Chapter 84 - Backline Bonanza

"How did you even manage to think about that possibility, Luken? I mean I hate Ignis as much as the next guy, but you cannot deny his intellect. I am sure he has also thought of that, so why didn't he adjust 'protectors' at the back formation?"

Gavin was puzzled.

"Hm. Perhaps he did not think about it that much. After all, we have a more than capable scouting group at the forefront of the formation, so who would think of an attack coming from the back? But I did not just move us here to have me enjoy my smoke in peace, no, I definitely feel something that told me to break formation and come to the back."

Luken said while huffing his cigarette once again.

Faust Keisuke was curious.

"What would that have been, Commander Luken?"

Luken turned his head to look at Faust's baffled face.

"Insticts, Faust, my gut feeling is enough."

The Commander said while nodding.

"You do know that does not make you look less idiotic, right, Luken?"

Gavin said.

Faust was walking right behind the two of them, as there was not enough space to squeeze in through the spell casters. 

The last thing the three of them wanted now is to annoy these people.

"By the way, Faust, is your nose still as sharp as ever?" Luken was curious. "I remembered that you possessed above average intuition and a sense of small that tracks monsters in the vicinity, correct?"

Faust was shoving off the snow that was accumulating on his shoulders.

"I mean, I guess so, yeah, why do you ask, Commander?"

"Nah, no reason whatsoever, I just remembered that you had that ability in your arsenal."

Faust was left dumbfounded, he asked himself as to why Luken was curious about something like that and asked about it out of the blue.

His face contorted with disgust. "What the actual heck is that smell?" He said under his breath.

After hearing this, Commander Luken, who was just in front of Faust, turned around in an instant.

"What is it, Commander Luken?"

The young man asked while covering his nose.

The S Rank Earth Slayer asked.

Luken slowly raised his right arm up and pointed a finger gun at Faust Keisuke.

Gavin was startled and aghast.

"W-What are you trying to do, Luken?! Have you lost your damn mind?!"

The Serpent Summoner's voice was loud. In fact, it was loud enough that all the other Slayers in front of them ceased their march and turned around themselves, curious about what sort of altercation was happening at the back lines.

Ignis had noticed the commotion and was squinting his eyes, eager to see what had caused it at the back.

"What the hell is going on back there?!"

Ignis Silva demanded to know.

His eyes had noticed that Luken Regalia, Gavin Khalil, and Faust Keisuke were missing from their assigned formation spot.

Luken's cerulean eyes gazed at Faust Keisuke's very soul itself.

The latter was far too afraid to even make a move.

"What has gotten into you, you idiot?!"

Gavin was trying to stop Luken from aiming his hand at Faust.

Until suddenly, the Commander opened his mouth and muttered the words "Duck in three seconds" to Faust.

Faust Keisuke was still confused, he did not get why the Commander had pointed his hand at him.

"Y-You mean now?!"

Faust wanted to make sure.

Luken simply nodded.

The S Rank Earth Slayer counted down to three mentally and got the ground, using both his palms for support.

Ice cold snow came between his palms and the ground below.

With no delay whatsoever, Luken blasted his pointing finger with a concentrated beam of water, same as what he attempted to do to the Red King back in Cisco.

The beam had pierced something, that much was clear, it sounded as though flesh was being stabbed with something sharp in a second.

After that confusing choice of action by the Commander, everyone knew that he was not turning traitor nor attempting to kill Faust Keisuke, no, he was aiming at a type of monster called the chameleon.

The chameleon was another humanoid type adversary, boasting a measly C Rank only, although weak by itself, a chameleon never ever wanders off to find its prey all alone, it is always accompanied by a group of a couple dozen, no, even a hundred other chameleons.

"How long do you monsters intend to tail us?"

Luken asked them.

The fallen chameleon's blood had colored the snow into a dark reddish complexion.

Commander Luken had a grin coupled with the expression of anger.

Ignis Silva was running, making his way to the back where the supposed 'trouble' was as soon as possible.

When he and Hector Incendium had finally gotten to the area, they saw the lifeless body of a chameleon.

"I wonder just how many of these things there are? Clearly you did not take chameleons into consideration when you made the formation, did you not, Ignis?"

Gavin said to the SS Rank Fire Slayer.

Ignis could not help but bite his lower lip in an infuriated manner.

He took a deep breath and inhaled. 

"Slayers! To battle! Exterminate these horrid chameleons!"

Faust got up and sighed a sigh of relief.

"I really thought for a second there that the Commander had gone insane and was going to shoot a water beam straight into my heart, fuck."

He said as he sighed.

Luken extended his hand to help Faust Keisuke up.

The latter gladly accepted it and got up with the Commander's help.

A clear reason why they had not noticed monsters tailing them was because of the nature of chameleons. Although it is not that common for a monster to possess the ability of camouflaging itself to the environment, only chameleons could do it with no effort whatsoever.

"Jeez, we really are lucky it is just chameleons, just think what would have happened if it was a real troublesome monster, is that not right, Ignis?"

Luken glanced at the Operation Phoenix's leader.

"Tch. You really ought to know when the proper time for talking and when the proper time for fighting is, Luken."

Ignis immediately retorted.

It was fairly easy for the chameleons to camouflage themselves to the ground because of the snow.

A little bit of irregularity in the texture and color of their camouflaging would have been definitely brushed off because of the snow itself, these monsters really were trying to make the best out of the environment to sneak up on the Slayers behind.

The dead chameleon's tongue stuck out as its heart had been turned into mush by Luken's attack.

Ignis walked in front and prevented more from joining the attack.

"Do you mean you already knew when you asked about my nose being pretty capable of detecting stuff, Commander Luken?"

Faust asked him.

Luken Regalia brushed and slicked his marvelous shaggy hair backwards to prevent it from getting in the way of his sight in combat. "Yep, that is right, Faust." The Commander said.

"Why did you wait until something like that was already less than ten meters away from me, then?!"

Faust stressed out about this detail.

"I had to 'feel' just how many they really are, you know? I did not want them to know that I was already in the know as to what they wanted to do. These disgusting cretins wanted to sneak up on us, well, that is quite a shame isn't it?"

He threw his cigarette to the ground but not before inhaling a huge huff and exhaling it to the air up above.

"Luken, yourself, me, Hector, and Faust will handle these maggots."

Ignis Silva said with sheer confidence.

"No disrespect to you guys, Ignis, but I really think I could handle these lowly monsters by myself. There is no need for you guys to use your strength for this."

Luken said in an attempt to be looked upon as heroic.

"Would you cut the crap already? The same goes for you, it would be more efficient if we joined in, besides, it is not like you will be of any use to us in the hive location if your exhausted to the brim, idiot."

Ignis Silva immediately shut him down.

Faust Keisuke took out his stiletto knives from his waistband and began warming up.

Just as Gavin was about to summon a monster from his grimoire, Ignis stopped him.

"It is fine, Gavin. We shall take the chameleons on. Your summoned creatures will be used for a much more viable time, it would be a waste to use it here, to be quite frank with you."

Gavin scoffed but complied.

He closed his grimoire shut and watched the battle unfold before his very eyes.

Luken cracked his neck both ways, left and right.

"Do you ever stop doing that before a fight? Seriously."

Ignis shook his head.

"Nah."

Luken responded with a huge grin on his face.

Hector had his huge double bladed axe already glowing red with the fiery flames of his affinity.