Chapter 2 The Brafford Sisters 1 The heavy rains had just lifted, so the ground in the woods was a muddy quagmire. Vibrant green foliage hung heavy with droplets of rain, and even the slightest jostle would bring the water down in a little baptism. In small amounts, it could be considered cute and fun, but when the leaves moved, it was usually because of whole branches rustling. There were enough droplets falling to fill her cupped hands, enough to leave anyone passing beneath the boughs completely drenched. “” It wasn’t the time of year when simply getting wet would lead to chills, but there was no guarantee that the sunlight that helped to dry her would continue indefinitely. Using the hiking tricks they had picked up during the past few days, she slipped beneath the drenched leaves while watching her feet as she headed for the watering hole she had found. Because of the rains, there was a chance it had swelled with runoff, so whenever she went to retrieve water, she was careful to pick a point upstream where the water flowed clear and clean. Her companion was also quite picky about how clear their drinking water needed to be, which was all the more reason to go upstream and avoid stagnant ponds. She touched the water bottle at her hip, checking it was still in place. “Honestly, we should probably distill everything, even if it isn’t still water.” She surprised herself to realize the pun she had happened to stumble into. “Distill…still…water.” Rolling it around in her mouth, she thought it was pretty funny. She decided to share it when she got back to their hideout to see what her companion thought. “I can’t just stand here thinking about random stuff all day.” Tamping down her urge to get a move on, she kept her footsteps light while walking swiftly and cleanly along the muddy slope. As the scenery gradually shifted into a familiar area, she reached her goal—the watering hole. Fresh water was running through a crevice in the rocks, trickling down the slope from there, feeding into a large river that extended into the forest. Fortunately, the long rains did not seem to have had too significant an impact, and she was able to collect water without any trouble. “All right, that should do for now. All that’s left is—” Feeling the heft of the water bottle as it sloshed a bit, she started to turn back the way she came. Suddenly, she cocked her head. Ignoring the beautiful golden hair that fell on her slender shoulders, she narrowed her eyes as she felt a presence. Turning in its direction, she listened closely. It was faint, but something was disturbing the calm of the forest. She straightened out and raced up the slope in the direction she had come from, forgetting all about the joke she had come up with. 2 “Wgh?!” Rusalka stopped and turned around when she heard the yelp behind her. She had lost count of how many times it had happened, and every time, it was exactly the same: Lisbeth making the trees rustle without paying attention to where she was going and subsequently getting drenched in a huge deluge of her own making. “Could you please just listen to my instructions, Lisbeth? I won’t claim you could have avoided all this, but it certainly would have dramatically decreased the number of times it happened.” “Grrr… Don’t make me keep repeating myself, either. I have my own way of doing things. You don’t have any right to complain about how I do ’em!” “I see. Is that so?” Lisbeth fired back with her usual spirited response, but Rusalka just slowly shook her head. “Sadly, if we leave things up to you, we won’t make it in time. We are already behind schedule as is. From now on, I have to insist you get with the program and do things my way.” “Wh-what right do you have?!” “Squadron leader, executive officer of the base… If you’re looking for titles, I’ve got a few, in case you’ve forgotten.” With Rusalka resorting to appeals to authority, Lisbeth’s waterlogged jab was weak. Natalie looked exasperated as she threw a towel over Lisbeth’s short black hair from behind and started drying her head with an ease that came from plenty of practice over the past few hours. “Maybe you should have drawn the line a little bit sooner, Major? There’s an eastern saying that even a Buddha loses patience by the third time.” “I don’t intend to go around saying I’m more patient than a Buddha, so I suppose I’ll be a bit more decisive next time around. More importantly, we can’t afford to mess this up.” Currently, they were deep in the forest a few dozen kilometers away from Holm base. Since they had been sent out to look for what was seemingly an underground air-raid shelter or something like that, they had left their car behind a while back and had been walking through the woods, following a compass, for hours. At this point, Natalie felt compelled to say, “Still, I am beginning to question if those two girls we’re looking for are out here somewhere. It just looks like animal trails out here to me…and not much of that, either, to be honest.” “If you look closely, you should be able to tell the tracks where the grass has been stepped on…but with the rain this morning, it might be difficult for untrained eyes.” “Untrained eyes… Major, are you a professional when it comes to hiking?” “My hometown was in the forests of northern Europe. Walking through the woods is like a stroll in my backyard.” Taking advantage of that experience, Rusalka had been guiding the other two through the forest. Always check your footing; clear openings in the foliage to make a path; speak up regularly to keep track of where everyone is. Without any one of those things, the difficulty inherent to moving around out in the wilderness went up dramatically. “Your home was in the forest…,” Natalie murmured. “Surprised?” “Ah yes, a little bit. You carry yourself with such refinement that I had simply assumed you had been instilled with a classical education from a young age.” “Ha, it doesn’t surprise me one bit!” While Natalie was shocked by Rusalka’s background, Lisbeth, her hair still wet despite getting toweled off some, sneered with her canines showing. “Your stupid gorilla-like grip makes a lot more sense, knowing you were raised in a forest. I’m sure you trained by climbing trees and drumming those— Ugwaaaaa!” “Again with those insults…!” Natalie clenched the hand that had been drying Lisbeth’s head just moments ago and proactively dished out a little bit of punishment for the blatant disrespect Lisbeth leveled at their squadron leader. Lisbeth crumpled to the ground, bruised but unbowed as Natalie lowered her head slightly. “To be clear, I do not share this child’s opinion, Major.” “You don’t need to worry. You and Lisbeth are different. Even if you think I’m like a gorilla, you at least have the courtesy to keep it to yourself.” “In the first place, I don’t think you’re like a gorilla!” Acknowledging Natalie’s frantic plea, Rusalka’s lips softened slightly into a small smile. Then she thought again about Odin’s task—the sisters who would impact the fate of humanity. “I suppose it should be called a revelation from Lord Odin himself. Since he suddenly appeared in my room last night, the surprise and awe of it won out over gratitude, though.” Lisbeth still could hardly believe it. “To enter a lady’s bedroom without her permission… The thought process of mythological beings is difficult to comprehend.” “…But there’s no denying his concern for how the battle between humanity and the pillars is going. Lord Odin truly wishes for victory in Ragnarök. That much was made quite clear.” That night, he had disappeared after having entrusted the sisters to Rusalka, so it would not have been that strange to think it just a dream, but… “I’m still not sure whether to praise Colonel Ostley’s decisiveness or be astounded by his impulsiveness…” When Rusalka had reported the contact from Odin that same night, Alejandro had ordered the search and rescue of the sisters on the spot, then tasked Rusalka with the mission. Thinking back on it, she remembered something about Alejandro’s demeanor when he had given that order. Ordinarily, there tended to be an undertone of flippancy to most of his orders, but he had looked quite serious that time. He was an officer, so she would prefer he always act with such gravity when doing his job, and for once, her wish had been answered. She had also conveyed Odin’s inexplicable team choice—Natalie and Lisbeth—and surprisingly, he had given his seal of approval relatively easily as well. Because of that, they had been able to go out on the mission with the people Odin had chosen, but— “Natalie aside, for Lisbeth to be the third member… I don’t think this is his way of ordering me to take this opportunity to rectify my lacking guidance, but…” She could not tell what Odin or Alejandro, who had given the team his seal of approval, were thinking. They were regularly checking in with the base via satellite phone, but the details of the operation were strictly limited to Alejandro and her operator, Michelle, just like Odin had wanted. But because of that, she hardly felt comfortable mixing official and personal matters by pressing Alejandro on the radio for his reasoning. Naturally, Alma and Shannon had a lot of questions about why Rusalka and Natalie were out on some secret mission, but they would be able to clear all that up once it was over. Since— “This is the first time Lord Odin has chosen a Valkyrie himself since the First. We must have them lend their strength,” Rusalka concluded. “…But are we really gonna be able to use them for anythin’?” Lisbeth muttered as she crouched next to Rusalka, still nursing her head after enduring Natalie’s disciplinary blow. “Seriously, though. I dunno how much talent or whatever they’re supposed to have. I mean, if a literal god is telling us to recruit them, then I guess it’s probably a helluva lot, but still…they’ve been running away, right?” “…They are living in a forest far removed from other humans, so that is highly likely.” “Then doesn’t that just mean they’ve already given up in their heads? Tellin’ someone like that to fight…that’s pointless. No matter what Father might say.” Lisbeth’s sarcastic term of address and the way she spoke were coarse, but she stood by her beliefs, and she held to a certain logic that Rusalka could understand. Lisbeth had much greater aptitude as a Valkyrie than Rusalka. But she was not flying around fighting as a Valkyrie because of that unbridled potential. She was doing it because she had chosen to fight the pillars of her own volition. “” This time, Natalie didn’t have any follow-up. That alone was proof that she believed there was some logic to what Lisbeth was saying as well. The willingness to fight that came from within. That fundamental desire was the one thing shared by all serving Valkyries regardless of where they were born or how they were raised or anything else. Lisbeth and Natalie, and Rusalka as well—they had all chosen to fly of their own accord. But— “—I wonder how it was for Amy.” Rusalka murmured this to herself as she remembered her friend’s vibrant smile. Amy had talked with her about a lot of things. Almost all of it was stuff Amy had one-sidedly shared with her. Rusalka had never really probed much herself. So she wondered how it had felt for the first Valkyrie, a girl who had been so considerate of others. What had she been feeling when she accepted Odin’s offer and accepted the role of signaling the start of humanity’s first counterattack? Of course, Rusalka no longer had any way of finding out— “—Gh!” “What happened?” Suddenly, just as she was sinking into thought, Rusalka swung around and asked what was wrong. Natalie and Lisbeth were shocked by the sudden reaction, but she did not have time to respond to them. She could feel a tingling at the nape of her neck, an instinct cultivated from her youth in the outdoors. It had served her well in combat as well, and it was telling her something strange was approaching. And it seemed to be coming closer at high speed as well, dashing up at them from somewhere below— “Natalie! You and Lisbeth get behind me…!” “Major?!” Rusalka immediately pulled her pistol and prepared in case a wild animal was charging them. Because of the absorption effect of the pillars, the number of animals living out in the wild had dramatically reduced, but many dogs and other creatures had gone feral with the rapid retreat of humanity emptying entire regions. Rusalka lowered her hips and steadied the handgun, prepared for the possibility of being set upon by feral dogs. There was a sound of something breaking through the foliage— “—Hmm? Ah, it was people.” What appeared from the greenery was not a feral animal but a beautiful girl. Her striking blond hair was tied back, and her clear-blue eyes looked like they contained the vast skies in them. Rusalka had often been complimented on her eyes, but even so, this girl’s eyes seemed enchanting. From head to toe, she had a delicate beauty, as if a god had gone out of their way to shape such splendor. For a moment, Rusalka couldn’t help wondering if they had just encountered something supernatural out deep in the forest. “” However, what surprised her was not the girl’s great beauty. It was because she looked impossibly familiar. Since— “—Amy?” —she looked just like the friend she had hurt so badly, who she should never have been able to meet again. 3 The question Rusalka could not help asking aloud elicited four very different reactions. The girl herself widened her eyes slightly in shock, and Lisbeth was shouting angrily as Natalie pushed her back behind cover. Natalie’s face froze as she looked over at Rusalka. Rusalka’s change in expression was dramatic. “” It was because Rusalka was the most shaken of all by the question that had slipped out. This was the shock of confronting someone who could not have been there, who she should have never been able to meet again. There was a still moment of silence following their reactions. The first to return to her senses was the blond girl who had touched off the encounter in the first place. “Apologies, but I am not Amy, whoever she might be.” “—Ngh.” Rusalka’s throat clenched a little as the girl denied it. She calmed down after hearing the apology, and as the composure she had lost gradually came back, her field of vision returned to normal, and slowly she realized the distinct differences between the girl in front of her and Amy. Their faces were remarkably similar, but the air about her and the tone of her voice were quite different from the Amy she knew. Unlike Amy, who had been so slender and dainty, this girl was taller, with a more mature build. But more than anything, her expression was heavy. Amy had almost always had a smile on her face. “Major!” As Rusalka slipped into thought, comparing the girl in front of her to Amy, Natalie’s sharp voice brought her back to her senses, and she quickly confirmed the current situation. This girl was not Amy, but she might just be one of the two sisters Odin had tasked them with finding and protecting. Thinking that, Rusalka lowered her gun— “My companion was quite clear about not coming into contact with anyone, so apologies for this as well.” With that up-front disclaimer, the girl leaped away. Rusalka immediately reached out, but the girl slipped through her fingers and was quickly retreating deeper into the forest. “Screw that! I’ve had enough of this forest shit!” Lisbeth sensed an opening and dashed forward with a predatory agility. Using her explosive momentum, Lisbeth immediately gave chase. With her unhinged animalistic charge utterly removed from all the fundamentals of military hand-to-hand combat training, she would have gotten a zero, or maybe even a negative score, in any kind of formal evaluation. Still, she managed to get ahold of the girl’s clothes. “Gotch— Ngh?!” Technique aside, Lisbeth’s attack at least got high marks for decisiveness, but the girl evaded her grasp and gracefully swiped Lisbeth’s legs out from under her, sending her flying. It was a textbook throw that was the product of disciplined training. The only reason Lisbeth groaned as she hit the grass instead of being knocked out entirely was because the girl had been kind enough to give her a chance to soften the fall. “I have no intention of injuring you as long as you will just leave me alone.” “W-wait! Don’t…” Seeing Lisbeth go down, Natalie was shocked but immediately drew her gun and shouted a warning. She instantly took aim at the girl, whose eyes narrowed as she stared down the barrel. “You can’t shoot that.” “—Ngh!” Natalie had been through training, but she had never shot a living creature, let alone a human. Marking her hesitation in seconds, the girl leaped into the trees. Natalie’s expression tensed for a moment, but as expected, she couldn’t pull the trigger. Lisbeth shook her head as she pulled herself up. “Argh…why didn’t you shoot?!” “It’s not that simple to just shoot someone! She’s a person! More importantly, what should we do now…? Major?” Natalie put the gun back in her holster as she shouted at Lisbeth and then looked to Rusalka for instructions. But she quickly noticed something off and furrowed her brow. Looking around, she couldn’t see Rusalka anywhere. “Major?! Where did you…?” “—If you’re looking for me, I’m over here.” The tension was plain in Natalie’s voice until she got a response from the trees in the distance. Lisbeth and Natalie were shocked as they turned in that direction. As they did, they watched as Rusalka slowly appeared from the direction where the girl had run off. She was carrying the girl who had escaped, held tight between her arms. “I somehow managed to settle things without letting her get away. Positional advantage was the deciding factor.” Rusalka shook her head blankly as Natalie stood there, speechless. The girl Rusalka had caught was worming around, still trying to slip away, but after quickly realizing Rusalka’s arms would not budge at all, she slumped, crestfallen. Seeing that, Lisbeth shook her head as she stood up. “I feel you,” she said to the girl. “Positional advantage, my ass. Everyone knows a gorilla’s the strongest animal in the forest.” That was an utterly disrespectful thing to say about her superior officer, but it also contained an awe that hadn’t been present before. 4 She had grown up in the outdoors, so she was simply superior when it came to maneuvering in the woodlands, due to a wealth of experience. Rusalka was insistent that that was the true decisive factor, but no matter what she said, Lisbeth wasn’t having any of it, and it didn’t seem to convince the girl she had caught, either. To top it all off, even Natalie was doubtful. “To the best of my knowledge, your individual fighting ability is on an entirely different level, Major, but…that has nothing to do with aptitude as a Valkyrie, right?” “I…don’t think so? I don’t really feel any particular difference in physical abilities now compared to before I was a Valkyrie.” “Right. Neither do I.” Natalie, who had recently gotten much closer to Rusalka, suddenly seemed a little bit more distant than before. Rusalka was feeling that acutely as she kept an eye on the two girls in front of her—Lisbeth and the girl she had caught. The girl’s arms were tied with rope that they had brought with them, and Lisbeth was not taking any chances with their impromptu prisoner. “You keep trying to get away. You just dunno when to give up, do you?” “It’s true. The people I admired were all seemingly gallant and great, but…it is difficult to actually live up to their examples,” the struggling prisoner agreed. “Huh? Quit it with that logical sort of explanation. It makes my ears itch.” “Your ears? In the forest, there are many small insects and parasites that can burrow into your hair and ears. Perhaps that’s the real cause.” “That’s not what I’m talking about!” Maybe they naturally didn’t get along, but a volatile situation was developing between Lisbeth and the girl. Rusalka sighed a little as she watched it grow worse with each passing comment. “Apologies for being a little bit violent before. However, I would ask you to please not misunderstand. We are soldiers… We have no intention of hurting a civilian,” Rusalka tried to assure the girl. “This child behind me has rather poor methods of restraint for a soldier…” “What’d you say?!” “That’s because she is not a proven soldier yet, just a baby chick,” Natalie said with a sigh. “What’d you say?!” Lisbeth’s head whipped back and forth at their exchange. Natalie put her hand on Lisbeth’s neck, telling her to stop it. And then Natalie turned back to the girl who was watching them with a stiff expression. “Have you not heard of Valkyries? That’s who we are.” “…I’ve heard of them. Winged maidens of battle, granted power by God to fight the pillars.” Rusalka and Natalie glanced at each other at the unexpected response. The girl then peered at Lisbeth. “You look quite different from what I imagined… I honestly thought you might actually have wings on your backs.” “You think we fly like that? We fly in planes! What a dumb thing to say!” “Dumb? I think wings would look quite nice on you, though…” “Asshole…” Lisbeth turned red as the girl teased her, but the girl also seemed genuinely confused why the Valkyrie was upset by her comment. Natalie and Rusalka glanced at each other again as it looked more and more like the two of them just didn’t mesh well. In the end, Natalie and Lisbeth changed places, and they proceeded without further incident. “Who the hell is she…? I didn’t think there could be anyone who pissed me off more than you, Major.” “I’m impressed you can say that to my face… But I think I have to agree that there is something strange about her.” Their prisoner had great physical capabilities as well as the skill to take full advantage of them. And the throw she had used on Lisbeth was a type of throw commonly taught by the military. It was also notable that for someone apparently living out in the forest, her clothes were incredibly clean, and she was maintaining her hair as well. Rusalka would just have to set aside the fact that she seemed to resemble Amy for the time being. “My name is Natalie Chase. May I ask your name?” As she was thinking that, Natalie was trying to forge a more cordial relationship with the girl. Rusalka was left to reflect on having forgotten such a simple and obvious point. “My name is Claudia. Claudia Brafford.” “Claudia Brafford…that’s a lovely name.” Natalie glanced over at Rusalka as she repeated the name. However, neither her given name nor her family name was familiar to Rusalka. In fact, other than the general location, Odin’s oracle had been essentially You’ll know them when you see them. He had not been wrong. Rusalka certainly had recognized her the moment she saw her. From the moment she laid eyes on Claudia, she was sure that she was one of the sisters they were looking for. Part of it was how much she resembled her unforgettable friend, but the biggest reason was her Valkyrie instinct, which had been ringing in her head the whole time. Natalie and Lisbeth must have felt the same thing. “We’re repeating ourselves, I know, but we have no intention of causing you any harm, Claudia. However, we did come into this forest looking for you and for your sister,” Rusalka explained. “Me…and my sister…?” “Which means you both are here. There’s no mistaking it.” Lisbeth snapped her fingers at that, a nasty look on her face as she approached Claudia. “There’s no point trying to hide it. If you don’t want to suffer, then just spit out where your sister is.” Natalie felt like she had to ask, “Why are you acting like some two-bit villain?” “Sorry, but I have no intention of selling out my sister. I won’t say a word, even if you torture me.” “And this one’s just as stubborn…” Lisbeth was a genius at making situations worse, and Claudia was quite intent on maintaining her silence. Struggling to deal with how everything seemed to be spiraling out of control, Natalie pushed Lisbeth aside. “My humblest apologies. Please pay no heed to her thuggish outburst. Our goal is to safeguard you and your sister… We have no intention whatsoever of causing either of you harm.” “Really?” Claudia was stunned at the difference in warmth between Natalie’s earnest plea and Lisbeth’s outburst. Rusalka nodded slightly as Claudia glanced at her. “Natalie is correct. We were tasked with protecting the two of you.” “What could the army possibly want with us?” “…No, the army didn’t request your safeguarding. That was God.” “” “Lord Odin ordered us to protect you and your sister.” Hearing that, Claudia’s eyes widened slightly. That was only natural. Just a few years earlier, even most religious groups tended not to go around proclaiming they were acting on a direct revelation from a god. But for the first time since the dawn of history, a god had presented himself before all humanity. Even those who had not seen him personally knew his name. “Lord Odin…” “Yeah, you know, that guy, everyone’s beloved father. From what I’ve heard, apparently you and your sister are supposed to have some big ol’ role in determining the outcome of Ragnarök. That means we’re gonna have to bring you back with us.” “The way she described our circumstances is rather lacking, but that’s more or less the gist of it. Do you have any idea what it might be about?” Rusalka asked. Claudia peered down at the ground. Rusalka and the other Valkyries exchanged glances as she seemed to ponder the complicated question. Finally— “…I’m sorry, but I can’t show you to where my sister is.” With that, Claudia stopped walking and stood there, turning around in front of them. “The hell do you mean you can’t?” “I meant what I said. I would like my sister to be left alone. In exchange, I’ll go with you.” “…You mean you’ll take your sister’s place?” Claudia nodded at Natalie’s question. “Yes, that is what I am proposing. You may take me with you. Even without me, I’m sure my sister will be able to live on without much trouble.” Rusalka was unsure how to interpret that valiant declaration. Naturally, to be in accordance with Odin’s revelation, she couldn’t accept Claudia’s proffer. But she didn’t like the idea of dismissing her determination, either. In the end, an awkward silence prevailed between the two sides, until— “—Ahhh, I was wondering if something had happened, since you took so long coming back, but I guess you impulsively jumped to conclusions again.” Claudia was waiting quietly for a reply when her determination was disrupted not by Rusalka, Natalie, or Lisbeth but by someone else entirely. “” Her arrival was entirely outside Rusalka’s expectations. She appeared from the foliage right between the four of them and heaved a sigh as she took in the situation. “I have a vague idea of what might have happened… I’m sorry. Sister must have said something strange and caused you all trouble, right?” “You must be…” For Rusalka, there was no doubt. The girl shrugged, her blond hair hanging over one shoulder in a braid, her face a mirror image of Claudia’s. From her features and the way she spoke, it was clear at once who she was. And all but confirming it, Claudia said, “Shiri.” “Yes, yes. As you can probably guess by now, I’m Shirin Brafford—the other sister you all are looking for. The one who actually has her wits about her, for the record.” She flashed a wink as she playfully responded to her sister’s call. 5 “You’re always so extreme, Sister. What person in their right mind would leave their one and only younger sibling all alone in the forest without a word? Considering my condition, I would have died for sure.” “No, I put some actual thought into my decision, in my own way…” “Then your thought process was wrong, and you should reflect on your mistakes.” “…Understood.” Overwhelmed by her younger sister’s baleful glare, Claudia hung her head in contemplation. As she took in their exchange, Rusalka was unsure where to go from here. Some time had passed from their decisive exchange in the forest, and they had changed locations to facilitate a proper discussion. Because of that, Shirin had invited them to where she and her sister were currently living. “Is this an old bunker?” asked Natalie. “Hmm? Ah yes, probably. Now that you mention it, I used the sign out at the front as firewood. Sorry about that.” “…W-well, it is an emergency situation, so that’s understandable.” Natalie’s expression froze at Shirin’s unabashed response. There was a cup in her hands that looked a lot like it had been fashioned by hand, and there was steam rising from the warm tea poured inside. Considering the obvious lack of supplies, she had to work up her nerve to bring the cup to her lips. “Hmm…? That’s a rather gentle taste…” “Did you think I would serve guests muddy water? Too bad. I’m rather particular about my tea. I insisted that we bring some proper tea leaves when we left. Thankfully.” Shirin smiled as she raised her own cup of tea to her lips. Much like Natalie’s reaction and Shirin’s proud declaration suggested, it was quite an excellent cup of tea with a refined taste and strong fragrance. “What tea leaves are these? And there’s something particular about how it was made as well, yes?” “These? Ah, it’s a special blend from a supplier…” Shirin was glad to delve into the topic as Natalie expressed a keen interest in the tea. Meanwhile, Rusalka sipped at her portion as she scanned the underground bunker that had formerly been a shelter but was currently home for the Brafford sisters. It retained only the barest minimum level of functionality as a place to live, but it had also been sparsely decorated. It certainly matched the description Odin had given her, but the sisters had been living quite a spartan lifestyle in what she had imagined must have been a pressing and precarious situation that had been forced upon them. Nonetheless— “We didn’t come here for pointless chatter. We already explained it to the older sister. Do we really have to go through it all over again with the younger one, too?” Lisbeth shattered the peaceful atmosphere, almost seeming like she was looking for an argument. She was masterful at ruining the mood, but she undeniably helped get the conversation moving, since she was always trying to get on with things. Rusalka focused her attention back on the sisters, Shirin and Claudia, turning to face them. “My deepest apologies for my subordinate’s poor manners. In addition, please allow me to explain the situation again. The reason we have come to find the two of you as well as the request behind it—” “Ah, don’t worry. You don’t have to bother with that. You’re messengers from God, right?” Rusalka’s eyes widened as Shirin waved her hand slightly, interrupting her. That was certainly the crux of it, but had she heard that from Claudia in the forest at some point? That alone would have been insufficient as an explanation, though. Just how much did she know? “It’s hard to explain, but just think of it as if I heard it straight from your head. Anyway, as for that god’s invitation…after careful deliberation, I don’t suppose you would be willing to accept a polite rejection, would you?” “…Could I ask you to explain your reason?” “A father’s last request. He warned us not to go along with gods who were strangers.” Shirin stuck out her tongue a little, soundly rejecting the request. And Lisbeth unsurprisingly snapped at that. “Save the sleep talking for when you’re actually sleeping, princess. I don’t feel like playing along with your bad jokes.” “For various reasons, I do sleep more than the average person, true, but I don’t believe I actually talk much in my sleep.” “You—!” Shirin didn’t seem at all bothered by Lisbeth’s anger, and quickly hitting her breaking point, Lisbeth started reaching for her. But in a matter of seconds, Claudia was standing in front of Shirin, ready to protect her younger sister. “Outta my way. I needa have some words with your sister over there. I’m not playin’ around.” “I apologize for Shiri’s rude way of putting it, but it’s true that the reason is our father’s last words.” “Oh, your pops must have been something! What, was he some kinda psychic?!” The two of them were staring each other down and came incredibly close to each other, but neither was willing to yield a single step. But hearing something she couldn’t let pass without comment, Rusalka broke into the conversation. “Wait just a minute, please. Your father said something about this day coming?” “Not specifically this day as it happens. ‘The two of you are special, so a visitor might come for you some day. But I don’t want the two of you to accept their invitation.’ Sort of like the Tale of Princess Kaguya. Are you familiar with that story? It’s an old tale from Japanese folklore,” Shirin explained. “I suppose my education was a bit lacking, but unfortunately, I haven’t. I’m not sure about this Princess Kaguya, but…your father said that you are special? Do you know what he meant by that?” “Yes, it’s rather obvious, since neither of us is remotely normal, after all.” Shirin pointedly touched her own arm, not hesitating at all to answer Rusalka’s question. Hearing that, Lisbeth scoffed, thinking she was just jerking them around again. She had laughed at Shirin unironically acknowledging that she was special, but Shirin didn’t seem upset about that reaction. She just looked at Lisbeth— “—Ah, your family was killed by the pillars. So you became a Valkyrie for revenge. You cared a lot about your younger brother, didn’t you?” “…What?” “My condolences. I know the pain of losing your family. But could you please stop burning everything around you with the flames of your wrath? It’s very misdirected.” “—Nrrrgh!” Shirin’s emotionless words elicited a dramatic reaction from Lisbeth. There was a sound of flesh and bone crashing as Shirin shut her eyes. But the source of the noise—Lisbeth’s fist—had not reached her. It landed square on Claudia’s cheek. “Lisbeth! Stop that at once! Are you hurt, Claudia?” Pulling Lisbeth away, Natalie checked immediately to see if Claudia was okay. Claudia rubbed her cheek with the back of her hand and gave a small nod. “Yes.” “I’m sure you could have evaded that or blocked it…,” Natalie said quietly. “I didn’t want Shiri to be punched. But I won’t deny that she hurt her. All I could think of was to offer my own cheek instead.” “Tch!” Hearing that, Lisbeth scoffed again. She didn’t apologize or say anything else before turning and leaving the room. “Argh! Why would she…? Major, leave Lisbeth to me. Could you please take care of Claudia?” “Yes. I’ll leave her to you, Natalie.” Natalie was steaming mad as she chased after the young Valkyrie. Rusalka wet a handkerchief with her water bottle and pressed it to Claudia’s red cheek. “I’m sorry for my subordinate’s actions… Even after we promised again and again that we had no intention of hurting you.” “Oh, good point! I shall demand an apology and compensation! What should we have them do?” “Shiri.” “Fiiine. Sheesh, it was just a joke. You’re so serious.” Just as she started trying to mess around, Shirin was stopped dead in her tracks by a single word from Claudia. Shirin swung her legs around as she sat on a wooden box. “That wasn’t very nice of me. I don’t suppose you’d believe me if I said I didn’t intend to hurt her?” “No, I’m sure you had no malice. But how did you learn about her past? The only people who should know why she volunteered are me, my commanding officer, and Lord Odin.” “Whoa there, you’re forgetting the most important person of all—Lisbeth herself.” Rusalka was struck by an odd feeling when Shirin made that obvious correction. However, she caught her breath as she quickly realized what Shirin was getting at. That would explain Shirin’s preternatural abilities of observation. Something beyond just simple eyesight or hearing. “Mind reading? Not reading lips but actually peering into thoughts…” “Correct. You’re much more flexible than I expected, Major. My first impression of you convinced me you would have trouble with these sorts of things.” “I’ve had a god come directly to my room, and I fly around in the sky in a magical propeller plane. And I’m fighting monstrous, supernatural enemies to boot… I’ve long since grown tired of being thrown for a loop by insisting on holding on to my preconceptions.” “I see. Yeah, that makes sense. Heh-heh, you got me there.” Putting her hand to her mouth, Shirin broke into a delighted smile. After watching her innocent reaction, Rusalka turned her attention to the older sister. “Is this what you were referring to when you mentioned your father’s last words and claimed that neither of you is normal…?” “Yes, Shiri has been able to read people’s thoughts from birth. And I…” “You?” While acknowledging that they had abnormal abilities, Claudia hesitated to put her own ability into words. Even with Rusalka pressing her, she seemed at a loss. Perhaps annoyed by the hesitation, Shirin just sighed. “Sister’s specialness is simple. She has far, far more endurance than the average person and impossibly fast reflexes. She can run for two days straight and still be perfectly fine.” “That’s…amazing. I would love for the people I work with to be able to learn from that.” “Whoa. Hey, Sister, this major is dead serious about that.” Shirin pulled at her sister’s sleeve as Claudia’s eyes widened slightly. Seeing their reactions, Rusalka furrowed her brow, wondering if she had said something strange. If she was being frank, infinite endurance would be incredibly convenient. There were a lot of things about being a soldier that came down to tests of endurance. If that could be improved by daily training and a thoughtful diet, then their performance would only get better. “I think it’s only natural to have that sort of thought…” “The fact that you honestly think that means you’re doing a job where it’s normal to think like that, right? Ugh, all the more reason to pass on it.” Shirin’s face puckered in disinterest as she stuck out her tongue. Rusalka felt that the way she put it was rude, but she could not deny the validity of the point itself. Of course, she didn’t want to force them to come along if she could help it. At least part of the reason why Odin wanted the two sisters so much was surely because of their unusual abilities. But infinite endurance and mind reading… How would that help in the fight against the pillars? “Could the reason possibly be to try communicating with the pillars in hopes of finding a path to peaceful coexistence…?” “Ah-ha-ha-ha. That’s a conflict-resolution strategy straight out of fairy tales. But sorry, that’s impossible. They don’t have any hearts. And also…” “And also…what?” “” “Shirin?” Shirin had fallen silent in the middle of her sentence. And there was no response when Rusalka called her name. There was a quizzical look on Rusalka’s face as Shirin’s body suddenly started trembling. Shirin was sitting on a wooden box, but as she started to fall over, Rusalka immediately reached out her hand. But Claudia was even faster, propping up her sister’s shoulder and keeping her from collapsing. Rusalka breathed a sigh of relief, but— “This is bad.” Claudia’s soft murmur only raised more questions. Ignoring Rusalka’s reaction, Claudia quickly wrapped her arm around Shirin’s body and easily lifted her up. And then she turned to Rusalka, who was still looking on in surprise. “Pillars have appeared. You should hurry and call back the two who went outside.” 6 “Goddammit!” Lisbeth unleashed a full-strength kick on the tree right in front of her. Her leg bounced back from the force of the shock, numb, but it did not do anything to soothe the nauseous anger brewing in her stomach. In thrall to her rage, Lisbeth clenched her fists painfully tight. “Lisbeth.” As her fingernails bit into her palms, a voice called out to her from behind. It was an obnoxiously familiar polite voice. Natalie. Lisbeth had trouble dealing with Natalie, who was both her senior as a Valkyrie and also much closer to their commanding officer, Rusalka. Alma was easier for her to get along with, even though she never had any idea what Alma was thinking, since at least she didn’t aggressively go out of her way to get involved in Lisbeth’s business, unlike Natalie. Because of that, Lisbeth stubbornly refused to respond to Natalie. Seeing that, Natalie sighed. “It’s not just the major, either. You should respond to your seniors. Just because you’re irritable is not an excuse for ignoring me.” “” “Did what Shirin say upset you that much?” “—Argh! And what do you know about me?!” Still not turning to face Natalie, she vehemently fired back at the question. “They’re both freakin’ weirdos. I can’t tell what the hell the older one’s thinking, and the younger one is even harder to read. And to top it off…” “…She correctly guessed your past?” “—Gh! …So you knew?” Lisbeth reflexively turned around, staring unblinkingly at Natalie. Seeing that, Natalie smiled and said, “Oh dear,” as if finding her reaction strange. “Judging by your reaction, it’s simple enough to infer that much… And even without that, there are many victims of the pillars among those volunteering to become Valkyries.” “Gh, so it was a leading question…” “I don’t think what I said was all that devious, though.” Her smile took on a hint of wry bitterness as Natalie touched her hand to her neatly kept red hair. Even in the middle of the forest, she looked as prim and proper as ever. Even though she had the same uniform as Lisbeth and Rusalka, there was a certain quality to the way she wore it. And that was just one more thing that annoyed Lisbeth. “Don’t give me that look like you’ve got it all figured out. Like my wonderful senior with her stylish looks and her aristocratic family could possibly understand how I feel.” “If it were impossible to understand each other because we were born to different lives, then mutual understanding would never be possible anywhere or with anyone. And while my concern for my appearance stems in part from my personality, it’s also because I believe it is part of my responsibility as a Valkyrie.” “As a Valkyrie?” Lisbeth’s eyebrows arched at the unexpected response. To her, it seemed obvious that a Valkyrie’s role was to fight pillars, so what did hygiene or fashion have to do with anything? Seeing that thought plainly in her reaction, Natalie asked, “May I?” as she put a hand to her chest. “We are humanity’s hope, the one and only means to truly resist the pillars. All around the world, people are looking to us. You know that, right?” “What, so don’t let them see us being sloppy or messy? We’re putting our lives on the line out here. As if we have time to worry about what people around us think—” “—The only reason we are able to fly so freely is because of the people around us.” Lisbeth reflexively tried to fire back, but Natalie interrupted her with a quiet response. Lisbeth’s next words caught in her throat as Natalie looked her straight in the eyes. “Ordinarily, the military is a male-dominated organization. All soldiers have the resolve to fight on the front lines for the sake of others, and they take pride in that. And we are stealing that away from them when we fly.” “But…that’s just how it is.” “Yes, you’re right. That’s simply how it is. However, they still have to fly and fight on the battlefields where there are no Valkyries, even though they have no hope of victory. In order to protect the people.” “” Lisbeth had no response. The math was simple. There weren’t remotely enough Valkyries to be able to respond to every single battle with the pillars. Their enemy was one that appeared seemingly at random and could show up at any point of the many fronts, and there were not enough Valkyries in the world to deal with them wherever they appeared. This meant that to hold the line and protect the people near battlefields that didn’t benefit from the support of Valkyries, many soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice. There were a great many people who bravely rose to face an enemy they had no way of defeating. “The reason they can keep flying and fighting is because of their resolve and pride, to be sure. But people can’t live on tragic heroism alone. People need hope, too—we are that hope.” “” “It would be disheartening to see your beacon of hope looking unseemly, wouldn’t it?” Natalie’s eyes softened as she said that. She slipped her hand into the inner pocket of her uniform and pulled out a comb. It was a high-class one at that. And then she held it out to Lisbeth. “To start with, at least run a comb through your hair. I don’t know what standards Lord Odin uses for his selection, but…with a little bit of effort, you could drastically improve your appearance.” She could have knocked away the comb, saying Natalie should mind her own business. And until right then, she had had an impulse to do just that. But— “You so pretty, Big Sis. Why don’t you smile more?” “” —a voice from long ago echoed faintly in the back of her mind. It had been a long time. In the process of always forging ahead, she had neglected to even remember him. “—Oh? I half expected you to swat it out of my hands.” “…That’s harsh…” Natalie was surprised to see Lisbeth slowly accepting the comb. It was still a rather rude reaction, but given how she had been feeling just moments ago, it was a reasonable point. “I don’t even remember the last time I used a comb.” “In that case, I’ll brush out your hair for you next time. When you’re sitting in front of the mirror, you’ll have no choice but to hold still for at least a short while. I’m sure you’ll be able to see something new once you do.” “I’ll see something?” “Yes, I’m sure of it.” Natalie nodded but didn’t spell it out for her. That pompous attitude still pissed Lisbeth off, but she didn’t push it. At the same time, the anger swirling in the pit of her stomach had died down a lot. And as she wondered whether that was what Natalie had been after all along, she couldn’t help being a little bit annoyed. “—Natalie, Lisbeth, come back inside now.” As their exchange calmed down, a voice called out from the shelter. Looking over, she could see Rusalka from the darkness of the shelter, her beautiful silver hair swaying. For a second, Lisbeth steeled herself for Rusalka having overheard their conversation, but— “What is it, Major? Did something happen inside?” Natalie asked. “Yes and no. Let’s save the explanation for later. I’m not sure I totally believe it myself, but considering their unique abilities, it’s best to assume it is true for the moment.” “—? What are you talking about? Quit talking in circles and just tell us.” Lisbeth latched on as Rusalka shook her head, evading the crux of the matter. With that, Rusalka’s blue eyes looked down for a second before looking up at the sky. Even though the trees blocked the view from the entrance to the shelter, almost entirely blocking the sky. “A premonition of pillars appearing—if they are to be believed.” 7 “My sister…Shiri has the ability to predict when pillars appear,” Claudia calmly explained once Natalie and Lisbeth returned to the shelter. Shirin was lying on a blanket laid out on the floor beside her. Ever since she had suddenly lost consciousness earlier, she hadn’t woken up, though her eyes seemed to be fluttering. “Narcolepsy?” “Something like that at least. I’m not a doctor, so I don’t really understand the specifics.” Claudia nodded at Rusalka’s question, her expression unchanging. Narcolepsy was a disorder where someone felt the sudden onset of sleepiness in the middle of everyday activity, uncontrollably falling asleep without warning. That sleepiness could occur in any situation or location, and it was not hard to see how that would cause significant problems in day-to-day life. “It’s a chronic condition she’s had since birth. I’ve been with her so long I’m used to dealing with it, but…” “But?” “The rate it’s been happening has been unnatural these past few years. It never happened this often before. And the reason is…” “Pillars appearing? Is that what you’re suggesting?” There was more than a hint of disbelief in Natalie’s question, but Claudia nodded solemnly. She looked down at her twin sister sleeping there and gently rested her hand on her forehead. “You expect us to believe that? So, what? When a pillar is about to appear, your sister just falls asleep? That doesn’t make any sense. What does that have to do with anything?” Lisbeth scratched her head roughly. Her point was entirely reasonable and logical. In truth, there was no logical explanation for what could possibly link Shirin’s suddenly falling asleep with the appearance of pillars. This wasn’t some fantasy where the pillars were a product of her dreams or anything like that. But— “Lord Odin has made clear that the Brafford sisters are special,” Rusalka said. Indeed, considering the origin of their mission, there was plenty of reason to believe what Claudia was saying for the time being. Odin had said that the sisters would have a major impact on humanity’s future and the outcome of Ragnarök. “It’s hard to believe. But it’s also something I want to believe. Either way, we should save the arguments for later, though.” “That’s rather like you to put it that way, Major.” Natalie heaved an exasperated sigh. But deep down, she felt the same. If Claudia’s claim was true, then Shirin was capable of forecasting the appearance of pillars. That would allow a dramatic evolution in the strategy and tactics humanity could bring to bear against the pillars. Odin’s revelation also lent it a certain amount of credibility as well. “So what should we do, Major?” Natalie asked. “We’ll save the debate for later, and for now we focus on achieving our initial goal—getting out of here. Apologies, but I must insist that you and your sister come with us. We can leave the question of whether you will help us or not for afterward.” “I suppose it would be pointless trying to resist. All right, I’ll go along with you.” After calmly considering the difference in combat strength between her and the group of Valkyries, Claudia raised her hands in surrender. Nodding at the wisdom of that decision, Rusalka glanced at Natalie and Lisbeth. All that was left was to carry Shirin, who was sleeping, and get out of the forest before nightfall. “Then let’s head outside—” “No, I can’t do that.” As Rusalka started to plot their next moves, Claudia, still with her hands raised, interrupted her. “I said it, didn’t I? Shiri predicts the appearance of pillars. Her falling asleep like that means a pillar has appeared. Not only that…” “Not only that?” “—It always means one nearby.” The moment she said that in a low voice, an explosion and sudden tremor occurred, rocking the whole shelter and the five of them inside it. “—?!” The blast destroyed her balance, but Rusalka managed to land safely on all fours. The shock had emanated from the entrance to the shelter—no, from out in the forest. “Unless there is some unplanned artillery drill happening, that was…” “Respond, Major Evereska. Evereska… Rusalka!” The situation continued to change by the second, but this time it was something that gave her a flash of relief. The new voice she was hearing in the shelter was coming from Holm base through the satellite phone. And the voice belonged to— “Commander Ostley? Why are you sending a direct transmission?” “Because you haven’t made contact since the last perfunctory progress report. Spare a thought for how it feels to be a parent who sent their kids out all alone. And to top it off, a pillar appeared right next to the forest you three are wandering around in. It’s a relief the call actually went through.” “That’s… My apologies, sir. I’ll provide a brief status update.” Rusalka quickly gathered her wits about her as Alejandro complained about the lack of communication over the satellite phone. After briefly summarizing the relevant points in her head, she said, “The rest of the team and I are safe and uninjured. In addition, we have made contact with our targets and successfully taken them under our wing. Further, neither of them is injured.” “You found them? Got it. Judging from the GPS, you’re in an underground bunker?” “Yes, sir. The pillar’s location is…” “Right on top of you.” Natalie pulled a tablet out of her pack and was working on it while Rusalka was talking to Alejandro. A map of the area around the forest showed on the display as it synced with data from the base. The next instant, the map was filled with red spots—pillar contacts. “Th-this is…” “Bad does not begin to describe it. For them to swarm up this much…” Lisbeth’s face turned pale, and Natalie’s cheeks tensed as they both examined the screen. As Valkyries, they were normally not scared of pillars. But that was when they had their Deus ex Machinas. Without those, a Valkyrie was just a normal human. “They say pillars proactively target Valkyries.” Rusalka mentioned one of the rumors that floated around the military. There was no way to tell if the pillars had any actual thoughts or sapient intent, but it was theorized that they did measure threat levels and tried to target the most dangerous enemies first. Because of that, their priority list was usually topped by Valkyries in Deus ex Machinas, then jet fighters, and then ground-based targets. “In any case, it’s safe to assume the pillars up there are either after us, or…” Rusalka left the rest unspoken. “—It’s us.” Claudia nodded calmly as Rusalka glanced over at her. She was packing a bag with practiced familiarity, and then she strapped it to her back before kneeling next to her sister. “My sister and I are often chased by pillars. That is why we’ve changed locations so often and why we have been living out here: to prevent others from getting caught up in their hunt for us.” “So that was why you were here.” “However, the pillars’ advance still caught up to us, as you can see. Naturally, we can’t go to any towns or cities like other refugees, since we’d draw the pillars right to them.” Claudia easily lifted Shirin, fixing her sleeping sister to her body with a cinched belt to make sure she didn’t fall. “Escaping the pillars from a position like this will be incredibly difficult without support.” “There’s at least a chance if I move from cover to cover. It’s better than waiting here to be buried alive.” “Don’t be stupid! You think I’ll let you roll the dice on such a terrible gamble?!” Lisbeth was the one to stop Claudia’s resolute advance. She spread her arms, blocking the way out of the shelter as she stared Claudia down. “I’m well aware that we are not going to be in agreement. However—” “But nothing! I’m not movin’. This isn’t a goddamn game!” “Lisbeth, calm dow—” “My family!” Lisbeth was clearly getting emotional, but Natalie’s hand stopped just as she was trying to calm her. Lisbeth’s face was red with agitation and extreme emotion, and there was a faint tear welling at the corner of her eye. She seemed to be annoyed with herself for her reaction as she continued. “My family couldn’t all fit in the shelter. They said they’d go to the next one. He said he was confident in his legs…because my leg was hurt!” “” “I always regretted not stopping them. I don’t ever wanna feel that way again! That’s why…” Lisbeth had become a Valkyrie to get revenge for losing her family. It was just one more tragedy among a multitude after the pillars started attacking the human race. But even if it was happening everywhere all the time, the impact of personal tragedies couldn’t be expressed by mere numbers on some cosmic scale. Lisbeth had lost her family because she couldn’t stop them from going back out in the middle of an attack by pillars. That was why— “…I’m not your family. Even if you stop me, your family won’t come back.” “Obviously! I know that much! But…” “…However, I understand your wanting to stop me.” Lisbeth’s eyes widened, caught off guard by that response, having steeled herself to keep arguing as much as she had to. Seeing that, Claudia cocked her head. “What? Would you prefer I swear that I’ll respect your opinion?” “That’s not it! I—I was just surprised that you suddenly started listening! Seriously, who are you?!” “Claudia Brafford, a pleasure to meet you.” “You know, there’s supposed to be a flow to conversations… Argh, whatever, screw it!” Their back-and-forth now a convoluted mess, Lisbeth gave up on trying to reason with Claudia. And as their exchange started calming down, another tremor struck the shelter. Dirt and gravel fell from the ceiling, and the simple light fixture went out. They didn’t have much time for planning. “Is your little argument finished over there? Have you grasped the situation?” “Yes, sir. Are reinforcements…?” Rusalka started to ask about potential support. “Of course, our cute little Sigrdrifa is taking off to deal with the pillars. I’m sending out Conturo, too, since she was sulking about being kept out of the loop. But…” “But we don’t have the luxury of sitting and waiting, right?” Rusalka could hear a heavy sigh over the phone. Hearing that as she listened in, too, Natalie’s courageous eyes clouded uneasily. But Rusalka just smiled at her. “You don’t have to worry. The colonel isn’t so incapable of thinking ahead that he would contact us just to pointlessly stir anxiety. I’m sure he has a plan.” “What would you do after all that if I said I didn’t have a plan?” “If it came to that, I would write a last testament resentfully declaring how badly I had misjudged your character and then die.” “I raised a nasty subordinate…” She could almost see Alejandro’s exasperated grimace, even over the phone. But the task force commander who was the architect of Sigrdrifa rose to the challenge presented by his second-in-command’s extreme expectations. “Fine, I got it. I said it before, right? Making miracles happen is my job. I’ll dangle a spider’s thread down for anyone willing to do whatever it takes to survive.” “A spider’s thread?” Rusalka didn’t follow. “It’s a story from Japan. Your commander is quite erudite.” “Oooh, you’re awfully young to be that well-read. I’m impressed.” Alejandro whistled at Claudia’s answer before turning his attention to Natalie. “Chase, do you have the tablet out? Heyman is sending you a map of that bunker. It’s quite old, but there’s no mistaking it’s the same one.” “—I’ve received it. The floor plan is… Is this…a back door?” Shock took hold of Natalie as she checked the tablet. Rusalka peered over her shoulder. There was a passage that was highlighted in a different color on the floor plan. “A route aside from the standard entrance that passes underground and comes out on the other side of the forest?” “There’s the question of how well it’s held up, given it’s a bunker that’s been abandoned for decades. But either way, it has to be better than just sitting under the bombardment where you are right now.” “—Understood. We’ll use this route and escape the bunker.” Confirming the route Alejandro sent them, Rusalka immediately heeded the order. Finding where they were on the map, she soon found the hidden passage’s entrance. After equipping only what she could easily carry, she turned to Natalie and Lisbeth. “As you heard, we’re going to escape the underground. We’ll move in formation with the two of them at the center. I’ll take point. You cover the rear, Lisbeth. Natalie, you stay in the center and watch our flanks.” “Yes, ma’am.” “Aye, ma’am.” Confirming their formation, neither Natalie nor Lisbeth had a complaint. Nodding at their responses, Rusalka walked over to Claudia, who had a dubious look on her face. “As you heard, Claudia, our plan is to use the passage here to reach the other end of the forest. I know you may have reservations, but—” “Right now, it is best to go along with what you say. I won’t mistake my priorities. I’ll be counting on you.” “…Thank you.” Rusalka silently adjusted her evaluation of Claudia with that response. Claudia could be quite hardheaded when she wanted to be, but that did not really do her justice. Ultimately, it was clear from her reaction that she had undergone some sort of military education. And then there was the technique she had used to send Lisbeth flying. There were lots of little things about her that raised curious questions. “We’ll save those questions for once we are out of this.” “Rusalka, Sigrdrifa is going to engage soon. I’m sure you’re lonely, but I can’t just hang around chatting with you, either. And…” “The passage goes even deeper belowground, meaning the satellite phone will lose signal and we won’t be able to communicate at all soon. I understand. Good luck.” “You really don’t know how to be cute at all. Get back here safe and sound.” With that, the call ended, and Rusalka put the phone back in her backpack. Then, looking at the others in the room, she spoke up again. “We’ll be entering the underground passage now. It’s an old passage, so there is a danger of cave-ins… If it does collapse, though, at least we’ll be saved the time and cost of a burial.” “Hey, that’s not funny!” Rusalka’s dark joke was met by a loud shout from Lisbeth. Claudia’s eyes widened, while Natalie clapped her hands. “Yes, yes. I’m sure Claudia is shocked, too. You should be a bit more considerate of the time and place when you want to try and raise our spirits, Major… Have a bit more awareness of how you talk before trying something like that again.” “I thought that was a good one…” She had been intending to soothe everyone’s nerves some, but surprisingly, it had not gone quite as intended. As she reflected on that, Rusalka broke down the dirt wall hiding the entrance to the passage. Shortly, a steel door appeared, and on the other side was a dark passage. “No surprise that the electricity is kaput. Flashlights out. Watch your heads. And, Claudia, about your sister…” “I’ll carry her. I’ve always done this.” Hearing that confident response, Rusalka decided to trust in her supposed monstrous endurance. “You focus on protectin’ that sister of yours. As for you, well, we can cover your ass, at least.” “Yes, I’ll be counting on you, Lisbeth.” With that, the group stepped into the passage. As they made their escape from the underground shelter, the battle in the sky began.
Chapter 20
55 min read