Chapter 128: The Frontlines

Chapter 128: The Frontlines

"I don't know all the details, but your friends caused trouble at the Kuro Clan compound, and as a result, they were sent to the front lines by the elders. Technically, they're no longer students as the Kuro Clan heavily 'suggested' that they no longer attend the Exorcist Academy and go straight to war," explained Professor Chain.

I was puzzled. How did those two get themselves into trouble like that? I worried because the frontlines of the human army had been decimated by demons, leaving only a handful of survivors. "Myron, you stay here with the exorcist. Carpy and I will go and deal with the bad guys.

However, Myron didn't seem to care about my opinion and instead hugged Carpy, wrapping his small arms around the snake-like tail.

"I don't want you to go," Myron whispered, his voice barely audible.

I was surprised. I never realized they were that close, but I was happy for Carpy. He was learning to interact with humans better.

Carpys lip tilted upward into something that approximated a smile. He formed a human-shaped hand made of water and ruffled Myrons hair. "I have to go."

"Can I come with you?" Myron asked eagerly.

Carpy looked at me as if seeking my approval, but I just shrugged and shook my head. It was too cute for me to get involved.

Although Carpy was skilled at slicing demons and humans to shreds, he wasn't used to interactions like this. But his discomfort was entertaining to me. Deep down, behind his cold coal-like eyes, was the gaze of a small but kind fish.

Carpy's smile softened. "Not yet, Myron. You're still too young and inexperienced. But when you grow up and become a strong exorcist, we will meet again."

Myron nodded, his lower lip quivering. As Carpy and I prepared to leave, Myron watched the floating fish with a heavy heart.

"Don't worry, Myron. Goodbyes are only temporary. We will meet again, and next time, Carpy might even become a bigger dragon," I reassured him.

The kid nodded, and although we were too far away to hear it, whatever he said made Professor Chain smile. I nudged Carpy and said, "You now have someone waiting for you to come back, so don't waste your life and be a bit more selfish."

"Whatever you say, Master Kon," Carpy replied in his usual nonchalant tone.

Just from his voice, I knew that what I said had gone in one ear and out the other.

Wait, do fish even have ears?

The others at the table didn't protest, but one of the Special Exorcists, a stunning woman with violet hair and green eyes, glared at me as if she loathed me.

What had I done to earn her animosity? She was the Star Exorcist, and I had never met her before. Could it be because of my clan? I hoped that my clan had not caused any harm to someone she cherished, or else I would be in a perilous situation.

After discussing my role in the war and where to locate my tent, I exited the command tent. Carpy, who had likely overheard everything, greeted me silently.

Our tent was similar to others, with no unique features to distinguish it from the rest. It was a strategic move by the leaders to prevent anyone from locating the commanders.

As I approached my tent, I saw four futons, indicating that it was a communal space. However, there were no personal belongings, and no one else was inside, making it evident that the tent was all mine.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't our elusive team leader," Gem's voice called out as he poked his head into the tent. "Also, not to be rude, but your cousin is a lunatic."

"You met her?" I asked, relieved to see an old friend. Even though we hadn't seen each other for a while, Gem and I would always greet each other as if we had coffee together yesterday and were already tired of each other.

"Yeah, she and my sister apparently know each other," he sighed and plopped down on one of the futons.

You have like ten or twenty sisters, all of different ages. You saying Delia is friends with one of your sisters doesn't really narrow it down, I teased Gem, a grin on my face. Despite his occasional hot-headedness, he always managed to keep me entertained.

"I doubt you know any of them, but you might have heard of one by reputation. The one known as the dagger of the Kuro Clan," he replied, his expression turning serious.

Delia and Natalia? I think that was her name. Those two were a bad combination of psychos. They were both known to be dangerous, so I couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of trouble they could get into together.

"What was Delia doing meeting up with your sister?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"It's a complicated story," Gem said, clearly hesitant to delve into the details. But I peered at him like a hawk, and he finally sighed and gave in under pressure.

The bastard was going to tell me from the beginning, but he liked to start arguments for no reason; he thrived on them. Well, apparently-

BOOOM!!... Without warning, a deafening explosion shattered the air, sending shockwaves through the ground beneath us. The force of the blast was so intense that it knocked the tent right over our heads, leaving us exposed to the open sky. As I looked up, I saw the cloudless blue sky for a brief moment before a shower of debris rained down upon us, covering us in dust and rubble.

The ground beneath us tumbled and shook as if an earthquake had struck. I could feel the earth shifting and buckling beneath my feet, threatening to throw me off balance. The sound of the explosion still ringing in my ears, I struggled to regain my bearings and assess the damage.

As the dust began to settle, I saw that the area around us had completely transformed. Trees were uprooted and scattered like toothpicks, and the ground was scarred and pitted with craters. The sky was filled with smoke and dust, obscuring the sun and casting an eerie orange glow over everything.