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

Chapter 57 Lure

<Lesser Church>

Sakura walked in after Kallen. The morgue was scentless and spotless. The stone pillars bore no cracks and the coffins had become naturally snowy. Sterile and polished the floor was, from a distance, one could mistake it to be crafted of marble. In the center of the morgue, sat a divine cross, with a body of gold, and flitted red accents.

"Ava,"

Kallen ran up to hug her friend. Sakura waited, the only spot unkempt and dusty was the coroner's table. Corpses were being dealt with, and Ava's skills proved more useful than she could imagine.

"Kallen,"

The hug was returned, her voice was soft but she was calm. Sakura stood four steps behind Kallen. In her hands was a basket of sweets and rations that Kallen had hand-picked. When Sakura curiously questioned Kallen's selection, she was met with a dumbfounded look.

'It's familiar and I want to make sure she's fine.' Kallen mumbled at the time.

Familiar, perhaps but to Sakura it sounded similar to stories she heard. She thought them mere stories but recollections of her mind told her otherwise. An epiphany she reached could be summed up in one sentence. He did the same for her.

"Kallen, Skye's not ready to be transported."

"Don't worry about that, let's eat!"

And so the three sat on Ava's blanket, enjoying croissants and other fresh delicacies.

"It gets cleaner and cleaner every time I visit."

"My father insists that a coroner's atelier can never be clean enough. He took pride in cleanliness, pride in the origin of our craft. We're not that much different from respectable priests! Our profession comes from the crown!"

"The crown?"

"Mhmm, originally we're officers of the crown, employed to investigate deaths. As the kingdoms expanded coroners spread to noble houses. Now we can offer our services to the people thanks to the church. Of course, not everyone is curious as to how their relatives died. Not everyone wants to know. The common coroners have been reduced to embalmers. It's why my father's business is slowly dying. He got sick but a little over a decade ago I could've replaced him. I could've taken care of him with his previous business."

"That's why you became a Valkyrie."

"I thought it was a blessing at the time. With enough money, I could restore my father's health. I was naive but it wasn't the worst decision I've made." Ava glanced at Kallen and then at the closest coffin to the Oath of Judah. "My trade has been dying ever since priests and deacons learned how to emblem and cremate bodies. Though now I know of a different path."

"What path?"

"I can become a Valkyrie coroner. The protection from my stigma will allow me to handle untouchable corpses. Speaking of which, I must know what's happening above. I'm in my little office and corpses come in almost daily. They're not heretics."

"We're close to finding the ring leader. I've sent Vice Captain Schariac and the Lance to apprehend the mastermind. I'll join them later."

"Shouldn't you join them now?"

"No," Sakura finally spoke up. The conversation was interesting but unfamiliar. She could only hold a conversation with Vera and Sasha. Frederick as well but they weren't friends. Perhaps if Gertrude of Agon was here she'd have some friends but only Kallen was here. "We're setting bait. The guards have been sent elsewhere under the guise of chaos."

"Just in case."

Kallen buckled weapons to Ava's waist. The Oath of Judah glimmered dangerously. It was a divine key that only Kallen Kaslana could wield. What if it were stolen?