The nonsensical chatter came to an abrupt halt when Ki walked into the nighttime bar. Every figure seemed like someone you wouldn’t want to mess with, and he could instantly feel the bloodlust from their glares. He paid no mind to this as he approached the bartender, who seemed to be in his late forties. However, the most distinguishing characteristic of this bartender was the eyepatch on his left eye that partially covered a nasty scar that ran from his chin to his temple. Besides that, he was quite distinguished-looking–as he wore a black suit and slicked back his hair.

The bartender had a deep frown on his face as Ki approached.

“I don’t serve your kind,” the bartender said with a low growl.

The ‘kind’ he was referring to was anyone not from this world. Ki wore a black cloak with a hood that covered his face in the shadows, but the large blue horn sticking out from his forehead made it quite difficult to hide his identity.

“I’m not looking to be served,” Ki replied, curtly.

The bartender put the glass he’d been holding on the counter.

“Then, what are you here for?”

“A bounty.”

A dreadful smile fell on the bartender’s face. And then the entire bar erupted into a riot of laughter.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“And what makes you think we’d be of any assistance to find your guy?” the bartender said between some light chuckles.

“What makes you think my bounty is only one guy?”

Silence fell across the bar for another moment, before everyone erupted into laughter again. And among this chorus, one large man stood up behind Ki, towering over him.

“Don’t worry guys,” he said with a confident grin, “I’ll handle this self-proclaimed bounty hunter.”

Shouts of ‘Go easy on him!’, ‘Make it quick!’, and ‘Show him why they call you the Beard Strangler!’ echoed in the bar. Ki didn’t turn around to meet his opponent. He didn’t need to. The ‘Beard Strangler’ was already dead. His head rolled to the feet of someone sitting nearby as the body fell backward onto the hardwood floor.

The chummy laughter instantly switched to a ballistic riot. Some screamed. Others yelled. A few tried to make a break for the door. Guns and other assortment of weapons were pointed at Ki as he continued to face the bartender.

But, no shots were fired and no weapons pierced him. Only the sounds of bodies and heads hitting the floor cracked inside the bar. No one had escaped. The bartender was the only one left standing. His hand trembling–struggling to handle the handgun he had pointed at Ki. Seemingly frozen to the spot he was standing.

Stepping over bodies, Ki walked toward the counter and grabbed the glass that the bartender had put down.

“Thanks for the drink,” Ki said, as he turned around and headed out the door.

“Who are–” the bartender began to ask, but was cut short when his head slid off his shoulders.

Ki drank the shot of alcohol and smashed the glass on part of the floor that wasn't covered by a body before walking out of the bar.