Putato hurriedly retreated, warily eyeing the crowd, wondering how he'd take Dyno's head with him later; he was still quite adept at the art of running away.
"A clean, beautiful fight! You won the duel. This was a formal duel witnessed by the Gladiator Gang and authorized by both parties, thus you inherit Dyno's gold medal."
"We apologize for our previous offense and disrespect toward you."
To Putato's surprise, the five silver-belted big guys didn't swarm him. Instead, they unbuckled the gold belt from Dyno's waist and offered it to him with both hands.
"Now you are a gold-rank gladiator recognized by the Gladiator Gang. However, since you are an off-roster gladiator, you cannot take the gold belt away, and the Gladiator Gang will reclaim it next season. But as long as you come to the Armored Boxing Arena, you can retrieve it and enjoy the same gold-rank treatment within the gang."
"We wonder if you intend to formally join the Gladiator Gang. We don't mind a Fixer background, but we don't allow you to hold a position elsewhere simultaneously."
Putato was deeply shaken as he looked at Dyno's still-warm corpse on the ground. Although this reaction was good for him, it was bizarre that not a single one of these guys wanted to take revenge for Dyno. They all just stared at him with the same anticipation as the spectators.
He felt like he was stranded inside a massive mental asylum. A faint chill rose in his heart, and he didn't even have the headspace to deal with Camille on the stage.
[Congratulations on your appointment to the Gladiator Gang]
[Work Talent: Gladiator]
[Description: Victory is everything! Failure is death!]
[Effect 1: You can instantly transform your skin into a white exoskeleton, slightly boosting all attributes]
[Effect 2: While equipped with the exoskeleton, your durability is greatly enhanced, and your body can rapidly regenerate]
[Effect 3: While equipped with the exoskeleton, damage from long-range attacks will be significantly weakened]
Damn!
Putato's earlier negative emotions instantly evaporated. He suddenly realized the Gladiator Gang was a Syndicate whose power rivaled the Smiling Faces, and he'd somehow stumbled into such a powerhouse talent!
Furthermore, since almost every talent was dictated by the organization's operational style, it was clear just how much the Gladiator Gang obsessed over the honor of the duel, to the point where even an outsider like him could be appointed as an off-roster gladiator on the spot.
"Vanda, isn't it? I've had enough of your disregard. Moreover, I must answer to my client's commission. I hereby challenge you to a Tier 2 duel, victory decided by loss of consciousness. Step up!"
On the stage, Camille faced Putato with absolute gravity. The arena fell into a sudden hush, every pair of eyes darting back and forth between the two.
Several silver-belted gladiators nearby hurried into the circular archway; not a single soul stepped in to mediate. Putato glanced at their expectant gazes and cursed under his breath.
"Camille, right? You just saw what I'm capable of. I'm only here for the commission; I have no intention of dueling you."
A wave of jeers instantly erupted from the stands, adding fuel to the fire.
Camille strode to the edge of the ring, ripped off a glove, and hurled it at Putato.
"Dyno was nothing more than a gladiator who lucked into victory with drugs. Since I accepted this commission, I am well aware of the difficulty. Business is business, but a duel is a duel!"
"Step up!"
SMACK!
Snatching the glove thrown in front of him, Putato was about to speak when red lights flickered from seven different sections of the ring-shaped stands. The one-way glass shifted, revealing seven muscular men in various seated poses.
"Whoa! It's the Elector Gladiators!!!"
"I want to see them start the Emperor Selection match right now!"
The giant screen above the arena suddenly flickered, displaying the face of a man with a wild, lion-like mane of hair. Simply by looking down at the camera, he exerted a crushing pressure that Putato could feel even through the screen. The cheers from the crowd were instantly strangled into silence.
"Vanda, isn't it? I know your purpose here. Get in the ring, and then you may take Dyno's corpse."
"That is all."
Giving no room for argument or explanation, the man's simple decree sent the crowd into a frenzy, chanting the names of Camille and Vanda.
"Seriously, a bunch of lunatics."
Putato reluctantly carried the Blood Sword onto the stage, catching a glimpse of the selfie stick still planted off to the side.
Opposite him, Camille gave a solemn nod before dropping into a stance; at that same moment, the gong signaled the start of the bout.
Focusing intently, Putato used the Eye Wrap to boost his dynamic vision, yet he still only saw a blurred afterimage. In terms of raw speed, Camille was a step ahead, the man clearly had the skills to back his rank.
Too bad for him, Putato was using cheats.
RRIP!
The bandages wrapped around Putato's body suddenly shredded as something strange protruded from within. Immediately after, he met the gale-force fury of Camille's rapier, a relentless storm of rapid thrusts and continuous slashes.
To the spectators, the stage was nothing but a blur of sword shadows reflecting the multicolored lights and fluttering scraps of torn bandages. It looked like a completely one-sided slaughter.
"Huff... huff."
Disengaging and retreating, Camille breathed heavily, turning around with absolute confidence.
As a Fixer specializing in duels, going all-out from the start to incapacitate an enemy in the shortest time possible was a technique that Association 5 Fixers practiced day and night.
And he happened to be a genius at it, achieving in a few years what mediocre men couldn't in decades. He had joined Association 5, Section 3 at a young age, a height most people could only dream of reaching in their entire lives.
Challenging Vanda wasn't about being competitive; it was merely about providing a perfect conclusion to a commission that had been disrupted.
"Your blade... it's a bit dull."
"How is this possible?!"
Camille completely lost the poise he held before the audience. His eyes widened as he stared at Putato, who had somehow donned a layer of thin, pale armor. The sword marks he had just carved with all his might were already slowly stitching themselves back together.
Just what kind of exoskeleton was that?
WHOOSH!
In the next heartbeat, both figures blurred. The Blood Sword and the rapier clashed dozens of times in an instant, great sprays of sparks flying like scattered flames, sending the spectators' blood into a boiling frenzy.
As Putato felt the exoskeleton encasing his skin, he noticed his sense of touch had dulled significantly, replaced by superhuman defense and endurance. Even after a desperate exchange of strikes against Camille, he felt not a single trace of exhaustion.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The extreme intensity of the duel quickly left Camille lightheaded, yet he gritted his teeth, struggling to keep up with Putato's rhythm. Beads of sweat formed rapidly on his brow, only to be instantly flung away by his movements.
It wasn't until his arms began to turn leaden that fear finally took root in Camille's heart. He truly could not comprehend how such a monster was ranked as a mere Grade 5 Fixer.
KENG!
Activating his Hematic Pump, Putato further accelerated his sword strikes. Opposite him, Camille's eyes were shot through with blood as he fought to track the movements, but in a moment of blurred focus, his rapier was violently parried.
Even though Camille desperately tried to pull his rapier back, he was far too slow to stop the Blood Sword swinging toward his head.
THUD!
The flat of the blade slammed into Camille's skull. He was sent flying across the ring, falling unconscious, which drew a mix of cheers and dissatisfied groans from the crowd.
"Anyone else not convinced? Step up!"
Immediately, the dissatisfied murmurs transformed into thunderous applause.
Putato looked down at the unconscious Camille and shook his head, then walked over to Camille's livestream equipment. He pulled out his communicator and opened his own stream.
"Brothers, watching him isn't as good as watching Urban Girl. Beyond emotional counseling, we offer City-wide guidance so you never lose your way in this cold City again."
Having finished his plug, Putato immediately grabbed Dyno's corpse and retreated. He was still waiting for that jacket Arnold had mentioned.
As Putato sprinted out of the underground arena, another roar of cheers erupted from within.
...
"Vanda, you really are reliable! I've left the jacket at the reception desk. I have some urgent business to attend to now, so I'll be taking off first."
An ecstatic Arnold quickly stuffed Dyno into a body bag and tossed it into the trunk, driving away in a hurry.
Putato, meanwhile, wore a bizarre expression as he stared at an exoskeleton advertisement on his communicator. It seemed the Gladiator Gang automatically sent spam messages to anyone near the boxing arena.
On the screen was a discount promotion for a Double Dragon exoskeleton belt; apparently, it used special dual-headed sensors to allow women to enjoy the pleasures of men.
His fingers scrolled through, passing by a femboy exoskeleton and various hormone packages; below them, a line of small text boasted advertisements about natural injections being superior to artificial modifications. Putato didn't even look closely before quickly deleting the junk.
"Vanda, here is the item the client left for you."
Putato curiously held up the pure black jacket and put it on. He pulled out his Honesuki and slashed at it a few times, but it didn't leave a single mark; it even possessed an unclear dampening effect. The quality was beyond Putato's expectations.
High-end clients really did provide the highest quality commissions!
Putato now understood why those top-tier Workshops looked down on making hidden weapons; instead of wasting time on such toys, they could just serve one big client.
However, as soon as Putato looked up, he saw Olga with a grim expression. Seeing him return so quickly, she first looked surprised and then signaled for him to follow her upstairs.
It was past Noon now, and many Fixers in the Office were drinking coffee with a sleepy air, showing no signs of any trouble. Putato, filled with questions, followed her into the representative's office.
CREAK!
Olga stood by the window with her arms crossed, picking up a beer from the ledge and taking a long swig. Her lips, moistened by the alcohol, looked pink and sleek.
"What happened? I've never seen you drinking with such a heavy heart."
"Don't worry about me, you should think about yourself. A well-known member of the Ring specifically requested you to assist as security for a concert. The payment offered is already at the Urban Nightmare rank; I'm afraid it's extremely dangerous."
Putato's brow twitched. Considering any Ring member associated with him, he could only think of that dress-up enthusiast, Kokochi. But shouldn't the grudge with the Ring have ended once the deal was done?
He had already prepared for Kokochi to discover the connection between Putato and Vanda. After all, a crazy Syndicate like that didn't need concrete evidence; a bit of suspicion was enough. He just didn't know what kind of game Kokochi was playing.
"Isn't this a good thing? Once this big job is finished, Association 1 won't have any reason to keep stalling my credentials. Becoming a Grade 4 Fixer will be a natural progression."
Hearing this, Olga set down the beer bottle and irritably scratched her head, then sighed and turned around. She leaned her right arm on Putato's shoulder, her breath smelling strongly of beer.
"Molar Office usually doesn't participate in commissions that exceed the Urban Legend rank. After all, there's no point in earning money if you aren't alive to spend it. I am responsible for the subordinates I lead."
"The gallery commission last time was only because the client provided life-saving Regeneration Ampules; only then were I and Rosedale from Glove Office willing to take the gamble."
"Actually, I really like you, kid. It's probably because you're so reliable, and you've got that same spark Myo has. But you surely know Myo is leaving; I've already received word that Dawn Office is headhunting her."
Hearing this, Putato felt a bit awkward. After all, Olga had looked after him quite well, yet he was already thinking about bolting after being here for only a few days. He was about to explain when Olga caught him by the chin.
Olga playfully stroked the burn scars on Putato's face. For a moment, her eyes felt full of complex emotions. The prolonged silence made Putato want to say something, but she beat him to it.
"But you know, for a Fixer, business is business and life is life. If you mix them up, things usually end miserably. That's pretty much the iron rule for us Fixers."
"If you don't want to take this commission, I'll decline it politely and check with the Association about what the Ring is planning. But if you take it, it's your personal business. Molar Office won't be able to provide you with any support."
So that was it. Putato understood Olga's position; besides, he hadn't wanted to drag Molar Office into this from the start.
"Naturally."
BANG!
Olga reached out and pinned the startled Putato against the wall, eyeing him with pure confusion.
"Vanda, I really find you strange. You're cold and heartless in combat, yet you're surprisingly easy-going in your daily life. You were even willing to go on that little girl's errand for peanuts this morning."
"The Office cuts ties with you over this and you don't even throw a few insults? If it were me, I'd have slammed the door and left. I was actually hoping to use that as an excuse to talk you out of this job."
Putato tilted his head to avoid the alcoholic breath, helplessly pushing Olga away.
"Business is business. And I understand that Molar Office doesn't have the muscle to get tangled up in the Ring's business."
"Then I'll give you some personal compensation. My treat, drinks."
Putato suspected this woman was an alcohol elemental; she probably spent all her commission money on booze.
"I don't... mmph."
A soft tongue pried open his lips. Startled, Putato felt a wave of warm beer flow in. He swallowed instinctively, and then the soft sensation slowly vanished.
When Putato came to his senses, he saw only Olga's back as she stood by the window. He didn't know how to react to such a sudden turn of events.
"Hey, don't go age-shaming me now. If you really hit a snag during the job, you can come find me. But I'm charging, of course."
"I know. Business is business, right?"
Putato hesitated for a moment, thinking that the Ring's commission wouldn't wait for anyone, so he turned and left, leaving Olga standing by the window to gloomily drain her bottle of beer in one go.
...
At the rebuilt Moon in Water exhibition hall.
Putato cautiously entered the main lobby, which had been completely cleared out. He found Kokochi, dressed in a magnificent red gown, standing before the spiral staircase leading to the second floor. She wore a wide smile on her face.
Standing beside Kokochi was someone Putato completely didn't expect to see.
With bright golden short hair and a timid, instinctively bowed posture, it was clearly Sinclair, whom he had met back in Kafka Town. Putato instantly felt a surge of unease.
"Are you the Fixer, Vanda?"
Kokochi circled him with her hands behind her back, scanning Putato from head to toe. Her gaze lingered on his Black Eye Wrap and the freshly changed bandages.
"Very tasteless attire. A jacket paired with jeans? You don't look like someone who has been refined by the art of the Maestros at all."
This psycho really had too many opinions!
"Let's get straight to the point and talk about the commission."
"I see you've stopped hanging with Syndicates and switched to an Association. But that level of disguise is useless against the Ring. Tonight is a concert I've specially prepared for the Maestros. The time is set for the Night in the Backstreets. Your mission is to ensure no one enters the exhibition hall during that time."
Wait, he was supposed to go to Katae's place tonight!
"Can I move freely before then? Also, with you spending this much money, is someone planning to target your concert? It won't be an Association coming to wipe you out, will it?"
Kokochi didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked at him with a peculiar gaze, as if Putato's words were difficult to comprehend.
"Because this matter is extremely important to me and cannot fail. Regarding the Grey Haze, you are someone I can temporarily trust. After all, if I fail, the Ring will start coming for you once the ritual for Wym Maestro is finished."
"Aside from the invitees, no one knows about the concert. You'd better hope everything proceeds smoothly."
Damn it!
Putato never thought he'd one day be rooting for a member of the Ring to become a Maestro.
"So, is this one also security you hired?"
Sinclair, his head bowed, immediately looked up at Putato as if wanting to say something. Seeing the familiar bandage outfit, he let out a small sigh of relief.
"Hehe, he is quite talented. And he didn't come for me, he came for you."
"Thanks to Sinclair, I was able to get the recording of the Grey Haze performance. It's a pity there were so few Nagel und Hammer choristers back then. Truly a pity, a pity."