BXBX NOVEL Chapter 98: Chapter 98 Pursuing.
"Sorry for the wait. Shall we go inside?".
"Yeah, let\'s go, you two".
The huge red gate that welcomes them seems pretty packed, for there are still many crowds bustling in the market despite the afternoon time. The market was still brimming with energy and teeming with people. Many stalls were lined up compete against each other, promoting their specialty, mainly upon the dish.
The scent of fried seasoning entered his nose as he turned his head, following the smell. He remembered the stall where Soma bought his chicken.
"What is that?".
Hina, who exclaimed at his side, brought his attention toward her, and he followed her gaze to find a stall that sold meat skewers, luring him with the delicious aroma that made his stomach protest.
"Hina, Soma, you want to try some?".
Hisako noticed the two kids\' gaze, and she offered the dishes.
"Yes, mom".
Hina replied with vigor, and the group began approaching the stall, which seemed busy dealing with other customers.
"Here, thanks for your purchase, welcome".
"Hello, mister, can you please make four of them".
Hiroshi, who stood before the stall vendor, opened his mouth, ordering four skewers for the family to feed.
"Okay, coming right up".
Soma, who stood behind, turned his gaze sideways while waiting for the skewers to be ready. The sizzling noise that came from the burning fat and the scent from a mixed season entered his nose, and it roused his hunger. His mouth was salivating upon sniffing the aroma.
While looking ahead, his chest felt slightly tugged, and he put his palm to soothe it down. He caressed his left chest thrice, lifted his face, and caught a figure of a black-haired woman wearing a black hat. She is wearing a casual outfit with a blue cardigan, short white pants, and a pair of black heels with black stockings to cover her skin.
Soma\'s eyes shrink as the appearance of the woman in front of him seems familiar in his mind but also not. He tries to dig deeper into his brain, trying to find it. But, no matter how many times he recalled it, her figure seemed hazy from his memories.
"Is it my imagination?".
He ponders as he covers his mouth briefly, trying to make sure. Soma briefly leaves his sight of her, trying to think that this is all a misunderstanding. But his curiosity got the better of him. Once again, he turned his head and simultaneously locked their sight.
At that time, Soma\'s body was stiffened, and his brain was having a sudden jolt of information that flooded his thoughts after seeing the woman\'s face. The hazy memories he had turned much more apparent, and he knitted his brows in displeasure. Her face seemed different, but she couldn\'t hide it thoroughly in front of Soma, who already had a fight with her and bound their souls together in a pact.
""You!!"".
Hina, beside him, who was exhilarated upon witnessing the bustling place, turned his gaze at Soma. She knitted her brows, seeing his state, who let out a low growl that seemed to hold back his anger.
"Soma, what is the matter?".
Her body stiffened, seeing Soma\'s ferocious state while looking at a certain figure of a woman who also let out a blood-curdling face. Hina raised her brows as she was unaware of the two of them. She wanted to open her mouth, trying to ask Soma something, but it seemed the atmosphere didn\'t let her do it.
Devi, who recalled the boy before her, knitted her face and grits her teeth at the humiliation and the debt of life of her best friend, which still haunts her in her dreams even now. Her heart was throbbing so fast that it delivered blood to her nerves system, and that also clouded her sight with red.
The moment she tried to release her battle aura, her heart throbbed once more, and she noticed the two adults behind the boy were someone she knew well.
"Here, Soma and Hina?!".
Hiroshi, after finishing the transaction. He held the four skewers inside a paper bag. Then, he turned his body and found Soma was frowning, letting out a threatening aura.
"You guys have each two off the skewers. ...What is the matter?!".
Hisako, still not aware of the matter, turned her gaze to the woman who stood not too far away from them, and she knitted her brows.
"Tch".
With two S-Rank Awakeners on his side, Devi was tied on her back. Then, her red sight turn wider as her head began to regain its calm. Seeing the two of them, she chose to flee from the scene. She wrapped her body using her mana, and it created a thin red layer of mana that covered her body before she kicked the ground.
Soma, who already had his eyes on her from the start, activated his skill,
[Oni wrath activated]
[User consciousness starts to be consumed by rage]
[Skill Adapt and Puppeteer activated completely erase the corroding process]
[Consumed 100 MP/second]
[Remaining time 8 seconds]
An ominous mana began to undulate around Soma that surprised the people around, including Hiroshi and Hisako, who was the second time seeing Soma in that state. The violent mana began to calm down as it settled on Soma\'s body and coated his body with a red aura.
Soma, without waiting for any warning, kicked the ground and chased the escaping Devi, determined to settle their score right this moment.
"Eh, Soma?! What happened?".
Hina, still unaware of the situation, could only see the retreating figure of Soma with uncontrolled emotion chasing after the woman.
"I am sorry, Hina. But, can you return to the hotel alone? We must chase after them".
Hiroshi threw the paper bag in his hand, and it landed on Hina\'s hand safely. He circulated the mana around his body, strengthened his physique, and started to chase the two of them.
"I hate to tell you this, but your father is right, Hina. Go back before us. We will catch up later".
"Mom, what happened?".
"I will tell you later. I am sorry, Hina, please, I must go after them".
Without waiting for another word from her daughter, Hisako starts to enhance her body with mana and chase her husband\'s figure.
Hina, who was left alone in the middle of the market, had a blank expression on her face as she clenched the paper bag in her hands.
"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?".