With a single stomp of his foot, Rian darted forward: appearing before Pesanta in just an instant.
The chainsaw in his left hand was pulled up, slamming into the enemy's body from below, tearing through flesh and bone in a long vertical line.
BRUUZZZHHH!
Pesanta's body was split in two, thick blood and green liquid spraying wildly in all directions. The pieces of his body fell to hit the floor with a heavy thud.
Pesanta's tail suddenly detached from the body, writhing wildly. Within seconds, the section enlarged, forming a new creature with tiny centipede-like legs that then writhed.
In the next second, Pesanta's tail leapt towards Rian, moving quickly like a giant centipede.
Its mouth opened wide, revealing a row of jagged fangs that quivered and made a disgusting gurgling sound.
Without hesitation, Rian thrust the tip of the chainsaw into the center of the creature, then pulled it upwards, splitting the Pesanta's tail from tip to base.
BRUUZZZ!
The creature screamed and gasped, its body torn apart. However, in the process, Rian's chainsaw blade was hit by back pressure and acid sparks, causing serious damage to the engine.
The sound of the engine began to falter.
Click... Click...
The bar stopped spinning.
Suddenly, a system point notification sounded in the mind.
Ding!
[Herald serial number 90,000 has completed Level C Side Mission: -Helping Ada Wong-]
[+5000 System Points]
"Side mission completed," Rian said quietly, staring at the chainsaw in his hand where the blade had stopped spinning and the engine was smoking.
"But..."
With the sacrifice of that tool, Rian managed to defeat Pesanta. In honor of his service, Rian paused for a moment, then solemnly placed the chainsaw beside the lifeless body of his enemy, like a soldier resting his weapon.
"Chainsaw..." said Rian in a dramatic tone, eyes darting around for a moment.
Then, Rian put the revolver back in the holster, reached into his pocket, pulled out a small mirror and gazed at his still alluring reflection.
"This handsome man will always remember your service in the battle against the Ganado." Rian smiled slightly. "Even so... this man is still charming. I like it."
Rian fixed his gaze on the chainsaw one last time, then let out a long breath, closing his eyes for a moment as if paying his last respects. After that, calmly tucked the mirror back into the shirt pocket.
"Chainsaw, rest in peace... and be grateful for having been used by such a charismatic man. You have no grudge, so don't become a curious spirit."
Opening his eyelids again, Rian stepped towards the edge of the fence on the top floor of Salazar's castle. Rian gazed at the dark and misty landscape in the distance.
"Alright... back to business. Ada should have recovered, and this handsome man still wants to chat with Ashley."
While walking, Rian pulled the revolver from the holster and reloaded five rounds into the revolver with deft movements, a distinctive metallic sound accompanying each click.
After finishing, Rian slipped the revolver back into the holster, then picked up the small walkie-talkie attached to the left chest and dialed Luis' line number.
"By the way..." Rian muttered casually, "Where's Luis, huh? He's not dead, is he?"
It was quiet for a while, punctuated only by the roar of the night wind and the rattling of communication devices still trying to connect.
The walkie-talkie in Rian's hand finally emitted a static sound, a sign that the line was connected.
"Luis, where are you now? Has the Plaga suppressant been administered?" Rian asked casually, but seriously.
From the other end, Luis' voice sounded breathless and somewhat hurried.
"Already, for Leon. But... Ashley was kidnapped. Leon and I are in the mine. We're trying to rescue her."
Rian sighed softly, raising an eyebrow.
"Kidnapped... again?" muttered Rian flatly, "No wonder. But Luis, why is it so noisy in there?"
Behind Luis' voice, there were clearly explosions, gunshots, the cries of the Ganado, and... a deep, booming roar, a sound familiar to Rian.
It was El Gigante.
Rian knew immediately because he had blown off the head of one of these creatures.
Luis' explanations were getting messy, mixed between swearing, impromptu orders from Leon, and the sound of rattling steel.
"Luis! Over you! Stay away!" Leon shouted in the distance.
"Oh, shit-!"
BRANG!!!
"ROOOAAAAAR!!!"
The sound of heavy metal collapsing against the steel bridge, followed by the terrifying roar of El Gigante who began to rampage and attack everything that moved.
Rian could only tilt his head slightly while staring at the walkie-talkie with a flat expression.
"...Classic." Rian said briefly.
"Damn it! Two!? Seriously!" cursed Luis from the other end of the line, then said quickly, "Amigo, we're meeting at the Cave under the Castle! It's quite close to the mine!"
Rian frowned, then sighed lazily. "Where is the cave under the castle, Luis? This handsome man's life is full of twists and turns... even the land is trying to lead him astray."
He began pacing as he spoke, voice calm but sounding frustrated:
"Just to get to the previous meeting place-atop Salazar's castle, this handsome man almost took a wrong turn! The person who designed this castle must hate GPS."
With his left hand, Rian massaged his forehead, his expression tired yet dramatic.
A moment later, Rian lowered his hand and muttered, "It's a good thing this eyesight is amazing."
Suddenly, the static sound came back from the walkie-talkie. Rian pressed it. "Luis, are you still listening? Hey, can you hear me?"
But... there was no reply.
Rian squinted slightly. A quick analysis in his mind concluded only one possibility: Luis had turned off the channel. Most likely busy... very busy. With El Gigante, two of course, not one.
Lifting the walkie-talkie slowly, Rian tucked it back into his left chest with a small smile.
"Okay." Rian said quietly, as if talking to himself. "One more twist in life... and this handsome man is ready to take it on."
Six Eyes' pair of bright blue eyes swept quickly over the Valdelobos area from high above. Thanks to his position atop Salazar's castle, right on the wide-open rooftop, Rian was able to map out the surrounding area in a matter of seconds.
With the terrain neatly organized in his mind, Rian put on his ultra-dark lensed glasses and strode steadily towards the nearest staircase.
Rian's goal was now clear: to meet Luis and finalize the deal that had been made earlier.
***
In the area located just below Salazar's castle, the atmosphere was heavy and stuffy.
Wooden boxes were scattered about, rusted mining tools lay here and there, while metal platforms rose high, connecting between the walls of the yellow-brown stone cave.
The metal structures seemed to pierce the rock, as if forcing their existence where they were not wanted.
There, two figures could be seen.
Leon crouched beside Luis, who was leaning weakly against a large wooden box. Luis' breathing was ragged, his body shivering from too much blood loss. All this was due to a back stab wound from behind.
Not only that, but his entire body was now painful and cold as ice.
"Luis," Leon said in a firm tone. But the look in his eyes, full of worry. "Hang in there."
Luis didn't answer immediately. With trembling hands, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took a drag, and placed it in his mouth.
The movement was slow, but there was a sense of calm... like a man who had made peace with death.
Luis took out a lighter from his pocket with trembling hands. He tried to light the cigarette on his lips, but he was too weak, the match slipped out of his grasp and fell near his feet.
Without hesitation, Leon quickly picked up the lighter and lit it for Luis. A small flame flickered at the end of the cigarette, and with a gasp, Luis took a deep drag.
Smoke billowed slowly from his lips, carrying the warm and bitter aroma of tobacco.
"Leon..." Luis' voice was weak but clear. "You know what? My life... was a complete mess. But now..." He paused for a moment, staring up at the cave ceiling with dim eyes. "You think people can change, right?"
Before Leon could answer, the sound of rapid steps echoed in the distance, accompanied by a distinctive loud shout.
"Luis! Leon! Here comes this handsome man!" exclaimed Rian from the direction of the stairs, his voice echoing all around. "Has Ashley been rescued?!"
"Sorry, I was distracted by my good looks... Again. But- oh... gosh! Luis, why do you look like you were thrown into hell and came back!?"
Rian's familiar voice made both of them turn their heads. Luis, unable to contain his laughter, choked on his own cigarette smoke. A small cough was heard from his throat, but still accompanied by a weak laugh.
Leon just shook his head softly. He looked down for a moment, closing his eyes, as if to say: Can't he read the atmosphere?
Arriving at Luis' side, Rian immediately crouched down to his left. His eyes swept over the man's condition with lightning speed.
"Luis?!" said Rian exaggeratedly, "What happened? How did you get like this? What kind of creature did this?"
On the right side, Leon opened his mouth, ready to give a brief explanation. But before he could speak, Rian raised his right index finger in the air, interrupting with a firm gesture.
"Shhh."
"Huh?" Leon was silent
Rian closed his eyes for a moment, took a short breath, then looked at Luis seriously. "Forget about explanations. Now help this handsome man perform an impromptu military-style surgical procedure."