Chapter 18- Sudden Shift
"Why do you want me to keep it?" Rein smiled faintly as he saw the hesitant glances Violet was giving him. Rein wasn't an idiot; he understood things like this, even if they didn't really interest him that much. Rein, in fact, hated romance and relationships for a long time, and he never plans to get into that kind of situation ever again willingly.
He had learned the lesson hard, and he would be damned if he made the same mistake twice.
Still, that didn't mean that he wouldn't tease Violet a bit simply because it was fun. The two have been working together for such a long time, and they would bicker and joke around a lot, especially after or before missions. It was their way of unwinding or calming down before doing important things.
"Hey, it's just a suggestion. You can hide it if you want." She laughed nervously. However, Rein could see in her eyes that she still hoped he would listen to her.
"Oh, well, I think hiding it is better. It would make people stare too much." Rein said as he touched the earring and signaled with his hand as if he was about to make it disappear.
"N-No, wai-"
"Just kidding." Rein cut her off as he put his hand down when Violet made a panicked reaction, making her freeze in place. Her eyes widened before Rein laughed softly.
"You…"
"Haha, you aren't good at lying, Violet," Rein said. "I won't hide it. It won't stand out that much either way."
"Rein!" Violet yelled as she clenched her fists. "I'm going to punch you, I swear!"
"Because I wanted you to be more honest? Where did the good Violet go?"
"She's dead. Gone. You won't see her again." Violet rolled her eyes as she looked away.
"Ummm, am I interrupting something?"
At that moment, Teo peeked inside with a hesitant look on his face, feeling awkward as ever. He had heard the conversation they were having, and he found himself unable to walk in normally.
"Yeah, come in," Violet said. "How are you doing, Teo?"
"... Good." The man said as he stepped inside. 'I was good until I saw you two flirting so openly. Uuuuugh!' He cursed inwardly. As much as he felt extremely jealous, he still could only be amazed at how much chemistry the two had. He could tell that they knew and trusted each other completely, which is something Rein doesn't do with anyone else besides Violet.
He had never worked with anyone else before her or during her time. She was his trusted helper.
As for Violet, she was a kind and friendly person generally, but that was about it. Teo always could tell that every action she does isn't truly her personality. She was simply putting on a front for people… Except when it comes to Rein.
All that facade vanishes as if it were never there to begin with.
'How could I even compete? You fucking cool bastard!' Teo said.
"You must be traumatized. If you need to rest, I can find you a good place to sleep." She said.
"No, no, I'm really fine. I want to help as much as I can."
"You plan to fight too, Teo?" Rein asked as he crossed his arms. "I didn't expect that."
"I-I heard your conversations earlier and… I don't know what this system you're talking about, but I saw you fight, Mr. X. This power is really amazing, and I want to try and learn it and fight too."
"It's not guaranteed. You could be in for a big disappointment." Rein replied. "Are you still ready to take the risk?"
"Yes," Teo replied. "I'm… done running away. I'm done being a coward. I want to be strong." Teo clenched his fists as he stared at Rein directly, his eyes filled with fear and relentless determination.
Teo had lived his entire life being stomped on by others. Even with his immense intelligence and talent, he couldn't do much when he joined the agency, and he only worked as an assistant for others simply because they weren't cowards like he was. He felt regretful, and he hated his life.
Now, as weird as it was, this was an opportunity for him to try to flip his life upside down. He could finally have another chance at being something better, something he could be proud of.
"Teo…" Violet muttered as she looked at her subordinate. "I'm sure you can do great things if you put your mind to it. You've always been very talented and smart, Teo. You shouldn't look down on yourself."
"Miss Violet…" Teo felt touched by her words as he smiled and nodded his head. "I promise I will try bet-"
*RING* *RING* *RING*
Suddenly, the trio heard the sound of ringing coming from the outside. Rein's expression immediately changed as he stood up and listened.
"That's…"
"An alert…" Violet muttered after him before they looked at each other and rushed outside. Almost immediately, they saw all the soldiers running as they picked up their weapons.
"We are being attacked!"
"Hey, you." Rein immediately stopped one of them and asked. "What is happening?"
"A horde of those monsters is approaching the base!" The man said with a panicked look before he continued running.
"... A horde…" Rein muttered. 'Already? Was it that horde from earlier that they bombarded with missiles?' Rein asked himself. 'That would explain it if that horde dispersed. Their numbers were far too big to completely eliminate.'
"Rein!"
The latter snapped out of it as he manifested his sword. "I need to go take a look."
"Huh? Hey wait! You can't do that! You're injured!"
"There is no time. If this base falls, there is nowhere else to go." Rein replied as he dashed forward.
"Ugh, he's so stubborn!" Violet muttered as she looked at Teo. "I'm following Rein. You need to find a safe spot to hide, Teo!"
Then, she ran away, leaving the man confused and afraid.
All the soldiers in the base were summoned to the barricades as the sounds of bullets echoed in the distance. Rein moved through the masses as he climbed one of the barricades and peeked at the open road cutting through the city.
There, he could see it in the distance, a huge number of Undead and mutated monsters was approaching the base slowly. Their numbers easily exceeded 500 or more.
"You have got to be kidding me." Rein muttered as he clenched his teeth. 'Were they attracted here by the smell? Fuck.'
It didn't matter what made them come here; Rein's focus immediately shifted. 'I need to get them away from here, or it would be a goddamn disaster.'
With no other option, Rein jumped over the barricades and ran into the city without hesitation.
"Rein!!" Violet reached the barricades as she called for him. 'What should I do? What should I even do?'
Lost and panicked, she decided to climb the barricades on the spur of the moment. Her fear for Rein took over her mind and made her make the decision instantly.
"Miss Violet! What are you doing?!" General Victor arrived at the scene at the exact moment and saw her leaping over. "It's death outside!"
However, Violet didn't reply to him as she continued running.
'Rein, please don't die!'