Soul Chains

Chapter 47: Unveiling the Truth

Once eight arrives, we meet outside of Hilda's house and bid her our farewells, what's left of our belongings gathered in our arms and over our shoulders. Aislinn wordlessly opens a portal to Ashuwahara and we shuffle through. Immediately, the sound of guns and bombs fills the air with loud bangs and debris flies everywhere in the distance. A campsite is stretched out in front of us, just over the snowy hill, and sounds of shouting can be heard.

"Are we at the campsite we need to be in order to meet D?" I ask as I glance around.

"I'm not sure, but we're definitely in Ashuwahara, so be careful either way," Dimitri says as he draws his weapon.

"Oi!" a male shouts from behind us and we all turn to look as he rushes passed, "get a move on! The herd is coming!"

"Wait a minute, we--" Ciana starts, but he's already long gone up the hill.

"The herd?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"The herd," Dimitri and Aislinn say simultaneously as they both hold out their weapons in a defensive stance and the rest of us watch in surprise as at least twenty enemy soldiers come running towards us from the west.

The rest of us summon our weapons and chase after Dimitri and Aislinn, who have already started running towards the enemies. Dimitri leaps to the left as Aislinn takes the right, the two of them flying through the air and they each swing their weapons at an enemy as they're close to landing. Dimitri and Aislinn whirl through enemies as Ciana runs up and holds her fist back, punching one straight in the face before she slides under their legs and kicks them forwards, setting them on fire in the process. Mikasa shoots multiple arrows at enemy soldiers while Renji shields her front and Renee covers her flank. Reine and I tag team against one of the soldiers, me swinging at their front and distracting them as Reine hits them from the back. Nathaniel closes his eyes and gives Ayette directions of who to shield and when while Tsukumi and Shitau guard them as Kaltrina stays a little bit ahead of them and strikes down any oncoming enemies.

More enemies keep coming from the west at almost the same rate we're killing them, totaling of about at least forty new ones now. We manage to hold strong, but if the enemies keep coming rapidly then we might have a bit of a problem.

"Move!" Nathan shouts suddenly, his eyes flying open frantically.

"Who?!" Ayette shouts over the fighting as she turns quickly to look at him.

"Everyone!" Nathan shouts.

Following Nathan's orders, we either leap to the left or the right just as bright green and red energy swirls together almost like a DNA ladder and cuts through the field of enemies, turning them all to ashes instantly. Time seems to move in slow motion as we watch a male and a female not far behind the energy, each of them holding on to the handle of a glowing greatsword almost as large as Zen's as they whirl by. The male, who's standing on the right, locks eyes with me and my breath hitches as my eyes scan his face.

"Tien?" I breathe out, unable to believe the sight in front of me.

They whiz by and up the hill without a word and a few of us watch with raised eyebrows while others stare in shock and some check for any remaining enemies or oncoming ones.

"It seems they have taken out all of the enemies," Reine announces with a hum and stands up from sitting on her haunches due to examining some of the enemy bodies now lying in the snow.

"No kidding," Dimitri says with a snort as he stands up straight, previously leaning down with his hands on his thighs.

"Who were they?" Shitau asks breathlessly, still staring at the campsite.