Scenario:Feather - One-Hit Boy

One-Hit Boy

Feather brings the package to a large man. The large man greedily opens it to reveal a golden weapon known as the Lion Khan Claw. As he does so, a young man arrives, ready to kill for the claw. Feather, sensing great power from the young man and unwilling to let him take a life, excitedly throws himself forward for a fight, but is taken out by a single strike.

---

Feather: All right, made it in time!

Bursting into the inn, Feather holds the package above his head and searches for the recipient.

Large Man: Hey, that box you're holding...

Feather: Is this yours? The guy who was supposed to deliver it got hurt, so I came in his place.

Feather: But I forgot to ask who it's meant for.

Large Man: Yeah, it's mine. No doubt about it.

The large man snatches the package from Feather's hands and rips the sturdy box open, revealing a gleaming golden claw inside.

Large Man: Hehe... Hahaha! Finally! Finally it's mine!

Feather: Whew... That's kinda cool. Is it a weapon or something?

Large Man: With this, I should be able to become an Auditor...

Overcome with eagerness, the man grins to himself and pays no heed to Feather.

Feather: Uh, hello? Man, you're a weird one.

Feather: But whatever! Package is delivered, and that's what matters!

Feather turns on his heels to leave the inn, but suddenly stops in his tracks.

Feather: ...?

Feather: What is this aura? It's crazy strong... and super ready for a fight!

He looks at the entrance in time to see a young man kick the door open and glare into the room.

???: Sigh...

Feather: Haha! So this guy's the culprit!

Large Man: Tch, if it ain't Ragazzo. Figured you'd show up sooner or later.

Ragazzo: Sheesh, who said you could go ahead and open the box?

Ragazzo: You do know what'll happen to you if you soil it, right?

Ragazzo: Wait, don't tell me... You really stupid enough to think you can wield it?

Large Man: Shaddup! We won't know until I try, eh?

Hearing all the shouting and fearing the worst, the innkeeper and patrons flee the lobby.

In the midst of the chaos, Feather yells at the young man, unable to contain his excitement.

Feather: Hey, you! Wanna cross fists with me?

Ragazzo: Huh?

Feather: You've got a killer fighting aura! What kinda battles have you been through?

Ragazzo: Geez, you're loud... Pipe it down. I can hear you just fine.

Feather: So you'll fight me right now?

Ragazzo: How the heck did you come to that conclusion? Read the room.

Ragazzo: I'm a little busy here!

The overwhelming pressure of Ragazzo's aura freezes Feather in place.

Feather: Gah...

Ragazzo: Now, let's get back to business. Well, Messenger?

Large Man: Tch...

Ragazzo: I get why you'd try to rise in the ranks, but rules are rules.

Ragazzo: Though... a warning like that is a little too late for you, eh?

Ragazzo: For breaking the rules, this Auditor rules you...

Ragazzo: Out!

Ragazzo: Hehehe! Too bad!

Ragazzo bounces on the heels of his feet, before settling into a strange fighting stance.

Ragazzo: Time to get to work!

Feather stiffens as he senses the killing intent coming from Ragazzo.

Feather: Hey, are you seriously trying to off the big guy?

Ragazzo: Oh, for the love of... Can't you let me work in peace?

Feather: You gotta run, big guy! You're no match for him!

Large Man: Quiet, brat. The Lion Khan Claw'll give me the power of a hundred warriors!

He slaps the golden claw onto his fist and faces Ragazzo.

Ragazzo: Oh, I love it when they fight back.

A faint smile hanging off his lips, Ragazzo settles into his strange stance once more, then leaps at the large man.

Ragazzo: Die for me!

Feather: Stooop!

Ragazzo: Tch!

Ragazzo, fed up with the interference, adjusts the trajectory of his attack toward Feather.

Ragazzo: Out of the damn way!

Feather: Argh...

Large Man: Eek...

Ragazzo: What a pain in the neck.

With a single hit using a mysterious technique, Ragazzo sends Feather to the ground.

One-Hit Boy: Scene 2

Sent to the ground by the young man's mysterious technique, Feather only grows even more excited at the prospect of facing such strength. In the meantime, the young man prepares to strike the large fellow down, but is stopped by the arrival of an associate. He tosses her the Lion Khan Claw, then begins to drag the large fellow out the door. Feather desperately tries to stop him for a spar, but collapses unconscious.

---

Feather: Gasp... Wheeze...

Feather lies on the ground, taken down by a single strike.

Instead of being deterred, however, his heart races at the prospect of facing such a strong opponent.

Feather: Ha... Haha...

Ragazzo: Laughing while you're on the floor? You are one sick weirdo.

Large Man: Wh-when did you even hit him?

Ragazzo: Oh? Was my fist too fast for you to see?

Ragazzo: Hehehe! You're hilarious, big guy! And you think you have what it takes to be an Auditor?

The large man, realizing the sheer difference in strength between them, bows low to the ground and begins to beg for his life.

Large Man: I'm sorry! I'll never step outta line again, so please... Spare me...

Ragazzo: Weeell... What to do, what to do...

Ragazzo giggles to himself, then steps on the man's head and spits on him.

Ragazzo: Sorry, but there're no takebacks on audits already passed. Hehehe!

Large Man: I-I'm begging you!

Preparing to slam his fist down one last time, Ragazzo pauses as another person arrives onto the scene.

Ragazzo: What're you doing here? You my stalker now or something?

???: You know... If you make this big of a scene, the higher-ups aren't going to be happy.

Ragazzo: I know, I know, I knooow. Not like I wanna be told that by you, newbie Sesto.

???: Sigh... Give me a break. You keep pushing me, and I'll have to report you—and not just for this either.

Ragazzo: Fine! You made your point, spoilsport. I'll get the job done and we can go. Happy?

Clicking his tongue, Ragazzo yanks the Lion Khan Claw off the large man's hand and tosses it at his associate.

Ragazzo: You take care of that since I've gotta clean this up.

???: Seriously? You better make this quick and quit the dramatics.

Ragazzo: You are so annoying. Wait, don't tell me... You can't leave me alone because you like me, don'tcha!

???: Excuse me? You've got muscles, I'll give you that. But you're going to need a brain too if you want my attention.

Ragazzo: Hehehe! You're gonna make me blush!

Ragazzo: Anyway...

Ragazzo: Get up, you big lug!

Ragazzo forces the man up and drags him toward the exit.

Feather: Hold it!

Ragazzo: Huh? Did you say something?

???: Nope. It was that guy over there.

The associate jerks a thumb over at Feather, then walks out the door.

Ragazzo: For real? You trying to stand with your legs in that condition? Good luck! Do your best!

Feather: Agh... This isn't enough... to shut me down!

Feather: Raaahhh!

Pushing his damaged body to the limit, Feather bravely rises to his feet.

Feather: You... can really pack a punch! Got my blood pumping, and my soul aching!

Feather: Makes me wanna... break past my own limits! Would you mind punching me again?

Ragazzo: You are such a weirdo, you know that? I'm kind of into it.

Ragazzo: Tell you what. I've got places to be, but I'll play with you again next time I see you.

Ragazzo: Split your head wiiide open like a melon. It'll be fun.

With a snicker, Ragazzo lightly pokes Feather in the head. The touch is enough to send Feather to his knees.

Feather: Wh-wha...

Ragazzo: Hehe... See ya!

Feather: N-no... I wanna... fight now...

Feather reaches for Ragazzo, but unconsciousness claims him soon after.

One-Hit Boy: Scene 3

Feather wakes to the worried faces of (Captain) and crew. He recounts what happened, leaving Predator uneasy. She suspects that the young man and his associate are a part of a secret crime syndicate called Navis. Feather, eager to cross fists with the young man, jumps out of bed and goes searching through town in hopes of finding a clue to his location. The search proves fruitless, but Feather is not deterred. He swears to train alongside Randall for the day that he can meet the young man again.

---

Ragazzo: Hehehe!

Feather: Wait! Hey! Cross fists with me!

Feather: Stop!

Feather: Fight meee!

Lyria & Vyrn: Ah!

Feather: Uh... Huh? Where am I?

Predator: The inn you passed out in.

Predator (SSR) not in crew

---

Ema—better known to the world as Predator—became an assassin to exact revenge on the Acier family for murdering her father.

With her long-awaited wish fulfilled, she travels alongside the crew to discover her next goal in life.

Feather: Where'd that guy go?

Feather attempts to leap out of bed, but (Captain) and Predator immediately push him back down.

Feather: You gotta let me up! I wanna find that guy and fight him!

Lyria: You can't! You're really injured, so please stay put!

Randall: Feather, who are you chasing after? I wouldn't mind smashing his face in for you.

Feather: You... wouldn't be able to take him down.

Randall: What?

Feather: Same goes for me... I probably wouldn't stand a chance either.

Randall: Of course you wouldn't! You already got slammed once!

Feather: Yeah... And in one hit too!

Randall: In... In one hit?

Vyrn: You sure you wanna rematch against someone that strong?

Feather: Heck yeah I do! Meeting him gave my fighting spirit a boost!

Feather: I just know that if we exchange fists, I'll be able to push myself to new limits! So you gotta let me go!

Placing a hand on Feather's shoulder, (Captain) asks him to calm down for a minute first.

Feather: (Captain)...

Predator: From what the innkeeper told us, it sounded like you were mixed up in a quarrel. Would you care to explain in detail what happened?

Feather: Sure...

He shares of what occurred with the package he delivered and the resulting chaos in the inn.

Randall: Not a day goes by without you getting yourself into trouble, eh?

Randall: Still... Can't say I ever expected some brat to have done you in with one strike.

Predator: ...

Lyria: Predator? Is something on your mind?

Predator: I just remembered a rumor I heard back when I was with the Acier family. It was about a secret crime syndicate...

Predator: Calling themselves Navis. I dismissed the whole thing as a conspiracy theory, but now I'm not so sure.

Vyrn: A crime syndicate? You mean something like the mafia?

Predator: No, not quite. Worse than the mafia, if the stories are to be believed.

Predator: They supposedly manipulate the economy using vast sums from illegal businesses... Manufacturing weapons, assassinations, you name it.

Predator: Some people even suspect that they are involved with every significant event that occurs in the world.

Vyrn: Haha... That's pretty crazy...

Predator: Keep in mind we're only discussing hearsay. There's no proof any of that is true.

Predator: But something about this inn altercation is bothering me.

Predator: The codenames they used, and how they seemed to be after a rare weapon...

Randall: What, you mean that Messenger and Auditor, stuff?

Predator: Yeah. Whether or not this is Navis, it appears as if there's infighting going on in some sort of organization.

Feather: Hmmm...

Vyrn: Hey, Feather! You're gonna fry your brain if you keep thinkin' that hard!

Predator: Ah... I'm sorry for making such a big deal of it. At best, it's only conjecture on my part.

Randall: We appreciate hearing it. Best we be cautious if we could be dealing with organized criminals.

Randall: Especially since some of us can use a little more thinking time before running headfirst into danger.

Feather: Whew...

Feather takes a deep breath, seeming to have calmed down from his earlier fervor.

Feather: I don't care what that guy's a part of! I'm gonna face his fists and come out on top!

Feather: Otherwise I'll never be strong enough to take down a primal beast with my bare hands!

Feather vaults out of bed, shakes free of his friends, and dashes out of the room.

Randall: You idiot! Where are you going?

Feather's Voice: Gonna ask the innkeeper a few things!

Vyrn: Haha... Guess there's no point tellin' him to be cautious.

Lyria: I actually like that straightforward side of him!

Randall: You guys are way too easy on that moron.

Predator: Randall, we'll leave him to you.

Randall: Why me?

Lyria: Because you two are best friends!

Randall: Ha! As if...

Despite his protests, Randall exits the room to chase after Feather.

Predator: I really hope I'm overreacting, but... (Captain), let's go do our own investigation.

(Captain) agrees, and the group sets out.

Feather: Hey! I'll take anything you can think of!

Feather: So tell me all you know about that big guy and the fellow who was using a weird fighting style! Do you know where they went?

No matter how many of the inn's patrons he questions, Feather finds not a single scrap of information.

Feather: Damn it! Where could he'd have gone?

Randall: The whole thing kicked off because of the package you delivered, right?

Randall: Why don't we pay a visit to the guy you got it from? Maybe he knows who sent it.

Feather: The sender, huh?

Feather: Okay! Let's head over to granny's then!

Out of other options, Feather and Randall travel to the elderly woman's home.

However, this lead proves to be a dead end as well.

Grandson: I was out shopping when a friend came over and asked me to deliver that box.

Feather: So you don't know who it's originally from?

Grandson: Nope. I was told when and where to take it. That's all.

Old Woman: I'm so sorry. After all you did to help us, we've got nothing to give in return.

Feather: Haha, don't be sorry! We can always look elsewhere!

Randall: We'd appreciate it if we could have a chat with that friend of yours though. Could you tell us where they live?

The two fighters learn of the friend's address and head that way. But questioning that friend reveals a similar story.

No matter how many people they interview down the line, the true sender remains shrouded in mystery.

Feather: Daaaamn iiiit!

Randall: Can't believe not a single person knew who sent that thing.

Randall: How long are we going to keep this up for? I'm starting to lose track of who we've spoken to and who we haven't.

Feather: I'll find him... No matter where he is!

Randall: Hey, where are you going? Running off blindly isn't going to get you anywhere!

Feather: Neither is standing around doing nothing!

Predator's Voice: Wait a moment, you two!

Randall: Huh?

Feather and Randall turn in surprise to see Predator behind them.

Feather: What're you doing here?

Predator: I went on my own search... Figured we should regroup and share what we've gathered.

Feather: Did you manage to learn something?

Predator: ...

Predator shakes her head, causing Feather to tear at his hair in frustration.

Feather: Whyyyyy!

Randall: If even you can't find anything, then that's that. We're out of luck.

Predator: We should give up our search for that boy, at least for now.

Predator: But we didn't come away completely empty-handed. I'm now positive Navis actually exists.

Feather & Randall: ...!

Predator: I don't have proof, but I'm pretty confident in my conjecture.

Predator: If we consider the violent man, the powerful boy, and the strange weapon known as the Lion Khan Claw...

Predator: We should have had at least one lead that we could've followed and gleaned information from.

Predator: But there's not a trace to be found of the incident. Far too convenient, don't you think?

Predator: Which means... Either nothing out of the ordinary happened, or we're dealing with the work of professionals.

Feather: I saw the whole thing with my own two eyes! No way that nothing happened!

Predator: Precisely. That's why I believe we're dealing with people from the criminal world who know exactly what they're doing.

Predator: The fact that we can't find the sender of that package also gives credibility to this theory.

Predator: I know it may sound like a conspiracy, but to me, the whole incident stinks of someone manipulating innocent people to do their dirty deeds.

Randall: So that's why we can't uncover the sender, huh?

Predator: The more we look into it, the less we find.

Predator: It's a shame, but I think this is far as we go. You won't be able to find that boy.

Predator: At least... Not until he wants to be found.

Feather: That means what I've gotta do in the meantime is...

Feather: Makes me wanna... break past my own limits! Would you mind punching me again?

Ragazzo: You are such a weirdo, you know that? I'm kind of into it.

Ragazzo: Tell you what. I've got places to be, but I'll play with you again next time I see you.

Ragazzo: Split your head wiiide open like a melon. It'll be fun.

Feather: Yeah! I gotta get way stronger for the next time we meet!

Randall: Ha! I want a chance at him too, so I guess we're training together!

Predator: (It would be best if we never got involved with those people again.)

Predator: (But it's impossible to stop Feather once he's set his mind on something.)

Predator: (The most I can do is keep an eye out like (Captain) asked.)

Feather: Just you wait! I'm gonna be an even stronger me! Nothing'll hold me back!

Feather almost vibrates with excitement as he anticipates the training of the coming days.

His mind is filled with only one goal: fight the mysterious boy again someday soon and emerge victorious.