I do not own "Youjo Senki" or "The Girl Who Ate a Death God"
Chapter 1
The Devil and the Death God
The Empire
Tanya couldn't believe the gall of that so-called god. Throwing her into another world and making her struggle to survive, that was the judgement of the Almighty? She got rid of an insufficient gear that was holding the entire human machine back. How was that an affront to a supposed omnipotent being? The man clearly abused company time and hurt quarterly profits, while at the same time behaving less of an exemplary employee and more of a slothful slacker. Taking more than giving, thereby a free rider, a problem that should be globally obliterated. If anything, Tanya should have been rewarded, praised at least. That was how capitalism worked, after all. But no, because of the "inhumane" and "unethical" inflections of her decision, she was here now.
In a mangy and decrepit orphanage. With brats that always fought and screamed and cried and bothered her. With not enough food to even constitute two filling meals a day. With all those environmental disadvantages however, Tanya could put up with. The one thing though, the one detail that pushed her too far: The orphanage was owned by the church. So as it was under the ownership of a religious organization, the children were being trained for devout worship to a spiritual diety. This could not have been a mere coincidence, not when the very thing being worshipped was the same as the one that put her in this hellhole. Even moreso when she was forced to do the demeaning grovelings and praisings. That bastard was mocking her!
But as Tanya cooled down from the indignation of having to pray to such a sadistic entity, she gathered the fiery emotions and cooled it into a resolute plan. A plan that was molded and refined with logic, until it became the final product of being a sufficient goal. Tanya was going to live and thrive in this world, just like before, with nothing but her wits and self-motivation. Creating and using connections, spending treasure and mental energy, forming meticulous schemes and executing them efficiently. All ultimately for her great desire of a peaceful and sustainable retirement.
But before all that could happen, she had to first find allies. People who she could fully trust to be extrinsically motivated enough to carry out her designs. Individuals that could be subvertly manipulated to her own ends. They must rely on her, but be not so incapable as to be mistaken for wingless birds.
And surprisingly, she found potential for one almost immediately. Out of the disgusting dogpile of dirty children in that despicable facility, Tanya discovered Schera, whose name was rather odd when given thought. A diminutive girl that was both scrawny and short (just like Tanya), yet the sparse similarities ended there. Schera had uncommon black eyes and brown hair, uncommon because of the continental region they resided in. If Tanya had to make an educated and realistic guess off eye and hair color, the orphan most closely resembled Southern Europeans or the Middle Easterners. But the most shocking thing was that Schera had asiatic features, peoples that were rarely seen in Northern Europe during this period. Maybe her parents were merchants that got lost? A stowaway child on a ship? Eh, in the end, it wasn't worth the spent energy.
The few times Tanya saw the girl, Schera could be occasionally observed snacking on something.... things that were not usually consumed by civilized individuals. Whether it were bugs, leaves, or grass, the orphan held no inhibitions about putting them in her body. Regarding the primitive food choices, Tanya just attributed them to a dumb child acting foolish and unsanitary as they usually did, and went back to plotting. That would not be the last of Schera lingering in her mind however.
Indeed, the thing that had drawn Tanya's complete attention had to be when Schera's food was taken from her. Now as was mentioned before, the orphanage barely had enough food for filling meals, nevermind sustenance needed for tens of children. So in the habit of childish or perhaps primal behavior (maybe both?), the orphans stole food from eachother. Tanya was no exception to this and was a common victim of the infringement. The nuns couldn't deal with everyone however, so they ignored the thievings most of the time.
When Schera had her piece of bread stolen, something that was really just a lump of crumbs held together by moisture, she froze for a staggering minute. After the pause, the orphan locked onto the thief and then tackled him. The boy let out a yelp, one that was more of shock than actual injury, and looked up at the hovering girl, most likely to confront her. But he was seen first, by a dark, empty gaze matched with a paradoxical hungry smile from ear to ear. The words she spoke were too soft for Tanya to hear, but judging by the subsequent terror on the boy's face and desperate attempt to escape, they must have been effective.
The boy tried and tried to run, to crawl away by furiously scraping his fingernails against the scuffed hardwood floor whilst hyperventilating, but failed as Schera had both calmly and effortlessly planted her arms on his, effectively trapping him. While he futilely grasped for ground, Schera was beginning to focus on a certain part of his upper body. Just as Tanya wondered in sick curiosity what she would do, Schera answered her silent question by unhinging her mouth and colliding it with the side of the boy's throat.
The thief-turned-victim let out a shrill wail that spoke of immeasureable pain and fear that his attacker inflicted upon him. The nuns instantly reacted to the cry and began pulling Schera off the orphan boy, struggling for several attempts before finding success in the fourth try. Tanya took a look at the boy to see how much damage he had taken, and was both repulsed and fascinated to find that there were moderate flesh injuries and pulsing trickles of blood. The boy would definitely live, only needing antisceptic and bandages for the wound and antibiotics for infection if there were any.
After the... disproportionate counterattack, the nuns dragged the savage into the hallway and gave a harsh and loud admonishment. Though, it was quite hard for them to give it sternly as they had fear written in both body and voice. The creature for her part looked like she was half reminiscing and half bored during the scolding. The sisters mentioned ideas like forgiveness and nonviolence, things that the girl was apathetic towards, as was clearly shown by the example minutes before. What Tanya found interesting were the stains of blood and dare she say, bits of flesh around Schera's mouth. More specifically, what she did with them, as she would take a small sample every so often to... stave the boredom? Every instance made the nuns hesitate in continuing, ending in a weak final rebuke and order to perform labor in the cold outdoors as an initial punishment of many. The child then calmly walked towards the entrance of the orphanage.
And so Tanya followed Schera, through the weathered and hollow hallway, past the clattering casements, and out of the flimsy foyer; into the chilly environment showing signs of a coming storm.
But Tanya didn't simply observe the entire time, no, she was actually forming a plan on how to ally with the girl. But why? Well, what she saw in the little girl was an answer to one of many annoyances. A possible deterent to all the grubby children that Tanya loathed to be around, who could be repelled if both association and rationale with Schera could be reached. Her motivation for such a task could be readily met with surplus sustinence: payment for a service. Basic economics that was as old as time. A simply wonderful deal that only required the little monster's adherance and food.
A monster in the form of a little girl? There was deja vu felt from that phrase, which Tanya quickly brushed off in favor of concentration.
The two walk until Schera finally stops at the knarled oak tree littered with crude engravings on its warped bark. Her back faces Tanya, who wondered why they stopped specifically here.
"Why do you follow me?" The sun no longer peaks around the dense clouds.
It's intriguing that Schera holds no suspicions, only curiosity.
"I witnessed what you did to the boy." Tanya states.
Schera pulls out an apple from seemingly nowhere as she questions, "So?"
"It seemed like an overly aggressive response to light thievery."
Schera's mood immediately plummets. "He took my food," she blankly states. The sky flashes both lightning and thunder.
"And interrupted my meal. The thing I absolutely HATE the most is being interrupted while eating." Her voice remains deceptively neutral.
Reaffirming Tanya's conclusion, "Judging by your actions and habits, could I safely assume that your main priority is nourishment?" It made the most sense.
"Yes, why? Do you have food?" Schera's enthusiasm for sustinance is astounding.
"Not at the moment, however what I have to offer may be of an equal value."
"What is it?"
"I propose a symbiotic relationship based on fair exchanges."
A slight look of confusion appears on Schera's face.
"...Excuse me? I couldn't understand your words."
Aagh, things go right for one second and the next I start using a higher level of vocabulary. What was next?
"What I meant was that we give eachother things that we both think are of the same worth. Eye for an eye?"
"Hmmm... ah, you mean like a trade."
Yes, but the word was too impersonal. "Well, I suppose that is correct, but I prefer the term... friends. So how about it?"
Schera took a few moments to decide. "Sure, but you have to tell me your name first," Schera replied.
I jinxed myself! Was I already forgetting basic manners?! Of formal greetings!? Damn that Being X for making me go soft!
"Ah sorry, how impolite of me. Very well; my name is Tanya Degurechaff. And may I ask for yours?"
Even though Tanya already knew of hers, it would be rude not to ask. She was not so confident of this mutual agreement as to forget civility again.
"My name..."
Schera spins around on the ball of her right foot, still holding the apple in her hand. She wears a smile and matches Tanya's gaze with her own, both ominous features seen recently.
"Is Schera Zade." She repeats a familiar lunging motion on the apple. The fruit juices drip off her fingers and chin. This was the beginning of an unholy union.
It begins to rain.
Author's Note
Had this idea for a story going on in my head for a while. Was kinda influenced by ThatOneGuy747's "Twin Devils" about an emotionless OC that reincarnated with Tanya. There are other stories about Tanya being reincarnated or working with an OC, but few to me felt... right? "Twin Devils" gave another perspective of what kind of person could be partnered with Tanya and that gave me an idea some time later. After finshing another YS fanfic, I was thinking how a sort of antithesis character could work with someone of Tanya's character. The novel that is being crossed over is called "The Girl Who Ate a Death God" by Nanasawa Matari. A story, which heavily simplified, is about a girl named Schera who is soldier called the Death God that mostly cares about eating and defending her kingdom. Then that gave me another idea. For those who read it and didn't, Schera in the novel eventually leads some troops called the Death Cavalry. And for those who have some knowledge about WH40k and the time period of Youjo Senki... well come on. WW1-2 aesthetic, Death Cavalry, a nuclear devastated world... it was almost too easy. Of course, only aesthetic and attitude towards battle of alluded people applied, no forces of Chaos or Orks or anything will be crossed over.
For those who know YS and/or TGWADG well, were Tanya and Schera according to their characters or were they out of it?
Schera was not genderbent or supeficially changed because of her situation that resulted being reincarnated.
Also, I most likely won't be consistently updating this story, so anyone who wants to can pick this up.
Anyway, thanks for reading and ideas are welcome.
-dtykyd
