Karmatic
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A New Sun Chapter 76
🕑 Added 2024-12-14 01:56:50 +0000 UTCChapter 76
~ A New Sun ~
"Hey hey, wakey wakey!"
"H-Hnnggh…?" Lint groaned out a low rumble from the back of her throat, as an annoying voice broke through the haze of her deep and dark unconsciousness.
Granted, the voice wasn't annoying because it sounded annoying, it only became annoying because it was waking her up!
Then she felt something, likely a finger based on how smooth it was, poking her cheek.
"Oi. Clown girl. Wake the hell up." The male voice intoned, slightly more agitated.
…Wait, what does he mean by clown girl!?
Also, who even is this guy?
He sounds like he's speaking perfect Italian, but somehow she doubts that she'd just run into some random Italian guy like that out this far East.
Who'd also somehow know she is and speaks Italian, and thus would talk such to her right off the bat.
The likely true answer? 'Language,' a passive ability a chunk of supernatural beings possess that enables them to converse with all peoples without needing to heed language barriers.
Which means this guy is a supernatural being of some kind.
But which one?
Angels, both Pure and Fallen, possess the ability. As do Devils and Gods, and if she recalls correctly, most beings have a method of achieving similar abilities as well.
…None of that helps her right this second, does it?
Well! In any event, as holder of the Holy Cross, if he's any kind of dark creature, which is the most possible, she doesn't have anything to worry about.
"Hnn…Go away…"
So, she lazily throws her arm out in his voice's general direction, trying to shoo him away.
She doesn't know where exactly she is right now, but she's far too comfortable to get up now.
So peaceful. So quiet.
Even if feels like she's forgetting about something…well, if she forgot, then clearly it wasn't important, right?
The man sighs, "Not a small spell, huh? Guess I'll have to jolt you awake."
Hmm?
Light flickered throughout the blackness of her vision.
And in that moment, Lint stilled.
Where the light flickered over, splotched or holes in the darkness formed, allowing Lint to see through it.
And via that, she finally figured out just how unnatural it all was.
The darkness cracked, more wounds opening in the haze, letting her mind pour out.
Her body? Ached and racked with pain, especially in her stomach, which felt like a void. Dead empty by this point, she bets her stomach couldn't even manage a whimper, much less a growl.
Feelings returned at last, of the world around her.
Her small body lay upon a stiff leathery material, likely a couch, she could smell the oldness and dust from the material, and it made her want to choke and cough.
Everything came rushing back, like a dam finally broken, more and more and more kept coming, until eventually, it all fell apart.
The darkness gave way and she could finally see in totality.
But more importantly?
She could finally hear.
[...himhimhim…]
The Chief Mourner.
Its whispers were far more hurried than usual, they sounded alert, awake, no longer hushed and melancholic, but almost…scared? No, not that…
[...blasphemer…profaner…]
Is that…hatred?
[...scourge…Pagan…!]
She didn't get what the Chief Mourner meant by blasphemer or profaner, but Pagan?
Now that she understands.
And as her senses finally return to her, she doesn't need her eyes to feel the practical sun looming right next to her body.
Not just a Pagan, a Pagan God.
"...Huh." He hummed, sounding almost stumped, "Well damn, I thought for sure that would have-"
He doesn't realize I'm fully awake now.
Capitalizing on that realization, she moved.
It was only her arm, but that's all she needed…an outstretched hand. The purple holy flames came much easier, almost unbidden, and in fact, it was so easy, it was far too much.
The sheer force of the amount of flames she threw out blew her backward, the furniture she was on flipping over as she went careening straight into the wall behind it with a dull and mildly painful thud that flung her eyes open in shock.
She quickly took stock of her environment.
The hall she was in likely once looked fancy, and judging by its size, was likely a dining hall of some kind in the past.
The large and old tables and chairs pushed to the sides of the hall, out of the way, a thick layer of dust and dirt settling over them all only added to her theory, as did the large ornate, but nonfunctioning, chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
It's not like it matters though, she didn't exactly have trouble seeing, considering all the fire she flung out into the area.
At least a quarter of the hall, and rapidly spreading, was engulfed in her holy purple flames.
She didn't want to burn down the whole mansion, or at least, she assumed she was still in the mansion, she just wanted a powerful and concentrated enough attack to stun or injure the god long enough so she could escape back to the others.
And then they could promptly get the hell out of here.
Lint clambered back onto her feet, the hand that spewed the wave of fire still lit like a torch, setting the odd wooden table and chair alight with but a touch.
She clicked her tongue and looked down at the blaze around her forearm.
She wouldn't even get the chance to try and reel it back in.
"Yeesh…" a voice, the same voice, the voice of a Pagan God broke through even the holy haze made by the heat of her purple flames.
He didn't even seem annoyed, just more surprised.
He stepped forward, out of the blaze, completely and entirely unharmed, even as his…is that a bathrobe?
Okay. Even as his bathrobe wafted in the heat, parts of it burning and alight.
"I expected you to be a little jumpy after waking up," he starts, almost amusedly, "but I didn't expect a kill shot right off the bat."
The blaze around her forearm throbbed almost angrily, and she grasped that arm, feeling as though if she didn't, the flames would have tried to lurch at him.
Somehow.
She could hear it, in the back of her mind, the Chief Mourner's angered hissing sobs.
Lint grits her teeth, and feigns a confident smirk, while internally grinding her teeth together.
"Well, of course," she replied, trying to sound as confident as she portrayed, "heretics and pagans should all be burned, that is their rightful place, after all."
Chief Mourner gave a mirthful chuckle in the back of her head for her words, agreeing with her completely.
Meanwhile, though, Lint honestly had no idea what to do.
If this guy survived that overpowered blast of flames from her, flames that could easily annihilate an Ultimate Class Devil, and hurt even Pagan Deities without a Balance Breaker, then…
Well, the fact this guy's face tanked it without harm likely means she'd need her Balance Breaker to do anything to him.
This means she's shit out of luck because she hasn't figured out Balance Breaker yet! She's only had the Holy Cross for a few months now, it was far too soon for that!
And to top all this off?
He tilted his head at her, giving her a very pointed punchable smile as he uncaringly responded, "Is that so?"
Yeah, he wasn't buying her confident act for a second.
Fuck.
She really wished her brothers gave her more than just a dictionary full of swears and curses right about now!
~ A New Sun ~
…How the hell am I supposed to de-escalate this situation?
I don't need to be a genius at cold reading to tell that the poor girl in front of me is actively terrified. She's cornered, starved, in an unfamiliar place, and her powers aren't working, of course she is terrified, even if she tries to mask it with stoney confidence.
She's essentially, and I don't mean this literally, but she's pretty much a cornered animal right now.
I don't want her getting uppity and throwing another blast like her first one again.
It caught me completely off guard, and if I didn't raise my Holy Spirit Power to block it…well, for once, I could feel the heat from these flames.
They likely wouldn't do any actual damage to me, but the fact that I can feel them at all means they possess the potential too.
Don't need her getting so scared she unlocks her Balance Breaker on me or something.
Or hell, she might already have it, she just can't use it while her body is as drained as it likely is at the moment.
But she might try and force it regardless, especially if she suspects her friends are in danger because of me, and that they need her.
Her friends…yeah, I'll start there!
I think carefully for a moment, after all, I don't want to sound like I'm indirectly threatening her or them in any manner with my next words.
That moment passes, and I speak up once more, continuing from where I left off, "Is being burned for all pagans? Even ones that have decided to help you…and your friends?"
I watch her carefully, seeing her confident facade falter in shock as she raises an eyebrow, "...Elaborate, Pagan."
I chuckle, "Firstly…I have a name. Noriaki Kusanagi."
I'm just now realizing I never introduced myself to the Church Trio properly. How uncouth of me.
At my words, Lint narrowed her eyes in thought and nodded at me to continue.
So I did, "Secondly, I came looking for you because of them, those three girls…I had only come around when I sensed divine flames being thrown around and found them, but not you. Eventually, they told me what was going on, about you, and so here I am."
Abridged, heavily, but I figured leaving out the fight between us would be a good idea for now.
Any idea that I somehow hurt them could set her off. Best avoid that entirely.
After a similarly tense moment, Lint responded carefully, "...Did they know?"
I nodded, easily, "I have no reason to lie."
To leave stuff out though? Yup!
Though, just to be sure she knows just how differently this all could go…
My Holy Spirit Power begins to bubble up around me.
As soon as the golden sheen surrounds my form, the purple flames still clinging angrily to me are snuffed out. Immediately. As are the flames directly surrounding me.
Put out like one would a candle flame with a wet cloth.
I step forward, toward the short pale white white-haired girl, whose eyes are growing wide, and as I do, my power radiates out like the sun.
The waves crash down upon the flames, and with each blow, they grow weaker and dimmer.
I stop when I'm standing directly in front of her, the only glow left within the now torched and blackened old mansion is me, my golden form, bringing some radiance to the nearly burned-down hall.
I reach out, gently, and take her blazing forearm like one would pinch a candle wick.
A single touch, a push of aura, and even that blaze went out just like the rest. Just as easily.
I smile down at her, "That's better…I don't know if anyone owns this place, but it'd be a shame if someone came to check out their inheritance or something and found a burned wreck, wouldn't it?"
"I-I…" Lint gulped, "I suppose so…Paga-...Kusanagi." She corrected herself, looking between my face and her grasped arm rapidly.
Now, they'll come to a mostly intact, albeit old, mansion…with a burned-out dining area.
Should be simple enough to eventually fix up, right?
The chandelier behind me falls and smashes against the floor, half melted and bent out of shape, causing Lint to flinch slightly.
…Right.
I let go of her arm, the girl quickly pulling it away as soon as I did, which I chuckled at in response before turning toward the door.
"Well, you don't have to take my word for it alone, you can ask them once I bring you back to them." I start to take a step toward walking away, before stopping, and turning back to her, "Though…maybe we should get you cleaned up first?"
Lint merely blinked up at me, "...Huh?"
…She's still got the nearly finished clown makeup plastered on her face.
I can't believe I almost forgot about that.
The clueless look she has on her face, with the makeup…
Must…keep it…in.
In that vein, I take a deep breath in, grab her by the shoulders, and lead the girl to the nearest reflective surface.
In this case? The fallen chandelier.
My aura dies down, letting the natural moonlight from outside in, and the reflection on the chandelier's metallic surface to show…and also, hopefully, letting my uncle see this shit.
Lint looked at me oddly at first…until she looked down at the chandelier.
I saw the exact moment she realized what exactly I meant.
And in turn, she got to see the exact moment my sides hurt too much for me to contain it in.
"Snnnnrrrcckkk! HAHAHA!" I burst out laughing, nearly wheezing, as Lint just stared at her reflection.
The poor girl looked gobsmacked, but also dead inside, which I'm sorry to say just made it more funny.
"I…I-I was gonna say-" I started stuttering out between breaths, only for Lint to swiftly raise a hand, almost right to my face.
"Don't." She uttered, in a tone bordering Shirone, but far more wrathful.
You know what? That's fair.
So I didn't say anything more.
But I did keep laughing, I've been holding it in far too long not too.
~ A New Sun ~
Back out on the road again, this time with the mini female Sigurd clone walking a respectable distance behind me, and my sides finally safe.
It's clear she doesn't trust me, which is fair enough, so if she wants my back to be open just in case…well, I'll give her that.
Not like a light bullet or three, even coated in flames, is going to do much to me. Or stop me from regenerating from anything it could do.
On our short little walk since we left, I decided to tell her pretty much everything I told the Church Trio about the Youkai, the Nekomata, and such.
She didn't talk much, if at all, but when I told her who were their tormentors, who were likely her specific tormentors, she managed out a bitter yet embarrassed.
"I see…"
I wish I could have seen her face during it, it'd probably have been just as red as the makeup Kuroka put on her.
Ah! Speaking of, before we left, we did manage to get it off.
Or, rather, Lint managed to, as I was dying on the floor from laughter, she ran off to go find water and wash it off.
I didn't expect she would. The place looked so old I kind of figured that the plumbing and water fell apart, and even if it didn't, I doubted the water would have been…safe.
But, shockingly, one of the bathrooms did indeed work, and her eyes didn't turn pink and puff out after she was done, so either those cloned genetics are putting in work or the water wasn't that bad after all.
Either or.
Anyhow, so far, I haven't been able to fully gauge Lint as a person quite yet, and therefore, I haven't made a final decision on helping the group as of yet.
For sure though, I don't think she's an idiot. The way she's been acting so far, and the way the other girls act, makes me think Lint may be the straight man to their stupid.
Well, Irina and Xenovia's stupidity and Asia's kindness.
I suppose I'll see when the group reunites.
Thankfully, as I thought, the walk wasn't too long, and doubly so, the girls didn't stray far from where I left them.
They just got off the street, and found some shade.
Also, Irina and Xenovia were wearing their cloaks again, and the former was awake once more.
Seems Asia does really good work, as expected.
I stopped a respectable distance away, close enough I'd hear something, but far enough away to give them at least some semblance of privacy.
Then, I stepped aside, looked at Lint, and waved a hand toward the three.
The pale girl looked at the three, and smiled slightly, before giving me a curt nod and walking off to them, her walk becoming a touch more speedy as she did so.
The three girls were huddled together in the shade, with Asia seemingly saying something to the other two. I could see Irina looked rather downcast, and Xenovia's stoic glare was forced as hell, but I couldn't see or hear Asia.
I think she's trying to comfort them though, that'd fit with her.
Xenovia was the first to see Lint as she came up, perking up as the pale girl came into her line of sight, and melting away into a relieved smile.
She grabbed Irina's shoulder and shook her.
Irina turned toward her blue-haired partner, and though I couldn't hear it, I could see the way her lips moved, and her agitated look as she snapped out a, "What!?"
Xenovia simply pointed.
Irina followed it, clearly annoyed.
However, that quickly changed when she beheld who she was pointing at.
"LINT-CHAN!" Irina cried out jubilantly, all traces of negative emotion dashed.
I winced, everyone else did too.
Damn girl, calm it down, people are trying to sleep!
Regardless, Irina's call out got everyone up, and before long they quickly converged on their friend.
And by converged, I mean they practically tackled her to the ground, leaving the pale girl groaning on the floor under their bodies.
I gave another wince at that.
Ouch.
Eventually, Lint managed to escape, and all the girls were back on their feet.
Asia fawned over Lint for a second, likely checking for injuries, but I didn't see any green light, so I suppose that meant everything turned out fine.
Irina was about to start saying something, but Lint held up a hand, before waving back…to me.
"You don't gotta hang out in the back and creep around, Kusanagi. Come on up." She called out.
I snorted, but approached regardless, "Figured I'd just give you and your girlfriends some space is all."
"Eh." Lint shrugged, now far more relaxed, "I don't care, besides-"
She was cut off before she could finish, by Asia walked up to me, tears filling her eyes. She grabbed my hands, and looked up at me, eye to eye.
"T-Thank you!" She nearly sobbed out, sincerely.
I just stared back down at her, completely baffled.
Jeez, the way she's acting, almost makes it sound like she's thanking me for saving her friend's life.
Which…No? But I guess in a way it does kind of look like it.
Well, in the end, I still caused all this, and now Asia is crying. So I feel bad.
…Fuck man.
Asia, you are far too precious and wholesome for this world.
As for the other two, Xenovia gave me a nod of acknowledgment, while Irina…shuffled closer to Xenovia, almost like she was trying to hide behind her.
Her big happy smile faltered a bit as well.
I'm not shocked. The last she saw me, I was choking her into unconsciousness after all.
So completely fair.
Lint rolled her eyes at Asia, "Hey now, it's not like I was going to die or anything, you know?"
Asia sniffled, and wiped away the tears from one of her eyes, "M-Maybe…but still, you could have been hurt, or worse, out there…"
Lint's expression softened considerably at her blonde friend's words.
Adorable.
Also, now I feel even worse.
No regrets though, this has been going far too well as of late for that.
Lint merely patted the blonde's head, before turning back to the partners.
"Alright, so, Iri. You were saying?" She asks.
Irina twitched, looking at me for a second, before looking down, face going red as she clenches her cloak from the inside for a second.
"...X-Xenovia. Y-You say it!" The chestnut-haired girl demands, seething slightly.
Xenovia shrugs, and then, without a moment of hesitation or grace, slides open her cloak, and at the same time…reaches over to pull open Irina's as well!
Revealing both girls torn to hell battle suits.
"E-EH!? X-Xenovia!" Irina tries desperately to pull the cloak back together but to no avail.
Turns out, swinging big ass swords around means Xenovia has more arm strength. Who'd have thought?
Regardless, Xenovia completely ignores Irina's pleas and addresses Lint.
"Our battle suits suffered damage during our battle with…" she eyes me for a second, "Kusanagi, here."
Lint blinks. A couple of times.
Then I found something cold pressing against the bottom of my jaw.
A gun barrel. The gun barrel of a silver oversized glock.
With Lint's finger on the trigger.
She wasn't even looking in my direction, yet it was there nonetheless.
I simply stared ahead, blankly.
Fucking Xenovia.
"E-Eh!? Lint!" Asia cried out, only to be completely ignored.
"...Elaborate, Xen." Lint calmly demanded.
"Yeah, Xenovia! Elaborate…a-and let me cover myself back up!" Irina also, but much more panickedly, demanded.
She was also ignored.
Now, Xenovia looked somewhat ashamed, finally, as she looked down and spoke somewhat softer, "I…uh, started it. Drew Durandal on him when he came down demanding what was going on…he said he sensed your Holy Flames, so…well."
Xenovia reached back into her cloak and pulled out the white arrowhead I saw in the crater from before.
Huh, Durandal's core. I guess she picked up whatever she could while they waited, then?
She gave the core a little shake, as Lint's eyes widened.
"Yeah." Xenovia gave a small smile, "It was a devastating loss. On the bright side, he actively refused to partake of my body, even when I offered."
Lint froze.
Irina froze, but quickly unfroze to slowly look at her partner, "...Xenovia. What."
"Eh? This again?" Asia tilted her head in confusion.
I, meanwhile, felt a headache coming on. And I didn't think I could get those anymore.
Xenovia nodded, sagely, "Yes. This Pagan, Kusanagi, you called him? Right, well, he had every opportunity to use me for his sick twisted pleasures, but didn't. I even offered-"
"You don't need to keep saying it!" Irina interrupted her with a scream.
Xenovia frowned, "But…I did though?"
"T-That…That still…why…? Ugh! You!" Irina reached over before her brain crashed, and grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to shake her off, "Also, let go of my cloak already!"
Lint, though? She watched the two blankly.
Seeing their actions, hearing their words, she slowly took the gun from out under my chin.
And slowly brought it up the side of her hea-
Asia jumped on Lint's gun arm, pulling it down, "N-No! Lint! Don't do it! Or else you won't go to Heaven!" Asia cried in legitimate distress.
"...Any place would be better than here right now." Lint dejectedly replied.
"L-Lint, no!"
…Okay, so, serious question.
How did this group not get themselves killed already?
I'm not going to lie, I'm astonished right now.
If I don't take them in, they might get robbed blind in the countryside and stuck in Youkai den or extra dimension or some shit.
I slowly reached up and dragged a hand across my face.
Luckily, I have two places. And one currently isn't being used.
I'll stuff them in my house outside Kouh, and leave with a clone before booking it back to Kyoto.
Now. How am I-
Oh, yeah.
"Ahem," I cleared my throat, drawing all four girls attention slightly, "So. Who wants food?"
All four turn and look at me like hawks simultaneously.
…Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in danger?
~ A New Sun ~
Chapter 76 End
You offered food to a pack of rapid girls, Nori.
What did you think was going to happen?
Comments
John Grechko
The light bullets would basically do no damage right? Why was my first thought to take a hand and personally trigger the gun to establish how pointless the gun is? lol XD
Karma Wizard
Xenovia is just so braindead, it temporarily affected Nori, lol.
dragonkw213 .
Also Karmatic you missed an opportunity when Lint pressed the gun to his head. For more Troll Nori!
dragonkw213 .
Nori you know not what you've done. RUN YOU FOOL!
