Chapter 5 - Gavin's Return

"Hey Suna. Help me carry this guy."

Suna lets out a defeated sigh.

She did not protest any further.

The group went back to the hideout for supper.

"Say, Commander, is Gavin coming back today?"

"Yep."

"I wonder what he's going to bring us, I hope something delicious."

Suna says while noticeably salivating from hunger.

"That guy always cooks the best meals. All I can cook is this thing."

"It's not even that good."

Suna points out at the roasted fish was as black as charcoal.

The Commander says as he gazes at his sorry campfire and the sorry attempt at roasted fish.

Suna facepalms.

"Really, Commander?"

"Hey hey, don't blame me! I'm not used to Gavin being gone this long. You know what I hate about him is that-"

Before he could even finish his rant, a piece of chicken feet had been thrown into Luken's mouth.

To which he mowed down in five seconds.

"Heard you guys were hungry."

A refined English accent was heard from a few meters away.

Gavin said politely with a smile so pure it was blinding.

Both Suna and the Commander shouted in delight.

"Gavin!!!"

The pair were on the verge of tears.

Hunger pangs were steadily gnawing at their stomachs.

Gavin was a tall and handsome young man. Roughly the same age as Luken.

He had dark, golden skin.

He wore a dark coat coupled with a green scarf.

His green eyes were as lush as the deepest forests.

Gavin Khalil. An S rank slayer specialized at Grimoire Summoning and long range combat.

His main weapons were throwing knives which he used with great precision and accuracy.

That explains how he was able to target Luken's blabbering mouth a few meters away.

His eyes fixated on Yin.

"Luken, is this the kid?'

The Commander nods proudly.

"I'm sure you've heard of what he did?"

"Yes, the towns are talking about the Angel-slaying farm-boy."

"Some dismissed it as merely a superstition. Still, how could an Angel make it past the barriers?"

"That's what I'd like to know as well, Gavin."

"Suna, you've been with the Six Blades for almost a year now, how has your stay been?"

Gavin asked Suna with a calm voice, as if a mother was checking up on her daughter.

"Don't mind me, sir! I'm just happy to be scouted by such a prestigious group. I'll work twice as hard to get stronger!"

Gavin nodded while smiling.

"I was supposed to work in the farm with Yin. But the High Council deemed my worth as a Slayer, and Commander Luken was willing to take a bet for me. I'll forever be grateful for that."

She says with a headstrong expression.

His smile vanished.

He looked at Luken and talked in a serious tone.

"The High Council knows, Luken. They want to see the boy in six months."

"Several organizations have also been scouting around."

The Commander's face matched that of the current mood.

"I know. Let's just hope those old geezers will entrust Yin to us."

"And if they don't?"

Suna asked them.

A grim silence plagued the area…

It was broken by Yin waking up.

"Something smells good. Is that chicken?"

When he opened his eyes, he saw Gavin.

Just as his mouth was about to open and ask Suna who he was, he noticed the insignia.

Golden intersecting Slayer lines.

He also had the same earrings that the Commander wore.

It all clicked at that moment. This dark-skinned, tall man was his superior.

Yin stood upright as quick as he could.

"Sir! My name is Yin Sohaya. I am currently in training to be a member of the Six Blades. Please to make your acquaintance!"

Gavin chuckled a little bit.

"No need to be so formal, Yin."

"I'm Gavin Khalil."

"So anyway, you guys seem hungry."

He took out a box full of golden, perfectly fried chicken.

The three of them jumped at it like rabid hyenas locking on to a prey.

"Wait."

The three stopped mid-air comically.

"Let's eat inside the house."

The Six Blades hideout was a medium-sized house.

It had the flag of the Six Blades logo, which was six pairs of blades thrusted by hooded members into an Archangel.

Once inside, Gavin stopped for a moment.

His hands ran through the windows.

After noticing specks of dust, his eyes fixated towards Luken.

"Didn't you say you were going to keep the house clean while I was gone?"

Gavin's face forced a smile, but underneath that smile, was anger.

"L-look Gavin, I can explain…"

The Commander desperately tried to come up with a reason.

He squinted at Yin and Suna.

"Because of them! I was busy training them. Heh."

The pair shouted both at the same time.

"T-that's not true! You've only trained us this day."

Luken turned white.

His head slowly turned towards Gavin who was boiling with rage.

He tried to reason, but words would not come out.

Gavin slowly approached him with the ferocity of a caged animal.

Gavin proceeded to lightly bonk Luken's head.

"Don't blame it on the kids."

As he exhaled a breath of exhaustion.

Gavin then told the story that the food he brought came from his old chef's restaurant.

"Let's dig in, shall we?"

Yin, Luken, and Suna ate to their hearts content.

Two whole chickens seemingly vanished into nothingness.

Just like that.

Gavin stared in awe.

Yin was unlucky.

He tried to do Luken's trick of not even chewing the food, just directly swallowing it as fast as he could

He choked.

Suna tried to help but she was too busy laughing and trying not to choke herself.

Gavin immediately stood up and gave him a glass of water.

The immediate assistance all happened in a flash.

Gavin couldn't help but smile.

He whispered to himself. "You would have loved this, Adam."

There were two other members with Luken's appetite residing here now.

"After you've finished eating. We're going to clean this place up."

Gavin says as he clapped his hands in excitement.

Yin asked Luken if he was that much of a clean freak.

Luken's terrified nod confirmed it.

After they finished doing the dishes, the four of them were now cleaning the Six Blades' hideout.

Yin was motioned by Gavin to come to him in the living room.

"How are you liking the place?"

"O-oh it's uhm, it's honestly great so far."

"I forgot, when was the last time I even ate dinner with other people? My parents were farmers as well. They died shortly after my tenth birthday. I coped with waiting and waiting for my Anima cells to awaken. They never actually did. I-I'm sorry for oversharing. I just made the mood depressing, my bad."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Yin. It's alright. We may not look like much, but we're your family now."

Yin's eyes had fixated on Gavin's earrings.

They were black dangling circle-shaped earrings.

"Oh, these? You're probably wondering why Luken and I wear them."

Yin nodded.

"Adam started this tradition. He said it was a way to distinguish ourselves from different organizations, said it made us more of a family. So, we sort of just went with it."

Gavin explained with while leaning against a wall.

Yin's eyes nudged with curiosity.

"Adam?"

"Me and Luken's predecessor. The Slayer Corps previous Commander, and the previous leader of the Six Blades. He was an SSS rank Slayer."

"Where is he now?"

Gavin's face contorted.

He had difficulty swallowing.

Luken then shouted from the second floor.

"Yo, Yin. Come help out Suna over here!"

"A-alright. Let's talk later, Gavin."

He waves to Gavin and proceeds to climb the stairs above.

Luken came down to the living room.

His expression was more serious than it ever was.

"Gavin. It's not time yet."

"They don't need to know about that."

"I know. My bad."

"Don't mention that name in front of them ever again. At least not yet."

"Understood."

The Commander then shifted to a lighter tone.

"Well, we'll continue training them tomorrow, alright? We'll finish cleaning up. You've been away for a pretty long time. Get some sleep."

"Yes. I think I will."

Before Luken walked back upstairs.

Gavin shot him a quick glance and a nodded.

"Luken. Thank you."

The Commander made a thumbs up gesture with his right hand.

After Yin and Suna finished cleaning, they went to bed.

Each one of them had separate bedrooms on the second floor of the house.

Though modest in size, it did the job well.

Morning came.

As the chickens clucked coupled with the rays of sunlight, it was a new day.

Yin woke up earlier than anyone else.

He wanted to do start his day as soon as possible and train.

[ Daily Quest : 300 pushups, 300 sit-ups, 300 pullups, 10k run. ]

Yikes.

That's a lot.

He went outside and started stretching.

His feet were still sore from the wounds he got yesterday.

Although it stung every single time he walked.

"This is nothing."

He thought to himself.

Yin heard Gavin open the front door.

Gavin sat down on the chair by the porch. Holding a cup of coffee.

Yin nodded to recognize Gavin's presence.

Gavin did the same.

"You've woken up awfully early, Yin." He shouted.

"You as well! I wanted to start training as soon as I can." Yin responded.

Gavin's green eyes slowly sensed Yin's pain every time he landed on his foot when he stretched.

"Your feet. Are you hurt?"

"O-oh, yeah, this was from yesterday. I can bear with it though."

"Nonsense!"

Gavin immediately stood up quickly.

He did it with such grace, not a single drop of coffee.

As he walked slowly towards Yin, he took out a grimoire from his coat.

The S rank Slayer proceeded to summon a snake.

"Don't be afraid."

The snake slithered towards Yin's injured feet.

Its scales possessed the ability to heal and rejuvenate them.

"Woah Gavin, you're a healer?"

"Not quite. I'm a summoner. This snake just happens to be fond of healing."

Gavin responded with a cheeky smile.

"After you've finished your calisthenic exercise, I might be able to help you train."

"Really?"

Yin's eyes lit up in excitement.

He then proceeded to do his daily quest.

It took him two hours.

[ Daily Quest : Accomplished ]

[ EXP gained : 300 ]

[ Experience Points : 700/2000 ]

He ran back to the house.

The smell of bacon and eggs greeted his nose.

After re-hydrating with water, he went to the kitchen.

Suna and Luken sat there.

"W-where have you been, Yin?"

Suna was seemingly interrogating him.

Her face comically resembled a skull.

Yin told them he was training.

"Well, Gavin here doesn't want us to start breakfast without you."

Luken says while giving Gavin a quick and petty glance.

Gavin just grinned.

"Have a seat, boy."

Yin took a chair and sat on the table.

Gavin served bacon and eggs in a truly exquisite way.

He topped it off with parsley, some potatoes and vegetables.

Suna placed the vegetables at the farthest edge of her plate.

"You're a growing lady. You must eat your vegetables, Suna."

Gavin said in a manner reminiscent of a parent.

Luken was happy that Gavin had only seen her plate.

But he turned white when Gavin saw his.

"How do you expect to be strong when you don't even eat potatoes?"

The Commander let out a sigh of surrender.

Both of them forcibly swallowed the food while Gavin watched closely.

"There we go. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

His grin had grown even more menacing than before.

As hectic as the Six Blades were, Yin knew.

He knew that this was his new family.