Family Secrets

It was only after Saldo called Elizabeth and told her himself that she finally believed.

"You really found him?" She muttered in a daze. "Where are you now?"

"In the woods of Dragon park, just come to the gate that we stopped at that day and I'll lead you to the scene," Saldo replied.

"Good, wait for us there. I'm coming over with the whole squad!,"

After the call ended Saldo looked at Luka that was busy smoking cigarette and said, "Boss is coming over, so stop pouting because she didn't believe you outright,"

Luka shrugged. "I don't blame her. Honestly I still can't believe what I saw myself,"

Saldo nodded. Now that he thinks of it it is indeed a strange thing that happened this night. They had searched the whole city for the target for days but in the end he just showed up himself. Who knew that trying to capture an alien girl will lead to their target? No one could have foreseen that. But that coincidence also bothered him.

About fifteen minutes later Elizabeth and the rest of the Silver Eyes mercenaries arrived at the place where Yamato and Luka had fought, also the place the dark robed man and Saldo had a confrontation later on.

Elizabeth looked around the place. She was wearing a black trench coat, black pants and combat boots. Her silver hair was let loose, falling to her back, and her blue eyes pierced the surrounding.

At a glance the place showed signs of an intense battle so she inspected it closely to get signs of the techniques used. The dry ground was rough from a brawl, that stone was scarred from an impact. Probably someone crashing against it.... And that tree was snapped in half; it was a small tree but still... She got all the clues, now all she needs is a detailed explain.

"Tell me everything," Elizabeth turned to Saldo and Luka and said.

The two men looked at each other, then Saldo took a deep breath and nodded before he started explaining from the beginning; how he had followed the footpath to the wooden house, how he and Luka decided to capture the alien girl, their confrontation with Yamato and finally Luka took over and explained how the dark robed man had intervened in the last moment.

As she heard the story, Elizabeth was more and more surprised by the strength Yamato showed for his age to be able to fight Saldo and Luka for a time was a big deal. More than that the more she heard the details the more she was inspired.

The battle earlier was slowly reconstructed in her mind. She saw the figures made in flame exchanging blows in these woods. One held a spear while the other wore gloves. There were no facial features but she identified the two as Luka and Yamato Armor.

"So that kid was this strong," she muttered as she watched. Seeing her vacant eyes staring blankly at space Luka and Saldo felt uncomfortable but said nothing.

"That's not the problem, are we sure it's the target?" Parish came close to the two and whispered, afraid of disturbing Elizabeth's technique.

Saldo grimaced. "It's him, I can't be wrong... I received his shadow palm,"

The Shadow Palm is a divine technique. In this world there are no two equal divine techniques. They might look the same but are sure to have more differences than similarities. After doing his research on the target Saldo was sure that what hit him is the Shadow palm technique.

"Then what does he want with that kid?" Kira wondered.

Luka shrugged. "Don't know, but I know if we find the kid we'd get answers,"

"True," Saldo nodded. "But I find this unsettling,"

"What do you mean?" Kira asked.

"I think it's strange... The way the target was originally caught in a camera and the way he just came to us, can we really just consider him appearing like this a coincidence?"

Hearing that everyone gave it a thought realizing that Saldo's words were reasonable. For weeks they'd been searching for this guy but just as they were giving up hope he suddenly showed himself in a strange way, there's no way this could be a coincidence! There's defiantly a scheme at play!

Parish lifted the edge of his mouth in a cruel smirk that was out of place on his handsome face. He stroked his chin with his fingers languidly before nodding. "Perhaps he knows we are aiming for him and is baiting us, planning on cleaning us in one go,"

Everyone felt a chill run down their spine. This possibility was bold and decisive, but it is also consistent with the profile of the target.

Kira frown was the deepest among them. " Then... what should we do?"

After hearing her question every eyes turned to the person that have been silent since. Elizabeth had her eyes closed as she continued watching the battle. The final decision is in her hand but they know that she's in her 'mind scape' where no one should disturb her so they patiently waited.

Elizabeth continued reconstructing the earlier events in her mind. She watched everything that happened here to the point where the dark robed man sent Saldo flying away, before opening her eyes. She looked at her people all waiting for her to make the decision and her resolve firmed.

"First we find that alien girl, she hopefully did not leave with the others,"

"Shouldn't we be searching for the boy first boss?" Luka said.

Elizabeth shook her head. "Yamato Armor is with the target so his tracks will be hard to follow. We need the alien girl first. Since she's close to him she might know a few important things. Besides we can also use her as a hostage to dig out Yamato Armor if he chooses to hide."

"So the order of business is the alien girl, Yamato, then the target.." Elizabeth added.

'I don't know anything else but there's an unmistakably connection between Yamato Armor and the target!' Elizabeth clenched her fist and stared at the direction the target left towards. If she had known earlier everything would have been easier. But she was still happy that she found a lead.

'I don't care what you are playing, Yamato Armor will lead us right to you Black Hand,'

Silver Eyes didn't fear any trap, what she feared in the first place in this mission is failing to find the target since he's known to be hard to dig out.

"Boss is there a possibility that he's luring us to trap?" Saldo said what he thought.

Elizabeth smirked. "Assuming it's a trap it'll be even more interesting. He want to play a game huh?" She sneered. "Let's play and see who's more ruthless. He should have stayed hidden in his hole, now that he came out he thinks I'll let him burrow back? This is not the first god I have killed, not to talk of a mere martial artist!"

Hearing their bosses words they knew that she's quite riled up this time making all of them quite scared. No matter of how vicious the rest of them are one thing they never forget is that their boss is a different kind of monster.

xxx

Yamato opened his eyes. The next moment he let out a groan as dizziness hit him when he tried to get up. So he shut his eyes and lay back on the soft bed to catch his breath. While he was air it he recalled everything that happened before he lost consciousness. After resting for a while he tried opening his eyes again.

His vision was originally hazy, but when it cleared up this time he realized he was in a familiar room. However that shocked him more than if he was in an unfamiliar place, that's because he found himself at home of all places and the bedroom of all places.

In his home there's only two rooms besides the kitchen. That's the typical layout of rooms of tenement buildings in this poor neighborhood, with the shared bathroom down in the hallway. One room is usually designated as the sitting room while the other is the bedroom.

Anyway Yamato sleeps in the sitting everyday. As for the bedroom which his parents occupies, he's been forbidding to come close to it from a young age. However since he's in the same house as them he'll no doubt enter it a few times.

Yet this is the first time he slept here which greatly bothered him. What happened? He thought trying to remember the last thing he could remember, no further back before his battle with Luka.

His Master had left on a journey, leaving Yamato to take care of her bossy daughter Tila. Then... Tila!

Yamato sprang out of bed as he finally remembered what happened. He was separated from Tila so he didn't know if she's alright. Hopefully she'd made it to the safe house..

As Yamato was pondering what to do next he heard footsteps. Looking at the door he saw his mother walk in with her usual expressionless face. Dark circles covered her eyes and she trudged slowly like a zombie.

"Welcome from the land of the dead," she sneered. A cigarette held in one hand as thin wisps of smokes coiled around her hair. "Come out old two, the boy is up!"

"Good," the reply came. Soon Yamato's father walked into the room too. Yamato's father is a tall skinny man with lots of beard that framed his face. While the beard made him look like respectable, he's just like Yamato's mother, a good for nothing drug addict.

"How are you feeling kid?" Old two asked staring at his son curiously.

"Fine," Yamato frowned looking at them guardedly. What are they playing at? They don't want to make me take drugs too huh? "What are doing?"

"You don't find it strange that you are alright after being beaten to an rich of your life?"

"Huh?" Only then did Yamato remember how his fight with Luka ended. Luka had mercilessly tried to kill him even though he claimed to be one of his heroes, the Staff Expert. It was heartbreaking. Furthermore he would have finished him if not for that expert that showed up at the last minute.

Recalling the memory, he felt a sharp pain in his side. Yamato stumbled back with gritted teeth and sat back on the bed. He woke up shirtless so a glance downwards showed him the state of his wound... He was sure that a branch had punctured his side when he crashed into that tree but now there was no sign of any scar..

"I wasn't unconscious for a year right?" Yamato asked fearfully.

"No you were only out for a few hours," his mother puffed out a ring of smoke before saying.

"Thank god," Yamato sighed in relief.

"However are you not curious about who's the expert that saved you?"

Hearing her question, Yamato froze in surprise. He'd been thinking of that. "You know the expert?"

His mother snorted and rolled her eyes. "Know? It's Old Two here," she said pointing at his father.

"F.. Father?! That's not possible!"

"Hehe hehe, you are looking down on me kid," Old Two suddenly laughed darkly. "Back then I was a very famous expert that caused a lot of problems in the realm. Even now my enemies can be lined from here to the capital to the capital of Kanji Nara!"

"That's in the past though," Nora added.

"Your mother is right," Old Two sighed and deflated visibly. "Alas I was too arrogant back then that I touched someone I shouldn't have touched. In the end I had to run away from my enemies, that's how I came to Kreal city,"

"Even now we have to hide our identity or it'll be very bad,"

Yamato was confused. "What are you guys saying?" His father is not only a powerful expert but a fugitive? Did these two take something that finally knocked down their brains that they start fantasizing of grandeur?

Old Two and Nora looked at each other for a moment before Nora turned to Yamato. "We are sorry, we know we didn't give you much love when growing up..."

"Naturally we planned to take care of you and tell you our secret when you have grown up..." Old Two sighed. "We know it is a lot to take that your parents are quite awesome,"

Nora nodded. "However when you grew up we were hesitant. But since you have found out about your father's ability this way then it's all good,"

Yamato looked at the two blankly. 'Is this my black bellied parents?' He thought. 'They are quite out of sync with reality as usual but are they really something great?

"Anyway now I'll tell you my story. Back then I was called Black Hand," seeing Yamato's sceptical gaze Old Two cleared his throat and started saying.