Chapter 8

"Dammit, more nobles." Guren says, holding his wounded shoulder. "We have no choice, everyone, prepare to retreat!" He shouts. We all looked at him in shock, none of us had expected lieutenant Guren to give us such a command."We can't just leave! Mika is my family, I won't leave him with these monsters!" Yu argues.Guren grunts in frustration, "you are willing to let your comrades die for a vampire?" He argues back. Yu stills. "Let's go Yu." Shinoa says, a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.With that said everyone starts running. Since I had made my way to the back earlier I'm suddenly almost in the front of the whole group. I slow down a bit, realizing it is better if I stick close to my squad but enough in the middle of the group to not be easily spotted, or so I hoped at least. Why is this vampire making me overthink all this, it's frustrating."Retreat! Keep formation and retreat to the second defense line!" Guren shouts orders. But the vampires had started attacking, forcing the main group to break up. I had to stay with my squad no matter what, it didn't matter anymore if that stupid blood sucker with a braid saw me or not, I needed to focus on getting all of us out of here alive."Looks like they won't let us retreat no matter what." I hear one of our soldiers say to their comrades. "Then I guess we'll have to just kill all of them." Another replies. Everyone scatters, we try out bests to stay together but there are so many vampires that we are forced apart. I swing my staff left and right, I lost count as to how many vampires I had killed already. For every bloodsucker I slay another two seem to pop up. I can't let any of my new comrades die no matter what. They have received me with open arms and no judgement, I need to protect them. I hear someone scream in pain somewhere, I a soldier of ours falling to the ground, dead. I suddenly see my old friends getting killed before me again, Tomo's head being crushed between the asphalt and a noble's shoe. His brains and pieces of his skull splattering everywhere. I see Shino and Eli being drained of life as the vampires drank them dry, all the while crying. And I see Kenji, poor Kenji, jumping in front of me to protect me from the other noble's sword. It had pierced him right through the heart. An attack that had been meant for me. I shake my head, trying to lock the memory away again. I won't let that happen.I take swiftly down enemy after enemy, all falling victim to my new found anger and hatred for them. But as the battle goes on I'm getting more and more exhausted, my muscles screaming at me to stop moving, my lungs begging me to pause and take a breath, but I press on. The lives of both me and my squad depends on it. I won't allow them to kill my comrades or turn them into livestock, even if it meant killing every single vampire on this planet, then so be it. I finally reach Yoichi and Shinoa, the two of them look just as breathless as me."Are you okay?" Shinoa asks me ask she slices a vampire in two with her gear. "Hanging in there." I say, giving her a grin. She smiles back at me over her should, but a new vampire soon emerges and takes her attention. I take on another vampire, swinging my staff down as hard as I can after having dodged an attack from her sword. I cut her arm clean off. Although I know this won't kill her it stuns her enough to give Yoichi time to shoot an arrow straight through her head. She turns into ash. I glance at him to thank him but he's already looking for his next target.I get a moment to breath, I scan the area and soon notice I can't find Yu. I quickly turn to Shinoa, "where's Yu?" She kills another vampire and turns to me, she points behind me. I turn to look, there on the roof of a gas station, I see Yu together with Mika. They aren't fighting. Yu doesn't seem to be in any danger for the moment so I return to battle, taking out two more vampires who made the mistake of approaching me. "We'll hello there, I told you I would be seeing you again." A voice says somewhere behind me. I shudder, already knowing who it is without having to turn around. Still I do so, together with Yoichi and Shinoa. Kimizuki had by now also joined the team again and was facing Crowley and his two comrades with us. Crowleys piercing red eyes immediately found mine. "This time I won't let you get away." He says cooly.