The next morning, I found myself in a meeting between multiple diplomats, something organized by the Ursus Ambassador. It was obvious that this meeting wasn't called to peacefully resolve the matter of Reunion, but to pressure Laterano to take a stance. But the group of men sitting in front of me, each with perfect etiquette and clothes, if any normal twenty-year-old were to face them, they would inadvertently feel enormous pressure, but such a situation didn't happen here.
I watched them sweat instead. The twenty-year-old they expected was a veteran of multiple battles and wars, with the aura of nobility and authority both inborn and acquired through years of being in charge of countless people's lives. What's more, they were facing a literal god, a being far above them in whatever hierarchy they were functioning in.
-"Gentlemen, I hope you can be direct and concise. What can I do for you today?"-I asked, keeping the minimum of courtesy in my speech and actions.
I was in my usual armor, the white cloth and silver plates accented with golden elements, creating an image of holiness and grandeur, the kind of majesty that makes others feel inadequate and worldly. I didn't cover my face with the hood, my deep-blue eyes piercing through the false appearances shown to me. On my head sat a white Banshee's Crown, emerging from my similarly white hair, looking like a small pair of wings enveloping the back of my head, with a golden circlet slightly above it, standing out of the pure whiteness. And floating over my head was the halo of pure Moonlight, emanating the sacredness and purity while glowing with delicate light.
Behind me, my three pairs of wings of the same Moonlight were folded, but even in this state, they were many times larger than those of other Sankta, reaching from little over my head down to my knees. If I were to unfold them, the whole wall behind me would be covered by them, and this room wasn't some small hideout for private meetings, but a hall for diplomatic discussions.
-"Ehem."-The Ursus diplomat began his speech.-"I, together with my fellow confreres, wished for Son to hear our plea. The terroristic group known as Reunion is destroying cities and harming innocent civilians, yet Laterano hasn't condemned them, even contesting their status as terrorists. We hoped that Son could change his stance and protect the common Terrans."
-"Protect the common Terrans? Interesting sentiment."-I smiled slightly.-"But my stance won't change. Laterano will cooperate with the humanitarian actions of Reunion, allowing them to settle the infected in mobile monasteries."
-"Son! Those are terrorists only waiting for a chance to strike. They are declared to be runaways, still legal citizens of Ursus. Laterano has no right to keep them."
-"They are refugees, not runaways. Fleeing your cruel treatment, not escaping fair punishment. I won't get involved in how you manage your people and your laws, but when said people risk their lives to escape and seek asylum in my Laterano, I won't let you treat them as criminals."
-"They killed guards and destroyed villages full of innocent lives!"
-"Do you have proof? If your empire can provide evidence linking any person to a serious crime, we will try them here and mete out appropriate punishment."
-"You… Are you sure you wish to oppose Ursus, Son?"
-"Oh? Is that a threat?"
-"No, just warning. Ursus declared that we will pursue any supporter of the Reunion movement, even if that means war."
-"There are no supporters of Reunion here, only refugees."
-"Those are spies of Reunion."
-"Gentlemen, Son, how about taking a step back?"-One of the diplomats tried to calm the situation down, but failed.
-"The Ursus' will is absolute; by the Emperor's order, all who support Reunion or abet their members are enemies of the empire."-The diplomat stood up, trying the same move that worked many times when he negotiated with Lemuen.
-"So if I were to reject this demand, it would mean war?"-I asked him to be precise.
-"Yes."-He answered before he could stop himself.
-"Good."-My smile widened as I stood up before addressing the other diplomats.-"Gentlemen, I hope you can be witnesses to this moment. Today, December 20, 1096, as the Holy Son of Laterano, I accept Ursus' declaration of war. Laterano will stand by the principles of our neutrality, but we won't be threatened into obedience."
My words caused everyone in the room to freeze in shock, some standing up, some sitting in something resembling fright. I nodded to them and left the room, ignoring the words of Ursus' diplomat trying to stop me. Outside, I turned to Margaret, who was waiting for me.
-"Let's go. It's time to show that Laterano isn't easy to bully."
She nodded, her face showing the calmness of someone who was already prepared for any possibility.
The news that Ursus declared war on Laterano spread throughout the Terra in a matter of hours. Despite the lack of a global network, I made sure that by the next day, all major cities knew exactly what was said during that meeting. This made it impossible for Ursus to distort the story, laying the blame for everything squarely at their feet. Of course, Ursus tried to deny everything while silently contacting us to 'prevent the situation from 'escalating', but I just ignored them, leaving Laterano the next morning.
I took my entourage and traveled north, while the Lateran armies started their march toward Chernobog. With my speed, I was able to arrive at my destination after just a day of travel, entering Montelupe before the sun went down. I was greeted by the gates by the personal guards of Miss Sicily, who led me to the mansion where she was waiting for me.
-"Good to see you in good health, Miss Sicily."
-"Likewise, Son, though the news I received this morning made me almost doubt my sanity."
-"I believe that Miss Sicily can understand that sometimes, if you want peace, you need to prepare for war."
-"You did more than just prepare, but I indeed share this sentiment. So what can I do for you today, Son?"
-"I wanted to check how Alexandrina is doing."
-"Our little hero, huh? In just this year, she managed to push Famiglias out of four cities, forcing them to enter an agreement securing their interests while ensuring that they won't act against non-Famiglia members. While this didn't solve everything, it definitely stifled the expansion of Famiglias."
-"Sounds like a good start. But she might need to accelerate her actions."
-"The Reunion, huh?"
-"Yes."
-"Are you sure it's a great idea to poke Ursus bear like that, Son?"
-"Some things are beyond the consideration between should and shouldn't."
-"I see. I'll pass your message to our little hero."
-"Thank you."
-"It's just a small matter."
I handed her a letter sealed with the Lateran official seal, and after talking about some other things, I left Siracusa, heading toward Chernobog.
I arrived in the city two days after leaving Laterano, instantly noticing how tragic the situation inside was. I walked the streets while hidden by Night Sorcery, dead bodies lying around every few steps. From time to time, patrols of masked Reunion members would pass by me, looking for something or someone.
At some point, I noticed the presence of another group of people, clearly not part of Reunion, looking at how they avoided being noticed. Deciding to check who they were, I carefully entered the ruin they were hiding in, only to see a few people in Rhodes Island Operator's clothes. I couldn't recognize any of them, but their presence here was not something I expected.
-"How is the mission?"
-"The VIP is secured, but our cover is blown. We need to move and assist the leader."
-"Then let's get moving."
I followed them for the next hour before they met up with a much larger group of Operators. Among the larger group were a few familiar faces, but my eyes were attracted not to a familiar face, but a familiar mask. Without being noticed, I approached the sitting figure, Caliburn appearing in my hand. I seriously considered whether to deliver one swift strike, ending the existence of this Evil Spirit, but then I felt a presence of that person, which made me stop. In the end, I let the Evil Spirit live; their life might have value for now.
After listening to the conversations happening around, I understood their purpose and plans, which can be summed up with a single sentence: take the Evil Spirit out of the city. With the person I was looking for nowhere to be seen, I decided to continue following them, their situation making them perfect bait. And I didn't have to wait for long, as just after they started to move, they encountered Reunion members, and after a few fights, they managed to lure two leaders of Reunion.
To be honest, I was impressed by their ability to stir trouble. I still helped them lightly, blocking a few strikes while remaining hidden, allowing them to escape successfully. They rested for a while before departing once again. The sun was already setting when clouds started to gather, but this wasn't a simple storm; it was a budding Catastrophe.
Though before I could worry about it, the person I was looking for finally appeared. With an eruption of fire, Talulah met with the Rhodes Island group, instantly showing the difference in strength between them. But as the flames were about to reach them, they were blocked by one of my wings appearing from another dimension. When the flames died off, everyone's eyes were focused on me, who appeared out of nowhere.
-"I hoped to say that we meet again, but you are not Talulah."
-"No, I'm Talulah, just not that week me you saw before."
-"Weak, you say? She was never weak, just too caring. But whatever, I advise you to let her go."
-"Heh. Sadly, you are too late, Holy Son. This city is beyond saving. As for me, I don't think you are in a place to make any demands."-She ignited her flames everywhere around us, encircling Rhodes Island and me in an inferno.
-"Margaret, Cellinia, take them out of the city."
Two of them appeared and instantly moved to Rhodes Island's side, easily resolving the fire that was in their way. I could hear that little rabbit wanted to stay and help me, but they told her that the battle of this magnitude was not something she could get involved with, not to mention that I wasn't in any danger. After they distanced themselves enough, I let Caliburn appear in my hand.
I walked toward Talulah, trying to understand her situation. I could ascertain that she was possessed, but I needed to understand precisely how this Art worked to have any chance to resolve it. Noticing that I was analyzing her state, Talulah lunged at me, starting our melee. As a Draco of royal blood, Talulah had a strong body, and her flames could easily destroy even the hardest of armors, but all that would only make her above average Heroic Spirit, far from Grand Servants, let alone True Gods. So while my strength was only in the lower echelon of Divinities, it was still a step above the Grand classification.
This caused our fight to be rather one-sided, to the point that Talulah quickly changed her approach from fighting to escaping. Unsure of the state her real self was in, I decided to let her go, not risking injuring her to keep her here. As I watched her back disappear in one of the ruined buildings, I couldn't help but feel frustrated by my inability to do much. Even with my strength, I still couldn't keep my friends safe.
Feeling my anger rise, I looked to the sky where the Catastrophe was about to descend. Without much preamble, I slashed at the sky, splitting the clouds and the Catastrophe, dispersing it in the process. After that, I left, walking to where I felt my Knights were.
As I was walking, I encountered a small group of Rhodes Island operators confronting some Sarkaz mercenaries. When they saw me, I could feel fear appearing in many Sarkaz's eyes, but I ignored them and looked at the Operators.
-"Come with me, the rest of your group is already out."
-"Please."
I was about to continue walking forward when one of the mercenaries stopped me.
-"You are?"-I asked.
-"Ines."-The woman answered curtly.-"I want to make a deal with you."
-"Oh? State your terms."
-"You'll ensure that Sarkaz mercenaries are not caught up in the war. In exchange, I'll give you information about Talulah and Kazdel."
I looked at her seriously.
-"I can let mercenaries go, but only before the day when the fighting starts. After that, there won't be any room for mercy."
-"Good."
-"Allow me to ask, what are your next plans?"
-"With what I know, I need to disappear."
-"Then follow me. I feel that your skills would be of great use to me."
-"Don't you fear that I'll betray you?"
-"I consider myself a good judge of character."
-"Good, then I'll consider you my new employer."
I nodded and started to walk again. After an hour of walking, my rather sizable by now party exited the city, joining the rest of Rhodes Island waiting for us. They were surprised by the Sarkaz following me, but seeing them leave the city, they assumed that they had decided that the situation was too dangerous for them to stay. They discussed somethings on the side, before departing, who knows where, only Ines remained behind.
As everyone was entering Rhodes Island's transport ship, I turned and looked at the city, noticing a familiar white figure on one of the roofs. She noticed my gaze and nodded before leaving. Whatever happened with Talulah, even those close to her either didn't notice it fast enough or they couldn't stop it.
-"Holy Son?"-Little Rabbit called out to me.
-"Let's go."-I nodded at her.
-"Yes!"
Inside the ship, I looked at the injured Operators, sighing slightly before having Shining help them. They were lucky that I found them, resulting in almost no casualties in their ranks. But for them, rescuing that Evil Spirit must be worth almost any prize. Speaking of the devil, since my arrival, I could feel their eyes constantly watching me, though I couldn't read much from this gaze.
I felt that they were both afraid and curious, but these feelings didn't have the same 'feeling' like those of strangers, but rather of someone who knew me. I tried to ignore it for now, but by the time we arrived in the Rhodes Island Landship, I was a step from poking those gray eyes out. Luckily, the Evil Spirit was taken to their room to rest, while I was guided to a guest cabin. When I was alone, I waited for Ines to enter, so that we could talk in peace.