Following the conclusion of the Captain's lengthy speech, the illusory screens in front of him cut off. After which, he marched toward Fort EastWind's eastern exit. Marching right along behind him were the few dozen mbers of Platoon 49. Their thunderous footsteps resounded within the confines of the Fort until they sounded no more, with the Platoon mbers stepping outside the Fort.
— After half an hour of fast-paced marching —
Platoon 49's Captain raised his hand, its back facing the rest of the Platoon. This was the signal to stop. And doing just that, the Platoon ca to a sudden halt.
"That over there is the Shallow Crater," said the Captain, motioning to the seemingly limitless expanse of blackened land sitting just a few feet below surface level. "Before we start encountering the Nightwalkers, we're going to split up our Platoon into five squads. We're to do so in the exact order I previously specified. That ans you, you, and you will go in that direction. Whereas you, you, and you…"
He went on to reiterate the mbers of each temporary squad. Everyone quickly got together with who they were supposed to. They now awaited his next orders.
"Hmm," the Captain said as he scanned over the various Nightmare Slayers. When his eyes t Cassius's eyes, however, the latter saw sothing that further cented his suspicions.
It may have been for only the briefest of monts, but the Captain had definitely emitted killing intent. A massive quantity of it at that.
'There must be quite the large reward waiting on the Captain once I'm taken care of,' Cassius thought, his suspicions already the truth in his mind. 'I guess I'll nicely ask him who's filling his pockets when I get around to it. I'm sure to discover so interesting things.'
"You all better be prepared for what's to co," shouted the Captain, spit flying everywhere. "No matter if you're in the 3rd Class Slayer or 2nd Class Slayer Rank, it matters not! In the face of the more powerful Nightwalkers, you'll die nonetheless! You must rember to complete this mission as silently and as… covertly as possible."
He montarily looked at Cassius while saying that, clearly hinting at sothing. Many others in the Platoon also looked at him in the sa way, greed having long since gone to their heads.
"With all that being said!" the Captain shouted, dramatically waving his hand from his right side to his front side. "Comnce Operation 'Rescue the 15th Royal Princess'!!"
HOOOORAAAHH!!
Everyone hoorahed before going their separate ways, each moving together with their squadron.
'I truly am interested to see how this all plays out,' Cassius thought, concealing a wide, almost sadistic grin. 'This land of danger… It surprises more and more with each passing day. I hope this day will be no different.'
He was itching for a good fight. Soone just had to give it to him.
As long as they were strong, anyone… anyone at all would do.
— ~10 Minutes Later —
SHING!
"Scacaca—!!"
"That's another one down," said a dark-armored Nightmare Slayer of Cassius's squad. "I reckon I've slain more than 20 of them by now, haha!"
"Only 20!?" a different dark-armored Slayer retorted. "Your rank is the sa as mine—5th Stage 3rd Class Slayer—and yet you've only killed half the amount I've taken down!? What a joke!"
"Hwa!? You itching for a fight, fatty!?"
"Puh!" the other Slayer spat. "If we were to have a go, then by the end of it, I'd have you calling daddy instead of fatty, you bastard!"
"Be quiet, you two," an icy voice commanded, his words instantly silencing both of them. "Do not forget that we're supposed to be maintaining a low profile. That ans you're to shut up and save your pointless quibblings for when the mission has been completed."
The two head-butting Slayers shot one last scornful look at each other before clicking their tongues and returning to their slaughterfest. They also seed to mumble, "Yeah, the mission… Of course, the mission…" while glaring at Cassius with well-hidden killing intent.
Cassius, on the other hand, pretended not to notice how they looked at him when, in actuality, he saw and understood the nuances behind every bit of it. Just like in the most recent last few minutes, the stares of those around him beca progressively more open and carefree.
It was obvious to Cassius that they were about to make a move on him.
But, playing the part of the ignorant and naive newbie to perfection, he continued killing the Nightwalkers with his guard around them lowered. However, to truly embody the role he was playing, he feigned a struggle against the Nightwalkers, which garnered even more venomous glares from those around him.
'Should be any minute now,' Cassius thought. 'I do wonder if we're actually accomplishing anything by being here, though. A truly intriguing situation I've found myself in.'
The tall, 8-foot, lanky Nightwalkers were slain by him and the other mbers of his squad as they ceaselessly advanced forward. Seeing as the Nightwalkers were generally incapable of grouping together and aimlessly wandered until first attacked, they made for easy prey to those in the 3rd Class Slayer Rank.
And luckily for them, the stronger and more proactive Nightwalkers had not appeared just yet. This ant the mbers of Platoon 49 had little to no external problems to worry about when preparing for what was to co next...
Exchanging glances between one another, the strongest among them—a 1st Stage 2nd Class Slayer, one of the Platoon's Vice Captains—secretly signaled out to soone away from where they were. Footsteps then sounded out from behind nurous boulders in all directions.
And there they appeared—the rest of Platoon 49—all staring at the emotionless Cassius like his sentence had already been set in stone.
"You really are a fool, kid!" the Platoon Captain shouted, his smile evilly twisted. "To have accepted your reassignnt so easily and then not even so much as openly question why you were imdiately deployed… You're either extrely courageous or you're the biggest fool alive."
"...."
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