Vile Exile

Chapter Twenty

Authors PoV

As Sage walked through the hallway towards the governors office, his bags slung over his shoulders, soldiers watched his every movement. He made up his mind early in the morning - leaving the assault squad was the best idea, like he said, it will help the squad get back to a normal routine, Levi won't have to worry about him anymore. Being a solo swordsman was better for him, sure it was lonely but that's what it was to be a solo swordsman. He didn't have to deal with bearing the secret and the weight of his past, and he didn't have to deal with the mixed emotions upon whomever he was partnered with finding out.

Without worrying about the concerned glares he's receiving from the soldiers posted at the doors of the governors office, he opened the doors with ease and stepped into the calm and collected room "Sage. A surprising appearance?" Heathcliff states, Natalia glancing up from her paperwork and staring at him with furrowed brows "I've come to exclaim my resignation of the assault squad Of the frontlines." He announces sternly, Natalia's eyes shooting open as she stands "Any reason why?" She asks, the swordsman nodding and stepping back slightly "I do not believe I'm ready to be in a group. I cannot handle the stress having people care about my past is putting on me. I will be retiring to a peaceful planet." He explains, the Governors staring at him as he looks over to Natalia "Should you have any sorts of issue with the famed troupe leader, Juanita Roller. You can contact me. I have no issue dealing with her if she becomes a problem. That will be all." He says before bowing and then exiting the room.

Whilst Natalia was somewhat shocked at his sudden resignation, she also wasn't surprised. Which is weird considering they are the same thing - she was shocked because he was leaving the squad despite caring deeply about them, especially Levi, but she wasn't surprised, Sage was a demon, not to mention he didn't work well with others, he was a solo swordsman and he hated to admit it but he was a psychopath, every time they killed a criminal he had to restrain himself from slashing their corpse into pieces. He was a sadist, a lunatic and now he was free. He said he was retiring to a small peaceful planet, possibly to keep himself calm, to lay low. Natalia didn't know how she was going to break the news to the squad, but she'd better find a way soon, a mission just came in for them, what happens when their blood-lustrous swordsman doesn't show up.

With Sage vanished, Natalia assumed he was at the ship-station waiting to go to that 'peaceful planet', the governor reluctantly made her way to the squads house. It was loud and noisy, even from the outside, Natalia could hear Amanda screaming at her teammates, and as always she didn't even hear a single word from Levi. As she made her way in, Balthazar was the first to see her as he was viciously sweeping the hallway floor, then Hugo saw her from the kitchen, his eyes widening as she walks towards them, holding the mission leaflet "Gather around." She announces as she stands in the kitchen, the squad all enter the kitchen at separate paces, Balthazar practically flew into the kitchen whilst Levi lazily slouched in. No surprise.

"Hold in Wait, we have to wait for Sage."

Those words... here comes the explanation. She hated it, despite knowing it's her duty to tell her task force the swordsman they all got so attached too has left. Without even telling them he's just straight up left because everything was too much for the poor boy.

Natalia stood there, gripping the mission flyer subconsciously, her usual confident posture vanished and replaced with an anxious one "Where is he?" Amanda asks as she looks around, the Governor finally clears her throat, gathering up what little confidence she has remaining and using that as a way to tell them one of their teammates has left. As she stands upright, standing as tall as she can she sighs "That's partly the reason why I'm here." She says finally, their attention immediately glued to her, Levi sits straight up "Sage Kageyama has resigned from the frontlines assault squad and has left the planet. We don't know which planet he has gone to all we know is how to contact him. It was his decision to leave and I can assure you there is nothing you can do to change his mind. He's not like us. He has committed thousands of sins he cannot atone for. He is the living embodiment of the seven things we all possess naturally." She explains before letting out a strained sigh, the squad staring in utter disbelief, Natalia slams the leaflet down on the table "you did perfectly fine without him, you can do so again." She grumbles, turning and walking out of the kitchen and then out of the house, she releases a held in breath she didn't even know she had held in.

Elsewhere the swordsman, Sage, lies in a bed in a small house up on a hill, he wanted to be as stereotypical and cliche as possible. He's retired so he's going to buy a small cottage up on a hill in the countryside. As he lied there, his right hand rested on his abdomen, the coldness of the metal sending chills down his body, his pinky finger and his ring finger subconsciously hidden underneath the waistband of his shorts "Retired life. I don't need the drama life." He breathes to himself before closing his eyes.