W

C547 - Sole

"If matters continue like this, Terrain will lose."

Elorin's voice held a certain sweetness to it. It was deep and reverberating, but it tickled the ears almost like a steady rhythm. It had a special cadence to it that dragged all those who heard it in. But, maybe his words themselves were more shocking than anything else.

According to Elorin, despite the state of the battlefield and the current semi-stalemate, Terrain had not a single chance of winning.

If the outside world heard such things, they would think that this man was insane. However, the members of the Slayer Legion only nodded as though this was obvious.

As the existences that had been battling The Empire for so long, they had a great understanding of their strength. If Terrain thought their pitiful planning was enough, they were sorely mistaken. The reality of it all was that Emperor Fawkes was simply unfathomable. As long as that man didn't deem it fit to make a move, Earth was in no danger whatsoever.

However, that very man, at this moment, was more than content to leave this war as a training exercise for the youths of Earth. And, maybe the sad part was that Terrain had yet to realize this was the case either.

They simply weren't being taken seriously.

Of course, if one looked at this at a surface level, Elorin's words were already shocking enough. But, if one was aware of how many things he was aware of, they would be even more astounding.

"But, I'm sure you're all aware that it's impossible for things to simply continue like this. Those hidden families will not miss this opportunity to deal a blow to The Empire, they're only waiting for the opportune time. And, there's no guarantee that other worlds haven't already stuck their noses into our matters.

"So, the question remains… What will we do about it?"

A silent hush fell over the Slayer Legion.

Elorin stood from his seat. He wore a tracksuit that radiated a pure white color. Despite the casual nature of his dress, it didn't seem out of place in the slightest. In fact, if felt as though he was a monk looking down upon them from on high. Just his demeanor alone felt otherworldly.

"Not many know the history of the Slayer Legion and even less know that we are no less ancient than the Ascension Empire. However, we've been hiding in the shadows for a long time. Sometimes, I believe that even we forget what our true purpose is."

Elorin swept a gaze over those before him, his demeanor completely unlike what his age would dictate. He commanded the room of such powerful individuals with ease. Well… With the exception of a single man.

Hacker Hutch continued to nod away, mumbling beneath his breath as he whispered sweet nothings in his sleep.

Elorin smiled when his gaze landed on Hutch. He didn't seemed irked by such a reality at all. In fact, he only shook his head as though he was observing his own grandfather napping at an inappropriate time. There wasn't a hint of animosity in his expression.

"Hutch."

The angelic man growled.

"Huh? Huh?"

Hutch shot up, looking around warily. When he realized where he was, he yawned.

"Oh, this meeting is still going on?"

The angelic man's fury reached a new level seeing such a display.

"Show some respect!"

"Respect?" Hutch picked at his ears. "You're all fawning over a brat who hasn't even grown hair in all the right places yet, and now you have the audacity to ask me to show some respect? The hell is wrong with you?"

Hutch yawned again, smacking his lips.

"… I could do with some pizza…" The old man mumbled beneath his breath.

By this point, not only was the angelic man fuming, but so were the others. This was especially so for Catris who had lost an arm to Hutch just months ago. The emptiness of his sleeve brought him to a boiling rage every time he thought of those events.

"… Grandpa Hutch… I heard that Mayfly died?"

Hutch's gaze narrowed as he looked back toward Elorin.

The relationship between Badger and Mayfly might have been close, but compared to the relationship between Mayfly and Elorin, it was hardly worth mentioning. It could be said that Badger's emotions were unrequited while it was a completely different story for Elorin's.

This might have shed light on just the kind of man Elorin was. Despite all of these matters, he still didn't blink an eye when Mayfly and Badger partnered up so frequently. This was a man wholly confident in himself and his ability.

"It's been quite a long time since you've called me Grandpa, brat. But, to think that this was the situation you would do so in. It seems that you've gotten quite used to playing these political games. Maybe rather than my being the one who's forgotten the true purpose of the Slayer Legion, it's you all."

Hutch stood, his demeanor becoming completely different. It was clear that even Elorin became a level more serious.

"I hadn't made my decision before, but I'll have to thank my own grandson for pushing me in the right direction. It seems that I can no longer take a backseat to these affairs any longer."

By the time Hutch made it to the front of the room, his aura was towering. Whatever demeanor that Elorin seemed to have had was completely washed away in the presence of this old man.

Slowly, Hutch's skin seemed to become more elastic, his wrinkles fading somewhat. He became an inch or two taller and his aura sharpened, regaining a bloody edge that had disappeared long ago.

Even beneath the gazes of so many powerhouses, his aura seemed to wash over them all, suffocating them to the point it seemed they wouldn't be able to raise a single finger.

He was on a completely different level. It was only at this moment that they all understood the level of strength Hutch commanded. Even if he hadn't awakened such a rare Time affinity ability, even if he hadn't awakened an ability at all, he would still carry strength capable of forcing them all to submit.

This was Hutch. This was Old Man Hutch. This was Hacker Hutch.

"From this day forth, the sole decision maker of the Slayer Legion will be me."

To be continued