Cannon fodder is too lazy to act

22

"You poor soul. Even after so many reincarnations, you still can't escape our filthy world." The saintess suddenly said, taking a leisurely sip of the herbal tea she poured for them both. Kai stared at her in both shock and confusion, her inexplicable words registering yet not in his head. Does she know about his reincarnation? But how? And what does she mean by 'so many reincarnations'? Wasn't it only once?

The words of the saintess terrorized Kai from the bottom of his bones yet her face still held the amiable smile, but he could no longer feel a single spark of warmth from it. Instead, looking at her unbothered appearance, lazily drinking the tea while her brown eyes lingered on the cup, the smile brought a cold chill up his spine.

"You...how did you..." Kai couldn't even conjure his sentence, he only stared at the maiden in white with trepidation. To him, she was the heroine. The heroine of a game, she had the power and the halo that would save her, and he was just a mere backdrop character.

"How did I know?" She finished what Kai couldn't ask. The smile on her face suddenly deepened. Placing the teacup back on the table, she gently rested her chin on top of her hands, staring up at Kai with a crazed look in her eyes. Perhaps it was because of the way the light her her eyes, but Kai had the faint illusion of seeing gold. The pupils turned into slits for a fraction of a second and the reddish hue burned her eyes like melted gold.

He couldn't help but hold his breath, his hands tightening to fists under the table.

"Because God has told me." The next second he knew, her eyes reverted to normal and the kind and amiable appearance took place again. But Kai wouldn't forget what he just saw. Inhuman. It was like...possession. The look in her eyes and the pressure she exuded...it was completely non-human.

"God gave me his blessings so it's only natural that I know what you are. And because of this...I want to help you, Kai." She suddenly stood up, the sleeves of her robe fluttering with the abrupt movement. 

"H-help me?" The saintess stood in front of him, the sun raining down beams of light behind her head, making her seem even more holy. She stood above him and reached to clasp his hands in between her own. With a determined look in her eyes, she nodded.

"I'm only alive today because of our Lord. If he hadn't given me his blessing, I would've died alone in a ditch... to this day, I still remember the face of the perpetrator." There was a sneer in her voice as she spoke. "I don't know why he targeted me. I was just an honest girl living in a village... Yet he treated me like some murderous villain. It made me wonder in my last moments, when had we ever crossed paths? Of course, the answer to this was simple. Never."

"But just when I had given up, I saw God. He reached out his beautiful and flawless hands to me, gave me his blessings, and I saw all the truths. In the same moment, he blessed me, he asked me something...and I could never reject my savior."

Kai had stayed completely silent and still as she went on, watching as her face contorted into multiple expressions. Just as he thought of interrupting her, she suddenly pulled his hands, leaning into his face closer. Kai wanted to retreat but the grip she held onto him was stronger than he expected and he couldn't struggle at all. He felt on edge as the saintess stared at him with wide eyes.

"Kai... the moment I accepted the lord's blessing, everything became his. I gave him my body and soul just for a little bit more time, a little bit more life. And all I needed was a bit more time, this world is truly unfit to live in. So I hope I can help you for one last time, while those three fools throw their lives away for the last time, I truly want to take you away from this world...forever. This is the Lord's wish, and so it will also be mine."

"The only request I ask of you to do... is to kill Alcestic."

Kai was silent for a long time, but the saintess was patient. When the words finally registered into his brain he realized the mission he was given.

"My job, you called me to...kill him?"

'Him', he didn't need to mention his name for both of them to understand. She nodded, slowly unclasping their hands.

"Are you hesitant? You should know what kind of person he is, Kai. Don't you remember everything he did to you?"

"Everything he did? ...No, I don't know what you mean. Al has always been caring towards me." The saintess realized something at that moment, reaching to touch his temples. After a few seconds, she retracted her hands like touching something hot, staring at him with sympathetic eyes.

"So, they desire to be selfish to the very end. I see... but that won't last long." She turned back, walking away before stopping again and looking back at Kai. Realizing her meaning, Kai stood up to follow her.

At this moment, Kai felt very confused. There was an influx of information and questions swirling in his mind so he couldn't think straight, he only wordlessly followed after the maiden. Trusting the faint feeling in his chest that echoed with emptiness, longing to be filled.

Author's corner:

Double update today!!! Surprise!(I'm surprised too, I just conjured up this whole chapter right after finishing the last)

Anyways, things should be heating up.