The Fifth Out Of Six

The sun's unwavering shine beat down on the windows of the Lancaster's home.

A rooster crowed from a poultry farm not that far away from where the prestigious house stood.

The Serpent Summoner was the first one up.

Gavin did not bother waking the others.

"They kind of earned it, I guess."

He thought to himself.

With a tired set of feet, he moved slowly to the door.

As he turned the knob open, Zachary was already there.

Standing and sweating nervously.

"Let us proceed outside. It is much safer to talk there I did assume currently with the fact that you wanted to talk, right?"

Gavin asked.

Zach just nodded.

Rizako residents had already started working, to get ready for the day ahead of them.

Both Zach and Gavin were now at the patio.

Seated on the chairs of sandalwood.

"These are quite expensive, you know? Though I expect no less from the son of a bloodline such as the Lancaster. So, answer me now, truthfully, no games, no deceptions. Why have you kept your identity as a Slayer all these years, Zach? The Slayer Corps is need of all the hands it can get just to stand the littlest of chance against these holy abominations and monsters alike."

Gavin said with an interrogative voice.

His green eyes locked hard on to Zach's own.

"My parents have hidden the fact that I awoken my Anima cells when I was only eleven years old. They thought that sheltering me from the life of a soldier fighting for humanity's sake would be better than having the risk of me dying out there."

Zachary said.

"But believe me, I really did try and fight back, I kept convincing them to tell the Slayer Corps the truth, yet they just shrugged it off. You know my family; their ties and connections are no laughing matter. They kept my identity hidden all throughout my existence."

"Why would you want to fight? Why risk your life outside the Gates? You're perfectly fine here, right?"

"As a kid, I really idolized Slayers. I thought that they were especially brave for venturing the outside world. To conquer back the land that we have lost is nothing to laugh at. The very first time I tried to convince my parents. All I got was my dad's palm running across my cheeks. Every single instance that the subject came to light, my father hit me. My mother tried to cover for me, every punch that was directed at me that she covered, hit her. That's how much of a piece of trash my father is."

"Y-You mean the ex-chief?"

"That's right, the one people thought was such a caring patriarch of the Lancaster family. In reality, he was an abusive and violent person who took everything out on his family. Life bound inside my home and quarters were not spent to waste though, I read about Slayer skills and enhanced my body by extensively training. I was going to be the one who would kill him – at least that is what I vowed I would do."

Gavin shook his head.

He pondered inside his mind as to just how much this kid has suffered.

"Is this where the Red King came into play?"

Gavin asked.

"Yes. Yes, it is. The Red King stole my target, a kill I was preparing for my whole life, and he just stole it in a single night. All my preparations, down the drain. Just like that, it is all gone."

"I-I see."

Gavin always wondered why Madam Lydia wore dresses with sleeves longer than normal, was that to hide her bruises and scars?

"Honestly, Zachary? I doubt you are even strong enough to take the Red King on at his full strength. You're still pretty weak."

Zachary gritted his teeth.

"I know."

He had his head held down.

"But you have the potential to become even stronger. Strong enough to take him head on."

"So, where are your bags?

"M-My bags?"

"Yeah, did I not tell you last night that we would be glad that you train under the Six Blades?"

"H-Hang on! I did not agree to anything yet!"

Zachary blushed at the idea of being recruited by a top five Slayer organization.

"Well, realistically, you could join the Inferno Garden. They're the top one organization composed only of Fire Slayers. But to be frank with you, I'm not sure they would even look at your general direction. That's just how weak you are as of now."

Zachary immediately had his ego grounded.

Gavin placed his hand on Zach's shoulders.

"We can change that. If you can keep up, that is."

Gavin smiled.

Zach let out a menacing smirk.

"Is that supposed to be a challenge?"

The sun was now fully up.

"Oh yeah, speaking of which, how did you manage to track me? Or even know that the masked man was me at all?"

He asked.

"Only a could would think of copying an older person's voice to sound old."

Gavin laughed.

"But in all seriousness, turn around."

"W-Why?"

Zach conceded and turned around.

He felt something crawling out the back of his shirt.

"W-What the hell is that?!"

He exclaimed.

"It is the smallest snake in the world, the Barbados thread snake. This is what I used to track you. I ordered it to crawl behind your back when you had your monologue in the rain wearing that gas-mask last night. Careful that you won't step on it now."

The tiny snake slithered back in Gavin's pockets.

"I shall make myself scarce and wake the others up now. I'm sure you've heard our names plenty of times already, but I would like to formally introduce myself. Gavin Khalil, also known as the Serpent Summoner, S rank, and a member of the Six Blades."

Gavin extended his hand into form a gesture of a handshake.

Zachary was intimidated.

All sorts of thoughts raced inside his mind.

He buckled up and raised shook the Serpent Summoner's hand, signaling the start of a new Six Blades member's journey.