Thanatos System

As the remaining Slayers marched on the road back towards Niflheim, rain started to pour.

They took shelter inside a cave they happened to stumble upon.

Gavin gathered some dry wood outside and brought it to the cave to make a campfire.

It was five in the afternoon now.

The whole operation from the journey to the ruined city down to the Angel's extermination took up half of their day.

Everyone sat around the fire and kept themselves warm.

Yin was still upset that he was not able to defeat the winged beast as early as possible.

He was blaming himself for the deaths of his fellow Slayers.

"I-I'm really sorry about Vinny, ma'am."

Yin turned towards the emissary, Isabelle's direction.

"He died as an honorable soldier. Never backed down against an adversary a hundred times stronger than he was. Not only him, but every single one of those people we left who fought there. You did well, Yin."

She was obviously grieving over her brother's death.

"Vinny fought well. He really did."

Suna added.

"I know he did. Listen, I don't want to burden you guys more than you currently carry on your shoulders. But you've seen what happened with your own two eyes. The fact of the matter is that they all made a collective decision that they would sacrifice themselves for you. That and their rage also blinded them. The ones who survived that fight will forever live a life that is heavier than most. A life that those forty kids deemed worth more than their own."

The emissary said with a sad expression.

Even with the grief she was currently dealing with, she still maintained her professionality.

"So, Isabelle, why did the High Council send dozens of kids in an operation they knew would not end well for them? You at least owe an explanation to every single one of us here."

Cosette asked her in an interrogative voice.

"The main reason I'm here is because of my age. They probably thought that an A-ranked sixteen-year-old was just a fluke. Imagine if I wasn't as strong as I am now? I'd be a lifeless corpse in the ruins of a city by now."

She added while staring straight into the emissary's eyes.

"I-I really don't know. Even if I did, that would be classified information. But trust me, I really don't. All I was told was to instruct the Slayers present that the Commander and the Serpent Summoner was not allowed to engage in combat."

Her confident demeanor suddenly cracked.

Perhaps she was telling the truth, after all.

"You know, me and Gavin were prepared to disobey orders if my Six Blades underlings were about to be fatally injured. I could have jumped down any time and exterminated that thing in thirty seconds. Or let Gavin do it in a minute."

Luken said.

"So why didn't you?!"

Yin retorted with frustration in his voice.

"The Higher Council would use that as a leverage to gain custody of you. There's no knowing what they would do to you. Yin, you awakened at eighteen years of age, nothing like that has ever happened before. Throw in the fact that you have superhuman decay capabilities which is not a power that a single Slayer even possesses right now, and you have a recipe for life under the dungeons or being dissected alive."

Gavin responded.

"Isn't that right, Isabelle?"

Luken now met the emissary's gaze.

She did not mutter a single word.

Instead, Isabelle just looked down in shame.

Because that's what the High Council would probably do.

"Your superiors are so frightened of things they don't know. Without thinking for the briefest of moments that this might help us understand and actually fight these monsters plaguing the world right now!"

Yin shouted back.

Suna did her best and held him down.

Even if Yin wanted to break loose, he couldn't.

She was as strong as ever.

He backed down and resumed sitting.

The entire atmosphere's mood was now dark and gloomy.

Everyone just wanted the rain to stop pouring so they can go home.

"About that Alan or Adam guy or something, something's been bugging me since then. Why does he have wings?"

Cosette asked.

Gavin glared at Isabelle.

She just nodded.

"Luken?"

The Commander sighed.

"Well, I guess we're going to have to tell them at some point."

Gavin cleared his throat.

Luken stood up and went outside to light a cigarette in the cold rainy night.

"That 'guy', Adam Rosa, is a traitor. Two years ago, he planned to massacre every single member of the Six Blades. He killed Luken's sister and two other members. After that, he fled outside of Niflheim. His current location is unknown. But scouts have reported that he's been sighted with Angels. The off-putting fact is that they were not in combat, no, they were not. Adam was said to be ordering them himself."

"W-what? Why would the Angels listen to a human? Let alone make him command them? And why would he murder his fellow members? I mean this guy was your leader, right?

Yin was dumbfounded.

"I still don't know exactly why or how. I also don't know what drove him to kill half of the Six Blades one night. Even after two years passed by, it still feels unreal. He taught Luken and I everything we know. Adam was a kind person. Why did he turn traitor all of a sudden? I still don't know, but I'd like to."

Gavin cleared his throat again.

He was now clearly on the verge of tears for reliving something as painful as this memory.

"What he did was unforgivable. We all looked up to him, you know? Then one day he just decides to murder nearly all of us and vanish. That's what I don't get, did he know something we didn't? That still doesn't excuse the fact that his hands are drenched with the blood of his friends, his family. That person is no longer the Adam Rosa me and Luken knew from the olden days. And it is very painful to accept that reality."

"You know I've read about you guys, both you and the Commander. But I haven't read anything regarding what happened to the Six Blades other members, the official books said that they were either killed in combat or left."

Cosette said with a sad expression.

"Just how strong is Adam, Gavin? He made two S and SS-ranked slayers look like lowly Goblins when you fought."

"Adam Rosa has the highest Anima Cell count out of every single Slayer born in the last one thousand years. The closest currently in action Slayer would be The Basilisk Slayer. He's like three times as strong as Luken, the last time I checked, that is. He's called the Reaper for a reason."

Everyone's jaw dropped both in fear and worry.

Why did someone as strong as Adam rebel against the High Council and sided with the Angels who were supposed to be the ones threatening humanity's very survival?

"Him vanishing is the sole reason why the Slayer Corps is no longer as strong as it once was. Well, I'm only giving you a summary of what happened and whatnot. You guys do know what the protocol is once you stumble upon him is, right?"

Suna raised her hand.

Gavin pointed at her which prompted her to stand up.

"To run on sight, sir."

"Yes, that's right. Even with all the existing S or more ranked Slayers still active right now, I'd say he would be able to kill most of us before we take him down. It also explains just how strong Luken is. I mean the Reaper himself taught him."

"And that's going to be his undoing. I'll kill him myself."

Luken said.

He was soaking wet.

His expression was pure, unadulterated bloodlust.

"I'm going to kill him using everything he taught me. Every move, every skill, every spell."

"C-Commander Luken… you're scaring the children."

Yin pointed out.

The Water Slayer twins were now frightened.

Shakingly trembling on their feet.

Cosette approached them slowly.

"Let's go explore the cave, guys! I'm sure there's a treasure or two somewhere around here, you want to help me look for it?"

She purposefully distracted them.

To which they obliged and nodded.

The twins followed her deeper into the cave as Cosette carried a torch which lit their way.

"Luken. What if we tried to communicate with Adam? I'd like to hear personally from his side and point of view."

"We're way past the point of talking, Gavin. Once he ran his scythe through my sister, I knew he was too far gone."

The emissary called their attention.

"Attention, any sort of attempt to try and establish contact with the rogue Slayer code named 'Fallen Reaper' will be seen as an act of treason. Please choose your words wisely next time."

Isabelle lectured them.

"Why did he kill them? What drove him to that point?"

Yin asked.

Gavin locked his eyes with Yin's.

"You might have forgotten it but we discussed this at the hideout."

Yin and Suna were sweating from their temple.

"He read ancient texts which answered why Thanatos was enraged at the New Gods."