Explosions

"Are you ready to go ?"

The woman slowly turned to Asaki while asking him this, her freshly tied ponytail landing on one of her shoulder as she did so.

Both were sitting on a wooden bench, itself located inside of a Letatras church. Near their bodies rested small remnants of meals and drinks, which quickly got tidied inside some plastic bags ; Asaki exactly trying to finish tieing one of them when Celia talked to him.

"Almost..."

The black string rolled around the top of the small bag, and suddenly tightened, closing it just after the man was done making a knot.

It's already been a few days since both awoke here, after their bodies got fatally wounded by a gigantic Flesh monster...

And yet... both also knew that they already had lost a month since this attack.

Why did the twins hide it from them ? To avoid the survivors getting afraid and losing reason ? Because they themselves didn't know ? Or something else ?

After dozens of minutes of discussion about the subject, Celia and Asaki kept to not knowing what to believe, and... Who...

So, as a mutual agreement, they both decided to not tell anything to the twins until they'd discover more about their current situation. Like, what actually, and precisely, happened within that month.

"I'm done, let's leave the church."

"Yup !"

Celia instantly nodded, getting off the bench in no time as she grabbed her small hiking bag with one of her hand.

While Asaki also got off the bench and prepared to leave, her gaze could be seen getting lost in the middle of the multiple altars and paints surrounding them ; Weak sparks of light shining inside of her two orange eyes.

She'll surely miss being here, since a church filled by the gods, or lords, you love, must be a sort of safe place for the girl. But Celia also knew that... They couldn't stay here. It wasn't respectful for the building, which wasn't really that safe either.

After all in the middle of a forest standing on a small hill, where monsters could hide everywhere, it wasn't that hard to get caught off guard.

And the church was too far from any useful shop anyway...

"May the shining light of your virtue guide our steps, Lord Asea..."

Celia was whispering a short prayer in front of the biggest, and most elegant, altar out of all. That of Asea, the lord of lords, and Lord of Salvation.

One of her knee was resting on the ground as a knight, as her right hand just stayed put on left shoulder, while her head faced the ground. The long and crimson hair of the Aurora also added an ever more beautiful element to this sight ; Its red color perfectly matching with that of the altar, and Lord in general.

Even if Asaki was disgusted from The Letatras, he couldn't help but to have his gaze getting lost within the scene dressing in front of him.

Slight sunlight suddenly recovered the young girl, coming from a hole in the roof ; Which finally finished turning the scene into that of a novel.

Without a word then, Asaki started to walk away from the woman, letting her finish whatever prayers she was actually doing.

In one of his hand firmly stood a pristine white form, which silver blade shined once it met the sun.

And in his other hand... Another axe that he found at the church's entrance.

"Time to prepare to go to Asagiri, I guess..."

°°°

Outside of the church, nothing had really changed. The sky was still covered by dense and wide gray clouds, as the trees and the ground partially shined because of the thin frozen water surface covering them ; Surely the morning rain.

From here, the man could almost see the whole city, and so the cold mist also filling its space...

Before, Asaki would've surely said that this view was beautiful, and probably would've taken a picture. But now... This view was the worst possible.

The mist indeed, hid a lot of things, and the most problematic ones being the creatures and monsters walking through the streets.

"Taking the safest road with such a weather won't be easy..."

Behind him, also finally echoed small steps, as the noise of a gigantic door closing thunderously elevated within the forest.

"And the sun has already arise..."

Added Celia, recalling once again of her promise with Naelle, who she had sworn to come back before the sun would even rise.

"Well... Let's tr-"

...BOOM !!

"Huh...?"

...BOOM !!

Even from there, the ground slightly shook, as a deafening sound exploded from the city.

A shockwave also quickly dissipated a large part of the mist, now replaced by black smoke and orange sparks... Being fire.

In the middle of this hell suddenly coming out of nowhere, crashed a large and tall building, the one which exploded.

"What the..."

The second explosion however, took place fair nearer than the exploded building, in fact... It was just a few meters from the exit of the forest, itself being at like 10 minutes of walk from the two survivors.

"..."

A deafening scream then added to the symphony of explosion which had just occurred, a monster yelling out of wrath and pain because of the nearest one.

"Asaki !"

Celia, surely by instinct, had jumped on the man to make both of them lay onto the grass, and hide from any potential threat. The man, surprised at first by what was happening to him, quickly understood as he felt a soft and warm body pressing against his ; also shaking with fear.

... BOOM !!

And, as a last attempt of killing whatever, or whoever, needed a last explosion, violently exploded a second building, also fair more nearby than the first one.

Soon, three towers of smoke elevated from the ground, their abstract form desperately trying to reach the sky.

"What..."

Asaki couldn't even finish his sentence, as his gaze was still locked into the three explosion's site direction. Those were violent, although far from being the most impressive man was capable of...

The mist also had now fully disappeared, or almost, letting its place to a multitude of others creature's screams.

"What's going on... ???"