Torn Between Two Words.

"Hey! What did that guy say?"

"We don't have time for that at the moment!"

"Come on! Why don't you just tell me?"

"I will tell you when we get out of this place."

Encender, who was at the forefront, kept insisting on knowing Raiden's last words. Her mind was convinced that they would assist her on her journey to find the Ultimate Throne.

On the other hand, Layla continued to refuse to tell her. She knew better than anyone that her leader wouldn't even mention those words because Tito reminded her of her brother.

Tito would definitely exploit this advantage, playing hard to get at the start was all an act.

'Damn bastard!!!'

Layla occasionally cursed at him in her mind. If she hadn't seen Tito peel off Hyde's skin, she might have really believed that Black and White had feelings for her.

He was just too good of an actor.

Thud–!

Layla stumbled upon a tray and ended up spinning to the ground. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the things in front of her.

A tear escaped her right eye as a horrific thought played in her mind:

'Was I starting to have feelings for Tito?!'

Ahhhh!

She realized it wasn't something she could control, but loving that man was similar to liking a beast. It would only like you back because it needed to eat you.

"Layla, is everything alright?" Encender had to ask, her body bent down facing the alien with a rosy red face.

Seeing Encender's golden eyes reminded her of Tito, which made her release a small shriek before composing herself and realizing how stupid she was being.

She cleared her throat before answering, "I am fine; it's just that my head hurts a bit from the impact. I am fine now; let's continue going down the footbridge."

The trio, including Rajah, who was using this moment to catch his breath, had already passed the fifth floor, which only had the Warden's office.

Behind them, a group of inmates was following, and Encender wanted to remain in the lead as if it were a race to take the "Ultimate Throne."

If Tito were here, he would suggest staying in the middle of the inmates, letting those in front scout for danger while the ones in the back defended against incoming attacks.

Layla knew that was the best plan in this situation, as all she could see now was a dark tunnel illuminated by shimmering lights.

They might be running straight into a trap, but she still decided to side with Encender's reasoning, fooling herself with the idea that the early bird gets the worm.

As Layla took Encender's hand to help her get up from the ground, Rajah, who seemed to be in a better place, asked a question she had been dying to ask.

"Where is that bastard Tito?" The black-haired man's words carried a hint of mockery. "Don't tell me he got caught by the prison guards?"

Rajah wished it were true; he didn't know Tito's true colors, yet he still couldn't help but relate him to his twin brother. However, Layla's suggestion made him shiver a bit.

"Maybe he has already gone ahead without us."

"Gone ahead without us?!" Rajah shouted in an unsteady voice. "That is impossible! There's no way he could navigate this far without outside help! He's not even that smart!"

What he didn't know was that, unlike them, Tito had chosen to take an easier route. Now he was sleeping in a comfortable motel, waiting for the sun to rise to make his move.

The inmates who had assistance from the Warden were now filling the footbridge, going downhill to escape their prison life.

However, they all seemed to have forgotten something.

The Vice Warden, Hein Malvado, was still alive.

He didn't care if the inmates escaped, but the thought of Xenogenesis being among them terrified him. This left him with no option but to let the footbridge explode in flames.

Bombs were already set in place in case any inmate tried to escape, and all he needed to do was press the red button on the switch next to his bed.

This was why the Warden suggested the footbridge instead of breaking the windows: "There's nothing called kindness in this world."

Boom–!

A loud explosive sound echoed in the air as the footbridge burst into flames.

Some of the inmates were engulfed by this incinerating fire, while a lucky few were sent flying by the impact to different parts at the bottom of Ablauf, and this lucky few included Encender and her friends.

The following morning, the whole of Ablauf was in an uproar, with all different types of topics appearing on social media. For a whole week, the world was in turmoil, both among the nobles and the military personnel.

The death of the man of thunder was shocking to many; the person with the strength to kill him was going to be a threat in the future.

The term "adventurer" in Ablauf meant "criminal," so the world government took it upon themselves to announce bounties on the escaped prisoners.

All the information was provided by Hein, and the lucky inmates whom he didn't consider dangerous were left to live a peaceful life if they didn't stir up trouble with the world government.

For the first time in 10 years, members of the Ablauf Government gathered on the solitary island Ärger to discuss bounties on new criminals.

____________

[Announcement]

First of all, thank you for coming this far in the novel. I will take a day's rest before posting volume 2 of the novel.

What to expect:

Surprises.

Even I, while writing, was shocked by the twists of events. There might be romance and a hint of BL along the way, but that is all the icing to make the cake even more delicious.

Don't forget to tell me where I am lacking as a writer; after all, I am not the best. I appreciate being educated by all of you.

Again, thank you for making it this far.