Chapter 24: Trouble
From the railway station, came a long linear speeding train. The clickety-clang of it's wheels resounded as it trampled over the railroads in the path. The air breezed as it slowly lost it's speed, giving an tranquil atmosphere.
Hiss!
A hissing sound reverberate as the breaks were pushed. The train stopped, directly in front of the station. The doors opened as a young adult man came out.
He wore a brown coat, aligning to the color of his short brown hair. His face was handsome, for it was focused and concentrated, more notably however was that whoever glanced at him would've found more fascinating was his well rounded, purple eyes.
It was foreign in simple words, it felt like a purple sky. Beautiful, and artistic.
Rio stood as he exited the train. He glanced at the stop watch in his wrist, it was afternoon. Just enough time. He turned his head upwards as he looked at the door beyond.
The place he had arrived to was near of the Underground territory, or commonly known, as a sub branch of the Black Market. Why was he here you may ask? To forge a new identity.
He decided this long ago. He preferred to be unknown and hidden when he acts publicly, It would help a lot. The attention he was receiving when he formed a club with the main characters were enough.
Adding more fire to the popularity would've alerted more eyes on the dark. Something he wouldn't want. So far, he was still weak. Far too weak to even affect anything major.
As he prepared himself, the trains already left. The trains were useful, even at a modern futuristic era. He used them because they were far more cheaper, albeit long and less convenient.
He had no money to access the portals. He was piss poor, that was already established long ago. He only had a hundred thousand credits that he was going to use as entrance to a dimension.
Rio shook his heads as he forego the unneccesary thoughts. He walked over the area, as he approached the stairs. As he walked, he didn't forget to carefully look at the couple of shadows his senses were picking up.
The most troublesome thing was there were people following him. He didn't know who they were, but if he had a guess they were most likely servants of nobles. Their strengths differ, but almost most of them were Rank D, only a couple were Rank C.
Regardless, Rio felt like he could easily beat some of them, especially when he brought the newly synchronized skills of his in the equation.
He had sensed them far more earlier but he couldn't act againts them outside the academy, nor inside the train. However, the place he was at right now was a different matter all together.
This was near the Underground, a place not easily reached by the nobles of Arthurian Empire.
He could finally act and crush them one by one. Rio thought as he walked over the stairs, finally exiting the train station. The outside was bright, rightfully so.
The place was unlike expectations, it felt more of an ordinary city and less of a market filled with illegal dealings. But Rio knew it was a mere mask of disguise.
He looked over the city, looking for blindspots and alleyways he could go into. Before dealing with the forgery issue, he would take care of these unchained goons first.
'Here goes nothing.' Rio thought as he ran towards one of the alleyways.
"After him!" One of the servants shouted as he noticed the person he was following suddenly run. Did they get caught? How?
Two servants in black clothes looked at each other and nodded. Both hastily ran as they followed Rio.
—
Both of the two servants arrived at the alleyway. They looked at the corners and sides, suprisingly the man was not here. It was empty.
"He's no—" They were about to announce the news to the other, however before they could even finish they felt their consciouness losing.
Kek!
"Look up, sometimes." Rio advised monotonously as he knocked both of the servants in the neck.
After knocking them out, he grabbed a card from his chest pocket. A joker card. He left it to both of the knocked out bodies as he ran towards the end of the alleyway.
The other servants arrived quickly after Rio left, however the only thing that was presented before them was two of their colleagues body and a joker card.
"Follow him! I'l stay here and guard." One servant ordered with authority, the others couldn't disagree and just nodded. The one ordering was a Rank C Miracle Invoker.
Several others split up and followed the traces of Rio as they search. The servant that stayed merely tapped his shoes as he looked at the joker card that was left alone.
He couldn't help but be wary and curious at the same time, he approached the joker card in morbid interest. However, before he even picked it up, smoke suddenly exploded in front of his face.
He messily moved his arms as he tried to distance from the gaseous smoke, however before he could even react, he felt a strong force hit his head. The only thing he could note ta the short amount of time was the smooth texture of the shoe.
Bam!
"Don't be too curious now." Rio said as he striked the servant's head with his foot. He put everything on it, without holding back. The skill he used this time was called, «Substitution». That was how he suddenly appeared from the card.
The servant easily fell unconsciouss, it seemed the henchemn was in a different class. If he was a martial artists perhaps he wouldn't be knocked out in one kick, he was Rank C after all.
He looked at the servant dizzily fall over along with the two bodies at the ground. He finished off the first Rank C, there was still another.
'Here goes nothing.'
Rio nodded as he looked at the walls in the alleyway. He stood for a moment and prepared as he put his heels on the cement. He breathed deeply as he suddenly leap. His foot walking at the cement walls to the roof.
He grabbed tightly at the corners as he desperately jumped to the roof. No problemo, that was easy. Rio thought as he fixed the coat he was wearing, it was dusted and dirtied with all of the running.
Now where was he. Right, it was time for a little shooting practice. Rio thought as he walked over the edges of the roof, looking downwards for the other servants.
One, two, three, four, and five. He found five Rank D servants. Three of them seperater and two were together. He would finish those seperated first and foremost.
Rio concentrated on one of the servants at the city, he glared in focus as he slowly brought his fingers into a gun gesture. He pointed at the servant intently as he infused some magic, using an offensive synchronized skill, «Psych Bolt» "Shoot."
Woosh!
A faint pink energy suddenly came out of the finger and was directly shot at the servant. The servant didn't notice it as he continued to look over. Before he could even sense nor react, the small bolt of energy struck the head of the servant.
There was no gruesome explosion nor combustion, the servant merely fell unconscious as a thud rang out when it's body touched the ground.
"One.." Rio muttered as he averted his eyes and focused at another servant. Focusing intently, he pointed his fingers.
"Two." Another servant fell, the noises it made attracted several other people because this one fell at the middle of the road.
"Three." The third, now it was time for the two other servants that were grouped together. He couldn't care less of the commotion below.
He stood up and walk to another edge of the roof, he looked down and spotted both that were grouped, situated at an alleyway. This was a bit hard, but not impossible.
He thought of an idea. He needed timing the most for this to bear fruit. Rio grabbed a card at his left hand as he pointed to the servants in his right hand. The plan was simple.
Woosh!
"Bang." Rio muttered as the faint pink energy set off to the one of the servants, he didn't forget to throw the card to them both as well. The card sped up alongside the energy.
The bolt of energy struck the other servant, instantly making him unconscious. The servant beside noticed the sudden anomaly and panicked in confusion, as the servant looked around it saw a card appearing right infront of him.
It floated, slowly falling to the ground, the air helping it descend. The servant was in daze, he tried touching it however fumes of smoke suddenly exploded right infront of his face.
Poof!
Just like the last servant, he messily moved his arms in defense, however he got knocked out as he felt a strong force hit his jaw.
Rio didn't comment as he struck the jaw of the servant with his fist, directly making the servant unconsciouss as the body fell to the ground.
It succeeded, Rio thought as he nodded to himself, relaxing a little as he let his guard down. However that was a mistake, his instincts screamed of sudden danger behind his back. He was too late to respond.
A small bluish barried suddenly appeared around Rio as a strong force pushed him. Rio was thrown as he flew at the sheer impact.
"Surrender now, or you would feel further pain.." The servant said as he blew his hands that were covered in metal. The arms of the man was filled with hard metal, like a mechanical arm.