Leon, carrying Shion's unconscious body, couldn't run much farther through the darkness and maze of the thick forest. All his strength gave out. The young man collapsed hard behind a large boulder, his ragged breathing competing with the chorus of crickets around them.
"Shion! Shion! Wake up!" Leon shook the girl in his arms desperately. He could see her condition more clearly under the moonlight filtering down. Burn marks stood out starkly across her once-smooth skin. Her eyes stayed tightly shut. Her face was pale and bloodless. Her body felt cold and still, like she was dead.
Heart... her heart's still beating... Leon placed his hand on her chest, feeling the faint, weak rhythm. A small wave of relief washed over him, but it was immediately replaced by fear as he thought about the danger still hunting them.
On Volt's side, after not finding any immediate trace of the two kids, he didn't rush out to search. Instead, he calmly walked back to his mansion, like he knew perfectly well his prey couldn't get far.
"Better bring 'that thing'... it'll end this faster," Volt muttered to himself as he walked back into the secret lab. He went straight to a corner where various confiscated weapons were stored, then picked up one long, slender object. Moonlight streaming through the window hit it, creating a slight gleaming flash.
Soon Volt walked back out of the mansion. In his hand he held that weapon, ready. He grinned wickedly, pushed his glasses up slightly, then headed straight into the thick forest. "You little brats... think you can escape me..."
Leon, hiding behind the large boulder, immediately sensed the danger creeping closer! The sound of footsteps crushing twigs and dry leaves was getting louder every second! He knew Volt was coming!
The young man looked at Shion's still-unconscious body, his eyes full of despair. He didn't have any weapons on him. But then... an idea popped into his head!
Leon quickly gathered the dry leaves and small branches around that area, piling them together. Then he carefully laid Shion down and used those leaves to cover her body completely, trying to camouflage her as much as possible with the surroundings.
When he finished, he immediately started running! But instead of fleeing deeper into the forest, he ran in the opposite direction from Volt! Heading back toward Sunstone Town!
"Heh... doing something stupid..." Volt, who saw Leon's shadowy figure run out from hiding, just sneered dismissively. He didn't care to go see where the other girl was, but raised his free hand and immediately sent a low-power electrical wave at Leon!
Bzzt!
The electrical wave slammed hard into Leon's back! His consciousness blurred for a moment! His body swayed and almost fell! But he gritted his teeth! Fought through the pain! Kept trying to run!
Finally Leon ran all the way to Sunstone Town! He was breathing heavily! His body completely exhausted!
"Hmm... now where did that little girl disappear to..." Volt, who'd followed right behind, muttered to himself curiously. But then he just shrugged carelessly. "Whatever... kill him first, then deal with her later."
Volt followed Leon into the town calmly, like a lion toying with its prey. Leon quickly looked for any weapon he could use to defend himself in the area. Then his eyes caught sight of a steel pipe leaning against a garbage can!
Well hello... old friend... A smile that seemed forced appeared on Leon's face without him realizing it. He quickly grabbed that steel pipe, then ran to hide in a narrow, pitch-black alley.
"Think you can play hide and seek with me... you stupid kid..." Volt walked into the town. He started asking people who were still wandering around in the night.
"Have you seen a guy with black hair and a little white mixed in pass by here?" Volt asked a young woman selling food on the roadside in a polite tone.
"Um... haven't seen anyone like that, Mr. Mayor," the woman answered respectfully.
"Thank you very much," Volt said before walking on.
"A boy with dark hair and some white mixed in, right Mr. Mayor?" Suddenly a teenage boy ran up to Volt enthusiastically.
"Yes! Did you see him?" Volt raised his eyebrows hopefully.
"I saw him acting all sneaky and slipping into that alley! Just now!" The young man pointed to a dark alley not far away.
"Is that so..." Volt nodded, his eyes sparkling wickedly. "By the way... what's that arm guard you're wearing, Mr. Mayor! It looks so cool!" the boy asked curiously.
"Not something a kid like you needs to worry about," Volt cut him off irritably before quickly walking straight to that alley.
Inside the pitch-black alley, not even light from lanterns or moonlight could get in. Volt strutted in slowly, eyes scanning around.
"Got you!!!" Suddenly Leon's figure burst out from the shadows! The steel pipe in his hand raised high, aimed at Volt's head!
But Volt had expected it! His reaction was faster than Leon thought! His body leaned away from the attack by a hair! Then he countered with his right fist—the one not wearing the metal guard—straight into Leon's stomach with full force!
Ugh!
Leon cried out in pain! His body doubled over! He fell to the ground, managing to catch himself with his hands before his face hit the floor!
Volt stood straddling Leon's body, grinning like a winner. In his right hand appeared some kind of weapon. It was what he'd just gone back to get from the mansion!
"That's... that's my sword!" Leon's eyes went wide with shock and despair!
Volt raised his left hand with the metal guard, pointing it toward the sky. "Give up all your pathetic hopes! This is the end of everything!"
Bzzzzzzt!!!
The most violent electrical wave Leon had ever experienced spread out from Volt's arm guard! It didn't just attack him, but covered all of Sunstone Town! Street lights and building lights went out all at once in an instant! Screams of shock and pain from people rang out everywhere! Then everything went silent... people throughout the town collapsed to the ground... including Leon!
Volt slowly removed the metal arm guard. White smoke drifted out slightly, showing the massive energy usage.
"You're amazing... getting hit that hard and still having enough consciousness to look at me..." Volt looked down at Leon, who was lying on the ground breathing weakly, with surprised amazement. This kid had truly unbelievable endurance.
He walked over and grabbed Leon by the collar! Then he drew Leon's katana from its sheath! The sharp blade tip pointed at the young man's chest!
"I'm tired of playing with you... you little shit..."
Stab!!!
[....]
[....]
[....]
"Ugh... gah..." Leon coughed up bright red blood! His eyes went wide with pain and despair!
"Too bad. The difference in experience between us was just too much," Volt said in an ice-cold voice, even though he knew Leon couldn't hear him anymore.
"Really too bad..." Volt whispered coldly in Leon's ear. "If you'd cooperated with me from the start... I might have let you both go." He shrugged carelessly. "Oh well... you were both too stupid to oppose me anyway."
Leon's eyes started getting blurry... the last light slowly faded away... before his eyelids closed completely...
Volt pulled the katana out of Leon's body. Bright red blood gushed out from the brutal wound. He dropped the sword on the ground next to Leon's lifeless body without a care.
Clang...