Upcoming battle

The suburb Eve lived in was vast yet boring.

The same houses were built over and over again, reminiscent of a maze. The roads and pathways conjoined and separated, merged and split, making memorisation a tad bit too difficult

the truly innovative ones painted their roofs, and doors, or put decorative objects on their lawn to differentiate their territories from the maze.

Eve was not familiar with the layout of how the streets were intertwined with each other but the duo of regressors seemed to know their direction.

The central city loomed menacingly far away.

Melina told him that their base was on the outer edges of the central city.

They walked for a while, basking in the sun, feeling the wind on their skin, and seeing many new people.

Eve, too absorbed into his surroundings, didn't notice that Arco had stopped, causing him to harmlessly bump into him.

It was like stepping into a stone wall. Unmovable, unbendable, and hard as hell.

Arco stared into the distance and seemed to be in thought. Then without warning, turned right 90 degrees and continued on.

"Wait Arco! Where are you going!" Melina inquired as she ran up to him, visibly tired from maintaining two separate barriers at once without getting a proper rest from her earlier feats.

He stopped for a moment and muttered some stuff to Melina which Eve couldn't hear as the sound of the people's everyday commute.

He didn't bother getting closer to eavesdrop. He absolutely forbade the idea of reaching within Arco's arm range as that was a threat to his life.

Granted, Arco wouldn't kill him but Eve wouldn't rule out the possibility. He was the type to make impulsive decisions out of emotions so there was a good chance that he would just lose all reason and go berserk.

The pain in his back was a constant reminder of that.

"So where are we heading now?" He asked. The two guides completely ignored him, each having a serious look on their faces.

Suddenly, Melina got a look of understanding on her face and urged Eve to follow. 

"Where are we heading now?" Eve asked again. This time, his monotone voice had a hint of annoyance in it.

Melina flashed a bright smile at him. "We need to stop by a place to get a vehicle. It might get a bit too hectic but I think it's a good opportunity to demonstrate the might of soul power." 

'Eve probably likes violent activities or games. Engaging in combat and showing off could help us, especially Arco, gain some respect and recognition from him.'

Eve furrowed his eyebrows. "We are walking just fine though, why do you want a vehicle?

Arco sneered violently. "Of course, we are going to need a vehicle, fool.

What's with that look, did you expect us to spend valuable time walking to our base? Grow some wits kid, we are going to obtain a vehicle."

'I will grow some wits just fine but I doubt you will be around to witness it.

Heart attack is a serious thing and your childish tantrums only flame it.'

Eve swallowed back his retort calmly. No matter how excessive the big man was, he couldn't say a thing back if he valued his life.

He nodded silently and followed suit.

—

They were currently under a bridge, facing a group of people with bright-colored hair.

Their fierce look, their similar choice of clothing and their aggressive stances told Eve plenty.

They were gangsters.

For the first time in a while, Eve got the urge to laugh.

'Gangsters? In the Empire no less? Do they have a death wish or something?'

Arco noticed the look of amusement on Eve and explained.

"Although the Emporer doesn't condone these types of behavior, that doesn't mean he can keep those kinds of people away from the Empire.

First of all, many people work under His Majesty and serve as his eyes and ears all across the Empire. However, as it turns out, those agents are not immune to stuff like pride and greed.

Some of them naturally turned corrupt and kept a blind eye to gangs like this on the condition that they work with them or at least cooperate with them.

Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if those bastards founded their own little organization, designed to leech off the resources of the land as much as they could.

Our goal is to beat those shitheads and confiscate their possessions, to help with our cause."

'Hoh, so you weren't all muscle after all. Or were those words that Melina ordered you to memorize?'

His thought was interrupted when one of the colored hair gang members spoke up.

"Oi, Old man with the long ass hair, get your fucking children off our territory and maybe we will spare you an organ of your choice, hahehe."

Eve looked sideways to see Arco remaining surprisingly calm expression. He did have plenty of experience culling trash like these a lot.

Nonetheless, his fist couldn't contain his rage and it was evident with how it was clenched so hard it was shaking.

"Oh and leave the girl." The gang members snickered.

This time, Eve gazed at Melina to gauge her feelings.

It was easy.

Her eyes were burning, literally glowing, with rage.

The poor bastards were a bit too far to see the blazing fury within her eyes. It was a great time for them to choose a religion, Eve thought.

Most of the gang members were focused on Arco and Melina, threatened by the former's hulking physique and the aura of dominance around him. At the same time, they were also mesmerized by Melina's smooth, spotless alabaster skin, natural blueish silver hair, and divine eyes.

Sandwiched between two sides of extremities, it was understandable that nobody would pay attention to a boy like Eve. He had no defining features in the eyes of a normal person after all.

The key word being a normal person.

Although most were busy, the rare few, the experienced ones saw him.

Immediately one of them yelled.

"You, boy, you share the same gaze as we all do. Why won't you join us? With a little bit of fixing, you would exactly fit in!"

Eve's gaze was that of a bored person, a certain indifference behind it.

With the same gaze, he scanned all of the gang members. Their hairstyles, their sense of fashion, and their rude behavior.

"I don't want to join a couple of clowns." He spat.

And a fight broke out.

If it can even be called a fight.