"Damn it." Agastya wasted no time. He grabbed the man's helmet and slammed it against the metal frame of the vehicle, ensuring he was completely unconscious—or worse.
Then, he yanked the door open, shoving Thea inside. "Buckle up."
She barely had time to obey before he slammed his foot on the accelerator. The modified hauler roared to life, tires screeching as they tore away from the scene.
Through the rearview mirror, Agastya saw the emergency distress signal pulsing ominously in the night sky. Within minutes, the entire Raider network would be on their trail.
"You killed them…" Thea's voice was barely a whisper.
"I had to," Agastya muttered, gripping the wheel tight. "If they took you, we were both dead anyway."
He exhaled sharply, his mind racing with possible escape routes. They needed to get out of the city—fast.
"Hang on, Princess," he said, his voice grim. "Things are about to get messy."
And with that, he floored the accelerator, speeding the vehicle to the max.
Roughly an hour later, the vehicle reached the barren lands outside the city. But, the vehicle wasn't alone in that wilderness.
The roar of engines and the mechanical whir of targeting systems filled the air behind them. Agastya gritted his teeth as the bounty hunters closed in.
"Damn it."
He jerked the steering wheel sharply, weaving through the winding road at breakneck speed, but it was futile. A shrill warning blared across the dashboard—missiles locked on.
"Hold on!"
A deafening explosion shattered the vehicle, flipping it into the air like a broken toy. Metal twisted, fire erupted, and both passengers were thrown from the wreckage.
Agastya hit the ground hard. Pain seared through his ribs. Blood trickled down his forehead. He struggled to push himself up, but his limbs felt like lead.
A shadow loomed over him.
"Mister…"
Thea's voice, trembling but determined.
He felt her arms lifting him, dragging him away from the burning remains of their vehicle. Even through his hazy vision, he saw the bounty hunters closing in—dozens of them. "F*ck," He couldn't help but curse aloud.
And then, he felt it. A rush of energy, divine and overwhelming, into his system.
His half-lidded eyes widened as Thea let go of him and stepped forward, her expression resolute.
White wings burst from her back, unfurling in a blinding glow. A golden aura surrounded her as she unleashed her angelic form.
Her wounds healed in an instant, and with a soft whisper of a basic incantation, she placed a hand on Agastya's chest.
Warmth flooded through him, mending his broken bones, sealing his cuts, revitalizing his failing strength.
But before he could utter a word of gratitude, Thea let out a pained gasp.
The bounty hunters struck.
Chains laced with cursed energy wrapped around her limbs. A massive hand grabbed her by the hair, yanking her to the ground. "Argh…" She let out a cry of pain as her radiant aura flickered, dimming under the suppressive force of the enchanted bindings.
"She's the real deal," one of the bounty hunters sneered. "The boss will be pleased."
Agastya's heart pounded. His fists clenched. "Dammit. Looks like I have no choice."
His fingers found the locket around his neck—the last remnant of a life he had long abandoned.
With a slow, deliberate motion, he pulled it off.
A ripple of power surged through the air. The bounty hunters stopped in their tracks, sensing something primal, something ancient waking up.
Mana swirled violently around Agastya's battered form, crackling with raw heat. His shadow stretched unnaturally, flaming tendrils of energy weaving through the ground beneath him.
He exhaled.
Then, with a mere thought—
A divine glowing bow materialized in his grasp.
The leader of the bounty hunters stiffened. His eyes widened in disbelief. "That bow…"
Agastya didn't give them time to react.
He pulled back the string, an arrow of pure, searing energy forming at his fingertips.
"Agneyastra, heed my command and burn down my enemies."
And then, he let go.
The single arrow split into dozens, then hundreds, multiplying like a swarm of blazing comets. The sky lit up with their descent.
A heartbeat later, all sixteen bounty hunters were burned to death, and their vehicles exploded subsequently. Surprisingly, Thea, in their midst, was completely unharmed as none of the arrows struck her.
Ash and silence remained.
Only one enemy figure still stood.
The bounty hunter leader, trembling with third degree burns all over his body, his weapon shaking in his grip, "I'll kill you."
He lunged at his peak speed, his body enveloped by sparks of lightning, increasing his speed to the point that it only took a fraction of a second for him to cover ten meters. "Ha."
Agastya responded.
With a flick of his wrist, a divine sword wreathed in flames, materialized in his free hand. He sidestepped the incoming attack effortlessly, his movements even faster to follow.
A clean stab.
The blade pierced through the bounty hunter's chest before his lightning powered punch reached Agastya.
The man coughed, blood trickling from his lips, eyes filled with horror. His voice was weak, barely a whisper.
"The divine bow… and the divine flaming sword… You're… the Flame Emperor… How… how are you still alive…?"
His body slumped without being able to hear the answer.
Agastya remained still, staring down at the corpse. In the end, he let out a sigh and dismissed the weapons. "Return."
Thea, now freed from the cursed chains, pushed herself up, her gaze locked onto him in pure shock.
"…Who are you?" she whispered.
Agastya didn't meet her eyes. He raised his hand, pointing his palm in one random direction, and in the next instant, another vehicle that looked exactly like the one that they just rode earlier and was destroyed by the missiles—a cargo hauler.
As her gaze was momentarily grabbed by the vehicle that materialized out of thin air, Agastya spoke. "Everyone has a story they wish to keep to themselves, Thea."
With that, he started the engine, the vehicle roaring to life.
Thea watched him, countless questions flooding her mind.
But Agastya's own thoughts drifted elsewhere.
"Flame Emperor, huh…
It's been years since I heard that title."