Chapter 60 - Memories Of The Reaper

Back in the Grand Castle's inner city, the S and higher ranked Slayers were on stand by. 

They were all given rooms and quarters to sleep in inside the castle. 

In the end, the Emperor conceded and gave Ignis the chance to lead a mission outside the Outer Gates.

His decision made several of the Slayers disturbed and annoyed, yet they could not argue against the Inferno Garden and the organization's leader's rate of success. 

The Inferno Garden boasted the highest percentage of missions and conquests that ended up a success over the centuries. It was always a part of the culture of the organization to have a no-nonsense attitude whenever they dealt with missions, often frowned upon but the results always spoke for themselves.

Several instances have been recorded in the reports wherein they left a wounded Slayer in order to retreat and have no further casualties. This was a hard decision to make, but it is definitely understandable. The disturbing part about this was that not a single Inferno Garden Slayer even turned their necks around or even hesitated to help the fallen Slayer.

Members of the Inferno Garden have been branded as 'unpleasant' or difficult to work with by others, and for good reason, that is.

Gavin and Luken sat on a window overlooking the domain of mankind's last bastion, Niflheim.

The Commander took out a single stick of cigarette from his pocket, he did not forget to buy his own matchbox now, afraid that he might annoy the patience of Gavin once more.

As the Commander lit it, he looked at Gavin.

"What do you think he is doing right now?"

The blue haired SS Rank Slayer asked his partner.

"Who exactly are you referring to?"

Gavin answered his vague question.

"You know who. Adam."

Luken retorted without a single pause.

This immediately shifted the atmosphere into a grim and dark tone.

"Why did he do what he did, Gavin?"

The Commander now clenched his fist, desperate for an answer.

Gavin was silent.

It was not that he did not want to answer the question that Luken proposed, it was that he did not know the answer to it.

Luken and Gavin were left to rebuild the Six Blades by themselves after Adam massacred Luken's sister and two other members.

"When we saw him outside during that conquest, during the 'Tragedy at The Outer Gates' as several people have taken to calling it, you yourself held back when we fought him, did you not?"

Gavin broke the eerie silence of the castle hallways.

His words struck a nerve with Luken.

The Commander wasted no time and immediately got in front of the Serpent Summoner's face. 

"What are you trying to say?"

He asked while gazing right into Gavin's eyes.

His hands were now on Gavin's collar.

"Are you saying I held back against that despicable traitor? That I held back against the person who is the sole reason for my sister's death? Is that what you are trying to say, Gavin?!"

Luken lost his cool.

Veins popped out of his temple as he started tugging on Gavin's collar harder and harder.

"Let go of me."

Gavin said calmly.

The Commander still had his hands on him, refusing to let go.

"I am not going to say it again. Back off, Luken."

In just a split second, Gavin now had his grimoire on the palm of his hand. His emerald eyes glaring back at him intensely.

He turned it backwards to show Luken that he meant business. The page that he stopped leafing on had an illustration of a muscular beast's body with the head of a man. It also had razor sharp wings and a tail on its back. This creature had a name, this particular one was 'The Sphinx of Annihilation.'

Luken saw this and immediately jumped back and assumed a defensive stance.

His right hand was now on the sheathe of his sword, ready to pull it out in case Gavin follows through with summoning the legendary Sphinx. 

Ignis walked in.

He stopped to look at what was transpiring before his very eyes.

"Isn't this interesting…"

Ignis said with a snarky tone.

"This does not concern you, Ignis. Walk away."

Luken's attention now focused on to him. 

"Would you look at that. How utterly frightening. What caused both of you to fight amongst yourselves? You have to control yourself, Commander."

He said the word 'commander' with such an insulting enunciation.

The Commander offered him no such response, as well as Gavin.

After that, he simply went on with his walk and made himself scarce from the scene.

"How dare you ask me that question, Gavin."

"I was watching you the whole time. You were definitely holding back."

The Serpent Summoner responded back.

Luken clicked his tongue in disagreement.

All the other Slayers in the same hallway knew better than to butt in a fight between Luken and Gavin, things might get ugly and there is a high chance whoever breaks up the fight will get caught in the crossfire between these two juggernaut Slayers.

"Believe me, Luken. I know. Because I myself did the same as well. I also held back against Adam."

Gavin looked down and bit his lip in frustration.

"I wanted to go all out against him, I really did. I have reinforced that inside my brain, repeating it for countless of times now. Yet when I saw Adam again, I hesitated. I hesitated and held back. I was as pathetic as I could be. That much I know."

His lower lip was now starting to turn red with blood dripping out.

"You are not the only one bearing the burden, Luken. You and I built the Six Blades back to its former glory, although we are still a bit far from it, we are making great strides, believe me. We've got three promising Slayers back at our hideout, they are training their butts off as we speak right now, we owe it to them to give those stubborn kids the opportunity to fight with us in the frontlines of this war."

Gavin added.

The Commander now calmed down.

His grip on his sword gradually started to loosen up a bit.

"Till this day, I still do not know why Adam did what he did that night."

Luken said.

"We are in the same boat, Luken. A part of me knows why I hesitated and held back against him. It is because deep inside, underneath all this hatred I felt for what he did, I still wanted to know what drove him to killing half of the Six Blades in a single night. I would imagine you feel the same way as I do, right? Albeit unconsciously, you might not realize it, but you were indeed holding back without knowing it. You still can't accept that he was responsible for what happened or there might be some other explanation for it."

Luken fell silent.

Their discussion was then interrupted by someone screaming across the Grand Castle.

"Hey! I am looking for the Commander and the Serpent Summoner! Anybody here seen them?!"

Luken sighed.

"This rough, hoarse voice, it could only belong to one person, I do not think I have the time nor energy to deal with him right now…"

He thought to himself.

"It is Faust, isn't it?"

Gavin asked.

To which the Commander merely nodded in disappointment.

Faust Keisuke made his way to them.

His brown hazel eyes were like a predator locking its gaze with its prey.

"Oh! There you guys are!"

Faust's black ebony hair elegantly bobbed up and down through the wind.

"I have something important to announce!"

He exclaimed.

"Do you not run out of energy, Faust?"

Gavin asked him.

"Nope, sir. And if ever I do, I have gallons of backup reserves to carry on with the entire day!"

The Serpent Summoner nodded sarcastically.

Luken stared at Faust's face.

He then sighed once more, this time, more pronounced.

"What is it, Faust?"

He asked.

"I would very much rather prefer to tell you this information in your quarters. If you do not mind, sir."

He bowed his head down slightly.

"Didn't I say to stop being so formal towards us? It is kind of weird, to be quite frank."

Luken responded.

"S-Sorry."

Faust Keisuke respected Luken and Gavin dearly.

His strength speaks for itself, and he respected everyone with the power and will to fight. 

Well, everyone except for Ignis, who always got on his nerves every single time they met.

The three of them began walking back to their room.

They made their way across the Grand Castle's vast and spacious hallways.

It was cleared to make room for the Slayers that were called for the meeting.

"So, what is it that you wanted to disclose to us, Faust?"

Gavin followed up on his news.

"We should really wait until we get to your quarters, sir. It is going to be amazing!"

This guy's energy just never seemed to run out.

It was pointless trying to pester him for more information.