3 person
In the end , after a moment of silence between them , Tukson understood the core of Blake's problem . Too many big changes and not enough time to adjus. Fear, stress, and emotional conflict are taking their toll on Blake's life. Too many stressful situations, happening too fast. Before one situation was resolved, another one arose. Now Blake is worried about all of them at once.
Blake may be resourceful and mature. But even adults crack under too much pressure. That was Tukson's reasoning, which perfectly fit the situation.
Tukson : " Take a break. Rest and try not to think about it , although I know that this is practically impossible . So better yet, take a break and go home. As for tomorrow, just let me know if you can manage to come. Take as much time as you need to sort everything out . "
Tukson said, shaking his head, having already made up his mind and leaving no room for negotiation.
Tukson : " As for the money , don't worry about it, I'll pay you your normal salary. And in the future, when you become a hunter, you'll just pay me back. "
Tukson said, looking at Blake, who slowly began to shake. He couldn't see her face , after she let it back down, but he could sense that she was close to tears. Blake's always cold mask cracked before his eyes.
Seeing this, Tukson did not try to comfort her. He knew when to back off. He figured her out so he know well that Blake would prefer that no one see her like that . Besides, Tuskon wouldn't even know how to comfort her , after all the situation must be really serious to break Blake's stubborn and pride nature. What's worse, his clumsy attempts could make the situation even worse.
That's why he didn't ask her for more details. He did not delve into it, nor did he offer any advice. In the morning, he calmed her down because he knew how. Now he felt that it would not be so easy, and despite being well-read, he did not think he would be able to handle this . Especially since he wasn't familiar with Blake's situation. He didn't want to fly too close to the sun, so as not to get burned. Instead, he gave her space.
Blake : " There's no need. I'll go to the cash register, you go and do what you need to do. "
Blake said as she stood up. Unable to look Tukson in the eye, she picked up a box full of books and at a rapid pace she headed for the counter.
Blake: "As for tomorrow... I'll let you know , if Lappland doesn't find a hotel, I'll have to figure something out with her. "
Blake said, walking with her head down past Tukson, who could only look at her hunched back.
Tukson: "A hotel? If you need..."
Tukson began, intending to make an offer, but was interrupted by Blake stopping in her tracks.
Blake: "Thanks, but we'll be fine. You're already giving us more than enough. Still , I'll keep your offer in mind. "
Blake said in a flat tone without even looking at him, and Tukson knew it was not out of anger, but rather her way of not revealing her current emotional state. Blake wanted to preserve at least a little dignity she have left .
With complicated emotions and a heavy heart, Blake returned to the counter where she had placed the box. Sighing, she walked around the counter and sat down on a chair behind the cash register.
Looking ahead, she saw Tuskon giving her one last smile, after which he walk away, closing the door behind him and leaving her alone with her heavy thoughts. The weight of it all squeezed her heart, and the worry and stress made her want to cry. Despite this, Blake held on and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
Pulling out her scroll, Blake saw the main image, which she had set as her wallpapers . Their picture together with Lappland . This photo clearly gave her some encouragement , and that brightened her usually serious and cold face.
Then her gaze was drawn to a notification that she hadn't noticed before as not only did she silence the notification, she was also lost in thought . Notification which had been there for quite some time. However, before she could check it, her scroll suddenly issued a warning.
[ LOW BATTERY LEVEL DEVICE WILL SHUT DOWN IN 10 SECONDS ]
Seeing this notification reflected in her amber eyes, Blake could do little but close her eyes and curse her forgetfulness. Or rather, her lack of time to check the battery lasy night . Because of everything that happened yesterday, she didn't even charge her scroll. Now she had neither a electro dust battery nor a cable to plug her scroll into an outlet.
Putting the scroll on the counter, Blake closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, clearly in contemplation, but remembering Tukson's words, she pulled herself together and sighed. Hoping that whatever the message was, it wasn't important, and also hoping that Lappland wouldn't call her for some reason she took the first book she could find from under the counter and started reading to focus her thoughts on something else. .... this did not help much .
{ Three hours earlier. }
While Blake was busy working and worrying, Lappland found herself in a situation that would surely have worried Blake even more. A situation Blake would have known about if she had read the message. Now, however, she remained in the dark, while Lappland was once again fighting her own battles.
The tense atmosphere in the underground garage was quiet and heavy. The two rookies standing behind their boss felt it the most. Sweat had gathered under their masks, and their trembling hands were clenched behind their backs, gripping the melee weapons strapped to the backs of their belts.
Their wide-open eyes stared at their boss's back, not understanding the meaning of the words he had spoken earlier. But the longer they stood there, the more they began to realize that they had really gotten themselves into some kind of hopeless mess . Lappland's words had already taken their toll on their morale.
They were naive, but not stupid . They understood the meaning of her words; they understood the truth. This wasn't what they signed up for; they'd been lied to. To make matters worse, their boss didn't even deny it.
The girl before them wasn't some random deserter or spy with no means of defense. They stood before a monster as a sacrifice. They were truly caught between a hammer and an anvil. What's worse, their boss—their only hope—was praising the enemy as an idol?
Swallowing their saliva, they exchanged glances. Their hearts were heavy; they both exchanged glances, wondering whether they should run away. But the answer was obvious. Either one monster in front of them or the entire organization behind them. The only thing they could do now was grit their teeth and get ready for a battle whose beginning they've already missed.
Meanwhile, as the two amateurs got distracted, the situation between Lappland and the man standing before her was strange. Were it not for the uneasy atmosphere, to any untrained eye, the two looked as if they were simply talking. He was a head taller than her; his muscular frame towered over Lappland's seemingly frail body.
He looked down at her, gazing into her eyes. And she looked up at him. There was nothing romantic about it; if anyone had looked into either of their eyes, they would have seen only two beasts ready to tear each other's throats out.
That's how it looked from the sidelines throughout their confrontation, until the man finished speaking and grabbed the knife. At exactly that moment, his two subordinates looked at each other.
That's why they missed it. The exchange was quick—it happened in the blink of an eye. For the two recruits in the back, it was impossible to grasp. But for Lappland, she was already prepared for it before he did. Immediately after his last word, he attacked without hesitation.
Taking a step forward to close the distance to within arm's reach, he swung the large knife in his right hand—held in a reverse grip—rapidly from bottom to top. Aiming for Lappland's seemingly exposed throat.
Lappland, without wasting a movement, took just a well-measured step backward, dodging the slash, which flew upward, pushing only a gust of air toward her, and was immediately followed by a thrust with the second knife in his left hand, which was aimed straight at her stomach. But even that posed no threat to Lappland .
Without even glancing at the knife flying toward her stomach, she already knew it was there. All it took was a twitch of her ear and pure instinct that was borderline on foresight level. Without moving her legs, which were slightly apart for balance and stability, Lappland simply twisted and leaned the upper part of her body to the right, dodging the blade and allowing the knife to go past her left side along her abdomen, cutting only through her shirt.
Ending her defensive maneuver, Lappland executed her own first move. With a quick movement of her left hand, Lappland grabbed the forearm of the man's right hand, which, after changing its angle, was now returning from the previous cut , with the intent to stab into the side of her ribs. Next, her free right fist delivered two ultra-fast strikes straight to the left side of the man's abdomen, aiming for his liver to achieve a quick knockout.
The man did not disappoint and demonstrated his experience. By gently twisting his waist, tensing his abdominal muscles, and making the most of the protective padding in his white vest, he cushioned part of the blow , which with Lappland's increased strength, was still devastating for his body .
The man, however, didn't show it at all. Even though he didn't have an aura, he endured it using his own skills. But Lappland didn't stop there. Instead of landing a third quick blow to his stomach, she decided to strike his elbow of the arm she was holding.
The impact, combined with the fact that her left hand was still holding his wrist in place, caused his elbow to bend the wrong way without much resistance. His broken arm released the knife from his hand. Once again, the man didn't even scream. Instantly, his teeth clenched and his pupils contracted. Not from fear or pain, but from obvious excitement.