Two months have passed since the incident at Warsaw. I was currently in a countryside town called "Paderborn."
It was about to be bombed, so it was pretty damn chaotic, but it wasn't like I gave a shit. What mattered was that it was Lord Heydrich's court.
I'd occupied a random empty house and woke up in one of its beds, as was usual to me.
Of course, it was night, not morning.
"Aagh... Fucking hell... Claudia! You hear me? Where the fuck are you?"
The woman was living here with me. I was the one who chose the place, but I really didn't give a shit whether she was fine with it.
It was her to be considered of my wishes, after all. Still, she was actually happy to be here. Said something about this town being for a nun.
That actually went on to cause something that was a real pain in the ass for me.
"I'm hereeee! Right here. You called? What do you need?"
"You dumbass. Why the fuck were you walking around again?"
This was what I meant. This idiot enjoyed walking in sunlight. It was like she didn't even know what she was.
Thanks to that, she always looked like she was sunburned. Getting covered in bandages because of this was a daily occurrence, and yet she never fucking learned. Something wasn't right with her head, I swear.
She could at least try and hide half-naked body from me. It was nothing worth looking at.
"Umm, would you be kind enough to help? Some parts of my body are a little hard to bandage by myself."
"You even listening to me?"
"Oh, of course I am. And I know exactly what it is you want to say. However, I would prefer it if you focused on helping people first. Men should be kind to women. Your affection would make us respond in ki—"
"Shut up. Like hell I'd do that. Fuck, if you're that conscious, then show some damn decency. Seriously, fucking look at yourself. I swear, it makes me wanna kill ya."
"Oh my! I didn't know you were capable of such consideration. What a pleasant surprise. I'm a bit moved, actually. You care for me in your own unique way."
"Damn it, you're so fucking..."
Claudia was much like Heiga in that we often had failures in communication. She was both an idiot and a pain to deal with.
"Yes, yes. I understand. You are most correct. However, whether I lose my composure or not is a matter of degree. Despite appearances, this situation does have an effect on me. Therefore, we have to do something as quickly as possible. That is best for you, as well. So please, stop being bashful and come help me."
"I'm pissed, not "bashful" or whatever. Hell, instead of coming here half-naked, why didn't you just finish the job first?"
"Because you called me."
"You idiot. You're the one who had to consider the time and place. You could've just replied and... Argh! Fuck it!"
She continued bandaging herself even as I complained, which just pissed me off more.
It wasn't like I gave in to her. I just felt that I'd have punched her if that dragged on for too long.
"Gimme that. You're so shit at this you'd take forever."
"Ow, owowow... I'm sorry, but could you please be a bit more gentle?"
"Quit whining. It's your own damn fault."
When I was a brat, I also had a fuck ton of burns like this. I pretty much conquered the sun when I became a member of the Longinus Dreizehn Orden, but it wasn't like I'd forgotten how to treat them.
I knew it didn't really suit me, but I actually knew how to handle bandages. I'd always treated my own wounds, after all.
It wasn't a fun thing to remember, though.
"Hehehe, ehehe..."
And yet, while I was feeling like shit, this damn idiot was laughing.
"What's so damn funny?"
"Nothing. Please don't misunderstand. I'm not making fun of you, I swear. It's just that... I once again realized how feeble I am... And how bright you are. We're both Noah's children, and yet you're so strong, Wilhelm."
"..."
"What must I do to become like you? Is there some sort of trick?"
"It's really simple."
I made an effort to sound blunt and tried to control my excitement.
"Shout. Release your emotions. Don't believe in any dumb limits. Just have faith you can do it and let it all out."
I'd always awaited the moment she would do just that.
"I see. Basically, you're saying that I'm holding myself back. Very well, allow me to try. I am embarrassed right now... Embarrassed... So embarrassed that I cannot put it to words..."
For that would be the moment when I...
"Hooooo, hhhaaaahhhh..."
"Morning Bey. We're here to haaaang."
"It's nowhere near 'morning' right now. I do understand that she's nocturnal, but you should always use proper language. Anyway, Bey, if you do anything bad to Claudia, I won't just sit by and... And..."
"Ah..."
"Geh!"
"Nhuh!?"
"Kyaaaahhh..."
Okay, no. I remembered something stupid. Just skip this part.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you doing, you rotten wretch?! I'll have your head! En Garde!"
"Oh noo! Bey's being defiled!"
"You... Fuck! Calm down and lemme explain!"
"Kyaaaahhh! Kyaaaahhh! Kyaaaahhh!"
"Shut up, dammit! Quit screaming, you dumb bitch!"
"Huh? But you told me to shout with all I had."
"Wowww, what a brute!"
"Heh, heheh, heheheheheh... That's it! I shall stomach you no longer! Let's take this outside!"
"Huh!? Fucking bring it on, bitch!"
Anyway, all you need to take from this is that the others used to visit the place.
We weren't on good terms back then — and still aren't, actually — but many of them were interested in Claudia, too.
With that in mind...
"Very well, I understand the situation here. Apologies for acting on a misunderstanding. However, I still cannot tolerate your relationship. It's simply unacceptable."
"Does it look like I give a shit what you think? No one wants you here, so just fuck off and stay away."
"Hah, laughable. You need a special kind of sense of humor to unlawfully occupy an empty house and act like you own it."
"The hell you say?"
"What I'm not wrong, am I?"
"Now now, there's no need for this, you two. Plus, I'm trying to eat here. Your squabbling will spoil my food. Hey, Claudia, may I have some more of this sauerkraut? A large portion, please."
"Of course. Eat as much as you like."
"..."
"..."
"...Umm, I'd like some more, too."
"...You're not getting any."
"Again, you have no right to decide that."
"The fuck'd you just say?"
"Come on, now. Why can't you two just get along? This is starting to get annoying."
"Exactly, we don't need such bad behavior at the table. If you wish to continue this, I will have to take away your plates. Still feel like fighting?"
"Tch..."
"Hmph!"
That stupid shit aside, these two obviously knew the reason why I had Claudia with me.
The recent summon was meant to celebrate the fact that the Obsidian Round Table found its last member; Number VII, Machina. With everyone gathered there, I'd gone and told them about her.
Rusalka Anna Schwägelin — Malleus — was pretty intrigued by that fact. After all, I was the first to suggest picking and choosing souls based on quality and strength. Well, Lord Heydrich was an exception to that, but I'll explain that later.
Malleus was clearly observing Claudia. Knowing her, she probably planned on snatching her away from me, but I wasn't about to let her. There was opposition between us, and we were basically keeping each other in check for the time being.
As for Valkyria... No, wait, I still called her by name then, so I'll go with that here, too. It's "Beatrice Waltrud von Kircheisen."
"What is it?"
"Nothing, dammit."
Anyway, me taking Claudia actually pissed her the hell off. Funny shit, coming from someone whose alias was just another name for "reaper."
Back then, I really didn't think she was worthy of the name. That was the reason why I went for "Beatrice," instead.
Since she hated "Valkyria," I could've called her that just to piss her off, but...
"I don't want you getting in my face just 'cause you're hungry."
This fucking idiot had barely eaten any souls. It was obvious she had tons of free space, but she just wasn't filling herself. Dumb bitch had no business being called "reaper."
Speaking of capacities, at this point, I'd realized that there was three who were clearly above me on that front. With the exception of Mercurius, I mean. That thing just didn't make any sense in that regard.
First was Lord Heydrich, but that was a given. He was infinitely outside the norm, and even comparing myself to Him was fuckin' stupid. The man was in a completely different realm.
The others were Machina and Schreiber. The fact that the little prick was above me pissed me off, but whatever. I just had to surpass him in quality.
If I had to name anyone else, it'd be Samiel. I really couldn't tell where to place her. She was about as empty as Beatrice, but unlike her, she wasn't half-assing it.
It could've been that she had the same idea as me, but just didn't say it out loud.
Though that being said, it didn't look like she wanted Claudia.
"Just so you're aware, I'm mad about something far more important than that. I'm looking out for you, Claudia. You need to be more considerate of yourself."
"Great, there she goes again."
"Don't you ever get tired of spouting the same shit over and over?"
"I'm not. And this isn't about that. At all."
Malleus sighed in disbelief, while I just found the whole damn situation annoying.
This had happened tons of times, and yet Beatrice played her part as if she wasn't just repeating herself.
What a bimbo.
"You do know that she plans on killing you, yes? Why would you live with her? It's insanity. A nun shouldn't be so suicidal. It goes against the teachings. Not to mention that you're a woman. Sharing a house with this man is ridiculous."
"I understand what you're saying, but... Oh, this is rather troubling."
Despite her words, she didn't seem the least bit troubled, and I probably wasn't the only one who felt that way.
Really, this idiot was on a whole different level when it came to being simple-minded.
"He saved me, so I must return the favor, even if it costs me my life. I'll repay a life with a life. That's how it should be, I think."
"Again, that had to be some sort of coincidence! It just happened accidentally! Hell would freeze over before this man willingly helped someone!"
"Whoa now, that's some dumb shit you're spouting."
"Well, not like she's wrong, right?"
"Also, he made a promise to me. He said he would find my other half. Save me from being half a person."
"This again...?"
"Yes. It all comes back to this."
Even Beatrice couldn't help but make a bitter expression. By this point, she knew pretty damn well that Claudia wouldn't budge when it came to this matter.
"That's just a delusion. You're not half a person."
"I'm happy you think that, but your strength is all the proof I need to say that you're wrong."
She thought she was feeble — half a person. And that was the primary reason why I became certain that a soul like hers was hard to come by.
Just like me, she was born for the night, which meant she didn't know the world of day.
Basically, she only had half of a normal reality.
"All of you are absolutely dazzling to me. You're fiery, strong, and radiant. That's surely because you have a world I do not. In simpler terms, 'double is more.' It's why I want to become like you, and to that end, I'm willing to give my life. That is far more attractive to me than just living as half a person and fading away with the passage of time. I yearn for the day I touch and feel the world of light."
Basically, Claudia considered everything she had to be less than half of what everyone else had.
Though, instead of self-deprecation, it was more thanks to her overvaluing what was beyond her. She saw the common folk, blessed by daylight, and fervently believed they were superior.
Beatrice was right on one front — that was pure fucking delusion. Claudia wasn't lacking in terms of emotion, and it wasn't like everyone else averaged out at twice as much as her.
Despite that, she just refused to admit it. No matter what, she just didn't accept that the favor of the light wasn't that big of a deal.
I could relate to her, actually. I was a proud vampire who'd gotten the blessing of the dark, and I didn't accept any alternatives.
That was exactly why she got me going.
"I gotta say, I'm impressed. I didn't think you were so good at playing women."
"I'm not fucking playing anyone. She just has good taste. That's all."
The fact that Claudia saw herself as half a person meant that she'd become something big when she realized she got what she lacked.
In a way, she was basically thinking that she was far from her limit.
Though really warped, she was a bit like me in that regard, wasn't she? We were compatible, she was hiding the potential to become something great, and she felt that she owed me.
Remember how she said it was normal to repay a life with a life? Seriously, could you even imagine a soul better suited for me? She fit so well it was kinda funny.
"I don't care if it's a deathwish, a will to live, or to kill. If you stay with me, I'll make one of those explode inside you. I'll take the half of a heart you have and make it grow to a 'normal' size. I'll lead you to where the light you want can finally reach you."
And then, I would kill her. Drink her. Drain her dry.
"You're mine, Claudia. I saved your life, so now it's mine."
"Yes. I believe in you. I'm a bit scared, but that's halved, as well. If I can get something ordinary from this life, then I don't mind even if it comes at my final moment."
"...I don't understand this. It's like everyone's insane."
I didn't see the point of Beatrice's whining. Like, come the fuck on, everyone at that time period had a few screws loose.
No one was of the right mind. No matter where you looked, you wouldn't find anyone thinking straight.
"So even your fear of death is halved. Hmm... I see. So that's what you want to believe, then."
And if that was what she wanted to think, it was best to just let her. That factor would become a possibility and a agent of change.
As long as you don't accept them, limits just don't exist.
I believe in victory, and I still do to this day.
And I will keep believing in it forever, until the end of time and beyond.
And that's how our life was back then.
What? Sounds unexpectedly simple for ya? That's 'cause it was. We were just doing whatever the hell we wanted.
Though, that didn't apply to all of us. Machina, who didn't get along with anyone, spent all her days in the castle. I still didn't know if she was forced to or not.
I also hadn't seen Cristoff in a while, and Babylon and Samiel were busy with some paperwork. The two had a pretty big role in the army, so they couldn't just slip out like we did.
Yeah, by that point, we barely even counted as soldiers. Many of us were thought to be fucking dead, while others were treated as deserters. Either of those basically voided our position in society.
I'd never really felt like I belonged to the army, anyway, so I can't say I gave a damn.
However, I did consider myself an SS officer. Specifically, a member of Lord Heydrich's personal elite.
A proud vampire ancestor and Number IV of the Longinus Dreizehn Orden's Obsidian Round Table. Those were the only two titles I really cared about.
Thus, I would only act when ordered by Lord Heydrich or when I had to quench my thirst.
This was a time period when I was waiting for either of those moments to arrive.
It was a day like any other.