Back inside Tool Guy's shop, the atmosphere was relaxed and warm as everyone browsed the shelves, the soft clinking of metal tools and quiet chatter filling the space with a comfortable buzz.
"Hey, Sasha, show me the locket Zack gave you," Nat asked casually, though her eyes gleamed with curiosity as she continued searching through the displays.
"Huh? Why should I?" Sasha covered her chest protectively, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes as she took a small step back.
"Just show me for a second!" Nat reached forward with determination, pushing aside Sasha's defensive hand and stretching the collar of Sasha's crop top, pulling out the delicate locket to examine it more closely.
"Kyaa! Princess Natlia is harassing me!" Sasha shouted dramatically, her voice pitched high in mock panic as she placed the back of her hand against her forehead like a damsel in distress.
"Shut up, you witch," Nat muttered, though a smile tugged at her lips. "Hmm, so it's like this... good. I'll also buy something like this. Let's see where I can find one." She released Sasha after checking the locket's intricate design and walked away thoughtfully, already scanning the shelves with renewed purpose.
"Geez, can't you find something special for yourself? Don't copy what my brother gave me!" Sasha called after her, smiling arrogantly as she adjusted her top, clearly pleased with herself and the attention her gift was getting.
"Shut up! Just because he gave you a locket, don't fly to the moon! He didn't have much time—otherwise he would have brought me something too. Grr, shoo, shoo! Don't disturb me!" Nat pouted in frustration, waving her hands dismissively as Sasha kept troubling her playfully, following behind with a teasing grin.
.
"Brother Zack, what should I take? I can't understand," Sio asked softly while looking around the shop with wide, uncertain eyes, Zack standing close by her side.
"Hmm, you said something for your legs, right? Looking for something particular?" Zack asked gently while checking the shelves beside her, his fingers trailing over various tools.
"I... I want to become stronger, Big Brother Zack." Sio's voice dropped to barely a whisper, her shoulders sagging slightly. "My punches and kicks are not strong enough to defeat some people." Her head hung low as the memory of her fight with that man in the alleyway flooded back—the helplessness, the fear, the burning shame of not being able to protect herself.
"Hmm, you're already strong, Sio. Just because you can't defeat someone doesn't make you weak!" Zack looked at her with gentle encouragement, his voice warm and reassuring.
"But! I still couldn't do anything to him! While he... he... grr, he's a very bad and strong man, Big Brother Zack! I want to defeat him!" Sio clenched her small fists in anger, her knuckles turning white as her eyes grew wider with determination and fury, tears threatening to spill.
"Sigh... Sio, look at me." Zack knelt down slowly, bringing himself to her level. He lifted her face upward with gentle fingers to meet his eyes. He brushed her hair back, making it fall softly behind her ears, then asked in a tender voice, "Who do you think is the strongest among us?"
"Hmm, I don't know. Everyone is good, Brother Zack," Sio answered in slight confusion, her face easing a bit as she focused on his calm expression.
"Fine, then tell me—who looks the strongest? Big Guy, right?" Zack said while still touching her hair gently, his fingers combing through the strands with care.
"Hmm, yes." Sio nodded while a small smile appeared on her face.
"Then can you think Big Guy could defeat Fia?" Zack asked with a knowing smirk, one eyebrow raised playfully.
"Hehe, never!" Sio also smirked at the thought, her mood lightening as she imagined that impossible scenario.
"Then what about the strongest person in this world? He could defeat anyone, right? But if he gets injured or gets sick, is he still the strongest practically?" Zack asked, now resting his hands on his knees and looking straight into Sio's eyes with serious intensity.
"No, Big Brother. How could he defeat anyone if he's sick or injured?" Sio answered obediently, her head tilting as she thought about it.
"Then aren't you the same as them? You can't always defeat someone powerful on your own, Sio. Even I today nearly lost to another person." Zack spoke warmly, his voice filled with understanding and a hint of vulnerability that made his words feel more real.
"Huh! Brother Zack, you were beaten? Then how did you come back in one piece? You look fine to me! Are you lying to me, Big Brother Zack?" Sio pouted angrily, suspicion filling her eyes as she looked him up and down for any signs of injury.
"Haha, why would I lie to you? I did lose to him, but I still won in the end with the help of my people." Zack smiled warmly as he patted her head affectionately and continued, "Sio, you can never be the strongest, able to defeat everyone. There are many ways a person could get defeated. You don't have to bear the burden alone, and at the same time, you should also work hard to make yourself stronger so you can defeat your enemies. I also want to defeat that dreadful man who's targeting your big sisters. I can't do it alone, so I plan to take some help. But at the same time, I also want to become stronger and keep looking for ways to make myself more powerful."
He looked at her seriously, his expression softening with brotherly love. "You should never think you are weak, but also never think you are the strongest and undefeatable—that will bring trouble. So, my cute little sister, take help when you can, and we will look for a tool that will help you become stronger. Something like this—A SUPER-DUPER DELUXE, EXTRA POWERFUL, CUTE SHOES FOR MY CUTE SISTER! Heheh!" Zack suddenly brought out a pair of shoes from behind his back with a flourish—beautiful red high-ankle shoes colored with cute red flowers that seemed to shimmer slightly in the light.
Sio was slowly absorbing Zack's teachings, her young mind processing each word carefully, then suddenly her eyes landed on the cute pair of shoes. "KYYYAAAAA! BIG BROTHER, THEY'RE SO CUTEEEEEE! WHAT ARE THESE? HOW CAN THEY HELP ME?" Sio squealed enthusiastically, taking the shoes with trembling hands and examining them closely, her eyes sparkling with wonder as she turned them over and over.
"Hehe, these are similar to mine but much better. Mine can give me a boost of speed for a few seconds in one direction only, but these little fellows can boost your leg speed in every direction. That means from wherever you kick, these will help you land extra-powerful kicks. But of course, remember—tools are just tools. They can help you, but don't rely on them every time. Understood?" Zack smiled warmly as he helped her put them on. Sio placed her hand on his broad shoulder for balance as Zack lifted her feet up gently, one at a time, and carefully placed the new shoes on both her legs, adjusting the straps to fit perfectly.
"But Brother Zack, isn't this a more complex tool, so the price..." Sio started worrying, biting her lower lip.
"SHHHHSSHHH!" Zack pointed his finger to her lips gently, silencing her with a playful smile. "Shut up and try it. See how these fit, then tell me if something feels wrong."
Sio, with slight tears of happiness glistening in her eyes, accepted the gift gratefully. She started dancing around energetically while running through the shop, trying out some of her moves as she ran and twirled, her new shoes making soft tapping sounds against the floor. "Heheh, Big Brother Zack, these are so good! I feel like I could fly now! Hehehhe!" Her laughter rang out like bells, pure and joyful.
Everyone in the shop smiled warmly, watching her play with her new tool, their hearts touched by the sweet moment between brother and sister.
"Ugh, I also want something cute," Little Princess grumbled jealously, watching Sio with envious eyes.
"Hmm, Little Princess, you want something cute too? Here, see this super-deluxe micro-enhancer chest guard that could deflect anything back to the attacker!" Big Guy said innocently, holding up a bulky piece of armor from a shelf.
"Huh? Big Guy, how is this cute?" Little Princess asked flatly, clearly not impressed at all as she stared at the heavy, practical armor.
"Hmm, then how about this super-legendary beast-mode hand band?" Big Guy showed her a band made of animal skin with black and blue textured patterns, thinking it looked quite nice.
"Uggh, Big Guy, that is so ugly! No, no!" Little Princess refused again with a disgusted look, wrinkling her nose and shaking her head vigorously.
"Sigh, I guess I can't really know what's good for a girl..." Big Guy sighed heavily while glancing over at Sio, who was happily showing Zack her new shoes with excited gestures.
Little Princess saw his disappointed expression and sighed too, her heart softening. "Big Brother Blake, don't worry about silly things. You can learn as you go. Here, see—girls like these kinds of things." Little Princess moved closer and gently began explaining some out-of-this-world knowledge to Big Guy, pointing at different items and explaining why some were appealing and others weren't.
After a lot of new knowledge being poured into his head, Big Guy still looked confused.
"Ugh, my brain is exploding! How come one is cute and the other's not? I find both equally good!" Big Guy said while bringing out two scarf straps—one filled with neat symmetrical designs in one solid color, the other more colorful with cute curvier designs and patterns that swirled playfully.
"Huh? Big Guy, clearly this one is more cute! How can you not know? See how colorful and cute the design is!" Little Princess argued while trying to make Big Guy understand the mysterious concept of cuteness, holding up the colorful scarf and shaking it for emphasis.
"Hahaha, Brother Blake, leave it! You can't understand girls' choice of cuteness! Hahah!" Alfie laughed from where he sat on the table beside them, clearly amused by the whole situation.
"Huh? What are you blabbering about? It's not like you can understand either, you stupid-face Alfie! Your cupboard is filled with similar clothing, and you only have a few pairs! Your house is so boring-looking!" Little Princess roared while marching closer to him, leaving a confused Big Guy still trying to figure things out behind her.
"Hey, hey, don't judge my house! It's good, clean, and organized. What more do you need?" Alfie said casually, putting his hand behind his neck while sitting cross-legged on the table with a relaxed posture.
"That's why you also don't know anything about cuteness!" Little Princess smirked triumphantly, crossing her arms.
"Oh, but I do know you looked cute in those morning clothes of yours. Heheh," Alfie teased with a smirk, his eyes glinting mischievously.
"Huh! What are you saying?! I told you it was COMFORTABLE! YOU HEARD ME—FOR COMFORTABILITY! It was not cute at alllll!" Little Princess roared with a red face, her cheeks burning as she pointed at him accusingly.
"Hehe, I heard you. Don't shout. Okay, it was for COMFORTABILITY!" Alfie smirked wider, clearly enjoying her flustered reaction.
"Grr, you bastard!" Little Princess started bickering with him heatedly, their voices rising and falling in playful argument.
.
"Hmm, Mr. Stein, I want this locket attached to a globe!" Princess Natalia said as she and Sasha approached a big table. They placed the locket carefully on its surface. Tool Guy, who had been resting with his eyes closed and feet propped up, stretched his arms lazily and put his legs down from the table to look at what they'd brought.
"Hmm, good, good. You can take it—this will suit you," Tool Guy said with an approving smile while swiftly attaching the globe to the locket with practiced hands and giving it back to her.
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Stein. I also want to..."
TAAAKK!
A soft-landing sound came from directly in front of her, cutting her words short.
"Huh! Alfie, what..." Princess Natalia and Sasha said in surprise as they saw Alfie suddenly appear in front of them, his full face smirking dangerously. He had ducked down slightly, his body tense and ready, a dagger gripped firmly in his right hand.
"Kekek, finally!" Alfie said while smirking dangerously, his eyes sharp and focused on something above.
"What are you..." Princess Natalia and Sasha were about to ask when—
"HEHE!"
"TSK!"
"HMM!"
Three faint grunt sounds echoed through the air, then—
BOOOOOMMMBBBB! SSSWWOOOOSSS! TAAANNNNGGG!
Two men and a woman suddenly appeared above Alfie like ghosts materializing from thin air. The breaking sound of glass shattered through the shop as wind rushed violently inside, ruffling everything—papers flew, tools rattled, and everyone's hair whipped around their faces.
One man wore all-black assassin armor that seemed to drink in the light. A deep hood covered his head and face, with a hard silver mask that had sharp slits for eyes, giving him an inhuman appearance. Black feathers stuck out from his shoulders like raven wings, and a cloak with split ends behind his back made him look like a flying monster straight out of nightmares.
Another man wore a different outfit—more clothed with lots of metal armor strapped to his shoulders, wrists, chest, and legs. The plates clinked together as he moved. He wore a mask that only covered the lower half of his face, leaving his sharp, killer eyes fully visible—cold, calculating eyes that had seen too much death. He looked like a deadly mercenary who killed for a living.
Then there was a woman wearing a tight white and black bodysuit that stopped just under her breasts, leaving her toned, athletic midriff completely bare. The top had hard white armor plates covering her chest with yellow lines running along the edges, giving her a sleek, dangerous look. Her body was coiled like a spring, and she looked as sharp and deadly in her deadly looking mask as the sword gripped in her hand.
The scene froze for a split second—Alfie in the middle standing above the table, Princess Natalia and Sasha in front of him with shock written across their faces, and Tool Guy falling backwards from his chair with a startled yelp.
TAANNNGGGGGG! CRRIICCCHHHHHH!
A sharp metallic sound rang out, echoing through the shop as Alfie blocked a vicious sword strike with his small dagger, using only his right hand. The impact sent vibrations up his arm, but he held firm. He glanced diagonally back to his right and saw the woman assassin holding the sword, her muscles straining as she pushed against his block. He thought with a dangerous grin and said in a low voice that dripped with anticipation, We meet again, kekek.
Seeing his grin, the woman also made her eyes squeeze together—clearly smiling beneath her mask, recognizing him from their previous encounter.
THUMMPPPPPPPPPPP!
With his left hand, Alfie barely managed to slow down a brutal punch. The mercenary-looking enemy's fist was covered in thick metal armor, the impact hurting Alfie's hand as bone-crushing force transferred through his palm. The punch went past him, aimed directly at Princess Natalia's head with lethal intent.
BOOOMMMM!
The raven-winged armored enemy landed heavily behind Alfie on the ground with a thunderous impact—different from the other two who had landed on the table. This man went straight for Tool Guy instead, his hands reaching out in a grabbing motion, clawed fingers extended.
"AGHH!" Alfie grunted, realizing he couldn't defend everyone at the same time. His body was stretched thin between multiple attackers. But he still smiled widely because he wasn't alone—he never was. He caught a glimpse of Zack already moving, instructing everyone quickly with hand signals and sharp commands. Kekek, let's see who stays alive at the end, Alfie thought as he braced himself, taking the brunt force of two attackers pressing down on him from different angles.
Then, as if time seemed to slow to a crawl, the armored man's punch kept getting closer and closer to Princess Natalia's face, mere inches away from crushing her skull...
"Lurrrrrr!"
WWHHOOSSSHHHH! WHHOOOSEEE!
Lurvi came flying in front of the armored man with incredible speed, her small body a blur of motion—TAAKKK!—she collided hard with his face, her tiny body somehow making him lose his balance and slowing down his devastating punch just enough.
"AGHH! What is this?!" The armored man grunted in irritation, his voice muffled behind his mask as he swatted at the small creature. Then his eyes widened as he saw Princess Natalia and the other woman getting dragged away rapidly with two big scarf cloths—one with simple, neat designs, another one a colorful scarf cloth with cute patterns.
SWWOOOPP! SWWOOOPPPP!
"Huh!" Both ladies, their minds still reeling from the sudden attack and not really processing what was happening, got pulled backward forcefully by Big Guy's two scarf cloths—the same ones he'd been examining just moments earlier.
"Hmm, it works the same. Is there any difference?" Big Guy thought aloud while dragging the girls toward him with surprising gentleness despite the urgency, still puzzling over the cuteness issue even in the middle of an ambush.
"LLURRRR!" Lurvi, after destabilizing the armored man and letting him stumble to the ground, swiftly dashed like a thunderbolt toward Alfie's shoulder, her little body moving with purpose.
"Thanks, Lurvi! You're the best!" Alfie said softly with genuine warmth while twisting his body to let the woman's sword pass harmlessly through the space where he'd just been, then immediately punching forward with his left hand toward the woman enemy's exposed midsection.
"Lurr!" Lurvi meowed urgently and went WHOOSHHH behind Alfie's back in a flash, trying to tackle the raven-suit man, but he had already seen her coming and backed away swiftly, his cloak billowing.
THUUMMPPPPP!
Alfie's fist connected solidly. He heard and felt the woman enemy getting punched hard on her naked belly, the impact forcing the air from her lungs as she was thrown away from the table. She flew backward through the air. Coincidentally, the raven man and the woman enemy came to the same spot while both were retreating, their paths crossing.
Without hesitation, the raven guy, while pulling back, suddenly turned and punched with his left hand toward the unsteady-footed woman enemy—BOOMMM! He hit her brutally at her side ribs with enough force to crack bone, sending her flying away in pain to the other side, changing her direction a full 90 degrees toward the right.
"Aghh! Fuck! What's with this—punching me! Tsk!" The woman stumbled and hit the ground hard, pain shooting through her side. CRRRIICCHHHH! She used her sword to gain footing by stabbing it deep into the ground, using it like a crutch to stop her momentum. "Ughh..." She groaned, trying to catch her breath.
She quickly assessed her surroundings, her training kicking in. To her left, diagonally forward, Alfie stood looking surprised, his eyes wide as he watched the raven man punch her. Then she saw to her right side at a perfect 90-degree angle—Big Guy pulling the two ladies to safety.
TIK TIK! PUUUUFFFFF! PUUFFF! TEEARRRRR!
Multiple sounds came in rapid succession. Suddenly the shop filled with thick, heavy smoke that poured out like a living thing, obscuring everything. The wind from the broken windows tried its best to blow it away, rushing through with whistling sounds, but the smoke still remained for several long seconds, creating chaos.
"Aghh!" Big Guy backed up a little, feeling one of his scarf cloths getting torn by a blade. "Little Princess, GOOOOO and stay low!" he shouted urgently.
WHHOSSHSHH!
Little Princess, without wasting any time, moved toward the two ladies in the smoke with swift, silent steps. SHRRINNNGG! She took out her long, flexible, pointy sword as she moved, the metal singing as it left its sheath.
"Aghh, do I have to pay for this?" Big Guy thought worriedly as he got ready, throwing away the two torn scarfs and now loosening the thick scarfs wrapped around his neck, preparing them as weapons.
"TSK! Be careful, Nat!" Sasha called out. Both women steadied their steps inside the blinding smoke when suddenly a dark figure came from directly above them, dropping like a predator. His hands were spread like claws, trying to pin down Natalia from above.
THUMMPPP!
Sasha saw this just in time and pushed Natlia hard to her left side, throwing her out of danger.
"AGH! Sashhaa!" Natalia cried out.
"It's fine!" Sasha shouted back.
With hurried words exchanged, both ladies got separated in the heavy smoke, unable to see each other anymore.
"Hmm..." Another assassin came dropping from above like a shadow. He saw someone else standing there but didn't bother checking who it was. WHOOSSHHH! He tried to grab Sasha's head with his clawed hand, but she just barely backed up in time, her reflexes saving her.
TTEEARRRR!
But her slightly casual, loose, overhanging crop top got torn easily as the assassin man missed her head but grabbed her top instead, ripping the fabric.
"Aghh!" Sasha tilted forward a little with the momentum, losing her balance.
TAKK! BOOOMMM!
The man landed with precision, his feet hitting the ground perfectly balanced, and threw away her torn top carelessly. His eyes traveled downward and he saw her beautiful chest—a cute and sexy bra covering her bountiful breasts, her smooth skin exposed.
"Kekekke, I'll kill you first, but before that, let me taste those things! Kekek!" The assassin man laughed darkly as he lunged forward toward a dizzy Sasha. She'd gotten hit at the last minute on her head with his foot during the landing—not a strong hit, but still enough to make her sting and see stars for a moment.
As Sasha's eyes focused and the world stopped spinning, she saw the man coming closer with predatory intent in his eyes. Then he grabbed her roughly by her naked waist with both hands and—THUMMPPPP!—pinned her down hard on the ground, the impact forcing a cry from her lips.
"ACCKKKK!" Sasha groaned in slight pain as the man sat heavily above her stomach and—TEEARRRR!—directly tore her bra to smithereens with savage force, leaving her round, beautiful breasts completely exposed in front of him, vulnerable and bare!
"AAAH!" Sasha could feel his hard bulge pressing against her tummy, the threat clear. But ignoring the fear trying to creep into her heart, she suddenly smiled seductively and brought her hands toward her own chest, fondling herself hard and pinching her nipples between her fingers. "AAHHHHH! UMMMM! Hey, Mr. Assassin, if you taste these big jellies one time, then you can't forget them in your lifetime," Sasha moaned, winking at him while keeping up the seductive sounds, making the man lose himself in a trance as blood rushed to places other than his brain.
"Aahhh, uummmm..." Sasha brought her other hand up and fondled her second breast, squeezing and kneading. "Ummm, touch me, Mr. Assassin. You're already going to kill me, so let me have a taste of a STRONG MAN'S HANDS ON MEEEEE!!!!" Sasha opened her mouth seductively, her lips parting as the man, his blood rising and all thoughts of his mission forgotten, brought his trembling hand toward her breast with hungry intent.
KCCKKK!
"Hmm?" Suddenly his eyes seemed blurry, his vision going dark as he started falling forward, his body going limp.
"Agh!" Sasha saw his neck getting pierced cleanly by a throwing knife, the blade buried deep as he fell toward her, some of his warm blood dropping onto her bare belly. Sasha closed her eyes tight and covered her breasts protectively with her arms, bracing for his weight to crush her. But after a few seconds, she didn't feel anything heavy. Instead, she heard a familiar voice say, "Behave and stay low."
PUFF!
She felt her body getting lighter as the assassin's corpse was moved off her, and a soft cloth covered her naked body protectively. Sasha opened her eyes and saw Zack's broad back—he was now wearing only a tight sleeveless tank top, having given her his shirt. He walked away into the smoke with his goggles on, already moving toward the next threat.
"What 'behave'? I bought you time, you know!" Sasha called after him, reprimanding him with a hint of pride in her voice. But she still wore his shirt gratefully while smiling warmly, pulling it around herself. She kept laying on her back on the ground, looking up at the smoke-covered atmosphere swirling above her, her chest rising and falling as adrenaline pumped through her veins.
"Sigh, it's going to be another long night!" She sighed deeply and just lay there in a daze for a moment, catching her breath and letting her heart rate slow down, knowing the fight was far from over.
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END OF CHAPTER
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Author Blabbering
Peace shattered like glass when it was needed most. In the space between a heartbeat and a blade, roles shift—the protected become protectors, and those who laugh together must bleed together. Lurvi didn't hesitate. Big Guy didn't question. Alfie stood exactly where chaos needed him most.
Every fighter knows the terrible mathematics of battle: you cannot save everyone with two hands, but those who fight beside you multiply what's possible. Some debts are paid in split-second sacrifices, small wings colliding with armoured fists, or a shirt given without asking if she'll return it.
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