Howl to the Moon (Haikyuu Omegaverse)

Chapter 32: Who are you fighting for? Part 1

Iwaizumi shot him a strange look that Akaashi interpreted as disdain. The truth was that listening to Suga talk about killing other beings as if nothing was disgusting. Just seeing the look of dark pleasure on the Commander's face made Akaashi's skin crawl.

"Oikawa is mine, don't you dare touch him," Iwaizumi said. "I'll be the one to kill him with my own hands. I've been waiting for this moment for years."

Akaashi stared at the nape of Iwaizumi upon hearing those words. He hadn't had a chance to tell him the truth about his parents' deaths; had he done so, he would have discovered his cover and those of the betas. If he had told Iwaizumi that his parents' killer was the person he was talking to, no one would have believed him. So Iwaizumi remained oblivious to the truth and now focused all his anger on killing Oikawa even though he was innocent.

Akaashi tried to keep listening but the noise of the military trucks, the footsteps, the small-talks of the hunters around him, and the buzzing in his own ears made his work difficult, and when Suga and Iwaizumi stepped forward a bit more, he lost all chance to listen to the rest of the conversation. He tried to listen and search for the voices of the two Commanders, but seeing that he wasn't succeeding, he soon gave up.

As the procession advanced, night fell. The darkness would give the lycanthropes an advantage, but that advantage would be dwarfed by the huge numerical difference between the parties —more than 500 hunters versus fewer than 200 werewolves. Although Akaashi relied on the strength of alphas, deltas, and betas, he couldn't help but feel terror. The feeling that everything was going to end that night haunted him, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know the outcome.

"Akaashi!"

Akaashi looked around startled. Suga was waving his hand at him, so Akaashi quickened his pace and approached him, placing himself between the two Commanders.

"Sir?" the omega asked.

"Are you prepared to hold a position of Commander?" Suga asked with a searching look.

Akaashi blinked several times without understanding. "Sir?" he repeated confused.

"After tonight's battle, I'll be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel."

"You're very sure of that, Suga," Iwaizumi said with a sarcastic laugh. "It'll be fun to watch someone else snatch that title right in front of your eyes."

"Shut the fuck up, Iwaizumi," Suga snapped, nailing his good eye narrowed at Iwaizumi. He turned his attention back to Akaashi. "As I was saying, after this battle my position will be yours. I recommended you to be the next Commander. After the genetic tests, you will be one rank above the current one."

Akaashi gulped. He did his best to fake a grateful smile. He couldn't be worried or scared, and of course he couldn't show weakness. But he was shaking with fear and the anxiety made him nauseous. He nodded and took in a breath of cool night air. The only thing he breathed in, however, was the burning aroma of aconite and gunpowder. The urge to vomit increased even more.

"It's quite an honor, Suga-san," Akaashi said with a bow.

Stand firm, he told himself.

Suga smirked and patted him on the back. "Well said."

The troops continued to advance relentlessly until late at night. Once they entered Takefukuro, Akaashi caught a glimpse of a huge line of silhouettes on the horizon blocking their path. He smiled to himself. Bokuto had managed to warn the others and organize the packs against the clock to prepare the counterattack. The tension was palpable, the hunters advancing side by side clenched their weapons in their hands. But now Akaashi was calm. Or well, as calm as he could be in a situation like this in the middle of the war. The vision in front of him instilled in him the courage he lacked, he was ready to give his life for his own. It was time to stop hiding, to stop running from his roots. It was time to face his enemies, to show that werewolves also had a right to live.