shrugs his shoulders, Atsushi eyes winder in terror as his gaze now turns upward to the grand blue sky, which could only mean one thing…
"Something's coming down!!!"
… Okay, this is kinda out of the line here, but I'm truly curious about who will arrive?
The reason for this is Fitzgerald has the tendency of kicking out any member whose abilities are known to the enemy, which is both inefficient and kind of understandable with his ideas.
Inefficient in which he reduced his own power within the Guild since he shooed away all the potential Ability user, and understandable is due to him being crazily rich, he wouldn't mind getting rid of potential deadweight to avoid further drag within the Guild.
Well, returning to the topic, during yesterday's runaway I, along with both Kyouka and Atsushi, have kinda taken a peek at some member abilities. The most noteworthy ones are Lovecraft, Mitchell, Hawthorne, Lucy and Twain…
In all honesty, out of the bunch, Lovecraft is the least one to counter since his quote-unquote ability is unable to be nullified, as seen with how Dazai getting his ass whooped with one swing, and he pretty much a freaking tank in every way.
The rest isn't that horrible to deal with though…
Mitchell? Surprise attack, as seen with Akutagawa in cannon. Hawthrone? Drop him in the ocean so his blood will dissolve into the seawater, since his ability only works with pure blood.
Lucy? Constraints Anne seem to be the best option, due to how Steinbeck captures her. Twain? Being a martial-arts master and keeping a close distance with him, don't let him hold any type of gun.
… Okay, when I listed it all here, the Guild seems pretty frail for some reasons. They kinda are a let down in the first arc, with most highlights belonging to Port Mafia, Alcott plans and Lovecraft in cannon. Like, they even lose to a kid on his deathbed and a crazy lemon-obsessed maniac in cannon?!
Well, there's some more reason for that loss, but the fact that 2 of them can't really do much back there is still the truth.
Besides, even their boss got bodied by a traumatized kid and the same kid on his deathbed, for the plot…
Damn, talk about a three-sided war…
As I'm still mocking them in my thoughts, something else then crashing down right before us, forcing Atsushi and Kyouka to put on their guard.
And in which somehow, I remind, the 2 Demons still trading clashes!!
What the heck?! Kouyou still hasn't retracted her ability?!
… Whatever.
"You again…"
"Eh…?!"
"Hm…"
"Heh…?"
4 familiar voices coming from the smoke, as the four figures of a young priest, Nathaniel Hawthrone, the red braids, Lucy Maud Montgomery, the middle-age looking guy holding his pipe, Herman Melville, a young teenger with youthful attire, Mark Twain slowly show up before us all with varied expression.
No Mitchell, weird…
Welp, outside of her, seems like Fitzgerald still valued everyone for now huh?
… Which is a bit of a problem for me, since there's only 3 of us and 6 of them, heavily outnumber us in every way…
Even worse, since we're all outside right now, they don't have to hold back their ability like in the hotel yesterday. Damn, talk about Hard Mode…
Ugh! Wish I had made a call back at the Agency in the clothes shop earlier…