Chapter 21
It is a gray afternoon when a group of hooded people arrives at a small town in the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. The community is residing near the renowned mountains where an ethnic tribe are rumored to be still existing. The town is simple and peaceful; most of the locals are smiling and greeting with each other despite the steady drizzle bestowed by the sky. They don't seem to notice the group lurking in the town among them. They were used to tourists and researchers to come and go from time to time all for confirming the existence of the old tribe in the mountains; a few outsiders like them will not bother the town.
"Atchiw!" A sneeze escapes from one member of the group as they walk. "Excuse me." He suddenly stops wiping his face with the back of his hand.
"Oi, stop slacking off Bean Sprout." One of them turns to him with a scowl.
"I'm not." The other boy deadpanned. They are four in the group. They are all wearing dark colored hoods over their Exorcist uniform that covers up to their ankles except for the smallest member of the group who wears a formal suit underneath.
"Whoa? Are you sure old man?" The smallest exclaims in excitement that takes the attention of his companions.
They see the red haired boy talking to an old man in front of an antique shop a few yards away from them. The conversation continues as they neared the two. The old man gives an approving nod to the small child which smiles back at him but the conversation is cut off as a knuckle viciously hits the boy's head. The old man quickly decides to get inside of the shop after seeing the brutal scene and Kanda's piercing glare.
"Ouch!" The boy yelps as he clutches his burning skull. "Yu! What was that for?"
"Put your freaking hood up Rabbit!" Yu Kanda bares his teeth as he says those words. The boy lightens up a bit as he realizes his mistake. He suddenly feels someone put the hood over his head. Turning up he see their female companion Lenalee Lee. "You don't have to do that Kanda." She said resting her hands on the redhead's shoulder.
"What did you find out Lavi?" The gentler teen Allen Walker, asks with interest; a golden golem is poking under his hood. Lavi feels a rush on his cheeks by just thinking of what the old man had said. "Ah, it's not really related to our mission." He said scratching the back of his head and trying not to look in Allen's eyes. "It's about the tribe that leaves in the mountains, he said that they are real and he saw them with his own eyes." His gaze then goes to the horizon where the mountains are.
His friends can clearly hear the excitement in his voice despite his effort to suppress it. "I wanted to record that tribe ever since old panda told me about them." He muses as a small smile forms on his lips.
"But that is still not important right now. We have mission to do!" He said in an enthusiastic demeanor as he walk pass the three Exorcists with the biggest steps he could manage to make. The three Exorcist shares a meaningful look to each other before they followed the redhead.
The Science Department had found a way to identify the most probable location the Noah would held the next ritual. It was based on the result of the research they held in the cave and in other areas which the occurrence of the same activity was confirmed. The data reveals that those specific areas emit a particular frequency caused by a dimensional disruption. They also had concluded that these areas were gates to a dimension that were not linked to the Ark which is why a ritual must be held to open them.
The team's mission is to bring Allen to the marked area where a possible ritual will be held by the Noah to set up an Ark portal. In this way they could quickly sneak in the place if something happens. And by the word 'sneak' means no one should know that the Order had found the place, it is the reason why the group wears the hoods and coats to conceal their identity. They have to climb the mountains tonight with the help of the markings the Finder had left for them to follow.
The snow starts to fall when they reached the half of their trek to the mountain and the snow covering the ground are getting thicker as they accent. With the help of the lantern specially made by the Order's Scientists they managed to climb effectively. Though Lavi had a hard time walking on the snow, his legs shoot deep in the white bed every time he takes a step. He misses the long legs he had when he was still alive. He was the one leading the team a while ago but now he is the last in line.
Another snow trapped his legs on his step. He tugs it with little effort to free them, with a sigh he looks ahead of him. He sees his friends walking away from him. He set his eyes to them one by one. Yu, Allen, and Lenalee. The people he wants to protect from the grasp of the holy war.
Lavi had seen life and death from wars as a Bookman apprentice for as long as he can remember. He had spent his life in the sides like a shadow without emotion.
But now he holds something that he could say his own.
He feels selfish.
He wanted to do something, something that he should have done when he had chance in those previous wars he had recorded. It was to help. Tragedy should have been avoided if he tried to help them; those people he met and died might have been saved. It took him 49 alias and death itself to realize this.
And what makes him more feel selfish is because he chose this war, the war that involves his friends. His conscience was bugging him why he had abandoned his previous 48 persona. 'Because Lavi is selfish' he tells to himself. It's like a dying wish, to at least do something to fix himself, to at least be a human for once in his life, even now that he is dead. Lavi was secretly thankful that he had this chance to redeem his sins even by being an Akuma.
Lavi feels Aoi wriggles inside his coat. He is keeping him hidden to conceal their identity, only Exorcist has this kind of device in the world. He pulls his coat to peek at the blue golem that seems to be sleeping.
"Lavi?" Lenalee calls his name. Lavi put aside his sentiments, and continues to walk. "Ah- Wait for me." A small smile tugs on his lips as he runs to his friends.
They swiftly found the marked area, pretty fast for what Lavi have expected. It was located between the tall rocks and cluster of pine trees. Allen set up the Ark without effort, it just took him a quiet whisper and the floor glowed, a number twenty seven appears and vanished. They are not going to use this portal to go back to the head quarters they don't want to attract the Noah with its energy like how Allen have identified the portal. The snow stops falling when they decide to go back in the local area.
The group is heading to the town when Lavi notices that Allen and Kanda are going straight to the forest, busy bickering with each other.
"Oi.. Allen, where are you going?" Lavi shouts following the two. They both turn on the boy, Allen smiling while Kanda in his usual grumpy mood. "That's not the way back to the town." The redhead continues reaching the two with a frown on his face.
"We're going to find the tribe you were talking about." The cursed Exorcist smiles wider as he speaks.
"Eh?" Lavi is not sure of what he just heard.
"Since we've finished our mission quite fast, we could spare sometime checking on the tribe you wanted to see." Allen says brightly.
"B-But-" The boy stutter.
"It's okay Lavi we had talk about it." Lenalee gives him a reassuring smile. Lavi feels fired up, his stomach fills with excitement and he can't hide the flush running on his cheeks and his grin is threatening to split on his face.
"Stop being a kid and let's get this done." Kanda says with a huff crossing his arms over his chest.
"Yes! Let's go!" The redhead exclaims with delight, not holding back his mirth.
The boy leads the team to their next destination. To research about the tribe was the first thing Lavi did when he heard where their mission will be. He really had hoped to pass by that tribe, even by coincidence. The group had to walk on a steep side of the mountains to reach the rumored location of the ethnic group.
"It should be somewhere down this cliff." Lavi mumbles to himself eyes squinting at the view below. His friends stand behind him. "Lavi, I think I saw something." Lenalee says pointing downright which is the northern part of the mountain. The redhead quickly goes to her side and looks at the area. A gleam of light can be seen, like a campfire in the middle of the snow a mile away from them. "Let's check it out." Allen suggests as he starts to walk to find a safe path going down, Lenalee follows behind him. Lavi is about to turn around when he notices something.
"Shit! Allen!" The boy curses spinning to his comrades. Allen notices at the same time as the redhead did; his Innocence invocate in a blink of an eye. Three Level 4 Akuma flush towards them with incredible speed. Lenalee and Kanda activate their Innocence just in time as the three hideous creatures' lands on the ground sputtering snow on their faces.
"Ehehehe." The giggles of the angel like demon can be heard. An innocent smile spits on its face. "It's an ambush!" Kanda hisses more to himself holding Mugen tightly. The three Akuma glows in the night, the halo and wings could deceive any person to think they are angels, but not the Exorcist. These creatures are evil and dangerous as how much their appearance tries to deceive people.
"Exorcist? We haven't seen one for a while.." Another says as it tilting its head curiously. "Let's play with them!" The third one almost jumps stepping forward. Lenalee steps back but her Dark Boots flares with Innocence energy. 'I won't let you hurt my friends.' She thinks glaring at the Akuma before her.
"We don't have time to play." Allen snarls sending his Clown Belt to pierce one of the demons. The white haired Exorcist can't take their presence. He can smell the blood lust fuming from their bodies and blood itself.
'They had recently killed somebody.' Allen bites his cheeks, displeased as the Akuma dodges his attack. Lenalee and Kanda moves to fight. Kanda jumps over the Akuma and slash it down with his Mugen. Sparks of energy flashes as the impact of the sword with the Akuma's crossed arms sword bounces back from the hardness of the demon's skin. Though Kanda doesn't stop attacking and increases his power to defeat the Level 4. Meanwhile Lenalee is engaged in an air battle with the third Level 4 gliding in the dark sky over them. Strikes and kicks vibrate in the air through the ground showing how powerful the female Exorcist is. Allen continues to fight his opponent with his sword of exorcism. Level 4 Akuma are invincible in speed and power but they are not indestructible.
Lavi watches his comrades as they fight. He freezes on his feet; his hands are trembling as he tries to hold his arms. "Why?" He whispers. His eyes never leave the battle in front of him. He feels shiver runs through his spine an unsettling fear washes over him causing him to panic. 'Why do I feel like.. this?' He thinks scanning his surroundings. He heard a screeching sound of metal being cut. Turning to its source he sees Kanda slicing the Akuma. Another scream and he sees Allen digging his sword in the stomach of his opponent. 'Is it because of the Akuma?' Lavi continues to analyze even he is starting to lose his balance because of the tinge of dread crawling on his skin.
Something smashes not far from his right as the snow burst away wildly. Lavi looks at the thing that fell and saw the Level 4 Lenalee was fighting crumpled in bad shape. The redhead didn't know how his feature changes in just a few seconds. His brows furrows in confusion, bead of sweat runs down his temples and his lip curls in disgust. He clutches onto his arms even tighter at the sight. 'No! It's not them.' He figures.
"Lavi?" Lenalee's voice pulled him from his thoughts. He lifts his gaze to the female Exorcist standing in front of the half dead demon. The girl's expression is the complete opposite of what the boy had. A flash of worry is apparent but the care and calmness are present as she addresses the redhead. Lavi's gaze trails on his friend; from her face, her uniform down, until it falls to it.
"That was it." He says weakly wearing an unreadable expression. He is looking at the glowing light on Lenalee's boots.
"I- I hate Innocence!" A scream filled the area, as the Akuma tackles Lenalee on the ground.
"Lenalee!" Allen shouts from the corner of the ground by the edge of the cliff, letting his guard down the Akuma he's fighting with shoots a ball of energy down to Lenalee. Strangled by the Akuma she quickly kicks on the ground and takes the demon up in the sky.
It's too late when they realize that Lavi hadn't moved from his spot. The beam strikes on the ground destroying the cliff's edge. Kanda curses at the sight as he see Lavi helplessly falls among the rocks and snow down to the bottom of the cliff but he couldn't act because the Akuma he is fighting with suddenly hurls over and pins him to the ground knocking the air out of his lungs.
"Shit!" He hisses after recovering his breath. A feral grin greets him as he look over his enemy. The excuse for a smile spreads wildly, full of malice and contempt. Its teeth grind in unbearable excitement. Kanda is shocked for a moment before he gets hold of himself. Using the small space between him and the spiteful creature, he positions his sword and stabs it forcefully.
It jerks back with a painful scream. The blue haired Exorcist gets back on his feet and follows it with another slash that completely hit the Akuma. A large cut over its chest down to its thigh is clearly visible as it is thrown by the power of attack. Kanda doesn't bother to spare a glance at the Level 4; his attention quickly spins back to the cliff.
The ground Lavi was on a few seconds ago was no longer there and he couldn't see the end of the cliff from the darkness of the night. He sighs with a scowl and his brows furrows; holding the hilt of his sword ever so tightly. He lost the Baka Usagi. He believes that Lavi can take care of himself, but the glimpse he had before the redhead fall makes him anxious. He looked distracted. The crease on his brows deepens as he think.
"He.. He." The Level 4 splayed on the ground exhales a pitiful laugh as it gasp for air its eyes are wide from pain. Kanda turns to see the Akuma, its large wound still glows with Innocence energy. "You won'.. save, im." It continues between swallows and gasp before it laughed hysterically then it explodes. Kanda tensed from what the Demon's last words, this might not just be an ambush but also a trap.
AN:I'm so sorry for the late update. I hope this chapter will make it up to you guys for now. I have a lot to edit, and if the stars shine on me, I'll be able to update sooner. Thank you for reading. ^_^