"Hmmmmmh~ That felt good~" Shulia stretched out her arms above her head.
They stepped outside of the orphanage.
"Did you see that fatty's face? He looked as if he was about to soil his pants right away!" Shulia said.
"Yes it was funny." Claudina thought back to the fat, short director bowing his head down in fear. His balding head had been stepped on by Shulia while they negotiated on terms for the children living in the orphanage to live properly.
Before they left Claudina had whispered on the director's ear that it will be quite peculiar if children are missing not only from the demon's attack but because of something else. "But director you wouldn't happen to know anything about it right?" Absolute fear coursed through his veins when he made eye contact with her. "H-how?"
"Truly fun~" she smiled with her eyes closed.
Night had fallen and much activity issued. Shulia and she agreed to walk around the village.
People were putting on picket fences around their homes, boarding up their doors and windows, stuffed up scarecrows lined around the village and children were being tightly shut under wells and trapdoors. The women put Holy water under their clothes; the homely ones were swatted in bright clothes while the prettier ones had their hair shorn and clothes dirty to confuse the demons. Men sharpened sword, axes and any other weapons they could use as they exchanged worried looks. The attacks were happening for weeks now and by no means were they skilled warriors. Yet they tried to do everything to fend off the nightly terrors.
"Don't you think it's weird?" Shulia touched her arm stopping her.
"What is?" she asked.
"That all the attacks happen at night. Demons don't care if it's night or day. As long as there is settlement of people they will attack."
Claudina wondered if she should tell the future. Then again the future will now be heavily changed since they are taking actions 3 years before the demon dies.
"Well you see this demon is a special case. It is a Child Grade demon that employs monsters and imps alike." She vaguely gestured with her hand. "You see all this preparations. It is futile and this demon knows it. Yet it waits till nightfall before launching a attack. It wants to crush whatever attempts these people have made. Then it will leave at dawn and once more the people will build these barriers only to once again be proven it was useless."
Shula grimaced. "What a sadist."
"Well it is a weak demon. It's probably trying to gain recognition so it may ascend to a higher grade."
Gaining recognition was an important aspect for a demon. The more people knew about its origin the stronger it would be. Some monsters that gained sentient would ascend to demons and they would do some vile things so that their origin spreads while other demons are spawned in hell as imps. They would follow a New Born or a Child grade demon to the human realm. Then they would possess a hundred children to become a true demon.
"I am guessing imps play an important part too?"
Claudina nodded. Shulia wearily signed. "Why? Are you afraid of them?"
"I not am afraid. I am…worried. The children in the orphanage; some of them are not able to walk."
"We can go and cast a barrier now."
"…Yeah. You go on ahead then. I will come back later."
"Alright. Take care." Shulia turned around and walked back to the orphanage.
Claudina continued on her walk. 'Anatole will probably start to trust me again if I help out in capturing the demon.' She looked up.
'Currently the demon is only a Child grade so it's rather weak. The problem is the S grade monsters that it is controlling. They will attack the other four islands while the demon broods in the middle one. We can divide into groups I think. Shulia and Sullivan have the most strength so we can send each of them to where most of the monsters are. Oriane has more stamina than the rest so she can deal with the imps. Sylvester is pretty agile so he can be used against monsters as well. Either Anatole or I seal the demon while the other keeps guard from any hidden attacks. But if we are going to be quick then I should seal it. Though I am not sure of Anatole's stats this seems to be the most efficient.' She thought on new ways to deal with the demon as she walked.
Suddenly an earth shattering noise exploded on the village. She fell down. "Ugh!" She tried to stand up as the ground continued to shake. "What the?"
She looked up. Tearing the ground thousands of spiky tailed imps crawled out from holes that spat out magma causing the area to burn.
The imps were two foot tall with razor sharp black spikes protruding from their red spotted backs. Their eyes which covered most of their heads were completely yellow with a single dilated red strip in the middle. Three tiny horns poked out from their piebald heads. Their bat wings wiggled in mischief while their long red tails twisted and curled. They had black claws on both their feet and fingers. All of them wore a drab brown cloth tied behind their necks. They grinned, revealing yellow shark teeth.
They scampered out of their holes. Following them were larger holes bug out by monsters that were mutated. All of them had a pulsing purple veins cracking out of their backs and legs.
'Forced control.'
Forced control; a power of demons where they take control of monsters by infecting them with their demonic mana rendering the monsters brain dead. Demons would usually use this power on gods' beasts that wander around their respective god's territory. By controlling the beasts the demons would sneak into the territory.
Monsters and imps alike started to go on a rampage. Shrieking people fell prey to the monsters' jaws, imps tore open the boarded homes dragging out screaming women. The imps set everything on fire with their breaths. Men were gutted in front of their wives while the younger women were dragged by their hair towards the forest. If they trashed around then their limbs would be torn off. Those limbs would then be proceeded to put in their mouths to gag them. If they still resisted then would force each other to eat their flesh. The children were no better off. Their jaws would be broken by the imps as they stretched their mouths to get inside their bodies. Blood and tears mixed as the children screamed bloody murder. They cried, they helplessly fought with the imps, they tried to escape only to be bought back to dance on their parents lifeless bodies.
Claudina stood there, unfazed. After the year and half in the frontlines she doubted if she would see something more gruesome.
She was right. She was unfeeling right now. It didn't make her sick when fresh blood dripped from ripped organs, when younger girls than her were forced to cannibalize each other only for the pleasure of the loud chattering imps, when possessed children cried when they slipped and got themselves tangled on their families' intestines.
She was indifferent to blood and gore.
Besides none of them knew her and she didn't know them either. They were not one of her people. She wasn't sorry for them. She had no empathy for them so she saw no point in helping them out.
Footsteps stopped behind her. She glanced back. Shulia was back huffing for breath. She looked at the horrible sight in front of her. A single tear spilled out of her overwhelmed eyes. "Oh Gaia…"
'No wait. Maybe I can use this.'
"Shulia go warn the others." Shulia snapped out of her stupor, surprised that Claudina was also here. "We need to save them. We will split up for the five islands. I am not sure if the other island are attacked but it won't to be safe so go. I will handle this island."
Shulia inhaled. "You are right. I was just…"
"It's ok. Now go."
"Right. Be careful." And she ran off. In the brief distance she could see a bright green light surrounding a pale green one stretching out from her before vanishing.
'Now what will be optimal answer for this?'
She pulled off her black gloves with her teeth before throwing them on the burning ground where the sizzled up in flames.
"σπечwert!"
Claudina materialized the Stars' Blessing on her hands and leaped on to the ongoing carnage.
She stabbed through flaming imps and mutated monsters. One of imps caught her cloak to try to drag her down but she slashed her sword through cloth and immediately blasted the imp away with lighting magic. A monster raised its stinger but she dodged, froze its feet and attacked it at her leisure. Another imp jumped at her raising a wooden stake but Claudina was quicker.
She grabbed a child and held her in front of her. The imp couldn't stop in time and shoved the stake through the child's heart. The girl screamed in pain while the light in her eyes dimmed. When she went limp Claudina threw the girl's body to a well which caused the girl's head to split open.
The imps crowding around her halted their movement.
She wiped the blood of her face. "What? Can't believe I would kill my own brethren? I have killed twice as many children then you lot put together." She raised her sword again and tore open a creeping monster's mouth. Under her raised arm she looked at the imps and possessed children. Her green eyes glowed dangerously as the monster's viscous brown blood soaked on her clothes and tricked down her elbow.
"Start running," she grinned. "Because you'll die if I catch even a strand of your hair!"
This caused a stampede among the imps. The imps that had already possessed children begun to run toward to the jungle screaming like animals while the ones didn't or where on the process of doing so where killed instantly by Claudina.
The monsters were also killed in the same ruthless manner. She tore through their skulls, stabbed through their stomachs, and chopped off their limbs until she was speckled with monster and imp blood. Her clothes soaked in sweat and blood clung to her body like a second skin. Her favorite cloak was now is shreds. The handle as well as the blade of the Stars' Blessing was slicked with blood.
Yet she didn't falter.
She continued to chase after the possessed imps because there was still a chance to return them back to what they were. Also she knew this would be able to renew on Anatole's trust.
The possessed children were nearing the jungle and they all grunted triumphantly.
'Not on my watch.' She conjured up a lasso of water. She spun it over her head before throwing it at the nearest bunch. She pulled at the longer part of the lasso and it tightened around causing them to fall.
"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!"
She turned to see an elderly woman trapped under a burning house. In the flames she could not see Shulia. However she could sense her and the other saints' Holy magic resonating.
She smirked. She could kill two birds with one stone.
Claudina decided to run after the other possessed children. "No need to save someone who is already at death's door," she muttered loud enough for the woman to hear.
The woman started to scream obscenities at her. She paid it no mind and prepared to run through fire. The woman's voice echoed on her ears when suddenly a shadow whoosh past her. She couldn't see who it was but she recognized the voice. "Please Saintess."
Somebody else screamed. She looked around. Half of the village was inside their burning houses.
It worked! Now she had to help these people. Not when Anatole himself was asking for help. This will be a good way to mend their relationship.
She clasped her hand together and knelt to the ground. "O' Holy Heaven! From the sever draught you have given us we now beg you to bless us with bountiful rain! Cast a wave of cool rain to our barren lands!"
A glittering wave rose up from the sea. It rose up until it loomed over the island like a white blanket covering it. Inside the wave was an insane amount of Holy magic. Slowly it divided itself into four equal parts. Three of the parts moved away to the other islands except for the main land in the middle.
She raised her hands to the wave and it crashed itself on the island. For once her fear of the sea was gone.
The wave washed over everything. It put off fires, resurrected those who have died while drowning the imps to death. Although household items were bought out inside most of the people didn't suffer any damage other than being wet.
Just like an ocean wave on a beach it crashed over the island and left a pile of mud and shells.
Shaky people stumbled out and rejoiced on seeing their fallen loved ones back to life. A cry of relief and joy rang out the village people.
Claudina stood alone watching it with half lidded eyes. Over her head was a magic circle that dried her clothes.
A pair of people landing behind her alerted that the others came back. She turned. The other saints were dripping wet. Anatole's veil was sticking to his face while Sylvester wrung his hair dry.
"Welcome back." She swished her finger and the circle shattered without a noise.
Oriane looked around. "Claudina what happened here? I just remember fighting off a possessed man when I was engulfed by a giant wave. The imp came out off the man's body and died while the man was bought back to life."
"I used my Holy magic to raise those waves. And I unleashed quite a lot."
"Oh," she blushed to her roots.
"What's wrong?"
"No it's just your Holy magic was…warm and…gentle like a lullaby. It felt good while I was under it."
"Yeah! It was really good. It remained me of flower fields! Miss Fairy can you cast your Holy magic on me? Pretty please?"
"I would love to but I am all not."
"You mean you have no Holy magic inside you now?" Shulia tilted her head. "Isn't that supposed to painful? How are you even standing let alone smiling?"
"I am in pain alright." She pressed her lips into a thin smile.
"You don't look in pain," Sylvester said. He looked her up and down.
"You would always learn not to show your expression if you were forced to wear a corset since you were four while sitting in an upright posture and polite smile in fear of sitting on your legs while maintaining said posture for five hours while hearing the same old hag drone on about etiquette."
"Yikes!"
"Yes I also felt sorry for the princess and I would have sympathized with her hadn't I went through something 10 times worse."
"Huh?!" The other saints all had a look of disbelief and concern.
"Fufufu~ your faces are quite silly."
"Saintess."
Claudina turned to Anatole. "What is it?"
He crossed his arms. "At that time if I hadn't come you wouldn't have helped those people now would you?" Although she couldn't see it she was sure Anatole was disappointed at her. "Please be honest."
The others looked at her. Shulia looked apologetic.
'Come on, come on!' "That-"
"There's that brat!"
'Finally you old bat!'
She glanced back. The old woman from before stood, pointing her finger at them. "The brat left me to die in my burning house!" she croaked. People were now jeering at her. "Yeah she did nothing! It was all the saints that did the work!"
"Some apprentice she is! She tried to kill us all!"
'Huh is that what they told all these people?'
"The demons' lackey!"
'Very original. I am truly impressed you cannot come up with a better insult.'
"Stone her to death!"
'Oh that's new.'
"She's a witch!"
"What are these people saying?" Oriane said, horrified. "Claudina you saved them. Say something!"
The shouts reached to a boiling rage. Suddenly someone picked a stone and threw it at her but she caught it in front of her face. Claudina stared coldly back at them. Their shouts quieted down. The old woman the ringleader flinched when she soundlessly walked toward her the stone still in her hand. She stared down at the woman who gritted her teeth before saying "W-what?"
"You have ten seconds to take back what you said."
"NO! It's the truth! You tried to kill me! All of us here!"
"Eight seconds."
"If it weren't for the other saints we would have all been killed!'
"Five."
"You are the demons' lackey! A witch!"
"Time's up."
She raised her hand to the side. "CLAUDINA!" The woman closed her eyes.
She crushed the stone into dust in her fist. Fine dust trickled out of her hand. The village went quite. The old woman fell back down, relieved on not being hit.
Sadly she faced the saints but her eyes were locked on Anatole. "This is why I didn't help," she mouthed out the words. Turning back she pinned the villagers with a glacial stare.
"You seem to be forgetting that I was the one who raised that wave. If the other saints hadn't begged for my help you would have all died," she said to the deathly quiet village.
"I am regretting on saving you all." She smirked. "It would have been better to let you all die! But don't worry next time I won't be saving you. That way you can all die."
The saints and the villagers flinched. Reflected under the cold moon was someone less of a saint and more of a demon. A demon wearing a halo that offers false salvation.
She turned away from the scared villagers. As she passed the saints, Anatole grabbed her hand. She looked bemusedly at him.
"I am well aware that a simple apology won't be sufficient for you…" he bowed his head. "…But if you could still forgive…" Claudina placed a hand on his wet shoulder. "It's fine. It takes a lot to make me angry."
"…Thank you."
She smiled lightly. "Then can I count on you to help out the village? I have no strength so I would like to rest."
"Of course. Please go ahead and rest."
She removed her head and walked towards an unburned tree. She took out her handkerchief. Placing it down she sat on top of the cloth. Before sitting she de-materialized her Holy sword.
She tucked her hands under her thighs and buried her head on her raised knees. 'Well that takes care of Anatole. To be honest I was not expecting I would get his favor this way.'
She raised her eyes. The other saints were helping the villagers. Anatole had replaced his veil for a mask and was talking to the village chief. Nearby Sylvester was healing and patching up wounds of children who were possessed. Shulia dealt with the heavier loads while Oriane passed out blankets to the elderly. Sullivan carried in more water for cooking soup. 'But I got my desired objective.'
She put her head down again, dozing in and out of lucidity as her Holy magic recovered.
In her final dream she found herself in her younger self laying down in one of palace's rose gardens.
A gentle voice was calling her. "Di look!" She felt herself raising her head. A tiny yet warm hand grabbed her. In the heady scent of roses and summer breeze, it was cool balm on her soul. "Look what I got for you!"
"What?" her dream self asked. When she looked at the owner of the voice everything was blurred. All that she could see was a sprig of forget-me-nots pinned on her hair. It stood out bright and blue among the sea of red roses.
"Here you go!" the girl said before pushing something in Claudina's mouth. Curious she chewed it. CRUNCH! The caramelized shell of the cherry was crushed along with the flesh of the fruit. "It's good! It has the perfect sweetness and crunchiness! What is it?"
"Hehehe! I knew you would like it. These are caramelized cherries. It's an easy snack to make. Remember to take some home with you."
"Hmm! Can I have some more now?"
"Yeah here you go, Di. I made them just for you!"
The dream ended and she woke up. Blinking her eyes she rubbed off her sleepiness. 'I think I had a good dream but I don't remember what it was about.'
She leaned on knees again and touched her lips.
'I am craving caramelized cherries now…'