My OP Minion System in the Apocalypse

A/N: The next two chapters are about rank #2 Noah Gait's past. Feel free to skip them or read them at a later time. I've been preparing chapters for the release of volume 5 which I'm quite excited about! There will be one last chapter of volume 4 after the two parts of 'Noah Broken End'.

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"Noah, why aren't you killing the vampire?"

Noah was frozen, unable to move, not because of any ability, but because of something inside of his mind. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't swing his sword to kill her

***

It was six years ago.

A happy-go-lucky girl was looking through some glasses at a store. She went through several, trying them on one by one. Each time she would gently slide them onto her ears and push the glasses onto her nose. She shuffled across to the mirror and smiled as she appreciated the look of each different pair of glasses. This store was the highest-end when it came to glasses

It wasn't that she had poor vision and needed prescriptions, she just liked the look of them on her face, a serious appreciation.

I wonder if I can afford one yet?

She took a little wallet out of her skirt pocket and looked at the money inside.

Sixty-seven dollars.

She was just slightly off the amount for the one she wanted.

I'll just ask my brother if he'll lend me some money.

She walked out of the store and towards her brother who was sitting on a bench inside the little shopping centre. Her brother seemed to be intensely observing a little note.

"Theo, can you lend me some money~"

She received no response from her brother who was engrossed in something much more important.

"Is this a love letter?!" He muttered.

"What was that?"

Suddenly, her brother realised her sister's presence and swiftly folded up the note.

"Y-yeah?"

"Can you lend me some money?"

"No." It seemed her brother was not particularly interested in this offer.

She pouted and made a sad face.

"Please~"

"What do you need it for anyway?"

"I just need fifteen more dollars to buy these glasses I really want!"

Her brother felt a minimal amount of sympathy for his begging sister.

"Fine, just leave me alone."

"Yay~"

Her brother reached into his wallet and pulled out a five and ten-dollar note.

"Thank you~"

"You better pay me back!"

His little sister smiled happily and wandered back into the store. She made her way over to the huge display of glasses on the wall and took the one she wanted down.

It's so cute.

Content, she walked over to the cashier to buy her long-awaited gift for herself.

After a little interaction with the cashier, she held a bag with the glasses in a case, tucked inside.

I want to wear them now, there's no one I know around, right?

She had been made fun of several times at school for wearing glasses even though she had no problem with her eyesight. Due to this, she made a personal rule to only wear the glasses in private.

As she made her way out of the store, she looked across to the spot that her brother was previously sitting in. It seemed he was no longer there.

I guess I'll wait here for him.

She took a seat on the bench that her brother was originally sitting on. After sitting there for a little while she decided to take out the glasses that she had just bought.

There's no harm in trying them on for a little while.

The little girl swung her legs on the bench, happily appreciating the glasses which sat on her nose.

He's taking a while.

She began to be worried. What if her brother had left without her?

Did I make him mad when I asked to borrow the money?

She decided to stay and wait a little longer.

Why is my brother not coming back?

It had been almost ten minutes since she started waiting.

She was careful to make sure no one could see that she was alone in a shopping centre. Whilst never being invited by any friends, she held onto her fragile pride and made sure no one saw her alone.

He didn't leave me, right?

Tears were beginning to form in the young girl's eyes.

She decided to get off the bench and search for her brother. She wandered around the shopping centre, glancing at the front of the stores. After not being able to find her brother, she decided to walk out of the shopping centre and look around the car park.

She was slowly losing the ability to hold in her tears and distress. After quickly scanning the car park, she walked over to a vending machine and took shade at the side of the vending machine.

"Oh look who it is."

A group of three girls who just happened to walk past saw the little girl who was on the verge of breaking.

"What's up glasses girl?"

"You're hanging outside alone? How sad."

"Hey don't bully her too hard, otherwise she might cry."

The girls snickered at the retort.

"I'm surprised someone like you would even bother to go outside despite not having any friends."

She looked down at the ground, trying not to make eye contact with the group of girls.

"Ugh, I feel bad for you, want to join us? You look pretty lonely by yourself."

She looked up at the girl who offered her this proposal. There was a ray of hope in the lost girl's eyes.

"Just kidding, I'd hate to have someone see us hanging out with you! Maybe if you were cooler we'd hang out with you."

The ray of hope was crushed by a statement so painful the little girl felt as if her heart would break apart right then and there.

Eventually, she couldn't hold it in anymore. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, tears building upon her eyes and slowly dripping down her cheek.

She held her knees against her body and covered her eyes.

"Sorry did we say too many mean things?"

It was an apology as empty as the young girl's heart.

Seeing the scene, the other girls decided to take their leave and enter the shopping centre.

This is all my fault, isn't it? If I stopped wearing glasses, people would stop thinking that I was weird. If I were cooler, people would want to hang out with me. I thought I could have fun for once, with my brother, but even he didn't want to be with me.

The broken little girl sat alone under the shade of the vending machine.