Next chapter's on the 4th of July.
The week passes.
Fai is careful to avoid that man, finding excuses to be outside when he is around or sheltering with Sakura so that he can't bring up things that Fai doesn't want to talk about with anyone.
The girl mostly stays asleep, restless but finally starting something which could be a recovery. It saves Fai his breath.
When it comes to the fight at the end of the week they are regarded more seriously, their reputation preceding them.
As they enter the small stadium where they are going to be competing other teams stop talking in front of them, not quite deferent but certainly wary of them. He picks up the whispers that trail, about their silence, their ruthlessness, Sakura's stony face as she is carried by Fai, speculations on their home lives which make him feel sick at the implications, suggestions of things that they would do with these strange upstarts when they got their hands on them.
Fai is not afraid and knows that these voices must be a few of the braver, louder ones, the ones who aren't smart enough to keep their mouths shut.
He wants to turn to look but does not. It does not change the fact that whoever they fight will not win.
The competitors today have sized them up more carefully, or have ended up lucky, many coming with weapons that they can throw to challenge the close-combat style that they've been forced to use. It does not matter.
Fai feels his body ache the whole time, starting to gnaw at his joints as he takes a hit and then deals one, knocking the rat-like man onto his back momentarily before he is standing again, chest heaving. It does not matter.
A knife slides through the flesh of his arm, withdrawn with a spurt of blood and a vicious crow by the opponent who has chosen to fight him alone while the rest of their team attack that man, clearly expected to be the big hitter of their group. It heals almost instantly and the other person flails, eyes wide and darting to Fai's face.
"You must have just caught my shirt." He explains, almost monotone, smiles just a little, tauntingly, enjoys it, jabs his opponent in the neck and watches their body crumple to the ground, arm screaming at the use as it draws energy he doesn't have to mend itself.
It doesn't matter.
Fai keeps fighting until eventually the sound is rushing around him but there are no more announcements.
A grimy looking man gives transfers credits onto a card which the princess holds, standing wonkily, painfully on her own feet, and he can hear roaring, like there's a waterfall and he's under it, crushing down on him now that he's not moving, there is no one left for him to fight except those he would not like to hurt even now.
He feels the hunger which throbs in her throat, in his stomach, in his head, and he ignores it, tearing his gaze away from that man before he thinks he is noticed and gently picking Sakura up.