The story takes place after Ch. 267^^
The Decision
Minutes have passed since the man started his ride from the elevator to reach the basement. Even this few minutes holds the importance of an eternity as his actions will decide the fate of many. He wonders how shameless will he look... when he will plead to ask a favour. He wonders what he can do to make the moment less embarassing. His body is sweating and his black eyes are filled with nothing but tears. He can't stop himself from crying , and he pinch himself with his black nails to calm himself. He knows that the man will agree like it's not a big deal, but he knows the reality. That man have already used much of his life in less than a year, and when he finally decided to rest and have a short sleep, he shamelessly decided to wake him up. He isn't asking him for protection, he's asking him for his life...
The elevator has stopped and the ringing sound reminded him that he's reached the destination floor. He steps out of the elevator and the elevator closes its metallic door. The man starts to move forward. His speed reduces to that of a turtle because he knows what he want to do is unforgivable. Even if it's few seconds, he wants to increase the time that man sleeps and recovers. But! He don't have much time! Even this few seconds can reduce everything to nothing. He knows this is the last resort.
An analytical person like him have resorted to everything he can, but with no possible solution. The automatic spy cameras in both the locations have already answered him how severe and hopeless the situation is. He knows that recklessly charging towards the location of battle is nothing but foolishness. And which location should he go to? One is hell and another is underworld. Both of them are impossible situations. The Boss whom he called amazing is reaching his limit in the every passing second. Miss Seira whose strength he has never doubted was on her knees from the time he started to analyze the battle. Another clan leader, Ragar Kertia, is also near his defeat. What about the enemy? None of them is completly exhausted. The cyborg elder who looks like a revived zombie have suffered the most damage, but the other two are completly fine. They are enjoying their battle with Boss and Kertia Clan Leader.
Other situation? It's nothing good. He now understood how optimistic they were after their few days of training. They were planning to take on elders, but now they have been defeated by small fries. M-21 is still in shock from learning about the existence of a man who dared to use his dead friend's name and memories. The childrens life is on line, and even though Yuri & co. are exhausted thanks to the efforts of RK, those villains have more than enough strength to kill Raizel Knights. Judging from their looks, they don't plan to leave them alone even though they got the data they want, of course fake, but they have yet to realize it. They want to take them to Union so that their bodies can be researched, and now children are of no use to them. Perhaps they will use children for stress relief. Can the situation be more worse then this?
The man has reached the door of shrine. He enters the chamber, and undo the protection measures taken by Miss Seira on the orders of Boss. Normally, no one would be able to reach the coffin where he sleeps due to the nature of protection the shrine holds, but the housemates knows the way to undo it. Boss didn't hided anything from them as he trusted them, but now that trust was going to be shattered to countless pieces. But the man is unsure. He can't decide which decision is the best for both present & future. On one side are his comrades and childrens whom he loves the most in the world, and on other is the man who sacrificed everything he had for them. He can't let anyone of them die, but the reality isn't what you always dream of... Even though he loves them equally, he have had decided to use the life of that man to save others. He don't know the reason how he decided such a terrible thing. Boss, Miss Seira, and the rest of RK will never support this decision, but what can he do? How could he let them all die?
The protection has been undone, and the only thing which remains is to wake him up. Every single step he take towards the shrine reminds him how shameless he is. He stands near the coffin, and tries to slowly open it. It's much tougher than he thought, but finally he opened it. The man finally awakes. The man is same as before, calm with his trademark depressing smile.
Seeing the man in his depressing smile, Tao falls to the ground. He now regrets his decision of awakening him.
"I am sorry. I just don't know what should I do."
"..."
" I know how many sacrificies you have given for us. You have suffered through unmeasurable pain, but yet we...continue to depend on you."
"..."
"After learning about your powers from Boss, we decided to grow stronger so that we won't be a burden to you...but we remained the same...Weak."
"..."
"You used your powers once again to protect us from elders. Even though we decided to die if we are unable to defeat stronger opponents, we survived... You were once again forced to use your powers to protect us.. "
"..."
"We once again promised to train and not to be a burden...but.."
"Let's go."
"...We're nothing more than a burden. If we had agreed to leave this house when you asked perhaps this won't have happened."
"Tao. It's none of your fault... Lead me the way."
"I'm sorry. Please..."
"..."
"Please for once show resentment...Please don't be this noble to us, even if you're the Noblesse, that your nobility kills you."
"..."
"How can you be so Noblesse?"
"..."
"Please complain to us for not following your decision ."
"You're not the Tao I know. I trust you as much I trust Frankenstein, and even if the outcome isn't the desired one, I know you all always think for the best interest of me."
"Please don't say that."
"You all're the first family I ever had...I want to protect it forever."
Both of them took their leave, and in his heart, Tao always knew that the man in front of him never regretted the decision he made, and he expected the same from rest of them.