Chapter 154: Turned Criminal

In one unsuspicious day, when Filmos finally understood that there was no future for him in this city as a wanted person, he decided to finally leave for good.

Looking for his family in this tight, congested city with no proper future was a dead end. He finally realized that he wouldn’t grow here—he would only be hunted down like a cornered animal.

And before he left, he went straight to Jake’s home.

Standing in front of their huge, polished metal gate, he reached out with a trembling hand and pressed the button on the doorbell.

DING-DONG.

A few seconds passed before a small camera mounted on the intercom flickered to life. The heavy gate unlocked with a loud electronic click, swinging open just enough for Jake to step out.

The moment Jake saw Filmos’s haggard face, dirty clothes, and dark circles under his eyes, his mouth fell open. He grabbed Filmos by the arm and pulled him inside the courtyard, out of sight from the main street.

"Dude! What the hell happened to you?!" Jake hissed under his breath, his eyes darting frantically back and forth to check if anyone had followed him. "Are you crazy coming here?! Your picture is literally floating on every city wanted bulletin!"

Filmos let out a soft, bitter laugh, resting his back against the cool stone wall inside the gate.

"I know," Filmos said quietly, his voice raspy and devoid of any energy. "I saw the digital posters on the way here."

Jake threw his hands up in pure frustration and disbelief.

"They’re saying you’re an active suspect in a double murder and an attack in the business district! A murder, Filmos! They think your Green Anaconda is some kind of another soon-to-be criminal weapon from Suran City."

Filmos looked down at his shoes, clutching his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"I didn’t murder anyone in cold blood, Jake," Filmos muttered, his chest heaving as emotion swelled in his throat. "Those guys... they raided my house. I don’t know any of those two that died on my beast’s attacks. They were armed with heavy rifles. If my Anaconda didn’t fight back, I’d be dead in that hallway. And the one they were suspecting me of, I don’t know it."

Jake’s aggressive posture softened instantly. He let out a long, heavy breath, running a hand through his hair as the truth settled in.

"Man... what a complete mess," Jake murmured, looking at his friend with deep sympathy. "So what are you going to do now? You can’t clear your name here. The Contribution Agency suspended your tamer registration for sure, and the police aren’t going to listen to a kid from the slums over official reports."

"I’m leaving," Filmos said firmly, raising his head. His gaze was steady, filled with a quiet resolve that Jake had never seen in him before. "There’s nothing left for me in Hibiscus City. If I stay, I’ll either get thrown into a high-security prison or gunned down by whoever sent those mercenaries."

Jake stared at him for a long moment, then slowly nodded in agreement.

"Yeah... you’re right. Staying here is suicide. But bro, be careful."

Jake reached into his pocket, pulled out his digital watch, and transferred a stack of credits right into Filmos’s hand.

"Take this. It’s not much, but it’ll get you past the outer city checkpoints and buy you supply rations for a couple of weeks."

Filmos looked at the credits, feeling a warm swell of gratitude in his chest despite the dark situation.

"Jake... I promised I’d pay you back for the help—"

"Shut up, bro," Jake interrupted, slapping him firmly on the shoulder with a sad smile. "Just survive. Leave Hibiscus City, get stronger, and find out who’s really pulling the strings behind all this. When you’re strong enough to flip the script, come back."

Filmos nodded, gripping the credit chips tightly before tucking them into his jacket.

"Thank you, Jake. For everything."

Without wasting another second, Filmos pulled his hood over his head, turned away from his best friend, and melted into the shadows of the alley, leaving the city behind to face an uncertain world.

...

Meanwhile, Clame finally arrived at the main police station of Hibiscus City.

Meeting with some important officers, she cross-examined their findings with her own private investigation.

Her squad had arrived a bit earlier than announced. They conducted their own independent investigation, and as she cross-referenced the results, Clame could only smirk with growing interest in the matter.

’This is closer than I imagined, huh. The Anti-Nustra Legion... you guys were just hiding right here.’

Clame had realized something critical, but she didn’t bother sharing it with the local city authorities.

"So, how about it, Lady Commander? When will you be joining us for another round of investigation?" the Senior Officer asked, leaning over his desk.

Clad in her tight but comfortable tactical gear, Clame looked down and slowly adjusted her gloves.

"You are saying that Filmos Lurdous is still out there, right?" she asked calmly.

The officers all nodded in unison.

"I see..."

Clame turned around, casually bidding her farewell to the high-ranking officers. Together with her temporary squad, she announced they would just get some rest before heading back out to search.

But in reality, she wanted to be the very first one to find Filmos.

Stepping out of the police station into the cool night air, her smirk widened as her eyes narrowed with a sharp, predatory glint.

Clame finally put the pieces together. Now she understood why, despite the glowing reports hyping up Filmos’s strength, he had seemed so weak to her.

The truth was simple: all the reports were dead wrong about him.

’That Green Anaconda... it’s not really a standard anaconda beast,’ Clame thought, her heart racing with anticipation. ’It’s actually the twin snake that the Anti-Nustra Legion was desperately looking for... and how incredibly coincidental that the other twin is right here in this city, owned by a criminal.’