Twilight Bridge: Immersion (Volume 1)

Chapter 21: Death Gun

"Ughhh.." Petra struggled to pull herself off the ground.
"What a shame!" Death Gun mocked Julia. "Your WAY isn't just useless, but also miserable to everybody who knows you! If only I'd just known that from the beginning, hehehehe!"
"Stop... hurting.. them—" chocked Julia managed to utter.
"Let my daughter go, please!" Mr. Park begged. "I'll do anything you want, even take my own life— So I beg of you.."
"Oh, please! That's enough, let her go!" Cristina fell to her knees and cried helplessly while watching her friend still being dangled by Death Gun. "Somebody.. please..."

"Generate Luminous Element • Sphere Shape • Burst!" Eugene's voice echoed.

At that desperate moment, a ball of pure white light dashed towards the field, and exploded. The entire area was filled with blinding bright light.
"Uh?!"
"Whaa?!"
"The hell?!"
"Wait a minute!" Death Gun felt someone was quickly coming at him. The footsteps were very fast and forward.
[Sonic Leap]!!, Jaden swiftly attacked Death Gun.

~Clank!

A spark erupted out of the collision of Jaden's blade and Death Gun's gun. The impact was strong enough to force Death Gun to let go of Julia, and leap away. But when he was in mid-air, Eugene jumped and immediately caught him off guard.
"Fuck!..." he muttered.
"[Arial Swift]!" Eugene slashed him with his sword.

~Slash!

"Auahhh!" Death Gun fell down to the ground.

When the effect of Eugene's Art faded, Death Gun slowly got up, holding the cut he acquired as he was confronted by the two boys.
"O'hoo.." he panted.
"Give it up, Death Gun!" Jaden readied his blade.
"Your mind games end here." Eugene held his sword forward. "We know who you are!"
"Yes, Mr. Spensen's last testimony explained everything." said Jaden as he explained everything saw the Mail-Man said in the video.

Jaden told the story to everyone on the battleground. Eighteen years ago, there was a team of explorers who used to venture the realm, discovering new dungeon grounds and nifty treasures. The team was formed by five members. Mayor. Jaros, Mr. Je-Yong, Theodore Dolph, and Mrs. Jessica Park, and Mr. Peter Park. The latter was originally a Southern. And by the rules at that time, in order to become a true explorer and get a permit to travel wherever possible, the person has to be from the Northside.
"..Peter was a very ambitious, and greedy young man at the time.." said Mr. Spensen in video. "..He was ready to go to extreme length to achieve his desires. But that took him to a very sinful path.."
Mr. Spensen mentioned that at one of their infamous expedition to some dungeon in the levels near the barrier, Mr. Park found a round crystal ball with strange aura dubbed an artifact, a thing that doesn't belong in this planetoid. But because of his position as a mere assistant explorer to Mr. Je-Yong, Mr. Park used the influence of the Vatos family. He gave them the artifact to the Vatos in exchange for re-newing his identity.
"Exploring near the edge of the realm had always been his lifelong dream. So, Peter ended up allying with multiple people. By the end of the year, Peter was a whole new person. As if he was reborn anew as a Northern, but not without a heavy cost.." said Mr. Spensen.
When he was still an assistant, Mr. Park was married to a women from the Southside named Anita, and they had a child.
"This is a very sensitive subject.." Mr. Spensen hesitated. "But back when I was still a 'Mail-Man', I used to wake up crazy early. And one of them days, I witnessed Peter on a boat, near the walls of Petitos Dungeon with his wife and nearly 2 year old boy. It was nothing like a nice family trip! I watched the whole thing. I even RECORDED IT, so nobody could tell me one day that I was under Anthem influence!"
Mr. Spensen displayed the video of Mr. Park shooting both his wife and son in the leg, and he even tried chocking his son. He then dropped both of them in the <<Clear-water River>>, and reported that they drowned during that trip.
"It was horrific, and the sad part was that nobody would believe me. I'm just a con man from the Southside! Plus, my boss was aiding him in this crime! He even verbally threatened me in couple of occasions.."
He also explained that the after becoming a mayor, Jaros granted Peter a new identifications, and he was promoted to a legitimate explorer after marrying his partner Jessica.
"After I cut my ties with my old boss, Mr. Dolph, I heard rumors about Peter adopting some strange child he found after exploring near the edge of the realm. But how come that wasn't called an 'artifact'? I have no clue.."
Lastly, Mr. Spensen mentioned how Jessica changed after marrying Peter. He wondered how a bright and awfully talented— well-rounded person ended up crossing the threshold, and becoming an Anthem dependent.
.
.
.
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"This town does truely look sweet and innocent.." Jaden lastly added. "But nothing is really what it seems.."
"How could this be?.." Sheriff. Scott was shocked. "I've been a Sheriff for 22 years! This town kept it's share of crimes below murder!"
"DON'T LISTEN TO THEM, SCOTT! THEY'RE LIARS!" Mr. Park shouted. "I'D NEVER DO SUCH HORRIBL THINGS! YOU KNOW ME TOO WELL!"
"We have all the evidents that supports all of this," Jaden took out a small photo of the Mr. Park chocking his two years old son on a boat. "But this should put you in perspective."
The photo made the Sheriff speechless. Jaden even noticed Mr. Park retracted on the ground as though he was completely naked and exposed.
"I was really hoping that I'd turned out mistaking.." Jaden told him. "But I'll make sure you get what you deserve later."
"But that means—" Aksel tried to say.
"That Death Gun is that same boy that was presumed dead 18 years ago.." Jaden finished.
"The legitimate son of Peter Park," Eugene looked at Death Gun. "ISSAC PARK!"
"Huh?!" Mr. Park gasped on the ground.
"That was his name! That's true...!" Mayor. Jaros covered her mouth in dread.