128 Monster on the Lake
The Medics rushed and began patching up the wounded. Administering first aid as fast and efficient as they could.
"Heartbeat Pump."
"Healing Touch."
"Anaesthetic Pin"
Healing Spells were casted one after the other. Filling the entire battlefield with a calming light. What followed were the first responders and doctors flying over to administer further help.
Thanks to their response, but more importantly the help of one little daemon, many lives were saved.
"Miss daemon... thank you."
A soldier offered her thanks to Lilith as he was carried away on a stretcher. Lilith nodded silently as she continued leading a procession of new believers, rescuers awaiting direction, and opportunists capitalizing on the calamity farming viewers to the other side of the walls.
Lilith remained the same. Albeit a little pale and a slower pace.
Many offers to become horse have been made. But every time Lilith refused. Continuing to walk on her own. Like the independent lady that she was.
But, Lilith was dying on the inside. She was tired from using her mana and overexerting herself that she wished Killa was there to carry her like he always does.
'Fuck... why am I so tired?'
But, Lilith could only walk.
[You overused your mana. And we cannot afford anything at the moment. From almost 3 million to nothing. Also, you can officially say "I told you so" now; keeping appearances is much pricier than saving a life.] Alpha reminded her of her magnificent use of their funds.
'Yeah, most of the taxes are put to use just for that. A life lesson from blackmailing others is that I should use other people's money rather than my own… yeah, I can't do that with this current life—unless….'
[Hey, hypocrite, you said we shouldn't barter. You can't be saying that we should blackmail the other Seraphs—wait, can we?] Alpha wasn't that against the idea.
'Well… I know I just said we shouldn't barter, but… maybe some blackmails are acceptable?'
Ding!
[Note from the Goddess: Please don't… also, Lilith, good work on getting me followers sensing the prayers of humans felt a little different from your people! It's working… oh yeah, how do you like the Hidden Mission Rewards?]
'The obvious joke of the blackmail aside, the rewards were quite frankly, a little useless, don't you think?'
Ding!
[Note from the Goddess: I know (T.T). But my hands are tied. Gariel is hounding me saying that I cannot pamper you and shower you wit—excuse me, from this point onwards, it would be I, the High-Seraph Gariel, writing this letter. The Goddess currently has her hands full in the jobs she should've done a thousand years ago. Thus, in the Goddess' stead, I apologize profoundly, that the Gifts we provided are subpar as the Goddess added it in haste. Consequently, this is the last time we can talk, at least until you use the… 'Conversation with a High Seraph' ticket the Goddess gave you, until then — Gariel.
PS. Alpha, keep up the excellent work. We are watching your growth.]
'Gariel… another High-Seraph. Also, the Goddess sounds a little abused from time to time, don't you think so? So much for being the Absolute Power, am I right? This Gariel fellow seems to be a little rough on her, don't you think so? Hmm? Alpha?'
[HEHEHEHEHE, I was praised! By High-Seraph Gariel! Oh, my, Goddess, this is amazing! High-Seraph Gariel knew of my work! She said she was watching me, Lilith! Holy Waste! Surveillance, wait, are we under surveillance by her grace? Can she hear me right now? Ahem—Lilith, keep your excitement in check…]
'—bitch you're making less sense than normal. How can you be this excited over this one interaction more than when you received a compliment from the Goddess?'
[Of course! For a young Seraph like myself, I only heard stories, but according to the others, High-Seraph Gariel is the most respected of our Race, low or high otherwise, because she's the only one who can approach the Goddess with impunity. It had been said that High-Seraph Gariel is capable of touching the Goddess and even tossing her around if needed without breaking down in tears and apologizing profusely—it's not entirely a piece of secure information (gossips), but I heard some of my Seniors in the Recording Department saw High-Seraph Gariel spanking the Goddess once.]
'Wait, really? Damn, I want to clap those cheeks too... wait, that sounds wrong.... bah, who cares! I want to smack those buns on her to make that little Goddess know her place-wait, more importantly, I thought the Goddess didn't have anyone who could approach her? That's why she was lonely? What's up with the spanking story?'
[...I don't really get the entire thing. It might have something to do with how the Goddess sees time. But, yeah, everything changed, um, a few millennia ago. I think, when one of the High-Seraphs died from a—rock…]
'A High-Seraph died from a ro—akiya!!'
The tiny procession to the Western Gate led by the little daemon suddenly stopped.
For the Saintess tripped on a rock.
Quickly, Lilith tried to recover herself.
"Apostle, are you okay? Do you need me to pick you up? You have been overtaxing yourself since the beginning." Lucia offered Lilith her hand.
Lucia may have been afraid of Lilith at first, but now, seeing the little daemon fall from absolutely nothing, she began worrying towards her like an older sister would. As for the other who followed and watched the little daemon, they too were incapable of holding back their anxiety seeing her fall.
It was like seeing a puppy tumble down the stairs amplified by several times.
Adorable, but worrying.
"I... I'm okay." The little daemon got up on her own. Her eyes now more determined than ever... with tiny bead of tears forming on the corner of her eyes. She scratched her knees a little.
It hurt, but, Lilith kept at it, 'Just a little more, and I'll reach the others. If… I can lead them to look at the injured others, then I can finally rest for the day!' They were already about to leave the City.
The only thing she had to do was to reconvene to the agreed rendezvous location.
'We're already pass the gate, I just need to keep at it. Come on, Lilith. Just a little more. You can see the Carcass of the fucking Gorilla. Just a little more and you'll have the photo perfect ending.' Lilith resu---
"Ah!" Lilith yelped when dust got into her eyes… her eyes instantly reddened from rubbing her eyes, bits of tears as a natural reaction, and all-around Lilith, she saw the "awwwww" faces the humans now
'Goddammit! And this ain't even something you can heal with a ski—'
"PRIESTESS!?"
'God.fucking.dammit.'
The way it was said, the voice, the word used, the tone, all of it caused Lilith to instantaneously react visibly recoil.
She knew who it was even without locating who it was that spoke.
The cameras were raised, and Lilith's heart sunk from depression.
'Oh please... don't come here. Not yet.'
From atop the carcass came a yelp seeing the tiny Priestess they oh so adore on the ground, tears forming on the corner of her eyes… it was too much for them.
'Don't do it!' Lilith wanted to scream, but, she had to rub her eyes to get the dusts out.
"PRIESTESS!? What is wrong?!" Clad in lightning and caked in blood, a man with purple skin and muscular build hurried down the carcass despite his injuries. Covering the distance in a split second, the Lightning Gladiator fell to his knees before the tiny daemon, "THE PRIESTESS IS CRYING!"
He screamed in horror.
One look at the tears sent him to a mad scramble, and one roar to inform the others summoned the rest like a colony of ant to breadcrumbs.
An Ogre clad in flames and a Persian drenched in blood surrounded Lilith. One after another, daemons who could dominate the city gathered around her.
Red carefully lifted Lilith to her. A Mama Wolf's instinct suddenly took over her at the sight of Lilith crying.
Carefully, they tried helping her get the dust out her eyes, "Priestess, does it still hurt? You can tell us if it does."
"I—I am fine, Scar, do not worry, it is just a bit of dust."
"Priestess, do not underestimate such a thing. An Elder of ours once lost an eye because of a speck of dust!"
"It's gone, so you ca—ack, another one got in my eyes!"
"Oh no, don't rub it, Priestess!"
From the corner of Lilith's eyes, she saw people clamoring at the actions of the daemons. Babying the little one in their midst, making "aww" sounds as they adored the sight of the burly daemons, they fear to cuddle the little one as they would to their own.
They should've been afraid, but how they acted said otherwise.
However, Lilith was not thrilled because her well-crafted image was being destroyed in mere seconds, 'Dammit, I'm losing leverage! I'm losing respect!'
She said, not knowing, she was also gaining the more she lost.
***
North of Stronghold 7, there was a floating River called the Blue Plate.
Its size was three kilometers in diameter. Its water flows out of its edges and into surrounding rivers that touch every corner of the Stronghold. It was perpetually generating because of the crystal in the middle of the floating lake.
It was an important source of drinking water to the many scattered nomadic tribes and Villages of the Stronghold. However, over the past few months, its flow has been halted.
Standing in the middle of the Blue Plate was a woman wearing a dark blue robe.
She held a paper umbrella with her left hand and a WNP with her right. She was smiling, watching a news that every stronghold was covering at the same time.
'A daemon has made contact with a Sector? A Savior who came to help her neighbor while the Government runs to save their own hides. Leaving behind thousands to die.'
The woman's eyes became sharper.
'Maybe it is the time to weed out the black sheep of humanity.' The woman said with a slight laugh, and then, she opened her mouth to speak, "What is it?" the woman asked.
Another woman appeared atop the Blue Plate, sending out ripples across the Lake.
Shrouded in white, the newly arrived lady was on her knees with her head lowered, "I have a report."
"This better be important, 007. You awakened the Guardian Serpent for this." The woman with the umbrella said with a laugh as a giant silhouette started to move right below them.
The one called 007 noted the woman's words. Her heartbeat raising by a few notch, "We detected a contract being initiated on Stronghold Three."
"A contract? Is it from the Black Hand?" the woman was honestly surprised, "I wonder, who contacted them?"
"It is not the Black Hand or any organization." 007 corrected.
"Oh? Then who?"
"...we do not know. I believe some escaped the facilities and a facility purposefully didn't report this happening. We are already conducting an investigation and a full sweep of th---"
The woman raised her hand to stop 007 from speaking.
She remained quiet. Thinking what she should do.
"007."
"Yes, Master?"
"Stop that the sweep. Instead, just send a letter to each director of the facilities. Monitor their reactions. Then, send the Sweepers to Stronghold 3 and clean up the mess. The contract must still be ongoing. Deploy them before the Black Spirits fully manifest into the World. We need to act fast and minimize the damages. None of the Council Members can make any more detours."
007 should've left after receiving the woman's orders. But, instead, she stayed. Gathering her courage, she once again spoke, "We cannot deploy the Sweepers, master...."
"...Is there something else wrong?" the woman's tone slightly changed, "007? Why are you not talking? Come on, out with it. I promise, I will not be angry."
007 could feel it. The change in the atmosphere... they often tend to be not good. But, 007 had to continue her words, "The escapees managed a successful Contract."
"…" another set of ripples reached the corners of the River. The source now the woman with the umbrella, "Is it a Partial Contract?"
"One Partial to Ifrit. One Complete Synchronicity to the Spirit Wechuge..." 007 continued.
More and more ripples appeared from below the woman with the umbrella, "Then, send out Squad One to Three. Hunt them down and bring them to us, Dead or Alive."
"We would but... something else happened, Master."
BOOM!
A muffled explosion happened as the woman with the umbrella turned around. Her smile no longer visible, "What else is happening more pressing than the Contracts?"
"The Signature of the Blood Spirit has been picked up...she is still alive, Master."
"...you mean... her?"
From the center of the River, the sleeping Serpent awakened. It moved and writhed.
Fwoosh!
The Serpent shot up from the waters behind the woman holding the umbrella its jaws open wide. Roaring as it demanded the woman to disappear.
"Shut up."
The woman moved her open hand and the serpent's movement became sluggish.
It drifted down and then its head was separated from its body.
The Blue Plate slowly became red from its blood, but with its death, the water started flowing once more. The being withholding the water has been vanquished by a simple move.
The woman with the umbrella's was now a far cry from what she showed earlier. From a smile, to that of concern. Her brows have slanted, "Forget the Contracted. Their trail will pop up. Focus on retrieving it from her. I do not care if she is dead or alive. Get it back from her."
"I follow the Benevolent Heaven's Will." 007 disappeared the next second.
Heaven stood in the middle of the River, her smile gradually coming back, "So you were alive, my dear Kristina."
