# Chapter 8
"What's happening is the sun is setting. What will we do now? I don't even have any people who will care about me," Orika mumbled.
But this time, Nir didn't fall for his lies; instead, he stared at Orika with eyes that were judging him harshly. And when Orika noticed those eyes, he couldn't say anything; he was just standing there.
"What should we do now? It's already getting dark. What if something pops out at us in the dark? What will we do then?" Nir asked.
No one knows the answer to this. Orika's eyes went to Blue, since he was alone and seemed mature. But what can we expect from Blue? He stares at everyone like he doesn't care and just takes off his outer gown, places it on the ground under the tree, and lies down on it.
“I am sleeping; don't you dare wake me up, or else you will die,” Blue warned before closing his eyes.
It took him only five minutes to fall asleep, and now others were looking at him without saying anything. Nir was hungry; his stomach had been growling since yesterday because he hadn't eaten anything.
But he knew he couldn't tell anyone, because that's how he had learned all these years. Even if he was hungry, he would stay silent and endure his hunger. His face was starting to get pale, and he was sitting on the ground.
Just then, they heard footsteps coming towards them. Nir immediately stood up and sat down beside Blue.
Blue's eyes snap open. He first notices Nir, then glances in the direction from which the footsteps are coming.
When the footsteps stop in front of them, they see the other Slashers who have come to destroy the gate, and the townspeople who have fallen into the gate by mistake.
The Slashers' aura is different, and behind them, the townspeople are standing. Seeing Orika, the Slashers recognize him right away, because he was a member of their guild after all.
"Orika, you are here?! We were worried about you and your friends too. It's good you are safe," a girl said.
As she spoke, her eyes fell onto Nir and Blue, who were sitting on the ground. She moved forward and stood in front of them.
"You are also a Slasher, right?" she asked, looking at Nir. Then she moved towards Blue. "And you aren't a Slasher, yet there is a strong aura coming from you? What are you? And why are you wearing clothes like this?" she asked.
Seeing Blue wearing ancient gowns, she found it strange. And at the gate, we couldn't trust anyone, so her eyes were fixed on Blue, sensing he was dangerous.
This feeling reached others too, prompting her to ask.
“Blue isn't a slasher, but he is strong. Don't worry; he's not a monster. In fact, Blue saved us. If it weren't for him, Orika and I would have died,” Nir said immediately.
He was good at reading the situation like this, which is why he took Blue's side.
The girl smiled. “Really! If you are saying this, then I will believe it. But why don't you all join us now? Since it's already night, we have food and equipment to stay the night, too.”
Her smile was so warm that Nir nodded, and he stood up with Blue. Blue shook his outer gown vigorously to dust off all the dust and then wore it properly while adjusting his hair, which was long and silky.
That girl's name was Liya. As a Urio rank Slasher, she was leading the unit that had come inside the gate to destroy it. Liya was the kind of girl who always smiled warmly, making everyone's heart flutter.
Blue and Nir also went with them, and it turned out they had brought many items, such as a lot of food and some blankets. Several lower-ranked Slashers, like Nir, were cooking pasta, while others were setting out disposable plates.
“Oh, Liya, you're here?” one of the guys said as he was cooking pasta, with another girl by his side.
"I have brought more people, too. I hope we won't get short of food," Liya said, and she glanced at Blue.
Blue noticed that, but he only rolled his eyes and went and sat in the chair that they had put a little ahead from here. Nir was about to go after Blue, but Liya grabbed his hand.
"Wait! I want to talk with you. Can we?" she asked.
Nir glanced at Blue and only saw Blue's back, then he turned to Liya and nodded. They both started to walk.
"You probably don't even remember me, but I was the one who gave you cookies yesterday," Liya said.
Hearing this, Nir's eyes widened, and he halted. He remembered that two people had come to him: one gave him pills, and a girl had given him the cookies, taking pity on him. However, he didn't remember the girl's face because he wasn't in a condition to see clearly yesterday.
"So, that girl was you? I'm really sorry; my vision was so blurry that I wasn't able to see your face," Nir said, smiling awkwardly while scratching his head.
"No, it's okay. I didn't mean to make it sound like I did something great. I thought you were avoiding me on purpose because we met yesterday, and today you're behaving like you don't know me."
Liya's words were soft, yet they reached Nir's ears perfectly.
"So, I didn't get to know your name yesterday. What's your name? My name is Liya."
"I am Nir, a Miami Rank Slasher," he introduced himself.
As he was looking at Liya, he felt a different kind of aura from her since she was an Urio rank slasher. She had a totally different kind of vibe, which he couldn't even explain in words.
“By the way, Nir, can I ask how you met that man? You said he saved you? Did he save you in the gate or in the real world?“
As she asked, the guy called her and Nir to eat because the pastas were ready with garlic bread. Hearing that, Nir turned around and came back with Liya.