Mission:011 Death

Mission: 01-1 Death

"Laudate te, Sol nostra salvator--"

The singing voice pierced through the glass windows and drifted toward the sky, while fragmented sunlight fell from the cathedral ceiling, gilding the holy white statue of a sword-wielder behind the pulpit. In front of the pulpit, the two girls who had produced that beautiful melody stood together.

The slightly taller girl, who wore her flaxen hair in a ponytail, took the lead, while the girl behind her, with long, flowing golden hair, provided the harmony. They worked in perfect unison, much like sisters.

As the song ended, the lead singer pressed a hand to her chest and let out a sigh of relief, turning to the girl beside her: "Let's stop here for today. You worked hard, Nero."

The girl with blonde hair and blue eyes—Nero—shook her head and replied in a soft voice: "I'm not tired yet. How about you, Kyrie?"

"We've been practicing all afternoon, how could you not be tired?" Kyrie turned around, tapped Nero on the forehead with her finger, and wiped away a few beads of sweat: "You always like to push yourself."

"I don't, I—"

"Listen to your sister."

Kyrie interrupted Nero's rebuttal and took her hand, leading her toward the cathedral doors: "You, you're always too intense with everything. You don't say when you're tired, and if you think you didn't sing well, you insist on practicing alone. After all these years, don't I know you?"

"...Yeah. Sorry." Nero lowered her head, scolded.

Kyrie stopped in her tracks: "I'm sorry, Nero, I wasn't criticizing you. But when it's time to rest, you need to rest, okay?"

"Okay."

Nero pursed her lips, following behind Kyrie, and sighed inwardly.

The Festival of the Blade was approaching, the most important annual holiday on this island. As the songstress chosen to perform at the festival, she felt her anxiety growing with each passing day. Even though both Kyrie and Credo insisted that her skill was more than enough to be this year's songstress, this nameless fire within her had not diminished in the slightest.

Kyrie glanced back, instantly seeing through the mood written on Nero's face. She frowned slightly, then immediately replaced it with a bright smile: "It's alright, there's no need to put so much pressure on yourself."

Nero looked up, seeing that smile reflecting the sunset, and her tense expression melted a little: "But, Credo he..."

"No need for pressure." Kyrie repeated, then added: "He fought for this position for you because he believes you have the ability. Although there has only been one songstress every year in the past, that is just a habit, not a tradition."

As she spoke, she pushed open the door, letting the brilliant sunlight and the sea breeze flood into the cathedral, and teased: "If it weren't for the fact that Fortuna Town has so few people and no proper choir, the Pope would surely hope to have an entire choir singing at the festival, don't you think?"

"Yeah." Nero's brows finally relaxed. She looked toward the town at the foot of the hill, and toward Kyrie and the sunset sinking into the sea surface, offering a faint smile: "Thank you."

She tucked away the anxiety churning in her heart, no longer letting it show on her face to worry this sworn sister, and walked out of the cathedral.

Yet, she still felt she wasn't ready.

"I'm planning to head to the orphanage next, are you coming, Nero?"

The cathedral doors gradually closed. Nero's gaze drifted toward the orphanage Kyrie had mentioned, and she replied casually: "I'll go take a look too."

A happy smile immediately appeared at the corner of the mouth of Kyrie: "Mm-hmm, Sister also said she hasn't seen you in a long time. Let's go together!"

And so, the two walked one after the other, crossing the garden at the cathedral entrance, preparing to head along the street toward the nearby orphanage.

In Fortuna, an island town almost completely isolated from the outside world, most residents did not have the habit of wandering around in the evening. This was partly because this pious town had absolutely no entertainment facilities, and partly because of the dangers that arrived with the night.

Those were the dangerous demons lurking in the shadows of the island, impossible to eradicate.

However, the two girls didn't pay much attention to the potential danger. Although victims of demon attacks appeared in town from time to time, those incidents usually occurred in the forests and the Snow Mountain outside the town. For the interior of the town, protected by the Order Knights, safety was guaranteed even at night.

And because there was no need for night lighting, the stone bricks paving the roads were not equipped with electric lamps—or rather, there was no power plant in the entire town; those residents with electrical needs installed private, small-scale generators on their own roofs.

As mentioned before, Fortuna was a pious, ascetic-style town.

On just such a dim street stained with the glow of the evening, Nero and Kyrie walked slowly over the stone bricks, chatting in soft voices.

By the time, the orphanage was just finishing its prayers and preparing for dinner, so neither of them was in a hurry, their steps light and relaxed—until a shrill scream erupted from the direction of their destination, shattering the peaceful silence.

"Demon--!"

Nero and Kyrie instantly tensed up, pricking their ears to distinguish the sound in the evening wind: beneath the sharp cries for help, the chaotic sobbing of children followed.

There was a demon at the orphanage.

"Nero, go find Credo!"

"Kyrie—"

In that situation, Kyrie left behind those words and ran toward the orphanage without a moment's hesitation. Nero did not follow Kyrie's instruction to find her high-ranking sworn brother; after a moment of hesitation, she chased after her instead.

She knew that the area around the orphanage was always protected by Order Knights, and Kyrie, who was about to enter from outside the protective perimeter, was in even greater danger.

The long white dresses they wore for rehearsals were not convenient for movement, and their running speed was limited as a result. This caused Nero to feel a flicker of relief amidst her anxiety; at this pace, by the time they arrived at the orphanage, the matter should already be over. They shouldn't run into the demon.

The reality, however, seemed otherwise.

"Sister!"

From afar, Kyrie recognized the shaken orphanage director, who had been the one to cry for help, by the dim light. She called the director's name and trotted closer.

Sister heard Kyrie's voice, turned her head, and then froze in place.

The Order Knights also looked over, their expressions turning serious as they drew their swords after a brief moment of surprise.

Nero, following behind Kyrie, felt her gaze lock onto the space behind her, her hands and feet instantly turning cold.

For right in front of her, in the shadows of a narrow alley by the street, a humanoid figure wrapped in a tattered burlap sack, wielding a rusted great cleaver, stumbled out.

It was a demon, a stray that had slipped through the net.

At this moment, Kyrie was still looking ahead, completely unaware, and the members of the Knights, who followed tradition and did not carry guns, were still far away.

A bad premonition had become reality.

"Kyrie!"

There was no time to think. Nero shouted her sister's name, lunged forward with all her might, and shoved her out of the way.

Kyrie crashed heavily onto the cold stone bricks. She propped herself up and looked behind her, her face turning deathly pale in an instant.

"Nero?!"

Having pushed Kyrie aside, Nero had fallen to the ground as well, and now, a rusted greatsword pierced through her chest, pinning her firmly to the floor.

Scalding blood stained her pristine white dress the color of the setting sun.

"Nero!!!"