Bang!
The automobile swerved as it broke through a wooden fence. It had gone through a shortcut that led it straight to the city gates. About a hundred city guards were following them through the streets while warding off the attacks of the assassins. Various three star martial artists had also ganged up on the four star assassin to slow him down. Several of them had already fallen in the face of his vicious attacks.
Gustavo had a conflicted expression on his face as he watched his men fight and die on their behalf. He wanted to jump out and fight on his own, but he found himself unable to. Not only did he need to stay by Eugene's side to protect him if any enemy managed to get close, he could also feel his strength seeping out together with his blood and his face went paler.
'No... I need to do my duty...' He groaned as those thoughts rang true within his mind again and again, being the only thing that kept his consciousness stable.
"I see the gate!" Eugene cheered. He could see the city gate growing in his vision up ahead. And thankfully, it was open at the moment.
The longest seconds in Eugene's life ticked by as the gate grew closer and closer. He sped up and the automobile surged faster, burning the magic fuel at an even faster rate as it moved at full speed.
Several blurry shadows rushed forward and past the automobile and Eugene's eyes widened.
"No!" He called out as several assassins began fighting the city guards at the gate. One assassin managed to push the lever that control the gate and when the gate began closing, he broke it to prevent it from being turned back.
"What happened?!" Gustavo got to his feet and stumbled forward. One look was enough for him to understand what was happening.
The man growled and gritted his teeth before limping to the door of the carriage. "I'll be right back!" He swung open the door and roused the qi in his body. Sharp needles of pain exploded all over his body, but he did not care. It was either his body or Eugene's life, and he was damned sure he would put Eugene's life over everything else. He had failed Gabriel, but he would not fail Eugene!
Whoosh!
Gustavo climbed onto the roof of the automobile before directing the qi to his legs. He jumped from the top of the moving vehicle, causing it to shudder, and sailed through the air, landing a couple dozen meters ahead of the speeding automobile.
His feet moved quickly as he turned into a blur in Eugene's eyes and rushed at the gate. He only had a few scant moments to get there and stop the gate from closing before Eugene would arrive.
He waved his sword, sending multiple slashes of condensed qi at the assassins fighting and killing a few, allowing the guards they had been fighting with to help their comrades.
"Hup!" Gustavo took a great leap forward and landed right in front of the broken lever. He picked up a discarded sword and stabbed it into the gears of the lever before turning it back. A clank was heard as the gate stopped moving.
"Thank the heavens." Gustavo sighed and turned back to the incoming carriage. He began running out of the city while making calculations on how to jump back onto the incoming vehicle. At the right moment, he leapt up and latched onto the side of the automobile as it sped by, smoothly climbing into the carriage and falling onto his back. Waves of pain wracked his body as he let the qi in his body settle down.
He gulped, feeling tense and chocked. They had done it. They had escaped. But they had abandoned their people.
Gustavo sat up with May's help. The blond maid looked panicked at the blood on his side.
"It's fine, it has stopped bleeding." Gustavo gave her a weak smile and peeked out of the open door. He could see the city that was growing more distant with each passing second. This would mark a turning point in all their lives. It would be a mark he could never wash from his heart. His greatest failure.
.
.
Vrooom...
The automobile came to a stop behind a dune and Eugene let out a sigh. He had been standing for hours as the only thought on his mind was to put some distance between them and Blazing Sun City.
He turned back into the carriage and found May helping Gustavo wrap up his injuries with bandages.
"Let me help." He quickly rushed over.
"It's okay, young master. We are already done." Gustavo sighed as he clipped the bandage that was tightly wrapped around his middle. May sat back, her hands still a bit shaky as she looked back at Eugene.
"We need to keep moving." Gustavo spoke up.
"Where to?" Eugene asked. This was so sudden. He had planned to camp it out in the desert for some time, but this plan was dependent on whether or not Gustavo won against the four star assassin.
Unfortunately, he had lost, and they had left the city in too much of a hurry to make up any plans.
"..." Gustavo remained silent for a time before he spoke up. "We should travel to the desert kingdom of Tahan first. We can stock up on supplies, get some proper rest, and make up any further plans from there." He said.
The desert kingdom of Tahan was a kingdom that had long since been established in the Sand Sea. It played an important part in why people dared travel through the sand sea. Without it, then there would be little to no movement by travelers and traders through the expansive desert.
Gabriel Sandwall had wanted to build a similar kingdom when he founded the Blazing Sun City, but his plans had fallen flat now that he was dead.