The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 100

Her ears perked up.

“So if we just kill that ‘First One,’ this war will end?”

“Well, that’s what they say. But hey, even if it’s true, do you think the First One would be out here on the battlefield instead of hiding? Its survival determines the fate of its entire species.”

If the First Bahamut died, this war would end. If someone found it and killed it, everything would be over.

Thump, thump.

Veronica recalled the Bahamut that had sniffed her scent. The way it had straightened its back as if nothing had happened after looking at her. It had recognized her as one of its own. In other words, she was the only human who could pass through the battlefield unnoticed.

Then, in the end, what she had to do was…

“Huh? Huh…?”

Just then, the knights she had been speaking with made strange noises. A foreboding sense of dread snapped her out of her thoughts. Lifting her head, Veronica saw the apprentice knights pointing past her shoulder. Even in the dark of night, glowing red eyes plummeted straight down from above.

Crash.

The sound of a skull shattering made her shoulders jolt. Before she could even turn around, the deafening blare of horns and shouts erupted first.

“Damn it, they’re falling!!!”

“Block them!!! Raise your weapons!!!”

The knights who had been resting on the dirt ground sprang to their feet, drawing their swords. Veronica followed suit, fixing her gaze on the towering fortress wall. From the distant peak to the ground below, knights flailed their limbs as they plummeted.

Boom, boom, crack. Even in death, the creatures twitched violently, their final spasms like the death throes of beasts.

And then, from the breached wall, the Bahamut poured in.

Their red eyes descended like a fiery downpour.

May 1st, Year 1522 of the Holy Calendar.

The pope died, and Kart was consumed.

***

The awakened Bahamut engulfed Kart from all directions.

No one knew how many citizens had escaped to the wilderness. But the chaos orchestrated to divert the Bahamut’s attention had, at the very least, produced some results.

The western wall’s defenses collapsed, and the northern temporary barricade crumbled entirely. Like a flood spilling over a broken dam, Kart had no way to hold back the onslaught of Bahamut. Once they had entered, their mere existence was a catastrophe.

They assimilated every remaining soldier and citizen they encountered as they advanced. The budding shoots between the cobblestones were ruthlessly crushed beneath their massive feet.

Humans slaughtered humans. Among the staggering, red-eyed figures, giant Bahamut wandered with their elongated arms swinging forward.

The stench of blood and carnage, the screams.

It was hell on earth.

Tonight, Kart would meet the same fate as Bayern. Along with dying families, friends, neighbors, comrades, and innocents.

I wanted to stop it. I thought things had changed.

Veronica clamped her hands over her ears and shut herself inside the military supply storage.

Why? Why can’t I move?

This was different from Aseldorf. It was far, far too similar to Bayern.

The déjà vu was driving her mad. Like a catalyst, the memories she had buried surfaced all at once. Her father, torn apart before her eyes. The streets littered with corpses.

Veronica trembled violently and clenched her eyes shut. It had been a long time since she had felt this helpless, this pathetic. It was as if time had rewound, and she was back hiding among the ruins with Benjamin. If she left this place, she would have to pass through burning debris, get grabbed and turned around, and then—Benjamin would die.

Crash.

“We need to find a bigger, safer building. Any surviving knights must have gone to the church.”

“The church? Why do you think that?”

“It’s built to accommodate large numbers.”

Knights peered through the door cracks and whispered. The four young apprentice knights sitting with Veronica had chosen to hide rather than be swept away by the tide of Bahamut.

Leon—what about him? Which choice had he made? Was he still on the fortress walls?

“The outer church near the military camp… It’ll take at least half an hour to get there. If we want to move safely, we should rest for a short while, gather supplies, and go when daylight breaks.”

The knights were seriously discussing their plans for tomorrow.

Should I ask to go with them? Veronica hesitated. If there were any surviving knights, Leon would likely be among them. She was a capable fighter, so they probably wouldn’t refuse her. This strange panic she was feeling would surely subside. Definitely.

Her trembling hands slowly lowered from her ears. She mustered her courage and lifted her head.

But at that moment, Veronica froze before she could even open her mouth.

Through the crack in the door, a pair of bright red eyes were peering in. A face that seemed to be grinning.

The knights, backs turned to the door, continued their discussion, oblivious to what was happening.

Veronica’s lips parted.

“Run…”

Crack.

A long finger pierced through the head of the boy standing at the door, exiting through his mouth. Veronica remained motionless as blood splattered onto the faces of the other knights. Though her mind screamed that she needed to help them, her body was frozen, as if shackled by an unseen force. It was the same end as Benjamin’s last moments. As if it were an unavoidable fate.

Veronica’s gaze suddenly dropped to the wooden box at her feet. Words had been carved into it with a blade—in the language of the scriptures. She unconsciously read them.

Deus dereliquit hominem

“God has abandoned humanity…”

The Bahamut that burst through the door grabbed the knights who had drawn their swords, lifting them with both hands and tearing off their heads before tossing them aside. It then scanned the supply storage and, noticing Veronica sitting motionless, stomped toward her.

Their red eyes met. Veronica realized that the past was repeating itself. If events followed the same pattern, then next—

“No way…”

A sharp slicing sound rang chillingly in her ears. Veronica’s eyes shook violently. The Bahamut staring at her had its head split in two, collapsing instantly. Standing behind it, bathed in the blue moonlight, was a tall figure stepping forward with steady strides.

Now I understand why you believe in God.

God exists. Fate undeniably exists.

“…Veronica?”

A low voice called from within the backlit shadow.

“Do you want to live?”

It felt as though she had returned to the past. The corpses of Bahamut lay behind his black cloak. Embers swirled in the air, and a red-haired man towered above, looking down at her.

Veronica realized the truth of her fate. A chill ran through her entire body.

In life, everyone faces similar crossroads at some point. Situations reminiscent of past experiences arise once more. And when they do, we make choices based on what we have learned. Never realizing that these moments are messages from God.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Do you need help?”

The man knelt on one knee before her, and her vision blurred.

“Even if you have to crawl through the fires of hell, do you want to live?”

“Answer me. If you say you want to die, I will grant you a painless death.”

“Then ask for my help.”

“No, it’s fine even if you don’t help me.”

The same crossroads appearing again in life meant that this time, she was meant to choose a different path.

Leon drove his sword into the ground before her. The crimson glow of the flames reflected off the silver blade, illuminating a pale, fragmented face. Short black hair. A white face. Red eyes.

Red eyes. The same color as the Bahamut.

The world was falling apart. But humanity was evolving. Veronica was the human sent by God to save mankind. She had to leave.

***

“As soon as those outside are cleared, we move immediately. Eat something before dawn so you don’t collapse.”

Leon gestured toward a leather pouch for her, sitting deep in the storage room. He seemed to have come to secure supplies. Their meeting was purely coincidental.

“I have no appetite right now. If I eat, I’ll probably just throw up.”

Wrapped in Leon’s black cloak, Veronica shook her head. Then, after hesitating, she quietly added, “Instead of that… could you just hold me for a moment?”

At her childlike request, Leon, who had been scanning the shelves, paused and turned to her.

Fearing rejection, she hurriedly continued, “You don’t have to take off your armor. Just for a little while—I just want to feel safe. If I can, I think I’ll be able to move again.”

A brief silence followed. Thinking she must have sounded foolish, she slumped her shoulders dejectedly, only for Leon to walk toward her and sit down without hesitation.

Setting his sword within reach, he naturally pulled her into his embrace, cloak and all. Veronica wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against him, inhaling deeply.

It felt like surfacing from deep waters after drifting endlessly. Mixed with the cool scent of his skin was the faint metallic tang of blood.

“You know, I cut my hair.”

A completely unrelated statement.

“I know.”

An indifferent reply.

“You liked long hair, so you must be disappointed.”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“Not at all.”

Liar. She only thought it, but Leon seemed to catch on as he nonchalantly added, “I like anything you do.”

Veronica blinked in surprise. Even after saying such things, Leon met her gaze without the slightest hint of embarrassment. As always, he was a man who knew no shame. She scowled.

“…You sound like a flirt.”

“Liar, flirt—what’s next?”

“I don’t know. But I bet you wouldn’t find me pretty if I were bald.”

“Ah…”

Leon let out a soft exclamation before silently watching her for a long moment. Seeing his peculiar gaze, Veronica suddenly realized what he was imagining and gritted her teeth.

“If you picture it, I’ll kill you.”

Leon let out a low chuckle, lightening the air between them. It was strange—though the chaos outside remained unchanged, the fear seemed to lessen. Veronica, like a child learning to smile for the first time, curled her lips upward.

She felt so happy, it almost made her sad.