Scum of the Brave (勇者のクズ)

Security Cameras Make for a Safer Town

Shibuya City

Partway through the 21st century,

the medical procedure for gaining magic power, ether augmentation,

transformed a mafiosi underworld into a kingdom of darkness.

And the bounty hunters who would slay these Dark Lords?

They are known as...

the heroic Braves!

You sure didn't make this easy.

But it's time you gave up, you little twerp.

You villainous fiends are the ones who should surrender!

I was both the most diligent and most beautiful student at the academy!

I see no way I could lose to you!

Booyah.

Ouch!

Scum of the Brave

Meeting of the Braves

Hey, are you alive or what?

Where the hell you at, Yashiro?

I'm already in Shibuya.

Should be there in ten minutes.

Is that right? You sure you didn't chicken out at the thought of facing my deck?

I'll wipe the floor with you soon enough.

Brace yourself for an ass-kicking, loser.

You little—

Joe

Joe

Joe

Joe

Joe

Joe

Joe

I'm dead broke.

Current Cash: 3,500 yen

Yashiro

Dammit.

I shouldn't have let my curiosity get the better of me.

Should I withdraw some more?

Nah, I don't like that idea either.

And then there's rent... and food...

Transportation...

Taxes...

It'd be sweet if I stumbled on some kind of get-rich-quick job.

What the hell?! She's so fast!

Look out—

She fell!

Down there! After her!

Give me a break here.

Wait... maybe she's dead already.

That's right.

And I'm not the kind of scum who'd ditch someone in pain so he could go screw around...

So, please, be dead already!

An injection site?

So she's... a Brave?

That's right.

Now, get away from the runt.

Man, we both have some crappy luck, huh?

I got dragged into whatever this is, and you saw my face.

I know!

How about we both agree neither of us saw anything,

and go our separate ways?

Shut it.

Move aside, and I'll kill you after her.

And if I don't move?

Then I'll make it hurt real bad before killing you.

Pick your poison.

From what I can tell...

He's a minion of the Dark Lord in charge around here.

If I agitate him, it could lead to real problems.

Do I run?

Run...

Run. Quickly.

I'll deal with him...

As much as I would like to run...

I may as well ask...

Hey, lapdog, which Dark Lord do you serve?

Who's your master? I wanna know.

Because funnily enough, I happen to serve a Dark Lord of my own.

And if we butt heads without our bosses's approval...

I'm sure you see the trouble that might cause.

However, none of that was true.

You're a Brave?!

Wait!

That's enough.

He's already beaten.

You should...

You're right.

I should finish him while I've got the chance.

That oughta do it.

Begging your pardon.

I'm grateful that you helped me...

But you didn't need to kill him.

This guy slaughtered my entire family.

I've lived for revenge all this time...

For the day I'd get a chance to kill him.

You're lying, aren't you?

Yep. But what's it matter?

If it was true, would that make it justified?

You gonna punish me or something?

If you can't do anything, then you may as well keep quiet.

One other thing...

You're still young! So quit the Brave thing while you've got a chance, scum!

Only the worst of the worst become Braves.

If she's got a chance at a new life, she oughta take it.

You're gonna wanna hit the hospital.

Seeya.

Please, wait!

Aren't you...

Aki!

Who are you? A servant of Thorns's?

No, he's not. He's a Brave.

He saved me.

You're a Brave?

Who the hell knows?

Please, wait! I haven't properly thanked you yet!

Kids like that, ending up as Braves...

Well, guess it doesn't matter.

I'm gonna knock back some beers with my friends

over some delicious pizza while we enjoy our games.

Who could ask for anything more?

Yashiro.

Why are only deadbeats visiting my bar tonight?

Well, hello to you too, Ed.

I haven't come by in a while. Would it kill you to act happy to see me?

I am a customer.

Not while you're eating and drinking on a tab, you're not.

That also goes for people who don't order anything.

I get the picture!

Gimme a beer.

What the hell kept you, Yashiro?

So damn late. You wanna die?

Unlike you, I've got stuff to do.

Quit lying, Salt Joe!

I can't imagine a loser like you having a full schedule.

Say that again...

Let's leave it at that, gentlemen.

Can't we all just get along?

Well, it's hard to warm up to a murdering loser goon like him.

Take it back, Yashiro. I'm not a loser.

That's quite enough. Come on.

See, Joe? You made Ed mad!

You're the one who started it!

Now, now...

Why don't you settle things with a game?

Good point. We oughta settle up.

Joe, Ishino!

Very well...

Is what I'd like to say,

but are those two girls friends of yours, Yashiro-san?

Or maybe clients?

Hey, I only serve Braves during these hours.

No regular customers allowed.

We are Braves! Second-years in the special course at the academy.

My name is Jogamine Aki!

Thank you for saving my life earlier!

Master Yashiro, I ask you to become our master

and guide us in our quest to free a comrade that a Dark Lord has imprisoned!

Tonight! As soon as possible!

Scum of the Brave

The academy...

Established by the Round Table Foundation six years ago

to deal with the uptick in Dark Lord crime.

A school for training Braves.

Centered around female students, since they tend to have more ether than men...

There's a couple hundred students enrolled.

Bottom line is that they're a program for producing assassins.