Tale of the Dead Town by Hideyuki Kikuchi Read Free Book Online Page B

have no choice but to use force.”
    The biker’s confident laughter flew in the faces of the tense men. “Do you folks know
     who the hell I am? I’m the one and only John M. Brasselli Pluto VIII, known far and
     wide across the Frontier.”
    Silence.
    “What, you bastards never heard of me?” Pluto VIII said with a scowl. “Well, at any
     rate, I bet you know my friend here. The most handsome cuss on the Frontier, a first-rate
     slayer of Nobility, an apostle of the dream demons, and all the beauty of the darkness
     in human form—I give you the Vampire Hunter D!”
    Every face around them went pale. Even those of the men in the very back of the bar.
    “Hell of a reputation he’s got, eh?” Pluto VIII chortled. Looking around at the men
     who were now still and pale as corpses, he asked, “Still want us to step outside?
     My buddy can split a laser beam in two.”
    “For your information, this doesn’t concern me at all,” said D, his gazed fixed on
     the same spot on the table the whole time.
    “What do you mean?” Pluto VIII said, bugging his eyes. “Oh, you’re cold-blooded. Aren’t
     we buddies? Don’t listen to him, guys,” Pluto VIII laughed. “He was only joking.”
    “Go outside if you want. But leave me out of this,” said the Hunter.
    “I don’t believe you!” Pluto VIII rose indignantly. “Did you forget about the beer
     I just bought you?”
    “Sorry, sir, about that,” someone called from behind the bar, “we just ran out of
     your beer.”
    “God damn it all, this just ain’t my day!” Pluto VIII cursed.
    “Quit your bellyaching and step outside already,” said one of the men surrounding
     him. “Stealing flowers is stealing all the same, and a thief’s still gotta pay the
     price.”
    “Oh, really? And what did you have in mind?”
    “A thousand lashes with the electron whip, or thirty days hard labor.”
    “Don’t care much for either. Well, I’ll go out with you anyway.” Giving D a look that
     could kill, Pluto VIII didn’t seem terribly afraid as he followed the men out. Still,
     it wasn’t the fight headed outside that every eye in the place was following—their
     eyes were riveted to the handsome young man who remained at the table.
    Four men escorted Pluto VIII outside. Two of them were in their thirties, while the
     other two were younger. They must’ve been around twenty years old. As was normal for
     laborers on the Frontier, the mass of their muscles was evident even through their
     rough apparel. Every one of them stood over six feet tall. Pluto VIII, on the other
     hand, was five foot four. The biker was just as big through the chest and shoulders,
     but, in a bare-knuckle brawl, he’d be at an overwhelming disadvantage.
    Snapping his fingers, Pluto VIII asked, “Okay, who wants to be first?”
    “Don’t go looking to get yourself hurt any worse than need be,” said the man who seemed
     to be their leader. “Just come along quietly to the law enforcement bureau and take
     your pick of the two punishments. Then this’ll all be over.”
    Pluto VIII chuckled. “Not a chance.” His face brimmed with self-confidence. Beneath
     the beard that hid his mouth, his deep red tongue was licking his lips. “If there’s
     one thing I can’t stand, it’s assholes who get all tough when the numbers are on their
     side. See, I’m more of a loner. So don’t just stand there acting scary. Hurry up and
     come get a piece of me!”
    Even before he had time to realize the last bit had been a challenge, the young man
     on the left took a swing at Pluto VIII. He didn’t say a word, didn’t even exhale.
     He must’ve been a first-rate brawler. Just as the two figures were about to make contact,
     Pluto VIII backed away without moving a muscle. Still swinging his right hand down
     as hard as he could, the young man had no time to compensate and hit the ground shoulder
     first. What the hell happened? The perfect timing of the biker’s defense against the