Chapter 101 - Messenger's Letter

About six days have passed since the Creator gave Yin an ultimatum.

All this time, they had been undergoing rigorous training under the Commander and the Serpent Summoner.

It was noon already; their sessions were interrupted by a courier or messenger of some sort.

Upon closer inspection, Zach, Yin, and Suna had recognized this man. It was the person who delivered Zachary's grimoire.

The trio all greeted him and the messenger gave a smile and nod back nervously.

Perhaps them jumping on him like he was some kind of intruder in their hideout certainly scared the poor fellow.

The person then went straight to the Commander.

He opened his knapsack and pulled out a carefully wrapped letter. After handing it to the Commander, he bid farewell and went on with his day.

"He sure seemed tense around us."

Gavin remarked.

"T-Tense, y-yeah, I wonder why that is?"

Suna attempted to feign ignorance.

After reading it, Luken called out to Yin and Zachary.

"Err. Zach. You know how your papers are pretty jumbled and stuff, right? Under no circumstances should you even be given leverage to be deployed on missions. Normally you would have to stand in trial against the High Council for not announcing the fact that you are a Slayer sooner."

Zach gulped. He was clearly worried.

"But! Due to me being the way that I am, I have successfully placed your papers and writ in it that you have some kind of disease that has prevented you from being deployed up until now. My pull in Niflheim is absolutely no joke!"

The Commander kept tooting his own horn as Yin and Zachary clapped forcibly.

"Why don't you get to the important parts, Luken?"

The Serpent Summoner told him.

"Yes, well, right… Yin, your second conquest is a search and destroy mission comprised of five members in a team. It shall be led by a familiar face, actually."

Luken was surprised.

"Who is it, sir?"

Yin inched close.

"It seems you will be meeting Kai Xin once again. He is assigned to lead the operation. Your targets are not really specified here but you will be briefed better once you are there I guess."

Yin sighed with the breath of relief.

"Thank heavens, I feel better knowing I would already know or be acquainted with at least one person there."

The white haired Slayer said. 

Zach was fidgeting around, excited to hear what kind of conquest mission he will be getting. He had also felt slightly jealous because Yin was placed in the mission together with Kai, whom even though Zachary normally insulted from time to time, he still saw him as one of his teachers. Much like the Commander and Gavin.

Luken turned to the Fire Slayer.

"Right, as for you, Zach. You will also be placed in the same squad as Yin and Kai."

Yin and Zachary's jaws just dropped, they had to make sure that they heard the same thing correctly.

"Wait, what?"

"W-What?!"

They both exclaimed.

"Now I know that you both are prone to being unpleasant towards each other, but you have to get along, you feel me? We are part of the same banner, the Six Blades!"

Luken's enthusiasm definitely was not helping them.

"D-Did you influence the way that the group members were selected?"

Zach asked.

"Definitely…not!"

Luken responded afterwards.

"You both have got to understand, even though Luken is the entire Slayer Corps' Commander, that does not give him the right to tamper the squad selections. These are all made by the High Council and were done based on fit, chemistry, and the overall compatibility of your affinities. As well as your strengths and weaknesses and those best suited to pair with you to cover those weaknesses and amplify your strength."

Gavin had to step in.

"What about me, Commander?"

Suna asked.

"Well, you, Suna, are going to be undergoing the most dangerous and tedious task out of all the rookies!"

Luken attempted to set her up in an epic way.

"You will be staying here and training with me until the Slayer Tournament begins!"

Suna's face was blank and her eyes were empty.

"Well, that is not bad at all, but I had expected to be deployed in a mission as well…"

She said.

"Think of it as a blessing, Suna. That way, you can focus more on preparing for the tournament. I, for one, will be accompanying these two to the Outer Gates because I have been requested to lead another mission as well."

The Serpent Summoner assured her.

"If you see Kai Xin over there, make sure you punch him for me, Gavin."

Luken said jokingly.

"Will do."

"Here I thought my mission was going to go well, and I just had to be placed with the simpleton…"

Zachary sighed.

"Hey, I can hear you, you know?"

Yin shouted back.

"You better not slow me down out there."

"Are you forgetting who's first mission it is? It is definitely not mine, so that saying should only apply to you, you big whiny ass!"

This back and forth was giving everyone migraines.

Suna finally had to step in and smack both of them on the head.

"Can you two behave? At least you are getting to see some action, imagine me and Oliver being stuck here with the Commander. I have to listen to his sermons and speeches that start and end with nothing meaningful said alone!"

Yin and Zach nodded.

"Y-Yes."

"What type of mission are you going to lead, Gavin?"

Zach asked.

"I am going to go with my brother on a joint reconnaissance mission."

Gavin answered reluctantly.

"You do not seem thrilled, is something wrong?"

"It is nothing. I am happy to be able to see my brother, but I have never been excited for being deployed outside the gates, not ever. And since I am leading the mission, the old coots at the High Council probably did that to keep my brother in check."

Luken joined the conversation.

"Woah, you are finally going to meet Art after so long, Gavin. Say hi to him for me!"

Luken said.

"Yeah, no problem."

"Art?"

Zachary asked.

"Yeah, Art is short for Artorias, that is Gavin's older brother."

Luken answered.

"Y-Your brother is the top one Slayer in the Corps?!"

Yin was totally losing it.

"Oh, I did forget to tell that to you guys, huh."

Suna said.

"You are related to the Basilisk Slayer? Holy crap. That explains how strong you guys are." Zachary said as he took out a notebook. "Artorias Khalil, also known as the Basilisk Slayer."

"I wouldn't say I am strong, per se." Gavin was trying to remain humble. "By the way, what is that notebook for, Zach?"

Zachary flipped his notebook back and forth.

"Oh, this? This is just some sort of a weird hobby of mine."

"Do tell, it seems interesting."

"Basically, I study the S Rank Slayers, like their names, abilities, affinities, quirks and stuff. Well it is just a compiled version of information available on the papers, anyway. It just keeps me calm at night."

Zach said shyly.

"That is pretty amazing, I did not expect that sort of hobby from a person your age."

Gavin responded.

"C-Can we see your brother when we get to the Outer Gates as well, Gavin?"

Yin was adamant in seeing the Basilisk Slayer first hand.

"Not a chance. Your mission is set to take place a day before ours. I will just take you there and rest up in a tavern and wait for him, probably."

This bummed Yin and Zach out.

"You will probably annoy the hell out of the man, Yin, it is a good thing you won't see him."

Zach was coping by hurling insults at Yin.

"The same goes for you, he would probably be weirded out by your questions for your notebook or something."

Yin retorted back.

Gavin and Luken looked on as both of them were going back and forth.

"Are they really going to be fine?"

Gavin asked.

"Don't worry too much, man! Did you forget just how we got along years ago?"

"Trust me, I would like to forget about you entirely."

"Aww, surely you do not mean that, Gavin?"

Suna was curious.

"What's the matter, did you two not get along as well?"

She asked.

"Worse, Suna, we were far worse than whatever Yin and Zachary has going on right now."

Gavin replied.

"Come on, Gavin. Don't put it that way!"

"Well, that is a story for another time, how about you, are you going to be fine here?"

The Serpent Summoner asked.

"Y-Yes, sir! I will do my best to train my hardest with the Commander and hopefully win the Slayer tournament in its entirety! I know you told me to withdraw and surrender when I am faced against that prodigy, but I will not do that. I will fight until I drop!"

She said, referring to Gavin's earlier comments about Hector Incendium.

Luken sighed.

"You better train your ass off, then!"

"No question about it."

Suna replied with a confident smirk.