"Your Majesty, we've searched every house in the city of Deras, but we've found no trace of Sir Haman or the boy, Momin," one of the guards reported to Ajal.
"Idiots! If they're not inside the city, then search the surrounding regions," Ajal growled furiously. "And don't return to me unless you've captured both Haman and the boy—so I don't have to keep seeing your cursed faces again and again!"
_____
The two guards whispered something to each other and suddenly launched an attack on Haman.
Without hesitation, Haman drew his most trusted sword and retaliated. Then, both he and his companion entered the cave.
As soon as they stepped inside, nearly 500 guards emerged from the cave walls and began attacking Haman from all sides.
______
A guard said to Haman,
"So, you think just because you defeated two guards, you'll take down the remaining 598 of us too?"
Haman (his voice thundered):
"A man who doesn't fear death… won't tremble before clay puppets like you.
Funny. You really have a talent for jokes."
Haman lifted Momin onto his strong shoulder and moved forward.
"I'm scared…" Momin said softly.
"Don't be afraid, son. I'm with you. Nothing will happen to you. Just trust me," Haman replied.
Momin calmed down, his fear slowly fading.
---
Haman charged toward a group of six guards.
He grabbed one of their swords and snapped it in half. With a spinning roundhouse kick, he sent another flying.
Then, he twisted the barrel of a third guard's rifle and forced him to fire at himself.
Bullets were fired, but Haman dodged them using the jagged cave walls.
He performed a backflip, grabbed a smoke bomb from a fallen guard's belt, and released it—filling the cave with thick smoke.
---
In the shadows, figures began to shift.
Haman silently took guards down one by one with chokeholds, disarming some with his sword.
Gunfire echoed, but he rolled behind a massive boulder embedded in the cave wall.
He pulled a stolen grenade from a fallen guard's gear and tossed it into the crowd.
BOOM!!
Ten guards were blown into the air.
---
Climbing the boulder, Haman launched into a daring 50-foot leap—landing directly onto a sniper guard and taking him out instantly.
But many guards still remained.
They rushed toward him all at once, yelling.
Haman (angrily):
"All of you… here to kill me?
Big mistake…"
He unleashed his signature move—
"Haman's Special"—a lethal martial arts combo, spinning through the chaos and knocking down twenty guards with a single flowing sequence.
He disarmed the sword-wielders with their own blades and removed magazines from enemy guns, rendering them useless.
He then launched a rapid-fire chain punch combo—every strike knocking another guard to the ground.
---
By now, over 200 guards had fallen.
The air was thick with dust, the floor soaked in blood, and the silence broken only by gasps for breath.
Haman finally approached the outskirts of Demara City—his breath heavy, but his eyes still burning with fierce determination.
Momin looked at him in awe and whispered:
"Unbelievable… I've never seen a fighter like you. You're the best!
I want to become like you one day."
Haman (with a faint smile):
"This is just the beginning.
The real story… is yet to unfold."
As he crossed a high-security laser trap, a guard tried to ambush him from behind.
But without even turning, Haman grabbed the attacker's arm, snapped it, and knocked him unconscious.
He shattered a set of chains in his path and pushed forward.
Outside, the final 100 guards were waiting.
---
Haman (challenging):
"Try stopping me—just once—if you have the courage."
He burst into a full sprint, charging straight through the line of guards.
Bullets were fired, but he dodged every shot while shielding Momin, diving behind a giant boulder.
Then came a massive fireball.
The guards froze in confusion—
And when the smoke cleared…
Haman and Momin were gone.
---
At last, they entered Demara City.
Under the moonlight, Momin found peace in his eyes. He threw his arms around Haman.
Momin (softly):
"You're a hero…"
Haman (smiling):
"I'm just a man…
who refuses to give up."
---
_____
"Follow me," said a man who was tall, well-built with a perfectly shaped physique, and wore a mask covering his face. He addressed Haman and Momin, who were standing at the edge of Demara City, trying to catch their breath.
"Excuse us! Who are you, and why are you asking us to follow you? We don't know you—so why should we trust you?" Haman replied firmly.
"This is not the time for questions. Some guards are still chasing you, and they could reach you any moment now. You're new to this city—you don't know your way around. If you're smart, you'll follow someone who knows every inch of it," the man responded calmly.
"How do you know I'm new to this city?" Haman asked, surprised.
"The way you fought those guards as you entered the city—anyone could guess you're not from around here, genius," the man replied with a smirk.
"Did you just call me a genius—or an idiot? I'll mess you up so badly you'll be forced to wear that mask for the rest of your life," Haman shot back angrily.
"Yeah, yeah… I figured that much just by watching you fight," the man said, unfazed and relaxed.
"You watched my fight? You were keeping an eye on me?" Haman asked, now a mix of confused and furious.
"I'll answer your questions later, but right now, there's no time—just move," the man urged him.
"Move where?" Haman asked.
"Does he always ask this many questions?" the man asked Momin about Haman.
The man continued speaking,
"Somewhere this child will actually be safe.
You really think he's safe with you—someone who doesn't even know this city? Where will you go with him? Where will you hide? The city guards will eventually find you.
Do you think this child will take you to his home, risking his own life and his family's?
It's better you both come with someone who knows every corner of this city…
and the only person who can truly protect you from these guards… is me."
He spoke the bitter truth directly to Haman.
Haman thought to himself,
"He's making a valid point.
How long can we really keep running from the guards?
Sooner or later, they'll catch us.
We don't have many options… going with him might be our only choice."
"Alright," Haman said to the man firmly.
"Take us to wherever this child will be safe."
"Let's go, then," the man said.
And the two of them began to follow him.
---
Instead of passing through the central part of the city, the three took narrow alleyways to reach their destination—careful to avoid being spotted by the guards.
Eventually, they arrived at a private property where they stopped. There stood a massive, modern, and stunning house that clearly belonged to someone extremely wealthy.
"Do you live here?" Momin asked, astonished by the beauty of the house.
"You guessed it right. And there's plenty of food here for you both. I hope you'll like it," the man replied, making Momin smile with delight.
But Haman wasn't someone who trusted easily.
The three of them entered the house, which was even more magnificent inside than it appeared from the outside. Servants welcomed them warmly. Momin followed one of the servants to the kitchen for food and drinks, while the man led Haman to the back of the house—a spacious, green, and well-maintained garden.
There, the man removed his mask. He was quite handsome.
Then he stepped closer to Haman and said,
"How are you, Haman?"
"How does he know my name? I never told him."
Haman was still lost in thought, about to ask him, when the man suddenly attacked.