Chapter 15: Sin of the father

The town went under an emergency state. The remaining knights spread out looking for the intruder but all they found was death. Left and right, brave young souls were seen leaning on a wall, only to fall into two pieces upon being touched or nudged. There were those that ran to their posts and comrades, only to find their head having been separated already.

A sense of panic soon infected one after another like a contagious disease. This was not a threat they could see, its monstrosity hidden in the shadow. But this was a testing time, the time for the excellent to rise up.

The veterans came to the rescue, among them was the medic. They rallied their fellow knights. The enemy hid themselves to hide their true weakness, that there was only one. As long as they stuck together, there was nothing to fear. But clumping in a large group meant that hunting for this hidden menace was impossible. They did not have enough people left to create a sufficient searching parameter, only to protect the essentials.

It was the job of the extraordinary then, to root out this threat and ended it once and for all. The Kid walked along the deserted street, seemingly leaving herself exposed.

‘How come I am not attacked yet?’ The girl wondered.

“Can’t you be any less subtle…” Carina leaned against the wall nearby, letting out a sigh.

“Umm, I don’t know what you are talking about, hah… hah…” The Kid replied, scratching her head.

“Even a baby could see you are trying to lure Doll out.” The young scout replied.

“Is it that obvious then.” The girl said, hanging her head low before bouncing back up again. “Wait, what are you doing here?”

Not long after their search, the Kid realized Carina would be in grave danger against their target. Thus, the girl had left her companion with a patrol and snuck off on her own. Needless to say, the young scout was not pleased with that development.

“Actually, how did you even find me?” The Kid asked.

“I am a scout, it’s in my job to track people.” Carina answered with her lips sticking out. “Still, I can’t believe you would just ditch me without a single word like that.”

“I had to… I mean…” The girl stuttered, not knowing how to phrase what she wanted to say.

The young scout completed the sentence for her. “You mean that I am useless in combat.”

“Eh… no… umm… Yes.” The Kid answered. “I’m sorry for doing that, but I do not want you to be harmed.” She held back from saying the word ‘again’, it might not be the best idea.

“I know my ability is… limited.” Carina sighed again.” That’s why it’s perfect that I join you for this endeavor.”

“Eh, how does that even work…” Needless to say, the Kid was not convinced.

The young scout leaned forward, looking straight into her companion eyes. “Well, I’m sure whatever is lurking out there will find me a more suitable prey than you. Yes, I am offering myself as a bait. And you can’t convince me to stand down. I am still a knight, and it is my duty to throw myself out there, to offer any help I can to vanquish evil.”

The Kid remembered that time when Carina took the hit for her. The girl could remember the panic she had felt, the sight of blood sheered into her mind. Growing up in this town of the dead, her only friend was the mage William. Like her, he was someone new, someone young, still full of energy. But as the girl grew up, she could see her friend withering every single day. The pressure of this forsaken place weighted upon him every single day and soon, the young mage became just another walking corpse like everyone else.

While the girl had a mother, a mentor, she had lost her only friend. But now, she had met someone else, young and frightened, but still full of energy. They had hung out long enough that her heart tightened to see the young scout lying there, unmoving.

But she also knew that Carina was passionate about being a knight. Someone like that would never stand down. Sighing, the Kid conceded. “I guess you are right.”

The young scout stepped up and ruffled the girl’s hair. “Don’t worry, I will book it at the first sight of trouble. I know my limit.”

Looking at the young scout, the Kid wondered if she felt proud for taking that blow. Deep down inside, the girl knew the answer full well. And so, she could not bring herself to tell the truth, that she did die, that she was brought back by escaping eldritch machination.

Now was not that time for that, however, the two resumed their patrol.

“Come to think of it, where’s X.” Carina wondered. “I thought she would be most giddy to look for the intruder, she was almost dejected to not get to finish off Doll.”

“Dunno, I haven’t seen her around ever since I woke up.”

Talking about the executioner made both of them uncomfortable. They still did not know how to feel about someone like that, capable but most sadistic. Still, the Kid own her a hearty ‘thank you’. Apparently, it was X who held back both Doll and the Iron Child while Warden Jaren tried to heal the girl

Suddenly, something was flung at the two, they immediately dodged away. The thing clashed against the ground, rolling towards them. It was a head, cleanly separated from its body.

“You two sure like to tempt fate, walking so openly like that.” From a nearby roof, Doll jumped down in front of the duo and bowed. “Let me answer your boldness in kind.”

Carina crouched down to inspect the head. The young scout grasp as she realized the visage of her senior, someone she had not seen since the start of this cursed campaign. “You bastard…” Carina gritted her teeth. “You are not a raider… How could you do this, killing your fellow men!”

That remark seemingly touched a nerve. The Doll’s polite expression soon turned into one most ugly. “Fellow men? Don’t lump me in with the rest of you. I can’t bleed, I have no need for food nor drink nor sleep. I am different, I am superior.” She pulled up her sleeve to reveal that her nickname was more literal than it seemed. While her skin was fair and ordinary, it was the joint that caught the eye. A smooth skin color ball connected the parts of her arm, just like a doll. “Of course I can slaughter your kind by the dozen. Do you ever think about the ants you have stepped on? I don’t think so.”

Carina was no longer listening as rage consumed her mind. But still, the young scout held back her emotion. Her job here was now done, avenging her senior must be left to someone else. The Kid stepped up in front of her, seemingly agreeing to take up the job. The young scout made her way far from the upcoming fight.

“I wonder if your superior skin can take a bullet then.” The girl placed her hand against her hip. “Let’s us see.”

The Doll mouth morphed into a sadistic grimace. “I have been waiting for this.”

Before the Kid could ask why, she was pounced upon by the convict. Taking a calm breath, the girl drew her revolver and fired a single shot. The bullet was easily split into two by a thin blade shooting from Doll’s arm. Drawing her machete, the Kid clashed steels with her attackers, their eyes gazing into one another.

Thanks to the shot, the girl now had a clear idea of Doll’s capability. Asides from her inhuman agility and strength, the convict wielded a pair of normal steel knifes. But underneath her arms were slits too thin for the human eyes to see. From it, blades could be extract, rotating at the wrist. This weapon could make a cut so clean, it took a few moments for the target to fall apart.

These blades were so thin they might be as well be invisible, but only from the right angle. So when Doll position her arms according to line up the eyes perfectly…

The Kid ducked suddenly as the blades barely missed her skin. Her theory proved to be correct. Retaliating, the girl drew her revolver and fired point blank. At this range, cutting the bullet up was impossible.

A cracking sound could be heard as the convict staggered back, clutching her crackling stomach. “Damn it, how could this be!”

Doll gazed at her arms, at the invisible blades. With them, she had torn through countless battlefields, the people she had slaughtered amounted up to the hundreds. But for her trick to be seen by this little brat, she had changed since the time on that meadow… How delightful.

“It seems like we have our answer.” The Kid pointed her gun at Doll’s head.

The girl could feel energy coursing through her veins, emitting from a single finger. It was like a second wind, pushing her body to surpass its limit. Enough to match steel with this superior construct known as Doll. There was no doubt about it, the spike had caused her an infection after all. But what did she get infect by was still a mystery to the girl.

Before the Kid could deliver justice, the convict gazed up with a smile on her face.

“That strength, that speed, there’s no doubt about it, you are superhuman.” Doll said with great delight. “YOU are my sister after all!”

“What… what are you talking about?” Those words surprised the Kid but she kept her gun calm and readied to fire. Despite the doll-like innocence look on her face, the convict was a criminal most experience. This might be a scheme to get her out this situation.

“No need to play ignorance, we are all the same.” Doll continued, looking as if she truly believed the words coming out of her lips.

The Kid felt like there was a misunderstanding, of how she obtained this newfound strength.

But before she could clear that up, Doll called out. “You hear that, she is our sister.”

“Loud and clear.” A voice returned.

From behind, came another… Doll. This one was holding a knife to Carina throat. “Sorry, I failed you.” The young scout murmured, trying not be cut by the blade.

“Let her go right now!” The Kid demanded.

The second Doll answered. “You know what to do, a life for a life.”

Gritting her teeth, the girl made her choice immediately and held up the gun. The newcomer smiled and pushed Carina into the Kid’s arms. After checking that her companion was still alright, the girl raised her gun, ready for a fight.

But to their surprise, the two Dolls had no intention of engaging in a second bout.

“What is going on, what are they talking about?” Carina asked, looking at her companion. It was not a stretch for her to believe in the Dolls. After all, for the normal Carina, most of if not all of the Kid’s feats were supernatural. To be able to kill all those raiders by herself and seriously injuring the executioner like that. Still, the young scout awaited the girl’s answer, no matter what it might be, she would believe without a single hint of doubt.

“I do not understand what you mean?” The girl asked, drawing her gun back.

The Dolls both giggled, one of them answered. “It means that we have the same maker, you silly. We had our doubt before, especially after you survived that shot. But now there we are sure, Father made you just like he made us, tougher, stronger, better, superior.”

The young scout gazed at the girl, waiting for the answer.

The Kid gazed at her revolver and hang her head down deep in thought.

“I see.” The Kid finally replied. “So that’s what was… All this time, I had known that there was something different about me… I was never like other, I was… faster than all of them.”

“I… want to know more.” The girl asked with a bright smile on her face, one most truthful.

“Very well, come with us, sister. Discard all of your human’s ties, dispose of that one!”

Carina’s eyes were wide with horror. What did the Kid meant by those words? In the young scout there was a hint of hope left, one that would be hopelessly trampled upon. The Kid reached down started to choke her with only her left hand. Carina tried to struggle but she could not pry that small grip opened. It was not just an execution but also a display of inhuman power.

Then, the young scout noticed a somber smile upon the Kid’s face. Despite always being cheerful around everyone, Carina had witnessed this side of the girl, the pained Claudia.

The Kid drew from her waist another revolver and fired both at the Dolls in an instant.

They effortlessly deflect the shots. “We are very very disappointed.” They both said with a same face of disapproval. “We truly thought that smile of yours was true.”

This dreadful town had taught her how to smile alright. The girl stood up and propped up her hat with a gun. “Sorry to disappoint you, ‘sisters’, but I have no idea what about what you are sprouting about.”

“Oh, you still haven’t realized it yourselves.” The Dolls both stepped up. “It seems like we will have to teach you a lesson, dear sister.”

“You two can try. But I have to warn, I am in my rebellious phrase.” The Kid answered.