Chapter 165 - Words Unsaid

Before Luken Regalia and Yin would go back ahead to where the others were, the Commander wished to tell him exactly what Adam told him. "Are you okay?" Luken asked his pupil before pulling back from the hug. "Y-Yeah." Yin replied. 

"Yin, I believe that Adam had no reason to lie on his deathbed, as much as I hated him for what he did, I could not muster the courage to finish him off, since death was the only destination he had left at that point. But before that, do you mind if I ask you something?" The Commander was careful just in case it was a sensitive subject for Yin Sohaya. "Ask away, sir Luken." The boy replied back. "It is about your parents…they were not your real parents, were they not?" Luken expected himself to need to apologize in case he offended Yin or something, but the white haired Slayer replied back with a smile instead. "I do not know how you got that, but yes, sir, that is correct. I was told by my foster parents that they found me near the farmlands when I was only a baby. But they cared for me and loved me even though we were not related by blood. We were family, no matter what." Yin's words made Luken confused.. "Were?" He asked. "Yeah, that is right, after they passed away from some sort of disease, I was left all alone again. But that does not matter anymore, what is important is that I have you guys now." Luken noticed the number of scars and marks that came from battle wounds that Yin had accumulated from training and missions. "You are correct, we are here now. Anyway, I asked you that because I think I know who exactly you are a descendant of." Luken made Yin's eyebrows furrow and meet. "Only descendants of Thanatos, the Old God of Death, are able to use and be chosen by the System. At least that is what Adam told us, anyway." 

Yin just stared off into oblivion, taking it all in. He had a blank expression on his face. "You do not seem surprised, Yin. Did you know this ahead of time already?" Luken asked. "N-No, this is the first time that I have known of it, sir Luken. It is just surreal to me. If I had not been carrying the bloodline of an Old God, where would I still be right now? I really expected that the System only came to my hands because of something that I had control over. Because I was special in my own way or efforts, maybe somewhere, somehow, divinity intervened and saw that I was worthy of giving such a gift. As it turns out, I only got the System because of a blood relation to some God I barely even know of." A noticeable sadness plagued Yin's face as he said that.

Luken threw his cigarette outside the window and took a long hard look at Yin. "There is nothing wrong with that Yin, nothing at all. Think about it, now, you have the System, there is so many things that you can do with that power, it is all yours now. That is what matters." The Commander's words still did not bright up Yin's mood, and his own would be devastated after hearing what his pupil would say next. "When I accepted the System's request to 'merge' with my own soul, it gave me a year left to live before Thanatos would be reborn in my body, killing my soul in the process in replacement for his." Yin said with a down and sad tone.

"H-How many months do you have left, since when did you accept that wager from the System, Yin?" The Commander followed up with another question. "I only have about ten months and a couple of days left, sir. I still do not know what Thanatos would do when he is resurrected in my body." Luken sighed and proceeded to tell Yin about the entire history of Thanatos and his beloved whom was burnt in front of him. It was a tale that was left forgotten by the passing of time, to the point that people now treat it as some kind of fairytale or myth that had no grip with the truth whatsoever. 

But little did they actually know, it was a story that was grounded in reality. As real as the headless Slayers that are not even brought back to Niflheim after a failed expedition outside the Gates. "What do you think, sir, can we still gamble on the fact that Thanatos would be on our side when he comes back?" Yin was worried now, he had expected that Thanatos would be someone who would fight the Angels, but after remembering the many times that the Angels and Seraphims called him 'Thanatos' that was when he realized it. He spoke up before the Commander could answer him.

"Shit." Yin clicked his tongue. "Judging from what you have said, it seems like Thanatos only really cares about his beloved, and has no time for petty squabbles like what we have going on right now. It is going to be dangerous…" After Luken had fully absorbed the fact that Yin would no longer be here after ten months, he was still hoping that there would be some kind of spell to undo what Yin just gambled on.

He shook his head in disapproval. "Why did you even accept such a risky gamble like that?!" He wanted to know from Yin, the Commander was so frustrated that he raised his own voice without realizing it. "Because if not for the System, I would not even have awakened my Anima Cells! I do not want to be working in the farmlands no matter how honorable it might be! It is not that I despised life there, it is just that I think I would be able to do more if I had the chance to fight in the frontlines! I mean take a look at Suna, she has no Anima cells and even she is risking her neck out there in the battlefield. If I did not accept the wager and have the System merge with my soul, then my lightning affinity would be gone forever! Is it really such a sin for someone like me to chase this opportunity to do something meaningful in my life?" Yin exclaimed. 

Luken realized that he did not really get what was at stake and had not considered the fact that Yin Sohaya did not have Anima cells before getting the System, he was inconsiderate and never really thought about life without his powers and affinities, because that was the default for him. There was never a time in his life wherein he did not have Slayer abilities. 

He realized that he was insensitive and was not considering Yin's feelings at all before asking such a question. "I-I am sorry, Yin. I should have thought of all the factors before asking you why you did it." The Commander apologized to Yin. "N-No, Commander, you do not need to apologize at all, in fact, it should be me, I have no right to raise my voice at you." Yin said as he looked down. Their conversation was disrupted by Gavin, who walked in on them talking. "I heard some people shouting and stuff, so I got up to see what the commotion was all about. What's up with you two?" He asked as he held some sort of stack of papers cheaply sewn to look like a book, it was titled 'The Green Knight of Niflheim.'

"I told Yin everything, Gavin." Luken said. "Good, he deserves to know. Are you alright, Yin?" The Serpent Summoner, instead of asking him a volley of questions right off the bat, instead wanted to make sure that he was fine. Yin was touched by his genuineness. "I am now, Gavin. Sorry to wake you up." Gavin shook his head in response. "Even though I was trying my hardest invite sleep to my consciousness, it never really came. I just ended up reading these discount 'books' that I wrote when I was a kid. "This particular one was about my brother. I really thought he would be called the 'Green Knight' when he was still young. But that name never really stuck to him. Heh." Gavin chuckled slightly.

"Fill me in on the details later, or perhaps it can wait until tomorrow. I would be fine with that. For now, you both need to get some shuteye so you can tell me and the others about everything, are we clear on that?" Gavin asked. Both Yin and Luken did not want to incur the Serpent Summoner's drowsy anger, so they both agreed to continue what they talked about tomorrow and in time to tell the other Six Blades members. They waved goodnight to Gavin as they got back to the room and fount that Suna, Zach, and Oliver were already passed out on the floor.