Re;Blade

Chapter 61 - Blood and Chaos

It's just like in the mountain, Tetsuko thought as Faela backed away slowly, trying to make as little sound as she could. But it's much faster than before. Maybe the experiments changed that too...

The people who had been infected by the monster cat's blood were turning into worshipers before their eyes. However, they had yet become puppets of the ancient and evil Celeste. Until they turned completely, they were mindless beasts, acting by instinct.

What was this place? Why was there so many people hiding here?

"A big bar with strong walls," Faela whispered, looking at all the infected people who still rose from the ground. "They must've thought it was safe here..."

Shit. There were dozens of people here. Even if half got away, it's still too many worshipers to deal with. And some infected might've gotten out in the confusion...

As she projected her thoughts, Tetsuko heard distant screams. As she concentrated a little, she felt the same ancient Celeste in that direction.

"Crap," Faela muttered when her sword told her. "Hope Anna can deal with them until I get there..."

Despite how tough she was, the swordswoman was panting and wincing.

You're hurt.

"Yeah. But there's nothing I can do," she said, flashing a wry smile. "I doubt these guys will let me rest."

As the Celeste took over their body and souls, all the infected people did was rise and look at her. But as it finished turning them, they grunted and contorted as if in pain. Men and women, young and old, ripped their shirts and scratched their chest until they bled. But it made no difference; the mark of the demon, the sign of a worshiper, appeared on their chest as if the blood had boiled from the inside.

Faela closed her eyes, "They didn't want to become monsters. Even now, they're resisting. Let's give them the peace they deserve." As she spoke those words, the new worshipers screamed in pain and they grew quiet. Their transformation was done. They had lost their souls to the same thing that took Alonso.

The swordswoman didn't wait. Before they acted, she swung Tetsuko on the closest one. The blade went through the woman's neck with ease.

The man next to her couldn't react and was sliced around the chest, right in the middle of the mark of the devil. However, the third grabbed the sword with her hand.

Tetsuko sliced her palm and arm, but couldn't kill her in one blow. The Celeste is acting up, she warned her wielder.

"Crap!"

Despite the wound, the worshiper shouted and jumped on Faela.

She pushed the woman with her foot and drove Tetsuko through her chest. However, the worshiper didn't die right away. Though the wound was mortal, she still had enough strength to wrap her arms around the swordswoman and hold her down.

"Shit!" Faela shouted, trying to swing her sword, but she couldn't move and all she got was a superficial wound on the worshiper's arm. And no matter how much she tried, she couldn't get rid of the worshiper.

Don't pull me yet, Tetsuko told her wielder. It's the perfect time to test it, she thought to herself, excited. As her energy devoured the ancient Celeste, she felt the same thing when she sliced the cat's tail. Her Celeste was poisoning the worshiper.

Now that I'm touching her, I might be able to control her, just like Lucky Chaos.

Focusing on her energy inside the woman, Tetsuko visualized the arm she had cut. On the edge of the wound, her Celeste prevented it from healing. That's part of me. It's the same as the energy flowing within me. And so I can control it. Just like she had done with Alonso, she imagined as if that limb belonged to her.