Heart of Blood 2

 The sounds of our footsteps echoed as we walked through the open hall. I had never seen a building like this before. The ceiling stretched high into the sky, adorned with an alluring mural. Rows of benches lined the center, directed towards some kind of pedestal or table. There also seemed to be other people in the seats, but with their heads slouched down, it was hard to tell whether they were sleeping. I could explore later. First, I needed to get more information out of the girl.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what sort of building is this? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Ah, my apologies for not explaining. I thought you were already a believer. This is a church, where we worship our God, the Master, and follow their teachings.”

“Wait, gods? As in those who reach the pinnacle of their skill?”

“No, God: the one who governs all existence. A being who is both omnipotent and omniscient.”

“...I see.”

She’s a nutcase. You had to be insane to believe that one person governed all existence. If there was one, this damn war wouldn’t have happened. What ultimate being let the world destroy itself? Ugh. Just thinking about it gave me a headache. I guess it’s a curse that all beautiful women have a screw or two loose. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to do it though.

“Is there anyone else I should expect?” the girl asked, shaking me from my thoughts.

“Ah, I’m not sure. There were a few others with me, but when my home was attacked, we all scattered in different directions. I have no idea where they are, or if they’re still–ew.” I was distracted by the rotting sensation filling my nostrils. I turned around, trying to figure out where it came from, before freezing.

The people sitting on the bench were dead, each horribly disfigured or maimed in some fashion. Their clothing was in tatters – I could barely make out the blue coat on the man closest to me. Some held weapons in their hands, while others didn’t have hands to hold them. I instantly raised my guard.

The girl followed my gaze. She let out a sad sigh, contrasting her perpetual smile. “Many people have stopped by the church, seeking salvation. There were many who survived, but there were also many who I failed to save. Those are the bodies of the ones left behind. I’d like to give them all a proper send-off, but I can only do so much with my other work.” The girl sauntered over, taking a kneeling position by the body. She remained still for a minute or two, surprisingly letting down her guard. I took the opportunity to silently pocket one of the knives lying around nearby.

I managed to recompose myself before the girl stood back up and headed towards the table. On top was one of the strangest things I had ever seen: a naked girl with a maniacal smile branding a whip. This was the God she supposedly worshiped? Definitely a nutcase.

“I will bring you some food along with a few towels to wash yourself off or use as a blanket. However, if you would be so kind, I would like to finish my prayer session first. Your knock interrupted me while I was communing with my God.”

“Of course, my apologies.” This was working out better than I hoped. It would’ve been nice to stay a few days, but it was best to eliminate her as soon as possible. Reduced the risk of me slipping up somewhere. It helped that she dropped her guard as well during her ‘prayers’.

The girl was probably a mana user, given the state of this building, so slitting her throat from behind was out of the question. All that would do is distract her for a moment, nothing more. So, that left…

As soon as the girl began to kneel, I grabbed her shoulder, twisting her towards me. Then, with a swing of the arm, I stabbed her straight through the heart.

“Sorry about that, can’t have you casting any spells, though your death will be more painful than normal. Still, it’s a beast-eat-beast world out there, so I hope you under–” A chill crept down my spine as I properly looked at her face. She had on that same smile, even as her breath became ragged and blood trickled out of her mouth. Did I miss something? But there was no one else here.

Then, the girl spoke, her words dripping with an overpowering love. “Welcome back, honey.”

CRAC–SNAP!

Huh–? What just… I found myself coughing out blood as my vision wavered. My legs gave out, and yet, I didn’t fall to the ground. Then, my head slouched forward, and my eyes figuratively widened.

An arm stook out of my body, and in its hand was a heart. My heart, slowly coming to a stop as it spits out the last of its blood. The girl seemed to mutter something with a starstruck expression before opening her mouth wide. I didn’t understand.

“Who… what are–”

Then, she took a bite of my heart, and my consciousness faded away.

===

“Ah~ that was delicious!” the girl said in a seductive tone. The knife that was once embedded in her heart fell to the ground, leaving no wound behind. She licked the blood off her fingers, shaking in ecstasy. Then, she looked back up at the man who saved her, and as always, she was entranced.

His blue coat, although in tatters, looked as clean as the first day she met him. His flip flops shimmered within the pool of blood that was once the person who stabbed her. She didn’t know his name, given that he never spoke, but she had taken to calling him honey as if it were completely natural.

The girl moved his stiff arms into an embrace around her, giving a small peck on the lips. She pulled him down, falling into the pool of blood, experiencing that familiar feeling of euphoria. The best feeling in the world, if she had to describe it.

“This time we’ll definitely succeed,” she said, her face inches away from his as she rubbed her belly. She gave him another kiss, this time for a few seconds, slowly undressing both herself and the man.

Then, with the most captivating words she could muster, she spoke her three favorite words:

“I love you.”