Chapter 15: Winter Space Between Light and Dark
"Overlord, Lima Two-Five."
"Lima Two-Five, Overlord. Send traffic, over."
"Lima Two-Five, requesting fire support. Prep to transmit ten digit grids, over."
"Ready, out."
"14282 89042. How copy, over?"
"14282 89042, copy all, out."
"Roger. Target infantry and light armor in the open, over."
"Target infantry and light armor, out."
"High Explosive shell, three guns in effect, four rounds, over."
"High Explosive, three guns, four rounds, out."
"Send, over."
"Send, out."
A deep shrill of high caliber shells sailing through the air made Bronya pause on her way, looking up to the heaven where a whole bunch of them flew across towards their target. Not a moment later, the wall shook as explosions tore the ground in the distance, painting the plain white snow in a hue of red and gold.
Hearing hundreds of pairs of boots thudding onto the battlefield as the Silvermane Guards filled out the protective embrace of Belobog's wall, Bronya peered down to spot a familiar head of white amongst the Guards. Despite the height of the wall, Kiana felt her stare and glanced up towards her, giving Bronya a near imperceptible nod she returned.
Her optical illusion deactivated, Bronya was like a ghost on the lifeless concrete and rebars. Watching as monsters emerged from the smokey haze that caused by the artillery fire in the far off. She summoned a pair of binoculars and zoomed in the incoming horde, frowning despite her expressionless silver behind the glass.
Various kinds of humanoids, corrupted automatons and outright monsters charged across the horizon towards them, their blazing red and freezing blue energy like a contrast to each other. Fliers filled the sky, unheeding to the merciless wind threatening to blow them off course and onto the ground.
The Silvermane Guards were quick on their feet, organizing a defensive position in mere seconds after their arrival. Bronya nodded in approval, picked herself off, and made her way to the highest vantage point on the wall.
A watchtower.
There was a howl of battlecry and it was all Bronya got before the Guards charged ahead to meet up the threats. In the meanwhile, more and more of artillery fire erupted in the rear line of the monster wave in an attempt to thin out their numbers as much as possible. Not long after, artillery batteries built in the wall also opened fire on the two winged monsters flying high over the battlefield.
Shells after shells were shot both onto the ground and into the air, the former impacting with otherworldly rumble and explosion while the latter exploded in a puff of hot shrapnel and black smoke. Both were similar in one thing only; they tore apart monster materials into shreds.
They were also not enough.
The first to meet the monsters were Kiana as she was easy enough to spot thanks to the black Void Drifter Battlesuit she chose for the occasion, followed by Silvermane shielders not a second later. The monsters, numerous and ruthless as they were, were stopped like a tidal wave on a rock and got pushed back by the heavily armored Lieutenants.
That was one thing Bronya found odd. Lieutenant was a Commissioned Officer back on Earth, meaning they shouldn't be on the battlefield like this so openly much less in the front line. But as her gaze swept on Gepard next, she understood.
Gepard was a Captain yet as they fought there was no difference at all. If anything, Gepard seemed to be far high in skill level with how easy he smashed through the monsters ranks with both precision and raw strength. His shield was both his protector and aggressor as he quite literally flattened just not one monster after leaping high upon them with it bared down.
These people fought for neither glory nor profits. They fought for survival. A better tomorrow and their continuous existence. Whatever they chose henceforth was all in their hands and they understood those hands also responsible for the people behind them. They said that often, actually, that a good soldier fought not because he hated what in front of them but because they loved what behind them. And what behind them was their family, friends and home.
They were the first and last line of defense against total destruction.
More and more call for fire resounded and Bronya turned off her earpiece, disconnecting it from her phone which was currently used to hack the Silvermane's communication, and looked around the flat interior of the tower she was in. Her eyes found what she was looking for and she hummed to herself, dragging the empty crate of weapons and bringing it to the closest window overlooking the battlefield.
Bronya sat down on it and put her binoculars on the windowsill where they then disappeared like an ash on the wind.
She had always been a great supporter. Bronya had no doubt about her fighting skill but between Mei and Kiana she was nothing in terms of sheer strength. Mei was an impeccable sword user while Kiana's Kaslana Gun-Kata made her an excellent close to medium range fighter with how versatile the fighting style was. That left Bronya to be the supporter in their dynamic, the back dealer and tactical analyzer who overlooked and planned the moves of the teammates to achieve flawless teamwork. Of course, firepower was relative. With her Truth power she could easily level the battlefield with an endless swarms of missiles or a shot of Gauss cannon that would boil through even the atmosphere with its velocity alone but it would be an overkill especially in a tight formation where friendlies and enemies mingled together water and oil in the sink.
No, what she needed was something smaller and personal. Something that packed just as bigger punch as it was familiar. She was a supporter and what was the best supporter an army could get in the thick of the battle like this?
A sniper.
Precise, direct and swift. Those were Bronya's traits. Ones she picked up after years fighting in the merciless Siberian tundra with nobody but herself to rely on. A sniper was meant to work alone in the shade and that was what she good at.
She just knew what she would choose for this one.
Tapping back to her Truth power, Bronya's supercomputer of a brain worked quickly to lay down the detailed blueprint of the weapon she had in mind, one she memorized when she was twelve, while her Herrscher authority allowed her to bend the fabric of reality itself to her wish. First to appear was the stock, and then it went forward until the gun was fully assembled without imperfection whatsoever in her arms.
An M82A1.
Bronya unceremoniously deployed the bipod and rested it on the window. Considering what the enemy was and the distance, she wouldn't have to to worry about enemy counter sniper. Removing the scope's cap, she went ahead to adjust the range in her head, calculating based on the grid squares the Silvermane used and her position, and toggled the scope with the results.
A magazine of .50 cal BMG appeared in her free hand and Bronya slapped it onto the gun before she pulled on the charging handle, feeding the chamber with a 12.7mm Armor Piercing Incendiary, and rested her cheek on the cheek pad.
Her fingers nursed the trigger almost absently but in truth Bronya was at zen. This was her domain. This was what she good at. For years she perfected her skills in the harsh cold of post apocalypse Siberia, killing and maiming people apart with her Dragunov all the while evading enemy's counterattacks. She felt no nerves, if anything Bronya was glad her targets were anything but humans this time.
Bronya carefully took aim on her first target, a humanoid monster that resembled a Silvermane Guard so much it would've been difficult to discern from this far if not for Bronya's trained and sharp silver eyes, scooped a ball of snow into her mouth and waited.
Through her slow heartbeat and breathing, time passed almost to a crawl. She saw everything in vivid details like a hawk watching its prey. The red of the snow from the dead or dying Silvermane Guards, the darker tar like liquid similarly oozing from the dead monsters and the vicious clashes of the automatons from both sides as they sent sparks flying in the air in an attempt to turn metal into scrap.
And the smoke.
The smoke was her referral point.
A slight snap to the right to accommodate to the wind direction and its strength, Bronya exhaled. Her cold breath left not a mist so nothing obscured her view to her first victim, blissfully unaware of its doom currently staring at it. Perhaps, it had never had an intelligence to acknowledge it but either way was not an importance to her, or anyone else for that matter. In the end, they were just monsters and monsters deserved nothing but death. Death she had long been associated with.
The Silver Wolf of Ursals squeezed the trigger.
A flash of lightning and a boom like thunder itself shook the tower, frozen droplets of water falling from the roof above. One fell onto the barrel of her gun before it shattered against the metal yet Bronya paid it no heed as her eyes were still set on her target.
One and half seconds. Those were the time for the bullet to hit its mark. The bullet itself had muzzle velocity of almost a kilometer per second, meaning her target was over a kilometer and half, yet Bronya hit it without a miss.
It didn't even have the time to understand that it had been killed. The sheer kinetic energy alone should've been enough to kill it as Bronya watched its torso disintegrated into a gaping abyss, the bullet exploding in a flame in its insides and burned everything it touched. Her Silvermane counterpart told them that the monsters picked human's forms to mimick humanity, or rather to be a mockery to it, yet as her target fell into a heap of its own weight and dark blood Bronya saw nothing but weakness inherently owned by all humans.
Her next target fell just the same, so did the next after it and so on so forth. Like a well oiled machine, Bronya worked on her gun with precision, both in her aim and movements. She counted to ten to keep up with the time spent, kills and her ammo expended, never failing to fall behind a count with each shot. Supposedly, she shouldn't need to swap magazine but muscle memories were not easy to ignore. Instead of creating the bullets in the magazine and infinitely restocking them, Bronya created an entire magazine and swapped a new one for each time she ran empty.
Shot after shot rung yet both friendlies and enemies remained unaware of her deed. The former seeing monsters falling with either a limb torn off or an entire body disintegrating, leaving a gaping maw of black flesh behind. One time Bronya hit a humanoid right in the head, turning bits of skull and whatever counted as its brain into a dark mist as the monster crumpled and died.
Originally, the M82A1 was designed as an anti-material rifle so the effect on her adversaries was pretty much an overkill. Even the monsters that bore its pure forms were no match to the sheer destruction as a shot to the head instantly killed them while corrupted automatons found themselves with burned, destroyed wirings as the incendiary effect took hold in their metal casings.
Her bullets created trails of hot air behind them as the flew across the battlefield before they reached their targets, a beauty in destruction and carnage as they were no different to a comet passing a supernova. The kick of the recoil jolted her backward and Bronya let it rather than to fight it entirely, knowing it would only do her more harm otherwise. Another slap of fresh magazine and Bronya paused her cycle at the sight of Kiana being an absolute menace in her own zen.
The Kaslana was a literal flash, each shot from Shamash illuminating the endless snow around her in a golden light so it was easy to locate her at the front of the formation. But Bronya could also see Gepard on the front with his shield raised and held forth against the onslaught of attacks almost effortlessly before he retaliated with as much vigor.
Kiana and Gepard were like a pair of gears working in tandem. The Silvermane Captain tanked attacks easily with Kiana returning the fire almost immediately, ducking and weaving amidst armor and bodies while firing and punching when the enemy got to close. Kaslana Gun-Kata had always been a fascinating fighting style to watch.
Bronya returned back to work with her own symphony soon filling the air once again.
"On your left."
Kiana sprinted and shot at the Frostspawn bearing down on a Silvermane soldier, the super hot energy beam from Shamash practically melting the monster into nothing. It couldn't even shriek as its body disintegrated under the sheer heat of Shamash.
The man nodded his thanks and Kiana returned it curtly, rejoining the fray by teleporting with her Void power to where the monster infestation was the thickest. She found herself facing a corrupted Grizzly who slammed its armored hand to her direction in an attempt to flatten her.
Gepard moved immediately to stop the attack, impressively holding back the force with his own power. Kiana looked at him in wonder as she riddled the robot with fire, destroying it immediately.
"Thanks," she told him and Gepard nodded silently. Gepard was easily one of the strongest men she had ever met judging from the raw physical power he showed, at least for a normal human. "What's the plan now, Captain?"
"Unchanging."
Kiana nodded. The plan was to hold on as long as possible until reinforcement from the rest of the city joined them, or the enemy dwindled. Though, the latter was most unlikely considering the endless wave that came towards them.
The Silvermane was undermanned and underpowered but they made up the loss with unbreakable spirit, each soldier tearing through the monsters with fierceness born from a sense of duty to protect. Kiana grinned despite herself, knowing she was in her bunch.
Raising both Shamash, she send another burst of shots forward, this time into an unsuspecting Everwinter Shadewalker's torso harassing a shielder. The shots fried its internal organs and killing it almost instantly.
Another one to her right had its weapon raised to strike a Silvermane Lieutenant and Kiana jumped into action immediately, running ahead and kicking the abomination so hard she felt something crack under the pressure of her kick. It then fell on its own weight a few feet away with its lower half limp.
Yet, it didn't dissuade the monster one bit as it tried to crawl back towards the battle, making some ugly gurgling noise in the back of its throat as it struggled. Kiana wrinkled her face and shot it in the head, feeling disgusted at its lack of acknowledgement to its injury which further differed it to humans.
She turned around, ready to find her next target, when a sudden wave of Imaginary Energy washed over her like a terrible gust. Kiana braced herself against it but the Silvermane Guards behind her were not so lucky as they were suddenly pushed back and fell to their backs.
Another shifted in the World's order and Kiana raised her hand, slapping the beam of pure Imaginary construct up and over her head with ease where it then dissipated into nothing high in the clouds. She glared at the source, an Imaginary being that shouldn't have been exist in this place. An anomaly to the Universe.
She charged at it.
The thing, seemingly bewildered by her simple yet effective response, could only float in confusion until it was too late for it. Kiana shot Shamash to its direction and it recovered enough to raise a barrier, stopping the incoming strike, only to shriek in pain when Kiana drove a lance to its torso. Even though it had no eyes, it still moved its head to Kiana and the golden lance that materialized in Kiana's hand that was currently gutting it.
Kiana pushed and the monster fell, twisting the lance as it let out one final dying shudder before it went limp. Letting go of the lance, Kiana watched as the monster disappeared like her lance, both which were made of Imaginary Energy.
Her blue eyes shifted to the heaven itself where a swarm of Frostspawns and Flamespawns were, all of which were having a field day harassing the Guards below. The Silvermane lacked air support and their only mean of retaliation was from the slow firing rifles and cannons they carried, all in which were hardly sufficient.
Gripping Shamash tightly, she jumped into the air, utilizing Imaginary steps she created as leverages until she was in their flight level. Kiana didn't spare a moment as she twisted and turned, time slowing down for the Kaslana as she fired lances after lances of superheated energy beams right at the flocks of flying monsters.
They fell like a bird with its wings cut, all shrieking and smoldering including the Flamespawns despite their aptitude with fire. Shamash's flame was special for it was the ever burning heat of Honkai energy and no normal flame could compete with it.
Landing back on her feet, Kiana ducked low to avoid a slash from behind her. She used her momentum to roll forward, jumping back again when another strike went down to where she just recovered, sending snow and dirt up.
When they settled she found herself staring at an ominous looking burning automaton, its chainsword reeving in challenge as it twitched and jittered. Kiana glanced at it, noticing the burned blood of some poor souls it had claimed, and glared at the red crystal covering the corrupted Direwolf's face.
A special case, huh.
She had seen them before but wherein the others had flaming sword, this one still retained its standard issued chainsword as a weapon. Whether because it was a newly corrupted or else was not something she's willing to dwell too much, especially at the moment when it charged at her again with murderous intent, roaring an unholy roar that sounded both mechanical as it was organic.
Kiana didn't even bother to run knowing how quick and nimble a Direwolf was. Unlike the Grizzly, they were a robot of pure agility and precision, opting a swift and quick attack as means of offense instead of armor. She sent shot after shot and as expected, it blocked all of them with its chainsword, leaving it unharmed.
Unharmed and unarmed.
The heat from Shamash melted the weapon and it literally fell apart in drips of molten metal yet it didn't dissuade the monster one bit. It swung the now relatively harmless weapon at Kiana who slid low underneath the strike and jumped into the air, summoning another Imaginary step beneath her feet to boost her forward as she shot back towards the automaton.
She holstered Shamash and its stead was a subspace lance she summoned with her Void power. With a mighty battlecry, she drove it down the automaton's head and crushed it, impaling it inside the neck vertically, and the monster fell under its own weight as its central command system was obliterated.
Kiana exhaled softly, standing up with her latest kill under her. She took a moment to survey the battlefield and her eyes immediately found Gepard.
It was easy to spot the Silvermane Captain. The sheer destruction he left behind was almost unmatched, second only to Kiana's own, and his brutal yet effective fighting style was a sight to behold. Gepard was covered in the blood of the monsters, painting his once pristine white uniform and armor in vicious black. Every time he smashed his shield down, a monster exploded and sent said liquid to surrounding area and each parry left them reeling.
Right now he was facing a hellish spawn of a monster, something called Blaze out of Space by the locals for it was an alien created by the Fragmentum Corrosion, and seeming to have a little bit of problem as it continued to rain flaming balls at him and his Guards. Kiana understood because it was a nasty thing to fight, even Shamash didn't have the desired effect against it.
That was until two fist sized holes blew its head apart, obliterating the appendage to fine red mist. Like the others, it fell and disintegrated into embers on the snowy ground.
Kiana blinked and she could sense the confusion from Gepard and his team.
"Move, Idiotka."
Kiana did as told the moment Bronya's voice rung deep in her consciousness, jumping down just in time to evade a strike from another one of those Imaginary beings. Kiana unholstered Shamash, ready to fire, when its torso suddenly exploded, killing it instantly.
Nice shot.
Bronya didn't reply but the sight of monsters falling seemingly on their own was an enough answer, each having a hole in their body or a head missing entirely. Kiana turned around, sensing rather than seeing her best friend in one of the towers and grinned.
Bronya couldn't see her either but knew Kiana enough. Kiana also knew her enough to know she was rolling her eyes.
"Quit dilly-dallying."
The Kaslana chuckled, rejoining the fight with a big smile on her face.
The combined efforts of the Guards successfully repelled the monster horde heading for Belobog as the sound of battle died down to a quiet murmurs of the wounded and dying, all that left was carnage soiling the once pure white.
Kiana set down the heavy crates of supplies onto the ground with an audible thud, startling the Silvermane Guards currently resting around a small campfire in front of the medical tent. She flashed them a smile. "There you go, boys."
They gawked at the sheer ease she carried the crates, each weighing in tens of kilograms and almost two meters wide, through the city's gate and back without breaking a sweat. Nobody said anything, though, because at this point almost everyone had heard or seen the feat she achieved during the battle. Of how she singlehandedly dispatched Greater Monsters without assistance whatsoever or how she would jump in to save someone in trouble before disappearing again, sometimes in a portal that seemed to spawn out of nowhere.
Her power was as inspiring as it was terrifying and it showed on their faces, yet Kiana simply smiled and nodded before retreating back to help others. It was normal for human to fear something they didn't understand so Kiana didn't mind it much. To her, the fight was as enjoyable as it was exhilarating since it was the first time she had a battle so openly. A real battle at that.
Fights with Hua, Bronya and Mei are fun but this is fun, too.
Though, she didn't get to use her full power which was probably for the best. The World's order was fragile in the hand of Finality that even Kiana feared she would cause some unprecedented issues if she ever unleashed its full potential. The closest she would get was the spars with Mei on the Moon back home since her Origin was the closest who could rival Finality.
Kiana sat down on a boulder overlooking the small encampment the Silvermane made, hissing when her rear touched the cold, hard surface. She tried to ignore the sight of the dead and wounded and somewhat succeeded in her attempt, focusing on the endless span of snow that stretched further into the wilderness.
Never had it crossed her mind that she would miss the view of so much snow like this but living on the Moon for almost 10 years really put things into perspectives for her despite the lack of fond memories of her childhood.
That didn't mean there was none.
What few she remembered brought a smile to her face. All the little things she spent doing with her Old Man before he was forced to abandon her. Kiana remembered ambling through the snow with Siegfried leading her during one of his teaching sessions where he taught her how to hunt and hide herself from threats, be it human, animals or something utterly otherworldly, and how to fight Honkai in harsh environment. Like the Kaslana you are, he told her back then with not a small amount of pride. We don't back down even if the world is against us.
Looking back, he was probably not the best teacher, or even a father to begin with. From the stories he told her about her late mother Cecilia, it sounded like her mother was the brain in their relationships. But Kiana would never trade him for anyone else, for whatever misconducts he did and how terrible of a father he was he was still her Papa and responsible for teaching her how to survive, and survive Kiana did.
Because if we think about the what ifs, a lot of things in our lives could've been better. That really doesn't mean much now.
The past was imperfect. That was a fact and nothing would change it. Even if Kiana tempered with space time, with all her power as Finality itself, the consequences weren't worth it. What they had was the best and nothing better could come out of it, especially if it was just some passing thoughts.
Besides, they still had their present and future to live and create.
"What are you thinking about?" She heard Bronya asked through their Herrscher Link and Kiana blinked.
Nothing. Just the past.
"... it brings back some memories, right?"
Kiana hummed to herself. She almost forgot that Bronya was just as gullible as she was, perhaps even more so. Kiana's memories on the European wilderness were speckled with her father's warm presence but Bronya didn't have any of it. Bronya's were cold and hard as her namesake, rough and jagged as she knew the terrains could be.
"Eh, some." Kiana shrugged then. "How's things on your end?"
"Fine," Bronya's curt reply was her answer and Kiana nodded. "Supplies keep coming from the city. I reckon the Silvermane won't be retreating any time soon."
"I think they want to make sure everything is fine here first."
"The timing is off."
Kiana hummed in agreement. A sudden attack from the monsters was not uncommon but at this scale? They were lucky the Silvermane was trained to deal with this sort of thing despite the harrowing cost.
The crimson snow covering the battlefield was an enough reminder and Kiana tried her best to not pay it much attention. It wasn't within her capability. Bronya's maybe and even so the risk would be too great. They had learned to not dwell on the what ifs and thinking about something they so utterly were powerless of was pointless. The Guards would've to deal with the aftermath themselves and Kiana had confidence on them.
Of course, the desire to help was there and would not be gone soon. Which was why Kiana kept herself busy by carrying more supplies for the Guards. Going back and forth to the gate and camp provided her the distraction needed and she did just that.
Bronya, meanwhile, had her eyes on her phone almost the entire time since the fight tapered off, still sitting on the same spot she was. Her sniper rifle rested on the windowsill, its cooling barrel still steaming off hot air, while spent casings littered the hard stone floor.
She had drones in the air, each covering certain sectors Silvermane scouts couldn't reach to provide an overwatch for everyone. Constantly, she would listen to the ongoing communication to gain a clearer view of the situation but right now her attention was solely set on a certain group of people.
Mei's.
The trek to Everwinter Hill was by no mean easy with the ongoing snowstorm adding to the difficult terrain, taking visibility to near zero on the highlands. Fortunately, the Silvermane Lieutenant Gepard sent to accompany them had a thorough understanding of the local topology despite the lack of visibility, effectively leading them through inches thick snow and mud.
Dunn was his name. From what Bronya heard from Mei, he supposedly had some relations with Serval in the past.
Bronya didn't worry about them much, though. If anything, she was confident they would reach their destination safely. The Silvermane Guards had proven themselves to be an outstanding bunch, each competent at what they were doing and someone as high as a Lieutenant must be very experienced to begin with.
She turned her attention back to the camp after switching the footage to another drone, seeing Kiana chatting with a group of Silvermane Guards quietly around a fire. Bronya tried to find Gepard but failed, though she got a pretty good idea where he was with his duty as the local leader.
A ping from one of her drones caught her attention.
Swiping the notification, she was rewarded with a view so terrifying she couldn't help but frown.
"Kiana," Bronya said out loud this time, eyes never leaving the live footage on the screen. "We have a problem."
"What?" Kiana responded in a similar fashion, though hers was filled with urgency and apprehension. The Guards she spoke with stared at her curiously as she talked to seemingly nobody. "What is it?"
Amidst the harsh blow of freezing wind, hidden in the rolling wave of snowy mist, figures of various sizes rolled in a literal tide towards the city. Bronya felt genuine dread despite herself after seeing the sheer amount of monsters approaching the walled city, though her expression showed little to none of her feelings.
"We have more monsters inbound."
"What?! How many?!"
Bronya glanced at the counter on the corner of the display, growing past beyond three digits in the first minute that had her drone's processor struggling to count immediately. Her thoughts raced but one question remained above all; Where did they come from? Why now?
That was until a portion of a mountain crashed down, creating a giant gap on the terrain, and from within another fresh wave of monsters poured out like fire ants with its nest set ablaze.
Of course, she thought, the Underground. They probably have something similar in the past around Belobog for defense as they built the city.
Bronya glanced at her sniper rifle and grimaced. "Numbers just go up to two thousands."
"T-two thousands?! Holy fuck."
"You tell me," Bronya deadpanned. "Tell Gepard he's going to get company."
"I don't think they're up for another fight, especially one that large. I don't know if you can see it but the last fight took quite the toll on them already. These guys told me that was one of the biggest incursions they have in years."
Bronya actually could see it. If not with her drones then her eyes as they kept sending the wounded back to the city. Reinforcements were also scarce with how spread the Guards were that despite the replacements, their numbers were actually fewer than before the battle.
"What do you think we should do?"
Kiana paused on her end, pondering the question silently. She knew the answer but she didn't like it at all just like Bronya.
"Shit... I really don't want it to come to this..."
"We don't have much options."
"I know. If we retreat now, the city will be sieged. We also don't have time to properly evacuate the wounded." A sigh and Bronya could picture Kiana's defeated expression. "Alright, I'll go talk to Gepard."
"Understood."
The command tent was packed with officers of various ranks and liaisons from other branches Kiana had to literally squeezed through people to enter and find Gepard, receiving an odd stare every now and then which she returned with an easy smile that betrayed her emotions. Nobody tried to stop her here, too. Almost everyone had heard of the woman in black and orange that singlehandedly held back an entire group of monsters alone.
She found the Captain in the middle of the tent, talking with his subordinates around stacks of crates they used as a makeshift table for their war map. Without waiting any further, she stepped forth right in his line of vision, cutting whatever conversation they had.
"Sorry," she told them earnestly and to Gepard Kiana added "We have an emergency."
He eyed her for a second before nodding. "Miss Kiana, right? I haven't had the chance to express my gratitude. Thank you for your help."
"Don't worry about it, there's a more important matter at hand."
"Of course. Anything I can help you with?"
Kiana looked around the assembled officers, some bearing faces older than the others with untold experience behind their gazes. Yet the fire was clear as they looked at her in a mixture of curiosity and interest.
"We have another wave of monsters incoming."
Gepard tensed up, so did the rest of his subordinates. One of them asked her "Is it true? How reliable is the intel?"
"Very," Kiana told the man resolutely. "Very reliable. The last time I heard from her, the numbers of the monsters exceeded two thousands. I imagine they have grown exponentially by now."
To their credits, they didn't react terribly to the news. Aside from a few sharp intakes of breath, they simply stood around all the while sharing glances to each other. One of them voiced his thought to the Captain. "We don't have the manpower to deal with that many after the fight we just had. We need to retreat and fight from within the wall."
"What about our men deep in the mountains? If we cut them off now, they'll freeze to death with Qlipoth knows how long it will take to clear that much monsters."
"I hate to say this but there's nothing we can do about them. They know the risks. If we don't close the gates, monsters will pour in into the city and we cannot afford that."
"Maybe we should send the civilians to the Underworld," another proposed. A woman this time. "That way we can focus on war efforts more."
"The Underworld is unsuitable for that many people, besides we've closed off our way into it long ago. There's no telling what sort of malfunctions may occur to the tram system if we use it at mass."
They continued to throw ideas, each having their own opinions to share that would protect Belobog and its populace. It was kind of endearing to see that many people caring about the city and people they loved with none voicing their safety to the equations. To them, their duty was absolute that even if they had to lay down their lives they would gladly do so if it meant ensuring the safety of the civilians.
Kiana was fond of them.
"You don't have to do anything," she began. Her voice oddly serene in the controlled chaos that was the command tent and they immediately stopped to stare at her. "I will protect you. All of you."
"You? I'm sorry, but you're just one woman. How much can someone achieve in the face of such an overwhelming odd?"
The Kaslana chuckled. "Individual's will is not something to be taken lightly. I have seen men with so much dedication they changed the order of the universe itself with their own hands. I can assure you that you will go home tonight."
Kiana turned to Gepard then, straightening up as she continued. "That said, I still need everyone's help."
"You sound like you have a plan," Gepard stated matter-of-factly and Kiana nodded.
"I have. I need you to bring every available shielders to the front of the formation and I mean every one of them that can still stand." Her blue eyes skipped to all of them and they swore they could've seen the glow in them in the dim light of the tent. "That's the only way you can return relatively unharmed."
The Guards made formation in such a short amount of time it impressed Kiana greatly as she watched from the front, a literal wall of steel protecting the camp in the rear of the line. Their silver shields held up, armor squared and body braced against the incoming horde in the distance.
A horde Kiana would not allow to touch them.
She looked at them for another few seconds, noticing Gepard rather easily with his own specialized shield readied in the middle of the line, and smiled. Ranks, it seemed, were more to a formality in the Silvermane with the leaders being on the lead rather than rear, braving the incoming chaos together with their own by their sides. It was admirable and Kiana had no doubt that every one of them who stood their ground that day was a good person with an even greater sense of duty.
She turned her back to them.
Bronya was constantly informing her of the monster's movements and Kiana listened to everything her best friend told her with apt attention, only when the monsters were close enough she could feel them herself she finally told Bronya that it was enough. That she got it from here. Bronya understood, like she always did, and hummed affirmatively as she cut their Link.
But not before she gave her one last reminder;
"Don't overdo it."
Kiana nodded, though it was more to herself than Bronya who ultimately couldn't see the gesture from this far. Taking a deep breath, the Kaslana took a step forward, and then another and another until her figure was almost swallowed by the building snowstorm, becoming nothing but an abstract shape in the heavy snowfall.
Despite it, she could still feel the stares she received from the Guards far behind her. Looks from men and women who themselves held apprehension and concern towards her as she strode so confidently into the invisible foes yet to arrive from the mountain range.
Kiana stopped after thirty or so steps, shape becoming nothing but a blurry outline indistinguishable from the rocks and dead trees for the Silvermane. Cold wind assaulted her body but she felt nothing out of it. If anything, the blow was diverted entirely by an invisible force field, leaving her untouched by the elements ceaselessly raining upon the world.
Pulling Shamash out of their holsters, Kiana held them up near her chest and closed her eyes. The dual pistols were warm in her grips and for a moment she allowed herself to be lost in the memories of her father teaching her how to use the guns all those years ago in the deep European wilderness. They brought a smile to her face, remembering all the fun and silly things they did together in the short time of innocent happiness.
"This fire... It's everything you lit up for me."
Another kind of warmth spread from within her, burning hot from the core of her very soul as Kiana tapped into her power. Her black and orange Void Drifter Battlesuit glowed red until they disappeared in a golden ember, in its stead was pure white armor and dress belonging to one and only Ruler of Flames.
A long, flowing white cloak extended to behind her, its inner part colored in a brilliant hue of red and orange just like fire itself. When Kiana opened her eyes again, the blue orbs glowed in an ethereal light of beauty and power while her crossed irises shifted up to look at the monsters fast approaching.
Kiana exhaled through her lips, the superheated breath coming out in a form of steam that boiled the cold air into fine vapor. She moved again, this time without the snow slowing her steps as the sheer heat she radiated melted them instantly.
"Judgment of Shamash I call upon thee..."
Kiana smashed the guns together, pressing the buttons to turn Shamash into its sword form.
"Be my sword and I will be the shield..."
The weapons fused into one, parts extending and shifting to fit each other perfectly as intended by its creators in the distant past.
"For the weak and innocent I offer thee my soul..."
A burning blade of pure Honkai energy bursted forth, a light so bright and hot it would have blinded and burned everything close to it to scorch. Yet Kiana didn't falter, if anything she didn't seem bothered by it as she marched ahead undaunted.
"Thou art the fire that cleanse all evil from the world..."
The weapon shifted for the second time. Its hilt morphing into a new form while its blade burned brighter, fiercer and hotter. Snow in ten meters radius melted while the air itself howled with the sudden difference in pressure as the heat rolled out unbidden.
"In the name of the Kaslana I order thee..."
She stopped and took a stance, blazing sword poised by her side, with her fierce gaze set into a determined glare at the monsters now close enough she could make out their forms.
"Purge the vile from this world with your holy blaze!"
The Scion of Flame struck, and the world exploded.
A tsunami of flame rolled over the ground, so hot, bright and potent they swept over the incoming monsters like pebbles in high tides. Gold and orange flames rose into the air, almost as if to burn the very heaven itself, before they came crashing down onto the earth again and again unceasingly. Amidst it all Kiana stood tall with Judgment of Shamash's Zeroth Power form Might of An-Utu still burning with untold wrath in her hands.
The Guards far behind her could only stare awestruck at the display of raw power, from then on a story about a woman encased in fire would be passed down to generations after generations. She was a force of nature, an unstoppable might of the gods, and she would grace those in needs with her warmth of comfort.
A savior of light.
Then, as sudden as the purge started, it ended in a disquieting whimper. The flames died down and the cold came crashing down again. A sudden blow of cold air, so strong it nearly knocked a few Silvermane Guards off their feet, hit the formation as the world's stabilized itself from the sudden emergence of an otherworldly force, pressure returning to normal and filling the hot pocket Kiana's flames left behind.
But the resulting destruction would not recover any time soon.
Miles left scorched, the ground that was covered for well over seven centuries in snow was now obvious to view. The ice now nothing but watery glaciers, running in rivers between the once buried terrains. There was never a hope for the monsters with every single one of them burned to crisp that not even a piece of them remained.
Sometimes, people forgot that Shamash was the Key of Destruction because of its noble purpose in the hand of the Kaslanas. The truth was, it was probably the most destructive Divine Key in existence and the Kaslanas knew it more than anyone else in the world. It had already claimed 23 Kaslanas in the past, each sacrificing themselves to protect people they held dear with only three Kaslanas known to survive after unleashing its full potential so far.
A feat that hopefully wouldn't be necessary in the future anymore.
Don't you think so, Kevin?
"Every Kaslana bold must live by their Oath. Purge the vile Honkai and smash the false gods. Your Sires sleep in the fields as Humanity's brave shields. By the Judgment of Shamash, Kaslanas die and never yield."
"Thou shalt constitute thyself as a shield for the weak and innocent."
"We Kaslanas have wielded you for all these years, the time has come to unleash your full fury. You left many Kaslanas as charred corpses but shielding the weak is our duty. I gladly offer my life for them!"
"To save the one and only her, I can only create new possibilities in the past."
"Mei... this is... my mission."
...
"But, how can I pretend that this is the right thing to do when the world means nothing to me without you?!"
"You've failed Humanity, House Apocalypse. You murder the weak to sate your own greed. I will stop you here and now."
"I'm sorry, Siegfried. I lied. I won't be going home with you. You must live, Ziggy. You must take care of our Kiana."
"Ich liebe dich."
"Don't worry, this time I will be with you. Everyone will be with you. We won't ever leave you on your own again."
TBC.