Chapter 175 - So Close Yet So Far

[ Two hours after Operation Liberation ]

The Commander successfully regrouped with the others but they were now battling it out with Ares, the Seraphim of War and all the other remaining six Seraphims. Yin was doing his best to conserve his energy and stamina. Alternating between the Nix Eyes and using his decay touch. "There is no end to these damn Angels!" He exclaimed. "You can say that again." The Specter replied back as her legs were already filled with cuts and wounds. 

So were everyone else's bodies, all mangled up, tired, and bloodied. Yin wiped the sanguine blood covering up his eyes. "We have to kill the Vessel!" He said to the Commander. "You are the only one who knows what the Vessel looks like, I am a bit busy here, can I entrust that to you?" Luken asked his pupil. Yin Sohaya nodded back in response. "Good." He grinned before moving forward and stabbing an Angel right in the heart. 

Team Beta was now close to the front lines, they were held back even though the distance between the teams were not that huge, it was because of the constant assault of the Angels. Gamma was following them slowly but surely from behind, both teams knew that Alpha would not be able to withstand much all alone in the front lines any longer. 

The Seraphims were slowly overpowering team Alpha now, even with the combined efforts of this many S Rank Slayers, it was too much for them to be fighting against seven different Seraphims at the same time. At a distance, however, Yin saw her once again. It was the Vessel for real now. The white haired Slayer knew this because the System felt like it was 'throbbing' after he locked eyes with her. 

She raised her hand and pointed to the ground in front of her. With no delay whatsoever, the Seraphims, including Ares, knelt in front of her. "What the hell is happening?" Suna said as she noticed that the Seraphims backed out and was now kneeling in front of an Angel with black lines across her face. "Yin…is that her?" Luken turned towards the B Rank Lighting Slayer to confirm it. "That is right. She has finally revealed herself out in the open without hiding, that, Commander, is the Vessel herself." 

Luken Regalia enchanted his feet with his water affinity and began sprinting towards their direction. With his rapier in hand, he was prepared to deal a fatal blow to the Vessel, while the Seraphims were still turning their backs and facing her. "If I end her right here and now, then the Operation Liberation will end as well, it will be a success if we manage to kill her. But I have to move now, I cannot wait for the others. Who knows when the next opportunity such as this will show itself?" Luken said to himself while he kept on running. 

The Seraphims now had their eyes closed as they faced the Vessel. She turned her head around and saw Luken dashing towards her. "I see. So, you are one of the despicable Slayers who killed Adam Rosa. You seem capable enough." She said with her eyes opened wide. 

A faint memory of what is to happen started to intrude itself and invade Yin's mind. It was a vivid memory or situation which looked exactly like what is going on right now with the Vessel. Yin saw the Commander dying after stabbing the Vessel in the neck. He snapped back to reality immediately after. 

"Should we go there and help the Commander?!" Cosette exclaimed while asking the Emperor and Vale Ashford. But before they could answer her, Yin butted in. "No! Trust me, that Angel is their leader, I will go there myself, there is no need to put your lives in that much of a risk." Yin said calmly. "Let me come with you, Yin!" Suna said. "No, Suna. I will be fine." Yin turned around and smiled. A smile that was not reflective of happiness, it was a smile filled with sadness and melancholy. 

Yin Sohaya burst through with lightning on his feet. "I have to be the one to kill her, Commander! You have done far too much for us already, I will not have you die right here!" Yin said to himself as he made his way towards where the Vessel was. But he was already far too late. Once he reached the place, Luken had his rapier deeply piercing the Vessel's neck. "This is for Artorias and everyone else that you piece of shits have taken from us!" He screamed out. 

"N-No…something is wrong…" Yin thought to himself after seeing the Vessel not looking like someone or something who had just been killed. Her facial expression remained the same, hell, she was even smirking. Even the Seraphims were not moving at all, they were still on the ground kneeling and closing their eyes. Surely the imminent death of their matriarch would make them react even a little, right? But it was not the case this time. After seeing Yin being here up close, the Commander had a look of surprise on his face. 

Yin tackled the Commander in order to save him from something which he felt is going to happen if they did not get out of this place. "Yin?! What are you doing?!" Luken asked in anger. "You did not kill her, Commander, nor were you actually going to, look at that." Yin said after pointing out to the Vessel and the Seraphims. 

The Vessel took out a golden glowing knife from her pocket and immediately started slashing their chests, taking their bloody hearts out and absorbing it with her hand until it turned into vanished into nothingness. The Seraphims did not react, it was as if they had already died from the moment they knelt in front of her.

"H-How did you know about this?" Luken asked Yin. "The System, it gave me visions of what might have happened, I even saw you lay on the ground lifeless. That was why I had to save you." Yin replied back. 

"I see. In that case, thanks, Yin. You really do make a fine Slayer." The Commander said with a resounding tone. A bright light came from where the Vessel was and to the sky above, a vibrating noise accompanied the beam of light, this made all the other Angels still fighting fly back and retreat towards it. "I have no idea what she is doing, but we have to be prepared for the worst." Yin said. 

"Something is up. They are backing off for no reason at all, it is not like they were at a disadvantage, if anything, they were about to overrun us with their sheer numbers. Just what is happening out there?" Ignis Silva said while covering his eyes from the beam of the bright beacon.

"Yeah. I am going to have to agree with that, but this will also allow us to regroup with Alpha much faster without any hindrances like those Angels, we should make the most of this opportunity." Kai Xin uttered out to the SS Rank Fire Slayer. 

Fen Kaori and Gavin caught up with them and regrouped with the remaining surviving Slayers in order to move forward, even closer to the pits of hell itself. Yin had overdone it, he could not make it in time if he did not overcharge his legs, so he had no choice but to deliver much more lightning than his body could handle. The Commander carried him on his shoulders as he walked back. "Sorry, everyone. I fucked up." Luken said to everyone in team Alpha.

"Nonsense! You did good enough to make it out of that attempt alive!" The Emperor said to him. "Actually, I would have been dead if Yin did not intervene. So, yeah, I am here now thanks to him." Luken said as he scratched the back of his head. "It is kind of fascinating, really, the first time I met this kid, I saved him from an Angel sneaking into Niflheim. I did not expect him to save me back in a mission just like this one. Heh. He sure is something." Yin was struggling in and out of consciousness after the sheer amount of lightning that his body took. 

"What do we do now?" Suna aske as she helped in having Yin lay down. "There is no way that we can approach that beam of light right now. I am sure you can feel it as well, that pillar of light is made up of Anima cell concentration, one wrong move and we might end up throwing our lives away." The Specter said. 

"I am afraid she is correct, we have no choice but to let their leader finish with whatever preparation she is currently doing, but that does not mean we are going to be at a disadvantage. Gamma and Beta will be arriving soon.." Shaheen Patel uttered out as his carrier pigeon delivered a note to him exclusively.