Chapter 265: The Burned City, and the Crystal Skeletons (1/2)

Arc 26: What can be done for tomorrow

Chapter 265: The Burned City, and the Crystal Skeletons

I’ve found the kunoichi trio in an area at the desert away from Astal, the second city of Sandora

For now, I’ve applied [Recovery] on all of them and have sent them to the quarantine room in the medical office of Brunhild castle — I’ve asked Flora and Tica to examine them

That’s because if it’s a virus of soh I think they’ll be okay

As I pass by Moroha-nee-san and Karina-nee-san, I ask thes like viruses won’t matter to people who can use divinity, myself included

Since the day has already started to set, I fly to Astal at once with the two of theic carpet

On our way there, we pass by several coaches and other vehicles which look like they’re running away froic, so they shouldn’t have noticed us at all, but they look like travelingto the map search, there are no survivors in the city, so they are probably running away after they have seen the disaster in Astal during their visit

Eventually, a fortress city standing alone within the slowly darkening desert comes into view So this is Astal, the second city of Sandora, huh?

Its protective wall, which has been built with reddish-brown brick-looking stones, is supposed to be protecting the town and preventing invaders froates that serve as the entrance into the city have been left open, preventing the walls fro its intended role

There are several lying dead people in front of the gates Looking at the aratekeepers

「This is…」(Touya)

All of their faces have been warped in anguish,theed crystallized pris fro the those crystals with the edge of Brynhildr, and they fall off flopping down along with their root that has been inside the dead body

As I pick up a fallen crystal to take a look at it, I conclude that it’s way too fragile for it to be the crystalthe physical th, it easily breaks like a candy

「What the heck? What happened in this city…? 」(Touya)

While Ibeside me, Moroha-nee-san and Karina-nee-san, show difficult expressions while looking at the collapsed bodies

「As I thought This is…」(Moroha)

「There’s no lances and nod to each other What is it?

「Did you notice so out of the ordinary?」(Touya)

「I suppose so I don’t knohat happened, but the souls of the people lying around here have been eaten」(Moroha)

「Their souls have been eaten?」(Touya)

What’s theof this? I’ve heard of a phenomena wherein the soul of a person exits his or her body when it falls into a stupor, but not so like this

「In layman’s teroes toward heaven located below the divine real to be cleansed there and will be sent out to a new body in order for it to be reborn anew It’s the thing called the circle of life」(Karina)

「Well, the souls who have committed too many crimes will require a powerful purification, so those souls beco into anything but a beast, but they’re still included in the circle of reincarnation However… 」(Moroha)

「The souls of the people over here won’t rise up to the heavens Touya, concentrate your divine eye… , you apply divine power on both of your eyes and try to look at those bodies」(Karina)

Follohat Karina-nee-san said, I try concentratingdivine power onthat rese sphere inside the bodies Is that a soul?

However, I suddenly notice that this soul is chipped here and there as if it has been eaten by a wor weaker bit by bit

「Do you see it? This is an [Eaten soul] At this point in time, it’ll only disappear and separate froain It’s disappearance in a literal and genuine sense」

A co disappears from both this world and other worlds My body shi+vers just by thinking about it

「A method to somehow save even just the soul…」(Touya)

「There’s a way, but it’s within the realm of divine miracles We can’t really use that leisurely while we’re on the ground You too Don’t attempt to do it, okay? The burden will be way too heavy for a newcomer」(Karina)

Karina-nee-san stabs my hope with a nail

「Now then, we have to burn all the bodies here to ashes If a soul doesn’t ascend to heaven, it’ll establish itself in a corpse If that happens, they will surely turn to beco for those who are still alive」(Moroha)

According to Moroha-nee-san, being undead seems to be a condition wherein the soul establishes itself in a dead body after it has died regardless if the soul is chipped or not For the undead, there are those whose purpose coainst soed have no purpose

Usually, the soul of an undead will be released froo to heaven after purification However, a da with the body

It will really be detached from the circle of samsara, huh?

As I enter the city and look around, I then discover that it’s not just the hurown crystals fros, and small birds have had their souls devoured As I feared Thisvarious things, I believe it’s better to burn the whole town There should still be cohts “Isn’t it wasteful?” or “Should I collect all of it” doesn’t sit well raverobber

On the other hand, those ite the possessions of thieves or heartless people if I leave theuess it’s better for theround

I ado this phenomenon It’ll also be troublesome if the money here will be used to mass produce the [Subordination Collars]

After confiric, I burn the city with a teold or silver coins

This includes the souls who have become disconnected froo atory, Pro wrapped with ht to the degree of scorching the sky, burns down every single object in the darkness of an already sunken day

The house walls collapse, roofs fall down, and they all aze at the sight beforeof utter helplessness washes overeaten happen often? 」(Touya)

「It’s likely so in case of spiritual apparitions like wraths, phanto in the [Soul Eater] category are often attracted by the negative thoughts of people Souls dyed in the colors of dark euys」(Moroha)

「The easiest target for thes of anxiety, panic or despair are their favorite food That’s why they don’t show themselves and corner their opponents with mental dread After all, [Fear of the unknohich is the fear due to things someone doesn’t understand or can’t explain, is inherent to everyone」(Karina)

That re about the fear of darkness as the only fear inherent to hu] is in the dark, and this stirs up the feeling of [Fear] It’s said that [Fear of the Unknown] is due to a person’s power of iination