In the underground interrogation room of the frontline base:
The nun, now dressed in black combat fatigues, sat with a furrowed brow on a secured metal chair.
Stripped of her previous attire, helmet, and armor, her true appearance was finally exposed.
Her features were delicate, framed by black hair, though her skin appeared somewhat rough, and a scar at the corner of her mouth detracted from her overall look.
These characteristics marked her as a bona fide "Battle Nun."
Her physique and bone structure, while well-built, were not as excessively robust as the Astartes, and her height exceeded the average by only a modest margin.
Standing at 1.9 meters tall, she wasn't unique but certainly attention-grabbing.
Her expression, however, revealed open frustration and anger, indicating her current dissatisfaction.
Four hours had passed since the battle ended and she, along with the surviving human soldiers, had been forcibly relocated to the frontline base of Universe 13.
During this time, they were subjected to isolation, inspections, and decontamination.
Then, personnel claiming to be technicians demanded their cooperation, stating, "Please comply, or we will resort to force." Blood samples and tissue were extracted from them under duress.
Afterward, they were confined in individual isolation rooms to await the technicians' analysis reports.
Finally, two towering "giants," clad in advanced armor she had never seen before and standing at 2.6 meters tall, personally escorted the nun to the interrogation room.
The giants left immediately after depositing her in the room, leaving her to wait for several minutes.
The nun grew increasingly anxious and angry, as she carried crucial information regarding the survival of the "Empire" and humanity itself.
The longer she was detained, the more desperate and furious she became.
She had considered resisting—perhaps escaping the base by exploiting her extraordinary physique.
But she wasn't a fool.
The advanced technology of Atlas or the Human Empire aside, the two giants alone, comparable to her Empire's knights, were far beyond her capabilities.
As a nun blessed and enhanced by consuming the "Flesh of Saints," she had no chance against such overwhelming power.
Thus, she calmed herself and waited patiently.
Shhh—!
Just as her frown deepened, the interrogation room's door finally slid open.
A man wearing a black uniform, adorned with the Empire's insignia at his collar, entered, holding a tablet generated by hard-light technology.
He placed the tablet on the fixed table and sat across from the nun.
Skipping the formalities, he introduced himself:
"Hello. I am Major Chris Redfield, an investigator from the Human Empire of the Prime Universe. You may simply address me as Major.
What is your name, and to whom are you affiliated?"
Chris's straightforward manner caused the nun to swallow her prepared statements.
Prime Universe? Human Empire? Investigator?
These terms were utterly alien to her.
Sensing her confusion, Chris added,
"If you provide clarity about your world's history and situation, I will reciprocate by answering your questions. Let's avoid unnecessary trouble for both sides, shall we?
After all, I assume you wouldn't want us to directly extract memories from your brain."
Though his words carried a hint of menace, they struck her as truthful.
Without the timely intervention of advanced personnel, she and her comrades would have been devoured by the demonic army, leaving no survivors.
Closing her eyes briefly to compose herself, the nun reopened them and met Chris's gaze.
"I am Isabella de Kairuel, a Blessed Nun of the Holy Roman Empire."
The mention of the Holy Roman Empire startled Chris.
In the Prime Universe, the Roman Empire had long since fallen. Yet in this Universe 13, the nun still served under a "Holy Roman Empire."
Chris signaled for her to continue.
Isabella proceeded to explain,
"I am unfamiliar with your Human Empire. However, without your assistance, my comrades and I would not be here.
We were attacked by demons because we discovered the Hell Army mobilizing. From their scale and actions, it appears they intend to launch a full-scale war on humanity."
Chris caught the key term, Hell.
Although he was not an official of the Inquisition, his clearance allowed him access to knowledge about psykers, demons, and the Warp.
"Hell" might be how Universe 13's humans described the Warp—or it could refer to a unique demonic dimension within this universe.
Chris followed up with pointed questions about the founding of the Holy Roman Empire, the history of humanity in Universe 13, and the emergence of Hell.
Isabella provided concise explanations.
Universe 13's current timeline corresponded to September 2, 1914, in the Prime Universe.
Up until the Crusades, its history had largely mirrored that of the Prime Universe.
In 1096, the First Crusade, a church-led religious military campaign, began in Europe, aiming to reclaim Jerusalem from "infidels."
The Crusaders comprised a coalition of various factions.
By 1099, they successfully defeated the infidels and captured Jerusalem.
However, deep within the city's sacred temple, they discovered an artifact of immense allure—what Isabella described as a demonic relic from Hell.
Possessing the artifact corrupted the Crusaders, who had sworn allegiance to God and the Church.
The knights indulged in rampant debauchery and persecution, turning Jerusalem into a hellscape and inadvertently summoning Hell's attention.
By performing these acts of madness, they completed an unintentional sacrifice to Hell, opening a portal linking the city to the demonic dimension.
An onslaught of supernatural entities poured into the human world.
Outmatched by these nearly immortal beings, the Crusaders quickly retreated.
Jerusalem fell, becoming a forward base for Hell's invasion.
By 1101, in just three years, the demonic forces had consumed the Eastern Mediterranean and its coastlines.
The city of Antioch in Turkey became humanity's stronghold against Hell's armies.
Despite humanity's efforts, their resistance proved futile.
Slain soldiers were resurrected as Hell's pawns, prisoners were corrupted, and populations were enslaved.
Meanwhile, human resources—soldiers, supplies, and manpower—continued to dwindle.
Hearing Isabella's account, Chris grew somber.
The terms Hell, demons, Crusades, and Jerusalem were familiar but had starkly different connotations in the Prime Universe.
In Universe 13, however, the Crusades had escalated into an existential war between humans and Hell.
When Isabella fell silent, Chris asked,
"If humanity had no means to resist, Earth should have long since fallen to Hell. How have you endured?"
With a heavy sigh, Isabella replied,
"The Church sent twelve heavily armored Paladins to the battlefield, giving humanity its first glimmer of hope."
These Paladins, Isabella explained, were cloaked in holy radiance and claimed to have consumed the Flesh of Jesus, granting them immense power to vanquish demons and heretics alike.
Unfortunately, one Paladin fell in battle against a high-ranking demon.
His body was returned to the Vatican, but the Paladins' leadership enabled humanity to halt Hell's advance.
Moreover, under their guidance, humans learned to create super-soldiers by cloning and consuming sacred flesh.
Over the centuries, other saints emerged, guided by divine intervention, achieving miracles such as combating plagues and defeating demonic entities.
Chris interjected,
"Our technicians analyzed your samples and detected unexplained substances. Did you, too, consume sacred flesh?"
Isabella nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
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