[23] ESCAPE

It took the twins almost two weeks to get near the southern end of the capital city of Kyubu, their notoriety turned out to be their biggest weakness for this trip.

They were resting in one of those cheap countryside hotels as they got nearer to the southern border of Esbara. They could see the tall and thick trees of the Mayval forest—the place where the rock pointed—from the terrace of their hotel, which was surrounded by grasslands and occasional patches of huts in a great distance, closer to the city.

Maintaining a low profile for now was crucial, even if it meant bloodshed.

It wasn't just Seekers from whom they were hiding, for every Onyx Bane gangster knew who was always watching them from the shadows. Eber and Bebin were as cautious as they could be in staying out of Gecko and Monitor's radar. If those two somehow found out that the twins were alive and roaming in Esbara, it would only be a matter of time before Mamba knew it too. That would only lead to one outcome… Death.

Not being able to complete a task was an unredeemable sin for a Desperado. Taking a task voluntarily and failing to finish it, an even greater one.

But in Eber's opinion, the task of capturing Rillon and killing the girl—who they found out was named Kylix—would've been completed by now, if it weren't for all the Kosmos Seekers that had been hindering their progess, ever since the day they revisited the Buster stronghold.

Eber dumped the final body in the quicksand Bebin made behind the hotel. "We're done. Let's rest for now. We'll follow the rock after the sun rises."

Bebin nodded, squatting to put his palms on the ground, hardening the ground that devoured thirty or so people who were staying in that hotel.

"We'll take shifts, Beb," Eber said, turning to head toward the entrance. "We don't want any Kosmos spies wasting us in sleep."

"We will, brotha," Bebin said with a nod, following behind to rest for the big day.

***

Zooming in with his binoculars, Kres watched the twins entering the hotel from a great distance. "So they're alive…"

He looked down at the path that led to that hotel, staring at the Kosmos leaders marching fearlessly toward the hotel.

Drivic wore his sleeveless shirt and leather gloves to exaggerate his jacked muscles. Even though the Kosmos leader was touching almost fifty, he still had the physique of a young fighter. Walking beside him, in a tight shirt underneath a leather vest, was the second-in-command of Kosmos—Haydon, who carried a giant hammer-axe as his weapon…and a bag, as well.

Kres smirked from the tree top. "Who's gonna win?" He took his eyes off the Kosmos leaders, staring ahead. "Don't let us down, twins—" He gulped.

***

Haydon wrapped the blade of his axe around the man spying on him and Drivic from a tree top. He had to be an amateur for not knowing that Huricasurge allowed its user to sense the space around them.

The spy raised his hands after putting down his binoculars.

"Who sent you?" Haydon asked.

"You know I can't tell that to you," the spy said.

"How long have you been spying on us?"

"Why does it matter?"

Haydon sighed. "Take off your gloves."

The spy shrugged. "You can check my tattoo after killing me."

"Why're you so keen on dying?"

"Ask that to yourself."

"Huh—?"

The spy turned around, grabbing Haydon. A beep was heard. "The fuck is this? Just clothes—?"

The top of the tree erupted flames, the spy suicide-bombed himself to kill Haydon.

Drivic returned his eyes to look where he was going, sighing as he continued to walk. "Let me do the interrogation next time, alright?"

Haydon nodded as they both walked toward the hotel, clothes similar to what he was wearing—except ignited—falling from the sky, an axe dropping soon after. "A human voice is just air being funny." He picked up his axe, continuing to march.

"You tricked him into killing himself," Drivic said. "Don't you feel bad?"

Haydon shrugged. "Not really. He had been spying on us for quite some time now. I figured we should finally confront him."

"If he had turned just once, before blowing himself up," Drivic said, drawing circles is the air. "He would've seen that it was just a floating axe around his neck."

"But an axe, nonetheless," Haydon said, tilting his head. "It's crazy what Granapulse can allow Alchosers to do."

"It isn't that, Haydon," Driviv said, frowning. "You're a talented Huricus, you did all the work."

Haydon rolled his eyes. "I wasn't complimenting you, dumbass. I was just saying that your Granapulse made me more awesome."

"Oh," Drivic said, raising his eyebrows, "my bad."

Haydon gave him a dismissive wave. "Let's just focus on what's ahead."

"Our Seekers took quite some damage in fighting these two."

"Guess it was us who were supposed to take them down, after all."

Drivic cracked his knuckles as they stopped some hundred meters or so away from the hotel. "Do you think they're alone in there?"

"You tell me."

Drivic used his Granapulse on Haydon, boosting the effects of his Alchos. "This is my second to last Pulse, Haydon. Don't waste it."

Haydon sent out a powerful Huricapulse toward the hotel, sensing the space of its inside and finding two human-like figures. "Yep. They killed everyone."

Drivic sighed, taking off the gloves to reveal his iron-spiked gloves—a type of beastgear meant for Granius for boosting their Alchos. He squatted and placed both his fists on the ground. "Back off, Haydon." He inhaled deeply.

Locking both hands behind his head, Haydon took two steps back, watching along the height of the three-floored building. "Go on."

Drivic exhaled with a shout, his mouth opening wide. "QUAKE!"

The ground shook, a crack creeping toward the hotel, which got wider and wider as it approached the building. It touched the foundation of the building, going around its borders soon after.

The hotel started collapsing on itself, creating a huge dust-cloud as the foundation got demolished by the destructive tremor sent by the Granaskill of Drivic.

Haydon whipped out his axe. "They won't die from this alone, that's for sure."

Drivic cracked his neck. "I just hope they don't disappoint me."

"Getting fired up, are you?" Haydon said with a smile. "Don't kill them, old man."

"You're not that much younger than me, either, Haydon," Drivic said, turning and gesturing toward him. "So you can't say that."

Haydon sighed, rolling his eyes. "Let's just…focus on our mission, shall we? At least that's something you understand."

Drivic shrugged. "Alright."

The dust-cloud cleared to reveal a pile of rubble. The Kosmos leaders anticipated two bulky men to show themselves from underneath the rubble.

But it was just silence after the loud noise—of the building collapsing—settled.

Haydon stepped toward the rubble. "Guess they need a special invitation."

"Be on guard, Haydon."

Haydon shrugged. "Obviously." With that he jumped in the middle of the rubble, hammering away the smooth stones and bricks.

Drivic accompanied him soon after.

"Pfft," Haydon said in an annoyed voice. "These bastards."

"What is it?" Drivic asked as he walked beside Haydon.

Haydon pointed below with his thumb. "The figures that I sensed were just statues in human-shape. They were expecting us, it seems. This tunnel they dug in the ground floor was made way before we arrived."

Drivic sighed. "We did make our arrival flashy with that fire and all."

Haydon turned toward Drivic. "Now what?"

Drivic jumped into the hole in the ground. "We follow them. What else?"

Haydon shrugged, following soon after. "I guess."