Author notes:
I am back! And surprise! Guess who will be introduced in this chapter?
Also, this chapter, and the next one, show another side to the Demons that have been the talked in previous chap, yet wasn't actually touch upon much due them being a tertiary focus.
I sure hope you all enjoy this chapter and please, do stay tune for more and support me whenever you can. I'm not gonna sugarcoated this I am in a bit of a pickle right now. Hence, every single help and good words are appreciated!
Thanks for reading and supporting me thus far, all of you!
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Ever since the fall of Murcia two months ago, advancing the battlefront has been a slog for the Sardegnian Army. Even with the help of the Crusaders and more and more reinforcement from the Papacy, the invasion progressed only as far as still contesting for Hellin with Teruel being captured a week ago. As for Motilla del Palancar, they haven't even reached Utiel, much less threatening the city itself. The Crusaders, albeit powerful, don't have the number to help the Army on all fronts. Hence a plan was devised to have the Crusaders use Murcia as a staging area and use it to threaten Spain's southern territories, alleviating the pressure from the other two fronts. Kallen and her Crusaders, from when the plan was conceived up to now, have been fighting nonstop, regardless of their injuries and losses. Only after a full month of active combat, does Kallen call off the campaign for a short downtime, letting her sisters recuperate despite a few protests.
If memory serves Natasha Ciora correctly, her words at that time were. "Rest, and live to serve the Lord for another day. Ever since we first set foot in Spain, we lost many of our sisters in combat with the most recent ones in Murcia. The last thing we want is to see the ones next to you, or yourself, being harmed due to fatigue and carelessness."
Straight to the point, albeit her demeanor was akin to a caring mother to the rest of the Crusaders. Natasha was the first to step behind Kallen, knowing just how badly every single one of them need to cool down from their rage-filled devotion to the Lord. Soon after, the rest of Kallen's flock follow suit, one by one, earning a kindhearted smile from Kallen and Natasha would be lying if a few of them weren't flustered by that display. Natasha can be counted in that number but she hid it well enough that none notice her speeding heart. Kallen does have that effect on people of both genders. Her smile is even more effective on the Crusaders for she has been a mother, a sister, and a friend that none of the girls has. Just the fact that Kallen has been protecting them from less-than-scrupulous advances is more than enough to make a few girls fantasize about her.
Now that Natasha thinks up there, a major part of the reason why the Crusaders were so devoted to their war against Spain, was that Kallen was saddened by the sisters that lost their lives under her watch. They had taken it upon themselves to meet out judgments on the Spanish Coalition alongside carrying out the will of the Lord. It's a stupid combination to wage a Holy War, Natasha thinks.
But then again, wars have been waged over more incredulous reasonings. At least, this one is done for a noble cause, Natasha hopes.
Her mind is taken aback to reality by a nudge from Kallen, who is sitting by the co-driver seat of the truck Natasha is driving. "Watch the road, Natasha. You can daydream for the rest of the day when we get back to Murcia." Or what's left of it at least, Natasha added mentally though she did nod and took a tighter hold on the wheel.
Murcia, after the Spanish scorched the Hell out of it, is another ghost city, not dissimilar to Comberth. Yet, with an influx of Army personnel and volunteer citizens from the Papacy, the city is being rebuilt amidst the war. Funny, the war is yet to reach a conclusion and Sardegna has already treated the lands it took as its own. Natasha can't help but allow a traitorous thought to take root in a corner of her mind. 'Are we waging a Holy War to purge heretical views, or it's just another war about borders and territories?' Natasha knows better than to voice her concern out though, even if it's to the implacable Kallen next to her.
Huh, Kallen is humming that tune again, the one that has been her trademark from the time when Natasha and the rest of the Crusaders were still in Auschwitz. All of them have been wondering what the tune was but none voices the question for varying reasons. They are happy enough with her humming that tunes for them to sleep.
Directing a side glance at Kallen, Natasha takes in the sight of Kallen in all of her glory beneath the sunlight. Kallen is a woman with long white hair that is tied into a singular braid. She has messy bangs and determined blue eyes. Her outfit is a heavily modified nun's habit: which is mostly black fading into dark purple with some splashes of white. Kallen also wears a white cloth that extends from around her neck to her front. An emblem of a cross sits on her chest. She also wears a black veil fitted with a white seam at its hem.
This is where her outfit begins to steer away from the traditional nun, as her smock ends high on her sides and extends fully to her ankles in the front. She has black thigh-high boots which are covered in belts as they ascend. In fact, she also has belts on her upper arms and at the end of her long sleeves. A large purple cross is printed on the front of her habit and on her sleeves.
It's a mockery of a standard nun's habit but a functional one on a battlefield. As a matter of fact, Kallen's attire is mimicked in a variety of ways by the Crusaders with an unspoken rule. The more accomplished the Crusader, the more her attire bears a resemblance to Kallen's, bar a few identification details.
Natasha, being an A-rank Crusader and one that has been following Kallen since day one and thriving, is proud to boast that she wears an almost perfect copy of Kallen's habit. Safe for the difference in the color scheme due to her more... clandestine nature. Instead of purple and white, Natasha opts for wine red and gray.
Dress code aside, Natasha soon falls into a relaxed mood, coaxed by the humming from Kallen and the fact that the path they are taking is deserted for the most part. That is until they reach a vehicle graveyard.
This particular graveyard, a hundred meters to the side of the dirt road, hosts countless wrecks of unknown origin. Some are already there since two months ago and a few are recent additions from the frontline. Aside from the occasional Sardegna salvaged crews that frequent the place, the graveyard is devoided of human presence for the majority of the time. Hence it's weird for Natasha and Kallen to see a nun praying near the wrecks, not to mention the shovel that is stabbed into a mound of dirt next to her and a few holes near it. Such a sight warrants an investigation, which is why Natasha isn't surprised when Kallen gently asks her to pull over.
Easing the cargo truck to a stop, Natasha and Kallen step off soon after, closing the doors gently before taking stock of the surrounding. Aside from the sporadic cawing of a few crows, which unnerves Natasha for she feels that they're looking directly at them, the vehicle graveyard is quiet. Sharing a look with Kallen, Natasha is prompted forward by a nod from the S-rank Crusader. As a precaution, Natasha moves a bit ahead of Kallen, not wanting the latter to be hit by any nasty surprises. It's an unwanted habit she developed throughout her stay in Spain.
Very soon, the two Crusaders reach the kneeling nun, now in earshot of her Spanish prayers. Albeit rare nowadays, there still exists a small community of Spanish that stayed behind. She is unsure whether Kallen knows about this or not but Natasha has come to witness the discrimination the Sardegnians have for the Spanish. The Spanish that are living in Sardegnian-controlled territories isn't living as well as they used to. This nun is the few that chose to stay, most probably to take care of her church... Or she stays to bury the caskets that are lowered into the holes around them. Natasha can't help but slowly lower her hand on her magic gun, readying herself for anything.
The unknown nun, having heard their approaching footsteps, said the last of her prayer before standing up, dusting away the dirt on her habit, then turns around. The Spanish sister has a cute face, pretty enough that men would have been willing to chase her if she weren't serving the church. Natasha can't stop herself from wondering if the men of the Army had accosted her yet, they can be quite forceful at that. It takes the Crusaders patrolling the Spanish abodes to stave away any attempt at such crime.
The nun, not betraying any emotion, performs her curtsy calmly at the Crusaders. "Greetings, fair ladies, what wind has brought you here to this lowly me?" Her Sardegnian is impecable.
Kallen steps up after being addressed. "We were driving back to Murcia when we saw you. We decided to check on you, knowing that the surrounding could be dangerous since the Months of Demons are still ongoing."
Kallen's answer earns a giggle from the Spanish nun. Natasha, however, can infer a wistful tone from that small laugh. It's unknown just why the nun can laugh at Kallen's concern.
"I do thank you for your good thoughts, though I must say that your concern would be misplaced. I am perfectly fine, this is where I should be." The nun said cryptically, prompting Kallen to tilt her head.
"Where you should be?" Kallen and Natasha then look around. "Are you burying them?"
It doesn't look like she is burying though, more like digging these caskets back up. Natasha can infer it just from the state of the wooden coffins, they have scratches, dirt, and darkened spots. Such a state can only happen after the caskets have been buried for some time. Once again, Natasha chooses to leave things unsaid, opting to gather more intelligence first.
Instead of answering Kallen's soft inquiry, the nun turns around in the direction of the graves. "My dear Crusaders, do you know the reason why there's a graveyard of vehicles here? Just shy a hundred or so meters away from the road?"
The pair of Crusaders nod their heads at this. "It all started from a bombing of a retreating Spanish military convoy around two months ago. Much valuable equipment of the Spanish Coalition was destroyed that day."
Kallen and Natasha can see the shoulders of the nun shake for a moment before she takes a deep breath, then says. "So that's what they have been telling you." The nun then lets out a rueful laugh. "It's no wonder that for all of your integrity and goodwill, you remained inactive about the sins your compatriots committed."
Kallen scrunches her eyebrows at this. "I've been told of the possible crimes that the Papacy has condoned, yet, so far the evidence of that has been eluding me. You would have to be more specific than just that."
For some reason, Natasha has a feeling she doesn't want to hear this conversation.
"The proof eluded you, or are you being indecisive about finding the truth?" The Spanish nun asked, causing Kallen's fingers to twitch. "For so long, you have basked in the presumed glory of Sardegna, perhaps you're just unwilling to see the dark side of the Papal State. I don't have much to say but I do hope you open your eyes and ears. Listen to a story from the other side of the front."
Seeing that Kallen and Natasha remain silent, the nun continues. "Two months ago, on the eve of Murcia's falling to your hands, an evacuation convoy was organized. Led by various volunteer groups and the Red Cross, the convoy housed nothing but civilian refugees, set for a course to the East. At the height of aggression between two military forces, a bombing run conducted by one of the parties involved attacked the convoy. Showcasing a complete disregard for the neutral flags the convoy was flying, the bombers decimated everything with their bombs and guns, leaving thousands of casualties in their destructive wake." The nun then stops, taking a morose look at the caskets beneath her. "Of the many that died and injured, my fellow sisters were there... They were trying to help the sick and disabled along the way. They succumbed to their grievous wound after volunteering their helps to save the rest. Now tell me, on that very day, upon this land, what was the country that ordered the strike? It's a strike that killed even innocent children, you know?"
With the nun leaving the questions hanging, the air drops a few degrees. It doesn't take a genius to infer just what country had the nun been insinuating, it was Sardegna that dominated the sky that day. That Kallen can confirm with a nod from Natasha. A sense of revulsion raise in both Crusaders but at the end of the day, what the nun said is just that, saying. If the words are to be trusted though, it does explain why the nun is out here, mourning on her lonesome.
It still doesn't shed light on why she is unburying the coffins though.
The nun giggles, not needing to take a look to know what thoughts are running in the minds of the Crusaders. "It's no use convincing you with words, what's done is done." The nun then steps forth, kneeling in front of the central grave. "Should you want to uncover-!"
Suddenly, a dark energy ray punctured the nun's abdomen, cauterizing the wound, before a figure broke out of the central casket, landing a few steps away from the collapsing nun. Shocked but ultimately used to sudden attack, Kallen's first instinct is to rush in and secure the injured nun, only to be pulled back by Natasha. For the most part, Natasha has been keeping an eye out for any ambush and it pays off. The moment when Kallen was about to charge ahead, the assailant has already charged another energy ray, ready to skewer Kallen with it. Now Natasha has complete faith in Kallen's ability but she sure as hell doesn't want to take such a risk.
"Natasha, let me go save her!" Kallen protested while equipping her guns, an action already performed by Natasha.
While charging up her magic guns with both defensive and offensive spells, Natasha replies tensely, still looking warily at the enemy with a charged ray ready to set off. "No time, big sis, we're surrounded."
Natasha isn't wrong, now that Kallen is not tunnel vision on the enemy ahead of her. All around them, the many caskets are opening up, revealing pale females, each dressing in a maroon dress, as they raise to the land of the living. They aren't armed at first, until swirls of pink energy gather around their right hands, coalescence into big reaper scythes. An oppressive air befalls the graveyard as Natasha realizes that they're outnumbered ten to one. The white hair, and red eyes Zombies then start circling their prey.
"And it gets worse..." Natasha couldn't help but say that sentence when more energy swirls of pinkish light started gathering around them. Finally, they all condense into many shapes and forms, the visages of the accursed Demons. The Demons consist of a small and common Honkai Beast type that can fly with wing-cleaving attacks, and a bigger and more robust two-limb beast.
"Archangels and Chariots, a lot of them too! Just how come we aren't able to sense their formations prior to this? Not to mention these zombies, I can tell that they're leagues above the common rabbles we used to defeat." Natasha tried to cheer herself up, having fallen into a precarious situation.
Kallen may be fine with this much but the same can't be said for Natasha. Natasha specialized in information gathering and clandestine operations, not an all-out battle.
Kallen now stands back to back with Natasha, her guns hold high at the circling Demons and Zombies. "We may have fallen into a Demon spawning area, camouflaged by the fact that all the rampant mana in the air is absorbed by most probably that figure over there." Kallen motioned her head over to the first Zombie that appeared.
Unlike the scythe-wielding Zombies, this one is much different from the rest. The subject has a long white twin-tail than the bob cut the other Zombies are sporting with her hair turning blood red at the tip. Instead of the maroon dress, her attire consists of red and black mental patient clothes, a black blindfold over her eyes, and her twin tail is held up by red and black ribbons. Unlike her fellow pale skin, she is floating above the ground, even if she is now kneeling next to the nun she just harmed.
At first, Kallen and Natasha thought that may be a trick of the light but after they triple-checking it, they notices that this Zombie is silently shedding tears through her blindfold. From an action that can only be perceived as the Zombie trying to close the gaping wound of the nun, the Crusaders are shocked to see that this Zombie may actually retain a bit of humanity.
The nun, coughing up blood yet plastered a contend smile despite her pain, raises a hand and strokes the cold cheek of the Zombie looming over her. "I... See... You... Sister..." Coughing once again, the nun struggles to form her next set of words more clearly. "I love you... Sister."
Now too weak, the nun is unable to hold her hand up, only for the Zombie to desperately uses her tied hands to grasp it, her cheek leaning deeper into the nun's palm. It would have been a very romantic sight if it weren't for the fact that the Zombie is now pumping a copious amount of mana into the nun's wound. As much as Kallen hates to admit it, the nun is now officially unsavable. In due time, she will become one of them.
Natasha, however, has a different thought altogether. The A-rank Valkyrie feels something stir inside as she is witnessing a love that transcends life and death. By now, she has inferred that the nun, rather than burning the corpses, has buried them under this land full of dead. The nun has cultivated the Zombies here in the hope that she would see her loved one, once again.
Natasha would be lying if she isn't feeling jealous, and has a newfound conviction. As a Crusader that takes pride in her intelligence works, she will figure out just what has driven the nun mad enough to do this, and in the end, she will be able to uncover the truth about everything. Whether it would be in the best interest of Natasha and Kallen, she doesn't know.
Kallen, on the other hand, is feeling remorse and pity. Perhaps if she wasn't as indecisive as what the nun said, Kallen may have been able to prevent this. The truth may have been able to come to light sooner than now. It's all wistful thoughts currently for once again, Kallen is seeing a person that rang a wake-up bell inside her head, dying. The seed of doubt is now sprouting inside her and after this, it would be unknown just what sort of decision she would make.
Who knows, maybe both Natasha and Kallen will be teaming together to, hopefully, turn things for the better.
But first, they have to stay alive. That special Zombie in front of them has now diverted her attention from them and she doesn't seem too happy. After all, one doesn't conjure floating coffins out of thin air and use them as bludgeoning tools and beam launchers to attack someone.