Another chapter.

Enjoy!


After finding the remains of what was once a man, Adam and Sakura waited for the people in charge of recovering the body to give it a proper funeral rite. During the process, the people in charge kept a serious face or tried to do so. Adam noticed the looks of resignation, fear, and even anger. The latter was directed mainly at Sakura and to a lesser extent at him. She gave no indication that she saw this or cared, but Adam sensed there was more to it than just blaming her for what happened.

After a short chat between the Miko and the group, after finishing securing the remains, the unusual duo continued to patrol the outskirts of the town in silence. Usually, this wasn't a problem for Adam, but he knew this was a good time to get information about the town and its situation.

"Miss Yae, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Alighieri."

"Are the attacks on the village very frequent?"

Sakura thought for a moment about her answer. "They are not, or so I would like to say, but in recent years, the presence and attack of demons have increased."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Was there a time when the attack of any of the beasts was rare?"

"Yeah. People saw them from a distance and quickly moved away to avoid being seen and attract their attention. Sometimes some victims were taken by surprise while working or walking on the outskirts of the village."

"I imagine that the town guards didn't have as much work as before back then." Adam looked to the sides of the path they were walking on. "By the way, Miss Yae, shouldn't there be guards around this area?"

During the entire ride, Adam had noticed that besides the two of them, they hadn't run into anyone else. He had his assumptions about the lack of guards or watchmen in the area, but he hoped Sakura would answer his questions first.

Sakura made a confused gesture. "Guards? What do you mean, Alighieri-san?"

"I mean the people who guard or are watching for an Honkai beast to appear and raise the alarm," he replied, incredulous at what she meant.

"I'm afraid there is no one as you indicate, Alighieri-san," she shook her head. "Due to the dangerous nature of the demons, I alone must protect the village and its people from the diabolical creatures that wish to destroy us. Only I possess the capacity to confront them, so the village can avoid more wounded or deaths."

Adam's eyes widened as he heard the words come out of Sakura's mouth, taking him by surprise and intrigue.

"Wait a moment, Miss Yae. Are you alone in charge of protecting the entire village?"

To Adam's mortification, Sakura nodded.

From a pragmatic perspective, it was logical that only people with the correct physical capabilities, such as a Valkyrie, would take charge of the Honkai beasts. But what alarmed Adam was that only one person was the sole protector of an entire isolated village in the mountains. And it wasn't just that, Adam hadn't seen any kind of walls or fortifications to keep the beasts out of the town or defend itself.

Damn, he understood if the town couldn't build stone walls, but they lived in a goddamn valley! At least they could build something with the wood around them.

"Holy shit, it's like they're all just crossing their fingers and hoping nothing happens," Adam thought, alarmed at what he was hearing.

"Is this very surprising to hear, Alighieri-san?" Sakura asked, seeing Adam's expression.

"I'm just- I'm just surprised that you alone are in charge of protecting the entire village, Miss Yae. I believed that more people would be in charge of protecting the village."

"I admit that it is not an easy duty, but I am the only one who can face the demons."

"Wouldn't it be better to build walls around the village using wood from the forest to improve security?" Adam suggested, but curious at the same time.

He knew he had overstepped when Sakura pursed her lips.

"I understand what you are suggesting, Alighieri-san, but this mountain, our home, was granted to us by the will of the gods. The last thing we want is for their anger toward us to grow more. If we begin to destroy part of the valley, all their wrath will certainly fall on the people."

"I-I see." Adam couldn't believe what he was hearing, but it was best to avoid creating enmity with the miko who had helped him until now despite the tense start.

"I apologize if I offended you, Miss Yae. It's just that I'm used to seeing towns and settlements surrounded by walls to increase security."

"Don't worry Alighieri-san, I understand that it was a mere suggestion, but you must understand that our customs and yours are very different."

The journey continued without either of them saying anything else.

After several minutes of walking, the two had reached the village's fields. Sakura asked Adam to wait while she went to the farmers' house to find out if there were any beast sightings in the area.

As Sakura walked away, Adam walked to see the situation of the farmland. He didn't know how bad the situation was until he saw the state of the crops with his own eyes.

"Fuck. I'm not an expert on this but seeing more dry plants than live ones and the dry, cracked soil are signs that the situation is screwed."

And sure enough, there were long stretches of once green land, now barren, with several dry or dead plants piled up in various mounds.

Adam returned to the dirt path they had come from and waited under the shade of a tree for Sakura to return from her errand.

While waiting, Adam fell into thought.

"I know we have different perspectives, but even a child knows that the best thing would be to wall the village to avoid being easy prey for the Honkai beasts, or at least create a fortification to hold out for help to arrive or a watchtower to see into the distance. If there is danger."

Adam was aware that ordinary weapons were not effective in killing a Seraph or Chariot, but he knew whether it was zombies or beasts like the bear, even a shower of spears and arrows could finish them off.

"Will of the gods? It sounds more like 'survive until the last of you falls,'" Adam thought to himself.

After almost half an hour of waiting, Sakura returned to the path.

"Any news, Miss Yae?"

"No. The farmers have told me there have been no sightings of any monsters in recent days," she looked back at the withered crops. "Although I fear the situation with the farmers will worsen due to the lack of food these days." A slight trace of worry could be heard as she said this.

"Is it common for there to be a lack of rain in this region?"

"There are seasons when rain is minimal, yes, but on rare occasions, there have been extreme droughts like this."

"And aren't there any rivers nearby to get water?"

"Previously there was a river not far from here from which farmers got water in difficult situations, but a few years ago the river dried up, and the path to other rivers became more dangerous with the appearance of more demons."

"Don't the village get help from other villages or some business partner? With soldiers who can help them or even a company of mercenaries?

Sakura stared at him. Her expression wasn't malicious or full of distrust or annoyance, she was just staring at him, but from her reaction, Adam knew that he had said too much.

"Crap. I think I screwed…"

Sakura continued to stare at him for a couple more seconds and then she spoke.

"You ask a lot of questions, Alighieri-san…"

"Shit. I hope the next words aren't her kicking us out of the village…" He thought in alarm.

"Questions that I also previously asked the village chief, and that he did not like to answer," Sakura said.

"Wait, what?"

Sakura couldn't see the surprised expression on Adam's face, she closed her eyes and exhaled heavily, as if remembering that talk with the village chief tired her.

Deciding to be careful, Adam thought through his next words before asking the next question:

"Have you already proposed what I said to the village chief, Miss Yae?"

Sakura nodded. "On several occasions, I had asked him if it was possible to ask some of the towns in the region for help, but the other towns have to deal with the difficulties left by the war a few years ago. And the town does not have much money, this place is mainly dedicated to crops, and barely enough is grown for the villagers."

Adam understood where she was going. "And not having the necessary funds or products to trade, no one would risk coming here to protect the village."

That is why only I oversee the protection of the village."

And with what Sakura had said before, the place lacked people capable of defending itself in case there was a mercenary force that wanted to take over the town and its inhabitants.

"On the one hand, there is this stupidity of the gods and their beliefs to not use the elements of the mountain to improve their defenses, the weather in this location is a bitch and to make matters worse, the village is in a seriously difficult position for be able to receive outside help."

The scenario that was unfolding didn't look good, and if the Remnant showed up, well, Adam hoped the situation wouldn't turn into a shit storm.

Adam looked at Sakura, who kept her eyes on him.

"And despite everything against you, you have been protecting the village alone. You really are genuine good."

From personal experience and from what he had seen on his travels with Siegfried, Adam knew how rare it was to find a genuine guardian.

"You're genuinely good," Adam said with sincere admiration.

"I am only doing my duty as Miko of the village, Alighieri-san. It is not something that deserves to be praised."

"I don't think that's the case. I have seen similar circumstances in which your village finds itself. Several people in your place would have escaped at the first opportunity without looking back. The fact that you have looked for ways to help the people and that you are still here indicates that you do not give up easily." Adam nodded. "It is rare to find people like you, Miss Yae."

"Thank you for your words, Alighieri-san," Sakura thanked, giving a small smile instead of her usual stiff expression.

Considering the time they had spent patrolling the surroundings and that the village chief might have concluded his business, the pair decided to return to the village.

Walking down the main path, Adam noticed that he was attracting attention, especially because he was being accompanied by Sakura.

"What is Miko-sama doing with that stranger?"

"Is he a mercenary?"

"Hey, weren't you accompanied by other people?

"That's right, I saw him carrying a girl and being accompanied by a young woman."

"Their clothes are somewhat exotic."

"Are they a family passing through?"

"They better be. We don't have food to share with strangers."

These were some of the comments that the villagers said in whispers that Adam managed to hear without the need to tune his senses as he and Sakura continued their way.

Although Adam didn't seem to care what they said, he was on the lookout for someone to mention something about his powers. Sakura had informed him that she had ordered the woman to remain silent to avoid misunderstandings and so that the atmosphere in the town would not become more tense than it already was. Adam was grateful for the consideration, but he was sure it was only a matter of time before word of his power became known.

"The last thing I want is to have a mob with picks and shovels on my butt."

Once Sakura and Adam arrived at the temple, there were a couple of women wearing temple clothes waiting for them.

"Miko-sama, welcome back," the women said at the same time, bowing deeply.

"Is the chief back?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, Miko-sama. The village chief returned a few minutes ago." The two priestesses glimpsed at Adam for a moment and then spoke again. "The chief has requested your presence, Miko-sama, as well as that of the outsiders."

Adam found this a good stroke of luck, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel somewhat anxious about the future meeting.

"I understand. Please inform the chief that we will all meet him soon."

The two priestesses gave another bow and left the place, leaving Adam and Sakura alone at the entrance of the temple.

She turned on her feet and gave Adam a deep bow, taking him by surprise. "Alighieri-san, my sincere apologies for not giving you the necessary time to rest after helping me throughout the day; but it is important that all of you meet with the village chief as soon as possible."

"I understand the circumstances and priorities, Miss Yae, so please stop, there is no problem," Adam said a little uncomfortable by the gesture. Sakura followed his words and stopped.

"Meet up with your fellow companions, Alighieri-san. In a moment I will send a servant to guide you all."

"Thank you."

Sakura gave another bow -but a short one- and entered another section of the temple.

Without waiting another second, Adam headed to the room where Theresa and Mei were.


"Ah! That was delicious," Theresa said with satisfaction, patting her stomach gently. The little principal moved her gaze towards her student, who was taking the last bites of her onigiri. Mei had eaten somewhat hastily, Theresa would have attributed it to hunger, but she could easily tell that her student's mind was elsewhere.

"Mei, is everything okay?"

"Ah! Yes, Director Theresa," Mei responded quickly. "I was just lost in my thoughts." And she took the last bite of her onigiri.

Theresa smiled slightly. She had an idea of what was occupying Mei's mind.

"Are you worried about Adam, Mei?"

Mei swallowed and nodded. She wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and replied, "I- I know that Adam-kun is capable of taking care of himself, Director Theresa. He was the one who helped us -Mei's mouth twisted as she remembered- get out of Nagazora alive."

"But even so, his well-being still worries you." Theresa didn't see anything wrong with that. In fact, she was happy that her young student cared about the reserved black-haired young man, despite the circumstances that had led them to meet.

Theresa hadn't told her, and she never would, but she and Himeko had talked on a few occasions about the former ME Corporation heiress's mental state. After digging deeper, Theresa discovered that Mei's life before her transformation into Herrscher had been less than stellar, this had been a goddamn nightmare.

Constant harassment by the media, insults and sexual comments against the former heiress, the revelation of false friendships and loss of friends, negligence on the part of the Chiba Academy teaching staff, the discrediting of her father on television and the Internet: Theresa was beyond surprised that Mei hadn't blown the entire city into pieces once she had transformed into a Herrscher.

Despite the terrible circumstances of her past, Mei was able to move forward with her life. That said, Theresa was not naïve to think that the young Valkyrie was unscathed from the events at Nagazora. Theresa had been paying attention to Mei's attitude and the way she reacted to the other students at St. Freya. At first, Mei was reluctant to enter the classroom with the other students, not to mention interacting with others. Himeko had informed her that the young black-haired girl seemed full of courage and calm when she was surrounded by her small group of friends, the same group that had left Nagazora alive.

Himeko took note that Mei interacted with the other Valkyries when she was together with her friends, but avoided hanging out with those outside her group, interacting only if necessary, and for very brief moments.

Another thing that worried Theresa was that Mei avoided talking to the Valkyries who spoke badly behind the back of the only male student in the academy, or in her case, she ignored said Valkyries entirely if they made unpleasant gestures in front of her towards Adam. The little director feared that Mei would bottle up her anger and frustration for her friend, to the point that she would literally explode.

Luckily for everyone at the academy, the only person in the group who acted hostile was her silly goddaughter, not the best attitude, but she was glad that Kiana defended her friends. Another stroke of luck was that no other student dared to question Mei about the ME Corporation scandal. Lucky or not, she had taken precautions, ordering the entire St. Freya staff to never mention the scandal at the academy.

Theresa knew that everyone was lucky that Mei was not mentally broken after the events in Nagazora, the dark-haired girl was stronger than she credited herself. However, at times, Theresa had noticed that Mei had a lost look on her face, with a trace of guilt, which disappeared as soon as someone in her group called her.

No one could leave a city destroyed -intentionally or not- and continue with their life as if nothing had happened.

The Headmistress wanted to get her professional help, she really did, but she couldn't do much when several high-ranking members and directors of Schicksal were eager to get their hands on or even influence the bearer of the Third Herrscher. Only thanks to the direct orders of her grandfather, Otto Apocalypse, the other members had retracted their greedy clutches from St. Freya, but only they needed an opportunity, a simple crack to be able to go unnoticed and get their hands on Mei.

Herrscher vessel or not, Theresa would give an arm and a leg if it meant protecting her student.

"Well, I know he can take care of himself, Director Theresa, but, I have the feeling that Adam-kun is seriously worried." Mei frowned and remembered the events from before. "I had seen him serious and worried before, even in Na-Nagazora, he kept a cool head on his shoulders despite the growing problems."

"And you think this time is different?" Theresa would like to say she knew enough about the group of friends Kiana had surrounded herself with, but her busy schedule limited her interactions to only seeing them at dinner or sparring rarely with Adam.

Mei nodded, still frowning. "It wasn't strange to see Adam-kun curse or sometimes lose his cool, but this time, it seemed like something was bothering him a lot, but he didn't say it. It is- it's like he's keeping a secret that weighs heavily on his mind."

"Secret, huh?"

Secrets between friends are normal. At the end of the day, everyone has the right to their privacy and to know how to deal with it. Adam may have been friends with the girls, but Theresa knew that Adam had secrets that went beyond awkward or embarrassing moments between friends and his reserved personality.

"I would have more luck winning the Homu lottery than having him share a secret. Adam is secretive and very careful when it comes to things like this."

The director could still remember the meeting they had when she wanted to know more about the dark-haired young man and that idiot of Siegfried. Theresa knew how direct he could be, but he was also evasive.

"Principal Theresa… Could it be that he is angry with me?"

It took Theresa a moment to answer, confused by the question. "What do you mean by that, dear?"

"Shortly before doing the immersion in the Stigma, I offered to do the immersion with Adam. I- I insisted on accompanying him, even when he said it was for the best that I stayed," Mei explained, pursing her lips. "I wonder if my presence is only making him more stressed."

"I don't think that's it, Mei ."

Considering Adam lived with Kiana and Bronya, who constantly fought like preschoolers over everything, and he put up with Himeko's flirtatious and awkward comments when she was drunk after a bad date, not to mention the dirty looks and comments behind his back of the other Valkyries; Adam wouldn't lose his temper so easily. Theresa was sure of that.

"It might be something else, Mei."

Speaking of Adam, Theresa remembered something that had bothered her from the beginning, but that she couldn't bring herself to ask because of her student's lack of tact.

"But why did you decide to come here, Mei?" She asked, trying not to raise her voice and keep a calm face. It wouldn't help if she lost her cool. "As I told you, doing a dive is not something that is done lightly. The repercussions on people who are not trained to do a dive are very serious."

Her position as director of St. Freya and as an A-rank Valkyrie had given Theresa the necessary credentials to access classified information. She had rarely used these credentials, since they allowed her to read reports and information that on more than one occasion made it difficult for her to accept the world they lived in or had turned her stomach.

It was easy to say that, when she read and saw what happened when someone without the necessary training was immersed in a Stigma, well, it took her a couple of weeks to stop comparing vegetables to the 'incapacitated' staff.

"We had to help you, Director Theresa," Mei said.

"Mei, I don't think you two understand the risk you both have put yourselves in," Theresa tried not to sound upset. "You two made a very reckless decision. No, you guys made a seriously stupid decision. You have no idea what this can do to your minds."

"But director-"

"Damn it! You guys can end up like vegetables or worse!" Theresa screamed, her voice echoing through the room like thunder.

The young black-haired woman cringed and looked down at the director's heated shout, being the first time she had seen her seriously upset and cursing.

"You two are just kids! You guys shouldn't have to do any of this."

Mei understood that the director was very worried about them.

But…

"They shouldn't have come, Mei ."

Despite her childish manner and attitude, Theresa had become someone Mei could trust completely.

Despite what had happened, despite what she had allowed to happen, Theresa didn't treat her any differently. She gave her the chance to start her life again.

"What you did was very immature and reckless!"

A place, where she lived alongside those people she could call true friends and trustworthy teachers.

"I expected better from you."

Home. It had been thanks to Principal Theresa that she had a second chance, even when she didn't deserve it.

So would Mei be able to see herself in the mirror if she didn't try to help the director who had helped her so much?

C̷̨̒o̶̪̍w̷̲̍a̶̟̔r̷̳̊d̵̖̈́

"-it's not worth putting their young lives at risk compared to mine-"

"NO!" Mei shouted, interrupting her. "Do not say that! We knew it was dangerous, and we still decided to come here," Mei responded heatedly. Without realizing it, she clenched the edges of her dress tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"Mei -"

"Adam-kun was against me being here from the beginning. He was aware of the danger and tried to change my mind, director, but how could I not try to help you? When did you help me too much after escaping from that hellish city?"

Mei's violet eyes, previously fearful and submissive, became hard and cutting. Her fearful posture had changed to an assertive one, ready to face whatever was put in front of her. The change in appearance took the little director by surprise.

"Director Theresa, when we were fleeing through Nagazora, I didn't know what would become of my life. In fact, I asked myself several times if I was still worthy of being alive after learning what I had become that day. And despite that, Kiana-chan and Adam-kun fought against the monster I had become, and triumphed, saving me from the clutches of… the Herrscher ."

Emotions that she had put under lock and key began to seep into her face.

"I didn't believe I had the right to stay alive, but those two motivated me to keep going. "Despite the terrible situation, the endless monsters coming for us, and the lives I destroyed, Kiana-chan and Adam-kun have remained by my side."

Mei didn't know if she would ever be able to repay what the two of them did that day when they stood up to Herrscher. Despite her involuntary role in the destruction of the city and its inhabitants, her two friends motivated her to keep going, to not give in to what Adam called a parasite, and to start to accept that she was used as a pawn as Kiana had said.

"Even when I was close to killing them, Kiana-chan and Adam-kun did not treat me differently, both having every right to despise me! They have become very important people to me. Just like Bronya-chan, Himeko-sensei, and you, Director Theresa."

Mei's vision became blurred by tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't know when they had started forming, but she didn't care, so she continued.

"Director, when we were rescued, you had every right to send me to a Schicksal laboratory so they could do whatever they wanted with me or execute me right there. But, despite the risk, you and Himeko-sensei offered me a chance to start over and find a new purpose in my life."

The logical action would have been to end her life, but instead, Theresa had offered Mei something she had never thought she would have again.

"You offered me a home, Theresa."

Making food for her new family, who were in love with her cooking skills; animated talks about the academy, their personal lives, and the occasional bizarre but funny event in their daily lives; watching TV shows and playing video games, things she wouldn't have done on her own before; Mei never imagined experiencing any of this, much less with the people who were with her in the eye of the storm in which her life had become.

Theresa had truly given her a new, true home.

"So please don't say it's not worth risking our lives to try to help you, Director Theresa."

For her part, Theresa had been left speechless upon hearing the honest statement that came from the depths of Mei's heart. Theresa was aware of the great change that Mei had in her life after she accepted her into the academy, but she never imagined that it would reach such a point that Mei would consider her as someone very important in her life to the point of risking it.

Without saying a word, Theresa closed the distance and hugged her tightly. Mei reciprocated the gesture and didn't say another word. The only thing that could be heard in the room was the young woman's weak sobs.

Theresa didn't know how long they stayed like that. It wasn't until she heard someone's footsteps approaching and the creak of the wooden floor in the distance that she broke the hug. If it weren't for the situation they were in, Theresa would have continued the hug until Mei fell asleep or she would have stopped her.

Mei realized that they might have an unexpected visitor. She quickly wiped her tears with the sleeves of her dress and took a few deep breaths. Both women saw a shadow appear on the other side of the paper door.

"Director Theresa? " Mei ?"

They both calmed down when they heard Adam's voice.

"Can I pass?" He asked.

Theresa was going to answer, but she looked at her student, waiting for her response. She wasn't going to expose Mei if she didn't feel comfortable at the moment, but her student nodded.

"Sure, go ahead Adam."

The paper door was slid open and Adam appeared on the other side. He was about to enter, but he noticed Mei's swollen and glassy eyes.

"Is-is everything okay?"

"N-No. It's nothing bad, Adam-kun, just, huh …" Mei was unsure of what to say.

"We talked about a couple of things, Adam. Girl's stuff," Theresa interrupted. "It's good to see you again, Adam."

Knowing that it was best not to intrude on what the two of them were talking about, Adam nodded and finally entered the room.

Adam informed them that the village chief wanted to see them as soon as possible. Quickly, Mei made sure that there were no traces of tears on her face and removed a few grains of rice that she had not seen. The same could be said for Theresa.

After waiting for several minutes, the attendant sent by Sakura arrived and knocked on the door. The three members of St. Freya exchanged glances and nodded at the same time. They knew that the meeting with the village chief would determine how they would solve the problem of the Stigma.


Sakura must have guessed that it wouldn't be that easy.

She had barely entered the room, where the village chief and the other members of the council were discussing and agreeing on actions for the well-being of the village when she knew that the meeting was going to start off on the wrong foot.

Or rather, they would start the meeting without her. Sakura had noticed that several of the teacups present were empty or cold, needless to say, all of them were already sitting down instead of waiting for her to arrive. Normally this would have been insulting, considering her role as the town's Miko, but with her discipline and the deep grudge she held towards the town and its council, Sakura barely minded this.

Taking her place at the other end of the village chief, Sakura remained silent as she listened to the council's complaints and concerns.

"Those monsters killed my family!"

"Miko-sama! Why did you give shelter to those outsiders?!"

"They are the heralds of our doom! You should kick them out of here!

"Those outsiders are the cause of the new wave of monsters attacking our town!"

The council continued complaining, or rather ranting until Sakura took a deep breath and answered them:

"There is no proof that the attacks were caused by the travelers."

Her response was not well received.

"You must be joking! There is no need to investigate!"

"You are the guardian of this town! You're supposed to protect us!"

Sakura felt a knot forming in her chest, but she managed to suppress the feeling and instead took another deep breath before responding to the council's complaints.

"Please give me more time. I will thoroughly investigate the monster attacks and put an end to them." Sakura said giving a bow.

"Miko-sama…"

Sakura couldn't help but tense up when the village chief, a brown-haired man wearing a dark blue yukata, with onyx eyes and age marks on his handsome face; spoke. The other council members immediately fell silent as soon as the words left the village chief's mouth.

"The outsiders may not have anything to do with the recent monster attacks." The chief frowned. "But remember this, the day of offering is approaching."

Sakura felt a pit form in her stomach as she understood what he meant.

"Father… I mean, chief… Are you planning to use the outsiders as an offering?"

The village chief's serious countenance turned grim. Sakura felt cold on her body.

"The village hasn't received a drop of rain in three months, Miko-sama. It is clear that the gods have spoken. The three strangers are not simple passers-by. They are a gift from heaven."

"But…!"

"The gods must be satisfied to avoid disaster," the village chief continued. "If we don't offer the outsiders, then we have to offer a young girl from this village."

Sakura was about to flatly refuse this, but she caught herself with the icy look he gave her, as well as his words.

"Rin happily gave her life for the village. Do you want her sacrifice to be in vain?"

"Rin…"

Her sweet and tender sister. A little girl who wasn't even close to reaching adolescence. Someone who had no ambitious earthly desires. Her sweet little sister, who all she wanted in life was to eat the sweets and food prepared by her older sister and see the cherry blossoms bloom.

"Nee-chan! You must become a good Miko!"

Rin's last words echoed in her mind. Why? Why did that have to happen? Why did it have to be Rin? Why did Rin have to comfort her? She was the older sister. She was the strong and healthy sister! She should have protected and comforted her little sister, not the other way around!

"It's true! Rin-sama gave her life for us!"

"Their sacrifice brought us great prosperity for a long time!"

"This proves that the gods demand a sacrifice!"

"The gods will be so pleased with us if we hand over those three outsiders to them!"

"If we offer them, the monsters will stop attacking us!"

The shouts of glee from the council filled the room. But for Sakura, these became incomprehensible noises in her mind. She could feel the hole in her stomach and the cold in her body growing and enveloping everything. She was no longer in the room with the council and the village chief, the only thing she could see was a deep and horrible darkness flooding her senses.

"̸I̶ ̸c̶a̴n̵'̶t̵ ̷k̶e̴e̵p̴ ̶d̶o̵i̴n̸g̶ ̸t̵h̴i̶s̵!̶"̸

"̷W̸h̵y̴ ̵s̸h̵o̴u̷l̶d̴ ̵w̵e̴ ̴f̵e̶e̵d̶ ̶t̵h̶e̶ ̶g̴o̴d̷s̵?̷"̴

"Satisfy the gods!"

"̷̫̂T̵͓̐h̸̃ͅe̸̻̕ ̴̮̾Ṁ̴̙i̷͓̾k̵͚̽o̷͈͌ ̵̨̕m̵͚̉u̵̡͆s̷̞͋t̴̲͝ ̴͎̚b̶̬͗e̷̯̾ ̵̞̋s̵̛͈ė̶͕l̴͎̋f̴̱̽l̷̳͊e̸̳̿s̶̠̚s̷̛͇!̵͚̀"̶̩͒

"̶̣͂Ỵ̴̈o̵̞͗ṳ̵͛ ̶͉͛d̸͖̿ō̶̝n̵͎̿'̵̱͊ẗ̴̫ ̶̝͒d̴͉̽ȩ̵̑s̵̬̄e̶̘̾ȑ̴̗v̵͖̎e̶̘̍ ̴͙̈́r̸̜̈́e̵̩̓d̵̗̐ē̵͇m̵̤̕p̴͖̌t̷̹̏i̴̡͗o̵̩̓n̸̖̋!̸͖͠"̶̘̈

"̸̝͆M̴̘̄ű̵͜r̸̗̃d̵̳̈e̴͙̓ṛ̴͝!̴͖̐ ̴͙͛Y̴̝͝o̵̻͌u̵̺̍ ̴̡͐k̷̨̄i̵̩̽l̷̰̅ḻ̸͌e̶̮͛d̸̺̑ ̷̤̇y̶̥̆o̷̻͌ȕ̶ͅr̷̍͜ ̴͇̓õ̷͎w̴̖͌n̵̙͘!̴̥̊"̵̻̽

Sakura held her head as she felt a powerful migraine hit her head. Her thoughts became chaotic. Memories she had treasured with her sister were corrupted by that horrible moment when Rin was used as an offering to the gods.

Rin's sweet smile, her laugh, her hugs, her pouts... all lost forever to the whims of mean and disgusting gods, indolent and selfish people...!

She… She was barely breathing. Why was it so difficult to breathe? Because it was cool? That…?

S̵̼̅À̶̧C̷̭̆͒R̸̝̐I̶͉̾F̷͙͕̀̉Ì̷̩C̷͓̻̀̉È̶̢̥̓!̶̠̇͜

"STOP!"

Sakura heard someone scream, but who?

"Yae-san?!"

Someone was gently holding her shoulders and trying to get her attention. She tried to see who it was, but she couldn't, the darkness prevented her from seeing the owner of the voice!

"Yae-san? Adam-kun, what should I do?!"

She-She had heard that feminine voice somewhere, but where?

"Miss Yae, listen to my voice. I tried to breathe slowly through my mouth. Take slow breaths."

Sakura recognized that voice. She had talked to the owner of it not long ago.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?! Attacking a girl like that! I won't tolerate something like this happening in front of me!"

The other voice was soft and high-pitched. The voice reminded her of a little girl.

"Yae! Breathe slowly through your mouth. Focus on my voice and just breathe slowly."

Sakura complied. She opened her mouth and tried to breathe as the voice instructed. She struggled at first, but after a moment, her breathing began to become more controlled.

"Okay… Just focus on doing that and everything will be fine."

Sakura continued to concentrate on breathing as the sounds around her became clearer.

"What the hell are you thinking? Offer people as sacrifices?! Are you savages?!"

Slowly the darkness faded and Sakura began to see more clearly what was happening around her. It was blurry at first, barely being able to make out the silhouettes, but as the seconds passed, Sakura could see her surroundings better.

"Your destinies are not decided by false gods!"

"Yae-san? Do you feel better?"

"It seems like she's calming, Mei."

Sakura was finally able to see clearly what was happening again. In front of her were two of the strangers who had arrived in the village under difficult circumstances.

Mei was crouching in front of her, gently holding her shoulders and asking her if she was feeling better. For his part, Adam looked at the council members with a sharp gaze, but from time to time his eyes looked at her.

Sakura shook her head and to her surprise and concern, their young teacher was hotly rebuking her fa- the village chief and other members of the council, who had fallen into silence at her words.

"-so we can use other methods instead of sacrificing innocent girls uselessly!"

It didn't take long for the stunned council members to process and react to Theresa's words, standing up in anger.

"How dare you insult the gods!"

"Sacrilege! Because of you, our village will be cursed!"

"She's a witch! Look at her damn hair!"

"You and your blasphemous creatures killed my husband! You witch!"

Master Theresa was taken aback by their reactions, and she wasn't the only one, Raiden looked nervously everywhere, and Alighieri kept the same sharp gaze, but Sakura could see how his arms and legs tensed.

"Miko-sama! How can you bring these outsiders to tarnish the honor of our gods?!"

"Miko-sama? Are you planning to let us die because of them?!"

"She has abandoned her duty to protect the town! We are all doomed!"

"After everything we've done for you, this is how you pay us?!"

Sakura knew she had to say something soon before everything got worse.

"Please listen to me!" She screamed, standing up with Raiden's help. "The outsiders are not responsible-!"

Faster than she expected, Alighieri moved and caught something in the air. Without stopping, he forcefully threw the object, which was one of the clay cups, against the ground and shattered the object into pieces. His action took the villagers by surprise and fear.

It took Sakura a couple of seconds to understand what had happened and what the intentions were with the thrown teacup. Her legs shook. She was used to insults and poisonous looks from the villagers, but no one had ever physically attacked her before.

"Adam-kun?! Are you okay?!" Raiden asked, worried for her partner as she saw drops of blood falling on the remains of the cup. Master Theresa also came over to check on her student's condition.

"You, fraud of a Miko!"

"You choose those scoundrels over your people!"

"Damn you all!"

The council members shouted again, cursing them. Raiden and Master Theresa slowly backed away. Raiden pulled his arm to follow them. Sakura didn't protest, barely processing what was happening. She noticed that Alighieri did not back away, in fact, he stood still for a moment.

"Witch!"

"Enough."

Everyone fell silent when the village chief spoke.

"Very well, we will end the meeting for now," he said coldly. The other council members looked like they wanted to continue, but they grunted and obediently left the room.

The chief didn't hide his disdain for them, but Sakura could have sworn something crossed his eyes when he looked at Alighieri.

"Miko-sama, I understand the mercy you feel towards these three outsiders, but please remember, your duty is to protect the village."

"Nee-chan! You must become a good Miko!"

Without another word, he crossed the exit and the thin paper door closed behind him. The sound was barely perceptible, but to Sakura, it was as if they had closed violently.


"Those- those fools! Ugh !" Theresa growled, pacing the room. "How dare they sacrifice innocents, waiting for it to rain like magic?!" Theresa snorted.

Under other circumstances, seeing Principal Theresa complain was funny -considering her childish appearance and expressions- but under the circumstances, Mei could only taste bitter as she remembered the events that occurred after eavesdropping on what was happening in that room.

She couldn't imagine how a father would dare order his own daughter to kill another person in a ritual in order to satisfy the gods and bring rain to the village. And if she hadn't heard wrong, apparently, they had previously sacrificed someone very dear to the pink-haired Miko who had helped them.

"Yae -san, are you okay?" Mei asked softly to Sakura, who hadn't said a word since the meeting with the village leaders had ended. She had remained sitting in a corner of the room with a lost look.

After the fiasco of meeting with the village chief and other members, the three members of St. Freya decided to retire to the room in which they had initially been received, dragging Sakura with them. Tactically, the best move would have been to leave the village at full speed, but considering that the entire place was a Stigma, their options were not many, not to mention that they still had to find out what the cause of the Stigma glitch was.

Personally, Mei didn't feel comfortable or safe staying in the same place where they had been planning to sacrifice them, but Theresa had persuaded her that she had nothing to fear with her and Adam at her side.

Speaking of him, Mei noticed that the black-haired man had barely said anything about what had happened, unusually silent despite the serious circumstances in which they were.

"I wonder what made him react like that?"

Mei remembered the sharp look he had cast at the other occupants of the room when Sakura had a nervous breakdown. Considering how the insults grew -as well as the anger in Adam's eyes- Mei swore that any second Adam would lose patience with those people and lunge at them using his claws. And she thought it would be that moment when the cup thrown at Sakura was caught and destroyed in front of everyone.

Luckily for them, Adam had held back. In her mind, a very dark part of her wished she had seen such a bloodthirsty spectacle, much to her shame. Mei knew that she had not fully healed from those emotional scars she had carried since the fall of ME Corporation. Seeing what happened to Sakura made her remember part of those long, dark months in that city.

"I-I'm sorry, but I have to go," Sakura said in a weak voice, standing up from the tatami.

Mei snapped out of her thoughts and Theresa stopped complaining. Before either of them could say anything, Sakura hurried out of the room. Theresa went after her, but before she could cross the threshold of the door, a hand stopped her in her tracks.

"Let her go," Adam said seriously.

"W-What? What are you talking about?" Theresa asked, trying to get out of his grasp. In response, Adam tightened his grip.

"Adam. I order you to release me right now," Theresa ordered, putting on a serious face –or as serious as she could be.

"Headmaster, right now Sakura is the least of our problems," Adam said dryly with a hard look in his eyes. It was an understatement to say that his other two companions did not take his words well.

"What did you just say?" Theresa asked with an unusually harsh tone from her.

"Adam-kun?" Mei asked surprised and disappointed.

Hearing their tones, Adam exhaled heavily. He knew he should have said something better.

"There's something important I have to tell you, and I think it's for the best that Sakura isn't here to hear it." Theresa didn't seem convinced, nor did Mei.

"Look, let me explain and you will understand what I mean."

"Adam, Sakura didn't to be in the right state of mind, so I better-"

"Is it very important, Adam-kun?" Mei interrupted the director. Theresa was going to protest, but Mei said: "Although I don't agree with leaving Yae-san on her own, I doubt that Adam-kun would ask this of us out of being insensitive or cruel." Mei looked the director in the eyes, asking her that she give Adam a chance to explain himself.

Theresa bit her lip in frustration but ultimately agreed. "Okay, mister. What you have to say better be good, or else you're in for a beating for acting like a mean dummy," Theresa said, folding her arms.

Adam cleared his throat. "Well, long story short, my powers allow me to detect when there are Honkai uprisings in my surroundings. It's like a chill runs through my body when I feel this. And it intensifies the more powerful the energy is and the closer I get to its origin."

"What?"

"What I mean is that when I cut my hand with the cup that one of those idiots threw, I suddenly felt that chill, when I was next to Sakura. But that's not what worries me..."

Mei and Theresa watched as he hardened his face, but Mei could see the anxiety and worry in his eyes.

"Sakura emitted Honkai energy, but it was nothing compared to the person they call the village chief. The chill I felt when I had him in front of me reminded me of..."

Adam's eyes focused on Mei. She had a bad feeling about what he was going to say.

"…when I fought the Third Herrscher in Nagazora ."


I hope you liked the chapter, people.

Next chapter, there is going to be drama, blood, and goddamn feelings.

Look forward to it!

See ya!