MemoryI: The smell of death around us

Silence, finally silence, dead silence.
She almost died, his contractual partner who held his power in her hand.
Around Chrno there were only rocks, silent witnesses to the suffering of a tortured creature. Chrno's braid had come open, his long, black hair hanging tangled over his shoulders. His eyes were still red rimmed with tears.
Rosette's blood was on his shirt, her red human blood.
It hurt, the pain seemed to tear him apart.
His rosette.
Asmaria was still with her, hopefully she could heal her. The blood loss had been enormous, it was certainly not easy to close the numerous wounds.
She would pay for that.
The demon who did this to his rosette: SHOR.
By making about 30 people disappear, she had lured the two exorcists and Asmaria to England on their trail. So it had been her intention to act secretly and quietly so that the Order of the Magdala would send him off.The fallen devil and his partner.
She was the key to his downfall.
A cold anger flared up in Chrno. He wanted revenge; Revenge for rosette. If she died that would be the end of him too. He had to be careful not to lose his mind again and try to break the spell on his own.
If he did that now, the weakened nun would be guaranteed to die. He took the case in which Rosette's weapons were stowed on his shoulders and started walking.
Shor's trail behind.
She had planned carefully that she would take out the nun first so that Chrno could not use his power, and when he and his injured partner followed her to finish her assignment, the trap snapped shut.
He didn't want to take Rosette with him. It would have been stupid to expose them to this danger.
If she died, so would he, and they both knew it.
Chrno had already taken a few steps when a familiar voice rang out behind him:& # 8222; Chrno, wait for me !! & # 8220;
° rosette! °, it shot through his head.
He turned slowly and saw her and Asmaria running towards him. The two of them came to a stop in front of him, panting.
& # 8222; You ... stupid ... the ... IDIOT !! & # 8220; Groaned Rosette.
& # 8222; You ... cannot defeat them ... alone ...! & # 8220;
Chrno stared at her. Asmaria had taken good care of her wounds with her strength, you could only see a few scratches. Rosette was probably too impatient and not completely healed.
° Maybe she sensed what I was up to. °, thought Chrno.
& # 8222; Man Chrno, what are you waiting for? We have to go, otherwise we will never catch up with them !! & # 8220; called Rosette. Chrno should smile: she was really incredibly impatient. Somehow cute.
& # 8222; Y-yes, I'm coming! & # 8220;

Together the 3 went back to the car and drove east, the direction in which Shor had disappeared.Suddenly there was a strange cracking noise as the car drove over an obstacle that had been practically invisible because of the many bumps in the ground. Rosette stopped, jumped out of the car and screamed out loud when she realized what the obstacle was.
& # 8222; Help !! I ran over one !! Sister Kate is tearing my head off! & # 8220;
& # 8222; Don't worry. & # 8220; said Chrno in a calm voice.
& # 8222; That was already dead before. & # 8220;
He pointed to the head of the corpse, which Rosette hadn't got under the wheels of.
With the dead man's blood it was written on his face:
FIND ME.
& # 8222; We will too, damn demon !! & # 8220; Shouted Rosette, beside herself with anger.

On the way she had other corpses with malicious remarks or angry
found grinning smileys; Rosette was almost in the face of this insolence
mad with anger.
“I know where she could be.& # 8220; said Chrno at some point.
,,What?! Why don't you say that right away?!? & # 8220;
“That just occurred to me. Standing up & # 8220;
,, Stonehendge? & # 8220; Asmaria asked shyly.
“Do you mean these elongated stones that are in a circle? & # 8220;
,,Exactly! & # 8220;
"Why should she lure us to England because of the few stupid stones ?! & # 8220; countered
Rosette.
“Most people think that some druids built it as a kind of calendar;
people made up many strange stories about it. But in reality
Stonehendge is a junction. One of the few places from which you can switch between your and the demon world. & # 8220;
,, Waaaaassss ???? & # 8220; shouted Rosette.
& # 8222; Does she want to pull us into your world? & # 8220;
,,That is possible. & # 8220; he said calmly. From the small town of Dunford they drove to Stonehendge, about 3 km away.There she sat. The casualness with which she sat on one of the stones increased Rosette's anger immeasurably.
& # 8222; Hey Shor, we still have a chicken to pick! & # 8220;
& # 8222; I was wondering when you would finally show up. & # 8220;
She jumped off the stone and somehow Chrno wondered how she could sprinkle so elegantly in her long, purple dress. Shor brushed her eternally long, jet black hair from her face and grinned cheekily.
& # 8222; The trap closed! Fallen devil, you don't mean to tell me you didn't foresee this? & # 8220;
& # 8222; Sure I have. But Rosette and I have an assignment to fulfill. & # 8220;
& # 8222; Chrno, I'll open the spell! & # 8220; called Rosette.
A few seconds later he stood before her, the fallen devil who had lost his horns, Chrno in his true form.
& # 8222; That is really ridiculous!& # 8220; blasphemed Shor.
& # 8222; You submit to a person! No wonder a docile, tame pet like you has lost its horns! & # 8220;
Suddenly her hair grew longer than it already was; they shot at Chrno and wrapped him around him so he couldn't move.
Already she smiled triumphantly, but she had forgotten the skeletal scythe growing from the back of Chrno's neck.
& # 8222; I already know this attack from our last fight. Can't you think of anything else? & # 8220; asked Chrno, visibly bored, and with one blow tore the hair that held him captive.
Her face contorted with anger, Shor let go of her long black hair one more time. It pierced Chrno's skin, his flesh. He heard Rosette scream.
& # 8222; Chrno! & # 8220;
Blood spurted, the devil fell to his knees. His hand was where his chest had been pierced.Shor's hair snapped back, taking on its original length.
She laughed when she saw the blood running down some strands.
& # 8222; You monster !! & # 8220; shouted Rosette, while Asmaria just stood there mute and stared at Chrno in horror.
& # 8222; Pah, do you think that's enough to incapacitate me? & # 8220; said this only grimly, got up and raced towards Shor.
He shot a beam of energy from the palm of his hand that hit her full.
She was thrown back a few meters and landed in a pile of stone pebbles, which she completely shattered.
& # 8222; DIRTY BASTARD !! & # 8220; she screeched angrily and again Chrno saw strands of black hair flying towards her at top speed.
He dodged two to the left, and another brushed his arm.
& # 8222; You won't get me down like that. & # 8220; he called.
& # 8222; I didn't plan to. & # 8220; she said with a malicious grin.At that moment a horrific suspicion struck him, which was immediately confirmed when he turned around. He saw the strands that hadn't hit him snap toward Rosette instead; rather, on the pocket watch she wore around her neck.
Rosette screamed.
The clock broke.
The shards tore her habit and scratched her skin.
& # 8222; Rosetteeeee !!!! & # 8220; roared Chrno in shock, while Asmaria knelt down next to her and wiped the blood from her forehead.
& # 8222; Ouch ... & # 8220; groaned the little nun and tried to get up again with difficulty.
& # 8222; Chrno ... not ... & # 8220;

He was not 3 meters in front of her. She only saw him from behind, but she knew that it was all too late now. No asking and no command would be of any use now, because he was on the verge of completely losing his mind.
& # 8222; Chrno ... rosette, what about him? & # 8220;
Rosette leaned on Asmaria's shoulder.& # 8222; The spell is broken. I can no longer control his powers, he's going crazy! & # 8220;