Ash narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice that, as a Banshee, he was better at combat and matters of the mind. He had no particular advantage in scouting, only being able to see more clearly than ordinary people.
"I don't know what those white bones did. I could only see that the livestock they touched were disassembled into pieces—not the kind of simple dismemberment, but..."
Ash looked toward the railway in the distance, where the livestock had been divided into fragments scattered across the ground.
Intact fragments.
Every bone and every bundle of muscle was perfectly intact, as though the finest surgeon had performed the most delicate operation—so perfect it could be called a work of art.
Like an entire firearm dismantled into neat, orderly parts.
But... but...
Ash stared at the cattle laid out neatly across the ground. It was clearly so exquisite, yet it made his skin crawl.
That warped sense of beauty delivered an overwhelming shock. Just looking at it was enough to make one feel sick.
Ash looked away and turned to the companions standing beside him, suddenly frowning.
For some reason, he found these people... very... ugly.
Their muscles and bones were joined together in a manner utterly devoid of beauty. Just looking at them was enough to make one feel sick.
They really ought to be taken apart and arranged neatly on the ground.
Ash's eyes suddenly widened. He shook his head violently, staggered back several steps, and pressed himself against the train carriage wall.
The cold steel restored a measure of clarity to his mind.
"Don't stare at those white bones for too long. They'll distort your perception!"
Ash said between ragged breaths. The Expeditionary Force soldiers around him all sucked in a cold breath.
Even Ash's will had been