A Slave Contract

It wasn't that Leon wasn't elated for being alive. But not knowing the solid reason behind it... it felt like living inside a myth, like a ghost story whispered around campfires.

From the way things looked, Jax had allied his gang with the House of Ursa before his death. And Zane was from that bloodline. Nonetheless, Zane doesn't come across as someone honest in the face of death to an ally.

Because, if he had, he would have at least batted an eye when one of Jax's men got killed just now. In a nutshell, Leon discerned that Zane pined for something more. Something beyond ordinary questions.

Leon replied, his tone persuasive, "I guess you have got something more important in mind. I'm sure of it, and I'm dying to know about it."

For a couple of seconds, Zane held his stare on Leon, as if he were ruminating something.

At a sudden moment, Zane replied, "A clever way to avoid an answer that is. Well, I'll make my demand straightforward. Who knows? I might let you live longer depending on your response.

Enter a contract with me. Vow to supply enough of your key resources to our House of Ursa. I heard from Jax's men that you have more than enough, so why not leverage it as your trump card?.."

Right at that moment, aggressive murmurs broke the silence. Close to a dozen girded men spaced out and paced towards Leon in a confrontational manner. They had locked jaws and knitted brows.

Leon stared at them, not even knowing how to react yet.

Seeing the advancing men, Zane raised an eyebrow.

"Boss's matter is more important than a bloody contract! We will handle that piece of trash if you can't do it!" one of them, clearly in his twenties, yelled.

Another said, "Even vultures will turn away in disgust at your corpse when I finish axing you into pieces! You hellish bastard!"

With a sarcastic chuckle, Zane rose from his seat. He pocketed his hands and sighed aloud. "What a bunch of self-absorbed idiots. How do you intend to fight someone that stood a backstone of steel against your leader? God... they are too foolish for their own good. Looks like it's time to take out the trash before the stench spreads."

He signalled to his distant men by turning his wrist in a dismissive manner. Immediately, they closed in on Jax's men from behind. Simultaneous with clubs slamming against bones, heavy cries filled the air. Dead bodies thudded on the blood-pooled floor.

Leon set his jaw, seeing as the men fell dead one after the other. His instincts told him to make a move, but another told him those few were wiping out the ones that intended to kill him.

'I'm going crazy any time soon!'

Before he could process things further, Zane's shadow crouched before him. As if nothing was going on, he asked Leon, "Do we have an agreement after all?"

The side of inhumanity called Leon, but his personal issue summoned him back. An issue that defines his life or death. He then sighed, feeling a knot loosening around his chest.

He thought, 'What silly agreement are you talking about? This is nothing but a slave contract!'

One of Zane's men announced out loud, "It's done, boss!" The man stood close to four more, with corpses littering the ground around them.

The scent of metal hung thick in the air.

Still, Zane didn't avert his gaze from Leon.

What was Leon doing? Busy weighing the recurring danger with his personal freedom. He held his breath tight. Zane's demand wasn't something he could reject as he pleased. Neither could he accept it in the same sense.

As the tense moment demanded, Leon concluded it was a safe play to ensure the contract doesn't enslave him. At this point, he wasn't declining, but he was intending to turn it to his favour too.

First swallowing, Leon replied with a forced smile, "Yes, I do own the resources. But you see, they are outside the confines of this city. And both of us know how risky it is there."

"Then what's your plan?" Zane asked immediately.

"I'm sure you're ready to give up everything to pursue greatness for yourself. So, Zane Slade, ally up with me to journey to the grand dominion of Remnora.

No one can benefit you more than I when it comes to resources. This is what you want, Zane Slade. You don't want to remain in Mecha Ruin nor House of Ursa forever. A better life awaits us in Remnora; you know that, don't you?"

Zane raised his brows, staying silent as if in deep contemplation. The more he looked at Leon, the more his tempting grin drew him

"What do you get in return?" he asked.

Straight away, Leon leaned closer. A victorious smile wrapped his face, realising he had given Zane enough reasons to accept him. Up until today, he had occupied himself with the struggle for survival at death's door, showing little improvement in strength.

But, definitely, Remnora would provide better empowering opportunities for superhumans.

Leon replied, "Protect me so we both enjoy the resources for as long as we remain on the journey. You want this too, do you not?"

"Of course," Zane said as he rose back to his feet. But he added, "Your request is strategic and sensible. I would have accepted if you were also stronger than this. Grab him, boys!"

Leon glanced backwards, then saw two muscular men closing in on him. He said to Zane, "Without those resources, you can't last out there! You—"

SWOOSH!

In a blinding motion, the men lifted him. They then pressed his head downwards into the brazier.

"Ah-khh! So hot!" Leon cried. Heat rose from the red coal, biting through his cheekbones. It felt even as though his teeth were going to crack.

He hissed amidst clenched teeth. "It wasn't as if I disagreed... ah-kh!"

"I'm giving you only five seconds to make your decision," Zane threatened. "Imagine what would become of you if you even fail at this point."

Leon struggled to escape the men's grip. But damn, their hands were like metal as they clasped his shoulders with a firm grip.

Zane began, "Five..."

Leon cursed, "Goddamn it!" His chest tightened.

"Four..."

His chest hammered. If he entered the contract with Zane, not only was he sacrificing his freedom. But he would also be under daily pressure to provide the materials. This wasn't a contract, but rather a seal of enslavement.

"Three... two..."

The men pushed Leon downwards more.

He screamed out in pain, "AHHH! DAMN IT!"

"...One!"

Leon immediately shouted, "Wait, I will—"

BANG! - a gunshot screamed out of nowhere.

"What?" Leon mumbled amidst a pant. Blood splashed on his face. In the next second, one of the men holding him crashed to the ground.

THUD!

Zane's eyes widened a little. He crouched next to the corpse. His fingers were steady as he touched the wound on the man's forehead.

Then, he dug his finger into the bullet hole. It slipped from the wound with a faint pop, resting between his fingers. Upon examining the bullet for a while, he swallowed.

'This is a boat-tail bullet. She's here.'

BANG!

Another gunshot came, bringing down the second man. Leon immediately jerked himself downwards, hiding behind the brazier.

He takes deep breaths. 'Who's that?!'

Then, again and again, more gunshots brought down two of Zane's men.

Still, Zane didn't take cover. He seemed both nonchalant and panicking.

"It's a sniper!" As one of the two remaining men rushed to take cover, the unknown sniper burst his head open. His body plopped on the ground, blood pooling beneath him.

Leon muttered under his breath, "Damn it!"

Meanwhile, the Requiem lay flat on the rooftop of a distant multi-storey building. The moment she scoped her sniper on Zane, he turned his face towards her. It was as if he figured out everything was her doings.

She unscoped the gun. The mote-filled air swept across her as she placed the gun in her pouch, rising to her feet. It was her mission to end those who harmed innocent ones. That was justification for her.

In the blink of an eye, she blurred from the rooftop, materialising in the alleyway.

Immediately, Zane said with a smile, "Aren't you going to ask if I have any last words?"

But the Requiem stayed silent. Leon's jaw dropped as he saw her.

Zane added, rising to his feet, "I am the House of Ursa young lord's right hand. You become a target for them if you dare to kill me."

Her tone held all sorts of unexplainable emotions; she asked, "Is that all?"

Zane nodded his head, spreading out his arms. "Do as you please then. It's a futile attempt for me to fight an Executioner-ranked individual after all. But keep in mind that—"

STAB!

"What the..." Leon whispered to himself, eyes widened at Zane.

The next moment, Zane crashed to the ground, a knife plunging into his chest. He choked on blood, his eyes shutting closed.

***

The Requiem crouched before Leon. Then she cut the ropes binding his hands and legs. Leon grappled with his turmoil—why was she helping him?

She said, "It's lucky for everyone that rules are like myths and legends in this city. In that sense, you could have defended yourself back then with your true powers. Why stay in an unnecessary disguise?"

Leon blinked. True power? Disguise?

"W-what are you talking about?"

Her tone as steady as always, she replied, "You're not an amateur if you could have effortlessly slain the packs of C-rank monsters back then..."

Leon raised his voice, his brows hoisted. "Come on, stop joking around here. I know you're rubbish at social interaction, but that's not funny at all! You..."

"I bugged you before those men abducted you. That means I was there when you killed the monsters."

Leon's mouth gaped.

"... You received an unexpected power-up, as if you were altering what was right from the start. You killed the beasts. I saw you do it."