Chapter 65: Escape (II)

The roar drew nearer, drowning out the piercing screams of countless raindrops as they died.

A massive black beast curled its fangs and claws, lying hidden on the hard cement platform.

A foot emerged from the beast's open steel abdomen, stomping heavily onto the damp ground.

"Good evening, Night City," the woman stepping out greeted the bright lights in the night, tapping her foot lightly; the wind and rain lifted her short red hair, swirling it like a blazing flame in the dark.

"What a heavy rain…"

Rovina spread her five fingers forward, gathering the corpses of raindrops into her palm.

"What are you trying to do, pretending to be some poetic girl here?" Beros stepped out behind Rovina, watching the stark contrast before him—he wouldn't miss any chance to mock his rival.

"Shut your stinking mouth, can't a woman get emotional once in a while?" Rovina snarled, flinging all the rain corpses clinging to her palm onto Beros's annoying face.

"Both of you, stop arguing tonight."

Thunder exploded over flat ground, yet not a single flash of lightning appeared.

Beros no longer deliberately lowered his voice.

Tonight, his emotions were unusually erratic.

Melissa was the last to exit the Floating Car, gazing at her three teammates standing in the rain, her thoughts swirling.

For various reasons, she chose to remain silent for now.

"Where's our prey? Have we found his trail?" Rovina abandoned her verbal sparring with Beros and instantly shifted into mission mode.

"Don't worry—his bone-deep stench can't be washed away by even the fiercest rain," Beros pointed to his nose, mainly explaining to the new recruit Melissa.

"Check your gear," Beros said coolly, his tone brooking no defiance.

"Yes."

Rovina, Beros, and Melissa all followed their Captain's order, lowering their heads to inspect the equipment they carried.

Half a minute passed; the downpour continued, as if unleashing endless fury upon the earth.

Beros slightly lifted his head, gazing at the sky choked with dark clouds and lashed by wind and rain.

Tonight, neither moon nor stars were visible.

The boundless sea of the Abyss hung inverted above Night City.

The entire city seemed trapped within a sinister underworld.

What a perfect night for a hunt.

A bloodthirsty curve curled at Beros's lips; he gripped his blade and cannon, sprinted from the towering rooftop, and leapt down.

Four black figures moved through the night sky, one ahead, the others behind.

Like ill-omened crows, they flew through the night, singing death in loud cries.

The hunters were all in position.

The hunt began.

◎

"What's wrong?"

The silver-haired girl tugged at the sleeve of the man beside her, asking softly.

"Nothing."

Yahweh held a large cup of popcorn, gently withdrawing his gaze from the window.

The movie was about to start; they were queuing, waiting to enter.

"Be focused on your date, okay? Ritual! Ritual!" Hita held a warm milk tea in her other hand, sipping it slowly as she spoke.

"We've got Braindance already…"

"I said ritual! It's only meaningful to sneak into a dim room, shoulders touching, watching the big screen together!"

"Alright, alright…" Yahweh cast one final glance at the four black silhouettes vanishing into the storm, then turned all his attention to Hita.

"So, what's this movie about?"

"A grand Escape—the male lead endures countless hardships, finally finding redemption in a new homeland. Supposedly it's tear-jerking," Hita tugged Yahweh's sleeve, skipping lightly into the screening room.

"Realistic subject?"

"The theme deals with real-world issues, but it's presented as an animated film."

"Animated film?" Yahweh raised an eyebrow. "That sounds more like a fairy tale."

"Stop nitpicking and let me in," Hita patted Yahweh's butt and stepped nimbly into a seat near the back.

The screening room lights went out; the movie was about to begin.

Yahweh placed the large cup of popcorn on his lap, opening it toward Hita so she could easily grab a handful in the dark.

Having done this, he slumped back comfortably, watching the fleeting title on screen, his thoughts stirring.

The title: Escape. How fitting.

Yahweh smiled faintly, grabbed a plump, buttery popcorn kernel, tossed it into his mouth, and crushed it to dust between his teeth.

◎

One after another, they went down.

Consciousness slowly rose from the abyss, nearing the surface.

Dila glanced at the last few brilliant pills in the plastic bag and sighed softly.

Everything was about to end.

He no longer had the strength to run.

The weight of reality had broken his spine, severed his tendons.

He was Hermes with broken legs—his former divine power gone.

Endless hunting was chasing him.

The vicious hounds, utterly ruthless, exhaled foul breaths as they circled around him.

Against the gale and torrential rain, Dila walked step by step back to the dilapidated hut at the end of the crooked alley.

The room held no decoration, no windows, no toilet—only a simple bed facing the door.

Dila knelt on the ground and pulled out two jars from beneath the bed.

These were his last lingering ties to the world.

After wiping his hands clean against his clothes, he slowly traced his fingers over the two photographs stuck to the jars.

A thin-haired old man, a woman with a blossoming smile.

After his death, no one would remember them anymore.

These were the final material traces of their existence in this world.

Two photographs, two jars of ashes.

"Ha."

Dila laughed—from a hoarse, inaudible chuckle to a wild, thunderous roar.

He knelt, prostrate on the ground, rapt in madness.

"Knock knock knock."

The door was knocked upon.

Tonight, a visitor came.

Dila smiled, carefully hiding the two jars back in place before slowly rising to his feet.

Tonight, the rain poured relentlessly.

What a pity—he wouldn't get to see the last glimpse of that beautiful moon.

Dila suppressed his smile, moving his body, slowly awakening the vicious beast hidden within his heart.

He never intended to sit and wait for death.

Not even against the top Hunters of Night City.

He would bare his sharp fangs and tear off chunks of flesh from them, biting hard.