198 Lewis Nixon

"Sebastian?" Allen called out. "Can I please get a shield?"

Without hesitation, Sebastian nodded. A bubble formed around Allen as he walked out of the forcefield that Sebastian put up around them.

"Growth," Allen whispered, clenching his fist as he nodded. "Alright. I'll show you true growth."

With a flash of burst power, Allen launched himself to the direction of one of the hidden attackers. The bubble that Sebastian created for him was rained down with the energy ball the attackers used to shoot at them.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The shield was still sturdy that Allen was able to reach his destination. There, the bubble popped, allowing him to leap out and strike his Golden Rust rapier at the enemy.

The woman tried to defend by shooting several balls of energy at Allen, but the boy blocked them all with a swift slash from his sword.

He approached the woman with stealth, not letting her get a chance to fight more.

"Goodbye," Allen said as he cut the woman on the back. This was a shallow cut, but it would create an incredibly painful feeling that would make the victim faint.

"Two more to go," Allen said to himself and ran to where the sixth attacker was.

The attacks had already ceased, and Gary already took down four of them. Allen just took down one of them, so there was one who was left.

"I'll go take care of the other one," Bernard yelled from afar. He was chasing the seventh attacker while Allen was left to deal with the sixth.

He went to the direction that Sebastian pointed earlier, but the area was silent. After the barrier was broken and the firing of the energy balls started, the crowd of Hunters fled the scene.

This always amazes Allen how cowardly most Hunters were in reality. When crisis like this comes, they would often run for their own lives as if they can't do anything about it.

He had always thought that ang trouble that comes to a camp would be solved since everyone were Hunters, but this was not the case at all.

Swoosh.

Just barely, Allen managed to dodge an attack. A red ball of flames that reached the ground and set the ground ablaze, it was just like the one that shot the man earlier.

"Show yourself!" Allen yelled, raising his sword defensively.

Whoosh.

Another one of the balls was fired, and this time it was faster. Allen had to crouch down and roll to dodge the ball, letting it reach a column and set it ablaze.

"Don't be a cowars!" Allen yelled. "Fight me like a man of principles."

"Oh," a familiar voice spoke. "I think I don't want to, but you piqued my interest."

A man walked out from the shadows, shocking Allen after seeing the man's face. "L-Lewis Nixon?"

"Ah," Lewis smirked. "You know me, huh? That's not a complete surprise though. I am quite popular."

"What are you doing, Lewis?" Allen asked. "Why are you doing this? Why are you siding with the Roger Huntsman?"

"Because Hunters like the Bearers does not deserve the glory they're bathing in right now. They're nothing but mere scum!"

"Is Lin behind all of these?" Allen asked. "Did Lin kill her friends?"

"Lin?" Lewis laughed loudly. "That woman could barely hit a fly. Why would you think that she was capable of killing them?"

"Then who did it?" Allen continued to ask. "I know the Bearers are difficult to understand, trust me. I've been friends with quite a few of them. But please, listen to me. Help us defest Roger Huntsman, and we will give you everything."

"Everything?" Lewis chuckled. "Then give me Alice."

Allen's eyes widened after hearing the name. He was speechless for a moment. When he thought that Lewis does not care for their group, he was proven wrong.

"And give me Allen," Lewis continued, making Allen even more speechless. "When the Fire Dragon attacked, I lost two friends that day. Alice died and Allen lost his mind. How did you think I'd feel?"

"Lewis–"

"Stop!" Lewis yelled. "Allen, Alice, they were both so important to me. I acted as their older brother because they were both so weak and vulnerable, yet when the Fire Dragon attacked, what did the Bearers do?!"

"They couldn't help it, Lewis," Allen said. "They couldn't help it if they weren't there."

"Oh, no," Lewis laughed maniacally. "They were there. They were in Camp Twyla, partying like maniacs. Some of them were even at our camp, just dancing the night away. When we asked for help, not one of them responded.

"It wasn't after I kneeled in front of Lin that she helped us," Lewis continued. "Oh, no. She didn't. She used us. She gave us her Codes but at the cost of her name always being mentioned after the war was over. You couldn't understand anything because you haven't had a friend die right in front of your eyes!"

"I am Allen!" Allen yelled, completely silencing Lewis. "Allen Nightshade. A mute boy who grew up in an orphanage but couldn't afford school, so he became a Hunter."

"What…" Lewis trapped his mouth with his hands, speechless. "What are you saying?"

"I found my group," Allen continued as tears ran from his eyes. "Lewis, Alice, Kyle, Selena, and Irene. Even when we're all young and inexperienced, we hunted together and enjoyed life. But the Fire Dragon Incident happened, and I was separated from the group along with Alice."

"Stop!" Lewis yelled. "Stop it!"

"Lewis, I am Allen," Allen begged as he slowly stepped closer. "I remember everything. I remember how much I used to sleep in your unit because I feel alone in mine. I remember how much Kyle likes us to smell his stinky socks. How Selena always burns her cooking. How Irene snores loudly. I remember everything."

"Allen?" Lewis looked up, finally seeing his old friend. "Is that really you?"

"It's me," Allen smiled. "It's me."

Lewis reached his hands out to Allen, finally stopping his attacks. He walked slowly, but suddenly coughed out blood.

A hole was punched in his chest.

"Traitors don't need to live," a man behind Lewis said.

"L-Lewis…" Allen trailed off. "Lewis!"