Valkyrie Smash

Chapter 373: Citrus Ice Cream.

The clear sky of a calm summer night was always a great opportunity to gaze at the stars. The settlements that emerged from the rubble weren't much different from the cities of the old world, however the level of light pollution wasn't as bad, allowing anyone to watch the constellations from anywhere they want.

Sadly, the past few days didn't allow for such an activity. A veil had been cast on the entire planet, one that painted the sky an ominous shade of red. One couldn't bear looking at it during the day but the night was even worse. The moon looked especially terrifying, its timeless beauty taking on a dark, malevolent undertone.

Superstition ran rampant throughout the reign of the Calamities. Followed by migrating angels and a bloody sky, the tormented remnants of the human civilization took those as yet another sign. The end was approaching and nothing stoke the fires of that rumor more than the news of a descending god.

Time was short and called for drastic measures, not only from those in charge but those who oppose them as well. Each faction was on the move preparing for the world to come, but all they did was steer the resting chaos, slowly driving themselves toward the end they loathed so much.

Under the ethereal glow of the crimson moon, a single man walked down an empty street. His clothes were a mess and so was his hair, blood covered them both yet he had no wound from which it could've leaked. His steps were slow and he swayed from time to time, but he kept on walking, moving closer to the city that has yet to sleep.

The silence of the night was chased away by the blaring sirens of speeding police cars. The first among them just so happened to be the captain and he saw the man from a distance away. Sliding to a stop and almost causing the others to crash, the shocked captain jumped out of his vehicle and immediately rushed after the man.

"You there! Stop where you are!"

The captain, a middle aged man with a hanging belly and receding hairline, carefully approached the suspicious individual with a hand placed on his holstered gun. The station had just received several calls about a violent incident, one of which described some rather disturbing scenes.

The bloodied man in front of them was without a doubt related. He might've been an escaping survivor, but for some reason, every officer at the scene was convinced that he was the perpetrator. They quickly surrounded him with weapons drawn, each one preparing to shoot him full of bullets the instant he made a sudden move.

The man came to a stop. The captain continued shouting instructions at him however he didn't seem to pay them any mind and resumed walking at the same pace.

The whole scene crept the officers quite a bit and the crimson moon above them only made things worse. The surrounding darkness played with their minds, and despite the suspect's slow steps, the captain placed his finger on the trigger, having tricked himself into believing the bloodied man was running away. At that exact moment, someone placed his hand on his shoulder.

Thinking it was one of his subordinates trying to stop him, the captain came back to his senses. He was about to thank whoever they were for saving him from making a disastrous mistake, but when he turned around all he saw were the slender shoulders, a severed neck being the only thing between them.

The area was suddenly enveloped in a deafening silence. The captain was static, not knowing how to react. A red glow drew his attention and his eyes unintentionally moved upward, but what he saw wasn't the crimson moon that followed them on the road so far. A large ring floated right before him, its color an ominous deep red.

The instant he laid his eyes on it his head became overcome with piercing pain.

The surrounding darkness grew more oppressive and the pain became unbearable, but then it suddenly disappeared and with it went everything else. The other officers watched in disbelief as the head of their captain popped like a water filled balloon, and when the rest of his body fell to the ground they found themselves looking at the still standing headless corpse.

Spurred by incomprehensible terror, the officers turned their weapons to the headless monstrosity. It looked like the decapitated body of a woman, its upper half covered in freshly spilled blood. One of them gritted his teeth and was about to pull the trigger only to stop when he saw another crimson ring floating in the darkness. A third one appeared nearby, and a fourth one followed suit.

Without making a sound, more decapitated bodies walked out into the light. Men, women and children. Their ages, genders and sizes varied, but they were all missing something important, the glowing red halos floating over them serving to highlight the absurdity of the sight.

The officers were frozen cold. They were all survivors who lived through the decade long war. They witnessed horrors that could wipe entire cities out and bonded over the experience, but nothing could've prepared them for what they encountered that night.

~[ ]~

Peeking her head into the room, Twenty Two looked around until she spotted the familiar light blue hair. She hesitated for a moment then gathered her courage. Glancing at the bowl in her hands, she nodded to herself and pushed the door open.

"E~lly~" With the brightest smile she could muster, Twenty Two approached her blue haired friend. "Guess what I found in one of the shops~! It's your favorite citrus ice-"

The words suddenly got caught in her throat. Thinking her friend was feeling down after everything that happened a few hours ago, the idol went around looking for something to help cheer her up.

Her search didn't last long thanks to the hotel having all the luxuries one could ask for, but when the time came for her to deliver the present she was shocked to see the idea occurred to someone other than her.

"Ah, you found it as well, T-Two?" Eleven asked. "It tastes a much better than what we have at the base, don't you think?"

With a bright smile, the blue haired idol brought a spoon to her mouth. On her lap sat a mostly empty bowl, and what little remained in it showed that the contents were no different from the one in Twenty Two's hands.

Citrus ice cream with sprinkled vanilla powder and chocolate sauce. The treat itself wasn't so strange, being a favorite of Eleven's and something she ate whenever her mood sank low. What took her Twenty Two by surprise was her fellow idol's expression and the look in her eyes.

Eleven seemed rather cheerful for someone who had just gone through a heartbreak. Seeing her smile should've alleviated her friend's worries, but for some reason it led to the opposite instead.

"Elly… are you okay?"

Twenty Two realized what a stupid question that was right after asking it.

"HM? What do you mean?" Eleven asked with the spoon still in her mouth.

"I-"

Before she could say another word, the phone in her pocket started ringing. The same went for Eleven's and the two took them out at the same time. "Let's go."

Forming her halo in an instant, the blue haired idol vanished from the hotel room.

"Elly wai-"

A faint thud drew Twenty Two's attention to the mostly empty bowl that just fell to the floor. Something about her friend's sudden departure felt unsettling, and the fact that she didn't take the time to finish the last spoonful of her treat only increased the idol's worries.

"Elly…"