TRAILING SHADOWS

"Alright, you people. I've had enough with this." Sunday's voice boomed out, Ninola standing beside him and stretching.

Few inches from him, after he reverted to normal from Sage Mode, is the huffing, knee bent Ibiyemi who is barely conscious, her face a total mess. And ahead of her is Tayo, the latter landing softly on the ground after the kick to Elisa.

'Lucky Bastard!' Bane swore at Sunday. 'You got squashed between two girls earlier, why wouldn't you be so confident now, eh?' 

Sunday sighed, ignoring Bane in his mind as he took on the sight of everything before him. 

The mercenaries stood to his right, Elisa being held up by Elias and by side him was Tobias who has a smirk on his face as if he is enjoying the entire show.

To the left, the Captain of the Guard Irunmole Squad stood sideways, his fists to his h.i.p.s as he watched Sunday, his other squad members randomly distributed around him.

"Heyy... You guys destroyed my shop. How dare you... Nnnrgh!" Obedi's head is squashed into the ground by an Irunmole Guard, shutting him up.

"Quiet, you! There are several charges on you already. You bet having a destroyed shop would be the lightest you can ever hope for." The black, long haired Irunmole said, walking forward. The form of the Eagle drifted away into bits in the distance, having been captured in an orb held by the same Irunmole who tackled it after Tayo.

"Ibiyemi, that's enough from you. You better do what Elisa said. It's a mission, we can't do a half mission. Capture the bounty." Elias called out.

"Like I said," The Captain countered, feiecely eyeing Elias. "Nobody is laying a finger on Sunday. To do that, is to call for death."

At this, the remaining Guards take up formation, setting themselves to form a wall between the mercenaries and Sunday, their forms at alert.

He turned fully to Sunday while dust from the battle here drifted about and his feet. "We've been mandated to see you to the High Council Deployment Zone. So, if you please, come with us. Your mission awaits." 

The Captain walked forward after collecting a white glowing orb from Solia, coming into inches around Sunday.

"Here is a light cleansing Orb. You would need this according to your mission dictates." He exhaled, stretching the orb to him.

Sunday made to collect it but just then Ibiyemi staggered, falling back. He moved, leaving the orb in the Captain's hand as he swiftly bent, catching her from the back, his knee bent to cushion her back while the left arm supports her back.

At that, Ninola twisted her lips. 

"Hey, Ibiyemi. Looks like I still had to save you again." Sunday smirked.

"Hm!" Ibiyemi smiled shyly, getting up, back to her feet. 

"Father said, Elias, that on this mission." Ibiyemi spoke, arresting everyone's attention. "I had to go in it with the mindset of getting so much better than what I ever was."

"And, you have. Knock the bounties out!" Elias ordered.

"No, this is only nothing. Having an eye with a weak body is still nothing.  So, I have decided." Ibiyemi inhaled deeply, raising her chin up to give that defiant look. "I'm going to wherever this would take me. And, I promise, I'm..."

"You can't!" Elias cried out, righting the scowling but silent Elisa up to her feet. "To abandon your mission is betrayal of the code. To let whatever idea of friendship you..."

"The girl has spoken. Do you want to stand in my way and confront her?" Sunday's voice blared out as he grabbed the orb from the Captain.

He inhaled, shutting his eyes briefly as he flicked his fingers, sending the Orb into the spatial dimension in the ring on his little finger on the left.

"Then, I dare you, try it. Anyone who tries to stand in my way, feel free, because I would not hesitate to crush you." He fisted his left hand to emphasize his words.

"Because anyone who stands against me, deserves not a reason to exist."

"Sunday!" Tayo turned back, speaking for the first time as he sheathed his blade underneath his cloak.

Sunday frowned, eyeing him tentatively.

"Oh, he's Tayo. We had a deal to fight for who claimed you after we joined arms to save you. Do you want to fight for that now?" Ninola chirped in, smiling with open hands. "I'm good to go, chief!" 

"No!" Tayo muttered, walking into inches of Sunday while Niniola flinched at his reaction.

The two breathed down on each other leaving everyone around at loss of what to make of it.

Finally, after what seemed like centuries, Tayo spoke, pulling down his hood. "I'm coming with you."

"Suit yourself!" Sunday muttered, throwing his face to the side. However, before he did that, Tayo caught the whiff of a pained look in his face.

"Get away from me!" Sunday growled, his left fist flying towards Tayo.

Tayo caught the fist with his left arm, his arm crossing across his face as he stared, breathing heavily, his face pained.

Sunday growled again, plummeting his right fist into Tayo's belly but Tayo's free hand blurred, catching the fist.

"Uh... You guys seem to have a history, right?" Ibiyemi tried to intervene.

"Boys will be boys. Let them blow off steam!" Ninola winked at her, channeling energy into her leg as she jumped away and out of sight.

"You're the son of Prophecy!" Tayo muttered to Sunday's face.

"And you're the bastard that left me." Sunday retorted, pulling away from him.

After a deep breath, Tayo turned around. But just as he did, he swirled around , leaning his upper torso forward as his right fist rammed into Sunday's solar plexus.

"Stop it!" Ibiyemi gasped out in fright as she quickly ran to support Sunday who staggered back.

Her hands on his back, she frowned at Tayo, watching him wear his hood back on.

"Okay! Nice reunion!" Tobias chuckled.

"Let's be on our way, Sunday, now!" The Captain said again as he got standing straight.

"Like I said, I am not going with any of you." Sunday glared at the Captain, his body lighting up in flaming yellow energy, a symbolism of his Partial Sage Mode.

"You want to stop me,go on. I'll crush you!"

"Law of light: Shooting..."

"Stop!" The Captain yelled out, his fist thrown into the air. "Fine! If he wants to go, let him go. But, don't let the Primes down. They believe in you! Third Prime and Second Prime."

"Yes, but not my dad!" Sunday muttered, turning around.

He lowered himself, slightly, gaining momentum for a jump when Ninola popped up beside him.

"Where are we going to, Champion?" She smiled.

"Yes,where?" Ibiyemi added, walking to meet him and gesticulating. "I can't go home yet. I'm not so strong as my Father needs."

Hearing that, Sunday stood up straight, looking at her. "Did Wole trouble you, again?" 

She looked away.

He scoffed, looking up. "That Bastard. Always making jest of us. Irunmoles should not have a grudge, but I have one and it has your name on it, Wole." 

Sunday grimaced, throwing himself into the air in a leap. Seeing that, the others also join, leaping into the air simultaneously.

***