The Fastest Esper (3)

The gunshots and explosions grew louder as Takagi approached the East End. He rode an electric motorcycle lent by Talia, after paying a hefty amount of kreds. He wore his comm set to communicate with Talia if needed.

Despite the name, East End was located at the heart of the Regra District, just bordering the western ward where Talia was with her men.

It was more practical to have his car at the moment, but he had something in mind that he decided to let go of his car–also the fact that he did not want to take the chance of losing the car because of the gang fights.

The thing that he did against Talia and his men, he could only do it with limitations. Keeping his car in one piece might not be a problem once, but twice or more might prove to be difficult. The car was disposable, but there was something in the Arturo 500 that he could not afford to lose right now.

Talia had informed him that most of the western and southern part of Regra were calm at that time. However, the conflict had encroached deeper as it had reached the centre part of Regra from the north and east, where the conflict originated.

There were many people running in the opposite direction as Takagi travelled the road forward. Adults, children, elders–all kinds of different people. All of them could not look him in the eye. Many tried to evade him or his sight, but once they were brave enough to do so, there was fear and distrust in their eyes. However, no words were spoken. They then bowed their heads and continued running.

It was a normal reaction. It happened many times. He was used to it. Either because of the Spitfire, his mask, his attire, or his reputation–or the combination of all. He was not really an obscure person in Podzemgrad. People knew him already.

However, Takagi could not see any weapons among those people. Apparently, what Talia said was true.

He could try to stop at one person and ask for some info. However, a particular event in the past had made him reluctant to do so. Those people might not be innocent entirely, and a bounty on his head by various parties was still on the table.

It was the reason why he chose to keep travelling until he reached the East End by himself. Only then, he would decide on what to do next.

However, when Takagi finally reached the fish statue, he was lost.

He had arrived at the round intersection where the statue was located in the middle of it. It was a big marble sculpture of three koi fish, symbolising freedom and friendship. It was also a symbol of miracle because it was still intact in the aftermath of Regra’s destruction by the Krasinski.

It was now destroyed to rubble with flames burning in many parts and places on the intersection. There was no trace of the statue left but a pile of stones and dirt.

Takagi stepped down from his motorcycle and walked to check his surroundings. He was the only one who was still breathing. His eyes scanned the entire place.

The intersection was full of ransacked cars and motorcycles scattered on its roads. There was not one left unscathed. There were holes and craters in many places–the buildings, the roads, the abandoned cars and motorcycles. Dead bodies lying on the ground as he checked them one by one with his eyes, sometimes crouching just to take a closer look.

Some of them were burned by high explosives grenades. The stench of charred meat filled the air. Takagi kept a stoic face and kept his focus on the dead bodies. He recognized some people as members of Black Scorpion gang by their tattoos. They were different attires than usual–casual clothes, as opposed to the black suit that they used to wear. The other people, he could not recognise them. It might be Travis’ men, but seeing how many there were, probably some innocent people got unlucky as well. Still, Travis was not one of them.

There were at least fifty bodies by his lower estimation, but the truth could be more than that. He only counted those who were still in one piece.

As he looked more at the buildings and the roads, there were signs of sharp cuts in some places, and cars splitted into two. Clean, like a knife cutting through butter. It was unmistakably Travis’, and there were a lot of them.

Probably, it was also difficult for him as well, seeing how many Black Scorpions lay dead. There were no signs of him fighting another esper, so everything seemed to be under control despite losing so many men. It begged Takagi the question: if Travis cleaned them up, why didn’t he return?

He then turned on his comm set. “Talia, it’s me. I’ve just arrived at the fish statue but there are no signs of Travis. He’s gone.”

“Gone…?”

“I’ve checked all the bodies on the ground, but he’s not one of them. Has he arrived already?”

“No, he hasn’t.”

Takagi paused for a few seconds as he checked his surroundings once more. “It was the Black Scorpions–in a large entourage and heavily armed. They concealed themselves by wearing normal clothes, probably for some purposes.”

Purposes that he had not known yet, nor it would be useful to know at the moment.

Talia did not respond. In the ensuing silence, Takagi heard some noise coming from a petrol engine from afar. It immediately caught his attention as he recognised such a sound. However, Talia’s voice switched his attention back to her.

“I’ll join you in several minutes. We have to find him.”

“No. Just leave him to me. I’ll find him,” Takagi said. “There are a lot of people coming in your way. They need your help.”

After some time, Talia finally answered, “Okay.”

Travis walked to his motorcycle. He brought out his digipad from his coat to contact Travis once more as he mounted it. While the line was trying to connect, he put out Regra’s map that he had saved in the digipad on another task.

He tried to predict where Travis would go.

Judging by the situation, Travis was either compelled or baited to move away instead of going back. However, Takagi could not find the cause. He could not find any reason to explain why Travis did not go back, as he tried to put himself on his shoes. He wanted to discuss this with Talia, but he would lose time.

He had to rely on his brain and guts to find Travis quickly.

The noise of those petrol engines that he had heard some moments ago became louder and roared through the air. It came from the east. It forced him to think as quickly as he could.

Takagi had three options.

The first two, he could either go east or north, where the biggest conflict was happening.

Another option was to go south, hoping he had evacuated himself as the place was reported to be calm, and somehow he had lost any means of communication.

The latter was a hopeful scenario at best. It was hard to imagine he could not contact Talia in such a situation. There was also a chance he might be entangled into some serious business there. He had lost the picture of the whole situation in Regra.

At this point, this Travis was not the Travis’ that he knew before. The last time Takagi met him was six months ago, and he did not have any accomplices except Talia, let alone leading a gang or men in a group.

Otherwise, the former might be the most “logical” conclusion. The problem was he did not know where to go, what had waited for them there, and what had compelled Travis to go there if that was the case.

Takagi then brought out two of his mini-drones. He activated both of them through his digipad and sent them to particular points in southern Regra, places that he assumed to be Travis’ location had he evacuated himself there. Despite its impressive operational range, the mini-drones were actually made for short range reconnaissance, nor did they have the capability to provide coverage of a wide area.

However, it was still better than nothing. At least, Takagi would have eyes on the back as he travelled to the eastern part of the city–the first area he wanted to check.

At that moment, a bright light could be seen from the headlights of a group of cars afar, closing from the eastern side. From the first glance, it was an entourage of four cars, but Takagi was sure there were more behind.

He switched on his motorcycle and sped north instead. Before the engine could whine itself, Takagi was stopped in his tracks.

Another group of cars, the same model and roughly the same numbers as from the eastern side, suddenly came out from an intersection. It was not coming from the north side, but probably a product of a pincer movement.

It was another group of Black Scorpion gang members, possibly setting out to check on their dead members here.

“Tch!”

As they inched closer, Takagi noticed they ramped up their speed. Some people were seen emerging from windows with guns in their hands.

Takagi dropped his motorcycle and pointed his Spitfire towards the nearest car as he ran towards a building.

The gangs’ guns flashed first before him, and milliseconds later, his Spitfire screamed back.