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ArabicArknights: The Scarlet Devil of Terra — Chapter 12
Chapter 12: Coma
Three identical Flandres charged forward simultaneously. In a mere fraction of a second, the ambushers were seized, mangled, and violently torn apart.
Then, the three clones vanished into thin air. The entire bloody spectacle took less than ten seconds from start to finish. Alina had wanted to step forward and stop the girl, but the slaughter was over before a single word could leave her throat.
She opened her mouth feebly, her breathing ragged in the frigid air, yet she found herself completely unable to voice any criticism.
Because the girl was protecting her.
If not for that singular fact, Flandre would never have lashed out at those people with such brutal efficiency. Now, Alina finally understood why Talulah always wore such a deeply conflicted expression whenever she mentioned the previous combat operations Flandre had participated in. This kind of slaughter was entirely devoid of hesitation. It was cruel, efficient, and far more terrifying than the destructive Arts of any veteran Caster she had ever heard of.
Looking at the small, blood-splattered girl standing amidst the crimson snow, Alina subconsciously wanted to avert her eyes.
“Is Big Sister Alina unhappy?” Flandre Scarlet asked, her tone drooping with genuine dejection.
She had clearly protected Alina from the bad people, so why wasn’t she being praised? Why was the other person looking at her with fear? Flandre felt her small head filling up with very big doubts. The other memories in her mind only told her that her behavior was inhumane, but what did ‘humane’ even mean?
Kill enemies, protect friends. Wasn’t this the right thing to do? Why should anyone be humane to a piece of food or a broken toy?
Hearing Flandre’s aggrieved, childish voice, Alina stepped forward. She reached out with trembling arms and gently pulled the terrifying girl into a tight hug. Tears streamed uncontrollably from the corners of the Elafia’s eyes, dropping onto Flandre’s shoulder.
“I am sorry, Flandre…”
“Don’t cry, Big Sister!” Flandre patted Alina’s back clumsily. “Next time, Flandre will hide from you when she makes a move!”
Flandre had reached a logical conclusion. As long as she didn’t tear people apart right in front of Alina’s eyes, then Alina wouldn’t be unhappy. It would be just like the previous few times. She reached up with her small, pale hands and gently wiped the tears from Alina’s cheeks, catching the droplets in her palm.
“Look, Big Sister Alina, the tears turned into ice!”
Alina slowly stood up, wiping the rest of her face.
“I am sorry. You are not Talulah. I should not hold you to Talulah’s standards. However, life is a very precious thing. If it is ever necessary, I want you to think before you take someone’s life, Flandre. Think about whether their sins truly warrant death.”
Flandre nodded obediently. Although she didn’t understand the concept at all, she could memorize the words for now. If all else failed, she would just ask her older sister after returning to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Remilia was so wise and majestic; she would surely have the perfect answer.
After taking a few moments to calm their breathing, the two left the small woods hand in hand. The bitter wind and heavy snow continued to howl across the tundra, and the gruesome bloodstains left behind were soon completely buried beneath a blanket of pure white.
Upon returning to the base camp, Alina stood near the entrance, recalling the visceral scene from just moments ago. Her expression remained somewhat dazed and hollow.
Noticing the distant way Alina was looking at her, Flandre tilted her head and blinked in confusion.
“It is nothing,” Alina said softly, forcing a weak smile. “You did very well, Flandre. It is just my own problem…”
“Big Sister Alina!”
Seeing Alina return to the village, a large group of Infected children immediately gathered around. They crowded her with bright smiles, and the joyful, innocent laughter of the kids instantly washed away much of the lingering sorrow between Alina’s brows.
Flandre did not walk with Alina into the crowd. She intuitively felt that Alina would be much more at ease right now if the Elafia did not have to look at her. also, Flandre happened to spot Frostnova walking past a nearby supply tent, and she felt it was necessary to tell the Cautus about the new toys that had broken in the woods.
After walking with the children for a short while, Alina turned around and realized she could no longer see Flandre’s small figure. She panicked internally, her heart skipping a beat. But after turning a corner and seeing Flandre standing quietly beside Frostnova, she finally breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Frostnova, who had just been about to arrange the evening patrol shifts, had not expected Flandre Scarlet to seek her out again. The last time the vampire approached her was to discuss Rhodes Island, and ever since that conversation, Frostnova no longer treated the girl as a mere child.
“Is something the matter, Flandre?” Frostnova asked, looking down at the approaching girl.
She had a very good impression of Flandre. The girl was obedient, sensible, and unusually quiet for her apparent age. When she had ideas, she wouldn’t act recklessly on her own, but would instead offer her opinions to the adults and seek their advice. Crucially, Flandre could actually touch Frostnova without suffering from severe frostbite. One could easily say that a low-maintenance, durable child like Flandre was one of the very few children Frostnova was entirely comfortable interacting with.
Flandre casually recounted the encounter with the bad people on their way back. After listening to the gruesome details, Frostnova’s pale face turned completely ashen.
She spat a vicious Ursus curse into the snow. “Those bastards still dare to linger near our borders? I will immediately arrange for the Guerrillas to conduct a full sweep of the surrounding perimeter.”
Frostnova knelt slightly, placing a cold hand on Flandre’s shoulder. “You did the right thing. Never show mercy to the enemy. Alina is not a combatant, so it is not surprising she harbors those gentle thoughts. But kindness is not retreat, nor is it blind forbearance. Threats must be eliminated. Enemies must be dealt with. Those we truly need to protect are the comrades who share our ideals.”
Compared to the gentle Alina and the highly idealistic Talulah, Frostnova was clearly far more practical and ruthless. If Talulah had not repeatedly refused her requests, Frostnova would have long since expelled those violent dissidents from the Reunion Movement’s territory or simply buried them in the snow herself.
Now that those cowards actually dared to attack someone from the main camp, she found the situation entirely unacceptable. Boiling with cold fury, she immediately rallied the Yeti Squadron and marched out of the village to hunt.
Watching the Yetis leave, Flandre hummed a little tune and returned to her assigned house.
Alina did not come over to visit, even as nightfall completely enveloped the camp.
Hearing the heavy crunch of boots signaling Talulah’s return, Flandre proactively walked out into the cold air.
Seeing only Flandre emerge from the house, Talulah looked surprised. She approached quickly, asking in a somewhat anxious tone, “Is Alina not with you? What happened? Is she injured?”
Flandre shook her head, her twin tails bouncing. “She is not injured! Although we met some bad people in the woods, Flandre protected Big Sister Alina very well!”
“Bad people?” Talulah’s heart tightened painfully in her chest.
She immediately grabbed Flandre’s hand and pulled the girl along, rushing straight toward Alina’s residence.
Talulah knocked rapidly on the wooden frame. “Alina, are you in there? It is me!” Seeing that the candlelight flickering through the window was dim but still lit, Talulah knew her friend had not gone to sleep yet.
“Talulah… you are back?” Alina’s voice sounded a bit rushed from inside, as if she had just been startled out of a deep daze.
Tens of seconds later, the heavy door creaked open. Alina’s body tensed noticeably when she saw Talulah standing at the threshold, holding Flandre Scarlet’s hand.
Talulah was too frantic to notice Alina’s subtle abnormality. After rushing into the room, she reached out and firmly pressed Alina’s shoulders, looking the Elafia up and down for any hidden wounds.
“Flandre said you met bad people on the way back. Who was the enemy? Are you sure you are not injured?”
Alina gave Flandre a highly complex, lingering look. “No, I am fine.”
“What exactly happened out there?” Talulah asked, guiding Alina to sit down at the small wooden table.
Alina struggled in silence for a long time before finally recounting the bloody events of the afternoon.
After hearing Alina’s words, Talulah felt as if her mind had been struck by a physical blow. She naturally knew exactly who those people were. Just yesterday, she had engaged in a fierce argument with Patriot and Frostnova over how to handle that specific faction of radicals, and this morning she had sought comfort from Alina regarding that very dispute.
She had never expected that during the day, Alina would almost fall victim to their blades.
At this moment, she recalled the harsh truths Flandre had spoken to her previously, and she felt a violent, sickening wavering in her own heart. Her ideals felt fragile, cracking under the weight of reality.
Just then, a sinister, suffocating aura began to seep out from Talulah’s body.
Flandre reached out curiously as a wisp of black, eerie mist drifted directly toward her face.
A second later, the corners of Flandre’s mouth curled up into a wide, predatory smile.
“Got you!”
Her small hand snapped shut, squeezing the empty air with terrifying force.
“Ah!” Talulah let out a sudden, miserable scream. She violently spat out a mouthful of fresh, dark blood onto the floorboards and instantly collapsed into a dead faint.
Alina, who had been looking at Talulah and hadn’t noticed Flandre’s small, casual movement, did not expect Talulah to have such an extreme physical reaction. She assumed it was because Talulah’s core convictions had been shattered by the betrayal.
She frantically laid the Draco down on the bed and rushed out into the freezing night to find a medic and Frostnova.
A moment later, a camp doctor hurried into the room. He examined the unconscious Talulah for several minutes, his expression growing increasingly powerless. He couldn’t find the source of the sudden ailment at all. He could only sense that there was considerable, chaotic internal damage ravaging Talulah’s body, but fortunately, none of the failing organs were in a fatal condition.
He prescribed some basic hemostatic medicine, shook his head, and left the room.
Frostnova and Patriot soon arrived, their massive frames crowding the small space. They immediately asked about what had transpired to cause this.
Alina recounted the conversation exactly as she had seen it unfold.
For a long moment, the towering Wendigo and his daughter did not know what to say. They both firmly believed that Talulah’s heart was not nearly that fragile. She might feel lost or deeply dejected by betrayal, but she absolutely should not have vomited blood and fainted from mere emotional distress.
Alina opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated, glancing nervously at the unconscious Draco.
“Alina, is there anything else you want to tell us?” Frostnova asked, her eyes narrowing.
“Let us talk outside,” Alina whispered, pointing toward the door.
The three of them walked out into the biting wind. Standing in the snow, Alina finally recounted the dark history Talulah had once shared with her regarding Kashchey.
After listening to the tale, Patriot’s heavy, rhythmic breathing became noticeably harsher beneath his armor.
“Old Stubborn?” Frostnova asked, looking up at him.
“It is very likely,” Patriot’s deep, grating voice rumbled through the night air. “As the Deathless Black Snake, Kashchey would not die that easily. He might have used Talulah’s assassination of him to plant a vile seed within her body. This seed would remain hidden in the deepest part of her mind so long as her will remained firm. But once she wavers regarding the path ahead, the seed will sprout and gradually erode her consciousness. There are ancient records of related witchcraft hidden within the Sarkaz bloodline.”
“Is there any way to solve it?” Alina asked, her voice trembling with anxiety.
Patriot nodded slowly, then shook his massive head. “If anyone on this earth can save her, in my view, it would only be the Lord of the Liches or the Banshee Sovereign. But the former has long since gone into hiding and disappeared from the world, and the Banshees have already sealed their doors, refusing to communicate with outsiders.”
Patriot was referring to the two Royal Courts within the Sarkaz race who were most skilled in ancient, soul-binding witchcraft. If anyone could safely extract the cursed arts from Talulah, those two branches were naturally the only viable choices. But unfortunately, one had vanished without a trace and the other was strictly isolationist. Combined with the relentless heavy snow currently blocking all roads out of the tundra, they were effectively powerless to help her.
As for Flandre Scarlet, she had not followed them outside. Instead, she had been sitting quietly on a wooden stool in the innermost corner of the room the entire time.
Because everyone’s panicked attention had been entirely focused on Talulah’s bleeding form, no one had noticed the little vampire sitting there, quietly observing the dramatic adults.
Compared to the panicked crowd, Flandre was perfectly calm. In her eyes, the situation was incredibly simple. After she had physically crushed that wisp of black mist, her innate destructive power had followed the mist’s connection straight back inside the host’s body and violently strangled the vast majority of the foreign energy.
The only reason Talulah was unconscious right now was because the black mist had been festering inside her body for a very long time and was already deeply rooted in her flesh. Therefore, Flandre’s remote strike had unavoidably caused some collateral damage to Talulah’s internal organs.
However, that single, casual squeeze of her hand had instantly cleared away more than half of the black mist hiding in the Draco’s body. As long as Talulah could wake up and recover her strength, it would be extremely difficult for that so-called Deathless Black Snake to ever control her again.
So why was everyone acting so panicked and anxious? Wouldn’t it be perfectly fine just to sit here and wait for Talulah to wake up?
Unfortunately, no one in the camp knew that Flandre had done this. And no one bothered to ask the little girl about the cause of the sudden event, either. Otherwise, Flandre would certainly have answered them truthfully, and then everyone wouldn’t have to be so worried.
At this time, a pale-faced Alina walked back in from the cold outside. She looked at Flandre Scarlet, who had been sitting obediently and motionlessly in the corner from the very beginning, and forced a tired smile.
“Flandre, it is very late. Let me take you back to your room to rest.”
“Mhm, I will go back by myself. Big Sister Alina, you probably do not want to leave Talulah’s side right now, right?” Flandre said, gently floating up from the stool and drifting toward the door.
Just as Alina was about to speak, Frostnova poked half her body in from the doorway.
“You stay here and take good care of Talulah. I will take Flandre back.”
Alina nodded gratefully. Frostnova took Flandre’s small, cold hand and walked her out of Alina’s home.
After returning to her own room, Flandre had a wonderful, dreamless sleep.
The next day, she was woken by a loud commotion echoing from the center of the camp. After walking out to investigate, she learned that a group of people, upon hearing the grim news of Talulah’s sudden coma, felt that the Reunion Movement was doomed to collapse. In their panic, they wanted to violently divvy up the remaining food supplies and flee into the wasteland.
But anyone with a functioning brain knew that the heavy snow had already blocked all safe exits. Staying together gave them a fighting chance to live; splitting up and running into the tundra would only accelerate their deaths by freezing or starvation.
If Talulah were still awake, these rioters would probably have been severely lectured by her, and the matter would have been suppressed through sheer charisma. But she was currently in a coma, and the one currently managing the camp’s security was the towering Wendigo, Patriot.
He would not easily let go of cowards who wanted to incite internal strife and steal from the starving.
The heavy, armored Shieldguards marched into the base camp from the perimeter and systematically seized all those brainless Infected who wanted to take the opportunity to cause trouble or seize power. Facing the most physically powerful and disciplined force within the entire Reunion Movement, those who could only talk big or possessed only mediocre Arts didn’t even have the ability to start a proper riot before being effortlessly crushed into the snow.
A few of the loudest ringleaders were even executed on the spot, their blood staining the camp square.
With this swift display of absolute authority, everyone else quickly became very well-behaved.
‘So, what were those people even thinking?’
Flandre Scarlet stood on her porch, genuinely unable to understand how these people’s brains were wired. They didn’t have absolute, overwhelming destructive skills like hers, nor did they possess the charisma to unite the other Infected. Relying solely on blind ambition and empty talk, they actually wanted everyone to follow them to their pointless deaths.
Flandre sighed, shook her head at the sheer stupidity of humans, walked back into her warm room, picked up her picture book, and continued studying.
Good news finally arrived in the evening. Talulah, who had been unconscious for a full day and a night, had finally awakened.
Immediately, the situation was taken over by Patriot. Because of the dark secrets Alina had revealed the night before, they were deeply worried that Talulah’s heart had already ‘deteriorated’ and fallen under Kashchey’s control. So, Patriot spoke deliberately to test the newly awakened Draco.
He recounted the violent events of the day, carefully watching Talulah’s micro-expressions, and then continued to describe his brutal, uncompromising methods of handling the rioters and executing the leaders.
After his heavy voice faded into silence, everyone in the room quietly stared at Talulah.
Talulah showed a deeply complex, pained expression. She still insisted that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with her core ideals. If they couldn’t unite as many people as possible, then it would only be more difficult for the Infected to ever lead a normal life in the cruel empire of Ursus.
But the bloody events of the past few days were violently reminding her that not everyone was actually worth uniting. These two conflicting consciousnesses were constantly torturing her heart and hammering relentlessly at her will.
At this moment, she remembered the terrifying sensation from last night. One second, Kashchey’s vile voice had appeared directly in her ear, tempting her wavering will; the next second, an agonizing, tearing pain accompanied by Kashchey’s miserable, echoing scream had violently sent her into a coma.
“Can I ask first…” Talulah rasped, her throat dry. “…what exactly happened to me?”
She tried to reach up to rub her aching forehead, but a sharp, tearing sensation radiating from both her hands forced her to abandon the idea, her arms dropping weakly back onto the blanket.
“I will just say it straight,” Frostnova said, unable to hold back any longer as she stepped forward and stared intensely into the Draco’s eyes. “Are you still Talulah?”