Chapter 34: Wives (Unedited/Incomplete)
Cashel stepped away from Rain when the heat was intense, he thrust his dagger into the wall and hung off it, keeping himself away from the fire, and he made a mental note.
’The flash bangs have significant effects of awakeners, even S rankers,’ he thought and glanced at Lionface who had his head turned to his direction. ’He should know this right?’ he wondered but quickly turned his attention back to Rain.
She was glaring at him with literal fire burning in her eyes. But her ears were bleeding, staining her white suit.
Cashel smirked, "How do you feel general?"
General Rain smirked sinisterly and spat out blood, there was a bullet wound in her arm and abdomen. But before the blood could soak her suit more, she sealed them wounds and spat out another handful of blood.
She brushed off the brunt rope and exhaled, smoke leaving her mouth and nose. "This is why I was skeptical about her getting married," Cashel raised a brow. "Who would have thought she’d marry a troublesome pest."
Cashel laughed, "I’m flattered, General."
Rain didn’t even let him finish before hurling a ball of fire at him.
He pulled his dagger out of the wall as she dodged the fire and landed on the ground with a soft thud. More balls of fire came at him without rest.
Left, right, up, down.
Cashel just moved rapidly, sidesteps, back flips and short sprints. The Shadow step card was still active but the timer was shorter now.
[5:30:40]
He scoffed behind his mask, under his breath before reaching for the other flang bang. He charged at her, but paused the moment the heat around her grew intense that he could see the intensity.
Cashel snickered, "You scared?"
Rain returned his smile, "Anyone would be scared of a pest like you, but may I remind you, I’m a general for a reason!"
Almost immediately, fire poured out from her body, gradually filling up the space within the barrier. Cashel leapt back, far away from the heat.
The growing flames and heat was restricting him from going closer. He frowned, clenched his jaw as his mind worked to think of something.
Resorting to his last methods, he unfastened the flash bang from his body and threw it at her, right into the flames.
The moment the device made contact with the flames it exploded filling the chamber with a blinding light once again and loud ear splitting sounds that got even Lionface shutting his eyes.
The fire fanned out almost instantly and within in Rain stood there motionless, her head lowered and ear pouring from her ears rapidly.
Cashel paused, concern replacing his features when he saw her. He hurried over to her side, his dagger still gripped tightly in his hand.
"General?"
Rain didn’t answer, but her body swayed slightly. Cashel reached out and caught her before she could fall, both hands placed on her shoulder to steady her.
"Hey."
Rain’s head lifted, heer eyes were still burning red and Cashel immediately stepped back.
"Ah."
A fist passed through the space where his face had been.
He ducked instinctively, stepped back even further.
Rain’s fists stopped against the space behind him, but her fist created energy that punched clean right through the wall. For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Then Cashel slowly straightened up and let out a breath of relief, "You’re fine."
Rain’s lips twitched, "Did you think I was dying?"
"No."
"You looked concerned."
"I was checking whether I had accidentally killed my commanding general."
Rain stared at him and she stared back, after a brief second, she laughed. Her voice qas roughly and slightly strained, followed by another cough that brought a think line of blood to the corner of her mouth.
"That’s a terrible excuse."
Cashel narrowed his eyes, "I wasn’t joking."
"I know."
She pulled her fist away from the wall and wiped the blood from beneath her ear. The bleeding had already begun to slow down, which was a relief.
Suddenly, the large screen above the platform flickered, turning on.
[Recalculating under combat conditions...]
[Class signatures fluctuating...]
[Rank range provisional: –S]
[Warning: Possible demotion pathway detected under prolonged observation]
Murmurs exploded across the observation deck. And a voice said, half in disbelief, "Another S-rank. And it falls straight into Lionface’s hands again."
Lionface himself only grinned behind his mask, and he tapped his staff on the ground deactivating the barrier before turning around to make his way back to the observation deck.
Cashel saw the same public readout everyone else did. At the same time his system window overlaid a different truth.
[Actual Classification: SSS+]
[Class Fluctuation Stabilising...]
[Primary Combat Specialisation Confirmed, Title: Human Target Elimination]
Nathan stared at the private feed only he and Cashel could see. He slowly removed his glasses, wiped them with the edge of his sleeve, and looked again.
The SSS+ rank remained.
He exhaled a short, almost disbelieving laugh, "Well," Nathan said, voice carrying amusement clearly through the speakers, "I’ll be damned."
He pressed a sequence of keys. The chamber light returned and the calculation stopped.
Nathan’s voice returned, "Congratulations, Cashel Altar. Provisional S for the official records. The rest stays between the rest of us for now."
Cashel nodded and returned his weapons back to his inventory and deactivated the card.
Rain had already moved toward the edge of the chamber. She wiped the remaining blood from beneath her nose and looked toward the observation deck.
"So," she said, "S-rank."
Cashel shrugged. "Apparently."
"You don’t sound impressed."
"I was expecting more." Cashel intentionally sounded disappointed but in truth he was excited and concerned for some reason.
Rain laughed under her breath. "You’re going to be a problem."
Nathan descended from the observation deck, still staring at the readings on a tablet in his arms.
"Get some rest," he said. "The official report will be sent tonight. Don’t expect anyone to leave you alone after this."
Cashel groaned. He retrieved his jacket and dagger before leaving the chamber.
---
By the time Cashel returned home, it was already night, and apparently Amia had gone home before him.
He unlocked the door and stepped inside only to notice the house was unusually silent and he couldn’t sense Andeen.
"Andeen?" he called but there was no answer.
Cashel frowned, already lifting his guards.as he walked deeper into the house, hoping he wasn’t having another visitor again.
But then he spotted her in the dining area, staring at her laptop screen with her hands hovering over the keys. She was wrapped in a blanket, her hair tied in a neat bun and a headphone on her head.
Cashel relaxed, he carefully walked over to her, stepped in front of her and leaned in, making her lift her gaze. "How was your check up?"
Andeen remained for a moment, she scanned him from head to toe then she smiled, "You look like you had fun," she said, her eyes softening. "I heard you had to go for reassement."
Cashel chuckled and nodded, he glanced at the laptop screen. Displayed right there was all the records of dungeon for ten years.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
He turned back to her, "How are your ears now?" He asked, slightly guilty because he was the reason she had to go for check ups.
Andeen smiled softly, "Fine, just don’t use grenades around me next time."
Cashel nodded as she straightened up and began heading for the stairs.
Andeen’s eyes followed him, narrowing slightly.
"Have you had dinner?"
"Not yet," she answered.
"Alright let me get cleaned up and I’ll make dinner." He said and made his way upstairs.
Ten minutesnlater, he stepped out of the bathroom with a bath robe on, another towel wrapped around his hair. He walked past the master’s bedroom to the stairs and spotted Andeen on the bed, sleeping peacefully.
He paused right there, a small smile appearing on his lips, then he continued ahead, only to freeze just before the stairs.
Andeen was standing on the second floor hallway staring outside the large window.
Cashel blinked, "Didn’t you just..." He glanced back at the bedroom door.
She smiled, "Just what?"