[ Knives' eyes immediately water from all of the dust in a desperate attempt to flush it all out, his vision left blurry as a result. It takes some rubbing and a few blinks to even be able to see properly again, and by that point Vash has placed himself rather solidly in front of his little friend.

The guards that had come to apprehend him do seem to listen to Vash's pleas, holding off and watching from a distance instead of getting further involved. He ignores them, at least for now, far more interested in Vash.

Knives lets out a low, rumbling laugh in response to Vash's brave words. He stares at the gun, wondering where he even got it in this place. But it has become something of a crutch for him, hasn't it? ]

I was trying to show her that death means nothing in this place. [ He glances to the spot where he'd cut that man down earlier, then shrugs and stares right at the muzzle of Vash's firearm. Always playing cowboy, but does he truly have what it takes to pull that trigger? ] You can make the point as well as I could. Go ahead, brother. [ And with that, he starts on a slow march toward him and the girl he's shielding. He spreads his arms out to either side. ] Take your shot.