The Paleblooded Hunter in Terra (Bloodborne x Arknights)

Act 2.15 Under Tides - Kin - Part 1

Chapter 26

Kin

Part I

Skadi, her mind consumed by the startling revelations, felt her voice quiver as she continued in the dimly lit catacombs, "I killed Him..." Her words trembled with the weight of her realization, "He did nothing, and I... I still..." She struggled to find words, her thoughts swirling in a maelstrom of guilt and confusion, "Even my... my little sister... was... an Ægir... an Ægir..." The weight of her own actions and the truth of her origins began to crush down upon her. "All killed by the Ægir. My sister, my mother, my grandmother..." Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, "All my years of revenge were mistaken, from the very beginning. I never knew. All of this, everyone, killed by the Ægir. The Church of the Deep. The Ægir. The Seaborn does not lie."

The Seaborn, still curious and strangely compassionate in its own way, replied, "Sin?" Skadi's voice quivered as she struggled to come to terms with her own past, "My sin... I..." The weight of her past actions and the newfound truth bore down upon her, leaving her in a state of anguish and self-reflection.

The Seaborn continued to speak in its alien yet strangely comforting manner, "Ishar-mla, do not feel misgiving. We have no sin." It persisted in reassuring Skadi, "You only did what you were able to do, Ishar-mla. We kin act without sin."

Skadi, still grappling with the magnitude of her past actions and the revelation of her true nature, couldn't help but respond, "But I acted for Ægir... We killed so many..." She felt the weight of her own choices and the suffering she had endured, a heavy burden that seemed insurmountable.

As her thoughts swirled in turmoil, Skadi suddenly realized that the very foundation of her existence had crumbled. The motivation and purpose that had driven her to endure so much hardship had been founded on a lie. She asked herself with a sense of emptiness, "What-am I even doing?" Her entire understanding of herself and her mission had been shattered, leaving her adrift in a sea of uncertainty and self-doubt.

Skadi listened to the Seaborn's words, still struggling to comprehend the implications of her true nature and the revelations about her past. The Seaborn's perspective was so vastly different from her own that it left her both perplexed and somewhat comforted.

The Seaborn explained further, "You believe you are an Ægir, so you are right to kill." It continued, "You regard the others as your blood-kin, so you do so, we do not know, and when we attack you and you do so, you are right."

Skadi, still grappling with her feelings of guilt and confusion, asked a simple yet profound question, "-Why?"

The Seaborn's reply was equally simple and reassuring, "-Ishar-mla." It continued, "Only Ægir, the scaleless, the finless, your language contains 'sin.'" It continued, "To do to survive is always right."

Skadi sought clarification, saying, "So..."

The Seaborn offered its assurance, "You have no wrong. So you can speak of anything you know. We have no want or will, only speak and do not speak." It extended an invitation for Skadi to ask questions, saying, "I may ask questions. Speak."

Skadi's mind swirled with a maelstrom of emotions and questions, and she couldn't help but wonder about the extent of Ægir's knowledge and involvement in the pain and suffering that she and her comrades had endured. The Seaborn's words hinted at a painful truth, one that Skadi couldn't easily dismiss.

The Seaborn continued, offering a piece of information that deepened the mystery, "Ishar-mla. Under your attack, we lost our contact with it, our ever close contact. We can only sense its pulse, we cannot hear its voice." It further revealed, "The last time you swam together, the last time you attacked together, was then."