Глава 13

On the sundering earth, a large number of red worms keep gushing onto surface. They chew on every soul they can reach and suck their blood.

This is the Prince's blessing. It's the kindness the Royal Court left for us.

In our bodies... our purest blood is now awakening. Let's waste no more time on these Victorians!

Rockrock, you should go—

The Feline girl named Rockrock takes out a dagger from her waist and stuffs it into my hand.

A large group of Sarkaz are closing in on our location.

Magdelene, get ready to fight.

It's not that hard. None of us... had any combat experience before.

Take a deep breath and make up your mind.

Make up my mind.

Right.

Just like... that Sarkaz officer who collapsed among the fluttering petals.

I grip the dagger tight.

A shot rings out.

Artillery fire? I thought we used up all our explosives!

Quick, Rockrock, Magdelene, now!

We were contacted by a few old friends. They brought a whole backup unit! They even have an identification code—

Identification code?

Is it the military? Victorian... Right... the military is responding to the war.

They must be a group of ice-cold men. They're here to kill the Sarkaz and save the Victorians. They—

'The Exemplars!'

A thick, roiling cloud of dust is kicked up into the air all over within view. Again and again, bright flashes of light suddenly erupts across the ground.

What is that... A tank?

I can hear a firm, persevering female voice coming from Feist's communicator.

This is Tank Fire Team Horn. All units, make sure to stay clear of my blast zone.

Grenade loaded. Firing second barrage!

Opening created. Cover the Self-Salvation Corps and all citizens!

Horn, continue laying suppressive fire.

Those Arts Circles... We need to find a way to stop this bloody witchcraft.

Vina, have someone else drive. I want to join the ground combat!

Hannah, eyes on the road!

Alright, alright!

Get the tank as close to the core of the Arts Circle as possible. I'll take care of that thing!

Vina!

You have other tasks.

All units, follow regular deployment formation. Morgan, Hannah, follow Horn's orders and cut open a path for the tank.

Lieutenant Shearer, Dagda, Delphine, take command of the ground forces and form a defensive line. Stop the Sanguinarch's worms.

I'm on it.

Acknowledged.

Acknowledged.

Mr. Misery, I'll leave the commander of the enemy forces to you.

All you need to do is boldly execute your plan.

Feist, it's been a while. We shall exchange pleasantries later. I need the Self-Salvation Corps to help set up a zipline that will take me above the Arts Circle.

On it!

We have no time to lose. Let us take care of the strange Arts Circle first.

I will leave my rear to all of you.

While I was still trying to identify the squad that suddenly came to our aid, the blond Feline has already ziplined to the center of the battlefield.

She descended from the sky, and bombastically made her way into the center of the Arts Circle's blood-red pillar of light. The sound of rocks blasted apart ring throughout the entire battlefield.

'Thump.'

I can see each and every swing of her large sledgehammer in that red light.

'Forward!'

The Feline's voice ignites the tank's engine.

I see a warrior holding a sledgehammer up high leading the Victorians to retake our land.

Look! Look how easily our Victorian tank fire can blast that thing apart!

We said as much long ago. Them bloody devils are no match for Victoria's military!

Crush them!

No, there are too many Originium crystals in town...

The mayor's office, the small town square, the library... those things we've been rebuilding day in and day out...

We won't make it in time—

Is it over?

No...

The pillar of red light rises from the building we built and intermingles with the festive fireworks.

There is a blood-red color boiling in that dark abyss.

The similarly red worms are reaching their antennae toward the sky.

The Arts Circle has been damaged. The Vampires' offspring have gone berserk. Seize this opportunity!

Infantry units, stop advancing. Escort all citizens out of the Arts Circle's range.

Tank squad, follow me and push forward. Destroy the remaining Originium crystals in the town and commence search and rescue!

Hell is invading my town.

All while the formation's rumbling tank accelerates and blitzes in on the devils.

I see gravel kicked up by tires, pounding the glass.

Similar sights keep retreating from the car window: muddy earth, dried bloodstains, shell craters we carefully steer around... War flows persistently, like an oil slick set alight.

The atmosphere outside the car is tense. Everyone remains silent. The driver is focused on driving, Paprika sits beside her, occasionally turning her head to cast a worried glance.

In the cab, the Miner casually oils his weapon, the Shopkeep from Kazdel mimics him. He cries out suddenly, looks like he cut his palm.

Kazdel has grocery stores, children gazing longingly at candy as they lean against the counter, old folks complaining about the changing price of salt. It makes sense, but... I never really thought about those sights before.

For me, Kazdel is just a distant memory. When I was little, Babel briefly stopped near Kazdel.

I only remember it from a distance, a sight like a steel monster crawling through the wastes, leaving debris and thick smoke in its wake. Theresa held my hand and told me that was her home.

I remember... at the time, I didn't know what the look on her face meant.

Much later, I talked to the operators about Kazdel. Mudrock called it a barren land of houses stacked on top of each other, Stormeye talked about an eternal furnace and crystal clusters on the city walls.

W... she laughed an icy laugh and said: 'If I were a bunny like you, I'd steer clear of the place.'

Kazdel feels like a vague symbol, representing all kinds of things: pain, hatred, oppression, slaughter... I know these are all true, objectively, but they're not everything that is Kazdel.

Setting all that aside, I know it's the place where Theresa sacrificed everything.

Even Theresis, the mastermind behind this war, grew up there. What does the Kazdel they envision look like?

Logos quietly wipes his bone pen. On the other side, I see the Doctor turning to look out the window. What's out there?

I tug on the Doctor's sleeve.

Dr. {@nickname}, when the war is over, I want to visit Kazdel again.

Stop the car. There's something strange up ahead.

All units, prepare for battle.

What is that—

In the distance, the town of Brentwood is already coming into view.

A crimson light rises from the center of the town, staining the surrounding land.

The blood-covered veil gently envelops all living things.

Hngh—!

—This feeling, it's the same one that came when we were inspecting those Arts Circles.

Banshee, Your Lordship, what is this...?

When the war started, no one expected the land to be drenched in so much blood so quickly.

'Modern warfare' is it? Hah.

I'm afraid the Vampire has all the prerequisites he needs for the ritual to fall into place.

The crystals on the other battlefields were just nodes resonating with the ritual. All this time, I've been looking for its center.

Brentwood, this little town, has a special place in the Vampire's wicked design.

Can you handle it, Logos?