Re;Blade

Chapter 75

When Faela stabbed her sword at the monster, Tetsuko devoured the Celeste. However, as the energy left the snake, its blood, skin, organs, and bones shriveled, as if they were sucked dry. That's unexpected...

"And disgusting," her wielder muttered, her expression matching her words. Even so, she didn't avert her eyes. "Can't believe you can do this now. You're becoming more and more a true demon sword."

You know I didn't do this. You saw when we killed the rats and the first snake, Tetsuko reminded her.

"Weren't you holding back then?"

No. This... whatever this is, is new.

"There must be something different with this snake," Anna said, crouching to examine the shriveled head without touching it.

Tetsuko grew quiet as the Celeste she devoured became part of her. It's different from the rest so far. It's as if the Celeste had been part of the snake... Then she realized the reason. This snake wasn't turned into a monster like the ones on the surface. It was born like that, she projected her thoughts to the swordswomen. That's why the cadaver shriveled when I devoured the energy.

"It wasn't turned, but born like this?" Faela repeated. "It can't be. The worshiper came here around a month ago. There's no way a snake this size was one month old, even if it grew like a monster."

"There had been rumors about monsters living down in the sewers," Anna said. "But I've never heard of snakes."

This area was inaccessible, Tetsuko reminded them.

"You're saying this snake was here before the culprit came to this town?" Faela asked.

It could be.

Her wielder grew quiet as she looked at what was left of the monster snake.

What are you thinking?

"No... it's nothing. It can't be. Those are only legends," she muttered, more to herself than to her sword and her disciple. "It can't be real."

What?

"My people... The Forest Tribes, have legends about creatures who were born blessed by Celeste, as the energy was part of them. But they're extinct. No one has seen one over thousands of years. They were called Blessed Creatures."

Blessed Creatures, Tetsuko repeated. Maybe the crocodile Nicolas rode was one too... but back then, I didn't sense anything abnormal... What more do you know about them?

"Nothing much. They're extinct. I remember my grandma saying their Celeste was different than what we use. They were smarter and stronger than normal animals, and some could even change the reality around us."

Sounds like those priests back in my world... You say they were extinct over thousands of years ago?

"That's what my grandma used to say."

Maybe they went extinct before this Kingdom was founded, Tetsuko projected her thoughts. Maybe around the time of the last Change.

"You mean the thing that worshiper healer told Alonso?"

Yes. If that's true, then this might explain this snake and why it shriveled when I devoured its Celeste... What I don't know is why these monsters still exist down here.

Faela grew quiet again. Then she sheathed Tetsuko. "Talking won't get us any closer to the truth. Maybe we can find out if we keep going further."

As they headed deeper in the underground maze, they reached a huge space with glowing stones spread everywhere and a small lake at the center. The water was brimming with Celeste, so much it was hard to sense if there was anything underneath the surface.