Special Article: The Truth about Stepping Man
The mysterious phantom Stepping Man?
STEPPING
A terrifying phantom that kidnaps children under the cover of night!
It can hop around in mid-air, and no one in Labyrinth City can stop it!
Don't you think that's romantic?
"Romance" is one of those words with a lot of definitions.
If it's a bad person, we need to beat it.
Don't waste your time on it.
You know there's no such thing.
Hey! Stepping Man is real!
There are witnesses!
Don't believe everything you read in a cheap gossip rag like that.
I'd love to meet Stepping Man.
Did you just say, "Stepping Man"?
I'm Olivia Taylor, an adventurer and writer for Lemuria Monthly magazine!
Lemuria Monthly? I love your magazine!
Your words honor me.
You just found out about it a while ago.
That's a terrible thing for an idol otaku to say.
What does time have to do with love?
You're no fun.
Kizuna's curiosity is an inspiration to us all.
Kizuna?
That's a wonderful name!
Writer and adventurer?
Yes, I may not look it, but I'm an adventurer!
So... I'm... actually...
Yuck!
Hop! Hop! Achoo!
Thank you.
Why are you moving around like that?
Whenever there's something weird going on in Labyrinth City,
I'm always there to check it out.
Ningen Fushin: Adventurers Who Don't Believe in Humanity Will Save the World
"The Legend of the Labyrinth City - Stepping Man?!"
Well? How'd you enjoy your first concert?
It was more fun than I thought it would be.
Especially your favorite, Agate...
Oh, you get it, huh?
Indeed! I feel a strong light in her soul.
In another era, she would have been a shaman...
What?
Zem's in danger!
Here!
Zem!
Stepping Man...
A cheap conjurer's trick.
How can we fight him when we can't see him?
There!
You can see me?
I'm not done yet!
Take this! Parallel!
What?
How boring.
Can you wipe your face off?
Thanks so much, Red.
You owe me for this, Zem.
We're not a hospital, you know.
What were you doing out there that late?
Any idea who that guy was?
She just went through something really scary.
You don't have to interrogate her.
S-Sorry.
That's... Stepping Man!
My mom's no liar!
She's not...
Tell me more.
Mom would always go out late at night to try and defeat Stepping Man.
But she lost, and now she's in the hospital.
Oh, my...
My mom realized
that all the disappearing children lately were because of Stepping Man.
But nobody would believe her...
Well, most people wouldn't believe.
But we saw it with our own eyes.
We saw someone hiding themselves in the darkness, attacking a child,
and jumping from roof to roof with ease.
Um, what's your name?
Reina.
Reina, we believe your mom.
And I respect her bravery in challenging such a difficult opponent all by herself.
Zem...
Zem!
Please make me your student!
My student?
Yes.
I was so impressed by how brave you were back there!
Listen, he was once...
You're ten years...
no, fifteen years too young to be my student.
Fifteen years?
S-So how should I train until then?
Well, for today, get some rest at Miss Red's place.
We can go see your mom in the morning.
And never do anything so dangerous again.
Okay, Master!
Until fifteen years have passed, you must not get any closer to me.
Can you do that?
I can!
Good girl.
This sucks.
Oh, my... You're such a young boy to be letting out such a big sigh...
My beloved Stepping Man turned out to be that cheap fraud.
We got closer to finding out his true identity. That's a big step.
He doesn't have a "true identity". He's just some kidnapper.
I'm just going to have to destroy this fake Stepping Man!
I'll catch him myself!
We can't leave him on the loose after he hurt Reina, either.
Then...
Let's make a job out of it.
This guild is filled with bounty hunters, so it's a little rougher than most.
Give us what you know about Stepping Man.
I don't think I've seen the four of them before.
Oh, right.
We can't share info on expensive bounties
with adventurers who've never accomplished anything.
Mr. Former-Member-of-Masters-of-War.
You just said the word "expensive," didn't you?
Bingo.
So there is a bounty out on him.
I didn't say that...
Okay, how's this for starters?
Hale Hardy...
The reward is 300,000 dinah.
That's not bad.
You got the Iron Tigers sent to jail.
This should be easy for you Survivors.
Those are the Survivors?
Wow!
They ain't bounty hunters. They're muscling in on our turf.
Jealousy is unbecoming of a bounty hunter.
You amateurs should stick to fighting goblins!
Stop it!
Don't try to stop me!
He doesn't mean anything by it!
Please don't provoke him...
We'll find this Hale guy and bring him here.
She doesn't mean anything by it.
She's not provoking him, either!
All right.
Let's take bets, guys!
I bet they fail—
50,000 dinah on the Survivors pulling it off.
And you?
I... I bet my whole fortune on the Survivors failing...
Sorry!
He's getting a little too heated.
Go make some money while you're waiting for us to get back.
Okay, Ash, I bet on you!
I bet tonight's bar tab on the lady!
I bet my rent money that the Survivors get killed!
Garbage Collection. By far the most dangerous slum in the city.
They say there's no crime in the world that hasn't happened here at least once.
The Solar Knights don't come here, either.
It was safe to assume that the guild was right, and Hale was here.
First, we say hello to the gatekeep.
Ain't seen you around here before.
Bounty hunters?
Yeah, something like that.
We don't need escorts or a guide.
But I do want information.
If it's about a bounty, go find it yourself.
Has anything unusual happened around here? Even something small.
One of the whores got sick and died last weekend.
Greg, our odd-jobs guy, had a dog that gave birth.
Ten puppies. All males.
Nobody's been dumb enough
to let themselves get caught by a bounty hunter for three months.
Oh, and Greg says new customers get 20 percent off.
That doesn't tell us much.
Guess I can throw in the fact that a girl with a death wish came by.
What?
Thanks.
If you die, make sure you die in a way that keeps it out of the news.
Oh, one more thing.
Don't get in Nalgava's way while he's working.
That's a warning.
Nalgava?
Who's that?
Someone important.
It stinks.
The air circulation and water quality aren't very good, after all.
There's all kinds of nasty little maggots here...
Hold it! This is a toll road.
Hang over your money—
We're looking for a man named Hale.
Hale, the former host and seducer?
He's in the Bedrooms.
The Bedrooms?
A building on the east side that was supposed to be an inn.
Schwing!
Thanks.
Then pay me for the info!
You remember how you were just trying to steal from us?
You're going to die soon.
You're doing something you shouldn't be.
Nobody asked you.
Does it make you feel happy? Depressed?
What's your problem?
Just answer the question.
I can't sleep!
I'm not allowed to have some fun when I sleep?
I can't live a normal life here!
This wasn't supposed to be my life!
You wouldn't understand!
That's not true.
I understand. I think.
This herb has calming properties.
This can be your fee for that information.
It's not a strong medicine, but it will have to do.
Don't rely on what you've been taking until now.
W-Wait!
Hale's a fast runner.
If he sees you coming, he'll be gone in the blink of an eye.
Thanks. We'll be careful.
So this is the Bedrooms.
If Hale gets even the slightest bit suspicious, he'll bolt.
We'll have to be careful.
You okay?
I'm sorry.
The conditions here are so bad, it's no wonder people are getting sick.
There's no hope.
If anything, this is where you'd need a temple...
Find him?
Yeah, he's here...
What? That doesn't tell me much.
He's busy, from the look of it.
Wh-Who the hell are you?
Most people with a bounty on their head are a little more careful.
Stay out!
An easy 300,000!
What do you mean, 300,000?
The bounty on you.
That's way too much money!
I just hit, kicked, sold into slavery, and conned people!
And murder?
I didn't do it!
Well, you can tell the guild all about it.
You.
What are you doing to my patient?
Dr. Nalgava!
Help me!
Nalgava?
That's him?
Who are you?
You don't look like amateurs.
And you?
You don't look like the usual priest.
The Bedrooms are a neutral zone.
The deal says you don't interfere when I'm treating patients.
Wait. We're not from here.
We just came to capture a bounty.
What did Hale do?
Most everything except murder.
What?
Fool.
I can cure wounds and disease, but I can't remove your guilt.
If he's done evil, then I have no reason to stop you.
Take him.
No, Doctor! Do something!
He has the Yellow Demon Sickness.
If he's not coming back for a long time,
I'd like to at least treat him before he goes.
You're sure?
If we take him, your treatment might go to waste.
Kid, that's...
Nick, that's incorrect.
Depending on what he's done, he may get the death penalty.
Hey! Don't even say that!
But our job is to do the best we can at any given moment.
It may even turn out that he didn't do anything he's accused of.
And it's also possible he may lead a peaceful life,
and die a peaceful death, in prison.
Quiet! Shut up and take away me already, asshole!
You're a priest, then?
Yes. Former priest, just like you, though...
If I may ask, why are you here?
If you're talented enough to identify Yellow Demon Sickness,
you could work anywhere you like.
Then what about you?
Do you want to go back to being a priest?
Yes.
I'm sick of it all.
By the way, Nalgava.
Stepping Man.
Have you heard of him?
Of course he hasn't!
A black shadow that stalks in the night and kidnaps children...
I'm afraid I haven't.
A kidnapper? This place is filled with 'em!
Who cares about one kidnapper?
Hey. He seems genuinely concerned.
If you know something...
Oh!
Well, I don't know if they're a kidnapper,
but I did see this weird reporter going around and giving kids candy to talk to them.
Weird reporter?
You pulled it off.
You found him in a single day. Nice.
I-I can't believe it!
They really found him!
Now, how much did you all bet?
Right now, I've got about 800,000 dinah...
That'll do.
W-Wait!
Some of that goes to the ones who bet on you! You can't take it all!
Use this money to buy every bottle of alcohol you can find!
Drinks on the house for everyone!
Nice thinking, missy!
Hey, I bet on you!
You were gonna blow it on booze anyway!
Or are you too good to drink what I offer you?
She's got you there!
Oh, fine.
Sorry...
Ow...
Thanks for the booze last night.
Here's the money for Hale, and...
you wanted the stuff on Stepping Man, right?
Let's see...
"Burn green wood in your house and the smoke will keep him away."
"He knocked a hole in my roof, but fixed my gutters. Nice guy."
"I stayed up late at night to summon him, and he told me to go to bed.
I'm sorry."
Nothing but weird rumors and mistaken identity.
Personally, I'd rather you went after normal bounties
instead of chasing non-existent folklore.
Ow...
We're not interested in Stepping Man the urban legend, either.
We want to find the kidnapper that people call Stepping Man.
I don't know about kidnappers...
But if you're looking for a suspicious person who talks to kids,
you can find her over there.
A weird reporter going around and giving kids candy...
...to talk to them?
No way.
She's definitely the reporter giving kids candy, but...
If only you remembered more about what they looked like...
I just remember that they were fast on their feet, and used chains...
Chains?
She was weirdly heavy.
If she had chains wrapped around her body...
That's silly.
No way!
Curran, Tiana. Block the exits.
I'm sure I'm being overly cautious, but...
Oh, Nick!
She found us on our way back to visit Reina's mom...
So you give the kids candy and interview them, and then what?
Then what?
Oh, my! You look angry!
I don't know if being a reporter is a busy job or not.
One minute you're sitting around waiting,
and the next you're leaping around the city!
And from roof to roof?
For example, where were you two nights ago?
Huh?
Is this turning into an interrogation?
You can't answer?
I can!
Editing department! Bar! Turned in assignment! Ate!
Article! Food!
Kinda sucked! Was pretty good!
Well, I may have explained them out of order,
thus making two simple to understand events
difficult to understand by discussing them in parallel.
This is a sign of my powerful literary skills...
So, are you Stepping Man?
Where'd you take the kids?
Why do you kidnap them?
No, who even are you?
Um... I'm not sure I understand what you're asking.
Seriously?
Next time: "Labyrinth Dragnet"
Next time: "Labyrinth Dragnet".