CHAPTER 8

"No, seriously Gus, it was way better last time.... "

"Or may be you have hit your head and forgotten how food tastes like!"

Samantha swallowed the last bite of taco and licked her fingers clean.

"Are you kidding me? Sam, it's probably the most delicious taco I've ever had in my life! What in the name of chickens.... "

But Sumire was interrupted by a shot of laughter from both Samantha and Gustavo, one of whom was lazily laying on the floor and the other was slicing vegetables just like the way he wields weapons.

"She likes it, relax. She's just too proud to admit that my cooking is better than hers!" Gustavo said with a smirk in his lips.

"You are a real chef in the restaurant! All I do is smile and wish people a good day while stuffing them up with sugar and cream and all the other unhealthy ingredients you can name." Samantha shot back.

"You can at least learn some bakery!"

"No, I'll probably end up being a fat tum like you."

"You guys are crazy." Sumire decided to concentrate on her food instead of them.

Exchanging a comfortable smile with Gustavo, Samantha looked in front of her where Christina and Larry were having an apparently good time. Atticus was inside his chamber now so they took the chance to catch up like old times. It has been only four years for the hunter duo since they were rescued from juvenile detention center so naturally they were a bit distant from the prime folks who has been dwelling on the hell hole since the beginning. Rather Sumire is a little bit closer to Samantha because she admires her intelligence and presence of mind. The bob cut short girl is just a nerd who doesn't apparently know anything outside the world of coding and computer language.

The hunter duo are just young bloods. Staring at their every move of blade intertwining with each other, she closely observed the gestures being exchanged between them through the clash of weapons. She watched how Larry brushed his fingertips on her knuckles for a split second, she watched how often Christina was closing the proximity between the two dancing bodies by friction of blades. They sure were vibing with their spar but it seemed like something else was there in the air heating up in sweat and heavy breaths.

Could it be they are having fun in some other way too?

Before she could take her thoughts any further, Gustavo brought her back to the ground.

"Hey Sam!"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna go?" His voice was intriguing.

A cocky smile spreaded on her face and she stood up. This might not be a very bad idea since they probably have a couple more hours to stay.

"Bring it on baby, show me what what you've got."

"Just let me finish this up."

"You slacking?"

The second the words came out of her mouth, a senbon needle passed by her ear like a bullet. She did not even saw him picking one up but absolutely felt the vibration hitting her auditory nerve.

"Oh did I scare Samy baby? Probably should have led with a 'ready go' or something..."

He's the only person on earth Samantha allows to talk to her like that.

"I don't want to injure you Gus, don't mock me!" She raised her armed left hand wards him; her voice being cold and slimy.

Gustavo, that bastard didn't flinch a single muscle. He poured the veggies in the boiling water with an innocent grin on his face, like nothing happen.

"Oh no you won't, trust me!"

The other three sensed some tension building up inside the basement and turned their heads around; only to see Samantha standing in the middle of the room with her katana and Chinese dao in both of her hands. She had a serious look in her face, the kind of seriousness one has when their instinct tells them they're walking right into a trap.

And it's creepy. She looked like she's ready to kill.

In an agonizing slow motion Gustavo put the lid on as Samantha watched his every movement with hawk's eye. He dipped his fingers in the sauce, tasted it and with a satisfactory lopsided smile he came forward and pulled out his double falchion; tilting down a little bit with a feline gesture that even made Samantha dilate her pupils.

The other three just gasped; like there was already blood floating in the air.

They stood there for like ten seconds when something visibly flickered in their eyes and then there was just a flashes of light with clanking of metals heavily colliding with each other.

The battling pair was moving what it felt like in fast forward motions. Every movement was calculated yet faster than the aquired reflex action of the body. They were not only using their blades but also their bodies to attack, defend and dodge simultaneously. Each moment felt like this was gonna end with a bloodbath but the next moment the loop of cause and effect was shifting drastically; increasing the anticipation a thousand times than previous. Everything was unpredictable in that messed up instances and the junctures; but the only thing constant was their unison breaths and the smiles that hadn't left their faces since the second it all started.

They were enjoying it, wholeheartedly.

It's been an eternity since they had such a rush. Most of the times they have to deal with people who are less than a thumb sucker in front of them; and some point it feels like all the training over the years were good for nothing. So they seized the opportunity. They took the luxury of inebriating their skills to the superlative degree being the only complementary halves on earth who can subdue each other's raging wave of blades.

"Yo Sam! You've become rusty!"

"Says the one who hasn't been able to bring down the Keres yet!"

Five seconds of rotating around an invisible circle like panthers and then jumping on each other with more ferocity again. The whole thing went on for like ten good minutes when they finally called it of probably willingly with Gustavo on the ground pinned down by Samantha with a blade on his shoulder nape and his senbon needles pointed towards the pulsating veins on her throat sneaking out like heads of snakes from the folds of his fisted fingers. They both were breathing heavily with sweat drops ornamenting the beauty of the worked up bodies but their eyes were still on each other's; with the stillness of the moon on a cloudy night.

It wasn't until she helped him get up by holding hands when Sumire, Christina and Larry realized that their bodies had turned off the function of lungs. Breathtaking would be an understatement of the skill demonstration they just witnessed.

"Wow... That was... " Sumire was the first to break out of the spell.

".. A draw." Gustavo completed her sentence.

Even the hunter duo was standing with their jaw dropped. They thought that the underground shakes in fear just by their names but what they just witnessed; an inferiority complex poised roots inside them. They are know for their rhythm and combined moves; especially the way they tune with each other but these two, the primes, the are a complete package of every quality a fighter is ought to possess.

They looked at each other, envy clear in both of them; with a little mix of awe. The earth was still green and they still have a long way to go.

Sumire has never seen them fighting up close; only heard great tales about The Keres and the Leader-Sama; that's what she likes to call the man according to her culture. She was bubbling with excitement and clapped her hands followed by Larry and Christina to the stoic figures in front of them.

"The food's ready I guess." With that sentence and a soul piercing gaze, Samantha exited the room and walked outside drawing the blades back on the scabbard and leaving unspoken words hanging in the air for Gustavo to pick up and come back for her later.

"Okay now, who wants some veg lasagna!"