Vash finally noticed that the paper bag on the bench was bleeding. Karius immediately turned to Vash and glared at him. Edward understood the gesture and immediately restrained him from leaving his spot, making sure he wasn't the closest person to the scene of the crime.
"Heh! So, you really did show up."
"Did you think it was the drunken rambling of an old man?"
"I almost did, yeah. You know... being stuck in this cellar for twenty-something years, day in and day out, smelling nothing but gunsmoke. I don't care if it's true or not."
"Do whatever it takes. For twenty years of your master's benevolence, it's time to repay him."
Meryl pounded the sheriff's desk. Her cute face was bright red. "He's not going with you! He's innocent!"
"Save that for the courtroom. This is no place for deliberation," said the sheriff nonchalantly. "Listen, we have witness testimony that places him at the shoe store. I also checked up and found that he's that Humanoid Typhoon guy."
Karius, who had been leaning beside the window, crumpled the rest of her cigarette and threw it out. As usual, Edward stood beside her without saying anything. They just watch Meryl fight with the old sheriff.
"Anyone in their right mind would lock that guy up! If I'm cut him loose and he ran off into the night, would you take the heat?"
"Karius-sama, how is this?" Edward asked his master.
"Just leave it. There's nothing we can do for now because of that testimony," Karius replied quietly.
"Have you contacted the attorney for Young Master?"
"Not yet."
Edward stared at Karius in disbelief. "Are you serious? How can you be like that? He's your youngest brother. Your precious brother."
Karius sighed in annoyance. "I know. But you saw that scary blue hair yourself, right? Just let it be, this won't take long."
"Alex, give me your strength!! Vash!! Knives!! Go on ahead of me!"
"What? What are you saying?! Wha-! No! No!!! Don't go, Rem!!"
"Rem! REM!!"
"I'm sorry... If he were alive today, I'm sure he'd do the same. Vash..."
"REM!!!"
"Rem Saverem. It's a shame your sacrifice has to be abused like this. But don't worry, I'm here to make sure that everything gets back on track. This time, I will definitely do it. I promise."
"I'm ready to finish it now."
"It is a must. It seems that your archenemy has taken his first step."
Vash turned to Karius who was standing outside the bars, looking down at him with a straight face. "You're still here? Don't you still have to continue your journey?"
"Have you forgotten? I travel to spread goodness. How could I leave while you're here, stuck behind bars for something you didn't do?"
"But this has nothing to do with you. You don't need to get involved and put yourself in danger."
"Nothing to do with me? Don't piss me off, Stampede."
Vash was somewhat surprised to hear that furious tone. When he looked up again at Karius, the woman had just taken off her glasses. And she was staring at Vash with her pink eyes that were burning almost red. He didn't understand at all why Karius could be so angry.
"I can't stay silent if that damn Legato guy keeps harassing you and his minions."
Vash stared at Karius in disbelief. "How did you know?!"
Karius didn't answer at all. Just looking down at Vash with an angry look. It was as if she was telling him that she would destroy Legato herself with her own hands.
"...Vash-san?"
Milly opened the prison door slowly and was even surprised by two pairs of burning eyes that were staring at her from the gloom. Red belongs to Karius and blue belongs to Vash. The girl suddenly fell backwards from the shock, crashing into poor little Meryl so that she almost fell over. Luckily Edward, who was standing behind them, had a defense as hard as a wall and immediately caught her.
"Oh, it's you three," muttered Vash with a sad smile on his face.
"I'm terribly sorry. This sheriff is so stubborn," Meryl said regretfully.
The sheriff immediately furious to hear it. "Hey, watch it!"
"Just sit tight and we'll back for you tomorrow."
"Thank you. But don't waste your time." Vash glanced at Karius after saying that. Karius glanced back at Vash, but her expression was as if she didn't care.
"But you didn't do anything!!"
"Um.. Vash-san?" interrupted Milly later and received a smile by Vash.
"Yesss?"
Once again Milly was confused by that response. "Never mind!!!" she said, unknowingly showing her ridiculous pose.
Karius smiled at them as she put her glasses back on. Meryl who had seen it looked somewhat surprised and amazed. It seemed she had seen Karius's eye color in the low light. Then without saying anything, she walked over to Meryl and grabbed her shoulder. The girl looked confused and panicked by Karius' sudden attitude until Vash and Edward were suddenly surprised.
They sensed the arrival of someone very dangerous as Karius pulled Meryl into her arms and placed her trunk in front of them. A second before Edward stepped in front of Karius to help her hold the trunk and a hurricane of gunfire rained down on them with bullets from the entrance. Everyone survived the attack, but the walls around them crumbled in the indiscriminate gunfire.
"Thanks for showing me in. Can't say I thought my prey'd be all tied up, but just my luck!" Now they could all see clearly the shooter. A big man in dark tight body suit with a weird helmet and two large guns on both hands. "Can you hear me, Vash The Stampede?!"
Karius frowned, irritated. "Lots of b*tches."
"I'm number one of the Gung-Ho-Guns!! My name is Monev The Gale!!"
"I think it's polite enough for him to introduce himself first," Edward whispered to Karius.
"Everyone! Hurry up and run!" shouted Vash who still couldn't leave his place because of the handcuffs on his hands.
"But, Vash-san!!" cried Milly worriedly.
Seeing the condition of the prison cell that had been destroyed, Karius rushed over to Vash to remove his handcuffs. "Edward, protect Miss Stryfe and Miss Thompson!"
"Aye, sir!" Edward immediately picked up Meryl and prepared to drag Milly away with him.
"He's aiming for me! Stay out of it! Hurry! Outside!" Vash shouted crazily before turning to Karius who was taking out his revolver, intending to shoot the handcuffs. "You too, Harlan! Get out of here! Quickly!"
"How could it be?!" Karius shot the cuffs once, but not quite.
"Shut your mouth! Do you know what you're up against?!"
Karius fired a second shot that almost broke the cuffs when Monev suddenly appeared and slammed Vash against the wall by the neck. The blood that Vash vomited splattered Karius's face from the slam. And before she realized, Monev's other hand was in front of her eyes and sent her crashing into the wall that instant.
"No! Harlan!!" Vash screamed in frustration seeing Karius fall to the floor.
Edward who heard the scream just let Meryl go and ran to the sound source with Milly. Immediately shocked to death to see Karius's figure lying on the floor with blood coming out of the left side of her head.
"Harlan-san!!!" Milly screamed in panic first and immediately grabbed Karius. Edward took off Karius' glasses only to find that his master was completely unconscious.
"I'm surprised. You really look nothing like your photo."
"Twenty years is a long time. Day in and day out of training hell." Edward turned angrily to Monev, who was still hanging Vash on the wall. "All that training's gonna pay off once I kill you!!"
"No, Young Master Vash!"
"Ten."
"Nine."
"Eight."
"Seven."
Unexpectedly, Karius opened her eyes and held Edward's hand who was about to run towards Vash.
"Karius-sama?!"
"Six."
"Five."
Meryl came back and had to see the horror scene before her. Especially Karius who just knelt before Milly with fresh blood flooding the left side of her face.
"Oh my God, Karius-san!!"
"Four."
"Three."
"Two."
"ONE!"
"You talk too much, you son of a b*tch!"
Without Monev expecting it, Karius raised her revolver and shot him in the head without thinking before the big man could react. He staggered to the side and tried his best to regain his balance. On that occasion, Vash finally managed to sever the handcuffs, which was holding his hand.
Monev returned fire, but was avoided by Vash. He even managed to land one shot on the Monev helmet glass which sent him flying out the window.
"Hey! This is not how the story goes! I thought you were a simple coward, easy to shut up." Monev tried to get up from the fall and found Vash's silhouette in the doorway of the sheriff's office standing looking down on him. "But no!! What I see in your eyes... Diablo... your true character revealed!!"
Unfortunately, Monev had to realize that he was in a much worse situation when a white-headed person with a pair of glowing red eyes stood behind Vash. He remembered that it was the person who shot him first and gave Vash a chance to free himself.
