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To Hunt a King

"I suspected as much."

"What's that?"

"You don't fool me, Scylla. There's no way a slave can have that much knowledge on the remote. Keen eyesight is not enough to determine the system. You must be either an ex-slaver, or you've known this technology beforehand."

"Heh, so there's no playing with you, huh? So who is this...Orao Raon?"

Dairyu heard some footsteps, running towards them. He quickly pulled Let into a dark corner with him as the aliens went past them. After he made sure no one was there, he said, "He's just a bounty. He committed a crime."

"So this is what you're doing? Jumping to systems taking credits from locking up criminals? You really don't know your potential, Terran."

"You might as well call me Dairyu. We're acquainted now, and we're in the same problem right now. But...what do you know of the Areolian?"

"He's one of the major slavers around these parts. Alain is one of the planets where he governs the underground trade."

Dairyu made a whistle. "So he's a big game? And, what's your problem with him?"

The Orient could see that the Scylla was reluctant to share the information, so he put one of his hands on his shoulder and said, "C'mon, might as well acquainted to each other, right? I don't need him to be alive, so if you have a grudge with him, let it go."

"I...think you're right. Thanks...I thought you wanted him alive."

"Sometimes forfeiting the bonus can't be helped. So, aside from your knowledge in sophisticated technology, what's your-."

When they opened a door, they stumbled upon two Scylla mercenaries who were genuinely surprised. There was a silence between both of the group, before Dairyu said, "Uh...might as well make way, huh..."

"Yeah...I guess you're...hey, what the...!"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence when it was abruptly interrupted by him being thrown off his footing by absolutely nothing. At first Dairyu thought he instinctively used his wind to throw him off, but then he realized his wind wouldn't be able to make a Scylla threw up. The other Scylla was too surprised to react, and by the time he came through, he exclaimed, "No way...you're a fucking Endragas?!"

He wasn't able to react when he was suffocating from something. He desperately grasping for air, but again, while Dairyu could make a vacuum, he wasn't doing anything. Just then he realized who was disabling the two Scyllas, and he was fascinated as the Scylla fainted.

"Ho...so that's what he called 'Endragas'. You really have everything an ace, huh?"

"The braces prevent me to use this power," said Let while pushing the other Scylla away. "But...this is not the only thing I have in me."

There wasn't anything eventful while they were walking towards where they would find the main broker's room (based on Let's knowledge), aside from slaves in the auction room had started to revolt, including the other rooms, as well. Dairyu could see how it caused anarchy in the vast underground network, where screams of fear and death echoed throughout the cave. They occasionally pushed away some slaves or slavers who were too panicked to realize that they were in both ways.

Although it was uneventful, they quickly realized how it became more and more silent as they went closer to the main room. Dairyu knew this was a bad sign, and drew his sword, while saying, "Let, don't let your guard down."

Dairyu quickly ran towards the intersections of tunnels, where he was barraged by lasers from both sides. He managed to throw a grenade to one of the corridors, and when an explosion happened, came the alien scream from some alien races he blew up. He could see Let tried his best not to rush like Dairyu, knowing that he was bulkier than the Orient. He then saw Let levitated a laser gun, and made a shooting gesture, where the laser gun quickly shoot towards the other side, but unlike Dairyu, it was anticipated, and the mercenaries quickly ambushed them.

"Arvst! That's one thing I should learn!"

"I hope you know how to make a telekinetic barrier!"

"I've got a better idea!"

Let gathered all his willpower for a while, and with a roar, he released a massive push of telekinetic energy that threw most of the aliens to where they first emerged. The narrow corridor effectively became a tunnel that focused the attack, making it far stronger than it should. The telekinetic wave tore through the attackers like an invisible wave, clearing an instant path for both to proceed.

"Why didn't you do this in the first place? Except that...you have a better reason not to do it?" said Dairyu. He moved closer and said, "Let me guess, it puts a considerable strain?"

"Is it that obvious? Well, you might say that while I'm an Endragas, I'm not born PURE Endragas. Complications have...led me to this condition."

"Maybe you can explain about it later after we get back to safety. I believe you have a score to settle with the Areolian?"

"You're damn right, Terran."

They descended down the ladder to find a small room with nothing except the door in front of them and the ladder behind them. Knowing that this was the place where both of them wanted to find, they took a glance and each other and nodded in approval, before Let pushed the door with telekinetic force.

Both readied for anything to come to them, knowing very well that an important alien would be defended. Little did they know that they weren't facing any threats at all.

In fact, it hadn't started yet.

The room that it opened up was quite massive, but it was pitch black, as if it was a lair of some photo-sensitive alien. Both of them prepared themselves for the worst, when a substance fell onto Dairyu's left shoulder. At that moment, two things happened.

First, the substance started to burn through Dairyu's Warrior armor, like an acid. It didn't affect Dairyu because of the mutation, though it was still uncomfortable. But the second thing, when Dairyu looked up, trying to find the source of the substance, he was given the look that defined the word 'fear', as it came to him much sooner than expected.

Like all the anomalies before, the creature looming over him was all black, infected by the same parasite that caused all the problems, from both the Aqura's planet and the Rendloks' planet. Since it was a parasite, it retained most of the host alien's appearances, and from the looks of it, it was once a squid-like creature, yet now it had dangerous-looking tentacles flailing about, with spikes on the top of them. The body, a slender, almost humanoid body, with four white eyes, determined the race of the alien, and to Dairyu's horror, he knew who it was.

"Orao Raon?" said Dairyu with a tone that suggested surprise. "It can't be."

"It is what you have known, bounty hunter."

The voice came from the once Orao Raon, a supposedly yellow skinned Areolian, turned black by the parasite and mutated beyond recognition of what was once him, yet it wasn't the one that Dairyu was intrigued of.

"So, you've achieved some sort of sentience, Hunter?"

"This...vile creature demanded a greater strength, and this Dog gives him what he wanted."

"You're calling yourself Dog? What is the meaning of that?"

"The right of the Terraling is limited. I will not answer."

"You tell me who the hell are you before I..."

"The right of the Terraling is limited to stay on the ground, as I don't perceive any threats. Even if the Endragas attacks, it's useless against the same wave, as do your weapons have no effect on the physiology of both an Areolian and a Dog."

Dairyu wanted to make sure that he wasn't bluffing, but when he turned his head to meet the Scylla, Let said, "He's right, Terran. We can't do anything."

Dairyu made a grunt, and reluctantly lowered the positron gun he was carrying. Yet, even if he did that, the Areolian-parasite creature wasn't attacking. It exhibited self-awareness and sentience, yet something was strange. While it seemed sentient enough, it was like controlled, as it had no free will.

"Who is your master, parasite?"

"They are the Hunters, the Masters of the old universe, and the gods of destructions to some civilizations," said the creature.

"What are you talking about?" said Let.

"I understand what he says, Let, since you don't see what I see. I'll explain to you later, but something tells me there's something we need to know. Tell me why you're not killing us outright."

There was a silence before the creature said, "Because it isn't time."

"You mean we still have our time?"

"The universe hasn't reached the final point of evolution, but it's coming sooner than before. When it comes, you'll be ready, and by then, the game...is on."

"Are you implying that this is a game? That massacring a whole Aquran colony is just a move of your chess? Well let me tell you something, parasite, or Hunter. When you say the game is on, it is commenced by the time you start your move. We have done anything in our move yet, but you have done it three times. So right now, your move is up, Masters of the universe."

"You play well, Terran. But there is a time of renewal, a recycle of universe. What will you do then?"

"The universe will retaliate. Just you see."

"Then it's settled. It will be a test to see how you get out of this place, without destroying everything on it."

The creature made a high-pitched shriek, and the next moment, they were surrounded by the same parasites that had been infecting the inhabitants of the room. They were like the Aqura back in Pascoforta; zombie-like, but beastly and savage. The draconian readied his weapon, so did the Scylla with his claws.

Just then, the Areolian dropped from the ceiling, dead, returning to its normal color. Dairyu wondered if the parasite tried to find a new host or it just died of its own, fulfilling its purpose. Yet again, they still need to fight the group of parasites in the room, yet the creature gave a cryptic response as to 'without destroying everything on it'. Just what was the meaning of it?"

At the basement of the auction, chaos stirred from the release of the bracelets, and the rest of Dairyu's companions were struggling not to be caught in it. They managed to went through the back door and went down the corridor, seeing the things Dairyu and Let had done, yet it wasn't that well done since there were still those able to find them and started ambushing them.

Amhyr reacted faster than the others. Pulling out a pistol from behind his coat, he readied his gun to shot his attackers. An old model bullet-used spring-loaded pistol, it wasn't as effective as a positron or a laser gun, but unlike energy weapons, bullets are far more accurate than lasers, and it was helpful for the draconian.

His high accuracy proved dangerous, for Amhyr's shot actually went through a Scylla's brain. He used the pistol with both hands, giving a good shot that helped cleaning up the rest of those not being dealt with by the two fighters. After he expended his magazine, there was no one left standing, except those who were injured when Amhyr intentionally shot other parts of the aliens' bodies.

"Atho, Capisa, cover my back. I don't have my sniper so this is my only weapon. Just tell me if something's wrong," said Amhyr to them, in which they both nodded. The three of them ran faster than before, trying to regroup with both Let and Dairyu, yet they didn't get any actions after both of them cleared the way, leaving dead bodies around them, oozing with blood of all colors.

Despite the view, Amhyr still wondered how Let managed to open the shackles while he just went inside the auction house. Did he had a friend that Amhyr didn't know, or he was just doing something that made the shackles off? Amhyr's first guess was that he used some sort of high-tech technology, given on how Scyllas had a very advanced culture around technologies, despite of their communities being divided by clans.

"When I meet him I'll get that answer right away," thought Amhyr. "Why am I always having this bad feeling that their actions might..."

Suddenly, from around the corner, both Dairyu and Let came running towards them. Both of them recognized the three of them, and Dairyu shouted, "Amhyr, fire! Use your fire!"

At first the draconian thought Dairyu was joking, but upon seeing the dark substances and some mutated black creatures chasing both of them, he instinctively breathe a fire big enough to burn both of them. Luckily, Dairyu and Let managed to side step, and a powerful gust of upwind helped kindle the flame, getting it bigger and making a wall of fire, held by Dairyu's own wind.

"Will you tell me what the hell is going on, Tsukasa?!" exclaimed Amhyr upon seeing the creatures being burned by his own flames.

"This is no longer a revenge-bounty hunting matter anymore, Amhyr! We're getting out of this planet, now!"

"But how about the complications you-

"We don't have time to save all of these aliens! Just tell them the brief problem and hope they believe it. If not, well ancestors give them a proper resting place."

"Are you telling me to abandon 3 million colonists on their own?! My boss is going to whip my ass for doing that!"

"Let me tell you something, draconian. It may be in our genes to become the heroes, but in reality it's different! Once you've seen space, you'll know that black and white are only in fictions."

"But we can't just leave without at least convincing them, Ryu," said Capisa. "We will look like a coward for leaving all the colonists for their own devices."

Upon hearing that, somehow Dairyu stopped, contemplating his decision. By then, Amhyr slowly heard the Rendlok stopped clicking, and a new voice came into his head.

"Amhyr, go help the colonists. If, by any chance, they listen, then your purpose is done, but you must understand that Dairyu's reasoning, as bad as it is, is always the best decision for all of our survival. Oh, and I can see that you're confused on the source of this voice. My name, in your tongue, is Atho, and I'm the Rendlok standing beside you."

"Never knew a Rendlok is a telepathic."

"It is our well-known secret."

When they parted ways, Amhyr quickly ran the stair he went down from, dodging as many chaos as he could. He wondered how a simple release could become a whole lot of problems, especially during the time when a bigger problem was imminent. Amhyr quickly opened his wings and flew towards a higher platform, before realizing, in horror, that the chaos wasn't entirely from the slaves.