Chapter 37: Keep your eyes on him

Leon watched Xander. His best friend was visibly shaken up and was staring at the man in front of them like he had seen a ghost.

The man saw that Xander was not responding and then proceeded to smile and speak. "You don’t seem very happy to see me, baby brother. What’s wrong?" he asked.

Xander managed to start breathing after a few seconds. He took a few steps back. "Crimson, it’s good to see you," Xander spoke and then bowed his head to his brother, his face staring at the ground with his hands at his sides.

This was the first time Leon had seen his best friend act this way, and he did not understand what was happening at all. Xander was not the type of person who would allow himself to bow to someone else, no matter who they were, so what the hell was happening now?

"Haha, so you still remember your big bro," Crimson spoke in a happy tone, his voice a bit loud.

"I could never forget you, brother Xander. It’s great that you are back in town."

"Haha, well, that’s good then. Mira and I will handle the gate. When it’s over, we will talk," Crimson said and walked off towards the gate that was now spilling monsters.

Xander raised his head. He knew that Leon was looking at him right now. He took a deep breath as if to calm himself, and then he finally spoke.

"I know you have questions. I’m sorry. That is my brother, Crimson, my eldest brother and the most talented in the family, an S-ranked hunter who is one of the top ten in the country," Xander explained. He took a deep breath.

"He may be smiling now, but there is none as ruthless as my brother. The only people he listens to are my father and that woman beside him."

Leon listened to what he said quietly without saying a single word.

"I understand if you see me in a different light now. I guess I am not as carefree and confident as I make myself out to be," Xander said.

"Don’t joke around, Xander. I understand you fully, more than you’ll know," Leon said. He took a breath and then turned around.

"Since your brother is here, I guess the gates will be handled. Let’s find my sister," Leon said.

"Yeah, we are still useful in that regard," Xander said with a smile.

By this time, Leon had removed Shadow so that more people would not see it.

They rushed through the mall, looking through store after store to find out where they were. They could not have gone too far, and the mall only had six floors, with the majority of the women’s clothes and makeup being on the second and third floors.

As they ran, an orc landed in front of them, its feet cracking the marble floors. It let out a thundering roar that caused the air to tremble.

"Shit," Leon cursed as he gripped his sword. He charged in faster, and as the orc swung down, he slid under and slashed at its hand. The sword dug deep, and blood gushed out. He rolled on the ground until he came to a stop, raising his head fast to see what was happening.

Xander leaped into the air as the orc struggled through the pain of a slashed arm, and then he threw a punch. His battle suit extended and covered even his fist, a special feature of his suit.

His fist slammed into the face of the orc and knocked it back. It staggered back a few steps.

"Nice one!" Leon yelled and charged from behind. He went for the ankle. One clean slash there, and blood followed. The orc crashed down like a building and hit the floor. Leon got to its head fast and stabbed right through the brain.

Both of them took deep breaths as they stared at each other with a smile that pretty much said well done. They nodded at each other and then turned to keep running.

Not far away, the lady saw what had happened and then turned to Crimson.

"That friend of your brother, you should keep an eye on him," she said and then proceeded to pluck her strings slowly, each one releasing a slash through the air that mowed down every monster as they walked forward. She didn’t even give Crimson the time to attack them, so he simply strutted.

"You think there is something special about him?" Crimson asked.

"My intuition says yes," she replied.

"I can’t even argue with that because your intuition saved us from that dragon last time."

She turned to Crimson. "That was less intuition and more of a fate reading. I had to open my eyes that day. Tch, next time, kill the dragon faster, and also, don’t get yourself ambushed by a dragon."

"Still salty about opening your eyes, I see." He chuckled and kept walking. He looked over to where Leon and Xander were with a thoughtful gaze for a few seconds and then looked away.

[....]

Xander and Leon made it through the second floor, but they did not see Sophia and Lily, so they knew they had to be on the third floor. But right now, three demon dogs stood strong on the escalator that had stopped working and were guarding the way.

"I’ll rush the attack," Xander said. "Keep them all distracted while you land the finishing blow."

He charged ahead after saying that. The lines on his suit glowed, and he moved even faster. When the dogs saw him, they attacked, rushing forward as fast as they could and growling. They all launched at Xander, but he was able to take them on. He weaved past one and grabbed it, then proceeded to hurl it at Leon, who was running up.

Leon slashed clean through it, then leaped to the other side of the escalator and stabbed the second dog, which was trying to get to Xander. Xander delivered the killing blow to the last one, and they made it to the third floor.