The reaction of all these spectators running out of Victor's Domain after Filep revealed the truth about Hitryel was really over exaggerated in Sonya's opinion. Seriously, what could a single man do?
The Legion system was the only thing that was holding Sonya back from apprehending the criminal brawler and his accomplice by herself. If only she had been part of the Hazard Combat Force and not the Skybridge Security Force.
"Do we even know how many more accomplices Hitryel has?" Sonya asked her father as they both helped the people in vacating the building. "Seriously, if there are only two criminals in this building, we don't need to contact the Combat Force."
"I don't think we know that," Nyku said, standing next to her, beside one of the gates of the arena. "But if Filep wasn't falsely accusing the brawler, we can't let Hitryel and Tryst leave this building before the proper authorities arrive. The investigation of the actual truth comes only after the criminals have been captured."
Sonya rolled her eyes. "Come on!" she said tiredly. "They're just two people. I can apprehend them on my own. We don't need to call for other skyguards!"
"I'm afraid that we can't do that," Nyku said in a matter of fact tone. "You are part of Legion 82, and apprehending criminals is not part of the Skybridge Security Force."
Sonya hissed to the side, pushing a person to the chaotic queue. "One at a time!" she shouted at them. "Don't panic!"
There were 5 different kinds of Forces under the Highplexian Aegis. Legion 81 through Legion 100 were part of the Skybridge Security Force. Their duty included maintaining control over the Skybridges of the different skyreachers and reporting any big disturbances to the Hazard Combat Force. They also regulated control over the population that got in and out of a big city—isolating the criminals in one area for Combat Force to deal with.
Sonya's father, Legion Master Nyku, was the leader of Legion 88. They maintained the eastern Skybridges of Sonas—so mostly the Bridges to District One and District Two. Though, it might seem like it, not everything relating to transportation was not part of Security Force duty. Skybridge Security Force—as the name implied—secured Skybridges—including but not limited to everything related to the transportation as well.
The Combat Force was the unit of Aegis that actively hunted Volants and even got to fly to the Skies beyond Nova Zephpolis—or Higher Skies as they were commonly called. If any skyreacher faced any kind of peril, Combat Force would be summoned.
This was the limiting nature of the Legion system. On one hand, it divided Aegis' man power in an efficient manner to maximize the usage that could be derived from every skyguard by grouping them in specialized units. On the other hand, it wasn't the best at handling urgent matters and thus somewhat contradicted the same efficiency it was trying to create in the first place.
Prime example: this situation. Though a commander of Legion 82 and the Legion Master of Legion 88 were present here, the Legion system denied them of any action due to their affiliation with the improper Force for the situation at hand.
"Jeez," Sonya said, rolling her eyes at the panicking people. "If this is how much people are scared of criminals in Imperos, I can't even think of what goes in Zephpolis."
Nyku gently smiled at the people he was helping through the gate. "Zephpolis is the safest skyreacher—true," he said to her. "However, it does not mean the crime rate there is low by any means. It's just that…committing a crime and getting away with it is the hardest in Zephpolis."
"It should be the same all around Highplexia," Sonya hissed. "But thanks to people like Myles, we have cases like the runaways of yesterday. How can the skyguards of YOUR Legion let someone ride a hoverbus—that was going through one of the Skybridges under YOUR control—without a ticket? You can't track the stop they got on from! How will you ever find a link to their hometowns and families?"
"At least Myles informed the Combat Force of what happened yesterday," Nyku said with a shrug. "We don't HAVE to take care of all the trouble that happens inside one of the Bridges guarded by us."
"Hmph," Sonya said, turning away. "If Legion 82 came in contact with this kind of case, I'm sure our Legion Master would give me all the power to hunt those rats."
"If you're talking about the two 'intruders,'" Nyku said, "we have yet to get more info on them. But the other two have been identified as Payback Baru's subordinates. Because they are not INSIDE the Skybridge that's under my Legion, and somewhere in Sonas, I'll let the Combat Force deal with them."
Sonya shook her head at her father…
Nyku's stepped in front of her. "So you've finally decided to show up."
Sonya glanced ahead from over her father's shoulder, looking at the approaching man. Everyone was looking up at this tall, bearded man with eyes full of admiration…mixed with confusion.
"Tryst Bracken, the accomplice!" Sonya blurted, taking a stance…
Tryst raised his hands, showing his palms. "No need to get worked up, skyguards. I'm here to cooperate."
"So are you here to confirm your crimes?" Nyku asked the retired brawler.
Tryst shook his head. "Quite the opposite, actually," he admitted. "I'm here to prove my innocence."
"That's for us to decide!" Sonya said from behind Nyku.
Tryst gave a nervous chuckle. "Of course, young lady…" He trailed off as he saw the people around him getting apprehensive.
The people, who were panicking a moment ago, turned to the several video screens on the walls of the hallway as all them simultaneously lit up. The people stopped in their tracks, blocking the gateway, when they saw the man being broadcasted on those screens.
"Good evening," the president of the company was saying in the video playing on the screens, "once again, fellow ABC fans. This is me, Filep Alekzandre, and…ah…I'd like to apologize to you all for distributing the false information that was reported to me by my employee just now…"
"Is this broadcast real time?" Sonya asked.
"Seems so," Nyku said with a nod, reaching for his chin with a hand. "But what is this false information?"
Filep rubbed the back of his head. "It was actually reported to me by my employee," he said in a nervous laughing tone, like one did after making a blunder, "that Hitryel's accomplice in taking down the guards yesterday was the heavyweight champion of ABC Imperos…but…um…it seems I got the wrong champion…" He laughed nervously. "I deeply apologize for mixing them up, but the real accomplice of the Hitryel Hystryk is…ah…Maxvil Kartur…" He nodded. "Yes, the current heavyweight champion, not the retired one."
Nyku raised a brow in suspicion. "Why is so nervous?"
"Seriously?" Sonya said, annoyed. "He could've destroyed Tryst's entire life with that little mistake! He's the PRESIDENT of a company this big. He needs to pay more attention!"
Tryst seemed shocked as the broadcast ended, staring at a blank screen with wide eyes.
Nyku approached him, patting him on the side of his shoulder. "Nothing to worry about, it seems," Nyku said to the falsely accused brawler. "The skyguards who will take care of this case will definitely ask you some questions, but I think it's safe to say that you're out of the picture."
"Can't say the same for Filep," Sonya said, straightening up. "He'll be questioned thoroughly. People of his position cannot just claim stuff like…"
"Mister Tryst!" a bespectacled boy said from beside him, tears in his eyes. "It seems President Filep got the wrong information. I'm so happy that now everyone knows that you're innocent!"
Tryst scratched his cheek idly. "Seems that way…" He trailed off as people clogging the hallway started approaching him.
"We knew from the very start that you're innocent, Mister Tryst!"
"No one was scared of you, Mister Tryst, we promise!"
"I for sure only ran because of my girlfriend."
"We'll talk about this when we get home."
"Babe…"
"Excuse me, can you two please just… Thank you… Mister Tryst! It's an honor to meet you."
"Can I shake your hand?"
"Can I take a picture?"
"Me too!"
"Us as well."
It was almost comical how the opinion of these people switched completely in such a short period.
The blue-haired boy who was standing beside Tryst just now was pushed all the way to Sonya's side—
"You?" Sonya said, irritated. "You're the one who asked to get recruited yesterday! Don't tell me you're here to do that again."
Nyku turned to Sonya. "Sonya," he said, eyes softening, "even a kid like him can understand the basic logic that I explained yesterday." He moved his eyes to the blue-haired boy.
His lips formed a crooked smile as he laughed nervously, face sweating. "Well…actually…"
###
Filep ended the broadcast, wiping the sweat on his forehead. He gulped, nervously meeting Hitryel's blue eyes.
Hitryel hadn't taken his eyes off the rat as he sat atop a pile of the knocked out security guards in all black—like the two who'd stormed into the Nonagon—on the opposite side of Filep's table. "Good job."
Filep gulped, rubbing his hands together. "Now that I've done my part of the contract," he said nervously with a forced smile, "it's your time… So please…don't hit me…" He forced out a chuckle.
Hitryel glared at him, arms folded. "I never signed this contract."
Filep gulped, his eyes moving down to his right hand, which was hidden underneath the table—
He climbed to his feet with a sharp movement, toppling the chair on which he sat, pointing a weird gun with shaky hands to Hitryel. "H-Hah!" he said, sweating visibly. "W-What…will you do now…H-Hitryel?"
Hitryel kept his glare locked onto Filep's eyes. "You sure you wanna try me?"
Filep's grip on the weapon loosened before he crashed onto the floor along with his weird gun. "It's a genuine request…" he said, on his knees, unable to stand, hands on his head. "I have kids who depend on me. Please don't hurt me—"
"What about Tryst?" Hitryel asked, slamming a fist on the table, cracking the wood. "That man has a whole street depending on him! What did he ever do to you?"
Filep tucked his head, his body shaking wildly. "T-T-That's," he fumbled out his words, "why I took back everything I falsely said about him…d-didn't I? Come on, now…I followed what you said… Please spare me…!"
"Look at me…"
Filep gulped, slowly raising his head to follow the command—
Air chocked out of the man's lungs as he found Hitryel leaned close to his face, glaring deeply with his blue eyes.
"If I ever hear a word against Tryst from your mouth again in this life, I'll break your face to the point your wife and your kids won't be able to recognize it."
Filep gulped—
"You hear!"
"YES!" Filep shouted, his watery eyes squeezing shut. "Y-Yes… I won't…" He started crying out loud, tears from his eyes dripping onto his knees. "I won't ever say anything about Tryst… I'll never…"
Hitryel pulled away from the man, getting up, turning to the door. "Good."
"C-Can I ask you one q-question, though?" Filep said, leaning against his desk to get off the floor, gathering some courage to speak after Hitryel had turned away. "You could've told me to announce that the allegation against you was also false… So why didn't you…?"
Hitryel glanced over his shoulder as he opened the door. "That's not how it's meant to be." With that, he left the room and shut the door behind him.
He turned right. 'Now, where will we ride off to?'