17 Wildfire

Alastor reaches his sword – drawing it from its scabbard slung on his back. It hisses against it sheathe and gleamed for a moment. He deflected the incoming attacks with his swordsmanship, swinging back and forth as he let himself be in the last to protect them and proceeded cautiously.

Ahead, Linda leads them, and Ken is in the middle of the chase carrying the unconscious woman in his back. A guard reached the other side and was about to aim them with the gun, but Linda threw lightning magic to him. The magic instantly knocks him down.

They reach the available ventilation shaft that can be found at the center wall that is in the open space metallic stage, but the position is convenient to the enemy leaving Alastor to deflect the attacks. He calmly assesses every parried attack, and only deflects those that could hit them.

“Hey, get in. We’re going to get out of here!”

Linda pulled the lock and entered the duct, sliding down then kicking the filter that led her outside falling in the large chemical industrial factory, she grabbed the grappling hook. She shoots randomly and luckily it clings to the ledge.

“Hey, you go first!” Alastor said while deflecting every attack of the enemy. His strange speed of deflecting left some of the enemies in awe, but at the same time, the other men, they are still furiously assaulting him. With every bullet he deflects the more follows and this keeps him pushing him to the edge.

Ken retorted concerningly says “But you can’t hold it any—"

“Just go! Leave it to me!” Alastor shouted.

“I owe you one.” Ken leaned his back upward as they slid to the wide duct and did the same thing to Linda.

Alastor couldn’t take his chances to slide to the duct as long as the enemies kept shooting at him. Hence, he’s slowly moving backward preparing for an opportunity. Unfazed attention towards the aggressors, he didn’t notice that the others are slowly taking a reroute.

The loud noise of the striking bullets enabled him to foresee it. He breathes roughly, his boots creating friction when he takes a step back. The cold atmosphere is dazing which is also slowing his muscle movements.

Before the indiscreetly approached enemy gets near to him, gas comes leaking at the tube that is hanging up in the sideways. The electric wirings sparkled and grounded the lights, turning off and on. Until it reached the enemy, some of them were blinded by the gas, and others were electrified. Loud shrieking noise of spark resounds where they came from and some of the pieces of machinery begin to explode.

The explosion intensifies as the canisters explode and the methane gas flickers, producing a vindictive flare that flows in the ventilation duct creating a chain of explosions across the platforms. The enemy’s reaction couldn’t catch up to the immediate blast, thus burning them alive.

The continuous scream of the guards slowly dissipated as the entirety begins to collapse.

Even though some of them were willing to take chances of surviving the blast and tried to get rid of Alastor, they couldn’t fight back against the destructive flame.

He loses his balance as soon an explosion comes at his right side. He used his sword to support him, regaining his composure. His eyes strained to focus as he feels that his head is heavy, calmly he breathes, soft puffs of sounds can be heard. He tried to collect himself, glancing back at the escape route that is now covered in piled boulders.

He gritted his teeth, scolding himself for failing. But now, he couldn’t just easily give up. The growling explosion of flames halted, and he could hear once again the swarming presence of the enemies. The sights of the automatic rifles fixated on him. He hurriedly stands, gripping the holder, prepared for the next wave.

There came a deafening roar of the volleying bullets, he sped, sprinting towards them, deflecting the bullets with rapid swinging and skillful sword movement. As soon as they had run out of bullets, he didn’t hesitate to take the chances and fixed his sword towards their flesh, cutting through and slice his way.

Alastor first aims at the sword and then swings it to the chest of the enemy. He swung back and forth and threw the gun, then kicked hard the guts and fell off the ground. Soon, the others fire at him, aiming in a convenient position. The once calm fire rages again, succumbing to the aggressors. Along with the blast, there came a leak of water next to him. He decided to remove his mask and shower it in the leaking water then equips it again to prevent the unwanted smoke from coming inside of his body. By doing it, the risk of inhaling carbon dioxide will be low and will allow his blood flow normally for now even in this dire situation he is in.

Alastor risked a glance at the top, to confirm any means to escape, there he saw the window as he snapped the neck of the enemy. The stair is blocked by large pieces of technology. He looked for the other way as he took cover. He saw a path that leads up, but it would be bothered if circling the route, the enemy might catch up to him, so he chose to do the easy way.

He jumps and clings to the ledge. His strong arms pulled him up, he met another enemy again. He throws his sword at the foe, plunged deep into his chest. Running and ducking, sliding down and reclaiming the sword back to his grips, the enemy fazed and he took the chances.

Once he reaches the window, he grabs the grenade from the fallen enemy, throws it into the air, and as soon as it gets close to the window; he shoots it. Alastor already knew what was about to happen, he rested back his sword while the opportunity was there. The flame came after him. The hotness is threatening and the frightened man, Alastor, could feel that the unstoppable blaze is behind him as he knelt and jumped, clinging and pulling himself up.

He didn’t think twice and jumped at the building, the level of height was high and probably the length of the hook couldn’t do the job, so he waited further to find the right timing. He grabs the grappling hook and then shoots it at the deform wall. The vehicle was a park behind the walls of the factory, Cid looked at the upcoming party, Linda and Ken landed safely in the ground. Cid notices the woman clinging on Ken’s back.

“What the hell?” He surprisingly said. Tin grabbed the handle of the door and opened it—making a way for the hurrying comrades. Ken caressed the lady to the comfy seat. Then, he grabbed a towel, covering the naked woman.

Cid leans forward to the woman then to Ken, “Hey, is she one of the…?

“Yes, she is.” Ken promptly replied.

They could hear the explosion. They gazed up to the cylindrical furnace and saw the smoke trailing up to the sky, then came the explosion.

The debris fell across the place, until they saw Alastor from the higher echelon, falling as though the roaring flame came out. Alastor slowly decelerated and while in the midair, the ledges crumbled and the hook held no longer, leaving Alastor to free fall. Alastor is far from the ground, they could tell it. Ken estimated and when Alastor got closer, he jumped, heaving towards his body, changing the force of the falling.

Together, their body hardly met the ground, the two of them grunts, “I got ya.” Ken mumbled. He stands up holding his waist, “This is gonna hurt tomorrow.” Alastor heavily breathed, Ken leaned downward, helping him. The two of them entered the vehicle and left the site as the wailing sound of the police and the firefighters came at the exploding building. The obscurity of the night is gone and covered by the thick smoke that came from the building, saved by their wits but the darkness already crept out, waiting for its prey.