TRAILING SHADOWS

"Right, they got away!" The spiky mercenary yelled out, clenching his fist so hard that lightning arcs coursed over them as he kicked the fire into nothingness. 

His coat flared as the color flashed from the white to blue as result of the sparks of lightning on him. In the trees about, the birds residing in their nests suddenly got alarmed as the tingly thunderous aura descended about and then, they each flapped their wings as they began to fly away for self preservation.

To think that the bounty was right before them and yet, yet again, they had failed to capture it. And yet again, the bounty fled. Ran off like always. 

Again and again. The spiky haired mercenary bared his teeth, veins sprouting at the temples of his head as he did his best to keep the rage in check. He removed the few broken pieces of the mask of Blue moon Mercenary House that still clinged to his face, an evidence of a bitter battle that they had failed to capture the bounty.

Oh, how the old man would scream his throats out should they return empty.

But then again, it was not as if the Niniola girl was all that powerful as it seemed. Somehow, she had managed to get an unconcerned person into the mix, the one who studied the law of war, someone whose powers and perception was something that they could not afford to joke with. The very act of that thought, evening the battle ground and making things rather sour for them.

Just how crafty was that Niniola? 

At this rate, if things went ahead like this, the bounty would...

"Aaarhh." The spiky haired Merc slammed a fist into his open palm as lightning arcs c.a.r.e.s.sed his body.

"Easy! Still using foreign law that much?" The thinner looker Irunmole says, looking about. He still has his mask on, unscathed, unlike his furious partner and with it, a calm sense of being about him.

"They won't get far away. Not when their common interest is still around the market." The slimmer Irunmole, the one with the red belt girdle on his waist replied, bringing out an orb in the flat of his palm from nowhere.

"It's not like it's entirely bad by the way. They left us a meal. A good meal infact. This means that we get filled up and head off straight to the rendezvous point for them. That is, Sunday. "

"But how?" The mask-less mercenary asked, turning to face him. "They still have that soul sensor, remember? And without it, we won't be able to pinpoint exactly where the boy is."

"I know. Easy now. We already know where to find them. That Obedi Special. And I bet you a thousand gold mints, we will find them there by Sunrise, again.

We got a message. I have to check what that geezer might have sent us."

He tapped the glass orb that was no larger than his little finger with the other hand, sighing as brilliant blue lights burst out from it, the form of an Exclamation mark in white appearing and blinking repeatedly.

"Eh? That urgent? What could shake him like this? Surely, he can't be calling us off the jobs, right?" He sneered.

He tapped it as well, watching the mark expand into a screen that showed the same Irunmole who had boycotted the mission for them.

"You guys... Careful, the disciplinary guys are after you. They found out. 

Sorry, I couldn't get to you time because they were watching me but... 

You must be fast with the..."

Soft thuds resonated in the earth behind them, gold sprinkled boots coming into view, distracting him from the holographic video playing.

"Well, well well! Here we are!" Elias said in her alluring singsong voice, her robed coat swaying in the non-existent wind as the rogue bounty hunters gasped, taking slow backward steps.

"Quick... The Technique!" The one with an orb shouted.

"Law of Chance: Shifting Presence." The spiky haired Irunmole yelled as he flexed his middle fingers, weaving his hand to form a sort of pattern in the air. Shortly after, bright, flaring mystic orange symbols flashed into form just at his c.h.e.s.t level.

However, just as the symbols flashed, they fizzled out, diminishing gradually into nothing, a symbolism of a failed technique.

"Hehe.. " Elisa chuckled with closed eyes as Tobias walked into the open from behind her, his first two fingers of both hands joined to form a triangle which had the center of it flashing with vibrant white energy.

Energy that fluttered out in wavy streams all around them.

"Uh!" the mercs gasped, startled. "A Fate Expert!"

"Yes, you seem to forget that all officially assigned missions have a statutory allocation of a Fate based Irunmole." Elisa said again, one hand on her hip as she leaned her upper body forward, twirling her waist seductively.

"You happen to have none. Which stands to reveal the illegality of your mission." Elias said with his thick voice as he pat Ibiyemi at the back.

"Heir to the House, care to do the honours?" Elisa asked tentatively, bowing with her hand gesturing to the stunned mercenaries ahead.

"Of course, I've gotten Stronger." Ibiyemi replied with hesitation, flexing her neck as her eyes narrowed at the targets before her.

She flexed her shoulders as well as her hands jam together to form a lock, her heart intent on the challenge ahead .

'Yes, laugh at me behind my back's for being a weakling, you guys. That's why you're putting me up ahead so you can have yet another secret laugh. All of you.' Ibiyemi's mind flared as she stepped forward, her head to the ground.

"But I'm fine with that..I'll show you." Ibiyemi said softly, raising her leg and slamming it hard into the ground, her eyes burning with fire that had never been there. 

Because this time, not only was she trying to show how strong she'd gotten but as heir of the house, she also was trying to protect her Father's Pride.

And that of her teacher as well. And even if it meant going down the steep path, then , she was ready.

Without fear!