[16] FASTER

The carriage horses behind the vehicles neighed as the six cars packed with gangsters stopped at the junction of the Etro Avenue.

The driver glanced over his shoulder. "We've to split here, sir. The Buster stronghold is rightward and the Raven's is the other way."

Python exited the car, slamming shut the door. "No need to split, darling, just go right."

"Are we going by foot, sir?" Eber asked, opening the door of the car behind Python's.

"Are we, brotha?" Bebin said.

Python pushed close the door, shoving the twins inside their car. "If you find my target there, make sure he's captured alive."

"What?" Eber asked, sticking his head out the window. "Are you going all alone?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Umm…" Eber said, settling down. "No, sir."

"Good," Python said, tapping the window of the front car. "Get going, darling."

The driver nodded before starting the engine and taking off. The other cars followed behind.

"It sure is foolish to go alone there," Python thought, licking his lips. "But it'll be so much fun! SO MUCH FUN!"

***

Lokius was surprised to see the gangster, with his neck slit, get up, after he returned from looking out the main gate. "You came alone? Are you stupid?"

"If that's the case then it's too easy," Kogun said, stepping toward the injured man. "I'll take care of him."

"No, brother," Lokius said as the gangster stood upright, hiding away his twin knives. "Let him bleed to death. He deserves this—"

The gangster waved at Lokius with the hand he was using to plug his slit neck. But it seemed his neck wasn't what Lokius slashed when he used his alchoskill. It was just the man's right palm.

"He was fast enough to block Flash Dash?"

The gangster turned his hand toward his face, licking the blood covering his palm, the creepy gesture revealing the tattoo on the back of his right hand. Skull-in-snake. Expected. However…

"Number six," Lokius said, taking out his twin knives. "Python."

The faces of the Seekers in the room discolored a shade after hearing his name and noticing the tattoo themselves. The man visiting them was none other than the number six of the Onyx Ten: 'Onyx' Python.

Kogun gulped. "We're twenty and he's alone. We can do this, you guys." The Seekers got off their tables, standing with weapons out.

"If you were confident, brother," Lokius thought, measuring the distance between him and his target. "You wouldn't have said that out loud."

Python smiled, opening out his arms. "It seems you know me, what an honor."

"We don't know what he can do, brothers," Lokius said. "So be on guard."

"That'll be unnecessary, my love," Python said. "I'm not here to kill you. Not today, at least."

"Stop messing with us, you creep," Yiva said, pointing her staff toward him. "We know who you're here for."

"Ah, is that so?" Python said, turning toward the Flomius. "Then 'he' is here, after all."

"So he did come for Sliff," Lokius thought. "The Desperado wants him dead this bad?"

"I'll put out an offer, only for you," Python said. "Hand over my prey to me and I shall let you all live. Or stand in between my hunt and… You darlings look smart enough to know the rest."

"It doesn't matter what you say, Python," Ritulo said, raising his hammer. "We're given orders to kill anyone trying to get near S—"

"You won't get near him, Python," Lokius said, interrupting his friend. He signaled to Ritulo to not mention names, before Python glanced over his shoulder. "We'll stop you right here!"

"Yeah!" the Seekers chanted.

"Is he really after Sliff?" Lokius asked himself. "He wouldn't know if Sliff is kept here or not, right? But Python is after a 'he'. For all we know, he could be after Rillon and not Sliff."

"To be honest," Python said through a demonic grin. "I wasn't planning to keep any of you alive from the very start. Are you ready?" With that, he raised his joined hands, curving his palms to form a hand-sign that resembled a heart shape.

The Seekers stood down, waiting for Python's alchoskill to show its effect—

Python raised the hollow-hand-heart in front of his face and smooched through it, spinning around.

"What the hell?" Ritulo yelled. "Is this a joke to you?" With that, he charged toward the spinning Onyx, hammer pulled back.

Ritulo jumped and slammed his hammer on Python's head, only for him to gracefully evade it by leaping leftward.

Python circled the room, his pouted lips pointed at every Seeker he evaded on his way. Then he reached the far right, the last Seeker was Yiva.

Yiva rubbed at her face, hopping away from Python. "He's marking you, guys! That's not a kiss; he's blowing air at you!"

"Air?" Lokius thought as the Onyx stopped behind Ritulo, surrounded by Seekers. "Marking with air? Is he a Huricus? If he has shattered his Hurica chamber then it looks pretty bad for us."

"Enough!" Kogun yelled from in between Shiran and Kofli. "I'll kill you, shameful bastard!" With that, he drew his blade, charging toward Python.

Ritulo pulled back his hammer, going for a mighty slam.

Kogun jumped with a downward blade, on top of the silent Python, his body curving outward.

Lokius leaned, focusing on the still Onyx. "He has to show his alchoskill if he wants to get out of this—"

Python slashed across Kofli's chest. "Where's your guard, darling?"

"Wait," Lokius said in sudden panic. "How the hell did he appear there—?"

"I can't stop!" Ritulo shouted, skewing the hammer swing aimed at Python, not at a friend.

Kogun's eyes widened as he realized who he actually just slashed. It was Shiran—

Ritulo's hammer slammed on top of Shiran, popping off his right shoulder. "Shit!"

"What the hell!" Yiva yelled as the confusion spread like wildfire throughout the main hall. "How the hell did he switch places?"

The Seeker behind Python—Jayd—swept his blade horizontally, leaving a deep cut on the back of—

"Yiva?" Jayd said, rushing to grab her. "But you were…" He looked where Yiva was standing—

"Now he's there?" Lokius thought as Python appeared all the way across the hall, slashing the torso of two other unsuspecting Seekers—Rokro and Majena—before jumping on top of a table.

"Ah," Python moaned with a satisfied grin. "I missed this so much!"

"What the hell is going on?" Lokius thought, trying to digest what had just happened before his eyes. "Does his alchoskill just allow him to be fast like wind?"

Kofli, Rokro and Majena bled on the floor, Jayd retreating away with the Flomius he unknowingly slashed, Kogun taking away Shiran.

"He took out seven Seekers out of battle in just seconds…" Lokius thought, looking on top of the table, at Shilva… At Shilva—?

Python appeared where Shilva was standing, slashing at two more unsuspecting Seekers—Eo and Wolly. "Ah!" he moaned. "So fun!"

"Get behind the Pillars!" Lokius shouted. "It seems he can switch places with anyone he has marked."

As the two Seekers, who were just slashed, fell to the floor, the others around them retreated behind the pillars of the building, away from Python's sight.

"Now it's just you and me, Python," Lokius said, raising his knives, standing across from Python on the bloodied floor. "Now that I know how your alchoskill works, I can beat you!"

"Is that so?" Python said with a grin, licking his knife. "Let's see—"

Lokius dashed past Python, slashing across Python's body with his twin knives. "Black Thunder: Flash Dash." The black sparks trailing behind him dispersed after catching us to him. He turned around—

Python licked his upper lip, his cheek bleeding from a shallow cut. "You're fast." Python lowered his head, staring at Lokius predatorily.

Lokius was looking at…the main gate? "Where'd he go—?" He jerked to the side, trying to evade the knife slash that came out of nowhere. "What is this speed? I didn't even see him move."

Python stood upright as Lokius plugged the cut across his right shoulder with his left hand. "But not fast enough, it seems."

"At least I managed to dodge," Lokius thought, breathing heavily. "I could've been like—" He looked at the bodies on the floor. They were splashing in their own blood. But alive. All of them.

"Did you think you dodged it, love?" Python said, licking the blood on his knife. "I'm just doing with everyone what you wanted to do with me!"

"Shit!" Lokius thought, gritting his teeth, realizing Python's intent. "He's going to cut not kill."

"What will you do now, I wonder?" Python said. "Especially because you're going to see your friends bleed to death."

Lokius climbed onto his feet, exhaling. "There's nothing I can do now." He closed his eyed, stabilizing his Volta. "Except to kick your ass!"

"Oh!" Python said, tilting his head.

Black sparks started to fly all around Lokius' body, his spiky hair standing up even more. It was as it his body was generating current. But it was just his last effort. His Voltasurge.

"Now I'm faster than lightning," Lokius said. "Or at least it feels that way."

"It's just alchosurge, darling," Python said, waving dismissively. "Why're you getting so worked up?"

Lokius smiled, holding up his twin knives. "I know you're jealous because Huricasurge is lame!"

"Huh—?"

Lokius slashed the side of Python's gut, the trail of black sparks surrounding him after catching up.

Python turned around, his white shirt coloring red below the ribs. "Not bad, darling."

"With my Voltasurge," Lokius said. "There's no one who can dodge Flash Dash."

Leaping sideways, Python ran around Lokius. "Can you catch me—?" Lokius appeared behind him, his shoulder spitting blood.

"Uh-huh?"

Python smirked. "Very well."

Suddenly, air started to spin around him, forming a transparent coating of sharp wind.

"Huricasurge," Lokius said. "The counterpart of Voltasurge."

"While your alchosurge enhances your physical speed," Python said with a grin. "My alchosurge enhances the speed of my Alchos Harnessing." He disappeared.

Lokius pointed at nothing. "That's why I called it lame—!" He was slashed across his chest as his mind caught up with the moment. "He's even…faster?"

Python stood beside him, smiling. "Whatever you may compare your speed to, it can't be faster than mine."

Lokius turned toward him, lunging rightward. "Not there—?" He got slashed across his back.

"You have to look where you want to appear," Python hissed. "While I just appear where I look."

"No way…" Lokius thought, rethinking his understanding about Python's alchoskill. "Does he have speed of…sight?"

Python laughed jumping all around Lokius, playfully slashing him, before disappearing without making a sound.

"Huh?" Lokius thought, trying to cover some of his wounds. "Where'd he—?"

Seekers hidden behind the pillar yelled in panic as Python appeared behind and slashed them, before they could even realize.

Lokius glanced around, following every scream. "He's everywhere…"

Soon the screams were replaced by grinding moans of agony. Python had got every single Seeker present in the stronghold.

"Python!" Lokius yelled, only for Python to appear just ahead of him. "You're dead!"

"I think you've tried enough, love," Python said, waving away. "But I must say you're the strongest one here."

"You're dead," Lokius said through gritted teeth.

Python turned around. "Say what you want before you fade into darkness. I'll go pick up my prey." With that, he started to climb the stairwell.

"You're dead."

Python snorted. "Quit it, darling—"

He froze as he looked into Lokius' eyes, his sparking eyes, around which marks—resembling lightning bolts—appeared. A translucent veil of black and yellow sparks covered Lokius.

"My love," Python said, getting pulled toward Lokius. "You've opened your Voltaeyes! Congratulations!"

"You're dead—" Lokius fell to the ground. "Argh…"

"But you're far from mastering them," Python said, turning and walking up the stairs.

Lokius planted his fists onto the ground, forcing himself onto his feet. "Don't turn your back on me, bastard!" He held up his knives. "Black Thunder: Flash Dash—!"

He found his face in Python's hand after he had dashed.

"This is getting old, darling," Python said, slamming Lokius's face into the stairs. "Try me when you learn another trick." With that, he walked up—

Lokius grabbed onto his leg. "You're not getting away—"

Python threw him into the wall above the stairs, where a banner hung, knocking him half-unconscious. "I'm done playing with you, my love. And by the way…I don't mark with air and neither do I switch places with people."

Through slits for eyes, Lokius saw Python climb up the stairs. "Did he say something?" The first room was Sliff's. "Argh… No…"

Python entered the room, throwing Sliff toward the stairs.

"Huh?" Lokius thought. "Even if he's after Rillon…why would he spare Sliff?" He spat blood. "Whatever it is…my mission is to protect him."

Sliff rolled down the stairs next to him.

"Run…Sliff…"

Sliff slowly turned his head toward him. "Lo-Lokius…?"

"Just…run…"

Sliff nodded as he crawled onto his feet, going around his limp body.

"At least he's not 'that' stupid—"

Python walked out of the room, going downstairs.

Lokius cursed. "NO! Sliff can't outrun him! I thought he'd be searching all the rooms—" He gulped as he felt an icy chill after Python walked past him toward the ground floor. "His…bloodlust… Sliff…"

***

Sliff gritted his teeth as he tried to stand straight. The smell of blood in the air was different for the first time for him because it wasn't a bunch of monsters bleeding.

He stepped carefully around the pain-crying people on the bloodied floor but it was useless as thin streams of red liquid were going everywhere from dark puddles around the slashed Seekers.

"Run…" Sliff thought. "What else can I do—?"

"And where are you going?" the man who kicked him out of the room said. "We're not done, darling."

"This is bad…" Sliff thought in panic.

The man dressed in black wrapped his knife around Sliff's neck again. But this time it was different. This time it was like the man's presence alone was choking him, the knife only added to the danger he presented.

"I don't like guys like you," the man said, frowning. "The 'no-fun' types. You know what I do with them?"

Sliff gritted his teeth, tears escaping his eyes. "Why's death always so close? I've felt this feeling way too many times now—"

"I give them the most brutal death imaginable."

Sliff screamed as he tucked his head. "AAGH!"

"Don't worry, kid," a heavy voice said. "For I am here."

Sliff looked up hesitantly. "Master…Ragnaul?"

Ragnaul, who appeared out of nowhere, stood up, sliding Sliff behind his back. "Did you do this?"

"Of course," the man dressed in black said, showing his tattoo. "But you look even more fun! I didn't even see you coming."

"So you're the 'Onyx' Python, huh?" Ragnaul said. "Are you ready for the consequences?"

"AH!" the man ahead—Python—moaned. "Don't get me too excited! I don't know who I'll kill if you don't turn out to be fun—"

Ragnaul's trench coat raised backward, shadowy wings emerging out of his back, enveloping Python. "The 'Darkhunt' begins."

Sliff saw a shadowy dome forming in front of him, the dome that had devoured Python, Ragnaul lunging inside it.

"He will win…right?"