💫 Hello dear readers, I hope you enjoy the read! 💫
Riman clutched her hair, shock rippling through her. *"Wait... why won't he look at me when he speaks? Is it because my hair is white?"*
She recalled the servants' whispered warnings: *"My lady, it would be best to change your hair color."* Riman had stared at them, bewildered. *"Not because it isn't beautiful,"* they continued, *"but Master Sajjad is... sensitive. If he sees that particular shade, he becomes far more ferocious and hostile than usual, despite his usual calm demeanor."*
*"Because it resembles his mother's hair..."* Riman pondered, then shook her head. *"No, I'm overthinking this. If he hated the color, he'd hate Nizar too, yet he treats him well. The issues are separate."* She sighed, irritation bubbling within. *"True, he's cold to everyone, but with me, his behavior is outright vicious. He constantly watches me with eyes full of disgust. He's simply jealous of my beauty, that's all,"* she muttered, glaring at him.
While Riman fumed over Sajjad, a deafening roar shattered the air.
*"How much longer will you stall?"* Sajjad asked, his voice icy.
Taylor stood calmly nearby. *"Stalling matters little; what counts is that we know her direction."*
Sajjad turned to him, serious. *"Enough. You're as annoying as Taylor himself. This city is teeming with madmen; I have no time for such foolish games. I wanted to leave, but if they deploy those substances—especially 'Hashim'—near the tumor zone, the entire area will be obliterated. Thus, I must monitor the site."* His tone dripped with boredom.
Taylor smiled serenely, as if plotting something. *"You're right. But worry solves nothing. A piece of advice: if you wish to achieve your goals, patience is key."*
Sajjad closed his eyes, replying quietly, *"On the matter of timing, I shall not argue with you."*
Riman interjected sharply, attempting to mock him: *"I didn't realize you cared about the city and its people. I thought you only cared for yourself?"*
Sajjad stepped forward, scoffing indifferently. *"Since when do monkeys ask questions? They should have focused on the purple monkeys instead; they are of the same species, after all."*
*"Why do I feel you're speaking ill of Derek? It's only because he's kinder than you,"* Riman retorted, deeply annoyed yet trying to appear cute. 🫣
Taylor cut in fearfully, *"Enough! Why so sharp-tongued?"* Internally, he panicked: *"We were following Media and Dalia, but it seems my end will come by his hand instead."*
Sajjad halted abruptly as the sound of Dalia's footsteps ahead faded around a bend in the corridor.
At that moment, Dalia stormed in, furious, shouting at Media: *"Brother! Where is the path? I have no patience for your games!"*
Media offered no reply, merely laughing sarcastically, as if waiting for something.
*"It seems she's awaiting something,"* Taylor observed calmly.
*"Let's say you wish to sacrifice yourself,"* Sajjad mused, his voice low. *"What puzzles me is whether this game of the weak was your design or someone else's, like Silver Arrow..."*
Media's laughter ceased instantly; shock and anxiety flashed across her face.
*"My first question remains unanswered. Hurry up,"* Dalia demanded, disgusted.
Media replied coolly, *"Why feign disgust toward me? Were you not once a spy yourself?"*
Dalia fell silent, stunned and confused. Suddenly, Media grinned with extreme cunning.
Then, a thunderous boom shook the very foundations of the place.
A black substance began oozing from the ground. Sajjad moved with blinding speed, grabbing Riman and yanking her upward. Her foot grazed the earth, sparking a flash of light faster than lightning, followed by a colossal explosion.
*"Aaaaaah!"* Riman screamed in terror. *"What is happening?! Since I arrived, I've been asking this, and no one answers! Why does trouble follow me?!"*
Sajjad stood beside her in a pitch-black crater, obscured by thick smoke that rendered visibility impossible.
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**After the Smoke Cleared**
Sajjad's mind raced: *"Damn! That nearly hit Dalia! The explosion occurred at a precise, pre-calculated moment; it was clearly planned."* He recalled Media's smile just before the blast. *"However, the explosion didn't physically harm Dalia; it was Media's words that struck her."* He remembered the word 'spy'. *"Had I known this distraction would affect her so deeply, I wouldn't have left them alone. Now, we cannot deny she suffered severe injuries"*—Media lay outside, ribs broken, limbs mangled, body battered. *"Still, the gases could have been used against us as a strategy, so their deployment was beneficial. Ultimately, this was all a trap,"* he concluded coldly.
*"In that split second, had I hesitated even briefly, it would have been our last day alive,"* Sajjad reflected. *"Hashim is a substance that becomes explosive when mixed with T-CH₂O (Trans-Formaldehyde) gas. Originally flammable, the combination generates immense energy due to the high hydrogen content in both. Unlike the friction of my foot, which served as a warning to Dalia and Taylor, the ignition of T-CH₂O caused the blast."*
He recited the equation internally:
*C₇₀H₂₅N₁₀O₅Fe₃Si₅ (s) + 21 T-CH₂O (g) → 70 C (s) + 5 N₂ (g) + 15 H₂O (g) + 3 Fe (s) + 5 SiO₂ (s) + Immense Energy.*
*"Every time I recall this equation, I get chills. Dalia once beat me for failing to memorize it earlier,"* he remembered boredly, recalling her pulling his hair. *"Of course, anyone might ask why Dalia didn't realize the place was about to explode. It's simple: she cannot distinguish between toxic gas and odorless T-CH₂O. That is difficult. However, I grew accustomed to smelling it amidst ruined cities during every invasion of the North,"* he thought, disgusted, an image of a destroyed city flashing in his mind, his gaze utterly cold.
As for Riman, she was suspended horizontally in his arms. Her back and shoulders rested on his right forearm, while her legs were firmly gripped by his left. Her entire body was elevated off the ground, relying solely on him. Her face was pressed almost against his chest, mere centimeters separating her right cheek from his shirt. She tried desperately to pull away, nearly bursting from embarrassment, while Sajjad, lost in thought, had completely forgotten her presence.
Riman, flustered, tried to push him away. *"Could you move away from me? I can't breathe!"*
Internally, she reeled: *"Did he protect me? Unbelievable... Ahem (cough). No, he always protects me because I am important."* She lied to herself nervously. *"But more importantly, where is my dignity as a woman?"* Her face burned redder.
Struggling internally, she lashed out. Sajjad replied icily: *"Calm down. Had I not saved you, you'd be nothing but a piece of charcoal now. So, be grateful and shut your mouth."*
Riman fumed inwardly: *"I take it back. The scoundrel remains a scoundrel; not a drop of chivalry in him."*
Suddenly alert, she looked around anxiously. *"But what about Dalia and Taylor?"*
*"Worry not. Taylor has the ability to vanish quickly among rocks like this..."* Sajjad demonstrated, plunging his hand into a nearby boulder and withdrawing it instantly. Riman gasped in surprise.
Meanwhile, Taylor coughed alongside Dalia as they emerged from behind the walls. *"That spark explosion was due to that idiot Sajjad. He should have warned me before moving,"* he coughed. *"But it was a clever idea, albeit rash. Had Hashim been pulled upward at that moment..."* He glanced down at the substance. *"It was a suicidal attack intended to annihilate us. I doubt Hokumoth Organization ordered it. Still, had Sajjad intervened with his speed causing physical friction with the air, the result would have been an even worse catastrophic explosion. Sajjad realized this, so he detonated the area as a warning to protect Dalia, while simultaneously saving Riman. The outcome resulted in Media losing her limbs, weakening her further. Thus, he chose the path of least damage. He's a cunning fox as always,"* Taylor smiled serenely.
Overwhelmed with embarrassment, Riman choked out, *"Sajjad, won't you step back? Move away a bit, you fool! Don't you understand?"*
He dropped her onto the ground. She groaned in pain. *"I forgot you because you're weak,"* he thought indifferently.
Speaking with brutal honesty, Sajjad stated, *"Don't descend; you'll merely be an obstacle."* Riman brushed dust off her clothes.
Riman was about to explode with rage as he walked away, leaving her in the crater.
*"Hey! You're stupidly honest!"* she shouted, her face flushing red again.
Suddenly, Fox intervened, lying on the ground after being dragged along. *"Riman? Are you hurt? Ow, my head hurts..."*
Riman scoffed, annoyed. *"The place exploded, and you were still sleeping? You've become so lazy..."*
Noticing her flushed face, Fox added, *"Why are you red too?"*
*"Please, be quiet!"* Riman snapped irritably.
Fox looked at her with surprise and internal mockery: *"Riman... he is our enemy! How could you fall for him just because of his face? I'm going to suffer greatly knowing this..."*
*"Fox, don't drive me crazy too!"* Riman yelled angrily. *"I ended up in an awkward situation... Who loves that wretched scoundrel?"* She crossed her arms over her chest.
Fox despaired internally: *"Why lie? You won't last more than three months..."* Suddenly noticing a hole, he peered down. *"What's happening here? Is he fighting?"* Puzzled, he looked lower, and Riman followed his gaze through a side opening. They both stared at the scene below.
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Sajjad moved with deadly slowness, his iron staff glowing with the chill of steel, wreathed in black energy. He approached Media, who stood there, half her body burned and covered in black ash spots. She displayed no fear or weakness; instead, she wore a mocking smile, seemingly enjoying the moment.
*"Well, it seems I'll start with you first... What a wonderful opportunity! To fight the Son of the North... Unfortunately, it will be your last day alive,"* Media said, swaying as she walked, her voice dripping with sarcasm and a cunning grin.
Taylor asked Dalia with slight concern, *"Are you alright?"*
*"Yes,"* Dalia replied calmly, despite minor scratches. *"But she has transformed halfway. Originally, she possessed no abilities..."* Internally, she deduced: *"If she used a substance from the Research Center..."*
Media grinned terrifyingly, her voice strengthening. *"After you, I'll finish the rest of you, so wait for me..."* She glared at Dalia and Taylor. *"And in a few years, I will achieve my dream to reach the level of the ultimate predator, Midgard-Fritter. It doesn't hurt to tell you, since you won't live to see this dream realized..."*
As Media spoke, Sajjad remained calm and cold as ever. Yet internally, he scoffed: *"If you truly wish to become Midgard-Fritter (the Ultimate Predator), you are still far from achieving that dream. I thought you were a distinguished operative... It seems Hokumoth Organization has its own delusions too,"* he laughed silently.
Sajjad stood silent for a moment, then aloud, with a smile mixed with heavy mockery: *"Really? Do you believe you can achieve such insane ambition? Meaning you are a splinter faction breaking away from the Research Center... I apologize for intervening, but I will not allow you to realize this dream."* His sarcasm was biting.
Internally, he noted: *"I've observed that Hokumoth Organization is aiding this hidden organization in the depths to reach the Midgard-Fritter level for their secret research experiments,"* he smiled, laughing intensely.
Then, with absolute calm, he raised his iron staff and took a step toward Media, his voice cold, carrying the weight of years of battle: *"Let's see if you deserve this title or not... Isn't that right, Silver Arrow?"* He cracked his neck, ready for combat.
Both launched forward at tremendous speed.
End of Chapter😢
🇵🇸🇵🇸 Lose everything, but never your humanity🇸🇩🇺🇦 🤲