Chapter 78 - 76

Before it turns dark completely dark we approach the door and pass towards the other side, and as the big door locks behind us, with many soldiers pointing their guns inside for any crazy ghouls who may try to get in, they take the remaining light with them as, with one last click, the safe bright side is closed out from us, leaving only the growing darkness of the night unfolding in our path.

Not for me anyway, I'm actually quite satisfied without the light since my red sight is much better at night, and much better than that terrible human eyesight.

"Group, assemble." All the others, attentive to the city and now wary of their surroundings, stopping with idle chat and jokes now, all come together, standing in a circle with no blind spots, only two left out to watch the streets as the Captain talks:

"We will separate in groups of four as follows: Pirate with Reaper, Crazy Hound with Sniper, Gunner with Gutter and I'll go with Abomination. We are all to cover one side of the city and converge at its center, that way we have better chances of cleaning up as much as possible while not giving the ghouls space to ambush us from behind. I know is hard, especially with so few of us, but we will do our part and help out the best we can, understood?"

"Yes sir!" 

"You too." He says, and after a second I realize that it was me he was talking to.

Really now Asher? Though our relationship is past this point, now I have to salute you too? Nah, I'm good, I think while raising my eyebrows at him.

He narrows his eyes at my defying behavior, but he did not think it would be easy to work with me like it is with his soldiers right? Letting it pass Asher starts explaining the plan in more detail, showing on their devices the places each group would cover, and not long after all the small groups separate and go on their ways.

And yet we stand there at the front door for a while, which makes me look back at Asher.

"…You know why I brought my team here, even though we are outnumbered and barely able to cover enough ground in this city to help out at all?" I have my doubts, but I don't think he wants to hear them.

"Because you will clean this up for us." Up, that it is, thought so. "I will cover our part alone, I want you to cover the entire city and kill every single ghoul." 

That's a pain in the ass. "All?" I simply say.

"What? Too much to ask of you? As I thought, it may be too much for you to handle on your own…"

Wait wait wait, hold on a second, these ghouls are nothing against me, and for him to ever think they could give me trouble…

"No trouble, easy, easy." I say, puffing my chest out, but he ignores my bravado and says: 

"Then perhaps you may want to activate those blades of yours." At that he looks down at the swords I borrowed from their place, and reaching out he takes the blade in hands, gazing at the silver almost passable crystal at the metal, turning it towards me so I could see as he shows:

"The handle here has a little trigger that you can press down on and will activate the crystal, making so that the already sharp blade will be embedded by its force. Without it, you won't be able to cut the ghouls down. Since you need a quick activation the button is easy to access, but it can cut the scabbarded when activated, so be careful not to sheath it while on. To deactivate it you press the top of the handle at the pommel." 

It is an easy and very simple device, but fundamental to be effective against ghouls. 

So, thinking about it, I look out into the empty eerie streets and back at him.

If he is putting this task on my shoulders, does it mean the others are here only to keep the appearances up?

And it doesn't mean that I do not need to follow his plan, as long as I get rid of all the ghouls in here?

"…Why I help?" I say, crossing my arms and raising my eyebrows, as to ask why would I bother with such bothersome task anyway?

However I knew that it would not be that easy to have it my way, so Asher only stares back at me, his own way of saying that my question was so stupid that was not even worth answering.

I think some cold captain is too used to having things his way, it makes me want to change that even more.

His plan seems somewhat solid, with some outnumbering problems that should not be simply ignored but there was nothing he could really do about it, however there is one major problem in it that I could not let pass.

That is… that I would have to leave him alone in a dangerous zone, and I'm not about to find out the limits of this contract no thank you.

That makes me turn to look at him, his light blue eyes, black hair, the permanent closed expression on his face, the tender meat beneath… And something about looking at him always gives me the desire to act out, because where is the fun in obeying him at all when I can get on his nerves? 

So at first I start following him, not going out and about into hunting the ghouls as he wished, but standing back to watch over him but close enough for him to see that I was still following.

As soon as he turns to command me back in action, however, a shop on the side explodes with glass and wood as a ghoul dashes right up towards him, and using his gun and quick reflexes he manages to hit it on the shoulder, but without the killing blow the ghoul still manages to reach him and damp his impeccable uniform his guts and saliva, locking him on the ground.

I sigh, knowing that Asher is a strong man and knows how to care of himself, only that now is in my interest to keep him safe, so his security is of my utmost concern.

So I get closer and give a solid kick at the ghoul, who howls in pain as his bones give way under the force of my boot, and the moment he hits the floor and tries to cover his side Asher takes aim and makes his head explode.

Only then Asher looks at me, but I try that innocent smile again.

It doesn't seem very effective though, for he gets even angrier at me. Well, sorry for carrying about you, I mean, carrying about my own safety here you know?

Self-preservation is a must! Is only that you are now included in it.

At that I give a genuine smile, but he only stands up and turns his back at me.

Oh boy someone seems moody today, nothing like killing some ghouls to relax I would say.

So that's just what we are up on doing the entire night.