Surviving without God

The Shelter was gradually descending into complete chaos because of the uninvited guests.

The first guest. This man, who had appeared at the worst possible moment, drew extremely sharp gazes from the residents.

— ...What the hell is this bastard doing here? With what face did he even dare to show up?

Eddie’s gaze was especially piercing — cold and sharp like a blade. However, his usually hot-tempered opponent surprisingly endured the provocative pressure in silence, staring down at the floor.

— Oh... I didn’t think we’d meet here, — Roanna muttered, uncharacteristically timid as she hid behind Brody’s back.

As if making excuses, Brody whispered:

— Well, he said he was looking for Gunther, so I brought him...

Brody had already met him during the attack of the Perfumers. While Gunther was fighting the enemy, this very man had stayed by her side, protecting her as she trembled in fear. However, when she learned that this was “Nine” — the very person who had kidnapped Eddie and Roanna — she couldn’t hide her shock.

— Everyone, calm down, — Gunther said with a quiet sigh as he sat down opposite Nine. — So, the Old Man sent you?

Nine had returned to his former appearance: a black formal suit, an X-shaped scar running across his face — the typical look of a mid-tier noir boss. But something had changed. The poison and malice that once soaked his expression had been replaced by a strange calm.

— Yes. I came to deliver a message from the Society and to retrieve the staff. And also... — he hesitated, unable to continue.

— And?

— He said I should atone for my past sins under your command... even at the cost of my life.

For a moment, the air froze. Gunther slowly shifted his gaze to Eddie and Roanna. Eddie’s face flushed red with anger, while Roanna remained silent, her expression ambiguous. But no one spoke first — all of them were waiting for Gunther’s decision. As if surprised by that, Nine muttered while looking at him:

— A real boss, huh...

— Enough flattery, — Gunther cut him off firmly, — deliver the Society’s message first.

— The Society...

Nine unconsciously rubbed the back of his left hand. Gunther noticed that a Stigma in the shape of claw marks had appeared there.

[Sniper with the Double Claw sniffs the air]

[The Ruler of the Oceans waves her hand, driving him away]

[Sniper with the Double Claw grins widely and rushes toward her]

[The Ruler of the Oceans sneezes as fur scatters]

[Three gods watch this scene with nostalgia]

— This time, they’ve decided to fully support you.

With those words, Nine extended his hand. On his palm lay a magical tool in the shape of a silver coin — one Gunther had seen before.

Ding!

[Branch: “Veil of Oblivion, in Pursuit of Forgotten Names” has been updated]

-Your proposal has been delivered to the surviving members of the Society of Forgotten Books. A positive response has been received.

-In case of agreement, “Nine” will be registered as a temporary member of your squad, and the remaining members of the Society will be designated as support forces.

Naturally, there was no reason to refuse. If anything, for Eddie and Roanna’s sake, he should accept.

Nine. In the past, he had been strong enough to nearly reach the 3rd hierarchy even without a contract with a god.

“...I hate to admit it... but among everyone I’ve seen, he’s one of the few geniuses.”

And he had reached that limit with nothing but childhood dagger training and real combat experience in back alleys. Now, he had met a proper mentor and formed a contract with a deity. In just one month, he had been reborn into something entirely different. There could be no better reinforcement for the squad right now.

“Besides, he knows the laws of the slums better than Roanna.”

According to Roanna, Nine had been a legendary bandit in the Lower City. Albino’s uprising would spread through the Lower City like wildfire. Nine would surely be able to protect Eddie and Roanna’s gang.

“And it seems... he’s repented, at least to some extent.”

The fact that affinity had been unlocked also played a role. Among those whose affinity had opened, there had not yet been a single person who had harmed Gunther.

— Alright, he should be given a chance to wash away his sins, — Gunther said, looking ahead.

Swoosh

Nine drew a dagger. — To begin with, I’ll atone with this—

Gunther knocked aside the blade aimed at his own fingers and let out a heavy sigh.

.

.

.

However, even the shock of Nine’s appearance was nothing compared to the second guest. No... could this even be called a “guest”?

***

Eterno Cheongdam living room. The platoon members stared at “it” with equally stunned expressions.

— ...What is that?

— No, but how even...

— I feel like I’ve seen that somewhere.

— Could it be that thing?

— What “that thing”?

— You know, that!

— Ah... so it’s that.

— Stop messing around already...

Only Gunther recognized it instantly.

“...No, why is that here?..”

He stared in disbelief at the bluish-black cloud floating in the middle of the living room. In the luxurious interior, the figure looked like a graphical error leaking into reality.

A mass of concentrated darkness. Its black surface rippled uneasily, like water on the verge of boiling. It was very different from the calm form the cloud had shown beside its mistress.

Whoosh!

Noticing Gunther, it drifted smoothly toward him. There was no doubt. This was the legendary-rank item that Moon Wolf had used to bring him to the Nest... a transport with its own ego — “Black Cloud.”

— Oh, look, it came for Gunther?

— You’re charming even inanimate objects now? Impressive.

— Ah right, I said a newcomer arrived, didn’t I? He’s waiting in the reception room.

The voices of his squadmates passed him by. Right now, Gunther was filled with nothing but relief.

“...At least she’s alive.”

The Black Cloud was a creation born from the power of the vampire Moon Wolf. If she had died, the cloud would have vanished with her. It was, in a sense, an extension of her. That was why it had been able to find this place despite the concealment of the “Red ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Lantern.” A vampire’s sense of smell does not forget a scent once it has caught it.

[Alphonse of Red Street adds that it’s because your Red Lantern hasn’t reached the proper level yet. Once you reach true mastery, no vampires, not even vampire grandfathers—]

But his words were cut off. From within the cloud, resembling black sheep’s wool, something like a mouth suddenly emerged.

[New Moon]

The platoon members watching recoiled in horror. But unlike them, Gunther froze with his eyes wide open. That voice was far too familiar.

[There’s no time for detailed explanations, but thanks to you, we were able to survive the crisis. However, the situation has worsened, and now it’s impossible to return or communicate through normal means. So I’m delivering a brief message through the Black Cloud]

A moment later, another voice was heard instead of Moon Wolf’s. The dissatisfied grumbling of a young man... Cheonmae.

[This crazy fangirl... contacting a rookie first instead of reporting to Grand Crow...]

[Thanks to him, both of us survived. He’s the one who foresaw this situation and warned us in advance. It’s only natural to contact the one who would be most worried first]

[Yeah, sure. And when are you planning to confess your love to the rookie?]

[Cheonmae... maintain the decorum befitting a commander]

Cheonmae’s voice still carried mockery, while Moon Wolf’s voice remained calm as always. But Gunther couldn’t relax. Because beneath their words, there was an unimaginable, horrifying noise. It would have been easier if it were just screams. But it was a mixture of shrieks, tearing sounds, and something utterly incomprehensible. The platoon members unconsciously rubbed their goosebump-covered arms.

[In any case, we’ll try to return as soon as possible]

And that was it. The Black Cloud trembled slightly as if saying farewell and instantly vanished into the night sky, passing through the wall of Eterno Cheongdam. It was surely heading to Grand Crow.

— ......

Only silence remained. The platoon members stared blankly at the place where the cloud had disappeared, then looked at one another.

“What the hell was that...”

Gunther was just as confused. However, several solid facts calmed his uneasy heart.

Moon Wolf had said she would “return as soon as possible.” She was someone with a strong sense of responsibility. She did not make empty promises. Whatever situation they were in, they had found a way out.

Which meant his task now was perfectly clear. Gunther turned to his squadmates, who still didn’t understand what was happening:

— Ryan... call the newcomer.

At those words, the air in the room grew heavy. Blanc hurried toward the reception room where Ryan was waiting.

He felt a bit sorry for the guy. Right after being assigned, he would be thrown straight into the center of an operation that would go down in the organization’s history.

Thud, thud

As soon as Ryan’s massive figure hurried into the living room, Gunther spoke:

— From this moment on, I will explain the plan for the operation to eliminate Albino.

***

At the same time.

— Huh? What’s that? — a confused voice sounded from somewhere in the center of the Middle City.

More and more people began tilting their heads up toward the sky.

Flap, flap

At first, it was just a shadow. A single black spot in the sky, blocking the moonlight. No one could have imagined that their number would grow to dozens, hundreds... no, to an uncountable mass that covered the sky above the city.

Thudududud

The defensive turrets reacted strangely slowly, and some didn’t activate at all. Taking advantage of this, monstrous birds broke through the fire and spread into every corner of the city.

They were not birds. They did not resemble any animal the citizens had ever seen.

The first sound was a scream — like the cry of a creature whose skin was burning alive. Wings that could not be called feathered were made of bloody membranes and bone, and beneath them hung growths like tumors, resembling distorted human faces.

— A-ah, demons!!

Yes, that was the only word that could describe them. The moment these forms appeared, citizens froze or collapsed to the ground. Some adventurers reflexively drew their weapons, but even those who fought mechanical monsters every day felt their legs buckle with fear. Worse still, today was the Labyrinth opening day, so most adventurers were absent.

— What is even happening...

Except for a few, no one realized that these horrific birds were monsters of Luthien... more precisely, creations Albino had summoned at the cost of the thousands of lives he had gathered.

— O-oh, L-Luthien...

Perhaps that was why some fell to their knees in such futile prayer. But for some reason, the monstrous birds did not touch people at all.

Boom!

When one of the birds exploded upon impact, the communication relay at the center of the square instantly bent. The crystal tower, glowing with blue mana, shattered with a horrific sound, and the light within it went out. At that very moment, all communication in the area was paralyzed.

Lovers and friends chatting through links. Those working through terminals. Even children studying remotely at home. All of them were plunged into silence in an instant.

Fwoosh

The monstrous birds circled at high altitude, diving toward other relays throughout the city. One after another. Each time the blue flash went out, it felt as though the city itself was suffocating.

But that was not the end. The birds began to dive toward the “aether conduits” — devices that supplied mana to residential homes.

Crunch!

The streets of the Middle City, where the lights never went out, were swallowed by darkness like an island devoured by a night ocean. Magical lamps in the windows went out one by one, and the frightened faces behind the glass disappeared into the dark. Of course, this only affected part of the Middle City, but the terror people felt in that short time was immense.

The monstrous birds continued to ravage the sky above the city, driving fear to its limit despite the fire of the defensive turrets, the shots of the Public Security Bureau, and the attacks of hastily arriving guild members.

And in the middle of this hell, priests of Luthien in pure white robes began to appear one after another. With gentle smiles, they helped the fallen. They bandaged the wounded who had been injured while fleeing, and whispered:

— It’s dangerous here. We’ll escort you to the temple.

— We will help. The Lord will protect you.

— Is your child at home? We’ll go get them.

— The light of God never fades, even in darkness.

A soft sacred glow spread at the priests’ feet. That light was enough for people to be drawn toward it — instead of the trust they had lost in the Public Security Bureau.