Ｓｐｒｅａｄｉｎｇ░Ｆａｉｔｈ (Faith x KNY)

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 (2)

New York, United States of America

May 12, 1912

West of New York

John and Father Garcia left in a hurry. Once they finished cleaning up the church after the Thursday service, they immediately packed their bags with spare clothes and a few weapons. However, it was more of Father Garcia who packed the most firepower. Not only did he bring his crucifix, but he also brought his Winchester shotgun. John became worried that the shotgun would attract unwanted attention from any nearby spectators once they were traveling outside of New York to San Francisco. So to reassure him, Garcia wrapped the gun with a blanket before storing it in the back of his horse.

The route they were taking was called the "Overland Route." or simply put, the Union Pacific Railroad. Unfortunately, the Vatican didn't provide them with any sort of motor transportation, so the next best thing was horses; as Father Garcia put it, "Horses are the same as cars, John." John didn't question the logic, so he went with it. Their first stop was Chicago, where they would leave the horses and board the train to Kansas City. Then after switching between lanes, they would reach San Francisco eventually. It would take 80 hours in total to get to the San Francisco Port, where they would board a ship that would take them straight to Japan, which would cost them an additional 40 hours worth of traveling.

During the horse ride to Chicago, John asked Father Garcia multiple questions that pertained to Japan. It was here that Father Garcia revealed to John that he had been to Japan a total of 2 times. "You've been there?" John asked. "Yes, I was there to visit a few people, and during that time, I got accustomed to their culture and language, although I still had a lot to learn." He said as John looked at him skeptically. "Did you run into the demons the Vatican was talking about when they gave us this assignment?" John asked. If Father Garcia had been to Japan, surely he would've encountered the so-called demons; however, John wasn't expecting Father Garcia to deny his theory. "No, I was in Osaka at the time, not Tokyo. And as far as I knew, I didn't hear a single person talk about the presence of Demons."

John thought about it for a moment. "If the demons were such a threat, then why is it just Tokyo affected by the demons?" John asked again. "I don't know, John. The only thing I can think of is that the demons prefer not to have a bigger presence in Japan than they already have in Tokyo." Father Garcia concluded. What followed was a silent night of traveling to Chicago. Once they ditched the horses and boarded the train to Kansas City, both John and Father Garcia discussed the details of the assignment from the dossier they were given from the Vatican. As John read the notes from a document that talked about the Demon Slayer Corp., he noticed the strategies that the demon slayers used to fight off their enemies. "Father, do you know anything about Breathing Styles?" John asked him, to which Father Garcia nodded a no before John explained it to him. "From what I'm reading here, it says the demon slayers use breathing styles to decapitate the heads off of their enemies to effectively and permanently kill demons."

"Is that what they use? Why not just use a gun?" Garcia lazily said. "They don't use guns because they've already tried, and it didn't work. The only material capable of penetrating a demon's skin is a weapon they call a "Nichirin Sword." Father Garcia immediately picked up on the name and translated it as, "Sun blade." Garcia interrupted as John continued explaining. "It says here the blade is made out of a special type of ore that can absorb sunlight. Since sunlight is the weakness of these demons, they forge these blades to make sure their wounds don't heal, as opposed to using a sword made out of steel or iron, in which they would instantly heal any damage they've taken." John finished as he placed the paper back in the dossier and moved on to the next one. "Do you think they'll give us a sword as well?" John asked Garcia in a joking manner. "It's possible, but I doubt I'd be skilled enough to use one; I mean, look at me, John, estoy envejeciendo día a día." Garcia laughed as John laughed with him, although his smile disappeared after a few short seconds; upon noticing John's sudden change in mood, Garcia piped up a follow-up question. "John, are you scared?" Garcia asked John in a serious tone.

John looked out of the train car for a brief moment before looking into Garcia's eyes, which were staring right back at him. "What makes you say that?" John replied as he crossed his arms. "You've been asking a lot of questions ever since the beginning of our trip. Seems like you're worrying about the assignment." Garcia said in a straight tone; however, John's gaze didn't waver as he shot back, "Shouldn't I be worried? Think about it, were being sent on a mission in which our experience as priests will likely not apply to the enemies that were bound to face, and the Vatican expects us to adapt as fast as we can before we die." Father Garcia frowned at John's perspective. "John, even if we were stacked with immeasurable odds, it's our duty to push past those difficulties to accomplish the mission, regardless if we were outmatched in any way. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Garcia finished as he crossed his arms, waiting for an answer.

Even though John felt conflicted with the mission they were given, Garcia was right. The war against the Unspeakable proved Garcia's point as they both needed to adapt to the ever-growing threat of their forces becoming more powerful due to hell's influence on the cult, and the same thing applied here. "At least we're helping with foreign relations. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the Emperor banish Christian missionaries in Japan?" John jokingly asked as he smiled again; Father Garcia laughed as he recounted the events that led up to the banishment of Christians in Japan. The rest of the trip to San Francisco was uneventful. However, John and Father Garcia both admired each town they passed through.

When they arrived in San Francisco Bay, they boarded a ship named the SS "Whiteflower." which not only carried American immigrants who were moving to Japan but it also carried Japanese-Americans who wanted to visit their homes in Japan. During the final stretch of the journey, John felt a sense of comfort before the real mission began, then he felt the sudden urge to pray to god. John reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper that had many verses from the bible he held dear to himself. He scanned through the paper, looking for the right one before settling on one that talked about fear. "Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." He said the verse in his head as he motioned his hand in a cross pattern. He repeated that same phrase, "Do not be afraid."

John knew that if he kept repeating that phrase; eventually, the fear of the mission would dissipate in his mind, and he would no longer have to fear the doubt that plagued him. Still, even though the thought lingered, it helped him keep his mind steady. For now, at least.