Honkai Impact 3rd: Don't Die For Me/ Book 3 Paradise

Chapter 50 Truthspeaker

<Kallen's Room>

Kallen tilted her head in confusion, she searched her memory but could find no recollection of Marth. Why would a mere tracker search out the Holy Maiden? She acted outside the bounds of her authority and though she was kneeling down, she had been rather rude. Blackmail had left a terrible first impression on Kallen. She looked to Eleanor for guidance but she was equally as perplexed.

"Who are you?" Eleanor led. She was more interested in the ability Marth had shown. Digging up secrets was something all trackers could do but executing plans to meet the strongest Valkyries in Europe took a grit that most trackers didn't have. The Schariac's family tracers were such individuals, unlike the drones of the church they had lives outside of their jobs. It was interesting to say the least that a tracker of the church had no shell.

Marth bowed even deeper, her heart quickened and she averted her gaze from Kallen's. She was recalling a memory, a trauma, that she'd never forget. Clammy were her hands and parched was her throat.

"I am an international tracker that was recruited in the previous Overseer's Third Eye at the age of nineteen. My last mission was to keep tabs on the Holy Son and Holy Maiden while they escaped from the Overseer's pursuit. My friends were ... extinguished when we tried to recover the Holy Maiden. The Devil took their lives but spared mine. I'm still curious as to why."

Those final words gave Marth the courage to look Kallen in the eye. There was a burst of understanding, the pale and bald victim of Otto's wrath stood before her. She remembered the event worse than it was. The way Risa framed the tracker as innocent, the way the woman wailed, and the way Kallen had treated her were nightmares Kallen confronted and accepted.

"I don't know ... you said you tried to recover me?"

Marth nodded slowly, she remembered Kallen's visit. It was a shock and horror almost equal to Otto's flame wrapped image. He looked much like a true devil and she still believed he was. The only reason she could stand before Kallen was because of the world's current narrative. She hoped that Kallen wouldn't come closer. Even if Kallen had vanquished the devil she still reminded Marth of that night of greed.

"It was my greed. The Devil trudged along acting weak. We broke in and he confronted us. Luke and Liam ... we judged it'd be difficult to recover him but we had your unconscious body. We underestimated him and went against our mentor's console. He wanted us to monitor your movements at a distance. We paid the price. I just wanted to leave the tracker's life behind me. I didn't want to pretend to pray to a false god."

Kallen was in no mood to respond. She pursed her lips and turned around. A hand rubbed her chin as she muttered inaudible thoughts. She began to pace the room slowly but she never moved closer to Marth.

"A false god?"

Eleanor raised the question. Even though she was trapped in a test tube at the time she roughly knew the situation. Kallen's treason was reason enough for her arrest, execution was likely. The most important point was that Kallen recognized Marth. This meant that Marth was capable and it added more credibility to claims. Schicksal would never send a fresh greenhorn to track the strongest Valkyrie in Europe. Genius would be apt.

"I don't believe God exists." Marth replied, a hint of fear crept into her tone but she was never more sure of her words. "I do believe that devils walk among us. Honkai is just a natural disaster and the world is no amalgamation of a divine being's desires. I make choices and I live with them."

"This is heresy."

"The more one knows of the world, the more they know it not to be."

"You believe we're on that plane?"