The underwater train's path suddenly shifted. Instead of speeding on the surface, it aimed to head underwater to enter a tunnel. But while it might not seem that it didn't affect the foremost agents or Timothy and Alpha, it quickly decreased Alpha's chances of success.
After Naeve successfully split the train's cargo, Alpha got stuck on it. She got pulled away from the rest of the train. But after skilled acrobatics, she managed to return to the train.
But the next obstacle arrived in a flash. She couldn't enter the train on time and instead ended up on the outside exactly when the train sped under the ocean. So, to continue her aid in battle, Alpha used her swords and stabbed them through the cargo's roof. She grabbed them tightly and hoped she could hold her breath long enough for the train to reach the tunnel.
Nobody on the train could change in which cabin they resided due to the water possibly flooding inside. So, to keep themselves safe, especially Timothy, they locked themselves in separate cargo.
"Tell me something, white-haired pirate Timothy. Why do you seek to help Yasuda? I understand that she's an ally to your crew, but eventually, even if she didn't get captured, your whole crew would fall apart and be eliminated by us, the world government." Explained Parth, pausing from repeatedly manipulating objects. "You'll eventually die..." He finished.
Timothy remained still. "Death doesn't worry me. Because as long as I exist, that death won't come. And when it does come, I won't exist anymore." He explained, keeping calm. "But, I won't let you take that life from me or Chiaki. The only way I'll lose my life is by old age, and as long as I live, everyone I care about will live as well!" Timothy opened his palm and ignited it.
"Like any other stubborn kid. You, adolescent adults, think you're smart, but after a while, you'll learn that stupidity isn't the answer to survive. But that much is obvious. Is it not? You'll fall one by one, short and flat." They didn't intend to cause destruction inside the cabin, so neither of them continued fighting. "Stupidity? Sorry, pal, but you're not funny. Your life, on the other hand, now that's a joke." Timothy stated and waited for the opportunity to strike.
Parth was unfazed, keeping his right hand on his hip. "Wow, look at that. We're about to enter the tunnel, so I'll gladly use your fire to light up the place. And, just so you know, Yasuda's dead no matter how hard you try."
Alpha's fingers were slipping off the sword's hilt one by one. She was losing oxygen the deeper the train dove. "I... can't... hold on much longer..." She thought in her head. But, suddenly, a bright light flashed in her eyes. It was the tunnel, and the underwater door opened.
The train rushed into the tunnel, with the water flooding the tunnel through the door. Alpha quickly grabbed her other sword with her hand and lay on the train's roof. She finally had the opportunity to breathe.
After regaining her oxygen, she shook her head, knowing her whole uniform was soaked. "D-Damn it... Another minute in there, and I'd be dead by now..." She claimed, rolling onto her back. "Now... where was I left?" she wiped the water from her mouth and stomped her foot through the roof.
She dropped into the train, quickly vaulted onto the next cargo, and detached the one with the destroyed roof. She observed the cargo slowing behind and then moved on to the next.
Naeve prepared to join Parth, but she heard the door behind her open. It took no more than a second for her to turn around and see Alpha in cross-eye. "You again?! Why the hell must you be so irritating? Can't you just give up and die?!" Naeve asked.
Alpha breathed heavily from exhaustion. She inhaled and exhaled. "You didn't think a bit of water would stop me, did you? Sorry, "girlfriend," but I'm no amateur." Argued Alpha
Naeve's temper continuously dropped. She was on the verge of freaking out. She bonked the side of her head, calming herself down. "Well, this is troubling. I didn't expect a demon to be this obstinate. You're so mulish and irritant." Answered Naeve.
Both were infuriated with each other. The train's speed only increased. That came to a subtle problem keeping balance inside the cabin. The train hovered over what seemed a rock on the railway, knocking the passengers aside.
Alpha grabbed the seat, followed by Naeve, who turned around. "Hey! What the hell's going on out there?" she shouted, waiting for a response.
Parth remained calm and unperturbed. "The train began to accelerate. It's interfering with the autopilot's function, putting too much pressure on the train to handle the water. The circuit that powers and holds the train together is getting disrupted. If we fight for too long, the train will dissolve. Its armor got weakened by the rust." Everyone agreed, but Naeve found it frustrating because she couldn't attack.
With a smirk, Alpha shrugged her shoulders. "Would you look at that? I guess you won't get rid of us with ease. How the tables have turned."
Naeve turned around furiously. "What should we do in that case? Our directives were very clear." She yelled. Parth breathed out and closed his eyes. "Naeve, you have a temper problem. When the autopilot is enabled, there is nothing we can do. The train's internal defense system would be disabled if we switched to manual piloting, which would break the circuit." Timothy took care not to overlook anything.
"That means I can't use fire, or it would overheat that system, right?" Timothy wondered, confused but waited for a response, "Correct," nodded Parth, "The entire design of the train includes a built-in system. The circuit would get destroyed, and the rest of the train would be completely shattered by overheating one component. Additionally, it would overheat considerably sooner at this speed. Everybody on this train may as well live out the rest of their days submerged in a distant, ominous ocean." It rendered everyone useless, but even after the interference with the system, the foremost agents couldn't afford and let their foes proceed.
"If you don't get it, it's plain that there shouldn't be any fighting on this train. Of course, you could tarnish our credibility by saving Yasuda if you did so, but in weather like this, being submerged almost certainly means our demise, including your friends." Timothy stood disturbed, irritated that he couldn't do anything.
"I'll detach the last two cargo. We might be overweight, so if you don't want to end up in the sea, hurry up." Naeve and Alpha looked at each other but didn't have a reason to decline.
While the foremost agents wanted to kick Timothy and Alpha off the train, they couldn't risk one of their allies from getting washed away with them as well. "The moment I get the chance, I'll crush you, demon." Alpha followed behind Naeve into the same cabin where Timothy and Parth resided.
They weren't far from exiting the tunnel, so they needed to be quick. "For the rest of the road, the train will move underwater. It wouldn't be smart to stay in the back." Explained Parth as Naeve passed by Timothy. They looked at each other while Timothy rotated around and looked at Alpha.
When she arrived, she joined them. Like Timothy and Alpha, Naeve and Parth were standing close to one another. "Guess you still didn't kick this guy's ass, huh?" Alpha asked, holding her hands in her pockets and looking at Timothy. "I can't do much. While the cabin's big enough, I would still need to attack cautiously." He explained, peeking at Parth from the corner of his eye.
Alpha scratched the back of her head until Timothy noticed her soaked. "What happened to you? You're all wet and messy in the hair." Alpha shut her eyes, sighed, and took a breather. "Had a bit of trouble, but I'm fine. Looks like we won't be able to get Chiaki out of here just yet."
Timothy cast a far-off glance. "There is nothing we can do about it. We wouldn't know where to go, even if we did manage to get to her in time. We're surrounded by water, and you already know I'm not the best when it comes to water." Their best chance was to wait until they arrived at the station since Timothy had common sense and saw that now wasn't the best moment to save Chiaki.
"So, you want us to sit back and wait? Can do that, but you know that once we reach the station we'll most likely be attacked by them. On top of that, there are probably hundreds of troops supporting these agents. We're not in the best when it comes to numbers, while they are." Timothy knew the risks. He sat on the chair, crossed his arms behind his neck, and relaxed.
"There, we'll decide what to do about it. While we are on the train, they won't exactly let us get close to Chiaki, but they also have no motive to attack unless they want to end up in the sea." Alpha saw Timothy struggle to control himself, but she eventually sat on the chair next to him and crossed her legs. She urged, "Might as well take a nap."
Parth stayed as a guard at the door while Naeve used that chance to sit down and rest.
There are only four cargo left, and the train wouldn't arrive at the La Cadena de Narón's station anytime soon.
To be continued...