Fierce

After coming to a decision the mercenaries didn't any more waste time and started making their move. Saldo quickly packed his sniper rifle and put it into his storage ring. While Luka put away his binoculars and climbed down the tree.

A few minutes later the two met up inside the forest at the edge of the courtyard of the wooden house. Luka felt like smoking but resisted the urge and asked, "How do we do this?"

Saldo was immediately angered. "What do you mean? What's there to think about, is it not just two kids?"

Luka understood that Saldo might be feeling a little guilty that's why he's lashing out at him but it still irritated him. "Old miser, do you believe that I'll be angered and skin you alive?"

"Do you believe you can do that?" Saldo sneered then walked past him. Luka glared angrily at his teammate's back before following.

The two walked towards the house not even holding any weapons. The traps scattered around the place did not pose any threat to them as they followed the exact path Yamato and Tila took. Drawing closer to the house they could already hear quarrels making them lift their eyebrows.

xxx

Yamato felt depressed. After being annoyed all day by his Master's daughter he still has to warm the food for her to eat. Incidentally that wasn't a problem since he promised his Master to take care of her, but when he brought the food to the table he only got glared by her.

"Why is it like this?" Tila said. "You can't even warm the food properly after mother had already cooked it?"

Yamato shrugged. Anyway he felt responsible because the spaghetti was slightly burnt, but the way she spoke still annoyed him. "Stop screaming," he said coldly. "Hey girlie is it not only a little burnt? Even Master mistakingly burn the food some times right?"

However despite his explanation Tila only sneered. "Are you comparing yourself with Mother that cooks everyday? Who burns food when warming it?!"

"Damn it, why didn't you do it yourself?"

"Why would I do it, when I have you around to take care of me? Big brother Yamato, so good for nothing. Hmph to say mother has high hopes for you,"

Yamato was so angry that he clenched his fist and glared at her. "You are talking so useless girl, even though you have your mother that is always taking care of you. When I was your age I already know the ins and outs of the street and won't depend on anyone!"

Hearing that Tila rolled her eyes. "Stop lying, don't you have parents? Yet you are still shamelessly relying on my mother, ah!"

"Good, if you don't want to eat then don't eat!" Yamato yelled then stormed towards the door in anger.

Outside the two mercenaries looked at each other. "It seems someone is coming," Luke whispered.

Saldo nodded. "Let's intercept, just knock him out and I'll go inside and take the girl. From their conversation just now it seems the alien girl's mother is not around at the moment,"

"Good, hehe hehe, we will capture this one then set an ambush for the mother and capture her too,"

"That's right, now take position he's about to come out,"

The two took position in the left and right of the door. However just as Luka took position in the right he felt the floorboard give out and he landed down on something that pierced his feet and leg. It took him a moment to realize he had actually stepped on a trap. It hurt so much but he manage to swallow back a scream.

At the same time Yamato opened the door and stepped out. Saldo didn't make a move as he waited for Luka to knock out the kid. However Luka has stepped on a trap, how could he still have the leisure to attack or even remember the trap.

Because of that delay before he was attacked Yamato spotted the two men standing at either side of the door. "What the hell?!" His eyes widened and he took a step back.

Saldo didn't know that Luka was caught in a trap and was confused as to why he didn't take action. But he wouldn't just stand and let Yamato get away, he took a step forward and threw a punch at the retreating kid.

Yamato lifted his hand and blocked but the force of the punch was so powerful it pushed him back into the room.

"What's happening?" Tila asked seeing Yamato slide back on the hardwood floor halfway into the room.

Yamato steadied himself just before he collided with the table Tila was sitting at, having dinner, and looked at the entrance with a grim expression. "Trouble," he said.

"Trouble? What trouble? Explain!"

"Robbers I think; Just now I saw two men outside, one of them attacked me,"

Tila's eyes widened then she stood up and hurried to the kitchen to grab something she could use as a weapon.

Meanwhile outside Saldo was not in a hurry to follow, he turned and stared at Luka weirdly. "What's wrong with you?"

"I stepped on a trap, damn it!" Luka growled cold sweat rolling down his forehead and stinging his eyes.

"Huh? No wonder! Stay here then, I'm going take care of this!"

"Sure, ah damn it!"

Saldo went past Luka that was still cursing and walked into the house. He immediately spotted Yamato who was standing in a stance. From that brief clash he had understood that this kid has some ability so he didn't wish to waste time anymore.

Saldo held his hand to the side and summoned his Astral weapon. The long sword took shape as if coalesced from dark smoke. It was a wide blade with a curved tip looking distinctively like a saber, the blade was dark silver color with a few black symbols on it.

In response Yamato also summoned out his Astral gauntlet. However Saldo didn't put him in his eyes. "Hmph, die kid," he said then kick off the ground and leaped up. The mercenary spun in the air before swinging down with a terrifying force.

Yamato knelt on one knee and lifted his hands above his head. Sparks flew as he blocked. After repelling the sword with an outward shove he stepped forward and punched out. Saldo was surprised by the boy's speed and technique that he almost wanted to clap in praise. He quickly blocked the punch with his sword. Gauntlet and sword met, sparks flew again.

Additional after blocking the blow Saldo was still pushed two steps backwards from the force behind that punch just now. Stunned for a moment he looked at his feet then at the kid that actually pushed a veteran like him back, then feeling irritated he stepped forward and attacked again, this time without holding back!

Like that the two started fighting together. Tila returned with an axe in her hand but didn't have an opening to help, with the speed the two were fighting. She could only become a cheerleader.

However at that moment another man suddenly limped into the house with a gun in his hand. Tila didn't hesitate to throw the axe at him.

Luke had endured great pain to tear his leg out of the trap. But he walked into the house only to see an axe come flying at him. Being a veteran he quickly dived to the side letting it sail past then rose back and fired his gun at the person that attacked him.

Luckily Tila was smart enough to dive back into the kitchen after throwing the axe. She wanted to warn Yamato about the gun but didn't have the time before Luka started shooting.

Yamato and Saldo were still fighting when they heard gunshots. Yamato's heart shook while the mercenary also panicked. "Why are you shooting a gun?!" He shouted at his teammate?

Luka was muddleheaded because of the pain of his injury, and escaping death from that axe just now, that he thought he'd actually returned to the battlefield for a moment. But he immediately came back to his senses after hearing Saldo's shout and stopped shooting.

Yamato looked at this people, taking deep breaths to calm himself. The gun has actually scared the shit out of him. At first he had thought that they are just normal robbers but seeing all this he realized they couldn't be. Where can a normal person get something like a gun?

"Who are you people?" He asked.

The limping guy grinned and waved. "I'm Luka and this guy is Saldo," he said friendly as if he wasn't the same person that was shooting at people earlier.

Somehow the guy he was fighting looked familiar. Yamato froze in thought then his eyes widened and he pointed at Saldo. "You are Elizabeth's bodyguard! Why are you attacking me?"

"It's all to make money," Saldo shrugged his expression blank as if he didn't understand why Yamato is overreacting.

"What? You want to steal from us?"

"Not actually?" The one called Luka said. He suddenly reached into his long coat and took out a cigarette. Saldo flicked his hand and threw out a lighter. Catching the lighter Luka lit up the cigarette. He took a drag then puffed out a cloud of smoke before he continued, "It's about that alien girl,"

"Aliens sell a lot," Saldo added.

"A lot," Luka agreed. "Anyway, we gotta shut you up for good too while we are at it,"

Yamato felt a chill go down his spine. He didn't need a translator to understand that the men just casually discussed murder, just threatened to kill him.

Yamato desperately hoped this was some kind of joke, but a glance at the gun in the man's hand was enough to shatter that hope. Oh God who are these people? They just broke in here and tell me they want to sell Tila for money and also kill me while they are at it.

By the looks of it they are very serious. Yamato was in a very bad mood at this moment. His brain moving on overdrive to find him a feasible way out of this trouble.

Luka lifted his gun and pointed it at Yamato making Yamato's heart skip in horror. He thought he'll really be shot and killed just like that, but Saldo shook his head and waved. "Not with a gun Luka," he said. "Go get the girl, I'll handle this one,"

"Fine," Luka sighed and took back his gun then took a step intending to walk past Yamato. But Yamato quickly lifted his leg and kicked the dinning table beside him. The table slid towards Luka who was walking towards the kitchen.

Seeing the table Luka wanted more than anything to avoid it, but because of his injured foot he was a little bit slow. The table collided with him knocking him to the ground.

"Fierce!" Seeing this Saldo could not help but shout.