Rargo, Levi and Vincent continued their conversation and discussed the plans to attack the castle while the environment around them was turning sour,
The clouds were dark, and the winds were blowing fast now.
"The rain is coming any moment, and it would be bad for us if it were to rain. The fire inside will extinguish without us getting a breakthrough."
Nature was the biggest enemy to Asphodel's forces currently, maybe it was taking revenge on Asphodel was burning the forest, a natural beauty.
"The situation seems to be that the voice has failed to accomplish its task of opening the gates. We don't have any proper protection against rain, any wound could turn to infection."
The preparation against rain was not something planned during the summer season. Still, Yuuka had already made it rain, and nothing was going naturally.
Levi was quiet, standing near a tree, watching smoke coming out of the walls and getting blown away by the winds.
"My gut says a breakthrough will come but not the way we think."
"What do you mean by that, Captain Levi? A breakthrough can only appear with the opening of the front gate there is no other method of us getting in there."
"..."
Levi was thinking about the person Yuuka had fought a psychological war against. He knew the voice better than anyone else. It was not something anyone could contain or control or, most importantly, trust.
*Boom
"!!!!"
"Look!"
A blast sound altered the whole camp; the explosion was inside the castle as the green fog began to appear from the walls.
"It's a green flare. It's a sign of surrender right?"
Rargo was startled by seeing the smoke, which signed the castle's surrender by the people who defended it so hard.
"No, it must be fired in the air to be called a surrender. Someone has used the flare psitol the other way. Like this much blast power and can shake a whole gate."
Both Rargo and Vincent knew what Levi meant by this. A shot was fired to open the castle gate.
"But the gate seems to be pretty mcuhed locked."
"The blast was quite and far and the smoke isn't appearing from the front gate. The flare was shot somewhere else."
"It means they have opened the left or back door instead of the front gate?"
"But Why would they do that?"
"I told you, we are getting a breakthrough but not the way we wanted but now we can just move forward from what we have. Call all the soldier and sent some to inspect which gate is opened."
"I'll consolidate the troops."
"And I will keep an eye on further on going events."
The three captains were working together without a hint of envy. This brought out the best of them.
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People inside the castle were going wild with all the events going on, and panic was even more spread.
Everybody was confused, the soldiers, the people, even the assassins. Nothing was going as expected for anyone.
Rage and Near were walking in public, running to their rendezvous, trying to grab hold and understand the situation.
"Goddamit!"
Rage was constantly being pushed around by the people. He could not push back or show much strength or the people might all get suspicious of him.
"Come on! We need to moved a little more."
Near kept close to Rage, trying to move through the running crowd, saw a familiar figure.
"It's Albert. He's standing in the house on the right."
The two of them moved through the crowd, reaching where Albert was. It was an abandoned house. Which was not touched by the fire yet.
They entered, and Albert closed the door behind them. They were now alone and safe to talk freely.
"Albert, Do you have any idea why is the back gate down?"
Rage quickly got to the location. Albert made different hand signs to indicate his answer, which Near explained to Rage after understanding them carefully.
"He had no idea too. It was Arthur's job to get the flare and fire it at the Front gate. I don't know the rest."
"Arthur, That Bastard!!"
Rage kicked the nearby table with full force, breaking it into pieces. Near was standing there and felt something odd.
"Hey, I don't feel very good right now."
"What? I think you have remained in the smoke for way too long trying to burn the houses. You burned nearly 30-40 on your own and then you were running around so maybe that's why."
Albert nodded in Agreement and moved his hand sign towards Near, indicating his request. Near was astonished to hear such a request, but he narrated it nonetheless,
"Rage, we want you to wear his chest gear."
"What? Why?"
"He says that it isn't well fitting and uncomfortable due to it being the wrong size and the material is not good to touch as well."
"...."
Rage thought about it for a second,
"Okay, I will wear that, but if it doesn't feel comfortable, then it is going to waste."
Albert removed his shirt and revealed the unique metal and cloth, which prevented multiple bullets. Still, it only protected a part of the ribs, not the whole chest front.
As he removed the vest, marks were on his chest, showing that it was tight and uncomfortable to war as it constantly pressed his chest.
"It feels really comfortable and well fits well. I'll be taking this."
Rage tried on the gear vest and was comfortable with it. Albert was happy that the vest was not going to waste.
"..."
The sound of the door opening came from the back, and all three got Altered.
"Hey, keep it easy. It's just as. We got here by Albert's signal with the closed door with a broken knob."
Jinx was the man, and the rest of the squad was walking with him.
"Aghh...aghhh.."
"Agih.. achoo.!!!"
Asuka was coughing, and Kite following her in the same condition,
"Why are you guys in this state right now?"
Rage was confused about the situation, with Near, Asuka and Kite's health being down at the same time. Jinx was worried about other things, however,
"Thier health seems to be down due to all the smoke but that has Arthur done, He was supposed to make the sign of surrender but hr fired at the gate instead. What is he planning to do?"
"Aghhh.. aGH..."
"Near, you too."
Watching Near start coughing, Rage noticed something odd about everyone around him,
"Guys, were you all in the fire spread area for the most time?"
"No. I, Asuka and Jinx were mostly in the crowd after choosing to light the main targets."
Albert just nodded his head, saying No. Listening to this made Rage's doubts and fear more true,
"But I was, I and Near were in the hot areas but then, Why are all of you sweating so much and Not I?"
"Aughhh!!!!!"
As Rage spoke, Asuka spewed blood from her mouth her face was now converted into blood, but for the first time, it was her blood instead of another person.
"Arthur...."
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A/n: I am sorry if many things don't scientifically make sense here but cut me some slack. I am swamped and have little time for research.