Vespa said, sweeping up his rumpled hair. He looks haggard and gaunt, but he doesn’t appear tired at all. His eyes still gleam with energy.

“Think you can handle us in that condition?”

Shaking dust off her hands, Ezra boasted.

“Don’t be mistaken. I’m not offering you a deal this time. This is a threat.”

I looked into Vespa’s eyes.

“If you don’t follow my orders, you will die here. Besides, we’re in District 11.”

“Haah… Did you just say District 11…?”

Vespa lets out a deep sigh. It’s understandable that this news would hit him like a bolt from the blue. Then again, we merely did what we could to survive, and Vespa hunted us in order to get his work done. I shouldn’t let emotion get in the way of this factual matter.

“…What do you want this time, Doctor Moses.”

“My pipe.”

Vespa took the pipe out of his coat and tossed it to me. I caught it with my left hand.

“And my right arm?”

“I ate it. After all, I had to survive by any means.”

In that instant, Ezra charged at Vespa with incredible speed. Ezra struck Vespa in the right cheek with her fist; Vespa instantaneously retaliated by striking his left knee into her chest. The two got into a melee, unfazed by each other’s blows. What a doggish mess.

“It’s like the fight between a golden retriever and a doberman.”

YuRia put my thoughts into words.

The Distortion Detective Chapter 25: The Cellar