“Fuck you!” It’s unclear which of the combatants had said that, however. That angry embrace those two had been in, however, promptly unlocked at the thrown pebble, which now lay at the ground between them as both sides glared at each other, panting, trying to catch their breath.

Koujaku held his knuckles up to his nose, which was dribbling blood.

“Who threw that?” he demanded, never peeling his eyes off of the guy as he searched for an opening. Nobody in the crowd cared to volunteer an answer.