The Bounty Hunter

June 3rd, 2089

Kira’s POV

It’s nighttime and I have been taking my usual stroll around the streets of Tokyo.  It has already been 5 months since Terra brought Veronica and me to his world and yet I still find this place so amazing.  Instead of using magic to subvert the laws of reality, the humans have chosen to learn the laws with such fluency that they can apply them in miraculous ways.  Horseless carriages that are powered by lightning, mechanical familiars that provide knowledge, and massive buildings that can touch the sky.  Such incredible things like cars, computers and skyscrapers fill this world and it is only a small portion of the wonders that inhabit it.  It is so inspiring that I have taken to sauntering the streets in the hope of glimpsing more.

I have always loved learning how things work and now I am in a world which embodies that ideal.  I can’t wait to finally attend this place of learning that Terra calls “school”.  Only 3 months to go until I too can start to unravel the mysteries of the universe.  *Flash* “NYA!”  *Smash* *Shatter* …Well, this is awkward.  I was walking by one of those gambling dens they call “casinos” when one of the machines they had out front as a promotional event starting flashing.

A sudden flash of light back home would more often than not mean someone just ambushed you with a magic attack, so I couldn’t help but reflexively strike out at the source.  Which is why I am now standing in front of a sparking mess of what once was… I’m not sure what it was actually.  Ehehehe, this is kind of awkward.  Everyone around me is staring at me and my handiwork.  Do I run for it?  I know that the police here are not like the guards back home, but I still don’t know if I should risk it.

Oh, well I guess I don’t have to worry.  The owner has just come out… by Adligo’s chains it’s a rat-kin!  Wait, false alarm, it’s just a human that looks like a rat.  He’s scrawny, has a pinched face and a long nose though so it was an honest mistake!  His dull black eyes widened at the sight of the broken machine and he turned to me and spoke “How the hell did you manage to break my newest slot machine model?” 

I couldn’t help but scratch the back of my head in embarrassment as I responded “It startled me and I struck out by accident, sorry about that.”  “This model was a prototype not even in production yet.  It cost me a damn fortune to get.  It’s supposed to be built to withstand even the angriest of gambling losers, and yet you’re telling me you broke it with a single punch?”  the owner asked me incredulously. “Um, yes?” I responded tentatively, leading to a silence that was only punctuated by the sparking of the broken machine. 

The rat-faced man’s expression was unreadable, but then he turned to me and said “Let’s talk about this in my office.”  He then turned to the crowd and screeched in an irritating voice “Move along, there’s nothing to see here!”  The crowd dispersed and I quietly followed him into a somewhat dingy office in the back of the casino.  He shut the door behind me and then after we settled in he spoke. “The slot machine you broke is something that no high schooler would have the money to pay for and I doubt your parents would like to be stuck with the bill.  So, I have a proposition for you that I’d like you to hear out.  Should you accept I’ll forget about the broken machine and we’ll both have an opportunity to make a very large amount of money.  Are you interested?”

There was a pause for a moment as I thought about it.  I know that Terra could pay for the machine (or do something scarier if necessary), but I don’t want to burden him with my silly mistake.  He’s been looking after me for so long already and even more so now that I’m in his world.  Back at Granny’s shop I at least worked and earned money on a daily basis, but for the past few months I have been lounging around way too much.  I guess that makes my decision obvious.  “Yes.  What are you proposing?”

The man broke out into a sly smile as he spoke “Excellent!  Although I mainly work as the manager of this fine casino, I also dabble in some other forms of gambling.  The most popular are the Pits and they are the ones where we can make the most money.”  “What are these Pits?”  I interjected.  When Terra was teaching us about his world he only covered the most general knowledge and common sense.  “The Pits are the fighting arena of course!  With your strength and appearance, you’ll always be underestimated.  The odds makers will never know what hit them when we clean them out!”  The man cackled in glee at the thought.

I frowned at the mention of the fighting arena “I am not interested in killing anyone though.”  “Who said anything about killing?  You just need to beat them until they are unconscious or they give up.”  Wow, that’s pretty wimpy.  The Bloodmoon arena matches were nearly always to the death, although on occasion losers were enslaved instead.   It’s just further proof that this world is far more peaceful than my previous home. 

“Okay.  I’ll do it.  But I want 70% of the profits.”  “Are you crazy?!? I am the one organizing everything and it’ll be my money on the line!  You can have 40%.” “I am the one who’ll risk getting my face bashed in every fight.  60%” “50% and not a penny more!” I smiled menacingly as I let loose some killing intent.  It’s nowhere near as impressive as Terra’s, but I fought and killed plenty enough in my life to be intimidating.  The man paled as he relented “Fine, 60%.  It’ll take me about a month or so to get you entered, come back here on the 15th at midnight and we can start making a lot of money.”  I nodded in understanding as I stood to leave “Pleasure doing business with you, Mr…”  “Souji Chino.”  “I’m Kira.  See you later Mr. Chino.” 

And so, I left, trying my best to hide my delight.  Maintaining a calm demeanor is vital for good business.  I can jump around in joy later when I get to the apartment.  After making some money from this arrangement I might start up a business once more.  A new 9 Lives Trading Outpost sounds rather good to me.  Fufufu, it’s going to be rather fun to surprise Terra about my new job.  He always makes the most adorable faces when he’s taken off guard after all.

Ratface’s POV

I watched as the psychotic girl left and couldn’t help but already start calculating the money we were going to make.  Who’d of thought that I would run into a moneymaking opportunity so easily.  She even called me Mr. Chino, which is a refreshing change of pace from my other asshole associates who know me as Ratface.  It’s a useful moniker in the underworld, but I ain’t fuckin’ blind.  I know very well that I look like a rat and don’t need a constant fuckin’ reminder every time someone opens their mouth.

When I first saw that girl and my ruined slot machine, I was pissed.  Then I realized that it was a teenage girl who broke my supposedly unbreakable slot machine.  In one hit.  Fortunately, I realized this in time to stop myself from swearing nonsensically at her.  I’ve only dipped my toes into the cesspool known as the Tokyo underworld, but I’ve been around long enough to know freaks hide in plain sight.

No normal person could do that much damage in a single strike.  I don’t know if she’s an illegal genetic splicing experiment or sporting malfunctioning cybernetic enhancements, but I know she’s not a simple little girl.  There are all sorts of weird and crazy shit that the government and big corporations get involved in and the best way to keep that quiet is to outsource it to criminal enterprises.  I’m betting this Kira is a failed product. 

I reviewed the security footage and saw how she overreacted to a simple flash of light.  She clearly has issues, which were only confirmed when she assumed that she needed to kill her opponents and when she emanated that creepy chill during our negotiations.  That’s the main reason why human enhancement, whether through genes or cybernetics, is still in development.  People tend to go crazy. 

Thankfully, she hasn’t seemed to have completely lost her marbles yet.  It’s a risk doing business with her, but I currently owe a lot of money to some very bad people and need to make some dough fast.  I don’t want to end up like the Blood Dragons who were wiped out without a trace in a single night.