Chapter 8: The Elegant Art Of Fighting

We put on our backpacks and stood in the middle of the pharmacy door.

“Are you really okay with running?” Perci asked me.

“Yeah, it’s been quite a while since I was on my feet," I said. "The painkillers are a huge help. I no longer feel anything on my thigh."

“If it starts hurting again, allow me to carry you.”

“No, your shoulder is still injured.”

“I can just use painkillers too,” Perci put tablets in his mouth and swallowed them.

“Just don’t push yourself.”

“Let’s do some stretches first, we can’t afford to have any more injuries.”

Perci started doing side lunges. I followed suit and copied his steps. Then, we started doing arm swings, bent-knee forward swings, straight-leg lateral swings, hip stretches, lateral squat stretches and many more.

Perci put his thumbs up and praised me.

“Very good, milady.”

“I already told you multiple times to call me Ori, idiot.”

“Sorry, Ori. Let’s go, shall we?”

Perci opened the door for me and let me go first.

A basic gentleman move….he never seems to miss out on those small gestures.

I walked out of the door and Perci closed it behind me.

“Do you have any family you’d like to go to first? I’ll escort you there,” Perci said.

“My mother, I want to see if she’s ok. She called in sick last night.”

“Very well then. Let’s go there, show me the way.”

“How about you? Don’t you have family you care about?”

Perci’s expression turned grim for a second, then laughed it off.

“No. My parents died when I was younger, so my grandfather took care of me. But he died just last year due to a motorcycle accident.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…” I looked down.

“No, it’s fine.”

I’m an idiot. I already knew about his grandfather during his sleep talk. But I didn’t think that he had any family left anymore.

In other words, he’s all alone.

“This way!” I told him.

“Wait, there’s an umbrella shop nearby.”

“Huh? What are you going to do at the umbrella shop?”

“To pick up some umbrellas, of course.”

“It’s not raining though…..”

Perci ran over to the shop and picked up a black umbrella.

RAAAAAAH!

A zombie emerged from inside the shop and tried to attack Perci.

Perci used his umbrella to attack the zombie, striking it three times before kicking it in the face. He finishes it off by stabbing it directly towards its head.

“W-what? Is it really ok to be using an umbrella for fighting?” 

“Yeah. It’s something I learned during my grandfather’s Savate training," Perci said while spinning the umbrella around.

“Savate..?” 

“It’s an elegant martial art from the Baguette Country.”

“Oh….”

“Here you go.”

Perci handed me another umbrella.

“As much as I would like to defend you and do all the fighting, I need to make sure you can protect yourself as well.”

“Thanks…but can't we look for a better weapon? Like a gun?”

"Did you forget? Guns are banned on this island."

"Ah, right."

I held the umbrella and we started rushing over to my house.

“We’re heading towards the residential district,” I said. “That’s where I’m staying.”

We noticed that there were a lot of zombies down the road and they started chasing after us.

“This way!” I pointed towards an alley and we started running.

A lone zombie stood there and turned on us.

Perci jumped towards a wall and swiftly slashed his umbrella towards the zombie, causing it to crash into the wall and fall down.

“S-so strong!”

I looked back and saw more zombies chasing after us.

“Eeeek!”

I decided to stop for a moment and flip over some trash containers. I ran away and looked back. Most of the zombies tripped over the trash and fell over the floor.

One zombie got lucky and was right by my tail.

“No!”

I swung it away with my umbrella and we reached the end of the long alleyway. 

Luckily, there was a chain fence and we closed off the entry for the zombies.

“Phew, that was tiring!” I said.

“I wouldn’t mind carrying you now, you know?” Perci said.

“No way! I can still run!” I glared at him and pouted.

We quietly made it over to a big park and came across more zombies.

“Shhh.”

The place was a wide grassy area consisting of trees, small cemented pathways and lamp lights. 

There was also a statue of a man riding a pegasus and a fountain at the very middle.

It seems like they haven’t spotted us yet….

“There they are!” a person yelled.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Ryder’s gang spotted us and they brought their motorcycles over, ruining the grass beneath them with tire marks.

“Well, well, well, it looks like we found you,” Ryder said.

“Stay behind me, milad- I mean Ori.”

You almost called me milady again……

“I’ll have to admit, you got us real good that time. But now, there’s really no escape for the both of you. No more tricks for you to pull up!” Ryder said.

The zombies were alerted by the noise, but the biker gang had no problems in killing all of them.

“Now, nothing’s going to interrupt us from here on out!”

“S-sorry, Ori,” Dustin said.

“Shut up, Dustin! Whose side are you on?!” Ryder said.

“Eeek! I’m sorry!”

“Go get him, boys. Don’t hurt the girl. We need her in perfect condition!” Ryder smiled and licked his lips.

The 3 bikers approached us with smiling faces. One of them held a bat, the other held a crowbar and the last person held a pocket knife.

“Let’s all attack him at the same time! We don’t want it to be like those stupid action movies!”

“Oh, so you’re not going to fight me one on one? You have no honor,” Perci said.

“Who gives a damn about honor?! We’re gangsters, not warriors!”

“Very well then," Perci said. "By the way, I also have a plan for this moment.”

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“You can’t run this time!”

“Of course I can run,” Perci grinned.

Perci ran over to the left side, as if he was trying to escape from the scene.

“Hey! Are you just going to leave me here?!” I said.

“You’re not getting away!”

The person closest to him was the one with a pocket knife. He reacted quickly and chased after Perci.

“You’re too slow!”

“Just kidding.”

 Perci smiled and swung his umbrella towards the biker’s hand, causing his knife to fall down to the ground.

“What?!”

He was only running to bait them with a reversal…..

Since he ran towards the left side, the ones on the right would take longer to catch him, so he was effectively able to split them up.

Perci struck his head three times, then finished him off with a flying kick.

The first biker passed out and fell to the ground. 

The person with the crowbar decided to stick close with the one with the baseball bat. Together, they tried to attack Perci at the same time.

“Die!”

Perci opened the umbrella on their faces causing them to stagger back.

“Hey! What are you doing, you idiots?!” Ryder yelled.

They tried to attack the umbrella again, only to realize that he was no longer behind it.

They were baited like bulls in a bull ring.

Perci struck one of them from the side, kicking his leg and causing him to fall over and bump his head. He punches him in the head, knocking him out cold.

The last biker tried to swing his bat towards him, but Perci ducks down in time and kicks the bat away from his grasp.

Perci swings another kick directly towards the biker’s solar plexus, causing him to lose his breath and fall down in pain.

“YOU!”

Ryder walked away from his bike and went to a fighting position.

“Tsk, looks like I'll have to deal with you myself,” Ryder cracked his knuckles. "It's time for you to taste my fists!"

“At least now, you’re choosing to fight me fairly,” Perci said.

Ryder ran over to Perci and started launching some punches. His attacks were strong and fierce. Perci was forced to step back and get in some kicks, but Ryder blocked them easily and landed a huge punch. 

Perci put up his arms to block the impact, causing him to slide backwards.

He shook his arms around and held the handkerchief to his shoulder.

Damn, his injury…

I tried to help and attack Ryder with the umbrella, but Perci waved at me.

“No, this is a duel between two men. I won’t allow a woman to fight on my behalf.”

“You seem to be having a hard time, though!” I said.

“Please, as a gentleman, let me handle this. I’ll be fine.”

He looked at me with a smile. That damned smile again. I can’t help but trust the confidence he displayed.

“You’re good at fighting. Do you practice anything?” Perci said.

“I used to do a bit of boxing. I was quite talented with it. I quit because of my rebellious behavior. I always thought it was boring and exhausting to keep on practicing. It’s simply a chore to me. I’d rather prefer beating up those weaker than me! Are you pissing your pants now?!”

“No. Now I know that I’ll be able to beat you. There’s no way I can lose to a quitter who steps on those weaker than them.”

“You’re all bark, no bite. Can’t wait to smash that pretty face of yours!” Ryder punched his palm.

“Let’s make a bet," Perci put his finger up. "If I lose, Ori’s all yours. But if I win, I’ll be taking that cool motorcycle of yours.”

“Fine by me. The person who blacks out loses, got it?!”

“Sure.”

“Hey! Why are you making me your bargaining chip?” I complained.

Perci turned to look at me.

“It will motivate me to fight seriously. Because there’s no way I can afford to lose someone as precious as you.”

His indigo eyes pierced right through my heart.

Ba-dump!

“H-huh?! Q-quit fooling around!” I said, flushing red.

T-this guy! I hate him! Don’t play with my heart like that!

“Stop flirting and fight me!”

Ryder charged towards Perci and went for another punch.

Perci swipes it away with his foot, then spun around with a reverse hook kick aimed directly towards Ryder’s face.

Ryder staggered back and tried to punch again, but was quickly intercepted with a kick to the chest and another to the leg, causing him to kneel on the floor.

What an elegant fighting style…..Why does it look pretty to watch?

“B-Bastard!” Ryder trembled on the floor.

“Sorry about this.”

Perci kicks him on the chin and he passes out.

“Thanks for the motor, buddy.”

Perci walks over to Dustin, who was cowering behind the motorcycle in fear.

“Um, are you okay?” Perci asked.

“P-please! Don’t hurt me!” Dustin said.

“Don’t worry. I’m unwilling to hurt those who don’t want to fight. It’s the gentleman’s code of courtesy.”

“R-really? Thank you!”

Dustin kneeled down in front of Perci.

“If it’s alright, please take me with you!”

He looked at Perci with doggy eyes.

“Is it all right?” Perci asked me.

“No way.”

I really don't want to be with Dustin, knowing that betrayed me before. I really couldn’t get myself to trust men.

“Please! I’m begging you! Ori!”

Even if they’re scummy, I still had a bit of a heart left. I felt bad for Dustin in some way. He’s a weak child who needs protection. Unlike my other boyfriends, he’s the only one I can feel pity for. I would feel a little guilty leaving him out here to die.

“Aw jeez, fine! He’s mostly harmless anyway.”

“Thank you so much!”

Perci walked over to Dustin and stared at him.

“But if you ever hurt Ori in any way, I won’t hesitate to take you down, you understand?”

“O-of course! I understand!”

Perci and I got on Ryder’s motorcycle, which had fire decals all over it.

“Do you know how to ride a motorcycle?” Perci asked.

“Y-yes, a little,” Dustin said.

RAAAAAAAAAH!

The zombies were fast approaching.

“Let’s hurry!”

We rode away from the plaza and escaped the scene.

As for what happened to Ryder and his gang, I don't know the details.

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