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covered in soft, white fur and sported a pad in the middle of its palm. If Kaito was allowed to be completely blunt, it was squishy, and felt kind of nice. "How do you find it?" Vyade gave a small laugh. Taken wholly aback, Kaito raised his face. His gaze was met with a beautiful pair of blue eyes. Vyade showed him a warm smile. "Ah, you finally looked me in the eyes. I really must thank you, you know. You fought for the sake of our people, not even hesitating to receive wounds. And as for you..." Suddenly, she cast her gaze to his side. As she did, Kaito received a shock. Hina was watching Vyade grasp his hand, and the look in her eyes was terrifying. Kaito broke out into a cold sweat. But Vyade just gave a small chuckle, before reaching out her other hand toward Hina. Then she caressed Hina's cheek as one would to comfort a child. "I must thank you as well, Madam Hina. Your efforts were indispensable." "I—I am my beloved Master Kaito's maid! It was all Master Kaito's doing, so...I am undeserving of your kind words." "Hmhm. Now that the two of you have been kind enough to look at me, let us speak of what is to come." Vyade lightly rose to her feet. Then, with the springy footsteps of a young girl, she returned to the throne. But as soon as she reassumed her rightful seat, she swathed herself once more in majesty and dignity. As he watched her, Kaito found himself dumbfounded. Vyade was a wolfwoman who gave off a strange impression. She seemed like both a teenage girl and a woman over a century old. Humans had difficulty gauging beastfolk's ages in general, but hers was even more of an enigma. Then she looked down on them with gravitas befitting the second imperial princess of the Forest King. "We've carefully removed those sheets of metal from within the block of ice and run some tests on them. However, at the moment, our technology is proving insufficient to determine much, other than the fact that their material seems impossible to reproduce. I find it unlikely that we'll derive much useful information from the remaining specimens going forward, either. And we still have no guarantee that only one of those things exists." "Yeah, I thought of that, too. Even if it can change its form, there's no way it committed all those massacres single-handedly." "Consequently, I wish to ask for your continued sojourn and cooperation until we can definitively state that we've put a stop to the massacres. We need to determine that thing's true nature and, if it has one, who its master is." Upon hearing what Vyade had to say, Kaito narrowed his eyes. That was no doubt the reason she'd used such innocent-seeming methods to demonstrate her affection for them. She'd been very intentionally trying to get Kaito and Hina to feel a bond toward the beastfolk. Depending on what master that thing serves, it might even have intended to start a war between these guys and the humans. After a few seconds of deliberation, Kaito chose his words carefully. "You know, I really do think that thing came from a demon." The Kaiser had declared it had nothing to do with demons. But Kaito was intentionally keeping that fact to himself. He'd decided he needed to do whatever he could to prevent a war from breaking out. Although it seemed she'd guessed at his true intentions, Vyade replied with a calm nod. "No matter what race they originally hail from, a demon's contractor is an enemy of all who live in this world. If our foe truly is a new contractor, we'll need to send notice to the human side as well. Truly, we need to find out what that thing was, and quickly. You yourself may be a contractor as well, but your soul is a proud one. For lending us aid yet harming none, Sir Kaito, you are a great friend to us indeed. We would ask that you continue lending us your strength going forward; what do you say?" Vyade smiled, as though to encourage a favorable response. While it was unclear if the smile itself was genuine or not, the confidence and trust it contained clearly were. Kaito nodded. Genuine or not, his choice was the same. It was all too clear what he needed to do. "I'll stop the killings and find out who our enemy really is. And until we're done, I'll give you all the help you need." "You have our gratitude. For now, that will be more than enough. Once we're finished, depending on how things end, we can negotiate from there. But as for today, I'm sure you're tired. Fia, would you show them the way?" A rabbit-headed lady-in-waiting standing nearby nodded. Her ears flopped as she bowed to Kaito and Hina, after which she gestured for them to stand. The two of them gave Vyade deep bows, then followed after Fia. The imperial princess's soft voice called out to them from behind. "I hope you two will believe in me, Sir Kaito and Madam Hina, when I say I wish for us to be close friends. And we wish to remain good neighbors to the humans as well. That is precisely why we must quell this distressing situation." "Don't worry, Your Highness. We believe you." Kaito gave a courteous response. And in truth, he suspected that everything she'd said had been true. As Fia led them through the building, Kaito thought back to what Lute had told him. Apparently, the second imperial princess was a calm, levelheaded individual. That was in stark contrast to the first imperial princess and third imperial prince, both of whom were allegedly hot-blooded and fixated on expanding the beastfolk territories. Vyade, the second imperial princess, hadn't informed the two of the killings. That was precisely the reason why she'd needed to call in Kaito, a third party, to act as her pawn. The fact of the matter was, she had made stopping the massacres her top priority. In other words, her desire to avoid war was genuine. She had no desire to send the beastfolk to ruin, nor to see the forest desecrated. And Kaito felt the same way. He didn't want to see anyone have to get hurt or suffer. Deus Ex Machina. In order to achieve that, he needed to find out that thing's true nature as quickly as possible. What was the killer secretly hoping to achieve? Or what were they trying to start? "Hey, Kaiser... Kaiser, can you hear me?" After the lady-in-waiting led them to their guest room, Kaito called out to his demon as he sat atop the bed. However, there was no reply. The Kaiser was proud, and fickle to boot. Because Kaito had repeatedly called on him for matters of little importance in recent memory, he seemed to have chosen to completely obscure his form. Kaito probably wouldn't be able to ask him about Deus Ex Machina until the following day, at the earliest. "Seriously, why do you have to be such a pain in the ass?" Undeterred, Kaito tried to play on the Kaiser's emotions. Even so, there was no reply. It would appear the Kaiser had completely blocked out his master's voice. The jewel in Kaito's pocket containing Vlad's soul rattled around, as though expressing its amusement. But Kaito had no business with Vlad, so he completely ignored him in turn. "Dammit, why now?" Sighing, Kaito adjusted his seat on the bed. Then the door to the room opened, and Hina stuck her head in. "How did it go, Master Kaito? Any response?" "Nah, nothing. Doesn't look like he's planning on chatting today." Then Kaito gasped. Hina tilted her head as she stood before him. Her damp silver hair rustled. "Is something the matter?" Her outfit was a complete one-eighty from her usual maid uniform. Before settling down in the guest room, Hina had decided to take a bath. She was an automaton, so she didn't normally need to take baths, but the lady-in-waiting had offered her one anyway, suggesting it might be nice to wipe the dirt from her body and use some of their scented oils. Kaito had been in favor as well, so she'd been away from the room until her return moments ago. Currently, her supple white skin was dressed in a thin, floral-patterned negligee. The exotic garment's soft hem fluttered as Hina did a little twirl. "Ah, did I catch you by surprise? My maid outfit had gotten a bit dirty, so they were kind enough to let me borrow this. Is it unseemly, do you think?" "You're so pretty." "Wh—?!" "Ah, sorry. Err, I mean, I'm not sorry. It just kinda slipped out." Kaito pressed down on his quickly reddening face. Hina blinked rapidly. A moment later, her cheeks went bright red as well. She began bashfully fidgeting as she tripped over her words. "M-Master Kaito, y-you really mustn't attack me b-by surprise like that. It's really quite unfair." "I mean, I wasn't trying to attack you by surprise or anything. One minute I was thinking it, and before I knew it, I was saying it." "That's what'sh sho unfair about it... Now I can'p even talg write... Ohhhhh, how embarrashing." Hina crouched and balled herself up like a pill bug. Kaito watched her, finding it adorable. Eventually, after burying her head all the way down in her arms for some reason, Hina whispered softly. ".....................................................................I'm so happy that I could die." "No, wait, don't do that. I'd really rather you kept on liv...ing..." It was at that moment that Kaito realized the important dilemma the two of them were now in. He frantically cast his gaze around the room. Much like the other rooms, the guest room's stone walls were adorned with vegetation. In fact, beastfolk held nature in such regard that they didn't normally build buildings out of stone at all. But due to the climate and their use of fire, they'd searched for an appropriate material and eventually settled on a unique strategy of mixing stone with various other materials. The room they were occupying was simply another one of the fruits of that technique. Its windows were large and arranged so as to allow as much sunlight in as possible. At the moment, though, it was covered by the largest pelt Kaito had ever seen. It looked like it was designed to be rolled up when the weather was nice. A mattress stuffed with hay was placed atop the wooden bed, as were a number of blankets. All of them, along with the carpet on the floors, were decorated with intricate embroidery. And on top of all that, the room was impressively spacious. It would no doubt have been a pleasant place to while away the hours. However, it had an important problem to it as well. Th-there's only one bed. In other words, at this rate, Kaito and Hina would end up sleeping together. In his mind, Kaito could imagine Lute giving a hearty laugh. Upon hearing they were married, Lute had probably thought it the tactful thing to do. But his good deed had, in fact, been gravely unnecessary. Kaito and Hina had slept in the same bed once before. But now that they'd confirmed their feelings for each other, he doubted it'd end at just that, nor did he have faith in his ability to stop there. At a loss for what to do, Kaito looked around the room again. Luckily, the carpet was thick. If he snagged one of the blankets off the bed, it would be more than comfortable enough to sleep on. Nice! I can just sleep on the floor, and then we're all good! As Kaito clenched his fists, having made his decision, though, he noticed something. That's...huh? He'd finally noticed that Hina was |
acting strangely. She'd stood up at some point and was staring a hole into the bed while deep in thought. "Hina, what's the matter?" "Well, Master Kaito..." "Hmm?" "We are married, you know." Kaito broke into a violent coughing fit. He certainly wasn't dense enough to miss what she was implying. Flustered, he opened his mouth, then thought twice and closed it tight. Insecurity was welling up in Hina's big green eyes. Her gaze was imploring, and hopelessly forlorn. Kaito narrowed his gaze a smidge, then thought back to the earnest words Hina had once said to him. "I wish...to become a family with you...Master Kaito." She'd broken her body on his behalf, even going so far as to lose her arms and legs, and that had been the one wish she'd made of him. And his teary reply had been thus: "You've always been... The moment we met, you became my companion, right?" And that was how, at the end of that battle, after making the insane choice he had, Kaito Sena had finally found a family. "Master Kaito, if you don't find it objectionable... I think it would be an appropriate time to, you know..." Hina gripped her clothes tightly as she spoke. Her voice trembled as she went on. "...Do you...not want to?" Then her nervousness finally surpassed her limits, and her cheeks flushed the reddest they had yet. Completely losing her usual assertiveness, she shook her head in a panic. "I—I apologize for being so forward! I will take the floor, so please forget I said—" "Hina!" Kaito abruptly grabbed her slender wrists. Her expression turned to one of shock. Although he was on the verge of insisting on sleeping on the floor himself, Kaito shut his mouth. That wasn't it. No! That's not what I'm supposed to say here! Silently, the two of them stared at each other. Her eyes were as moist as a puppy's. About to reflexively look away, Kaito resisted the urge and opened his mouth. But at the last moment, he couldn't get the words out. Hina gently hung her head. When she did, though, Kaito silently pulled her toward himself. Then he hugged her tight. "M-Master Kaito?" Hina's voice was shrill. As he listened to it, Kaito felt his vision blur. The palpitations of his heart and the sounds of Hina's gears were deafening. For a moment, he was concerned the two of them were both just going to drop dead like that. But then Hina returned his hug, squeezing so hard that she was practically hanging on to him, and he knew he'd made the right choice. She's right. We are married. In sickness and in health, no matter what dangers befell them. Until death did them part, Kaito and Hina planned to stay together. "Hina, I'm never gonna let go of you again. That way, we'll never be apart." "Master Kaito, I'm undeserving of such blessed words. I'm so, so very happy right now. I feel like I'm in a dream." "So, I'll, uh...um... I wonder what I'm supposed to say now." "Give it your best try, Master Kaito!" "I'm trying! I am! So, I'll, uh... You know, after this, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I promise to take good care of you! So..." Then Kaito extended out his arms and suddenly let go of Hina. She was a good bit taller than he, and as he looked up at her face, he saw her waiting for him to finish with a serious expression on her face. Kaito inhaled, exhaled, and upon getting his breathing in order, posed his question. "Tonight, would you be interested in becoming one, together, as a couple?" "Yes! Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" His tension had caused his wording to come out affected and overly formal. Hearing it, Hina nodded so fast that her head bobbed up and down, and a smile spread across her face like a flower opening its petals. The bed creaked. Hina had lain down in front of Kaito, her cheeks tinged scarlet. As he sat beside her silver hair, he gently placed his hands on the bed. It creaked again. While all she was likely doing was automatically mimicking human breathing, Hina's large breasts heaved up and down beneath her thin negligee as though to demonstrate how tense and excited she was. Kaito swallowed. But then he quickly lifted his arms and adjusted his posture. Still horizontal, Hina blinked repeatedly. "Master Kaito, if I may, why are you sitting with your legs folded underneath you?" "Oh, it's just that my old man and his mistresses would always just go at it like dogs in heat. I figured it'd be better to say something before we get started, so I wanted to sit more formally in seiza." "Say-za? How interesting! I'll do that, too!" Hina bounced to her feet, then knelt the same way Kaito was. The two of them were sitting facing each other. Both of their expressions were meek, but then, at the same time, they both burst into laughter. After the two of them finished giggling together, Kaito placed his hands flat on the bed in front of him and gave Hina a deep bow. She followed his lead. "Then, with that, please take good care of me. Thank you? No, that sounds kinda weird. Here I come? No, no, no, wait, that one doesn't count! Uh... I promise to take good care of you!" "Please, come at me all you wish! Until the day my steel heart stops beating, I, too, wish to spend my life with you, to protect you, and to eventually break by your side. But until then, I hope we spend many long years together." The two of them lifted their heads at the same time. As evidenced by the continued reddening of their cheeks, both of them felt somewhat embarrassed. Then Hina averted her gaze for just a moment. Kaito tilted his head to the side, wondering what was wrong this time. Rather hesitatingly, she posed a question to him. "The thing is... I'd thought it best to ask you beforehand, but please, you must promise to try not to take offense." "Hey, what's the matter?" "Would it be preferable if I were to act bashfully? Or would it be acceptable for me to act somewhat vulgarly?" "Khak!" Kaito found himself having another coughing fit. He heaved as air forced its way out of his lungs. Hina reached an arm out to him in concern. With one hand, she gently stroked his back. Thanks to that, he managed to settle down. Upon sensing that fact, Hina slid her pale hand up to the nape of Kaito's neck. Her slender fingers tickled, sending a shiver down Kaito's spine. "Hi...na..." "Master Kaito." Then she shifted her weight backward and fell once more horizontally atop the bed. Spontaneously, Kaito ended up falling on top of her. Bashful as she was, a seductive smile spread across Hina's face. Her abundant breasts were pressing softly against the bottom part of Kaito's body. The sensation was warm, and they felt as though they'd melt between his fingers if he grasped them. Whoa. Kaito suddenly felt a violent spell of dizziness come on. Bringing her face close to his ears, Hina exhaled and gave a sweet whisper. "Please, Master Kaito, kiss me." "S-sure." As she'd requested, he laid his lips atop hers. Hina timidly surrendered her tongue. As their lips gingerly became acquainted with each other, Kaito clumsily followed her lead. Immediately, Hina's tongue movements became much more confident. Lascivious sounds filled the air, and the moment seemed to last an eternity. Eventually, Kaito withdrew his lips from hers. After taking a breath, he whispered. "I...I feel all dizzy, and giddy, and it's hard to breathe, and it feels like my head's gonna explode." "Hee-hee, how adorable." "If anything, you're the cute one. By the way, Hina. You don't have to worry about stuff like making sure you do it right, or about adapting to my tastes. I doubt I'm gonna be doing much of a great job, after all. As long as you do what feels natural, then I'm happy... Hey. What's that grin for?" Hina was giving a slight chuckle. On reflex, Kaito replied with a petulant frown. Hina stuck out a finger and poked Kaito affectionately on the nose. "I can't help it. It makes me so happy to see how kind you are, even in the bedroom." "I...I see." "There is one thing, though." "What?" To that, Hina replied by raising her face and nuzzled Kaito's nose with hers like a puppy. Then, like a small bird, she planted light kisses all over his face. Finally, she turned toward him once more. The smile she showed him was warm and blissful, and the voice she whispered to him in oozed like sweet honey. "I'm so very happy that doing 'what feels natural' is bound to be rather immodest." Kaito's face flushed scarlet. He tried to say something, but Hina stole his lips away with hers. After sharing a long kiss, they drew their faces apart. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other. "Master Kaito, I love you so much." "I love you, too, Hina." Then, as if they couldn't help themselves, they pressed their lips together again and again. The bed quaked. And then came the sound of rustling clothes. 4 The Golden Torture Princess "...............................................................Oy. Butcher." "What do you require, Madam Elisabeth? Your voice sounds ever so threatening." "I know not why, but I feel a pressing urge to give a toast, strike a wall, and kick a certain someone from a certain somewhere so hard that they fall on their behind. 'Tis a warm feeling that strikes me, yet a brutal one." "Ah, what a coincidence. For some reason, I feel much the same way." The response the Butcher gave Elisabeth was slovenly. As always, the two of them were in the Torture Princess's bedroom. The forcibly built bonfire had long since burned out and turned to ash. In its place, the room was strewn with bones, plates, and empty bottles of wine. It was the remnants of a feast, to be sure. The room's condition was honestly quite dreadful. And in the middle of that disastrous scene, Elisabeth was lying atop the bed, and the Butcher was on the floor. Both of them were sprawled out and staring vacantly at the ceiling. Abruptly, though, Elisabeth came to a sudden realization and spoke with a serious expression. "Hold it. Could this strange feeling perhaps have been brought about by the fact that we've been gorging ourselves on peculiar meats?" "Hmm, I get the distinct impression that false accusations are falling upon me out of the blue." "And on that note, why were all the goods you came stocked with so ridiculous?" "How dare you! The rare slime-steak was surprisingly edible, wasn't it?!" Unable to move due to his overeating, the Butcher flapped his arms back and forth in protest. Elisabeth sullenly refused to answer, and the room returned to silence. All of a sudden, though, she sprang into motion. With a "Heave, ho!" Elisabeth gathered strength in her abdominal muscles and sat upright. Once she had, she whipped her neck back and forth. "Earlier, I realized this is no time to be relieved, and no time to be sleeping. That said, the fact remains that a human cannot just merrily waltz into beastfolk lands." Elisabeth crossed her arms, deep in thought. While she had resolve aplenty, the situation still hadn't changed. Unless they were invited by one of the beastfolk, it would violate the treaty for a human to enter the pureblood sector. And ever since news had spread about the Church's plans to burn her at the stake, the Torture Princess's misdeeds had become well known over an even greater area. It would be no laughing matter if |
she ended up being the catalyst for war. Knowing all that full well, Elisabeth frowned. As he rubbed his round belly, the Butcher offered his two cents. "If that's the case, then might I suggest taking this time to deal with any matters you've been putting off? I daresay your demon hunt kept you rather busy, after all." "Nonsense. I've no matters I've been—" Then Elisabeth's eyes gently widened, and she casually unwound her crossed arms. Clearly having thought of something, Elisabeth gnawed on her lips. Then, upon closing her eyes, she gave herself to her thoughts. Eventually, she opened her eyes back up. When she did, she leaped off the bed with great vigor. "It seems you have a point. I do, in fact, have something I've been putting off. I'm leaving." "Okaaaay, have fuuuuun!" Completely carefree, the Butcher gently waved her good-bye. The Torture Princess's silken black hair fluttered as she strode past the lounging man. When she opened the door, she did so with great force. Moving only his neck, the Butcher saw her off. Having left the door open, she soon receded down the hallway. Eventually, the Butcher let out a soft murmur. "Even in your short lives, people have a surprisingly great many things they must do, Madam Elisabeth, and many things they find themselves regretting if they fail to do so. One never knows how long this world will be around, after all." With the Butcher alone in the bedroom, silence quickly descended. But before long, he let out a loud belch. The following morning marked a blissful, tranquil, languid, sweet beginning. However, it was also hurried, and somewhat embarrassing. Kaito and Hina woke at the same time, as happy as could be. With nothing but the blankets covering their naked bodies, they turned to look at each other. Kaito was at a bit of a loss for what best to say. His heart was full to the brim, and he doubted his ability to hold a normal conversation. Hina seemed to be in the same predicament. It was unclear who was supposed to go first, but after wavering for a moment, the two of them decided to exchange their usual greetings. "Morning, Hina." "A lovely morning to you, Master Kaito." A perfectly charming smile spread across Hina's face. Not realizing he was doing so, Kaito replied in kind with his own. With that, the two of them gently pressed their foreheads together, causing their bangs to brush against the other's skin. It was ticklish, and the two of them laughed like children. Right when they were about to exchange kisses, though, they were brusquely interrupted. Without warning, the door burst open. "Ah, what a splendid day it is! I bid you good morning, Sir Kaito!" Lute had made his appearance. His face bore a wide smile. Kaito and Hina froze. Kaito timidly turned toward the door. Lute was standing in the doorway, his eyes snapping open and shut. With his gaze, Kaito silently begged Lute to read the room. As though to say he understood, Lute gave a meek nod. —Creeeeak, click. The door closed once more. Kaito and Hina sprang into action. Beastfolk weren't much for baths, and when they did take them, noble beastfolk would generally use large, public baths filled with flowers and fragrant herbs. However, the guest room Kaito and Hina were staying in had a small, tiled bathroom adjoining it, likely out of consideration for visitors of other races. Normally, they'd have to ask a lady-in-waiting to bring them hot water, but as they were in a hurry, Kaito elected to magically generate and heat the water himself. After quickly washing off their bodies, the two of them returned to the room and hurriedly got dressed. Then, once they'd finished, Kaito loudly cleared his throat. "We're, uh, we're decent." "Ah, what a splendid day it is! I bid you good morning, Sir Kaito!" "Pretending it didn't happen isn't gonna make it any better!" Kaito's voice was unintentionally strong, and Lute's ears drooped. "My apologies. We beastfolk rise earlier than the sun, so I just... In any case, it was wholly inconsiderate of me. I'm rather thoughtless, as you can see, but that excuses nothing, no." "No, no, it's fine. Honestly, it's our fault as much as anything. Sorry." Each of them spent a moment trying to insist he was to blame, and after a bit, Lute's ears perked back up. Starting over from the beginning, he handed a folded maid uniform to Hina. "I believe this is yours, Madam Hina. The court lady asked me to bring it to you." "Oh, why, thank you so much! Excuse me for a moment while I get changed!" As she did, Kaito and Lute stepped out into the hallway. There, they began discussing their plans for the day. The first matter on the agenda was meeting up with Vyade's private forces after breakfast. "At the meeting, we intend to go over our patrol routes going forward. We would have you attend, if you are amenable." "Yeah, of course. I'll be there." "And as far as breakfast goes, there was talk of having you sup alongside Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast. However, I'd thought you might be tired, so I arranged for you to eat separately. Would you rather I hadn't?" "Oh, geez, thank god! If we'd eaten together, I'd have been so nervous that all the food would've gotten stuck in my throat." "Ha-ha, I can sympathize! I, too, find formality stifling!" At that, Lute scratched at the copper fur on his head. His laughter was much friendlier than it had been in the past. Their breakfast was waiting for them in the council room, so that was where Kaito headed once Hina had finished changing. The three of them proceeded through the castle's grand interior. The halls of Vyade's castle were crafted from stone. But they, too, were decorated with all manner of live ivy, flowers, and embroidered tapestries. Apparently, each member of the imperial family had their own unique insignia. All of the beast hides used to cover the windows were rolled up, allowing golden sunlight to stream in at a slant. Man, that's pretty... Wait, huh? Just then, Kaito realized that the jewel with Vlad's soul in it was rattling around in his pocket. Kaito reflexively went pale. Now that he thought about it, he'd forgotten to toss his upper garments far off to the side the previous night. And ever since he'd first run mana through the jewel, Vlad had been able to perceive its surroundings. Man, he, uh, he's gonna be all up in my business, isn't he...? As Kaito squeezed his forehead, he and Hina continued following after Lute. The breakfast menu consisted of thin, flat bread, a soft cheese spread, and a chicken-vegetable stew. None of them had a particularly strong flavor, but salt and other spices had been prepared for them as well. Apparently, the palates of the beastfolk who lived near the demi-human border differed from those of the rest of their kind, and their cooking often featured a characteristic set of spices that reminded Kaito of the fried rice he'd once seen being doled out from a stand. Humans rarely cared for the exotic cuisine, though, so their meal had been prepared more in line with the mainland beastman customs. The dishes favored at the imperial court were rather involved, so those had been avoided as well. As far as Kaito was concerned, that was probably for the best. After taking his meal atop the council room table, Kaito finished eating. A lady-in-waiting made her appearance quickly, clearing away the dishes before promptly bringing out some tea. For a little while, Kaito and the others just waited. Before long, though, the doors opened again, and a number of unfamiliar soldiers strode in. Each of them was wearing a vermilion suit of armor made from leather, fangs, and scales. Many of them were carnivorous, but there were horned bucks and aged sheep among them as well. Although none of them said a word, all of them were giving off intimidating auras. They matter-of-factly assumed their seats, with their various subordinates standing around them. Lute's subordinates, whom Kaito and Hina recognized from the other day, were present as well. The spacious council room quickly grew packed with beastfolk. Once he'd made sure everyone was present, Lute stood up. He abruptly began discussing the incident that had taken place the other day. "At long last, we were able to apprehend the perpetrator behind the massacres. However, as you should all be aware from the documents you received last night, whether or not it possesses a will of its own is debatable. We suspect it was manufactured by someone, which means we have no guarantee that only one exists. Consequently, we need to go back and decide on what routes our patrols—" "Before that, isn't there something that needs to be said?" The beastman, resembling a buck, spoke in a velvety voice, but his tone was cold. His eyes had a chilly, androgynous beauty to them, and he focused them directly on Kaito. His gaze was decidedly alien, and upon finding himself on the receiving end of it, Kaito unconsciously straightened out his posture. Beside the deerman, a large bearman gave a grave nod. "Indeed. That human there is a contractor to a demon. The enemy of mankind, if I'm not mistaken." "True, Sir Lute seems to have received orders behind closed doors to come to an agreement with him—an act, I may add, none of us were consulted on." The mood in the chamber instantly grew restless. Lute's subordinates looked to be on the verge of saying something, but Lute raised a hand and calmly silenced them. Needle-sharp gazes turned toward Kaito, one after another. In the midst of all that, Kaito was utterly composed. He was the Kaiser's contractor. He'd long since stopped expecting warm welcomes. The tension in the room grew more and more severe. Then suddenly, a foxman soldier stood up. "Yes, that's right! In other words, we all have something that need first be done!" "Aye!" A number of voices rang out in agreement. One by one, the soldiers stood, each of them brimming with vigor. Hina immediately reached into her leather bag and grabbed the handle of her halberd. The entire situation rested on a needle's point. The soldiers were the first to break the tension as they grabbed their blades and drew them from their sheaths. Steel tips pointed toward the sky. Holding their swords reverently with both hands, the brawny soldiers knelt in unison. Their subordinates followed their lead. Lute gave a relaxed smile, as though to say he'd seen this coming. Kaito and Hina blinked rapidly. The deerman's sonorous voice rang out through the room. "We are a people who prize obligations, strength, and above all else, results. And on top of that, Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast acknowledged you and welcomed you into our lands. Her words are the words of the Forest King. Sir Kaito, all of us would like to extend our thanks to you for your efforts." "Wh..." Kaito felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. The way the beastfolk had reacted had been completely outside his expectations. The moment he'd left Elisabeth's side, he'd braced himself for countless days of hardship. Even with his beloved bride, Hina, by his side, choosing to become the enemy of mankind required a great deal of resolve. Kaito had expected to spend the rest of his life reviled, scorned, and hunted. He had been prepared for that, and yet now, he was receiving heartfelt thanks. Then his thoughts turned to Izabella. Back at the plaza in the Capital, he'd been able to confirm she'd made it out okay. Although they weren't on great terms at the moment, she hadn't hesitated to take his hand, the hand of a contractor, back when he'd offered it to her. |
Ever since I made my contract with the Kaiser, it's just been one surprise after another. As Kaito pondered his unexpected good fortune, another emotion welled up within him as well. And I never thought I'd be able to be of so much help to someone. Kaito Sena had once been cast aside like garbage atop a tatami floor. His life had been worth less than a worm's. In fact, his life had had no meaning to it whatsoever. But now, things were different. Even though he'd become the enemy of mankind, he'd been able to help someone, and he'd been able to forge a path for himself without going against any of his beliefs. It was the first thing he could feel truly proud of since he'd come to this world. Kaito returned the soldiers' gazes proudly. A grizzly-bearman spoke. "From here on out, we ask that you continue lending us your aid." "Yeah, of course. I'm not gonna let this killer off the hook. Please, let me do whatever I can to help." Kaito responded, and the beastfolk nodded. They then stood up in perfect unison and resheathed their swords. Kaito turned to Lute, who gave him a strong nod. It was unclear who went first, but the two of them extended their hands toward each other. The beast and human hands overlapped as the demon's contractor and beastman swore to fight as one. Then Lute collapsed. Blood spurted up into the air, and the Kaiser laughed. "...Huh?" Kaito's eyes went wide. He hadn't done anything. What was going on? Even with his abilities as a demon's contractor, he found himself wholly unable to comprehend the situation. To make matters worse, the tragedy didn't end there. Blood sprayed across the round table like flower petals dancing in the air. One after another, the strong soldiers toppled to the ground, unable to so much as react. "M-Master Kaito!" This time, Hina pulled her halberd out in earnest. Then she assumed a position in front of Kaito. As she did, Kaito caught a faint glance of steel flashing toward the edge of his vision. Their enemy wasn't in front of them. Shocked as he was, an instinctual hunch drove him to turn around. One thought passed through Kaito's mind. —A flower had just arrived. Before Kaito stood a young girl, alone. Not hesitating in the slightest, she strode brazenly in through the open door. The room's calm, disciplined atmosphere had been shattered, and it had now descended into chaos. Seeing the girl's figure standing among it, Kaito found himself taken aback. After all, her appearance was hardly befitting the culprit who'd brought about this mayhem. She looked to be in her early teens, but her attire hardly fit her age, given how provocative it was. It was probably intended as a pure-white bondage dress, but its cloth barely covered any skin at all. The leather belts she wore strapped in a cross shape across her pale, naked chest only barely covered the risqué bits, to the point where it called into question whether or not they could even be called clothes. But she made up for it in accoutrements. In particular, the metal bits adorning her waist and wrists caused her to give off a somewhat mechanical impression. At the same time, though, her honey-colored hair and rosy eyes provided her figure with brilliant, showy garnishes. She looked like a flower, or a queen, or some kind of adorable doll. And by her feet, she was accompanied by a number of metal monsters. One of them was a beast made of nothing but fangs. Another was an automaton, shaped like a human except for its fatally warped frame. One of the other monsters was a lizard with limbs made from pipes and wings of glass. And the final one was a bipedal suit of armor with no visible seams anywhere on its body. They were the ones responsible for slicing up and striking down the beastfolk. Each one looked different from the last, yet when taken together, they had a strange sense of uniformity to them. Instinctively, Kaito let out a pained murmur. "...Deus Ex Machina." These things were of the same class as that machine. And there could be no doubt that the golden girl was their master. The way she carried herself made it seem almost like she was their queen. That, or perhaps their ringmaster or puppeteer. Speaking of puppets, though, the girl looked practically like a doll herself. She presented a showy and sweet exterior. Her expression, though, was as cold and frigid as ice. In a way, she seemed to lack humanity. Suddenly, her crystal-like, rose eyes flashed to the side. At long last, Kaito recalled the tragedy that had just occurred. Blood had sprayed all around the room, and the sound of moaning was echoed harshly. Hearing the moans, Kaito felt a vague sense of relief. They're still alive. He couldn't let any more attacks befall them. With that thought in mind, tension raced across Kaito's whole body. But the girl didn't spare so much as another glance at the suffering beastfolk. After looking at Hina for a brief moment, she turned her gaze on Kaito. When she finally opened her mouth to speak, her movements were so stiff that she herself seemed like an automaton. "O Sinless Soul, who bears the name of Kaiser. From this day forth, act as my loyal servant." Kaito felt as though someone had struck him in the side of the head. The girl's words were practically the same as hers. At the same time, he finally realized something. The girl resembled the Torture Princess. The unique, unparalleled sinner. Then, after making it seem as though everything leading up to that moment had been a mere farce, after having made all their efforts for naught, after throwing everything into chaos in an instant, the girl gave her name. "I am the Torture Princess Jeanne de Rais. I am the oppressor of slaves, the savior of this world, the saint, and the whore." 5 Doubting the World The entire region was surrounded by a towering wall. Not a single soul dwelled within. After a banquet of torture that had lasted three days and three nights, they'd all died. A decade or two before that fate had befallen the town, its lord's sole daughter had been born. Her name had been Elisabeth. She was a beautiful, lovely girl, born to the blessings of God and man alike. But tragically, her body had been frail, and the hope of a long life was denied to her at birth. Even so, not once did she ever begrudge or resent others for living their lives to the fullest. She merely endured her constant pain, all by herself. After living a life of suffering and scrabbling to stay alive, she should have died, and the many who held her dear were supposed to have wept for her. However, that simple, tragic destiny of hers was perverted. One day, Elisabeth underwent a change. She tortured her populace, descending on the castle town like a ravenous wolf. Maiming and slaughtering her people, Elisabeth swallowed up their pain like a hideous sow. Thus, the town—serving as a plate for the gruesome feast—was picked clean. The Church feared that the massive number of corpses would bring about a plague, with small animals as its carriers. Ultimately, they decided to seal the gates and set the town ablaze. Ever since, the town and the huge wall surrounding it had served as a graveyard. A town had died, and the Torture Princess had been born. It was like a cruel, twisted fairy tale. And yet at the same time, it was the bitter truth. As proof of that, Elisabeth was currently visiting that place. "I brought this about, and I've long since grown accustomed to such sights. Still, though, 'tis dreadful." The scene spread out before her was a hellscape, the likes of which were generally seen only in religious artwork. The town was black and charred, with a number of torture devices strewn about it. Human skeletons decorated the town as well, most of them impaled, strung up, or bound. Ash and mud were piled up high along its roads. Setting her feet upon them, Elisabeth strode forward. At the end of her path lay a chalky-white castle towering above the town. It was almost eerie how its splendor had been preserved amid the ruins. The sky was gloomy and overcast, and the air should have been chilly. However, it carried an unpleasant warmth instead. The rancid wind brushed at Elisabeth's black hair as it carried screams to her ears. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth, cruel, hideous Elisabeth! A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you, Elisabeth! The silent screams echoed throughout the town, but Elisabeth's expression showed no signs of changing as she advanced forward. As she walked, she passed by the skeleton of a baby who'd had all its limbs shattered and a woman's skull that had comically tumbled to the side. Eventually, her heels clicked as she came to a stop. "Here it is, I believe." In front of her was the main thoroughfare leading up to the castle. Compared with the rest of the ruins, it had more or less retained its original form. The road was designed to be wide enough for carriage traffic and had been crafted out of carefully laid bricks. Half-melted metal billboards decorated its sides, along with the still-intact frames of houses and shops. But due to the fight between Elisabeth and a certain necromancer, the entire area had been reduced to the remains of a battlefield. Bones were scattered all over the ground, and many of the buildings had been brutally knocked down. The brick road was stripped bare as well, and gruesome scars littered the earth. In the midst of all that, there was an area where the soil was piled unnaturally high. A wooden plank stood up from within the mound of dirt. It was a grave. On top of the plank sat a soiled hat. Elisabeth was surprised; she'd half expected it to have been blown away by the wind already. The white lilies that had once decorated its wide brim were, of course, no more. Faintly narrowing her eyes, Elisabeth murmured. "...Marianne." That name was dear to Elisabeth, but disagreeable as well. Marianne had been Elisabeth's tutor when she was young. Due to her guilt over Elisabeth's murderous deeds, Marianne had gone mad, eventually falling into Vlad's hands and becoming a necromancer. The grave had not been Elisabeth's doing. That had been the handiwork of the man who'd finished Marianne off after she'd become a demon's pawn: Kaito Sena. After burying his father—or rather, the doll that his father's soul had inhabited—in the rear garden, Kaito had mentioned he wanted to give Marianne a burial as well. At first, Elisabeth had flatly rejected the notion. But Kaito had been obstinate, and Elisabeth had finally acquiesced to giving him transportation, and nothing more. Bringing back Marianne's body would have been in defiance of both her wishes and Elisabeth's, so Kaito built the grave on-site. However, the entire town was fraught with death. Countless corpses littered its streets, not a single one of which had received anything resembling a funeral. Choosing to bury just one of them was a comical act of self-satisfaction. Elisabeth had shown no mercy in pointing that fact out to Kaito. However, he nodded, already well aware of that fact. "I'm the one who killed her. This is my problem, not anyone else's," he'd said. In a sense, the grave served as a monument to Kaito's stubbornness as much as anything else. Up until then, Elisabeth had never once felt the urge to visit it. She didn't make it a habit to think back on the people she'd killed. Nor did she pay heed to |
the entrails she walked over, nor the blood staining the ground in her wake. But now that all fourteen demons had been vanquished, things were different. Now, she had something she felt she needed to say to the woman beneath the grave. "Forgive me, Marianne, for I have lied." Her words, and the apology they carried, came from the heart. Clenching her fists, Elisabeth turned to look behind her. Her gaze was silent as she cast it over the ash-ridden town of death. "Forgive me, you all. I said I intended to follow you all shortly. But it seems I cannot go yet. Please, wait for me." No voices rose up to reply. The wind simply carried the same resentment as always. Loathsome Elisabeth, repulsive Elisabeth, cruel, hideous Elisabeth! A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you, Elisabeth! Elisabeth responded with a gentle smile. Then she repeated the same words she'd once said, words that now amounted to little more than a soliloquy. "I had no right to take the light of a single person in this world. Every person I killed led a vigorous life, a life they had every right to carry out as they pleased. They were innocent, and I murdered them. I killed you all cruelly, gruesomely, mercilessly, and unreasonably. And I've no intention of escaping on my own. I need put down but one more...or stop him, and that shall be the end." Her final words, and her final words alone, had a certain frailty to them. Turning her head up toward the ashen sky, Elisabeth closed her eyes. Beneath her eyelids, the scene leading up to Marianne's death played back. Clad in her mourning dress, her tutor hadn't directed a shred of hatred her way. Her eyes had been full of kindness, like those of an adult talking to a willful child. "I loved you from the bottom of my heart, young miss. Even now, I adore you just as much as I did when you were a child." Then, with a deep, harsh sadness in her voice, she'd laid out the truth. "Once you've killed me, I imagine there will be nobody left in this world who truly loves you." "Yes, I had no one. I was...supposed to have no one..." "I like her a whole lot." "For that person's sake, I could do or become anything." "To say such a thing of a woman who partook of a demon's flesh and became the Torture Princess... What a complete and utter fool." As she shook her head in exasperation, Elisabeth went quiet. Then she turned back toward the grave. She was on the verge of saying something, but then suddenly, her face froze. She'd suddenly been assailed by a deep sense of discomfort. It felt like a needle, piercing its way into her brain. "Wait. Just a moment. Just now, that..." Feeling a shock run through her head, Elisabeth pressed down on her forehead. She looked back over the scene before her. There was nothing strange about it, nothing out of place. There was nothing in particular about Marianne's grave that could have set off such a reaction. Yet for some reason, the discomfort refused to fade. What, then? What could it have been that I found so unsettling? As she racked her brain, she found herself thinking back on a certain memory. She'd been very young, and she'd thrown her quill pen on the ground. She'd been sulking at a lesson that hadn't made sense to her, but Marianne scolded her, kindly yet firmly. "If you think about it carefully, young miss, it will all make sense," she'd murmured. Then she'd smiled. "Let's go over it one more time, now, shall we?" "Go over my last words...one more time." To say such a thing of a woman who partook of a demon's flesh and became the Torture Princess. Elisabeth opened her eyes wide in shock. Now that she thought about it, it was obvious beyond belief. But back when she'd been hunting the fourteen demons, she hadn't had a spare moment to think about such things. But now, she'd realized. Therein lay a fundamental contradiction. "I partook of a demon's flesh." In and of itself, there was nothing strange about that fact. After all, Vlad and his compatriots had already summoned demons at that point. But just like her, Vlad Le Fanu was no mere human. He'd been the first of the fourteen to summon a demon, successfully forming a contract with the Kaiser, the strongest demon mankind could call forth. Kaito had received Vlad's help as an intermediary, but doing something like that alone was a feat no ordinary mage could pull off. Compared with the Torture Princess, who'd butchered the entire populace of her fiefdom, Vlad's power was surely inferior. But he himself must have eaten a demon's flesh before making Elisabeth do the same and trying to mold her into his successor. By eating a demon's flesh, Vlad Le Fanu gained the power to summon a demon. "Wait." It was contradictory. It was wildly, overwhelmingly contradictory. "Where did the first demon's flesh come from?" "As you haven't replied yet, I will ask you again. From now on, serve me." "Hard pass." Jeanne, the new girl who'd introduced herself as a Torture Princess, gave Kaito a forceful invitation, and his response was swift. The situation had taken an abrupt turn. The calmness of the room had been shattered, along with all their plans. The beastfolk who'd promised to fight with Kaito as allies were all collapsed on the floor. And for some reason, the perpetrator, a girl he'd never seen before, was ordering him to become her servant. Confused as he was, his response was as sure as it had been the last time something similar had happened. An image of the brutally slaughtered, strung-up corpses flashed through his mind. And the people who'd been kind enough to believe in him were currently lying on the ground and bleeding out. Given those two facts, refusing was the only sensible option. He was concerned her mood would sour, but for some reason, Jeanne nodded instead. But unlike Elisabeth, who'd reacted with amusement, Jeanne merely spoke unconcernedly in her barely human voice. "Your response was rather quick, mister. While your response itself fell within expected parameters, its speed was quite unexpected. What a strange sensation—disappointing, and yet, at the same time, not. All is well, though. I have my conjectures, but would you mind elaborating on your reasoning?" "First of all, I already serve the Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu. Second, given that you committed all those murders, and you did this, you're undoubtedly my enemy." "I suspect there is a third." Jeanne prompted him to continue. After taking a deep breath, Kaito spat out his answer with all the antagonism he could muster. "My third reason's that you make me straight-up sick." "I see. How illogical." Jeanne gave a light nod. Then she blinked a few times, her rose-colored eyes flashing as she did. Finally, she contorted her lips into what was likely meant to be a smile. "As for your first reason, mister, I believe you've already parted ways with the Torture Princess, have you not?" "Yeah, true. But even so, I can't serve anyone else. She's the one who called me, and she's the one I serve. I swore to stay by her side till the end, so even if we're separated, she's still my master." "I see, a decision based exclusively on psychological principles. It's no wonder I find it impossible to comprehend. After all, I've long since been deemed 'heartless.' As for the rest of your reasons, it would take too long for me to explain in my own words, so forgive me for borrowing the parlance of you lost sheep, but—they're fuckin' horseshit." Kaito unconsciously stared at her, befuddled. Her features and expression were like those of a delicately crafted doll, just like always. Kaito found it hard to believe he'd heard the words he just had come out of her rigid-looking lips. But she went on much in the same way. "Man, quit lining up one pointless-ass reason after the other, ya little shit. Why don'cha take a look around you and think about how outclassed you are before you go running your damn mouth. You should either crawl back into your cradle and start over, or go dig yourself a grave and lie in it. As I said, pardon me." "Wh...what's her deal, exactly?" "I'd guess the people she used as reference for her 'parlance of the commons' had rather foul mouths. While it's a nonsensical method of finding common ground, it's hardly unheard of among preeminent mages." A clear, deep voice resounded. Normally, only Kaito could hear it, but at the moment, it was emanating from beside him. Just like he did when he talked to Vlad or Elisabeth, the Kaiser was currently projecting his voice such that he could be heard by all present. Disconcerted, Kaito looked to his side. At some point, black strands had started knitting themselves together in empty space. Sleek and obsidian, they began as supple muscles in the air. Then fine black fur sprouted atop them. Choosing this time to assume a form twice the size of an ordinary dog, the supreme hound finished materializing. As he shook his whole body, he let out a humanlike laugh. "Vlad and Elisabeth were fond of idle banter, you see. Those two should be taken as exceptions, not as any sort of standard." "Kaiser? You came out on your own? What, are things really that serious?" "Ha. At this rate, you're liable to carelessly get yourself killed. Take care, unworthy master of mine. You'll find out quick enough if you inspect her mana and compare it to yours, but that girl is far, far superior." "Oh, a doggy?" Jeanne tilted her head to the side, her choice of words almost eerily childish. She was silent for a few seconds, like a machine that had been shut off. After a moment, though, she clapped her fist against her palm. "I've parsed the applicable data. I see, you're the Kaiser! Y'know, this is all you guys' fault, you puke-smellin' pig humpers, or so I'd like to reprimand you, but for now, I bid you a fine hello. You look just like the books said you would." "Heh, your courtesy is lacking, but at least you're polite enough to manage a half-decent greeting. The surprise is all mine—I'd hardly expected to see a Deus Ex Machina user in this day and age." "Oh my, mister. It's a bit of a buzzkill that even you didn't expect it." The girl and the hound engaged in a conversation, one that seemed frankly amiable. As they did, Kaito trembled. He'd done as the Kaiser suggested and checked Jeanne's mana supply. This...this is some sick joke, right? He hadn't noticed it due to the chaos and confusion, but the amount of mana the girl had in stock was leagues beyond your average person. She was practically a match for Elisabeth. And unlike the roselike, sinister sharpness to Elisabeth's mana, Jeanne's was sumptuous and cold. She gave off the twisted impression of an artificial flower, one that ate people alive. Kaito knew instantly that he was no match for her. But I gotta do something about her, or I can't save Lute and the others. He could still hear them groaning. As far as he could tell, none of their wounds were fatal, but that might change if they didn't get help soon. Beginning to lose his cool, Kaito asked the Kaiser a question while looking for an opening. "Hey, Kaiser, what's Deus Ex Machina?" "Hmm? It's an entity, one that requires a particular summoning rite to call forth." "A summoning rite?" Upon hearing the unexpected phrase, Kaito narrowed his eyes. When he heard "summoning rite," his mind immediately |
jumped to the birdlike creatures La Mules had summoned. But those things hadn't looked anything like Deus Ex Machina. Paying Kaito's confusion little heed, the Kaiser nodded in assent. "Elisabeth can summon torture devices without limit, can she not? What she does is use her own mana as a catalyst to drag formless, nameless, worthless masses of mana down from higher dimensions and temporarily mold them into the forms that best suit her purposes. Summoning beasts is similar. But whether one can do that or not, whether one is able to take formless things and mold them into shapes suited for battle, depends heavily on one's nature. 'Deux Ex Machina' refers to the entity summoned when one uses a particular summoning rite that a mad sorcerer developed to subvert that restriction." The Kaiser swung his sleek black tail toward the horrible machines. It was true; when you looked at them all lined up, they were clearly designed with only combat in mind. "Deus Ex Machina is a weapon, designed so one can use it regardless of their nature or disposition. In order to continually materialize it, though, requires colossal amounts of mana. Using it at all is liable to kill the user. That lout Vlad was thinking of summoning it, but upon looking at its particulars, he deemed it a 'hassle to maintain' and abandoned the notion. However, it seems that lass there has mastered it, and with a mere human body." "It seems I'm being complimented, but we still haven't shown you our true power. It's true that the one you sealed in ice was part of Deus Ex Machina, mister, but it was nothing more than a foot soldier I made from the spare parts that these children gathered up for me. It certainly wasn't one of the main units." Upon hearing what she had to say, Kaito shuddered. If that was the case, then just how strong were the main units anyways? After all, those were the ones Jeanne was casually surrounded by. The Kaiser pointed his long tail at her. Then, as he murmured, he laughed at the girl who'd introduced herself as a new Torture Princess. "Surely, I can think of no explanation besides her having eaten a demon's flesh." "Wait, what?" The Kaiser had suddenly dropped a new piece of information on him, one that was wholly unthinkable. Kaito was aghast. Did that mean the girl in front of him was just like Elisabeth, a person truly worthy of the title of Torture Princess? There was no way that could be possible. At the same time, he felt a degree of satisfaction at having resolved the contradiction between his conjectures and the Kaiser's proclamation. Just like the torture devices Elisabeth summoned, Deus Ex Machina itself was wholly unrelated to demons. That said, though, its master had obtained her power by consuming a demon's flesh. So in other words, the massacres had both nothing to do with demons and everything to...do...? It was at that moment that Kaito arrived at a new, horrifying question. Supposedly, Jeanne had eaten a demon's flesh. It was unclear when that had happened, but it didn't appear as though any of the fourteen contractors had known of her existence. Hypothetically speaking, if one of them had reached out to her and offered her the meat in order to form a collaborative relationship with her, they would surely have called upon her aid before being killed by Kaito and the others. But if that's the case, then which demon's flesh did she eat? Once more, Kaito trembled. "On that note, shall we take our leave, mister?" Jeanne's voice was as light as a small bird chirping. The hell do you mean, "on that note"?! But Kaito had no time to be baffled. The girl extended her hand to him, as though inviting him to dance. The chains dangling from her wrists made her look almost like a prisoner. Unclear as to what she meant, Kaito tilted his head to the side. Holding her halberd in one hand, Hina took a step forward. "I believe Master Kaito already declined your nonsense." "Oh my, oh my, oh my. Y'all still don't get it, do ya, dumb-asses." Jeanne spoke, her expression blank. Her chains rattled as she propped her index finger up on her lip. Then she went on, as though trying to explain something obvious to a child. "Allow me to put it the way you would, mister. First of all, the lives of all the beastfolk here rest in my hands... Oh, how unfortunate. I suppose the 'first' point was all I had." It seemed like she truly found that fact unfortunate, as she cast her rosy eyes down. However, she soon got over it. She pointed one slender finger toward Lute. Kaito looked at him. As he kept pressure on his wounded flank, Lute met Kaito's gaze and shook his head. He was silently screaming at Kaito not to go with her. He hadn't even tried to ask Kaito for help. He seemed to be planning to oppose her on his own. Next, Kaito cast his gaze around the council room. Again and again, he received the same response. All the beastfolk had responded the same way. That was enough for him. "Hina, put down your halberd... So where are you planning on taking us?" Kaito placed a hand on Hina's shoulder. With a small nod, she lowered the tip of her weapon. As Kaito stepped forward to cover Hina, Jeanne responded matter-of-factly to his question. "As things stand, not a single one of you stray sheep truly understands the situation we are in. But the world is in a state of crisis, and the situation grows more dire with every passing second. I intend to prove it to you with the most direct methods at my disposal. My reason for that is that fully explaining would take longer. You're the Kaiser's contractor, mister. And you're a valuable piece of bait for the Torture Princess, too. I will make you understand, whether you wish to or not. Now then, get your ass over here already." Silently, Kaito came to a realization. He and Jeanne were never going to be able to see eye to eye. I can't even begin to understand what she's going on about. The girl herself, however, seemed to think her duty to explain the situation wholly fulfilled. Still expressionless but with an oddly satisfied demeanor, Jeanne extended her hand to him a second time. Accompanied by Hina, he took a step forward. When he did, though, someone grabbed his leg. With a start, he looked down. The expression on Lute's face was desperate as he tried to stop Kaito. "Sir...Kaito... You...mustn't go... That...girl...is mad..." "I'm sorry. I dunno what's going on at all, but it looks like I got you guys wrapped up in something terrible. If we leave with Jeanne, at least no civilians will get hurt. Once we're gone, shout for healers." "But...what about...you—?" "I'm really sorry about this." Kaito found himself at a loss for what to say next. Lute's breathing was ragged. After glancing between his golden eyes and the brutal wound carved in his flank, Kaito decided to speak from the heart. "I was really happy that you guys all believed in me. Thanks...and make sure you take good care of your wife." With those parting words, Kaito began walking again. Lute frantically scrabbled at Kaito's ankles, his sharp claws scraping at Kaito's black pant cuffs. But before long, Kaito advanced beyond his reach. As he strode forward, Lute scratched at the ground. But his body refused to move. No matter how hard Lute struggled, he couldn't follow. At the same time, he hadn't called for reinforcements. No shortage of powerful soldiers had already fallen. In order to avoid adding to the victim count, Lute chose to just see Kaito's departure through to the end. In spite of that, though, he couldn't keep himself from letting out a weak, rumbling moan from deep within him. "Urooooough, urooooough, uraaaaaagh!" Kaito took Jeanne's hand. When he did, she squeezed his hand tight. The gesture seemed almost innocent, and she gave a mechanical nod. At some point, the Kaiser had taken his place by Kaito's side. Then the Deus Ex Machinas moved to surround them. With bizarre movements, they began spinning around Kaito, Hina, the Kaiser, and Jeanne. Golden flower petals and white feathers began fluttering along beside them. The two dazzling hues seared the scene into the vision of all present. It was a magnificent, elegant spectacle, but at the same time, it had a certain coldness to it. Jeanne shouted from the eye of the vortex. "Please, set your hearts at ease! Pleasant misters, rude misters, despicable misters, all of you! There is no need for any of you to mourn or lament!" Then the Torture Princess Jeanne de Rais, the oppressor of slaves, the savior of the world, the saint, and the whore, made her sonorous declaration. "All this is for the sake of salvation!" The golden-white light vanished. And when it did, Kaito and Hina left the land of the beastfolk behind. Lute had been left behind, and his furious, frustrated howls echoed off the walls. In all honesty, Kaito was prepared for the possibility of death. The things Jeanne was doing and saying gave him no confidence in her sanity. And not only was he unable to tell what she was thinking, but he couldn't even figure out what her objective was. Based on the fact that she'd referred to him as "a valuable piece of bait for the Torture Princess," he clearly held some value in her eyes, but past that, he was in the dark. Given all that, he wouldn't have been shocked to discover that their destination lay a mile up in the air or something. Hina and the Kaiser were quick on their feet, so he wasn't particularly worried about either of them. But he had little confidence that he himself would be able to make it out of such a situation in one piece. I've gotta be ready for whatever comes my way. With all that in mind, Kaito put up his guard. The golden petals and white light had melted together before his eyes and formed a firm cylinder, but before long, it shattered and collapsed like molten gold. It turned out that Kaito's fears had been partly unfounded, as their destination was on proper, solid ground. The spectacle before him, however, was bizarre enough to make up for that fact. "...Wh—?" Kaito had found himself standing in a small village wedged in the ravine between two precipitous mountain ranges. There were lines of tightly packed, slate-colored buildings flanking him on both sides, both of which seemed to practically cling to the narrow ground. Based on their appearance, the buildings looked to have been made exclusively from boulders quarried off the mountainsides. Each one probably weighed a considerable amount, but they'd been expanded so haphazardly that the pressure had caused them to warp. A few of the buildings had even caved in from the weight of their neighbors. All in all, they gave off a similar impression to cotton balls packed tightly into a snowdrift. In other words, the village was old, decrepit, and desolate. The gap between the mountains that the village sat in grew narrower the higher up one went. As a result, simply by standing in the middle of the town, Kaito felt as though something was oppressively looming over him. Furthermore, the whole place was starved of sunlight, and not even the wind could reach its streets. A single brush with illness could have spelled disaster for its entire populace. But while no standards would have deemed it fit for human habitation, the town's most peculiar aspect was unrelated to its layout. The honor belonged to the fact that human corpses sat crucified along the walls of each of the |
buildings. Their bones were countless and filling up the view for as far as the eye could see. Three descriptors immediately rushed to the forefront of his mind. Massacre. Sacrifice. And finally, torture. The crucified corpses had iron stakes running from their palms to their shoulders and from their feet to their thighs. They also looked rather old, as their flesh had long since rotted away. Because of that, the scars on their bones were visible, making it evident that the iron stakes weren't the only form of torture they'd suffered. The anguish they'd felt leading up to their deaths looked to have been fierce and protracted. Every single building in the town was decorated with corpses in that state. Kaito didn't feel the need to bother checking inside any structures to confirm his dreadful theory. Even if we went looking for survivors, I think the odds we'd find any are slim. In all likelihood, every single person in the village was dead. The mountain-cradled settlement was like a single giant coffin. On that note, a vague thought drifted through his mind. It reminds me of Elisabeth's...no, the Torture Princess's hometown. "You know of a similar location, don't you, mister? She and I are both Torture Princesses, after all." Once more, Jeanne displayed her cheery expression as she spread her arms wide. The chains on her wrists rattled as she spun around, and her honey-blond hair glistened as it swayed. When she did so, the ornamented, exposed nature of her attire caused her to evoke the very image of a dancer. "As you're well aware, birthing a Torture Princess requires the pain of a suitable number of sacrifices. Elisabeth killed her people and offered them up to herself. I was given offerings, and those were who I killed. Same difference, ya feel me?" Kaito frowned. He had no idea what she meant. But even though he couldn't understand her, he could somehow make out what she was trying to say. This village was similar to Elisabeth's hometown in many ways. But there was one major difference between the two. There were no resentful voices here. Countless people had been tortured and killed here. Yet in spite of that, Kaito couldn't sense any malicious aura emanating from the gray settlement. The air filling the village was still and silent. "Elisabeth killed her people and offered them up to herself"... "I was given offerings, and those were who I killed." Kaito turned Jeanne's words over in his head. "Same difference." In other words, this village's inhabitants had willingly offered themselves up to the Torture Princess. But why? "Call forth Vlad, boy. We're making no progress at this rate." The Kaiser growled, and Kaito turned to look at him. When their eyes met, the Kaiser scoffed. "Twisted as you are, your form was originally that of a proper glass sphere. Don't be conceited enough to think you can converse with the likes of her. The best way to deal with a lunatic is to send a lunatic of our own." "You have a point there. I can't even begin to tell what she's talking about." Nodding at the Kaiser's suggestion, Kaito fed mana to the stone in his pocket. Azure petals and black feathers swirled through the air. Their numbers were on the reserved side this time, but Vlad made his ever-extravagant appearance from within them regardless. He crossed his long legs in the air. His eyes were glittering with childlike curiosity. Without so much as a preface, he launched into his speech. "How intriguing, to artificially construct a Torture Princess that way. I don't know who came up with the idea, but I certainly can't deny its creativity. I have to say, though, I find myself more interested in the creator than the creation... Just who was the beautiful madman who devised you?" Vlad's head seemed to practically be in the clouds, the question he was posing having just about nothing to do with Kaito's. Still expressionless, Jeanne pointed toward one particularly misshapen building. The bones crucified against its warped walls were clad in gold adornments. "Mm." "Ah, martyring even himself, I see. How thorough. You've been entrusted with the rest, then, I take it. Which brings us to Elisabeth and Kaito Sena. You're trying to make them your servants." Upon hearing her infantile response, Vlad stroked his chin in understanding. Jeanne nodded back. Apparently, the two of them had been able to successfully establish communication. That said, Kaito still couldn't make heads or tails of it. He frantically called out to Vlad. "Hey, Vlad, hold up a minute. What the hell were you able to get from that? As far as I'm concerned, it was all just more gibberish. What happened here? What's her goal? If you understand what's going on, man, you gotta lay it out for me." "First, let me start with a fairy tale." "Excuse me?" It seemed even Vlad planned to talk in riddles. He'd always been odd, but Kaito was concerned that he'd finally broken. Across from him, Vlad took an elegant bow, like an actor giving a performance. "Perhaps you've heard it, my dear successor? No, wait, you hail from another world. It would be odd if you had... Confound it. Now all my fun's been spoiled." "I don't care what's spoiled. Just answer the question already." "Long, long ago, a saint carrying God in her body remade the world, then vanished. Today's story takes place just afterward." Ignoring Kaito's complaints, Vlad carried on undeterred. His voice proud and velvety, he poetically spun his tale. "Now, for some reason, a whole clan of pedigreed alchemists went missing. It's said this set back humanity's magical developments by over a century. Everyone and their mother went searching for them; even I myself spent some time trying to hunt them down. The likeliest location was held to be the stretch of land between the beastfolk's and the demi-humans' lands—the two races share an amiable relationship, so surveillance at the border is lax. People suspected they'd taken up hiding in a blind spot between the two." "So what?" "That is precisely where we're standing right now." Vlad's story had seemed unrelated, but everything suddenly fell into place. Flustered, Kaito cast a sweeping glance over the village among the mountains. It was true that the village was short on paths or other ways to get in and out. Describing it as hidden would be completely apropos. But if Vlad's story was true, then why had the alchemists chosen to shelter in this place? Waving his hands like a conductor, Vlad gestured at his surroundings as he continued his fairy tale. "The alchemists hid themselves away here and spent many years searching for a method to work against a certain objective. In the end, they created a Torture Princess. The clan had bolstered their ranks through inbreeding, and they all gave themselves up as offerings to empower her." "Why the hell would they—?" "...In short, you're saying they needed martial power?" Hina, who'd been standing beside Kaito on high alert, finally spoke. Vlad cast his gaze toward her, as though he'd only just registered her existence. He seemed altogether surprised. But then his mouth curled up into a gentle, refined smile. "Good thinking. It would seem the rubbish I once tossed together has attained excellence. Your growth far exceeds my expectations; as a mage, I must say I find that rather delightful. Why, you seem downright human." "Given that they were willing to go so far as to sacrifice themselves, I conjecture the opponent they were facing was not an enemy of theirs personally. After raising her as the Torture Princess, they entrusted her with fighting against 'something' that, while dreadful, they had no personal connection to. That is my hypothesis, as someone familiar with the power and fate of another Torture Princess, Lady Elisabeth. Would you agree, Master Kaito?" Splendidly ignoring Vlad's rude remarks, Hina laid out her theory. Kaito glanced over toward Jeanne. He hadn't expected a response out of her, but she actually gave a small nod. In other words, Hina's hypothesis had been on the mark. As he considered that, he found himself plagued by a violent sense of dizziness. Every answer he got was raising new questions. In order to fight this "thing," whatever it is, they made a Torture Princess? Man, sacrificing themselves must have taken a boatload of resolve and conviction. What in the world were they fighting against? Torturing themselves and feeding demon flesh to her would—no, wait. Kaito quickly hit the brakes on his runaway train of thought. Then he gave voice to the question that had just bothered him. "So which demon's flesh did she eat, exactly?" "Since you've already died once, mister, you should already have something of an idea even if you don't know the answer, right?" Jeanne turned to Vlad and prompted him on. He nodded, having understood. Kaito instinctively fixed a stare on Vlad. Vlad then whispered to him, as though he were sharing some great secret. "I suspect the flesh she consumed came from the same demon mine did, you see." If he had eaten the same flesh Jeanne had, then that meant... It's not the Kaiser's meat... No, wait, that's just totally wrong. "That's...right..." Finally, Kaito realized the contradiction therein. Vlad had been the Kaiser's contractor. In order to accomplish that, he'd somehow procured demon flesh. Kaito had never spared that much thought. But without getting help from someone, he would have needed to eat a demon's flesh in order to be able to summon the Kaiser. And anyway, there's no way the proud Kaiser would ever allow anyone to consume his flesh. After gathering up enough pain to preserve his own life, Vlad had chosen to take on a mentorship role and had stopped accumulating strength. As a consequence of that, he'd been beaten by the Torture Princess. But even so, Vlad was no mere human. He'd fed a demon's flesh to Elisabeth, his successor, and he'd no doubt partaken of demon flesh himself. If that were the case, though, then which demon's flesh had he consumed? Vlad gave a hearty laugh, and his expression contorted into one of pure evil, a sight Kaito hadn't seen in quite some time. The man whose very existence seemed demonic went on in a honeyed murmur. "When I was searching for a way to summon a demon, I arrived at the most efficient way to attain the power I desired. And after negotiating with the individual who brought me that information, I received a demon's flesh from him as well." "Who was that?" Kaito's response was near-automatic. A glimmer of bloodlust flashed across his eyes. Just like Vlad, that guy's responsible for the fourteen demons terrorizing the world. And if not for him, the Torture Princess wouldn't have had to fight... Well, I guess in that case, her illness would have killed her, but still. Still! Vlad's real body got burned at the stake, but what about that guy? Is he still alive? If whoever it was was still in good health, Kaito had an idea of how to proceed. As Vlad watched Kaito's fierce reaction, his smile grew broader and broader. But in the next moment, he gave a theatrical shrug. Then he shook his head, as though disappointed. "Oh goodness, to think it had still escaped your notice. Why, I doubt you so much as suspected a thing! Quite frankly, I'm astonished! I can't say I was much help on that front, but still. For you to be this dull..." "Quit playing around and spit it out already. What was it I didn't suspect?" Kaito had recoiled upon hearing Vlad's wording. He'd been implying the mystery individual was someone Kaito knew. But even counting both his lives together, the number of people Kaito knew was hardly vast. He frantically racked his brain. Who could it be? Who do I know that...? *** "...Hina?" Hina reacted, |
having thought of the party in question quicker than Kaito. He looked at her, silently asking her what answer she'd arrived at. But he couldn't bring himself to ask. Her face had gone terribly pale. "It can't be," she silently mouthed. "Oh, but it can," said Vlad's smile. "The Butcher told you himself, did he not? He deals in meats, no matter what kind of meats they may be." 6 Boulders Fall and Curtains Rise The crimson cylinder collapsed to the ground as drops of blood. Then they faded, leaving Elisabeth standing silently behind in the underground chambers beneath her castle. She'd used her teleportation circle and returned from her hometown. The passages beneath her castle smelled of mold, and an indistinct moaning sound echoed within their walls. Elisabeth strode through the halls, making her way toward her bedroom. She maintained her brisk pace as she passed the ominous designs that were cast in the light streaming through the castle's colored windows. As she walked, she found her brow furrowing. The air smelled of smoke, and it carried with it the fragrant aroma of meat cooking. As she expected, the smell grew stronger the closer she got to her destination. With a displeased look on her face, she yanked open the door to her bedroom. Inside, she discovered that the disaster within was as much as it had been when she'd left. In fact, it had even grown worse. A fire was blazing atop her floor. It was a mystery where he'd gotten the kindling from, but the Butcher had rebuilt his bonfire, and the tripods surrounding it were far sturdier than the ones he'd been using before. A skewered slab of meat hung atop the flame from an iron rod. As far as Elisabeth could tell, the meat seemed more or less respectable. As he rotated the rod, the Butcher was once more lavishly seasoning the meat. Then he noticed Elisabeth's presence. "Aha, welcome back, Madam Elisabeth! Hark and be gladdened! For dinner, your Butcher has oh-so-thoughtfully prepared you a basilisk roast!" "...I see." Elisabeth's response was uncharacteristically blunt, and her tone was oddly cheerful. No sooner had she taken a step toward the bed than she flopped forward into it. She buried her face in her downy pillow. Then, shoving aside a stray wine bottle, she closed her eyes. While adjusting the flame's heat, the Butcher tilted his head to the side. "Puberty is a trying time, I suppose," he murmured quietly to himself. The crackling of the flame filled the room. From time to time, beads of fat would drip off the meat and sizzle in the fire. For a time, the two of them were silent. Eventually, though, Elisabeth mumbled a few words. "Oy, Butcher. About that time you first came to this castle." "Ah, that takes me back! I found myself wondering, however did you manage your shopping before I came along? Goodness gracious, Madam Torture Princess, I imagine that must have been quite the ordeal." "Aye, quite so. 'It's a good thing you found the one butcher willing to come all this way to such a remote locale,' you once said to me. I found myself in hearty agreement." "Oh, very much so, very much so. Ha-ha, I imagine I really am the only one who'd come to a place such as this." The Butcher proudly puffed up his chest as he happily waxed nostalgic about the past. As he vigorously rotated the tripod-supported rod, dribbles of fat continued splashing against the flames. Elisabeth's tone lowered as she posed him her next question. "A question, then. Why did you decide, out of the blue, to come peddling your wares here?" "Hmm? Well, I do pride myself on customer acquisition. I'm the model merchant, if I do say so myself." "You showed no fear, not even when dealing with the Torture Princess. A sinner without peer. Much to the contrary, you treated me as though I'd been a patron of yours for years. And even today, you behave much the same. Demons are constantly involved in my affairs, yet you show not the slightest inkling of fear. Why, you seem all but accustomed to them." "Well, you know, I've always been a rather plucky man...plucky demi-man?" "Tell me, Butcher. Have you, by any chance, ever had dealings with Vlad?" The moment her words came out, the Butcher went silent. For a moment, an unnatural silence filled the room. The flames crackled, and the fat dripped. Then, in a terrifyingly dispassionate voice, Elisabeth resumed the conversation. "That was the reason you came peddling to the Torture Princess's castle so unfalteringly. You'd known that Vlad had been captured, and you knew what was sure to follow." The Butcher gave no answer. Eventually, though, he let out a hollow laugh. "Hmm, well, I racked my brains with all my might, but you see, I have oh-so-many customers. Remembering the names of each and every person I've done business with, well, now, that's just a little..." "What did you sell him?" Elisabeth cut the Butcher's reply short and got right to the heart of the matter. The Butcher went silent again. The only sound was that of the bonfire's crackling. The Butcher deliberately turned the rod. When the meat had finally been fully cooked, he cracked pepper over it to deepen the flavor. Satisfied with the result, he turned back toward Elisabeth. Then, from within the abyssal darkness of his hood, he peered at her. "...Whatever might you be talking about?" As always, his expression was concealed. But Elisabeth instinctively knew. The Butcher was wearing a twisted smile. "Spiked Hare!" As Elisabeth yelled, crimson flower petals and black feathers swirled up into the air. A wooden roller filled with iron nails materialized, then began rolling toward the Butcher to crush him. His response came quickly. With the same graceful movements he'd displayed countless times before, he evaded the torture device. The bonfire was scattered. The fire went out, and the meat was crushed. All his efforts had gone to waste. Despite that, though, the Butcher still smiled. An unfathomable grin still lurked beneath the deep darkness of his hood. "Wait, hold up a second. The Butcher? There's no way; he's just your plain old demi-human merchant!" The shout practically ripped itself from Kaito's mouth. In his mind, he could visualize the Butcher's familiar hooded likeness hopping up and down in protest. But Vlad merely replied to Kaito's objections with a shrug. "An honest assessment from an honest man, my dear successor. Come now; the mere fact that he went peddling his wares at the Torture Princess's castle should have been more than enough proof of his irregularity. The Kaiser made a fine point, you know. If you don't do something about that earnest nature of yours, you're liable to get yourself killed one of these days. Take this as a lesson." An unpleasant grin spread across Vlad's face once more. He stroked his cheeks with his white-gloved fingers. "After all, in this world where demons dwell, those deserving of trust are few and far between." As he stood in the center of that unfamiliar town, Kaito felt a deep dizziness come over him. It felt like the faces of the corpses surrounding him were curled into mocking sneers. He pressed down lightly on his forehead, trying to calm down. Everything that had happened up until then flashed back through his mind. He has a point—the Butcher's way too strong to be any ordinary merchant. The Butcher's past was shrouded in mystery, and he seemed borderline fearless. And on top of that, he even kept a dragon as a mount. Kaito and Elisabeth had often found themselves pondering what his true nature was. But no matter how many of his peculiarities they uncovered, it had somehow felt like they were all in character for him. Furthermore, the Butcher had helped Kaito out on a number of occasions in the past, each time with the same distinctively upbeat manner. But still, he's right about what the Butcher told me. "I can procure any meat you desire, so long as it is 'meat.' I await your instruction." Did that include demon meat, too? Kaito felt almost as though the ground beneath his feet was crumbling. What secrets were lurking behind the surface of all those desperate battles I fought? Ever since the new Torture Princess had shown up, everything had gone off the rails. It was like the very stage they were standing on had started crumbling beneath his feet. Kaito still couldn't make out what lurked in the abyss beneath it. He didn't even know if it was something that mortals were meant to see. "Well then, let me repeat myself once more. Act as my loyal servant, Kaito Sena. All this is for the sake of salvation." What the hell do you mean, "well then"?! The situation was chaos, and Kaito gave an internal scream out of frustration. He turned his hollow gaze toward Jeanne. The golden Torture Princess had appeared out of nowhere, then proudly proclaimed herself a saint and a whore. Then she'd gone on and on about "salvation" this and "salvation" that. How noble. The young girl, a saint, was going to save the world. At that thought, Kaito found himself filled with a seething sense of irritation and doubt. What was "salvation" anyway? Why did the world even need to be saved? "What does me serving you have to do with salvation? All fourteen demons are dead. Elisabeth Le Fanu sacrificed everything to defeat them! The threat to humanity is over. Why'd they send you out into the world so late? What the hell were you created to fight?!" "It ain't over for shit. Things are just getting started, you stupid little Hanged Man." His question had been heartfelt, but the reply he'd received was full of scorn. Kaito's eyes went wide. But his fierce irritation had the opposite effect as one would expect on his emotions and caused their heightened state to subside. He placed his rebuttal on hold, then patiently waited for Jeanne to finish explaining. The chains on her wrists rattled as she raised her index finger. Then she pressed it against her lips, as though she were sharing some great secret with him. "The curtain has only just begun to rise. In fact, it was the two of you Lovers who set it off." Kaito and Elisabeth weren't in any romantic relationship to speak of. But as Jeanne spread her arms wide, that was what she'd likened them to. Her face still expressionless, she gave a single spin, as though trying to wrap the entire world in her embrace. Then, in the town assailed by death, Jeanne made a bold proclamation. "The fourteen chess pieces were successfully destroyed, but the board has become severely cracked. What did a certain group think when they saw those tainted wounds? What did they wish for, and what did they begin plotting? The problem lies therein." As always, it was difficult to tell what Jeanne was talking about. But with the bearing of a great prophet, she went on. "If things continue as they are, the world will perish 'just as planned.'" Smiling as she made her declaration, Jeanne opened her mouth to continue speaking. For once, it looked like she was going to elaborate on her explanation. But suddenly, she stopped and snapped her fingers instead. Snap! —Grrr? The beast made completely of fangs reared its head from within Deus Ex Machina. Jeanne spoke softly, as though she were sending her own child out into the world. "Go on now, Bandersnatch. Duty calls." The moment she did, the beast took off at a dash. The stone ground cracked in its wake. As the beast sprinted, it damaged everything it came in contact with. The fangs comprising its skin, muscle, and bone undulated. Bandersnatch was both an individual and a collective, and it glistened with a |
sinister shade of silver. It looked almost like a school of small fish swimming together in the shape of a monster. Then it kicked off against a wall and pulverized the bones affixed to the surface as it leaped high into the air. A figure began to emerge from behind the building, and Bandersnatch sank its fangs into it. There was a hard, crunching sound. The initial blow had been stopped by a metal arm—its foe was wearing silver armor. But the beast's face collapsed, and its fangs began whirling freely. One by one, it drove them into the armor's joints. A dull scream echoed through the air. Blood gushed forth and trickled onto the cobbled ground. As the armored figure reeled back, the lily crest on their chest came into view. Upon seeing their foe's attire, Kaito let out a puzzled cry. "...A paladin?" He'd never have expected his pursuers to make it this far. In fact, he was fairly shaken. But Jeanne shook her head and refuted what he was thinking. "The paladins aren't here in pursuit of you, mister. I'm their target." "You? Wait, the paladins know about you? They know about the second Torture Princess?" "Yes. Or rather, a small group of them do, a group operating directly under a faction within the Church's leadership. To be even more precise, it could be said I'm at fault for the Church nudging you toward this territory." "...What?" Kaito shouted in sheer astonishment. As far as he was aware, he'd come to the beastman lands of his own volition. Before their eyes, the paladin had fought through the pain to draw his sword and was trying to use its handle to extricate the metallic beast from his flesh. Bandersnatch separated from the paladin; either it had thought the resistance disagreeable or had merely determined the situation to be inefficient. As it landed, its whole body trembled. Then, letting out a howl, it began launching fangs from its front like bullets. The paladin clumsily swung his sword, but the act was wholly inadequate to repel the veritable buckshot coming his way. Fangs pierced into the gaps in his joints and helmet in rapid succession. Blood burst out, staining the ground a ghoulish shade of red. Unaffected by the spectacle, Jeanne spoke dispassionately. "Belated though it may be, allow me to clear up one of your misunderstandings. I was not the one responsible for the beastfolk massacres. I accumulated all the pain I needed here. Also, like hell I'd have killed them in such a gross way." "What?! Then what was up with that machine in the village?" "I sent that one out to test how strong you were, mister. It would have killed you if you'd failed, but it seems you narrowly passed. And damn, do I mean narrowly! You cut that crap hella close!" Kaito was taken aback. Apparently, losing to that machine would have meant his death either way. Continuing on unabashedly, Jeanne laid out new information about the massacres' perpetrators. "My pursuers must have figured out my intentions to get in contact with you after I set out from here. Because of that and the fact that they needed to gather pain, they invaded the beastfolk territories, committed the murders, provoked Vyade, and intentionally leaked the information about the battle against the Earl. In doing so, they lured you away from the human lands and, in turn, away from the prying eyes of the rest of the Church. Then they deduced I'd take you here to give you your explanation. If things had gone well for them, they would have been able to kill both of us without having to make any overt public moves. That was their scheme." "Wait, hold up. If you're right about all that...then that means not only are the masterminds humans, but they're from the Church, too?" Kaito's blood froze. Even if they were just members of a fringe cell within the Church, if Lute and Vyade found out who the perpetrators were, then war was inevitable. But Jeanne shook her head. "Whether or not the killers were human is a difficult distinction to make. You noticed it too, right, mister, that the atrocities in the villages wouldn't have been possible for humans to commit? You were correct. After all..." At that moment, Kaito realized something. The battle between the paladin and the beast was unfolding in an unexpected manner. The way the paladin was swinging his sword didn't match up with the severity of his wounds. Upon closer inspection, each and every one of the fangs wedged in the openings of the paladin's armor was being pushed out from within. Trails of blood followed them through the air as they clattered to the ground. "...the slaughterers had undergone transformations." Bandersnatch let out a wary cry. Then it lifted its silver head and howled. To put it in terms from Kaito's old world, the way it proceeded to shoot out its fangs was like machine-gun fire. The paladin took them head-on. But even with his eyes crushed and swathes of his skin riddled with fangs, he still held his sword aloft and hurled it with deadly accuracy. The blow rippled across the beast's body as the sword impaled it through the midsection. After taking the attack, the beast lay in pieces. But the scattered fangs quickly resumed their original formation, and Bandersnatch reassumed its stance. The paladin stood before it, having somehow completely stanched his bleeding. Upon closer inspection, his flesh had begun swelling peculiarly. A grotesque pink shade had stopped up his wounds and was bulging out of the openings in his armor. Humans didn't metamorphose like that. Seeing the repulsive spectacle, Kaito found himself at a loss for words. Is he even human? Given the paladin's state, it was difficult to say for certain. Bandersnatch and the paladin squared off against each other. Then came an ominous rattling noise. A number of other silver-armored men had made their appearances. But something about them was off. All of them, the one Bandersnatch had just shot included, were emitting low groans from beneath their helmets. Then suddenly, one member of the group looked Kaito's way. "Urr...grr...ahh...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The moan turned to a howl, and the paladin charged at him. As he did, Hina stepped in front of Kaito. In concert with the sharp maneuver, she brought her halberd crashing down. "Not one step closer to my beloved husband, you wretch!" The paladin she was facing off against swung his sword up from below. Each of their weapons carved a wide arc before crashing into the other. Sparks flew. As they did, the impossible occurred once more. *** Hina had swung her halberd down, and the paladin had swung his sword up. The two of them were vastly different when it came to reach and stance. But despite having every possible disadvantage working against him, the paladin had managed to stop Hina's blow. No normal human would have had the strength to pull such a feat off. Perplexed as he was, Kaito snapped his fingers as calmly as he could. "La (dance)." A blade came hurtling out of thin air and flew at the paladin's flank. But the strike, which Kaito had carefully calculated to avoid being fatal, was knocked out of flight by another silver knight. The new paladin had stopped the blade with strength alone. Before Kaito could manipulate it again, the paladin hurled it. The blade cleft deep into the surface of the road. Hina and the paladin she faced continued trying to push each other away. With the distance between them having grown, Hina stiffened her guard. Kaito bit down on his lip. He'd been holding back during his last attack, but still, no human should have been able to stop it with brawn alone. Or to put it another way, no human was meant to be able to. "What's up with these guys? They look like paladins, but are they abnormal or something?" "Allow me to ask you a question, mister. Are you positive you saw the Monarch die?" A surprising question came from Jeanne. As soon as she spoke, Bandersnatch leaped in front of the paladin who'd blocked Kaito's blade, casually taking over Kaito's fight. Kaito was on the verge of giving Jeanne an answer, but he stayed silent instead. He'd tortured the Monarch, then killed him. Kaito was certain he'd decapitated the wailing, agonizing demon. But there was something tugging at him, preventing him from giving an authoritative answer. Then recollection of a certain fact jolted through his brain like lightning. After they die, demons collapse and turn into a cloud of black feathers. Kaito hadn't properly seen the Monarch's death through to the end. "N-no. I cut off his head, but I didn't make sure he did the final transformation." "I fuckin' knew it, ya stupid piece of shit. You are quite the Fool! Even if they're beheaded by a guillotine, human beings can survive for several seconds. And demons can take even longer than that to die. Someone must have reattached his head and kept him alive. I caught a glimpse of some Church documents detailing how you tortured him in order to amass power, mister, but did you by any chance leave behind a magical formula of healing?" "Yeah...I did." Everything Jeanne had pointed out had been right on the mark. Kaito had been done with the formula, but he'd left it beneath the cage regardless. The Church reviled dark magic. He'd assumed they'd erase it by the following day, but Jeanne refuted that notion. "Reusing that formula would have been feasible. They could have erased the part that transferred pain but left the part that healed. In doing so, they could shave off as much meat from the Monarch as they wanted, completing their magical rite. Wouldja look at that? The Monarch became a handy piece of livestock! A fine, good-lookin' swine!" "Using a demon as livestock and harvesting their meat... You can't mean that they...!" "That's right, bud—they chowed down." Jeanne's reply was blunt. As she pointed toward the paladin Hina was fighting, the chains on her wrists rattled. "Those men were induced to consume the flesh." Kaito's gaze swung toward the paladins so fast that it was like he'd been slapped. Their faces were all covered by helmets. There was no way for him to tell if any one of them had been a member of Izabella's squad or someone else he knew. The only thing he could make out was that they clearly weren't sane. The eyes peering out from within their helmets were bloodshot and tinged with madness, and crimson foam was frothing around their mouths. Kaito recalled something Jeanne had just said. They needed to gather pain. "If one must consume the flesh of demons, there is an optimal portion size, and it takes several years before its roots finish spreading through people's bodies to the point of being bearable. But they each ate more than double that amount. In their current states, they're little more than weapons, seeking out the pain of others to alleviate their own. They ain't nothin' more than pawns to be used up and chucked aside." As a result, the paladins hadn't hesitated in carrying out those massacres. The strung-up corpses flashed across Kaito's mind. Just like he'd suspected, that had all been assembly-line work dispassionately carried out with the intention of causing pain. And just as Vlad had suggested, whoever was designating the sites of the murders must have been selecting them with their own personal amusement in mind. In one sense, that was definitely a demon's doing, but in another, it was a human's. "I had no idea this was how—" "Feeling personal responsibility for this would be both illogical and pointless. You're a very kind person, mister. And even though you might be an incorrigible asshat, this turn of events was bound to occur regardless." Jeanne gave him a |
light shrug. Kaito clenched his fists tight. As they did, Hina had begun pushing the paladin back and was now swinging her halberd in earnest. The paladin fell back in order to avoid her torrential blows. Taking on a bestial stance, she spoke in a low voice. "You would do well not to underestimate the depths of my love. Take a single step forward if you do not value your life." The paladin fighting Bandersnatch had retreated in much the same way. But the corrupted paladins hadn't given up yet. Five more members joined them from the group hanging back. Apparently, their plan was to win with sheer numbers. Kaito and Hina stood at the ready again. The Kaiser scoffed, motionless. Vlad crossed his arms. Then Jeanne listlessly gave an order. "Bandersnatch, my first, Gargantua, my second, Jabberwocky, my third, and Pantagruel, my fourth—don't let them flee." One of them was a beast made of nothing but fangs. Another was an automaton, shaped like a human except for its fatally warped frame. One of the other monsters was a lizard with limbs made from pipes and wings of glass. And the final one was a bipedal suit of armor with no visible seams on its body. The four of them advanced, their movements perfectly controlled. Then silver streaks flashed across Kaito's vision. A metallic mass had appeared in front of the paladins. Even upon seeing the "thing" in full, Kaito still found himself unable to properly parse it. In all likelihood, it was beyond mankind's ability to comprehend altogether. What the hell...is that? It was firm, and it was supple. It was a sword, a shield, a bullet, and a wing. It was massive, twisted, and formless. Its whole body was both curved and straight, and it writhed as it bore down on its foes. Then, at long last, Kaito realized what it was. Deus Ex Machina breaks down its component parts, then combines them at will, transforming into something completely new each time. As befitted the name Deus, the lot of them were normally just parts of one, larger weapon. They ran their hard, metal, lance-like conical feelers gently along the ground. Their movements were wholly inconsistent with their forms, and the attacks they launched defied all human expectations. With each strike, they severed the paladins' arms and legs, silver armor and all. Countless limbs went flying through the air. The scene would have been funny if it wasn't so grisly. They didn't know if the paladins had eaten the demon flesh of their own volition. As Kaito was about to stop the tragedy by calling that fact out, though, he swallowed back his words. Before his eyes, the paladins' wounds had begun roiling. Their pink flesh began swelling up, burbling horribly as it did. It began taking on the shape of arms and legs. One paladin's helmet went flying off, exposing his face below. "Grblargh, brglahhhhhhh, brglahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" His eyes had turned almost completely inside out, and his engorged lips were tearing even as he cried. His veins had risen to the surface, forming a grotesque, melon-like lattice over his face. Even if they left the paladins alive, they were beyond help. Jeanne's voice as she stared at the hellish spectacle was even and dispassionate. "They ate the Monarch's flesh. What meat did Vlad and I eat, then? That was what you asked me as you buzzed about like a fruit fly, or maybe like a giant pain in my ass. It is necessary for you to know, so tell you I shall. Or rather, I shall show you. It is necessary, so that is what I shall do. It's become noisy as shit around here, after all." And with that, Jeanne shrugged. As Deus Ex Machina continued one-sidedly butchering the paladins, Jeanne turned her back on the fight. Her honey-blond hair swayed as she walked, her gait so light that she nearly seemed to be dancing. She approached one of the corpses on the walls, the one she'd pointed out to Vlad earlier, and the only one whose bones were adorned with gold. They'd probably been an important figure, even for an alchemist. Jeanne reached out toward the rose-colored gem resting on the corpse's necklace. "Time to bring down the house. The end." A hard, crunching noise rang out. Jeanne had, for whatever reason, crushed the gem in her bare hands. Its rosy fragments scattered through the air. That was when it started. A violent quake ran through the town, as though some sort of lever had been pulled. Unable to keep his footing, Kaito lost his balance. That very instant, Hina took off at a dash and extended her arms outward. Half-hugging him, she propped him up gently, yet firmly. "Master Kaito, please put your arms around me." "Right, thanks." The two lovers wrapped each other in a tight embrace, and in doing so, endured the steadily worsening tremors. The sky, the earth, and everything in between was shaking. It felt as though the end of the world had arrived. Roused by the noise, Vlad let out a rare cry of admiration. "Oh, how bold! And how calculated! A mechanism designed to flatten an entire town!" Kaito followed Vlad's line of sight. Red lights were flashing in succession at the base of the two mountains. It would seem magic circles had been concealed among the rocks and trees. One after another, the dazzling light carved away at the mountains' surfaces. Each one empowering the next, the lights snaked their way up to the peaks. A loud, massive explosion rang out. Then the two mountains began crumbling as though they'd been struck by lightning. As a consequence, rocks began raining down on the village. "Sorry, Hina! I'm gonna have to leave evasion to you!" "I don't mind in the slightest! I shall protect you to the last!" Hina quickly scooped Kaito up. The footwork she then displayed in avoiding the boulders wouldn't have been out of place at a fashionable ball. Kaito used his beastly arm to bat away some of the smaller rocks. One of the paladins got crushed. Deus Ex Machina, on the other hand, casually pulverized the boulders coming its way with its metal arms. The Kaiser languidly bit one in half. Vlad, being phantasmal, merely shrugged, then vanished. As for Jeanne, she simply looked up at the sky. The way she gazed up at the heavens, one would think she was watching a gentle rainfall. The boulders fell atop everyone equally. That, more than anything, made it feel like punishment meted out by the heavens. The alchemist's hidden village was crushed, as though it had invoked divine wrath. But the one who'd brought it about was none other than the girl, the village's sole surviving inhabitant. "Now should be a good time." Suddenly, Jeanne set off. The rattling from the chains on her wrists could be heard all throughout the crumbling town. Then she began elegantly twirling. As she did, Deus Ex Machina took its place by her side. Its fused form collapsed, and its four sub-components joined Jeanne in her dance. They waltzed, as though to extol her, and mana began gathering between them. Golden flower petals started whirling up. "Master Kaito!" "Yeah, let's go!" Kaito and Hina hurriedly made their way into the circle. The Kaiser followed after them. The remaining paladins also rushed forward but were repelled by the wall of gold petals and white feathers. Then the teleportation circle activated, mercilessly abandoning the paladins to their fates. Paying no heed to their howls, Jeanne spoke. "Now then, to continue from where I left off before I was so rudely interrupted. The demon's flesh we ate. A visit to the Capital's abandoned underground tomb should make it quite apparent where we obtained it from. And that is where I intend to show to you..." Gorgeous, cold light began filling their vision. Then they left the crumbling village behind. Jeanne continued, as though to build up anticipation. "...a true nightmare, the likes of which you stray sheep have never seen before." 7 His and Her The Butcher leaped high into the air, clinging to the wall to avoid Elisabeth's opening blow. Spiked Hare carved a victimless path across the floor in vain and nearly smashed through the door. Right before it could, though, Elisabeth snapped her fingers, and the torture device vanished back into darkness and crimson petals. "Tch, cease your dashing and your scurrying!" She was well aware of the Butcher's evasive capabilities. Not letting her guard down for a moment, she summoned another vortex of darkness and petals. Then she drew a sword with crimson runes carved on its blade from within. "Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!" At the top of her voice, Elisabeth called out the sword's name. As she did, the runes on the blade flashed. His tone implying an odd sneer, the Butcher read them aloud. "'You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand,' was it?" His voice had a certain scornful ring to it. In place of a reply, Elisabeth pointed the sword's tip at him. A number of chains burst out of empty space. Neither flustered nor panicked, the Butcher merely kicked off against the wall. The chains violently swerved like the heads of a hydra as they pursued him. Assailed by the surging attack, the Butcher bent his body like a cat as he fell. The action seemed almost thoughtless, and the chains grazed over his head and beside his flank. Ultimately, he managed to slip through all of them, and with a thump, he landed safely on the floor. He could well have a promising career in front of him as a circus acrobat. Without sparing a moment to congratulate him, Elisabeth snapped her fingers again. "Ducking Stool!" "Good heavens!" A chair sprouted from the ground, scooping the Butcher up in its seat. The next moment, leather belts sprung out from its back and its armrests, binding his body down. And at the same time, a rectangular chunk of floor beneath the chair vanished. The gaping hole was filled to the brim with water. Crimson flower petals floated on its surface. Splashhhhhhh! A loud noise echoed in the room as the Butcher sank underwater. A number of bubbles floated to the surface. But after a moment, the water's surface grew calm. The Butcher didn't appear to be putting up much of a fight. "Hmm." Finding that fact suspicious, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Chains clanged as they dragged the chair up from the water. It was empty. The Butcher was nowhere to be seen. "I did tell you; if I wish to call myself the Butcher, then surely, I should be able to flip over my body within my cloak the moment before I get strung up. When one lives as long as I have, they develop a knack for escaping restraints." A playful tone rose from beside Elisabeth. She turned to look to the other side of the bed. At some point, the Butcher had sat down on it, and at present, he was casually swinging his legs. Elisabeth took a closer look at the Butcher's demeanor. Swinging her sword at him from this range would be child's play. But she suspected the only thing she'd end up destroying was the bed. Little point in throwing good money after bad, I suppose. For the time being, Elisabeth elected to stop using force. Adjusting her seat on the bed, she turned to face the Butcher. He continued his speech with the same unaffected cheerfulness as always, as though the two of them were merely having an inconsequential chat. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but one really does experience so many things over the course of a long life. Founding the very first guilds, the grand expedition to |
find the rainbow-hued Mana Egg, leading an army five thousand strong, decorating my beloved dragons..." "More of your usual nonsense?" "What would you say if I told you it was all true, Madam Elisabeth?" The Butcher tilted his head to the side. Elisabeth gave him a long, hard stare. From the other side of the deep darkness in his hood, he awaited her reaction. She offered no response. He let a few more words slip. "What would you say if I told you that I hailed from a time before the Saint carried out her duty and fell into her deep slumber, Madam Elisabeth?" "If that was all, then I daresay I'd do naught. The only bit that catches my attention is the possibility of you being my enemy." "Whatever are you talking about, Madam Elisabeth?! I'm not your enemy, not in the slightest!" With that, the Butcher hopped up and down in his standard display of protest. "I'm not the enemy of anyone personally. I'm the enemy of all things that exist in this world! That, and I am a merchant." Elisabeth crossed her legs and leaned forward, her cheeks resting on her palms. She glared the Butcher's way. His declaration had been extremely troubling, but the tone he continued in was, for some reason, incredibly endearing. "And not just humans, everyone is my enemy. And they are my customers. That is why I was born, and that is why I yet live. Not a lie or falsehood escapes my tongue when I say that truly, everything I've done and everything I do has been for your sakes. All for you, my dear customers. And my, what pleasant days they've been. And that, precisely, is why I know that better than any." The Butcher gently swung his short, scaled legs from side to side. Then he let out a vaguely heartrending mutter. "'For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand.' That, truly, sums up this world." "I see. A rather grim tale, that." Elisabeth gave a faint murmur. Sighing, she bent her back and calmly uncrossed her slender legs. Then she nonchalantly snapped her fingers. "I find God rather abhorrent, after all—Hellhole." As she spoke, Elisabeth leaped, leaving only the Butcher behind on the bed. "Hweh?" The bedroom shook, and its floor collapsed. The broken shutters, the chest of drawers, and the bed were all swallowed up by a conical hole. Within it, a grotesque mass of bugs clamored and buzzed. Elisabeth was hanging from her sword, which she'd successfully thrust into the ceiling. Raising her face, she looked out at the scene before her. As she'd expected, the Butcher was unharmed. Having adroitly stuck himself to the ceiling, he was currently quite angry. His anger was of a type wholly unbefitting the situation, though, and it almost seemed like it was possible for comical bursts of steam to burst out of his ears. "How underhanded! I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you here, and I'd appreciate it greatly if you'd stop trying to kill me so heartlessly! We had a deal! You promised!" "I don't recall promising you anything. Vlad goes without saying, but I loathe any who tell me stories laden with subtext. Oh, and one other thing." "One other thing?" "Gibbet." Elisabeth gave her fingers a light snap. Still hanging from her sword with one hand, she mercilessly summoned yet another torture device. "Oh, deary me." A long, narrow swirl of darkness and crimson petals encircled the Butcher from top to bottom. A cramped cage, one that a human could just barely fit in if they stood up straight, materialized, then clamped shut around the Butcher. With another snap of her fingers, Elisabeth dispelled the Hellhole. She then dropped to the ground and made an elegant landing. The Butcher remained trapped within his cage. He stroked his jaw in contemplation. "Simultaneous deployment? That's far too stylish, Madam Elisabeth. Hmm, hmm. To think that I, the Butcher, would become a bird in a cage... Oh? Wait. Might I, by any chance, be playing the role of the captured princess?" "'Tis far too late for jokes, Butcher. Tell me why you sold the demon flesh. Tell me where you obtained it. Tell me everything you know. Everything you're plotting. Spit out everything it is that you think I might like to know." "Ah, well, that's Madam Elisabeth for you. Mr. Dim-Witted Servant could never have posed those questions so very economically." "Do it, or the needles and spears shall make their appearance." Elisabeth snapped her fingers, causing darkness and petals to flare up once again. The cage was soon surrounded by needles. Their sharpness was immediately apparent. The Torture Princess spoke, her face frozen with an ice-cold glare. "Taking pleasure in pain and in screams—were you not aware? That happens to be my field of expertise." "I suppose it is... If that's the case, then I'd wager you'd be well served by visiting the tomb beneath the Capital. A number of things are going to become apparent there right around now, you see." The Butcher's response was vague. As carefree as his tone was, though, he appeared to be serious. There was no indication that he was joking. But the contents of his claim lacked anything even resembling details. Elisabeth frowned. Showing no fear toward the needles, the Butcher calmly went on. "It's a nonsensical little fairy tale, and one that's gone on for a very, very long time. There are those who've worked to bring these events about, and those who've worked to prevent them. I am among the former, but the latter group shall begin to move in earnest quite soon. You'd best be going, Madam Elisabeth." The Butcher spoke in a tone one might use with a child. His jaw loosened a little, as though he were looking at someone radiant. And even though he was on the verge of being tortured, he spoke with the quiet calmness of an old retiree. "If I'm being quite honest, your existence was rather outside my expectations. As I always say, I have little interest in the fights between men and demons. After all, they are of little consequence to the result. I'd never thought someone would rise to oppose the dreadful end of the story that the fourteen tragedies mark the beginning of. And Mr. Dim-Witted Servant is the same. Though your two tales may be small in the scope of things, the results they bear may be monumental indeed... Who knows, after all, how the world may turn from here on?" "...You speak in riddles. I demand details." Elisabeth raised her hand, fingers poised to snap. As she did, the door opened behind her. The voice that crossed the threshold was serious, yet given the situation, it seemed almost carefree. "Pardon me. Elisabeth, are you... O-oh?" "Izabella?" Surprised at the unexpected visitor, Elisabeth wheeled around. There, she found an attractive paladin sporting silver hair and a mismatched pair of blue and purple eyes. Several hideous scars were etched into her skin. It looked almost like her entire body had burst from within. In spite of her scars, her face was still beautiful. Izabella curled her lips into a frown. "I have information and an order I need to convey to you. I apologize for the sudden intrusion, but what exactly is going on here? Are you...disciplining one of your servants or something? You may be the Torture Princess, but I should think this is taking it a bit far, no?" "Oh, hardly, but there are a number of circumstances at play here. Now then, your business?" Given the situation, and the fact that Elisabeth had no idea how many people were involved, she could hardly carry out torture right in front of Izabella. Elisabeth dispelled the needles, leaving only the Gibbet remaining. The Butcher, still standing upright, showed no particular signs of relief. After casting a concerned glance his way, Izabella gave her report. "An order's come down from above. But even I'm in the dark as to where they got their information from, so I have doubts regarding its credibility. For whatever reason, though, all the soldiers under my command have their marching orders. Please, try not to be too surprised when you hear what I have to say." "Out with it already! I'd sensed the situation's irregularity the moment you stepped through my door rather than merely sending a message. Just say your piece." Elisabeth brusquely urged Izabella on. Izabella responded with a short nod. She herself seemed bewildered by the next words that came out of her mouth. "Kaito Sena, the Kaiser's contractor, will make his appearance." "'Will'? Not 'has made his appearance'?" Elisabeth frowned. The words reeked strangely of prophecy. After all, although she hadn't told them, Kaito was currently in the land of the beastfolk. The Church shouldn't have had any way of tracking his movements. How, then, could they predict so confidently where he'd show his face? "He's slated to make his appearance at the site where the mass of flesh consumed the royal castle—at the underground tomb where all the kings of old lie. But I have no idea what basis they're making that decree under." Aye, the reason for their conjecture is unclear. 'Tis as though they saw him perform the teleportation firsthand... Elisabeth narrowed her crimson eyes. The sense of discomfort nagging at her was growing by the moment. Then she cast a glance toward the Butcher in his cage. He said nothing, but it was clear that from within his hood, he was smiling. "I hope it's simply just another byproduct of the general disarray in our chain of command. After Godd Deos passed, a number of strange things have been happening. And the order has another part to it." Izabella's expression darkened. She, too, was clearly uncomfortable, and likely about the same thing. But after shaking her head, she revealed the grave finale. "We've been ordered to make absolutely sure we kill him before he can enter the tomb." It was the moment Elisabeth had surely been waiting for, and the words she'd least wanted to hear. The dance of the golden light and white feathers came to an end. They transformed into droplets, then all melted away at once. After they'd completed their extravagant transformation, a new wasteland spread out before them, different from the destroyed village they'd just left behind. Their surroundings were gray and barren as far as the eye could see. Off in the distance, they could just barely make out a small clump of buildings that had avoided destruction. Upon looking at the distant townscape, Kaito realized that he'd seen it before. "Wait, this is..." At the same time, the plot they were standing on was new to him. In fact, even among the people who lived in the Capital, not many would have ever had a chance to set foot here. Kaito and the others now found themselves in the center of the Capital; before the mass of flesh had consumed the entire area, it had housed a castle hailed as resembling a white rose and also accommodated a grand garden as well as a number of vacation homes belonging to prominent aristocrats. However, the events that had taken place here had been no ordinary calamity, and not a single trace remained of the buildings that had once been there. As a matter of fact, the land was strangely smooth. It was like some massive monster had run its tongue over the ground and lapped up everything it found. And now that I think about it, that's not far off from what actually happened. Kaito was well aware of that. After all, this was where the Monarch, the Grand Monarch, and the King had intentionally been set forth to swallow up the land. The center of the Capital had been the heart of human civilization, and the demons had |
utterly and completely destroyed it. However, there was one thing still standing there, strangely unharmed. Amid the vast nothingness, a statue of the Saint shedding tears of blood stood tall. She was hanging upside down, and a rectangular pit sat directly beneath her head. There was a good chance it had originally been locked up tight and covered by a pedestal, but the statue's protection must not have extended that far, and the mass of flesh must have melted it all away. Kaito squinted, trying to make out what was within. Deep in the darkness, he could make out a set of stairs. They had likely avoided destruction by virtue of being underground. Jeanne strode forth, her steps light as she made her way toward its entrance. "Come now, everyone, let's be on our way. In the quest for truth, you must simply put one foot in front of the other. The words Ask and ye shall receive are rarely true, but this case is one exception to that rule." "The 'truth'... What exactly is down there?" "A place with no connection to the lives of the stray sheep—the ancestral tomb of the royal family. One of the high priests, the Grave Keeper, bears full responsibility for protecting it. But what they're hiding away and guarding so closely aren't just the corpses of geezers who kicked the bucket." Jeanne gave her answer. Unfortunately, though, she stopped short of the most important part. She continued on at her leisurely pace. Kaito gazed in frustration at the swaying, honey-blond hair covering her back. As always, her communication skills were lacking in the extreme. Then he turned his gaze to the ashen earth around him. The current king and the surviving nobles were taking shelter somewhere else at the moment, and they hadn't gotten around to any sort of restoration effort yet. There was nobody there to interfere with them. Jeanne kept walking, her strides almost rhythmical. Now that they'd come this far, there was no turning back. In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess. Kaito followed after her. Hina and the Kaiser did the same. As Jeanne approached the pit the statue was guarding, though, Kaito noticed a white light flickering at the edge of his vision. He thought it might just be an optical illusion, but the lone dot suddenly multiplied. One by one, they ignited, like candles arranged in a ring. Cylindrical lights formed in a circle around Kaito and the others. "Ah, I see. Sure enough, they'd really rather we not enter the tomb. But given that we're in the Capital, they can't exactly use their transfigured paladins. All right, all right, let's have us a look-see. How do y'all wanna dance?" As Jeanne murmured, the lights all transformed into droplets and fell in a cascade, leaving behind people in silver armor. Jeanne cast a glance at the paladins forming a perimeter around herself and the others as though to appraise them. "Enough fucking around... Where is your leader?" Right as she spoke, a particularly bright light flashed directly in front of Kaito and the rest. When the white light bled away, the figure standing in its wake was one that Kaito knew well. "It's been some time, Kaito Sena." "...Izabella." It was the beautiful, silver-haired commander of the Holy Knights: Izabella Vicker. Kaito was about to say something, but he immediately lost his train of thought. When he'd fled from the Capital, he hadn't had a chance to get a good look at her face. But now that he had a chance to see for himself, he noticed her skin was covered in cruel scars. They marked the time she'd used summoning magic in the battle for the Capital. Unable to withstand the force of the mana, her body had burst from within. Kaito unthinkingly let out a shocked cry. "Those wounds... Did you get those when you performed the summoning?! Dammit, I told you that you were being rash!" "How strange of you to say that, Kaito Sena. You turned against mankind. That makes me your enemy, so why lend me any sympathy?" Izabella spoke, her voice filled with puzzlement. Kaito immediately shut up. As the Kaiser shot a mocking glance at him from his side, Kaito bit down on his lip. Oh, right... I'm not really in any position to be worrying about Izabella. Kaito glanced around the gray Capital. He, Izabella, the Torture Princess, and the paladins had all waged a desperate battle to protect the townscape off in the distance. Then he shifted his gaze back to Izabella. For a moment, he felt a weighty sense of fatigue press down on his body. Those days we spent fighting together feel like they were an eternity ago. The situation and the way Kaito now saw the world were so different compared with that episode of his past. He spent a moment immersed in sentimentality. Izabella, unaware of the things going through his head, continued in a detached tone. "I'd thought you a decent, honest man. But for some reason, you betrayed humanity. At this late hour, I shan't ask you your reasons. No matter what they may have been, a paladin's duty is to slay demons and their contractors. You prepared yourself for that reality when you made your pledge back at the square, I hope." "Yeah, that I did. I knew turning my back on humanity would mean becoming your enemy. And even knowing that, I made my choice." "Then it seems neither of us bears a grudge against the other." Izabella clutched the hilt of her sword, then drew it in a single smooth motion. The paladins followed her lead. Steel glinted brightly in the gray, muted land. Then, one by one, they pointed their consecrated blades at the Kaiser's contractor. "Yet we must kill you. For the sake of our orders, for the sake of mankind, and for the sake of the world." "Oh, how very illogical!" Suddenly, a loud voice rang out. Its tone was bright and cheery, yet its echo had a strange coldness to it. Confused at hearing the young girl's voice, Izabella blinked. "Who-who's there? Who do you have there with you, Kaito Sena?" "I beg your pardon. It is I." Jeanne popped out from behind Kaito. She must have hidden there at some point. As she did, Izabella's face twitched. Jeanne's words had been sorely lacking as an introduction, true, but the reason Izabella had stiffened up lay elsewhere. Oh, right. Now that I think about it, her getup's even more degenerate than Elisabeth's. Jeanne's outfit, opulent and far more lascivious than was appropriate for her age, seemed to have overloaded Izabella's straitlaced brain. She looked to be at a loss for words. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jeanne dived right in. "I beg your pardon again, but did you, by any chance, leave your brain behind somewhere, miss?" "What? What are you—" "Who did you receive that order from? Who among the Church's leadership suggested it?" "Wait. What are you implying by that, young lady?" "Who exactly managed to locate Kaito Sena? It can't have been mere coincidence. Whoever found him must have been tracking his movements. Why, then, did they not report it to the units pursuing him? What was the order you received, miss? It couldn't have been just to kill the Kaiser's contractor. They must have added the rider 'before he enters the underground tomb,' didn't they? And they surely gave that part of the order the utmost priority, if I had to guess. Why is that, do you think?" Jeanne mechanically pressed Izabella for answers. Izabella regarded her with suspicion at first, but her expression grew gradually more and more serious. She'd clearly realized that Jeanne wasn't simply spouting nonsense. Izabella's subordinates exchanged nervous glances as well. They, too, must have found the whole situation fishy. Still expressionless, Jeanne began talking at insane speeds. "Have you ever felt as though there were a secret unit among the paladins' ranks? Have you never found it suspicious, the fact that so many of the most promising recruits got snatched away? And after Godd Deos's death, did you not get the sense that suspicious matters began cropping up not just within the paladins but the Church itself?" As a clincher, Jeanne opened her rosy eyes wide, then posed Izabella a solemn question. "What proof do you have that all that is for the sake of mankind or the world?" "Who are you?" The way Izabella was addressing Jeanne had clearly changed. Despite Jeanne's age, Izabella was now dealing with her as an equal. The tension in the air took on a different note. Lowering her sword for a moment, Izabella ventured a question to Jeanne. "Just what do you think you're doing, Izabella?" A hard, unfriendly voice rang out. Izabella looked up in surprise, and Kaito cast his gaze overhead as well. One of the Church's communication devices was flying up in the gray sky. While it had the same shape as a normal device of its type, its appearance also seemed to be different in a way. Its abnormal size seemed to almost be a testament to how it had received God's favor. Its pure-white wings were conspicuously oversized as well, creating an overall impression of pomp and splendor. To put it bluntly, it seemed excessive, and in poor taste. The person on the other end, likely one of the high priests, droned on in an overbearing voice. "A contractor's ears are unfit for a paladin's words. You'll merely sully yourself. Kill him, now." "Please, Yah Llodl, wait. She could have information of some—" "Nonsense! What kind of fool sits around and listens to what a demon contractor's ally has to say?! Everything coming out of their mouths is a lie, intended to lead the faithful astray! Is that what you want?! This kind of nonsense is why we lost so many men at the Plain of Skewers, and your brother among them!" The man's heavy-handed rebuke left no room for arguments or rebuttals. Izabella reflexively bit down on her lip. Kaito looked up at the orb with scornful eyes. Then, after a few seconds of silence, he calmly spoke. "...Yah Llodl, was it? You know, you're not like Godd Deos." "Ah, so even a contractor like you can tell. You're right—I'm different from that man. I'm not the same as that fool who was obliterated by a demon without ever coming to understand genuine faith or the Saint's true will." The voice let out a twisted laugh. Godd Deos had been in charge of managing the paladins, and the level of trust they'd placed in him had been high. A number of the paladins standing in waiting trembled with anger. Kaito heaved a long sigh. With a look of gentle remorse on his face, he shook his head. "I once accused Godd Deos of being a spectator. But I take that all back." "How odd. Who knew contractors were even capable of introspection? The man may have been incompetent, but I imagine he'd be gratified by that." "You won't set foot on the battlefield. You won't even show your face. You're the biggest damn coward I've ever met. I can tell just by your voice—you're an overgrown pig of a man." "You—!" As Kaito gave his assessment, his tone was dispassionate and uninterested. The voice cut off, appalled by the sudden affront. Hearing his master's diatribe, the Kaiser gave an amused laugh in a rare display of approval. "Ha, he speaks truth! Those who refuse to display their own strength are weaklings! Those who fight without knowledge are fools! Those who titter incessantly are incompetent! Their lives have no value, and they are, to a man, swine!" Suddenly, the orb began spinning and emitting light, then gave its wings a hard flap to demonstrate its irritation. White feathers rained down violently from above, and the person on the other side |
of the orb screeched loudly. "A demon dares insult ME?! I live my life properly and piously, in service to the Saint, in service of God, and it insults ME?! Izabella, don't hesitate, don't think, just kill them, kill them, kill them, and do NOT let them advance!" As the man flew into a crazed rant, Kaito glanced toward the entrance to the underground tomb. What could be down there? As he pondered that, Yah Llodl gave a declaration. "This is for the sake of salvation!" Salvation again, huh? Jeanne spoke of salvation, and so did the Church. In all likelihood, the difference between the two was monumental. What are they each trying to save, and what are they trying to save it from? "Kill them! Why are you hesitating?! Carry out your orders! Follow your righteous command from God, from the Sai-Sai-Sai-Sai-Sai-Sai—" Suddenly, the voice started skipping. With no prior warning, an explosion had gone off right below the communication device. "...Huh?" "Wh—?!" Blasted by the explosion's shock wave, the orb went into a tailspin. Its ridiculously large wings proved a detriment as it was quickly blown off into the distance. The people present had no time to dwell on what had just happened, as their visions were blotted out with crimson and black. Rose petals danced extravagantly through the air. Everything in sight was violently painted over in black. Desperately trying to hold their ground, the paladins called out. "Commander Izabella!" "Settle down; I know whose doing this is! What I don't know, though, is why she's being so vicious!" The whole area descended into chaos. Even Izabella, who supposedly knew who the culprit was, was visibly trembling. Kaito and Hina, on the other hand, were calm as could be. The two of them let out low murmurs. ".........Welp, she's pissed." ".........She does seem quite upset." Then, with the same absurdity it had started with, the explosion suddenly subsided. In an instant, the area grew silent. And in the center of that silence stood a dark young woman. Her posture was graceful, and her beauty seemed nearly inhuman. "So you've finally come. The proud wolf. The lowly sow." Jeanne gave a soft whisper, the first one present to give voice to their wonder. Then, as if to raise the curtain, she continued. "Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu!" It was the black Torture Princess. The huntress of demons, the peerless sinner, had finally made her appearance. The black Torture Princess and the golden Torture Princess faced off for the first time. However, the black princess didn't spare the golden princess so much as a glance. Her crimson gaze was focused on one man, and one man alone. Her servant, Kaito Sena. "...Kaito." "Elisabeth." Elisabeth called out his name concisely. Kaito replied in kind. As luck would have it, they were standing in the Capital, surrounded by land consumed and released by the mass of flesh. In many ways, it resembled the moment they'd parted. Back then, when the battle had ended, Elisabeth had been left there alone. That, too, felt like it had been a century ago. Elisabeth closed her eyes. Then, just like before, she turned her head up toward the faint rays of sun peeking through the clouds. Every conceivable form of anguish crossed her face: anger, sorrow, grief, and loneliness. Then her expression changed to that of a child, pleading for something unknown. But abruptly, all of that vanished. She opened her eyes back up once more, then looked at Kaito, her gaze calm and absolute. A moment later, even that faded. Her crimson eyes went wide, and she balled her fist up tight. Then, thrusting that same hand forward, she pointed at Kaito with a single black nail. As she did, she made her bold declaration. "Brace yourself, Kaito. Your death is nigh." "Is this really how it has to be?" Kaito found himself questioning if that was how events were meant to play out. Surely, there were other things that needed to be said, if nothing else. But before he could lend a voice to his exasperation, a shrill noise rang out. Apparently, the Church's communication device had recovered from the blast. As it violently flapped its white wings, its puppeteer, Yah Llodl, shouted at the top of his lungs. "Ha-ha-ha, splendid, splendid! Well said, Torture Princess, what a fine hound you are! Go on, then—fulfill your role! Remember your sins, and remember the shackles you bear! Until the day of your death, try to do some—" With a thump, a stake wedged itself in the talkative orb's center. The voice coming from within cut off. As it did, Elisabeth spoke, her tone as cold as ice. "You lot brandish your whips at your chained hounds, driving them as you please. But I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow." White lights began running all across the communication device. Then, with a loud boom, it exploded in midair. "I am no mutt." A cascade of white feathers fluttered down toward the earth, providing a dramatic backdrop for Elisabeth's unwavering declaration. "Go squeal elsewhere, pig. This is a matter for me and my rage alone." A few stray feathers landed on her head, and she shook it gently. Her silken black hair flared out, then returned to its resting position. As the feathers fluttered down to her feet, her expression shifted. "Now then, Kaito. For a servant, you've been fooling around long enough. I do hope you're ready for your punishment." Her smile was nostalgic in a sense, but it was also fiendish through and through. Seeing it, Kaito Sena realized something. Ah, I see... I guess we gotta get that out of the way, don't we? Elisabeth had made up her mind to punch him with all her strength. Everything else could come after that. In fact, at the moment, nothing else seemed to matter. She was standing there, and so was he. They'd reunited. That was all there was to it. And for precisely that reason, Kaito replied with a wicked smile of his own. "Damn straight I am! I'm more than ready. And I'm ready to fight back, too." The former master-servant pair glared at each other. Ignoring the bewildered paladins completely, the two of them both began summoning their strength. The air was flush with tension. The force they were emitting was so fearsome that no one dared tell them to stop. Then, in the next moment, they both cried out at the top of their lungs. "Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!" "La (dance)!" Elisabeth drew her sword, and Kaito snapped his fingers. A blade danced across the ashen ground, and a lavish blast of crimson flower petals and darkness exploded to life. That was the signal that the curtain had risen on the battle. Confused as they were, the paladins charged as one. The battle between the Torture Princess and the Kaiser's contractor had begun. Although they'd been thrown into disarray, the paladins leaped into action as well. Watching them charge, Hina and the Kaiser sighed. Displeased, the two of them spoke in turn. "My beloved Master Kaito and my dear Lady Elisabeth are in the middle of their battle, I'll have you know! They don't have time to be dealing with you small folk! If you all would go lie down and wait like good little children, that would be splendid!" "You think of challenging me, with such frail human bodies? How delightful. If the boy weren't such a nag, I'd have gladly gobbled you all up. Not that you lot look to have much meat on your bones, I suppose." Hina deftly repelled the paladins' attacks from all directions with her halberd. With a displeased expression on his face, the Kaiser swept away his attackers with his tail alone. Slowly but surely, the battle had gotten underway. It was a chaotic affair, with little rhyme or reason to it. Izabella brought her palm to her face in spite of herself. Wh-what's going on? This is a mess, and the situation makes no sense. There are too many unsolved mysteries... But even so, trying to bring my men together at this point would be a fool's errand. If I want information, I'll simply have to emerge victorious. With that, Izabella made her decision. She readied her sword, prepared to carry out her orders. It was then that she noticed someone's gaze on her. Jeanne was staring at Izabella, as though in expectation. Then the golden girl gave her fingers an elegant snap. "Bandersnatch, Gargantua, Jabberwocky, Pantagruel—go forth." One by one, the machines took off. In the space of an instant, Izabella understood—the golden girl meant to oppose her. But even if she squared off against the machines head-on, she was no match for them. My blade is unsuited to deal with their kind. Fully understanding that, Izabella still dashed toward Bandersnatch. The fanged beast stopped in its tracks, then began shooting fangs at Izabella like bullets. Refusing to break stride, Izabella drew her spare sword from her back. Then she thrust it into the ground. Kicking off against its hilt, she leaped high into the air. Bandersnatch's fangs met nothing but empty air. Upon landing, Izabella resumed running. Gargantua moved to block her path. It was shaped like a twisted human figure, but its appearance gave her little to work with as far as figuring out an effective way to take it down. Instead, she dodged it and leaped to the side. The figure followed her in hot pursuit. Without a moment's hesitation, Izabella reached down and scooped something off the ground—the destroyed communication device. She threw it at the humanoid. Pierced by the figure's arm, the orb let out a final explosion. The orb itself shattered, but it caused the humanoid figure to violently lurch. Jeanne spoke, the admiration in her voice diminished by her affected tone. "Oh my, how unexpected." "Probably blasphemous, what I just did. But it was past the point of being repairable. No harm done." Izabella smiled as she spoke. Having slipped past Bandersnatch and Gargantua, she was now standing directly before Jeanne. Her body brimmed with tension as she squared off against the mysterious girl. Jeanne's expression was still disturbingly mechanical as a compliment made its way across her lips. "I see, miss. Foolish as you are, you aren't half-bad for an ignorant pawn of the Church." Although Izabella had no way of knowing it, the compliment she'd just earned was rare in the extreme. Jeanne nodded deeply, her honey-blond hair bobbing as she did. "I've taken a liking to you. I think I'll keep you for myself, li'l lady." "I—I can't help but find your phrasing disturbing, but I have a great many things I want to ask of you, as well! If it's a fight you desire, then I'll gladly oblige!" Izabella dashed toward Jeanne. A little closer, and her sword would reach her. Before it did, though, Jeanne snapped her fingers. Bandersnatch reared up behind Izabella. As it did, she made a humiliating realization. ...She's underestimating me! Based on its appearance, Bandersnatch's method of attack was the easiest to gauge of the four. In other words, Jeanne was saying that if Izabella couldn't even deal with it, then she had no value as an opponent. As Izabella was pursing her lips over that fact, the beast leaped. Before it could catch her in its maw, Izabella kicked it in the side. But the beast relentlessly tried to slip its fangs into the joints of her armor. That very moment, Izabella detached her mantle. Then she scooped up the beast's entire floating, fanged body in it. The sturdy fabric endured for just a moment, which was long enough for Izabella to smash the whole thing—mantle, beast, and all—into the ground. Then she closed in on Jeanne. "You're mine!" As she tried to strike Jeanne's exposed chest with the flat of her blade, though, Jabberwocky leaped forth. The unpleasant-looking machine took the |
blow in its master's place. Sparks flew, and Jeanne nodded once more. "Impressive." "I am a commander, after all." Izabella showed no signs of stopping. As she drew back her blade, she leveled a palm strike at Jeanne's jaw. Jeanne blinked in shock, but the surprises would not end there. "Oh?" "Huh?" At that moment, the two of them were both blown to the side. And it wasn't just them, either—the paladins met the same fate. Only Hina, who'd clung to the Kaiser, managed to endure. The Kaiser himself said nothing, but his annoyance was written all over his face. Deus Ex Machina frantically reassembled itself, transforming into a warped yet supple metal net. Jeanne swooped down atop it, like a princess being caught by her valet. Izabella, for her part, managed to twist herself around in the air before sticking the landing on her own. She then looked up, trying to figure out what was going on. When she did, she immediately grasped the situation. She let out a quiet murmur, forgetting for a moment the fact that she was in the middle of a fight. "...This is chaos." A massive Wicker Man had just ruptured from within, its chest shredded to pieces. Kaito, having made his escape, wiped the sweat from his brow. Based on his expression, he was clearly in over his head. After all, normal circumstances would leave him woefully unequipped to go up against the Torture Princess. By some miracle, though, he was managing to endure her relentless attacks. Elisabeth, on the other hand, showed no signs of letting up. "Gibbet! Ducking Stool! Hellhole!" "Takes me back, y'know, watching you go all-out like that!" Kaito let out a half-desperate shout as he dashed. And just as he'd implied, the space around was growing more dangerous by the moment. One of the paladins fell into the pit of man-eating bugs, and another one hurriedly pulled him out. As he ran, Kaito avoided it altogether. But one of the five simultaneously deployed Ducking Stools found its mark. Right before he was bound in place and plunged underwater, Kaito called out. "Kaiser!" "What, you can't even deal with this yourself?! I'll have your head if you die on me, O unworthy master of mine!" Although he had yelled out in frustration, the Kaiser moved in a flash. Grabbing the back of the chair in his teeth, he hurled it into the air. A tank of water appeared in the ground, but instead of falling, Kaito went flying over it. Letting loose his blade, he cut himself free from his restraints. He then managed to land safely somehow. Once more, he and Elisabeth faced each other. He, for one, was exhausted. But Elisabeth's face didn't have so much as a bead of sweat on it. Crossing her arms, she cast an angry glare his way. "Why do you run, Kaito?" "Is that a serious question?! If I took that shit head-on, it woulda killed me! C'mon, Elisabeth, hold your fire for a minute and hear me out!" As Kaito launched his ardent plea, Hina snapped her neck up. It was hard to make heads or tails of her situation—she was hoisting up one paladin who'd fallen in the water, yet at the same time, kicking away another who'd come to cut her down. Even though her surroundings had descended into chaos, though, she still spared the time to call out. "That's right, Lady Elisabeth! Even though I'm Master Kaito's companion, I've been getting the sense that I'd best not intrude in you two's battle! But if you insist on harming my beloved Master Kaito any further, my dear Lady Elisabeth, I will have to stop you, even if it means I must kill you!" "You too, Hina, enough from you! Not stopping Kaito when he decided to leave... Fools, the lot of you!" Elisabeth's rebuke was swift and brutal. It was so threatening, in fact, that Hina found herself at a momentary loss for words. Elisabeth's black hair fluttered as she turned back toward Kaito, before ruthlessly snapping her fingers once more. "Iron Maiden. La Guillotine." "Man, a guy can't catch a break." Another vortex of darkness and petals. A pair of maidens, red and white, lined up from within. They each had a decidedly different ambience. One was bewitching, and the other was pure. But while the impressions that the two statues gave off differed, they had their beauty and monstrous, overwhelming presence in common. As he glared at the two women, Kaito's thoughts raced. I wanna get as far back as possible. If Iron Maiden hugs me, it's all over. And from here, I won't be able to deal with the speed of La Guillotine's blades. Kaito set off an explosion of mana at his feet. With speed surpassing that of any human, he fled. La Guillotine brought its arms together as though in prayer, then opened them again. A blade shot out from its elbow at unbelievable speeds. No matter how high Kaito raised his physical capabilities, following them visually would be impossible. He snapped his fingers, virtually on instinct alone, and launched five blades into the air. "La (stop)!" One of them crashed against La Guillotine's blade. The strength of the impact sent the two slabs of metal spiraling off in opposite directions. As the paladins scurried about to avoid them, each cleft into the earth and vanished, leaving huge gashes in the ground. Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. As he did, though, he felt a chilly breeze at his back. Panicking, he whirled around. Fu— The red maiden was standing there behind him. With a smile full of affection, Iron Maiden extended its arms. Then its neck was rent to the side. The kindness of its expression didn't waver, even as its head toppled to the ground. It crumbled to pieces, then transformed back into rose petals and scattered. As it vanished into nothing, Hina stood holding her halberd in Iron Maiden's wake. Her emerald eyes were wide and crazed. "Only I, his companion, am allowed to embrace Master Kaito, you hunk of junk that knows nothing of love." "Thanks, Hin— No, get back!" As Kaito shouted, Hina leaped backward. Torture devices and chains had mercilessly borne down on him once more. The back-and-forth between Kaito and Elisabeth continued on in much the same way. At some point, they'd become the only two still fighting. The paladins simply gazed at the two of them, dumbfounded. And Izabella had been captured by Jeanne, who'd finally gotten serious. Deus Ex Machina had merged together and was presently pinning her to the ground. "Stop that at once! Let me go! Are you listening to me?!" "Quiet now, miss. I don't have any more time to play with you. This is turning out to be quite the show." Jeanne crossed her arms as she calmly observed the battle. Desperate as they were, Kaito's efforts were impressive. He continually summoned blades, with no time to even gather his breath. Each time the beheading axes and innumerable iron stakes bore down on him, he drove them back. Occasionally calling on aid from Hina and the Kaiser, he successfully continued prolonging his life. The difference in strength between him and Elisabeth was overwhelming. But in spite of that, he continued putting up a valiant fight. Armed with tenacity and zeal, Kaito fought back with all his might. His actions clearly weren't driven by a fear of death, either. It was as though he was crying out in violent protest. "Like hell I'm gonna let Elisabeth kill me," he was screaming. "Like hell I'm gonna let her kill anyone else she cares about," he was screaming. "To go to such lengths... Such folly, and such conviction." Jeanne murmured. Azure and crimson rose petals were whirling like tempests before her eyes. The two masses coalesced, then crashed straight into each other. Each wave of vividly colored darkness was trying viciously to engulf the other. Her dress and hair whirling about in the wind, Elisabeth let out a cry. "You chose to become the enemy of humanity, Kaito! You chose that path yourself, bearing sins you had no business bearing! That being the case, hurry up and present me your neck already!" "Screw that nonsense! And screw dying! Just listen to me, Elisabeth!" "No, you listen! What's nonsense is becoming mankind's enemy without the resolve to die doing so! You're but a little sheep, bleating with neither determination nor resolve! Cease your foolery!" "It's not like you wanted to die either, right?! It's fine, just listen—" "Time and time and time again... You're the one who refused to listen!" "What—" "I told you countless times! There was no need for you to bear those sins!" Chains shot forth, veritable agents of Elisabeth's frustration. They carved at the ground beside Kaito. Having gone too fast, they also cruelly scraped away at the Saint statue's cheeks. Massive fragments toppled to the ground, and dust billowed up where they fell. Agitated cries rose up from among the paladins. Elisabeth ignored them as she called out again. "'Tis a heavy thing, to harm others, to be loathed by the world, and to constantly shoulder sins, I told you!" "Elisabeth..." "'Tis too heavy a burden for you to bear, I told you!" It was like a desperate wail. Or perhaps the screams of a child. Hearing her heartbroken voice, Kaito ground his teeth into his lip. He'd never wanted to make her cry. I swore to myself that I'd protect you. He'd sworn to himself that he'd keep his hero alive, no matter the cost. But had that really been right? Kaito tossed that question around in his mind. Seeing Elisabeth's face, could he state that with any amount of confidence? Did I really make the right choice? Kaito Sena closed his eyes, just for a moment. His younger self sat before him in the darkness, just like he had once before. The young man innocently yearning for his hero gazed questioningly at Kaito. But when he sheepishly reached out and grasped Kaito's fingers, the real Kaito clenched his fists tight as though to squeeze back. And with that, Kaito let out an internal bellow. *** "I'd rather bear it a million times over than let you die!" Then, at long last, Kaito Sena snapped. The Earl's Grand Guignol. The Governor's banquet. The Grand King's circus. There was no shortage of things that had sparked Kaito's fury in the past. However, because of his experiences from when he was alive, his emotions had a sort of built-in brake. Whenever he was about to succumb to his negative emotions, he quickly regained his calm. And the decisions he'd been able to make as a result of this trait had come in handy time and time again. But as a result, Kaito Sena had never truly snapped. Yet now, he'd gone well, truly, and completely off the rails. All the common sense, reason, and composure in his brain had evaporated away into nothing. Taken over completely by rage, Kaito snapped his fingers. Six blades, the most he'd ever been able to summon, began whirling above his head. At times, strong emotions, even negative ones, could grant people abnormal bursts of power. His anger had surpassed its limits, and a new image welled up within Kaito. Then Kaito shouted, his eyes open as wide as they would go. "La (transform)." The blades lay atop one another, then merged into one. They melted like sugar, writhing as they took on a new form. A jet-black long sword hung in the air. Then it plunged straight down, directly into the earth. Kaito snatched it up by the handle as though selfishly claiming it for himself. Perhaps he'd been unconsciously mimicking Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal, as azure runes glittered across its blade. All things are pardoned unto me. But I am ruled by none. After flashing once atop the jet-black blade, the runes faded |
away. Still holding its handle, Kaito called out the sword's name, as though the weapon itself were speaking through him. "Nameless." Then he swung his black blade down, cleaving through the air and leveling its tip toward Elisabeth. She responded by snapping her fingers. All the torture devices vanished. Only Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal remained. The two of them faced each other, silently. Then they dashed in unison. Unlike when she'd fought against the King's replica, Elisabeth didn't resort to underhanded tactics. Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal and Nameless collided. The blow they'd exchanged was head-on. For a brief moment, a torrent of sparks shot out. Without even pausing to step back, they swung their swords again. Due to the point-blank range, swordsmanship played essentially no role in their fight. It had devolved into a simple slugfest. But if either failed to block so much as a single blow, it would no doubt prove fatal. Such was the savagery of the blows they were trading. Under normal circumstances, neither would have been able to let up for even a moment. Despite that fact, though, they exchanged shouts as well as slashes. "Screw your promise to the people! Screw your oath! Sure, I know about that! Hell, I've seen the mountains of corpses you've made with my own damn eyes! There's no way you can atone for the sins you've committed! Well, tough shit! The Torture Princess deserves to be put to the stake! But what about me?! What's gonna happen to the guy you saved, huh?!" "'Tis hardly my concern! Go live out your second life as you please! Live strong and stand on your own! Why, you even have a wife! Is there no limit to your greed?!" "Now who's spouting bullshit?! I'm not the only one! You're just gonna ignore all those people you helped, Elisabeth, all those people you saved, and go off and burn at the stake?! That isn't right! You didn't save us just so we could watch you go get killed! Screw that! There's no way I'm gonna let things end like this!" Kaito swung his sword like a madman. His cries and his attacks were in sync, and he succeeded in pushing Elisabeth back just a hair. She and her sword were forced back as one. Yet still, she responded to his cries and his blows in kind. "'Tis naught but your own selfishness speaking!" "The hell's wrong with me selfishly choosing to put you above the world?!" Kaito's words were firm and resolute. Elisabeth bit her lips. Then they swung their swords once more, each imbuing their strike with the full weight of their fury. A loud clanging noise rang out as sword collided with sword. The two blades grated against each other. As he gazed at their relentless battle, one of the paladins let out a vague murmur. "I don't get it. They're clearly fighting to the death, but..." ...but if anything, it looked more like a simple quarrel. His words were lost on the two fighters, though, their cries reaching fever pitches as metal grated on metal. "I died, you know! I lived a worthless, joyless life, and then I died! But because you saved me from that, you're more important to me than the whole world put together! So I don't give a shit! I don't give a shit about the stuff you've done! Here, Elisabeth, here's what I should've said from the very beginning: For my sake, let me save you!" "Your arguments made little sense from the start, and now your words are no different! Surely, you know such a trifling reason hardly merits rejecting another's pride, let alone rejecting their lifelong oath!" "Sure I know that, but that doesn't change what I have to do!" "This is absurd! The whole situation is an absolute mess! The Butcher, 'salvation,' the imminent end of the world, nonsensical matters keep piling up left and right! "Yeah! And the whole deal about the first demon's flesh!" "Hmm?" "Huh?" And then, as though a pin had dropped, the two of them came to an abrupt stop. They each stared at the other, then exchanged quizzical looks. Then, gathering strength in their swords, they each leaped back, before finally surveying their surroundings. Hina was standing by, waiting, and she looked to be on the verge of tears. The paladins had simply been watching the fight in a daze. And in the back, Jeanne still stood beside Izabella, who had been struggling against the machine's arm the entire time. As expressionless as always, albeit with the corners of her lips turned up just a smidge, Jeanne spoke. "Well? Are you two finished with your little lovers' spat?" ""It's not a lovers' spat!"" Kaito and Elisabeth shouted their protests in unison. And that was how, at long last, the two of them finally settled down enough to talk. "Now that you mention it, there does seem to be some inscrutable little golden lass here, and the Church's orders were decidedly enigmatic. Kaito...to what end did you come here?" "The gold girl's name is Jeanne, but it'd take forever to explain her whole story. I asked her where the first bit of demon flesh came from, and she said she'd show me." "The Butcher said much the same—that by coming here, many things would become clear. Explaining that would prove lengthy as well, though." They looked at each other anew, then fell silent. After a while, Elisabeth heaved a heavy sigh. Violently mussing up her bangs, she clicked her tongue in irritation. "I haven't forgiven you, mind. Nor do I have any intention of doing so hereafter. But it seems a short ceasefire is in order. There are matters we ought to clear up before resolving our conflict." "Yeah, you can say that again." Kaito and Elisabeth both nodded. As they did, they sensed someone quickly trot up to them. They both quickly whirled to the side. When they did, they found Hina standing there. She was silent, instead merely gazing at the two of them with her big, round, emerald eyes. Upon seeing her meaningful, teary gaze, both Kaito and Elisabeth found themselves slightly taken aback. Eventually, Kaito smiled to try to set her mind at ease, then extended his hand to her. "C'mere, Hina." Hina took it and squeezed it tight. Then she turned toward Elisabeth. Elisabeth met her gaze with a curt, puzzled frown. Before long, though, Hina's puppy-dog eyes beat her down, and she held out her hand as well. "All right, all right. Go on, then. But you mustn't forget. This is but a temporary...truce..." Not waiting for Elisabeth to finish her sentence, Hina took Elisabeth's hand firmly in hers. Based on her expression, Elisabeth was at something of a loss. Hina was still silent. She simply squeezed their two hands with all her might. As she did, a troubled voice rang out from the background. "Stop this! Unhand me at once! What is the meaning of this?! Am I being taken prisoner?! Even if that's the case, surely there must be a better way to transport me!" "Please settle down, miss. You had things you wanted to know, didn't you? And with me kidnapping you like this, you even have a pretext." "But that's..." Kaito turned to look behind him. Deus Ex Machina had taken on a humanoid form and was carrying Izabella bridal-style. It looked almost affectionate at first glance, but its metal fingers were holding her firmly in place. When she'd heard Jeanne's quiet cajolery, Izabella's expression had wavered. However, she was still nobly pursing her lips, no doubt trying to force out words of protest. Before she could, though, Jeanne went on. "And one other thing. It ain't often my buddy here takes a liking to someone, ya feel? You're gonna wanna settle down there, li'l lady. You wouldn't want one of those hard bits to shlick into someplace weird, wouldja?" Upon hearing Jeanne's extreme tone shift, Izabella froze up again. Apparently, her brain had decided to just give up. Not having heard their exchange, several of the paladins rushed over, planning on mounting a valiant rescue for their captured commander. As she turned to face them, Jeanne cast a chilly glare their way. "I'd stay there if I were you, misters, if you value your commander's life. Who's a good boy? That's right, it's you, you filthy dogs!" The paladins obediently lowered their swords, and Jeanne gave them a nod. Then her honey-blond hair fluttered as she turned back toward Kaito. She began matter-of-factly giving out instructions. "Summon Vlad, if you would. His presence will be helpful to explain things going forward." "...I find it nearly impossible to tell if that girl is mad or not, you know." "Yeah, tell me about it." As he agreed with Elisabeth's impression, Kaito ran mana through the stone in his pocket. Azure rose petals and darkness swirled to life. As he elegantly crossed his legs in the empty air, Vlad made a displeased remark. "Good heavens. You forget those you've dragged along with you, then throw yourself into absurd situations time and time again. What a cruel, heartless state of affairs. And it's not even as if I greatly mind the treatment, but I had my doubts as to whether or not you'd survive." "Oh, right. I guess you were in my pocket that whole time." "I'd ask that you try to do a better job of remembering me, my dear successor. Why, I was even kind enough to avoid saying anything about that disappointing display you put on last night; one that anyone but that doll of yours would have been sorely disillusioned by... No, wait, stop that. Do be so kind as to stop trying to smash me against the ground. You shan't hear another peep out of me, I swear." Vlad quickly shut up. As the Kaiser gave a deep, amused snort, Elisabeth tilted her head to the side in confusion. Hina, still clutching Kaito's and Elisabeth's hands, kept gently crying, and Izabella resumed her attempts to struggle free. Jeanne looked at the whole ensemble. With the violent battle having finally come to an end, she made a loud declaration. "Now then, the time is upon us—let us proceed and lay bare the secrets of this world." Jeanne's gait as she walked was leisurely, as though nothing at all had happened. Behind the whore claiming herself to be a saint of salvation, the enemy of the world, his bride, a peerless sinner, the commander of the Holy Knights, a demon, and the demon's old contractor followed after. The seven of them strode onward, to the site the Church had worked so hard to keep hidden. They strode into the underground tomb, where the kings of old were interred. 8 Ends and Beginnings The interior of the underground tomb was made from materials Kaito was wholly unfamiliar with. Also, there were a number of seals placed on it. If they weren't properly undone by a devout follower of God, they would likely prove fatal. But Jeanne, who was practically the poster girl for atheism, successfully unraveled them one after another. "Pray for the sacrifices. Think of the sacrifices. Believe in the sacrifices. Come forth, O tears of my people, O lives of my people." Snapping her fingers, Jeanne caused a number of gemstones to appear out of thin air. Each time she encountered a seal, she placed one atop it at a carefully selected location, then shattered the seal with ease. Kaito wasn't sure what the trick to it was, but the feat's eccentricity was abundantly clear. As he gazed at Jeanne in wonderment, she turned to him and nodded. "I can see you're feeling embarrassed about your own incompetence upon seeing how marvelous I am, mister. And I can sympathize with that. But you needn't feel shame over the fact that you're generally worth less than shit. This is what the alchemists who created me, who |
served me, and who died for me stored and refined their mana for, after all." "I mean, I'm not gonna deny that I thought it was impressive, but..." "No, my dear successor, it goes far past the level of 'impressive.' Burn this sight into your eyes—it will undoubtably make for a valuable reference." Vlad floated up to a spot beside Kaito, casting his gaze toward the upcoming barrier. The way he then nodded in heartfelt admiration was both unusual and more than a little uncanny. "I bought demon flesh from the Butcher, but even I knew nothing of this place. I must admit, I'm quite impressed. They've laid out one first-rate barrier after another. Without an entire clan spending generations burning up their lives and knowledge, breaking in would prove nigh impossible. No mere graves require such protection. What on earth might they be hiding within?" The Kaiser, who was standing beside him, scoffed. For the last little while, he'd been duly playing the part of the canine and sniffing all over their surroundings. Then, with a displeased look on his face, he let out a sneeze and shook his body all over. "Hmph, what on earth indeed. This place was not built for man. An arrogant odor permeates its walls. It's the odor of mice, scurrying about as they try to receive blessings from a likeness of God... But the odor has a somewhat nostalgic bearing to it as well. Whatever could it mean?" The Kaiser resumed his sniffing. But it seemed answers still evaded him. He continued following the smell, and Kaito and the others quickly went after him. As they went down the corridor, they passed by a number of rooms, each one boasting a self-contained mausoleum. Each doorway was adorned with stone flowers, and within every one lay an imposing coffin. Luxurious decorations and statues stood guard around the coffins, each set based on anecdotes and tales from the lives of their corresponding kings. As she glanced at each mausoleum out of the corner of her eye, Izabella let out a strained voice. "Oh, to defile the graves of the kings of old... I am unfit to serve as a commander." Still bound by Deus Ex Machina's steel arms, she went as pale as a sheet. If they left her like that, she was liable to end up mentally scarred. W-we should probably do something to help alleviate her guilt... And they needed to explain things to Elisabeth as well. With those two thoughts in mind, Kaito decided to lay out everything he knew while he walked. "There's some stuff you guys should probably hear. Here's what's been going on up to now..." Jeanne, who was the original source of most of his information, offered no interjections. She merely hummed in a strangely mechanical fashion. As she heard Kaito's story, Izabella's face stiffened for a whole new reason. "Paladins made to eat demon flesh, you say? That can't be... But I certainly can't deny the existence of a squad I'd never heard of... And there were inconsistencies in the number of people listed as having died defending the Capital..." Izabella began muttering to herself. She'd clearly had prior inklings that something was amiss. As Izabella lost herself in her thoughts, a dangerous crimson glare flashed across Elisabeth's face. "A second, artificially made Torture Princess, you say? The Butcher did mention something about people working to prevent some event from occurring... You mean to tell me that this girl is the result of that?" The black, naturally made Torture Princess cast a glance at her golden counterpart's back. Jeanne offered no answer, of course. Elisabeth, not offering much in the way of words to Jeanne, either, continued speaking. "So the Church bolstered their strength by forcing paladins to consume demon flesh, then made an attempt on Jeanne's life. Jeanne's efforts were obstructing the Church's work, then. But what was their goal, and what was hers? The Butcher spoke of this as well..." After hearing Elisabeth's story, Kaito narrowed his eyes as he thought back over what she'd just said. "I'd never thought someone would rise to oppose the dreadful end of the story that the fourteen tragedies mark the beginning of. Though your two tales may be small in the scope of things, the results they bear may be monumental indeed," huh. Kaito pictured a large chessboard in his mind. The board was the world. The Butcher's schemes and Vlad's avarice had placed fourteen demonic pawns atop it. But although the pawns had been successfully destroyed, large cracks and fissures had spread across the board. Now, the Church's new, twisted pawns were facing off against a white queen. The crimson king and queen, who'd been fighting up until then, were currently floating off to the side. The Butcher had described the two of them as irregularities. He and Elisabeth had carried out their role, which was to defeat the fourteen demons, but supposedly, their efforts had had little effect on the battle at large. Now, though, they had an opportunity to play an even greater part. Something's been thrown into motion, but what? Or, no, maybe it was set into motion a long time ago. Kaito's head ached, and he pressed his fingers against his forehead. Then he gazed at the honey locks before him. There was no doubt in his mind that of all the people present, Jeanne was standing closest to the truth. But she still wasn't saying anything. Continuing to hum, she shattered the next seal with a pearl-gray stone. The group descended a set of stairs. With each floor they went down, the seals blocking their path grew in strength. Then Izabella let out a dumbfounded cry. "What is the meaning of this? The tomb is only supposed to have five floors!" The sixth floor wasn't supposed to exist, but it stood before them regardless, the barrier guarding it more colorful and bombastic than the others. No king was interred there, that much was clear. The room should have been empty, yet its barrier was strong enough to take out a hundred underlings in an instant. Kaito was concerned—would Jeanne really be able to break through it? But Jeanne's voice when she spoke was light, a stark contrast to her steely face. "That's some baby crap. Your shit's softer than silk, you crazy fucks. If you wanted to protect it, you shoulda put your lives on the line. We used up an entire goddamn clan; how's that for crazy?" And then, as though she were trashing a child's secret hideout, Jeanne destroyed it. The stairwell they descended seemed to go on forever. At the end of it, though, they arrived at a massive door. An image of the Saint had been expertly carved on its surface. However, she didn't look the same as the myriad times Kaito had seen her before. There was one key difference between it and the statues of her hung upside down that he was familiar with. Dumbfounded, Kaito let out a murmur. "...She's standing." Her feet were planted firmly on the ground. And she didn't appear to be in any pain, either. A demi-human apostle was kneeling before her. Jeanne held a red jewel over the Saint's eye, and the stone melted away, as though extreme heat had been applied to it. As it did, red light flashed across the entire door like lightning. Bloody tears began pouring from the Saint's eyes. Then the door opened on its own, creaking, as it slowly revealed the interior of the room. And when it did, a bizarre voice rang out from inside. It was like a monster, screaming. It was like a human, moaning. "...What is that thing?" "A guardian the Grave Keeper created." Jeanne replied coolly to Izabella's shocked question. But no matter how one looked at it, the thing sitting in the middle of the room hardly looked like a "guardian" of any sort. It was a snowy owl fused with strangely swollen blobs of flesh. The owl's head was glowing white and giving off a holy aura. It resembled the beasts La Mules had summoned. But its bottom half was made up of repulsively intertwined feelers. The aura they gave off was sinister. If that thing was really a human's creation, then they'd clearly done something horribly taboo. Izabella let out a horrified murmur. "That...that can't... The Grave Keeper couldn't have... Not something like that..." Its wet feelers were spread and buried throughout the room, like roots on a tree. And they were pulsating. The Kaiser let out a deep growl, then spoke in a furious roar. "This is no laughing matter... This, too, is blasphemy; blasphemy against the very nature of demons! Vlad, do you see this? Why does that thing have the vile head of one of God's messengers?" "How brilliant. They borrowed God's power, summoned one of His beasts, then forced it to eat demon flesh. A triumph of the imagination." Vlad was barely paying attention to the Kaiser. His voice with thick with ecstasy. Izabella opened her eyes wide, utterly aghast. Her cheeks quivered. She was barely keeping herself from screaming, her heart clearly racked by despair and an overwhelming feeling of emptiness. Kaito could understand a little of what she was feeling. That thing's existence violates the very foundation of her beliefs. A monster, formed from a divine creation being forced to eat demon flesh, was sitting within the underground tomb that the Church had been protecting. It represented a complete and utter betrayal of everything the people believed in. "A—a question, if I may. Are you, in fact, a messenger of God?" In an impressive display of rationality, Izabella called out to the snowy owl. Then, still trembling, she continued. "U-under what beliefs d-do you guard this—" The owl whirled its head around in the unique manner owls do and stared directly at them. When it did, Izabella choked on her words. Kaito gulped as well. The owl's eyes were gold, as big as dinner plates, and utterly filled with madness. Like a missionary dispensing doctrine, Jeanne explained the monster's condition. "Those who eat demon flesh obtain great power but must in exchange offer the pain of others to their body as compensation. Just like myself and the black Torture Princess, the monster before us has likely obtained sufficient pain to maintain its body. But God's power and Diablo's power repel each other. Its mind and body were unable to maintain the mental and physical strain, bringing about this warped transformation. All that remains of it is the desire to destroy everything its eyes chance upon. A handy watchdog, ain't it! One of them real 'abandon hope, all ye who enter' types!" For the last bit, Jeanne's voice was ringing with ridicule. Taking that as their cue, the feelers throughout the room began writhing with animosity. The unpleasant sound of mucus slapping against mucus echoed out. Izabella covered her scarred face with one hand, then shook her head from side to side again and again. "This is mad... This is utter, utter madness! Why does something like that exist? Why is it here, in the underground royal tomb? Just what is it we believed in? What exactly have we been protecting?!" "Lift up your head, miss. There are many good and proper things you've protected, you know. But you noticed, didn't you? Even just a little? Something was gradually going askew. But you foolishly averted your eyes. This is the price you pay for your blindness." Jeanne's voice once more took on the ring of a priest giving a lecture. She mercilessly continued her dignified remonstration. "Look closely and behold. Why do you think I led a stray sheep like you here, O representative of humanity? You are a leader, though perhaps only in name." "Yes...you're right. So I am. So...I was." Biting her lip so hard that she drew blood, Izabella looked back up. Tears were spilling down from her |
eyes. With those same eyes, she focused her vision on the monster whose very existence she would just as soon have denied. The snowy owl began moving in earnest. Its massive head spun as it glided forward. Dragged along by its upper half, its mass of feelers moved as well. For a moment, Kaito felt as though the entire room had charged forward. That was just how extensive its writhing, mucus-covered flesh was. "Master Kaito." "On it." Kaito, accompanied by Hina, tried to take a step forward. However, he could have spared himself the effort. The loud, high-pitched noise of heels clicked and echoed throughout the room. The black Torture Princess and the golden Torture Princess had stepped forward first. The two of them stood side by side. Then, as though they were mirrored reflections of each other, they raised opposite hands. Darkness and light swirled atop their palms as they fearlessly faced down their sacred, profane, hideous foe. Crimson and gold flower petals danced. White light and black darkness spun. One spoke with naked fury, and the other emotionlessly murmured. "Just die already!" "Good night, slave." The next moment, the crimson, gold, black, and white exploded. The Torture Princesses weren't relying on their torture devices and machines. Not fearing the onrushing feelers in the slightest, the two of them were firing off swords directly. Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk! Thousands of swords designed for decapitation impaled the snowy owl through its body. It looked like a living pincushion. Opening its beak, it let out a miserable, throaty voice. "Ahhhhhhh, ahhhhhhh, AHHHHHHH, aHhHhHhH." Its voice was neither avian nor monstrous. It was the voice of a human. As he heard that, a terrible possibility welled up within Kaito's mind. The birds La Mules summoned vanished right away. Why, then, had the owl before them not? Perhaps, in order to secure the summoned beast to this world, they'd mixed a human in as well. That was the horrible suspicion Kaito had. But between his sentimentality and his revulsion, he had no space left to thoroughly examine that possibility. "Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" The scream went up in pitch, rising nearly to the level of a shriek. After forcing her way out of Deus Ex Machina's arms, Izabella hit the ground running. Then, upon crashing into the sword-ridden owl, she grabbed the handle of one sword buried particularly deep in the bird's chest and twisted it. The snowy owl screamed even more violently. As it did, Izabella wrenched the sword free. A horrible squelching noise resounded throughout the chamber. Dark blood gushed from the wound and ran across the floor. The sword had been puncturing the owl's pulsating heart. Its massive eyes still as wide as dinner plates, the owl convulsed. Its head and torso began transforming into white light, and the feelers comprising the rest of its body turned into black feathers. Halfway through, though, both transformations stopped. Its tragic corpse then toppled to the ground, the right to even vanish as a demon or a holy creature taken from it. Izabella was drenched in blood. The sword clanged against the ground as she dropped it, and when she looked up, her face was trembling. For a second, it looked like she was going to collapse. But she managed to right her footing with willpower alone. She then placed her arm horizontally over her chest and gave a bow. "No longer must you be bound by the chains of your tortured existence. Your efforts guarding the tomb did not go unnoticed." That was the dedication she gave to the monster. Nobody else said a thing. As though it were accepting her words, the man-made monster drifted into its eternal slumber. Its feelers stopped twitching. After confirming that fact, Izabella toppled to the ground. Then she broke into a silent sob. She cried and she cried, as though trying to parse the absurdity of it all and change it all into rage. A massive pool of blood spread through the room. Izabella sat motionless in it. "Hey, Izabella..." Kaito called out to her in hopes of comforting her. But before he could finish, the light sound of footsteps splashing echoed through the room. Jeanne had approached Izabella with an easy, almost dance-like gait. To everyone's surprise, she spun forward and wrapped Izabella up in a tight hug. Izabella's eyes went wide. Jeanne's expression was as cold as always, but her embrace was warm and kind. "I knew I liked ya for a reason, li'l lady. Fools demonstrating their pride is not so unpleasant a thing. You got a backbone on ya." Using her own pale hand, Jeanne wiped the blood off Izabella's face. After wiping away the filth, she stroked Izabella's scarred skin as she went on speaking. "Their weakness is precisely what drives the foolish to be strong. That was the ideal you were striving toward, miss. You're a good kid." Upon hearing the gentle words, Izabella blinked several times. But she didn't have a chance to reply. Deus Ex Machina scooped her up in its arms once again. "No, I... This again?" Izabella tried to resist. But a moment later, she wearily let her body go limp. She seemed to have given up and was now obediently allowing herself to be carried. Standing up herself, Jeanne raised her bloody hands. "Come now, just a little farther—how exciting." Kaito cast another glance around the room. He hadn't noticed at first due to the feelers covering it, but the room was constructed like a large hall. To his alarm, the walls didn't seem to have any joints or seams on them, and a number of delicate crystalline lamps hung from the room's hemispherical ceiling. Was this room really made by people? Kaito found that fact dubious. At the same time, he realized that the room offered no way for them to advance. He couldn't see any hallways or stairs branching off it. It was a dead end. The one thing he did see, though, was a deep carving in one of the stone wall's sections that had been covered up by feelers. The carving's craftsmanship was so impressive that the person depicted seemed to be alive. Kaito walked up to it. The Saint was embracing something swaddled in cloth, but it was impossible to see what lay within. What was clear, though, was the Saint's benevolent smile. A demi-human attendant was standing beside her. His face was cast in shadow, concealed by his hood. Kaito let out a dazed whisper. "...The Butcher?" Putting the dots together, Kaito thought back to the statue he'd seen in the Capital's plaza. A statue of the Saint shedding tears of blood had been installed next to Godd Deos's headquarters. And in front of her had been another statue, a kneeling apostle wrapped from the head down in tattered rags. Surprisingly, the apostle had been a demi-human. Legs with scales engraved in them and sharp claws had peeked out from the bottom edge of the rags. He'd looked as though he was both rejoicing in and lamenting the Saint's suffering. Absentmindedly, Kaito reached out to touch the engraving. Before his hand reached it, though, someone grabbed him by the wrist. Elisabeth had been the one to stop him. She spoke, her voice cold. "Do you have a death wish? Go on, then—touch it. Not even ash will remain." "Oh. Uh, my bad." Kaito narrowed his eyes and appraised the amount of mana stored in the wall. Elisabeth had been completely right. It was hard to tell at just a glance, but the entire wall was covered in a fiendish barrier. Anyone who touched it would probably have their very existence annihilated. But then he tilted his head to the side in puzzlement. There was something odd about the mana the barrier was giving off. It's the same here...good and evil mixed together. Sacred mana blended together with malicious mana, sealing the wall up firmly. It was at that moment that Kaito realized something. "Wait, this thing isn't designed to protect something, is it?" Something was hidden there. Or perhaps it was sealed away there. That was the impression Kaito had gotten. But...what? His ominous premonitions worsened as he carefully looked back over the mana and the general vibe the wall was giving off. Then he realized that there was something lurking on the other side of the sturdy wall. What...what is that? Is that a noise I hear? Kaito strained his ears, taking great care not to touch the wall. After a moment, he realized what the nature of the noise was. Something was breathing, inhaling and exhaling at a steady, fixed rhythm. Something was sleeping back there. Like a child, taking a calm, tranquil nap. "Now then, today shall be a day worth commemorating. Let us unveil the secret within." There wasn't a tinge of fear in Jeanne's voice. She opened her palms wide. A black jewel sat atop one, a white jewel atop the other. When she pressed them together, they merged into one, then transformed into the shape of a key. Once they had, Jeanne thrust it into the face of whatever it was the Saint was holding. —Grgrahhh. As the strange noise rang out, Jeanne gave a sweet, gentle whisper. "Beyond that wall lies the true source of the flesh we ate." Apparently, the groaning noise from a moment ago had indicated it was now unlocked. The hefty wall began shifting, creaking and kicking up dust as it went. Like a chastity belt dropping, the Church's revolting, long-kept secret was laid bare. Beyond the hefty wall sat a child's bedroom. It was quiet inside. The deep, deep silence within felt as though it had lasted centuries, if not millennia. At first glance, it didn't look like anything besides a room for a normal child, its walls decorated with wallpaper and ribbons. It was a harmless, charming little room. But a second glance would reveal the room's dark, twisted nature. There were human faces sprouting from the wallpaper in place of a floral design. All of them were wordlessly writhing. Although they had no vocal cords, their mouths were contorted into silent, anguished screams. As for the ribbons hanging overhead, they were made from various types of human entrails, dangling from the stomachs of people suspended in the air. And given their vivid hues, the owners were still alive. And in the center of that grotesque, pain-adorned room sat a massive cradle. It seemed almost cruel how pure a shade of white it was, the only unsullied object in the room. Within it, something was sleeping. Whatever it was, human vocabulary was ill equipped to describe it. It was alive. It was in deep slumber. It had flesh. If someone wished to describe it in words, that would have to be enough. "That there is the first demon—a far higher entity than the fourteen who descended after it, and a being with the power to shatter the world's very foundations." Though she faced a horror that surpassed human comprehension, Jeanne's speech was dispassionate. Kaito found himself at a loss for words. That thing isn't supposed to exist in this world. He thought back to the exposition Elisabeth had given him right after he'd reincarnated. "We call the entity who created the world 'God' and that which destroys it 'Diablo.' Hence, Diablo can only interfere with the world of man once God has abandoned it. But there is an exception. If Diablo has a contractor, then all bets are off. "But summoning Diablo, who possesses enough power to destroy the entire world, is no small feat, and there is no one vessel who can contain it, so it has yet to manifest." That was how things were supposed to be, yet there could be no mistaking the fact that Diablo, who held enough power to destroy the entire world, was sleeping before them. The Kaiser said nothing, his thoughts inscrutable. A sublime smile was plastered across |
Vlad's face. Hina was making no efforts to hide her revulsion, and Izabella was wearing the expression of a child who'd just been struck by a parent. Something that shouldn't exist, exists. Faced with that irreconcilable contradiction, Kaito felt a wave of vertigo. Elisabeth shook her head from side to side as she cast a sidelong glance his way. Then, with a displeased look on her face, she posed a question to Jeanne. "Without a contractor, Diablo should be unable to manifest in this world. Who, then, is this thing's contractor? My power is all but supreme, and not even my body could withstand such a feat. Nor is it possible for Vlad, nor the Grand King, nor you. The vessel would shatter. No man should be qualified." "That isn't the case, though. A person with such power does exist, a person that even the stray sheep are familiar with." Jeanne's answer bordered on singsong. Kaito and Elisabeth furrowed their brows. If such a person really existed, they'd have to be a pretty big deal. Ignoring their doubts, though, Jeanne launched into a seemingly unrelated story. "The Saint manifested God through her body, saved the world, then fell into an eternal slumber. Because of that, it can be said the world of man was built atop her suffering, her devotion, and her sacrifice. That forms the basis of the Church's doctrine. But therein lies a contradiction. The Saint manifested God through her body and rebuilt the world. In that case, though, who was the one who destroyed it?" "...That would be Diablo, naturally. No. Wait." Elisabeth covered her mouth. Kaito, too, noticed the contradiction. "Diablo can only interfere with the world of man once God has abandoned it." If that was the case, then the Saint shouldn't have been able to manifest God. After all, once God abandoned the world, then as one of his creations, she, too, would have been a target for destruction. The mystery had been dangling right in front of everyone's noses, yet none of them had even noticed it. The world had been saved once. But what had happened right before that? "Exactly, miss. Normally, there's no way that God could have responded to a human's summons and dwelled within their body. All humans would have been destroyed the moment he abandoned the world, after all. In other words, the order is backward." "...Backward?" "Even though God had yet to renounce the world, Diablo destroyed it anyway. That was why God appeared in response to a human's summons, and that was why He rebuilt it. The girl who carried God within her body, the girl who wasn't destroyed, was the only person left in the world. But if she could summon God, she would also have been able to form a contract with a demon of equal power. In other words..." The chains on Jeanne's wrists rattled and jingled as she raised one index finger in front of her lips. Then, as though she were telling them a secret, she divulged the truth that had been hidden for so long. "First, the girl formed a contract with the mighty Diablo. While it's unclear what her objective was, she was unable to maintain control and ended up destroying the world. In her regret, she summoned God, formed a contract with Him, and rebuilt the world. But she was unable to endure her two contracts, nor was she able to die, so instead, she fell into a deep slumber. That is what it all means." And in that moment, one of the fundamental doctrines underpinning human society crumbled at its very foundation. A crack formed in Izabella's expression. But Jeanne didn't stop, instead making one last declaration. "The Suffering Saint, the one venerated by the Church, is none other than the first demon's contractor." And because of that, the Church had hidden away the first demon, the one she'd called forth. The alchemists must have obtained its flesh before its existence had been covered up. Then, knowing it would one day awaken, they went into hiding and began preparing countermeasures. And for some reason, the Saint's apostle, the Butcher, had bided his time before giving the demon's flesh to those wishing to form contracts. Kaito and Elisabeth thought back on what the Butcher had told her. "It's a nonsensical little fairy tale, and one that's gone on for a very, very long time. There are those who've worked to bring these events about, and those who've worked to prevent them." "In the course of the slaying of the fourteen demons, the chessboard sustained heavy damage. The upper echelons of the Church, a number of their fanatics, and some of those who wish to escape the burden of having to restore the Capital seek to awaken the first demon, expand the destruction, and in doing so, urge God to rebuild the world. They believe that when the destroyed world is restored, the righteous devotees will remain." "There's no way. That line of thinking is way too optimistic." Kaito replied, his voice cold. Of all the people present, his knowledge pool was the shallowest. But despite that, he was confident in his assertion. Ever since he'd seen La Mules firsthand, he'd known. God created the world, and Diablo destroyed it. That was all there was to their respective existences. The fact remained that neither was an entity man was meant to interact with. "Yes, very much so. Rebuilding is the act of blotting out the current painting, then drawing a new one atop it." Jeanne reaffirmed Kaito's sentiments. Kaito envisioned the scene in his mind. People were frolicking atop a massive canvas and painting a picture. But now, warped fissures ran across the painting. Then someone sitting in front of the canvas abruptly picked up a brush. And the first thing they did was paint over the picture with black. "If a new world is born, then all humanity with the exception of the Saint, the painter, will perish. I was created to prevent that. But my knowledge of the common world is lacking. The alchemists lacked the power to accompany me, instead choosing to die and become my nourishment, but their final request to me was that I made sure I found suitable servants." After having heard what Jeanne had to say, Kaito was now keenly aware of the difference between Jeanne's "salvation" and the Church's. One side wanted to preserve the world as it was, and the other wanted to build the world anew. I still don't know what motive the Butcher had for selling demon flesh, though. No matter what reason he may have had, though, the seeds of evil he'd planted had successfully borne fourteen demonic fruits. And he'd described Kaito and Elisabeth's resistance as "unexpected." Not knowing that the stage they'd been fighting atop had been prepared long before, the two of them had taken up the sword and fought. Countless people had died in the course of their desperate resistance. But apparently, their efforts had changed nothing. Right now, the final flower was trying to bloom. And Jeanne was trying to nip it in the bud. Then the maiden of salvation who proclaimed herself the saint and the whore gave her haughty continuation. "Now, dear Lovers, you understand the truth, and the gravity of the situation. Kaito Sena. Elisabeth Le Fanu. I know that the two of you are destined to fight each other to the death. But now you must throw that all away and serve me as faithful slaves." She turned her rosy gaze directly on the two of them. And when she did, Jeanne de Rais, the artificial Torture Princess, went on as though it were only natural. "At this rate, our world will be destroyed, and not so much as a trace will remain." Her words rang out through the chamber like a final verdict. Afterword Hello, Keishi Ayasato here. We've finally arrived at Volume 4. Thank you all so much for buying the fourth volume of Torture Princess. The new Torture Princess has finally arrived, and we've entered a new chapter of the story. A number of the world's secrets were all revealed at once this time—what did you all think? The upcoming twists and developments will build right off the big events that just happened, so I suspect things will continue on at a nonstop pace from here on out, too. To tell you the truth, I'm actually working on Volume 5 as I write this afterword, and I'm planning on pounding out page after page after page, so please look forward to the story's continuation. Also, I had the rare chance to write an extremely lovey-dovey scene in this book, which was a lot of fun. I hope we meet again in the next volume, where you can find out, among other things, if the two of them are able to continue enjoying their filthy normie lives. Oh, and while we're on the subject of Torture Princess, it was fortunate enough to receive a manga adaptation! The wonderful Hina Yamato is in charge of the adaptation, and it's being serialized by ComicWalker and Nico Nico Seiga. Elisabeth is more beautiful than ever, and the Knight's underling and Iron Maiden are drawn in such detail and with such impact. I'm filled to the brim with gratitude. Hina Yamato is such a skillful craftswoman, and the manga was so wonderful that I found myself engrossed to the point where I read through the whole thing in one sitting. It would make me oh-so-very happy if you all checked it out. The official Twitter account, @goumonhime, is also up, so please take a look at that as well. In addition to the manga adaptation, I was given the privilege of writing a series of short stories. At the time of this writing, Chapter 1: Kaito's Daily Routine (Frontside) just came out. And if there's a Frontside, there must, of course, be a Backside as well. In it, I decided to take a look at the daily lives of Kaito, Hina, Elisabeth, and the other characters. It's coming out alongside Hina Yamato's manga adaptation, so I hope you all look forward to it. It's going to be a heartwarming story, but perhaps a little disquieting as well. And as always, Ms. Ukai drew a beautiful illustration for it! Truly, it's a feast for the eyes! Back when I was in Torture Princess's planning stages, I never dreamed it would become a mixed-media franchise. I'm so deeply grateful for these unexpected opportunities I've been receiving. All this is thanks to Ms. Ukai, Ms. Hina Yamato, my editor O, my designer, everyone involved on the publishing and the mixed-media sides of things, and above all else, all of you readers. Not a day goes by where I don't feel thankful. The only way I can think of to repay you is to write the most interesting stories I possibly can, so I plan to keep working as hard as I can. I'm going to give it my all! And as always, thanks to my family for all your support. And I'll sneak in an extra big thanks for my sister, who always gives me advice when I need it most. And one last giant thanks to my readers! It brings me such happiness to have my story read by so many people and in so many ways, both through novels and through manga. I'm going to go full speed ahead on the future volumes, so I hope you all look forward to it. And on that note, I pray we will reunite someday. As the world's skin peels back, the story will continue until it reaches its end. Thus, He Spoke He dreamed. A dream of long, long ago. He was being held up in a pair of warm, white arms. From the moment he was created, he had been complete. He was unseemly, and completely different from all other living creatures. |
Because of that, he'd never had a chance to rely on the assistance of another. He'd never had the body of an infant. So that was the first and final time in his long, long life that someone had ever held him. Back when the world was yet white, he was the first thing they'd created. No matter how long he lived, he would never forget what he'd seen as he first attained awareness in those slender arms. It was but the faintest of memories, but it came to define the entire rest of his life. It was the reason he'd accepted the demon flesh. She'd appeared one day carrying a lump of something swaddled in red cloth. This was before she had ever shed tears of blood, or was hung upside down, or was spoken of far and wide. She'd cast an affectionate smile toward the thing in the cloth, the kind one might offer to a baby. Within it was a dark-crimson mound of flesh. She was carrying demon flesh. The moment he saw it, he grasped just how deep her madness and malice ran. But when she passed it to him with the reverence one would have for their own child, he took it and held it tight. And even knowing how horrible it was, how profane it was, he protected it so as to pass it on to future generations. Even knowing how wrong everything was becoming, that was the choice he made. This is a story from long, long ago. It is a tale too horrible to be called Genesis, too tragic. That was why he chose to call it a fairy tale. Despite the grand role he'd been assigned, he had no name. She had never thought to give him one. In his heart, he knew. He knew exactly how little he meant to her. She felt no need to name him, nor even give him a nickname. She had no reason to call for him. As long as he acted as her apostle, that was all she needed from him. After all, he was nothing more than another one of the seeds of evil she'd planted. He was one of the seeds she'd buried away in the nooks and crannies of the paint-covered canvas. He wasn't even allowed to die of his own volition. That was how meager of an existence he was. But even though he'd known that, he still took his order to heart and lived his life accordingly. It was almost too long a time to be considered "life," however. Even meaningless battles can lead to valuable encounters. In following with his other order, he fought to solidify human society and build a foundation for the circulation of goods. The foundation of the Five Great Guilds brought a degree of peace to the land, but the battle against the Legend Dragon and the war over the rights to the Mana Egg were nevertheless fierce in the extreme. There was also no shortage of people who named themselves in the same fashion as he, such as the Egg Seller and the Fishmonger, and they fought among themselves a great deal. But thanks to various turns of events, they helped give stability to the trade routes he'd pioneered. He'd met countless people, and it was impossible to count all those he'd parted ways with. They'd all been his friends, but in a much greater sense, they'd all just been his enemies. He'd run into people from all walks of life and shared drinks, songs, and journeys with them. Even though he was the world's enemy, he worked hard as a merchant to help it flourish. Now, those bygone days seemed like they'd been mere fleeting phantoms of the past. Ah, the memories... Good heavens, though, I'm rather impressed I was able to sleep in a position such as this. Perhaps singing my own praises is gauche, but I suppose there's nobody left to listen anyways, is there? Having just opened his eyes inside the Gibbet, the Butcher found himself lost in idle thought. Say, for instance, the five thousand men he'd had under his command. Say, for instance, the ten thousand friends he'd made. Say, for instance, the three people he'd held great affection for. If someone were to ask him, "Did you ever find it painful, when you looked at them and saw how radiant they were?" He would assuredly answer "No." Just that one word. No. He'd truly had fun along the way. And the joy it had brought him had been real as well. Especially as of late—the days he'd spent in the castle he'd visited and surveyed had been exceptional. He'd grown fond of the little trio, and he'd really loved idly dropping by to make merry. He enjoyed it when customers appreciated his goods, and it brought him joy to hear them espouse how delicious they were. He was sad when they got hurt, and thrilled when they thanked him. But there was nothing more to it than that. That was something the Butcher could say decisively. "If Mr. Dim-Witted Servant were here, I'm sure he'd describe that as sad. What a good-hearted young man he is." The Butcher muttered quietly to himself from within the Gibbet. He'd liked him so much that he'd given them a hand looking after the lovely automaton, even going so far as to lend her his strength. The Butcher then skillfully shifted his weight, causing the cramped cage to rock. Its sturdy chain rattled and creaked. After giving up on that strategy, the Butcher looked out over the room. Not even scraps remained from his earlier feast. According to Elisabeth, the troll arm had been dreadful. However, the rare slime-steak had been surprisingly palatable. The dragon tail, on the other hand, had been far too tough. It had gotten the worst reception of them all. He'd had little reason to come out of his way and cook meat for the Torture Princess. Yet he had. And this was what had become of him. Even so, though, he had no regrets. He didn't think of it as sad at all. The time had always been coming, and now it had come. That was all there was to it. "...For that is the type of creature I am, after all." All for you, my dear customers. And all for one. He'd lived his life up until then by those two contradictory principles. And in all likelihood, he'd keep doing so to the very end. Say, for instance, the five thousand men he'd had under his command all died. Say, for instance, the ten thousand friends he'd made all perished. Say, for instance, the three people he'd held great affection for all went to their slumber furious. If none of them ever smiled at him again, that would surely be painful. But there had only ever been one moment in which his life had been given meaning. "...Now then, as the enemy of the world, I suppose I'd best start acting the part." Suddenly, the Butcher let out a murmur. Then he spat out an intricately tangled wire from within the darkness of his hood. Then, still standing, he dislocated his wrist. With movements no human could have executed, he wriggled his limp arm and began using the wire to fiddle with the Gibbet's door. Eventually, the lock clicked open. For just a moment, the Butcher narrowed his eyes. The moment he left would truly mark the beginning of the end. He would have to start acting in a manner befitting the enemy of all that lived. And for that reason, he let out a faint murmur. "I thoroughly enjoyed myself, Madam Elisabeth, Ms. Lovely Maid, Mr. Dim-Witted Servant. That's as true as true can be. The living need fun in order to keep on living, after all. And when I watched you all fight back against it, you were truly, truly radiant. Even so..." The Butcher threw the door open wide. His voice went low when he finally picked up where he'd left off. "...Even so, the fairy tale must come to an end." And then, with a tap, the enemy of the world hopped down onto the stone floor. A Tale from Long, Long Ago There was nothing there. And yet, at the same time, there was everything. If one was to describe that place, the most apropos comparison would be to a blank white canvas. Nothing meaningful was painted atop it. In other words, one could paint over it to their heart's content. It was empty, and it was free. There was nothing there, yet there was everything. To one with the privilege of wielding a brush, it was akin to an ideal, perfect paradise. After all, they could create Heaven there, one that aligned exactly with their desires. If they wanted to, they could even create Hell. But such freedoms weren't afforded to the one who bore the brush this time. The reason for that lay in the fact that she was a peerless sinner. She bore grave crimes upon her back. She had no choice but to bear responsibility for the scars she'd carved in the canvas's predecessor. Because of that, she had to build the skies, build the earth, and birth the seas. She had to make vegetation flourish across the land. She had to craft the moon and stars. She had to release fish and birds and beasts and livestock out into the world. Then, after making humans, beastfolk, and demi-humans, she rested. That was the fate she imposed upon herself. Fleeing her atonement would have been unforgivable. She knew. She knew that in the world to come, all would revere her. Unlike the resentful voices of those on the verge of annihilation she'd once heard, she would doubtless be hailed as a "Saint" and be offered up countless commendations. She would be the mother of all who existed, after all. She would probably even be prayed to, hailed as the "Suffering Saint" who sacrificed herself for her children. But for the rest of eternity, nobody would ever consider what she had truly felt. Without trying to learn what she'd been like before she'd become the Saint and her tale became embellished, they would have no way of even doing so. But she had no intention of condemning them for that fact. That was simply the way the masses were. The same had been true in the world prior. They would hear only what they wanted to hear, see only what they wanted to see. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. And that was the way things ought to be. But at the end of the day, was that truly not a sin? The ignorant had no right to cast blame, did they? She remained unforgiven, yet forgiveness was precisely what they would receive. Therein lay an inescapable contradiction. If that was the case, then, didn't that make their entire way of life fundamentally wrong? All alone, she eventually became obsessed with that notion. After troubling over that fact for quite some time, she created a certain something. It was wholly unlike the land and the sea and the plants and the moon and the stars, wholly unlike the fish and the birds and the beasts and the livestock, and wholly unlike the humans and the beastfolk and the demi-humans. She chose a demi-human as its base, but in order to grant it a long life, she mixed in so many other things that they became wholly unrecognizable. And that was how she created her hideous, adorable attendant, one who would serve only her. At present, she was standing before him, cradling a lump swaddled in red cloth in her arms. She had yet to shed tears of blood, nor had she been hung upside down. She merely looked at the lump in her arms with an affectionate smile on her lips. The rebuilding was still in |
its initial stages then, and the world was a clean slate. Even the wind had yet to blow. But by some miracle, the lump peeked out from behind the cloth. It lasted only a moment, but its reddish-black alien form was laid bare. The thing she was cradling was a lump of demon flesh. Stooping down, she presented the bundle to her attendant. Then she gently passed the seed of evil to him, as though she were entrusting him with her own child. And the attendant obediently took it. He hugged the repulsive lump of meat tightly, like he was trying to protect it. "What a good boy you are," she whispered. "What a good, good boy you are," she praised him in her sweet, sweet, madness-tinged voice. It was a story from long, long ago. A tale too horrible to be called Genesis, too tragic. But it was also far too twisted to pass off as a fairy tale. 1 Innocent Victims Thanks to the efforts of the Torture Princess and her servant, the fourteen demons were successfully defeated and slain. Humanity's desperate fight had finally reached its conclusion. But the battle left the world acutely wounded, like a chessboard with cracks running down its surface. The Capital, in particular, had been scarred and defiled. And that had brought forth a new problem. The upper echelons of the Church, a number of their fanatics, and some of those who wished to escape the burden of having to restore the Capital sought to awaken the first demon, expand the destruction, and in doing so urge God to rebuild the world. They believed that when the world was mended, the pious faithful would remain. But that line of thinking was naive in the extreme and shallower than the dreams of a child. God created the world, and Diablo destroyed it. That was the extent of their existences. Rebuilding was nothing more than the act of blotting out the current portrait, then painting a new one on top of it. Other than the one holding the paintbrush, everyone would die. That was the answer awaiting them. Also, in the underbelly of the world, there existed those who had worked to bring those events about, and there existed those who had worked to prevent it. The Butcher was the former, and he had sold Vlad demon flesh in order to bring calamity down on the world. The fourteen demons were destroyed, but the damage they left was more than sufficient to push people into desiring the world's restructuring. The flower of malice was blooming proud and vibrant. The latter, those who worked to prevent it, were a group of alchemists, and they sacrificed their entire clan to bring forth a new Torture Princess. She was a maiden of salvation, a self-proclaimed oppressor of slaves, savior of the world, saint, and whore. Jeanne de Rais. On her guidance, Kaito and the others were currently deep in the sealed-away bowels of the Capital's underground tomb. The room they were in was modeled after a nursery. At first glance, it looked to be cutely adorned. But the decorations' true nature was that of grotesque agony. Living human heads were embedded in the walls in place of a floral wallpaper, and intestines dangled from torn stomachs on the ceiling in place of ribbons. And in the room's center sat a cradle. It seemed almost cruel how pure a shade of white it was. The cradle was rocking, as though to soothe the first demon slumbering within. As she stood before that overwhelmingly powerful, wicked entity, Jeanne made her haughty proclamation. "Now, dear Lovers, you understand the truth, and the gravity of the situation. Kaito Sena. Elisabeth Le Fanu. I know that the two of you are destined to fight each other to the death. But now you must throw that all away and serve me as faithful slaves." She turned her rosy gaze directly on the two of them. And when she did, Jeanne de Rais, the artificial Torture Princess, went on as though it were only natural. "At this rate, our world will be destroyed, and not so much as a trace will remain." Her words rang out through the chamber like a final verdict. "...Hmph." "...Hmm." Upon hearing what Jeanne had to say, both Kaito and Elisabeth abruptly crossed their arms. Then they closed their eyes, as if to scrutinize her order-like request. Elisabeth's beautiful face hardened, her expression serious, and Kaito's youthful face did the same. A few seconds passed. Then the two of them opened their eyes in unison. Neither of them had consulted the other. Without exchanging so much as a glance, they gave their replies. Not even a breath separated their overlapping refusals. Jeanne blinked repeatedly. Her head slumped as it tilted to the side. "You made your decisions rather promptly, didn't you, Lovers? Moreover, your answers themselves were outside my expectations. And 'surprising' hardly begins to describe the speed with which you responded. Please state your reasons." "First, 'tis wholly unclear what actions you intend to take hereon in search of this salvation of yours or what have you." Elisabeth raised her forefinger. The black varnish on her nail glittered as she spun it aimlessly around in the air. "Even if you tell me to become your servant, I have no intention of agreeing while unable to verify the validity of your plans and directions. And even prior to that, another problem arises. Do I look to you to be a laudable enough woman to labor like a slave under the direction of another?" "Yeah, nope, not seeing it." Elisabeth pointed at herself, her face fiendish and cruel. Behind her, Kaito nodded earnestly. The two of them then traded an inane exchange. "I have no desire to hear that from you. I shall kill you for that later." "Wait, why?!" Seeing them on their normal behavior despite the time and place, Jeanne tilted her head to the other side. "I see. That seems logical enough. Even the last section felt oddly persuasive. And your other reasons?" "Second, you clearly have intentions of dragging us into some battle for the sake of salvation, do you not? And with no regard for our thoughts on the matter, at that. Why, then, should we content ourselves with being your servants? I see little benefit. We have little proof that your true motives are worthy of such faith." "I see, I see. And what else?" "Third, Kaito, you tell her." Elisabeth turned to Kaito and gave a sharp gesture with her chin. The two of them still hadn't consulted with each other. But in spite of that, he took over her speech with utmost ease. "Thing is, we just don't like you that much. That's all." "I see. Illogical in the extreme." Jeanne bobbed her head up and down. But that was the extent of her reaction. She didn't seem satisfied, but she didn't seem dejected, either. She simply began spinning around on the spot, her left foot acting as her axle. The chains dangling from her thin wrists like a prisoner's jingled. "Then I can assume that you have no intention of becoming my servants, but you plan on maintaining our collaborative relationship? After tellin' you chucklefucks so many of the world's secrets, having to be enemies with you meatheads sounds like a bad time! As you can see, I'm just a sweet little girl, after all!" "The way you manage to offend is nothing short of superb, and your manner of speech is as disjointed as always. But I have no complaints with your conclusion. My servant's foolishness and goody-goody nature know no limits, so I'm all but certain he'd have gotten himself involved regardless, of course. But I am not he. Normally, I'd have lost interest altogether the moment you mentioned salvation." "Oh, do you intend on seceding, then? I'd like to see you try, bitch!" "Nay, I shall lend you my strength. And rejoice, for I intend to give it my utmost." A cruel smile accompanied Elisabeth's declaration. Kaito nodded, his expression devoid of surprise. Even though she'd been the one to ask for help, though, Jeanne plopped her head to the other side again in puzzlement. "For what reason?" "I slew the fourteen demons. I put them down, each and every one. I destroyed them." Suddenly, Elisabeth's tone grew cold and levelheaded. Her crimson eyes narrowed. Sharp bloodlust danced atop her tongue as the words slipped from her mouth. "But for that to be the mere opening act to the world being rebuilt? What an insipid farce. The ones who would laugh at the corpses I've left in my wake and accuse them of having died in vain shall perish by my hand. I shall kill them all. And in a manner befitting the name of Torture Princess, no less." Elisabeth gave a grand laugh. Her smile was beautiful, twisted, and evil. Seeming half-likely to lick her lips, she gave voice to her blasphemous proclamation. "Even if they are the Saint, even if they are Diablo, and even if they are God." "Bravo. I would expect no less from you. I would expect no less from the first Torture Princess, the woman who willingly gave herself to sin." Jeanne loudly clapped, the chains on her wrists jingling like a tambourine. Then, placing an open palm over her chest, she gave an elegant bow. With a great display of pride, Jeanne endorsed Elisabeth's statement. "Indeed, precisely. It would not do for us to be anything but haughty and proud. For without our human deeds surpassing those of God and Diablo, how could we possibly hope to bring about salvation?" "Hmm," pondered Kaito. On a basic level, Jeanne displayed the same arrogant disposition no matter who she was dealing with. But with Elisabeth, her reactions seemed to be of a slightly more positive bent. The plan to create a Torture Princess must have started way long ago. But back then, they probably hadn't arrived at the name "Torture Princess" yet. And it's probably not just her speech—she likely used Elisabeth as a point of reference for her actions, too. Perhaps Jeanne held a degree of respect toward the woman she'd used as a template. Elisabeth, though, seemed like she couldn't care less about Jeanne's admiration. She gave a small shrug. As she did, Izabella interrupted their conversation. "I apologize for the intrusion, but isn't it rather dangerous to be making such an uproar down here? If you'll forgive me, you've all been rather loud the last few minutes... What do you intend to do if that thing wakes up?" At the moment, Izabella was being carried by Deus Ex Machina, the living, four-in-one weapon Jeanne had summoned as a servant. Sitting in its metal arms, she was looking at the cradle with a pallid expression on her face. Her eyes were filled with primal terror. Kaito and Elisabeth turned their gazes toward the first demon as well. It was still deep in slumber. But if it's asleep, that means it's eventually gonna wake up. As a matter of fact, the group scheming to have the world rebuilt was actively hoping for that thing to awaken. But just as unease began welling up within Kaito, a voice suddenly called out from beside him to refute it. "Put your mind at ease. You needn't worry about that, I daresay." Kaito turned to look at the voice's owner. A man wearing an aristocratic coat with a cravat was floating beside him, his legs crossed elegantly in the air. The man was Vlad Le Fanu, the Kaiser's previous contractor and Elisabeth's foster father—or, to be more precise, a replica of his soul. The smile that spread across his face bordered on beautiful. "After all, its contract with its master yet stands." Vlad was a mere phantasm, and as such, the forces of gravity held no sway over him. He floated gently through the air on |
his way to his destination, which was, of all places, directly above Diablo's cradle. Izabella quietly called out, trying to get him to stop. "Wait, stop, stop, that's dangerous. You shouldn't get any closer than that." "Good heavens, to think that the Holy Knights' commander would be such a coward. Timidity and virginity go hand in hand, I suppose, which lends your reaction a certain charm to it." "I'm gonna need you to dial it way back, man. That was a pretty blatant HR violation there." "What exactly might an 'ay-char' be, my dear successor? I'm afraid that we of this world aren't familiar with that word." Vlad calmly threw Kaito's cold rebuke aside. Then he turned back to the entity before himself and peered at it, an act that would have been enough to drive any normal human mad. As he placed his hand on the side of the cradle, he let out a seductive whisper. "Upon manifestation, higher-ranked demons use their summoners as references and obtain from them language and ego. And upon gaining ego, many, like our friendly Kaiser here, go against the wishes of their inexperienced masters. This thing's summoner, though, was first-rate. The Church built it this devious little room, but even with the pacification from the room's pain, it wouldn't awaken. The order it received was so effective, it borders on a curse, you see." Kaito responded to Vlad's words with shock. Then, still dumbfounded, he turned to survey the room. The people embedded in the walls were screaming in agony. But their vocal cords had been taken from them, and their howls were silent. The only things coming from their faces were tears and saliva. And the people hanging from the ceiling with rent stomachs were the same. The entire room was perpetually filled with the pain of the living, designed to pacify the demon within. But according to Vlad, all of it was meaningless. "Wait, the Church went out of their way to build this torture chamber...and it turns out they didn't even need to?" "That they didn't, my dear. Since time immemorial, it has been an occasional habit of the weak to fearfully give offerings to the strong despite neither party wishing it. It's a tragic tale, truly, and I'm sure the unfortunate victims around us find it more appalling than any." Vlad chuckled, and Kaito clenched his fists. As they did, Diablo continued peacefully breathing. It looked like a satisfied child, one who had never so much as experienced sorrow. Vlad drew his face close to the child's, which was repulsive in a difficult-to-quantify way. This time, his laugh was tinged with irony. "Heh, no matter how proficient its master's order, seeing an entity with power enough to destroy the world merely sleeping like this after manifesting is wholly unprecedented. And I say that as someone who lives in that very world." "Nay, you were burned through and through till you were well and truly dead. I made quite certain of that." "Ah, right you are. Burned to death by my own beloved daughter, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Wait, no, I suppose that isn't anything to laugh about. But, well, I exist in some capacity, in any case. And because of that, it would be rather bothersome if the world went and got itself destroyed. But at the same time, as a mage, leaving Diablo to its rest seems altogether a waste. At any rate, though, it won't wake unless it receives a new order from its contractor." As she heard Vlad's declaration, Hina narrowed her emerald eyes just a hair. As she stood beside Kaito, she laid her hands over the breast of her maid uniform and clasped them together tightly. "Its contractor..." Seeing her unease, Kaito drew himself closer to her. After exchanging a glance, the two of them nodded. Jeanne had already told them who the contractor was. The Suffering Saint revered by the Church. She's the one contracted to the first demon. The long-sung legend of the world's restructuring at the hand of the Saint had another, hidden side to it. Before becoming known as the Saint, she'd formed a contract with the most powerful demon. While it's unclear what her objective was, she was unable to maintain control and ended up destroying the world. In her regret, she summoned God, formed a contract with Him, and rebuilt the world. But she was unable to endure her two contracts, nor was she able to die, so instead, she fell into a deep slumber—and ever since, the truth had been perverted, leaving the focus solely on the fact that she'd carried God within her body as the savior who rebuilt the world. And because of that, she'd become worshipped as the "Suffering Saint." Part of the reason that the order she gave to the First Demon was so effective was probably because she used God's power for it as well. As that thought crossed his mind, a small question arose with it. The Saint was supposed to be the only one capable of waking up the first demon. That meant that the people plotting to set the world's rebuilding in motion couldn't wake it up, either. But if that was the case, then where was the woman who possessed that power resting? An eternal slumber, huh? Death and sleep were very different. And unlike Diablo, it was conceivable that any human would be able to wake up the Saint. If the Church got their hands on her, they'd be able to implore her to bring about the miracle of restructuring. That was something he and the others definitely needed to prevent. But where in the world could she be? "Hey, do we have any idea where the Saint might be? She isn't dead, right? Because if she isn't, then we gotta find her before the Church does." "You've asked an uncharacteristically pertinent question, mister. Allow me to answer it. We the Church, and for that matter all of humanity, have no idea where the Saint currently rests. And the Church has spared no effort in trying to locate her. But after all their investigations and expeditions, the only things they were able to locate were relics. And they were hunks of trash, the lot of 'em! And the other mages and believers looking for her found no more success than they." "Well...I guess that's good news. That means that there's no way to bring about the world's restructuring. I mean, without the Saint, Diablo won't wake up. And they can't pray to God to start the rebuilding, either, right?" Kaito felt a deep sense of relief. When he did, though, Jeanne's eyes flashed as though she was looking at an incorrigible dunce. It was impressive, given that the rest of her face was as expressionless as always. Elisabeth heaved a heavy sigh. Kaito tilted his head to the side, unsure of what had been so stupid about what he'd said. Even after running it all back through his mind, he couldn't find any contradictions. Jeanne shrugged her bare shoulders derisively. "You really are The Fool, aren't you, mister? The Church desires the world's restructuring due to their blind faith in the Saint. Despite knowing of the first demon's existence, the reconstruction sect still believes the Saint to possess boundless mercy. Because of that, they believe that no matter how they go about destroying the world, the Saint will naturally appear amid the rubble and carry out the rebuilding. Diablo is but one method at their disposal. Of course, they would doubtless prefer to find her themselves and witness the miracle firsthand." "Wait, b-but are people even capable of such wide-scale destruction on their own?" "With ease. And especially now that the Church can produce as much of the Monarch's meat as they desire." Elisabeth responded matter-of-factly to Kaito's doubts. Without a shred of hesitation, she put forth a cruel supposition. "Let us say, as an example... All they'd have to do is cart a small army of transformed sinners to the border leading to the beastfolk and demi-human lands. War would break out, the forests would burn, and the earth would be shattered. And there's no shortage of other methods one could conceive of. Just think back to your past life. You should be well acquainted with mankind's capacity for tyranny, and the means of destruction at their disposal are legion." "The Church...the Church would never resort to such inhumane methods!" Suddenly, Izabella cried out. Kaito and the others all looked at her. Kaito's gaze was unconsciously tinged with pity. Her silver armor, what had once been proof of her status as a paladin, still shone. But she'd just defeated a monster created by a high priest called the Grave Keeper, and her armor now sported dark stains from its blood. Ironically, her own body served as a rebuttal to her outcry. Even so, she continued her emotional appeal. "I'll concede that ever since the demon subjugation, a group within the Church has been acting suspiciously. Within the paladins, as well. And I'm well aware of how unusual this place is, along with the fact that they worked to conceal it. But the vast majority of the high priests are good, respectable people. Why are you all so unable to trust in their dignity and virtue? My paladins wouldn't stand for the sorts of atrocities you speak of!" The more she spoke, the more she affirmed the perversion lurking within the Church. Her voice was full of desperation, as though she was clinging to something. But Jeanne merely looked at her the way one would at a willful child. "Would you mind being quiet, miss? It takes a thief to catch a thief, they say! Even if you and your friends get pissed off, it ain't gonna change shit! Organizations are like centipedes. The body follows the head, even if it doesn't quite know what it's doing. And people would sooner discard their dignity and virtue than be left behind. To put it kindly, it's proof of their loyalty. To put it less kindly, well, sometimes abandoning one's judgment ends up working toward the greater good. This time, however, the head is beyond salvation. Shit's rotten to the core." "B-but..." "Godd Deos's death was the turning point, no doubt. With nobody near the head to stop it from running wild, the situation can quickly turn for the worse, with little regard for the opinions of those involved." Izabella choked back her rebuttal. She was probably well aware of examples where organizations had undergone transformations without their members noticing. Still silent, she bit down on her lip. Jeanne, on the other hand, went on. Her tone was that of an instructor. "There exist shepherds who would gladly cast themselves into the fire just to catch a glimpse of a miracle. And most of their sheep will blindly follow after them. Only when the situation becomes irreparable will the people first cry out. How did things get to this point? they will say, one and all." Izabella offered no reply, instead choosing to remain completely silent. But she hadn't given up—she was clearly thinking in earnest about something. Concerned about how deeply she seemed to be brooding, Kaito called out to her. "Hey, Izabella—" "Therefore, before the situation reaches the point of no return, we must locate and obtain the Saint." Jeanne, though, continued talking, paying no heed to Izabella's mental anguish. Kaito went quiet for the time being. At the moment, figuring out their next course of action was of utmost importance. "If the situation degraded into a race war, reverting it would be nigh impossible, after all. It'd be like charging straight into Hell! Ain't shit a group of our size could do about that!" "But you have no information on the Saint's whereabouts, either, aye? What do you intend to do about that?" "True. But that's not to say the information doesn't exist." Jeanne offered an unexpected answer to |
Elisabeth's question. Kaito frowned. Who could possibly have information regarding the location of a woman who'd been missing since the very creation of the world? "Her location may well be known to a single...or rather, perhaps it's best not to try to count, but they do exist. I've spent some time investigating him. But upon learning the secrets of this underground tomb, I find my suspicions have finally turned to confidence." The chain on Jeanne's wrist rattled as she raised an arm. Then she pointed at the wall they had broken the barrier on and passed through. It was currently functioning as a door and was resting ajar, and on its surface was an intricate carving of an apostle wearing tattered rags and standing alongside the Saint. As he gazed at the apostle's familiar figure, Kaito muttered meaningfully. "...The Butcher, huh." "This, too, is a reason I sought the assistance of you two Lovers. He is the merchant of legend, one of the founders of the original Five Great Guilds, and known by all with even a passing involvement in trade. And he is also the Saint's apostle, the Butcher. After working to build the foundations for the circulation of goods within society, he went into hiding for countless ages. But there have been sightings of him in recent years, all of which have been located around the two of you." Kaito instinctively cast his eyes downward. He still hadn't gotten his emotions in order over this whole ordeal. Hina, standing beside him, was much the same. The Butcher had saved them a number of times, so it was difficult to think of him as an enemy. But according to Elisabeth, he'd declared himself the enemy of no one individually but of every person living in the world. And he'd supposedly said something else as well. "They are of little consequence to the result. I'd never thought someone would rise to oppose the dreadful end of the story that the fourteen tragedies mark the beginning of. And Mr. Dim-Witted Servant is the same. Though your two tales may be small in the scope of things, the results they bear may be monumental indeed... Who knows, after all, how the world may turn from here on?" That doesn't sound like something the "enemy of the world" would say, does it? That thought stole through Kaito's mind unbidden. The Butcher's words didn't sound like they'd come from someone who wanted the world to end. But he swallowed down the doubts welling up inside and asked a different question instead. "Where is the Butcher right now?" Elisabeth responded to his inquiry by crossing her arms. When she spoke, her voice had a mysteriously quiet ring to it. "He's inside a Gibbet within my castle." "You, uh, you did mention on the way down here that you'd captured him. But you didn't just leave him like that, did you?" "I did. What of it? I can hardly release a man who proclaims himself my enemy. 'Twould be folly." "I mean, I guess..." Surely there are options other than just leaving him chained up, thought Kaito to himself. But the Butcher was notably elusive. Any lesser restraints would probably have ended with him just slipping out. Finally satisfied, Kaito turned his gaze away from Elisabeth. It landed on the first demon. It doesn't matter if it wakes up or keeps sleeping, huh. But we can't let them destroy the world, no matter what method they try to use... Wait, hold on a second. If that was the case, then just finding the Saint wouldn't be enough to stop the Church from running rampant, would it? Was Jeanne perhaps hoping to get the Saint to persuade the fanatics to stop? That plan seemed altogether dubious, so Kaito posed Jeanne a question. "Hey, what's your plan for after we find the Saint?" "Duh, we're gonna kill her ass." Kaito found himself at a loss for words, and his eyes went wide with shock. He hadn't thought that their plan involved killing the Saint. Jeanne's lips curled upward a smidgen. Then, in order to completely crush his naïveté, she elaborated. "Why do you seem so surprised? If we kill its contractor, Diablo will be unable to stay manifested and vanish. And God, who yet dwells within her body, is no different. When that happens, the two of them will return to a state where mankind's desires cannot possibly reach them. Furthermore, if we deliver her head to our foes, they, too, will understand. 'The miracle is lost to us.' 'Even if we destroy the world, it won't be rebuilt.'" "But we don't have to kill anyone... If we just get her to make the fanatics see reason—" "Oh my, you would have us rely on the woman who once destroyed the world? Please don't tell me you only just now realized, Hanged Man. The praiseless road we walk down is paved with thorns, and at its end, we shall become true enemies of this world." Jeanne shook her head in exasperation, her thick honey-blond hair gently scattering across her shoulders. She still bore no expression, but her rose-colored eyes opened alarmingly wide as she made her declaration. "Our salvation lies in murdering Diablo, murdering God, and, yes, murdering a human." A heavy silence spread throughout the dimness of the underground tomb. Kaito still offered no reply. Hina gently placed her hand atop his arm. The Kaiser let out a deep, humanlike laugh. As she scratched gently at her own black hair, Elisabeth spoke in an annoyed tone. "Hmm... The Saint bears God within her body, so I have concerns about our ability to actually kill her. I suppose we'll know once we try. Steady your resolve, if naught else." "Yeah, no, I'm okay. I'd be fine even without you telling me that." "Very well, then." "I do appreciate it, though." "Ha. Appreciate what exactly?" Elisabeth scoffed at Kaito's words of thanks. Even so, he nodded back at her. Jeanne's declaration had come as a blow to him, but he was already over it. He'd seen grisly mountains of corpses before, and starting with Marianne, he'd killed his fair share of people. There was no reason for him to be fixated on the Saint's survival. And besides, once we meet her in the flesh, everything might change on the spot. Right now, we should just worry about getting the Butcher to talk. "It seems there are no objections to our current course of action, then, so I think we'd best be off. Going back the way we came ain't too glamorous or anything, but them's the breaks. All the barriers are destroyed, but the building itself is designed to block teleportation. To go to the Torture Princess's castle, we need to first make our way outside." And with that, Jeanne practically danced her way out of the nursery. The Kaiser scoffed in displeasure, but he, Vlad, Elisabeth, and Izabella, who was still being carried by Deus Ex Machina, followed after her. Accompanied by Hina, Kaito started walking out of the nursery as well. But as he approached the doorway, he stopped in his tracks. His leather soles screeched against the ground. Then he turned back, the hem of his military-style long coat rustling as he did so. As he stared fixatedly at the horrific nursery, he called out to one of the people behind him. "Hey, Vlad. You said that even without this room's messed-up setup...even without the pacification from the pain, the First Demon won't wake up, right?" "Verily, my dear successor. This room was crafted out of an overabundance of fear. It's meaningless, and dare I say even comical...so I have my suspicions as to your intentions." "You're not going to stop me, even though you're onto me?" "Perish the thought! True, your actions are hypocritical, grounded in a trivial sense of mercy! Yet, at the same time, they will lead you one step closer toward becoming a worthy vessel to inherit my will—after all, what you're thinking of doing is a privilege extended only to the strong! Hypocrisy leads to arrogance, and from them flower the origins of all sadism and tyranny! Please defile them all you wish!" "Huh... Well, if that's the way you see it, at least you won't get in my way." Kaito nodded as he gave his blunt reply. Then he cast a fleeting glance outside the room. Vlad was spreading his arms exaggeratedly wide. At some point, Jeanne and the others had stopped as well. Elisabeth was shrugging at the very edge of his vision, as though calling him a fool. But Kaito knew. If I hadn't stopped, you'd have come up with some excuse to do this yourself, wouldn't you? The only bewildered member of the group was Hina. She looked back and forth between Kaito and the nursery. Before long, though, her expression stiffened with resolve. Gripping her halberd tightly, she stepped in front of Kaito. "My dear Master Kaito, I, too, have grasped your intentions. You are far gentler than any other and far more merciful...and that is precisely why it will hurt you so. Please let me do—" "No. This isn't something I should be foisting off on my wife. I'm gonna do it. I have to." Her offer was kind, but Kaito turned it down. With Hina looking to be on the verge of tears, he patted her head, then gestured for her to leave. After waiting until Hina was a safe distance away, Kaito took a deep breath and raised an arm above his head. Then he snapped his fingers. Six blades appeared out of the empty air, deploying in a circle with the cradle at their center like the middle of a flower. They glittered sharply as they turned toward the walls and ceiling. After coming to eerily precise stops, they waited for their master's cue. Kaito murmured quietly, as though trying to persuade himself. "It's a job befitting the enemy of mankind." Then he snapped his fingers again. "La (kill them all)." The blades shot out with the speed of a guillotine dropping, the six of them carving up the walls and ceiling in unison. That is to say, they sliced up the victims installed therein. They'd all been cursed so as to avoid letting them die. But the curse wasn't nearly effective enough to protect against Kaito's magically empowered attack. Their lives, which had been held perpetually just shy of death's grasp, instantly came to an end. One after another, the soundless screams faded. But the slaughter went on. Blood sprayed in all directions, drenching the room in a ghastly shade of red. It looked almost as though six beasts had leaped from Diablo's cradle and savagely sliced their way through the room. And the noise of the walls and ceiling sounded like an orchestra. Kaito, in his black uniform, played the role of the conductor, waving his arm both violently and delicately. The blades were his instrumentalists, and they wove their shearing melody in accordance with his directions. The time it took felt like it lasted an eternity. But every performance must eventually come to an end. Ten or twenty seconds later, Kaito swung his arm wide, then brought it to a sudden stop. All at once, the blade disappeared. Silence descended upon the room. The only sound left was the faint trickling of blood. The nursery-like chamber had been completely ruined. Chunks of flesh and viscera littered the floor, and everything in sight was red. A thick, rusty smell began filling the air. Amid the tragic spectacle, the first demon slumbered gently, as though nothing had changed. Kaito averted his gaze from it, instead looking at the blood gathering at his feet. As he faced the vast pool of red, he let out a gentle whisper. "Good night, everyone. Sweet dreams." In a sense, his words were tinged with madness. But they came from the heart. After all, he'd heard |
a continuous scream from the moment he'd first set foot in the room. It was a striking, sorrowful plea, one that only someone who'd experienced extreme pain could perceive. Please kill us, they'd been saying. Please make it all end. The people being used to pacify Diablo had long since gone mad from the pain. But in spite of that, they'd never stopped their desperate supplication. And now Kaito could hear their pitiful cries no more. He cast his gaze around the room, his expression full of affection and sadness. He looked to make sure they were all dead, that there were no sacrifices left in the room. After determining that to be the case, he let his face turn serious again. Having coldly wiped away his expression, the Kaiser's contractor turned on his heel. Then, alone, he began walking. Hurriedly, Hina rushed back into the nursery. Clutching the hem of her skirt, she faced the grisly spectacle and offered a deep bow. After closing her eyes for a moment as though in prayer, she ran back over to her companion's side. Nestling close to Kaito, Hina squeezed his hand in hers. He stayed facing forward, as though nothing had happened. But he returned his wife's grasp and intertwined his fingers with hers. Ever so faintly, his hand was trembling. 2 The Little Lady's Choice Officially, the underground tomb's sixth floor didn't exist. Everything past it was blockaded off by a colorful barrier, and the architecture took a turn for the bizarre. But once Kaito and the others ascended the seemingly endless staircase and returned to the fifth floor, the rest of the tomb was as calm and sanctified as ever. They walked down the long passageway. Individually crafted mausoleums of the kings of old lined them on either side. Even with the tomb's innermost secrets laid bare, the resting kings on the upper floors were unperturbed. As he cast a sidelong glance at the extravagantly decorated mausoleums, Kaito posed a question to Jeanne. "Did any of the kings know about the First Demon?" "Who can say? I imagine it depends on how close to the Church and how devout they each were. For example, I think the odds that the third king, hailed as the 'Faithful King,' was informed are quite high. He gave his generation's Grave Keeper special rights, after all, and their relationship was rather cordial. They're all crazy!" "Makes sense. Still, though, for some of the kings to find out about it and still give it their endorsement... Fanaticism's a hell of a drug, I guess." Kaito turned his gaze toward what appeared to be the third king's mausoleum. Compared to the other kings' mausoleums, its design was rather plain. It didn't even sport flowers, although the uncouth suits of armor surrounding the sarcophagus within hinted that the third king had specialized in battle. The only piece of ornamentation that could be described as beautiful was the statue of the Saint hanging upside down from the ceiling. Perhaps the cause of his faith had been a desire for divine protection in his countless wars. Now the Saint was always watching over him. Red gemstones were embedded in the sarcophagus's lid, even replicating the Saint's tearstains. That's one messed-up charade they're pulling. Kaito leveled a blunt rejection of the king's beliefs that he was clearly adhering to even in death. But he chose not to voice that impression of his. Instead, he asked a different question. "What about the current king, then?" "His predecessor died early, so he is still a whelp. I'd wager they haven't told him a thing. Ha, he'd likely faint on the spot." This time, it was Elisabeth who answered. Jeanne then offered a follow-up. "He also entrusted the battle against the demons wholly to the Church and has done little in the way of mobilizing troops on his own. As a result, the Royal Knights generally just obey the Holy Knights' orders. The Church no doubt saw that as an opportunity to seize greater power, but Godd Deos refused to use their strength as a pretext to meddle in domestic affairs. That geezer was a pain in the ass, but I gotta give him credit for being a decent guy. At some point, though, the king's advisers began tithing more and more, and their ranks grew flush with the pious. That being the case, it's anyone's guess as to what would happen if the king found out about the first demon." The two Torture Princesses exchanged a glance, then shrugged. Their billowing blond and straight black heads of hair shook. Kaito sighed. He knew almost nothing about the current king. But unlike the third imperial beastfolk princess, Vyade Ula Forstlast, he didn't seem like he'd be particularly reliable if things got down to the wire. It's gonna be rough, not having any influential humans who are sympathetic to our cause. Kaito sank into thought. Once he stopped talking, his surroundings grew quiet as well. Eventually, the group approached the stairwell to the entrance. As they did, Kaito looked up, thinking he'd heard something. Noise from the surface was finally starting to reach them, running down the stairs and echoing off the thick walls. Someone's shouting orders. And that's a lot of armor, swords, and footsteps I hear. Kaito cautiously strained his ears to make out the intermingling sounds. As a consequence, he found himself inadvertently frowning. "Sounds like they've got quite the crowd up there, huh." "I should certainly think so. Izabella and I originally came on orders from the Church to kill you, after all. And I did happen to destroy Yah Llodl's communication device before we entered the tomb, not to mention the fact that we left the paladins behind. 'Twould have been stranger if they hadn't called in reinforcements." "...Oh, right. That makes sense." As he bore the brunt of Elisabeth's exasperation, Kaito thought back to their battle from a few hours ago. He and Elisabeth had traded blows directly in front of the underground tomb. However, he'd been so engrossed in the fight that he hadn't spared much thought as to what would come afterward. And afterward, their entire worldview had been turned on its head. Everything just changed so quickly. Kaito's gaze grew distant. As she stood in front of him, Elisabeth went on. "The only reason we weren't attacked while we investigated this place was the strict orders the paladins received not to enter it. The fewer people who know the truth, the better for them, so the reconstruction sect no doubt plans to destroy us the moment we pop our heads out. However, therein lies a problem." "A problem?" "Indeed. Our foe is the Church." "What does that have to do with anything?" "You forget so quickly, fool. The Church has me bound with shackles." Kaito's mouth hung agape in realization. Now that she mentioned it, he remembered. Elisabeth had been ordered to slay the fourteen demons as a chance to atone for her sins. But because she was a sinner without peer, the Church had placed shackles on her body so that she couldn't betray them. If one of their priests recited scripture, the shackles would activate. That meant that Elisabeth's ability to oppose the Church was diminished. But Jeanne merely shook her head. "I don't think we'll find that to be much of a problem. This is the Capital. The reconstruction sect won't be able to deploy their transformed paladins. And even if they wanted to use a saint, it would take them too long to get a permit issued. In other words, the force at their disposal is currently quite low. No matter how much cannon fodder they call out, cannon fodder is still cannon fodder. After Deus Ex Machina tosses them aside in one fell swoop, I can activate my teleportation circle. Hunting mice is a specialty of mine, y'see. I don't mind taking the lead this time." "I see, how reliable of you. I've no objections." Elisabeth readily nodded to Jeanne's suggestion. Kaito, too, was relieved. Jeanne's Deus Ex Machina was even more robust and powerful than him, the Kaiser's contractor, and Hina, an automaton. Buying enough time to activate a teleportation circle would be a piece of cake for it. But although he gave the plan his approval, he made sure to add a warning, as well. "Just make sure you don't kill any of the paladins. They're only following their beliefs, after all." "Given the current situation, that alone is foolhardy in the extreme. Abandoning critical thought is a crime. Ignorance is sin. Sheep end up as mutton, as they say. But if we consider what's to come, it's true that unnecessary bloodshed will likely prove disadvantageous. And my little lady would object, as well. Agreed. We should avoid letting things get too complicated here." Surprisingly, Jeanne obediently nodded. Behind her, Izabella went slack as she breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that she'd been on the verge of shouting out. If things had gone poorly, it might have even ended in a fight. Kaito was glad it had gotten resolved peacefully. All in agreement, they headed toward the entrance. Light from outside streamed down onto the stone stairs. Kaito then stopped, calling out to Jeanne as he did. "Hold up a minute. Before you send out Deus Ex Machina, we should have one of us get a visual on the situation up there. I'll go—if they fire off some kind of long-range attack, I can block it with my blades." "...Well, I suppose that's true. Your doll has a rather anxious expression on her face, mister, but you are in fact qualified. Guess you finally get to be useful for once, huh? After you, then." Despite the verbal abuse he was receiving, Kaito climbed up the stairs. Because they'd been made from a different material, the steps near the top had been melted when the demon attacked the Capital. Making sure not to fall, Kaito carefully jumped over the pit. Then he popped his head out through the entrance. "Let's see, here... Man, that's quite the crowd." The silver troops were lined up atop the gray earth at regular intervals like chess pieces. There was also a group Kaito wasn't familiar with beside them, covered from head to toe in scarlet cloth. Due to the way their faces were covered, they looked almost like executioners. Man, I'm not getting a good vibe from those guys... Hmm? At that moment, a sense of incongruity washed over Kaito. While it was true that the underground tomb was completely surrounded, their enemies were all standing strangely far away. Kaito frowned as he tried to find the reason. Then he noticed the bizarre-looking man standing in front of the assembled troops. Say...what? The man had a sturdy frame, enough that Kaito could make out his gender despite the distance between them. He had broad shoulders, and his height was on the taller side. In spite of that, though, the hem of his white robes reached all the way to the ground, as did his thick, bristly black hair. That alone would have been enough to qualify his appearance as strange, but his most conspicuous feature was the thick chains binding his arms around himself in an embrace. Kaito couldn't help compare him to the other bound saint he was familiar with. H-huh? He...looks kinda like La Mules, doesn't he? As that thought crossed through Kaito's mind, the chains binding the man's top half came loose without warning. He slowly spread his arms wide. When Kaito saw what was between them, a shiver of terror ran through his body. *** The man's chest had been excavated, clothes and all. The red flesh within had been shaved down, and his white rib cage lay bare. For some reason, though, there was no blood pouring out. The heart, lungs, and other organs a rib cage was normally designed to protect were missing as |
well. In their place were a large number of white feathered creatures. A second later, realization hit Kaito. The man was using his rib cage as a birdcage. "La (fly)!" Spurred on by instinctual fear, Kaito snapped his fingers. A blade went soaring toward the man. At the same time, white light flared up in the man's chest, then burst out. The two collided head-on. While the blade was successfully blocking the light, it melted like candy in the process before evaporating. Kaito shot out his second attack. But to his disbelief, the man was faster. He shot out more light, this time even brighter than the first. The white entity swallowed up the blade, but this time, it didn't stop. Kaito's eyes widened in shock. The light bore down on him. An unpleasant blasting noise rang out. As it did, the light burned away the tomb's entrance. "Master Kaito, no!" "Wh—?" It all happened in a single moment. Right before the light made impact, something grabbed Kaito by the scruff and yanked him backward. His back toppled into Hina's chest. After embracing him, she leaped back over the melted pit in the stairwell, then crouched down. White light burst over their heads, accompanied by the sound of an explosion. Kaito looked up. When he did, he saw that the metal decorations at the tomb's entrance that had miraculously survived were glowing red and dripping. If Hina had been even a hair slower, he would have died on the spot. "Th-thanks, Hina... Geez, I seriously misjudged that guy's power." "Oh, Master Kaito... Thank goodness, thank goodness you're safe... I was so worried for you." Still sitting firmly on the ground, Hina squeezed Kaito tightly. As one might expect from the fact it had survived the demon invasion, everything from halfway up the stairs down was unmarred. The building material itself must have had a powerful anti-magic effect to it. But the bombardment showed no signs of letting up. They'd lost the ability to carelessly go outside. Jeanne blinked, her rosy eyes flashing. "...Well now. This falls outside my expectations." "Aye, it boggles the mind. What exactly is the meaning of this? Forgoing all the proper procedures to deploy a saint, then a summoned beast bombardment without so much as passing a verdict on us? Have they gone mad? No, wait... Ah!" Elisabeth clicked her tongue, looking as though she'd just realized something. When she spoke, her tone was filled with vexation. "The completed request, the one they submitted as part of the plan to defend the Capital immediately after La Mules's death! Blast, we overlooked it!" "I suspect your hypothesis is correct. We should assume they used the permit we obtained back then. Under the pretext of killing the Kaiser's contractor and putting an end to the battle against the demons, fast-tracking its transfer would certainly be possible. And as for that light..." The one who replied to Elisabeth was Izabella. Still cradled in Deus Ex Machina's arms, she thoughtfully observed the exploding white light. Kaito followed her lead. Now that he looked closely, he could see that the light was made up of tiny skylark-like creatures. Saints' power came from sacred beasts. The man's birds were clearly far weaker than the one La Mules had been able to deploy, but in exchange, he was able to shoot them out repeatedly. Jeanne shook her head in annoyance. "As far as the reconstruction sect is concerned, the end is nigh, after all. They're starting to move more brazenly. 'The sky is falling; the sky is falling! Let's all dance, guys, memento fuckin' mori!'" "Ugh, I feel like destroying that communication device didn't do us any favors." Kaito prefaced his comment with a groan as he thought back to the device Yah Llodl had been using to communicate. The orb that Elisabeth had mercilessly skewered had been needlessly extravagant and flashy. He didn't know where Yah Llodl ranked in the Church, but the man's pride was all too evident. Kaito had no doubt that Yah Llodl's anger was only worsening his animosity toward himself and the others. That said, figuring out what their foes were thinking wasn't going to help them much at this point. This is a problem... If we can't get outside, we can't activate the teleportation circle. Kaito furrowed his brow. The bombardment showed no signs of letting up. Elisabeth clicked her tongue in frustration. "Tch, the intervals are too short. What to do. Send out Deus Ex Machina, perhaps? 'Tis fast and sturdy. Even so, it would doubtless be whittled away in short order. And you have to temporarily disassemble to activate the teleportation circle, eh... On the off chance they have a second saint in reserve, that would prove troublesome indeed. I wouldn't mind activating the circle myself, but if they set off the shackles midway through, maintaining it would be no mean feat." "I concur. We seem to have quite the problem on our hands. If the Kaiser offered his help, it would make things a deal easier, but... The bad doggy's got a lot of pride, if nothing else!" "Hmm? Did the puny human say something? Seems to me like you fancy getting yourself bitten in two." "Quit fighting, all of you. I will go." A dignified voice rang out, remonstrating them. Everyone turned to look at the speaker: Izabella. Still sitting in Deus Ex Machina's grasp, her arm was raised and her face was earnest. Jeanne blinked her eyes rapidly a few times. A few seconds later, her head slumped sharply to the side. "Have you lost your mind, miss?" "I suppose I probably have. But I suspect my odds of success are better than you think. Now, let! Me! Down!" Izabella contorted her body, her cynical remarks accompanied by a smile. Somehow, she was able to slip out from Deus Ex Machina's arms. After gracefully hopping down onto the floor, she gave a long exhale. Then she turned her blue and purple eyes toward the incessant explosions of light going off above them. She narrowed her gaze. "I know the man who summons those beasts—La Christoph, the Modest Birdkeeper. I've had the honor of visiting with him a number of times. He possesses a firm spirit. Even after formally becoming a saint, he still recognized me and offered me kind words of advice." "That's...impressive." Izabella's words filled Kaito with earnest admiration. After all, La Mules, a similar saint, had lost her reason and humanity and become little more than an animal. Maybe it had just been the case that La Christoph's connection to God was weaker than hers had been, but odds were that his force of will was astounding. At the same time, being reminded of how brazenly the Church retained their saints caused Kaito to realize just how perverse of an organization it was. The cracks were always there—the current situation just tore them wide open. The time had finally come. The Church's shell had cracked, and the terrible monstrosity within was now free. That was really all there was to it. While the twisted imagery was floating through Kaito's mind, Izabella continued laying out her plan. "Even after being recognized as a saint, La Christoph persisted in his deep love for the people. I strongly doubt he knows anything about the plan to reconstruct the world. I'll need someone to block two or three of his attacks for me, but if I call out to him, I believe there's a good chance he'll stop." Izabella was totally serious. But Elisabeth crossed her arms and shook her head. "You expect a saint to see sense while firing off a bombardment? The odds are lower than low." "If I die, then all it will mean is that my work up until now was unworthy of being remembered. In that event, I will accept my fate. And I apologize, but you'll need to come up with a new plan." Izabella's voice was calm, and the evenness of her tone served to illustrate just how composed she was. Kaito reflexively shuddered. The degree of certainty in her voice was alarming. "Izabella, no!" "Oh, Master Kaito—" Kaito hurriedly stood up, wrenching himself free from Hina's arms. Then he turned to face Izabella. He stared straight into her mismatched, gemstone-like eyes. "Izabella, you can't! Whether or not that saint guy will remember you isn't the problem! It's what'll happen to you afterward. If your plan works, you won't be able to go back to the Church. Hell, even trying to will be off the table. I'm not gonna let you go through with some plan that'll get you killed, whether it works or not!" Kaito's voice rose to a shout. When Izabella replied with silence, Kaito clenched his fists. The odds were low that Izabella's callout would stop the bombardment, but they weren't zero. But if they wanted to use that opportunity to activate a teleportation circle, it would mean leaving her behind. The moment Izabella showed signs of fleeing, the saint would no doubt recommence his attack on the spot. She was, of course, a member of the Church, and the commander of the Holy Knights to boot. But given the Church's current state, even someone of her standing wouldn't be able to return safely. The situation over there was anything but upstanding. That was just how deep the roots of evil had sunk into it. The entire organization had gone completely mad. "Even if it was just because Jeanne kidnapped you, you still ended up going into the underground tomb. You can pretend not to have seen anything, but there's no way they'll believe you. And I bet the Grave Keeper will be especially pissed." Kaito's thoughts turned to the perverse nursery down in the depths of the tomb. There had been a monster with a snowy owl's head and a huge mass of tentacles stationed in front of it as a guard. It had been made by taking a holy summoned beast, feeding it demon meat, and mixing in human parts. That torture room, its guardian... It takes more than run-of-the-mill fanaticism to make messed-up shit like that. The Grave Keeper must not have had a moral bone in their body. And back in Jeanne's hometown, Kaito had seen those hideously transfigured paladins, too. It was unclear whether they'd done so willingly, but all of them had eaten demon meat. Either way, even if they'd left them alive, there was no way to save people who'd undergone transformations like that. "If you go back, they're just gonna dispose of you. If you're lucky, all they'll do is kill you. You can't go back; it's over!" "I refuse to believe that! Or rather, I want to...but even I can see the truth." Izabella answered frankly. Her voice was calm. So calm, in fact, that it filled Kaito with ominous premonitions. Izabella wasn't even trying to deny the evil lurking within the Church anymore. But even so, her smile remained. "There would normally be no shortage of people who would defend me and ensure my sentence was just. But at this rate, I'm likely to be judged behind closed doors, without my allies knowing about it. Even so, there are things I still must do. You see, I want to go back to the Church." "That's crazy talk..." "I have to make sure as many of the Holy Knights know the truth as possible. If things continue as they are, they're liable to be taken advantage of." "But you can't seriously think you're gonna get a chance to—" "Even if I don't. I can't just sit back and watch my subordinates die." Izabella's words were matter-of-fact. She'd clearly had her mind made up for some time now. It was at that moment that Kaito realized something. He and Elisabeth didn't have that many people they needed to protect. At the end of the day, both of them were criminals. But Izabella was different. Many people |
had placed their trust and loyalty in her. "The Holy Knights' main force has to receive any untoward orders. But it's only a matter of time. It's as Ms. Jeanne says: Organizations are, for better or for worse, like long centipedes. I refuse to let my people unknowingly destroy the very people, the very world they're trying to protect." "Even so, you still—" "I understand how you feel. Or rather, allow me to pretend to sympathize despite being wholly incapable of understanding. Still, though, foolish little lady, I must ask that you stop." An unexpected voice called out to restrain Izabella. Jeanne stepped forward and stood beside Kaito. She, too, didn't hesitate to give her warning. Deus Ex Machina stooped over, as though trying to scoop Izabella back up. Falling away a step, Izabella took on a defensive pose. Jeanne pointed a pale finger at her. It hung in the air as Jeanne tried to elucidate the situation. "I didn't bring you along just to let the Church pass judgment on you, miss. I needed someone besides the Torture Princess and her servant who knew the truth of the world and was able to help convey it. Someone who was affiliated with the Church yet could accept the truth without breaking. That was what I chose you from among the stray sheep for." "So I supposed. I had the sense that your expectations for me were something along those lines." "It wasn't so you could die a dog's death. Don't forget. Death is absolute. If you die, that's it. Game over." "...Forgive me. I understand the importance of the task you've given me. But would you be able to find someone else to carry it out? I have my own task I need to finish, you see." Izabella flatly refused to heed Jeanne's warning. Narrowing her rosy eyes, Jeanne made to set Deus Ex Machina into motion. As things were, Izabella had no means to resist. But with a gentle expression, she repeated back the words Jeanne had once thrust at her. "I am a commander, though perhaps only in name." *** For once in her life, a look of surprise crossed Jeanne's face. Izabella began walking. It was easy to make out the unwavering pride in her gait, as was the fact that stopping her would accomplish nothing. She walked past Jeanne, practically daring her to act. Her silver hair nearly grazed Jeanne's honey-blond locks. Standing straight up, Jeanne let out a quiet whisper. "...What a fool you are." Taking her cue, Deus Ex Machina sprang into motion. But instead of trying to capture Izabella this time, it strode directly forward. It seemed that the steel giant intended to serve as Izabella's shield, just as she'd requested. "You can't..." Still refusing to give up, Kaito raised his voice. But the timing with which Izabella turned around indicated that she'd seen that coming. As light continued to explode at her back, her voice was the image of composure. "Farewell, ladies and gentlemen. Dreadful as it was, I'm glad I was able to learn the truth. Even now, I still hold that the Church's teachings are wonderful. Using faith as a way to support a life lived nobly and properly is an honorable thing. People are weak. They need something to believe in. So as a member of the Church, I will fight to my last to right its wrongs." Kaito sucked in his breath. Even after learning so many ugly truths, Izabella retained her piety and pride as the commander of the Holy Knights. Her next words were stern, and her voice rang with conviction. "That is why, Kaito Sena, Elisabeth Le Fanu, Jeanne de Rais, even if history ends up validating your actions, I cannot become like you." With quiet yet unfaltering words, Izabella issued a complete rejection of Kaito and the others. The ebony and gold Torture Princesses said nothing. Kaito, too, gazed silently at lacerations running across Izabella's skin and her tranquil eyes. His thoughts turned to the metaphor he'd just heard. There exist shepherds who would gladly cast themselves into the fire just to catch a glimpse of a miracle. And their sheep would follow after them, blind to the foolishness of their own actions. Even though she was just a lone sheep, Izabella was trying to shout out warnings to the rest. She was likely to find herself cut down in the blink of an eye. But even so, she refused to abandon her flock. Izabella Vicker is a noble person through and through. Authority and cajolery would utterly fail to make her falter. And she had the rare power to not only believe in her own sense of justice but to put it into action, too. Which means that there's no way she'd ever become an enemy of the world. Kaito now felt that fact keenly. In other words, it was pointless trying to get her to stay by their side any longer. Kaito and the others were enemies of the world, and the road before them was paved with thorns. At the end of the day, what we're trying to do is kill God and the Saint. Trying to coerce someone who was living their life nobly and properly wasn't possible. Satisfied with that fact, Kaito threw in the towel. Elisabeth quietly clicked her tongue. Her sleek black hair rustled as she shook her head. "Ha, do as you please. If one persists in their foolery, that, too, is a form of conviction. If you have no regrets, then go forth and die unburdened. Your brand of idiocy may differ from mine, but we are both idiots nonetheless." "That we are, I suppose. Idiots, one and all." Izabella's smile was tinged with a hint of embarrassment. The lacerations running across her face twisted unattractively. Yet, even so, Izabella Vicker was beautiful. The next moment, she dashed up the stairs. Her silver hair fluttered as she broke into a run. Explosions of white light rocked the entrance she was heading for. With surprisingly fluid motions, Deus Ex Machina took the lead from Izabella. The steel giant was the first to rush outside. Izabella followed unflinchingly after. The bombardment exploded across Deus Ex Machina. Protected by its massive body, Izabella shouted out. "Please stop, La Christoph! It's me, Izabella Vicker! I have something I wish to report! Everyone, please, you have to listen to me!" Tragically, her voice was drowned out. It looked as though the attacks would continue. But she didn't give up. "Rgh!" Seizing the tiniest of gaps between explosions, Izabella made her move, leaping out from behind Deus Ex Machina. Having abandoned her shield, Izabella laid herself exposed before La Christoph. "It's time for us to move." "Indeed." If they didn't leave then, they wouldn't make it in time. With no room to doubt whether or not Izabella would succeed, Jeanne and Elisabeth dashed forward. Kaito and Hina followed after them. With a singularly nonchalant air, the Kaiser shook his head in exasperation and did the same. Vlad floated along behind, a wide grin plastered across his face. Together, they passed through the entrance. Unbelievably, the bombardment had stopped. It was almost miraculous how quiet their surroundings were. They could see a priest wearing a lavish vestment shouting something at La Christoph. He was undoubtedly trying to get him to resume the bombardment. But as he gazed at Izabella in bewilderment, La Christoph obstinately refused to open his arms. The priest shouted again, even louder. "What the hell are you doing? Why show mercy to someone who's been won over by the demons?" As he did, Izabella's subordinates started moving at once. They all rushed over to the priest. The group that looked like executioners tried to get them to fall back, but the paladins gave determined shouts. "Please, that's not it! Our commander was taken against her will!" "Bah! Back, you lot, back! What are you thinking?!" "You're the one trying to dispose of our kidnapped commander all on your own! What are you thinking?!" "She's fallen into the demons' clutches!" "We told you, she was abducted! We're not going to just let you blow away our commander!" Disorder swelled through their ranks. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, Deus Ex Machina collapsed into pieces. The steel giant's body separated into a number of chunks. From them, four machines landed atop the ashen earth. One of them was a beast made of nothing but fangs. Another was an automaton, shaped like a human except for its fatally warped frame. One of the other monsters was a lizard with limbs made from pipes and wings of glass. And the final one was a bipedal suit of armor with no visible seams anywhere on its body. The chains on Jeanne's wrists jingled. Taking their cue, the machines began spinning. White light started glittering in a circle around them, and golden flower petals danced up through the air. The teleportation circle began activating, leaving Izabella behind. The priest went slack-jawed. La Christoph continued looking solely at Izabella. She made no motions to flee, so La Christoph chose not to resume his attack. "Get ahold of yourselves! Don't let them get away, dammit—stop them!" As he shouted orders at the fighting paladins, the priest began chanting to activate Elisabeth's shackles. As she stood beside Kaito, her skin started burning, and she let out a small cry of pain. "Urk—" "Elisabeth..." "Lady Elisabeth." Kaito and Hina supported her shoulders. However, Elisabeth wasn't the one giving the chant for the summoning circle—Jeanne was. The light gradually grew in strength. The paladins and the executioner-like group frantically rushed toward them. As they did, Jeanne gently extended her hand. Making sure she wasn't seen by the people closing in on them, she lifted a tuft of Izabella's hair. Then she kissed her, like a knight kissing a princess's hand. Izabella's shoulders twitched. But she didn't turn around. Finally, Jeanne offered a surreptitious murmur to her dignified back. "I don't hate seeing a mere human trying to oppose them. After all, such actions are the ones that are supposed to change the world. You may be an idiot, a dunce, and a fool, miss, but I choose to believe that your actions helped delay the clock hands in their march toward the end. You did catch my eye, and the eyes never lie." With slight vestiges of sorrow, Jeanne let go of the silver hair. As she did, she offered a quiet farewell. "Good-bye, my stupid, gallant little lady." *** The next moment, the paladins and executioner-like group rushed in. Metal flower petals and white light blotted out their figures, but the moment before they faded from vision, a scene burned its way into Kaito's eyes. Losing a close struggle to the executioner-like group, the paladins were forced back. Countless arms draped in crimson cloth reached out. Then, one after another, they grabbed Izabella. And then, finally, she was pushed forcefully down onto the ground. 3 Something Left Behind The gold petals and white light dissolved together to form a solid, cylindrical wall. Then, immediately afterward, it crumbled. The fragments gently melted, transformed into droplets, and crashed against the stone floor. When each one landed, it sent a small crimson splash into the air. "...Crimson?" Kaito tilted his head to the side in confusion. Then he noticed the second magic circle at their feet. The blood it was comprised of was recoiling at Jeanne's mana, causing it to bounce up off the ground. As a result, their surroundings were like a rain of light pouring atop a sea of blood. After looking at the room he was in, Kaito furrowed his brow. "Huh? Wait, don't tell me this is..." "Jeanne, you little... I must say, I was expecting we would arrive in the forest nearby. Why is it that you're able to leap directly to my castle? When was it you interfered with my teleportation circle?" Her skin still covered |
in burn marks from the Church's shackles, Elisabeth crossed her arms. They had all successfully arrived in the wide chamber beneath Elisabeth's castle that sported her permanent teleportation circle. But teleporting directly to it wasn't supposed to be possible for anyone who hadn't themselves activated it previously. Everyone turned to look at Jeanne. Her abundant golden locks shook as she tilted her head to the side. "What are you talking about, miss? Why, you daringly left your castle exposed so as to invite attacks by the fourteen demons, did you not? Shit, you had openings everywhere! In other words, sending in a familiar to invade your castle and tamper with your teleportation circle was no grand undertaking. But hey, don't sweat the small stuff!" Her unabashed response earned her a murderous glare from Elisabeth. But it was true that, thanks to the fact that they'd traveled directly to the castle, their arrival had been quicker than they'd anticipated. Letting out a short sigh, Elisabeth started walking. Her heels clicked loudly as she went. "Very well. I'm hardly pleased, but I shall overlook it this once. This once. Now then, let's be off." "Um, Lady Elisabeth, we should treat your injuries first..." Hina timidly called out to her. As she stopped in her tracks, Elisabeth's harsh expression softened. But despite Hina's frantic pleas, she just gently shook her head. "How kind you are to the woman you once betrayed... No, no, stop looking at me with those teary eyes! It feels as though I'm kicking a puppy. I had no intention of being snide to you, Hina. What I was trying to say was that you needn't worry, that I would cast healing magic myself later, when we have time to spare. Aye." "Wait...doesn't that mean that if you were talking to me, you would mean it snidely?" "How astute he is! I should surely think so. 'Tis your own fault for being so wholly unlovable. You're a man; deal with it." "Well then, I'll just have to praise Master Kaito so sweetly that it all balances out!" "Uh... I dunno if 'balances out' is really the way you're supposed to look at it..." Despite the crisis situation they were in, the banter the three of them exchanged was light. Kaito took care to speak in the same glib manner as always. By doing so, he managed to slowly but surely regain his lost composure. Eventually, he succeeded in shaking away the scene that had burned itself into his eyes. My grieving isn't gonna make things any better. We've gotta hurry, for Izabella's sake, too. "...Hmph, 'Tis time to cut the idle chatter. Let us be off in earnest. There's no shortage of information we need to drag out of the Butcher, whether he gives it freely or not. And time is of the essence." Her words hinted at the possibility of torture. Elisabeth licked her scarlet lips, and Kaito quietly dashed after her. They all ran out of the chamber. Groan-like noises echoed throughout the labyrinthine basement as they hurriedly made their way through it and on up the stairs to the first floor. It was at that point that the Kaiser, who'd been dutifully accompanying them, paused. He raised his head high and sniffed at the air. Then, after shaking his head a few times, he let out a bored scoff. "...Hmph, I thought as much. Already, eh?" "What's the matter, Kaiser?" "You can't tell, boy? I should think it's a smell that you, too, would be familiar with." "Familiar...?!" Then Kaito finally realized what was different. The rusty aroma of blood was wafting down the first-floor corridor. After sniffing at their surroundings some more, the Kaiser approached something hidden in one of the walls' shadows. When he realized what it was, a shock ran through Kaito. The Kaiser's nose was right up against a large pool of blood. The supreme hound then poked at something dark sitting in the middle of the sea of red. "This in particular. Its odor is like that of a demi-human, yet more mixed. What do you think, O unworthy master of mine? Surely you recognize it." The Kaiser let out a satisfied laugh, his expression hinting at ominous things to come. Kaito silently knelt down beside him. When he saw what his hound was pawing at, his face went white. Resting half-submerged in the pool of blood was a scrap of tattered black cloth. "...The Butcher." "Kaito, Hina, to my bedroom! Investigate the status of the Gibbet! Jeanne and Deus Ex Machina, go search elsewhere! You two are better at covering ground!" "I have no objections, miss. We are at least twice as fast as you punks, after all." "Oh my, precious daughter of mine. Ignoring me?" "You and the Kaiser, go search as well! And before that, the both of you need to muster up some determination! Especially you, Vlad, you deadbeat! You seem quite content to just sit there and do nothing!" Vlad peevishly pouted upon receiving his orders and insults in the same breath. Like always, his expression was creepily innocent. He stroked his chin and crossed his long legs in the air. "Hmm, given that you all are the ones who killed me, I'd say I'm contributing more than my share. Also, given that I'm quite literally dead, perhaps 'deadbeat' isn't the kindest insult you could have chosen... Oh, I see—you're choosing to turn a deaf ear to my complaints. Ah well, I suppose I can help you out with your investigation." Nobody present was paying any heed to his grievances; they'd all set off. Protest written across his face, Vlad floated on after Jeanne. The Kaiser, on the other hand, seemed to think it was none of his concern. He snorted, then vanished. Separating from the others, Kaito's group made for the stairs to the second floor. Kaito, Hina, and Elisabeth hurried through the oppressive cliff-top castle. Their footsteps echoed through the hall. Right before reaching the stairs, though, the three of them stopped in their tracks. "...'Tis his handiwork, no doubt." "Yeah..." Before them stood a blood-soaked suit of armor. It resembled the moving suits of armor installed throughout the castle, but just barely peering out from beneath the rusty bloodstains on its chest was a white lily coat of arms. Elisabeth let out a murmur, her voice tinged with pity. "Hello, transfigured paladin." "Uorrrgh, uorrr... Gah, graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah... Blagh, blegh, blargh—" Kaito and the others hadn't done anything yet. But in spite of that fact, the blood spurted forcefully from the openings in the paladin's helmet. It would appear that all the blood staining his silver armor had come from his own mouth. Upon catching a glimpse of the man's eyes through his helmet's eyeholes, Kaito gasped. The man's left eye had ruptured, and a number of pink sacs were dangling from his neck and pulsating. It looked like some sort of strange, parasitic plant was growing off him. But the truth was even more revolting. The sacs were made up of the man's own engorged flesh. "Uorrr... Ah, ah, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" With a shout, the paladin hoisted up his weapon. They normally used swords, but his had been replaced with a crude battle-ax. It looked far too heavy for a normal paladin to wield properly. Before charging at them, the paladin held his battle-ax directly at Kaito and the other two. Even in his current state, he was still making sure to pay respect to his foes. *** Kaito involuntarily bit down on his lip. Normally, that was a gesture one would perform with a sword. Perhaps due to haziness stemming from his hunger for pain, the paladin firmly believed himself to be holding a sword. It was, in a word, pitiful. "Master Kaito..." "Yeah, he's beyond help." Even if they left him alive, there was no way to save people who'd undergone transformations like that. Kaito raised his arm, and Hina readied her halberd. But a cold voice spoke first, scoffing at the fact that they'd faltered even for a second. "Gavel." *** A solemn, bell-like noise rang out. A mass of crimson flower petals scattered magnificently through the air. A massive iron hammer swung down from empty space, the very air trembling as it fell. The transformed paladin was crushed, armor and all. The hammer's head was covered in brutal-looking thorns, causing it to resemble a meat tenderizer as it flattened the man from the head down. An invisible hand lifted up the Gavel's short handle. An unsettling sticky noise accompanied it. Crimson lines gently stretched up, then snapped. Beneath the hammer, iron plates and human flesh were all flattened into one. It made for a spectacle so far removed from the man's original form that the action seemed retroactively less cruel. "Hmph." Elisabeth snapped her fingers. The iron hammer transformed into a cloud of petals, then vanished. All that remained was a horrid, incomprehensible pile. It made a squelching sound as Elisabeth trampled it underfoot. Ascending the stairs, she let out a low murmur. "Hurry." "...Got it." She spoke but a single word, and Kaito's response was similarly concise. After stepping over the pitiful corpse spread out before the staircase, the three of them resumed running. On their way, they encountered two more transfigured paladins and dispatched them just as quickly. Having disposed of everyone in their path, the three of them then dashed through the corridor where high windows cast ominous designs on the floor. Eventually, Elisabeth's bedroom came into view. Kaito felt a shiver go across his body as he ran. A terrible scene surely awaited them there, as the door was wide open and the floor around it was covered in blood. "Butcher!" "Mr. Butcher!" As Kaito and Hina shouted, Elisabeth stepped wordlessly into the room. What greeted them was an overwhelming silence. It was quiet in the room. Quiet and still. Ever since a demon had broken in, the window's slatted shutter had been left broken. A faint light streamed down onto the vacant floor. The spots where the plain yet refined bed and dresser had once been were now devoid of furniture. They'd gotten caught in Elisabeth's battle with the Butcher and destroyed. The only thing left was the knife-ridden map on the wall. That and the tall, narrow metal cage hanging from the ceiling—the Gibbet, one of Elisabeth's summoned torture devices. Kaito looked up at the iron cage in silence. It was empty. The Butcher was nowhere to be seen. "Elisabeth..." "...Hmm." Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Its chain rattled, and the cage landed on the floor. The first thing she did was deliberately inspect the cage door. Kaito watched her work from the side. After running her finger across the scratch marks left on the lock and confirming their direction and shape, she nodded. "These marks came from within. It would seem the Butcher opened the cage on his own, then fled." "You're saying that he wasn't removed by force? Could Mr. Butcher be all right, then?" "No, there's no way... Something definitely went down after he broke out." Kaito turned to look back toward the bedroom's entrance. Drops of blood were scattered about by the doorway. And not only were there grotesque paladins prowling the castle grounds, there had been a scrap of black cloth floating in the pool of blood back on the first floor. There was no way the Butcher was unharmed. Elisabeth sighed, as though agreeing with Kaito's fears. "I can probably surmise what happened. After breaking out of the cage, he had the poor fortune of running into those paladins. They probably brought a fair number of men here with the intention of capturing me on my return from the underground tomb. There were doubtless priests among them to activate my shackles, to boot. After capturing the Butcher, though, they returned to their headquarters. That gives us our reason why none of the ones we faced were in any state to fight." |
Upon hearing Elisabeth's hypothesis, Kaito nodded. It was true that all the paladins they'd encountered had already been half-dead. The assembled manpower had been too half-assed to conduct any sort of proper purge. It seemed likely that the only ones left behind were those who'd had a poor affinity for demon meat and were on the verge of death. Even though they weren't as sure of it as Jeanne, the Church was probably looking for the Apostle, too... So it makes sense that they took the Butcher back to their headquarters with them. "You mean to say that Mr. Butcher has been captured? The Church is... Oh?" "What's wrong, Hina?" "My beloved Master Kaito, my dear Lady Elisabeth, what might that be?" Forgetting how worried she was, Hina sounded flabbergasted. Kaito and Elisabeth turned toward the direction she was pointing. Something had been placed in the room's blind spot, arranged so that the Gibbet would draw one's attention in its place. Upon seeing it, the two of them squinted in unison. "That's..." It had a preeminent presence to it, which made the fact that it had evaded their attention for so long even odder. Once they saw it the first time, though, it was thereafter impossible to ignore. Sitting on the floor was a massive slab of bone-in meat. It was so impressive, it practically deserved fanfare. "'Tis meat." "Yup, that's meat." "It's meat, isn't it?" Despite themselves, all three of them said the obvious. The paladins had sunken into madness, so it made sense that they'd overlooked it. But its very presence was such that Kaito and the others couldn't help commenting on it. The three of them cautiously approached the meat. The closer they looked, the odder its countenance seemed to be. Kaito and Elisabeth exchanged a glance, then started elbowing each other in the side. "Go on, then, Kaito. You're the one with the wife, so why don't you show her how manly you are, eh?" "Oh, no, no, I wouldn't dream of denying the opportunity to check it out to my world-famous master in action." "Allow me, then. As your intrepid maid, I shall go forth and investigate the meat! I'm off!" ""No, no, no, no, no, no, no."" Kaito and Elisabeth both reached out, determined not to foist the task off on Hina. By sheer coincidence, Elisabeth's fingers reached it quicker. She tutted at Kaito as she hoisted up the meat. Then something about the sensation of grabbing the bone gave her pause. "Hmm? 'Tis...loose? Perhaps... Rrrrrrrrrrr, rah!" "Yikes!" With a loud pop, Elisabeth yanked the bone free from the meat. When she did, something fell out from within and clinked against the ground. She picked it up and held it in front of her eyes. It was a slab of metal, twisted into an intricate shape. Even though it was covered in grease, it still sparkled. After pondering its design, Elisabeth tilted her head to the side. "Some kind of key, perhaps?" "Yeah, and there's something on the side, right? Look—there." Elisabeth turned the key over as Kaito had instructed. One of her eyebrows shot violently up. The words beloved dragon no. 2 were etched on its soiled metal surface. "That's..." "Familiar words, indeed." Kaito and the others began whispering among themselves. Whatever it was, it probably had something to do with the dragons the Butcher kept. And keys were, by nature, designed to open things. As he considered those facts, Kaito remembered something else as well. Oh yeah, Elisabeth knows where the Butcher lives. Elisabeth had sent Hina on an errand there once, and on another occasion had brought golems and ice spirits there as a gift. The Butcher had many clients, albeit most of whom he'd probably picked for their lack of knowledge regarding the Apostle. Of them, though, the number who knew where he lived was likely quite small. In fact, Elisabeth might well be the only one. Elisabeth tossed the key in the air. Before it could fall, she snatched it back up. "After we reconvene with Jeanne and the others, we're heading for the teleportation circle. We make for the Butcher's residence." "Got it." "Yes, ma'am." Kaito and Hina nodded. Without another word, Kaito began pondering. The Butcher had definitely left the key there on purpose. It was impossible to know whether his intentions had been benevolent or malicious. Even so, though, Kaito wanted to believe. Maybe this will let us change something. Kaito couldn't help but wish for it as he thought back on the Butcher and the pleased way in which he would tell his tall tales. The Butcher's residence was home to no small share of danger. Specifically, it was in the deep heart of a vast, dark, remote forest. Nobody dared harvest its rare herbs and ores, and the closest human settlement was on the other side of a mountain. Thanks to that, the forest had been able to avoid human exploitation. As a consequence, monsters and man-eating plants thrived within its confines. It had long since become a place where no human dared tread. However, everyone in their group had, in some sense, transcended humanity. Kreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Kree— A strange noise erupted as a tangle of ivy made to take a bite out of Elisabeth's head, but she ripped it in two with her bare hands. Its death wail was a sound no plant should ever make. As she tossed the ivy aside, Elisabeth sighed. "Hmm, none of them poses much threat, but they do make it unpleasant to walk. 'Twould have been far more convenient if we could have but leaped there directly." "It's set up so that you can only teleport as far as the forest entrance. It was like that when I came here, as well." "Huh. I wonder if the Butcher set it up that way in preparation for when we all found out his secret." Kaito's voice was soft. "Nay, I suspect he merely wasn't thinking at all," groaned Elisabeth in reply. Beside them, Hina shouted, "Don't you dare get near them, you insolent lout!" at a poisonous moth as she bisected it down the middle. Leading the group was Deus Ex Machina, which had returned to being a steel titan and was currently trampling some howling plants underfoot. The chains on Jeanne's wrists jingled as she gracefully followed after it. Vlad gently drifted along behind. They all marched in silence, the only noises the gyaaahs and arrrghs of their would-be hunters. Eventually, though, they reached a clearing and stopped. A fancy hut towered before them. It was so impressive, it practically deserved fanfare. ".................................It's a mushroom." "It would appear to be a mushroom, yes." "Aye, and a toadstool, at that." "Hmm? Why, where is the meat? I must say, abandoning the sense of cohesion strikes me as a crime against aesthetics." Kaito was aghast, Hina merely nodded, Elisabeth was exasperated, and Vlad leveled a characteristically obtuse complaint. Erected before them was a completely round house. Its red roof was the very image of a mushroom's cap, and it was even mottled white. It was abundantly clear that the building was modeled after a mushroom—more specifically, a toadstool. And at the bottom of the stalk was an adorable little round door. Kaito grabbed its handle and pulled. However, the door refused to budge. It must have been locked. Elisabeth prompted him to move aside, then raised one of her shapely legs into the air and let out a casual shout. "Hi-yah!" "Welp, there she goes!" Elisabeth had let loose a magnificently bold roundhouse kick. The door shattered. Inside, though, nothing seemed particularly amiss. While it was true that the massive chopping block, assorted knives, hand-operated saw, and miscellaneous hooks made the house seem a good deal more dangerous than the average merchant's, given the vast array of meats the Butcher dealt in, it all fell within reasonable expectations. Suspecting that the room had more to hide, Kaito and the others got to work searching it. Vlad alone stood motionless, still floating in the air. Kaito turned back to lodge a complaint. "Vlad, c'mon. I know you can't touch stuff, but you could at least try to help out." "I'm afraid I can't, my dear successor. I'm rather preoccupied, you see, trying to figure out why the area around these shelves is the only place free of dust." "...Huh." "I see. I guess the dead guy ain't a deadbeat after all." Vlad smiled, and Jeanne called Deus Ex Machina over. It moved the shelves aside with great ease. A secret door was installed beneath them. When they opened it, they discovered a staircase leading underground. Nerves on edge, the group descended. At the bottom, they discovered what had once been an underground lake now being used as a storehouse. A vast number of stone sheds were lined up atop the parched earth. Despite their master's absence, golems and ice spirits were diligently managing the meat within. There was nothing strange about that, either. And there certainly didn't appear to be anything related to the Saint in there. It feels like the nasty stuff we learned was all just a bad dream or something. As doubts started creeping through Kaito's mind, though, Hina started waving her hand about and shouting. "Master Kaitooo! There's another set of stairs leading up over here!" Apparently, she'd found a different set of stairs than the ones they'd come down on. But given that they hadn't found anything so far, the group's expectations as they ascended were low. Upon opening the wooden door at the top, they saw dim light flooding forth. Kaito popped his head out through the doorway. They were surrounded by trees. It was probably a backyard of some sort. "Hey, over there!" Then amid the dazzling light and vivid shades of green, Kaito spotted it. "Ahhhhhh! Ahhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! I'm gonna faaall!" "Don't worry, Master Kaito! I have your hand firmly in my grasp! Even if every gear in my body should stop, I will never let you go! Or would it be better if we simply traded places?" "Nope, that's a no-go! If we think about it rationally, I'm just as likely to fall from up there, so it works out better for both of us for you to keep supporting me like this, but that doesn't change the fact that it's scary as shiiiiiiiiit!" "Seeing you so scared is so heartrendingly cuuuuuuuuuuute!" A strange shout erupted from Hina. They'd been in so many nerve-racking situations recently, she must have finally snapped. As she swayed and squirmed, Kaito's legs were left practically floating in midair. Furthermore, the two thin black wings beside him were flapping fiercely through the air. Each time they did, Kaito had to expend mana to maintain his stamina and avoid getting sent flying. Below him, the forest spread out in every direction. The trees behind him vanished in a sea of green as they receded into the distance. Currently, Kaito and the others were riding atop a majestic red dragon. Upon leaving the Butcher's house behind them, they'd taken to the skies. It had all started a few hours prior. When they'd entered the Butcher's backyard, they'd been met by three dragons. The first was the steel dragon that had previously brought Hina to the Capital. The second had been a female with four wings and a long, slender crimson body. According to Jeanne, it was called a "red dragon." The moment they'd used their key to unlock her collar, she'd begun violently flapping her wings. They hadn't been afforded a moment of hesitation. Jeanne, who seemed to have expected this development, had elegantly mounted the dragon's saddle. Elisabeth followed after and reclined atop the dragon's back. And bringing up the rear had been Hina, who'd grabbed the startled Kaito by the arm and jumped on board last. Naturally, a red dragon's body was tapered at the rear. In other words, there was basically nowhere viable to sit near |
her backside. As a result, Kaito had been wailing the entire time since. An exasperated shout came from Elisabeth, near the front. "Enough of your whining, Kaito! You're immortal! Even if you do fall, you're sure to survive!" "Hell no, I'm not falling for that! I know full well that enough blood loss will make my soul fade away! I'm freaking out over here, and the bumpiness isn't helping!" "Your grumbling really is getting irritating, mister. Why don't you make like a corpse and shut the hell up." "You're sitting in the saddle; you're in no position to talk!" Kaito put forth no shortage of effort in making his objections known. Jeanne's honey-blond locks fluttered in the air as she feigned ignorance. Deus Ex Machina was no longer by her side. It was ill-equipped for long flights, so she'd temporarily dismissed it. Vlad, who was floating beside Kaito, gave a light chuckle. "Well, well, well, my dear successor, it seems that you're growing accustomed to the skies. And isn't that what's really important here?" "Shut up! ...But I, uh, I guess it's not as bad anymore..." Still trembling, Kaito caught a glimpse of the ground below. The forest looked like a vast, vibrant green swath. Beastfolk, demi-human, human—it was impossible to tell whose territory they were above. Looking down on it from the sky, he felt land-ownership rights seemed almost petty and irrelevant. The red dragon's body weaved back and forth as she continued her flight. It was unclear where their destination was, but she clearly seemed to have one in mind. Her speed was steady, and she showed no signs of being lost. Then the landscape below them started to change. The forest came to an end and was replaced by a series of houses and buildings that looked as small as toys. Then they, too, were replaced with a sandy yellow desert. As he gazed off into the distance, Kaito felt his breath catch in his throat. Far away, he could make out a vast body of water, sparkling as radiantly as though it had fragments of glass sprinkled atop it. "You've gotta be kidding. We're gonna cross the ocean?" "At this rate, it seems she intends to leave the very continent." Elisabeth sat up. Her voice carried an understandable hint of tension to it. At some point, the air had taken on a different quality. It had previously been dry and parched but was now rife with moisture and the smell of the sea. The ocean was approaching faster than they could blink. Then the red dragon soared over the glittering sea. A gust of conspicuously fishy wind lapped at their cheeks. A flock of seabirds let out alarmed cries, then flew off. A line of white sailboats ran atop the waves. At that point, the sun started sinking beneath the horizon line. The waters burned a vivid red. The light was the shade of ripe fruit, and it scorched its way into Kaito's retinas. The majesty and splendor of it all took hold of his eyes and soul. It was a landscape he'd never gotten the chance to see in the closed-off life he'd lived before. Anxious as he was as to the nature of the red dragon's destination, an uncharacteristic surge of excitement ran through him. Riding a dragon through the skies, huh... Man, just look at how far I've come! "Hmm. I'll admit to not knowing why I know, my dear successor, but I think I have an inkling of where this dragon is heading." "W-wait, for real, Vlad? Then where—? Ahhhh!" Upon hearing Vlad's assertion, Kaito had turned his head to one side in earnest. The moment he had, though, the red dragon had charged headfirst into a cloud. His sight stolen away from him, Kaito let out another yelp, at which an emotional voice called out, "Master Kaito, you're so cuuuuuute!" Beyond the pale white of the cloud, Vlad quietly murmured his response. "The World's End, in all likelihood." At that moment, Kaito recalled something he'd once heard. It's a nonsensical little fairy tale, and one that's gone on for a very, very long time. Having first gotten atop a red dragon's back, it would appear that they were now heading to a land straight out of a story. 4 The World's End Someone once said that the world has no end. The world is round, they proclaimed, and as such it has no terminus. Someone once said that the world has an end. It's like a waterfall, they proclaimed, one that swallows up anything and everything. Someone once said that the world has an end. For God created that place, they proclaimed, and designated it "the World's End." Was the world, in fact, round? Were the seas all connected? Or was there nothing but a waterfall at the edge and an abyss that swallowed up anything and everything? To this very day, the truth is yet unknown. After all, nobody ever actually undertook the voyage to find out for themselves. Even so, though, one of the three proclamations can currently be held up as definitely true. For in this world, there is a location that God designated as its End. It's said to be a pure place, one crafted from snow and water, wind and mana. And it's a place that only those granted knowledge of its location were able to reach. "'Even if one were to walk the whole earth over,' it's said. Being a mage, I'd of course heard of it, but to think that while I live and breathe... Well, no, I suppose I'm dead now. Either way, I never dreamed I'd actually be able to reach it! Yet, now I stand with my own two feet...or to be more precise, I should say I float! But in any case, it's quite moving." "That's a lot of corrections you're making there. Are you quite all right?" "Ha-ha-ha, as satisfied as satisfied can be!" Leisurely shrugging off his beloved daughter's cold stare, Vlad gave a hearty laugh. With grace befitting his noble bearing, Vlad cast a sweeping gaze over the snowscape before them. The ground was frozen and hard, and no amount of digging would turn up soil. The entire region was made of mana-rich ice. Because of that, everything as far as the eye could see was blue and faintly glowing. The snowflakes were big enough to make out their individual shapes, and they piled up everywhere like little handicrafts. Above them, the sky was milky and white. Strangely, it was also covered in an oil-like rainbow sheen, although that didn't appear to belong to clouds, the sun, or the stars. The sky was simply empty. It was like a giant lid was sitting over their heads. Consequently, it was difficult to tell whether it was night or day. In a sense, it resembled the demons' world. However, the sky wasn't sullied like it had been back there. The wind was frighteningly clean and pure, and the atmosphere was sparkling. It was beautiful, almost miraculously so. But at the same time, there was nothing there. There was just absolute emptiness. It was like a hollow vessel, with all the desolate solitude of everything having ended and the faint hope that something new would begin. It was a place truly deserving of the name "the World's End." And in that legendary land, Kaito Sena was currently freezing to death. "I'm s-so c-cold! Cold, cold, cold, cold, c-c-c-c-cold!" "Please, Master Kaito, pull yourself together! Oh, if only my surface area were a hundred times larger!" "Hmm, I feel as though I just saw a vision of Kaito being fatally crushed." Despite being wrapped in Hina's tight embrace, Kaito was shivering. For the last little while, Hina had been laudably trying to warm him up with her own body. Just as she'd said, though, she lacked the surface area to cover him completely. Other than his face, which was buried in her opulent chest, Kaito was suffering an utter defeat at the hands of the cold. As she gazed at his frozen visage, Elisabeth nodded. "'Tis true, though. The temperature is such that no human would withstand it unprepared." "The World's End is a place of purity. In other words, this ain't no place for respectable creatures to try survivin'." "H-h-how the hell are you two not cold in those r-r-ridiculous getups?!" Kaito couldn't stop himself from crying out. Elisabeth and Jeanne, in stark defiance of what they'd just said, seemed to be perfectly fine. Vlad was a phantasm, and Hina was an automaton. It made sense for the two of them not to feel the cold. But the fact that Elisabeth and Jeanne seemed unaffected as well made no sense. After all, the amount of fabric comprising the Torture Princess's bondage dresses barely even rose to the level of "sparse." Jeanne appeared dumbfounded by Kaito's exclamation. She shrugged her exposed shoulders. "Allow me to pose you a question, mister. Why should any mage complain about the cold in a land as rich in mana as this? What, you think you classify as 'respectable'?! You're like some sorta masochist perv who owns clothes but walks around naked anyway!" "'Tis just as Jeanne says. Using your mana better would serve you well. Are you ready? Hold the sensation of a lit fire within the pit of your stomach. Then form a layer of warmth in the air around... Wait, no. Stop. You were just on the verge of immolation, no?" "Y-y-yeah, that's right, I a-a-almost caught on fire! I'm bad at that f-f-fiddly magic stuff, okay, and I'm cold!" As smoke sputtered from the top of his head, Kaito continued shivering. Then Vlad returned, seemingly having grown bored of observing the scenery. He shook his head in exasperation. "I take it you intend to secede, then, my dear successor? It's a pitiful way to die, to be certain, but it is what it is. Partings are always sudden and always sorrowful. As comical of a farewell as it is, perhaps that, too, lends it deeper significance." "Listen here, you. When I die, I'm smashing your stupid jewel on my way out if it's the last thing I do." Kaito leveled a glare at Vlad through his shivers. It was unclear what he found so funny, but Vlad responded with a chipper laugh. Exasperated as she was, Elisabeth gave Kaito a firm clap on the shoulder. "Calm down, now. I daresay you're at no risk of actually freezing to death." "I—I—I mean, you're r-r-right, but I feel like it'd still be a problem if I s-s-stopped being able to move." Elisabeth did have a point. Kaito's soul was currently housed inside a homunculus. As long as he didn't unintentionally undergo severe blood loss, his body was immortal. In fact, if he were a normal human, he would have already succumbed to hypothermia and died. But if Elisabeth's blood running through his veins was to freeze, so would his motor functions. And given their current situation, he wasn't particularly keen on asking someone to lug him around as a paperweight. Hina clenched her fists in determination. Her face full of resolve, she grabbed at her maid uniform. "Now I understand! Now that it's come to this, we only have one option left! As his bride, I will take extreme, extreme pleasure in removing my clothes and pressing myself against my precious husband to better warm him up!" "Settle yourself down, Hina. 'Tis true that you replicate a human's body heat despite being an automaton. But stripping and clinging to him will change little. Also, do try to hide your ulterior motives a bit more thoroughly. Promise me that, if nothing else... In any case, the red dragon seems to have stopped moving. We have nothing to use as a guide, and Kaito is on the verge of freezing." "I d-d-don't like where this is g-g-going." "The matter now becomes, 'what to do?'" Elisabeth crossed |
her arms and hmmed. Then she snapped her gaze to the side. The red dragon was lying on its belly there, seemingly unaffected by the cold. Ever since they'd arrived at the World's End, she'd suddenly stopped moving. She was instead dozing off, as though she'd come home for the first time in a long while. Upon hearing what Elisabeth had to say, Jeanne shrugged again. "A good question. Leaving the pathetic mister to freeze to death won't exactly do us any good. Nevertheless, walking about randomly would be foolish. We need to avoid wasting our stamina. Our best option is to await good news from my children. If things go well, it will give us a direction for our next course of action, as well. And if they don't, well, we can just give up and let him die." "D-d-damn, that's harsh." Kaito lamented, his face pale. However, he didn't have any specific objections to Jeanne's proposal. After Deus Ex Machina had rematerialized, it had split up and begun scouting. In accordance with Jeanne's orders, its four parts had gone out to search the vast untrodden land. Waiting for the four to return was the best option they had available to them. After all, there's basically nothing to use as a landmark here. If we started walking, odds are we'd just end up going in circles. Given that the Butcher invited us here, there should be something we can reach before we freeze to death, but... Despite his racing thoughts, Kaito chose to put his trust in the four machines. In other words, the only thing there was to do was wait. They spent the next little while in silence. Sandwiched between the luminescent sky and earth, even Kaito's sense of the passage of time evaporated. Given the fact that he was able to successfully put up with it, the time he spent waiting couldn't have been more than a few minutes, but to him it felt like an eternity. Then, with a start, he looked up. He could hear the crunching sound of something scraping at the frozen earth. A distorted mass of silver approached from the distance, chipping lightly away at the ice as it moved. Bandersnatch, the beast made from nothing but fangs, had returned. It bored holes in the ice as it came to a quick stop. Sitting in front of its master with its feet all lined up together, Bandersnatch let its mouth click open and shut. Apparently, it was using the rattling of its fangs to somehow give its report. Jeanne responded with a theatrical little gesture and covered her mouth with her hand. "My, my, this falls outside my expectations." "Wh-wh-wh-what is it, Jeanne? D-d-d-did something happen?" "I'll praise you for having the grit to ask your question despite your teeth shivering to their roots, mister, if nothing else. Listen and be awed. Bandersnatch found a soldier encampment down the way. Who'da thunk that someone'd beat us to the World's End? Barely even feels real." "What? The Church's goons, then? They must have dragged something out of the Butcher." "That isn't it. The flag they're flying isn't the Church's. I recognize the design, but...describing it would be difficult. Draw it, if you would." Bandersnatch nodded obediently at Jeanne's order. With unhesitating motions, it set its bladed legs to work. It looked something akin to a machine outputting image data. Silver whooshed through the air, carving a delicate, flowing pattern in the ground. The first things it drew were animals. Then flowers. Eventually, the drawing of a white deer, an ancient wolf, and a colossal hawk all wreathed in an extravagant ring of flowers was complete. Kaito's eyes went wide. Momentarily forgetting about the cold, he let out a dumbfounded whisper. "The Forest King and the other two... And wait, the flowers in the crest vary by member of the royal family, and that one is specific to..." "Yes, Master Kaito, I remember it, too." Still nestled beside him, Hina gave an obedient nod. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes in confusion. His tone serious, Kaito stated the flag's owner. "It belongs to the private army of Vyade Ula Forstlast, the Forest King's third imperial princess." With that, a new mystery arose. After all, Kaito and the others were currently at the World's End. Without being told exactly where it was, it was impossible to even reach. So why are the beastfolk here? And what's their goal? No matter how hard he racked his brain, though, Kaito couldn't come up with answers. He didn't even have enough information to come up with a reasonable guess. He scrunched up his face. Elisabeth responded by crossing her arms and puffing out her chest. "When thinking fails, all that's left is to act. And one way or another, we need to figure out the beastfolk's reason and objective in coming to the World's End." "Indeed. We can hardly chalk it up to happenstance. Which leaves us no choice but to find out why." "Yeah...you two are right. Guess we should get moving, then." Jeanne interjected in the affirmative, and Kaito nodded as well. Odds were that the beastfolk weren't their enemies. Kaito didn't think of them as enemies, at any rate, and he chose to believe that they'd feel the same way. And with that, their course of action was set. They were going to head to the beastfolk campsite and make contact with them. Without further delay, they followed Bandersnatch and set off. As they walked, they trampled snowflakes underfoot. But just after they got going, a serious problem reared its head. "E-E-Elisabeth, this isn't g-g-good." "What isn't? Ah. I think I have the gist of it, but go on and say it anyway." "A-a-at this rate, I'm gonna die. Or r-r-rather, freeze stiff." "Hmm. I'm afraid I don't really see the issue. We can merely simmer you in hot water later, I should think." "Wh-wh-whaddaya think I am, f-f-frozen peas? I don't wanna be a s-s-statue." As they were talking, Kaito's body heat was mercilessly fading away. For a moment, the insane thought of burrowing into the Kaiser's fur passed through his mind. After all, the one part of his body that wasn't cold was his left arm, which had been transformed into that of a beast. If he clung to the Kaiser's canine pelt, he was sure it would warm him up. But the Kaiser was a proud demon. Rubbing his soft fur would no doubt incite his rage. And for that matter, Kaito wasn't sure if demons even had body heat. All right, brain, back it up. Let's try to avoid getting ourselves bitten in half. Narrowly coming back to his senses, Kaito began trying to think of a more realistic solution. The plan he ended up going with was trying to get magical tutelage from Elisabeth again. No matter how many times he tried, though, success eluded him. "...N-n-no dice, huh?" "Hmm. How else to go about teaching you, I wonder?" Having already tried out a number of different explanations, Elisabeth tapped a finger against her forehead. Thin beads of smoke were coming up from Kaito's head. Elisabeth frowned as she gazed at his sorry demeanor. "The problem seems to lie in the fact that thermoregulation magic doesn't use pain as its fulcrum. To you, that makes the sensation comparatively hard to grasp. Even so, though, I'm at something of a loss as to how else to explain it." "D-d-don't give up now; you've g-g-got my life in your hands." "Worry not. I've all but dropped it already." "H-h-how the hell's that s-s-supposed to make me feel better?" "It's okay, Master Kaito! Even if you can't move anymore, I will make sure to dutifully carry you!" "Hmm, transporting cargo under our present circumstances seems rather hazardous. Blast it, though! How can it be that a man who birthed a sword on his own strength has so impoverished an imagination?! One. More. Time. First, you—" "May I, my precious daughter?" "I'm sorry, does the charcoal briquette with delusions of grandeur have something to say?" "Ha-ha-ha, as rebellious as always. Worry not, though; I'm a forgiving man." Vlad's interruption was met with Elisabeth's unconcealed scorn. However, he just laughed off her snide comment. He found his face riddled with stakes in reply, but he carried on undiscouraged. "The reason your teachings are so ineffective is because they're designed with a sane pupil in mind. If you want to teach him, then you'd best rethink your methods from the ground up... Now then, my dear successor, I want you to release fire and ice within your body at the same time. Don't try to grasp the sensations. Actually release them. And put enough strength into both of them to kill yourself." "Wait, Vlad, are you mad? I mean, I'm well aware that you're mad, but that's—" "Each one will offset the other. But of the two, your talent with fire is greater, and the difference should be precisely enough to warm your body." Kaito followed Vlad's instructions and closed his eyes. He focused his mind, then tried burning up and freezing his innards. His mana immediately started flowing freely, as though all the lack of response up until then was but a distant memory. Oh man, this is way nicer. The two contradictory energies were clashing within Kaito's body. It wasn't without a degree of pain, but neither was able to fully take form without being quashed by the other. At the end, the only lasting effect was his body temperature successfully rising. Kaito slowly opened his eyes. He then turned to Vlad, who was beaming triumphantly, and nodded. "Yeah, the cold's manageable now. Thanks, Vlad." "Y-you little... Do something about that irreconcilably twisted nature of yoooooours!" Elisabeth evoked the image of a cat with its hairs standing on end as she screamed. As she did, she leveled a splendid roundhouse kick at Kaito's back. The attack itself was, by all means, no different than his usual treatment. Their location, on the other hand, was anything but usual. As a result, the impact of the kick caused Kaito to lose his footing and slip. "Wh—?" "Oh?" The frozen ground was all but devoid of friction. And to compound on Kaito's misfortune, the ground had begun gently sloping up at some point. Without realizing it, they'd climbed up a little white hill. One can imagine, then, what happened to Kaito when he slipped. His black long coat acting as a sled, he began sliding down the hill at an alarming rate. "Ahhhhhhhh, Elisabeeeeeeeeeeeeeth!" "Kaitoooooooooooooooooo!" "My beloved Master Kaitoooooooooooooooo!" "Hmm. I seem to have lost my precious successor." "I don't know if he was really all that precious." While the remaining members clamored among themselves, Kaito continued accelerating with no signs of stopping. He frantically thrust his beastly arm into the ground. However, he was unsuccessful in driving his claws into the ice. So, uh, what exactly am I supposed to do now? Although he wasn't exactly being driven by negative emotions, the absurdity of the situation served to calm him just as effectively. Kaito narrowed his eyes and cast a glance over his surroundings. When he did, he realized something. There were strange furrows in the ground right next to where he was sliding. The snowflakes had been carved up, and the ice had been shaved away. In all likelihood, this was where Bandersnatch had slid down the hill. "Well, it looks like I'm headed in the right direction, so...I guess this is fine?" After all, Kaito's pace had been the slowest among the group. Deciding that continuing to slide was just fine by him, he stopped resisting. Of course, that said, it wasn't like he had any way to stop. Growing slightly desperate, Kaito crossed his arms. Maintaining that posture, he continued sliding away. Eventually, the ground became flat again. Despite that, though, Kaito's speed showed no signs of abating. He merely continued rushing along the |
ground beneath the milky-white sky. Then, suddenly, he got caught on something and came to a stop. "Hmm? What's that?" Kaito squinted. It felt as though he'd been caught by countless pairs of transparent hands. He then reached out and checked to see what it was that had actually stopped him. It turned out to be a fat bundle of wire-thin plants. Each one of the snow-white vines was covered in fuzzy, bur-shaped blossoms. Narrowing his eyes once more, Kaito surveyed his surroundings. The ivy stretched out around the entire environs. He tried giving the vine a tug. The more he pulled it back, though, the more it stretched. It didn't look like it was going to snap, nor was there any end to it in sight. It was far longer and sturdier than he'd expected. What's a plant doing here, though? I thought stuff wasn't supposed to be able to live here. What's going on, then? And did Bandersnatch manage to avoid this stuff? Faced with the plant's contradictory existence, he cocked his head to the side and double-checked the shaving in the ice. Bandersnatch's tracks stopped just before the ivy, then reappeared on the other side with deep holes at the very beginning. It must have noticed the ivy just before running into it, then jumped to avoid it. Kaito, on the other hand, hadn't had such luck. Crossing his arms again, he tilted his head back to the side. "What's up with this ivy, then? I mean, there are definitely things that come to mind when I think plants, but..." "I came to see who was caught, but this? To think that a human would make it to the World's End. It would appear we were not the only ones invited... Who are you? State your name!" "Huh?" Suddenly, he heard a deep voice addressing him. Kaito's eyes went wide. But the animosity present in the other party's voice wasn't what he was reacting to. The expression flooding his face wasn't one of tension and alertness but one of shocked familiarity. "...No way." He knew that voice. Flustered, he cast a glance at his surroundings. It was then that he realized there was a group behind him leveling swords at his back. The approaching soldiers were all clad in vermilion armor. Its scale-and-leather aesthetic gave the same unique impression as always. In addition to their breastplates, though, they were also wearing thick winter coats. The coats had likely been made from the fur of their comrades, as that was their people's custom. Just as Kaito had expected, masculine, inhuman faces peeked out from within their heavy hoods. At the front of the group was a beastman with copper fur and a wolf's head. And the subordinates standing behind him looked familiar as well. Kaito somehow managed to avoid slipping as he stood up. Then, making no efforts to defend himself, he called out to the wolf-headed beastman. "Lute!" "Hmm? Why do you know my...? Wait, you're—!" Lute, the commanding officer of the first squad of Vyade Ula Forstlast's private army, stopped dead in his tracks. At that point, Kaito finally came to a realization. The reason the plants hadn't withered away in this frozen world was because the beastfolk had brought them there. They must have been using them in place of a fence to keep out intruders. What beastfolk lacked in magical prowess they made up for in their peculiar brand of engineering. Armor and magical tools made from the corpses of their comrades and plants that could grow inside buildings without any soil were just a few examples. It made total sense for them to have developed breeds of plants that were resilient to the cold. At any rate, Kaito found it a great relief that the beastfolk he'd run into had been people he knew. He opened his mouth, about to casually ask them how they were doing. At the last moment, though, he swallowed his words. No, no, no, no, no... This isn't some situation where I can just stroll up and say, long time no see. This was the first time Lute had seen him after Jeanne had forcibly taken him away. And ever since then, the situation had gone completely pear-shaped. The relationship diagram of the people Kaito was involved with had grown more tangled by the minute. And above all else, they were currently standing at the World's End. Under normal circumstances, people couldn't even reach it without being told its precise location. And I don't have any idea what Lute and his men are doing here. Depending on what their objective was, they could very well perceive Kaito as an enemy. And even if they didn't, the way he'd just suddenly appeared was suspicious in the extreme. Having their reunion take place due to him getting caught in their guard netting could hardly be regarded as desirable. Kaito clutched his head. He could feel a headache coming on. Man, why couldn't we have reunited under some easier-to-explain circumstances? —Wait, hwah! "Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Sir Kaito, you're alive!" All Kaito's concerns were blown away in an instant. A hearty smile spread across Lute's face as he unhesitatingly wrapped Kaito up in an embrace, his thick, burly arms holding Kaito firmly in place. Perhaps getting slightly carried away, Lute swung Kaito from side to side as he spoke in a tone full of heartfelt delight. "You're alive, you're alive, thank goodness you're alive! Oh, could there even be a more joyous reunion?! How wonderful it is that you survived! Look, everyone, it's Sir Kaito! He's alive!" Lute set Kaito down and gave him an affectionate thump on the back. Feeling woozy, Kaito pitched forward, nearly toppling to the ground. As he did, Lute's subordinates surged toward him. One after another, they thrust their oafish, gloved hands into his and shook. "We missed you! Captain Lute is right; it's wonderful to see you alive." "You look well. That's good to see." "We were all so worried about you." "Oh, uh, thanks, you too, nice to see you all." Thoroughly flummoxed, Kaito did his best to respond to his overly enthusiastic welcome. While he did, though, another part of his brain coldly analyzed each beastperson's reaction. However, much to his surprise, not a single one of them cast so much as a doubtful glance his way. Wait, seriously? Should they really be welcoming me so openly? Kaito was taken somewhat aback. At the same time, however, he felt a strong feeling wash over him. Lute had once told him that beastfolk took much more pride in repaying debts than humans did. It would seem that he hadn't been lying. The words of celebration eventually died down, and all the hands were successfully shaken. The mood was amiable and calm. "Very good, very good." Lute nodded in satisfaction. At long last, though, he cocked his head in puzzlement. "Hmm? But, Sir Kaito, whatever are you doing at the World's End?" "Wait, don't tell me you only just started wondering that." "And for that matter, whatever became of you after you were taken away by that eerie golden girl?" Lute's questions were starting to come out in force. Kaito nodded. In the midst of the storm of greetings and handshakes, he'd been hard at work trying to straighten out all the information in his head. He opened his mouth, prepared to begin explaining the particulars. "Okay, Lute. You gotta promise not to get too freaked out. Right after that, I—" It was at that moment that the crunching sound of ice being shaved away began growing audible from afar. The timing was atrocious. Oh, shit, thought Kaito as he spun to look behind himself. But he was already too late. New colors were visible atop the snow-white hill. The silver, black, and gold were especially eye-catching. Leading the group was a twisted silver machine. Right behind it was a young woman wearing a risqué bondage dress running alongside a maid, and floating a ways behind them was a man dressed like an aristocrat. And dashing along calmly directly beside him was a young lady wearing a white bondage dress comprised of little more than just belts. When you see them from a distance, they look kinda weird, don't they? "Kaitoooooo! Are you okaaaaaaaaaay? I was a bit careless back there—I'll admit to that! Having you die on me like this would haunt not just my dreams but my waking hours as well!" "Master Kaitooooooooooooo, are you all riiiiiiiiiight? You're okay, riiiiiiight?! If you aren't, I'll be sure to follow right afterrrrrrrrrrrrr!" "Good heavens, what a troublesome man he is. Sheesh, it's a miracle he managed to get himself a wife." "I find myself agreeing, but hold on a minute... A wife? Now that I think about it, did my dear successor swear an eternal oath with that automaton I made? Boasting of loving a doll is an absurdity among absurdities, but I suppose the same could be said of a human partner as well. Love is pleasant enough as a temporary indulgence, but it's far too insubstantial a delusion to spend one's whole life bound to. Human or doll, that fact remains unchanged. But that's not the important part. That doll is a creation of mine, which means...that in a sense, he's become my son-in-law both in name and in substance?" The group's ramblings were just as self-indulgent as always. There was no background noise to interrupt them, so their voices traveled well. Kaito especially wanted to declare his staunch objection to Vlad's assertion. But now wasn't the time for that. Oh, shit. The beastman's eyes had come to a stop on the girl in the questionable white bondage dress—the golden Torture Princess with honey-blond locks and sparkling gold adornments, Jeanne de Rais. Their tails were jutting out from their coats, and they all puffed up in unison. The beastfolk grabbed for their weapons and went on high alert. Elisabeth noticed their change in demeanor and came to an abrupt stop. Her expression turned grave, and she reached out and snagged Hina by the collar. Hina responded by kicking and squirming, wanting nothing more than to dash over to Kaito's side. "What are you doing, Lady Elisabeth? Master Kaito is right there in front of us, Lady Elisabeth. All I have to do to be with my beloved husband is walk straight forward, Lady Elisabeth!" "Calm yourself. Look around him. He's surrounded by beastfolk, but... I see. He must have gotten himself caught on the guard netting they're wont to place around their campsites. Little matter, that, though... Although it seems we arrived a tad too early to join up with them and a tad too late." With only a glance, Elisabeth had read the situation like a book. Back in the underground tomb, Kaito had told Elisabeth all about what had happened when he was on the run. In other words, she knew about the grave injuries the golden Torture Princess had inflicted on Lute and his men when she'd whisked Kaito away from the beastfolk lands. Jeanne herself, on the other hand, seemed utterly nonchalant about the whole situation. Jeanne de Rais is the oppressor of slaves, the saint, the whore...and the self-proclaimed maiden of salvation. According to Jeanne, salvation could be obtained only by human deeds. And she was haughtier than both God and Diablo. She probably didn't even harbor a shred of guilt toward those she'd sacrificed with noble intentions. As though to provide proof of that, Jeanne turned to the beastfolk and began casually tossing cruelties their way. "Oh, why, it's been some time. You seem to be in better health than I expected. How nice. Y'all are a bunch of sturdy old pups." "Positions!" Lute shouted, his voice tinged with rage. The sounds of swords being drawn could be heard, one after another in succession. Bows stretched to their limits. Dammit, they're practically at each other's throats already. If a fight |
breaks out, all this will have been for nothing! Kaito immediately realized that he was going to have to be the one to stop them. Leaping out in front of the beastfolk, he spread his arms wide. "Wait, hold up! Jeanne might not make any sense, and she might be a total asshole, but she's not your enemy!" "I feel as though I'm being mocked. Not that I'm disputing the charges, mind you!" "Have you gone mad, Sir Kaito?! Why would you protect the monster who mercilessly wounded and cruelly slaughtered our people...? Curses, she must have brainwashed you! Or perhaps you were accomplices from the start... I truly don't want to believe that, but..." Lute ignored Jeanne's comical interjection as he ground his fangs. Kaito gave a silent thanks for Lute's rationality. If he hadn't hesitated just then, arrows would already be flying. Now, how should he go about breaking the deadlock? Kaito frantically racked his brain. In the end, he decided to hit the beastfolk with the most appropriate card he had. "The golden girl...Jeanne de Rais didn't slaughter the people in those villages!" "What did you just say?" Lute was visibly shocked, just like Kaito had expected. He breathed a sigh of relief. The beastfolk were proper soldiers; they cared more about their people who had fallen victim than about the wounds they themselves had suffered. He could take that to mean he'd been successful in buying them another chance to discuss things over and explain themselves. In order to give both himself and the beastfolk a chance to calm down, he took his time laying out his next few points. "Would you mind hearing me out? Right now, she and I are working together. And it's to prevent the killer you guys are looking for from achieving their ultimate goal. If it's okay with you, Lute, I wanna give you a proper explanation of everything that's happened. Do you have somewhere we could sit down and talk?" Kaito already knew that the beastfolk had set up camp, but he decided to feign ignorance. However, the response he got was lethargic. Lute's subordinates seemed unsure as well. Looks like they need another push. C'mon, think. How much information can I safely give out? The terrible truths he'd come to learn floated through his mind one after another. Each and every one of them was like a bomb with the power to shake human society to its foundations. If he let them slip carelessly, he could very well end up bringing about an international incident. Despite the fact that he was short on time, he considered his options as carefully as he could. I really want to be able to see eye to eye with Lute and his men here. They had no idea what was waiting at the World's End. Given that the Butcher had brought them there, it had to be something important, but they were critically short on preparation and manpower. They didn't even have a home base to speak of. We need to get the beastfolk to work with us. Because most importantly, if we lose Lute, we lose our connection to Vyade Ula Forstlast. Kaito and the others were trying to face off against the Church, a massive, influential organization. It was vital that they get someone powerful to back them up, and there was no guarantee that they'd have another chance to negotiate with the beastfolk. At worst, the world might even be destroyed before then. I don't want to start a war between them and the humans. But right now, I need to maintain my relationship with the beastfolk. Kaito clenched his fists. Steeling his resolve, he opened his mouth. Then he threw down one of the most crucial cards available to him. As far as humanity was concerned, it was a perilous card indeed. "There's something I want to tell you, something the Church has been working to conceal." That one sentence was more than sufficient to insinuate the Church's involvement with the beastfolk murders. Lute's ears twitched beneath his hood. As they did, he stared straight at Kaito and studied his expression. Kaito responded to Lute's piercing gold gaze with silence. The shoe was on the other foot now. This time, Kaito was the one concealing information and asking for help. And he was well aware of how self-serving he was being. But what we're trying to do ends up being in Lute's best interest, too. Kaito's conviction stemmed from his desire to stop the world from ending. Thanks to that, he was able to avoid looking away. The two of them stared at each other, the way they had when they'd first met. Eventually, Lute closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them. Having made some sort of decision, he raised his arm straight out to the side. Kaito's shoulders twitched. However, he made no motions to flee, nor did he ready himself to defend or counterattack. Staring fixedly at him as he did, Lute abruptly turned his palm down. All at once, his subordinates lowered their swords and bows. They relaxed their postures. Kaito let out a sigh of relief. The tension in his body had faded away so rapidly, in fact, that his knees began to awkwardly give way. As he looked at Kaito, Lute narrowed his eyes. Then he placed his palm atop his vermilion breastplate. As he did, he spoke in a respectful tone. "I suppose this marks the second time, then, that we extend an invitation to the enemy of mankind." Bright red flames crackled up within the stone-enclosed hearth. In a sense, seeing light and heat in that closed-off world of ice and snow was practically moving. On top of the fire was a pot filled with scooped-up snow. After slowly melting, the clumps had transformed into shockingly pure water. Hina was hard at work shredding flower petals and pouring them in. The water boiled, and as it changed to a vibrant shade of orange, she scooped the petals back up before they could go tart. Then she replaced them with some diced-up dried fruit. Beside her, a gray wolf beastman was setting out bowls. As the preparation of the tea steadily advanced, Lute, Kaito, and Elisabeth sat down in a circle. They were currently resting, having made their way to one of the portable dwellings of the beastfolk's campsite. The inside of the ceiling above their heads was supported by an umbrellalike frame. Comprised of wood and beastfolk hides, the hut had been prepared in advance so that it could be set up by anyone. After the planks that made up its round floor had been laid out, they'd been covered twice over with rugs woven from various types of fur. According to Elisabeth, they'd been made from the pelts of powerful mages, and the patterns woven within served to ward off the cold. Given all the measures they'd taken, the inside of the hut was surprisingly warm. With no need to worry about the cold, Kaito and the others sat cross-legged as they talked. "After that, we went back to Elisabeth's castle for a bit. But the Butcher had already been..." As he relayed his story to Lute, Kaito cast a number of furtive glances to the side. Jeanne was sitting in the corner hugging her knees under the watchful eyes of several guards. Her hip adornments interfered with her ability to sit, so she'd done away with them, but as a result, she was practically naked from the waist down. If they hadn't been beastfolk, her guards would have likely been at a loss for where to look. Originally, the plan had been for her to be confined to a different room altogether. But with just a few words, Jeanne herself had gotten that plan amended. "If confining me in name alone will satisfy you, then do as you wish. But if a couple of nobodies guarding me will put your minds at ease, then you're all a bunch of dumb shits. Looks like living till old age just ain't in the cards for ya." Her words had evoked no small amount of displeasure from the beastfolk. On the other hand, she did have a point. Locking her up would accomplish little. It took a thief to catch a thief, and it took a Torture Princess to stand up to a Torture Princess. Even so, they didn't want to upset the beastfolk any more than they already had. Having been given strict instructions by everyone to say nothing, Jeanne was currently sitting in silence. Next, Kaito had dispelled Vlad's phantasm and thought back to the complaint Vlad had lodged. "Hold on now, my dear successor. Lumping me in with her and getting rid of me as well is rather unjust, no? Respect might not be either of our strong suits, but we are different people, I'll have you know. Hmm? 'Did you forget all that you said back in the beastfolk village?' Good heavens, is a man forbidden from enjoying a smart remark now and again? But very well. I am a dead man, after all; being forgotten about seems appropriate enough." Now that I think about it, was he being sarcastic back then? Eh, whatever. Kaito then turned his focus back to the exposition he was giving to Lute. At long last, the story reached the point where they'd arrived at the World's End. "...And so basically, we ended up flying here." "I...see. I must admit, it all seems rather implausible." Apparently at a loss for words, Lute stroked his chin. He had just gotten a huge amount of information dumped in his lap. Kaito could certainly appreciate his bewilderment. After all, the entire story felt almost surreal. If I hadn't lived through it myself, I probably wouldn't believe it right away, either. After receiving Elisabeth's approval, he'd gone ahead and told Lute almost everything. Even while he was talking, he felt like he'd been spinning some sort of tall tale. Despite that, though, he unfalteringly laid out the truth. The one thing he did make sure to do, though, was stress the fact that the culprits behind the beastfolk killings were only a group of fanatics within the Church who'd taken advantage of the chaos of Godd Deos's death to run wild, and that their wishes ran contrary to those of humanity as a whole. Furthermore, he added, he felt that they should be treated like demons and their contractors and viewed as enemies of the entire world. If the beastfolk see that as an "act committed by humanity" and decide to retaliate, then even avoiding the world's restructuring won't be enough to stop the world from falling into an age of darkness. Both sides would suffer tremendous casualties. Lute had avoided giving Kaito a firm answer to his request. Given his position, doing so made perfect sense. Even if he knew who the killers were, the choice of how to retaliate wasn't Lute's to make. Everything lay on the shoulders of Vyade and whichever other members of the imperial family to whom she chose to disclose the information. Vyade's the Wise Wolf. She holds harmony in high regard, and she desires peace for her people. Kaito chose to believe that she wouldn't start a war in retaliation. Before him, he could see Lute's face growing more sullen by the minute. He looked as though he'd just bitten into a piece of meat that not even his beastfolk fangs could tear. "The first demon slumbering in the royal underground tomb, the truth about the Saint, the Apostle yet living... It's like something out of a myth or a fairy tale." "Man, tell me about it." "If not for the land on which I heard it, I'd have written it off as idle fancy." "If not for where you heard it, huh...? So you believe me?" "It would seem I have little choice. You see, Sir Kaito, |
the way we arrived here, at the World's End, was given to us abruptly and by a mysterious individual." Suddenly, Kaito recalled what Lute had said back when he'd been caught on the ivy that had served as guard netting. Even though he'd been astonished at the unexpected reunion, he'd heard Lute's words loud and clear. Back then, Lute said... "To think that a human would make it to the World's End. It would appear we were not the only ones invited..." "You said you guys were 'invited,' right?" "Precisely. It would probably be faster to show you the object itself. Have a look." Lute withdrew a piece of paper from the sack on his back. Kaito took it, then stared at it intently. Elisabeth, who was right next to him, peered at it as well. They scrunched up their brows in unison. "This is..." "...Aye." Complex magical runes were piled up along the left side of the paper. Together, they made up a formula designed to interfere with a teleportation circle. Even Kaito, who was generally ignorant when it came to magical matters, could tell how abnormally chaotic they were. It reminded Kaito of the letter the Governor had once given them. Back then, the formula dissolved, paper and all, after a single use. This paper, on the other hand, had survived even after Lute and his men had teleported. Frightened by its incomprehensible construction as he was, he turned his gaze to the paper's right side. A few words were written on it in a round scrawl. The beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. If you wish to reject those words, make for the World's End. The right shall be granted to all races impartially. The invitation was almost reminiscent of a poem. The artwork at the end, though, stood out like a sore thumb. A massive piece of bone-in meat was drawn on the paper. It was so impressive, it practically deserved fanfare. "...Aye, the Butcher wrote this." "Yup, definitely the Butcher." "You can tell from so little information? Consider me impressed." Lute's words rang with frank admiration. In truth, Kaito had come to that conclusion off the bone-in-meat drawing alone, but some things were better left unsaid. His expression turned meek as he handed the paper back to Lute. After glancing over its contents again, Lute frowned. "The first time I saw it, it seemed like some manner of practical joke. But it was impossible to write off as such, as the circumstances under which it was delivered were far too peculiar." Apparently, the letter had been delivered to Vyade's third villa. Ever since Jeanne's invasion, Vyade had changed residences and fortified her defenses. But someone managed to not only find where she'd moved but also slip past the guard netting and invade her bedchambers. The culprit had been a small dragon. After leaving the letter on Vyade's pillow, he'd flapped his way out. Afterward, one of the few beastfolk mages had immediately gotten to work analyzing the formula written on the letter. What they'd discovered was that there was an unknown set of coordinates recorded within it. However, there were still many members of Vyade's private army who had yet to recover from the wounds Jeanne had dealt to them. Because of that, she'd chosen Lute, who was naturally resilient and deeply loyal, and put him and his subordinates through a round of intensive healing. While that was going on, she'd also sent out scouts to the designated location and had them bring back reports. Then, armed with their newfound information, the squad had prepared themselves for the environment and set off. Upon reaching the site themselves, Lute and his men had come to realize just where it was that they'd come to. Beastfolk held little piety toward God and the Saint, but even they were versed in their legends. In this world, there exists a place that God designated as its End. A pure place, crafted from snow and water, wind and mana. A place that only those granted knowledge of its location are able to reach. "Given everything you just told me, Sir Kaito, it follows that the first half of the letter—'The beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. If you wish to reject those words, make for the World's End'—refers to preventing the world from being restructured. But what is this 'right' it says will be granted? Why, it's not even clear what the letter's writer would have us do in order to attain it." "Yeah, it really isn't... What does the Butcher want with all the races anyway?" "In truth, we were at a loss for what to do after we finished setting up camp and laying out the netting. With only the letter at our disposal, we couldn't make heads or tails of things." Lute scratched his head. Apparently, the arrival of Kaito's group had been a great help to him as well. For a moment, the conversation came to a lull. Kaito and Lute crossed their arms, and Elisabeth immersed herself in thought. Silence filled the room. Then a bright voice piped up. "Thank you all for waiting—it's ready! Go on and drink it while it's still hot!" Hina was nearly prancing as she began passing out tea. Her smile was, to borrow an idiom from Kaito's old world, like a breath of fresh air. Kaito and Lute thanked her as they received their bowls. Kaito took a sip from his. It was as sweet as honey, and it had a fruity tanginess mixed in as well. Elisabeth, on the other hand, sat unmoving, her bowl remaining perched in her hand. Eventually, she let out a quiet murmur. "'The beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. If you wish to reject those words, make for the World's End. The right shall be granted to all races impartially.' Given that he used the phrase 'all races,' we can assume that, while their coordinates are unknown to us, the demi-humans must have received his invitation as well. And rejecting the notion that everything from the beginning to the end lies in God's hand, eh?" "What do you think it means?" "In all likelihood, something exists here that would serve to hinder God's restructuring of the world." It sounded like Elisabeth already knew what that was. Kaito's eyes widened. The surprise of that realization almost caused him to drop his bowl. The moment before its contents spilled, though, Hina grabbed it from beside him. "Are you all right? Not a single drop spilled on your leg, my dearest Master Kaito, did it?" "Huh? Oh yeah, no, I'm fine. Thanks. Sorry about that." Kaito's thanks was decidedly absentminded. Reflexively, he cast a glance toward Jeanne. The golden girl was as expressionless as always, but the corners of her mouth were ever so slightly curled up. She nodded, affirming his suspicions. Elisabeth went on, her voice low. "'Tis but one thing I could imagine it to be." "Yeah, same." Kaito offered a brief agreement. But he left the role of saying it aloud to Elisabeth. Lute leaned forward in anticipation. Elisabeth reverently opened her mouth to speak. "Here lies—" "Why, indeed, our revered Saint is here." A sweet, bell-like voice rang out. Who the soft interjection belonged to, nobody there knew. At some point, a petite individual clad in scarlet cloth from head to toe had taken a seat beside Kaito. The long garment reached all the way to the floor, spreading out wide like a carpet of rose petals. Half-hidden within its folds, she was also wearing a gold-hemmed vestment of the same color. She looked to be affiliated with the Church. The most surprising bit, though, was what lay beneath the clothes. Their sudden intruder was a young girl. She looked to be less than ten. She had simple flaxen hair and marvelously clear eyes the color of amber. Her short, evenly cut hair paired well with her attractively proportionate facial features. Her appearance was more than sufficient to classify her as cute. But there was just something about her. There's something...catastrophically broken about her. No matter how you looked at her, she was nothing more than a sweet, simple little girl. But Kaito couldn't dispel the strange impression he was getting from her. And the fact that she'd appeared out of nowhere without catching anyone's attention served as proof that she wasn't just anyone. Due to the intrusion of a single young girl, the air in the room was stretched thin and tense. Lute and his men reached for their swords. However, their opponent was simply too young to cut down or cross-examine. Hesitation welled up in their eyes. Hina alone assumed a battle-ready stance as she swiftly moved to protect Kaito. Jeanne merely blinked. Still cross-legged, Elisabeth planted her chin atop her hands. Then she spoke, making no effort to hide her displeasure. "As I suspect. And that's why you're here, I suppose." "Yes, exactly. Lovely to see you again, Elisabeth Le Fanu. I remember the last time we met, you know. You may have known my name, but you didn't have the faintest clue as to the gravity of the role I play. You've matured quite splendidly, O ignorant sheep. I can hardly make light of you after you've come this far." The girl chuckled, clearly amused. Elisabeth's brow furrowed even further. Kaito cocked his head to the side. It would appear that the two knew each other, although their relationship seemed anything but cordial. Who is this girl? What is she? Kaito opened his mouth, about to give voice to those questions. Before he could, though, Elisabeth continued, spitting out her words with a look of utmost resentment plastered across her face. "Is it really fine for you to be out of the Capital like this, Grave Keeper?" 5 The Grave Keeper's Zealotry "Oh, no, it isn't fine at all. It's super not-fine. But we all have to do what we have to do. I serve at the pleasure of God and the Holy Mother. The tomb's seal is broken, and the end is nigh. Soon, the living and the dead will both return to ash. We'll be just fine leaving a handful of men to protect those worthless old kingly corpses, thank you very much. Besides, I had another part I needed to play." The girl's voice was as smooth as silk. Abruptly, she stood up. Her long scarlet cloak fluttered, and she continued her speech in an operatic tone. "I may be the Grave Keeper, but I am also the Messenger. I am the one who blows the horn at the end of days, loudly hailing the sheep—'behold, for she is awakened, and rejoice, for the devout have been granted a miracle.'" Kaito squinted. Her speech was strangely verbose. Considering that she was a member of the Church and a fanatic, to boot, the actual contents of her speech themselves were fairly normal. But the fact that they were coming from someone who looked to be a ten-year-old girl was anything but. The most pressing issue, though, was how she'd addressed herself. "...The Grave Keeper?" Kaito thought back to the horrors he'd seen in the underground tomb. Living people had had their pain harvested for pacification down in the cruel nursery. And the room's gatekeeper had been a monster created by taking a divine creature, feeding it demon meat, and mixing in human parts. The Grave Keeper had been the one responsible for all that. As a result, Kaito had come to believe that the Grave Keeper lacked anything resembling morals or basic rationality. But the girl standing before him seemed entirely sane. That fact sent a shiver down Kaito's spine. You mean that the person who created that stuff, who was able to create all that stuff, knew full well what she |
was doing? Kaito had assumed they had been the deeds of someone consumed by madness, but this notion was dozens of times more horrifying. Then a sharp noise sliced through the air. Kaito frantically looked up. When he did, he saw the tip of Lute's sword resting on the Grave Keeper's forehead from where he'd swung it. It looked capable of splitting her head open at any moment. However, the only response the Grave Keeper gave was a few blinks. When he spoke, Lute's voice was full of loathing. "Just what business does the rotting flesh of the Church have with us?" "I'm rather disappointed. You seemed so magnanimous, yet your actions are most deplorable. Have you perhaps forgotten about the third peace treaty? Normally, we would not be so lenient toward pagans such as yourselves. But the beastfolk are not our people, nor are they even human. So the Church overlooks your sins and strives constantly to be good neighbors to you. Ah, but alas! Alas, you repay me with violence!" "Don't take me for a fool, girl!" Lute howled. The pelts that made up the portable dwelling's walls shook from the vibrations. Kaito swallowed and looked back at Lute's sword. Fortunately, it hadn't broken the Grave Keeper's skin yet. In an impressive display of rationality, Lute had carefully maintained the sword's position. "We know all about what you did to our people, how you slaughtered them! Our people place much higher pride in repaying debts than humans do! That, and because a friend of mine put in a good word for you, I have no desire to decry humanity as evil! But betrayal must be repaid with fangs! If you are the Grave Keeper, then you will not leave this place alive!" "...Wherefore?" "Wh—?" "What right hath the likes of the third imperial princess's private army to bellow at me?" Her voice had a terrifyingly calm ring to it. She focused her clear, hollow gaze on Lute. Upon seeing her apparent transformation, Kaito let a breath catch in his throat. Elisabeth gave a light scoff. Lute, like Kaito, had shock spread across his face. The Grave Keeper continued her diatribe dispassionately in a strangely old-fashioned tone. "Thou hast no right to take such a tone with me. What evidence doth thou hast of such killings? Didst thou misconstrue the testimony of a demon's contractor and the Torture Princess as valid, perchance? Thou showest thy naïveté, knave." "You would treat me as a child?!" "As such befits an immature mutt as thyself. A lesson, perhaps, for thee. If thou wishest to turn thy sword on the Grave Keeper, do come up with a better excuse. Vyade would surely do as such." "What do you know of Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast?!" "Will it require an order ere thou understand? What an insufferable simpleton. Now, stand down." "Grrr—" "Stand down, I did say!" When Lute heard the Grave Keeper's arrogant tone, his face contorted. His hands trembled in humiliation. A scratch appeared on the Grave Keeper's forehead, and blood began to drip forth. Wholly unperturbed by that fact, she began speaking in another tone altogether. "Well, if you really wanna take my head...then go on—go for it! Seeing one of the three kings have to take responsibility? Now, that sounds like a good time! And hey, don't worry! The restructuring will be a grand repentance, a rite of absolute destruction where all sins get forgiven! Watching our races carve each other up in the meantime sounds like a blast! Everyone's gonna die anyway, so hey, memento mori!" This time, she spoke like a young punk, and an energetic smile spread across her face. Kaito was astounded all over again. What the hell is wrong with her? The Grave Keeper's speech patterns were abnormal, and in a different way than Jeanne's. Hers were incongruous, as though several different people were all mixed together. The tip of Lute's sword shook a little. The trail of blood had dripped all the way down to the Grave Keeper's lips. In spite of that, though, her smile remained the same. Grinding his teeth, Lute raised his sword overhead. "Hrgh!" "Lute, no!" Kaito called out to stop him. Killing the Grave Keeper could easily have drastic consequences. Instead of stopping, though, Lute returned his sword to its sheath. Then he collapsed cross-legged onto the pelt floor. Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. The Grave Keeper sloppily licked at her blood. After cleaning the area around her mouth in the same manner a cat would, she spoke. "Ah, how lovely. And the Church is quite magnanimous toward its neighbors. We will overlook your discourtesy this time." Man, there's gotta be a limit to how shameless you can be. Kaito frowned. Lute grimaced as well, but he looked around the room, seemingly having returned to his senses. His subordinates had been directing murderous rage toward the Grave Keeper as well. Even now, they still seemed poised to spring forward and go for her throat. Lute took a deep breath. Then, having stiffened his resolve, he bowed to the Grave Keeper. "I thank you for your generosity." His subordinates ground their teeth in unison. Their commanding officer had apologized, and they couldn't let that apology go to waste. They forcibly choked back their rage. But Lute then continued, his voice practically a growl. "But make certain you do not forget. This is the World's End, a land that belongs to no race. If we all seek the same thing, then conflict is inevitable. And the battlefield is a place of many surprises. You may be influential, but I can make no guarantees for your safety. So take care. Remember, any old blackguard might fire the arrow that takes your head." "Oh yes, I've been aware of that for quite a long while. Why, I've seen it myself. That's simply the kind of place that a battlefield is. Anyone and everyone might find themselves among the ranks of the fallen. The dead will form circles and dance among the skulls, waiting patiently atop God's palm for the day when all returns to nothing. Such tranquility, such delight! But we are not yet on a battlefield, and I am but a simple messenger." The Grave Keeper gently laid her hand atop her chest. Then, at long last, she displayed an innocent, age-appropriate smile. "Now, let's have a chat! Let's talk peacefully and pastorally so that all God's creatures can come to an understanding." "Have a...chat?" Kaito let out a dumbfounded murmur. The Grave Keeper's proposal seemed completely reasonable. But that was what made it seem so completely and utterly surreal. After all, their two camps were working under diametrically opposed goals and beliefs. Jeanne, Kaito, and the others were trying to protect and preserve the world as it was. That was the salvation they were trying to attain. The Grave Keeper and the rest of the fanatics, on the other hand, were trying to bring about the world's restructuring. That was the salvation they were trying to attain. Most conflicts had some sort of common ground the two sides could agree on. But here, no such thing existed. There was no way for them to meet halfway. The chasm that lay between them was vast and deep. Given the situation, then, what could there be to talk about? "'Twould be meaningless. And surely you know that, Grave Keeper. Exchanging words would amount to naught but a waste of time." "Oh my, you state that so assertively. It saddens my heart, it does." "You lot endorse the restructuring, and we seek survival. The world will either perish or not perish. The two options leave no room for compromise, which presents us with a rare instance of pure, unadulterated opposition." Elisabeth gave voice to the same thoughts that had been going through Kaito's head. Still languidly resting her chin atop her palms and crossed legs, she bluntly continued. "Mutual understanding is impossible for us. One or the other shall have to die." "Oh my, I should hope not. We at least have room to talk things over. Elisabeth Le Fanu, you especially should have little reason to want the world to continue." The Grave Keeper smiled. Elisabeth sullenly arched an eyebrow. Kaito immediately picked up on what the Grave Keeper was trying to say. Elisabeth's going to be burned at the stake. So it shouldn't really matter to her whether or not the world goes on... But wait. If we manage to prevent the world from being restructured and show everyone how corrupt the Church is, could we maybe get her sentence reduced? It was the first time that Kaito had considered that possibility. But the Grave Keeper wasn't finished yet. "Let us assume for a moment that the restructuring fails to occur and that you are all successful in borrowing Vyade Ula Forstlast's wisdom and denounce the Church. A purge would take place within it, to be certain. And Godd Deos's equilibrium sect would rise to power once more. Even so, the first demon's existence would still be hidden from the public, and the truth would be concealed once more. Why, I would bet on it. You all would choose to remain silent, and Vyade would, as well." Elisabeth offered no response to the Grave Keeper's bold declaration. Although he was about to vehemently object, Kaito ultimately held his tongue. The Grave Keeper was right. She's right... I won't say anything. And Elisabeth's probably the same. After all, what would happen if he talked? If he publicly announced the existence of the first demon, the world would descend into chaos. Destroying the very foundation of one of the world's most prominent religions tended to have that effect. The Church, its followers, some of the aristocrats, and even the royal family would become the subjects of intense hate and distrust. History would be marked by an age of executions and torture. The will of the masses could transform into a ruthless killing machine. Who knows just how many would hang? Furthermore, the war against the demons had dealt a grave blow to the world's economy. If society lost their leaders as well, it would plunge into an unprecedented state of disorder. And if a famine or plague hit, the disaster would be inconceivable. It was all too easy to imagine. Which left them with but a single choice. They couldn't say anything. "In short, even if your actions allow the world to persist, no grand accolades await you. For you yourselves will be the ones covering it up. Which all comes to mean that Torture Princess's fate will be unchanged." If we made some sort of backroom deal with the Church... No, that wouldn't work. Elisabeth herself doesn't want amnesty, and the masses would call relentlessly for the Torture Princess's head. The sheep would come to a stop right before plunging into the flames. But then, unknowingly, they would burn their own savior to death. Kaito clenched his fists. If that was the case, then the issue became which end was more honorable: the world's restructuring or burning at the stake. "As I said but moments ago, the restructuring will be a grand repentance. When the end arrives, all your sins will be forgiven. The time has come to 'pray that God will be your salvation.' Doesn't that sound pleasant? It's a more beautiful end than burning to death, at any rate. The Lord will finally reward you for your efforts." The Grave Keeper smiled, as though giving Elisabeth her blessings. As she did, Kaito was assailed by a particular doubt. True, the Torture Princess is a grand sinner. But... The masses had no clue how much good she'd done, nor did they even try to learn. That was simply the kind of creatures they were. They listened only to what they wanted to hear and saw only what they wanted to see. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. And that was the way |
things ought to be. ...But isn't that a sin in and of itself? The ignorant had no right to cast blame, did they? Their entire way of life was fundamentally wrong, wasn't it? Then didn't that make the restructuring just a way to rectify that? "Is that what you think? Then you're an imbecile." A razor-sharp voice forcefully smashed through Kaito's reverie. With a start, he came back to his senses. Before him, Elisabeth still sat with her chin in her hands. "Your premise is flawed, to start. The masses were not the ones who decided to cast judgment on me. 'Twas I. And grand accolades are the furthest thing from my mind. Your restructuring may well be more pleasant for me, but I care naught. In fact, 'tis quite the opposite." Elisabeth's gaze bored down on the Grave Keeper. Her black nails glinted as she whispered. "Any who say my sins can be forgiven shall die by my hands. 'Tis all there is to it." Elisabeth ran her tongue over her red lips. Then, with a sweet smile, the peerless sinner continued. "Your cajolery has backfired on you, Grave Keeper. Your death shall come swiftly." That's right. Elisabeth is strong. Kaito had just been forcibly reminded of that fact. Her resolve came completely from within. He had yet to come to terms with that, nor did he fully accept it. But the way she refused to fear death was definitely admirable. Now that he thought about it rationally, Kaito, too, was opposed to the restructuring. He certainly didn't want Elisabeth to burn at the stake. But he saw no reason to endorse a plan that involved everyone in the world dying, either. Calling death "salvation" was nothing but base sophistry. At the same time, Kaito realized something odd. The Grave Keeper's description was mad from its very premise. Most of the people who want the restructuring to happen believe that the pious faithful will remain in the new world. At least, that was what he'd thought. But the Grave Keeper was different. The whole time, she'd clearly been working under the assumption that all humanity would perish. "What...the hell?" Words of doubt spilled forth from Kaito's lips. The Grave Keeper cocked her head to the side, curious as to what he was trying to say. As he looked back at the young girl, the words practically leaped from Kaito's mouth. "You...you know that the restructuring is gonna kill everyone?" "Oh no, not everyone. Our revered Saint will surely remain." "Still—you know? But then...how the hell could you endorse that?" Kaito gave voice to his genuine doubts. Believing that their piety would ultimately be rewarded with a miracle and would grant them survival was at least something he could comprehend. And as twisted as it was, looking for validation of one's devoutness and righteousness made logical sense as a desire. But if they knew full well that they, too, would be reduced to nothing... That kind of devotion is just too empty. That would mean that all their wishes and prayers had been for nothing. Not a single thing they asked of God would end up meaning a thing. Not a single person would be saved. "Wouldn't that just make everything meaningless?" "Why should we seek results from prayer?" Her voice had a strange, dry ring to it. Kaito's eyes went wide. Ignoring his shock, the young girl made a firm declaration. "That would be blasphemy." Kaito had nothing to follow up with. He had no idea what to say. But then, suddenly, a smile spread across the Grave Keeper's face. To his surprise, her voice took on a gentler tone. "Ah, I see. It rather makes sense that a man from another world would have difficulty understanding. We know full well of the truth behind our world, you see. That is why we believe. God and the Saint have been seeking this restructuring for many ages. With that being the case, then our annihilation, too, is a thing of joy." "What the hell do you—?" "If God deems our existence a mistake, then that is what is just and proper." The Grave Keeper's voice was solemn. She spoke calmly, as though proselytizing to an ignorant sheep. "The next world will be God's kingdom, a perfect, ideal land. And oh, what a marvelous thing that will be. Now is the time for us to repay the Saint for the love she so freely gave us. 'All glory to God.' 'The miracle is upon us.' 'There is no need for us here.' That is what it means to have faith." Kaito shuddered. The hair on Lute's tail stood up. Now Kaito finally realized. So she's one of the "shepherds who would gladly cast themselves into the fire just to catch a glimpse of a miracle" Jeanne was talking about. At the same time, he ruminated on what Izabella had said: that the Church's doctrine was necessary. "Even now, I still hold that the Church's teachings are wonderful. Using faith as a way to support a life lived nobly and properly is an honorable thing. People are weak. They need something to believe in." This girl wasn't using faith to support herself. She was using herself to support faith. She didn't even believe that her prayers would reach anyone. She sought nothing from God. And if she was told to die, she would simply die. That was the nature of her love. Kaito parted his trembling lips. Still shaking, he asked his question. "How can you even think like that? You're so young, but you're—" "Enough from you, Kaito. Asking such a thing of the Grave Keeper is nigh comical. Now you're the one with the flawed premise." Sounding annoyed, Elisabeth interjected. She gestured rudely toward the Grave Keeper with her chin. When she spoke of the adorable young girl she was pointing at, her voice was tinged with loathing. "The Grave Keeper inherits the memories and personality of every Grave Keeper before them. However, the rite of succession is too great a burden for a baby's mind to bear. As a result, the personalities blend together, and a kind of natural selection occurs. In the end, all that remains is a single common denominator: fervent piety toward God and the Saint. To put it in a few words, she's akin to zealotry personified." She looks sane, but I guess she really, really isn't. Kaito could see that clearly. At the same time, he was reminded once more of the Church's deep-rooted perversion. Preserving the Grave Keeper's memories and personality was no doubt a necessary step for them to take in continuing to conceal the deadly secret that was the first demon's existence. People who could maintain their faith after seeing that thing were probably rarer than rare. But that had resulted in her. You know, that stuff Izabella said is probably closer to how the Church is normally supposed to be. But instead, they'd gotten the whole world involved and had sunk deeper and deeper into their mistakes. What had gone wrong? How had things gotten to this point? No matter how hard he thought about it, no satisfying answer was forthcoming. Ever since the world had been created, or perhaps even before then, thin layers of madness had slowly been trying to engulf everything. But even with the situation as tumultuous as it was, the trigger that had initiated the collapse was abundantly clear. Everything had started when the Butcher had sold Vlad that demon meat. They really did need to talk to the Butcher directly. With that thought in mind, Kaito asked a new question. "Where are you guys keeping the Butcher?" The Grave Keeper completely ignored him, instead tilting her head to the side. Still surrounded by Lute's subordinates, Jeanne was sitting coolly on the floor. The Grave Keeper's gaze shifted to Jeanne's defenseless profile. Then, in a gentle voice, she called out to the golden Torture Princess. "I've heard reports on you, you know. The other Torture Princess. The girl who proclaims herself the maiden of salvation, who rejects God's will, who would pour poisoned wine upon the Saint's lips. You're a fool of a wholly different sort than we... Although I also hear that despite that mechanical impression you give, you took quite a liking to our Izabella Vicker." "So I did. She was my first love, you see." Jeanne's response was instant. The next moment, the eyes of everyone present save the Grave Keeper went wide. "Huh?" "What?" "Excuse me?" "I beg your pardon?" The brief comment she'd given may as well have been a bomb. Upon hearing the words first love, Kaito, Elisabeth, Hina, and even Lute reeled. Embarrassed by their reactions, they all then shut up, and an indescribable silence descended upon the room. Other than the Grave Keeper, whose smile was unchanged, they all wore truly peculiar expressions. Then Jeanne gave her continuation in the same emotionless voice as always. "I'm sorry. That was a joke." "A joke?! I thought you were being serious! Now is hardly the time to be saying such things!" Elisabeth slammed her fist onto the ground, and it sank gently into the bear pelt. Kaito rapidly nodded his assent. Jeanne's so-called "joke" was tone-deaf in the extreme. However, she wasn't done talking yet. "However, I do feel that it was something similar. But hey, beats me! I was chosen by the alchemists to save the world and raised solely for that purpose. I was a princess and a sacrifice. I was created by them, and I destroyed them. For that was my contract with them. Neither of us resented the other. However, I had little direct contact with humans, so I was concerned as how best to interact with the stray sheep until I obtained a servant. So I went to some bandits in a neighboring mountain, snatched 'em up, and learned from their example." "Wait, so that's why your speech gets vulgar at random intervals?!" One mystery had been solved, at least. Now they knew the context behind the fact that Jeanne's word choice would regularly take a turn for the incredibly coarse. But what they didn't know was why she'd chosen then to share that seemingly irrelevant piece of information with them. Ignoring Kaito's expression of bewilderment, Jeanne kept speaking. "So that was my first time." "Your first time...what?" "My first time meeting an 'ordinary human' like that." This time, Jeanne answered Kaito's question. For a moment, her rose eyes went vacant. Then she whispered in an uncharacteristically hazy voice. "My li'l miss was foolish...but she was gallant, and she had honor." That simple sentence hit Kaito like a train. He gazed at her profile and ruminated. Her interactions with people had been severely limited. That was what had made Jeanne the way she was today, into the maiden of salvation. She never looked back at those she'd trampled over, nor did she spare a thought for her victims. But if a single person she perceived differently existed, then... If that's the case, then...that basically is a first love, isn't it? Kaito almost said it aloud, but he held his tongue. Pointing it out now wouldn't do them any good. Izabella was currently far away from them. She'd carried out her will and returned to the Church. And it was anyone's guess as to what had happened to her after being captured by the group of executioner-like people. No, wait. There is one person. There was a chance that the Grave Keeper knew whether or not Izabella was safe. Kaito instinctively turned to look at her. As he did, a sleazy smile spread across her youthful face. Upon seeing it, a chill ran down his spine. Frantically, he tried to ask about Izabella's well-being. But Jeanne spoke first, as though to stop him. Her voice was coolheaded to the last. "Even so, trying to use my li'l miss as bait to negotiate with me is |
a waste of your time, fanatic. I'm too late, ain't I?! Jackasses like you always go by the same damn playbook!" "Wait, hold on, 'too late'? You mean Izabella is...?" Kaito's face went pale. The next moment, Izabella's smiling face flashed vividly across his mind. White light had been exploding at her back, and she'd been smiling. Even with the cruel scars etched across her face, she'd still been beautiful. Izabella is... A chuckle slipped unbidden from the Grave Keeper's mouth. Kaito reflexively made to grab at her vestment's collar. Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Before he could, though, a shrill noise filled the room. As it did, the leather flap at the camp's entrance violently flapped inward. Everyone turned to look. Heaving a stately sigh, the Grave Keeper rose to her feet. Her crimson cloak trailed behind her as she silently walked to the entranceway and unfastened its leather knot. When she rolled it up, an orb flew inside, along with a mysterious, cutting wind. The orb was one of the Church's communication devices. The wings on its sides softly fell out as it alighted on the Grave Keeper's palm. Runes ran across its surface, ones far more intricate than those Kaito was familiar with. It looked like the message the Grave Keeper had just received had been encrypted. After she read it, her eyes narrowed. "Good work out there. Now convey this to the lookout: 'It's Yah Llodl all over again.'" The Grave Keeper gently tossed up the communication device. A fresh pair of wings sprouted from its sides. Then they flapped, and the orb took off. After watching it get swallowed up by the snowscape, the Grave Keeper returned the entrance to the way she'd found it. Turning back around, she placed a hand atop her chest. Her scarlet cloak fluttered as she gave a deep bow to those assembled. "I'm afraid I must take my leave. It's quite unfortunate, but there are some rather troubling matters I find myself needing to attend to. While it was perhaps too short to glean much importance from, I believe that our little rendezvous was a meaningful one. Pagan hunts and inquisitions are so ineffective, and they leave such poor legacies, after all. Not even I wish to turn all the world's creatures against me. Instead, I simply pray that you all will find it in yourselves to have a change of heart, even if it's but a small one." The Grave Keeper's words were chosen carefully. The scariest thing, though, was the fact that the sheer compassion dripping from her voice seemed entirely heartfelt. She placed her small palms together and closed her eyes, as though she was praying. "'You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand.' The blessings of God and the Saint on you all." Then the Grave Keeper raised her head and offered them a sweet smile. Not a single person returned it. Seemingly unhurt by that fact, though, she began walking. The beastfolk stared daggers at her as she rolled up the leather door once more. However, she stopped for a moment before heading out into the snowscape. "But worry not. We'll be enemies from here on out, just as you wish." With that quiet murmur, she began walking again. The entrance flapped back to a rest. And with that, she was gone. It feels like a typhoon just passed through. Kaito surveyed the room in a daze. It looked no different than it had before, but it felt as though it had been draped in a thick film. That was just how badly the entity known as the Grave Keeper had thrown the mood into disarray. As he tried to shake off a numbing sense of fatigue, Kaito turned his thoughts to Izabella's well-being. So...what happened to her? The Grave Keeper's twisted smile flashed through his mind. He recognized that sadistic smile; he'd seen it time and time again back when he was alive. He opened his mouth to speak. But before he could put his tenacious sense of unease into words, Elisabeth stood up. "We're leaving, Kaito. A clear target has presented itself to us." "A target? You mean we're gonna tail the Grave Keeper or something?" If they did that, they'd probably be able to find out where the Church had made their camp. But they also ran the risk of running into the Church's main force. Kaito chose to leave those concerns implicit. However, Elisabeth shook her head as she replied. "She knows me not, and as such, she was negligent. Ever since Godd Deos's time, I've been carefully stealing secret records from the Church and breaking their cipher. As such, I was able to read that last message." "Wait, seriously?" "Heh, seeing a code would make any mage wish to crack it. And I had my suspicions that the day such knowledge would become useful would arrive. And now it has. Rather impressive of me, if I do say so myself." As she sang her own praises, Elisabeth chugged down the rest of the tea that she'd been continuing to hold the whole time. Once she was finished, Hina, who was waiting on standby, took the empty bowl. "Good work, Hina. 'Twas splendid as always. Your talents never disappoint." "You're too kind, Lady Elisabeth. Your words fill me with such joy. But, um, if I may ask, what were the contents of the transmission?" Hina asked this question in a nervous tone. Their next actions as a group hinged on the answer. Everyone swallowed as they waited for Elisabeth's reply. Its contents, however, were unexpected. "'The cage in headquarters was opened. The lookouts were unconscious, struck in the back of the head.' In other words..." The scene he'd seen back at Elisabeth's castle spontaneously flashed before Kaito's eyes. The Butcher had been able to unlock even the Torture Princess's own Gibbet. There was no way any man-made cage could contain him. And what would he do after he escaped the cage? Elisabeth went on, her voice echoing Kaito's thoughts exactly. "At present, the Butcher's whereabouts are unknown. It would seem that he's fled somewhere." 6 Searching for Answers Now that they knew that the Butcher had escaped, they had to act fast. Leaving the warm, comfortable campsite behind them, Kaito and the others plunged once more into the world of ice and snow. The air shimmered and sparkled as it had before. The snowflakes were unchanged, too, still piled high atop the vast plain of ice. The scenery before them was radiant and beautiful, as though they'd stepped inside a snow globe. The vast, endless snowscape seemed just the same as ever. Kaito's group, on the other hand, had expanded. At the end of their procession stood Lute, clad in thick winter gear due to his inability to use magic. As the copper wolf stared straight ahead, Kaito called out to him. "Are you sure you wanna come with us? There's no telling what's gonna happen after we catch up with the Butcher, you know." "Whatever are you talking about? Sitting idly by after being insulted so would be a disgrace to my name as a warrior. And you say that this escapee of yours is not only the Apostle who summoned us to the World's End but may even know the Saint's whereabouts?! Why, how could I not pursue him?!" Lute's ears perked up as he gave his determined reply. However, he had ordered his subordinates to wait on standby at the camp. He'd claimed that too large a group would be too conspicuous, but that was likely just a pretense. He probably intended to personally take full responsibility if things went south with the Church. Kaito had been concerned about the extent of Lute's resolve, but he hadn't stopped him. Everyone's got pride, something they refuse to back down from. Right now, it's probably for the best if I just don't say anything. With Lute having joined their ranks, Kaito had decided to leave Vlad sealed in his jewel. The jewel in question was shaking at regular intervals as though trying to express its displeasure. Kaito, however, staunchly ignored it. With Lute added and Vlad subtracted, the five of them advanced, spearheaded by Gargantua. In the end, they'd decided to head for the Church's encampment. They were aware of the risk that they'd run into the Church's main force, but the amount of information they had on the Butcher's whereabouts was fundamentally deficient. In order to get a sense of which way he'd fled, they'd decided to covertly track the Church's movements. In order to avoid getting into a fight, all Deus Ex Machinas besides Gargantua were hard at work searching for their foes. It appeared that the Grave Keeper had left on foot. Her footprints were so faint, they hardly seemed to be there at all, but Gargantua followed them unhesitatingly. At present, it was equipped with extra parts specifically for that purpose. After borrowing Jabberwocky's warped glass, it had fashioned what appeared to be a pair of eyes. They were enlarged, as though they were looking through glasses, and they swiveled and turned as Gargantua made its pointy way across the icy ground. The plan had been for Gargantua to switch off with Pantagruel once the Grave Keeper's footprints faded so it could track her by her mana. However, it didn't look like that would be necessary. Kaito and the others continued following Gargantua in silence. No matter how far they went, the scenery never changed. That, in and of itself, was unsettling. If all of it is beautiful, then it kinda feels like everything in it is dead. A chill ran down Kaito's spine, one completely unrelated to the cold. The notion that they were merely going around in circles began captivating him. Right as it did, though, Gargantua came to a sudden stop. Thrusting one leg into the ice to use as a fulcrum, the automaton spun around. It turned to face Jeanne and rattled its head up and down. It was clearly conveying something to her, as Jeanne quietly nodded back. "Ah, I understand now. C'mon, ya lumps! Keep up!" Jeanne and Gargantua changed course. Turning to the side, they set out perpendicularly from where they had stopped. Kaito found it rather difficult to believe that the Grave Keeper had traveled in such a bizarre manner. It would appear that the two of them had stopped following the Grave Keeper's tracks altogether. But then where are they going? Right as doubts started crossing through Kaito's mind, though, Gargantua stopped and began walking parallel to their original route. Kaito and the others followed after it. As they did, the scenery around them began gradually changing. The ground began sloping up at a much more noticeable angle than the hill they'd visited earlier. Kaito found himself on the verge of slipping a number of times. Each time, though, Hina successfully managed to support him. Constantly thanking her, Kaito laboriously made his way up the silvery hill. Especially large snowflakes began crunching under his feet, and he called ahead to Jeanne. "So why'd we stop following the footprints and come this way instead?" "The number of sets of prints increased. Do you know why that is, mister?" "...The Grave Keeper must have met up with her subordinates. We must be near their camp." "Precisely. A keen hypothesis, coming from The Fool. Furthermore, the Deus Ex Machinas share information among themselves. According to Pantagruel, this cliff is the optimal location from which to observe their camp. Also, do make sure you avoid walking in front of Gargantua. Falling to your death before we meet our first foe would be a hell of a bad joke!" Kaito cocked his head, confused by Jeanne's warning. It sounded like there was a cliff in front of them, sure, but not |
even he was dumb enough to just fall over its edge. A moment later, he took it all back. Gargantua had come to an abrupt stop. Before it lay nothingness. The ground in front of its silver legs had cleanly vanished. It was like someone had carved it off with a knife, then stuck a fork in it and carried it away. No normal cliff declined so sharply. Oh man, I would totally have fallen off there. Narrowly stopping as well, Kaito broke out in an internal cold sweat. He timidly peeked over the edge. He could make out the Church's camp way down below. A number of tents were lined up in orderly, systematic intervals. Each one bore at least two flags emblazoned with white lilies and images of the Saint. Fires were lit throughout the camp, illuminating it amid the snow. They were clearly having to put much more work into maintaining their heat than the beastfolk had. They'd probably even put their camp's back to a cliff in order to stave off some of the wind chill. The speck-like people in the camp were hustling and bustling, no doubt due to the Butcher's disappearance. After he mentally recovered from the sudden appearance of the cliff's edge, though, Kaito's eyes came to rest on something else entirely. "Hey, what's...? Oh, geez." There was something above the cliff. The figure had been frozen stiff with its arms spread out wide. It looked like a statue of some sort of pagan god or perhaps an inane scarecrow. It was a man dangling in the air. His body was supported by a thick stake, which pierced through his buttocks and exited his mouth. Frozen blood and feces dripped down between his legs. His eyes were open in an expression of intense agony. It looked like the stake had been driven in while he was still alive. With a second glance, Kaito confirmed the cruel truth: the man, clad in a luxurious vestment, had been impaled. Then his body had been put on public display atop the cliff. "Who is that?" "...Yah Llodl." "What?!" Upon hearing Elisabeth's answer, Kaito let out a surprised yelp. After Godd Deos's death, Yah Llodl had taken advantage of the Church's changing power dynamics to join its upper echelon. And even with just the small conversation he'd had with Yah Llodl over a communication device, the man's pride had been abundantly clear. Yet, now, this was the state he was in. His failure back at the underground tomb had probably been the cause. And as far as people who could have gotten away with purging him went, only one came to Kaito's mind. After all, when she'd heard about the Butcher's escape, this was what she'd said: "Good work out there. Now convey this to the lookout: 'It's Yah Llodl all over again.'" "...The Grave Keeper." There was no doubt in his mind that she was the one behind the grim spectacle before him. Kaito had long since gotten used to seeing torture. And loath as he was to admit it, looking at someone who'd been impaled almost had a sort of familiarity to it. Even so, seeing the corpse of someone whose arrogant laugh he'd just heard came as a blow. Elisabeth and Jeanne, on the other hand, seemed to regard Yah Llodl's death with complete disinterest. Taking their eyes off the body, they looked back toward the camp. "Hmph, I see." "Indeed. It's rather unambiguous." There was no reason for Lute to know who Yah Llodl was, but he still seemed to find the Torture Princesses' composure unsettling. However, he, too, realized that retreating would accomplish nothing. Because of that, he cautiously followed their lead. Kaito and Hina lined up beside them and did the same. Before long, Kaito found himself frowning. The Church's camp was even more chaotic than he'd expected. Cautious inspection made it clear that they were split into two large factions. One group of people was wearing silver armor with pelts draped over themselves to keep out the cold, and the other group was clad in scarlet, executioner-like outfits. Each one was gathered together and acting as a unit, like two herds of different beasts. "It falls well within my expectations, but it seems they aren't a monolith, are they?" "Indeed, that they are not. And it's a big ol' laugh, coming from chumps who're goin' on about reconstructing the world! You're all pilin' into the same damn grave, ain'tcha?! Shepherds and sheep refusing to get along—what a riot!" Elisabeth narrowed her crimson eyes, and Jeanne raised her voice in scorn. Kaito immediately deduced what the two of them were talking about. The paladins and executioner-looking guys aren't exactly enemies, but could it be that they're on bad terms? The paladins looked to be forming a search party all on their own. They headed south, but their spirits seemed low, and they could hardly be described as unified. Instead of rebuking them for their sloth, though, the executioner-like group merely headed north. Neither group seemed to have any intention of working with the other. In fact, the executioners seemed to be avoiding the paladins. "What's going on? They came all the way to the World's End, and now they aren't even gonna work together?" "The paladins have lost their commander. Though she was young, they put a great deal of trust and responsibility in Izabella. Trying to keep their morale up despite having her unjustly snatched away from them would be a fool's errand. And this is the World's End. Unlike the Capital, the Church can deploy their transfigured paladins freely. That scarlet bunch would likely have preferred to come here with themselves and their grotesque pawns alone." "However, while the reconstruction sect holds the reins of power within the Church, their control is not absolute." Jeanne took the explanation over from Elisabeth and dispassionately laid out the current state of affairs within the Church. "Refusing to take the normal paladins along would have earned the distrust of the royals and some of the notable aristocrats. Even with the attractive proposition of escaping the grand burden of having to rebuild the Capital, the reconstruction sect will fail to sway many of the less devout. And the powerful have a tendency to value gold higher than God, y'see. They both have a way of slippin' away when you really need 'em, though!" Taking Jeanne's mocking words into account, Kaito took another look at what the people down below were doing. The streams of silver and crimson had completely split apart, serving well to illustrate the discord present among their camp. "As a result, the normal paladins were taken along, but in name alone. The grotesque pawns are likely off searching, and the scarlet lot is no doubt going to join them and try to capture the Butcher. The paladins, on the other hand, seem to have been sent off in the opposite direction. With that in mind, it would appear that the north is far more promising. The Butcher fled quickly, though. I have my doubts as to whether they'll truly be able to catch him..." "Excuse me, Lady Elisabeth?" "Hmm? What is it, Hina? ...Oh-ho?" As Hina repeatedly tapped on her shoulder, Elisabeth turned around. After looking in the direction Hina was indicating, she blinked repeatedly. A silly expression crossed Kaito's face, as well. At some point, something had taken a seat atop Yah Llodl's corpse's shoulder. It was a small emerald-green mass, and it was gnawing on his frozen ear. Startled, Lute reeled backward. As he pointed at the mass, a cry slipped out of his mouth. "Y-you! You're the irreverent whelp who invaded Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast's bedchambers!" "Kyau!" The response he received sounded entirely innocent. The dragon whelp began turning lively somersaults in the air. Its splendid tail, which seemed a bit too large for its body, swayed behind it. It didn't look repentant in the slightest. How long had it been there? Just as that question crossed Kaito's mind, though, a more pressing concern weighed on him. The body was put on display up here. In other words, the Church was fully aware of how well the cliff overlooked their base. It was odd, then, that they hadn't stationed any guards there. As he carefully surveyed their surroundings, Kaito gasped. "Hey, wait, Elisabeth! Look where you're stepping!" "Hmm? Ah, I see. Little wonder, then, that standing here was so comfortable!" Elisabeth nodded. Beneath her high heels was a man buried in the snow. His scarlet hood peeked out from amid the white. He appeared to be unconscious. Worried that the man might freeze to death, Kaito frantically reached out his hand. When he touched the man's skin, though, it was strangely warm. Apparently, he'd stored magic stones on his extremities to preserve his body heat. A jewel designed for communications was installed on his chest as well. In all likelihood, he was the one who'd been in charge of guarding the cliff top. But why, then, was he unconscious? Kaito cast a sidelong glance at the whelp. Its emerald scales glittered as it spun around in the air. Each time it twirled, it lashed out with its tail. A blow from that looked to be about as powerful as one from a blackjack from Kaito's old world. "Kyoon!" the whelp cried as it puffed out its chest. Upon seeing the vigor with which the whelp was making its claim, Kaito nodded in conviction. "Looks like this guy's our culprit." "Aye, no doubt. Excellent work, you!" "Dunno if that's really something you should be complimenting it for." "Excuse me, Mr. Whelp, but why did you knock out the lookout and then stay here?" "Kyoon!" By means of answering Hina's question, the whelp let out a loud cry. Then, with a chomp, it tore off Yah Llodl's ear. After tossing it up in the air and catching it in its mouth, it gobbled the dead flesh down. Kaito and Lute openly grimaced. Apparently done trying to cheer them up, the whelp shot into the air like a bullet. Then, without a moment's hesitation, it began flying off into the silvery atmosphere. For a second, it turned back toward Kaito and the others. It seemed to want them to follow it. Kaito was reminded of the chunk of bone-in meat that had been left behind at the castle. It looked as though, just like back then, the Butcher had predicted their movements once more and had sent the whelp to guide them. He was clearly trying to send them somewhere. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was still anyone's guess. Either way, our only real option is to follow it. Knowing that, Kaito steeled his resolve. Leaving the corpse and unconscious lookout behind them, they all took off at a run. Then, following the distant whelp, they began making their way down the pearly hill. The whelp looked like it was flying aimlessly. Its wings were comprised of thin bone and membrane, and it flapped them to fly high up into the milky-white, rainbow-tinged sky. Then it would glide for a while. It seemed to be rather enjoying its travels. However, for those trying to follow it, the wasteful movements in its flight path were the source of a great deal of stress. Kaito's displeasure was painted all across his face. "Hey, does that thing even really know where it's going?" "Hmm... It does belong to the Butcher, after all." "And Mr. Butcher is awfully fond of playing around. I suppose we can only hope." Elisabeth's shoulders slumped, and Hina smiled to try to placate her. Continuing forward through the unchanging snowscape was hard on the legs, but it was harder on the spirit. However, it quickly became clear that, despite the whelp's playful flight, their efforts hadn't been wasted. A living creature's corpse had appeared before them in the empty world. When Kaito first saw |
it, his immediate reaction was shock. Whatever the something was, it was made up of fragments of ice and snow. Its body was unsettlingly linear, and if he had to compare it to something, it looked somewhat like a fish. But even upon getting a closer look, it was difficult for a human to truly understand its appearance. After all, their brains refused to parse some of the optical information on it. In fact, it was hard to say definitively if living creature was really the right descriptor for it. The only thing sure about it was that it possessed a concept of "death." All in total, there were four of the somethings. They were lying horizontally, their pyramid-shaped heads all caved in. "...Hmm. This land seems free of foreign invaders, yet they appear to have been killed by something." Elisabeth stooped down and began inspecting the damaged sections. Kaito did the same. Once they did, a commonality emerged. All four of them seemed to have been struck by something soft. Also, there was blubber stuck to their wounds. "With my cunning intellect, I've unraveled all the mysteries. The weapon...was a slab of meat!" "I'd be surprised if it was anything else. In other words, that means the Butcher definitely passed this way." The two of them nodded to each other. This time, the whelp's somersaults seemed to be saying, See? Now trusting its guidance, the group resumed their pursuit of the Butcher. They carefully walked among the somethings' corpses. As Kaito stood atop an unsullied patch of ice, though, a snapping sound rang out from around his feet. "Huh?" "Is something the matter, Sir Kaito? Hmm?" Lute turned around as well, and his ears perked up. The two of them started inspecting the ground at their feet for presences. The moment they did, a square chunk of ice directly below Kaito cracked and burst up into the air. Slipping along its now-slanted surface, Kaito narrowly managed to land on his feet. *** "Ah!" A massive slab of ice had pierced through the ground. Innumerable cracks were running along its surface. The slab then split into fine vertical segments. Its cylindrical fragments danced through the air, then recombined into a three-dimensional shape. The transformation it underwent was impressive, like a single sheet of paper being spliced into a meaningful form. Chilly air blew off its body as the completed something bent into a fishlike shape. However, it had no scales and no mouth. It swung its smooth, clear, pyramid-shaped head down onto Kaito. Drawing his sword, Lute stepped forward, intending to meet the hammer-like blow. "Fall back, Sir Kaito! I shall repay the debt I once—" "How dare you try to strike my dear husband, you hoodluuuuuuuuuuum!" However, Lute's noble declaration was drowned out by indignation and fury. His ears went slack, and he stopped in his tracks. Hina dashed across the ice like a cannonball. Accompanied by her vaunted halberd, she twirled freely through the air. "Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Her maid uniform fluttering, she raised her weapon aloft behind her back. Then, as she flew forward, she swung it down hard. Its blade crashed solidly into the something's side. There was the sound of glass cracking. The something's body flushed with white, then shattered. Its needle-thin fragments scattered all about. Upon mixing in with the snowflakes, they ceased to even be visible. Hina then landed with an elegant thump. After courteously straightening her maid outfit, she gave a sweet bow. "Phew. With that, the cleaning is successfully finished. How was that, Master Kaito?" "Perfect as always, my dearest Hina." "Eek! Oh, Master Kaito! Not in public! Why, how embarrassing!" As she let out quiet shrieks, Hina covered her reddening face. Watching over her with affection, Kaito nodded. Lute stepped back as he commented, "Very...very well, then," and a bemused expression overtook Elisabeth's face. The sole member to ignore the commotion and continue walking was Jeanne. Everyone else then hurried after her. And with that, Kaito and the others left the somethings' corpses behind and continued pursuing the Butcher as though nothing had changed. Eventually, their surroundings started to transform with increasing speed. Snow began falling from the empty sky. The massive flakes resembling delicate lacework fluttered gently through the air. Upon closer inspection, each one of them had a unique shape. In all likelihood, no two of them were alike. The strange rainbow membrane covering the milky-white sky was beginning to get thicker as well. Snowflakes tumbled lazily down from within it. It looked like silvery flower petals being spat out from inside an oil slick. Anywhere else, such a blizzard of petals would have been unimaginable. The area around Kaito's group had long since taken on an otherworldly quality to it. If someone had told them it was the afterlife, they practically would have believed it. Kaito's eyes were captivated by the landscape's untarnished, lifeless beauty. The world was hollow and empty, and it was terrifying. But at the same time, it was also endlessly fascinating. As Kaito was preoccupied by all that, the whelp abruptly stopped advancing. "Kyau!" With a loud cry, it gave its wings a powerful downward flap. After making a sharp nosedive, it suddenly vanished without a trace. "Wait, where'd he go?" Kaito looked down in a panic. The scenery, which had had a bare minimum of regularity to it, had come to a complete and total stop. At some point, a narrow, deep fissure had appeared before them. In contrast with its transparent icy walls, the ravine was filled with a pervasive darkness. The whelp must have flown down into it. It was almost like it was trying to say that its task was complete. Now convinced that something awaited them beyond the crevice, Kaito turned to look up. The fissure extended farther and farther. Little by little, it grew wider and deeper. Beside it, a new fissure stretched out its distant arm as well. They continued on like a pair of wide rivers. Eventually, they met up and converged on a colossal hole. The pit resembled a volcano's crater with its gaping maw. Suddenly, a strange conviction assailed Kaito. Let's say hypothetically that all the ice in the World's End melted. What would happen? The water probably wouldn't reach the sea. Regardless of whatever differences in height there may be, every drop of it would flow into that hole. Yet, even so, the void would remain. Even if it swallowed up everything else, nothing could ever fill that abyss. And at the same time, Kaito remembered something he'd once heard. Someone once said that the world has no end. The world is round, they proclaimed, and as such it has no terminus. Someone once said that the world has an end. It's like a waterfall, they proclaimed, one that swallows up anything and everything. Someone once said that the world has an end. For God created that place, they proclaimed, and designated it "the World's End." "...The World's End." Kaito mumbled that phrase once more. Unlike the world he'd come from, in this one, there was a real chance that all three stories about the World's End were true. The world was round, and it had no terminus. But it did have an End, one that God had designated. And therein lay a waterfall that swallowed up anything and everything. As those thoughts rattled around in his head, Kaito's vision wandered. Given that the whelp had disappeared, this was no doubt the "answer" they'd been searching for. "Master Kaito, over there." "Ah, there, huh?" After looking to where Hina was pointing, Kaito nodded. A narrow path just barely lay between the two crevices. And someone was standing at its end. The figure was black, and it was standing alone before the pit. In a way, it looked lonely. As though it had been waiting a long, long time for someone who had never come. "...The Butcher." A brief murmur escaped Elisabeth's lips. Kaito was about to break out in a run, but then he heard something. "Ah, what an excellent job you all did finding him! Now, at long last, I've finally reached a complete understanding!" A loud voice called out from behind him. Lodged within it was an unfathomable amount of joy. Goose bumps rose all across Kaito's flesh. Horrified from the bottom of his heart, he felt his face stiffen as he turned around to look. "Blessings on you, and blessings on me! Everything is just as you will it!" Standing behind him was exactly who he'd expected to find. Her snowflake-covered crimson cloak fluttered, and she was flanked on all sides by grotesque, transfigured paladins. The image of the giant men protecting an adorable little girl was almost picturesque, like a painting of a maiden surrounded by monsters. But in reality, it was the girl who was the monster, not the transformed men. It was the living symbol of zealotry, the Grave Keeper. As she looked down upon Kaito and the others, a smile dripping with affection spread across her face. 7 Her First Love "You all were perfectly able to pursue me. Thus, the converse should be true as well, no? I find it truly, truly sorrowful, you know, that we should meet again in such a way." The Grave Keeper launched into a sudden monologue. Words came pouring from her mouth with no preamble or introduction. Her face was dark beneath her scarlet hood, yet her white cheeks were tinged red like those of a maiden in love. "It was said that the rights would be granted impartially. Equally, to all races, to all peoples. Yet, that was never anything more than a sweet little white lie. The Apostle made his choice back at the very beginning, he did." Kaito's brows involuntarily furrowed. The Grave Keeper was clearly agitated about something, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was that had set her off. Impartial rights... Is she talking about the letter the Butcher sent out? But this thing about the Apostle making his choice back at the start...what's that about? "It was simple once I put my mind to it. The fact that the whelp served as a guide was proof. The fact that he sought 'two' was proof. And if that is the case, then it's hardly my place to raise objections. It's only right that the number of people who receive blessings be limited. Only a few shall bear witness to her sacred awakening. For that, verily, is providence, is it not?" The Grave Keeper's tone began gradually shifting. It started to sound like she herself was the one she was trying to convince. An indescribable sense of unease washed over Kaito. Lute's reaction seemed no different. Elisabeth and Jeanne, on the other hand, appeared wholly unfazed. It seemed that the two Torture Princesses had anticipated a showdown with the Grave Keeper. Even so, though, Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. "...Just what exactly are you going on about?" Kaito was taken aback. Apparently, not even Elisabeth knew the reason behind the Grave Keeper's confusion. Jeanne's expression was as blank as always, and her rose-colored gaze was steely. Instinctively, Kaito grabbed on to the jewel within his pocket. Heat emanated from the stone by means of a response. Letting Vlad out here might be a good idea. As the Kaiser would have it, Vlad was "He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind." His disposition was fundamentally calm, but his nature was twisted and mad. There was a good chance that he'd be able to interpret the Grave Keeper's ramblings for them. But calling Vlad out here would raise problems of its own. Standing around the Grave Keeper was a group of gigantic, transfigured paladins. Their stiff armor was spread out over their engorged muscles like caramel. Their limbs were elongated as well, knees, elbows, and all. However, their transformations were just slight enough that they still counted as "human." They were no doubt |
the cream of the crop, those who'd either been relatively compatible or those who'd successfully been able to take in pain. They were currently standing in a line, stock-still and with their swords pointed toward the ground like a row of statues. However, there was no telling how they'd react if he added Vlad to the mix. Odds were good that a battle would break out before Kaito even had a chance to ask Vlad to interpret. Hina was standing in front of him, protecting him with her halberd at the ready. Lute also had a firm grip on his sword's handle. Everyone present was prepared for fighting to break out at any moment. And no wonder... Now that we've come head-to-head like this, it's not like we have room to worry about power struggles or politics anymore. After all, the Apostle, which was to say, the Butcher, was within their line of sight. It was only a matter of time before they started trying to kill each other in earnest. And only the survivors would end up finding out where the Saint was resting. However, the Grave Keeper seemed to have only just caught on to the bloodlust emanating from Kaito's company. She shook her head vigorously from side to side, as though to suggest that the entire thing was preposterous. Snowflakes fluttered loosely off her scarlet cloak. She then clutched tightly at her chest as she wrung her pained words out. "No, no, heavens, no. I, and those who share my beliefs, no longer have any intention of turning our swords on you. Now it's faith that's required of us." "...Wait, you're not here to fight us?" "I believe in you all, you see. Even if you don't afford me the same sentiments! However, you require an ordeal. Indeed, one from another besides myself. However, that is all. That, truly, is all." "...Someone other than you?" Kaito felt an unpleasant premonition, and a chill ran down his spine. Even now, the Grave Keeper's voice was tinged with madness. Her pupils were dilated, her arms were spread wide, and spittle flew from her mouth as she talked. "For the sake of the world, for the sake of the people, our revered Saint fell into slumber and shed tears of blood! That is what flows through the roots of the Church—her unrewarded love, her noble self-sacrifice! In the name of faith, in the name of the world, she cast herself aside! And what could that be but the most desirable trait possible for those chosen to possess! I have sacrificed everything, discarded even my ego! Can you, the chosen ones, say the same?" As she forcefully posed her question, the Grave Keeper held her right arm aloft. An unpleasant metallic noise followed. Upon looking at her hand, Kaito finally noticed something. Clenched within her small fist was the end of a silver chain. The noise acted as a signal, and the paladins set into motion. Relinquishing their posts at the Grave Keeper's side, they parted to the left and right like waves. Then, in unison, the transfigured paladins knelt. Then, pulled by the chain, something with four legs advanced between them. The thing was a beast draped in fine scarlet cloth. Beneath the cloth, its flesh and bones burbled as they constantly swelled and contracted back to their original shape. Each time they did, blood gushed forth, and a cry of pain rose from beneath the folds. The moment he heard it, Kaito shuddered. He recognized that voice. Th-that's not... "And here it is! Here it is, O unworthy contractor of mine!" The Kaiser's laughs echoed within Kaito's eardrums. At the same time, he felt someone firmly staring at him. The boy who'd once saved him was looking straight at him, his unflinching gaze boring into Kaito's skin. The dead boy, Neue, was asking Kaito a question with his eyes. Can you? he was asking. Can I what? replied Kaito silently. But even as he did, his thoughts naturally rushed to a certain fact. I've slain a lot of people. He'd drenched himself in blood, lost his left arm, and lost his status as a normal human. He'd killed foes, he'd killed demons, and he'd killed underlings. That was how he'd gotten by. But up until then, he'd never once killed someone he himself held dear. He'd gotten this far without ever needing to. But Neue's gaze was asking him a question. Can you? he was asking. The Kaiser, on the other hand, was merely laughing his almost-human laugh. "It seems a proper trial is upon you!" There was no way Kaito could successfully feign ignorance as to what he was being told. He was well aware. There was no doubt in his mind as to what question he was being asked. "Please show me tragic devotion befitting the favor you've received! Show it to me, if you'd be so kind!" As she made her loud entreaty, the Grave Keeper yanked off the scarlet cloth. The curtain to the freak show had been drawn, and the creature's full body was revealed. Kaito reflexively looked down at his feet. Then he let out a violent whisper. "........................................................................ You fucking monster." The thing beneath the cloth had once been human. Its silver hair was longer than it had been before. It crept like vines, winding its tangled tips around the creature's legs. All its flesh had metamorphosized and had either swelled up like tumors or was sagging. Because of that, the scars that had once run across its skin were exaggerated, causing them to look like stitches. Its armor had been taken from it, and its spine was crooked and warped like an animal's. Its breasts rocked as they scratched against the surface of the ice. Then she slowly looked up. When she did, her gemlike, mismatched blue and purple eyes came to rest on Kaito and the others. Even now, her eyes were still beautiful. "Ah... Ah, ah, ah, ahhhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The creature let out a roar of agony. Can you? asked Neue's gaze once more. Can you kill Izabella Vicker? he was asking. Can you kill her, like all those transformed paladins you unhesitatingly decided there was no way to save? Kaito parted his trembling lips. Then he gave his confession to the phantasm whom only he could see. "I...can't." Then the thing that had once been Izabella leaped. Its sharp claws and fangs loudly bore down on Kaito. There existed something that Kaito Sena had never thought about. It was something he's stubbornly ignored time and time again. For instance, there were all the people who'd been forcibly turned into underlings. For instance, there were the people whose pain had been used to pacify a demon. For instance, there were the paladins who had eaten demon flesh, either by force or by stupidity. In other words, innocent victims. Kaito had killed them, hoisting a flag of mercy all the while. Because he'd known that there was no other way to save them, he hadn't so much as hesitated. Despite its hypocrisy, the act itself had been compassionate. However, therein lay room for a question to arise. It was a question related to an instance that had yet to occur, one that Kaito had purposefully avoided thinking about. What if, hypothetically, one of the victims was someone Kaito knew well? Would it still be so easy for me to kill them, claiming that there weren't any other options? Could he, Kaito Sena, do that? Or was the reason he'd been able to avoid hesitating merely because the victims hadn't meant anything to him? ...It's the latter. Now Kaito could be sure of that. That was the plain truth of the matter. Even so, he still didn't believe that he'd been in the wrong. Someone you knew would invariably be more important to you than someone you didn't. That was just how the world worked. And at the same time, killing someone, even someone who meant nothing to you, was hard on a person. It wasn't as though Kaito was a homicidal maniac or something. In order to save someone who was constantly suffering, though, someone else necessarily had to get their hands dirty. Suffering an eternity of pain was a cruel thing indeed. Because he believed that, Kaito had drenched his hands in blood. Doesn't it make it blasphemous if I can't do the same now, then? "I did it to you all, but I can't do the same to someone I know." Was he really going to face the mountain of corpses he'd piled up and say that? It would be complete and utter bullshit. And it would be deeply, deeply unforgivable. But of course, Kaito Sena already knew all that. Back in the real world, that entire train of thought had gone through his mind in the space of a blink. As he returned to his senses, Kaito channeled mana into the soles of his feet, propelling himself back on his own strength. Not a second later, Izabella's forearm shattered the icy ground before him. He landed a hairbreadth beside Hina, who had almost taken off at a run. As she breathed a sigh of relief, a heartbroken light passed through Hina's eyes. "Master Kaito... I understand how you feel, but..." "Huh? ...Oh." It was then that Kaito first realized that his hand was outstretched and had been for some time. Grabbing his right arm with its beastly left counterpart, he forcibly wrenched it back down. Then, with trembling fingers, he stroked his cheek. I knew it was gonna end like this. Or, at least, I should have known. Kaito had left Izabella behind, knowing full well what would become of her. Even so, the scene before his eyes smashed his heart to pieces like a hammer. That was simply how cruel Izabella's transformation had been. Elisabeth said nothing. Surprisingly, Jeanne's expressionless face showed no changes. Lute, however, let out a low growl, sword in hand. He narrowed his eyes, as though digging through his memories. "Sir Kaito, is perchance that monster someone you...? No, I, too, know her name. Izabella. Izabella the paladin... That silver hair, the color of those eyes... Could that truly be Izabella Vicker? Why, that's their commander! Why has she become such a thing?" "Lute, you and Izabella knew each other?" "She paid us a few courtesy calls regarding the assistance Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast was providing in rebuilding the Capital. Her manners were rare for a human, and she valued repaying her debts. Why, from her second visit on, she even brought souvenirs for my wife! Well, I suppose that hardly qualifies as knowing her. Yet, still..." Then Lute stiffened his jaw, his teeth audibly grinding together. As he looked at Izabella's grotesque form, his lupine eyes flashed. Dumbfounded, he repeated himself. "Still..." "It's okay, Lute. It's more than enough in my book." If it was someone he hadn't known, he could likely have put her down out of pity. But knowing her character, how warm her heart had once been, would have dulled anyone's blade. That was just the way things were. Sentiment had the power to radically change the weight of a murder. Even so, though, there were times when battle was inevitable. Now was one of those times. "Ah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah, ehhhhh, eh, aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Izabella let out a maddened scream. Several of her bones had pointlessly expanded. In particular, her knees and elbows pierced through her skin. Each time she moved, blood flowed freely from her body. In spite of that, though, she leaped around with clear purpose. Her silver hair grew violently disheveled. Chunks wrapped around her limbs tore free, taking bits of scalp with them as they went. "Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee, ha-ha-ha-ha, hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Even so, she continued laughing at the top of her voice. Recollections started flashing through Kaito's mind. Then, despite knowing that it was the most meaninglessly sentimental thing he could possibly do, he began filtering through his memories. |
First, he thought back to what had happened in the Capital, back when the demonic mass of flesh had invaded. Izabella's straight silver hair had glistened in the moonlight. Back then, not a single scar had marred her skin. After unhesitatingly taking the Kaiser's contractor's hand in hers, she'd spoken. "Let's take out that demon together." Next, he thought about the events back in the demon's world, the space where everything died. Paying no heed to the fact that the force of her mana was tearing apart her skin from inside, Izabella had shouted at him through a communication device. "Don't give me that nonsense, Kaito Sena! Enough is enough! You should be looking for any help you can get, even if it comes from a monster! Don't you want to save the suffering people as soon as possible?" Then there had been the events down in the underground tomb. She had been the one to deal the final blow to the gatekeeper within, a monster that the Grave Keeper had created by fusing a demon with a divine creature. Despite her trembling hands, Izabella had laid her arm horizontally over her chest. Despite her flowing tears, she'd given it a bow. "No longer must you be bound by the chains of your tortured existence. Your efforts guarding the tomb did not go unnoticed." Finally, Kaito arrived at the memory of what had happened only just a little bit ago. Izabella had stood with her back to the exploding light. Even while she rejected Kaito and the others, she'd still smiled. "That we are, I suppose. Idiots, one and all." The lacerations running across her pale skin had twisted unattractively. Yet, even so, Izabella Vicker was beautiful. She had truly been beautiful. I... I can... As he tried to finish thinking through his answer, though, Kaito found himself interrupted. Crimson flower petals had begun gently fluttering around him. Startled, Kaito felt his eyes go wide. At some point, crimson had become interspersed with the silver snowflakes dancing through the air. A violent wind broke out, and petals and feathers flew through the air as though trying to blot out the milky sky. Astonished as he was, Kaito was reminded once more of a certain truth. Sentiment had the power to radically change the weight of a murder. That was only natural. But there's someone I know who's fully willing to trample their own thoughts and feelings underfoot. She was someone who paid no heed to the wails of others, no matter how grief-stricken or forlorn they might be. And she had the power to utterly destroy her own feelings and sentimentality. The hefty sins she bore on her back did nothing to dull the resonance of her loud laughter. Now she was standing proud and tall amid the whirlpool of crimson petals and black feathers. She was the proud wolf. She was the lowly sow. She was the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. And she was holding Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal aloft. "How pitiful you are, Izabella. Yet, this, too, is the fruit of your resolve and dedication. Thus, I lend you no compassion or scorn. I shall simply kill you. And I shan't ask for your gratitude. Death is a fate we all wish to avoid. Even if it is the sole avenue to respite, that sentiment is one that every living creature shares." Elisabeth's voice was cold and firm. She was arrogant, and at the same time, she knew full well what it meant to take a life. Her black hair fluttered as she began advancing, passing by Kaito in silence. When she did, she didn't spare him so much as a glance. She said nothing to anyone else, either. When she spoke, it was to Izabella alone. "Resent me to your heart's content. 'Tis your right to do so." Unhesitatingly, she looked into those blue and purple eyes. Her gaze didn't waver for a moment. Just like she'd done for Marianne and the children who'd been fused to the mass of flesh, she gazed at the one she intended to kill. At the same time, Kaito felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. What am...what the hell am I doing? "Go now to your rest." "Elisabeth, wait!" The shout escaped Kaito's lips half-unbidden. Elisabeth whirled to face him, clearly annoyed. Izabella stooped over, then let out a growl. Keeping a careful eye on her movements, Elisabeth heaved a sigh. "What, are you going to insist that we can save her or some such nonsense? Idiocy taken to extremes can border on sin, you know." "No, that's not it! I just need you to hold on for a minute." Kaito tried to take a step forward. When he did, though, he realized something. Even though his thoughts were clear and level, his knees were on the verge of unceremoniously giving way. Hina quickly rushed over to his side. She gently took his hand in hers to comfort him. "Master Kaito, your hand... I understand what it is you're thinking. What a truly kind man you are. If you wish to do this, even though your legs tremble so, then I shall accompany you." "Thanks, Hina. Every step I take forward is thanks to your help." Kaito returned Hina's soft squeeze. Then, with her by his side, he stepped before Elisabeth. Awkward as his demeanor was, the Torture Princess didn't laugh at him. She simply waited for him to speak. As he gazed at her, he ruminated on something. Back at the entrance to the underground tomb, when he and Elisabeth had been crossing blades, what was it he'd been thinking about? Why had he fought so hard to avoid being killed by the Torture Princess? It wasn't fear of death. It was mindless obsession. That's right. It wasn't because I didn't want to die. It was something way more important than that. Like hell I'm gonna let Elisabeth kill me. Like hell I'm gonna let her kill anyone else she cares about. That was what had been going through his mind. Isn't that right, Kaito Sena?! The number of people whom one could choose to save at all costs was highly limited. Kaito was well aware of that fact. Back before he was reincarnated, he hadn't had a single person who was precious to him. That was precisely why he'd decided to fight to the bitter end to protect the ones he'd found in this life. But this demon-ridden world was harsh and cruel. His experiences in his past life had helped him learn one thing quickly: Due to his powerlessness, his arms could reach only a handful of people. Because of that, he'd chosen to put Elisabeth Le Fanu ahead of the whole world. He'd decided to put his entire existence on the line to save that dreadful, horrible, peerless sinner. What, then, could he possibly have to tremble about? "Indeed—one who forgets their greatest wish is naught but a fool masquerading as a saint." The Kaiser had told him to trample over everyone who stood in his path. Kaito ground his teeth. Even if Izabella's smile had been beautiful. Even if she'd been radiant as she foolishly strode straight forward. That was something he couldn't allow the Torture Princess to bear. "I'll be the one to kill Izabella Vicker." And with that, Kaito made his declaration. He squeezed Hina's hand in gratitude. Then, after tapping the back of her hand to set her mind at ease, he let go of it and strode alone toward Izabella. The Torture Princess narrowed her crimson eyes. Hina closed her eyes, then opened them. Lute hung his head downward. Kaito Sena raised his hand high and made to snap his fingers. Then, right before he could, a massive silver fist came crashing into him. "Hmm?" "Wh—?" "Master Kaitoooooooooooo!" Elisabeth arched an eyebrow, Lute was dumbstruck, and Hina let out a cry. As for Kaito himself, it took a couple of violent revolutions of his body before the fact that he'd been punched set in. He then descended in a cartoonish tailspin. A moment before he crashed to the ground, though, Hina successfully slid into position to catch him. "A-a-a-a-are you all right, Master Kaito? I had no idea you would go popping and whizzing through the air like that, my beloved. Oh heavens, what would I have done if I hadn't caught you?" "H-Hina... Ow, ow, what happened to me?" "Why, it was her." Confused as she was, Hina's tone when she answered Kaito's question was filled with unmistakable reproach. At the other end of her pointed gaze, a single individual was walking forward. Her honey-blond hair danced luxuriously. It was the golden girl, her outfit as risqué as ever. Behind her was a steel giant. Deus Ex Machina had merged back together, and it was the one who'd punched Kaito. Her rose eyes flickered as Jeanne de Rais looked down on Kaito Sena. When she spoke, her voice was cold. "As the one who chose Izabella Vicker as my evangelist, getting to the bottom of her transfiguration is my duty. Sorry for butting in just when you worked up your resolve, but I'm gonna need you to back down now. This one's mine." Then Jeanne turned to face Izabella and looked down on her transformed, monstrous form. After slightly narrowing her eyes, Jeanne raised an arm. The steel giant squared off in response. Spiderweb cracks splintered in the ice beneath its feet. Her voice dispassionate, Jeanne went on. "Granting her death will be my responsibility. Arrogantly, selfishly, and self-righteously shall I lower the curtain on her life... No, my apologies. Allow me to correct myself, that I may speak the untarnished truth. Granting her death will be my privilege." Jeanne spoke with imposing dignity. Izabella offered no reply. Blood and drool dribbled from her lips, and she receded backward, as though on high guard. Jeanne watched over her calmly. Then, eventually, the corners of her lips curled up into something resembling a smile. "It seems the stories were true... First loves just ain't meant to be." The next moment, Izabella dashed forward like a lion. When she did, a steel fist crashed hard into her side. Kaito watched over the state of the battle, still swaddled in Hina's arms. Lute opened his mouth in bewilderment, and Elisabeth crossed her arms. However, the affair before them could barely even be described as a battle. To be more precise, it was a beatdown. That was just how powerful Deus Ex Machina was after returning to one body. "I suspected as much. You didn't need to consume something like that to attain power, li'l miss." Jeanne began talking to Izabella. While she did, the steel giant continued mercilessly swinging its fists. Even if they tore or were sliced, Izabella's limbs and torso would quickly regenerate. Because of that fact, the steel giant narrowed down its attack to blunt strikes. Its fist carved a straight arc through the air. Its offensive options may have been limited, but its movements surpassed the perception of man and beast alike. Unable to avoid the strike, Izabella was dashed hard against the cold ground. The subsequent blow crushed her body. Her bones writhed, trying to return to their original positions. As they did, her flesh loudly burst. The regeneration had been too much for her, and her ribs had popped out through her back like springs. Lute's lupine snout scrunched up. Unable to take it anymore, he averted his eyes. Kaito, Hina, and Elisabeth were silent as they watched the one-sided beatdown. "Gah... Ahhh... Argh... Geh..." Izabella violently retched. Blood and countless chunks of flesh spilled out onto the ice. For the first time, Izabella looked afraid. She dragged her broken legs along as she tried to put distance between herself and Jeanne. Jeanne gracefully approached the fleeing Izabella, steel giant in tow. Then, with an almost terrifying calmness, she continued talking. "Divided as they were |
from the titan, miss, you once managed to reach me through Bandersnatch and Gargantua. And as you were before, you would have remained composed even in the face of Deus Ex Machina's parts combined. So what's this sorry shit? I told you not to go, didn't I?" "Graaaaaaaaaah, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Jeanne received a low, terrified roar in reply. Her words didn't seem to have reached Izabella. Jeanne's rose eyes narrowed just a hair. Izabella's entire body undulated. Her flesh was rapidly expanding. Muscle fibers began wrapping around her still-exposed ribs. When they were finished, they'd formed sets of winglike, fleshy protrusions. Her body's damage was forcibly being compensated for, but it was impossible to completely negate the wounds from the blows she'd received. Izabella drew back even farther. Even while she was retreating, her movements took on a frailer quality to them. Jeanne gazed expressionlessly at the veritable wounded animal before her. When she whispered next, her voice sounded truly young. "...I told you." "Gah, ah, ahhh, grahhhhhhhhhhhhh, gyah!" Izabella recklessly leaped at the giant only to be brushed away like a flea for her troubles. The arc she painted through the air on her way to the icy ground was almost comical. Bones and flesh writhed beneath her skin once more. However, her regeneration was growing more and more chaotic. Strange convulsions ran all across her body. Izabella managed to lift herself off the ground, enduring no small amount of pain as she did. She looked ready to leap again. Jeanne spoke coolly, directing her words at Izabella's trembling back. "I think that's enough, little lady. Just submit to your pitiful, tragic rest." "Gah, ah... Gaaaaaaaah!" Izabella let out a meaningless moan. Jeanne opened her mouth. Before she could say anything, though, she showed a rare moment of hesitation. After closing her mouth and opening it again, the whisper seemed to practically spill unbidden from her lips. "You are a leader, though perhaps only in name, no?" When it did, Izabella stopped in her tracks. Her silver hair violently shook as she suddenly turned to look over her shoulder. When she did, she focused her blue and purple eyes on Jeanne, just as she had once before. "Ms....Izabella?" "Izabella..." Kaito and Hina both reflexively called out her name. She gave no reply. However, the light of reason had faintly made its way back into her eyes. It was fleeting, though, and ephemeral. She was on the verge of being ruled by nothing more than her base animalistic instincts of pain and starvation and the fear of death. Her face morphed unattractively back and forth. From senseless beast to human, from human to beast. Once her internal battle had finished, Izabella's trembling legs set into motion. She sat down in place. Her silver hair gently sagged as she bowed her head and went motionless. It was as though she was asking that they cut off her head and be done with it. "Impossible... How can this be? How can she retain her sanity even after being transfigured so?" Elisabeth's voice was filled with disbelief. Her words echoed Kaito's sentiments as well. Jeanne remained silent. Her rose eyes, though, opened wide in what could only be described as bafflement. She seldom showed anywhere close to that much emotion. The next moment, her eyes rapidly set into motion. She cast her gaze away from Izabella, focusing it on the Grave Keeper with such intensity that sparks seemed likely to start flying out. The scarlet-clad girl, for her part, replied to the hostile stare with a warm smile. Seemingly having come to understand something by that, Jeanne nodded. "I see. So shit was weird from the start, huh?" That's right... Now that I think about it, the signs were there. As Jeanne spoke, Kaito realized something. All the transformed people they'd seen had had their eyes engorged, congested with blood and sometimes even ruptured. Yet, Izabella's eyes had been just as beautiful as ever. Coming from someone who knew what she'd looked like originally, Kaito felt the state of her transformation had seemed near-absolute. In truth, though, the degree to which she'd been transformed was probably comparatively lighter. In all likelihood, the paladins on the verge of death had had their skin melting off beneath their armor. Kaito tumbled out of Hina's arms. He unconsciously covered his mouth. Was it because Izabella resisted? Or...did the Church do that intentionally? Either way, she must not have eaten much of the demon meat. But in the end, what difference did that make? The fact that she was beyond saving remained unchanged. That was what the rational part of his brain determined. At the same time, however, a wave of discomfort ran over him. She...should be, but... There's something off about Jeanne. There could be little doubt that the golden Torture Princess was even more rational than Kaito was. At the moment, though, she had completely laid off the attack. She merely blinked, her rose eyes flashing. "...This falls outside my expectations. But not yours, I suppose?" Jeanne continued staring at the Grave Keeper as she murmured. The young girl offered no reply, instead just continuing to smile her perfectly unnatural smile. Her gaze was affectionate, so much so that it evoked the image of a saint. It was an expression one would hardly expect to come from the one who'd birthed this hellish situation. Jeanne turned back toward Izabella once more. Her whispered voice had a rare tone of bewilderment to it. "It seems that I do have the power to save you, little lady." "What?!" Kaito couldn't stop himself from letting out a shout. As he did, Deus Ex Machina moved. Despite its considerable mass, it gave off no noise or presence as it advanced. And then the giant ruthlessly crushed Izabella. "W-wait, you, you just said you could save her! You said you can save her, didn't you?" "Yes, I can save her. And this is a necessary step in doing so." After returning to his senses, Kaito shouted out yet again, to which Jeanne replied coolly. However, it certainly didn't seem that way to him. Deus Ex Machina slowly lifted its fist. Unsurprisingly, Izabella's body was almost completely crushed. She was just barely breathing, but now it was even harder to imagine her ever getting back to normal. "Allow me to reiterate myself. This is sufficient. The bits I smashed weren't necessary, see?" "Unnecessary?" "Now, all I have to do is remove them." Kaito asked his question in an uneasy tone, but Jeanne replied with conviction. His reaction was one of blank shock. If Jeanne did that, Izabella would definitely die. After all, she would end up losing over half her body. But Jeanne unconcernedly laid out a means by which to preserve Izabella's life. "Then we can do our best to supplement the places where the demon meat set its roots in with parts from Deus Ex Machina." "Wait, is that even possible?" "It is. They're weapons designed for combat, but they can alter their forms as they please. They can even act as human organs. However, in doing so, we would lose access to a powerful weapon." Kaito's eyes went wide in comprehension. Unlike Elisabeth, who summoned her torture devices each time, Jeanne used Deus Ex Machina as a more conventional weapon. Whether or not someone could mold the mana drifting around in higher dimensions into a form suitable for combat depended heavily on their inherent nature, after all. Deus Ex Machina was designed to circumvent that restriction. If we lose it, the strength at our disposal will invariably suffer. But... Kaito looked over at Izabella's crushed body. Then he turned his gaze to the Grave Keeper, who was looking at Jeanne like a shepherd watching over a lost lamb. Kaito suddenly recalled the inscrutable declarations she'd made. "For the sake of the world, for the sake of the people, our revered Saint fell into slumber and shed tears of blood! That is what flows through the roots of the Church—her unrewarded love, her noble self-sacrifice! In the name of faith, in the name of the world, she cast herself aside! And what could that be but the most desirable trait possible for those chosen to possess! I have sacrificed everything, discarded even my ego! Can you, the chosen ones, say the same? "Please, show me tragic devotion befitting the favor you've received! Show it to me, if you'd be so kind!" Is this what she was talking about? It would appear that the Grave Keeper was asking them to demonstrate their devotion by sacrificing Deus Ex Machina to save Izabella. However, there were still mysteries left to solve. For example, the Grave Keeper had said that she no longer had any intention of fighting them. In other words, she shouldn't have had any reason to want to whittle away the Torture Princess's strength. If that was the case, then, why was she doing it? What was the Grave Keeper's goal? As that question rattled around in Kaito's head, though, he was suddenly interrupted. "What to do; what to do?" A distracted murmur echoed out. Kaito's eyes went wide. Of all the things she could be doing, Jeanne was standing before Izabella's crushed frame with her arms casually folded. Her words and demeanor made no sense to Kaito. In his mind, there was only one logical path to take. His voice grew rough as he pointed at Izabella's dying body. "What the hell are you talking about?! What is there to think about? You can save her, can't you?!" "Indeed. I can save her." "You said she was your first love, didn't you?!" Kaito's scream was so forceful, he risked damaging his throat. As far as he was concerned, the things Jeanne was saying were unforgivable. She had had nothing, and now she'd finally found someone precious to her. Choosing to cast her aside was a choice he refused to get behind. He refused to approve of it. Hell, he didn't even want to try to understand it. There's no way—not that! A beast-like growl slipped from Kaito's mouth, to which Jeanne replied with an unfalteringly calm gaze. When she spoke, her voice was just as calm. "Allow me to ask you a question, then, mister. Is that deed truly more worthy than bringing about salvation?" The moment she did, an answer burst forth from Kaito's brain, one that ran in stark contrast to his emotions. It wasn't. There was no person so valuable that saving them was more important than the entire world. That fact was the same as it had ever been. There were no exceptions. All he had to do was look over his shoulder at the corpses he'd piled up. Giving special treatment to a single person would be wrong. And right now, the world's fate hung in the balance. Now was no time to complain or nitpick. They simply needed to do what needed to be done. That was the only correct answer. You should know that, Kaito Sena. Yeah, I know. I know all too well. THAT'S WHY I DON'T KNOW, GODDAMMIT! "Screw you. Shut up." Kaito violently repudiated the correct answer he'd arrived at. Jeanne blinked. Kaito's reply had hardly constituted an answer. Yet, in a way, it had conveyed everything. His composure fracturing, Kaito racked his brain. Jeanne, Elisabeth, they're all the same. All they can come up with are correct answers. Elisabeth, the raven-haired Torture Princess, showed no signs of bearing regrets, nor did she ever try to cast aside her sins. But what about Jeanne? If she did bear regrets, what would she be left with after the world was saved? If she won't have anything left, then... ...then at that point, what had she really even saved? That instant, a shout exploded from Kaito's lungs. "Don't listen to me!" "...Pardon?" "Don't listen to anyone! Think about it yourself! Think about it yourself, all on your own! Don't let anyone else |
decide for you what is and isn't more precious than the world! You have to choose; you have to make the decision! Dammit, you, you're not thinking at all!" "You're saying rather strange things, mister. What are you suggesting it is that I'm not thinking about?" "You can't seriously tell me you paid a single thought to whether you'd regret it or not!" Upon hearing Kaito's accusation, Jeanne cocked her head to the side. It was faint, but her lack of expression started crumbling a little. She blinked as she replied, her voice filled with utter astonishment. "Whether I would regret it or not? That don't matter for shit." "Like hell it doesn't! And the moment you couldn't immediately say that you wouldn't proves it, goddammit! You're the one who brought up first love, so don't you dare pretend you're some robot who doesn't know what emotions—Oh, right, this world doesn't have robots... Anyway, don't talk like you're pretending you don't have feelings! Dammit, how can you be so...how can you be such a...?" Kaito was even more dumbfounded than Jeanne was. Unable to find the words he was looking for, he stomped his foot on the ground. Then he took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. The words he finally found were equal parts earnest and ill-fitting. "How can you be such an idiot?" "I see. How nonsensical. However, this does mark the first time anyone has ever asked me that." Jeanne's whisper was quiet and subdued. She looked back over at Izabella. The convulsions running across her body were growing weaker and weaker. Yet, Jeanne refused to move, as though she were frozen solid. The heavy silence persisted. Kaito was on the verge of wringing more words out of himself. Before he could, though, Jeanne hesitatingly opened her mouth, then closed it again. After repeating that process a few times, she finally managed to get the words out. "What do you think, miss, Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu?" The question had an almost desperate ring to it. Likely expecting words of rebuke, Jeanne elaborated on her inquiry to the black Torture Princess, the woman cut from the same cloth as herself. "You consider all equally. You bear heavy sins and will someday burn at the stake for them. You refuse to betray those you've killed, and you obstinately continue your life as an arrogant, honest sinner. If it were you—?" "Hell if I know. Silence. I'm tired of listening to you." The reply came in three curt remarks. Furthermore, it came from a location that nobody had expected. Everyone present turned to look. Lute, in particular, gave a heavy gasp. Elisabeth Le Fanu was positioned in midair. Facing her target, she was holding her sword aloft. On the other end of her sword stood the Grave Keeper, whose scarlet robe fluttered as she looked up at the Torture Princess aiming for her. Everyone felt as though time had frozen over. The sinner and the zealot exchanged a meaningful stare. The Grave Keeper could have easily given orders to the paladins, who were still kneeling to the side. However, she persisted in her silence. The crimson blade drew toward the pale neck, almost as if the two were destined to meet. The moment before the sword reached its target, the Grave Keeper spoke as though in prayer. "'You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand.'" Her quiet, hopeful smile had never left her face. As the Grave Keeper spoke to her killer, her expression was steeped in heartfelt affection. "Hallelujah." And with that, Elisabeth's blade sliced through her young neck. Blood surged. The Grave Keeper's round little head went flying through the air. It then rolled along the ground, eventually coming to a stop still draped in its scarlet hood. A pool of blood quietly gathered. The Grave Keeper had been killed before their very eyes, and she hadn't so much as put up a fight. The paladins didn't move. The way they refrained from counterattacking implied that they'd been given orders not to beforehand. Instead, they stood up in unison and raised their arms horizontally over their chests. Turning to face the Grave Keeper's corpse, they bowed. Their postures seemed to be ones of mourning. Suddenly, Kaito arrived at a hypothesis. The Grave Keeper's escorts seemed to have had a relatively high compatibility with the demon meat. Maybe that was because they'd willingly chosen to consume the meat and carefully tuned their portions. No matter what kind of person they are, anyone with a strong will will inevitably find admirers. Even if that person harbored nothing but madness. Just so long as their conviction was unshakable. "Tch, how ghastly. 'Tis my first victory to ever be so irksome." Elisabeth landed on the ground unopposed. She clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. A violent wave of confusion washed over Kaito. The Grave Keeper had died, and she hadn't even tried to defend herself. And she'd probably even told the paladins not to retaliate. But why? He had no idea what she'd been trying to accomplish. Should we really be playing along with the Grave Keeper's scheme like this? Plagued by his misgivings, Kaito turned to look back at Jeanne. She still hadn't made her decision. Instead, she was looking at Elisabeth in supplication. Elisabeth dispelled her sword and began walking. It didn't look as though she intended to give Jeanne any replies past the three she already had. The black Torture Princess passed by the golden Torture Princess. Suddenly, though, Elisabeth came to a stop. Still facing forward, she gave a quiet murmur. "'Twere it I, I would ask no one. And if any dared tell me what to do, I'd lend them no ear." *** "Yet, ask you did. I obtained power by killing people as they wailed and screamed. You obtained power by killing the willing. One part the same, one part different—not that I was informed, at any rate. In truth, I find it unpleasant that such a woman would declare herself Torture Princess. That is what I say to you, Jeanne de Rais, the saint, the whore, and the maiden of salvation." Jeanne didn't respond. Only Elisabeth's eyes moved as she gazed at her in profile. When Elisabeth spoke next, her voice was cold beyond belief. "Do as you please. 'Twere it I, I would kill her. But you are not I. And the burden of your choice shall be yours alone to shoulder. But bear no conceits—saving the world and destroying it are but mere matters of personal selfishness." "...It would seem both my options are cruel. But damn, this one's a doozy." Jeanne's voice was quiet and subdued. The ebony Torture Princess resumed walking, leaving her behind. Elisabeth left Kaito and the others behind as well as she headed toward the Butcher. Kaito hurriedly grabbed Hina by the hand and followed behind. After looking around restlessly, Lute joined them, too. As they ran, Kaito cast a fleeting glance backward. Only Jeanne and Izabella remained atop the ice. Alone, the golden Torture Princess gazed down upon the dying woman. She gazed down upon the person who, by all rights, she should let die. She gazed down upon the first woman she'd ever loved. "I'll..." Jeanne's whisper came out hoarse. Then her head flopped to the side. For the first time, her expressionless visage shattered. With a perplexed look on her face, she let out a childlike whisper. "...I...will?" And then Jeanne de Rais, the saint, the whore, and the man-made maiden of salvation, made her choice. 8 The Butcher's Story Kaito and the others ran atop the narrow pathway that sat between the two fissures. Bottomless abysses lay on either side. One wrong step and they would be swallowed up by the unknowable darkness. They dashed quickly but carefully. The dark blob in the distance slowly but surely grew closer, eventually revealing the silhouette of a familiar back. In a way, it really did look lonely. It feels kinda like he's waiting for someone who'll never come. As he quickened his pace even further, Kaito felt a strange pressure coming from ahead. It was like a wind was blowing up from the bottom of the pit. However, the air around him didn't seem to be moving an inch. Now that he thought about it, the snow had stopped falling as well. The atmosphere was frozen over and tense. It felt as though the whole world were holding its breath. I guess this really is the moment that the world was waiting for. However, he didn't know what it was waiting for in particular. He didn't know what would happen, or what would become clear, once they reached the Saint's Apostle, either. In fact, he didn't even have proof that they'd be able to find out where the Saint really was. Even so, he kept on running. Eventually, as he closed in on the figure's back, he called out to it. "Butcher!" "Why, if it isn't Mr. Dim-Witted Servant, Madam Elisabeth, and Ms. Lovely Maid! And the rest of you fine people, you're all here!" The Butcher did a little hop. His reply was no different from normal, as though he'd been out on a stroll and had just happened to bump into them. It was not a response anyone had expected. Perplexed, Kaito came to a stop. Everyone else did the same. Hina's expression was just as confused as his, and Lute scrunched up his snout and made no efforts to hide his wariness. Elisabeth frowned in displeasure. Jeanne, bringing up the rear, wore a serene expression on her face. Not looking at the Butcher, her gaze was solidly fixed on the woman she was cradling in her arms. It was Izabella, with more than 70 percent of her body supplemented with machine parts. She was adrift in a defenseless slumber. The way Jeanne was carrying Izabella reminded Kaito of a statue from his old world called the Pietà that he'd once caught a glimpse of on television. As the Butcher looked at her, he let out a surprised cry. "Ah, so that's what you chose! Goodness gracious, what a surprise! I had a hunch, somehow or other, yet it's a surprise all the same!" "You little..." "Humans really are intriguing creatures, I must say. They have wisdom surpassing any beast, yet at times they find themselves driven by their emotions despite knowing full well how illogical they're being. I can't say I hate that contradiction, mind you!" "You knew this was gonna happen, just like the Grave Keeper did, then?" Kaito's voice was full of quiet rage, indicating his revulsion and fury at having been toyed with by the two of them. However, the Butcher's demeanor didn't change. His response was clear and prompt. "Oh no, I just heard bits and pieces of information from my little whelp. So I figured, this is what would happen if the golden, Deus Ex Machina–wielding Torture Princess butted heads with the Grave Keeper, that's all. She was quite the devout believer, after all, and she had a rather solid head on her shoulders. But, me oh my, I'm just glad that that delightful woman is all right!" "You don't get to say that!" "I'm being entirely sincere! Back when I was trapped in the Gibbet, she was kind enough to show me concern. Wishing death on her was the furthest thing from my mind!" "Skip the nonsense, Butcher." A cold voice interrupted Kaito and the Butcher's exchange. Slipping adroitly through the group's ranks, Elisabeth took her place at its head. She then went on, marking the Butcher as an enemy with her gaze. "You referred to yourself as the enemy of the world. And even had you not, this entire affair began when you sold Vlad that demon meat. Was |
this nonsense about restructuring your desire as well? Every creature in this world may well die thanks to you. So you can skip the nonsensical rejoicing over a single woman's survival." "Hmm, I must say, calling it my 'desire' is really quite off the mark. But I suppose you are right." "Yet, at the same time, you invited us here. To what end?" The Butcher offered no answer. Instead, he began thinking to himself and turning about idly in place. As he did, his usual cross-marked sack dangled from his shoulder. Then he began humming a strange tune. "Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho, my meats are the finest meats around! Filled with love and bravery, they'll never let you down! Eat them and your courage will increase one millionfold! As always, I'm your friendly neighborhood Butcher! Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!" *** Kaito shuddered in spite of himself. The Butcher was acting the same as always. Given their current situation, only madness could account for that. And at the same time, a sort of melancholy struck him as well. It was the kind of pathos one would feel toward a clown atop a stage, the kind of pity one felt toward those who had no choice but to play the part of the comic. Could it be that none of us has ever known the Butcher for who he really is? "To the contrary, Mr. Dim-Witted Servant!" Kaito's gaze had apparently been enough to convey his sentiment, as the Butcher hopped up and down in protest. When he finally landed, he thrust his finger straight toward Kaito. "I'm overfond of tall tales, it's true, but never once have I told a lie! Thank you very much! Okay, well, there's a small chance that I might have exaggerated a bit from time to time, and I might have told a lie here and there, but... Ahem. But the kind, adorable, lovable Butcher you've all come to know and love is the real deal! It merely...wasn't all there was to me." "Truth, lies, they make little difference. The point where such things mattered has long since passed." Elisabeth offered no reaction to the gloomier words the Butcher had ended his speech with. She stepped forward, as though to demonstrate how fed up she was. Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal glittered in her hand. "Now, I've but one question for you. Where is the Saint?" With each step she took forward, the Butcher took one back. The heel of his foot struck a hard, frozen snowflake. It slid backward a smidgen, then was soundlessly swallowed up by the darkness. The Butcher had nowhere left to run. Elisabeth thrust Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal toward him, then continued pressing him for answers. "Talk. We've come to kill her. All the way here to the World's End." "And how well you've done to make it here. Ah, the efficiency of your questions...how very like you, Madam Elisabeth." "You'd do well to understand this, Butcher: The time for buffoonery is over." Elisabeth's calm retort shut the Butcher down. His glib remarks came to a complete stop. Tilting his head a smidgen to the side, the Butcher let out a docile murmur. "...It's over, is it?" "We are those who know what goes on behind the stage. Never again can we return to the audience. Not even you would keep performing to no end, I suspect. Isn't it about time to put an end to this farce?" Elisabeth laid out her question dispassionately. But deep in her voice was a faint hint of sympathy, a fact that caused Kaito no small amount of shock. Hearing Elisabeth show sentiment toward an enemy was a rarity among rarities. Maybe...maybe Elisabeth appreciates where he's coming from. Like a faithful jester, the Butcher had continued playing out his role. But perhaps he wasn't the only one who'd chosen to become something instead of just being someone. As he stood before the Torture Princess, the Butcher gently scratched his chin. "I see, I see. Time to close up shop, is it? Yes, well, I suppose it is." "It is, isn't it? And in following, enough playing around. Tell us what your duty was." "In that case, allow me to start by sharing a serious little anecdote with you." "Very well. Speak." Still training her sword on him, Elisabeth jerked her chin. The Butcher nodded, then gave a bow. Then, as though he were laying his heart bare, he began narrating. "Did you know, Madam Elisabeth? Fairy tales are always born from the smallest of things." "More of your tall tales, even now?" "Destiny is much the same way, you see... The very shortest of memories can come to define a man's whole life." Although his story seemed to have little to do with their current situation, the Butcher persisted in telling it. Serious to the last, he spoke his truth. His voice sounded strangely old and hoarse, and his tone was firm and inflexible. Although he should have already known it, Kaito realized something all over again. The Butcher is the Saint's Apostle. In other words, he'd been alive since before the world had even finished forming. In a sense, he was literally the oldest person in existence. He'd lived for far too long for the word lifetime to even begin to cover it. In spite of that, though, the age of the memory he was laying out hadn't worn it away in the slightest. "Madam Elisabeth, do you have memories of your mother?" Elisabeth replied with silence. Kaito suddenly thought back on the facts he knew. Elisabeth's parents had died in an "unfortunate accident." Right before it, though, there had been sightings of a massive black dog. The Butcher peeked around behind Elisabeth. His gaze landed on Kaito and Hina. "Mr. Dim-Witted Servant and Ms. Lovely Maid, what about...? No, I suppose not. My apologies. Whether or not one has such memories varies from person to person. It's neither a good thing nor a bad one. But I...I have them. Not that she could truly be called my mother, that is." "You mean...?" "The moment I attained consciousness in her arms, the very first things I saw... Over the course of my long, long life, not once have I ever forgotten that memory. Not once could I forget that memory." The Butcher's voice was calm and quiet. Kaito sucked in his breath. The person who created him was the Saint. When he spoke about her, his tone remained light, but his voice grew weighty. Contained within it were hatred; grief; a vast, untarnished amount of love; and a frightening amount of passion and emotion. The scant few decades of a human's life could never even come close to attaining such sentiment, nor were they sufficient in understanding such a feeling. The only thing capable of swallowing up the Butcher's emotions was the crystal-clear air. At long last, Kaito realized something—why the snow had stopped and why the wind wasn't blowing. The world is waiting for the Apostle to tell his story. "In the end, I was but a single seed of evil. A pawn without even a name to his name. And I've understood that fact for a long, long time." The Butcher took a deep breath, then exhaled. He clutched at his tattered clothes. Then he went on, forcing the words out of his throat. "But I saw that smile... I saw that smile." Just what was he saying about that expression he'd seen? He spoke with alarming speed as he elaborated on his answer. "It was the smile of one who had, for the first time, obtained a companion in a desolate, lonely world. It was the desperate smile of one whose absolute solitude had been broken. In that moment, she greeted me with unmistakable love. That smile was more than enough to prove that to me. And...through her tears, she spoke..." Then, just for a moment, the Butcher trailed off. When he spoke again, it was in a voice steeped with nostalgia for a time long gone by, or perhaps one filled with the exhaustion of countless ages. "'Thank you for being born unto me,' she said. That was all. And that was enough." In his entire monologue, not once had he explained why he'd sold the demon meat. At the same time, though, it was more than sufficient as a confession of motive. Because he'd heard those words, the Butcher had carried out the Saint's mad wish. Despite knowing that it would destroy the world, he had taken the demon meat, and he had sold it. Kaito narrowed his eyes. The Saint's words to the Butcher had been a blessing, one filled with joy and gratitude. At the end of the day, though, he'd spent his whole life bound by them, and they'd turned him into the entire world's enemy. In that sense, weren't they more like a curse, then? Kaito was about to say as much aloud, but he stopped himself. The Butcher didn't need to be told that. He knew. Yet, even so, those few words of hers had given his whole life meaning. If they hadn't, he would have stopped walking down this path long ago. He had ascended past the point where regrets were still relevant. Suddenly, the Butcher took a small breath. Then he set down the white bag on his back. When he did, it made a small sound. Having cast aside the goods he'd carried around for so long, he spoke in a whimsical voice. "I had fun, Madam Elisabeth, Mr. Dim-Witted Servant, Ms. Lovely Maid, really, truly, and deeply. The living cannot live without finding enjoyment in their days. And when I watched you all fight back, my, how radiant you looked. Yet... Yet, knowing full well how mad it is, there is a request I need to fulfill." For that shall be the evidence of my existence, the sole proof of my love for her. As Kaito listened to the Butcher's cryptic declaration, a certain quote resounded within his chest. It's a nonsensical little fairy tale, and one that's gone on for a very, very long time. Was the story a tragedy or a comedy? Kaito and the others had no way of knowing. And how is the Butcher planning on bringing it to an end? What was the mad request he was trying to fulfill? Elisabeth shifted her sword vertically a hair. She asked her next question in a voice fully devoid of emotion. "So? Where is this dear Saint of yours?" "Madam Elisabeth, it brought me such joy when you saw fit to voice how delicious something was. Mr. Dim-Witted Servant... No, Mr. Kaito. The fact that you, a mere human, made it this far on conviction alone is something to be proud of. Ms. Lovely Maid...Ms. Hina. Thank you for preparing my meats so exquisitely. And congratulations on your wedding." The Butcher's voice was light as he obstinately ignored Elisabeth's question. Her irritation was about to show on her face, but at the last moment, the corners of Elisabeth's mouth froze. Kaito and Hina rapidly went pale as well. Lute looked around restlessly. Jeanne offered no response. Of all the people present, those who knew the Butcher well were the only ones who realized. Kaito and Hina took off at a dash. Elisabeth reached out with her sword-free hand. "Butcher, no!" "The time has come to close up shop. This marks my final task as a merchant: delivering meat." The Butcher didn't, in fact, stop, instead taking off at a dash himself. The way he ran wasn't forward but backward. Yet, nothing lay there except darkness. "I said so, did I not? The fairy tale must come to an end." Kaito's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. Just as he'd thought, the last thing the Butcher had said had been his final testament. "Tch!" Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Having seen that her arm wouldn't reach far enough, she summoned forth a vortex of crimson |
petals and darkness from the air. Her aim was unsteady, perhaps due to her agitation. However, the chains just barely managed to wrap around the Butcher's arm. Kaito breathed a sigh of relief. The next moment, though, blood billowed forth. "Wh—?" "And finally, thank you so much for your many years of patronage." The Butcher's clawed left arm remained bound by the chains. It, and it alone, dangled in the air. The Butcher had drawn a knife from the many folds of his cloak, then severed his own arm. His body fell, as though it were being sucked in. Ribbons of blood followed him down as the abyss consumed him. In the end, all that remained was that one arm. Elisabeth stopped at the edge of the cliff. Hina came to an abrupt halt, too. Kaito, on the other hand, didn't. His momentum practically carried him over and into the abyss. Then, with his arm still outstretched, he got ready to leap into the vast darkness. Elisabeth and Hina frantically wrapped their arms around him. They nearly ended up slipping as well, but the two of them narrowly managed to maintain their footing. They both cried out in unison. "Get back, you dullard!" "Master Kaito, please step back!" "...This isn't right." The words tumbled from Kaito's mouth. As he scooted backward little by little, he tried to get his jumbled thoughts in order. Not even he knew what he was trying to say. He didn't know what it was he found so wrong, so abhorrent. But then, all of a sudden, he realized what it was that was filling him with such sorrow and vexation. "Thank you for being born unto me," she said. No doubt it had been a happy, joyful thing. Until he met Hina, Kaito had never had anyone tell him that, either. But in the end, the Butcher had died imprisoned by his role as a seed of evil. He'd abandoned everything he'd enjoyed, canceled out all the memories he'd collected, and swallowed up the pain of cutting away the feelings of those who'd shouted at him not to die as well as his own arm. Could the words that had bound him really be described as love? Hadn't the Butcher just died after being used up without ever truly being loved by a parent? He hadn't even been able to live for his own sake. And the Butcher would never get another chance at life. "This isn't right, goddammit!" Kaito screamed from the depths of his soul. Tears began spilling out from the corners of his eyes. No matter how many times he'd lost his humanity, no matter how many times he'd tasted the pain of death, Kaito hadn't shed a single tear. But for the Butcher's sake, he cried. He let out animalistic wails. But he received no response. Hina gently stroked his back. Elisabeth said nothing. She merely snapped her fingers. The silver chain transformed into petals, then vanished. The Butcher's arm descended, accompanied by crimson. When it did, Kaito felt a faint pressure in his eardrums. He looked up with a start. Then he heard it. *** A roar reverberated up from the depths of the pit, one that tore the heavens and cracked the earth. The World's End quaked at the terrible cry. Following the vibration of the atmosphere, cracks began running along the surface of the ice. Spiderweb-like white patterns began polluting the silvery ground. As they did, the darkness of the abyss inverted. Something ominous was glowing at the bottom. Upon seeing it, Kaito was struck speechless. A massive golden eyeball was floating amid the blackness. And it was staring straight at Kaito and the others. They were peering into the abyss, and it was gazing back at them. Eventually, Kaito realized just what it was he was looking at. There's a monster down at the bottom. It was a colossal creature, one that defied all reason and providence. The monster then shifted its body, and its eye disappeared from sight. In its place, a giant jaw jutted up from the pit. As it did, Kaito understood what meat the Butcher had meant to deliver and to whom. When he fell, he wasn't carrying his bag. In other words, the Butcher himself was the meat. The Butcher had delivered his own flesh to the gigantic, presumably draconic creature. "It awakened by consuming the Apostle? What in the blazes is it?" Elisabeth murmured, her voice low. As she did, a massive pair of wings extended up from the pit to the sky. They were like massive, fleshy flower buds reaching for the heavens. Then, like a flower blooming, the wings unfurled. Rejecting all constraints of gravity and volume, the dragon softly flapped them and took off into the sky. When it did, its entire monstrous body came into view. Compared to its wings and body, its limbs were comparatively stubby. It also had no scales, which was unusual for a dragon. Its pale, pinkish flesh was fully exposed. Between that and its round shape, it called a human fetus to mind. The thin red membrane swimming in the air behind its neck made it look like it was on fire. Jeanne narrowed her eyes. As she regarded the strange dragon, she said in almost a whisper: "Why, if it isn't the Legend Dragon, the supreme flesh drake... According to the literature, the male was hunted by a group spearheaded by the merchant of legend. That must be the female, then. Who'da thunk it'd survived by staying out here. Now, this, this is a fairy tale." "Man... Looks like those tall tales of yours were true after all." Kaito muttered in disbelief. He thought back to all the stories the Butcher had told seemingly half in jest. One of those stories had been about the battle against the Legend Dragon. Although he'd dressed them up as tall tales, the Butcher had shared no small number of his memories with them. At that moment, though, harsh winds began to blow and knocked Kaito out of his reverie. The Legend Dragon had begun softly bending her crooked wings again. In open defiance of her own mass, she was floating gently in the air like a balloon. She cast a vast shadow atop the icy ground as she drifted. The way she did made her look almost like a floating island. It made for a grand spectacle, one that surpassed the realm of human comprehension. The way her reddish flesh pulsated also made it look as though she were the beating heart of the very world. Kaito found himself once more in the harsh grip of bewilderment. What reason did the Butcher have to want to wake up the Legend Dragon? He probably was planning to have the Legend Dragon destroy the world, and in doing so spur on the restructuring. Massive as she was, though, she was as docile as a whale. She showed no signs of wanting to attack her surroundings. And considering their descriptor, the reason the merchants had hunted down the male probably hadn't been to exterminate a threat but to harvest his flesh. And the Legend Dragon just kept drifting along. Then she slowly began turning her massive body over. Eventually, her chest entered Kaito's frame of vision. "Wh—?" As it did, he let out a dumbfounded noise. He finally understood why the Butcher had woken her up. A hard crystal had been forcibly embedded in her soft flesh. And in the Legend Dragon's chest, encased in the red crystal, something was sleeping. A naked woman was floating within. She looked as though she'd been buried within a coffin suspended in midair. She was horribly defenseless, frozen upside down and submerged naked in the bloodred liquid. Its red crisply offset her white skin. Hina held down her hair, which was being blown about by the wind. She blinked and whispered in puzzlement: "Is that...the Saint?" "Man... I guess it makes sense why no one could find her." With that, Kaito nodded. The Saint had been hidden away in the belly of a sleeping dragon at the bottom of an abyss in a pit at the World's End. There was no way any ordinary search party could have turned her up. Kaito had no words; he merely looked up at the drifting dragon. The stone in his pocket containing Vlad squirmed, but he ignored it. He didn't have time to worry about Vlad right now. The Saint they'd been seeking was floating right before their eyes. However, Kaito didn't have the first clue as to what to do. So what are we supposed to do with her? The being before them was simply too far removed from mankind's sense of scale. Kaito gazed up at the shadow-casting giant and the woman lodged in its chest in bewilderment. And the Legend Dragon continued to drift. However, it was then that the calm, peaceful atmosphere came to a violent end. A low, merciless voice rang out. "Reenactment of the Plain of Skewers: Impaled Victim." Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab! Innumerable crimson petals scattered through the air, and countless stakes fired out from them. The silence was shattered, and blood flew through the air. Easily over a thousand iron stakes had buried themselves in the Legend Dragon's body. The air violently trembled. Kaito was certain that the Legend Dragon had let out a scream, but he couldn't hear it. It must have been at a frequency that human ears were unable to perceive. The Legend Dragon contorted her body through the air in anguish. Stakes fell out from her trembling flesh in succession. They roared through the sky as they toppled to the ground and pierced the frozen earth. At the same time, massive amounts of blood gushed forth from the Legend Dragon's wounds. The fresh blood pooled wide atop the ground like a lake. However, a few of the humongous drops twitched, then halted in the air. Several orbs of blood hovered in place. "Huh?" "Hmph." The next moment, the bloody spheres shot toward Elisabeth. The path was narrow—she had nowhere to run. At this rate, Kaito and the others would get taken down as well. But Elisabeth was the very image of composure. As she swung Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal, darkness and crimson flower petals spread out over the chasm. When they vanished, they left behind a web of chains that covered the hole. Elisabeth cracked her neck in displeasure. "I first thought of this as I watched the Butcher fall. I must say, I'm disappointed it didn't occur to me sooner. Ho!" Elisabeth took an acrobatic leap and landed atop the chains. Then, despite her high heels, she effortlessly dashed across their delicate iron loops. Seemingly uninterested in harming anyone except their foe, the dragon's bloody spheres took off in pursuit. The countless crimson orbs snapped at her heels like a pack of beasts. Elisabeth weaved a graceful, nimble dance atop the chains. As they grazed her afterimages, the blood pellets fell down. When they came into contact with the chains, they burst into steam and then vanished into the pit. The Legend Dragon lurched unsteadily as she let out a groan. Many of the stakes were still embedded in her flesh. In her current state, she was nothing more than a target. Kaito thought back on the story he'd just been told. The male Legend Dragon was once hunted down by a group of merchants. If that was the case, then there was no reason why the Torture Princess shouldn't be able to kill the female. Grabbing a chain, Elisabeth hoisted herself upside down. After avoiding the blood that had been aiming for her foot, she arched her back and made a soft landing. Then she mercilessly snapped her fingers once more. "Arachnophobia." A new swirl of crimson and black appeared high in the sky. Two iron claws shot out of it. Then, like the hands of |
a long-fingernailed woman, they each split into four and reached for the Legend Dragon. When they did, they snatched her massive wings up by their bases, much like an innocent child would to a small animal. Their pointed tips dug into her draconic flesh as they lifted her high into the air. Another violent tremor ran through the air, the echoes of an inaudible scream. Blood gushed forth and melted the icy ground. The claws froze in the air, almost as though they'd heard the scream. They were finished moving. But the Legend Dragon's weight caused her to begin sagging. Each time she did, her wings tore from their bases where the claws remained lodged. She gradually started falling faster and faster. Then the Legend Dragon fell, her wings shredded to pieces. When her fleshy body impacted the ground, its weight caused the earth to quake. Tremors ran through the World's End. This, of course, caused the skinny path Kaito and the others were standing atop to shake. If not for the fact that they'd immediately grabbed on to the chains stretched out atop it, they very well could have toppled into the abyss. Lute collapsed onto the chains, then frantically crawled back to the path. Kaito broke out in a cold sweat and wiped it away with his fist. "Looks...looks like we made it." "'Twill only get worse from here, fool! Make haste!" Elisabeth's angry voice rose up to meet him. Kaito blinked in astonishment. As he did, he heard a faint popping noise. A chill ran down his spine before he even understood what it signified. The next moment, he discovered that his ominous premonition had been on the mark. Fatal cracks had begun loudly winding across their narrow walkway. Kaito looked up in shock. At some point, Elisabeth had finished making her way across the chains and had reached the side of the cliff opposite them. She was waving her arms atop the solid ground and shouting. "Hurry! At this rate, you'll be caught up when it collapses!" "Oh, now you tell me all of a sudden!" "It was hardly sudden, mister. That much weight comes crashin' down, even you should be able to put two and two together." "Pardon me, my beloved Master Kaito! But I have no intentions of giving you up to that abyss!" Jeanne was cradling Izabella in her arms and had already begun running. Kaito, on the other hand, had gotten a late start, so Hina scooped him up. That moment, the ground at her feet shattered. As she carried him bridal-style, Kaito turned to look behind them. The path had started to crumble. The ice sounded like a mirror as it shattered. The fragments glittered as they descended into the darkness. Kaito succumbed to his primal fear and gulped. Hina shot forward, accelerating like a bullet. Lute had originally been behind her, which meant that he was now in front as they ran for dear life. However, due to the weight of his winter gear, his footsteps were sluggish. Hina caught up with him in the blink of an eye. After thinking for a moment, she shifted Kaito to under her arm. "Master Kaito, this may be somewhat uncomfortable, but I ask that you bear with me! And, Mr. Lute, pardon me!" "Oh my!" Hina reached her free arm out and snatched Lute up by his burly back. Surprised by her strength, Lute let out a little yelp. Then he reflexively flattened his ears and tucked in his tail. The walkway continued loudly crumbling. If they slowed down even a little, the abyss would swallow them up. "Ha!" Hina kicked off hard against the ground. The hem of her maid uniform flared out, and the glimmering ice beneath her feet shattered. She skidded as she landed, scattering snowflakes in her wake. The two adult men in her arms screamed. However, their screams were drowned out by a loud clattering noise. Kaito and Lute cautiously looked backward. The thin path between the two crevices had vanished without a trace. Now that the obstruction was gone, the two ravines had joined together like a single vast river. Beyond it was the pit with the chains stretched over the parts of it still visible. Lute shook his entire body, and the fur on his cheeks stood up straight. "Th-that was a rather close shave... To think that Ms. Hina would end up having to carry me. Good gracious, how embarrassing. I do thank you, though. Never shall I forget this debt I owe you." "Th-thanks, Hina... Seems like you're always saving my ass, doesn't it? Now..." Kaito stared hard, trying to make out what was happening on the other side of the pit. The Legend Dragon was over there, writhing in a lake of her own blood. Eventually, the fierce convulsions running through her body stopped. The red gem in her chest continued glowing unabated. The pale woman was still sleeping inside, like an insect trapped in amber. In a daze, Kaito thought back to what Jeanne had once told him. "Our salvation lies in murdering Diablo, murdering God, and, yes, murdering a human." "Is it...is it time?" For now, the Saint had fallen to a place where they could kill her. As he stood atop the World's End, Kaito Sena thought to himself. The end was finally upon them. All they had to do was kill the Saint, just like they'd originally planned. Ever since he'd heard the Butcher's lonely soliloquy, every positive thought he'd had about the Saint had vanished. The very fact that the person who'd destroyed the world and built it anew still lived was unnatural. Now, mankind would lose the Saint, and the world would avoid destruction. And they would all live happily ever after. The fairy tale would finally end. Will it, though? "Now, then, I aim to proceed! Feel free to stay there, you lot; you'd be hindrances at best!" "Please wait. I, too, shall come... Or rather, allow me to join you, Torture Princess!" Elisabeth called out from the opposite cliffside, and Jeanne replied. Despite her expressionless visage, though, she seemed troubled as she cast her gaze down at the woman in her arms. Izabella was sleeping like a baby. Jeanne gently stroked her mostly metal cheek. Then she whispered quietly. "My dear little lady." Then, lifting her head, Jeanne looked at Lute. He'd gotten down from Hina's arm and was currently sitting cross-legged on the ground. Jeanne slowly approached him. He quickly stood up, his fur standing on end to illustrate his wariness. Jeanne stopped directly in front of him, then quietly held out Izabella. Lute seemed bewildered. However, his fur settled down, and he took Izabella from her. Jeanne softly brushed Izabella's silver hair from her face. Then she gave Lute her quiet request. "Of the three of you, your arms seem the thickest and most comfortable, mister. I leave her in your hands. Please do not let her go. She is very precious to me. Not that she herself knows, mind you. Hell, she'd probably find it a bother! But hey, that's first love for ya, am I right?" "Precious...you say. I understand. Then on my name as Lute, I shall protect her to the last! Hmm?" Being a devoted husband himself, Lute must have been moved by Jeanne's words. His ears and tail sprang up as he acquiesced. At the very end, though, it seemed like he remembered the fact that Jeanne had severely wounded him not long ago. Lute hmmed to himself and scrunched up his snout. As he did, Jeanne faced him and bowed deeply. "You have my sincere thanks." Kaito and Hina felt a slight shock. It was the first time they'd ever seen the golden Torture Princess act so admirably. Lute's voice got caught in his throat for a moment before he replied with a docile nod. "Think nothing of it. I may bear resentment toward you, but that has nothing to do with Madam Izabella. And grudge or not, I can hardly forsake another's beloved. If you would entrust her to me, then I will see to it that she remains safe." "Again, you have my gratitude. Thanks a million, li'l pupper." "Learn when to stop talking, will you?!" As Lute shouted angrily at her, Jeanne turned around and broke into a run. Hurrying toward Elisabeth, she dashed alongside the rim of the hole. Her radiant honey-blond splendor gradually grew distant. Kaito remained where he stood. If he went, he'd probably just be in the way. All that was left was for the two of them to lower the curtain. The Kaiser was silent, seemingly having lost interest in the way things were proceeding. The stone in Kaito's pocket was flaring up as usual, but now wasn't a great time to have a conversation with Vlad. Kaito's gaze was fixed firmly on the woman within the red jewel. She was still far away, but thanks to the Legend Dragon's collapse, she was now a good deal closer. She looked utterly defenseless. All they had to do was kill her, and the nightmarish turmoil regarding the world's restructuring would finally come to an end. Will it, though? However, doubt still welled up unbidden in Kaito's mind. All of a sudden, he noticed that his heart was palpitating strangely. Sweat was dripping from his entire body. Discomfited, he lost track of his thoughts. Then he pressed down against his forehead. "Master Kaito? My dear Master Kaito, whatever is the matter? Your face is ever so pale." "No, no... I'm fine. It's nothing... I think it's nothing." Hina worriedly stroked his brow. As he felt the soft sensation of her fingertips, Kaito replied. Deep in his mind, though, his childish self was asking his rational self an innocent question. Will it really, really, really, though? No, you're right. Something's off. But what? Kaito couldn't really put his finger on it. But his discomfort raged on, beating incessantly against the inside of his skull. He found himself lost in the strange sensation. It wasn't that he wanted to stop them from killing the Saint. At the moment, it was the correct choice to make. But something was off. Will this really, really, really bring everything to a close? Do I really believe that? You're a big dumb-dumb! his inner child crowed. Think about it carefully, the rational part of his brain murmured. And now that he considered it, there were a number of questions that he and the others had more or less ignored. Why did the Grave Keeper bring Izabella to us like that? Why did she give Elisabeth her blessings, then offer no resistance and practically kill herself off? Why did the Butcher invite us here? Why did he specifically wait for us to arrive before waking up the Legend Dragon? Then, upon noticing another fact he'd overlooked, Kaito went pale. The various races had each received a letter, and in the letter had been a certain phrase. "The beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. If you wish to reject those words, make for the World's End." But we were the only ones the Butcher didn't send it to. Perhaps that fact signified something truly terrible. And at the same time, a question he had failed to consider up until then crossed Kaito's mind. The Butcher had claimed that the whole uproar about restructuring hadn't been his desire. The Apostle and the fanatics had simply been trying to grant the Saint's wish. But had anyone ever said that the restructuring itself was what the Saint had been wishing for? That fundamental problem now pierced through Kaito's brain. He frantically dug through his memories. That's right—it was the Grave Keeper! She'd said that "God and the Saint have been seeking this restructuring for many ages." But was the restructuring itself really her true desire? Wasn't it also a possibility that the reconstructing |
was simply a natural part of the process involved in granting her true wish? If that was the case, though, then what did the Saint actually wish for? "Ah!" At that moment, Kaito's thoughts were forcefully interrupted. An incredible amount of heat was coming off the stone in his pocket. He was about to click his tongue in annoyance, but then he realized something. Vlad's never been this insistent about wanting to come out before. So what could it be that Vlad wanted to tell him? Kaito hurriedly ran mana through the stone. Azure petals and black darkness fluttered up through the air. When they vanished, they left behind a man in aristocratic attire. Unlike usual, he didn't move to strike a dramatic pose. Vlad's limbs dangled loose as he turned to face Kaito. Upon getting a look at Vlad's crimson eyes, Kaito gulped. Fierce madness and burning thoughts were swirling within Vlad's gaze. "...Why?" "Um..." "Why did you so obstinately refuse to let me out until now, my dear successor?" "M-my bad. I had no idea you actually had something you wanted to tell me." "Well, what's done is done. And perhaps it's fine. I've yet to get all my thoughts in order." Vlad ignored Kaito's apology and began mumbling to himself. He clutched at his raven locks like a man possessed. As he ruined his normally impeccable hairdo, he started laying out his thoughts. "If one is lost, they need but retrace their steps. Where did the malaise originate? Right, from the Grave Keeper's words and deeds. It seems that we've all been dancing atop the Saint's palm. Since when, though? The golden Torture Princess was created to stave off the restructuring. Was that part of her design? Or was it not?" Another chill ran down Kaito's spine. That wasn't something he had even considered. There were those who'd worked to bring about the restructuring and those who'd worked to prevent it. What had the Saint thought of each of the groups? "When the alchemists created their golden Torture Princess, they were aware of the black Torture Princess and used her as a reference. However, there was no need for there to be two of them. The alchemists could just as easily have gone to the ebony Torture Princess and sought out her aid. They hadn't expected her to exist, and they chose not to rely on her. They had their pride, after all; it was the sole end their clan had been living toward. Instead, they tried to have their golden Torture Princess take the black Torture Princess on as a follower, and in doing so make it so their creation was the primary force to prevent the restructuring. But what if, say, she anticipated their pride?" "If the Saint predicted that another Torture Princess would be created... Then what?" "Then there would be 'two.' The Grave Keeper even said it! What we need to pay attention to is the resulting number!" Vlad shouted like a madman. Hina reacted to his menacing demeanor by positioning herself in front of Kaito. Kaito, shocked, ruminated on what the Grave Keeper had told him. "The fact that the whelp served as a guide was proof. The fact that he sought 'two' was proof." "In the end, those who sought to prevent the restructuring and those who sought to bring it about arrived at the same method—'finding the Saint.' And the Butcher said that the black Torture Princess's resistance was unexpected. Up until she arrived, he probably was simply aiming for the world's restructuring. But if his objective changed upon the arrival of the black Torture Princess and the creation of the golden Torture Princess that accompanied it, if it took on a form closer to that of the Saint's true desire... Oh, oh, that's it!" "What is?" "The 'significance of the two.'" Vlad's eyes widened, and his words served as the trigger that set Kaito's thoughts into overdrive. Why had the Butcher, and the Saint, needed two people? What was the meaning behind that number? What will happen when she assembles those two unbelievably powerful women? What will she be able to do? Kaito spun around. Elisabeth and Jeanne had just reached the crystal. The two of them smoothly raised their arms, and gold and crimson flower petals began swirling. As he gazed at their elegant backs, Vlad spoke in a hoarse voice. "The two Torture Princesses. God and Diablo." Kaito didn't fully understand what those words signified, but their ominous nature was all too clear. Vlad's murmur had an almost prophetic ring to it. Dull as he was, Kaito could understand that much. Something irreparably wrong was happening, here and now. And once it occurred, it could never be undone. It was something he had to stop at all costs. "Stop, stop, run, get away from there! Elisabeeeeeeeeth!" Kaito screamed, driven by impulse alone. His voice tore violently through the still, quiet air. Elisabeth's black hair fluttered as she turned. Her beautiful crimson eyes landed on Kaito. Her expression was annoyed, confused, and a little bit listless. It was the same face as it had always been, yet, for some reason, it seared itself into Kaito's eyes. And then, suddenly, something grabbed her wrist from behind. Kaito was sure of what he'd seen. Two white arms had extended out from the red crystal. Fingers so pale that they seemed almost dead wrapped tightly around the ebony and golden Torture Princesses' wrists. Elisabeth's and Jeanne's eyes opened wide. At some point, the surface of the crystal had turned soft and blurry and begun vibrating. After the arms came out, they were followed by a head. The woman slid out from within the crystal as though it were birthing her. Then she toppled awkwardly to the ground. She shook her head, spraying red droplets around her. Kaito immediately realized: They were the tears that had been running down her cheeks. The Saint then lifted her head. The whisper that came from her lips had a strangely sweet echo to it, and it traveled like a wave, reaching all the way to Kaito. "Ahhh...you've finally come." My new Saints. *** It was a declaration pregnant with unfathomable madness and a terrifying degree of volition. In the next instant, crimson and gold flower petals began pouring out from her palms. The two hues swallowed up the Torture Princesses. Elisabeth tried to summon a torture device, but petals rushed at her hands and lips, sealing them off. Jeanne's eyes began wandering. She was searching for Deus Ex Machina. Right now, though, it was serving as parts of Izabella's body. No longer could it come to its master's aid. "I see. This falls outside my expectations." As she murmured, Jeanne gave a faint laugh. Those proved to be her final words. The crimson and gold petals completely engulfed the two Torture Princesses. Even so, the naked woman refused to release their wrists. Red, capillary-vessel-like tubes tore as she wrenched even the tips of her toes free from the crystal. Now fully free, she looked up and parted her lips. Her rows of startlingly white, well-formed teeth came into view. "Ha-ha... Ah-ha-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" The Saint began laughing uproariously. The sound of her mad laughs tore through the air. As he shuddered, Kaito got ready to level an attack at her. However, he stopped. He couldn't sense any power coming from the cackling woman. She's just...a normal woman. She had already transferred the things that had made her into the Suffering Saint. She'd transferred them into the two Torture Princesses. The next moment, Kaito heard a voice deep in his eardrum. Hina pressed down on her ears, and Lute gave a small yelp. It was being conveyed in every imaginable language, in the words of men, of demi-humans, of beastfolk, of animals, of fish, of bugs, even in languages from other worlds. It was transmitted to every living creature in a mysterious form they could all comprehend. The voice belonged to one who'd been sleeping far, far away, deep in the bowels beneath the Capital. "Good morning." Kaito understood on instinct alone. Freed from its contractor's order, the first demon had vanished from its cradle. And when it had, it had transferred into the body of its new contractor: Elisabeth Le Fanu. 9 In the Midst of Demise His voice solemn, Vlad began speaking. It was no fairy tale. The entire situation had been a farce. "It all began when the Butcher sold me the demon meat entrusted to him by the Saint." With that, the man responsible for part of the world's reconstruction had set the ball in motion. By eating the demon meat and collecting the pain of others, Vlad had been able to summon the Kaiser. Then he'd gathered up other people who wanted to summon demons and guided them on their ways. And the demon army fourteen strong had arisen. At that point, the Butcher's goal had simply been to have the mighty band of demons overrun the world, then to wake up the Saint once the world was in a state where she could wield the power of restructuring. The reason he'd picked Vlad was likely because Vlad had both the power and the inclination to unify the demons. But then someone had appeared, someone who opposed his dreadful plot. The woman who'd eaten demon meat, tortured her people, and obtained the power to fight back. The Torture Princess, peerless sinner that she was—Elisabeth Le Fanu. Under the orders of the Church, she had begun hunting the fourteen demons. After hearing that Vlad had been captured, the Butcher had made his way to Elisabeth's side, then taken stock of the situation. At around that time, another faction had made their play as well: the alchemist clan that had hidden themselves away long ago. Knowing that the first demon would appear, they devoted many generations to working toward preventing the world from being reconstructed. Upon seeing the fourteen demons run rampant, they realized that the time was upon them and used the ebony Torture Princess as a reference to create the golden one. However, the fact that their pride and obstinacy led them to entrust matters to their own masterpiece instead of giving the raven-haired Torture Princess their support proved to be a fatal blunder. Once the Butcher learned of the two Torture Princesses, he changed his plan in order to take advantage of the alchemists' goal and use it against them. After inviting the Torture Princesses to the World's End, he sacrificed himself to bring them face-to-face with the Saint. The Grave Keeper, having sensed the Apostle's plan, got to work as well, and the two Torture Princesses were left with no way to avoid being captured. And then, finally, the Saint used them as exceptional vessels, transferring the contracts with God and Diablo she bored into their bodies. "What, then, was the Saint's true wish?" The Butcher had originally been following the Saint's orders and trying to bring about the world's restructuring. At the last minute, though, his objective changed into transferring the contracts binding the Saint over to them. But those contracts were too much for the Torture Princesses to withstand. Within the next ten days or so, the world wouldn't even be reconstructed; it would simply meet its demise. "Given all that, we can deduce that the Saint's objective wasn't the restructuring itself. In all likelihood, she merely needed the world to sustain fatal damage from the demons before she could wield God's power. Only at the time of restructuring could she awaken with the ability to use both God's and Diablo's powers as she pleased. And that would also be the only time she could abandon their strength." If she abandoned her contracts during the restructuring, when the world was still a blank canvas, everything would undoubtedly perish. But in exchange, she would attain a brief moment of freedom. But by transferring her contracts to the Torture Princesses, |
she would stretch that moment out into nearly two weeks. In short, that was all there was to it. "She cared little for her own survival, nor for the fate of the world. She merely wanted to set down her burden, even if but for a moment. There was nothing more to it, I'd wager." She intended to cast aside all the blame and responsibility she'd once shouldered. Back when she'd been carrying out the original restructuring atop the blank canvas of the world, loathing toward all of creation and fear of her own deathlessness must have swelled inside her and eventually turned into madness. That was why she'd set up a time bomb in the new world she'd created. "The Butcher worked ceaselessly toward bringing about that promised day, deftly manipulating us all the while." While Vlad laid out his theory, Kaito didn't offer a single interjection. His head was nestled in Hina's lap, and the rest of his body was lying atop the solemn stone floor. They had already left the World's End. Now they were back at Elisabeth's castle. Hina, Lute, and Izabella were resting in the castle's owner's empty bedroom. Lute, still cradling Izabella in his arms, didn't stir. He seemed absentminded. The Kaiser had yet to show his form. Vlad was floating in front of the three of them. His legs were crossed gracefully, and he was silent, his lecture now complete. Kaito remained on his side, not saying anything. Beads of cold sweat were welling up on his forehead. His teeth were clenched tight as he tried to endure the waves of pain coursing through his body. Every few minutes, he lapsed into violent coughs and spat up blood. As Hina wiped the blood away so it wouldn't flow back into his trachea, she stroked his brow. "Please, Master Kaito, get ahold of yourself. Oh, whatever am I to do...?" "Are you quite all right, my dear successor? Or did perhaps my explanation go to waste?" "...Don't worry...about that... I heard...it all—Gah!" Kaito let out another pained cry. Hina helplessly mopped the sweat off his forehead. Kaito tried to suppress the pain gushing from within him so he could think Vlad's explanation over. As he did, another thought faintly drifted to the forefront of his mind. It was what he'd been thinking about as Jeanne wavered over her choice. Elisabeth, the black Torture Princess, showed no signs of bearing regrets, nor did she ever try to cast aside her sins. But what about Jeanne? If she did bear regrets, what would she be left with after the world was saved? If she won't have anything left, then... ...then at that point, what had she really even saved? This was no doubt an example of someone who'd erred in their choice, just like he'd said. The Saint had carried out restructuring while unable to cast aside her regrets. And because of that, she'd dragged the whole world in and crumbled it. No person could become the Suffering Saint out of a sense of duty and obligation alone. But... She doesn't deserve my sympathy. Screw sympathy, and screw her, goddammit! Spitting up another mouthful of blood, Kaito scratched at the stone floor. His fingernails split as he roared within his head. *** There was, of course, no way that his scathing, soundless scream could reach her. The World's End was distant. However, a different voice rose up as though in reply. The cliff-top castle was surrounded by trees and far from any human settlements. Yet, in spite of that, screams and laughter filled the air around it. However, it wasn't humans that the voices were coming from. The world outside had become a living hell. Demonic underlings laughed as they soared past the window. One monkey-like underling peeked inside. Kaito's eyes were still closed as he snapped his fingers. His blade swung precisely, cleaving off the underling's wings. It let out a loud scream as it began tumbling down. In the space of an instant, Kaito forgot all about it. Elisabeth... As he continued coughing up blood, his thoughts turned to the events that had just occurred. The gut-wrenching spectacle played out once more before his eyes. First, the petals engulfing Elisabeth and Jeanne all vanished. The two of them suddenly found themselves free. And at a glance, their bodies seemed the same as ever. Their faces contorted in confusion. Then, though, without warning, the horrible transformation began. "...Rgh!" "What's the matter, miss? I—Ow!" A single strand of dark-red blood had begun running down Elisabeth's shoulder, and the same had happened to Jeanne's arm. It was like they'd each been stabbed with a sharp needle. But no one had attacked them. Their skin had been impaled by something hard and pointy yet, at the same time, also soft from within. A black feather peeked out from Elisabeth's skin, and a white feather did the same from Jeanne's. It was immediately clear that something was wrong. After all, feathers had just sprouted from human flesh. "This is..." "...Impossible." The two of them exchanged a glance. But they didn't have time to leisurely discuss the phenomenon assailing them. Accompanied by a loud popping noise, another feather protruded out from each of them. It was as though the two of them were down pillows, and their stuffing was bursting through their cloth. Feathers began tearing out from within them, one after another. Streaks of red blood once more made their way across the Torture Princesses' bodies. Kaito was struck with an ominous premonition. A moment later, that premonition came to pass. Pop! Pop! Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop! Pop! Just hearing it was enough to evoke the image of goose bumps rising up in succession. The patterns of erosion resembled vegetation budding. Feathers began sprouting from all over their bodies, like carelessly strewn seeds indiscriminately tearing apart the earth. They flew out from their cheeks, their backs, their eyes, their lips, and even their gums. Elisabeth's and Jeanne's bodies wordlessly writhed. They were clearly in incredible pain. In the blink of an eye, the two Torture Princesses had come to resemble newborn chicks. Elisabeth and Jeanne were being forcibly turned into something foreign. The moment that fact hit him, Kaito recovered from his state of shock. The same seemed to be true of Hina. Letting out loud cries, the two of them dashed forward. "Elisabeth!" "Lady Elisabeth!" "Stay awaaaaaaaaaaaay!" When they did, they were met with a bestial roar. As she rebuked them, Elisabeth coughed up blood. Kaito and Hina reflexively froze in place. The next moment, the countless feathers sprouting from the Torture Princesses extended with explosive force, each one of the black and white quills growing to massive proportions. Then the two sets merged together, and they formed a pair of contrasting wings. However, the wings slumped to the ground, unable to support their own weight. They writhed there grotesquely. Eventually, they gave up on trying to fly. Instead, the two damp wings pushed off against the ground like a set of arms. At their center, Elisabeth and Jeanne rose into the air. Then, supported by the inverted wings, they hung there, suspended. As they did, crimson and gold flower petals began gently descending. They spread out through the air, as though they had come to replace the no-longer-falling snow. As he gazed upon the cruelly beautiful spectacle, Kaito's eyes widened. The petals were pouring out from within the Torture Princesses' lips. Several of the thin red and gold sheets wound together, taking on the shape of full flowers and decorating Elisabeth and Jeanne. Then thorny briars wound around their bodies like snakes, binding their masters' bodies and refusing to let them go. Finally, the thorns wrapped around their heads like crowns. The two of them hung in the air, crucified. They looked almost noble. And at the same time, they looked like sinners, kings who lorded over all of creation. The Saint still hadn't stopped laughing. With her maddened fit as a backdrop, Kaito was reminded of what the Grave Keeper had said. "Hallelujah." So this transformation's what she was alluding to? As he watched the changes the two Torture Princesses were going through, Kaito came to understand just how outstanding of a vessel the Saint had been. The fact that she'd been able to put Diablo to sleep, shelter God within her body, and still maintain her human form was nothing short of a miracle. In truth, her ability to keep the two of them from running amok was a feat so impressive, no words could do it justice. But now, she'd given up on doing so, and the result was the scene before them. Whether he wanted to or not, Kaito immediately understood. What he was looking at was calamity incarnate. Those two pillars of black and crimson, white and gold, would bring about an end to everything. There's no way... The world can't just be ending before my eyes...can it? For the first time in over a decade, Kaito was struck by an urge to scream and cry at his own powerlessness. The despair of it all made him want to just topple to his knees, tremble, and start wailing. Terror that no living creature could overcome seized him and refused to let go. But Kaito gritted his teeth and forced down all those emotions. He took a step forward. When he did, Hina called out in a panic. "Master Kaito, you mustn't! It's dangerous!" "I know that. But I can't just watch this happen." Wallowing in terror and despair would accomplish nothing. Even in the face of his all-encompassing demise, he refused to stand by powerlessly and grieve. After all... ...Just who is it in the middle of all that? Kaito looked up high in the sky. A single woman was hanging there, her eyes closed. The person who'd saved him, the girl who had laughed so innocently, was being crucified. She wasn't the Saint. In the beginning, she hadn't even been the Torture Princess. She was Elisabeth Le Fanu. The woman Kaito Sena admired most. "Elisabeth!" Kaito screamed her name. Then, after shaking off the trepidation running through his body, he dashed toward the pillar. Because Kaito knew something. Screw terror. Despair? And the end of the world? So what? The thought of losing you is way scarier than any of that. Kaito Sena had sworn that, until the day he died, he would stay by Elisabeth Le Fanu's side. And he had no intention of breaking that promise. Kaito finally arrived at the base of Elisabeth's pillar. He reached out to grab one of the briars winding around her wing. His skin tore, and pain shot through his body. It felt like he was clutching at barbed wire. But he didn't let go. Lifting his feet up onto the briar, he began trying to climb the wing. His beastly hand and his human both ran red as he tried to get closer to the captured woman. "Elisabeth! ...Rgh!" Suddenly, the feathers and thorns proliferated, nearly swallowing Kaito up. At the last moment, though, someone yanked him backward by the nape of his neck and saved him. Kaito was about to call out Hina's name. But he was mistaken. When he turned around, he found someone wholly unexpected there. "...Kaiser?" "Your foe may be the eminent Diablo, but so long as you are my contractor, I forbid you from allowing yourself to be unceremoniously consumed, O unworthy master of mine! To think, though, that it would come to this... I'd stayed on the sidelines, thinking the situation trifling, but this, truly, is proof that I was a fool! Ah, how vexing!" As he bayed, the Kaiser flung Kaito into the air. Then the supreme hound vanished. Hina, who'd rushed up close, barely managed to catch Kaito. Large tears were welling up in her emerald eyes. Because she'd understood how he felt, she'd been too slow to stop him. She |
squeezed him tight with all her might. "Master Kaito, I know how you feel! I...I, too, desperately don't want to let Elisabeth go! But please, you have to endure it. You're so wounded..." "Hina... I'm sorry. I just..." As he rubbed Hina's back, Kaito took another look at their surroundings. At some point, Vlad had moved over to where the two pillars stood. His arms were spread wide, and his eyes were glittering as he gazed at the Torture Princesses' transformations. "It's magnificent... It's the peak of beauty, the apex of ugliness... Truly, 'magnificent' is the only way to describe it." His face was as innocent as a child watching a meteor shower. However, his expression suddenly took a more serious turn. As he began rapidly coming back to his senses, Vlad started thinking. "...Still, though... Hmm..." While he did, the Torture Princesses continued transforming. Their engorged wings and briars slipped down under the icy ground, eroding it away. The milky-white sky quickly grew muddied as well. The rainbow film froze over into a leaden gray. The God and Diablo pillars spread out their arms, ever wider, ever farther. "Is this...the end?" Hearing a trembling voice, Kaito looked down. Lute was cowering on the ground, his tail completely curled up. However, he was holding Izabella firmly. Humans' sensory perception was weak, so the visceral despair Lute felt was probably many times greater than theirs. Words tumbled weakly from Lute's mouth as he stared at the growing horrors before them. "At this rate... At this rate, everything will come to an end. How can we stand up to such a thing?" Lute's right. Kaito agreed with him. God and Diablo were both taboo entities, beings that mankind wasn't meant to come in contact with. Both of them transformed the land into a place wholly uninhabitable by living creatures, as though it were only natural for them to do so. Eventually, the very world would crumble, unable to bear the strain. The two pillars grew at a steady pace. However, they suddenly quavered, and the transformation came to a temporary halt. The briars writhed, and a trembling arm thrust its way out from each pillar. The Torture Princesses had forced their bodies to move. Their eyes still closed, they tore at what bound them, their own skin and all. Then they raised their arms high, and their soundless voices rang out. Begone from this place. Make haste. Please run, Fools. At the same time, they also snapped their fingers. Black darkness and white light flashed, and crimson and gold flower petals started raining down. They then formed a cylindrical wall with Kaito and the others at its center. A teleportation circle was being etched in the ice. *** On impulse, Kaito tried to dive out of it. He needed to remain by Elisabeth's side. However, he found himself unable to move. One of Lute's arms and both of Hina's were holding him back. Normally, when Kaito's violent emotions reached a certain threshold, he would return to a sound state of mind. However, the situation was so abnormal that that function of his was broken. He raged like a wounded beast and screamed. "Let go of me! Elisabeth is—I can't just leave her alone like that!" "I understand your loyalty and affection for your master, I truly do! But even if you hate me for it, I won't let you go! What do you hope to accomplish by staying here? Think of your wife!" "But—!" "...Master Kaito, please listen to me." Suddenly, Hina whispered, her voice gentle and calm. She wasn't crying anymore. Her beautiful, clear emerald eyes were fixed on Kaito alone. "If that is your answer, Master Kaito, if you say that that is your sole wish, then I will release you." "Ms. Hina?" "But if you do, then I will remain here as well." Hina made her declaration calmly. Then she gently unbound her arms to tell Kaito that the choice was his. Kaito gulped. Hina took a step back, then smiled at him. "It would be my pleasure to remain with my dear Lady Elisabeth and die alongside you, my beloved." There was no reproach in her eyes and no anger. Only pure, unadulterated love. If Kaito wanted to stay behind, then she would no doubt die at his side without a single word of regret. And because of that, Kaito stopped. Because of that, he was able to stop. Then he deliberately took a long, deep breath. The strained energy that had built up in his body dissipated. He went limp, then collapsed backward. When he did, Hina made sure to catch him. As he lay in her arms, he let out a weak murmur. "...I'm sorry. I'm good now. God, I'm supposed to be your husband, but I—" "It's no matter. Anything you hold precious is just as precious to me." Hina gently stroked Kaito's head. As he clung to her warmth to maintain his sanity, Kaito's thoughts turned. Right now, there's nothing we can do here. We need to get a fresh start. At this rate, the world really would end. The leisurely time for the various races to stay on guard of one another and probe for advantages was over. Right now, they needed every person possible to pool their power together so they could come up with a countermeasure. And that was why Kaito and the others needed to leave. The world needed people who had witnessed the horrible truth. Right now, information was of the essence. As those thoughts swirled around in his head, Kaito looked up through the interweaving light and petals. At the far end of his vision sat Elisabeth's tragic figure, her eyes closed. "Wh...?" Even so, part of him still wanted to run to her. Hina seemed to have sensed something as she released him from her arms. Kaito tottered a few steps forward. Then he extended his bloodstained hand to the edge of the teleportation circle and let out a fitful shout. "Don't go... Don't go, Elisabeth!" The hell do I mean, "Don't go"?! We're the ones leaving! As he shouted to Elisabeth, he shouted at himself internally. He was the one fleeing, not her. Even knowing that, though, he couldn't stop the nonsensical words from pouring out of his throat. "You're the one who called me, Elisabeth! You're the one who called me to this world! You ordered me to become your servant, didn't you? And you're gonna go anyway? You're gonna go off all on your own anyway?!" Blood dripped down his fist. Tears dripped down his cheek. Weeping with all his might, he screamed again. "Please, Elisabeth, don't leave me! I don't want you to go!" Kaito reached out his hand as he pleaded with the person he could no longer reach. "Please don't leave me," he implored her like a child. "Not now that I've finally met you," he cried. "I'd rather watch the world get destroyed than lose you!" Then, at the far end of his vision, Elisabeth opened her eyes. "...Huh?" For a second, Kaito doubted his sight, thinking it nothing more than a fanciful delusion. But it was true. Her crimson eyes were assuredly focused on him. Her lips silently moved. What poured out from them was blood. In what no doubt caused her a great deal of pain, she contorted her lips into a smile. And when she did, she whispered. "............You utter fool." It was a heartrending, nostalgic voice. Elisabeth then reached out her trembling arm, as though trying to grasp Kaito's palm in reply. Briars wound around it, trying to stop her. But Elisabeth resisted them. She extended her hand straight forward. But Kaito's palm was too distant. After displaying another abrupt smile, Elisabeth lowered her arm. Instead, she now snapped her fingers once more. Her fingers broke. Their skin tore, and their bones fractured. Yet, even so, her whispers had a strange warmth to them. "You don't want this; you don't want that, eh? Well, if you despise being alone so badly, then I shall grant it to you. 'Tis my loss, O peerless fool. I give unto you my everything. Do with it as you please." Crimson petals flitted through the air, then coalesced into a sphere. It soared away from Diablo's pillar and floated gently through the sky. Then, all at once, the petals rushed between Kaito's lips. His mouth filled with the sharp stink of rust and the taste of flesh. Understanding intuitively what it was, Kaito widened his eyes. He looked up at Elisabeth. Her voice unimaginably kind, she went on. "Drink them down or spit them all up, the choice is yours to make. But do try to live on, Kaito. And when you do, save the world. Your strength is equal to the task, as is your needless determination. You are the greatest fool this world has to offer—and you are my dim-witted servant, my pride and joy." Her voice sounded almost like someone trying to cheer up a dejected child. Kaito stared straight at Elisabeth. Then, with a gulp, he swallowed the petals down. The moment he did, he clutched at his chest, and his knees crumpled. He began violently heaving up blood. "Master Kaito!" "S-Sir Kaito!" "Geh... Urgh, ugh, gah, geh, blegh!" As he heard Hina and Lute cry out, Kaito collapsed in pain. Despite that, though, he looked up. He was weeping and coughing up blood, but he looked straight at Elisabeth. He lifted his trembling arm. Then he stuck his thumb up to say, Don't worry. I received it. Both of their faces were haggard, but they exchanged a smile. Elisabeth, having used all her strength, closed her eyes back up. In truth, she'd probably hit her limit long ago. She quickly lost consciousness. Jeanne's eyes were still closed as well. However, the teleportation circle activated automatically. Kaito and the others had their vision covered by compound walls of crimson and gold, darkness and light. In the final moment before the world faded away, though, Kaito witnessed something. The pillars had begun undergoing even more radical change. A flock of black birds took off from Diablo's. To be more specific, they weren't birds at all. They had a variety of shapes and forms, but every one of them was an underling. Amid the growing tempest of pain raging within his body, a thought crossed Kaito's mind. Oh man... The world's gonna become hell, isn't it? And the way things were going, everything was going to end. "We need to inform Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast of what we've learned." Back in Elisabeth's castle, Lute gave a quiet murmur. Odds were good that his subordinates had made it back safely and given their report on the chaotic situation, but Lute was the only one of them who'd seen the pillars up close. He needed to go give an accurate report. It was now clear that he hadn't just been in a daze—he, too, had been thinking hard. "If things continue on like this, the world really will cease to exist. I can't simply sit quietly and wait for it to meet its end. We'll need to get in contact with the demi-humans...the humans, even, too, and come up with a plan together." Lute squeezed Izabella tight. She was still asleep, blissfully unaware of what was going on. He gazed at her mechanically supplemented face, then whispered so as not to wake her. "And as for Ms. Izabella Vicker, I was thinking of leaving her in my wife's care. The two of them are on good terms, and as her body is right now, Ms. Izabella might be in need of my wife's skills as a healer. I can promise you that no harm will come to her under my wife's watch. Does that sound reasonable?" "Yeah, that sounds good. It would probably give Jeanne some peace of—Geh!" While he was replying, Kaito heaved up even more blood. Lute's eyes |
went wide with alarm. The amount of red liquid spilled out atop the stone floor was far from normal. Can humans really survive after losing that much blood? Lute found himself bewildered. He'd been told that Kaito had a homunculus body, but even so, he still needed blood to maintain his existence. Now, though, Kaito was down on his hands and knees, and Hina was rubbing his back. Lute called out worriedly to the back of Kaito's head. "Sir Kaito, what's the matter? Ever since we returned from the World's End, you've been coughing up blood incessantly. Are you certain you're all right?" "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine... I'm fine. I'm getting used to it. I'll get better at it soon." "Better at what?" wondered Lute. But before he could ask, strange noises drowned him out. Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Scraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw! One of the noises was high-pitched, and the rest were monstrous. Upon inspection, it was a group of underlings chasing around one of the Church's communication devices. All of them, the white orb and the winged, boar-headed underlings alike, were charging toward the castle. Lute frantically leaped away from the window. As he did, their assailants all flew into the bedroom. After carefully setting Izabella down on the floor, Lute drew his sword. Kaito was in no state to fight, and Hina no doubt wanted to stay by her master's side. Lute steeled himself to face the group of foes on his own. The time has come for me to repay the debts I've incurred! As that thought raced through his mind, Kaito, who was still down on the floor, weakly raised his arm. Then he snapped his wounded fingers. "La (become)." And with that, ten blades appeared in midair. Dozens of silver flashes filled the air. Each of the blades had silently traveled across the room several times. The underlings were sliced to ribbons. Their diced-up flesh toppled to the ground, and their organs all spilled out. Faced with that overwhelming display of power, Lute found himself at a loss for words. Still holding his sword at the ready, he stared at Kaito in astonishment. Kaito himself hadn't even watched his foes die. He was down on his hands and knees, coughing up blood once more. Lute was overcome with shock. Hina was at a loss for words, too. Only Vlad laughed. That was just how abnormal Kaito's deed had been. As he was normally, it would have been wholly beyond him. Without power on par with the Torture Princess's, carrying out that kind of unilateral slaughter would be impossible. "Sir Kaito, what in the world—?" "Over here... C'mon, over here. Good boy." Kaito raised his bloodstained, beastly arm, and the rescued communication device obeyed his summons and landed on his palm. Its feathers then tumbled off, revealing its glossy surface and the unencrypted runes thereon. Historically, Kaito hadn't been able to read them. Now, though, he nodded casually and rose to his feet. "Perfect. It was a message from the Church... Looks like Vyade Ula Forstlast is already putting stuff into motion off the reports your men gave her. And the demi-humans who were at the World's End went home and started mobilizing, too. Underlings are sprouting up all over. And because of the initial info the returnees brought back, the Church is getting bombarded with reproach and mistrust. The message was about a summit the three races are planning on holding together. Looks like things are moving fast, which is good. Sounds like at least someone over there knows what they're doing." Kaito laughed. When he did, though, blood came gushing from his mouth. His black uniform was stained a wet crimson. As blood dripped all over his body, he righted his posture. Then he chucked the communication device to the side. The violence of that action seemed strangely reminiscent of Elisabeth. "The funny thing is, the sender was La Christoph. Which is weird, 'cause there's no way the Church hasn't written off Elisabeth as a traitor. For him to send her a message, man, he must have had some pretty strong thoughts about Izabella getting locked up. Hell, he even sent us coordinates. And hey, if we've got an invitation, it'd be rude not to go, right?" "Go? Where to?" "The summit, where else? Time to crash a party. I'll handle the teleportation circle." That was just one more thing he casually mentioned that he wasn't supposed to be able to do. The soles of his shoes loudly clapped as he began walking. The long hem of his uniform flowed out behind him. At some point, its inside had been dyed scarlet. Then, his voice the very picture of composure, Kaito made his bold statement. "We're going to a conference about how to keep everyone alive. Let's walk in with our heads held high, 'kay?" 10 The Mad King's Decree Mankind's royal castle had gotten caught up when the demonic mass of flesh had attacked the castle, and it was currently still destroyed. In fact, the Capital as a whole had sustained serious damages, and the plans to rebuild it hadn't even been fully formed yet. Even so, if one was to compare the relative strengths of humanity, the beastfolk, and the demi-humans, humanity firmly held the edge in both land ownership and military might at their disposal. Normally, out of consideration for that fact, the Church's headquarters would be offered up as an alternative. At the moment, though, mistrust of the Church was surging within the beastfolk and demi-human ranks. As a result, both races had vetoed humanity's proposal. As a compromise, the Three Kings' palace was chosen as the meeting place. At Kaito's suggestion, Vlad had temporarily hidden his form, and the other three of them headed for the palace. Using the coordinates that the communication device had left for them, they carried out their teleportation. Azure flower petals rose up, formed a cylindrical wall, then collapsed. Lute squinted as he looked up at the palace's familiar form, and Kaito let out a cry of admiration. "Damn, that's impressive." "That it is. We strive to live in harmony with nature, and the greatest manifestation of that belief is the Three Kings' palace—the World Tree." Lute puffed up with pride as he spoke. While he was too polite to say it out loud, he no doubt considered the Three Kings' palace to be far grander than humanity's royal castle. It was a colossal tree, towering before their eyes. It was ancient, and the tree in its entirety was releasing sacred energy. Because of that, the underlings would have a difficult time getting near. Its gnarled branches blotted out the sky, their cracked bark so stiff, it was hard to imagine anyone living within it. In truth, though, cavities and tunnels ran freely throughout the World Tree's interior. It almost resembled an ant nest. Not only beastfolk but humans, too, were able to move about comfortably within its confines. The Three Kings lived in its lowest layer, beside the lake that seeped out from the World Tree's base. Having received word from Vyade, the gatekeeper led Lute and the others inside. Under normal circumstances, only beastfolk who'd gone through special screening were allowed to stay within the World Tree. At the moment, though, it was crowded with people from every race. Those who hadn't been allowed in the meeting chamber could be seen all over the place. Several beastfolk and demi-human soldiers were enjoying their rare reunion and exchanging ardent handshakes. A group of exhausted paladins were keeled over atop chairs of mushroom. There were people wearing executioner-like outfits, too, staring forcefully at their surroundings. The demi-humans in front of them were meeting their gazes head-on. "Yeesh, looks like everyone brought more people than they know what to do with. And they say three's a crowd." Despite the tension in the air, Kaito strode forward as casually as if he was going for a stroll. With every step he took, the unrest around him grew stronger. Even battle-hardened soldiers receded in shock as he passed by them. The wariness and animosity they felt toward him were all too clear. Who in the world is that? What are they? they all wondered. That spoke to just how abnormal Kaito Sena currently was. Not only was he covered in blood, but he was clad in determination so thick, it was visible. And yet, in spite of all that, he was utterly calm. Some of the people around him even recognized Kaito as the Kaiser's contractor. But not one of them could work up the courage to cry out and stop him. Behind him, Lute trembled in concern. He's clearly no ordinary human... I mean, he was always the Kaiser's contractor, but now... Just how did he change so absolutely? As he gazed at Kaito's imposing stature, Lute narrowed his eyes. He seems almost like...the Torture Princess herself. Knowing nothing of Lute's doubts, though, Kaito just kept casually walking. Suddenly, some of the onlookers called to Lute. "Captain! Thank goodness you're all right!" "Why, it's you all!" It was the subordinates he'd parted from at the World's End. After the rejoicing over their successful reunion, Lute learned a few new things. For example, the Three Kings weren't planning on attending the meeting. They'd said that they had no intentions of leaving their rooms upon the coast of the lake by the World Tree's base. They seemed determined to continue their policy of not reigning or governing. Just like always, they were leaving the meeting in the imperial family's hands. "I see. It's not that I don't understand how the Three Kings feel, but..." "Yeah, it doesn't fill me with confidence." As Lute mumbled beside him, Kaito spoke assuredly. In truth, Lute felt the same way. And the entirety of Vyade Ula Forstlast's private army no doubt shared the same misgivings. After all, there were loud voices among the imperial family who sought to expand their borders. The meeting had probably already taken a hairy turn. On their way to the meeting site, Lute and the others took a small detour and dropped by the hospital ward. After flying off from the World's End, the underlings had laid waste to everything in their path. The damage the humans had suffered had been especially severe, but the beastfolk imperial family's villas had come under attack as well. Because of that, all of Vyade's medical staff had taken refuge in the World Tree. Lute rushed into the room his men had pointed out to him. When he did, the space he found himself in was filled with flowers whose aroma served as a disinfectant. A large number of beds were systematically lined up, and an alarming number of them were occupied. Vyade's personal army had been away, so her court ladies and gardeners had suffered serious injuries. Lute ground his teeth as he lamented his absence. One after another, however, the wounded sat up and called out to him warmly. "Sir Lute, congratulations on your safe return." "Quick, someone, someone call her over!" He frantically called out for a particular healer. However, the goatwoman with her mouth covered by a sanitary cloth prioritized treating the page before her. After reaching a stopping point, she stood up, then calmly walked over to him. Her voice sounded disaffected, but anyone who knew Lute's wife could make out the notes of affection in her tone. "I was sure you'd be all right, but to see you so thoroughly uninjured is rather pleasant, Lute. It looks like I married a good one... I suppose your return can hardly be considered flawless, though." "Of course, Ain, I would never dream of worrying you by getting injured. But I...I've seen things. I need to go give my report to Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast. While I'm doing that, could I ask you to look after Ms. Izabella?" "Izabella? Ms. Izabella Vicker? I am rather fond of her, true, but wouldn't the Church's |
healers be better equipped to—? Oh, goodness." Lute had silently held out Izabella to her. As she gazed at Izabella's half-mechanized body, Lute's wife, Ain, immediately sensed just how complicated the situation was. She nodded, then turned around. Her voice was as matter-of-fact as her steps were quick. "She looks to have burned through a great deal of her stamina. Let her rest here. There you go, gently." Lute followed her orders and set Izabella down on a bed in a quarantined section of the ward for the severely injured. Now they wouldn't have to worry about anyone seeing her mechanized body. Ain then quickly got to work inspecting Izabella all over. After checking her esophagus and making sure it was functioning properly, she poured a decoction down her throat. Then she started applying ointment to the places where metal and skin joined together. After a little while, Izabella's breathing grew steady. With a kindly look on her face, Ain stroked her mechanized cheek. Then, though, she suddenly whirled around and stared straight at Kaito. "That should put Ms. Izabella at ease for now, but...you don't seem quite well, either, do you?" "Who, me? I mean, I guess I'm covered in blood, but I'm not really injured anywhere. Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine." "It isn't a matter of being injured or not. You seem like yourself right now, yet, at the same time, you seem like someone else." Lute gasped a little. He, too, had thought the same thing, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to ask Kaito about it. Ain's gaze stayed firmly fixed on Kaito. Not flinching, she probed even deeper. "I can't quite put it into words, but...I find that fact rather alarming, no?" A heavy silence descended upon them for a moment. Kaito blinked. Hina looked down but said nothing. The tension caused Lute's tail to puff up. A few seconds later, though, Kaito burst into laughter. "Ha-ha-ha, you and me both. Man, Lute, you found yourself a good wife." "Errr, yes, I'm more than aware... Ow, Ain, don't step on my feet!" "Now is hardly the time for that kind of talk, dear. And as for you, you're certain you're all right?" "Yeah... I mean, you're right. But I'm fine... I'm still me, after all." Sir Kaito is dodging the question. Lute could feel it. Perhaps Kaito realized it, too, as he gave an awkward smile. Upon seeing it, Lute felt a slight tinge of relief. That good-natured expression was undoubtedly Kaito Sena's. Suddenly, a thought crossed Lute's mind. Perhaps... Perhaps I ought to make sure to remember that smile. It would be best if he made sure to remember it, no matter what happened. He didn't quite know why, but Lute was certain of that. After leaving the temporary infirmary behind them, Lute and the others began making their way toward the meeting hall once more. Eventually, after traveling down a long, wide hallway, they reached its sole set of double doors. The doors were made from a part of the World Tree itself, and flowers associated with the Three Kings and the various members of the imperial family were delicately carved into its surface. Two muscular lionmen stood in front of its gorgeous design. Upon seeing Lute, the doorkeepers saluted. As they did, they crossed their spears and firmly barred the door. One of them called out briskly to Lute. "Excellent work, Captain Lute. Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast told us of your expedition. However, the conference has already begun. We cannot allow any to enter, no matter who they may be. You can give your report after the meeting is complete. Until then, you can make yourself at home in the antechamber." "What, it started already? Hey, perfect!" Before Lute could reply, though, Kaito poked his head out from behind him. When they saw his bloodstained figure, the lionfolk gatekeepers' expressions contorted in bald suspicion. "Wait, who is—?" "La (take a nap)." Kaito snapped his fingers. When he did, a pair of small blades quietly appeared behind the two gatekeepers, then slammed into the backs of their necks. Concussed, the two of them toppled wordlessly to the ground. As he rushed over and caught one of them in his arms, Lute directed a quiet shout Kaito's way. "Sir Kaito, what do you think you're doing?! There's no need for such violence!" "Don't worry. I controlled it well, if I do say so myself. They'll be up before you know it." His voice calm, Kaito reached toward the doors. As he did, Lute suddenly noticed the other collapsed figures throughout the corridor. Evidently, Kaito had dealt with all the patrolling guards in the same manner. All in that one moment? As Lute tried to come to terms with that fact, he suddenly heard the sound of meat sizzling. Panicking, he looked back toward the doors. When he did, he discovered that smoke had billowed up from Kaito's hand as he'd grabbed its handle. Despite the fact that his own flesh was burning, though, Kaito wore a thin smile on his face. "Damn, that's a decent barrier they've got going on. But still, for it to be able to burn me... I must be more wounded than I thought, huh?" In the blink of an eye, Kaito's hand had been hideously burned. Its flesh was seared and its skin was peeling off. Yet, he still held on tight. Hina made no move to stop him. Sizzling blood and bodily fluids ran down the door's handle. Around it, azure petals and darkness raged like a storm. Then the sound of something splitting rang out. When it did, the door exploded open from within. The gazes of everyone present—human, beastfolk, demi-human royalty, aristocrats, and clergymen alike—all fell onto Kaito. "'Scuse the interruption. Here I am, the Torture Princess's representative." Kaito, for his part, replied with a savage, villainous smile. Practically everyone present was utterly dumbfounded. Vyade Ula Forstlast and La Christoph merely nodded, though, as if they'd seen this coming. In the next moment, a number of swords were noisily unsheathed and pointed Kaito's way. The guards had all drawn their weapons at once. Their response was prompt, as one would expect. At the same time, one of the Church's high priests called out. "Such insolence! What business could the Kaiser's contractor possibly have with us?!" The guards' murderous stares bore down on Kaito. As they did, a shrill noise filled the air. One after another, the guards' sword blades and spearheads went spinning into the air. Hina's halberd was magically enhanced and glowing blue, and she'd used it to lop them off. After fully swinging it, she stooped down low like an animal. Then she calmly looked up. The guards were frozen in surprise. She turned her jeweled emerald gaze on them. "You people have no idea. No idea what he gained. No idea what he lost. Such insolence." Her voice was quiet and cold. Faced with her stern demeanor, everyone else gasped in fear. As they did, Kaito loudly clapped his hands together. After getting everyone's attention, he spread his arms out wide. "Now, if you would all be kind enough to settle down. La Christoph sent me a message about this meeting, and Vyade knows me as well. Furthermore, I serve the Torture Princess, the strongest weapon at the Church's disposal. I feel like that qualifies me to be here. I'm not gonna leave, but I'm also not gonna get in your way. Feel free to carry on." Kaito casually rattled off the names of the authority figures he was acquainted with. Lute's face went pale, and just as he'd suspected, accusatory glances rained down on the parties in question. However, the third imperial princess of the forest and the astoundingly resolute saint replied nonchalantly. "I ordered Lute to inform me of what happened at the World's End. The events that took place there were the root of all evil, the reason we find ourselves gathered here today. If he deems Kaito Sena a necessary witness, then I stand by his decision." "It's true. I did, in fact, send for the Torture Princess. After the uproar at the plaza, it became evident that she and Izabella Vicker discovered something down in the depths of the royal tomb. Afterward, the Grave Keeper mobilized the paladins and set off for the World's End. They should be able to clear up the suspicions the demi-humans have leveled at us, and as such have an obligation to testify." Their responses were met with a number of angry bellows. Despite the turmoil, though, Kaito flippantly snapped his fingers. Azure petals and black darkness swirled. This time, it was the mages who stood at the ready, but all he did was create a chair. It was the exact same extravagant chair as the one Vlad had summoned in the past. Kaito took a seat. Then he haughtily placed his arms atop the armrests and crossed his legs. When he spoke, his voice was utterly devoid of fear. "Go ahead, carry on. The world's gonna get destroyed if you don't hurry, right?" Kaito's words had a certain truth to them. Furthermore, the sole present saint had endorsed his attendance. And in any case, it wasn't as though they had any way to expel someone powerful enough to destroy the barrier. The room gradually settled down. Then, reluctantly, they resumed the meeting. And thus, the Kaiser's contractor, the enemy of humanity, was added to the discussion that would determine the fate of the world. "It's true, we have no time. Those two pillars sprouted up at the World's End, and the underlings coming from the black one are destroying everything in their path. At this rate, all our people will perish. Given the current situation, the chances that the restructuring the Church is so fixated on will actually take place seem rather low." "...What, that's as far as you guys have gotten?" Upon hearing the beastfolk official's speech, Kaito muttered to himself. Apparently, the Church was still placing their faith in the restructuring. But when he thought about it, he realized that he and his group were the only ones to have talked with the Apostle or seen the Saint's madness firsthand. It was no wonder that there were those who viewed the appearances of the two pillars as a divine miracle and a sign that the restructuring was imminent. Consequently, the meeting had reached an impasse. The discord between humanity and their Church and the other two races was only getting worse. Even now, the high priest was objecting to the official's proclamation. "You people don't share our faith, so you may find it difficult to understand. But we know that the promised day spoken of in legend is at hand. The devout faithful will be welcomed into the new world. You all may lack that qualification, but I'd ask you to kindly avoid gnashing your teeth and referring to it as the end." "I see. Then let's suppose that the current situation is, in fact, part of the restructuring you all are so keen on. Can we then take it that this is what you wanted, that you were the ones who brought this about?" The next individual spoke in a thorny tone. Kaito turned to look at its source. It was a foxwoman with silken red fur and a beguiling smile spread across her face. Upon hearing her antagonistic response, Vyade called out to reprove her. "Dear sister, shouldn't we be less concerned with carrying out investigations and more with coordinating our strategies?" "Be quiet, would you, Vyade? What do you think we stand to accomplish if we don't know who's to blame? And we have such a convenient intruder, too. Perhaps it's high time I divulge a piece of information I've been keeping." The woman's voice dripped with honey. She was likely the first imperial princess, the one who was focused on expanding the |
beastfolk territories. The men's clothing that she wore suited her well. She leaned back in her chair, then crossed her legs in the same manner Kaito had. "We've already heard from the demi-humans about the horribly transfigured paladin corpses they discovered. As it so happens, they weren't the only ones who did." "...What are you getting at?" "Immediately after the underlings started appearing and Vyade gave her report, I dispatched several elite members of my private army to the World's End. Over two-thirds of them died, but their results were more than satisfactory. They brought back the corpses of several transformed paladins, as well as a cackling woman. I don't know much about the woman, but it's interesting, isn't it? It all reeks of the Church's involvement." *** The members on the Church's side were visibly shocked. But it wasn't because the first imperial princess had called them out. As far as they were concerned, the restructuring was already under way. Having their wrongdoings pointed out would hardly affect them at this point. But the captured woman, on the other hand, was a different story altogether. If she really was the Saint, then it meant that the Church had had their most revered person stolen away by the enemy. But that wasn't how the first imperial princess interpreted their distress. Her smile deepened triumphantly as she went on. "If this situation, if the appearance of the two pillars, is the result of you people seeking restructuring...then how exactly do you intend to make reparations?" "My sister is right. It feels like compensation is in order. You know, as a show of good faith." A youthful voice called out in assent. It belonged to a young man with a panther's head. He was probably the third imperial prince. His radiant sapphire gaze turned on the members of the Church. A stuffy voice piped up from his right. "That can wait. We can figure out where the onus for reparations lies after the situation has been settled. Right now, we need to focus on how to stop the underlings from harming our people. The Church has several saints at their disposal. Depending on how they have them act, we ought to consider lessening their punishment." "Oh man, aren't we feeling generous to the people who got us into this mess." "The pureblooded among my people number few, and one of their crucial sectors has sustained damages. Our primary concern is quickly coming up with a defense strategy for it." "...So he's just hung up on his pureblood nonsense." The bespectacled lizard-headed demi-human's words drove Kaito to mutter to himself again. Lute mirrored his exasperation. None of the other demi-human representatives seemed to have complaints, but surely there were other things they should be more concerned with defending. Amid the quarreling, the human king was merely trembling in his chair. Just as Kaito had heard, the man was decidedly young. The king's face was freckled and stiffened from nerves. His advisers, who all looked to have close ties to the Church, were practically glued to his sides. La Christoph, who was sitting a little way off to the side, was the next to speak. "We're currently conducting an investigation into the abuse of power by some of our members. And it's impossible to say definitively whether or not the current phenomenon is an aspect of restructuring or not. I believe that a pragmatic strategy would be for us saints to act as a shield and serve as a front line to defend all three races. I would ask that you all please lend us your strength." "...That's as far as you guys have gotten, too?" Kaito heaved a heavy sigh. As he'd suspected, the Church hadn't completely abandoned the possibility that restructuring would occur. But while they were deliberating, people were dying all over the place. The world was coming to an end, filling to the brim with pain and screams. However, it seemed like that fact had yet to sink in with anyone present. "Lute, you were there when the two pillars arose at the World's End. What information do you have for us?" Vyade finally called out to Lute. He responded by giving a flustered salute. Her decision had been a good one. Right now, what they needed more than anything was accurate information. It was essential that they understand that they were atop a collapsing cliff, that the pot they were perched in had already reached a boil. "Allow me to first say this—there is no chance that restructuring will occur." Lute was firm in his statement. The room buzzed with frenzied murmurs. The Church members' faces were blotted red with rage. But Lute ignored all the criticism being leveled his way. He calmly relayed a description of the events he and the others had witnessed. "First, regarding what Sir Kaito and his group discovered beneath the royal tombs..." One by one, he laid out the insane truths. The hall steadily grew quiet as a different type of tension filled the air. "...Then the Saint transferred her contracts with God and Diablo over to the Torture Princesses. Her objective was..." ...to abandon the role she'd been burdened with. The moment those words left his mouth, the sound of the round table being violently struck echoed through the room. The Church's people had angrily risen to their feet. "Hold your tongue! We will not sit here and listen to these vile insults! What merit does the testimony of a man who accompanied the Torture Princess and the Kaiser's contractor have anyway?!" "If you can't show off your power, you're just weak. If you fight without information, you're just a fool, and if you whine pointlessly, you're just incompetent. And hey, if your life has no value, you're no better than a pig. So which one are you? Incompetent or a pig?" A well-projected voice served to cut off the clergyman's angry tirade. Kaito's sounded almost listless. One of the high priests was about to raise his voice in objection, but at the last minute, he froze. Kaito's eyes were cold and hard. He gave the man a quiet warning. "Now, listen until he's done." "Errr, well, I have more bad news, unfortunately. The damage from the underlings isn't the only threat. Within ten days or so, the two pillars will collapse. God and Diablo will both be released, and the world will be destroyed." "Yes, and that will herald the start of recon—" "Seven days." Kaito interrupted the priest once again. Every eye in the room turned toward him. Once they had, he nimbly raised a finger and matter-of-factly made his proclamation. "The Diablo pillar will only last seven days. That's as long as Elisabeth's mana will take her." "But, Sir Kaito, Vlad... Sir Vlad said it would last ten days or so." "Sure, if Elisabeth was at peak form. But not now." Kaito gently shook his head. His expression was calm as he shared a piece of information that only he knew. "Because Diablo has infiltrated her body, she can't die. But while she still had her freedom, she expelled one of her internal organs. As a result, her body can't generate new mana anymore." Confused looks filled the room. Saying that Elisabeth had expelled one of her organs was a ridiculous claim. Hina alone squeezed the hem of her maid uniform. Everyone else turned toward Lute, wondering what organ Kaito was talking about. Kaito gave his chest a quick thump. Then he revealed the bizarre truth. "Right now, Elisabeth's heart is inside me." It took a good ten seconds for Lute to fully comprehend what Kaito had uttered. So this is what he meant when he said he was "getting used to it" and would "get better at it soon." Blood carried great significance to dark mages. Their mana originated from their hearts, then traveled to the rest of their body through their blood. And due to the roots the demon meat had spread throughout Elisabeth's organs, hers was a reactor with power beyond compare. And apparently, it was now in Kaito's body. Lute was struck speechless. If that was the case... In other words... Right now, Sir Kaito is... ...the Kaiser's immortal contractor and the inheritor of the Torture Princess's mana. Few would be able to fully understand the overwhelming nature of that truth. However, the color drained from the faces of several of the mages present. Caring little for whether or not his words caused shock or were even understood, Kaito went on. "And because I inherited her heart, a new connection sprang up between Elisabeth and me. Diablo stole away her consciousness and is using her body to birth underlings—but all pain and injuries they're causing are being delivered straight to me." "...What?" Lute let out a dumbfounded yelp. Kaito grinned. As he did, crimson blood dripped down from the corner of his lips. "But it's not like I can just go passing out now. I have it more or less under control, but it hurts like a bitch." Lute could imagine. Right now, the underlings were transforming the world into a living hell. Their acts of brutality spanned the entirety of civilization. If all the pain they were causing was being transferred to a single person... There's no way they could maintain their sanity! That's madness! How can he withstand it?! "I guess forcing me to get used to pain is the one thing I gotta thank my old man for, huh?" A carefree smile spread across Kaito's face. The expression hardly suited the moment, and the room's occupants froze upon seeing it. Every second, pain was being sent to his body. And all of it was passing through the Kaiser and being converted into mana. The silence was tinged with fear. Kaito himself shrugged, then gave his chin a light jerk. "So? Carry on. If you don't, the world's gonna get destroyed. You do know that, right?" "T-true, it will... No, it won't! Our stance remains unchanged. Even if what you say is true, and the Saint did set down her burden, then the new Saint who bears God within her will carry out restructuring all the same! We have faith in that! We have to...we have to believe in that." "Very well, then. If humanity wishes to sacrifice themselves for their faith, then far be it from us to stop them." A husky, feral voice spoke up. The first imperial princess of the beastfolk licked her lips. Sharp claws glittered atop her fingers as she tapped on the round table's surface. "Your proposal for a unified line of defense among the three races is hereby rejected. And while we're at it, let's annul the peace treaty, too. And while we focus our own defenses, we'll move in on the human territories, too. We have a right to revenge, after all. And the Saint is already in our grasp. This way, we can mount a resistance against the pillars and wipe out humanity, just the way you want it." "Sister, you're making a terrible decision! Declaring war at a time like this? You may excel at battle, sister, and even with the recent loss of your elite troops, your army is no doubt still strong. But do you truly believe that you can accomplish both those things without suffering crippling losses? Your ambitions will leave the forest barren. How can you not see that?" "Be quiet, Vyade! Who do you think you're taking that tone with?! We've remained silent for too long. Letting this opportunity pass us by would mar our pride as beastfolk!" The first imperial princess's indignation shut Vyade right up. Her approval among the people served as her sole weapon. The actual authority she wielded was comparatively slim. Now was not the time to descend into bickering. The demi-human delegation looked at one another, then stood. The bespectacled, aged green lizard spoke solemnly. "Very well. Humanity did bring this upon us. |
We will stand with our old friends and form a united front alongside them. If you all wish to resign yourselves to destruction, then your fate is in your own hands. But the disorder within your Church seems to run deep. I doubt you have the power to successfully protect your people. It appears that this is the end for you." The hostility of the other two races bore down upon the humans. It was true; the Church had been to blame for the current situation. This could all be seen as a natural result of that. However, the humans lacked the resolution to admit fault and try to change the way things were going. La Christoph didn't have that authority. Two of the advisers turned to the king and whispered. "Your Majesty, now is the time to make your decision. Once the restructuring occurs, we will all be saved. But first, we must destroy the pagans. Perhaps we should have done so sooner. We must begin the third king's holy war anew. You must demonstrate your faith in God, for the sake of the people." "Please, Your Majesty, give the order to deploy all the saints." *** The king was clearly baffled. The decisions he was being asked to make were far beyond what he was mentally equipped to handle. He was young, and death and responsibility clearly scared him. The Church obviously wanted to get things under way before any of the influential aristocrats who'd missed the meeting could get a say. "All you have to do is nod," the king's advisers whispered enticingly. While all of that was going on, Lute's gaze turned to a certain someone. Kaito was calmly watching over the proceedings. His eyes were strangely serene, and they were picking up everything that was happening. Kaito heaved a deep, deep sigh. Then, out of the blue, he snapped his fingers. "La (become)." When he did, over a hundred blades manifested in midair. Azure flower petals and darkness had danced luxuriously through the air, and executioner's ax-shaped blades had lined up within them. Everyone present had steel pointed right at their neck. Anyone with any amount of combat experience couldn't help but immediately realize what was happening. It was a dangerous stunt, one that would normally be carried out with hundreds of soldiers. As he stared in wonderment, a thought passed through Lute's head. Normally, a coup isn't something one carries out on their own. That was just common sense. Right now, though, that common sense had been overturned. A voice rang through the hall, one tinged with disappointment. "Enough of this nonsense—clearly you guys are all useless." Kaito Sena slowly rose from his chair. The hem of his black uniform flared out behind him as he began walking. The way his tunic was dyed scarlet on the inside really was reminiscent of the Torture Princess's dress. It was at that point that Lute realized something. Almost like proof of his explosive development as a mage, Kaito's beastly left arm had returned to that of a human. Kaito casually leaped atop the round table. Lute elected not to follow him. A beautiful automaton, on the other hand, unfalteringly took her place by Kaito's side. "Oh? What's this? You've finally decided to seize your crown, O unworthy master of mine?" Humanlike laughter accompanied the horrible black dog's appearance. Seemingly thinking that he might as well, Kaito snapped his fingers. Azure petals and darkness scattered throughout the room, and Vlad Le Fanu's phantasm made a graceful appearance from within them. "Why, hello, hello. I see that my dear successor has assembled quite the notable audience." Placing a hand atop his chest, Vlad gave an elegant, courteous bow to the members of the conference. The three of them now in tow, Kaito stopped at the center of the table. Azure petals and black darkness swirled up once more. A jet-black long sword dropped from within them. The engraving carved upon its beautiful blade flashed. When it did, its meaning was seared into the eyes of all present. All things are pardoned unto me. But I am ruled by none. Then the azure glow abruptly faded. Flower petals still fluttering through the air, Kaito lorded over his surroundings. "All I wanna do is save the woman I admire. And I don't want to let any more innocent people become victims. That's all. I have no desire to dominate, no lust for glory. And I certainly don't intend on ruling or getting involved with politics at all. I don't give a shit about who's in charge after this. But right now? Right now, I'm taking charge of the world." Kaito Sena, the Torture Princess's servant, lorded over the assembled nobles of all races. Blood dripped from his mouth. He lifted his sword, then pointed it at his newfound hostages. "Humanity, beastfolk, and demi-humans are all equal. Every living creature is ignorant, every living creature is like a stupid animal, and every living creature is precious. So I'll promise you this. I'm gonna keep you all alive. I'm gonna save the world. And that's why..." *** Then the boy who had once died meaninglessly in another world made his grand declaration. "...Just for now, I'm king. So obey me." In that moment, as the world crumbled, the Mad King was born. And as he was, the desperate battle to survive in the world of the two pillars began. Afterword Before I realized it, it was fall. And this is the fifth volume. Hallelujah. Thank you all so much for buying the fifth volume of Torture Princess. I feel like out of the whole series, this volume was the most harrowing for Kaito. How did you all enjoy it? As I was writing it, the thought gosh, this is getting intense crossed my mind a number of times, and during the editing process, I realized, gosh, this really is intense. All I did was follow my plot outline, so I wonder why that could have been. I'm planning on keeping the hits coming in Volume 6, so I hope you will all look forward to it. By the way, this volume is scheduled for release at the same time as the first volume of Ms. Hina Yamato's manga adaptation of Torture Princess, which, as an author, is something I find extremely moving. If you purchase them together, you'll also get a side story I wrote with illustrations by Hina Yamato and Saki Ukai, so please go check it out. Both of them are brilliant artists, and their work is magnificent. The manga version wouldn't have been possible without the love and care of Hina Yamato and everyone else involved in the adaptation put into it, but it also wouldn't have been possible without the support of all you readers, so I ask that you kindly continue enjoying both the manga version of Torture Princess and the original novels. As a side note, the official Twitter account (@goumonhime) is active, so if you'd like, please give it a follow. If you would be so kind. Now, suddenly, we find ourselves in the acknowledgments section, so I'd like to thank Saki Ukai for the beautiful-as-always illustrations made for this volume; my editor O, who gave me all sorts of useful advice; Hina Yamato and everyone else involved in the wonderful manga adaptation; and my beloved family, particularly my older sister. Thank you all so very, very much. And above all else, I would like to offer another round of thanks to my readers. Thank you all so much for reading my story up through its fifth volume. The only way I can think of to really repay you is to write the most interesting stories I possibly can, so I plan to keep working as hard as I can. I pray we will meet again. The Mad King has been born. Will the world end, or will it not? What will become of him and her? Records of a Civil Official This is a record of our defeat. And at the same time, it is also a record of how we are yet biding our time. The two pillars, God and Diablo, that rose up at the World's End brought destruction down upon us all. The first wave of underlings released from the Diablo pillar spread far and wide, sowing slaughter and mayhem in their wake. But it is believed the second wave and those that'll come thereafter will be the real threats. Although the residents of the Capital have survived countless demon attacks, the following waves of underlings boasted such numbers that the people stood no chance. Normally, that would have been sufficient to mark this world's doom. Normally, that is. However, at that very moment, the joint meeting among the humans, demi-humans, and beastfolk bore fruit. When the various races' representatives received word of a second wave, they set aside their grudges and established a united front. An army was formed with the saints at its center, and they were able to shoot down over half the underlings before they landed on human soil. However, victory is far from ours. At present, we're suffering countless minor defeats due to our fatigue and eroded military strength. Does victory await us beyond our present hardships? Or are we perhaps fated to lose? And if so, what will the ensuing destruction and rebuilding be like? We don't even know what form the end will take. After all, our enemies are none other than God and Diablo. The battle we have undertaken is an act of sacrilege, the likes of which have never before occurred, perhaps not even in the world before ours. The beliefs we have held for countless ages are crumbling away, and our spiritual foundations have been shattered. After casting the Creators aside, will life be able to persist as it has in the past? At this rate, nothing about our futures is certain. Everything described above details the brutal nature of the situation we find ourselves in. From here, I will be recording my personal ramblings. However, that is precisely why I hope you will remember them. Even if everything perishes, even if everything comes to an end, even if these records are annihilated in the rebuilding, I hope someone, somewhere, remembers us. Our foolish resistance, our futile struggle—all of it is proof that we lived. Even if there is no possible way to know that, please— —I beg of you. Perhaps I've gotten too sentimental. Allow me to change the subject—the fact that the three races joined together and formed a united defensive front came as a great shock to me. Rumor has it that the Church was involved in the erection of the two pillars. Because of that, I was certain that the first imperial princess of the beastfolk would rise up against humanity. Could it be that something happened at the meeting, something that a lowly public official such as myself could never even begin to imagine? A calamitous act of tyranny, one that threatens to destroy everything? Or perhaps something resembling a miracle? 1 A Pact with the Imperial Princess The location was the joint meeting among the three races, which would shape the fate of the world. Standing atop the pure-white round table, Kaito Sena lorded over his surroundings. His hundreds of swords were leveled at the noses of those who had assembled here to represent their races. The blades glinted keenly as Kaito carefully kept them suspended in the air with a thought. He'd created each and every one of them with magic. In his hand, he held but a single jet-black long sword, and he pointed it at the members of the assembly. He slowly opened his mouth to speak. "Humanity, beastfolk, and demi-humans are all equal. Every living creature is ignorant, every living creature is like a stupid animal, and every living creature is precious. So I'll promise you this. I'm gonna keep you |
all alive. I'm gonna save the world. And that's why..." Then the boy who had died meaninglessly in another world made his grand declaration. "...just for now, I'm king. So obey me." There was no reply. Some people stared at him in surprise, some people trembled in fear, and some people calmly stared at his blades. While their expressions were varied, their faces all bore the shade of a common mutual understanding. Kaito could no doubt tell what they were thinking: The moment we oppose him, the blades will end us; if we give the wrong answer, he'll split open our noses, pierce our brains, and dump our gray matter on the floor; I can tell from the quiet passion and determination in that insurrectionist boy's face that he'll do it. Everyone present was highly capable, and together, they formed the nucleus of society. It made perfect sense that none of them would be stupid enough to mistake his proclamation for a joke. Kaito himself also realized, in a detached sense, that "he would do it." Once you kill someone, they can't come back. Getting a second chance like I did is an anomaly. But right now, I have to make sure they comply. I'm from another world, so I'm probably the only person who can act without being weighed down worrying about who will have what rights. Or who will have to make which concessions after we deal with the current situation... Right now, the world was like a sinking ship. But the grudges the various races held against one another were too deep for any one of them to be able to take the helm. To prevent them from being totally annihilated, an outsider needed to steer the ship to shore. And in order to do that, some people might need to be cast overboard. Kaito recognized that much, and he'd made his peace with it. Right now, killing a hundred to save a thousand, or perhaps killing a thousand to save ten times that, was the only option. It was a stupid, arrogant choice to make. And it resembled the method she had once used. "What would you do in this situation, Elisabeth?" Kaito posed his question in a quiet, subdued voice. He received no reply. But that was to be expected. At the moment, the ebony Torture Princess was bound to the Diablo pillar. Kaito let out a masochistic laugh. However, a loud thumping noise rang out and interrupted his moment of sentimentality. Without turning around, Kaito snapped his fingers. Someone else had leaped atop the round table, and the blades went flying toward them. The sound of the weapons whizzing through the air was followed by the sharp ringing of swords meeting. From the corner of his vision, Kaito could make out sparks flying from where metal had clashed with metal. Each of his blades had been sent flying off in a different direction entirely. One of them had gone spinning toward a high priest from the Church, who screamed. Right before tragedy could occur, however, Kaito transformed the blade back into azure petals. The woman who'd repelled Kaito's attack had her vision obscured by the dancing flower petals, but she paid that no heed and charged instead. As she rushed toward him, Kaito got a better look at her and narrowed his eyes. Her red hair looked like waves of billowing flame as it fluttered through the air. "Yeah, I figured you'd attack," Kaito murmured. The rebellious foe who'd jumped onto the table was a fox beastwoman clad in dignified, masculine clothing: the first imperial princess. Over the course of the meeting, she had not only shamelessly attacked the Church for their actions but had even declared war against all humanity. She thrust her sword forward as she ran, then released a superb strike. For a moment, Kaito could vividly imagine the edge of her blade being driven into his chest. Once again, the ringing sound of swords meeting echoed throughout the room. "Yeesh, that was close. You've got a hell of a sword arm." Using Nameless, the jet-black long sword in his right hand, Kaito had blocked the first imperial princess's blow. As he did, he snapped the fingers on his left hand and summoned blades all around her position. In response, the first imperial princess sprang off the table, spinning diagonally through the air with characteristic beastfolk flexibility. After narrowly weaving her way through the slashes, she landed unharmed, then twirled to swat away the blades that had pursued her. An instrumental noise rang out, and azure flower petals cascaded down. Amid the storm of blossoms, the first imperial princess spoke in a curt tone. "Ha, what a joke. You can drop the forced compliments, human. You haven't called in a single one of your subordinates, and you're blatantly pulling your punches. Do you really think me so simple a vixen as to rejoice at your hollow words?" She thrust forward again. Kaito tilted his head back on instinct alone, losing a chunk of his faded-brown hair for his troubles. "How dare you cut Master Kaito's precious hair!" Hina, Kaito's automaton bride, dashed across the table, halberd in hand. However, Kaito called her off with a glance. Hina somehow managed to stop herself, although she cracked the table's surface in the process. "Good heavens, what a restless bunch they are. I must say, though, cracking the table with one's feet alone is quite impressive." "I agree that for a mere human, the boy never seems to know when to shut up. None of them respect the value of silence." Off to the side, Vlad and the Kaiser continued observing, as though they were mere spectators at a show. That was precisely why Kaito had frowned when he'd heard the first imperial princess's rebuke. "I mean...see for yourself. Even if I told them to help, only one of them ever actually does what I say." "Be that as it may. If you were fighting for real, my head would've been parted from my body long ago." "You're giving me a lot of credit, aren't you? You could just put away the sword, then." "Hmph. I fail to understand your intentions, but you don't look eager to bare your fangs any time soon. So I thought I'd kill you while you rested on your laurels—that's the plan anyway. What do you make of it?" "Seems like a pretty reasonable strategy." "Wearing away at my patience appears to be a hobby of yours. Now I'm determined to kill you." "Okay, in all honesty, I feel like you could tone down the aggression a little." "I don't want to hear that from someone who came in and seized control by force! What a thoroughly infuriating human you are!" The first imperial princess laughed as she swung her sword again. Over the course of their conversation, the two of them had exchanged several blows. Everyone else present still had blades pressed against their noses, and they were all watching the exchange, flabbergasted. It was a completely understandable reaction, and Kaito nodded. As he did, he deployed a set of blades in a fan formation, then shot them at the first imperial princess. She slashed each and every one of them away. As azure flower petals rained down on them, the two of them continued pacing atop the round table. They looked almost like a pair of dancers, caught up in the mood of a festival. Right now, this princess is probably the only one who'd go against me head-on, huh. Kaito's thoughts raced as he and his foe restlessly circled each other and traded places. He began working through his shock, all the while intentionally angling himself so that it would be difficult for the other beastfolk to aid the first imperial princess once they'd come to their senses. He hadn't expected anyone to respond to him with anything except rejection or surrender. And the fact that they'd been able to have a conversation midbattle made the situation all the stranger. After gauging the onlookers' reactions, though, Kaito realized his current exchange was critical. Based on their expressions now and what they said a minute ago, my guess is that the second imperial princess of the beastfolk, Vyade Ula Forstlast, and the representative from the Church's saints, La Christoph, think of me as a way to avoid interracial conflict and are leaning toward obeying my decree... As for the demi-humans, they're fence-sitting like always. The young human king no longer seemed to possess the willpower to resist much of anything. Thanks to the Church's meddling, the aristocrats who would normally serve as his advisers had been excluded from the meeting. That meant if Kaito pressed him, he'd undoubtedly cave. All he had to do was convince the first imperial princess, and the situation would rapidly tilt in his favor. Bearing that in mind, Kaito spoke again. "Tell me, do you honestly believe you'll be able to go up against humanity and wipe out all of Diablo's underlings at the same time? No, never mind, you definitely do. And you're strong enough to be able to say it confidently, too." "Self-absorbed, aren't we? Small wonder your subordinates have such little trust in you." "All right, let me give you a warning, then. You're looking at this way too optimistically." Clang. Nameless and the first imperial princess's blade met each other again a hair away from Kaito's right cheek. After retreating a step, Kaito snapped his fingers and sent a blade flying toward her wrist. She drew a knife from behind her back with her free hand and batted it away. Kaito nodded. He'd expected her to block it. "The curtain has only just risen on the end-time. The underlings won't stop—they'll just keep coming and coming, with more of them spawning each wave. In order to prevent the apocalypse, you'll need to defeat them all, then topple the God and Diablo pillars. If the three races mobilized as one, you still wouldn't have the manpower to pull it off." "...Go on." "Even with the demi-humans on your side, choosing to fight while turning your back on a hostile race is a terrible move. The risks outweigh the rewards. But you already know that, right? You certainly don't look stupid enough not to have realized that by now." "I understand full well how harsh an ordeal it will be. But now is our only chance. It has to be now." "What do you mean, 'It has to be now'?" After repelling another fierce blow from the first imperial princess, Kaito came to an abrupt stop. He had been pushed to the very edge of the round table. There was nowhere left behind him to stand. A bear beastman seized the opportunity to aim his bow at Kaito's back. But Kaito just sent a blade to silently sever its bowstring. The beastfolk stared, aghast, at his now-useless weapon. As Kaito traded places with the first imperial princess once more, the hem of his black outfit waved in the air as though nothing had happened. The two of them faced the center of the table as they resumed their dance. The first imperial princess murmured in a melodic voice: "Let's think about what will happen after we get through this crisis. Even now, the beastfolk and demi-humans combined can't compare with humanity's numbers. If we assume the underlings will attack all three races in kind, then after Diablo's threat has passed, when we take the respective damages into account, the gap in power between humanity and the rest of ours will likely only grow. Even though they were the ones who brought this calamity upon us in the first place. Territory, population, resources... If we ever want to overtake them, then it has to be now, while their saints are preoccupied with defeating the underlings and the mistrust toward the Church has caused them internal strife. If we pass up this |
final opportunity, then things will undoubtedly come to a head once more. After all, humanity has shown they cannot be trusted." "Ah, I get it. You're worried that someday, humanity will decide to exclude the other two races." Kaito nodded. The first imperial princess threw concealed knives at him and leveled countless thrusts his way, all the while confirming his assessment. "They will. It may not happen for decades, or even centuries, but what kind of ruler would I be if I didn't consider the future of my people? Humanity is fundamentally xenophobic, and they consider themselves special, whether they realize it or not. They will bring about another tragedy, mark my words." Kaito repelled her sword again and again. Clear, ringing noises filled the air, and he came to realize a certain fact. The first imperial princess hadn't been appointed by mistake. The Three Kings of the Forest, the ones who'd appointed the imperial family, had known exactly what they were doing. Unlike the second imperial princess, Vyade the Wise Wolf, she was belligerent, but she, too, had the makings of a ruler. In order for the beastfolk to survive, they needed both moderates and extremists. The only problem was that if they followed her lead and acted against humanity while they could, then the world would be destroyed. Is she just misjudging her own strength? No...if anything, it's that her imagination is lacking. Realizing that, Kaito frowned. After all, the beastfolk had never seen what Diablo and the demons were capable of. Some of their people had been massacred by paladins who'd consumed demon meat, but they'd managed to avoid ever being attacked by a full-fledged demon. And the hellscapes that demons created were beyond what any normal person could imagine. As a result, the first imperial princess had no way of knowing the horrors that awaited them. However, Kaito couldn't bring himself to blame her for her ignorance. For one thing, not even the Church, the people who'd caused their predicament, fully grasped the true situation. It was nigh impossible for the living to comprehend just what it meant for the world to be approaching its demise. But right now, Kaito needed to impress that impossibility on everyone present. Every living being needed to know. For their own sakes. Nobody's gonna come save us. He couldn't leave them with any leeway to consider what would come afterward. "If things go on like this, we'll all die." Kaito's declaration was simple and to the point. The first imperial princess opened her mouth, then closed it again. The sharp certainty of his words must have sparked something in her. Her sword was pressing against his Nameless, and she put her strength into it, then leaped backward. After putting some distance between herself and Kaito, she shot another piercing gaze his way. Kaito looked straight back into her golden eyes. He opened his mouth once more. But the moment he did, it came without warning. *** It came with a thump. Kaito's heart pounded violently, and he vomited up a large amount of blood. The pure-white round table was painted a vivid shade of red. A stir spread through the present dignitaries. However, nobody made to stand up. The sole person who was quick to react was Hina. "Master Kaito!" When she dashed across the table this time, she didn't stop. The hem of her maid outfit fluttered as she rushed to Kaito's side. She knelt in the pool of blood without hesitation. "...Hi...na..." "My dear Master Kaito, are you all right? Oh, how it pains my heart to see you so. If only I could take your place... Here, try to calm your breathing." Hina's clothes and feet were stained wet and red. But she rubbed Kaito's back, paying that fact little heed. The dignitaries remained in their seats. The rebel was coughing up blood. Now was their chance, yet nobody moved. To the contrary, their faces were all frozen. Even the people with no magical training were stiffening up. As he looked out over them, Kaito's thoughts took a self-deprecating turn. Am I...really that abnormal? At the same time, though, he understood. His mana was both causing the very air to shake ominously and also exploding in volume. Anyone watching his bizarre development would find it warped. "Hmm. I take it the second bugle has blown, then?" "The garbage has been released, like a swarm of locusts." An unpleasant grin spread across Vlad's face as he propped his chin up with his finger. The Kaiser's tone was curt and displeased. La Christoph was facing straight ahead, and he spoke with a calmness rarely found in saints. "Is it here?" "Yeah. It is." The question was concise, and Kaito replied in kind. He pressed his cheek softly against Hina's and rose to his feet. The first imperial princess cocked her head in confusion. Before her eyes, Kaito thrust out his hand. Then he ran mana through the pool of blood that had accumulated in the table's depression. "La (reflect)." With a whoosh, the crimson surface began glowing. Light knit together in the air, forming an image. Even using one of the Church's communication devices, projecting a clear picture of events that were taking place far away was difficult. As he was now, though, Kaito could do it like it was second nature. The image expanded out over the round table, revealing what was happening at the World's End in real time. Several people let out cries of terror. The sky in the image was stained jet-black. Normally, the sky at the World's End was empty, with nothing there but oily, rainbow-colored lights drifting amid a smooth, gray backdrop. Now, though, it was sullied by an endless night. And to make things even more unbelievable, the blackness was growing endlessly blacker. Its true identity was a massive swarm of freshly released underlings. The tiny shadows had gathered together and, in doing so, had dyed the sky black. It was like looking at ruin incarnate. The throng was communicating a single malevolent will. The world shall end. For that is what decided. "The second wave." Upon hearing Kaito's declaration, the first imperial princess gazed at the image in wonderment, wordlessly glaring at the countless figures. Then suddenly, she closed her eyes. Her voice sounded parched, yet it came across clear and crisp. "You say there will be even more?" "The third wave will come tomorrow at sunset, and the fourth wave should be released the day after, at around noon." Kaito's reply was dispassionate. Because he'd received Elisabeth's heart, he was connected to her and Diablo's pillar as a result. Thanks to that, he had a clear grasp on how the doomsday needle was moving. He spoke with complete confidence, something that lent additional persuasion to an already powerful proclamation. The first imperial princess nodded, then clicked her tongue again. Kaito could easily tell what was going through her mind. The beastfolk excel at single combat, I bet. They don't have any saints at their disposal, and they're not great at magic. There's no way they can show off their true strength against that insane number of underlings. From the beastfolk's perspective, humanity had ceased to be their friendly neighbors and were now nothing more than a fearsome threat. But without their help, it was unlikely they'd be able to wipe out all the underlings. At the same time, Kaito saw something in the first imperial princess's expression. Good. She realizes it, too. Kaito had already known. Once the second wave hit, even humanity's help wouldn't be enough to mount a complete defense. After all, the whole reason the Church had entrusted the subjugation of the fourteen demons to the Torture Princess, a peerless sinner, was because they themselves lacked the power to do so. Their supply of saints was limited, and even then, not only did the saints lack mobility, but they also suffered considerable exhaustion from each shot they fired. Furthermore, thanks to the repeated demon battles and the hasty actions of the reconstruction sect, the Church had lost many of their best paladins. In short, the tools they could fight Diablo with were extremely lacking. At the end of the day, whether the beastfolk chose to fight against humanity or alongside them, the result would be the same. Every living creature would die. However, even so, there remained one way to fight back against the end. For a monster existed in this world. The first imperial princess cast a stern gaze toward Kaito. As she appraised him with her eyes, she asked him a question. "...Can you kill them?" "Damn right I can." Kaito wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth as he gave his answer. There was one thing that he was confident of. The Torture Princess isn't around for humanity to rely on anymore. Which means... At the moment, there existed no one more suited to subjugate demons than Kaito Sena. The truth was, his mana was increasing violently because of the pain the underlings were causing. That perverse fact, combined with his immortal body, meant wiping out the underlings was no mere pipe dream. The first imperial princess took stock of the ominous trembling in the air. Then she clicked her tongue a third time. "Tch." Clink. After that she mixed in a sharper noise. Of all things, she'd sheathed her sword. Her subordinates let out agitated cries. Her back turned to them, she proudly introduced herself. "My name is Valisisa Ula Forstlast." Kaito nodded. In that moment, by him learning her name—one other than the first imperial princess, that is—she'd become more familiar to him. Valisisa accompanied her self-introduction with a graceful bow. "I'll admit I acted somewhat hastily. The world after this will be ours, but for now, it seems we must leave it in your hands. We beastfolk value results. Show us who you are, Mad King." The assembled congregation gasped. Somebody tried to raise an objection, but Vyade Ula Forstlast rose from her seat and silently cut them off. Following her sister's lead, she, too, gave a courteous bow. Upon seeing that, the first imperial prince of the beastfolk twitched the tip of his panther nose. He hurriedly corrected his posture. At that very moment, a mere human had earned the backing of both Valisisa Ula Forstlast, the first imperial princess, and Vyade Ula Forstlast, the second imperial princess. Given the first imperial princess's statement, it was only natural that the beastfolk came under Kaito's command. The demi-humans nodded and gave their assent. In contrast to her obedient words, though, Valisisa's next remark was tinged with naked bloodlust. "However, if you fail, I will personally take your head." "Oh yeah. If that happens, then I don't deserve to live. No complaints here." When Kaito returned her threat, there was no fervor in his voice. He meant every word he'd said. The two of them stared at each other a moment longer. Valisisa took a few steps forward. Then she wordlessly drew her weapon. Kaito naturally followed her lead and brandished Nameless in kind. A loud, sharp ringing sound filled the air as they struck their swords against each other. In place of a handshake, the Mad King and the first imperial princess of the beastfolk had crossed their blades. And on that note, with the boy from another world at its center— —the unified three-race defensive front began to move. 2 On the Northernmost Shore Off in the distance, crows were cawing. Their voices, tinged with melancholy, stirred up a certain nostalgia. The owners of these voices circled about the gray sky with their black wings spread wide. In truth, they weren't actually crows. They weren't even birds at all. Their cries, beaks, and black wings did resemble those of crows, but the creatures turning through the sky did not have craniums. Their soft brain matter was fully exposed, some of it having even broken down. And their bodies |
were infested with flies. By all rights, they should have been dead. Yet the horrific figures didn't even seem to be in pain. Their very existences had clearly diverged from the evolutionary tree of life. Though, all things considered, that made perfect sense. After all, they were Diablo's underlings. Croak, cRoak, crOak, croAk, croaK. Only their voices were melancholy. The underlings themselves, each of their large bodies about the size of a small pig, were swirling calmly. Then they gently swooped down toward the chilly beach. An underling grazed the surface of a leather tent, one of the many that had been systematically set up just beyond the waves' reach. Together, the tents formed an impressive encampment. It was filled with flags from all three races, flapping in the sea breeze. A coat of arms adorned with a white lily. A coat of arms featuring plants and beasts. A coat of arms sporting a dark-red lizard. The three flags lined up together served as proof that the three races' armies were working as one. The cream of the crop had been chosen from within those armies, and they were the ones stationed on the coastline serving as the first line of defense. The battle-hardened veterans present had been given the coordinates, but not even they could comprehend the route the underlings had taken from the World's End. However, the vast majority of the fiends had been aiming for this nameless northern beach. Technically, the deserted land wasn't just any old beach. It was the northernmost tip of the human territories, wedged between the beastfolk and demi-human lands. Back when formal boundary lines were first being drawn up, the area was discovered to be a piece of private property that existed in the buffer zone between the two races' domains. That was where the beach's inane, tangled history began. An investigation found that a human doctor had gotten lost and mistakenly stumbled upon a beastfolk town that no longer existed today. After they cured an epidemic, the town's mayor at the time bestowed the beach on them as thanks. Following that, though, disputes around tradition and obligations grew fierce and messy. There remained some lingering resentment in the wake of the peace treaty, so it was finally decided the land would be left as is. As far as rights to the ocean surrounding it went, that was a whole other headache. So out of consideration for the other two races, the humans more or less left the ocean abandoned. From the naked beach, the underlings could easily spread out to invade the demi-human and beastfolk lands, and they could surge south toward the human territories as well. The defensive front's goal was to stop the underlings before it got to that point. They had already successfully driven back the second and third waves. The underlings left over from those two waves were soaring in at regular intervals, and the soldiers were currently working to shoot them down. However, they'd just finished taking down a large flock, so they were in a temporary cease-fire. The soldiers manning the coastline were keeping a watchful eye on the survivors soaring overhead. Because the battle had died down, people were hurriedly trying to move the wounded. The wounded were being carried to medical tents based on the severity of their injuries. And within the tents, there were strange people mixed in with the others. A girl so young that she hardly looked suited for the battlefield had been tossed down respectfully yet forcefully onto one of the beds. At first glance, she seemed uninjured. However, she was repeatedly coughing up frothy blood. She was swaddled in scarlet cloth, and her legs were bound with countless metal bands. The unrefined restraints were designed to stop her from squirming and opening up the laceration that ran all the way from her thighs to her ankles. White, humanlike teeth were neatly lined up on the inside of the slit. It was grotesque in a way that defied common sense. Anyone who looked like that could only be a demon's contractor or someone with a strong link to God. The girl was the latter—one of the Church's saints. She had connected to God too much, and the burden had caused her to hit her limit. And she wasn't the only one. Several other saints had already been put to sleep in the first-aid station. They'd been flailing about like fish and been administered a powerful, dangerous anesthetic as a result. Bit by bit, the fighters the army had who were effective against the underlings had been whittled away. But the crow cries still hadn't completely died down yet. This desperate situation was well befitting of the end-time. "...They're still coming?" One of the soldiers murmured in a voice thick with tension and fatigue. Part of the sky had been forcefully stained black, as though a storm had arisen. The horrible creatures kept appearing, like flies drawn to carrion. The underlings were blotting out the horizon. Compared with the second and third waves, their numbers were negligible. But for an army exhausted by nonstop battles, it was more than enough to induce despair. The soldiers looked up at the flock with heavy eyes. Suddenly, a powerful noise echoed through the air to encourage them. The moist sand sank. The saints lined up along the water's edge had each released the shackles from their bodies. Standing in their center was La Christoph. He had solemnly spread his arms wide, as though to part his own long, black hair. He was a tall man, and his shoulders were broad. However, one part of the physique he had been blessed with was horribly transfigured. His chest area and the white robe over it were both incised. His flesh had been pared away, and his rib cage lay bare. Yet no blood spilled forth. The heart and lungs his ribs were supposed to be protecting were completely gone. In their place, a huge number of white, feathered creatures were packed within him. La Christoph, the Modest Birdkeeper, spoke in a strangely smooth voice. "We gather and wait." "We gather and wait." His dignified voice was met with a metallic chorus. The saints had begun cladding themselves in light. The soldiers unconsciously straightened their postures. Even now that God had become their enemy, seeing the saints lined up evoked a sense of nobility and sacredness. However, their figures were repulsive, even unsettling. After all, most of the saints' bodies had been transfigured in some capacity. Their forms were myriad—there were people with their eyes transformed into rainbow spheres, people with tattoos winding across their skin, and people with fish swimming around in their transparent abdomens. And even among those without any external abnormalities, some of them were laughing without end, others were reciting scripture with their mouths closed, and yet others were in similar states as La Mules had been. But while it was unclear how they were maintaining a joint sense of purpose, all of them were obeying La Christoph's orders. Following his lead, they shut their mouths tight. It was a strange sight to behold, one that resembled some kind of ceremony. The beach was overtaken by a solemn silence. However, that silence was irreverently broken by the underlings' shrill cries. The moment it happened, La Christoph opened his eyes as wide as possible and shouted in a voice like thunder. "The hammer falls on thee!" "Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, A​A​A​A​A​A​a​a​a​a​a​a​A​a​A​a​A​a​A​A​A​A​A​A!" A flock of skylarks. A school of fish. Rainbow light. Drops of blood. They all swelled up in tune with the eerie chorus, then shot toward the enemy. Countless holes opened in the underlings' stomachs, their brain tissue was consumed, and their heads went flying clean off. They immediately began falling out of the sky. Several evaporated into a heat haze, then were blown away and scattered by the sea breeze. Numerous underlings spiraled down and were swallowed up by the waves. At first glance, it looked like victory had been secured. Not letting his guard down, though, a wolf beastman looked through a telescope, then narrowed his eyes. The beastman in question was Lute, the commanding officer of the first squad of Vyade Ula Forstlast's private army. Setting aside the telescope, he swung his arm downward. "Location two, gray. Location six, black. All others, within expectations. Over!" "Repeat, location two gray, location six black! At the ready!" This concise command indicated how the foes who had evaded the saints' shots were clustering together. After configuring their positions to account for the quantity of incoming enemies, the beastfolk raised their shields overhead. They were standing in front of the saints and serving as a living wall. Human soldiers slipped beneath them and began nocking their consecrated arrows. One of them shouted, angrily laying their frustration bare. "The damn monsters... They just keep on coming!" Consecrated or not, conventional weaponry had little effect on the underlings. The soldiers had to endure their fear and wait until their foes were close enough before launching their arrows. Right before the enemy made contact, though, disaster struck in the saints' line. One frightfully thin woman keeled over. With a pitifully weak noise, she collapsed into the sand. Glowing, albino rat snakes were slithering through her dark hair. La Christoph gestured with his chin, not showing a shred of alarm. A group of scarlet-clad attendants rushed over to the woman's side. After covering her head with a helmet, they forcibly fixed the helmet in place with screws and swaddled her whole body in scarlet cloth. Then the attendants roughly yet reverently carried her away from the front lines. A moment later, another saint collapsed. The soldiers gasped. Their military strength was slowly but surely chipping away. The experienced members among their ranks could see the army as a whole was reaching its limit. Despite that, though, they couldn't abandon the front. It was far too early to give up. And in a very real sense, it was far too late. To quell their fears, the beastfolk and humans joined together in a valiant war cry. *** Croak, cRoak, crOak, croAk, croaaaaaaaK. With an ominous caw, the underlings descended. Then their cries were drowned out by a comical thumping noise. "...Huh?" Something splattered against the beastfolk's shields. They frantically looked to see what it was. Their shields were stained crimson. The soldiers' eyes went wide, and they cast their gazes back overhead. Blood was raining down from the sky. The underlings had all gone stiff. It should have been impossible, but it looked like they'd stopped completely. Each and every one of them had been impaled with ten black blades apiece. "...Huh?" "Hurrah!" Shock and joy were just two of the many emotions in the soldiers' cries. The next moment, the oddly frozen scene crumbled all at once. The blades all faded away into azure petals, then traced magnificent, ephemeral paths through the air. The underlings fell, too, leaving trails of blood in their wake. These displays of crimson and azure joined together, then were swallowed up by the gray sea in kind. It made for a beautifully merciless spectacle. The soldiers gazed upon it in awe. Then they were met from behind with a voice whose casualness was completely unfit for the circumstances. "Hey, sorry I'm late." The voice's owner was no enemy. The soldiers knew that. Their ally who'd temporarily left the front lines after the third wave had been crushed had returned—that was all. Yet even knowing that, they couldn't conceal their trepidation as they turned around to face him. The stares of everyone present gathered on the voice's owner. There stood a thin boy languidly waving his arm. "Is everyone okay? Ooh, you definitely don't look okay." "...Sir Kaito Sena." Someone murmured his name, their voice thick with fear. The boy nodded. His demeanor was so casual, it made the reaction seem ridiculous. He was wearing a black military uniform, so his outfit |
could certainly be considered becoming of the treatment he was receiving. But between his short stature, the seedy look in his eyes, and his childish features, there were likely few who could recognize him as the Mad King from his looks alone. And his appearance definitely wouldn't have led anyone to imagine he was the one who'd taken down the underlings just then. But that wasn't even all that he'd done. The boy had carried out the slaughter of the second and third waves near single-handedly. In other words, the real monster wasn't the underlings. It was that human. "You know, I think it's kinda rude that people keep looking at me like I'm some sorta monster." "If you're not a monster, then who is? Hell, even trolls are more human than you are." Upon hearing Kaito's complaint, Valisisa Ula Forstlast, the first imperial princess of the beastfolk, scoffed. Sullen, Kaito offered no rebuttal. He continued walking in silence. Even the soldiers who weren't keeping an eye out for survivors were staying busy—preparing and serving food to warm their bodies up from the chilly, salty wind, replacing their weapons, maintaining their equipment, and treating their own minor scratches and wounds. The air was thick with the smells of the sea, blood, sweat, metal, fur, and leather all blended together. Kaito wove his way between the soldiers and made his way toward the first imperial princess's tent. After dealing with the underlings, he was originally supposed to head for the first-aid station so he could take stock of the wounded. On his way, though, he'd been called over by Valisisa and was currently following her bouncy red tail. It paired poorly with her gallant, masculine uniform, but her tail really was cute. Kaito chose to keep that impression to himself, knowing that sharing it could get him killed, and asked Valisisa a question. "So what's the situation like?" "You can see for yourself how bad things are. That pack of saints is even more useless than I expected... And because of them, all the regular soldiers are having to pick up more slack than they can handle. Those saints are powerful as fixed batteries, true, but their durability leaves a lot to be desired. They aren't suited for constant battles like this. They seemed threatening before, but the humans' stinginess in deploying them in actual combat is coming home to roost. The fact that the humans never took proper readings on their durability is aggravating." "Those are people you're talking about, you know. You shouldn't refer to them like they're weapons." "Ha, calling those saints 'people' is like a bad joke. So much so that it's funny. And even if they were, right now, everyone and their mother are nothing more than pawns. Although you, Mad King, might be the exception. That carefree nature of yours, the fact that you possess power surpassing any other's... It's like you were born to infuriate me. Do you enjoy annoying me, by any chance?" "I'm feeling a little hated right now." "Not at all. Relax. This is far preferable to incompetence. Feel free to be as useful as you please. Usefulness begets love, after all. Once you've averted the end of days, if you wish to submit yourself before the beastfolk, I would even offer you my hand in marriage." "Sorry, but I already have a lovely wife." "Oh, thank goodness. Just thinking about sharing a bed with the likes of a human makes my skin crawl." "Then don't offer." Kaito shrugged, half-exasperatedly. Valisisa laughed scornfully. She seemed to enjoy talking, and she was doing quite a bit of it. But upon seeing them conversing, the beastfolk passing by simply looked in astonishment. Although he'd only known her a short while, Kaito could tell Valisisa's behavior was the reason they were staring. It appeared her pool of conversational partners was limited. If she deemed someone unnecessary, they wouldn't even enter her field of vision. For better or for worse, she seemed to have a straightforward way of viewing the world. Yet when she was dealing with Kaito, she spoke freely. The soldiers' surprise made perfect sense. Has she taken a liking to me, maybe? Or does she just not think I'm worthy of her concern? It could easily be both... Man, I just can't get a read on her. As he turned that thought over in his mind, Kaito arrived at a tent whose entrance was flanked on both sides by doorkeepers. When he went inside, he left the moist, chilly air behind him and was greeted instead by the warmth of a simple stove. The craftsmanship of the beastfolk's portable dwellings never failed to impress. While the imperial princess's tent was likely the only one of its kind, it had all the furniture necessary to conduct official business, and the floor was even covered with a bulky rug. Valisisa sat down hard in her large, stately chair. She swished her tail from side to side as she rested one elbow on her desk. Then she began tapping away at the large map spread out across it. "So? What were the results of your patrol?" "The damage was pretty nasty all over... But when you consider how slow we were to get started, the evacuation efforts are coming along decently. And we were able to hit the underlings' main landing sites fairly hard. They don't have any sort of command structure, so their behavior itself is relatively predictable. As long as we can figure out the best ways to attack them and where they're gonna land, all we have to do is head to the corresponding points and drive them back as many times as we can." As he was laying out his explanation, Kaito snapped his fingers and crafted a chair for himself out of black darkness and azure flower petals. It was the exact same piece as the luxurious article Vlad had once created. Kaito crossed his legs as he sat atop its leather seat, across from Valisisa. Then unhesitatingly, he reached his arm out to the map and touched the large, yellow expanse that indicated the desert. "As for the demi-human pureblood sector, its construction is just as peculiar as I heard. The walls around the first ward are flawless, but as the ward numbers go up, the defensive structures get shittier. I guess the conditions really are different based on purity of the residents' blood... But because of this layout, the brunt of the losses came from the purebloods. They keep the gates to the other wards sealed off, so they didn't have anywhere to escape to. I don't even want to think about the attack the third ward got hit by... They were literally getting tortured to death." "Ha, I warned them to improve conditions every chance I got, but they never listened. The pureblood sector's defenses are designed to protect against overland invaders and mixed-blood uprisings. They didn't even consider that attacks might come from above. Their fate was only natural for ones with a weakness so pronounced... Come now, don't give me that face. I would have disparaged them the exact same way if it was my race we were talking about. If you get hung up on every little thing, we'll be here all day. Get over it. Now, it's the duty of the living to prevent more victims from arising. Did they finish reorganizing their defenses?" "By some miracle, yeah. We pinned down the source of the underlings here at the beach, so once we shot down the ones that were approaching via alternate routes, things settled down for a while. We figured out bombarding them from the second-ward bulwarks was the best way to take care of them. Right now, the soldiers gathered there are using the demi-humans' metalwork cannons to keep up the assault. The civilians are split up among the various sectors and are under tight management. Once we opened up the gates, it was easy to come up with efficient evacuation routes and set up focused escorts. They should be able to hold through the day, even without my help." Valisisa nodded coolly. It seemed all had fallen within her expectations. She shook her soft tail as she continued her line of questioning. "What of humanity's Capital?" "I only just heard back from them, but it sounds like they're doing comparatively well. The remaining paladins and the mages have been working together successfully. They don't have much that's effective against the underlings besides their divine beasts, but those summoned beasts are no joke. That said, we can't make out the damage they've taken in the countryside. They've allowed the lords to decline to dispatch soldiers to the Capital and just focus on protecting their own territories instead. And they've deployed people who can draw up barriers and teleportation circles to all the major cities so they can aid in the defense and evacuation efforts." "And my beloved homeland?" "Right, sorry I had to put you in charge of the Northernmost Shore instead of your own country. Just like I promised, you don't have anything to worry about. All of Vyade's squadrons save for the first are manning the defenses around the World Tree, and I gave them a powerful— Hmm?" Then without warning, Kaito went silent and started rummaging through his pocket. He pulled out a glass orb filled with red liquid. It wasn't the jewel he'd been carrying around that housed the replica of Vlad's soul. Valisisa narrowed her eyes in puzzlement. Kaito snapped his fingers. Azure petals began dancing within the orb. The red liquid took on a radiant glow, and a person's figure appeared on its surface. The plain, bespectacled court lady gave a deep nod. "Sir Kaito, do you have a moment to spare?" "Yeah, you're fine. What's up?" "I believe you requested to be promptly informed if she woke up, so... She has awakened." The court lady's voice was low, as though she were afraid of something. One of Kaito's eyebrows sprang up. A moment later, though, his expression went calm again, and he nodded. "Got it. Thanks for the heads-up." "With all due respect, the reconstruction sect will raise a fuss once they find out. You may want to hurry." "Believe me, I know. Good work out there." After thanking her, Kaito extinguished the light. She was still bowing as her figure faded from view. The woman had been one of the communications personnel working for the king. At present, humanity hadn't formally given Kaito their backing. In spite of that, though, many humans, the court lady among them, carried out Kaito's orders without running them by their superiors, despite the fact that he was officially powerless. The chain of command was a complete mess. In a sense, humanity had found themselves in quite the odd situation. You can hardly blame them, though. Right now, people are being forced to watch one another get torn to shreds and cast aside like garbage. Given the general chaos, it made sense for them to want to follow the strongest guy around. And all the more so with that person having declared himself an ally to everyone alive. But he couldn't count on their blind faith lasting forever. Once things settled down, many of them would start regretting their actions or else be swayed by some new authority figure and begin reproaching Kaito. But he was fine with that. I don't need unshakable motives or faith from them; I only need their cooperation. As long as he could do what he needed to do, that was enough. Kaito casually slipped the orb back into his pocket. Valisisa puffed her tail up with displeasure. "Hold it. You would bring out that strange device all of a sudden, then put it away without another word? What is it? Compared with the Church's communication devices, its make is unreasonably simple, no?" "What, this? Okay, so first, I craft a glass orb |
out of mana, right? Then I put my blood into it. It's basically just one big ball of my mana. I can use it as an intermediary for all sorts of different spells." "That's all?" "That's all." Kaito nodded frankly. He then hurriedly wiped at the trail of blood quickly trickling from the corner of his mouth. Valisisa heaved a long, deep sigh and shook her head in exasperation. "You're really starting to deviate from how magic works in this world, you know." "I mean, you're not wrong. Most of my mana comes from the pain I get from my connection to Diablo's pillar, after all. Diablo's like an observer from a high plane; it's not like me or you. But the basic principles behind this are pretty similar to the ones behind that, aren't they?" Kaito gestured with his chin toward Valisisa's finger. Wrapped around it was an extravagant ring composed of a large, glittering crystal set in a loop of silver ivy. Pink flower buds rested within the crystal. It was a rare beauty, like spring itself had been captured in ice. Valisisa wasn't wearing any other ornamentation on her body. She didn't seem the type to enjoy dressing up. However, Kaito could sense a great deal of mana coming from within the ring. It was clearly a powerful magic device, and not a mere piece of decoration. The beastfolk were lacking in magical talent, so it was a surprising article to see one of them wearing. Valisisa snorted as she stroked the ring. "We've been pouring mana into this little by little for generations, ever since the Three Kings of the Forest bestowed it upon one of the members of the first imperial family. Disrespectful, don't you think, equating it to that thing you made on a whim?" "Oh, sorry. Well, now that I've gone and ruined the mood, I guess it's as good a time as any... The pillar is getting ready to release the fourth wave, so things should be quiet for a little while. Sorry I'm so busy, but would you mind if I teleported out for a bit?" "You being busy is only natural. The thought of you having free time is almost comical. You have my leave. Go." "I owe you one." "But be certain you return before the fourth wave hits. Without you, this shore will be annihilated. And when the foundation of a pile of stones is shattered, the result is self-evident—everything falls to ruin." Upon hearing her weighty words, Kaito nodded. He promised her he'd be back. Then, after asking her permission again, he placed his orb on the floor. The blood within slowly began oozing out of the glass. It then started to inscribe a pattern atop the rug, as though it were alive. Azure flower petals swirled up gently within the tent, dancing splendidly through the air as they spread. They then melted together and hardened, forming cylindrical walls around Kaito. On the other side, Valisisa spoke detachedly: "Farewell, then. And give my regards to the Saint." And with that, Kaito abruptly lost consciousness. 3 The Saint Awakens It's a weird thing, being powerful. That was what Kaito Sena thought. All someone had to do was possess incredible power, and others would instinctively show them deference, fear, and respect. Even if the end of the world hadn't been nigh, the number of people following that person would probably be above zero. They would be like demon worshippers, true, but demon worshippers had existed for countless ages, after all. At the moment, Kaito was in constant pain. It felt as though his entrails were being toyed with by a windlass, his cranial nerves were being directly lit ablaze, and someone was carving up his bones. As long as he didn't throw in the towel, though, he could generate an endless supply of mana. It was a technique born from several combined influences: his experiences from his past life, his immortal body, his contract with the Kaiser, and the fact that he possessed the Torture Princess's heart. As a result, not a single person in the world was his equal. What word would even be fitting to describe such a peerless individual? Almighty? Omnipotent? Strongest? Unbeatable? Invincible? Hero? Messiah? ...Mad King? Regardless... ...None of that actually means anything. That was what Kaito Sena thought. Power was supposed to carry inherent responsibility with it. A person's strength was fundamentally useless if they lacked a purpose—something to use that power for. It was little more than a parlor trick. Kaito understood that fact implicitly—if he couldn't fulfill his promise, then all the power and accolades in the world wouldn't mean a thing. As a matter of fact... ...It would piss me off if they did. Kaito slowly opened his eyes. The azure wall before him cracked, then a moment later shattered like glass. ...H-huh? He blinked a few times. He'd just been deep in thought about something; he was sure of it. But he couldn't for the life of him remember what it had been. He must have lost consciousness for a short bit. Kaito heaved a deep sigh, then shook his head a little and covered his forehead with his hand. "What, again? Fuck." Activating the teleportation circle itself was easy. However, this situation had started happening more and more frequently. The root of the problem lay in the fact that his pain disappeared during transit. Then it would all come back at once, causing his body to die of shock and have to automatically revive. I guess I should be glad the blood didn't get stuck in my trachea, at least. Getting it out before I choke to death and die a second time sounds like a giant hassle... Depending on how bad it got, I might even have to rip out my throat... And I'd really rather not... If someone saw me before I healed, they would definitely cause a scene. His thoughts barely coherent, Kaito spat out the blood that had accumulated in his mouth. The ground was dyed sticky and red. He didn't hesitate for a moment as he strode over the puddle of his own blood he himself had made. As he walked, he reminded himself how long it had been since the pillars had gone up. It's only been two days... Or maybe I should say it's "already" been two days? He had to get everything done within the next five days. If he didn't, everyone would die. The people he loved, the people he hated, the people he didn't care about one way or the other—everyone. But panicking wouldn't accomplish anything. There was something important that Kaito was lacking in order to carry out his objective. There're just too many things that I don't know... I guess my only option's to keep doing what needs to get done. As he walked across the lush, high-quality moss, Kaito cast his gaze upward. Looming in front of him was the colossal World Tree. Even with the end approaching, the rich foliage blotting out the sky was as splendid as ever. The gigantic, aged tree was still releasing consecrated energy. Because of that, its surroundings were free of underlings. Free of living underlings, that was. Their corpses littered the ground here and there. The beastfolk lands had suffered damages in the war, but those damages only went as far as the round river, which originated from the pure waters in the earth's depths and surrounded the forest containing the World Tree. Even now, the beastfolk were fighting alongside Kaito's special appointee to prevent the underlings from reaching the bedchamber of the Three Kings of the Forest. From time to time, the underlings' numbers would allow them to break through the defensive line, but they would be so wounded by that point that they wouldn't be able to endure the World Tree's sacred aura. As a result, they would unceremoniously explode. I'm gonna need to come back later and check up on the World Tree's defenses, but it looks like they should be able to hold for now. The underlings' corpses were strange. Their ribs had sprouted outward like flowers. After casting a sidelong glance their way, Kaito headed for the entrance. At the moment, the entrance was sealed by a tangled web of ivy. The various shades of green were wound together so tightly that not so much as a caterpillar could get in. It looked almost like a wall that had stood idle for centuries. However, when Kaito arrived, the door began writhing without even waiting for the doorkeepers' orders. The ivy peeled away, forming a hole through which he could enter. Much to the doorkeepers' surprise, the World Tree had extended Kaito a warm welcome. It was undoubtedly the wills of the Three Kings of the Forest at work. "G-good work out there. Enter at your leisure." "Thanks, you too. It looks like the defensive line is holding up pretty well, so none of the enemy forces should be able to reach you unscathed just yet. You guys can take it easy for a bit longer." "Yes, sir." The doorkeepers bowed their heads. However, their tails had curled up unbidden. They'd failed to conceal their fear. Pretending not to notice, Kaito walked inside alone. The Three Kings of the Forest still hadn't left the room they shared, which was beside the underground lake on the World Tree's lowest level. Even after the Mad King's advent, the three of them had stuck firmly to their policy of neither reigning nor governing. Given the World Tree's reactions, though, it was clear they'd been getting information from the imperial family and had made some sort of judgment. Well, they don't seem hostile toward me, at least. That's something to be thankful for. As he was thinking, Kaito kept walking. The inside of the World Tree resembled that of an ant colony. Holes ran across the walls every which way, leading to rooms of various sizes and complex sets of passages. It made for a location that was easy to defend and hard to attack. Because of that, various important members from other races were permitted to take shelter here as privileged guests. Kaito had heard the young human king was afraid of war and had squirreled himself away in one of the guest rooms. There was no shortage of people lamenting his fragile spirit, but Kaito didn't care much one way or the other. As long as the king didn't hand down any stupid orders, that was plenty as far as Kaito was concerned. By promising them preferential treatment in protecting their land and riches, I was able to sway all the aristocrats the king left in charge to my side, except the Church diehards. La Christoph assembled the saints. And there isn't anyone in the paladins or their subordinate group, the Royal Knights, who'll get in my way, either. I don't have anything in the way of formal supporters, but bit by bit, things are moving along. It would be a pain if the king went and got in the way now. The king had value simply by virtue of being alive. Kaito asked nothing more of him. The person whom Kaito had come to visit was somebody else entirely. As a matter of fact, the issue of their custody had been the subject of no small amount of debate among the dignitaries. Kaito continued deeper and deeper down through the holes. The farther down he got, the fewer people he passed by, so much so that it started becoming hard to believe everyone was in a state of high alert. He began wondering if all those who worked here had just vanished. After following the winding, spiral-shaped corridor, Kaito finally reached the very bottom. The ground lost its slant and became level. The path veered off to the left, but it was blocked off by entangled roots. At first glance, it looked like a dead |
end. Yet in spite of that, there were human, beastfolk, and demi-human soldiers stationed before the wall of roots. Kaito stopped in front of them. The eagle beastman with vestigial wings on his arms bowed. The demi-human and human soldiers gave no response. Kaito took a deep breath, then spoke. "I heard she woke up. I got permission from representatives from every race, the Church aside, to interrogate her. Let me through." "Understood. Please go on in." As the beastman replied, the World Tree moved. The roots creaked as they shifted to the side. All the obstacles had been removed, and a straight path extended forward. There was nobody there, and no ornamentation of any kind. There was only the pale-white corridor of unseasoned wood continuing onward. Kaito gazed in earnest at the space. It threatened to throw his sense of time out of whack. Then he gently raised a hand. "Thanks. I'm heading in." "You know who it is you're dealing with. Don't let your guard down." "And make sure not to hurt her." That last bit had been appended by the human soldier. The demi-human was silent, as expected. Their intense stares were focused on Kaito's back as he went inside. The roots immediately writhed and reformed their wall. In other words, there was no turning back. Kaito nodded once, then started walking again. He continued on in silence. Eventually, a boy wearing a scarlet outfit came into view at the end of the corridor. Kaito frowned involuntarily. The scene seemed sinister; it reminded him of a single drop of blood floating atop human skin. A single feather, sprouting from her pale arm. The drop of blood had quivered atop her white skin, then collapsed. Kaito shook his head to clear away the image of what he'd seen back at the World's End. Then he spoke in as cheery a voice as he could muster. "Hey there, keep up the good work." The boy gave him a deep bow. He was a member of the Church, but he normally served as La Christoph's attendant. He had no connection to the reconstruction sect. They hadn't found out about the awakening yet. Kaito gazed intently at the boy. The boy nodded, as though in understanding. He then took a step to the side. A door bearing the coat of arms of the Three Kings of the Forest came into view from behind his scarlet-clad back. Kaito pressed his finger against its engraved surface. When he pushed, the door swung open so easily, it was almost anticlimactic. A heavy silence rose up to greet him. Just like the corridor, the room within was completely white. It was like a hospital, or perhaps a prison. It was almost completely empty; the only piece of furniture within was a modest bed. Atop the bed's clean sheets sat a thin woman. Her long, black hair ran down her slender back like a veritable river. She should have been able to hear the door opening, but she just sat motionlessly, her gaze fixed on the wall. However, there was nothing there. The room was located at the base of the World Tree. It wasn't like it had any windows. Yet still, she stared at that single point, as though to say there was something she could see. "Well, Miss Saint, how are you feeling?" Even Kaito himself could make out the sarcasm in his voice. The woman twitched, her shoulders moving for the first time. She slowly turned around. She was the Laughing Woman, the one whom Valisisa's private army had retrieved from the World's End. And she was the Suffering Saint, the one who'd destroyed the old world and brought about the rebuilding. The Saint's eyes were perfectly clear, and they reflected Kaito like mirrors. "I'm not the Saint anymore, you know." Those were the first words that came from the Saint's mouth. She calmly shook her head. Her sleek, black hair shook, casting a ring of light. From her appearance, she seemed young. However, her behavior revealed an elderly spirit, and the impression she gave off was that of a mother who'd borne countless children. Kaito slowly narrowed his eyes. It was true; at the moment, she was neither crying tears of blood nor strung upside down. She was simply sitting, clad in the white garb of a patient or a prisoner. She didn't look the part of the Saint in the least. But Kaito repeated himself. "No, you are the Saint. You're the one who destroyed the last world, who carried out the rebuilding, and who created this current world. You're the Church's object of worship, the Suffering Saint, the mother who gave birth to everything. Are you not?" "The Church's object of worship... True...I am. I...was. I know...that much. It's vague and faint and indistinct...but I know that much. Just...as I expected. I became an object of worship. They respected me...revered me...believed in me. Bah, what a load of shit!" Suddenly, her voice went shrill. While there was no zeal in her tone, her words had a frightening amount of loathing packed into them. Her lamentation struck Kaito like a knife. He waited silently for her to continue. The Saint clacked her eerily straight teeth. "They don't know the first thing about me." She practically spat out the words, her voice steeped in malice. Then she turned back around and fixed her gaze on a single point on the wall. It was almost as if she could see something. When she continued, her voice was dispassionate. "Yet even so, I was alone for so, so long." Her words cut off. She said no more. Then once again, she was still. Her silence was so deafening that it made it hard to believe she had ever been talking. Kaito shook his head and snapped his fingers. Azure flower petals and black darkness swirled as he created a small chair for himself. This time, it was simple and wooden, well befitting the room. As he sat down upon its narrow seat, he gazed at the Saint's skinny back and conspicuous shoulder blades. From behind, she seemed cold, as though she were rejecting the very world itself. He spoke: "Will you tell me about it?" "About what? At this point, what is there to talk about? The end is nigh. Nigh, don't you know? The end-time...hee-hee...hoh-hoh-hoh!" The Saint's frail shoulders shook as she lapsed into an unsettling fit of laughter. Kaito waited patiently for her to finish, then let out a heavy sigh. When he spoke, his voice had a stubborn kindness to it. "You've been fighting your own battle all this time, haven't you? And if that's the case, then I'm sure there was something you held inside yourself the whole while. Something that no one ever tried to look for. But maybe now it's time to tell the truth." "...The truth?" "For the longest time, people just believed that you carried out the rebuilding. That, as the Suffering Saint, you bore the burden of all their sins. In reality, though, you're a sinner without peer, the woman who single-handedly destroyed the previous world. What did you do? What was it you were trying to atone for?" At that point, Kaito trailed off for a moment. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists tight. Scenes from the World's End flashed in the darkness behind his eyelids. His face contorted wildly. However, the Saint's back was to him, so she was oblivious to his change. In order to set her mind at ease, or perhaps to get her to speak carelessly, Kaito maintained calmness in his voice alone. "Why did you throw it all away?" "It was too much." Her response was immediate. Kaito was taken aback. The Saint turned to face him again. Her unnaturally sleek hair draped across the bridge of her shapely nose. Her eyes were serene, but there was no life in them. They looked just like the sky at the World's End originally had—hollow. Her lips, on the other hand, were red and vibrant, and as the mother of all living creatures gave her statement, they contorted with a strange tenderness. "Yet despite that, you people weren't worth enough for me to keep bearing it." Not in the slightest, she seemed to imply. For a moment, Kaito felt a flash of gratitude at the fact that he was the only one who'd heard those words. If anyone from the Church had heard them, that alone might have been enough for them to kill themselves. After all, they'd been cruelly discarded by the very entity whom countless people had spent generations praying to and worshipping. A heavy silence descended upon the two of them. Kaito was the first to break it. A gentle smile spread across his face, and with a brief nod, he threw his arms out wide. "Yeah, I feel you. That makes sense." "...I beg your pardon?" The Saint looked over her shoulder, flustered. She clearly hadn't expected him to understand where she was coming from. It was the first time any real humanity had come across in her behavior. As he faced the confused woman, Kaito went on earnestly. "It makes sense that you'd feel like that. After all, prayer is supposed to be a one-way street. Whoever's being worshipped doesn't have any obligation to receive it. And the truth about the Saint was kept under wraps for ages. Anyone who knew even a piece of the truth was suppressed, and everyone else just blindly trusted what was laid out in front of them without even trying to notice how contradictory it was. They just worshipped you without a care in the world. If we do this, we'll be rewarded. If we do this, we'll be saved. From your perspective, them believing that nonsense was probably a sin in and of itself. And I'm not here to tell you otherwise." *** "But y'know, who gives a shit about all that?" A kind smile still plastered across his face, Kaito reached his arm out. The Saint's throat was as thin as a swan's, and Kaito squeezed it with one hand. His gentle expression didn't change in the slightest. The Saint tilted her head to the side a little. However, that was her only reaction. She couldn't even comprehend what was happening. It was only when Kaito lifted her slim body into the air that she started kicking her legs. Still holding her with one arm, Kaito rose from his chair. His voice was quiet and calm. "After all, you don't know the first thing about me, do you?" The Saint's cheeks quivered. She was about to refute his statement and murmur that she did know him, but she stopped midway. A look of bafflement floated across her empty eyes. As the Saint, she was acquainted with everything she'd birthed, even if that knowledge was only slight. Yet the boy standing before her seemed to be one of the few exceptions. Just as nobody had known who she truly was— —she knew nothing about him. "This body of mine is artificial, and the soul inside isn't one of your descendants. What that means is I don't have to sit here and listen to you spill your guts like some whiny fucking kid. I mean, if you were anyone else, I probably would anyway, but still." Kaito was a reasonably compassionate person. As far as the Saint was concerned, though, he had no sympathy to spare. He closed his eyes and forced himself to recall the things he'd seen back at the World's End. A woman bound by briars. Black feathers sprouting from her body and blooming into azure roses. A pained smile spreading across her beautiful, bloodstained face. Kaito's cheek twitched, as though he was fighting back tears. When he opened his eyes, though, they were dry. His voice went a tone deeper. "Unfortunately, I'm so pissed off at you that I could kill you three hundred |
times and not be satisfied. So why don't we just have a nice little chat about how things went down earlier? Depending on how our conversation goes, we might be able to part ways without me having to test how much you can really endure." The Saint's expression froze. Ever since the world's creation, she had been in constant agony. By all rights, she should have been beyond fear. Yet her composure, which had been born from having tasted everything the world had to offer, crumbled. Standing before her was something unknown. Her thoughts thrown into disarray, a hoarse voice escaped the Saint's mouth. "I... No, you..." "The two of us should get along and part ways as friends. Wouldn't you agree?" Suddenly, Kaito released his grip, and the Saint collapsed. After plopping back onto the bed, she began violently coughing. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at Kaito. At the moment, she was sheltering neither God nor Diablo in her body. All she had available to her was her natural aptitude for magic. What could those eyes of hers perceive within Kaito? The Saint clutched at her own trembling shoulders. "You're...you're not...one of my creations. No...you're not...even... Who are you?" "I wonder. Who do you think I am?" Kaito turned the Saint's question back on her. Memories of a nostalgic voice echoed within the depths of his ears. It felt like it had been over a century ago when someone had called out to Kaito in that voice. "Butler," she'd called him. "Fool." "Kaito." Her voice had been resonant, free from any sort of modesty or restraint. Of course, even with her gone, there were still people left who would call out to him. At the moment, though, those people had been separated and spread out across the land. All of them were following Kaito's orders and working to fight against Diablo. And so, alone, the boy acting as the Mad King shrugged. Several gruesome strands of blood dribbled from his lips. When the individual responsible for the fate of the world smiled this time, it was a completely different smile than the one he'd worn before. "Truth is, I'm not sure even I know anymore." His tone was detached, and his words were as light as the wind. Yet at the same time, they carried with them a deep sadness. Furthermore, his clumsy smile was too broken to truly be called human. The Saint gazed vacantly at his comical, pitiable state. A length of time passed, and it was certainly not a short one. Suddenly, though, the Saint's expression changed, and once again, she adopted the kindly demeanor of a mother. It was unclear whether it was his deranged cheerfulness or his grief, which was as deep as the ocean, that had gotten through to her. All that was clear was that the stubbornness she'd borne until then had vanished without a trace. "This is a tale from long, long ago." And with that, the solitary woman began narrating. It was a story from long, long ago. A tale too horrible to be called Genesis, too tragic. But it was also far too twisted to pass off as a fairy tale. 4 A Tale from Long, Long Ago This is a fairy tale. Those who wish to refer to it as such are welcome to do so. But it is a horrible tale as well. One way or the other, it's a tale from long, long ago. Not only were all records of the old world annihilated, but they were also purged from the flow of time itself. No methods remained that one could use to learn what happened there. She was the only person who could testify to the events of the old world. She was the beginning and the end, the slaughterer and the mother. "Back then, my world was engulfed in war." The Saint began giving her account. Kaito frowned lightly. As she told it, the old world wasn't ruled by nations, but by a number of independent organizations and powers all vying for hegemony. Bound by their own interests and motives, they twisted the bloody annals of history for the sake of justice, hatred, and greed. At the end of the day, though, the sources that led to this tangled situation were surprisingly simple, and it was possible to classify them into two broad categories. Racial conflicts were escalating, and people's capacity for magic was advancing too quickly. The former had strewn the seeds of conflict throughout the world, lending each side a different sense of justice and pretext to rally behind. The latter made it so that organizations with powerful individuals and skilled mentors could attain military strength surpassing that of nations. In other words, the old world was what the current world would be like if the balance of power got thrown out of whack after the current world spent another few centuries developing. However, while the existence of higher entities—God and Diablo—had been proven in the old world, nobody had been able to come into contact with them directly. "Perhaps that world, too, was rebuilt from the ashes of destruction, or perhaps it was the first world God had ever created. I do not know. However, the old world had no religion that held the Creator in reverence. While the general indifference toward God helped spur on the wars, the fact that the Creator offered no guidance was what led to the assumption that it was impossible to interact with the higher entities. Because of that, the world managed to avoid both being attacked by demons and having God descend. Or it did, but..." "But then you were born." "Indeed. I was." Upon hearing Kaito's murmur, the Saint nodded. Sometimes, the birth of a truly unprecedented prodigy could bring about massive change in a world. When the small farming village she called home was set ablaze and her family was massacred, her latent talents came into bloom. After being taken in by the state, she became the youngest-ever graduate from the magic academy she was tossed into, then began wandering from war front to war front, working as a weapon of mass destruction. One day, when she gazed upon the scorched earth that she herself had caused, she found herself struck by a certain question. From her perspective, humans, demi-humans, and beastfolk were nothing more than fragile ants. Why, then, did such feeble beings feel the need to kill one another? While she quickly realized the abnormality of that thought and hid it thereafter, her magical aptitude was far beyond what the logic of her world accounted for. Because her country had obtained a powerful mage by sheer chance, it was able to put together a plan to reclaim some territory it had been sorely missing for many years, but she herself quickly lost interest in such petty affairs. In the beginning, the reason her family had been torn to pieces and burned alive had been because the enemy nation had given weapons to the beastfolk who lived near her village. However, she didn't hate them, nor did she hold a grudge. Unraveling the truth behind the tragedy further revealed the honorable beastfolk would never have committed such atrocities if not for the fact that her very motherland had betrayed them. Upon delving further, it became clear that the original reason behind the conflict involved suspicions that another nation altogether was meddling in their affairs. When one obtained transcendental power, the whole world started to look flat. The conclusion she arrived at was that the entire cycle of hatred was meaningless. "I just— I found it peculiar." With unclouded eyes, she'd taken in the situation as a whole. War had driven the country to poverty, and its people's hearts could bear no more. The whole continent was being stripped bare, and if things continued on along the same path, all sides were headed for mutual destruction. However, she quickly came to understand something. Everyone was already well aware of that fact. Yet they had no means by which to stop. Every party was terrified of falling behind, so the magical arms race was spiraling out of control. Nobody even knew the state of their own research, and nobody felt they could afford to stop. Economies and supply lines were converted to support the war efforts as well. Some people felt armistice would prove disadvantageous to them, so they devoted their wholehearted efforts to throwing fuel on the fire. Their education systems were designed not to teach children about the consequences of their actions, but to brainwash them and instill hatred deep in their hearts. With each successive generation, people stopped questioning the war more and more, even as its original purpose was lost to obscurity. There was no country large enough to serve as a mediator, nor was there one powerful enough to secure a decisive victory. Eventually, she arrived at a conclusion of her own. A certain entity would be necessary to free them all from the quagmire. "Such as a powerful deterrent—the likes of which didn't exist." For example, something like God or Diablo. From her perspective, humanity, beastfolk, and demi-humans were all equal. Every living creature was ignorant, and every living creature was like a stupid animal. That was why she had to save them. After steadying her resolve to bring about salvation, she got to work. As long as she could summon them, God and Diablo would be the most powerful forces in the world. She presented her thesis to her government, and just as she'd expected, she received a massive budget to carry out her research. In the current world, summoning a powerful demon had the contradictory requirement that one must first consume a demon's flesh. However, the old world's magical techniques were centuries more advanced, and she herself was a vessel of such rare quality that her very birth was an astronomically unlikely event. Thus, in a tiny time frame, she was able to come up with a method to summon higher entities, a feat that Vlad had once estimated would take the current world another two thousand years to develop. On that fateful day, though, she was unsuccessful in summoning God. As long as some sort of condition was unmet, God remained immovable. After reaching that conclusion, she tried summoning Diablo instead. It manifested successfully— "—And the world broke." With a pop. More easily than a soap bubble. God creates the world, and Diablo destroys it. Even the old world knew about these properties of theirs. However, because nobody had ever actually interacted with them, her estimations were overly optimistic. She'd summoned lower-ranked demons over the course of her experiments, but God and Diablo's reason for being was fundamentally different. The two of them existed solely as a system to rebuild and destroy. They didn't even have the framework necessary to carry out negotiations. And as supreme a vessel as she was, her lack of experience in dealing with higher entities left her with no ability to resist Diablo. And so, through her body, it automatically carried out its task. She didn't really remember what happened afterward, only that it felt much longer than it had actually been. All she knew were the vague, nightmarish scraps of memory that remained. Horrific figures blotting out the sky. Seas transformed into plains of black and crimson. Azure blades cleaving through the earth. Black titans. Parts of the sky transmuted into glass. Bubbles forming in the land. Her own stitched-together body. A cluster of roses in full bloom. Resentful voices, their resistance as short-lived as that of insects. Frail entreaties that, in the end, transformed into bloodthirsty jeers. "Loathsome, repulsive, cruel, hideous!" "A curse upon you, a curse upon you, a curse, a curse, an eternal curse upon you,!" And then when she came to... ...she was in a place with nothing in it. If one was to describe that place, the most |
apropos comparison would be to a blank white canvas. Or perhaps a pitch-black canvas. Nothing meaningful was painted atop it. All the beautiful, warped art that had once been there had been scarred, then lost. Forever. Because of that, she had to carry out her atonement. It wouldn't do for her to simply leave the world blank and empty. To that end, she tried summoning God again. This time, the world had been destroyed, fulfilling the condition for rebuilding, and thus, God descended. On God's orders, Diablo fell asleep. Having wrested back control, she removed Diablo from her body. However, her wish to annul her contract with it and return it to a higher realm went unfulfilled. In order to annul her contract, she needed to give the order to Diablo directly. And as long as God was keeping Diablo in check, God's orders superseded and nullified those of His contractor. And annulling her contract with God first would mean having to give up on the rebuilding. As she agonized over that dilemma, she tried to find a different solution. Could she just renounce both of her contracts after completing the rebuilding? No, that, too, was impossible. Once the new world was complete, God would be freed from the condition on which He had descended and would automatically fall asleep. And because she was sheltering God within her body, so too would she. God operated under a rule where He had to rebuild, then sleep, and she lacked the power necessary to obstruct this for long enough to take any other actions. She couldn't even kill herself by forcibly releasing her contracts. If she had been powerful enough to control God completely, perhaps another option would have presented itself to her. However, that was beyond her. Even so, there remained a method by which she could more or less escape. God desired a contractor so He could maintain His peaceful rest, but He wasn't picky about who that was. As long as there was someone there who wouldn't fall apart the moment the contract was formed, it would be possible to push the burden onto them. Of course, no such person existed in this clean, blank world. At that moment, the only way she could die a human's death would be by abandoning everything. Yet in order to carry out the rebuilding, she chose instead to live forever. At that point, Kaito interjected. "Wait, hold up. You were using God's power to keep Diablo in check? So Diablo was sealed away in the underground tomb, and the only one left in your body while you slept was God?" "Indeed." "Normally, Diablo can only manifest once God has decided the world should be destroyed. And once God rebuilds it, He stops Diablo from immediately destroying it again. Not to mention that unless the conditions are fulfilled, you can't summon Him at all... Even though God's supposed to exist to oppose Diablo, it sounds like He's clearly the superior of the two." "Given my experience, I would have to agree. That's why I was able to remove Diablo from my body with our contract intact but was forced to carry God with me that whole time." And whether or not God was inside her body, the fact remained that she was a peerless sinner. She bore the yoke of grave crimes upon her shoulders. That was why she'd had to build the skies, build the earth, and birth the seas. She had to make vegetation flourish across the land. She had to craft the moon and the stars. She had had to release fish and birds and beasts and livestock out into the world. Then after making humans, beastfolk, and demi-humans, she rested. That was the fate she had imposed upon herself. Fleeing her atonement would have been unforgivable. As she silently rebuilt the world, she had a thought: In the world to come, all would revere her. Unlike the resentful voices of those on the verge of annihilation she'd once heard, she would doubtless be hailed as a "Saint" and be offered countless commendations. She would be the mother of all who existed, after all. She would probably even be prayed to, hailed as the "Suffering Saint" who sacrificed herself for her children. Yet despite the praises she knew she'd receive, she felt neither pride nor gratification. For the rest of eternity, nobody would ever consider what she had truly felt. Without trying to learn what she'd been like before she'd become the Saint and her tale became embellished, they would have no way of even doing so. But she had no intention of condemning them for that fact. That was simply the way the masses were. The same had been true in the world prior. They would hear only what they wanted to hear, see only what they wanted to see. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. And that was the way things ought to be. But at the end of that day, was that truly not a sin? The ignorant had no right to cast blame, did they not? She thought once more in that blank, white world. Why had she tried to save them all? Given how things had turned out, it couldn't have been described as anything other than a flight of fancy driven by a serious case of arrogance and conceit. A fatal mistake, one brought about from the sense of omnipotence that accompanied the possession of great power. Yet in her heart of hearts, she couldn't bring herself to consider what she had tried to do as worthy of scorn or rebuke. It had been clear as day that if she hadn't done anything, the world would have fallen into ruin. And it was just as evident that, even knowing that fact, nobody else had tried to act. "Yet even so... I've been alone for so long." She had fought on her own for so long. She had fought to save them all. She remained unforgiven, yet forgiveness was precisely what they would receive. Therein lay an inescapable contradiction. If that was the case, then didn't that make every person's entire way of life fundamentally wrong? She became obsessed with that notion. After troubling over that fact for quite some time, she created a hideous, adorable attendant—one who would serve only her. She instructed him to build infrastructure for trade so the new world would prosper. She also told him to teach the people basic information about her, God, and Diablo so that no one would ever repeat her mistakes. Then she decided to entrust Diablo's detached form to the people of the new world. Moreover, she also gave him a lump of demon flesh. "However, if the people of this new world choose to learn nothing..." And thus, she sowed the seed of evil, ready to flower if anyone driven by zealotry and greed or anyone who would gladly act as an agent of destruction were to appear. "In the end, I took too long to notice." She had been assailed by profound regrets. After all, what had she been left with after salvation had been carried out? In the end, what of hers, what of anyone's had she been able to save? Nothing. Nothing at all. Just like when she was young, she hadn't been able to save anything. And because of that, it was only natural that nothing of value was born in the new world. After the destruction and restoration, the three races ended up making the same mistakes as before. People who sought power had arisen, swept away all others, and begun walking the path to annihilation. Once again, her conviction was reaffirmed. All living creatures were nothing more than ignorant, stupid animals. "There was nothing in this world worth protecting." And when the solitary prodigy, the Saint, finally realized that fact— —she chose to set down her burden. That was all. That was all there was to the tragic— No, to the farcical tale. "And they all lived happily ever after." For the third time, a heavy silence descended on the two. However, it was quickly broken by the dry sound of clapping. Kaito had lifted his arms and was clapping his hands together. It wasn't intended in the slightest as an act of blasphemy against the Saint. He was just mutely praising her recounting of the tale. However, his action wasn't meant to demonstrate sympathy or pity, nor was it designed to express criticism. He himself knew an anecdote that the Saint's story reminded him of. Once upon a time, there was a girl. She tried to stop a man whom nobody else could stop. To do so, she became a sinner without peer. Once upon a time, there was a boy. As he obtained immense power in a crumbling world, he decided to save the ignorant, stupid animals. Just as the Saint had said, it was a decision steeped in arrogance. A terrible act of conceit. However, there was one clear difference in the way the Saint and the Mad King thought. Kaito saw the stupid sheep as precious. Humanity, beastfolk, and demi-humans are all equal. Every living creature is ignorant, every living creature is like a stupid animal, and every living creature is precious. Also, the Mad King had a wish he was determined to see granted. He had boasted he'd save everyone, but at the end of the day, that was little more than an afterthought. He would never say it in front of the people who were entrusting their lives to him, but Kaito knew he'd discard the prospect of salvation without a second thought if it got in the way of his true objective. He was well aware of how callous he was being to all but a few, how his unreliability verged on madness. In other words, the salvation I'm trying to bring about isn't for anyone else's sake. It's for my own, and I'm just selfishly doing everything I can to that end. He thought back on what the Torture Princess had said at the World's End. "Bear no conceits—saving the world and destroying it are but mere matters of personal selfishness." Even if nothing remains, as long as I did everything I could, I won't have any regrets. No matter what fate awaited him. Having the dedication to shoulder everything on one's own for the sake of the weak and the downtrodden was noble, no doubt. But Kaito knew. The world wasn't beautiful enough to accommodate such selfless love. It wasn't worth sacrificing yourself if you would ultimately regret having done so. After all, you wouldn't exactly be rewarded for your troubles. The world was a cold and unfeeling place. Yet contradictorily, it also contained something radiant within it. Because of that, Kaito had sought to dig this item up. His blade had gotten stuck in the swamp, so he'd plunged his hands in instead. And after sustaining countless wounds, he'd grabbed hold of the jewel. There was information he needed to do that, information he couldn't get anywhere else, and he'd just received it. Kaito stood up from his chair, then began speaking to the Saint, who was staring at the wall once more. "Well, sorry for making you tell me that long story. And thanks. I won't ask you for anything else. Various humans, beastfolk, and demi-humans will probably come by with some questions later, though. It sounds like the old world's magic was pretty advanced, so I'd appreciate it if you avoided letting any harmful information slip. It'd probably turn out better for you that way, too. If word got out about how important and dangerous the stuff you know is, your safety might be at risk. Odds are, there are people who'd be willing to use way nastier methods than what I just did to keep that information to themselves." "You say...such foolish things... The bugle has been blown, the roses have bloomed, and the wings |
have spread. The end-time...is not nigh. It is already here, and yet..." "Yeah, true. I mean, I'm sure that's what you believe, at any rate. So I figure you should go live as you please. You were planning on dying the moment you set down your burden, but you were able to buy yourself a grace period before the end. The way I see it, nobody has any right to interfere with that." Kaito's voice was kind. He was implying it would even be fine for her to use old-world magic to make her escape. The Saint tilted her head to the side in a gesture one would expect from a young girl. Kaito had a vague sense of why she was acting so innocently. She'd gotten tired of trying to figure out whether he was a friend or a foe. Her unease was plastered across her face. She was no doubt hoping he would turn out to be a friend. However, as he gazed at the woman who had nowhere in this new world to turn, Kaito lacked such kindness. Unfortunately, I'm neither. He had no intention of denouncing the woman for her solitary fight. On the other hand, though, he held a strong personal grudge against her. "You're a normal person now, just like you wanted. Go on—live wherever you want and die however you like. But you're the one who brought all this down on us. Don't forget that." As he lowered his voice, Kaito snapped his fingers. Azure flower petals flashed around his wrist, and he nonchalantly sliced his own artery. Blood gushed from the gap between his glove and his sleeve. The blood flew over onto the wall, then began writhing. The Saint blinked. Before her, the blood had taken on a recognizable form. A "window" had opened up in the underground chamber. Scenes from the outside began projecting where the Saint had been staring at. "...Ah—" A faint noise slipped out of her open mouth. Kaito gave a short nod. The Saint had finally come to a realization. She'd been staring fixedly at the wall for some time, almost as though she could see something in it. Yet in truth, she'd seen nothing, in every sense of the phrase. "The ignorant had no right to cast blame, did they not?" Kaito was ironically reminded of the quote the Saint herself had murmured mere moments ago. According to the Saint, her recollections of the end-time were dim. In other words, she'd never really seen the things outside that window before. God and Diablo had both descended on the world at once. It was a situation that wasn't even supposed to be possible. Because of that, there were probably differences between how the destruction was currently progressing and how it had occurred in the old world. However, the tragedy of the situation was identical. Outside the window, blood was spraying, desperate screams were echoing out, and hundreds of crying voices could be heard. Every scene unfolding there was actually happening somewhere in the world. It could only be described as hell. A giant, rabbitlike underling was grabbing the elderly alive and gnawing on them like carrots. A soldier carrying a cannonball was snatched into the air by some black thing and let out a shriek, before being returned to the ground as a pile of skin. A woman was frantically trying to get her crying children to stay away from her as a creature made of nothing but digestive organs melted her flesh. An armless demi-human was dancing an ecstatic, meaningless dance atop a mountain of charred corpses. Because Kaito was linked to Diablo's pillar, he could sense the particulars of every person in every tragedy that was occurring. He could sense them, and he had abandoned them all. I can't save everyone. Kaito wasn't a god. He could boast about saving the world, but it was impossible for him to save everyone from the personal tragedies befalling them. No matter how quickly he reached his hands out, it would never be fast enough. And at the same time, he knew. The world was hell, and that wasn't just true at the moment. There were countless people begging to be saved. Each and every one of them was crying out just as desperately as Kaito had in his previous life. "Help," they were crying. "Please save me." And Kaito had abandoned them without so much as glancing their way. Because of that, they'd suffered and died. I have to make sure I remember that fact. Kaito had decided his objective was more important to him than the world. He had no regrets. Given that, remembering seemed meaningless. It certainly didn't do the dead any good. Even so, though, Kaito refused to let himself look away from reality. Anyone who could forget something like that isn't worth the air they breathe. When one possessed preeminent power, the whole world started looking flat. However, the end-time was fundamentally just the accumulation of countless personal tragedies. Forgetting that fact would mean forgetting how to love the world. The Saint gazed blankly at the scenes playing out before her. She had undoubtedly once seen the fragments leading up to the end-time. However, at some point, without even noticing it herself, she'd become blind to the individual tragedies. As he looked at her skinny back, Kaito suddenly said something wholly unrelated to the various horrors. "The Butcher was a good guy, you know. Even though he betrayed us, I still liked him." The Saint cocked her head. She gazed up at him in wonderment. Given her expression, she hadn't understood what he'd just said. Ah, thought Kaito. A momentary despair overtook him. As it did, the Saint asked Kaito the very question he'd been expecting. "...The Butcher?" "Ah right. Yeah." Originally, the Butcher hadn't had a name. He was the Apostle, nothing more than a seed of evil planted in the world. The Saint should have been able to perceive his actions. Yet she hadn't known he called himself the Butcher, nor the fact that he had been loved. "And finally, thank you so much for your many years of patronage." The words Kaito had been told rang in his ears once more. He shut his eyes tight. The Butcher had abandoned everything he'd enjoyed and canceled out all the memories he'd collected. He'd swallowed up the pain as he cut away both the feelings of those who'd shouted at him not to die, as well as his own arm. All because he'd been told, "Thank you for being born unto me." That was all. Yet the person who'd told him that didn't even know what it was he'd sacrificed. She hadn't even tried to learn. "They would hear only what they wanted to hear, see only what they wanted to see." In the whole time they'd been talking, she hadn't mentioned him a single time. Kaito drew in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. He spoke quietly, scratching at his faded-brown hair as he did. "You said that 'even so, you were alone for so, so long'... Meaning you endured it all alone, right?" "I did. And it's true." "Well, not quite." Kaito shook his head. After a brief moment of silence, he snapped his fingers and dispelled his simple, wooden chair. The wound on his wrist had already closed up without a trace. His soles clicked rhythmically against the ground as he walked. Right before he reached the door, he stopped. His black coattails fluttered as he turned around. The smile he was wearing could almost be described as kind. "You just chose to be alone, that's all." And now the Saint had no one. Not even her hideous, adorable attendant. The Saint looked around the room, baffled. The window was still there. Cruel hells were still displayed on its surface. Tragedies building to the world's destruction piled up one after another. For the first time, the Saint's face curled into a faint grimace. She was the one who'd caused those scenes to occur twice over. They were what had come from her attempts to save everything. The Saint called out to Kaito in a small, trembling voice. "You...aren't going to...kill me?" "Why would I?" As he answered her with a question of his own, Kaito's expression was so calm that it seemed practically sublime. Her response was immediate. She cried out, imploring and urging him. "I'm a sinner without peer!" "So?" "You... Your grudge against me is so strong that even killing me wouldn't satisfy you, right?" "Nah, I'm over it. I don't care anymore." Kaito asserted his claim indifferently. Then with a casualness that befitted his tone, he pushed open the door. However, he stood still for a moment. Without turning around, he closed his eyes again. The Butcher then appeared behind him, humming a strange song in the throne room. Elisabeth shouted at him, calling him an annoying lout. Their lively exchange blurred in the dim light, then vanished. With that, Kaito opened his eyes back up. He didn't check the Saint's expression or bearing. Still facing forward, he continued. "Lucky you. You got everything you ever wished for." And then Kaito Sena closed the door. For a moment, he felt like he saw a frantically outstretched arm in the periphery of his vision. Something rang in his eardrum. Perhaps it was an entreaty, or an insult, or maybe some kind of question. However, Kaito didn't even spare it enough thought to figure out which. He passed by the faithfully waiting doorkeeper boy and headed back. The exit was blocked, but he'd already known that. That was why he waited until he couldn't see the boy anymore, then stopped in his tracks. "Geh, gah, bleh... Blergh—" He bent over and hacked up a massive amount of blood. There were chunks of flesh mixed in with the red liquid that was gushing from his pale throat. Kaito squeezed his chest tight. After desperately regaining his breath, he looked up. As horrible pain racked his body, he let out a fierce laugh. "Fourth wave's almost here, huh?" He snapped his fingers. The blood spilled atop the floor wriggled, then started painting a magic circle. Azure flower petals flew through the white hallway. They formed a cylindrical wall with Kaito at its center, then cracked and vanished in a dazzling display of light. When it was gone, it left nothing and no one in its wake. And with that, the chance encounter between the Mad King and the Saint came to an end. 5 The Battle Against the Fourth Wave As the Diablo pillar released its fourth wave, a series of strange occurrences happened at the Northernmost Shore. Black clouds surged across the sky, yet the ocean was still. Lightning flashed, yet there was no noise. The sound of waves rang out, yet the water didn't move. The sea before the Northernmost Shore was as level as a mirror. This was certainly no natural phenomenon. Not even a sudden temperature fluctuation that'd cause it to freeze over would bring about such a state. The sea was calm, all the way to the distant horizon. It had completely forgotten to churn. Furthermore, it was slowly being dyed uneven shades of red and black. As an experiment, one of the soldiers tossed a seashell into it. A loud thunk echoed out, and the shell bounced back. It wasn't just its appearance; the sea had physically hardened. The change had happened silently, making it all the more disquieting. "Th-this is..." "Hmm, it seems almost artificial. If I was to compare it to something...I suppose it's like if the glassworkers from the human capital all came together and crafted a single, giant pane of glass in order to maintain their skills. The scale of it is kind of impressive, not to mention ominous, but..." With that, Valisisa snorted. She was right—the fact that the sea seemed to be covered by a |
red-and-black pane of colored glass was strange, to be sure, but it was more or less comprehensible. Eventually, the sea hardened as far as the eye could see. When it had, it transitioned to the second phase of its transformation. Countless shadowy figures came squirming over the horizon. The beastfolk noticed a strange sound, and they strained their ears to make it out. What they got for their troubles were frigid shivers running down their spines. Shluck, plop, shluck, plop, shluck. The moist sound of flesh and fat sticking to something hard, separating, then sticking to it again was growing nearer. Most of the underlings from the previous waves were winged, and they'd come flying in. However, it would seem the fourth wave was going to approach by crawling with their sticky bodies. The fact that the sea had been forcibly hardened over had likely been to accommodate their mode of advance. The underlings seemed to be in no particular rush, and they crawled calmly beneath the surging black clouds and the red sunset sky. That said, their advance had a terrible sort of vigor to it. It was a contradiction that made it seem as though space and time themselves had been twisted. Suddenly, sublime cries ravaged the air. The beastfolk who had been listening to the footsteps all covered up their ears at once. They could hear screams. The screams sounded happy. They could hear laughter. The laughter sounded kind. They could hear an address. The address was silent. They could hear begging. The underlings were begging for death. The voices sounded rich in emotion, but their actual contents were hollow. They sounded meaningful, but they were fragmented, and the fragments had no cohesion. It was all incoherent and jumbled. That was precisely what made them so eerily terrifying. As they let out waves of unpleasant sound, the horrors finally revealed their full forms. The moment they did, all the soldiers save the saints practically lost their will to fight. They resembled humans. They resembled beastfolk and demi-humans, too. Yet at the same time, they were completely different from any of them. The things had body parts from all three races. In a sense, their bodies were composed of "parts" alone. There was no clear delineation between their heads and their bodies. Their arms, legs, ears, hearts, lungs, and intestines all tangled and wrapped around one another as the things advanced. If someone took a body from a member of each race, sliced them up haphazardly, then stitched them back together as sacrilegiously as they could while making sure to leave the organs and the genitals exposed, that was probably what they'd end up with. The very fact that they existed desecrated the dignity of the living. The soldiers were assailed by terror. Despair at the prospect of being captured by those things, or worse, turned into one of them, filled the beach. Several people let out moans. Some vomited, and others defecated themselves. "Ah... Ahhh... Ahhh..." "Those possessed by fear, withdraw! My army has no use for fools who'd be defeated before even making contact with the enemy!" Valisisa barked out a coolheaded order. Upon hearing her sharp rebuke, the beastfolk drew their weapons and held them at the ready. However, they couldn't stop their ears and tails from putting their fear on full display. That notwithstanding, they'd come back to their senses, and they raised a fervent cry to elevate their spirits. "Come and get us, you monster freaks!" The things responded with laughter. (And they were screaming, too.) The things sang a song. (And they were silent, too.) The things composed a prayer. (And they were jeering, too.) The things wept loudly. (And they were laughing, too.) The things responded with laugh (too.) The things (?) The (!) "Shut up already." That moment, a listless voice echoed through the air. Its speaker hadn't been there a moment ago. The vibrations in the air had transformed into a roar, but the voice had blown them completely away. "Huh?" "Whoops, easy there." One of the soldiers gave a dumbfounded grunt. At the same time, a human figure touched down on the sea's surface with a casualness wholly unsuited to the gravity of the situation. As his black uniform flitted about in the rusty wind, the slender boy raised his head. The underlings' hideous forms didn't appear to scare him in the slightest. He seemed relaxed, which was eerie in and of itself. A different kind of unrest filled the air. But the boy paid no heed to the reaction he was getting. Instead, he raised his arm. Then he gave his fingers a majestic snap. "Recreation of the Plain of Skewers: Impaled Victim." New colors danced atop the water. Azure petals and black feathers had begun raining extravagantly from the sky. The next moment, a chorus of thunks rang out. The red-and-black-stained sea had been rent, and innumerable iron stakes had shot up from beneath the waves. Their sharp points had ripped through the frozen sea like they would an ice floe. The normal, clear sea came rushing through the cracks. Then it was met with a huge amount of blood and quickly became stippled with crimson. After all, the underlings crawling atop its surface had been impaled on the stakes as well. The way they were hoisted in the air, they looked almost like skewered game. The blasphemous creatures awkwardly struggled, their mixed body parts squirming as they did. However, the iron stakes gave them no quarter. The evening sunlight washed over the stakes, the waves crashed atop them, and still, they stood resolute and immovable. In that moment, the stakes resembled countless, glimmering headstones. The person who had summoned the stakes, who'd just returned from the World Tree, was Kaito Sena. "...Oh. I guess you can just impale them normally. All bark and no bite, huh?" He nodded casually. He turned toward the soldiers, then shrugged. The gesture indicated he was hoping they'd affirm how much of a letdown the underlings had proven to be, but he received no such response. He blinked as he gazed over their stiffened bodies. Eventually, he clapped his hands together, then called out to them in a loud voice. "Hey, sorry about this, but I'm gonna need the saints to start firing. The fourth wave is still attacking. Normal weapons should be good enough to fight them. I'll cut down and skewer as many of 'em as I can, but I'm counting on you guys to deal with the ones that get away from me. Their exposed organs look like they should be weak points, but their mana actually comes from an eyeball hidden inside them, so watch out for that." "You heard him, everyone. If you can destroy them, then do so. We gather and wait." La Christoph solemnly raised his arms as if nothing had happened. His expression didn't even have vestiges of confusion in it. He had just been calmly waiting for everyone else to settle down. In accordance with his directions, the saints began chanting in unison. Their bodies were clad in pure light. A bit of confusion remained among the soldiers, but they got into formation. After making sure everything had calmed down, Kaito nodded with a gentle expression on his face. However, it faded before long. The Mad King turned back to his fleshy foes. As he raised his arm once more, blood dribbled from the corner of his lip. Then the Mad King murmured as the Torture Princess once had. "La (oh ye, born of death, return from whence you came)." And with that, he gave his fingers a sonorous snap. "The enemy's moving differently now. I want to go make the rounds and check up on a couple places; you mind if I head out?" "You butcher a thousand of those things on your own, then pose that question like you're making small talk? You have my permission. Go." "Y'know, I love how brief these conversations of ours are. It's a real lifesaver." Kaito nodded to Valisisa, then placed his blood-filled glass orb down on the sand. As the teleportation circle knit itself together, he cast his gaze out over the Northernmost Shore. The fourth wave had been successfully wiped out. A number of red-and-black shards that had been shattered by the stakes had washed up onto the sand. Underling corpses were scattered around them like beached jellyfish. A medic grabbed one of them with a hook, then struggled to pull it in. By analyzing the carcasses, they might be able to devise a counteragent for the venom the underlings had been spewing. A wolf-headed beastman went over and gingerly helped them pull the heavy corpse. Elsewhere, crimson-clad attendants and uninjured soldiers were working to transport the freshly fallen saints and the wounded. On the other hand, the healthy saints who'd just returned to the battlefield were gathered together and receiving a status report. They'd become rather adept at substituting people in and out. The soldiers and saints were even starting to intermingle to the best of their abilities. Perhaps it was because they'd successfully dealt with their horrific foes, but the soldiers' faces were all brimming with confidence. Even though he saw things had changed for the better, Kaito still furrowed his brow. His thoughts raced vigilantly. Those things looked creepy as hell, but the bodies of the fourth wave's underlings still fell within this world's rules. By the sixth or seventh wave, though, they'll have overcome that restraint. Normal soldiers won't be able to resist them, let alone react accordingly. Despite knowing that, Kaito pushed that unsettling reality deep within his heart. Dampening the soldiers' spirits right now wouldn't do anyone any good. The underlings were only going to get more horrific from here on out. It wouldn't take much to break their will to fight. Kaito needed their resolve to be as high as possible when the fifth wave hit. To that end, he said nothing as the azure light swallowed him up. The moment after the cylindrical wall surrounded him, his consciousness cut out. The pain ceased, then came back. Kaito died from shock. After automatically resuscitating, he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the mellow glow of the sunset. "...Looks like the sky's cleared up over here." After letting out a faint murmur, he looked to the side. He was standing atop a long bridge stretched out wide over the blazing, golden desert. Or to be more precise, the stone structure wasn't actually a bridge. It was one of the walls that divided up the demi-human territories. In the demi-human country, the places people lived were determined by the purity of their blood. Its citizens weren't allowed to travel freely within its borders. Kaito was on top of the wall surrounding the second sector—more specifically, he was in a passageway designed for lookouts and repairmen. At the moment, though, it was home to an imposing line of cannons. The sound and tremors of cannon fire rocked Kaito's surroundings at fixed intervals. "Ready, aim, fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!" As directed, flames burst from the entire front row of small cannons at once. The pterosaur-like underlings who'd been struck let out annoyed cries. The damage they'd suffered was minimal. The demi-humans didn't pay that fact any heed, though, and pulled on the ropes connected to the wheeled cannons in order to draw them backward. As they reloaded them with shells and gunpowder, the second row began firing. "Ready, aim, fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!" GYAAAAAAaaaaaAAAAAAAAA! Their bones broken by the successive fire, several underlings fell out of the air. All the while, more cannonballs were being brought up on pulleys. Any damage to the cannons was being taken care of atop the wall, too. Thanks to how efficiently the repair and transport teams were working, the repeated bombardment was being sustained for a length of time that hardly seemed possible. It was an impressive technique, one that took full advantage of |
the country's ability to mass-produce gunpowder and metal. "Same as before, huh? Man, it's crazy how long they've been able to hold out." Relieved at how hard they were fighting, Kaito looked around. The man he was looking for was standing a little way off from the cannoneers. Kaito raised his voice and waved his hand at him. "Aguina! Aguina Elephabred!" "Hmm? Oh, Sir Kaito Sena, are you making the rounds? And just Aguina is fine. I'm aware of how troublesome our surnames are for foreigners to pronounce. If you try too hard, you're liable to bite your tongue." The bespectacled, lizard-headed man replied from beneath his coarse, sand-resistant robe. The demi-humans had agreed with the beastfolk and, in doing so, had come under the Mad King's jurisdiction as well. Given how the demi-human soldier at the World Tree had treated him, though, it was clear that not everyone was on the same page there. Depending on the orders he gave, they wouldn't actively get in his way, but they wouldn't always cooperate, either. They were probably concerned about how things would shake out afterward and didn't want to be known for having allied themselves with the Mad King. Aguina's words, on the other hand, were congenial. He, too, was an official who'd attended the three-race joint meeting. However, he was displaying a certain degree of affection toward Kaito. And the reason for his attitude was surprisingly clear. The demi-humans value blood purity above all else. The third sector had suffered critical damage, but Kaito had stopped it from spreading to the first and the second; ever since then, their estimation of his battle prowess had risen steeply. Unlike how he was treated everywhere else, he was greeted on the battlefield's front lines with open arms. In other words, this was thanks to how flexible and how brazen the demi-humans were. The deafening sound of cannon fire continued. Kaito rushed over to Aguina to make sure he could be heard. He covered one ear and raised his voice louder. "The underlings in the fourth wave are different than the ones from before! Are you guys okay? It sounds like your cannons aren't firing as often as they were when I came last time. Is the enemy's attack subsiding or something?" "Oh, you came up with a hypothesis without even checking. Perhaps it'd be best if you looked down." "...Down?" "Down." Aguina nodded. His long sleeve rustled as he pointed one of his sharp claws downward. Kaito obediently walked over to the edge of the wall and dropped to his knees. Squinting, he gazed at the distant ground. "...Oh, I guess they came here after all." A section of the sand was dyed hideous shades of red and black. Underlings had risen up from it and were using their moist organs as suction cups to crawl up the wall. Before they could reach the top, however, demi-human soldiers with cloths over the mouths rushed toward them. The scales decorating the soldiers' armor jingled as they tilted pungent jars over the side. Black sludge poured down from the jars. After they finished drenching the underlings, a second group of soldiers threw lit torches at them. Flames rushed up, and the underlings passed out. It was a simple, merciless defense strategy. Kaito spoke, his tone half-shocked and half-impressed. "Man, you guys are gutsy...and accurate. Didn't the underlings' appearances fill you with despair?" "Ha-ha, not in the slightest. We children of the Sand Queen have nothing in common with those hideous, hodgepodge monstrosities. And with that being the case, what reason would we have to despair? We simply dealt with them the same way we would any dangerous beast of the desert. That said, it's thanks to the main army at the Northernmost Shore thinning out their ranks that we were able to do so. If there had been more of them, we could well have been overrun. You have my thanks." Aguina laid his hand atop his chest. His words were laudable. Kaito, still on his knees, looked up at Aguina. The boy faintly widened his eyes in shock. "Well, there's a surprise. I never thought I'd see the day when you actually thanked me for something." "Hmm? Back when you rescued the survivors from the third sector's desperate predicament, then kept the damage in the first and second sectors to a minimum, surely I must have thanked you at least a few times." "Huh...maybe you did. We were both crazy busy back then, after all." "My goodness, we were. Dreadful, that was... I must confess, to tell you the truth, my memories of whether or not I properly showed my appreciation are somewhat vague." "So hey, since it sounds like you appreciate what the other races are doing, maybe you could tone down the blood-purity obsession a little?" "Ha-ha-ha, I'm afraid I find your humor a little dull. Unlike the Three Kings of the Forest, our Queen has long since entered her eternal slumber. Understanding the anguish of our constant decline is beyond other races." Aguina replied to Kaito's suggestion with a dry laugh. It didn't seem like he had any plans of revising his way of thinking. Kaito heaved a deep sigh. He had his suspicions that this insistence of the demi-humans would lead to conflict someday. At the moment, though, he didn't have time to worry about whatever racial conflicts may or may not be brewing. There's probably stuff that I'll only be able to say now, but...I guess it is what it is. Still seated, he looked out over his surroundings. The sand rose and fell uniformly, casting shadows in a truly majestic way. Back when he was in that tiny room, he could never have dreamed of seeing anything like it. He burned the image into his eyes. As he did, he also checked to make sure there weren't more underlings in sight than he thought the demi-humans could deal with. After determining their nearby numbers weren't a serious threat, he nodded. "Well, it looks like there aren't any pressing problems here, so I'm gonna head out. There should be a way longer grace period before the fifth wave attacks. It shouldn't hit until after midday tomorrow. If anything unexpected happens before then, get in touch." "Understood. If that happens, we'll send word immediately." "Sounds like a plan. Guess I'll do some light cleaning, then be on my way." "...'Cleaning'?" Still seated, Kaito leaned forward. Then without a word, he dove headfirst into the empty air. His uniform fluttered as he glided. Now upside down, Kaito looked up toward the top of the wall. Aguina's eyes were wide, and his back was illuminated by the afterglow from the setting sun. Kaito smiled at him, then cast his gaze over to the wall's surface. Suddenly, horrifying creatures came into his view. New underlings were crawling atop the charred corpses of their comrades and trying to climb up the wall. When he reached the same height as them, Kaito snapped his fingers. "La (burn)." Flames burst from within the hideous, fleshy masses. A moment later, nothing remained of them but ash. Then they were scattered by the dry desert wind. As he fell amid the fine particles of ash, Kaito pulled the glass orb from his pocket and flicked it with his finger. The crimson orb descended toward the sea of sand like a drop of blood. An instant later, a teleportation circle had woven itself in the air. Gentle light spread out from the orb, like an azure rose in bloom. Kaito landed where the flower's center would be, and the petals of light snapped shut. And with that, Kaito began teleporting. "...What is he, some kind of monster?" The moment before his consciousness faded, he distinctly heard someone mutter that phrase. However, he had no time to reply before the darkness took him. He didn't appreciate being seen as a monster, but it was more or less a reasonable assessment. Kaito Sena was aware of that fact. Great power carried responsibility with it. And at the same time, it represented something that was to be shunned. Fear, disgust, contempt, discrimination, hostility, avoidance—the forms of rebellion were varied. Yet sometimes, that power also garnered praise. People were hostile toward things they couldn't understand, and they worshipped people who were close to their ideals. As far as people were concerned, anything too different from them had to either be a deity or a monster. Thus, reverence and contempt were two sides of the same coin. Conventional religious gods were one thing, but anyone who was deified would quickly also find themselves vilified, looked down on as a monster, and killed. Rebellion and praise were equally irrational things. However, that contradictory nature people had was in and of itself worthy of love. The powerless feared the powerful and regarded them with hostility, but they also revered them and sought their aid. On the other hand, if they found themselves indebted to someone they'd once denounced as a monster, they would still throw their arms wide and protect that person. They could kill because of their self-righteous senses of justice, but a mere thought could be enough for them to lay their lives down protecting another. That was just how people were. And not just humans, but the other two intelligent races as well. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. And that was the way things ought to be. For if they weren't, they wouldn't be able to live with that contradiction. Ignorance is a sin. But there's a kind of peace that can only exist inside it. As for Kaito Sena himself, he was straddling the fine line between god and monster. At the moment, he had declared he was going to protect the living. But the entity known as Kaito Sena was quickly becoming the most ominous thing around. As far as the world was concerned, he was now a foreign element, and where he'd originally come from had nothing to do with that fact. His rate of mana acquisition was accelerating. He was like a weapon that automatically enhanced itself. He might well have been even more dangerous than the Torture Princess, the peerless sinner. If he were to turn on the world, what would happen? Surely, the danger of that possibility wasn't lost on anyone. Even while he was saving them, they were doubtless thinking, The day will come when we have to kill him. But that's fine. That was the decision Kaito Sena had made. Every race had come to rely on him, but behind their smiles, their fear and bloodlust were rising. However, that process, too, was necessary for what he imagined would come after. That was why he didn't mind, no matter how much they ostracized him. That was fine. It had a purpose. But... ...It is a little lonely. That emotion, too, came from the heart. As he felt it, he thought: Is this how you felt, Elisabeth? After being vilified and bombarded with criticism, she had sentenced herself to die alone. She wasn't a person who was capable of loving solitude. That was why— That was why Kaito had— "Ha-ha, I come here to meet you in person, yet your complexion is downright pallid, my dear successor!" Wait, is it even possible for a voice to be that annoying? Kaito snapped his eyes open. All the thoughtful reflection that had been going through his mind a moment ago vanished without a trace. He couldn't even remember what it had been about. Nevertheless, he blinked a few more times. He shook his head to sweep away his vertigo. Then he looked up at the culprit who had so rudely shattered his postrevival silence. The tall man in question stood against a backdrop of verdant-green trees. He was wearing a black coat and an aristocrat's shirt replete with a cravat. His sleek, black hair draped down to his shoulders, and his ruby-like, crimson eyes served |
to accentuate his androgynous beauty. He was the Kaiser's first contractor, the former leader of the fourteen demons, and Elisabeth's foster father, whom she had burned to death. Vlad Le Fanu. A smile was plastered across the man's childish face. Kaito reflexively let out an exasperated remark. "Someone's in a good mood." "And oh, how very! After all, I am but a child graciously bequeathed a brand-new toy! And yet even so, you will be pleased to hear that thanks to my astounding judgment and competencies, I have faithfully carried out every one of your orders! Why, I should think it only reasonable to allow yourself a little merriment in consideration for my labors... Although, it does seem you've died again. Can you stand?" Vlad courteously extended a white-gloved hand to Kaito. After hesitating for a moment, Kaito took it. Until just recently, that action wouldn't have been possible. After all, Vlad Le Fanu's real body was dead. All that was left of him was a replica of his soul. But now he was no mere phantasm. After helping Kaito to his feet, Vlad spoke with sincere delight. "Being able to move as I please really does stir at my emotions. Truly, being alive is a wonderful thing." And with that, Vlad Le Fanu nodded, a broad smile spread across his face. The man who'd once been burned down to his very bones had attained flesh once more. 6 Vlad and the Kaiser The man who had once been burned to death had risen from the ashes. He had been resurrected through the same method that was keeping Kaito alive. He hadn't technically come back to life, of course; no method existed in this world that could completely revive the dead. Vlad's current state was nothing more than that of a degraded replica of the actual man's soul. He'd simply been transferred from the jewel he'd been sealed in into a golem body like Kaito's. However, being able to move around freely supposedly felt as if one had been resurrected. Everything's more or less in order...or at least, it looks like it is. After carefully inspecting Vlad, Kaito decided he'd passed muster. The fact of the matter was, Kaito himself was the one who'd given Vlad his body. If there were any problems with it, things could end badly. After all, Vlad Le Fanu was practically a demon himself. If the situation had been any less drastic, the prospect of freeing his soul and giving him a body would have been unthinkable. Kaito thought back on the details that had caused him to make that insane choice. The real Vlad had died with the replica of his soul still trapped within that jewel. He was more powerful than even Elisabeth, yet he hadn't given his own replica a body. Kaito suspected the primary reason for that was so that his replica would go undetected during the Church's investigation after his death. Vlad was probably also concerned about the possibility of having his own replica revolt against him if he ever accidentally activated it while he was still alive. The replica was a degraded version of Vlad's soul, designed to pass along Vlad's will to future generations. It was able to act as an intermediary for the demon he'd once contracted with, but it was inferior to the actual Vlad in a number of respects. However, the two of them thought in exactly the same ways, meaning there was a chance it would betray him. After all, it was Vlad. There was a good chance he'd gleefully seize the opportunity to kill "himself." Actually, it was a downright certainty. The real Vlad had no doubt known that and, as such, had left nothing behind for the replica. As a result, the Vlad within the jewel couldn't so much as move around on his own without Kaito's help. Just a little bit ago, Kaito had agonized over whether or not it was prudent to change that condition. Vlad Le Fanu was evil to the bone. Kaito couldn't let his guard down around him for a moment, something Vlad was well aware of. That said, it was hard to ignore Vlad's talents, either. The fact that he'd stood atop all fourteen demons was a testament to his profound leadership skills. Why, the Kaiser himself referred to Vlad as "He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind." The way he thought was completely divergent from your everyday person. In other words, he was evil incarnate. And just like Vlad, Diablo could easily surpass the limits of human imagination. It was impossible for normal people to anticipate what it would think or do. Sometimes, the only thing that could defeat one evil was another. Given the current situation, Kaito didn't have the luxury of worrying about the future. At the moment, they were in dire need of manpower. If Vlad could move around on his own, his usefulness as a pawn would increase. And so in the end, Kaito had decided to give Vlad a body. However, it had come with a condition. "Make sure you don't get carried away and try to do anything evil. Your head'll fly right off." "And therein lies the problem! I mean, I must say, I'm impressed with how you think, but still!" Vlad, seeming strangely excited, pointed at Kaito. The two of them bantered aimlessly as they walked through the forest. The trees around them looked like miniature versions of the World Tree, each one of them sporting an intricate array of foliage. The farther they went, the more shoe prints started appearing on the soft ground. Pure water seeped up from the earth, filling the indentations halfway. "Your body is designed such that as long as it doesn't lose an excess amount of its creator's, Elisabeth's, blood, your soul will remain within—in other words, it's a kind of quasi-immortality. And now that you've obtained her heart and can generate limitless mana, that sole weakness of yours has been rendered null. Yet still, you chose to use a different method when you were creating my body. To think you would not transfer my soul but embed the jewel itself within my body! And you even had the gall to set a condition that would cause my head to self-destruct, jewel and all! I must say, my dear successor, you really do play dirty!" "Are you complaining?" "Oh, perish the thought! I find it ever so delightful!" Kaito reflexively knit his brows. It would appear that Vlad was thoroughly enjoying his current situation. He was as inscrutable a man as ever. Perhaps sensing Kaito's doubts, Vlad curled his lips slightly. "Up until now, I've stood on the side that toys with the lives of others. I've held their flimsy hearts in my hands, caressing them as long as I pleased. Now that I find myself a victim of that same treatment, I'm hardly in any position to complain. Being able to experience sensations yet untasted in an unforeseen way is a delicacy, no matter what kind of sensation that may be." "So in other words, you're not just a sadist, but a masochist, too?" "Ha-ha, a crude way to put it, perhaps, but wholly accurate!" "You weren't supposed to agree, dude. That's creepy." "Perhaps you find that difficult to understand, my dear successor. Normally, the two dispositions are at odds. But while I consider ruling to be my natural role, being forced to yield and made to bow my head is hardly unpleasant, either. Without supping on hardship myself, I would never know its true flavor. And what is life if not a constant voyage of learning?" "Didn't you die, like, forever ago?" "That's precisely what makes it so interesting. Compared with who I am now, the living 'me' lacked a certain sense of playfulness. Hmm, you can hardly blame him, though, given that he'd been betrayed by his beloved daughter, captured by the Church, and only just made his escape. Why, I feel downright sympathetic toward the man." Vlad shrugged aloofly. Not even his old, actual self was safe from his mockery. It was truly impossible to figure out how his mind worked. Astounded as he was, though, Kaito closed his mouth, offering little in the way of a response. And there was a good reason for that. The sound of swords. The sound of flesh tearing. The sound of magical flames surging upward. The tumult of the battlefield had come into earshot. ...Almost there, huh? The main body of the World Tree was surrounded by both a deep forest composed of younger trees, as well as a strangely circular river, which was filtered and circulated through the roots. Those two lines of defense served to separate the World Tree's hallowed ground from the rest of the world. However, therein lay a fatal weakness. The river's full circumference was too vast for the soldiers to patrol it. And because of how erratic the underlings' arrival locations and flight paths were, it was difficult to carry out a more focused defense strategy, too. Furthermore, it took four soldiers to safely kill a single underling, so a spread-out battle could well lead to them getting completely wiped out. Given all those facts, establishing a defensive line turned out to be a major challenge. However, Vlad had come up with a diabolical plan to break through the deadlock. He'd inflicted massive, linear damage to the forest surrounding the World Tree. In fact, he'd burned down enough trees to make a path right to it. The underlings weren't capable of complex thought, so they naturally flocked to the opening in order to avoid the forest's sacred aura. It then became possible to defend against these foes, but the plan drew an understandable amount of backlash. The beastfolk in the army practically started an insurrection. If things had gone poorly, we'd have had bloodshed on our hands...and probably worse. Good thing Vyade worked so hard to back us up. If Valisisa had been the one to find out, there's a good chance she woulda killed me. After they'd gotten help from the second imperial princess and suppressed the rioting, the defensive front had solidly held the line. That said, showing up directly at the front line would have been dangerous. Instead, Kaito had teleported to the forest's outer limits and walked to the battlefield on foot. Vlad must have sensed that Kaito would stop by to check up on the war efforts. Then he'd come and fetched Kaito from where the man had predicted he'd arrive. The front line should have been coming into view any moment. As he walked restlessly, Kaito shot Vlad a question. "Anyway, given that you came all the way over to pick me up, I guess things are probably going okay... The fourth wave was different than the other ones. How are things on the ground?" "Ha-ha-ha-ha, how very like you. Always so quick to change the topic. As for your question..." Suddenly, Vlad stopped talking and snapped his fingers. Azure petals and darkness whirled violently around his elegant palm and the white glove surrounding it. Then the trees in front of them toppled over. Their branches were cleaved up, like they'd been struck down by blades. All at once, Kaito's field of vision expanded. A wide riverbank burst into view. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Kaito whipped his head around. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vlad, who for some reason was puffing out his chest proudly. "...it would be fastest for you to see for yourself." "Well, that doesn't look good." Before he had time to think, Kaito let out his honest impression. The spectacle spread out before them was rather grim. A clear river flowed calmly on the other side of the riverbank surrounding the forest. Or at least, it was supposed to. Now, though, parts of it had hardened into blotchy red-and-black chunks. Compared with the holiness of the |
World Tree proper, the water wasn't nearly as powerful. Apparently, the underlings had enough resources to pollute the river, and a considerable number of them were crawling atop its contaminated surface. Slowly but steadily, the blasphemous creatures were making their way forward. As Kaito watched, the seemingly sluggish masses of flesh leaped at several of the soldiers at an alarming speed. They didn't even have time to scream before they were consumed. It was the very image of Hell. Suddenly, a bloodcurdling shriek rang out from nearby. Kaito turned to look toward where it had come from. *** "Ack, gah, ah—" A priest, who was supposed to have been strengthening the squad's defenses, was violently convulsing. An underling had been traveling beneath the ground and, as distasteful as it was, had thrust its arm through his groin. Burrowing through the moist earth had caused its hideous fingers to burn and fester from the pure waters underground. Now those same fingers had burst up through the priest's mouth and were squirming amid his yellowed teeth. "Gah, geh— Ah..." Then the underling abruptly drew its arm free, and the priest collapsed to the ground. Blood and excreta gushed from his body. The underling then waved its sullied hand about and started looking for its next prey. An instant later, it found itself run through with a sword. The eyeball hidden amid its organs crushed, the underling's body crumpled. "You monster... You monster, monster, monster, monster!" Spittle flew as the soldier shouted and brought his sword down on the underling over and over. He sounded deranged, but his aim was true. He hadn't been misled by the underling's repulsive exterior. Vlad must have given them instructions regarding their weak points. That said, the squad's coordination had completely fallen apart. Friends and foes were all jumbled together, and the battlefield was a free-for-all. Vlad stroked his chin, then shrugged in exasperation. "I never imagined the situation would degrade so badly in my brief absence. The defensive squads were supposed to be continuously deployed, and the mages were supposed to set the opposite shore on fire in a massive, raging blaze. Anyone who broke through would be surrounded by the soldiers, battered, then allowed to escape once they'd sustained heavy damage, only to explode from the power of the World Tree. That process should have been more than enough to deal with the fourth wave, but... Perhaps their replacements fled on them, and the cowardice of a few sent everything into disarray. Ha-ha, what are they, children cowering at monsters? Well now, this is unfortunate." "Given the situation, what the hell did you think would happen when you sent their commanding officer, not to mention their strongest teammate, over to pick me up?" "Ha-ha-ha, you say that, my dear successor, but it's really quite hard for me to grasp just how frail these people's spirits—" "...Vlad." Kaito moved his lips as little as possible as he barked out Vlad's name. Vlad was still smiling, but he went silent. He looked down at his petite master, then spoke in a stubbornly calm tone. "Yes?" "Don't screw around." The rebuke was like a blade pressed against the back of his neck. Another scream rose up from the soldiers' ranks. Blood sprayed violently across the ground. However, even though he was right beside the tragedy, Kaito kept his gaze fixed on Vlad. The only thing reflected in his clear eyes was his wicked servant. "Why did I give you a body? I brought you back for one reason: You're useful. If you're not being helpful, then you're in the way. If you can't show off your power, you're just weak. If you fight without information, you're just a fool, and if you whine pointlessly, you're just incompetent. And hey, if your life has no value, you're no better than a pig. So which one are you? Incompetent or a pig?" Vlad didn't answer. However, he didn't talk back, either. He just kept smiling. "Get it together! Dammit, don't let them escape!" Suddenly, a panicked shout pierced the air. Most of the underlings had made their way through the free-for-all and were finally surging toward the burned path to the World Tree. The soldiers who'd been able to keep their composure were rallying the troops and getting ready to pursue them. However, the underlings spat venom at them from their thick lips, the majority of which were attached to female buttocks. "La (send it back)." Without so much as sparing them a glance, Kaito snapped his fingers. Black darkness and azure petals knit together into a massive shield. It gently caught the venom, then launched it back. Upon being drenched headfirst in the viscous, purple liquid, the underlings collapsed. The soldiers let out cries of surprise and relief. Having finally noticed Kaito, they sent pleading glances his way. But Kaito himself was still glaring at Vlad. His next question was posed in a voice that left no room for argument. "As I am now, you're a fitting minion for me—right?" "Yes, my lord. It is as you say." Placing his hand atop his chest, Vlad abruptly hung his head obediently. His androgynous, black hair shook as he performed his graceful bow. His head still hung, he spoke in a voice that was the very image of a loyal servant's. It was so courteous, he sounded almost suspicious and affected. "It's true; I myself made the choice to become the Mad King's pawn. And that being the case, it's only logical I should carry out your will. Right now, Vlad Le Fanu's madness exists for your sake—ah, what a new form of humiliation that is, and what a pleasurable one." Vlad contorted his lips into something that definitely wasn't a smile. It was an unpleasant expression, one that incited fear in any who viewed it. The next moment, his body vanished. The soldiers let out restless shouts. With utmost composure, Kaito alone turned his gaze overhead. There, he saw an aristocratic, black coat fluttering in the wind. Vlad Le Fanu was suspended in the sky. He was sitting on someone's back, with both legs to one side. Right beside him, bat-like membranes cleaved through the air. Two wings were growing out of the fine, black fur Vlad was riding atop. Extended out from the body was a malevolent head. And resting in that head was a pair of eyes burning with hellfire. The creature's identity was that of a massive, winged hound, and Vlad was mounted elegantly atop its back. They fit together so well, it seemed almost as though each had been born to pair with the other. "You sure took your sweet time." Kaito let out a low murmur. Vlad deepened his unpleasant smile. The current Vlad was nothing more than an inferior replica. However, in addition to the way he thought, he had one other forte left to him. He could work together with the prideful Kaiser. The Kaiser, the apex of the fourteen demons, was a beast who could test a thousand men and then devour all of them. The trials he imposed on his contractor were harsh, and most of the candidates had died horribly. That said, though, once he'd acknowledged his partner's madness as one to his liking, he was willing to forgive slights that would otherwise have warranted tearing them limb from limb. And Vlad Le Fanu was the first man to ever earn that right. By losing to Elisabeth and meeting a disgraceful death at her hands, Vlad had earned himself the Kaiser's wrath for quite some time. However, it was also thanks to his help that the Kaiser had been able to remanifest, and at the moment, the two of them possessed similar attributes. From an outside perspective, Vlad and the Kaiser seemed to click. If nothing else, the supreme hound was allowing Vlad to ride atop his back. That's another reason I gave him a body. In Kaito's current state, he didn't need a demon to protect him. In other words, it would be more efficient to have the Kaiser fighting independently rather than acting as his escort. However, to do that, another individual was necessary. Left to his own devices, the Kaiser would refuse to act on anyone else's behalf. The temperamental hound needed a hunter to rein him in. That was Vlad's job, and the reason Kaito had given him a body. When Kaito had done so, he'd magically set up the artificial body to allow him to observe what Vlad did and said. At the moment, he could clearly make out the wicked way Vlad's lips were curling. Vlad was calling out affectionately to the Kaiser. "Now then, my former companion. O proud, supreme hound. Are you ready?" "Ha! Ready for what? This whole affair is laughably ludicrous! Telling a demon to help stop the end-time is contradictory beyond repair! The Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain must have finally gone mad." "See, you say that, dear Kaiser, but you're the one who agreed to fight in this war, aren't you?" Vlad calmly rebutted the Kaiser's scornful words. Then he gestured with his chin toward the underling troops. As the hideous masses of flesh ferociously charged forward, they looked as vulgar as half-finished platters of sloppily eaten food. "I understand you, you know. You don't retain underlings. You're too proud a beast to bear even looking at their hideous forms. And you demons are solitary entities—unless your contractor calls on you, you cooperate with no one, even if your goals are aligned. How could you allow the world to be destroyed at the hands of not just another, but Diablo, who exists only to prepare the world for God to rebuild it, who lurks in a human's body with neither pride nor will?" As he whispered, Vlad stroked the black dog's back. If he'd been in range of the Kaiser's fangs, he would assuredly have lost his arm. Fortunately for him, though, his seat on the Kaiser's back was out of reach. He went on in a casual tone. "You and I were supposed to rule the world, once. But dashed as our dreams may have been, the vicissitudes of fate have led us here. And seeing one's half-eaten meat snatched away before one's eyes is unpleasant, no?" "Listening to you prattle is far more unpleasant, I say. Cease your tittering; you test my patience. But your thoughts on consumption are apt." The Kaiser let out a deep howl. He curled up the corners of his mouth like a human. Then, without warning, he soared through the air. The black dog descended upon the underlings like a raptor hunting its prey. The hellfire in his eyes traced a searing trail through the air. The force of the wind would have shredded any normal person to bits, but Vlad merely snapped his fingers, unfazed. "La (become)." Black darkness and azure flower petals caressed the ground, and iron bear traps began sprouting up like flowers in bloom. They weren't nearly powerful enough to kill the underlings. However, thanks to their simple construction, they were well suited toward stopping the many-limbed fiends in their tracks. Then sure enough, the Kaiser swooped in upon the captured pack. He descended on them, in every sense of the word. He was like a black star, falling through the sky by divine prophecy. The darkness silently blanketed his landing point. For a moment, the area was cast into absolute silence. A few seconds later, though, the darkness transformed into black feathers, then exploded in a shower of azure petals. Starting from the explosion's center, the underlings had been eviscerated. Tongues and genitalia crashed into the trees, then crumbled into dust. The beast's landing alone had been enough to cause serious bloodshed, and he laughed in a voice that sounded almost human. "Gaaaah-ha-ha-ha, baaaah-ha-ha-ha, gaaaah-ha-ha-ha. "Those lumps of meat don't even comprehend the difference in our ranks. Why, even making me kill them is irreverent. Know |
your place and die already." His proclamation was haughty and arrogant. Upon hearing it, the underlings opened their mouths. Even without brains, their instincts were telling them the hound was cut from the same cloth as they. Countless mouths moved in unison, weaving together words of protest. The things posed questions. (And they were lamenting, too.) The things made a supplication. (And they were bewildered, too.) The things begged for mercy. (And they were angry, too.) The things (And then they were torn to shreds.) "I told you, you're annoying." The Kaiser stomped down on the nearest underling. Unable to withstand the pressure, it burst, collapsing as though its sutures had been ruptured. The Kaiser continued chomping down on several others before spitting them out in disgust. Despite the fact that they were trembling in primal fear, a few of the underlings bravely asked the same question. """Why? Why? Why, why, why, why, why?""" The sheer quantity of their questions caused the very air to shake. Amid the echoes of their pitiful voice, the supreme hound made his dignified declaration. "You lot are hideous. Annoying. And boring. Your lives don't bear a shred of worth." His answer certainly wasn't a proper justification to kill someone. But in a sense, it was more than adequate. To a king, the fact that the common folk displeased him was more than enough reason to crush them. "...Looks like that just about does it." Over on the riverbank, Kaito was finishing up his own task. The river was already free of black and red. Instead, the water's surface was now blanketed with silver. The river was packed so tightly with needles that the flow of the water was no longer visible. All the underlings that had been crossing it had been run through on their sharp points. However, no small number of them had managed to escape to the shore. However, Kaito didn't even need to snap his fingers. At some point, a pair of red and white maidens had taken up his flanks and were practically snuggled up to him. One of them bore a bewitching smile, and the other held its eyes neatly closed. The beauties sported hair of gold and silver, and where one of them clad itself in an air of allure, the other bore a modest appearance. However, neither of them seemed ordinary in the slightest. The two women—or more accurately, the two puppets—were an Iron Maiden and a La Guillotine. Both of them had been part of the Torture Princess's regular roster of torture and execution devices. IiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeEEEEEEEE! If you didn't kill them, they would kill you. That was simply their purpose. The underlings seemed to instinctively understand the threat the two women posed. They charged toward the maidens. They all spit out venom in unison as they extended their various appendages. That moment, the gold and silver beauties transformed. One's stomach, adorned in a red dress, opened up, and mechanical arms reached out from within. The dress adorning the other's body was white, and after it crossed its arms, it spread them out and launched rectangular blades from them. Blood sprayed. The cuts in the chunks of flesh that tumbled to the ground were clean and sharp. There was a kind of perverse beauty in the maidens' interwoven massacre. The soldiers stood still in abject horror. A new type of fear filled the air, different from the sort that the underlings had inspired. However, the maidens didn't pay them the slightest heed. They just kept carrying out their slaughter. The black hound continued his macabre dance unabated as well. Vlad, still sitting atop his back, nodded with a strange sense of satisfaction. "You know, I only just realized it myself, but isn't this our first time working together as father and son?" "That is...not how I'd describe it." Kaito offered a quick retort, unconsciously breaking the silence. The Kaiser closed his jaw. The red maiden gently rubbed its womb. The white maiden closed its arms, as though in prayer. It was over. All that was left were scraps of flesh. "...He's a monster." Someone quietly murmured, practically spitting out the words. Kaito Sena offered no response. As far the World Tree's defensive line was concerned, the fourth wave had been successfully eradicated. "Looks like the wounded got back safely, and the shift change went down without a hitch, so... Good work; I'm out!" "This is just a supposition, my dear successor, but is this what you've been doing this whole time?" As Kaito was waving good-bye, Vlad called out to him. Kaito blinked a few times. Then he delayed the teleportation circle's activation and turned to face Vlad. All around them, the war front was being rearranged. The wounded were being split between the infirmaries at the World Tree and the Capital, and at Kaito's direction, they'd put in a request for more people who could help transport the injured and provide backup. Even without reinforcements, though, Vlad and the Kaiser should be able to hold the line on their own. Although he wanted to make his next stop as soon as possible, Kaito replied to the question with a nod. For some reason, that prompted a heavy sigh from Vlad, who also gave his shoulders a light shrug. "Well, I suppose it's a sensible decision. Right now, you're wanted most for your powers as a living weapon. Traveling to the various fronts is no doubt the best way for you to meet expectations. Still, that aside..." "That aside... What?" "...No, perhaps I'd best stop there. It's not something fit to say with a straight face. Forget I said anything." "I dunno if this is some sort of weird bashfulness or if you're trying to be considerate, but either way, you're creeping me out." "Heh, my successor and king's rebellious phase grows ever longer. Actually, given our relationship, is rebellious phase even the right phrase to use? I have to say, I'm not sure myself." The question was of no importance whatsoever, but Vlad began seriously turning it over in his mind. Kaito narrowed his eyes as he retrieved his glass orb from his pocket. This time, he dropped it for real. A blue design began etching itself atop the bloodstained ground. A great mass of petals and darkness rushed up. Then the azure hardened into a cylinder. From the other side, Vlad's laughter-filled voice rang out. "It's just... The way you are now, you remind me of a dying beast prowling the land." Well, he was right about one thing. It wasn't something one could say with a straight face. 7 The World's Inherent Tragedy After the pain caused him to die of shock yet again, Kaito Sena got to thinking. Specifically, it was during the blank time right after he'd resuscitated, before his consciousness sorted itself out. Hypothetically, if Elisabeth hadn't summoned me, what would have become of me? He certainly wouldn't have had to repeatedly experience the pain of death. He wouldn't have seen all those horrible, gruesome sights, either. However, he also would have gone his whole life without ever feeling glad to be alive. Then like an empty bowl being filled with water— —memories of the various things he'd experienced in this new world swirled within his mind. The Torture Princess, laughing innocently. And at times, standing alone atop the battlefield without so much as a tear in her eye. Hina, smiling gently. And in her reddened wedding dress, holding her halberd at the ready. The Butcher. Izabella. Jeanne. Lute. Ain. Vyade. All the people he'd met, all the expressions they'd made, and all the things they'd said to him. And Neue. The boy who'd protected Kaito during the Earl's hellish game and been eaten alive by a spider. Kaito hadn't forgotten the words Neue had said to him as he'd stood on death's door. "I guess...I was just hoping you could find happiness in this world." Even now, I'm still not totally sure what happiness is supposed to look like. But there's one thing I do know. The first time he'd wept with joy at having been born— —his death had gained meaning for the very first time. And even if he'd ended up taking on the same curse the Butcher had been bound by— —no matter how foolish the decision was, Kaito didn't regret it at all. He had no regrets. And because of that, I— "...to. Sir Kaito. Sir Kaito!" Then upon being forcefully called, Kaito opened his eyes. Once again, his thoughts had been cut off and swallowed up by the darkness. He shook his head a little, then looked up. A paladin clad in silver armor, which had atop it a coat of arms featuring a white lily, was standing before him. Behind the man's rugged shoulders, Kaito could make out stars scattered across the night sky. Kaito reflexively narrowed his eyes. This long, precious day was finally coming to an end. At the moment, he was lying toppled over in an empty lot in the region that had been severely damaged by the Grand King's plot. He slowly shifted his vision from the skies to the area around him. When he did, the glint of blades came into view. A number of paladins were surrounding him. And their swords were all leveled in his direction. "Oh, this is... I mean, I get it, but..." Not acting timidly in the slightest, Kaito heaved himself upright. The weapons drew a hair closer as a warning. Kaito completely ignored them, instead checking to see who the people surrounding him were. Their helmets' visors were down. It was impossible to tell whether or not any of them had fought alongside him back when the mass of flesh had invaded. Kaito recalled the series of calamities that had befallen the Capital. Once, thanks to a plot hatched by the Grand King Fiore, the Capital had come under attack by three demons who had fused together. The death count had been high, and countless historic buildings had been destroyed. The massive town market had been leveled, as had a number of workshops and warehouses, not to mention all the teleportation devices, communication devices, and other resources that had been lost. The monetary damages were incalculable. And the influx of refugees from the Capital was causing financial strain across the land. The number of able-bodied workers had declined, and certain types of food supplies were dwindling. That was the earlier incident. Now, thanks to the formation of the Diablo pillar, mankind had been dealt yet another grave blow. And to make matters worse, it had been proven that the culprits behind the world ending were none other than the Church's reconstruction sect. A group that'd placed their blind faith in God and the Saint had taken advantage of the chaos of Godd Deos's death and blown the horn of ruin. At this point, there was no value in trying to hide the truth. Thanks to Lute's testimony, all three races knew about the Church's plot. However, this truth had not been formally announced to the people yet. Even so, the rumors about the God pillar had circulated alongside information about the Diablo pillar, leading to the collapse of humanity's long-standing religious doctrine. In other words, the paladins' very reason to exist had been rocked down to its foundations. With that in mind, it'd be unreasonable to expect their judgment to be completely clear. Furthermore, by all rights, the Mad King—who was the Kaiser's contractor, and who possessed the Torture Princess's heart and an immortal body—should have been the paladins' enemy. But because he'd received the support of La Christoph, who both spearheaded the moderate sect and acted as the saints' mediator, as well as that of several prominent aristocrats, they had no choice but to follow his orders. However, that notwithstanding, given that he'd teleported without advance notice to an abandoned plot of land that had been ravaged by a demon, it was |
only natural that their swords would find their way into his face. Kaito could appreciate how they felt. He even sympathized. On the other hand, he found it exasperating. Their insubordination is too half-assed. If the sheep think the shepherd's making the wrong decisions, then they shouldn't have started following him in the first place. If everyone had just taken a minute to think and act on their own, then the world wouldn't be ending right now. Kaito shrugged. Unfortunately, though, they clearly took that as instigation. Perhaps it had touched a nerve, as one of the paladins wrung a deep voice from his throat. "Sir Kaito Sena. You didn't inform us in advance that you'd be visiting at this late hour. What business do you have?" "So is it a good thing that you're asking me, or is this even more half-assed?" "Answer the question, if you would!" An angry shout tore through the air. The wording was one thing, but its tone sounded pretty close to an order. Kaito was about to answer truthfully, but then at the last minute, he closed his mouth. He gazed off into the distance. The buildings had been engulfed by a demon, rendering the earth strangely smooth, and he could see a silver light approaching. As it drew closer, it left faint glitters in its wake, like a shooting star. However, the paladins still hadn't noticed it yet. "What, giving us the silent—?" As another paladin was about to angrily cry out, all their weapons suddenly went flying. Someone had carefully knocked them into the air by kneeing their hilts. The swords, unbroken, plunged blade-first into the deserted patches of earth. The sharp, insectoid legs left silver afterimages in the air as the newcomer moved about. Whoever it was, they'd arced to an abrupt stop. "What do you all think you're doing?!" "Cap...Captain!" The woman was leveling a sharp glare at the paladins. She was down on all fours with her back arched, her stance that of a menacing beast. Her mismatched blue and purple eyes and long, silver hair gleamed in the pale light. Her face still had the vestiges of its former beauty. Now, though, her entire body was so distorted, it would make one hesitate to even describe her as human. More than half her body was completely devoid of flesh. Moving in its place were strange mechanical parts, the likes of which would have been out of place even in Kaito's world. Gears were spinning in sections of her cheek, and screws were rising and falling within the parts of her wrists and ankles that were peeking out from her uniform. They clearly differed from normal artificial limbs and body enhancements. Not even Kaito's world would have been able to manufacture such a thing. The fact that technology wasn't nearly as developed in this world made it seem all the more out of place. Yet at the same time, she had a strange beauty about her. That was likely thanks to her strong will, which glimmered in her eyes. It was a powerful light, one that only existed in the eyes of the living. And her voice had pride in it befitting that light. "That man you were pointing your swords at—Sir Kaito Sena—saved my life! And he's fighting alongside us to prevent the world from ending! How many times do I have to tell you that before it gets through those heads of yours?!" "B-but Captain Vicker, ma'am! With all due respect, as paladins, placing our unconditional faith in the Kaiser's contractor, not to mention the man with the Torture Princess's heart, is too—" "Fools! The reluctance you're feeling is baseless and emotional! If that's the only reason you have for your actions, then cast it aside! Perhaps you've forgotten they're the ones who rescued us in the battle at the Capital!" "We haven't forgotten, I swear! But Captain, surely you understand how we feel. His powers are far too perverse. Even some of the Church leadership was saying he's our enemy. Why, then, would you have us believe in him?!" The paladin gave a pained appeal. Despite the fact that he himself was the subject of their mistrust, Kaito nodded in sympathy. The first demon had been stored away in the Capital's underground tomb. The paladins' reality had been shattered in the cruelest way possible. He could hardly blame them for having their doubts. At the moment, they probably felt like they were adrift in the darkness. However, the woman's clear words cleaved through their hesitation. "Our faith is just—never let yourself doubt that! No matter what truths the Church may have been hiding, the nobility shown in acting with purity, doing good deeds for the sake of our neighbors, and conducting our lives with prayer on our lips will never change! Thus, it is our duty to be examples of that justice! And in order to do that, we need to devote our full efforts to protecting the innocent!" "Captain Vicker... Even after having your body changed like that, you still..." Several of the paladins clenched their fists. They cast their gazes down. When they looked back up, though, some of their hesitation had cleared up, and their stagnant moods had started to shift. Noticing that, the woman pressed on. "I have nothing more to say. Ian, Leauvas, what happened to keeping watch? Dan, weren't you supposed to relieve the people guarding the ration line? Bran, did you intend on sending the bishops back without an escort? All of you, return to your posts!" "Yes, ma'am. My apologies. It won't happen again!" The paladins placed their arms over their chests and bowed. Then they hurried back to their posts. None of them turned to look back. The doubts they'd been seized by just a moment ago seemed to have vanished without a trace. Their decisive retreating made fully clear just how much trust and respect they put in their captain. Before long, they were all gone. The woman gave her head a small shake. Her silver hair fluttered as the tension drained from her body. "Well then. My apologies for the discourtesy of my men." The woman slowly stood up and straightened her back. The parts in her ankles she'd been using when she traveled wound down with a loud noise and stowed themselves. After giving her back a firm thump, she turned back to look at Kaito again. "You did well to make it to the Capital, Sir Kaito." "Yeah. I'm glad to see you're doing all right, Izabella." Kaito answered her familiar greeting in kind. She nodded. Just a few days ago, the very Church she'd put her faith in had forced her to consume demon flesh. As a result, she'd fallen into a state that had been harder to undo than even death. However, the golden Torture Princess, Jeanne de Rais, had reinforced her body with Deus Ex Machina and saved her life. She tried frantically to raise the corners of her mouth. The gears in her left cheek whirred loudly, and her metal parts moved in accordance with her will. However, it was undeniable how artificial her bare, mechanical smile looked. *** Yet even so, Izabella Vicker was beautiful. "As for your wife, she was aiding in the defense efforts earlier, and she's currently making the rounds. When the fourth wave attacked what used to be Mage's Row, she exterminated them practically on her own. It was quite the splendid display." "Oh yeah, I already knew about that thing with Hina. That was some sick fighting." "You knew? Well, be that as it may, are you not worried that the two of you are fighting separately?" Izabella's voice sounded concerned. Its gentle tone echoed through the darkness. As he climbed the ladder, Kaito answered her question, which had come from overhead. "All I can do is throw around magic. Of the two of us, Hina's way better in battle. There's no way some underlings from the fourth wave are gonna be able to hold her up. Man, my wife's the coolest, isn't she?" "Fine words of praise. Cuteness is far from the only appeal women can have." "Oh, don't get me wrong, she's cute, too! Really cute!" "Quite. Even I can tell how unmistakably charming she is. Later, you should make sure you tell that to her directly. I'm sure she'd be pleased— Hmm? Wasn't it around here?" At the moment, the two of them were lined up vertically in a cramped space. Stretching out her arm, Izabella fumbled around overhead. Eventually, her metal fingers brushed against the wooden door, and she pushed it open. A square section of the night sky appeared amid the darkness. Izabella then went up through the door. Kaito, too, made his way to the top of the ladder and stuck his head out into the night. His cheeks were met by a chilly wind. He placed his hands on the stone floor, then lifted himself to his feet. When he looked up at the sky again, he realized the stars were closer than they had been earlier. However, the moon wasn't visible. Faint, dark clouds were covering patches of the sky. Because of that, it was difficult to look around. The two of them were standing atop a watchtower beside the castle ramparts. It had suffered serious damages, so it was currently sitting unused. Alongside Izabella, Kaito approached the tower's edge. As he gazed out over the Capital, which was blanketed in night, he frowned. "...Man, that's grim." "You can see it without binoculars, even in this darkness?" "Hmm? Oh yeah. I had to teach myself how, but I fiddled with my eyes a bit." "...I suppose we've both made sacrifices." "Sure, but you've had it way rougher than me, haven't you? Hmm... When you consider how long it's gonna take to clear away all the rubble, restoring the Capital's gonna be rough. Most of the buildings you'd want to restore are completely leveled. It might just be easier to construct everything from the ground up. Although, I guess compared with the last disaster, even this looks salvageable." Kaito let out a heavy sigh. The Capital still bore the cruel scars from the destruction the three demons had wreaked. Now even more damage had been piled atop it. A fire had broken out in the chaos of the underlings' attack, and the mages in charge of extinguishing such fires hadn't been able to stop it in time. In order to keep it from spreading, they'd had to knock down a huge number of buildings. But even though they'd resorted to such drastic measures, the area that had gotten scorched was considerable. Conversely, because some aqueducts had ruptured and several bridges had also collapsed, parts of the Capital had been submerged. No matter where he looked, he saw figures that were undoubtedly corpses. Frighteningly, even some of the buildings that seemed to have been knocked down on purpose had human arms sticking out from underneath. ...Man, just how long is it gonna take to recover all those corpses and identify them? Even if they decide to just burn them all because it's an emergency, there's a good chance that an epidemic will break out before they finish. Next, Kaito turned his gaze toward the large-scale shelter. This time, it wasn't scattered throughout the various plazas. Instead, the people were all gathered together in a vacant lot left over from the three demons' attack. Thanks to that, the paladins and priests were able to mount a much firmer defense. Because the saints were all absent, some mages had called forth summoned beasts, and their massive figures could be seen patrolling the area. Furthermore, one of the Church's undamaged buildings had been opened up to the public as an infirmary. At the moment, they were hard at work passing out rations. After his verifying all that, Kaito raised an eyebrow. ...What's that? Here and there amid the collapsed |
houses, he could see lights flickering. Apparently, there were more people than he'd expected who hadn't taken shelter. He could imagine any number of reasons for that—perhaps they didn't want to leave the familiarity of their homes, or perhaps they didn't trust the Church in the wake of the God pillar being erected. However, there was something eerie about them that made goose bumps run across his skin. Upon closer inspection, the people clustered around the fires that had been lit amid the debris seemed oddly tense. Something was off. Trusting his instincts, Kaito quietly asked Izabella about it. "Hey, there's a bunch of people who don't look like they're heading for the shelter. What's up with them?" "...In truth, that was something I needed to talk to you about." "Well, that's ominous. Why do you sound so serious?" "Everyone has their own reasons for not going to the shelter. Many of them probably just don't want to bear the psychological strain of staying somewhere they're not used to... However, there are also those among them who fear the masses, and others who are carrying out a plot." "People who fear the masses? Carrying out a plot?" Deep wrinkles etched themselves into Kaito's brow. It sounded like the former viewed the masses as somehow dangerous, and the latter were committing some sort of crime. Izabella gave him a short nod. Then she elaborated: "Deplorably, the damages didn't just arise at the Capital. In fact, the number of incidents here were probably on the lower side. Humanity comprises about eighty percent of the Capital's population. The farther north you go, and the poorer the towns and villages get, the higher the number of mixed-race demi-humans and beastfolk. If you include all the unreported cases from up there, the incident is more than grave enough to carve a dark page in our history books." "Your preface is too long. Just tell me what happened." "...You really are just like Elisabeth." "Please." "Mixed-race demi-humans and beastfolk were massacred." A cold, heavy wind blew between the two of them. Kaito shut his mouth tight. Izabella stopped talking as well. Kaito silently turned to look back at the distant, wavering flames and the corpses scattered about. Then he slowly wrung a quiet voice out from his throat. "...You're saying with all these underlings running about and killing people, people started killing their own kind?" "Tragically, yes." "Why? There's no reason. No, even if it doesn't make sense, there must be a reason. What is it?" Kaito's voice was threatening as he posed his question. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Izabella's silver hair wave gently. When he looked, he saw she, too, had turned her gaze to the fires blazing in the night. He squeezed his fists tight. A man-made massacre. Even if it had some connection to the Diablo pillar, it was still a tragedy that defied comprehension. To put it simply, it's something we absolutely can't allow. "The cause of it all was the desire for salvation." "Salvation? How is salvation related to a massacre?" "It only became evident after La Christoph's investigation, but many of the most fanatical members of the reconstruction sect, as well as those who held leadership positions, asked to be transferred out to the countryside at about the same time they started using the transfigured paladins to conduct the beastfolk murders. Then they fled. And at the same time, rumors about the rebuilding began springing up." "What kind of rumors?" "Allegedly, 'Hark, O ye ignorant faithful. Pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand,' 'The end-time is nigh,' and 'After the rebuilding, the devout faithful will be led into the new world.' And now right on schedule, the end-time truly is upon us." "The reconstruction sect won't actually be saved, obviously." Kaito spat out the words. Faithful or not, everyone's fate would be the same. Death. At the same time, he understood. To anyone who'd heard the misinformation ahead of time, it would seem as though the prophecy had been fulfilled. The miracle had occurred. And only the chosen ones would be saved. "However, the people who believed in that false salvation began massacring mixed-bloods." "But why? I don't understand how the two are connec— No, wait. Don't tell me... No! That's so fucking stupid!" "I see you figured it out. That's right—they were killing heretics." Izabella laid out the horrible truth. Her voice was as cold as ice. Kaito sighed and buried his face in his hands. To be precise, the beastfolk and demi-humans weren't even heretics. The Three Kings of the Forest and the Sand Queen they revered had all been created by the Saint during the last rebuilding. Their origins were the same. But from the perspective of the Church's believers, the divergent beliefs among the various races must have made them look like they were completely different. And to be even more precise, they probably wanted to treat the other races as heretics so they could use them as that. What was "that"? Kaito lifted his face up from his palms. Then he quietly voiced his dreadful hypothesis. "...To use them as sacrifices?" "Yes. They were killing heretics so they could sacrifice them and prove their devotion to God." Izabella affirmed his suspicions. Kaito shook his head. There was no word to describe those believers' actions but foolish. After all, it had been meaningless. The Church's teachings didn't even mention sacrifices being necessary in the first place. But when faced with chaos and the fear of dying, people were liable to reach out for the simplest, cruelest methods available to them. Her voice still frigid, Izabella elaborated on her statement. "The only people who could state with confidence they'd be led into the new world were those who were truly pious. But the end-time actually came. So in order to be saved, people felt they had to immediately start demonstrating to God how devout they truly were. Sacrificing others was a nice, easy-to-measure method." "So they said, kill those who don't believe in God. But in truth, they did it because of how guilty they felt for not believing hard enough themselves, and because of how afraid they were that they wouldn't be saved, huh... It all sounds like some kind of sick joke." "That it does. Other than the few successful businessmen, most of the mixed-race people had no means of self-defense. The demi-humans think blood purity is king. They would never protect those of mixed race. Because of all the chaos, the beastfolk couldn't muster a response. And we had our hands full with the underlings. In short, they had no way to protect themselves, and nowhere to run." Kaito bit down hard on his lip. Several drops of blood ran down his thin jaw. Once more, he was being forced to confront a cruel reality that he'd thought he understood. He couldn't save everyone. Still, though... ...These deaths are pointless. There's no good reason for them! Kaito Sena howled internally. Religious conflicts existed even back in his old world. There was no shortage of examples where people carried out racial genocides in times of war, too. Just as people were capable of putting their lives on the line to protect others, they were just as capable of killing one another like insects. Despite possessing reason, they often acted like animals. Kaito was well aware of that contradiction. But right now, being confronted with that fact felt like he was getting his entrails scooped out with a knife. At that very moment, there were people in the world sacrificing their sanity in order to fight on everyone else's behalf. And on the other hand, there were people willing to massacre the innocent simply because they wanted to be saved. If that was the case, then at the end of the day... As far as salvation goes... "In the end, as far as salvation goes, is ours truly right?" Izabella's soft murmur overlapped with Kaito's doubts. He raised his head and looked her way. She was gazing out over the Capital with a pained expression on her face. Her words were practically a soliloquy. "Our salvation and the salvation the reconstruction sect aims for are divergent. And even within the reconstruction sect, the Grave Keeper's zealotry was different still. When she spoke, it was with unwavering pride and conviction. She described the world to come as 'God's kingdom, a perfect, ideal land.' 'All glory to God.' 'The miracle is upon us.'" "'There is no need for us here,' huh." Taking over for Izabella, Kaito completed the Grave Keeper's quote. Then he closed his eyes. In the darkness, he could picture that young girl, clad from head to toe in scarlet, smiling. There hadn't been so much as a sliver of hesitation in those rich-amber eyes of hers. They were so beautiful that Kaito felt as though they'd suck him in, and he had to shake his head to rid himself of the image. Izabella quietly exhaled, then continued her confession. "Allow me to speak candidly. When I first heard about the massacres, I stopped being so confident that the Grave Keeper had been wrong. Before the conditions for rebuilding are met, Elisabeth's body is going to break. With its contractor gone, Diablo will be released. Then while God is yet unable to act, Diablo will destroy its pillar and return all creation to nothingness. The rebuilding will not come to pass. But in reality, that's only true as far as we're concerned. It's perfectly reasonable to think that, even with His contractor destroyed, God will rebuild a new world atop the blank slate. And mankind will have no involvement in the process. A rebuilding with no one wielding the brush. At the end of it all, the new world will probably be completely different from this one, but...maybe that's for the best." "Izabella..." "'There is no need for us here.'" Izabella quickly recited back the Grave Keeper's words. She gently closed her eyes. There was no anger in her voice. Merely a deep, pervasive sadness. "Given our situation, I find it hard to refute the Grave Keeper's sayings." Kaito Sena narrowed his eyes. He responded with mere silence. The weakness in her words was unlike Izabella. All the same, however, it was more like her than anything else. After all, Izabella Vicker believes in humanity. Even after having her body corrupted and being driven to the brink of death, she hadn't resented a soul. But the fact that she believed they were worth saving was precisely why she lamented the cruelty and weakness possessed by all of humanity, not just a few fanatics. Just like that woman who, long, long ago, had tried to save everyone— —Izabella had been disappointed in exactly the same way. Kaito thought back to a question he'd once been asked. It was a question that he, too, had asked himself no small number of times. Flocks of sheep are, fundamentally, stupid. But at the end of that day, is that truly not a sin? The ignorant had no right to cast blame, did they not? If that was the case, then didn't that make their entire way of life fundamentally wrong? Kaito slowly closed his eyes, then reminisced on all the various horrors he'd seen. In a sense, the people living in this world deserved all the tragedies that had befallen them. They had brought these terrors upon themselves. After all, the seed of evil strewn in it had only bloomed out of the disappointment of the woman who'd sacrificed herself. The moment the fourteen demons showed up, it was obvious that something needed to be done about them or the world would suffer a crippling blow. But even though everyone knew that, no one actually tried to do anything. No one except for one peerless sinner. The Torture |
Princess. And that was how the world had reached the here and now. Hallelujah—that single word the Grave Keeper had said rattled about in Kaito's eardrums. He shook his head, then opened his eyes. Still silent, he turned back toward Izabella. The cold night bore down on her as she began speaking again. "Here I was, telling my men not to waver, and now look at me. How utterly pathetic. But even if we overcome this challenge, the world is too steeped in malice. With all the animosity and fear the people will bear, I have no faith we'll be able to keep on living like normal." "Izabella..." "If we're headed for ruin one way or the other, wouldn't it be best to welcome in a new world? I just can't get that thought out of my head. We're fighting so hard to save this world, but..." ...Was their salvation truly the right one? She posed the question earnestly to the Mad King, the man who fought while shouldering everything on his back. It was a sincere question, the kind that a child might ask. Kaito took it head-on. His shoulders, clad in his black, military-like uniform as they were, were frail and weak. His growth had been stunted. Now, though, those same shoulders bore the weight of everything he'd inherited from the Torture Princess. It was a heavy burden. Yet the Mad King gave his answer without having to think it over much at all. "Right, wrong, none of that matters." Izabella's eyes twitched as she narrowed them. One of them was surrounded by machine parts, and it moved ever so slightly slower than the other. Then she stared straight at Kaito, as though trying to figure out what he meant. Kaito placed his hands on the watchtower's ramparts, then leaned forward a little. He gazed out over the marred Capital. Among the corpses dotting the land, not all of them had met their ends at the underlings' hands. Kaito Sena knew. The world wasn't beautiful. It was as filthy as a swamp, and as hideous as a rotting flower. But in it, I found something truly radiant. This was the only place that he and the people precious to him existed. Even if, perhaps, anything and everything about it was wrong, that fact remained. "What meaning does some imaginary person's happiness have? Does it matter if some world we've never heard of is peaceful? Even if hell is the only thing left for us, I still want the people I know to fight back. And someday, I want them to find happiness." Every single person was worthy of finding happiness. Everyone had that right. Even if the world had already become hell on earth. And no matter how foolish the living all were. Just as he yearned for the ruthless, gentle Torture Princess— —so, too, did Kaito Sena forgive the world for its contradictions, loving it for them instead. "That's why I'm going to protect them." The Mad King made his declaration without wavering for a moment. He then looked back at Izabella, his eyes so free of hesitation that they seemed almost crazed. She squinted. She looked as though she was gazing at something dazzling. Eventually, she placed her arm horizontally over her chest and bowed. Her next words were quiet, practically a prayer. "Kaito, I have nothing but thanks for you being who you are." Not Sir Kaito, but just Kaito. Her words were packed with a much deeper intimacy than usual. Kaito cast a gentle gaze at her mechanically supplemented body. Then he, too, spoke softly. "I should be the one thanking you." "Hmm? For what?" "No, I just... The world definitely needs people like you." "...Like me? I should hardly think so. All I seem able to do is complain and dither." "Not at all. After this, the world's gonna need people like you way more than people like me." Izabella frowned. Then puzzled, she opened her mouth. In all likelihood, she was about to try to put the sense of unease she'd just felt into words somehow. However, Kaito held up his hand and cut her off. He scratched his head through his faded-brown hair, then abruptly changed the subject. "So, uh, on that note. I feel kinda bad for saying something so casual after seeing just how bad the situation is, but...I guess that's also the reason I had something I wanted to ask of you." "If it's within my power to grant, then ask away." She cocked her head to the side, wondering what it was that he wanted. Kaito briefly cleared his throat. However, hesitating wasn't going to get him anywhere. "So here's the thing," he began. Then with utmost seriousness, Kaito made his request. A few hours later, Kaito had arrived at what had once been Mage's Row. Technically, the Row itself was still fine. However, upon determining that it was no longer possible to do business there as befitting its name, the mages put out a notice: Regardless of whether or not the world was actually going to end, Mage's Row was shutting down. Kaito stood still atop the narrow, alley-like main drag. After surveying his surroundings, he gave a small nod. "Huh... You really can tell the fourth-wave underlings hit this area." The artificial, boxy buildings around him seemed to intentionally spurn the notion of decoration. The entire sector was seedy. Normally, color would be all but out of place here. Now, though, it was dyed with ominous patches of black and red, and the walls had been transformed into some unidentifiable material so the underlings would have an easier time scaling them. They must have been crawling about on the shops' surfaces, none of which had had been built with windows or doors in an effort to keep out those who didn't understand the value and danger of the goods sold within. The viciously rent corpses of the underlings littered the walls. However, what was surprising was that the demise of Mage's Row had nothing to do with the grim spectacle before him. Everything happened shortly after the three merged demons had been successfully struck down. First, the magical merchants quickly made their way back to the Capital. After all, while their operations had been on standby, the market price of magical remedies had exploded. Of course, their trade dealt with a wide variety of dangerous goods by nature, so they were used to being tossed about by the fickle whims of the times. However, none of them could have predicted that the very moment they hung their BACK IN BUSINESS signs up, the bugles heralding the end-time would be blown. As a result, the merchants flipped out. If the end-time came, then all the people in the world would die. In other words, they wouldn't have any more customers. And they clearly refused to stand for that. If they'd thought about the situation a little more carefully, they probably would have realized their own deaths should have been the more pressing concern. But alas. In any case, they'd all taken their strange philosophy and offered their help in the defense efforts. Because of this, many of the veterans with summoned beasts in tow were actually powerful retirees from Mage's Row. To them, though, spending all their inventory in battle would mean having to close up shop. Preserving their precious goods and manufacturing magical remedies required quantities of mana that had taken them years to amass. Using this mana up would leave them no choice but to abandon the Capital, set up a workshop, and begin building it up again. But even knowing their actions would drive their own businesses to ruin, they still chose to strive for a world in which commerce was possible. "All for you, my dear customers." Those were the words of the merchant of legend, passed down for countless years. Anyone who dealt with trade knew and held them as a badge of honor. Maybe their choice was contradictory, but in a way, it was kind of a happy one, too. Upon reaching that point in his thoughts, Kaito reminisced on the Butcher's nonsensical behavior. He didn't pick up the way he acted and spoke from the Saint, nor did he learn from her his way of thinking as a merchant. Perhaps he'd picked them up while unifying the scattered peddlers in his efforts to make society prosper. And now that time had gone by, the Butcher's words were still living on in the merchants' hearts. Even if someone dies, as long as the world is still there, a part of them lives on. And if something was worth being passed on, then it deserved to be protected. Once again, Kaito appreciated the value of fighting back against the impossible. Suddenly, though, he was pulled from his reverie. "Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Maaaaaa—!" "Mamam? "Master Kaitoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" And with a great whoosh, a maid came bursting through the air. Or to put it another way, his wife came flying at him. His wife— —came flying— —at him! You've gotta be kidding me. On the spur of the moment, Kaito used magic to reinforce his body, a feat only made possible by the power of love. Then he spread out his arms, ready to catch her. Upon seeing that, though, she suddenly cast aside the halberd she'd been carrying. The weapon drew an arc through the air as it went flying off in another direction. Using the recoil from the throw, she made three and a half clean revolutions in the air and corrected her course. And just like that, she plunged headfirst into a nearby shop. Fragments from the wall sprinkled to the ground. Kaito nervously surveyed the damages. Her bottom, clad in the skirt of her maid uniform, was sticking out from the wall. Kaito turned and began speaking to it. "H-Hina? Why exactly did you go and self-destruct there?" "I'm afraid to admit I got a little too energetic. I was concerned I would hurt you. Oh, I was just ever so excited to see you. My deepest apologies." "Well, that's dumb. Here I was, more than happy to catch you." "Oh, Master Kaitoooooo, you're too kiiiiiiiiind! Everyone, come look, everyone in the whole wide world! This man here is my strong, invincible, perfect, adorable husband! Eek!" In concert with the "eek!" bit, Hina wrenched her head free from the wall. As she did, she turned about and flashed Kaito an ear-to-ear smile. After his brain finished rebooting, he came to the happy conclusion that she wasn't injured before going on. "You know, Hina, I was actually walking around hoping I'd find you. Thanks for coming and finding me, instead." "Of course! The moment I sensed your fragrant aroma, I lost myself in it and came flying right over!" "All right, I'm gonna be honest with you; I'm a little embarrassed you could track me down by smell from that far away." "Oh, don't be! You see, Master Kaito, your blood has a sweet fragrance to it, but your whole body smells warm and gentle, like the sun, or like freshly baked cookies... I mean, perhaps I'm the only one who can tell, but it's peaceful and pleasant. It's a lovely, lovely scent! Eek, I said it! How embarrassing!" "Wait, that's the part you're getting embarrassed about? Anyway, Hina, there's, uh, something I wanted to ask you." "What is it, my dearest Master Kaito? What is it? What is it?" Hina's cutely frilled skirt gently splayed out as she sat down in front of him. Her eyes glittered as she waited raptly for what he had to say. She resembled a puppy wagging its tail and was just as adorable. Even though the world was ending, Hina was the same as ever. Kaito let out a little chuckle. After choking back the affection welling up inside him, he knelt down, lowered his waist, and looked Hina in the eye. She blushed just like a |
human and began fidgeting restlessly. "Hoo-wee, our eyes met... It's been so long that I'm getting all shy." "Well, that was an odd noise. You know, Hina, it is weird that we've been working in different places, but we haven't exactly been apart for all that long. Also, isn't that a funny thing to get hung up on, given that we've, uh, y'know, done way more?" "Oh, Master Kaitooooooo, you mustn't saaaaaaaaay that. Something terrible will happen to my gears." "Hmm? Something terrible?" "Specifically, they'll all pop out, and I will die." "No, don't." In spite of himself, Kaito's face went serious. Clutching her cheeks in her hands, Hina violently shook her head from side to side. In order to calm her down, Kaito stroked her head. She froze. Kaito then rubbed his palm back and forth over the top of her maid cap. As he pampered her, he asked her a question. "Anyway, my dear, bashful Hina, I have an invitation for you." "Master Kaito... Master Kaito is patting my head... Oh... If only I could keep savoring this hand for another seventy-eight hundred years... Wait, an invitation? Of what sort?" "If you don't mind..." Kaito then cleared his throat in an obviously affected way. He stopped stroking Hina's head. Instead, he reverently took her pale palm in his. She opened her emerald-green, gemstone eyes wide. Though it was obviously too late to fret, Kaito began worrying he was trying too hard. However, Hina being Hina, he was pretty sure she wouldn't laugh at him. And because he knew he'd already made his choice, he swallowed back his nervousness and asked: "...would you like to go on a date with me?" And with that, he planted an audible kiss on the tip of her finger. She offered no response. She simply stared at him in a daze. Kaito panicked; perhaps it had been a bad idea after all. Right as he was about to explain himself, though, she opened her mouth. *** "Oh? "Overload." And with that one, enigmatic word, Hina toppled over backward. "HINAAAAAAAAA!" screamed Kaito. Her face looked somehow tranquil, and at the same time, completely at peace. 8 At the Torture Princess's Castle A cold night wind billowed atop the watchtower, blowing the clusters of murky clouds away. Behind them, the tranquil darkness came into view. It resembled the bottom of a clear, still lake. Izabella's silver hair and mechanical parts shone radiantly in the moonlight. Kaito found himself reflected in her mismatched blue and purple eyes—the only parts of her body that had remained wholly unchanged. He returned her calm gaze in kind. After a few moments of deliberation, she nodded. "Understood. I think that's a perfectly reasonable decision. And I have no objections to your request, either. Taking the time to do so now, at this late stage, is for the best. You may not get another chance." "Thanks. I'm glad you see it that way." "But... Will you really be able to kill her?" There was no need to ask whom she was talking about. Wearing an expression that almost resembled a smile, Kaito elected to remain silent. Izabella no doubt understood he had no intention of answering her question. However, she continued pressing him. "Regarding killing God and Diablo while they're still inside their contractors... I checked with Vlad, and he confirmed that Jeanne's method of bringing about salvation is still viable. Their vessels becoming unable to withstand the strain would be one thing, but if we kill them, contractors and all, the contracts will be annulled, and both God and Diablo will be forcibly returned to the realm from which they came. That's the only way we can save the world. Or if nothing else, Diablo is the one carrying out the destruction, so we need to put it down while it's still in its vessel...that is to say, Elisabeth. But..." Izabella cast a pained glace toward Kaito. She, too, understood. "Elisabeth Le Fanu is deeply important to Kaito Sena." That fact would be evident to anyone who'd spent even a little bit of time around the two. Kaito didn't answer. Eventually, Izabella went on. "I don't know if it'll help, but I have a shameful confession to make. It's one of the reasons I wavered so greatly on whether or not it was right to bring about salvation." "...What?" "Killing Jeanne de Rais is beyond me." Kaito let out a small gasp. The moment he did, a harsh wind gushed up. For a moment, he felt as though he could hear a nostalgic voice nipping at his ears. Although it was lacking in emotion, it had a sweet, bell-like ring to it. "You really are The Fool, aren't you, mister?" Kaito thought back to the other Torture Princess, the golden girl who described herself as the saint and the whore. She'd had a certain mechanical sincerity to her actions, as well as a coldness that bordered on inhuman. Because she'd prioritized Izabella's life over her duty to bring about salvation, she had been transformed into God's pillar. Izabella glanced softly over the mechanical parts supplementing her own body. Originally, they'd made up Deus Ex Machina, Jeanne's living weapon. "When I came to my senses, I was terribly confused. Why was I alive? What had happened? What had become of my body? After that, though, Ms. Ain helped calm me down, and Sir Lute explained what I'd gone through. But even then, I honestly, seriously couldn't understand it one bit!" "Oh yeah, I don't blame you. That was some crazy shit." "The various truths that were unveiled were heavy. However, I was able to come to terms with the Saint's thoughts and the way everything turned out. But first love... First love! In that tiny amount of time, and toward me! I didn't understand it; it didn't make a lick of sense!" "Wait, that's the part you had trouble believing?" "Hmm? What else...ah. As far as my mechanical body went... True, I did sink into despair for a little while, and I even went so far as to resent Jeanne de Rais. But it turns out it's actually fairly handy; I can move around much faster now. And in any case, it was necessary in order to save my life. I quickly got used to it, and now I feel nothing but gratitude." "Man... You don't get fazed by anything, do you?" Kaito went all the way past admiration and landed on shock. In the battle against the three demons, Izabella's skin had torn from the inside out. But she hadn't paid any heed to the change in her physical appearance back then, either. It was downright impressive. Izabella puffed out her chest with pride. Suddenly, though, her expression grew mournful, and she looked down at her largely mechanical palms. A wistful smile spread across her face. "And then I remembered. When we parted, the words she spoke as she kissed my hair had nothing but truth in them." Kaito closed his eyes, then thought back. That, too, felt like it had been over a century ago. Back at the Capital's underground tomb, Jeanne had reached out. From an angle where their enemies couldn't see her, she'd taken a tuft of Izabella's silver hair. Then she'd planted a kiss on it, like a knight would to a princess. Facing Izabella's dignified back, she'd whispered quietly. "I don't hate seeing a mere human trying to oppose them. After all, such actions are the ones that are supposed to change the world. You may be an idiot, a dunce, and a fool, miss, but I choose to believe that your actions helped delay the clock hands in their march toward the end. You did catch my eye, and the eyes never lie." Then with slight vestiges of sorrow, she'd let go and offered her final words. "Good-bye, my stupid, gallant little lady." "And then Jeanne chose to save me and was made into God's pillar." All because Izabella had been her first love. Izabella held her hand up to the starlit night sky. Then she closed it tight, as though trying to grasp the hand of someone far away. After ten seconds or so of silence, she gave her head a small shake. "I don't have it in me to kill someone like that. She was so ignorant in the ways of the world; she held me when I was crying, she kissed my hair, she gave me her first love and saved me because of it... How could I possibly kill her?" Izabella's eyes were filled with a profound sense of sadness and anguish. Suddenly, Kaito realized: Normally, making a confession like that would be unforgivable. Izabella had slaughtered countless people who'd been transformed into underlings. Saving a single life because she placed it atop the scales alone and claimed it bore weight would be unforgivable. And she, too, must have known what an act of folly that was. If nothing else, she would lose the ability to turn to the people she'd slain and boast she'd saved them. She wouldn't be able to see herself as anything other than a simple murderer. But even so, everyone has someone who they just can't kill. Someone who they'd rather gouge out their own heart than lay a hand on. Izabella sucked in a breath, then exhaled. She quietly turned back to Kaito. "Now let me ask you once more. Sir Kaito Sena. That is how I feel. And I imagine it's even worse for you." After all, Kaito Sena was a man who would have no problems weighing Elisabeth against the world. For the sake of what he held dear, there was a very real chance he would allow the world to descend into darkness. But Izabella also believed in his virtue, and in the claim he'd once made. So for the sake of a world clutched tightly in death's steely grasp, she earnestly, carefully asked him a question. "You said you would save the world." But in order to do that, he would need to kill Elisabeth Le Fanu. Was it all one grand lie, then? Had he been deceiving everyone? Or had what he'd told them been the unvarnished truth? Izabella then concluded her cross-examination, as though she were handing down a final verdict. "Can Kaito Sena kill Elisabeth Le Fanu?" *** And with that, the reminiscence ended, and Kaito opened his eyes. He must have fallen asleep at some point. A short while ago, he'd experienced that scene in real life, but now it was just a dream. It faded away and vanished. At present, Kaito had already left the Capital. He rubbed his eyes and glanced at his surroundings. He was sitting atop the stone floor and leaning against the side of a hard bed. Although it had a wood-slatted window, the room as a whole was small and cramped. Thanks to the thick, stone walls, it felt oppressive, too. The furnishings were minimal. And that only made sense. The building was constructed like a fort, with little heed paid to the comfort of its residents. And all the more so, given that he was in the servants' quarters. "All right then... Gluk, urk... Well! I wonder if Hina's up yet?" After surreptitiously gulping down the blood in his mouth, Kaito knelt atop the cold floor. He peered at the bed. In the middle of its clean, white sheets lay a beautiful maid with her eyes closed. She was curled into a ball and breathing like a child. Ever since she'd collapsed back at the Capital, she'd been operating on low functionalities. Her mana was the first thing Kaito had checked, but it was flowing normally. There wasn't anything wrong with her. She was just peacefully sleeping. Or to be more precise, she was replicating a human's sleep. And while she was, she was as defenseless as a baby. In spite of himself, Kaito poked one of her white |
cheeks. She squirmed from side to side. "Oh, Master Kaito... I couldn't possibly eat any mwore..." "Man, that's cute. Is she dreaming or something?" Technically, automatons weren't equipped with the ability to dream. On occasion, though, their Self-Recording Devices would spontaneously play back one of the massive number of scenes recorded in them. They must see them in the dark sometimes; it made for a phenomenon not unlike human dreams, Kaito supposed. In other words, automatons could dream about the people they loved. When he thought about it that way, it seemed even cuter than before. Kaito squished Hina's cheek several more times. As she rolled about, she let out a sweet whisper. "I told you, I can't... I already ate all the Master Kaito I could..." "Wait, am I the one getting eaten here?" "Hee-hee, you're so cute that I wanted to eat you up, Master Kaito, and you're jusht as tasty as I expected." "I didn't actually want an answer there! Hey, hey, Hina, wake up! No more scary dreams!" "You caaah...hmwuh... Hmm? Master Kaito?" Suddenly, Hina sprang up. Perhaps due to her surprise, the gears in her chest began audibly accelerating. She blinked and fixed her gaze on Kaito. Her cheeks instantly went flush. "M-Master Kaito... In, um, in the one-in-a-million chance that my memories are accurate... Did you, perhaps, by any chance, possibly, say 'date'? No, no, it must have been a dream—I'm ever so sorry!" "I definitely do remember asking my wife on a date, actually." "Off to death I go." "Please don't die on me with a big smile on your face like that." Kaito frantically propped her up before she could peacefully topple backward. He gently righted her posture. A moment later, they were facing each other again. Hina's cheeks grew even redder. She was about to say something, but instead, she covered her mouth in surprise. Her emerald eyes darted about. It looked like she'd finally noticed. Then she spoke, her voice trembling with astonishment and nostalgia. "Pl-please wait just a moment! Could it be—? Are we...?" "Yeah, I teleported us here while you were sleeping. Takes you back, huh?" "Yes, incredibly so. It's very nostalgic. Ah, here we are. We've returned." Hina nodded over and over. With a smile, Kaito glanced around the room once more. In reality, it hadn't been long enough since they'd left to truly describe the place as nostalgic. To the two of them, though, everything felt like it had been a distant memory. Unlike when they'd fled here from the World's End, it was silent outside. Not even the underlings' ever-present cries reached them. The quiet of the night enveloping them made it seem as though nothing had changed. But that was mere fiction. Nowhere in the world was that the case. In truth, nothing was eternal. Until recently, this place had been crawling with underlings, too. However, before Hina had woken up, Kaito had driven stakes into the lot of them. The silence they were currently enjoying was temporary. But Kaito chose to conceal that unromantic, troubling truth. Instead, he gently nodded. "Yep, we're back. Back to the place where we both belong...Elisabeth's castle." Hina laid her hands atop her chest. Overcome by a flood of emotions, she closed her eyes. And thus, in the brief frame of time before the Diablo pillar released the fifth wave— —the two of them had left the front lines and returned to this dearly missed castle of theirs. "So on that note, well... Normally, I would've liked to take you somewhere more special, but the world's ending, so... Man, now that I've said it out loud, it sounds kind of scary. Anyway, I was thinking we could have a stay-at-home date. Does that sound okay?" "That sounds delightful! Or should I say, it sounds suuuuuuuper delightful!" At Kaito's invitation, Hina began hopping up and down. Her face was filled with sincere joy. Kaito nodded, having expected she'd say that. After all, Elisabeth's castle was special to the two of them. Kaito was from another world. Hina was an automaton. For the two of them, it was the only place they could call home. And that wasn't all. It was also the place where they'd met, the place where they'd spent their days, the place where they'd fought for their lives, and the place where they'd promised each other that they'd become a true family. Countless memories were scattered about the grounds of this castle. Thus, the two of them headed for a place one would never normally associate with a date. "Hee-hee, this is it! Just as I suspected, this here is the most nostalgic place of them all!" "Oh yeah, for sure. We used to spend every day in this kitchen... You handled the cooking, and I washed the dishes." The two of them exchanged a gentle smile. At the moment, they were in the castle's cramped, inconvenient kitchen. It really had been a while since the two of them had come here together. Ever since the Grand King knocked Elisabeth into a coma, Kaito and Hina hadn't had a chance to cook side by side. Hina gazed around the room fondly. Then suddenly, her eyes flashed. "Oh my... That's—!" Hina rushed over to a white cupboard, then eagerly opened it up. Inside it was a neat row of little boxes. One by one, Hina removed their lids. Within them were colorful tea leaves, nuts, and dried petals. She'd assembled them to make Elisabeth's morning beverage with. After checking all their contents, Hina breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. They haven't gone bad. Even after we had to temporarily betray her, Lady Elisabeth left the cupboard as it was. She really is a kind person." Hina softly wiped the corner of her eye. Kaito tried to picture what Elisabeth would say if she were to see that. She'd probably bellow, Fool! Don't go raising your estimation of people so easily! Its mere existence slipped my mind—nothing more! However, forgetting to dispose of what the people who'd betrayed her had left behind was, in and of itself, very Elisabeth-like. I don't think she herself realized it, but she really did have a soft spot for her followers, especially Hina. You know, that's a form of kindness, too, Elisabeth. As he was thinking, Kaito started walking. He opened up the ice-spirit fridge. Even with the castle's inhabitants gone, the ice spirits were still in good health. Cold air was brimming within. When the smell hit him, though, he scrunched up his face. As he gazed over the partition board, he let out a blank murmur. "Yeah, that makes sense... I guess this is what happens now that they're gone." All the food inside it was thoroughly spoiled. It was only natural. There was no merchant to diligently bring fresh cuts of meat to the castle, nor was there a gourmand to gobble them right up. At the same time, Kaito realized something. That refrigerator was always empty. At most, it'd be full of beer and shochu. There had also been times when it had rotten food in it, or sketchy, illegal-looking packages. In his childhood, Kaito had occasionally been unable to withstand his hunger and had opened up the fridge. Every time he'd done so, though, he'd been beaten so harshly that he'd felt his intestines would come flying out. Sometimes, he'd even been forced to drink detergent or some unidentifiable liquid as punishment. It really is a happy thing, having a fridge that's always stocked with fresh food. And if there was someone who'd happily bring you food, someone who'd delightedly prepare it, and someone who'd eat it with a smile on their face, then all the more so. Kaito shook his head, then closed the ice-spirit fridge. Then after turning around, he tried to start walking again but immediately stopped. Standing before him was Hina. Both her arms were behind her back. Kaito lightly called out to her. "What's up?" "Well, you see, Master Kaito... Ta-da!" And with that, Hina revealed what it was she'd been hiding: hard cheese, honey sealed in wax, and a jar of nuts preserved in oil. Kaito rubbed Hina's head in praise. She cooed sweetly. And so in the end, their dinner ended up being simple, but warm all the same. It was no match for the feasts they'd used to have, replete with appetizers, cooked organ meat, and sweet desserts, lamented Hina. But as far as Kaito was concerned, the meal she'd concocted out of little more than love and ingenuity was beyond impressive. There were cookies baked from kneaded dough and topped with nuts, honey, and cheese, as well as a colorful salad made from garden-fresh herbs. However, when she gazed upon the completed goods, Hina shook her head once more. "If only there had been some meat that I could have prepared as a main course. As a maid, I find it ever so mortifying." "Not at all. This is plenty. The Butcher used to bring by fresh stuff all the time, so we never bothered to stock up on dried meat. There's no helping that." "Mr. Butcher was oh-so-proud of that meat of his, and I really did love cooking it. It was always so lustrous and shiny, and preparing it was truly rewarding." "...I'm sure he knew that. And I'm sure it made him real happy." With that, Kaito stroked Hina's head. She smiled, looking to be on the verge of tears. And soon, their dinner was ready. However, Hina didn't normally eat. Automatons were equipped with the ability to ingest food and dismantle it so they could attend banquets alongside their masters, but they didn't derive any sustenance from doing so. Rather than eating food herself, she generally preferred to watch Kaito and Elisabeth as they took their meals. Today, though, she elected to eat alongside Kaito. They didn't eat in the dining room. Instead, they ate before the gaping hole in the throne room's wall. They'd laid a cloth out on the floor and lined the plates atop it. They were also utilizing the side table that Elisabeth had used so regularly. Placed on it was a bowl full of ice that Hina had half-submerged an expensive bottle of wine in. Beside it, three glasses were laid out. A silvery moon rested in the clear, night sky. Elisabeth had been fond of drinking wine while basking in the moonlight. And she'd often dragged Kaito and Hina into her drinking as well. As he reminisced on that fact, Kaito poured the wine into the three glasses. Its vivid shade of scarlet, like melted rubies, reminded him of Elisabeth's eyes. Kaito and Hina purposefully left the throne alone and sat on the floor. They gazed up at the moon, the empty space between the two of them so distinct that it almost seemed as if someone were there. Hina held her glass in both hands as she whispered: "I hope that someday, Lady Elisabeth will be able to... No, she definitely will—" "Yeah, to her being able to drink wine like this again." With a clink, they lightly tapped their glasses together. They then brought the fine wine to their lips, more in prayer than in thirst. Hina closed her eyes, as though she was trying to fully take in the flavor that Elisabeth had liked so much. As she did, Kaito surreptitiously snapped his fingers. "La (fall)." The blade Kaito had created flashed across the darkness. The underling's head went toppling off. The cry that had been creeping up its throat vanished without a sound. Still poised as though to leap, its grotesque body toppled down into the forest below. Hina opened her eyes. The figure outside the hole was long gone. Kaito didn't even cast a glance toward where it had fallen. With no one to interrupt them, the two of them continued their dinner. The only thing bearing down on them was |
the soft moonlight. The third glass remained full through to the end. After they finished their dinner, the two of them washed the dishes side by side. To anyone else, it would look like they were just doing the chores. But for Kaito and Hina, it was a perfectly natural part of their date. They engaged in a trifling conversation as they wiped down the glasses, as though imitating their normal, everyday routine. They conscientiously returned the tableware to their shelves. Kaito stared at the plates and glasses all sitting in a line. If worse comes to worst and nobody ever comes back here, may these, at least, remain. With sentimentality bordering on prayer, he closed the cupboard. Elisabeth's favorite tableware all disappeared from view with a soft click. It almost felt as though he was drawing a curtain of sorts. For a few seconds, he stood still. Then he let go of the handle and stretched. "Well then... What should we do now?" "What, indeed? It's getting quite late." It was hardly a good time to do much of anything. And they didn't have much of it left. After discussing, they decided to head back to the servants' quarters. For whatever reason, they ended up heading for Hina's room. She took the lead and cast the door open. Then with a broad smile, she beckoned Kaito inside. "Please, Master Kaito, after you, after you." "Uh, pardon the intrusion, I guess." "Oh, by all means, welcome to my humble abode! Eek, I'm alone in my room with Master Kaito!" Hina was thoroughly wound up. That said, it was a little late for the two of them to have such an exchange given how long they'd known each other by now. They were, after all, a married couple, and their relationship wasn't particularly bogged down with formalities. Furthermore, Kaito had been in Hina's room a number of times before. But because it was happening in the middle of a date, the experience was strangely nerve-racking. Kaito awkwardly stepped inside. He glanced around the room, wondering where best to sit. Thinking a chair might be nice, he turned his gaze toward the desk. Then he cocked his head to the side. "...Huh?" There were small bookends on top of the desk. Tomes were methodically lined up within their wooden frame. However, there was an empty space in the middle, and a book that looked like it might belong in it sitting atop the table. It seemed altogether unnatural. Kaito called out to Hina. "Hey, why's that one book out of place?" "Hmm? Oh, I could have sworn I put it away with all the others. I wonder what it's doing out?" Hina trotted over to the desk and scooped the book up. Now that he looked closer, Kaito felt as though he'd seen that red cover before. It was Hina's diary. When she opened it up, her eyes went wide. She seemed to be practically dancing as she rushed to Kaito's side. She pointed at one of the pages in excitement. "M-Master Kaito! Please look! Look! Look here!" "Wait, that's your diary, right? Is it really all right for me to read it? Wait...what?" After peering at the spot Hina was pointing to, Kaito tilted his head to the side. Letters were scrawled across the thin sheet of paper, but the handwriting clearly wasn't Hina's. Upon reading the section's contents, he widened his eyes, too. "This...this is..." "While Hina sleeps, I shall take it upon myself to fill out this diary in her stead." "I found a diary Madam Elisabeth seems to have misplaced, so I shall take it upon myself to write an entry in her place." "Whatever this is, I discovered it while searching the castle, so I have taken it upon myself to write its continuation." Kaito could tell. In the middle, the writers had started changing. The final three pages had been written by Elisabeth, the Butcher, and Jeanne. At some point, Hina's diary had passed through a number of different hands. And all of them had gone ahead and written entries in her place. Kaito gently stroked each of their distinctive letters. Elisabeth. The Butcher. Jeanne. None of the people who'd written entries were with them anymore. Kaito turned his eyes toward the lines at the end of each page. "Both Kaito and I are wishing for you to awaken soon." "At the very least, I hope that my acquaintances will be able to keep on smiling for as long as possible." "Perhaps if my little lady was here, I could have asked her about the parts that make no sense." Each one of them had left words of concern for a different person. Kaito shook his head, then tried to close the diary. Before he could, though, Hina reached out her arm and placed a finger between the pages to stop him. He blinked at her sudden action. "...Hina?" "Um, if it's all right with you... Or rather, if you're able, I have a request I'd like to make." She gently picked up a quill pen from atop the desk. Then she gestured at the sealed inkwell beside it. Kaito could tell what she was trying to say. He took her diary in his hand. After flipping through the pages, past the entries from all the people he knew, he arrived at a blank, white sheet behind them. He stared at it hard. "Me too?" "You too, Master Kaito." Hina bobbed her head up and down. Her tone was timid, as though she feared he'd refuse. Kaito let out a quiet chuckle, then stepped forward. He pulled the chair out from the desk and sat down. After setting the diary on the table, he grabbed the quill and opened the inkwell. Then he wrote his own diary entry. Hina sat down on the bed with a relieved smile. Her manners and posture were impeccable as she waited for him to finish. The minutes ticked softly away. The sound of scratching echoed throughout the silence. Once, while he was writing, Kaito set the quill down. Right before he picked it back up, he gave his fingers a faint snap. A pin shot through the heart of the underling clinging to the castle's outer wall. However, Hina didn't notice. He also stealthily swallowed down the blood gushing up from his lungs. Then he went back to writing as though nothing had happened. Eventually, he set the quill down for good. As he snapped the diary shut, he made his announcement. "Right, all finished." "Wow, it's complete! Excellent work! May I go ahead and read it, then?" "Nope. The stuff I wrote's a secret." "How can this be?!" Upon hearing Kaito's response, Hina sprang into the air. Seemingly unwilling to give up, she got down off the bed. Then she hurriedly snatched at the diary. Kaito evaded her fingertips as he quickly rose to his feet. Hina grunted as she stretched out her arm. She then made a frantic plea. "But whyyy? Not being allowed to read what you're thinking, how you're feeling, how you wrote it... Why, it's so painful that the world might as well end!" "Er, yeah, there's a real chance it's gonna end. But still, no. This isn't the kind of thing you read when the person who wrote it's still here, is it? Just read it later!" "Master Kaito, you meanie, you bully! You're just as cool as ever!" "Wait, why'd you compliment me at the end there? Anyway, no means no, c'mon!" "Nnnn... But! I! Want! To! I'm going to show you more stubbornness than I ever have before!" "Don't go boasting about that! Seriously, cut it out!" Hina was taller than Kaito. Due to that fact, the battle over the diary was getting heated. The two of them paced about the room, practically dancing. From the outside, it probably looked like they were horsing around, but they were both deadly serious. Kaito cleanly evaded Hina's feints and jumps. However, that success bred carelessness. His foot crashed into the side of the bed, and he lost his balance. That was when Hina charged. "Hwah!" "Eek!" Tangled together, the two of them fell. They tumbled down hard onto the bed. Hina's sleek, silver hair grazed his cheek. Her emerald eyes batted directly in front of his. Before they'd noticed, their noses had gotten so close that they were practically touching. With a start, Hina balled up her back a little. Her voluptuous breasts pressed even harder into Kaito's chest. She was practically squishing him, but her body was warm and soft. Kaito instinctively thought back to the night they'd spent together in the beastfolk lands. The diary fell from his hand. This time, neither of them made to retrieve it. It flopped onto the floor with a thump. Kaito covered his face with one hand. With difficulty, he squeezed out an explanation. "I, uh, I didn't fall on purpose, you know." "Oh, I know! Er, well, I didn't exactly fall down with you on purpose, either, but...to be quite frank, I did...press my breasts against you...on purpose... I'm very sorry." "That was on purpose, huh...?" "Y-you did say you didn't mind my being immodest, so..." "Oh, no, I'm super happy, or, like, I feel like I should be thanking you, or... Man, I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. I'm just... Sorry." Kaito buried his face in his hands. Upon seeing that, Hina began gushing about how cute he was and indiscriminately planting kisses on him. Every time she moved, her soft breasts squished against him. And for a finishing blow, she moved her legs from her upturned skirt and wrapped them around Kaito's body. Although the feeling of her ball joints was a little disconcerting, her skin was smooth and pleasant to the touch. As his face grew redder and redder, he peeked out at Hina from between his fingers. Her emerald eyes were glistening sweetly. However, her face seemed somehow uneasy. He was certain there had to be some kind of rule against making an expression like that. "God, I just can't!" "Eep!" Kaito reached out his arms and wrapped Hina in a strong embrace. She let out a thrilled cry. They shifted positions, now lying side by side. A beaming smile spread across Hina's face like a flower coming into bloom. She gently nuzzled against his face like a puppy. To answer her fawning gesture, he opened his mouth. Suddenly, though, he froze. Hina tilted her head to the side. She called out to him concernedly. "Um... Master Kaito, is something the matter?" "...No, it's nothing." Kaito chose to evade the question. In truth, he hadn't wanted to worry Hina more than necessary, so he'd adjusted his blood in addition to his eyes. She had once told him the blood of a loved one had a sweet aroma to it. Now, though, it seemed as though she couldn't make it out. He'd made a number of special alterations to his blood so as to make it odorless to automatons. Now he was sincerely glad he'd made the effort. At the same time, he also swallowed down the blood that was rising up in his throat. However, if he kissed her, she'd catch on. And if she found out about his current state, it would undoubtedly fill her with a deep sadness. So instead of kissing her, he wrapped her up in a firm hug. As he did, his thoughts churned. Yeah...I know. In his heart, Kaito knew. It was quiet inside the castle. But that peace was nothing more than a lie. Nothing remained the same forever. The outside world was overrun by underlings. He wasn't wearing that butler uniform anymore, the one that had once been his staple outfit. And his body was currently being flooded with constant pain. Kaito thought back to what he'd been told so earnestly earlier that night. "You said you would save the world." |
Yeah, I swore I'd save the world. At the same time, though, he had an objective that he was determined to see through to the end. He was completely unwilling to yield on it. That was why he hadn't answered Izabella's question. He'd simply smiled and persisted in his silence. Could Kaito Sena kill Elisabeth Le Fanu? If he couldn't... That would mean... "...Hina, I have something important to ask you." "Ah, yes, Master Kaito? Whatever might it be?" Hina seemed to have picked up on the seriousness of his tone. She stirred restlessly. He stroked her hair. After burning its silky texture into his hand, he spoke softly. "Do you want to have a baby?" "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" Hina's voice instantly cracked. Her entire body shook. If Kaito hadn't been hugging her, she probably would have fallen off the bed. Her eyes spun around in confusion. "Mas-Master Kaito, that's— Why—? How—?" As her face went bright red, her questions became jumbled and confused. Kaito just kept gently stroking her head. With a forlorn expression on his face, he closed his eyes for a moment. 9 Kaito and His Bride It's time for a story. It's the story of a boy who was brutally killed by another, and a story of a monster who cruelly killed others. Or perhaps it's a story of a child who was abandoned by his parents, and a hero who was abandoned by the world. Either way, it's a story of admiration and folly. It's a story of love, but not a story of romance. Kaito Sena chose to fight on behalf of the person precious to him. He'd sworn he'd do anything for that dear woman's sake. He had no regrets. In fact, he was so free of remorse that it bordered on madness. If he had but one regret, though... ...it was in regard to his bride. Kaito couldn't tell what kind of expression Hina was making. Even without looking, he could feel the warmth of her cheeks through his fingertips. He opened his mouth to speak, still not meeting her emerald eyes. Or more precisely, he couldn't muster the courage to meet them. "Elisabeth told us, right? We can make a humanoid homunculus from a mixture of our physical data, then cultivate it in your abdomen. Then if we insert my bodily fluids and nurture it with mana, we can make a baby, she said. If you want to, I have enough mana right now that we could easily finish the preparations." "I, wh-wha...? Tha... Yes, I recall it distinctly, so clearly that I should surely remember it even if I lost all my memories. I wanted to have at least a dozen beautiful children with you, Master Kaito, and preferably enough for our family to form a small country. But it's really all so sudden; my heart isn't, isn't, isn't—" "When I was walking around the Capital earlier, I got to thinking. Even if someone dies, as long as the world is still there, a part of them lives on. People's lives are short, but one after another, they carve their names into the future." Kaito continued stroking her hair, half to calm himself down. Hina was still in a tizzy. However, upon hearing how serious his tone was, she stopped mumbling and gave a small nod. "Yes, Master Kaito, that's true. There are many things people leave behind." "I swore that I'd save the world, that I'd rescue everything. If the sixth and seventh waves get released, humanity won't stand a chance. I have to end things before then. The final battle is almost upon us. But out of everyone, I decided to prioritize saving Elisabeth Le Fanu first." Kaito laid out his two contradictory objectives. The only way to save the world was by killing God and Diablo while they were still sealed in their contractors' bodies. Their salvation lay in murdering Diablo, murdering God, and murdering humans. In order to save the world, they needed to kill Elisabeth Le Fanu. There was no way to lay his two objectives atop the scales and keep them perfectly level. There shouldn't have been, in any case. However, Kaito went on without mentioning that inconsistency. "Hina, you should understand what that means, right? So..." Hina's body stiffened. She closed her mouth, not saying anything. Then silently, she sank into thought. After catching his breath, Kaito buried his face in her shoulder. Then he told her what he'd been thinking. "I figured if you and I had a kid...then you wouldn't be lonely." "Master...Kaito..." His name dribbled briefly from her mouth. She then pursed her lips. When she looked up at him, the emerald eyes he'd been unable to meet seemed endlessly clear. She gently pushed him away, then got up and sat cross-legged atop the bed. Kaito knelt in front of her in kind. She bit down hard on her lip. Her face was downturned. Worrying she might be crying, Kaito tried to reach out to her. Before he could, she spoke: "Master Kaito, I don't intend to ask you to forgive me." "Huh?" "But I also don't intend to hold back!" Hina shot her head up. Her beautiful eyes were burning with a violent fury. Then without holding back, she planted her fist square in Kaito's face. The blow came hard and fast. When an automaton came at you without holding back, it was no laughing matter. If things had gone poorly, Kaito could have died. However, he wasn't as powerless as he had been before. He reflexively reinforced his body so he would be able to take the punch without having to dodge. As a result, the damage was minimal. Even so, blood gushed out of his nose like a fountain. Although the spurt of blood hit her directly in the face, Hina continued looking straight at Kaito. She offered no apology. That, coming from the same woman who would weep her heart out and fly into a rage if Kaito suffered so much as a scratch. Upon seeing her like this, Kaito came to a realization. She'd had to snap there. She'd had to hit him. That was the conclusion she'd reached, and so she'd put it into action. "Please don't look down on me, Master Kaito." Hina solemnly started talking. She glared at him with her fist still balled up. Her eyes were burning with the same fury as before, but at some point, clear tears had welled up in them as well. "I'm well aware. I know what you're trying to do, Master Kaito, and I know how you're planning on doing it. I've known from the very beginning." "You've known...from the start?" "Yes, from the moment you, with all your kindness, said you were taking charge. From then on, I've been able to guess everything you intended to do. And I decided it was all right, so I made my peace and remained closely by your side. And yet now after all this time...what was it you said? I believe you used the word lonely?" The corner of Hina's mouth twitched upward. Her clenched fist trembled. Her pale fingers weren't just wet with Kaito's blood, but with her own machine oil and imitation blood as well. Her skin was torn, revealing its unrefined innards. Then the emerald dams burst. Big, round tears streamed down her face. When she continued, she was practically screaming. "Of course, I'm lonely! I've been lonely this whole time!" Kaito gazed at her in astonishment. The harsh truth he'd been avoiding had suddenly been thrust in front of his face. Ever since we parted ways at the World's End, all I've been doing is trying to save Elisabeth. It's time for a story. It's the story of a boy who was brutally killed by another, and a story of a monster who cruelly killed others. Or perhaps it's a story of a child who was abandoned by his parents, and a hero who was abandoned by the world. Either way, it's a story of admiration and folly. It's a story of love, but not a story of romance. Nor is it a story of him and his bride. Yet who would have thought the bride herself was aware of that? All this time, I haven't talked it over with Hina, not even once. As the pain shot through his face, Kaito came to realize just how cruel that was. Now, though, it was too late to apologize. There was nothing he could even tell her. The die had already been cast. Nothing he said could possibly merit forgiveness. For a long time, he'd been taking advantage of her sympathy. In a way, this was his punishment for that. Even so, though, his resolve remained unshakable. Stopping this story of his was no longer in his power. Even if she resented him, even if she hated him, that was just how things were. But still, he didn't want to let things end like this. With that sole thought in mind, Kaito opened his mouth and clumsily tried to string his words together. "...Hina, I—" "But really, that's all right." "...Huh?" "Even if I'm lonely, even if I'm sad, it's all right. As long as you are who you are, it can't be helped. She was the one you chose to protect. I was the one you chose to love. That's plenty. I'm completely satisfied with that." Hina's tone abruptly softened. Kaito stared at her in blank amazement. Hina slowly reached out, then hugged him tight. She went on, not hesitating for a moment. "I'm glad I was created. I was able to be by your side. I don't regret a single thing about my life. For that is what love is." Her words were firm and sure. They sounded almost like a profession of love. As Kaito listened to them, he discovered something amiss. Hina's uniform-clad arms were wet, not with blood, but with some sort of clear liquid. As he wondered what it was, Hina gently continued: "However, there was one thing that I truly did get mad at you for. I wished to become part of your family, and you were kind enough to grant that wish. But please don't refer to children as tools to distract from loneliness. Our children... If the future is graceful enough to permit us to stand alongside our children, then it should be when we've chosen to have them, and when we are ready to greet them together." She stroked Kaito's back over and over. And thus, in her unconditional love, she forgave her groom. "It's okay, Master Kaito. You don't have to worry about me. I'm all right." "I—I... I said I loved you. We were supposed to be a family, and I—" "It's really okay. I understand. So please follow your heart—so that you may go forth without regrets and say with a smile that you were glad to have lived." That's all I need. So please don't cry. Hina whispered those words to him. And in that moment, Kaito Sena finally realized something. He had been crying. Kaito Sena had no regrets. In fact, he was so free of remorse that it bordered on madness. If he had but one regret, though... ...it was in regard to his bride. Hina stroked his head, as if to say there was nothing more that needed to be said. Heavy tears rolled down his face. He returned her embrace, practically clinging to her. Time drifted by as the two of them sat alone in their own little world. And it was then and there that he arrived at a decisive answer. Could Kaito Sena kill Elisabeth Le Fanu? The answer he arrived at was crucial in determining the world's ultimate fate. Eventually, he looked up. He gently drew away from Hina. Alarmed, she drew a handkerchief with a cartoonish spin. She then leaned over to wipe off the blood and tears stuck to Kaito's face. However, |
Kaito turned her down and snapped his fingers. Azure petals and black darkness danced in the air around them. The blood and tears were broken down into fine particles, then vanished. Hina's wound closed, too. It wasn't the flashiest spell ever. However, it was unclear if Elisabeth or Vlad in his heyday could have pulled it off so smoothly. Hina blinked in surprise. Kaito bashfully asked her a question. "By the way, did you notice me secretly gulping down that blood, too?" "Of course, I did." "And when I was taking down those hidden underlings?" "I can't say I noticed every instance, but...probably eighty percent of the time, I was aware." "Man, this wife of mine... Nothing gets past you, huh?" "I've heard it's a time-honored tradition for wives to be dependable, after all." Hina grinned. Once again, the two of them were eye to eye. Their faces drifted closer. Spontaneously, their lips met. After exchanging a kiss so long and deep that it left them craving air, Hina murmured: "Mm... Master Kaito, if I may..." "What is it?" "Well, um, even if we aren't making a child, I still think it might perhaps be nice to have something to remember the end of our date by." Once again, her face went red. Without needing to think, Kaito reached out his hand and rubbed her soft cheeks. She gave a small squeak as he played with her face. Once he'd had his fill, he kissed her flushed skin. Over and over again, his lips traveled down her body. Right as he was about to start nibbling her ear, she frantically raised her voice. "Er, Master Kaito, uh, you haven't answered— Hwah, hwah-ha-ha-ha!" "What other answer could there be?" Kaito drew his lips toward the reddened nape of her neck. After loosening her uniform's collar a little, he gently nipped at her clavicle. Hina's entire body shivered. As she did, Kaito brought his voice down and whispered slowly in her ear. "If you're going to tempt me, my beloved, I'll gladly accept." "O-overload." "Wait, don't go all weak on me." With an excited sigh, Hina started to fall over backward. Kaito frantically propped up her back. They exchanged another glance and smiled at each other. And with that, they pressed their lips together. Holding your beloved in your arms. That had to be one of the purest forms that happiness came in, Kaito Sena mused. She's warm, she's lovely, and I don't want to let go of her. For if we separate, I will surely die. And he was sure Hina felt the same way. The two of them were nuzzled up next to each other, the very symbol of all the happiness the world had to offer. Warm smiles were spread across their faces, and they were both adrift in blissful slumber. Eventually, though, the morning arrived. The final hours were upon them all. Kaito slowly opened his eyes. Hina was still asleep. Or to be more precise, she was automatically replicating a human's sleep. She was as defenseless as a baby. Kaito poked one of her white cheeks. Her lips faintly parted, and a few words spilled out from them. Perhaps she was dreaming an automaton dream. About her beloved. However, Kaito didn't catch what she'd said. He silently slipped out of the bed. As he stood atop the cold, stone floor, he snapped his fingers. Azure petals and black feathers enveloped his thin body. Then they burst, and he was adorned in his black, military-like uniform once more. He clutched his glass, blood-filled orb tightly. Without saying a word, he began sending his transmission. "Attention, all troops. "It's just as Izabella Vicker told you all from the Capital last night. "After releasing the fifth wave, the Diablo pillar's activities will temporarily slow as it readies the sixth. And the troops of the sixth wave will be unbound from the shackles of the laws that bind this world. We, the living, will be powerless to oppose them. "Thus, we have to end things before the sixth wave is released." "After the fifth wave is annihilated, I ask that the surviving troops all gather before the God and Diablo pillars at the World's End." For his final request, Kaito quietly voiced it out loud. In truth, he didn't know if the three races would assemble in accordance with his request. In particular, the demi-humans would want to keep their focus on defending the pureblood sectors. And the Royal Knights aside, suspicion of him had taken root in the paladins. However, he still needed to gather as many people as he could. It's just like Valisisa said—right now, everyone I can get my hands on is a pawn. And the more pawns I have, the better. It was a ruthless way of thinking, but it was also true. His opponent's board was empty. Instead, two massive pillars towered above it. He needed to cram the board with as many pieces as possible in order to thwart his enemy's plan. They'd surpassed the realm of drawing opposite lines of pawns and sending them to fight each other. Many people were probably going to die. With the help of a vanguard, though, they would finally be able to reach God and Diablo. And once they'd weathered the attacks from those in their way, Kaito would be able to call the shots on his own. He was the only person in the world powerful enough to topple those pillars. If anyone doesn't want to come, that's fine, too. They can go ahead and pick where they want to die. Their current situation had been brought about by the blooming of the flower of sin that all three races had shared a hand in raising. The punishment for their sloth and ignorance had finally caught up with them. If they averted their eyes, they would eventually end up paying with their lives. If they didn't want to die, they had no choice but to fight back. That was the final duty that had been imposed upon the living. It was the one allowance remaining to them in this box of despair. Kaito abruptly opened his mouth, then bluntly laid out his thoughts. "Our enemies this time are God and Diablo. And the battle we're trying to fight is an act of blasphemy that not even the old world could carry out. But even so, if we want the world to be filled with happiness, if we choose to believe in our future, then this is the only path we can take." For a moment, Kaito paused. His thoughts suddenly raced. This was a world in which people would kill innocents in order to save themselves. Was it really worth believing happiness could come? However, he didn't have time to worry about that. The end had long since arrived on their doorsteps. "We must take our swords in hand and reject the new world." They were stupid, their lives were short, and all they could do was fight. Yet even knowing how foolish it was, God and Diablo's creatures were rebelling against them. "Everyone who lives will one day die." That was precisely why they had things they refused to give up. The decision they'd made was arrogant and sacrilegious in the extreme. And someday, those same people who'd chosen to slay God and Diablo together would undoubtedly draw their swords and begin killing one another. Tragic as it was, Kaito knew that. But so what. He cast his hesitation away. Then he boldly encouraged the living for the choice they were making. "There's no need to be ashamed. Take up your swords and ready your spears. Our mission is to murder God, and to murder Diablo. Prayers won't bring us salvation; screams won't bring us mercy. The only thing we have to rely on is our own strength." "Intriguing... Intriguing, I say! You roar well, for a human!" All of a sudden, a different voice cut into the transmission. Kaito narrowed his eyes. The boisterous, laughing voice belonged to Valisisa Ula Forstlast. Due to the beastfolk's low proficiency with magic, her voice was interspersed with static. The voices of her subordinates rushing around behind her were audible as well. But none of that seemed to concern her, and she went on. "Very well, Mad King! You possess a rebel's greatest weapon: madness—that double-edged sword so desperately needed to fight back! I yield to you! Countless will die in this battle! So go forth and lead us into hell!" "That's the plan. All right, everyone..." Kaito took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. He closed his eyes. At that moment, he felt as though his entire body had been buffeted by a fierce gale. However, the sensation hadn't been caused by the wind. Innumerable people were listening to his words. The strength of their gazes was striking him like an arrow. Lute was kneeling, Aguina was adjusting his glasses, the Kaiser was snorting, Vlad was smiling sweetly, Vyade was looking down, Valisisa was smirking, La Christoph was crossing his arms, and the human king was blinking back tears. And countless soldiers were hanging on to his every word. His next few words would no doubt lead many of them to their deaths. Even so, he had no regrets. And so the Mad King made his fearless declaration. "This here will be our daybreak. Let Ragnarok begin." 10 Ragnarok The enemies from the fifth wave were just as repulsive as their predecessors. However, they weren't any worse than the fourth wave had been. And what's more, the Mad King and his bride performed a high-speed patrol of all the various fronts. As a result, they were able to clean up the fifth wave as fast as humanly possible. Immediately thereafter, massive teleportation circles with shared coordinates were carved in the human lands, beastfolk lands, and demi-human lands simultaneously. While the current treaty had maintained a tenuous peace among their peoples, the deep-seated grudges they held against one another made it hard to believe such a thing could ever happen. Furthermore, every troop advancing on the World's End had volunteered to go. After all, the battle they were embarking on was truly unprecedented. The troops hadn't been able to get hard information from the Saint on how the old world had ended. For the people living in the current one, they were treading into completely unknown territory. And being able to keep one's sanity when faced with the prospect of the world dying was no mean feat. Forcibly enlisting people who didn't want to go would only result in chaos, and possibly even friendly fire. "That's right—from here on out, we don't need losers in our ranks. Remember, the moment you all took up your swords, you became victors." As the dignified voice filled the air, the ground split loudly. A blade had been plunged deep into the ice. Valisisa had driven her sword into the land made of snow and water, wind and mana. Then she proudly placed her palms atop its hilt. An army of beastfolk thousands strong stood before her. Among them were some civilians who'd joined as militia. Anyone who wasn't experienced in combat was likely going to their death. However, the first imperial princess had still loudly hailed them as victors. "What have we lived for?! What did you take up your swords for?! To take back the day! To end death's black sway!" As she stood majestically atop the silver ground, Valisisa shouted out words of encouragement to her army. The mana-dense ice they were lined up on was dimly glowing, making it look almost blue. Snowflakes so large that they could make out each individual shape were piled up like handicrafts. However, several of them were stained bloodred and twisted into grotesque displays. Body parts of the three races—toes, ears, eyes—were intermingled with them without any rhyme or reason. And the sky overhead was burning black. It wasn't because |
underlings were swarming up there. It was due to the innumerable black feathers suspended in the empty space. The wind that had once been so frighteningly clear and pure was now contaminated with the stink of rust. No traces remained of that beautiful, empty place where the solitude of everything having ended and the faint hope that something new would begin had commingled. Kaito was once more cruelly reminded: Nothing in this world stayed the same forever. The once-peaceful land was gone, and there was no guarantee it would ever return. Yet as she stood atop it, the first imperial princess of the beastfolk boasted a will to fight that was untarnished. Valisisa gripped the handle of her sword so hard that it creaked. Her red fur rustling like a billowing flame, she continued her address. "We are the proud sons and daughters of the Three Kings of the Forest, and for us, retreat is not an option! We will advance, and we will kill! With those deaths, we protect our people, we protect our country, and we protect our world! We will never surrender, so victory already lies in our grasp! Kill, kill, kill and die in victory's embrace! Before us, God and Diablo are mere trifles!" Surprisingly, her voice was burning with gleeful bloodlust. Kaito's eyes went wide. Even when faced with the despair that accompanied the end of days, her fury was as vibrant as ever. She was like a living flame. Valisisa wrenched her sword free from the frozen earth, then made her loud, operatic proclamation. "The world lies in the palms of our hands!" """In the palms of our hands!""" The crowd's roar rose up to meet her. The beastfolk's armor, which was made primarily from the leather of their comrades, rattled as they yelled. At the moment, none of them were wearing obstructive winter gear. Kaito was using his magic to protect everyone present. Vyade, as well as the first imperial prince and a number of other imperial-family members Kaito wasn't familiar with, were standing behind Valisisa. Vyade's dress was composed of a number of layers of thin fabric, giving her a graceful, ladylike appearance. As he gazed at their backs, Kaito let out a murmur. "Man, I don't really know how to put it, but as an imperial princess, Valisisa is like a sword designed for emergencies...or, like, a gnashing fang or something. She calls me the Mad King, but I feel like she's a perfect match for that title." "Indeed. It seems you've already noticed, Sir Kaito, but...the eyes that chose my sister weren't clouded in the slightest. Our opinions may often differ, but she, too, has the capacity to be an excellent dynast." Vyade gently provided her assent. As the Wise Wolf of unclear age, the woman who received more support from the people than any other, and the veritable symbol of peace, the second imperial princess gave her firm judgment. "My sister is precisely what the world needs in troubled times." When he heard her, Kaito nodded. Thanks to Valisisa's speech, the beastfolk were in high spirits. Given the current situation, preserving the willpower of people with so little magical aptitude was a near-Herculean task. The humans have La Christoph and Izabella Vicker...but the problem's the demi-humans. Kaito was well aware of that. At the moment, the three races were deployed in a fan formation around the God and Diablo pillars. The humans, with their mages, paladins, knights, and saints, were to the west, and the demi-humans were to the east. However, the plan was to directly send the cannon teams in right before they made contact with the enemy, so the demi-humans' main forces were going to join up with them later. In truth, they had no proof that the demi-humans would actually show up. All they could do was trust in them. No matter how things shake up, this is where it all ends. This was where everyone's fate would be decided. Kaito purposefully took in a lungful of the frigid air. At this point, he couldn't even feel pain from cold temperatures anymore. After letting out a white cloud of breath, he raised a hand. "All right, I'm heading out." "Do be careful. And may the protection of the Three Kings of the Forest be upon you." Vyade gave him a gentle bow. The first imperial prince and the rest of the imperial family followed her lead. Finally, Kaito looked out over the riled-up soldiers. When he did, he noticed a certain wolf-headed fellow among them. That unmistakable coppery fur belonged to Lute, the captain of the first squad of Vyade's private army. He seemed to have noticed Kaito, too. Familiarity spread across Lute's face, and he almost opened his mouth. A moment later, though, he quickly corrected his expression. Somewhat guiltily, he went back to talking to his subordinates. Perhaps it was his way of marking boundaries, or perhaps it had been born out of fear toward Kaito's transformation. It was impossible to know which. But ever since Kaito had become the Mad King, Lute hadn't started a conversation with him once. In fact, ever since Kaito had made his proclamation back at the World Tree, they hadn't talked privately to each other a single time. Kinda sad, but it is what it is. Kaito nodded. However, after a few seconds of silence, he changed his mind and called out: "Take care, Lute! And try not to get hurt, or you'll make your wife sad!" Lute whirled around as though he'd been struck. Clearly panicking, he opened his mouth. But Kaito didn't wait for his answer. He hadn't been looking to coerce a reply out of him. He'd merely said what he'd wanted to say. Then he dropped the glass orb filled with his blood onto the ground. He gave Lute a big wave. "Later!" "S-Sir Kaito!" What's the matter? Lute readied his legs, as though preparing to dash over to Kaito. However, he clenched his fists tight and, in the end, stood still. Soon, his unmoving form was blotted out by a wall of azure flower petals. And then Kaito saw nothing. The shock sent him to his death for a moment, but Kaito quickly recovered. He'd arrived at a different part of the World's End. There was not even a single member of the three races' armies in this desolate, silver knoll. The only ones waiting for him were a man dressed in a black, aristocratic coat; a massive, supreme hound; and a lovely maid. It was his self-proclaimed father-in-law, the demon he was contracted to, and his bride. Vlad let out an exaggerated voice, a perfect smile spread across his face. "Well now, are you fully prepared to bid them farewell, my dear successor? Have you no more regrets? Nothing you've left undone?" "Nope. I'm good." Kaito nodded dispassionately. Vlad gave a grandiose wave with his white, gloved hand. It looked like he hadn't gotten over his elation at having obtained a body, as every gesture he was making was exceedingly theatrical. He gestured at their surroundings as he spoke: "What? There's no need to be so tense. The strong have every right to bear property. Why, all you need do is wish for it, and this very world would be yours. None who stand upon it are your equal, after all. It then follows that what's about to begin is a battle for hegemony among Diablo, God, and yourself. Why pay the ants any heed?" "Don't spout bullshit, Vlad. The soldiers are important." "Hmm. You have a point. I'd expect nothing less from you, my lord. Pawns are, in fact, vital. And infantry, in particular, is good to have in numbers. But the path they open belongs to you and you alone. As do the choices. It's a privilege to be allowed to watch from the box seats." Vlad gave him a courteous bow. Kaito didn't reply. Instead, he walked silently to the edge of the silver knoll. The rusty wind tousled his faded-brown hair. Suddenly, his field of vision expanded. An azure rose and a crimson rose. The two vibrant flowers were in full bloom, stretching up toward the heavens. Underneath the black, feather-filled sky, the two pillars were haughtily towering upward. "Elisabeth..." Faced with that otherworldly scene, Kaito let out a faint murmur. Supported by the human sacrifices at their cores, these two pillars, which shouldn't have been able to exist, continued to manifest. The armies of the three races were waiting a short distance away. Like lurking predators, they were waiting for their signal, just out of reach of the briars that were winding around the pillars. Kaito closed his eyes. He counted the seconds. The moment the imaginary clock hands overlapped, he opened his eyes again. The beastfolk, demi-human, and human dispatchers acted just as they'd been instructed. The bugles of war sounded out loudly, almost as if to suggest it was the true signal for the end of days to begin. The noises overlapped, and the sullied ground started shaking. Kaito muttered to himself, as though to drive the point home. "We gotta bring this story to an end." Thus, the flare of rebellion went up against the higher entities. So that the people of this world could struggle valiantly and die believing in the future. Over at the human army, the first thing the saints did was assume a strange formation. Hand in hand, they formed a circle with La Christoph at its center. They looked like a group of infants playing a game. As proof that it was nothing so idyllic, many of the linked arms had undergone some manner of horrible transfiguration. A hand covered in scales was joined with one that had flowers blooming from the joints in its fingers. However, there was one girl with her legs bound in irons whose arms were resting idly by her sides. A female saint reproachfully grabbed her right hand. The girl curled her lips into a pout. She turned to the man on her left. "Hey, hey, hey, hey?" "WHAT IS it?" The man turned to look at her. The bottom half of his body was transparent, and numerous fish were swimming around inside. His smooth belly was like a big, round fish tank. Everything from his chest up, on the other hand, was emaciated and marked by deep wrinkles. The girl whispered to the bizarre-looking saint, as though they were exchanging idle gossip. "I—I, you see. I, believe, in God. Believed, in God. Believed, really, reeeeally hard. But ever, since, my legs, were blessed with, these holy wounds, my memories, have, been really, spotty, you see?" "WHAT IS it?" "If God said, it should be destroyed, then...shouldn't, the world, be destroyed?" A purehearted question left the girl's lips. The face of her neighbor on the right stiffened. The man nodded in appreciation. Then softly but resolutely, his wrinkled face turned from side to side. *** "What's, wrong, about it?" "EVEN GOD, makes MISTAKES, I should THINK." The girl stared at him in puzzlement. The male saint's lips twitched. After suffering a great deal of pain, he managed to form what could almost be described as a smile. He awkwardly went on. "Calling EVERYTHING, God's FAULT, and PURPOSELY committing WRONG ACTS, is not, FAITH." "...It's not, faith?" "NO—you see, prayer is supposed to be a one-way street." A silver fish splashed within his transparent abdomen. As it did, all the wrinkles faded from his face, revealing the visage of a beautiful boy. He looked to be around the same age as the girl. There was no hesitation in his eyes as he spoke. "'The land, the power, and the glory are eternally Yours.' We prayed for that to be the case. But using the fact that everything belongs to God as a pretext for wanting to destroy the world out of wickedness, or for greedily wanting to witness a miracle, are equally unforgivable. 'Pray that |
God shall be your salvation.' Believing that God shall be our salvation, no matter what may happen, is a form of faith as well." "I, don't. I, don't. I don't, understand very well." "Once, I prayed. I prayed so fervently that my knees left impressions in the stone floor. For a hundred days, a thousand days, I prayed for salvation." A few words had suddenly escaped the boy's mouth. Due to the burden that came with bearing a direct link to God, the vast majority of saints had lost their memories. However, it seemed he still remembered. Upon hearing that unusual statement, the girl's eyes went wide. She asked him a question. "Did you, find, salvation?" "No, I didn't. The illness in my almshouse killed everyone. But after I moved past the rage and despair, I found that prayer had saved my heart. It was then that I wished to devote the short life I'd been given to saving others. And this holy transformation is the result of that. The stronger the wish, the stronger the link. Even though you don't have your memories, I'm sure all of you were the same." "Were, we? Were, we, really? Could, it have, been?" "I don't believe either the Grave Keeper or La Christoph were mistaken. As the sheep, it's our job to choose how we believe in God. We're weak. We can't live without projecting our hopes and wishes onto God. That is why, after we offer up prayer for prayer's sake alone, we must believe from the bottom of our hearts that His true form is beautiful." This time, the fish that splashed up was gold. The boy instantly began aging. His face wrinkled up once more. He slowly raised a hand, the veins on it so thick that they looked almost like welts. "That is, why, he, and I, are here." "...Yeah. I guess, you're right. We're all, here, together." The man and the girl gazed directly at La Christoph. Even though the end was upon them, he had patiently waited for the girl to make her decision. Eventually, she reached out her arm, grabbed the man's hand, and squeezed it tight. Thus, the ring was complete. The next moment, even though nobody had touched them, all the saints' shackles came free. They crashed to the ground, crushing snowflakes as they landed. With no signal, the saints began a chorus. Its solemn, mysterious tone caused the very air to ripple. "Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, A​A​A​A​A​A​a​a​a​a​a​a​A​a​A​a​A​a​A​A​A​A​A​A!" A school of fish. Rainbow light. Drops of blood. In concert with the voices, they all spread out at once. They made for the center, where La Christoph stood. He solemnly spread out his arms, parting his long, black hair. Glittering lights began violently coalescing within his exposed rib cage. The fanciful animals and fluids the other saints had emitted were being sucked inside. From the very start, he'd had a flock of white skylarks kept within his ribs. Now those small birds were voraciously consuming everything else that came in. The skylarks in La Christoph's ribs melted together, then expanded. It was as though a new organ had sprung forth from within him, then became engorged and started encroaching on the rest of his body. Great pain seemed to accompany the transformation, as his body violently convulsed. La Christoph spat up an unseemly mass of blood and saliva. Even so, he managed to wring his voice out. "We...gather...and...wait." As he spoke, his rib cage opened up. It was like a rusty gate being cast open. Eventually, his bones had completely blossomed. A pair of white wings shot out. It was a massive bird, larger than even the ones La Mules had once summoned. It split the air with a cry so high-pitched that human ears failed to register it. La Christoph, the Modest Birdkeeper, spoke with unnatural fluidity. "We lay unto you our humble complaint, O Lord!" "Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, A​A​A​A​A​A​a​a​a​a​a​a​A​a​A​a​A​a​A​A​A​A​A​A!" The bird flapped its wings. Then it flew so fast that human eyes couldn't possibly make it out. The only things visible were the white feathers falling like snow in its wake. It barreled into the underlings that were stationed as the Diablo pillar's permanent guard. In an instant, the fly-shaped creatures were evaporated. This intense opening salvo instantly drew the enemy's attention. Taking full advantage of the opening, the beastfolk launched their attack as well. "Ready—fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!" Arrows rained down on the flies from their flank. Normally, physical attacks should have had little effect, even if they came from consecrated weapons. And all the more so, given how close they were to the Diablo pillar. Yet each of the underlings the arrows struck twitched and toppled to the ground. As she watched their deaths through her telescope, Valisisa let out a hearty laugh. "Heh, just like we thought. The effects of that flesh-searing poison are indiscriminate." The beastfolk were using poison arrows. And the poison had come from none other than the underlings themselves. The healers had taken the recovered corpses, analyzed them, and reproduced the venom. Furthermore, Kaito had flooded all the poison with mana, doubling its potency. In order to prevent friendly fire, they could only use it at the very start of the battle. But as an opening move, the blow it dealt was more than telling. Countless underlings had been felled, and the wall surrounding the pillar collapsed. Three waves of soldiers began making their advance. Vlad murmured, as though he were a spectator at a sporting event. "Both sides have started by advancing their pawns, it would seem." "Yup. So far, everything's going according to plan. No problems yet." Kaito nodded. Beside him, two bat-like wings were beating against the air. The Kaiser was a beast who could change his size at will, so Kaito was sitting atop his gigantic demon alongside Hina and Vlad. At the moment, the supreme hound's physique surpassed even that of a dragon. Below them, the underlings' dwindling ranks were being divided into three groups. Kaito and his team were able to slip through the opening and rush toward the Diablo pillar unnoticed. As they did, though, the atmosphere began changing. A cloying, roselike aroma filled the air. A wicked smile spread across Vlad's face. As she held down her hair, Hina widened her eyes. "Oh-ho-ho, here it is." "Master Kaito..." "Yeah, I know. This is where the real fight starts." The Diablo pillar was getting ready for the sixth wave, so it was currently dormant. Even in the depths of slumber, though, it was still a destructive force meant to annihilate the world. It shuddered, as though it were alive. The roses decorating its mysterious surface all reverted to buds, like they were men's eyes or women's lips closing. However, they soon reopened, and when they did, something had been born amid their dozens of petals. Massive figures dripping with mucus descended from within the meaty petals. It was like some sort of horrific childbirth. They cascaded through the air, and when they landed, everything shook. The icy ground split open. Several soldiers screamed as they toppled into the abyss. Vlad stroked his chin, then let out an amused chuckle. "Heh, I suppose that would make these knights or rooks, then." The things shook their bodies to clear themselves of the mucus. The sticky membrane covering them came off, too. Upon being freed, they rose to their feet. When Kaito saw their colossal, black figures, he was reminded of some words he'd once heard. He recalled the fragmentary memories the Saint had seen during her visions of the end-time. "Azure blades cleaving through the earth. Black titans." The black titans were composed of intertwined briars. Thousands of bones were packed inside each of their bodies, reinforcing their contours from within. In their hands were huge, azure axes, designed to decapitate, with sizes befitting the titans' forms. It was like an encore of the old world's death being played before their eyes. Yet in a way, the black titans resembled the Torture Princess's Boondock Saints and Wicker Man, too. Each time the Diablo pillar created an unusual underling, it probably based it off memories from the person who was serving as its sacrifice. However, these things it had made looked even more executioner-esque. And because the axes had round, spade-like blades, the titans gave off the impression of a gravedigger as well. That analogy is probably accurate in more ways than one. After all, the black titans had appeared to bury the old world. They calmly strode forth, giving all the living cause to mourn. The simple truth of the matter was that size alone was sufficient to be threatening. The larger someone was, the more destructive their attacks would be. Conversely, any damage they sustained likely wouldn't be fatal. If enough ants gathered together, they could take down an elephant. But if the elephants' ranks swelled as well, it was a different story altogether. Sooner or later, the armies would be wiped out. And to make matters worse, the titans didn't have any obvious weaknesses. Ironically, the one trait the three races could capitalize on was how big of a target the titans were. In other words, any attack they launched was highly likely to hit. "Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, A​A​A​A​A​A​a​a​a​a​a​a​A​a​A​a​A​a​A​A​A​A​A​A!" The saints shot off yet another bombardment. White birds pierced through the abdomens of three of the titans. Each of them toppled over, scattering bones and flame as far as the eye could see. The vines making up their bodies came undone, and several uninjured titans were caught up in them. One even got completely entangled and toppled over headfirst. "Attack! And if it starts moving, withdraw!" Avoiding the fissures in the ground as they ran, the beastfolk swarmed the downed titan. Matters regarding vegetation just so happened to be their specialty. In the blink of an eye, the beastfolk had severed the vines that made up its limbs. Bones tumbled out and scattered around. After they'd surgically dealt with the vines, the beastfolk all fled. The titan writhed. However, its limbs sat motionless. Eventually, the fallen titan was crushed underfoot by its comrades. The beastfolk's attack pattern seemed almost comedic. However, Vlad muttered in admiration. "Hmm... La Christoph, was it? It would appear the saint's shots were aimed with precisely that chain reaction in mind. The fact that he's playing the role of a cannon all on his own is astounding enough, but to think he's able to maintain his sanity, too... If only he weren't a saint... What a tragic waste of that man's talents." "Hold up. You aren't planning anything sketchy like trying to recruit him, are you?" "Ha-ha! Worry not, my dear successor! As my king and my son, you are my one and only! My heart merely throbs when I see a talented individual, that's all." "Dunno how happy I am about that, either... They're putting up a better fight than I expected, but...things are starting to get ugly." There were two reasons why La Christoph had taken up the role of a cannon. Attacking the Diablo pillar was like sieging a castle. They'd realized heavy artillery would more effective than small arms, and a sledgehammer would be better yet. That was the first reason. The other was how poor the saints' endurance was. They weren't accustomed to battle. They would recover with rest, but they simply couldn't just fire repeatedly. In other words, by serving as the main cannon, La Christoph could not only amplify their power, but he could also help alleviate their burden. But even so, the saints were starting to convulse. In middle of their group, La Christoph's robes were stained red. Fresh blood was trickling down his jaw. But the fatigue the saints in the circle were suffering was far more severe. They only have a few more shots in them, huh? And to make matters worse, the horror of the situation was eroding the soldiers' mental |
states. Pools of blood dotted the ground, some of them so large that they were like veritable swamps. The viscous, red liquid resembled overripe berry jam. These pools had once been members of the three races; they were the remains from where they'd been crushed by the massive feet and axes. If you looked closer, you could make out flattened bones and armor sitting in them. They were too misshapen to even be called "corpses." Now then, what to do. Kaito pondered the issue. If he joined the fray, then things would undoubtedly take a turn for the better. However, he was also the sole person who had the power to topple the Diablo pillar. He couldn't let it notice him until he was right up next to it. After all, it was impossible to know how intelligently it would react. There was a chance that it would put its preparations for the sixth wave on hold and intercept the armies' attack by deploying any finished underlings it had. If that happened, the three races would be annihilated, and Kaito's ability to arrive at the pillar in time would be jeopardized. Consequently, he continued facing forward and asked a question. "Can you handle it, Hina?" "Of course. As your heart desires." She didn't want to separate from him. However, she left that part unsaid. The hem of Kaito's black long coat waved about as he turned around. Behind him, his bride was standing with her halberd at the ready. Parting here would mean she wouldn't be able to participate in his plans for when he reached the pillar. Yet even so, she offered no objections. She just smiled the same way as always. And that precisely was why Kaito was able to fully entrust her with his brief order. "Then I leave it to you, my love." "And I serve with great pleasure." With that, Hina turned on her heel and unhesitatingly leaped off the black dog's back. The air resistance caused her frilly skirt to billow up. The ribbon on her back fluttered as she descended straight down. Hell lay beneath her. The saints' bombardment was falling behind schedule. However, the titans' ranks were only swelling. By now, there was enough blood to fill a lake. "Don't stop moving! Spread out and—" At that moment, Valisisa noticed the falling object. She frantically grabbed her telescope. She quickly realized it was one of the Mad King's allies, but she let out a dissatisfied murmur all the same. "A...maid?" And so the maid landed on the battlefield. The soldiers around her stared, their mouths agape. Hina paid them no heed. She took off at a run, her explosive burst of speed propelling her toward a titan. It raised its foot, then brought it down hard. The moment before its sole made impact, Hina leaped. In doing so, she was able to avoid the effects of the ground-shaking tremor. Then she brought her halberd down on the titan's foot. *** With an earsplitting battle cry, she buried her blade in its body, slicing through bundles of vines. The shock wave rippled through the titan and caused bones to fly out its backside. Unable to withstand the weight of its body, its severed foot started snapping and tearing. Then the titan toppled over, taking the one on its right down with it. A thunderous echo filled the air. Then the battlefield grew silent. As countless gazes landed on her, Hina wrenched out her halberd and murmured: "Send as many as you please. Here, I shall display my devotion. Here, I shall display my love. Here, I shall vent my rage." A loud cry of joy rose up. The tide of battle shifted once more. As the black titans walked, two maidens wove between their earthshaking feet at top speed. One was swinging her ax about wildly and using its recoil to fling herself through the air, and the other was whittling away at the ice while skating atop it with her insectile, sicklelike legs. Their appearances differed greatly, but both their legs were mechanical in nature. One was a maid. The other was a paladin with over half her body mechanized. Hina and Izabella's movements surpassed anything a human could muster. "I'm grateful you came! On my own, I had my hands completely full just guarding the saints and guiding the soldiers to cover. They're large, sluggish... Jeanne might refer to them as big ol' good-for-nothings, perhaps." "I concur! When it comes to mobility, we're second to none! All we need to do is chip away at them without slowing down!" As they ran, the two of them plunged their blades into the titans' legs, then continued dashing past them. Their weapons moved in tandem, slicing through the vines. The blows they dealt weren't fatal, but they were able to avoid pursuing any one target too hard. The two of them took an intentionally intricate path and circled their way between a number of their foes. Eventually, the vines reached their limit, and they loudly snapped. Thanks to Hina and Izabella's valiant efforts, the titans' advance slowed to a crawl. Their bodies may have been suited for crushing soldiers flat, but making tight turns wasn't exactly in their wheelhouse. The soldiers began their advance between the titans' crippled legs, rushing past them as though the limbs were large trees in a vast forest. "Make haste! Don't look up at them and don't hesitate!" "Go! The titans are all gathered together! Let's leave them in our dust!" At the moment, the bulk of the soldiers were riding astride the beasts their mages had summoned, without regard for what race their seatmates were. While Hina and Izabella had been fighting, the soldiers had been gathering up the titans' mana-rich bones, which the beastfolk then used to craft into magic tools. Meanwhile, the mages from the Capital had been investigating what summoned beasts could still act at the World's End. Thanks to their combined efforts, they'd been able to draw up summoning circles and call the beasts forth en masse. One of the elderly merchants gave a boisterous laugh. "Ha-ha-ha! I love it! It's not every day that such vast riches pile themselves up on your doorstep for free!" The creatures, which looked like crosses between lizards and horses, gripped the ice tightly with their claws as they galloped atop it. Eventually, they managed to leave the titans behind entirely. They'd gotten close to the Diablo pillar. The monstrosity that had loomed over them from afar was nearly at hand. Unnoticed, Kaito's team had quietly drawn near it as well. Perhaps sensing the titans were at a disadvantage, the Diablo pillar had stopped birthing new ones. Everything looked to be going well. However, Vlad suddenly crossed his arms. He spoke matter-of-factly as he reported on the situation. "Hmm, it seems our smooth ride is nearing its end." "Yeah. The enemy has a plan." And just as they'd said, the Diablo pillar began undergoing another transformation. The rose petals closed tight, then spun as their buds reopened. Something came pouring out, along with a shower of nectar. It called to mind an image of mantises hatching. One after another, they plopped down onto the frozen earth. After falling vertically, the "women" stood on their own two legs. The space in front of the pillar was packed to the brim with their pale, naked bodies. The "women" were like a human wall. Vlad let out a small laugh. "I see, I see. The bishops, then." "...Elisabeth? No, no, that's not right." "So quick to retract your words, my dear successor. I think the resemblance is rather notable, myself. Although, I'll admit it's a bit mixed." The things' appearances looked a bit like Elisabeth. They were extraordinarily beautiful. However, their skeletal structures differed from hers. Overall, they were thinner than Elisabeth, and they looked to have an unstable, ephemeral quality to them. Kaito's conclusion, although he knew it would have incited Elisabeth's wrath, was that the Saint's form had been mixed in as well. More than anything, though, there was just something different about them, something that made it impossible to think of them as human. Something about them was overwhelmingly different. Their very existences seemed off. Their bodies were completely devoid of pigmentation. They looked like snow sculptures, or perhaps carved ice or glass. Their bodies were impossibly smooth and white. Their faces weren't covered in skin, but they didn't look like they were covered in raw flesh, either. Given the current situation, though, the strangest thing about them was the fact that they seemed to lack any body parts specialized for combat. Suddenly, Kaito was struck by an ominous premonition. An image shot through his brain like a bolt of lightning. Back when we were fighting the three fused demons at the Capital— What happened then? Thanks to La Mules's bombardment, the mass of flesh had incurred severe damages. Its wounds had frothed like they were boiling, and body parts had smoothly protruded out from them. After they'd healed, a man's flaccid face had appeared in the muscle tissue. He'd opened his thick lips, then emitted a gray roar. As a result, the Church's strongest fixed battery, La Mules, had killed herself. Due to the demon's mental attack. "Hina!" "Everyone, please, you mustn't look them in the eyes!" Hina's response to his warning from on high was immediate. She shouted. But she was too late. All at once, the "women" had opened their eyes. Their eyes, like black pearls, swept over the soldiers. The darkness that had been hidden behind their ivory eyelids took on an unnatural light. Even though he wasn't looking at them directly, Kaito could tell. Reflected in them were two things: a turbulent rainbow, like a piece of the universe had been carved away, and a multitude of unborn possibilities. They blinked, and the darkness returned. All at once, the army froze. A great silence swept over the area. It was a stillness that was incompatible with a battlefield. The silence was broken in the worst way imaginable. A strange laughter had broken out from here and there. """Hee-hee. Hee-hee-hee. Hee-hee-hee-hee. Heh-heh. Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh.""" The saints were laughing like children. The man with the fish in his belly, in particular, seemed pleased. He had immediately moved to cover the girl, and she was wriggling about in his arms. She shouted with her eyes shut tight. "What, what, what is it? Hey, what happened, hey?" That's bad. Kaito gulped. The vast majority of the saints held severe trauma deep in their hearts. If nothing else, their deep connections with God had shattered their minds. Even though some of them had managed to maintain their sanity, who knew what would happen if their memories from before they'd reached that state were returned to them? Kaito was reminded of La Mules's death. In an act of pure innocence, she'd bitten off her own tongue. After the saints, the soldiers began moving as well. Over the past few days, the constant battles had stretched their nerves to the breaking point. Many of the militia, in particular, had lost not just their families, but all their relatives as well. They took their swords in hand and turned them on themselves. Tears flooded from their wide-open eyes. *** Kaito couldn't think of any way to stop them. He raised his hand, planning on at least giving them a sudden shock. The moment he did, though, a terrible roar shook the air. "Wha—?" Naturally, Kaito's eyes went wide. Cannonball after cannonball after cannonball had crashed into the women. At first, they didn't seem to have caused any change. Gradually, though, cracks began splintering across the women's bodies. Before long, they shattered. Eyeballs, which were perhaps their true forms, spilled out, screamed, and vanished. Immediately thereafter, the cannons turned on the summoned beasts the soldiers were mounted on. The creatures let out pitiful screams, and the vast majority of their riders were |
sent flying. Before the soldiers could stab themselves, they lost their grips on their swords. Confused shouts rose up in succession. Thanks to the noise and the impact, the soldiers had regained their senses. "Wh-what is it? What's going on?" "What just happened? H-hey, you, what's wrong? Put that down!" The few soldiers who were still deranged were stopped by their comrades. As for the saints, they'd been snatched up in a large net and were currently struggling in confusion. Kaito breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The cannon fire continued incessantly. The relentless, merciless bombardment served to illustrate the stubbornness, or to an extent, the ill nature of the ones unleashing it. "Ready, aim, fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!" Thoom, thoom-thoom, thoom, kaboom! The successive impacts shattered the backup "women" as they came in. The repair and transport teams brought new cannonballs with them. As always, the manner in which they were sustaining their continuous fire hardly seemed possible. It was an impressive technique, one that took full advantage of the armies' ability to mass-produce gunpowder and metal. After soothing her steed, Valisisa confirmed the newcomers' identities and let out an astonished shout. "Ha, I never thought you'd actually come, Aguina Elephabred!" "Just Aguina is fine. And what, may I ask, are you talking about? I was told this would be our daybreak. Surely, you heard the same. It isn't as though we merely realized the pureblood sectors would be overrun at this rate or anything." Aguina turned up the corners of his mouth as he adjusted his glasses. Valisisa replied with a scornful laugh. The bombardment went on, its raucous noise rocking the ground. Fragments and eyes from the "women" went flying. Izabella turned toward the titans approaching them from behind and dashed off to stop them in their tracks once more. At long last, the Diablo pillar finally lifted up its vines. Then it brought them crashing down on the beastfolk cannons like massive, thorny whips. "Don't look down on us lower beiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiings!" A group of paladins rushed forward, holding their consecrated shields overhead. With them, they caught the blow from the vines. The force of the impact drove their feet deep into the ice. As they endured the pressure, Hina swung her halberd. With it, she cleaved through a multitude of vines. The Diablo pillar's attention was completely focused on its chaotic battle against the soldiers. "Well, if we want to press on, I daresay now's the time to do it." "Yeah, you're right. Let's go." Kaito and his group made their way toward the Diablo pillar without stopping. The aroma grew even stronger. An azure rose in full bloom grazed his arms. Soon, they'd be able to see the human sacrifice at the pillar's core. Just a little longer until they reached their destination. Then the Kaiser, who'd been silent up until this moment, raised his voice. "Hey, boy." "Oh man, you startled me... What's up all of a sudden?" "Would you mind if I did some killing?" "Huh?" Kaito let out a trite interjection. He couldn't understand what it was he'd just been asked. "What do you—?!" Suddenly, Kaito's vision inverted. Confused as he was, though, he managed to piece together what had happened. He'd been shaken off the black dog's back. Far above his head, he could make out the hound's figure and the hellfire burning in his eyes. Panicking, he tried to cast a spell of flotation. That moment, he was rocked by a sharp impact. It was a different sort of pain than the kind that constantly assailed his body. More delicate. "...Huh?" The supreme hound had sunk its fangs into his chest. The Kaiser bit down hard. "I see, I see. Before you reach the queen, it seems you'll need to go through the king." Vlad murmured to himself as he floated alone in the air. It was unclear what he was thinking; he'd only curled his lips into a disagreeable smile. Blood surged. Organs tumbled out. The Kaiser snorted. And with that, Kaito's contractual partner ripped the bottom half of his body clean off. 11 The Mad King and the Kaiser "Not one to die, then? Hmph, as I thought. You know, Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain, you really can't be called 'human' anymore." "Thanks, I guess. So what's up all of a sudden?" As he watched his own flesh get bitten off and swallowed, Kaito gave his calm reply. The bottom half of his body was being eaten as he spoke. However, new flesh rapidly grew forth from the foul cross section. Viscera wriggled and knit together like tentacles. Bones regrew, and skin and muscle fibers pasted themselves onto them. Kaito kicked off against the air with his newly regrown legs so he could face his demon. Back when the Kaiser had first given his opinion of him, Kaito had gotten one of his arms bitten off. Unlike back then, though, he didn't feel an ounce of fear this time. Ah... I get it. Now that things had gotten to this point, a visceral feeling finally hit Kaito. He was on an equal footing with the Kaiser. But a human existing on the same level as a demon was an aberration that the world couldn't permit. In other words, he was beyond salvation. "'What's up,' hmm? Ha, you titter so casually, even when faced with a demon. Isn't that right, boy? O unworthy master of mine? O Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain?" "I'm asking you, what's going on? If you've got something on your mind, then out with it already." "I could ask you the same—just what do you intend to do from here?" The Kaiser narrowed his burning eyes as he posed his question to Kaito. It was similar to the one Izabella had asked him. It was a rebuke, like one asked before making a final judgment. Far below them, the fierce battle raged on. The three races were putting up a solid fight, but it was clear that the scales would eventually tilt against them. The favorable position they held was temporary. At the moment, time was a treasure more precious than diamonds or gold. However, Kaito gave no answer. He simply smiled a silent smile. The supreme hound let out a low growl. "Is it something you can't say, O master of mine?" *** "Something you can't say to me?" Kaito persisted in his silence. In a way, that made perfect sense. It was just like that time with Hina. In fact, it might have been worse. He had nothing he could say to his hound, no excuse left to make. ...It's time for a story. It's the story of a boy who was brutally killed by another, and a story of a monster who cruelly killed others. Or perhaps it's a story of a child who was abandoned by his parents, and a hero who was abandoned by the world. Either way, it's a story of admiration and folly. It's a story of love, but not a story of romance. And it certainly isn't a story that demons have any place in. Consequently, the next words that came out of Kaito Sena's mouth hardly served as an answer. "Sorry, Kaiser, but I'm gonna be making use of you until the bitter end." "This marks the first time, boy. The first time I, the supreme Kaiser, have ever experienced hatred." The Kaiser bared his fangs. The flames burning in his eyes had changed color ever so slightly. For the first time, they bore the hue of true rage. Yet surprisingly, they also seemed somehow pleased. Perhaps it was the result of him bearing the influence of not just his mediator, but his master as well. The Kaiser let out a passionate roar. "I took a liking to you. That madness, that perversion, the foolishness with which you seized despair in hope's name! Watching you fall was to be quite the show. But you—you—you would sink to such depths?!" "Yup. And I'm gonna do what I need to do, whether you like it or not." "You think I would allow such a thing?" "Not a chance, right?" "Then there remains but one path for me to take." The Kaiser opened his jaw wide. His neatly lined-up teeth flashed, and his vast oral cavity looked almost like a coffin. The smell of blood and carrion flooded the air. Kaito silently sighed. He knew what would come of this. Welp, this is gonna be unproductive. After all, no fight between the two of them would ever be settled. Whenever Kaito gathered pain, the Kaiser's mana was restored as well. In other words, the two of them were only growing stronger. All that would happen would be that they'd eternally shred each other to pieces and revive back to life. The Kaiser was no fool. He undoubtedly was already aware of that fact. Yet even so, he made no moves to temper his bloodlust. Despite himself, Kaito let out a chuckle. He called out to the higher entity in sheer amusement. "Hey, Kaiser, have you noticed yet?" "Noticed what, O fool who proclaims himself a Mad King?" "You're acting just like a human." The beast's eyes burned bright. At least, it looked that way to Kaito. Then with no warning, the Kaiser launched himself like a meteor. The black streak ignored its muscles' limits as it descended on Kaito. The Mad King braced himself. When he did, though, he suddenly found another figure standing before him. "Huh?" "Come now, this should hardly come as that much of a surprise." No, thought Kaito, this is definitely surprising. However, he didn't have time to put that thought to words. The black meteor was drawing nearer. The man standing before Kaito calmly thrust out his arm. Black darkness and azure flower petals billowed from his white-gloved palm, then transformed into a host of blades. But the Kaiser didn't stop. He just plowed right through them. His jaws were almost upon them. "Hmm." Vlad Le Fanu muttered, seeming greatly interested. That was the only reaction he gave. Then a moment later, Vlad's right arm was bitten in Kaito's place. "I see, so this is what it's like to have a dulled sense of pain. I knew about the whole getting burned alive thing, but still, this is most intriguing. And it's awfully convenient to be able to avoid dying merely by stopping the bleeding. Using that to render attacks invalid... My, you are strong." "What are you playing at, Vlad? Buffoonery has its limits, you know." The Kaiser growled menacingly. Vlad, on the other hand, just waved his right arm. The bleeding had stopped. The hem of his aristocrat's coat rustled. Strangely unconcerned, he responded in an affected, operatic manner. "You know, Kaiser, you and I were supposed to rule the world, once. But dashed as our dreams may have been, the vicissitudes of fate have led us here. Given that fact, isn't there something more pressing we should be doing than whiling away the hours killing each other in vain?" "What are you babbling about, He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind? Has your own hell finally consumed that mind of yours?" "Oh, please. Hell is but a place—one you can find just about anywhere. How could such a thing possibly hope to consume me?" A twisted grin crept across Vlad's face. However, he made no moves to step away from his place before Kaito. Instead, he spread his arms wide, leaving the gnawed chunk of his arm as it was. He tilted his head to the side in the same strangely childish manner as he always did. Suddenly, though, his expression flooded with unbridled hatred. Kaito was taken aback. He hadn't seen him make that face in a long while. When Vlad next spoke, his voice was icy cold. "I am a hedonist, capable of enjoying even the most bitter of hardships. But I was not born to lose." "Just what exactly are you |
going on about?" "The end of days? Splendid. The destruction of all? Wonderful. I've no complaints in the slightest. And that pillar, in particular—it's the peak of beauty, the apex of ugliness. Truly, magnificent is the only way to describe it. And yet..." Upon hearing those words, Kaito was reminded of something. It had been right after Elisabeth and Jeanne had been captured at the World's End. At some point, Vlad had moved over to where the two pillars stood. His arms were spread wide, and his eyes were glittering as he gazed at the Torture Princesses' transformations. "It's magnificent... It's the peak of beauty, the apex of ugliness... Truly, 'magnificent' is the only way to describe it." His face was as innocent as a child watching a meteor shower. However, his expression suddenly took a more serious turn. As he began rapidly coming back to his senses, Vlad started thinking. "...Still, though... Hmm..." Back then, what was it he'd been thinking about? Now the answer to that question would become clear. "Think about it. At the end of the day, the thirteen demons and their king were nothing more than the prelude to the end of days. What greater insult could there possibly be?" "You... Wait. Considering how oddly obedient you've been acting toward the Accumulation of Seventeen Years' Pain, you can't be... You were plotting revenge on God and Diablo?!" "Wait, you were?" The Kaiser gnashed his fangs in comprehension, and Kaito let out an unsuitably plain interjection as he stared at Vlad's back. Vlad puffed up his chest magnificently. "Quite! All this, all that I've done, has been for the sole purpose of obstructing God and Diablo and returning them to the nether! My dear successor's resolve just so happened to be convenient for carrying out my revenge, and fitting to boot! Go on, now, roar! Rage, seethe, madden! Those feelings are the sole fruit of the humiliation I supped on!" "Carrying out an act of personal revenge when faced with the end of days? Are you daft?" "Heeeee's a dumb-ass." Kaito was in no position to talk. In fact, he was by far the more foolish of the two. He himself was aware of that fact. But Vlad's tone was just so proud that he couldn't help but get in a quip. Not disheartened in the slightest by their assessments, Vlad went on. "Oh, a fool I am, but none the worse for it! Our world is a farce, after all, not a tragedy! I was unwittingly cast as an actor, and once my precious daughter was snatched from me, my own death was reduced to a mere opening act! It stands to reason that such a stage would make a buffoon of its star, no?" "You're the same as ever, I see. The way you think is entirely deviant from the norm." "And Kaiser, as the apex of what man's hands can reach, as a supreme hound, and yet as a demon who could no longer escape his master's influence—as you are now, surely you understand this thing we call hatred." "Hmph." "Whose neck should you truly be turning it on? Fruitlessly gnawing away at an unkillable man is hardly enough to satisfy you, is it?" The Kaiser offered no response. Instead, he chose silence. The sounds from the battle down below echoed on. Up in the air, though, it was impossibly quiet. It was as though they had been completely cut off from the world. However, that, too, came to an end. Vlad opened his mouth to speak again. When he did, his tone was deadly serious. "The proud should remain proud until the bitter end. For my sake, cast aside your anguish and wear your arrogance freely." *** "It wouldn't do for the Kaiser to disappoint a mere human." The Kaiser didn't move. Vlad, too, stood still. Eventually, the Kaiser snapped his tail. Seeming wholly displeased, he spat out his words. "Go, O unworthy master of mine." "Kaiser..." "It's true. Gnashing at that madness of yours would accomplish nothing. So go, before I change my mind. O ye who bestowed hatred upon me. Know that to the end, your twisted mind remined clear." Kaito gave a brief nod, then started making his way forward. For a second, though, he stopped. He turned and looked back. Vlad was still standing beside the Kaiser. Vlad gently waved his right arm, which hadn't yet finished regenerating. He called out in an innocent tone. "Farewell, my lord, my dear successor—my son." Just this once, Kaito chose to allow Vlad to call him that. For some reason, Vlad was smiling. A strangely childlike smile was spread across his face. "Thanks to you, I enjoyed every one of my days." "Is that...so?" There were no lies or falsehoods in his words. Vlad was just indicating his gratitude as honestly as he could. And because that was the case, Kaito snapped his fingers. At this point, he didn't need the ability to convert pain into mana anymore. He unilaterally dissolved his contract with the currently inattentive Kaiser. The black beast's figure nearly vanished from existence. Right before he did, though, Kaito bound his knot to Vlad. Upon receiving the new contract, Vlad widened his eyes. "My oh my, I suppose that means the Kaiser has now truly lost his reason to stop you, but... Are you sure about this, my lord? Do you truly think I won't terrorize humanity?" "Don't forget about that self-destruct device I planted in your head." After whispering in a deep voice, Kaito turned around for good this time. Leaving behind his black army—in a sense, the only subordinates who'd followed him this far—he advanced alone. He didn't turn back. As he faced forward, though, he gave his hand a gentle wave. "Bye, Vlad. At the end of the day, it was you who turned Elisabeth into the Torture Princess and gave rise to the reconstruction sect. I can't forgive you for that...but you did make my days pretty fun, too." "Good heavens, will his rebellious phase never end?" Vlad let out an exasperated moan. In all likelihood, he was shrugging. But Kaito didn't look his way. This time, he flew straight ahead. Not toward the Diablo pillar. But to the God pillar beside it. "S-Sir Kaito!" "That's the wrong one!" The voices came from the ice, far down below. Izabella and Lute let out cries of dismay in unison. Even though they'd been absorbed in their own battles, Kaito's flight path had caught their attention. After all, Kaito Sena was the Mad King, as well a servant of Elisabeth, the Diablo pillar's core. He was so dangerous, he might well destroy the whole world in pursuit of his objective. And for some reason, instead of going to the Diablo pillar, he was heading for the God pillar beside it. We should stop him... No, but how—?! Lute ground his fangs. At the moment, Kaito Sena had reached the pinnacle of magecraft. He was standing atop a summit so high that no one else could stand in his way. He had perhaps even surpassed the Saint in her heyday. Thinking he needed to at least try, Lute opened his mouth and got ready to convey the situation and his orders to the demi-human cannoneers and the beastfolk archers. At that moment, though, almost like he'd sensed Lute's bewilderment... ...Kaito Sena suddenly looked down. Ah... Upon seeing his face, Lute remembered something. Now that they were in the game's final turns, it finally came back to him. I'd...forgotten... "But I'm fine... I'm still me, after all." It was a scene from back at the World Tree. Lute's wife, Ain, had asked Kaito a question, and that had been his response. Then Kaito had given her an awkward smile. Upon seeing his face, Lute had secretly felt a tinge of relief. After all, that good-hearted expression had definitely been Kaito Sena's. At that moment, a strong thought had suddenly crossed Lute's mind. Perhaps... Perhaps he ought to make sure to remember that smile. It would be best if he made sure to remember it, no matter what happened. He hadn't quite known why, but he'd been certain of that. And yet I... Why had he forgotten? Why hadn't he called out to Kaito? Why hadn't he talked to him? Had he been overwhelmed by the sheer power commanded by that boy who'd become the Mad King? That was hardly a decent excuse. And just a short while ago, he'd even gotten a chance to remember. "Take care, Lute! And try not to get hurt, or you'll make your wife sad!" Those hadn't been the words of a man planning on forsaking the world. How could I have forgotten?! And that's not all; I...I forgot oh-so-many things! Lute howled internally, his thoughts racing. That expression Kaito had made hadn't been the only thing to slip his mind. He'd forgotten who Kaito Sena was by nature. Lute thought back over the information he'd once checked in the beastfolk lands. Kaito Sena came from another world, one where he'd been abused and eventually killed. Then the Torture Princess had summoned him as an Unsullied Soul to act as her servant. Originally, Kaito had been nothing but a powerless boy, a tragic child victimized without anyone to protect him. In this world, there were many his age who lived and worked as adults. However, he was different. And there certainly wasn't anyone as young as he who had scraped away at their own limits for the sake of the world like he had. Yet somehow, everyone had forgotten that simple fact. Not a single one of the adults who were supposed to be protecting the world had remembered. "Sir Kaito!" "Sir Kaito Sena, you mustn't!" As Lute shouted out to him, so did Izabella. Startled, Lute glanced to his side. Her half-mechanized face had sternly stiffened. In all likelihood, she'd come to the same realization Lute had. They had collectively placed the burden of the entire world on the back of a single boy. They were the ones who were soldiers. It should have been their burden to bear. Kaito Sena offered no reply to their cries of regret. All he did— —was smile a vaguely awkward smile. Then after thinking it over for a moment, Kaito reacted. He waved with big, childlike sweeps. The meaning of that gesture was the same across worlds. And because of that, Lute and the others gasped. Kaito kept frantically waving. He was saying one word. "Good-bye." The God pillar was swathed in white feathers and red roses. Kaito hovered in the air before it. Hidden away between the tangled web of briars was a golden princess. She was sleeping, and her body was adorned with the same feathers and roses. Her form resembled that of both Sleeping Beauty and a crucified saint. As he faced Jeanne de Rais's cruelly bound body, Kaito snapped his fingers. Azure flower petals flashed across his wrists. After transforming his mana, blood and all, he sent it over through Jeanne's lips. As the petals melted in her mouth, she faintly opened her eyes. Kaito nonchalantly raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, Jeanne. Long time no see." "Mis...ter...why...?" "Sorry, Jeanne. All this time, I've been going on and on about Elisabeth, Elisabeth, Elisabeth. But I was worried about you, too. And if you don't believe me, then hey, Izabella's been concerned enough about you for both of us. Cut me a little slack, will ya?" "Are...you...quite...dense...? I'm ask...ing...why... you're...here..." Blood dribbled from Jeanne's mouth as she spoke. Kaito didn't answer her question. Instead, he spoke as if he were chanting an incantation. His weak smile was still plastered across his face. "'God desired a contractor so He could maintain His peaceful rest, but He wasn't picky about who that was. As long as there was someone there who wouldn't fall apart the moment the contract was formed, it would be possible |
to push the burden onto them.' And 'Even though God's supposed to exist to oppose Diablo, it sounds like He's clearly the superior of the two.' In other words, it's possible to use God's power to keep Diablo in check." Kaito laid out the information he'd heard from the Saint. Jeanne narrowed her eyes, seemingly unable to understand what he meant. However, Kaito didn't elaborate on his explanation. He simply snapped his fingers. All at once, a shower of white surrounded Jeanne as the feathers growing from her body burst off. Countless invisible shackles clattered as they successively came undone. This time, Jeanne widened her eyes in shock. Her contract with God had been forcibly transferred. The other party, of course, went without saying. "Hanged Man, you can't—!" "You did good, Jeanne. Time for you to go home." The way Kaito spoke those words, they sounded almost like a normal salutation. White feathers were sprouting from part of his cheek, but he had God's power under control and was keeping his transformation to the bare minimum. "Izabella, your first love, is waiting for you." "That ain't the problem here, you dumb motherfucker!" In an uncharacteristic gesture, Jeanne frantically extended her hand toward him. But her fingertips met nothing but air. The briars had released her. The pillar itself was nothing but a husk now, so it had no more need for its sacrifice. Jeanne began falling. The golden girl descended like a bird struck out of the air. However, a bolt of light hurtled toward her landing point like a meteor. Before Jeanne could hit the ground, Izabella dashed up and caught her. It was the very image of a knight catching a princess in their arms. After making sure Jeanne was breathing, Izabella let out a sigh of relief and hugged Jeanne's wound-riddled body, golden hair and all. Jeanne, comically flustered, was saying something to her. As he gazed down at them, Kaito murmured in admiration. "Well, that's nice... Seems like there's hope for her yet." As he stood on his tiptoes, Kaito gave a pleased nod. Then he grabbed the feathers on his face and wrenched them out by the handful. Blood gushed forth, but he ignored it. He turned toward the Diablo pillar and headed straight for its briar-enclosed core. A single woman was sleeping inside it. She had black hair, white skin, crimson eyes, and a radiant beauty. And she was the person Kaito admired most. "Good work, Elisabeth. Don't worry, I'm here now. You're probably gonna be pissed at me, though." He'd once boasted that he'd save the world. That he'd rescue everything. However, killing Elisabeth Le Fanu was impossible for Kaito Sena. *** If he couldn't kill her, then... ...that would mean... At that moment, he gave voice to the sole, unspoken answer. "Because I'm taking charge of God and Diablo both." That was the act of selfishness Kaito Sena had decided on. He'd take on a burden greater than even the Saint's. 12 Kaito Sena's Story It's time for a story. It's the story of a boy who was brutally killed by another, and a story of a monster who cruelly killed others. Or perhaps it's a story of a child who was abandoned by his parents, and a hero who was abandoned by the world. Either way, it's a story of admiration and folly. It's a story of love, but not a story of romance. Someday, it will likely be remembered as a tale from long, long ago. A horrible, tragic little anecdote. One that was far too twisted to pass off as a fairy tale. Kaito Sena raised his hand, extending it straight toward Elisabeth. He had no intention of exchanging final words of farewell. After all, what he was doing was nothing more than an act of selfishness. Elisabeth was definitely going to be livid. Because of that, he'd completely cast aside his desire to talk to her. Instead, he just burned her briar-entwined figure into his eyes. Then he prepared to snap his fingers. But when he did. He heard a painfully nostalgic voice. "Ce...ase...this...non...sense..." "Wha—?" Kaito let out an involuntary yelp. The captive before him had moved. Normally, that shouldn't have been possible. Although the pillar was forcibly keeping her alive, she didn't even currently have a heart. In an absurd display of willpower, though, Elisabeth had opened her eyes. Their piercing, crimson gaze was directed straight at Kaito. Naturally, he let out a surprised "uh..." Then in his typical disrespectful tone, he spoke: "Geez... Dial down the mental fortitude a bit. Or, like, the resilience." "You...fool... 'Tis true, I did...give it to you... I even...told you...to save the world..." "That you did. You even gave me your heart." "But I never...told you to...shoulder...such a— Khagh!" Then Elisabeth coughed. Instead of blood, feathers came pouring from her lungs. As the black feathers fluttered away, she glared at him. Kaito flashed her an awkward smile. The moment she'd been captured by the pillar, Elisabeth had handed her heart over to him with the following words: "Drink them down or spit them all up, the choice is yours to make. But do try to live on, Kaito. "And when you do, save the world. Your strength is equal to the task, as is your needless determination. "You are the greatest fool this world has to offer—and you are my dim-witted servant, my pride and joy." Her voice had been like someone trying to cheer up a dejected child. However, not once had she asked him to rescue her. Much to the contrary, she was probably planning on waiting there for her death, like a monster who'd bequeathed her sword to a hero. There was no doubt in his mind that she'd expected him to destroy the Diablo pillar. But she'd been naive. There had never been any chance that Kaito Sena would do as she wished. Even so, she repeated herself. The only thing powering her desperate movements was the rage his words had inspired in her. "I told...you...did I not? 'Tis a heavy...thing...to shoulder sins..." The sins of the various races had cultivated a flower, and its blooming was what had brought about this situation. The punishment for their sloth and their ignorance had finally caught up with them. Flocks of sheep were, fundamentally, stupid. Trying to bear the weight of their original sin on one's own was rash in the extreme. Also, living forever was too cruel a fate. Not to mention the fact that Kaito was an outsider to this world. He had no obligation to shoulder the sin that had existed since before the dawn of this world. Elisabeth closed her eyes as if in prayer. Then in a small voice, she continued: "...'Tis too great a burden for you." "I can bear it." Kaito's response came readily. His voice didn't have an ounce of hesitation in it. Elisabeth's eyes shot open as if she'd been slapped. She looked at Kaito's face. The moment she did, her own face contorted, as though she was on the verge of tears. She understood. Time's passage was cruel and unfeeling. Nothing remained the same forever. "When did you...become able to...make such an...expression, you fool?" "Honestly, I don't know myself. But because I've changed, there are things I'm able to protect now." Kaito's expression wasn't that of the powerless boy he'd once been. It was the calm face of a person filled with resolve. The pain he'd experienced, the countless times he'd died, and the innumerable horrors he'd seen had completely painted over his fear and hopelessness. At this point, no words would make his heart waver. Elisabeth cast her gaze down. A faint murmur escaped her lips. "I... This is not what I summoned you to do." "...I know." "I merely wanted you...to handle my chores." "Ah yeah... I never did get the hang of cooking, did I?" "You did...one unnecessary thing...after another...my dim-witted servant..." "Yeah, and you're the only one." The only one who'd never called him the Mad King. And with that, Kaito nodded. He snapped his fingers, and his chest and ribs tore open. Chunks of flesh went flying off into space. His rib cage was in full bloom. A pulsating organ appeared from within. The organ transformed into crimson flower petals, then leaped into Elisabeth's mouth. Her heart had returned to its rightful place. "I'm giving it back." *** Kaito's body didn't require a heart anymore. Such was the realm he now stood in. Elisabeth shuddered at that fact. As he was now, he was a fitting vessel to bear both God and Diablo. But... ...he was still Kaito Sena. He was just Kaito Sena. He'd completely changed, but he was still her same dull, kindhearted, foolish servant as ever. Yet he spoke in the voice of a grizzled veteran. "Thank you, Elisabeth." "What do you intend to do about your promise?!" Suddenly, Elisabeth let out an articulate shout. She turned up her downcast face. She hadn't been crying. She glared at Kaito with eyes full of anger and indignation. "You told me, did you not?! You said you would remain by my side! You and you alone!" "And hey, you bringing me back to life and summoning me here must have been some kind of fate... So until you start walking the road to Hell, I'll try and stick by your side for as long as I can, even if I'm the only one." It was a promise the two of them had exchanged long ago. Kaito had sworn it to her back in her castle, right after they'd finished subjugating the Kaiser. Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life, she was accompanied by a single foolish servant. Kaito thought that sounded just fine. Neither of them had mentioned the promise out loud. But both of them knew. They both knew the other had thought it. "Don't worry, I plan on keeping it." Kaito spoke with complete composure. Elisabeth opened her mouth, as though to say, How? How do you intend on keeping it? But as she did, she suddenly realized the foolishness of the question she was about to ask. After the last rebuilding, the Saint had slumbered away inside a crystal. One who had taken that burden upon themself lost the ability to die. For the full span of Elisabeth Le Fanu's bloody life— —that foolish servant of hers would never leave. *** "Elisabeth. This foolish servant of yours will be by your side to the very end." Elisabeth extended a trembling arm. Kaito held his hand aloft. The Torture Princess struggled, trying desperately to grasp at his distant palm. But briars rose up one after another to stop her. Her already-broken fingers tore even further. She retched up blood. Yet just as she once had, she continued resisting. However, Kaito's figure remained distant. A smile crossed his face, and he got ready to snap his fingers. But suddenly, as if he'd just thought of something, he opened his mouth and spoke: "That reminds me—I told you once in a dream, but...I never said it to you in real life." "What is it...? What...is it...?" "I love you, Elisabeth." His words pierced her like a long sword. There was a brutal, kind truth to them. Heartbroken, Elisabeth stared at Kaito. She studied his face. He was smiling like a child— —his eyes still glittering as though gazing upon a revered hero. "For your sake, I could do or become anything." "—You can't! You mustn't!" Elisabeth tried to scream. But Kaito wasn't listening anymore. He hadn't been looking to coerce a response out of her; he'd merely said what he wanted to say. He gently waved his other hand at her. "Good-bye, Elisabeth." "'Twould be far better it were—" And without hearing her shout— "'Twould be far better it were I—" —Kaito Sena snapped his fingers. Countless invisible shackles clattered as they successively came undone. The ebony princess fell, as though she'd been struck |
by an arrow. She'd been extending her hand until the very end. She tried to shout something. Diamond-like tears glistened as they descended through the air. Lute successfully managed to catch her. As he watched over her, Kaito let out a quiet murmur. "...It's unusual to see you cry, Elisabeth." For some reason, she started struggling. As he gazed down at her, another faint smile crossed Kaito's face. However, smiling naturally like that was now beyond him. Black feathers had sprouted from his cheek. He immediately grabbed them and ripped them out. The twin powers of rebirth and destruction were whirling within him. A detached thought crossed his mind. Summoning God without the proper conditions having been met would have been hard, even for me. But now, given that the summoning's already completed, using His power in ways God Himself wants me to is pretty doable. At the moment, two inhuman emotions were bubbling up inside him. One was a fierce desire to destroy everything and swallow it all up. To put it in human terms, it resembled hunger. The other was a fierce determination to confine the destruction. To put it in human terms, it was like a sense of obligation. Kaito intentionally chose to amplify the latter. Little by little, Diablo's power began settling down. The underlings' cries stopped. A silence returned to the world below, one it had nearly forgotten. And at the same time, it began. A clear snapping noise rang out. "Yeah...I figured." The day of rebuilding was far in the future, so God was returning to His slumber. The Saint had been encased in a crystal. Now the same thing was happening to Kaito. A transparent layer had begun surrounding his still-living body. The snapping noise continued. Kaito murmured to himself. "Looks like it's over, huh...? I guess I did it." He quietly raised his arm. Azure petals and black darkness whirled atop his palm, and he drew a jet-black long sword from within them. The runes inscribed on its slender blade flashed, and he affirmed their meaning. All things are pardoned unto me. But I am ruled by none. "La (your job is done)." The moment Kaito whispered, cracks ran across the blade. Then Nameless, the sword without a name that was birthed from the wish to save a single woman, shattered completely. At the same time, Kaito's uniform transformed as well. At times, clothes made by magic could change based on their owner's influence. As the nature of Kaito's volition and magic shifted away from battle, so, too, did his outfit. Its end state was that of the butler uniform he'd constantly decried as unbecoming. He'd completed his transformation back into a foolish servant. Kaito slowly exhaled, then closed his eyes. The Mad King had appeared like a tempest and had vanished just as suddenly. And the massive amounts of mana he'd obtained knew that as well. There was truly nothing left that he needed to do. He'd completed everything that he'd set out to. And so Kaito Sena got to thinking. Specifically, it was during the time right before his body was fully enclosed. Hypothetically, if Elisabeth hadn't summoned me, what would have become of me? He certainly wouldn't have had to repeatedly experience the pain of death. He wouldn't have seen all those horrible, gruesome things he'd seen, either. However, he also would have gone his whole life without ever having been glad he was alive. Then like an empty bowl being filled with water— —memories of the various things he'd experienced in this new world swirled within his mind. The Torture Princess, laughing innocently. And tumbling toward the ground while shedding tears like diamonds. Hina, smiling gently. And drifting peacefully in and out of sleep atop a warm bed. The Butcher. Izabella. Jeanne. Lute. Ain. Vyade. All the people he'd met, all the expressions they'd made, and all the things they'd said to him. They had all been there— —and Kaito had lived within each of them. And Kaito hadn't forgotten the words Neue had said to him as he'd stood on death's door. "I guess...I was just hoping you could find happiness in this world." Even now, I'm still not totally sure what happiness is supposed to look like. But there's one thing I do know. The first time he'd wept with joy at having been born— —his death had gained meaning for the very first time. And even if he'd ended up under the same curse the Butcher had been bound by— —no matter how foolish the decision had been, Kaito didn't regret it at all. He had no regrets. If he had but one, though... *** A crisp noise rang out as the crystal shattered. Somebody had used all their might to rip open part of the film surrounding him. Of course, it would quickly reform. Who would have done such a silly thing? And why? Flustered, Kaito turned around. Outside the gap in the crystal, he could see a black spot in the sky. It was the Kaiser. It was unclear what he'd come for, but he was wordlessly beating his wings. However, the reason for his arrival soon became clear. The Kaiser had been carrying someone. *** Kaito's bride was before his very eyes. His beloved bride had flown up to meet him. "Hi...na—" "You did as you pleased, Master Kaito, and now I intend to do the same!" Her maid uniform fluttering, Hina beamed. She had already cast aside the halberd she'd used to break the crystal. She was simply reaching out her arms. She embraced him, as any would a deeply loved one. "I won't let you be alone." "Hina—" "After all, we're a family." Her smile was as radiant as a flower in bloom. Kaito trembled in surprise. He knew. He had to hurry. The crystal's opening still hadn't closed yet. If he shoved Hina away, he could still make it in time. He couldn't drag her into this. He needed to let her be free. With that thought in mind, he reached out his arms. And with all his strength— —he hugged his wife tight. Holding your beloved in your arms. That had to be one of the purest forms that happiness came in, Kaito Sena mused. She's warm, she's lovely, and I don't want to let go of her. For if we separate, I will surely die. And he was certain she felt the same way. Kaito Sena was terrifyingly free of regrets. If he had but one regret, though... ...it was in regard to his bride. And thus, Kaito now turned to his wife with a teary smile on his face. "Hina...will you stay with me forever?" "Yes, gladly. In sickness and in health, till death do us part. I shall be by your side forevermore!" They pressed their lips together, as resolutely as when they'd exchanged their vows. Then they smiled at each other like always. Kaito hugged Hina tight. The crystal snapped and popped as it closed up. Their bodies were steadily being surrounded. As they rubbed their cheeks affectionately against each other, Hina whispered: "Master Kaito, I'm very, very happy right now." "Yeah, me too." Their field of view gradually shrank and shrank. They were being cut off from the outside world. Despite the unfathomable pain and pressure invading his body, Kaito Sena whispered from the bottom of his heart as well. "I'm so glad...that I was born." And then with a snap— —the crystal sealed completely. Epilogue Two pillars stood atop the World's End. Feathers, white and black, and roses, azure and crimson, fluttered down from them onto the frozen earth. They cascaded below like beautiful drops of rain and flakes of snow. At that florid scene's center, a massive crystal was enshrined between the two pillars. Two humans were sleeping inside it. Or to be more precise, one was from another world, and the other was an automaton. The two were nestled up close to each other, and their faces looked downright blissful. They were like a symbol of all the joy the world had to offer. The soldiers gazed dumbfoundedly at the crystal. The power that had threatened to destroy the world was gone, and all the underlings had turned to ash. The burning-black sky, too, had reclaimed its original milky-white, rainbow hue. The snowflakes drifting to the ground were clear and pure. Amid all that, the soldiers had come to realize something. Something about the person whom they'd all relied on yet had borne fear and bloodlust toward behind their smiles. Something about the Mad King, the man they'd feared they would need to kill someday. "...Was he always such a frail-looking boy?" He was nothing more than a thin little man. Still holding Jeanne, Izabella looked down. Vlad was still smiling. Lute struck the ground and let out a wordless roar. Valisisa spat on the ground. And there was one woman who sat down in front of the crystal. Her lustrous, black hair fluttered in the wind as she gazed at its two sleeping inhabitants. Nobody moved to approach her. Eventually, though, La Christoph came up behind her. Blood was flowing from his still-open rib cage. However, there was no pain in his voice as he made his solemn statement. "This world has sustained a grave blow. Humanity has no leeway, and the Church's authority has crumbled. I have no intention of committing the folly of killing someone as useful as you. Your execution is hereby permanently deferred, Elisabeth Le Fanu. That is the least we can do to repay the debt we owe that stranger." "Is that...so?" "Before the day of your death, try to do some good at least." With that, La Christoph closed his mouth and turned. Then he left to go help treat the wounded. Elisabeth remained silent. Suddenly, though, she moved. She extended her arm and touched the crystal. She pressed her hand firmly against its transparent surface. However, she was unable to make her way inside. As she gazed at their two resting figures, she let out a small whisper. "Hina... Perhaps this is the best for you. 'Tis a good thing, I suppose, that no tears need come your way... Aye, perhaps 'tis the best for both of you. And perhaps living alone is yet another of my punishments. No, as you said, I suppose I'm not alone." "Elisabeth. This foolish servant of yours will be by your side to the very end." Elisabeth thought back on the words she herself had been told. She curled her lips upward, just a hair. She knocked her forehead against the crystal. "You fool... You complete and utter fool." No voice rose up in reply. Nothing came back to her. Even so, she wore a smile as she spoke: "'Tis true—no matter how much time passes, you shall always be my foolish servant." Feathers, white and black, and roses, azure and crimson, rained down on her incessantly. They rained down over the world, as if to congratulate it for its survival. And with that, Kaito Sena's story came to an end. It was a tale from long, long ago. A tale of admiration, folly— —and love. Afterword Winter's cold wave has given way, and spring is upon us. And with it, Volume 6 has been released. Truly, an auspicious season. Thank you all so much for buying the sixth volume of Torture Princess. In regard to how I'm arranging this afterword, I thought I'd lead with the acknowledgments this time. To Saki Ukai, for these six volumes of wonderful illustrations; to my editor O, for putting up with all the trouble I've caused you; and to Hina Yamato, for the two volumes of the manga adaptation, I would like to thank you all so much. I'd also like to extend deep thanks to everyone else involved in the process, as well as my beloved family, particularly my sister. And more than anything, I would like to |
express my gratitude to my readers once more. The curtain has finally closed on Kaito Sena's story. Thank you all so much for accompanying me on his journey. I was able to write almost everything about him that I wanted to, a fact that fills me with emotion. As for Torture Princess as a whole, it will continue. It will continue. (That part's important.) To tell you the truth, after I submitted my plot outline for Volume 6, my editor mentioned it would make for a good stopping point, so if I absolutely wanted to end the series there, I could. But I still had various things I wanted to write about her and her acquaintances, and about this event and that event, and the various characters doing this, that, and the other thing, so I asked to be allowed to continue writing. Since then, I've submitted my whole outline for the plot to come, and I got my editor's seal of approval. The content and pace should be just about the same as it has been up until now, so I hope that news brings you all some relief. However, if you want to just close the book here and call that the end, that's a perfectly valid choice, and this would be the volume to do it. As an author, though, it would bring me utmost joy if you were to come along with me, watch over the characters, and see the fate of this world until the true end. I intend to keep writing to the best of my ability, so I hope you'll join me. Please, I beg of you. The story up until now has been for his sake. From now on, though, it will become a story for the other protagonist's sake—for her sake. And as long as the story continues, there's one thing I feel I must say. The true hell— —has only just begun. Part 2—The Torture Princess Arc Prologue The red sun had just sunk in the sky, and darkness was beginning to overtake the area. A single figure was running through the night. It was a man, clad in a dark mage's stereotypical droopy hood. He was frequently glancing about as he ran. It seemed the magical traps he'd been laying about had completed their tasks, as he didn't see any sign of his pursuers. Certain he'd successfully made another escape, he breathed a sigh of relief. That caused him to let his guard down. A slender figure fell on him from above. Someone had descended like an arrow from the rooftops, mercilessly landing on him high-heels-first. Although he narrowly avoided having his neck broken, he let out an ugly scream when his attacker trampled on his stomach. The voice that rang out was as cold and as sharp as a knife. "Squealing like a pig is unbecoming. 'Twas obvious your crimes would catch up with you. So why did you think you could escape me? 'Tis precisely what's so irksome about you weaklings who fail to grasp the difference in strength between you and your superiors." The man frantically looked up at his foe. Her resplendent, black hair glittered in the moonlight, and her skin, which her risqué bondage dress laid bare, was captivatingly awash in the light as well. The man let out a cry filled with awe and despair. "E-Elisabeth!" "Precisely. I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu." A sadistic smile spread across the beautiful woman's face. As she pressed her foot down on the man, she made her bold declaration. "I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow." "I caaaught him." "Excellent work!" As she made her listless announcement, Elisabeth kicked the bound mage forward. The beastfolk replied with their thanks as they approached their captured foe. A deer-headed soldier dragged him down to the dungeons. Elisabeth rotated her shoulders in exasperation. Lute walked up to her and handed her a hot cup of tea. "I would expect nothing less. With this, we can strike another name off the most wanted list. He gave us the slip when we busted up the last demon-worshipper site, you see, and sniffing him out was beyond us." "Well, the blame for that hardly rests with you. I was conveniently able to trace his traps back to him, but...such a trick can only be performed if one possesses a proper grasp of magic. Anyhow, that's all, correct? I shall be taking my break now. And my dinner, albeit a late one." "Oh, Ms. New Captain! We're getting off, too, so if you don't mind, we could eat togeth— Hwah!" The new recruit, with his characteristic notched ear, let out a jovial remark. However, Lute immediately snatched him up by the nape of his uniform. The legs of the coyote-headed recruit dangled. Lute shook his head, as though instructing him not to get in her way. The recruit didn't seem to understand, but he obediently went quiet. Elisabeth drank down her tea as though nothing had happened. After giving the cup back to Lute, she began walking. The moment she did, though, the door was violently kicked open. The voice that rang out seemed somehow puppetlike, yet at the same time, it was strangely obnoxious. "Pardon me. Elisabeth! Is Elisabeth Le Fanu around? Listen to what I gotta say for a minute, ya bitch!" "Ah. 'Tis Jeanne... I see you've made your way here from the Capital again. When you leave, I do expect you to mend the door on your way out. How many times does this make, anyhow?" "Don't worry about that; just listen. I don't understand what's going on in my little lady's head. On some days, she's kind to me, and on others, she seems wholly uninterested. Why, today and yesterday, she barely even greeted me. Women, I'm tellin' ya! Like, does she hate me? She doesn't hate me, does she?" "The way I'd heard it, Izabella's been up to her ears in work since yesterday. And besides, she's never been much of a clingy type. I'm off now. Good-bye." Waving her hand in exasperation, Elisabeth grabbed the basket from the table. Jeanne seemed to be on the verge of launching into another tirade, but Lute signaled to Elisabeth with his eyes that he could take it from there. She left the room. Then after successfully escaping into the hallway, she dropped a jewel onto the floor. It was a magical device she'd created by taking a gem already rich in mana, then carving spells and pouring blood into it. The moment it landed, a teleportation circle appeared on the ground. Crimson flower petals and darkness sprayed up as far as the eye could see. Cylindrical walls the color of fresh blood formed around her. Then fine cracks ran across them. Once the circle had vanished, nobody remained within. Thus, Elisabeth vanished from the beastfolk lands. She arrived in a place that had neither day nor night. Elisabeth surveyed the pure land crafted from snow, water, wind, and mana. Above her was a milky-white sky blanketed in a rainbow-colored film. Neither the sun nor the moon was visible. Everything around her was beautiful and empty. The delicate snowflakes crunched under her feet as she walked. Eventually, she arrived at a strange sight. There were two pillars of ivy toppled over, like corpses of giants. The two of them were lying on top of each other and propping each other up. Because of that, there was a shrine-like cave at their center. She boldly sat down in it, surrounded by ivy decorated with azure and crimson roses. While magically maintaining her body's temperature, she opened up her basket. Inside it were a variety of sandwiches packed with fruits, vegetables, and meats. She nodded as she glanced fondly at them. Normally, the beastfolk preferred mild flavors. Compared with the dishes in the early days, though, Elisabeth's meal was seasoned fairly heavily, and the serving size had gone up as well. She gestured at it and spoke: "Behold this transformation. And I uttered nary a complaint. Kind, isn't he? 'Tis little wonder you all got along so handsomely." Her tone seemed to indicate she was talking to someone. However, there was no response. As she imagined Lute going out of his way to pop into the kitchen, Elisabeth began eating her sandwiches. As she did, she snapped the fingers on her free hand and retrieved the personal documents she'd been secretly keeping. She went over her recent thoughts. "Little has changed from the information I reported previously. No incidents of note have occurred, at any rate... Ah, but there is some good news. Although they yet continue, the mixed-race murders have subsided dramatically over the last year. 'Tis a natural result of the situation calming down, but still. That said, there is something strange that's caught my attention about the way it's subsided. The result itself is auspicious, but I shall have to analyze it later. Now, as for today..." The way she was talking really did make it seem like there was someone else there. However, the only reply she received was silence. At Vyade's suggestion, she was working under Lute's command to preserve the public order. The world's wounds were deep, and the new way people perceived God and Diablo had given rise to a number of new catastrophes. The reconstruction sect had scattered across the land and acquired greater influence, and demon worshippers had begun running rampant. The Torture Princess's job was to operate behind the scenes and bring them to justice. However, there was no shortage of paladins and other humans who refused to accept her, so she was working out in the beastfolk lands. The soldiers who'd survived Ragnarok seemed to carry a certain sense of guilt, and they were generally kind to her. And the new recruits held a great deal of admiration toward the actions she and her servant had taken, so they tended to approach her with a degree of familiarity as well. It was, all things considered, not entirely unpleasant. However, Elisabeth did her best to keep to herself. In order to best protect the world, 'tis best to avoid nurturing new bonds. There was no way of knowing whom or what she would eventually have to sacrifice. And there was also the possibility that everyone would eventually find themselves needing to kill the Torture Princess. Such were Elisabeth's concerns. For the moment, though, unstable as the world was, things were peaceful. She secretly found that miraculous fact quite pleasing. After all, this ugly, selfish world was the very one he'd chosen to protect. "Now then, I suppose dinner's over. 'Twas a fine meal, but...surely, not a dish exists in this world that compares to the ones you made, Hina." Elisabeth quietly murmured, but after a moment, she shook her head and withdrew the thermos from her basket. She heartily drank down its contents. Suddenly, she let her body go limp. A small thump rang out as her back collided with something. As she leaned against the transparent crystal, Elisabeth quietly closed her eyes. Two people were sleeping inside the crystal at her back. They were as silent as ever, and unchanging smiles adorned their faces. Elisabeth remained facing forward. She refused to look back. However, because nobody was listening, a few words suddenly fell from her mouth. Her words were like a drop of blood, shed straight from the heart. "...I wish I could see you." Of course, from within the crystal, Kaito and Hina offered no answer. It had been three years since that fateful battle. "You can see them; you can!" The voice that echoed through the castle sounded like a bell ringing. As she heard those words, which seemed almost to be a response to the murmur she'd made a while back, and gazed at the scene spread out before her, Elisabeth narrowed her eyes. What had happened? For a moment, she wasn't totally sure. |
Over the past three years, Vyade had moved back from her secondary residence to her original home. The lighting throughout its entire audience chamber was dim. Furthermore, the room's daintily embroidered curtains cast whimsical shadows atop the stairs leading up to the throne. The curtains' large, floral design was gorgeous, yet they possessed the same solemnity as a large, aging beast. The room seemed undefended at first glance, but a number of skilled soldiers were hidden away in its nooks and crannies. Or at least, they were supposed to be. Now, though, not a single one of them seemed to be present. Lute and the others standing behind her hadn't noticed yet, but Elisabeth could tell. They've all been knocked out already. Earlier that day, Valisisa had come to visit Vyade. The first imperial princess had been busy pursuing a group of reconstruction-sect members who'd gotten their hands on some surviving transfigured paladins, but she'd gotten back a few days prior. The way Valisisa had ordered Elisabeth, Lute, and the others to come greet her as well had been haughty, yet friendly at the same time. That was what they'd been on their way to the audience chamber to do. However, the room they'd been heading toward was steeped in the scent of blood. Elisabeth glanced around the room with her crimson eyes. Within, the worst possible result was awaiting them. Two beastfolk lay toppled over. Sitting motionless in the throne was a white wolf with her head drooping low. Atop her was a red fox who was dressed in a military uniform and looked like she'd moved to cover the wolf. Their red and white fur was matted thick with blood. And standing before the two imperial princesses of the beastfolk were two humans. The lovely voice from before had come from one of them, and as for the other— "The true value of information lies in its ability to set people's minds in motion." The man began speaking in a detached tone. He was tall and possessed a distinct sort of melancholy. Although he was attractive, the bottom part of his face was concealed behind a crow mask. Wearing just half of a mask was a rather strange choice. The rest of his body was garbed in a thick, black outfit. Curiously, it made him look almost like a doctor or a researcher. For some reason, instead of fleeing, he chose to begin making a speech in the bloodstained room. "Moving, how the three races managed to come together for a common goal. But the information that was shared among them and subsequently leaked can be described as nothing but a gross error. The possibility of people appearing from other worlds and the details regarding demon flesh, in particular, should have been concealed. Now everyone knows that by summoning from another world a soul that's accustomed to pain, placing it in an immortal body, making it form a contract with a demon, and giving it the heart of an individual who's ingested demon flesh and accumulated a massive amount of pain, it's possible to artificially create an entity capable of revolutionizing the world." His voice was just as heavy and gloomy as his melancholy appearance would imply. Lute and the others were still stunned. The man's speech, which had been wholly inappropriate for the time and place, had only served to exacerbate that. However, Elisabeth knew exactly what he was talking about. She clicked her tongue. The possibility of people appearing from other worlds and the details regarding demon flesh. That was, without a doubt, one of the things she'd been afraid of. But how would someone arrive at that thought before the information faded from memory?! Only someone who reared hell within their mind the way Vlad did should have been able to notice that fact. Furthermore, Elisabeth had feared even that faint possibility and had taken steps to prevent it. However, the man spoke to no one in particular. "It may seem trivial, but in truth, the fact that this person comes from another world is surprisingly crucial. The people of this world don't realize it themselves, but their imaginations are narrow, causing their potential to be limited. One would have to destroy their very ego to escape the shackles they themselves are unaware of. However, people from other worlds are different. I died, but I got a second chance at life. This time, I'm going to accomplish everything I set out to do. That conception serves as an almighty justification. It gives them that magical quality that allows them to obtain limitless power." "But you need the First Demon's flesh for that, and I made certain to retrieve it all! It should no longer be possible to obtain meat from a demon that powerful!" Elisabeth let out a shout. The man nodded magnanimously, as though congratulating her. "An apt measure. That was what posed the largest problem for me. You all put down the reconstruction-sect members who'd carried off the meat before I could get to them. An impressive display. However, that was where another piece of information became crucial. Specifically, the records from the battle at the Capital—in particular, the ones regarding demon crossbreeding." Elisabeth's eyes shot open. That was a piece of information that not only she, but everyone had overlooked. After their egos were destroyed, two demonic contractors were able to have a powerful child within their fused mass of flesh. It had been exceedingly unprecedented. However, upon being faced with the end of days, nobody had paid it much heed any longer. Upon seeing Elisabeth's agitation, the man nodded to affirm her fears. Then as though lecturing a group of incompetents, he solemnly went on. "I summoned a pair of weaker demons into a man and a woman, then destroyed both their egos. They had two children. Then I bred the children together. By repeating that process, it was possible to create a pure, powerful demon. Eventually, I created a demon powerful enough to meet my needs. Of course, the whole process was a little more involved than merely breeding mice. As you can see, it took me three whole years to reach this point." The man hung his head sadly, his heart apparently filled with grief. However, someone stroked his arm to console him. It was the owner of the first voice, the one standing beside the throne. "It's okay, Father. Please don't be sad. We made it, didn't we? That's what matters. All's well that ends well! And really, we're just getting started!" The voice belonged to a young girl. She was wearing a blue bondage dress, but it was so covered in ribbons and frills that it was difficult to recognize it as such. In Elisabeth's opinion, it was a bit much. However, she was certainly cute and girly. Her hair was white, and her eyes were red. It was unclear if it was innate or not, but she seemed somewhat lacking in pigmentation. Her voice matched her lovely appearance, and her tone was practically singsong. "I heard your story, Elisabeth. It's a very sad story. That's what I think. I'm thinking about you, even if no one in the world is. And you know, I think it would be better if your story didn't end like that. After all, sad things are sad. No matter how much you patch them up, they still make you want to cry. That's why you'll be able to see them!" Although the girl was surrounded by the smell of blood, the smile that spread across her face didn't have a hint of malice in it. She extended her pale hand in front of her, then called out to Elisabeth in a gentle voice. "I'll help you! I'll help you, Elisabeth! I'll help you meet the people you care about!" "...Who the hell are you?" Elisabeth growled out that lone question. The girl stared blankly at her. After she blinked, though, she suddenly grabbed the hem of her skirt. She performed an awkward, yet adorable bow. "That's right; I have to introduce myself first. That's what you did. So I should do the same. My name is Alice Carroll. I am the ideal girl of men and the sinful harlot who deserves to be stoned. However, that's the name Father gave me, and the words I thought up. My real name, the one I lost, is Sara Yuuki." "Sara Yuuki? Wait... That strange pronunciation... That self-introduction... No, you can't be—" "You're the Torture Princess, so... Yes, it would be strange to be the same. Being the exact same would be odd. So as someone who was reincarnated, I suppose I should say it like this: I am..." The girl let out an amused chuckle. And with purity in her voice, the girl—the one unburdened by that world's original sin—made her proclamation. "...the Torture Princess from Another World. The Fremd Torturchen, if you will." Thus, the curtain rose on a new stage. On a cruel story, one that may or may not eventually be told as a tale from long, long ago. It's time for a story. A story of repentance, dreams— —and hatred. An Oath of Rebellion Hear ye, ladies and gentlemen! Let my words be a record of our subservience. Let them be heard as a lamentation of the humiliating lives you've forced us into. Let them be heard as a cry of rage at the cruelty of the fates you've subjected us to. And let them be heard as a hymn of joy. We have wept, and we have wept, and we have wept, and we have no tears left to shed. What choice do we have, then, but to rejoice in your tyranny? We have surpassed resignation, we have transcended despair, and at long last, we have found our answer. But reaching it cost more lives than you will ever know. You people cannot even begin to imagine the cruelties we have suffered. You see, most people are nothing more than ignorant, stupid animals. And why wouldn't they be? After all, anyone unfortunate enough to be saddled with wisdom and reason would inevitably be forced to confront this world's contradictions and inconsistencies. And without ignorance to shield them, the discord would cause their hearts to shatter. So in order to protect themselves, the living reduce themselves to base animals. When it comes to your own pain, you people are as sensitive as fledgling birds. But when it comes to the pain of others, you're as dull and senseless as swine. You only see what you want to see, only hear what you want to hear. And it's because you're all weak. For most of you, your only crime is cowardice—but I don't give a damn. You don't get my sympathy, we're never going to see eye to eye, and I find the thought of acknowledging you repulsive. True, each tragedy was born from the weakness of individuals. But you people don't deserve my pity. For it is in weakness that people have room to grow. Surely, there was something to be learned from all those horrors you witnessed. Yet you persisted in your ignorance. So, so many of you insisted on maintaining your inane foolishness. Who allowed you to be so stupid? So cruel? Why should we have to forgive you? Make no mistake—we have been called on to forgive you time and again. A thought crossed my mind once—if the end of days truly had been upon us, maybe it would have all been fine. On the brink of annihilation, I could greet even your malice with a smile. All your atrocities could be forgiven, written off as isolated incidents of fear-induced derangement. But God and Diablo failed to bring down the hammer— —so I must do it in their stead. I'll take this world, I'll make it my own, and I'll kill every last fool who walks upon it. I don't need a reason. After all, justice |
died long ago. At this point, what use does anyone have for something so decent and proper? And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if I choose to act or watch from the sidelines; it won't affect our ultimate fate. Salvation isn't coming, ladies and gentlemen. Not for you, and certainly not for me. Ah...I do grieve like a child sometimes. If only God were more merciful. Were that the case... ...there might have been another way. 1 A New Stage Three years ago, the world very nearly met a tragic end. However, that seemingly immutable fate was altered by a single person. And the one who accomplished that miraculous feat wasn't a grand hero of any sort. He was a boy who had reincarnated from another world following a life of abuse and a meaningless death. He got a chance at life, then had a number of experiences, some horrifying and some irreplaceable. Then after a long series of battles, he obtained a colossal amount of mana and used it to save someone precious to him. And while he was at it, he saved the world. By sacrificing himself. After burdening himself with God and Diablo, the boy fell into a deep slumber at the World's End. Thanks to his deeds, the people of the world managed to avoid the apocalypse. The greatest good for the greatest number was, surely, the greatest outcome. One could say they all lived happily ever after. And that would be all well and good. But whenever someone's story ends, there are some things that yet remain. With its lease on life renewed, the world continued on. But the bells would eventually toll on a new curtain's rise. For that is the way bells and curtains are. The play's continuation was unveiled in the beastfolk lands. And the new stage was the audience chamber of Vyade Ula Forstlast. The chamber was a tranquil space with a pedestal atop a short flight of stairs, complete with a throne in the center of the area. Curtains decorated with delicate embroidery hung gracefully on both sides. Their large-petaled floral patterns afforded the hall a gorgeous air, and their heavy, thick cloth gave the chamber the sort of solemnity one would associate with a majestic beast. Normally, each curtain would have a number of skilled soldiers standing guard behind it. Now, though, their presence was nowhere to be felt. All of them were dead. The throne room had been transformed into a grisly crime scene, its mystical atmosphere broken by the smell of blood and the grim pall of death. And worst of all was what lay on the throne itself. The two imperial beastfolk princesses were breathing their last. The pure-white, wolf-headed second imperial princess sat atop the throne, unmoving. Her hand hung low. The red-haired, fox-headed first imperial princess—perhaps having tried to protect her sister—lay sprawled atop her. Their white and red fur, as well as their dress and military uniform, were soaked in fresh blood. Neither was likely to open her eyes ever again. A pair of humans stood before the sisters' bodies. "The true value of information lies in its ability to set people's minds in motion. Moving, how the three races managed to come together for a common goal. But the information that was shared between them and subsequently leaked can be described as nothing but a gross error. The possibility of people appearing from other worlds and the details regarding demon flesh, in particular, should have been concealed." The first one to speak was the man garbed in black standing by the throne. He was tall, well-proportioned, and, aside from his melancholy ambience, relatively attractive. However, part of his face was hidden beneath a white crow mask. It really was peculiar, seeing a man wear only half of a mask. His outfit, which oddly resembled that of a doctor or a researcher, was black from top to bottom. He continued his lecture in a level tone wholly unfitting for the situation at hand. "I summoned a pair of weaker demons into a man and a woman, then destroyed both their egos. They had two children. Then I bred the children together. By repeating that process, it was possible to create a pure, powerful demon. Eventually, I created a demon powerful enough to meet my needs. Of course, the whole process was a little more involved than merely breeding mice. As you can see, it took me three whole years to reach this point." "It's okay, Father. Please don't be sad. Really, we're just getting started!" At the end of the man's speech, his tone took on a hint of chagrin. His partner, an adorable little girl, offered him words of encouragement. Then she turned toward Elisabeth. Her hair was long, full, and white, and her eyes were red. She was somewhat lacking in pigmentation, but perhaps she had just been born that way. "I heard your story, Elisabeth. It's a very sad story. That's what I think. I'm thinking about you, even if no one in the world is." Her blue bondage dress was garnished so heavily with frills and ribbons that it was barely even recognizable as one. It was cute, but it was also so egregiously girly that some would consider it over-the-top. Even for a world where magic existed, her outfit looked like it had come straight out of a fairy tale. And it wasn't just her clothing—her expression looked unnatural, too. Her bloody surroundings made the broad smile on her face come across as warped and twisted. The girl innocently extended her pale hand. "I'll help you! I'll help you, Elisabeth! I'll help you meet the people you care about!" "...Who the hell are you?" Elisabeth's reply was concise. The girl gave her a blank stare. However, after pulling herself together, she grasped the hem of her skirt and gave an adorably awkward bow. "That's right; I have to introduce myself first. That's what you did. So I should do the same. My name is Alice Carroll. I am the ideal girl of men and the sinful harlot who deserves to be stoned. However, that's the name Father gave me and the words I thought up. My real name, the one I lost, is Sara Yuuki." "Sara Yuuki? Wait... That strange pronunciation...that self-introduction... No, you can't be—" "You're the Torture Princess, so... Yes, it would be strange to be the same. Being the exact same would be odd. So as someone who was reincarnated, I suppose I should say it like this: I am..." The girl let out an amused chuckle. And with purity in her voice, the girl—the one unburdened by that world's original sin—made her proclamation. "...the Torture Princess from Another World. The Fremd Torturchen, if you will." Thus the curtain rose on a new stage. The performers, who'd finally found peace, were given no say in the matter. "The Fremd Torturchen? A new reincarnation?" Elisabeth verbally reviewed the astonishing information. So someone had reincarnated other than Kaito Sena. And there was a Torture Princess other than herself—Elisabeth Le Fanu—and Jeanne de Rais. But combining the two defied every shred of logic in the world. Such a being should not exist. Elisabeth was struck by a sensation much like vertigo. However, she quickly pulled herself together. After forming a small vortex of darkness and flower petals, she thrust her hand in and withdrew a long sword. The inscription carved on its crimson blade flashed as she cried out its name. "Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!" In short, she was completely rejecting Alice's greeting. However, the girl in question didn't seem offended in the slightest. She merely broadened her smile. Beside her, the man placed a finger on his jaw and stroked the line where mask met flesh. "You are free to act as you will. But pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand. Its appearance and inscription match the report to a T. It's odd, though—I've never seen it in person before, yet somehow, it feels like I have." "Ah, you know of my sword. But a thousand reports will tell you nothing of the sting of its blade. Come, then, have your fill of it. 'Tis an honor rarely granted to fools such as yourself, but I'm prepared to make an exception." Elisabeth spat out a naked threat, to which the man in black nodded with a strange, scholarly composure. Then he retreated a step and gave Alice's back a little push. Her cheeks flushed scarlet as she stepped forward. "Father? I can go? Really and truly?! Yippee, I'm so happy!" "Pendulum!" Elisabeth pointed at the ceiling, immediately launching her attack. Darkness and flower petals swirled up high. Then a massive sickle-and-chain shot out from the black and crimson. Thanks to the momentum from its fall, the blade swung backward. Right before it hit the wall, though, the fiendish Pendulum stopped and swung back the other way. In other words, straight for Alice. It accelerated toward her at a far greater rate than gravity should have allowed. A number of chains shot at her back, too. Then Alice Carroll was impaled between the two—or rather, she should have been. Yet no spray of blood filled the air. Everything was just still and quiet. Elisabeth frowned. Out of the blue, Alice and the man had vanished from atop the stairs. A large black egg sat in their place. Its sleek shell seemed to have repelled all the attacks. Then a young voice echoed from within. "Humpty Dumpty—once it breaks, 'all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put it back together again.' But it won't break unless it 'has a great fall.'" "Hmph. A rhyme I've not heard, and a most peculiar rule. Influence from your original world, I take it?" "Yeah, that's right. There's this story, see, and I used it as a base for all my Fremd Torturchen— H-hey, you startled me! What did you go and do that for?! That was too— Eek!" Alice let out a little shriek—the egg had just risen into the air atop a stone Pillory. Elisabeth had completely abandoned the device's intended purpose and was instead using it to give the egg its prescribed "great fall." Alice looked decidedly alarmed. She and the man burst out of the shell. The chains attempted to follow them, but Alice repelled the attack with a spray of flower petals. The man remained calm throughout, but Alice's eyes soon grew wide. Elisabeth had prepared a mountain of pins at their landing site, too. "Just let the skewers run you through and be done with it." "Huh? What? Pins, too? Eeeeenough already!" But the moment before Elisabeth's lethal trap came to fruition, Alice drew a circle. Hers wasn't made of darkness and flower petals; it was just a black disc, like a rabbit hole. She drew a checkered tablecloth like one might use for a tea party from within it, then draped it gently over the needles. The ground beneath returned to its original flat state. Alice and the man landed with a thump. As she caught her breath, she wiped away beads of cold sweat. "Pant, pant... Now, listen here, Elisabeth. You're waaaaaay bigger than me, so I think surprise attacks like that are quite unbecoming of a lady like you. Didn't your father ever scold you and tell you it was uncivilized? Wha—? Hey! I'm trying to talk to you!" "Scold me? To the contrary. My foster father, for one, is a brute who's rather fond of surprise attacks himself... My, my... You blocked my strike with your bare hands? Your words may be dull, but your reactions are quite another story." "Oh, are you mocking me? Or are you complimenting me?" "Both, much as the latter pains me. Fool." Elisabeth clicked her tongue as she attempted to put more strength |
behind her sword swing. The moment Alice landed, Elisabeth had dashed up the stairs and tried to lop her head off. But Alice had caught the deadly blow with one hand. And after the Pendulum made its way back after bouncing off the egg, she blocked it in the same manner as well. At the moment, Alice was perched on her tiptoes and grabbing a blade in each hand. Amusingly, her entire body was trembling. Less amusing, however, was the complete lack of openings in her defense. Her technique defied all reason. "Hmph." Elisabeth let go of Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal, then kicked off the edge of its handle and somersaulted backward through the air. After landing halfway down the stairs, she leaped back once more and returned to her original position. Alice continued smiling. She made no efforts to pursue. Elisabeth thought back to the girl's introduction. Fremd Torturchen, eh. Apparently, that had been more than just a sick joke. That was what made it all so nightmarish. Now then... What to do...? Elisabeth shot a glance behind her. Lute and the rest of his men were frozen in shock. They were doubtless still trying to process the combination of the grisly spectacle, the imperial princesses' deaths, and the man's speech. After making sure Alice wasn't readying a follow-up attack, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. Her sword, which Alice was still clutching in her hand, burst back into flower petals. Suddenly, Alice stuffed them into her mouth. She licked her lips, spreading blood all over them. It was like looking at a cat who'd just eaten a mouse. "Mmm, it's sweet! It tastes like dessert. Yeah, like cookies and candy! Sugar is so expensive in this world, though... Say, what kind of dessert do you like best, Elisabeth?" "What are you people aiming to achieve?" Alice seemed to be babbling, so Elisabeth ignored her and directed her question at the man. She'd noticed something out of place during their exchange of blows. Compared with the demon contractors she'd fought in the past, there was something decidedly unnatural about the man. It wasn't that he looked like a good person, per se. It was that he looked downright absurd. He seems oddly calm, yet that alone is nary the half of it. The look in his eyes is one I've not often seen. The man's eyes were cold and hollow. It was like someone had drained all the emotion from them. He wasn't relishing his current situation, and none of the death and pain he'd caused seemed to delight or excite him in the slightest. Given the grisly spectacle he'd created, that fact was peculiar in the extreme. The man offered no answer. Elisabeth pressed on. "You realized that 'by summoning from another world a soul that's accustomed to pain, placing it in an immortal body, making it form a contract with a demon, and giving it the heart of an individual who's ingested demon flesh and accumulated a massive amount of pain, it's possible to artificially create an entity capable of revolutionizing the world.' So, what, your aim is revolution, then?" "What an odd question. In fact, I don't understand why you would ask something like that. Why would I go to such pains to create a revolutionary, if not to start a revolution?" The man raised an eyebrow. Nearly landing on a bed of pins hadn't so much as fazed him, but the stupid question seemed to have rubbed him the wrong way. Elisabeth nodded. There was a logic to that. Yet due to the peculiarity of the man's demeanor, she had to ask. As far as she could tell, he had nothing in the way of passion or avarice. Whatever drove him, it almost certainly wasn't ambition or lust for power. Frankly, 'tis ludicrous for a man such as him to speak of revolution. Scorn filled her thoughts as she began laying out her endless list of questions. The man's goal was to "revolutionize the world." However, it was unclear what specifically that entailed. Furthermore, he seemed utterly devoid of passion, making it unclear what had driven him to assassinate the imperial princesses. And also, it was a mystery why he hadn't long since fled the scene. Hoping to get some light shed on those points, Elisabeth opened her mouth to speak. The moment she did, though, a low voice sounded from behind her. "...And that's why you cut those two down?" "Lute, it gladdens me that you've finally joined us. But for now, calm yourself. The situation calls for discretion." "You killed our noble princesses for the sake of some flimsy, fleeting whim?!" Lute bellowed, his rage flaring up like an inferno. Elisabeth, still facing forward, extended an arm to the side to prevent him from charging. He let out a low growl after just barely stopping in his tracks. The man in black cocked his head to the side a little. In what appeared to be a habit of his, he stroked his jawline. "There seems to be a misunderstanding. Allow me to amend it. It wasn't just 'those two.' Alice...how many was it again?" "A hundred and eighty-seven, Father! Including the fox's twenty attendants!" Alice replied in a lively tone. The man praised her by stroking her cheek. A hundred and eighty-seven, including the fox's twenty attendants. What do those figures mean? Elisabeth frowned. The words had an ominous ring to them, but she couldn't figure out what they meant. Behind her, though, Lute and the rest of her men gasped. This time, it would appear they'd landed on the answer first. "A hundred and eighty-seven...including twenty... But that's..." "What is it, Lute? What are you all...? What's got you all so shaken?" "A hundred and eighty-seven—not counting us, that's the number of staff who was working here at Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast's primary residence." One of her subordinates, a dog-headed beastman who was quite proud of his short, black-and-white-spotted fur, filled her in. He was often lauded for his composed temperament, but now even he was speaking in a trembling voice. Elisabeth swiftly turned to the man in black. He gave her a leisurely nod, then elaborated in an unsettlingly calm tone. "Your men are impressively quick on the uptake. It's a rare blessing, being able to think so clearly under such adverse circumstances. They're absolutely right—the only ones on the premises still living... No, let me amend that. The only ones we let live were you, Peace Brigade Captain Elisabeth Le Fanu, and the men accompanying you." In other words, everyone but them...had been massacred. It was only then that Elisabeth Le Fanu finally understood. The situation they'd been placed in was far, far grimmer than she'd imagined. They slew everyone in the residence, many of them skilled military veterans, without my even noticing it? A sick joke if ever there was one! And yet... Elisabeth pressed down on her temple. The man certainly didn't seem to be lying. Try as she might, she couldn't sense anyone besides them in the building. And at any rate, he had little to gain from deceiving her and her men. Given the situation, there was no logical reason to doubt the man's grisly proclamation. Elisabeth dispassionately acknowledged that fact. The moment she did, a series of faces flickered through her mind. The cook who prepared her basket each morning. The lady-in-waiting who tidied her room so diligently. The soldier who came to her when he needed training advice. Now, Elisabeth hadn't been particularly close to any of them. The Torture Princess was a peerless sinner—she never knew when the world would turn against her once more, and because of that, she avoided ever getting too close to anyone. But even so, between Vyade the Wise Wolf's influence and the debt they all felt toward Kaito Sena, the beastfolk were all exceedingly polite and friendly to her. They had worn smiles in every memory she had of them. Every day, she'd been surrounded by friendly faces. Yet now...most of them are dead. They hadn't even gotten a chance to say good-bye. And now they would never speak again. Elisabeth felt a faint pang in her chest. However, she quickly made sure to crush that frail sentimentality. In the past, she herself had piled corpses as high as the eye could see. It would be the height of absurdity for her to be shaken by them now. And neither grief nor remorse was going to help them out of their current predicament. 'Twas a stroke of good fortune that Vyade dispatched her healers across the land as part of her charity initiative... 'Tis a useful group of people we avoided losing, Lute's wife among them. Elisabeth silently thought of the survivors. All the while, the beastfolk in attendance trembled. They'd been quick to grasp the situation, but doing so had given them such a shock that it had frozen them in place all over again. However, their rage was sure to surpass their shock and boil over before long. The man in black, on the other hand, casually went on, not showing the slightest hint of remorse. "I see you gentlemen understand the situation correctly. However, I do ask that you amend your 'flimsy, fleeting whim' comment—although, I will concede that the trials you've overcome were most noteworthy." "That's right! Like a hero from a story, and the native people who fight alongside him!" "Alice, if you really want to become a proper lady, you're going to have to learn to control yourself. I'm talking right now, and it's rude to interrupt. Do you understand?" Upon being scolded by the man in black, Alice puffed out her cheeks, then began spinning in circles instead. Her blue dress flared out around her like a blooming flower. The man, leaving her to her strange devices, went on. "The first trial was when the fourteen demons, led by Vlad Le Fanu, rose up against you. The second was the advent of the Torture Princess. The third—ironically brought about by her actions leading to Vlad's successful capture—was having to subjugate the thirteen demons after they scattered and fled. And the fourth was avoiding the world's orchestrated demise. Your efforts in each of those grand battles were noble enough that even I find myself forced to acknowledge them. My actions today, disgraceful and violent though they may be, served a crucial purpose. You see, while you all were fighting for salvation in the light, a tragedy bleak enough to warrant revolution was playing out in the background." "I see. 'Twas most illuminating. I now know that, much like Vlad, you're a tad too fond of the sound of your own voice. Just get to the point and say what you're trying to say, damn you!" If Vlad were present to hear that, he would doubtless go on a long, pointless diatribe about how the comparison was unjust, thereby immediately proving it. However, Elisabeth swiftly banished the image of her foster father that had welled up in her mind on its own accord as she gave voice to her candid anger. The man stroked the border between his mask and his jaw, then nodded with the same unshakable composure as always. "I acknowledge that I'm not being very specific. Do understand, though, that that's somewhat intentional. In order to discuss particulars, we should first change locale. That's related to why I left you alive, Elisabeth Le Fanu. We see you as someone important for us to talk to." "...'Someone important for you to talk to'?" Elisabeth scowled. Those were hardly the words she'd expected to hear from the man who'd massacred her beastfolk comrades. Alice, not noticing Elisabeth's contemptuous gaze, hopped up and down like a white rabbit. "That's right, that's right! We wanted to talk to you! Because I think we can understand each other, see? I told you, didn't I? I'll help you meet them! You can count on us, you know. |
'Cause, 'cause Father and I are amazing! I promise, you'll be able to meet with the people you care about!" "That's twice now, Alice. Control yourself already. I'm talking right now, and besides..." The man scolded Alice once more. Elisabeth bolted toward them. "Umm," Lute tried to interject, but the man went on matter-of-factly. "...hearing you say that will do nothing but send Elisabeth into a rage." Elisabeth drew Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal as she dashed forward. Then she brought it down on the man's neck. "—What do you aim to do?" As her question rang out, so too did a high-pitched metallic noise. The darkness had exploded out once more to block Elisabeth's blade. If this guard had been thrown up a second slower, the man's head would have gone flying through the air. It was a splendid display of defensive talent, to be sure. Yet the one who'd summoned the darkness, Alice, seemed completely dumbfounded. She must have acted on reflex alone. "What do you aim to do to Kaito?" Elisabeth continued pressing down with her sword. The darkness creaked. Thinking it an opening, the Peace Brigade's coyote-headed rookie cried, "Captain!" and rushed forward. Wanting to back her up, he took his first step up the stairs—then abruptly recoiled with his tail balled up. Elisabeth's murderous aura was simply that intense. There was only one person the Torture Princess cared enough about to be worthy of being described as such. Well, technically two. But at the moment, the two in question were inseparable. Aye, like a single, tender being. Elisabeth had no intention of allowing anyone who planned on bringing them harm to continue living. And when dealing with a would-be agitator, she had no intention of living up to the moniker of Torture Princess. The punishment for that particular crime would be swift, capital, and absolute. It didn't matter if she fully understood the situation or not. Beyond the darkness, the man spoke freely. "Your anger is legitimate—I fully endorse it. The way that information was laid out didn't take your feelings into account in the slightest. I do beg your pardon for that. Alice, you were in the wrong there. Apologize." "Wh-whaaaat? B-but, Father, she just tried to kill you! Yet I'm the one who has to apologize? That can't be right. Why, it's wrong as wrong can be!" "That was one thing, and this is another. When you do something wrong, you have to apologize. So apologize." The man's voice left no room for argument. Alice clutched the hem of her skirt. Her lips trembled, but she did bob her head downward. The white ribbons on her blue hat, which resembled rabbit ears, flopped forward. "I'm sorry, Elisabeth. It was all my fault. Please forgive me." "A fine jest, coming from you." Elisabeth spat out the words, but in truth, her homicidal inclinations were dampened a good deal. Insipid as it was, the other two were both serious. It may have looked like a comedy routine, but they were being quite earnest. In particular, the man's admonition that "when you do something wrong, you have to apologize" had come from the heart. Ergo, he considers his massacre here and his murder of the imperial princesses to be in the right. The man's thought processes and morals were fundamentally broken. That was all too clear to her now. Meanwhile, the man in question was putting his earnestness on display and covering for his indelicate ward. His voice sounded out from lower down. It would seem that he, too, was bowing. "And there you have it. Could you find it in your heart to forgive her? I do hope we can see eye to eye here. All Alice said was that she wants to help you meet them. Please don't misunderstand her. I promise you, it's nothing like what you fear. All we want is to reunite you with them, and by all accounts, that's something you seem to want quite a bit." "I'll ask that you kindly refrain from assuming you know what I want. 'Tis aggravating." "A tragedy is a tragedy, Elisabeth Le Fanu—but it doesn't have to end as one." ...What? The man's appeal was sincere, but Elisabeth furrowed her brow. Something about it seemed off. Emotion had begun creeping into his voice at some point. There was something unsettling about that sudden shred of humanity, but it was gentle and honest, too. And what's more, his heartfelt tone stirred something in Elisabeth's memory. It reminded her of someone else, whether she wanted it to or not. And the moment she realized who, she froze. Of all people, 'tis...! Kaito Sena. That was who the man's tone reminded her of. That sincerity, backed with compassion and empathy for the powerless, was just like his. It was a voice that only someone with deep, deep wounds could possess. But that didn't explain why he was using it now... "You would speak to me in that tone of voice?" "Of course." The man made to continue but paused at the last moment. For the first time, he seemed to waver. The silence persisted. "You will get mad, though," he eventually murmured. However, he made up his mind and spoke. "After all, Elisabeth, you're weak, and you've had everything taken from you." "Hedgehog." The Torture Princess immediately snapped her fingers, and the hundreds of needles she launched at the man served as her reply. An endless stream of metallic noises rang out. The darkness had repelled each and every one of Elisabeth's needles. However, she'd expected as much. The attack's sole purpose had been to vent her rage. Unless she launched either a surprise attack or a repeated barrage of powerful blows, she suspected the darkness would hold. However, the latter was easier said than done. Letting the imperial princesses' bodies get caught up in her torture devices wasn't an option. The beastfolk held corpses in high regard, and with things as tense as they were, trampling on their culture would only make matters worse. Yet her rage refused to subside. 'Tis unacceptable... Utterly unacceptable! Once all was said and done in the battle for salvation— —what had Elisabeth Le Fanu been left with? Posing that question to her was a taboo that must not be broken. At the battle's end, her fleeting, peaceful days had been taken from her. She wouldn't admit it, but she had lost everyone she loved. But she herself had been rescued. The world had been saved. Everything had ended for the best. And they all lived happily ever after. The greatest good for the greatest number was, surely, the greatest outcome. So what matter is it? Elisabeth Le Fanu had been left with nothing. But to say she had had everything taken from her was a bridge too far. He had saved her. And because of that, she hadn't had everything taken from her. She'd had everything given to her. That was what she'd forced herself to believe. For what other choice did she have? If she didn't, she'd be betraying his smile. She'd be betraying that final expression Kaito Sena bore. She replied to the man in a tone as cold as ice. "You and I have naught to talk about—now, kindly perish." The man was on the other side of the darkness. He shouldn't have been able to see what she was doing. Sensing an opportunity, Elisabeth pulled her sword close to her chest. Then she silently aimed its tip. After infusing it with her mana, she thrust it forward. The darkness shattered. However, she didn't feel the soft give of flesh on the other side. A metallic sound rang out, but it wasn't that of sword on sword. "Oh?" "Please, Elisabeth, control yourself. You're a proper lady, not a bad girl, right?" Shards of darkness tumbled through the air like mirror fragments, and the other side came into view. Alice, who appeared to have moved instantly, was standing before the man in black. And she was holding, of all things, a teaspoon. "I see, I see... Inane, aye, but deft nonetheless." Elisabeth gave a small nod. Alice had diverted her blade with the teaspoon's curve. No normal piece of silverware should have been able to survive that blow. Alice's white ribbons rustled as she looked up. Her red eyes burned with a strange sort of irritation. She shouted loudly. "If you keep being bad, I can't invite you to my tea party! What are we to do? Oh, I have an idea! We can pluck off your arms and legs and leave just your mouth to talk with. I'll even feed you cookies and tea myself. What do you say, Elisabeth? If you don't want that, where's your I'm sorry?" "Ha, hearing an ill-mannered brat prattle on about ladies is fine humor indeed. I shall have you know, I'm no lady—and for all I care, you can take your cookies and tea and feed them to the pigs. Who would go to a party with the likes of you lot?" "Why, you're not even sorry! You're not even sorry, Elisabeth! And after I apologized so nicely! That's not fair! You're supposed to be older than me! You're supposed to be older, but you're just being mean!" Alice stamped her feet childishly. For whatever reason, the ribbons on her hat bristled up menacingly. Elisabeth snorted once more. Tears welled up in Alice's eyes, and she swung her teaspoon about. "You're a bad girl and a meanie! You know, Elisabeth, bad girls get shoved down in the tub, and beaten hundreds of times, and tied up with packing tape, and stuffed in garbage bags, and—and...all sorts of even worse things! And when that happens, no one will listen to you, no matter how many times you apologize!" "Packing...tape? I've not heard of... Wait, no, don't tell me...?" Elisabeth furrowed her brow. The fear in Alice's voice was real. Elisabeth opened her mouth, wanting to follow up on her train of thought, but before she could, Alice shouted once more. "If you keep being like that, you're going to die along with everyone else in the world!" "I'm sorry to interrupt you when you're having such a nice time with your prospective friend, Alice." The man in black suddenly admonished her. Alice puffed up her cheeks and looked over at him. It looked like tears of dissatisfaction might spill forth from her eyes at any moment, but the man pacified her with a glance. Then he gestured at something with his chin. "But it's time." Alice followed his eyes, then let out a small gasp. Elisabeth and the beastfolk were at a loss for words, too. For the person who'd grabbed the man's wrist was someone none of them had expected. "...Y-you're kidding, right?" "Oh, not in the slightest... As you can see...this...is no joke." Alice's murmur elicited a quavering response. Each time the woman spoke, blood trickled through the thin cloth covering her chest, further staining her once-white fur. Her life was quite literally draining away before their eyes. Yet she smiled at Elisabeth and her men all the same. "For I...do yet...live." It was Vyade Ula Forstlast. The second imperial princess whom they'd all written off as dead. 2 The Imperial Princesses' End Down, down, down. Alice fell down a very deep hole. After being shoved down in the tub, beaten hundreds of times with a rolling pin, having my arms and legs tied up with packing tape, being stuffed in a garbage bag, and being locked in a car trunk for several hours, I suddenly found myself falling down a very deep hole. No one would listen to me no matter how many times I apologized. No one would hear me no matter how loud I shouted. I was so sure I was being a good girl this time, so I thought and I thought and I thought, but I had no idea how I was going to |
apologize. I didn't scream. I didn't get mad. I didn't cry. And I properly apologized. But he got mad at me anyway, saying that my apology was annoying, that it was creepy that I wasn't crying, and that his arm hurt from hitting me so much. But even though I was hot all over and my body hurt and ached, and even though rain and mud and bugs were getting in through the holes in the bag and rustling around and crawling in my mouth and ears, and even though I wanted to throw up and my tummy was empty and I was freezing cold and my teeth were chattering and chattering and chattering and my mind felt like it was going to snap— —for some reason, I recalled a certain passage over and over again. "Down, down, down. "Alice fell down a very deep hole." Um, when was it I read that, again? Was it back when Mama was still nice and pretty and smiled every day? Was it back when my original papa was still alive? Was it before the first time we moved? And after Alice fell down, down, down— —what happened to her at the bottom of the hole? My head feels so heavy. I can't remember anymore. But it doesn't, hurt, anymore, so may be, th is, was for, the bes t ye, ahmay be, th,is, was f or the, best best est est? best? "Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast, you're alive?!" "—You murdered her?" Lute cried out in surprise and joy, but Vyade, uncharacteristically, didn't respond to him. She merely glared at the man in black, voicing her own question. She sat up straight, her body trembling in pain all the while. When she did, her red-haired, fox-headed protector slid off her chest. Valisisa fell to the floor with a loud, hard thump. Fresh blood slowly spread out around the first imperial princess. Elisabeth narrowed her gaze. The first imperial princess had dropped like a rock. Naught remains of Valisisa Ula Forstlast but a corpse, then. After coolly making her assessment, Elisabeth shifted her gaze to the second imperial princess, Vyade Ula Forstlast. Just as she'd said, she did in fact yet live. However..., thought Elisabeth. Those wounds are deep. By the looks of it, she was stabbed with a spoon. Elisabeth had drawn that conclusion from the ghastly state Vyade's chest was in. A large swath of her thin dress, fur, and flesh had been completely scooped out. Her ribs, as well as the pulsating organs beneath them, were visible. The blow that had caused that wound must have been excruciating. As she studied the wound, Elisabeth began thinking of how she could save Vyade. The beastfolk have little skill with magic. I could try healing her myself— No, such spells are hardly my forte. But there are no healers left in the residence, either. And even if escaping and bringing her to someone with enough talent to heal her were an option, given the burden the teleportation would take on her— No, 'twould be meaningless regardless. No healer alive could mend a wound that severe. There was no point trying to lie to herself. The situation was beyond hope. Elisabeth had to plainly acknowledge the truth of the matter. Vyade was going to die. No sense in trying to save the doomed. Her men seemed to have realized that, too. When they'd found out the second imperial princess was alive, they'd immediately rushed forward, but upon seeing her wound, they'd all frozen in their tracks. Several of them crumpled to their knees. Hollow cries spilled into the air. "Oh... Oh, Lady Vyade..." Normally, it was the height of disrespect for a subordinate to omit the surname of a member of the imperial family. And sitting down in front of one's master when that master was gravely injured was the height of absurdity to begin with. But that was just how horrifying Vyade's wound was. The man in black seemed to realize the state the second imperial princess was in. Perhaps as a show of mercy, he made no effort to shake free from her grasp. After tilting his head to the side, he finally spoke. "There are a lot of people that could refer to. Who in particular is it you're asking about?" "My sister." A look of surprise crossed the man's half-visible face when Vyade gave her answer. With his free left hand, he rubbed the line where his mask met his skin. Leaving his right hand in her grasp, he responded. "If you had answered the first imperial princess, I was prepared to criticize you harshly for it, even though my deeds don't leave me in much of a position to do so. I wouldn't have looked fondly on your treating members of the imperial family differently from your subjects. Asking about your own family, though—that's entirely reasonable. As a sister, you have every right to question me, and every right to despise me." The man's voice was tinged with respect as he spoke to the dying Vyade. However, it was also free of shame. "To answer your question, yes. I murdered your sister." "You killed Valisisa Ula Forstlast?" "I did. I killed Valisisa Ula Forstlast." Vyade asked. The man answered. And Elisabeth was struck speechless. Not at the answer. At the change in Vyade Ula Forstlast. The moment she heard the man's response, Vyade contorted the corners of her mouth. A fierce smile spread across her face, one full of grief and hatred and bloodlust and rage. It was an expression hardly befitting the Wise Wolf—it was something you'd expect to see on a monster or a demon. The second imperial princess began speaking like a woman possessed. "Valisisa Ula Forstlast had the capacity of a dynast. Back before the end of days, she would have prioritized surviving even if it meant sacrificing me. But because we've entered an era of peace, she sacrificed her body to protect me. She determined that the fear and confusion over losing Vyade the Wise Wolf would threaten the stability our country has finally gained over these past three years. How truly gallant. Heh, although, it would seem that my wound is plenty fatal as well. Apparently, even my sister can make mistakes. Who would have thought?" Much to everyone's surprise, Vyade began laughing in amusement. With each chuckle, blood spurted violently from her mouth. But her fluid speech seemed hardly to be that of a dying woman. It seemed downright bizarre. Alice looked to the man, her eyes wholly frightened. The white ribbons on her hat began trembling as well. "Father...isn't it weird? Why is the dying dog talking so normally? She's all covered in blood, and yet... I think it's a little creepy." "Oh yes, this normally wouldn't be possible. It may not seem like it, young miss, but I'm trying very hard right now." Alice's face froze. She peeked timidly at Vyade. Vyade gave her a gentle smile. Ah, thought Elisabeth, nodding, so that's it. Vyade, ignoring the fact that Alice had just called her a dog, winked charmingly. "I needed to buy time, you see." "Hmm? ...Wha—?!" Alice looked down, then let out a little yelp. At some point, light-silver ivy had begun coiling around her ankles. And the same had happened to the man in black. However, his expression remained unchanged. Vyade calmly let go of the man's wrist. "I wasn't able to stop your raid...so perhaps I'm in no position to talk. But if you wish to be on top, you need to constantly consider the possibility of having the carpet pulled out from under you." She quietly opened her palm. Sitting atop its pink pad sat a gorgeous, shining ring. "Right before she passed, my sister made sure to entrust this to me." While Valisisa was alive, it was the one ornament she had always kept on her person. That silver loop was where the ivy was coming from. A pink flower bud was sealed within the crystal at its center, like spring itself had been frozen in ice. And now that crystal had undergone a major change. The bud within had burst into magnificent bloom. The pink crystal-flower's gold center was glowing. As it did, tiny sparks burst off it as the compressed mana within whirled like a tempest in a teacup. *** Alice swung her teaspoon down and smashed it into the vines binding her ankles. However, doing so simply made a sound like she was striking dragon scales and caused her teaspoon to twist at an odd angle. That was largely what Elisabeth had expected to have happened. Those vines clearly had an abnormal hardness and flexibility to them. Alice bit her lip, visibly shaken. Vyade opened her mouth to speak to her men, her gaze fixed on Alice all the while. "Lute. My surviving soldiers. This will be your final order from Vyade Ula Forstlast. Take Madam Elisabeth and flee, now. And no matter what, don't stop running. I have no desire to get you caught up in what I'm about to do." "Wh-what are you talking about, Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast?! We could never abandon our—" "You would have me repeat my final order?! Run!" Vyade's sharp reprimand cut through the air, her intonation reminiscent of Valisisa's. Lute and the others reflexively straightened their backs. Unlike her dynast sister, however, Vyade followed up in a gentler tone. "You all are fine soldiers, but there is no meaning in protecting a dying woman. We are all children of our Three Kings of the Forest, and it is your duty to live long so you may continue serving the people." Even if she died, there were some things that went on. There were some things that had to. She urged them forth, her voice as tender as a sister's and as firm as a mother's. "Now go and don't turn back." All at once, the beastfolk soldiers cried out. They looked up at the ceiling and howled in unison. It was as though they were paying their respects to a star in the sky. Alice covered her ears, and her hat's white ribbons folded themselves over in kind. The man offered no response. Elisabeth stood wordlessly. The howls continued, then suddenly stopped. Then as their echoes yet reverberated, the beastfolk leaned forward and took off from the stairs and floor at a dash. The rookie was still on his back on the floor, but one of the Brigade's more veteran members grabbed him by the collar and pulled him along. "Come now, run!" "Pardon the impropriety, Madam Elisabeth!" Lute scooped Elisabeth up and slung her over his shoulder. As she obediently let him carry her, Elisabeth continued watching Vyade. The second imperial princess faced their enemies alone and opened her mouth once more. Blood spilled from it as she spoke. But this time, her words were not a last will made to her comrades. They were a bitter curse, spat at her foes. "For the crimes committed against my subjects, I would have you die a thousand times over. But most unforgivable of all, you murdered my sister. Valisisa Ula Forstlast was a precious treasure chosen by the Three Kings of the Forest, as was I. We were royalty, chosen by the Three Kings to serve as special pawns. We were this country's greatest treasures, as well as servants to its people." "...Hmm. While I'm still not fond of the special status you seem to assign royals, your recognition of your role as 'servants of the people' still merits praise... No, forgive me. I'm just talking to myself. Please go on." "I don't recall asking for your permission. But for those who destroy such treasures, the only fitting punishment is death. For such an act is unforgivable. Till the end of days, you shall never be forgiven—and thus, you shall perish here and now." Vyade's fur, stained crimson, bristled with malice. Her blood pressure |
must have risen, too, as blood began spilling from her chest even faster. The Wise Wolf's long-hidden fury filled the room with its terrifying presence. As she stood, still dying, she curled her lips into a grim smile. "None of us are leaving here alive." "Father..." Alice yanked on the hem of the man's coat in fear. However, he didn't stir. For a moment, the room was still. Then Vyade glanced to the side. Her and Elisabeth's gazes met. Vyade nodded, as though saying she was leaving the rest to her. Elisabeth nodded back. Perhaps that came as a relief to her, as Vyade's expression softened a little. For just a second, it looked like she was about to cry. Elisabeth could tell there were two emotions waging war inside her. A deep rage—the desire to take her enemies down with her, even when faced with certain death. And a childlike fear—the fear of dying, especially after having just watched her subjects and adoptive sister get struck down in front of her. The two emotions were at stark odds. As long as they stayed inside her, they could coexist. But the dying woman only had room on the outside to express one. *** "Consider it an honor to die alongside me, villains!" Without a shred of hesitation, Vyade chose the former, stifling her fear and raising her voice high. There was no falsehood in the proud, elegant figure she cast. Yet at the same time, it seemed unbearably tragic. 'Twould be a slight of the highest order to voice that thought, though. Consequently, Elisabeth chose to remain silent. She just continued watching the second imperial princess. Vyade didn't cry. She glared majestically at her foes, not shedding a single tear. The man, seemingly in response, gave a slight nod. Then he moved with intention for the first time and shifted his fingers. A small shuffling noise sounded out. The man had removed his half mask, as one might take off a hat as a show of respect. From Elisabeth's position, all she could see was the half of his face that had been visible all along. However, when Vyade saw the rest, her eyes went wide. Then something remarkable happened. All the malice drained from Vyade's face. Seemingly having come to understand something, she let out a quiet murmur. "You're..." The man appeared to smile. There was no animosity in it. Then Elisabeth and the others passed through the audience chamber's entrance. Lute and his men hastily rushed into the hallway. And as though it had been waiting for that, the crystal's glow reached its zenith. A sound like that of glass shattering rang out. A flash of lightning filled the room, burning the curtains away. The ivy twisted and cracked like whips. The pink flower twirled. The air began turning silver. Elisabeth's retinas burned. Then she stopped being able to see altogether. She saw nothing— —and no one— —not even the face— the imperial princess made in her final moments. Vision slowly returned to her seared retinas. However, the world still appeared the same—everything in front of her was completely white. Curious, she reached out her hand. When she did, her fingertips quickly went flat. The whiteness was solid. At that point, she finally realized what had happened. She was in front of the audience chamber's entrance, and every square inch of the chamber before her was packed with pale-silver ivy. That was why it had felt like her vision hadn't come back yet. The plant within the crystal grew at an explosive rate, I take it. As she made her conjecture, she reached out and touched the densely packed vines once more. They were cold, firm, and soft, like a corpse that was just coming out of rigor mortis. It reminded her of a graveyard. And in a sense, it was one. After all, nobody within the audience chamber could have survived. No one inside could have escaped being crushed. "Ah, I see. 'Twas a self-destruct device, to be used in the event an imperial was captured by any who meant to do the nation harm... Ha, that was the item generations of imperials took such painstaking care to pass down?" Elisabeth murmured in exasperation, but the voice that came out was tinged with anger at the absurdity of it all. She frowned. She'd had no intentions of getting emotional over the situation. Suddenly, her frame of view swiveled. "Hmm?" "Pardon me." Lute, who must have wanted to check for himself, had turned around. Elisabeth was still facing backward over his shoulder. Having no desire to be spun about any further, she hopped down. Lute stared silently at the silver mass. Suddenly, though, he pounded his fist against the ivy wall. "Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast..." He was clearly reflecting on each syllable as it came out of his mouth. He closed his eyes and caught his breath. Then after practically tearing himself off the wall, he thumped his chest, assumed a salute, and knelt. The rest of the beastfolk followed his lead. It was their way of showing their grief, as well as their respect for their late master. Elisabeth, the lone member standing, waited for them to finish their prayer. Eventually, the silence ended. Lute shook his head as he solemnly rose. "That's all the time we can spare lamenting our cowardice and helplessness. Lady Valisisa Ula Forstlast and Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast, the first and second imperial princesses, have fallen. We need to make sure the Three Kings of the Forest and the rest of the imperial family are safe." "Not just them. 'Tis important we check the status of the other races' dignitaries as well." Elisabeth amended Lute's statement with a warning. Startled, he turned to look at her. What makes you say that? his eyes were asking. Elisabeth's reply came dispassionately. "Alice Carroll told us as much. 'If you keep being like that, you're going to die along with everyone else in the world.' The beastfolk weren't their sole target." Alice hadn't said that with any sort of agenda in mind. She'd simply been mad. Yet even so, her childish outburst had been akin to a proclamation of war. They wish to revolutionize the world. It was still unclear what their exact goals were. But given that they'd summoned the Fremd Torturchen to facilitate their revolution, something told her that they weren't just planning on handing out pamphlets. Whatever they were planning, it was going to have a substantial body count. Vyade took those two down with her...but I doubt things will end so easily. Her intuition as the Torture Princess told her that worse developments were yet to come. Blood would flow. People would die. And their screams would give birth to despair. Just now, she'd gotten a whiff of the embers smoldering in the world's dark underbelly. She was on high alert, like an animal reacting to imperceptible signs of a coming calamity. Something was coming. Something comparable to the end of days. She didn't know what it was, but there was one thing she was certain of. It was the same as what Kaito Sena had known all those years ago. "If things go on like this, we'll all die." Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Suddenly, a strange noise cut through the tense air. Everyone looked up to see what was going on. The sound was coming from the window farthest down the hallway. It was sunny out, so the waterproof leather flap atop the window had been rolled up, and some sort of round object was smacking into its bare wooden lattice. Bang, bang, bang. It pounded against the window in a pointless display of perseverance. Elisabeth nodded. Lute, puzzled, spoke up. "That's... Is that a...?" "Aye. 'Tis." Elisabeth was well-acquainted with those winged white orbs. It was one of the Church's communication devices. 3 The King's Resolve It's time for a story. There's no need to be alarmed. I promise, there's nothing to be afraid of. It's just a little story about a simple equation. Let's say we have "someone who was cruelly oppressed" and "someone who gleefully oppressed them." The former will never forgive the latter, no matter what they say or do. There's no way for them to apologize. Not the slightest chance for atonement. Given those parameters, there's a pretty clear answer. You multiply hate by resentment, then subtract those pesky ethics. Then once the first party carries out their revenge on the second party, the story comes to an end. And they all live happily ever after. But here we add another parameter. One that throws the whole situation into chaos. The new parameter is as follows. Let's say we have "people who did nothing" and "people who knew nothing." Let's say we have a generous, openhearted world that allows the ignorance to persist, saying, These things happen. Now, how do we solve that one? It looks tricky, doesn't it? After all, so many of the perpetrators are innocent. But there's no need to think that hard. By changing the way you look at the problem, it becomes easy to find the solution. All you have to do is cut through all the tangled-up strings. In other words— —that is what it means to hate the world itself. "The Capital was attacked by an unidentified group. We request that Elisabeth return from her foreign dispatch at once." Runes scrolled rapidly across the white orb's surface. The message was concise, but unsettling all the same. Elisabeth turned the communication device in her fingers to double-check she'd gotten it all. There weren't any specifics—the message must have been written in a hurry. She let out a deep sigh. "They timed their attacks together, hmm? No surprise there." She'd more or less expected the possibility of a coordinated strike. Up until then, their foes had evaded notice from the three races' joint defenses. There was no way an army could have avoided detection so perfectly. In all likelihood, the enemy's numbers were small. It made sense they were able to move so efficiently. When your targets drop their guard, 'tis best to strike them all at once. Was it that the past three years' peace had made them all complacent? Not quite. After the calamity, the world was met with famine, poverty, ruin, and disease. Law and order eroded, and greater public knowledge of the menace God and Diablo posed gave rise to all sorts of new problems. The scattered remnants of the reconstruction sect began regrouping and gaining power, and demon worshippers began popping up all over the place. However, none of them rose to the level of a serious threat. In part, it was because nobody paid them that much heed. People had the power in them to create hells. But at the end of the day, man-made hells paled in comparison with the real thing. The hells demons made were beyond fathoming. During the end of days, everyone experienced that fact firsthand. It took a lot to shock people now. As a result, the three races devoted themselves wholly to their reconstruction efforts. And the peace they now enjoyed was the fruit of that labor. No one had even considered that an enemy other than a demon might rise up. In fact, not even Elisabeth had predicted the Fremd Torturchen's arrival. "Hmm... Between the summons itself and the paucity of information, 'twould seem that time is of the essence. Now then." Elisabeth ruminated as she rotated the orb. She had to make a choice. As the Torture Princess, should she return to the humans? Or should she stay with the beastfolk? Her execution had been delayed indefinitely, but she still belonged to the Church. By all rights, she should have been helping out with the restoration efforts in the Capital. However, that would have earned no small amount of backlash from the paladins. As a result, she'd come to the beastfolk lands on Vyade's suggestion to work with the |
Peace Brigade. She owed a debt to the two late imperial beastfolk princesses. On the other hand, she had a number of acquaintances in the Capital. But neither of those factors constituted a legitimate reason. If what they were going up against was on par with the end of days, then there was no room for personal feelings in her calculations. We've naught but guesses and speculation as to the enemy's numbers or nature...but I wager that those two were integral to their plans. If there are many more with power like theirs, our chances of victory are slim to none. They struck at Vyade's residence. In short... In short, the World Tree likely hadn't been raided. The home of the Three Kings of the Forest was easy to defend and hard to attack. It didn't matter what kind of forces the enemy possessed—if their goal was total subjugation, then they'd want to avoid losing troops on high-risk endeavors. In other words, the Fremd Torturchen and the man in black had chosen to prioritize the attack on the sisters' residence. But why? As Elisabeth racked her brain, Alice's voice echoed in her ears. "We wanted to talk to you! Because I think we can understand each other, see?" "I promise, you'll be able to meet with the people you care about!" Bite your tongue, fool. Elisabeth responded with a silent epithet as an image drifted to the forefront of her mind. Two people, sleeping inside a translucent crystal. It was a beautiful sight—but nothing more. She could speak to them, but they wouldn't respond. She could extend her hand to them, but her fingers would never reach. Did she want to meet with them? There could be but one answer. One single answer. One that had never changed. And one that never would. But you lot made a fatal mistake. Elisabeth clicked her tongue. If their plan was to try to entice her with prospects of a reunion, slaughtering the beastfolk was a poor way to lead into it. The boy in question would never accept a reunion forged atop a mountain of corpses. At worst, he might even return to his slumber on purpose. Back during the end of days, when he was forced to choose between the world and the person he cared about most, he chose instead to balance the scales by sacrificing himself. That was just the kind of person he was. That was the kind of person her dim-witted servant was. He truly is a peerless fool... But I suppose that hardly matters right now. Elisabeth shook her head to get her thoughts back on track, then frowned in confusion. The two assailants had referred to her as "someone important for them to talk to." But while it was true that a Torture Princess was a valuable piece to have on one's side, there was no particular reason it had to be Elisabeth. Given that the man in black had created a Torture Princess of his own, the reason for his fixation on her remained a mystery. Pondering the matter likely won't get me anywhere. Elisabeth moved on to another consideration. She decided to trust her earlier hypothesis and assume that the World Tree was safe. For one, aside from Vyade and Valisisa—the Wise Wolf and the Dynast—none of the other members of the imperial family were particularly impressive. To put it bluntly, they didn't make for the juiciest targets. On the other hand, while the Capital—and particularly the newly established royal residence—certainly wasn't easy to attack, its defenses were nothing compared with the World Tree's. Their greatest weapons, the saints, were spread across the land protecting refugees, and on top of that, most of them were basically living cannons. They were powerful, true, but they were weak against surprise attacks, not very smart, and only able to operate for short periods at a time. Their current jobs revolved primarily around the emotional support their presence provided to the faithful. The Capital's defense was left primarily to the paladins and Royal Knights, but they had their hands full putting down the reconstruction sect. And most of the mages who fought in Ragnarok, aside from the few who were making good on their contracts, had left on a journey to establish a new workshop. Compared with the beastfolk, the humans were probably in much more danger. After all, the human race was no stranger to blind spots. They were the ones who'd unwittingly fostered those who'd tried to bring about the end of days. "Very well, then. The choice is made." The communication device slowly spun to a stop. Elisabeth popped it into the air, then threw it off into the distance. It soared out through the lattice-free window. The sound of its wings regrowing and an angry voice expressing its objections filled the air. Elisabeth ignored both, instead turning toward Lute. "I've thought it through." "I see." "'Tis unlikely the beastfolk lands have suffered any greater attacks than this. As such, I entrust you with confirming the imperial family's status and informing them that we have lost the first and second imperial princesses, in addition to a great number of valuable lives. As for me, I'm departing for the human lands. Now, the Peace Brigade is predominantly composed of Ragnarok survivors from the second squad of Vyade's private army... Your skills are true, but your numbers are lacking. Take no unnecessary risks. Should an emergency arise, call for me. And receive help from the World Tree's guard squad where you can get it. Then once our grasp on the situation is firmer, we'll rendezvous. Understood?" "Yes, ma'am." He was still probably shaken up about the imperial princesses' deaths, but the moment his captain informed him that she was splitting off, Lute nodded without hesitation. Elisabeth narrowed her eyes to check if he was sure. He responded to her gaze with a salute. "You're our captain, Madam Elisabeth, entrusted to Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast by mankind. But you're also this world's proud sword. If a crisis on par with the end of days is upon us, then it is your duty to defend humanity, too... Back then, if not for our three races' squabbling, there would likely have been far fewer victims. We should have been able to do something before Sir Kaito was forced to make the decision for us." His final words were tinged with pain and regret. Elisabeth thought back. At the World's End, right after Kaito descended into slumber, Lute had grieved the most of anyone. "I promised myself I wouldn't forget," he'd repeated over and over. No one had known what he'd meant by that, but it was clear that he never wanted to regret shirking his duty ever again. Choosing not to ask him about the specifics, Elisabeth nodded. "If you've no objections, I'll be off. I leave the rest to you." "Then I wish you luck. And may the blessings of the Three Kings of the Forest be with you." The rest of the beastfolk followed Lute's example. They probably all had their doubts, but no one voiced them. Elisabeth frowned. She still couldn't get used to dealing with her men's deep loyalty and simple honesty. She'd never been fit to lead in the first place, and to be frank, she shared their misgivings. To overlook a tragedy's beginning is to be blind as to how it will unfold. The end of days, the great calamity that had befallen the three races, had been the end result of a long series of smaller tragedies. And the silver vines filling up the audience chamber were undoubtedly there because of the seeds of evil that had been sown long hence. They needed to pull them up by the roots before it came time for harvest and the flowers within bloomed. Lest this time, we truly perish. The situation was unclear in every respect, yet a part of Elisabeth knew that if they did not address the matter appropriately, there would be no coming back from the fallout. Once, a stupid, simple love had saved the world. If someone had come to destroy it, then they were undoubtedly driven by the opposite emotion. And between their earnest voices and their tearless eyes, one thing about the Fremd Torturchen and the man in black was clear. The two of them possessed that quality. For those who've sustained such bitter wounds— Elisabeth cut herself off midthought. Spinning theories based on emotion could come later. It was time for action. Elisabeth drew a jewel out from within an eddy of darkness and flower petals. It was a magical device she'd created by taking a gem already rich in mana, carving spells, and pouring blood into it. She tossed it into the air. It spun as it fell, then let out a loud kshhhh. The moment it did, there was a torrent of black and red, and a teleportation circle manifested at Elisabeth's feet. A cylindrical wall of blood rose up around her, filling her vision with crimson. Eventually, the wall cracked. Elisabeth closed her eyes. Then as the crimson shattered, she opened them. She was standing in a wide passageway. Although it wouldn't be obvious to someone with only a shallow knowledge of magic, the passageway was actually constructed out of a combination of several rare minerals. The blood and the melted jewel spun in a circle at her feet. Suddenly, she heard a chorus of loud voices. Normally it was silent in this area, but now there was quite a commotion. People were shouting in every direction and passing by to and fro. Paladins rushed past her. A female official tripped, dropping the documents she was holding all over the floor. Perhaps they'd already been informed that the Torture Princess was coming, or perhaps they had bigger fish to fry, but nobody paid her a second glance. It was an unexpected reception, and an unusual spectacle altogether. Elisabeth crossed her arms. "Hmm, 'tis rather lively indeed... For all their fluster, though, 'twould seem the worst has failed to pass. I suppose I should take that as a blessing, but I would still prefer it were not so damned noisy in here!" She looked around in annoyance but soon realized her protests were in vain. For one, a large part of the clamor was due to how resonant the walls' material was. The place hadn't exactly been built with noise abatement in mind. After all, the building Elisabeth had teleported to was underground. She was standing in the human king's new residence, the ill-omened cradle that had once housed the First Demon. The royal family's ancestral graveyard. The king was living in a tomb. And the tomb the Church had used to hide the First Demon, no less. It might have passed muster as a sick joke if it weren't in quite such poor taste. However, there was a good reason for why the Church had chosen the graveyard. As Kaito Sena had once pointed out, the Capital had suffered severe damage. Repairing and replacing buildings was expensive. But while their labor and material shortages went without saying, dealing with all the corpses had been their biggest struggle of all. After deeming it impossible to store the colossal number of unidentified bodies long-term, they'd cremated them. Despite that, an epidemic had still started near the section of the capital that was submerged underwater, then spread from there. Thanks to the warning Kaito Sena and Hina had left them, their prompt sterilization and their efforts to maintain good hygiene had allowed them to nip the disease in the bud. But some people still took it as a sign that restoring the Capital would be too difficult and began petitioning to relocate it in its entirety. However, there was one fatal flaw in that plan that made it impossible to carry out. The frank truth was that it was a matter of cost. Being broke was an |
extremely worldly problem to have, but it was a grave one nonetheless. They turned to the aristocrats, the Church, and the mercantile guilds for help, but they were met with harsh criticism each time. As was rightly pointed out, many people—faithful or not—had responded to the tremendous damage from the repeated demon attacks by endorsing the reconstruction sect's particular brand of "salvation." As a result, the Capital found itself forced to remain put. Their boon was the beastfolk's offer of temporary lodgings, technical assistance, and food in exchange for deploying some mages to their lands. From a national-security standpoint, though, having the king stay in that temporary housing wasn't an option. And having the royal family and key aristocrats living away from the Capital would give rise to a whole host of issues. But given their financial situation, it didn't look like they had much of a choice. Then after countless meetings, someone proposed using the royal graveyard. It was a last-ditch Hail Mary borne out of sheer desperation. However, a cursory investigation revealed that this insane proposition might not be so insane after all. While its barrier was broken and it certainly didn't hold a candle to the World Tree, the underground tomb was surprisingly easy to defend. In fact, while the Faithful King—mankind's third king, and the one who'd given the Grave Keeper her authority—had concealed the documents asserting as such, they also learned that the graveyard had originally been designed to serve double duty as an emergency shelter for the royal family. Then they discovered and unsealed the tomb's myriad escape routes, functional bedrooms, and spirit-powered cistern and water supply. While it was a problem that the material the building was constructed from prevented teleportation, they were able to catch the mages before they left and have them work together with the saints to analyze it. After a long series of heated arguments between the two groups, they successfully set up a number of spots where teleportation was possible. At that point, the only problem left was what to do with the old kings' bodies. However, they'd just forcibly cremated piles and piles and piles of commoners, and the shock of it all had shifted their ethics regarding corpses. As far as they were concerned, the dead were all the same, royalty be damned. And thus, they cleaned out the mausoleums and moved all the bodies. After sealing up the Room of Pain, which the First Demon had been kept in, they installed an altar in front of it and placed the coffins in a row atop it. They then closed off the graveyard's lowest floor, with an exception made for royalty coming down to pay their respects, and moved into the upper floors in earnest. No shortage of people reported seeing a displeased-looking ghost of the third king, but in Elisabeth's view, such reports were utterly beneath her interest. At the moment, her sole concern was meeting up with the communication device's sender. "Now then... Where in all this clamor might I find the one who called for the Torture Princess?" "Madam Elisabeth!" The moment she made to stride off, though, she heard a dignified voice call out to her from behind. Elisabeth turned and glanced through the throng. The first thing she saw was a beautiful head of silver hair. Shortly thereafter, though, it was followed by a number of peculiarities. The paladin's pale cheeks had gears spinning in them, and various parts of her body had been supplemented with strange pieces of metal. Her tied-up silver hair fluttered as she walked over to Elisabeth. "Thank goodness, you responded to our summons." "You called, Izabella, so here I am." Elisabeth replied dispassionately, and the woman gave her a smile. It was stiff due to the metal plates, but gentle nonetheless. Elisabeth responded by raising the corner of her mouth ever so slightly. The woman's name was Izabella Vicker. She was the leader of the paladins, and she'd fought alongside Kaito Sena during Ragnarok. Thanks to her fusion with Deus Ex Machina, her appearance hadn't changed much over the past three years. However, the white-lily coat of arms on her armor was stained black with blood. "I see... From the state of your armor, I take it the news of the Capital being attacked was true." "Indeed. We wouldn't call for you as a mere prank. Still, you did well to respond to such a vague summons. Once more, you have my thanks." "So why in the blazes was it so vague?" "Several of the civil officials panicked, and the one in charge of communications sent the dispatch without waiting for my go-ahead. I'm sure you found the hasty missive alarming, and for that, I am sorry." Elisabeth nodded in understanding as Izabella apologized. It certainly seemed like enough of a situation had arisen to cause such a panic. However, she then planted her hands on her hips. "So is time of the essence, or is it not? If it isn't, I ask that you let me return to my squad. I may not be fit to serve as a captain, but I took the role, so I intend to fulfill my duties to the best of my ability." "Unfortunately, it very much is. This way." As Elisabeth followed Izabella through the underground graveyard, she glanced around the corridor. The place looked completely different than it had three years ago, when she'd come to learn the truth of the world. The Capital residents had taken full advantage of the mausoleums' original construction to turn them into living quarters and offices, and for better or for worse, none of the tomb's original solemnity and sanctity remained. For one, much of the building was decorated with plants they'd gotten as gifts from the beastfolk. The glowing moss, flowers, and wind-current-producing leaves both ventilated the graveyard and regulated its light and humidity. These amenities helped reduce the sense of claustrophobia immensely. As Izabella and Elisabeth went through the passageway, they passed by people of all sorts and statuses. There were young maids strolling adorably, dukes and ladies walking annoyedly, and paladins marching with wide strides. Due to the way the tomb was laid out, it was impossible to fully segregate the rooms for people with different roles. They were making do with what they had. Thanks to that, people of all social classes were forced to mingle. It was an odd sight to see in the Capital, and a fairly amusing one at that. And I imagine the current commotion is only making things messier. As that idle thought crossed her mind, Elisabeth continued descending the seemingly endless stairs. Originally, even the paladins had been lied to and told the tomb only had five floors. Because of that, the sixth floor had no mausoleum, which meant they could use its full space as they pleased. At the moment, several rooms designed for specific purposes had been built inside it. Izabella approached one of them, then knocked on its conspicuously plain door and spoke. "It's me. I've brought Madam Elisabeth." "Oh? I hadn't expected you to get here so quickly, little lady. I figured you were fucking off in the sunshine like a retired watchdog, but I guess I was wrong." She was met with a strange tone. Elisabeth would have almost considered it nostalgic if not for how tired she'd grown of it. Izabella opened the door, and Elisabeth followed her in. The walls inside were piled high with shelves full of documents, and the room's floor was bare, with no carpet or rug covering up the rare minerals it was made from. All in all, it was extremely cramped. It looked more like a storehouse than a proper room, and the pièce de résistance was the boorish stone desk plopped right in the center. The person who'd spoken so rudely was standing before it. In contrast to her tone, she was an adorable girl with doll-like features. Her hair was honey-blond, her eyes were like rosy jewels, and her skin was as white as porcelain. She was wearing a bondage dress, although it only qualified as "clothes" in the very loosest sense of the word. It was exactly who Elisabeth had been expecting. The girl's expression didn't change in the slightest as she welcomed Elisabeth. "Greetings and salutations, little lady. They say, I'll see you in Hell, and whaddaya know, here we are." Waiting for her was Jeanne de Rais, the golden Torture Princess. Hmph. For a reunion, it wasn't a particularly nostalgic one. Elisabeth and Jeanne had seen quite a lot of each other over the past three years. Now that Elisabeth was looking at her head-on, though, she was once more reminded of a certain fact. Jeanne had grown a little. Her shapely limbs were now even longer, and when she stood still, she could have passed for a piece of fine art in a museum. Compared with other girls her age, though, she was growing up rather slowly. As long as they didn't get as old as Godd Deos had, skilled mages could more or less stop their aging at will. It was unclear why, but Jeanne was choosing to have her body develop slowly. Unlike her physical development, however, her sharp tongue hadn't been dulled in the slightest. "What's wrong? You've been staring quite intently at me for some time. We last met not that long ago, remember? Didja hit your head or somethin'?" "Aye, true, that we did. But who would've thought the situation would grow so incomprehensible in just those few short hours? Not I, certainly." "Oh, I very much agree. Having the Capital come under attack right after I returned caught me rather off guard. Like, fuck that, man! Feels like I'm livin' in a bad play. The script is shit! This writer's a hack!" This time, Jeanne gave a reasonably frank nod. Earlier, when night had yet to fall completely, she'd been over in the beastfolk lands herself. Incidentally, she'd come because she'd been worried about her relationship with Izabella. Then after rambling on mostly one-sidedly, she'd returned to the Capital. The tragedy with Vyade had occurred almost immediately thereafter. In other words, the attack on the Capital must have gone down at the exact same time. If Jeanne had stayed even a little bit longer, she'd have ended up facing off against the man in black. The golden Torture Princess's honey-blond hair swished as she shrugged. "The Capital's been peaceful these past three years. Our enemies must be quite proficient, not to have tipped their hands even once. I figure shit got crazy on your end, too. What's the sitch?" "Your intuition is correct. Izabella. You ought to hear this, too. I have grave tidings... No, wait, before that." Nothing was more important than giving her report about the imperial princesses' deaths. But even though she knew that, Elisabeth cut herself off anyway. She strode briskly over to the desk and glared at what was sitting atop it. "What is this?" The "this" in question resembled a baby. However, it also looked like just a plain old lump of meat, or perhaps a sculpture made out of clay. While it was clearly some sort of corpse, it was also difficult to imagine it ever having been alive. Jeanne, her back to the horrifying, loathsome object, replied flatly. "You should know better than anyone, shouldn't you, lady? Hell, don't tell me ya forgot already! You merc'd one of these fuckers yourself!" It was true—Elisabeth did recognize it. She'd seen one herself, back before the end of days when the Monarch, the Grand Monarch, and the King merged into a single mass of flesh and swallowed up the Capital. At the end of that battle, she and Kaito had had to face off against the exact same creature inside the fleshy monstrosity. They'd faced off against a grotesque, ashen baby. "A demon child, eh?" The King and the Grand Monarch's contractors |
had been a man and a woman. When their bodies broke down and melded together, it had served as a sort of pseudointercourse and given birth to a horrible child—the child of two demons. True, the two bear a striking resemblance. Elisabeth glanced over at the horrid creature. The thing in front of her looked almost identical to the baby she'd fought. They both had the same broad, winglike shoulder blades. However, Elisabeth felt as though something was out of place. "'Tis a good deal smaller than the one I fought, though. And the one from back then vanished corporeally upon death, as all demons do. What makes this one different?" "You're absolutely right, Elisabeth—most of the demon children that attacked us disintegrated on death. However, through a miraculous stroke of fortune, we were able to capture this one in a comatose state and preserve it. "A few days ago, we raided a demon-worshipper temple and apprehended a mage who'd been researching how to preserve underling corpses. We were able to preserve this baby using information and techniques from his documents. Perversion's the mother of invention, baby! It doesn't take a genius to guess what the fucker was doin' with all those underling corpses in his bedroom, I tell you what!" Jeanne made no effort to mince her words. Izabella's eyes went wide, visibly flustered. As the skin visible beneath the metal plates on her face flushed scarlet, she let out an affected cough. "A-ahem. Now, Jeanne, I understand that the circumstances of your upbringing make it difficult to change that tone of yours. I really do. But as I've asked you time and again, could you please try to keep the vulgarity to a minimum? A charming young lady like yourself shouldn't be saying such vile things." "Yes, ma'am. I'll be quiet." "Oh?" Jeanne snapped her mouth shut—a most irregular occurrence, given her usual arrogance and brashness. Elisabeth rubbed her eyes at how unexpected the exchange she'd just witnessed had been. As she did, Jeanne straightened her back, as silent as a model pupil. Elisabeth couldn't help but ask: "So how long has, um...this relationship dynamic between the two of you been a thing?" "You're being boorish, little lady. We're in the middle of a crisis right now, so we should do our best to avoid frivolous conversational detours. Now, the problem is that we were attacked by several of these things. I mean, they were poppin' up like the damn flies from when we couldn't get rid of all them corpses!" "I'm sorry, Jeanne, but could you please try to avoid making light of the situation as well?" "I'll be quiet." Jeanne snapped her mouth shut. Is that how you intend to dodge the question?! Elisabeth thought indignantly. However, Jeanne's evasive words had a degree of truth to them. She was right—now wasn't the time for that. Elisabeth focused and turned to Izabella. "I wager the babies didn't act alone. Did they have a handler?" "They did; they were led by a single mage... No, we don't even know that for sure. We can't make any assumptions. However, they did have some sort of leader." "You don't know? That is to say, you failed to capture the handler? Surely you recovered a body, at least? With you and Jeanne together, I find it hard to imagine they escaped." "You're right, they didn't escape...but there was also no body." "What?" Elisabeth narrowed her gaze in confusion. Izabella frowned as she recalled the event. Her next words came out hesitantly. "Ever since the end of days, people have been absolutely terrified of demons. So when the attack happened, everyone flew into a panic. Things almost turned ugly, but Jeanne and I managed to turn the tide. But the moment the handler saw that things weren't going their way, they took their own life. And to make matters worse, the demon babies ate their corpse. There wasn't so much as a shard of bone left afterward." "Everything that might have helped identify them got completely devoured. It was all very purposeful on their part, but still, I'm surprised. Purposeful or not, you gotta be fucking crazy to pull a stunt like that!" "Was there anything distinctive about their appearance? Do you even know what race they were?" "They were wearing a jester mask and a dark outfit. We don't even know what they looked like." "...A mask and a dark outfit?" Elisabeth went quiet and thought. There was no way that could be a coincidence. The Capital's attacker must have been from the same group as the man in black with the half-crow mask. And the fact that the man in black was probably the only person in the world who'd noticed the significance of demon crossbreeding only served as further proof of that. "I summoned a pair of weaker demons into a man and a woman, then destroyed both their egos. They had two children. Then I bred the children together. By repeating that process, it was possible to create a pure, powerful demon. Eventually, I created a demon powerful enough to meet my needs." She thought back over what he'd said. Instead of "demon children," perhaps it would be more apt to call the Capital's attackers "demon grandchildren," the failed by-products of the man's iterative quest for sufficient power. That explained why their bodies were so small and weak. Satisfied, Elisabeth spoke again. "I've a decent grasp on the situation now. I believe I have information that may shed light on the attack." "Are you serious?" "Indeed. But first, I have grave tidings." Suddenly, the three of them heard a muffled voice through the door. "The first and second imperial beastfolk princesses, Valisisa Ula Forstlast and Vyade Ula Forstlast, were murdered... Does that about sum it up?" Elisabeth turned around to see who it was. As the door slowly swung open, the voice went on. "The World Tree just sent word of the sad news. It really is a tragic loss." A young man with a freckled face came in. He was dressed all in finery, from his extravagant standing collar down to his silk loafers, and he carried himself suitably. However, his simple facial features were more the sort one would expect to see on a clerk in some quiet village's bookstore. Elisabeth frowned. For some reason, she felt like she recognized him, but he must not have left much of an impression. "Hmm, I can't seem to recall who you are... Name thyself." "Your Majesty, you needn't have forced yourself to come all the way down here!" "Your Majesty?" Elisabeth let out a shocked cry. Izabella knelt. Jeanne initially offered no reaction, but after Izabella shot a glare at her, she hurriedly dropped to one knee as well. The young man raised a hand, gesturing for them to stop. "All is well. At ease... That goes for you, too, Izabella Vicker. It's been some time since we've met in person, but I heard of your deeds earlier. Fine work, as always." "You honor me, sir. But...if I may be so bold, what brings you down here?" "Well, well, well, if it isn't the child who spent the end of days cowering in the World Tree and refused to come out until after things were all settled. Found yourself a backbone yet?" Elisabeth crossed her arms. The skin beneath Izabella's metal plates went pale at the spiteful remark. During the end of days, Elisabeth had served as Diablo's pillar. She was in no position to judge anyone, nor did she really intend to. But the king was the one individual she couldn't help but lambaste. He had made the choice to leave everything to the Mad King, Kaito Sena, and flee to the World Tree. If things had gone a little worse, his actions would have led directly to mankind's annihilation. Then after leaving the safety of his people and country up to Kaito's goodwill, he'd hidden away until it was all over. Upon seeing that Elisabeth had no intention of retracting her statement, Izabella shouted in indignation. "Madam Elisabeth, show some respect!" "No, no. She has the decency to say it to my face, which is as much as I can ask for. I know full well what my subjects—even my retainers—call me behind closed doors. 'The Craven King.' 'The Royal Family's Stain.' 'The Yellow-Bellied Frog.' That's me. Maclaeus Filliana, in the flesh. The man who fled his country and the worst king in our nation's history." The young man spoke firmly, but he wasn't being combative. He was simply acknowledging his ignoble past—which was surprising, given how truly pathetic it had been. Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. Seeing her reaction, the young king couldn't help but grin. "There's really no need to be so suspicious. It took me a while, but I finally learned how to face my flaws. People really can change, no matter how pathetic they once were. All they need is a trigger." "Oh?" "For me, it was finding a hero I admired." A hero? Who could that possibly be? Elisabeth scrunched up her face in thought. Surely, there was no one in the world powerful or benevolent enough to warrant the title. If heroes existed, Kaito wouldn't have had to become the Mad King. Before she could ask Maclaeus to clarify, though, he stepped forward. After reaching out and touching the corpse of the demon grandchild, he gave a short speech about the sin it had committed and the people it had hurt, then finished with a prayer. Afterward, he turned back to Elisabeth. "Let's talk, Elisabeth Le Fanu. That's what I came down here to do. The Capital, as well as my dear friends the beastfolk, have come under attack by a new threat. Now then..." Maclaeus paused to take a deep breath before finishing his question. His tone was that of a man thinking of a hero he'd caught a glimpse of long, long ago. "...what would Sir Kaito Sena do, if faced with this crisis?" It happened just a short three years ago, but it felt like it had been a century. "After I returned to the Capital, I researched Sir Kaito Sena in some detail. I'll be honest with you—my goal was to find some sort of flaw in mankind's savior, the Mad King." Maclaeus spoke as though giving a confession. He closed his dull-green eyes partway. Even without his elaboration, Elisabeth could have guessed at his impure motives. After the end of days was averted, Maclaeus no doubt came to a harsh realization. False, twisted stories about a savior earned far more praise than the real thing ever could. And there was no glory to be had for a king who had deserted his people. Unofficial rumors about the Mad King spread like wildfire among the populace, to the point where they were still being echoed in fervent whispers to that very day. For that was simply how rumors were. But to the young figurehead of a king, that harsh reality was too much to take. And so he began his investigation. If he wanted to protect his own pride, he needed to be able to look down on Kaito Sena. But things didn't quite play out that way. "The more I researched, the more I was struck by my own ignorance. Even as the reconstruction sect solidified their positions around me, I was blind to the Church's insanity until the end of days actually came. But it was the next thing I discovered that truly filled me with despair. The man who stood atop that round table, the man who determined the fate of the world, was no man at all. He was just a boy, younger than even me. When I learned about Kaito Sena's age, I finally ran out of excuses. He saved the world, while I ran away. And nothing I did could ever change that." Upon learning who Kaito really was, Maclaeus had |
lost yet again. He shook his head in resignation. Elisabeth remained silent. It was only natural for an incompetent king to be scorned. The powerful had the ability to tyrannize others, but so, too, could they be mocked and, if they were unfortunate, even executed by those they ruled. With how far Maclaeus's position had sunk, the wise choice for him would probably have been either to shut himself away or to abandon his shame and take the offensive. But he wasn't finished talking yet. "Two imperial princesses lost their lives to this disaster, and I suspect I may be in danger as well. In fact, I'm sure of it...but...I-I've spent my whole life running away. This time..." Maclaeus's voice trembled with fear. He seemed almost to be talking to himself. He tightly squeezed his eyes shut. But then as though he'd shaken something off, he opened them back up. "This time, I'm going to stay in the Capital and handle the disaster from here. As the Craven King, the only reason I avoided impeachment was because the three races were all too busy with the restoration efforts to waste time on me. But if I screw up this time, they'll oust me from the throne for sure." "So the useless incompetent is obsessed with his own status? How utterly pathetic." "You think I give a damn about my status?! If I could get away with it, I'd love nothing more than to abdicate the throne and retire in peace..." This time, Maclaeus reacted to Elisabeth's ridicule with a shout. The moment the words left his mouth, though, his face went stiff. His expression frozen, he turned to Izabella. However, she merely shook her head, pretending she'd heard nothing. Elisabeth shot him a glance. Why fight so hard to keep it, then? Maclaeus gave his answer. "After the Church lost its authority, my advisers began leaving in droves without even giving notice. At this point, the Church's support means nothing. But without a strong organization backing someone, the issue of who'll take the throne next will cause no end of conflict. There are several people I can imagine ignoring my designated successor and trying to name themselves king instead, and it's a delightful bunch of racial purists, closet reconstruction-sect supporters, and warmongers who think we should prioritize strengthening our army over rebuilding our nation. And even if they weren't like this, mankind doesn't have the strength to survive a succession dispute anyway." Maclaeus clamped his hand down on his chest. It seemed the pressure of it all filled him with nausea. After steadying his breathing, he went on. "However, there are some roles only a buffoon can play. I may be little more than a crowned jester sitting on the throne, but for now, that's enough. My job is to serve as a 'heavy butt.' And I am prepared to fight to fulfill that role." —As Sir Kaito Sena did to fulfill his. Death is oblivion. But it isn't the end. Suddenly, Elisabeth was reminded of something. Even if someone died, as long as the world was still there, a part of them lived on. People's lives were short, but their accomplishments outlived them. Now, Kaito Sena wasn't technically dead. Given his current state, however, it was hard to say he was alive, either. So even though his life hadn't ended, he was, in a sense, "dead." Yet still, traces of his life remained etched into the world. And it would seem the painful way he'd lived his life had influenced a most unexpected individual. Maclaeus's reverence toward Kaito was the real deal. A painful tinge of nostalgia struck Elisabeth as she ruminated on something he'd once said. "For your sake, I could do or become anything." His confession had been incorrigible, foolish, one-sided, and horribly arrogant—but it had been beautiful, too. There came times when people admired beings who defied morals and revered individuals who weren't heroes. It was baffling. But those childish emotions had the power to bring about change. For example, they could even save the world. What now, Kaito? 'Twould seem you count a king among your admirers. Elisabeth, still silent, posed a question to the "dead." If Kaito were present, he'd probably have given her a bewildered look and replied, ...But why? She grinned faintly upon imagining his reaction but quickly wiped the expression off her face. Then Elisabeth Le Fanu calmly opened her mouth. "Your resolve means little to me. All I care for are results. But know this—" The king's determination might well lead to deeds that could mend his tarnished reputation. However, there was also the danger that it would destroy him from within. The Torture Princess had no intention of weighing in on that matter, but when she went on, her voice was tinged with annoyance. "—Kaito Sena was my dim-witted servant. He was a servant—not a king. If you wish to admire that self-proclaimed Mad King of a dunce, then such is your prerogative. But you would do well to quit puzzling over what he'd think or how he'd act. You are the king. If you're finally aware of that fact, then act the part and make decisions for yourself. If you've cast off your right to flee and decided to take up the crown, then live as the arrogant, honest slave you are and rule. For that is what it means to be king." After delivering her statement out in a single breath, Elisabeth closed her eyes and thought of Vyade. Vyade had acted as an imperial princess to the bitter end, stifling her fear of death so as to maintain her pride. It was unclear if that decision had truly been a blessing for her. From the perspective of an observer, the act of killing off part of one's heart seemed both foolish and tragic. But so, too, did it reveal a tenacity worthy of praise. Folly seen through becomes conviction. 'Tis impossible to fault her decision. Once you made that choice, you had to rise up. Otherwise, you would merely crumble. But to be anything other than regal would be unforgivable. Elisabeth lowered her voice. "Make no mistake; you are the king. Not a jester. And nothing anyone says can change that fact." *** "But never rely on admiration for another. The masses will string people up, and even God can kill. Let pride be your sole nourishment. I have the power to carry out my will. Grind that thought into your brain. And no matter what the world throws at you, never lose sight of that which is inside you—elsewise, you shall remain the half-wit swine you are for the rest of your days." Silence descended on them. Elisabeth clicked her tongue, half-annoyed at herself for going into such detail. Izabella gesticulated frantically at the string of abusive remarks. Maclaeus, on the other hand, merely blinked as he curled the corners of his mouth upward. "Thank you for being so frank—it would seem I still have a lot to reflect on." "Ha. The fact that you failed to immediately cast me in a dungeon for my remarks is proof enough of that, fool." "That's true. When it comes to lèse-majesté, you certainly don't hold back." Maclaeus nodded in agreement, causing Izabella's gesticulations to increase in intensity. In contrast to his words, though, he continued smiling. Elisabeth scratched her cheek as a mixed expression crossed her face. With a shake of her head, she snapped her fingers, causing a pair of a cabriole-legged chairs to manifest out of darkness and flower petals. She picked one and plopped herself down in it. Then she crossed her shapely legs up high. "Never mind that, though! I've news, so listen well." Maclaeus nodded and sat down in the other chair. Jeanne summoned a pair of simple chairs of her own, and she and Izabella took a seat as well. They sat at quiet attention. Elisabeth nodded. "There's several key facts, most of which shall no doubt sound like crude jokes." Then she began telling them. About Alice Carroll, the Fremd Torturchen, and about the man in the crow mask. "—Then I received word via the communication device and came to the human lands." Elisabeth finished recounting her short, dramatic tale. It really had been a peculiar turn of events. Taken in aggregate, there could be no doubt it was a tragedy, but the individual aspects each seemed more like a comedy. And furthermore, they all felt surreal. It had been miserably vivid, yet at the same time, ludicrously ambiguous. When he heard the specifics of the imperial princesses' deaths, Maclaeus bit his lip. A sorrowful look appeared on Izabella's face. Jeanne crossed her legs, exposing an alarming amount of her crotch. Her honey-blond hair rustled as she shrugged. "The importance of those who've reincarnated and demon meat, revolutionizing the world, demon crossbreeding, the Fremd Torturchen... I see. It would seem there was some carelessness regarding information leaks during the end of days. But hey, why's that jackass gotta zero in on all the nasty bits?!" "Indeed, and all bits no normal man would even notice, to boot." "I know he's our enemy, but I can't help but be a little impressed. No one knows jewel prices like a burglar, huh?" Jeanne's doll-like expression didn't change in the slightest as she spoke. Elisabeth nodded. The gears in Izabella's cheek spun quickly, and she spoke in a tense voice. "Revolutionizing the world? I don't fancy the sound of that one bit. Do those people really intend to continue causing these tragedies? We need to figure out their plan so we can adjust the Capital's defense to match it." "I haven't the faintest. Given that we don't know the aim behind this revolution of theirs, any conjecture we come up with will be half-baked at best. We dealt with the attackers this time, but I've little hope they'll stop there. However, the abruptness of their appearance makes investigating them difficult. The Capital's attacker was eaten, and Vyade's audience chamber is sealed off." "What about the demi-humans? Now that I think about it, how're them shady-ass lizard bastards holdin' up?" "No need to worry. We just received word that they're fine. It would seem they managed to avoid being attacked. However, I'm told they deployed a cannoneer squad to be on the safe side, and La Christoph went to provide them with reinforcements," said Izabella. Elisabeth gave Izabella's answer a nod. Ever since the end of days, the restrictions on saint dispatches had been dramatically relaxed. Given that La Christoph, the one saint who excelled in both leadership and combat, had gone to help, the demi-humans should be fine. With that matter settled, Elisabeth got back to thinking. She propped her chin up with an elbow that rested her chin atop her crossed legs; then she closed her eyes. There was a fire burning up from the bottom of the world. Someone was crying out. A calamity on par with the end of days was coming, and everyone would be powerless to resist their impending demise. That grim premonition of hers hadn't changed. Yet she still had no idea how exactly things were going to play out. I overlooked the gravity of the information on demon crossbreeding. Some Torture Princess I am... Still, though, the fault doesn't lie solely with me—that man's way of thinking is simply perverse. One might even say he reared hell within his mind. That was simply how striking the difference between the man in black's thought processes and inventive prowess were from a normal person's. He was similar to a demon in that respect—they, too, exceeded mankind's imagination with ease. And Elisabeth could think of another person who met that description as well. ...I'd hoped to be able to consign my memories of that man to oblivion, but alas. She scrunched up her face. However, now was no time to get hung up on personal feelings, and she didn't |
have the luxury of worrying about what would happen afterward. The sad truth of the matter was that they were woefully short on manpower. Sometimes, the only thing that could defeat evil was a different brand of evil. The Torture Princess was evil; there was no doubt about that. But there were realms of evil not even she had transgressed. Elisabeth gave in and accepted the idea that had flitted through her mind. "Well, if I must, I must. I'm off. As I said earlier, referencing Kaito's thought process will provide us no help in the slightest. However, there's another individual who may have some insight into our situation." "You think they can help? Who is it, might I ask?" "Oh my, how unusual. You would visit the Harlequin of your own accord? Damn, now there's a sign of the apocalypse if ever I saw one!" Maclaeus reacted with curiosity, and Jeanne let out a perversely amused cry. Then catching herself, she clamped her mouth shut and glanced timidly at Izabella. Fortunately for her, though, Izabella was busy trying to figure out who Elisabeth was talking about. "Whew, thank goodness," Jeanne murmured. After glancing over at Jeanne, who was playing the part of the henpecked spouse, Elisabeth stood up. She snapped her fingers and dispelled her chair. Darkness and crimson flower petals whirled up as she gave her answer. "He Who Rears Hell Within His Mind." It was a name given to the man in question by the Kaiser, the most powerful of the fourteen demons. Maclaeus must have been familiar with it, as he immediately gulped. Izabella's eyes went wide. Jeanne curled her lips ever so slightly. Elisabeth then finished her reluctant proclamation. "I'm going to see Vlad Le Fanu." 4 The New Grave Keeper I have to write I'm sorry. It sounds so very easy, but it's oh-so-very hard. The fingers on my right hand got broken, you see, and because of how they knit, I can't bend them very well anymore. They're twisted all funny. And because he peeled my fingernails off, the blood drops get in the way. The cigarette burns hurt, too. My elbows are all swollen, so I can't feel them anymore, but that only makes it scarier. And my tummy is empty, so my body doesn't move the way I want it to. It hurts just holding the pen. But I'm a bad girl, so none of that matters. I'm a "little shit" who "doesn't know how the world works," so I have to "whip my character into shape" "as fast as possible." I have to say I'm sorry. I have to write it over and over and over. Until they forgive me. But I'm not really sure how to apologize any better. It doesn't look like there's anyone left in the whole wide world who doesn't think I'm bad. But if that's the case, then it must mean I've been very, very bad for my whole entire life. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That's right, I have to apologize. I have to keep writing it. Even if the paper gets covered in blood. Even if no one forgives me. But now I don't have anything to write on. I'm sorry, me. I'm sorry, Sara. I'm, sor, ry. "I...should have never...been born." And that's whyI became Alice. The man who had burned to death had risen from the ashes. However, that wasn't to say he'd come back to life. The current Vlad was nothing more than a degraded replica of his soul, which he'd created while he was still alive. Then Kaito Sena had taken that replica and moved it from its jewel home to an artificial body. Even if he hadn't been truly revived, though, any version of Vlad that could move on its own power was a threat to the three races. After all, he was the man who'd led the fourteen demons and created the Torture Princess. Degraded as he was, his very existence was the embodiment of hell itself. However, the fact remained that he'd played a key role in saving the world. Without him on their side, defending the World Tree would have been a major challenge. As a result, opinions were mixed on what to do with him after Kaito Sena passed. Getting rid of someone they could still use seemed premature, and the self-destruct device Kaito Sena had installed in Vlad's head was still in good working order. Furthermore, the man himself claimed he no longer bore any hostility toward mankind. "Why did I form a contract with the Kaiser and lead the other thirteen demons on a quest for world domination? I mean, you can call the dream childish, but wasn't it oh-so-splendidly evil? Come now, what kind of villain sees a chance to turn the world on its head and doesn't take it? ...But the living 'me' failed. I'm certainly not immature enough to reattempt a challenge I failed at in my prime, considering my current state. And honestly, I've grown tired of the riffraff anyway. Hmm... You, though, I'm prepared to make an exception for. Tell me, have you ever considered dabbling in dark magic?" The above was Vlad's testimony from his interview with La Christoph. Afterward, the Church had decided to leave him "alive." They claimed it was out of respect for Kaito Sena's wishes, but in truth, there was a much more important reason—one that was kept a closely guarded secret from all but a select few. Either way, though, the fact of the matter was that Vlad was permitted to continue existing. However, he was the kind of person who couldn't help but incite malice in others. Leaving him to his own devices was a recipe for disaster. So as a compromise, it was unanimously decided that Vlad would be imprisoned. Unless an emergency arose, never again would he see the light of the sun or the twinkle of the stars. However, he never once complained about his treatment. After being confined, he simply took quietly to his new job. "Here, was it?" And now in the present, Elisabeth was visiting his place of incarceration. "...Hmm. 'Tis been some time since I was here last." Elisabeth struck a daunting pose with her arms crossed. A very tall door loomed before her. Long ago, it had been covered with a dangerous barrier that would annihilate any who touched it. Jeanne had dispelled that barrier, leaving the door unprotected, but it had later been replaced with a less destructive version to prevent anyone from entering. With Izabella and Maclaeus's permission, Elisabeth had retrieved the new barrier's key. She inserted it into the opening, and when she turned it, the barrier weakened. When it did, the door swung open with a horrible scream-like creeeeeeeeeeak. A rush of cold air billowed up to meet Elisabeth as she strode inside. She looked around. Much like the rest of the graveyard, the room looked nothing like its former self. Before, its walls had been covered with ominous feelers on account of the half-white owl, half-pink mass of flesh it had housed. Elisabeth had heard that Izabella had been instrumental in getting the room's grotesque gatekeeper, as well as the victims' corpses from the Room of Pain beyond, interred in a well-ventilated mass grave. Now, though, the walls of the room created by the Saint were empty of feelers. Their smooth curves, free of joints and seams, were in full view. The room was lit by a number of crystals hanging from its hemispheric ceiling, their gentle flickering reminiscent of a riverbed. One of the walls so lit was home to an amazingly well-crafted carving of the Saint. She was cradling a lump of flesh swaddled in cloth, and her demi-human attendant stood beside her. Elisabeth let her gaze linger on this attendant. But no matter how long she stared, the carving remained still, and his expression remained hidden beneath his hood. A few seconds later, Elisabeth looked away. Then as though nothing had happened, she looked toward the center of the room. Coffins belonging to kings of old were lined up one after another atop the wide floor, and there was a single man sitting among the procession of departed royalty. He was seated atop a luxurious chair and reading his book as if he were the very picture of elegance. He appeared to be alive, yet he seemed oddly accustomed to the deathly silence that surrounded him. He carefully turned the white page over. Then all of a sudden, he snapped his book shut. A dry noise echoed out from its leather cover. As the book itself transformed into darkness and azure flower petals, the man turned to face her. "Why hello there, precious daughter of mine. What brings you to this tomb of kings, which holds but death, silence, tedium, and this lone sinner?" His description of the place was accurate. After the kings' corpses were interred there, the chamber before the Room of Pain at the bottom of the royal graveyard was sealed off. And after being locked away with the dead, Vlad had been given the task of watching over them. In short, Vlad Le Fanu had been assigned as the new Grave Keeper. If his late predecessor heard of that, the conniptions she'd have might well have proven fatal... No, given that girl, she'd probably just have smiled, then proceeded to wring Vlad's head from his neck. An idle thought passed through Elisabeth's mind, accompanied by no small amount of exasperation. The girl who'd preceded Vlad had been so pious, it had warped her irredeemably. Taking that fact into account, the succession was ironic in the extreme. However, the new Grave Keeper's role differed greatly from that of previous generations. The First Demon was gone from the tomb, and there was no secret left to hide. At the moment, the Grave Keeper's job was literally just that—to keep the graves. And thus, Vlad kept an attentive eye out for grave robbers while watching over the dead kings' slumber—which was a roundabout way of saying he spent his days immersed in books. Annoying as it was, he lived a rather refined life for a man in confinement. And as always, he lacked not just piety, but any respect for God whatsoever. Instead of praying for the dead, he was more likely merely to point at them and whisper, Why, just look at this sad sack of rotting flesh and bone. As far as Vlad was concerned, corpses were just objects, and God was just a phenomenon. Elisabeth was inclined to agree with him on both points. Their value systems were actually fairly similar, but she also held a grudge against him so intense that no amount of torturing him would get it out of her system. That said, she, too, was a criminal, and she had no intention of going against the Church's decision and killing him. Instead, she'd decided never to interact with him again. Due to their present unforeseen circumstances, however, she had no choice but to give up on that plan. She opened her mouth, wanting to finish her business and be out of there as soon as possible. "The human Capital and the second imperial beastfolk princess's residence were attacked by a group using demon grandchildren and someone claiming to be a Torture Princess from another world. Of the assailants, one had a way of thinking that much resembled yours. I'm here to seek your counsel." "Oh my, my precious daughter, relying on me for help? This assailant must have been quite a scintillating fellow indeed." Vlad nodded several times, then stood. He gave his fingers an elegant snap, and his chair swirled up into a whirl of azure flower petals and darkness. Vlad, at the vivid, shadowy vortex's center, looked up at the ceiling with a face full of emotion. "Three years, though? That's a good deal faster than I expected." Predictably, he bore |
a demonic smile upon his lips. "...You mean to say you anticipated this attack?" "Come now, precious daughter mine, what are you talking about? It goes without saying that it was obvious, no?" Vlad let out a laugh so free of malice that it was actually unsettling. He clearly wanted to express how odd the question had been. As always, he had a perverse talent for getting on people's nerves. Elisabeth responded with silence. Vlad strode forward, practically dancing. The hard sound of his footsteps echoed through the room as he passed between the coffins. "Sooner or later, this was bound to happen—but surely, you knew that, didn't you? The stage was set. To compare it to a play, all the curtain needed to rise was a suitable actor." "True, we let too much information slip out. 'Twould be little surprise for someone to take it and turn it to nefarious—" "Oh, goodness, no. That's not even the half of it." "...What?" Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. That wasn't what she'd expected to hear from him. Vlad shrugged in a theatrical display of disappointment. He gave his head an exaggerated shake. "What in the world happened to you? Why, even my dear successor was sharper than that, you know. It's as though you've taken dullness and dullness and piled yet more dullness on top." "As always, you talk much but say little—if you've something you wish to tell me, then out with it already." "Then I shall put it simply, my dear Torture Princess!" Vlad placed a hand atop his chest and raised his voice like an opera performer. Then after taking a few broad steps forward to close the gap, he brought his face in close to Elisabeth's. His crimson eyes gleamed directly before her, and he spoke in a low, sultry whisper. "Whenever did you go so soft?" *** His voice was full of scorn, and when he exhaled, his long breath lingered on Elisabeth's lips like a kiss. The moment he did, she twisted her wrist and pulled a dagger out from a swirl of darkness and crimson flower petals. Then in one fluid motion, she tried to gouge out his flank. He leaped backward to dodge the slash. He'd clearly anticipated the attack. After looking down and seeing she'd cut his coat's hem, he nodded. "Your temper's still the same as ever, hmm? I must say, I can't really endorse losing your merits but leaving your flaws. Though, perhaps you'll be better off this way. Becoming an ignorant sheep and joining the flock will certainly make your life easier; that much is for certain. It's not the most desirable change for you to make in this situation, though. Not unless you want to find yourself served atop a plate." "Yet again, you ramble about insignificant drivel." "It's entirely related! I'm 'telling you a story' here! A 'tale of God and Diablo'!" Vlad began inflecting his voice as though he was giving a speech. Elisabeth went quiet. The man was acting like a buffoon. What was frightening, though, was that Vlad was no idiot. There was a good chance that a grain of truth lay festering beneath those nonsensical words of his. Elisabeth, knowing that, dispelled her dagger. As flower petals cascaded around her, she spoke flatly. "There are some things only a jester can see clearly. Go on." "Three years ago, the world very nearly met a tragic end. However, that seemingly immutable fate was altered by a single person. After burdening himself with God and Diablo, the boy fell into a deep slumber at the World's End. Thanks to his deeds, the people of the world managed to avoid the apocalypse. The greatest good for the greatest number was, surely, the greatest outcome. One could say they all lived happily ever after. And that would be all well and good." But whenever someone's story ends, there are some things that yet remain. Vlad raised the corners of his lips, his mouth curled into a crescent smile, and he spread his arms wide. When the light from the crystals struck him, his shadow spread in every direction like the room's long-absent monster. "With its lease on life renewed, the world continued on. But the bells would eventually toll on a new curtain's rise." For that is the way bells and curtains are. His grin was unpleasant, bordering on demonic. Yet for all his posturing, he didn't seem to have any intention of ever getting to the point. Irritation and bloodlust swelled within Elisabeth. Vlad, perhaps sensing that, changed his tone. "And oh, how they toll! Come now, precious daughter mine, think about it for a moment. God and Diablo—entities with the power to destroy and rebuild worlds—exist. And now all three races are fully aware of their existence!" "Aye, they are...but surely, that goes without saying by this point, no?" "Ah, but look at it this way—now everyone knows there's a way to destroy the world." *** Elisabeth gasped. No normal person would have arrived at that realization. But of all the people who'd been narrowly saved and were now diligently going about their lives, the man before her, and he alone, saw things in a wholly different light. Vlad, speaking as evil incarnate, continued. "Sharing details on the particulars was an error, to be sure. But the true menace, the true threat, was the survivors' changed perception. Now everyone knows that the world is 'something that can be ended.' The end of days is no longer a pipe dream or a legend. It's oh-so-very real." Had you really never noticed just how horrifying that was? He's right—after the end of days was averted, people began conceiving of the world differently. Vlad's voice was tender and filled with a sort of pity. Elisabeth squeezed her fists tight. She and the Church had tried to purge information on the fourteen demons' uprising, but even that paled in comparison with the gravity of knowing that the end of days was something that people could cause. It was the kind of information that changed how people viewed the world. And as the man in black had said, "the true value of information lies in its ability to set people's minds in motion." "So not only was this situation bound to arise, and not only is it occurring as we speak, but it will keep happening—is that what you mean to say?" "That it is. The end of days cometh, and destroying the world is an attainable feat. With that fact proven, people will undoubtedly come out of the woodwork to try it for themselves. And in a sense, they won't even be doing it maliciously. For you see..." Vlad deepened his unpleasant smile. Then in his most irreverent tone yet, he gave his sinister proclamation. "...what kind of villain sees a chance to turn the world on its head and doesn't take it?" "You understand now, I hope. The calamities will keep coming, and the world will yet again find itself cowering as the end of days' footsteps draw ever nearer. Of course, my dear successor is the one who sealed away God and Diablo, those with dominion over reconstruction and destruction, so the process and conclusion will depend greatly on how he's handled. For now, though, our efforts would be best focused on dealing with the crisis at hand. No sense worrying about the future when we're about to join these pitiable fools, after all." Vlad gave the coffins a pointed glance and let out a contemptuous laugh. Elisabeth nodded. Now wasn't the time to figure out what they were eventually going to do about Kaito. She forced herself to think about something else. The fact that a number of people had reported seeing the ghost of mankind's third king while they were getting rid of the Saint statues and moving the coffins came to mind. Given the new Grave Keeper's attitude, though, it seemed only reasonable. Meanwhile, Vlad continued talking. "Now then, with my considerable detour out of the way, let us turn our thoughts to the attackers, shall we? This man in black wearing a bisected crow mask, this Fremd Torturchen, and this impression you had of them as being 'tyrannized'... I must say, it's all most fascinating, and all deeply troubling. If they were mere villains, it would have been one thing, but if they're avengers, then it's a whole different story entirely. The more righteous a man's motives, the deeper his obsession and the crueler his methods." "Avengers, eh. Hmm... Hmm? Now just wait a moment..." Elisabeth cut herself off midthought. Something about Vlad's words had caught her attention. As of yet, she hadn't told him any specifics about the attackers, yet he'd made a direct reference to one of their appearances. With an obvious "oops," he went silent. Elisabeth let out a deep sigh. "Ah yes, I should have known you wouldn't just sit down here quietly. You're eavesdropping on the entire graveyard, I take it?" "Ha-ha-ha, it's an honor indeed that you're as sharp as ever when it comes to me, my precious. Guilty as charged! Please, you didn't think literature would be enough to stave off my boredom, did you?" Vlad snapped his fingers, and the book from before plopped down into his hand. He proudly opened up its leather cover. Letters were scrawling themselves automatically onto its white pages. Presumably, they were writing out conversations occurring within the castle. And upon closer inspection, the cover wasn't leather at all. It was made of countless sheets of processed human skin pressed together. Vlad snapped the book shut. It transformed into flower petals as he spoke. "It's a magical device I made during my life that I was fortunate enough to avoid having confiscated. Thanks to this little number, I've assembled enough blackmail material to make dozens of the castle's staff into my pawns. Delightful, isn't it, how people of every social standing have just as many flaws?" "Ah, I understand now. Truly, there really is no option but to cut you down and burn your remains to ash." "Oh dear, precious, don't trouble yourself. I'm well aware of how your sensational moniker and garb clash with your strange overabundance of scruples, but I ask that you overlook this indiscretion of mine. I burned to death once already, and I can't say I fancied it." Vlad raised his hands in surrender. Elisabeth glared daggers at him. For as volatile as the situation looked, though, neither of them was actually being serious. If Vlad's speech had been a solo act, then their little exchange was akin to its intermission. Vlad was annoyingly fond of verbally sparring with his "beloved daughter," and Elisabeth, knowing that, had chosen her words so as to entice him into coughing up more information. Sure enough, Vlad playfully closed an eye and placed a finger atop his lips. "All right, all right. Ah, what a helpless child you are." "Don't take that affectionate tone with me. I'll torture you till you breathe your last." "Hmm, your bloodlust is a little more on the nose than I'd expected. Ah well, tolerating his daughter's rebellion is the mark of an ideal father, so I suppose I'd best give you my helpful warning anyhow. And in exchange, you can overlook my little hobby. How does that sound?" "Not information, but a warning, eh? I haven't the foggiest idea what you're getting at, but very well. If this warning of yours proves useful, I'm prepared to consider it. Prove your worth, and you may yet keep your head." "Then here it is—would the likes of Vyade's suicide bombing have been enough to kill you?" Suddenly, Vlad's voice grew very quiet and very cold. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. His words were a slight against the dead, and if Kaito Sena were there, he probably would have gotten mad. But Elisabeth didn't care about that. Her memories of what transpired in the audience chamber raced through |
her mind. The plant inside the crystal had grown explosively, filling every nook and cranny of the room without giving those inside a moment to escape. However, she herself had once fought her way through a similar situation. In the Capital, she'd survived a blistering-fast avalanche of flesh pouring down upon her. There were any number of ways she could think of to survive the vines. However, Vlad's vague statement was hinting at something even more specific. Elisabeth dug even deeper through her memories, just to be certain. The cheeky face of Alice—the girl calling herself the Fremd Torturchen—floated vividly to the forefront of her mind. Elisabeth came to an abrupt realization. I see... As the Torture Princess, I really have gone soft. Even the dullest knife would have been sharper than her. How could she not have seen it? "...Humpty Dumpty." "Precisely. Once it breaks, 'all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put it back together again.' But unless it 'has a great fall,' that break will never come." If those two were still alive, the entire situation was fundamentally different. Elisabeth immediately spun on her heel. When she broke off into a run, she ended up kicking one of the coffins. It looked as though she'd dislodged the third king's lid, but that was hardly her concern. She shot off like an arrow. Vlad's voice came chasing after her, his low, smooth bass bouncing off the walls and striking her from all directions. "Seeing someone beautiful succumb to sentimentality is like gazing at a work of art. And if they were a cruel woman, then all the more so. But as you are now, my precious, you're hideous. Back when you were filled with grim resolve, you were far lovelier, far greater, far more radiant, and far more beautiful." Elisabeth almost yelled back for him to silence his fool mouth, but she held her tongue. It was only reasonable that he'd mock her—the Torture Princess had grown as slow as a heifer. She had no comeback. When Vlad went on, though, his voice was tinged with sadness. "I thought you swore a vow." You were the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. The proud wolf and the lowly sow. You were to live the cruel and haughty life of a wolf, then die like a lowly sow. Ah, that was my vow—and my pride. The Torture Princess's lot was to be cursed by all, shunned by all, despised by all, and to accept her unseemly fate of dying alone. And at the same time, she had the cold resignation required to shrug off anyone's death, no matter who had passed. On a long enough timeline, everyone would die. Nobody would be saved—they would all became carrion alike. And until then, all they could do was choose a way of living and carry it out. Even if that way carried a gruesome end befitting their life's ugliness. Such is the proper way of things, so when did I get so—? Elisabeth shook her head to clear the muddy, unproductive thoughts from it. Losing her composure and debasing herself any further would be unforgivable. After swallowing down her self-loathing and disparagement, she reached for the door. The moment she did, it opened of its own accord. She stopped in her tracks so as not to crash into the honey-blond radiance before her. The other party spoke in a voice as hard and high as a bell's chime. "Now this is a rare sight, lady. Not every day I see your ass runnin' around all flustered." "Jeanne, hmm? What are you doing down here?" "Oh, did you hear the news already? Eh, I figured the punk woulda been eavesdropping on us." "If you knew, then why not do something about it?! ...Wait, what news?" What now? Elisabeth asked her question, her voice low. Jeanne's honey-blond hair rustled as she blinked her rose-red eyes. Her doll-like beauty remained wholly undisturbed as she spoke flatly. "We received word from a number of sources all at once. First, they detected a massive magical reaction at Vyade's residence. Immediately thereafter, a man wearing all black and a girl wearing a frilly dress appeared in the demi-human lands. A battle broke out, and the demi-human side lost. I'm told that La Christoph was taken hostage in exchange for the safety of their royalty, officials, and highest-grade pureblood citizens." Elisabeth clicked her tongue. Thanks to her oversight, the situation had taken a drastic turn for the worse. However, she didn't have time to lament her foolishness. Jeanne slumped her head to the side. When she went on, her voice was just as cold and unfeeling as before. "Our enemies have requested to see you, alone. So what's the plan, li'l princess?" Will you go— —or won't you? 5 Wonderland I wanted to have a talk with you. Amicably, as a pair of friends would. You probably don't know who I am. Just as a human wouldn't know the name of a bug crawling on the ground. But I know who you are. Just as even livestock on their way to the market would hear the name of a saint. Such is the difference between the value of your life and mine. I know that all too well. But facts are facts, nothing more. It isn't the saints' fault, and it isn't your sin to shoulder. I'm not here to reproach you, not in the slightest. I just want to talk. As I said, amicably. As a pair of friends would. You and I can grow close. I'm certain of it. Though, ever since I lost my friend in childhood, I've never grown close to anyone. As such, I have no proof. But I really hope you'll believe that my desire to get closer with you is genuine... Thank you. Your understanding means the world to me. Hmm? Why you, you ask? It's simple. You too are weak, and you too have had everything taken from you. Do you find it humiliating, being pitied by me? No? Ah, of course, you would never take it that way. But you say you don't understand what I mean? I must say, I find your line of thinking rather hard to follow. As I see it, you saints have had so much taken from you. Take you, for example. Where did your lungs vanish to? When was your heart absconded with? What became of the flesh carved from your chest? As a human being, was your life not degraded? Have you never lamented that fact? If only God were more merciful. Were that the case, there might have been another way. Will you pray for me? Will you cry for me? Will you grieve for me, as one would lament a close friend's tragedy? I don't need forgiveness. I would never ask that of anyone. But even I have times when I want a close, distant friend to whisper in my ear. To whisper, This was the only way, so that I might find some delusive reassurance. What do you say to that? What do you say, La Christoph? The demi-human lands were home to golden sand, harsh winds, burning liquids, myriad minerals mass-produced in the Dragons' Graveyard—and towering stone walls. They weren't built to keep enemies out. They were barriers designed to prevent mixed-blood children from being born. Demi-humans were segregated into different sectors based on the purity of their blood, and residents weren't allowed to travel freely between them. Elisabeth's destination was the first sector, home to the demi-humans with the purest blood. Crimson flowers and black miasma swirled around her as she landed atop the rough, sandy cobble. "Now, then." She glanced around. The people permitted to live here were all wealthy. Their sandstone houses were decorated with jewel-and-metal charms, hand-sewn sunshades, and various succulents. However, every door was shut tight, and there were no signs of anyone being inside. Elisabeth frowned. As I recall, the main massacre during the end of days was in the third sector, but the first didn't exactly get off scot-free, either. Still, it had been three years since then. For the most part, the corpses had been buried, the buildings had been repaired, and the residents had had time to recover emotionally. Even so, it was dead quiet despite being near dawn. It was as though all the residents had been wiped out. Elisabeth was no stranger to ghost towns. There was the Torture Princess's hometown, for one. She'd turned that city into a graveyard with her own two hands. However, she thought a little more. If the demi-humans had truly suffered such monumental losses, we'd have heard of it by now. As far as she knew, no slaughter had taken place there. The man in black and the Fremd Torturchen seemed to have learned from their failed initial attempt to recruit her. This time, they'd gotten La Christoph to surrender by guaranteeing their hostages' safety in return. At the moment, most of the ruling class was imprisoned in the temple that housed the Sand Queen's body. Apparently, the rest of the highest-grade pureblood citizens, as well as the slightly lower-grade citizens, had been ordered not to leave their homes. That explained the silence. There was no way they could make a move, not while their enemies were using the high-ranking purebloods and the temple itself as shields. Outside blood purity, the temple was the only other thing the demi-humans held in the highest esteem. After all, the Sand Queen's corpse was interred beneath it. The Sand Queen was the mother to all demi-human kind, and her shrine had been built from the bones of her close relatives. Some of the pillars had mineralized into gems, earning the shrine a reputation for its solemnity and beauty. However, Elisabeth would be hard-pressed to approach the building in question and save the captives. If she went near the temple, all the hostages would be killed. That was the arrangement. Until now, the demi-humans have firmly refused to allow any human visitors to the first sector. The Mad King's relief efforts during the end of days mark the sole exception to that rule. Now those same demi-humans were in a position where one wrong move by the Torture Princess—a criminal from another race—could cost them many of their race's purest-blooded members. It was ironic, really. However, Elisabeth couldn't exactly take their xenophobic neighbor's fate lightly. She began walking forward. The main road leading to the palace was dyed vermilion, and painted atop that hue, there was an intricate array of other vibrant colors. It was an illustrated depiction of the demi-humans' history, redrawn and added to with every festival they held. A hard click echoed out with each step Elisabeth took upon it. Her high heels chipped at the paint as she strode on. To build the palace, they'd taken cuts of a special type of rock, processed them, and laid them out in a rising corkscrew pattern made through painstaking calculations. It gleamed like a spiral shell under the light of the desert night's countless shining stars. Under normal circumstances, no human would ever get to gaze upon its majesty. The Torture Princess's black hair fluttered as she approached the rainbow-colored building. She was following the rebels' instructions to the letter. Ironically enough, the spectacle unfurling before her was like a scene out of an illustrated history in and of itself. "Our enemies have requested to see you, alone. So what's the plan, li'l princess?" "I'll go." A few hours before landing in the demi-human lands, Elisabeth had answered Jeanne's question without hesitation. The golden Torture Princess narrowed her rosy eyes. That was her sole reaction. It would seem this was the answer she'd anticipated. Elisabeth passed through the door and strode down the corridor. Jeanne followed after her and muttered: "That's probably our best option, yes. Can't say I love kowtowin', but still. If you refused and La Christoph and the |
demi-human royalty were killed, no amount of diplomacy could smooth that over. The demi-humans might even mount an invasion. Even if we stamped out these attackers, we'd still be in for a hell of a bloodbath! Fuck, man, race relations are a headache and a half!" "They are what they are. Even within a given race, people's political views, religions, beliefs, and moral systems differ. Trying to understand another completely is a fool's errand. So when two races interact, their ideological walls are steeper still... Not that I don't have my misgivings about the demi-humans' obsession with blood purity, mind you. It makes them predicable, which in turn makes them vulnerable." Elisabeth gave her answer in a low tone. To put it bluntly, the demi-humans took things too far. The Sand Queen had died long ago. But while it was true that the other races had difficulty appreciating the demi-humans' lament at having their bloodlines gradually thin out, that was no reason to be as obstinately vocal about it as they were. It makes for too great a target. 'Tis akin to leaving one's throat bare and exposed. Fools, the lot of them. Yet still... If not for Elisabeth's fatal oversight, she would have been able to block the metaphorical knife. That fault, if nothing else, was hers to own up to. As Elisabeth began collecting her thoughts, Jeanne spoke up from behind her. "So what specifically is your plan?" "What do you mean by that?" "Come now, don't go playin' dumb with me, fair lady. What, you're just gonna stroll in like they told you to and call it a day? Please. You're a lotta things, but an honest gal ain't one of 'em." Jeanne's voice was as dry as ever, but her words were biting and rough. Elisabeth curled the corners of her mouth upward. There were a lot of things about Jeanne de Rais that were unsuited for one who bore the moniker of Torture Princess. Even so, the golden Torture Princess understood the ebony Torture Princess better than most. Elisabeth's black hair fluttered as she turned around. She spoke, her voice practically a song. "Listen well, Jeanne. I intend to head for the demi-human lands, exactly as demanded. But in the meantime..." "Oh, wow, goodness me. I never even dreamed that you'd actually come on your own!" A voice younger than Jeanne's struck Elisabeth's eardrums. The moment it did, Elisabeth's vacant recollection came to an end. After she passed through the palace's gate, the vermilion cobble gave way to lapis-lazuli tiling as she emerged into its front garden. Flowers and trees had been planted all along the meandering path in high-grade, water-rich black soil that looked to have been sourced from the beastfolk lands. Flashes of sleek leopards and showy peafowls could be seen peeking through the verdant-green leaves. A stone, flower-shaped fountain shot bursts of water high into the air. An immaculate white figure stood at the center of that veritable paradise. At the edge of Elisabeth's vision, the Fremd Torturchen—Alice Carroll—gave a little hop. "How surprising! What a truly surprising event! Why, it's like you appeared out of nowhere!" "You're one to talk. I never expected to encounter you quite so quickly." Elisabeth frowned. They'd called for their enemy, so the girl should have been by her father's side. Elisabeth wondered what she'd been doing, but it soon became clear that she'd spent her time picking flowers. After lifting up her skirt's hem to turn it into a makeshift pouch, she'd stuffed it full of large white lilies. Given the desert outside, just thinking of how much they must have cost was frightening in its own right. Alice, seeming to have come to some sort of realization, nodded. "Okay, I got it! Now that you're here, I don't have to kill time anymore! Hooray!" "Hmm?" Alice sprang upward like a rabbit. Her blue dress flapped up and down precariously, causing the white flowers within to go flying through the air. As Alice landed among the twirling lilies, she beamed. "Why, you aren't even late. That's very impressive, Elisabeth. It's very impressive, and you have my praise." Alice puffed up her chest in a simultaneous display of both innocence and haughtiness. However, she quickly moved to smooth out her dress. After hastily getting it in order, she bent one knee and gave Elisabeth an elegant curtsy. "Welcome, Elisabeth. Welcome to Wonderland." The Torture Princess was making no efforts to hide her hostility. Yet not only had Alice invited her, but she was also welcoming her with open arms. It was a terribly wondrous act, and one that reflected poorly on the sanity of the performer. "I'm late, I'm late!" Alice shouted in a high-pitched voice as she ran. The white ribbons on her hat flopped about like a pair of rabbit ears. After welcoming Elisabeth, she'd abruptly taken her hand and broken into a run. Allegedly, she was taking Elisabeth to see someone called "Lewis." Realizing there was no sense fighting as long as the hostages were there, Elisabeth obediently followed along. Still, there was something decidedly eerie about the innocent figure Alice cast when she ran. And to compound on that, she repeated her shout at regular intervals. "I'm late, I'm late!" "If you really are as late as you say, it's clearly due to these incessant detours you insist on taking." Even after Elisabeth pointed that out, though, Alice continued meandering undeterred. That whole time, she'd been taking one pointless action after another. As they approached the palace proper, the tiles before them began having snakeskin patterns burned into them. Now Alice was dashing over the patterns as though tracing them with her feet. The next moment, though, she took a sharp turn and rushed back into the garden. Elisabeth, naturally, was about to make her displeasure known, but Alice spoke first. "Oh, it's bread-and-butterflies!" "What?" Alice's statements were growing increasingly nonsensical. She was looking at some sort of netted enclosure. She charged in at full speed, dragging Elisabeth along with her. The moment she did, Elisabeth's vision was arrested by vivid colors. A massive swarm of butterflies was dancing through the air. The palace's residents had probably gathered and raised them for entertainment. It made for a beautiful spectacle, like a scene right out of a dream. Alice let out a cry of joy. After waving her pale palms about, she managed to catch one. There came an awful splattering sound. Elisabeth winced. Without a moment of hesitation, Alice had crushed the butterfly's abdomen. As it twitched and convulsed, she plucked off its wings as well. The four purple flakes fell to the ground, and Alice laughed as she stomped on them. "Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Hee-hee-hee-hee! Ah-ha-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha, ah............................................. I'm bored now." "...Hmm." Then she suddenly went sullen. She gave Elisabeth's hand a tug, then began walking. As Elisabeth watched the dejected Alice, she arrived at a theory. Between this and her behavior back in the beastfolk lands, her having "the cruelty particular to children" seems hardly sufficient to explain her actions. Alice Carroll was broken. It was unclear whether she could be fixed or not, but Elisabeth didn't care one way or the other. Neither would change the fact that Alice was her enemy. It merely caught her attention a little. "Next, we're going this way! 'Cause after that, we're going that way!" Furthermore, Alice herself didn't seem to realize they were enemies. Instead, she was dragging Elisabeth around like a close friend. Their enigmatic dash through the thicket labyrinth continued. Eventually, though, Alice came to a stop before the palace's third detached villa. "Ta-daa, we made it! Look, Elisabeth, we're here!" "For someone who went out of her way to call me here, you certainly took your sweet time." Elisabeth responded to Alice's excited shout with a sigh. She looked up at the building standing before them. It was a lavish manor sporting a narrow, distinctive watchtower. Elisabeth thought back over the blueprint she'd made sure to memorize before coming. The residence for the king's concubines, eh. The demi-human king played no role in politics. Governing the nation was a task left to a group of officials selected from the highest-ranking pureblood citizens. The king's role was twofold—to serve as a symbol and to take pureblooded wives. In order to maintain his bloodline, polygamy was not only allowed but also encouraged, and it was their custom for him to marry one member of each governing official's family. The back gate's handle was adorned with a delicate garland design. Alice grabbed it and pulled. The concubines weren't allowed to leave the inner courtyard on their own, so there was normally a servant outside in charge of opening and closing the gate. To that end, it was made of an incredibly heavy material. Yet for some reason, Alice declined to use magic as she struggled to try and open it. "Mmph, come on. See, Father's in the middle of a 'serious adult talk' right now, and it was so boring that it made me yawn. But don't worry. When he hears you're here, I'm sure, I'm suuuure he'll be thrilled! My, this door is heavy! But if I use magic, it'll feel like I cheated. Oh, and I found some candied flowers that you'd absolutely love, so I'll share them with you later, and we can have a tea party." "Oy, Sara Yuuki." Alice immediately went silent, and her cheerful energy vanished. A long, heavy silence descended on them. Eventually, the Fremd Torturchen, still facing forward, replied: "I got rid of that name...or rather, that name belongs to a dead girl. You can call it, but no one will answer." "Yet you did answer... In any case, I've something I want to ask you." "Something you want to ask 'Alice'? Or something you want to ask 'Sara Yuuki'?" "I see no difference." "Oh, no, they're different. They're completely different, totally different, wildly different." Without turning around, Alice shook her head. Her hat's white ribbons shook along with it. Elisabeth let out a small snort, then forcibly continued her line of questioning. "Aye, no difference at all—but anyhow, are you an Unsullied Soul, as Kaito was?" "What a strange question, Elisabeth. It's like one of the riddles from the Caterpillar on the mushroom. What's a Sinless Soul? What does it mean to not have any sin? Who gets to decide who has sin and who doesn't? Am I, Alice, guilty or innocent? Are you the Queen of Hearts? If that's the case, then I must say I've been rather impolite." "Don't try to dodge the question by spouting gibberish. What I ask is this: Did you die after being subjected to cruelty and torture despite committing no sins that would warrant such treatment?" Alice went quiet again. All that strength drained from her body, and her arms slumped loosely by her sides. That was answer enough. She didn't need to say a word. Elisabeth could tell. However, Alice quickly spun around, her vigor restored. With a bizarrely cheerful energy, she launched into another prattling speech. "I never did anything bad. But even though I was doing the exact same things as when I was a good girl, they kept making me into a bad girl. I kept apologizing, but it never mattered. Nobody in the whole wide world told me that I wasn't bad. And then down, down, down. Alice fell down a very deep hole. Even though I wasn't chasing a White Rabbit. But at its end, I found Wonderland. See, it's simple, right?" "As I suspected... 'Summoning from another world a soul that's accustomed to pain, placing it in an immortal body, and making it form a contract with a demon.' That 'Father' of yours noticed the importance behind the act. That explains why he selected you. No doubt he chose someone younger than Kaito so they'd be easier to manipulate... What a pitiful creature you are." Elisabeth shook her head. Her impression |
of Alice as "someone who'd been oppressed" had been affirmed once more. She casually thought back on Vlad's words. "But if they're avengers, then it's a whole different story entirely. The more righteous a man's motives, the deeper his obsession and the crueler his methods." Avengers, eh. Alice offered no response to Elisabeth's assessment. She twirled back toward the door and grabbed its handle once more. This time, though, she used magic to strengthen her body. The door slowly began opening. "Who cares?! Why, who cares, indeed! Elisabeth, your story is boring! So cut it out! I won't listen anymore, so stop talking about it!" Alice shouted childishly. The door opened even farther. As it did, a strange odor came wafting from within. It was the sweet smell of incense mixed with the rusty smell of blood. And when Elisabeth looked down, she quickly found its source. The blood leaking out from inside the villa shone darkly. "If you don't...I'll kill you, too." Alice swiveled her head around and looked up at her at a peculiar angle. Elisabeth ignored Alice's red eyes. Instead, she squinted into the darkness beyond the gate. We heard no reports of the demi-humans suffering monumental losses, and true enough, no massacre took place here. Yet still... ...that certainly didn't mean there were no victims. Within the villa, some demi-humans had been killed. What had transpired wasn't readily apparent, but what was clear was that the victims had been thoroughly disposed of. Had they been soldiers? Concubines? What little remained of them wasn't enough to determine even that. Even their genders were unclear. In fact, the only evidence they'd even been demi-humans at all were the few scales mixed in with the shredded flesh. Not only had the bodies been dissected, but they'd also been scattered all over the place. There were hearts resting on windowsills, eyeballs lining the hallway and stuffed into doors' peepholes, intestines wound around decorative pillars, lungs hammered into walls, and fangs, still attached to gums, strewn across the ground like pebbles. Elisabeth recalled the ravaged lilies and crushed butterfly. With the grisly spectacle at her back, Alice spoke. "But hey, hey, Elisabeth, can you tell me something?" "What is it? Ask away." Elisabeth replied to the question with indifference and feigned geniality. Alice smiled, as though accepting some sort of challenge. She intertwined her fingers behind her back and swayed from side to side. "Why's it wrong to do unto others as I had done unto me?" A cunning sort of malice lurked within the depths of her childish voice. Elisabeth knew it all too well. That was the kind of malice that flowed from festering wounds—the kind of hatred that was borne from pain. It's time for a story. A little story about a simple equation. Let's say we have "someone who was cruelly oppressed" and "someone who gleefully oppressed them." The former will never forgive the latter, no matter what they say or do. There's a pretty clear answer to this equation. You multiply hate by resentment, then subtract those pesky ethics. Then once the first party gets their revenge on the second party, the story comes to an end. And they all live happily ever after. But here, though, we add another parameter. One that throws the whole situation into chaos. The new parameter is as follows. Let's say we have "people who did nothing" and "people who knew nothing." Let's say we have a generous, open-hearted world that allows the ignorance to persist, saying, These things just happen. Now, how do we solve that one? It looks tricky, doesn't it? But there's no need to think that hard. All you have to do is cut through all the tangled-up strings. In other words— —that is what it means to hate the world itself. However... "I answer you thus." "Ah, you're here." Elisabeth had begun answering Alice's question, but before she could finish, a male voice cut her off. Elisabeth looked through the doorway. All the lights up to where the hallway turned a corner were out. Little piles of viscera were scattered about the darkness like landmarks. Suddenly, a foot appeared and stomped one of the piles flat. Rotting flesh and blood sprayed up into the air. The man in black strode forward, practically appearing to coalesce out of the darkness. He slowly looked up. His mask, so crisp and white that it looked like an exposed cheekbone, cut through the black. "Father!" Alice let out a cheerful cry and dashed forward. As she ran toward the man, she trampled the floor and demi-human guts alike underfoot. Dark blood on the verge of coagulation sprayed about in her wake. Alice's shoes got soiled, but she didn't seem to mind in the slightest. She embraced the man and dangled from his neck. Her hat's ribbons flapped around joyfully. "Father, Father, listen! Elisabeth was being horrid! She was talking about all sorts of confusing, incomprehensible things that I didn't understand in the slightest! Why, I was so annoyed that I almost squashed her flat!" "Settle down, Alice. Given your current strength, trying to 'squash Elisabeth flat,' as you put it, would be altogether too reckless. Also, it appears you left your body magically strengthened when you started hanging from my neck. Is that so?" "Oh, is it? Why, it is! Oh no...did...I?" "You snapped my neck a little, yes. If I hadn't anticipated it ahead of time and used magic to reinforce it, I'd be dead right now." "That would be bad! Very, very bad! I'm ever so sorry, Father. Does it hurt?" "As I said, it's nothing serious. Just make sure to be more careful from now on." Once again, the two of them were having a very serious, very stupid exchange. Elisabeth was dumbstruck. Yet at the same time, she felt a strange sense of eeriness that she couldn't quite put into words. 'Tis hardly the type of conversation suitable to be carried out before massacred corpses. In other words, it wasn't just Alice. The man in black was fundamentally broken, too. The word avenger ran through Elisabeth's head again. As it did, the exchange continued. After Alice obediently hopped down, the man in black laid his hands atop her shoulders and asked her a highly amusing question in a highly serious tone. "And besides, think back. Haven't you yourself been forcing Elisabeth to listen to confusing, incomprehensible things this whole time?" "Ah..." "Aye, it's as you say. She started by repeating 'I'm late' over and over, which, while comprehensible, was certainly confusing...but then she started going on about bread-and-butterflies, and Queens of Hearts, and not chasing White Rabbits, and Wonderland, at which point she completely lost me." Elisabeth nodded. Alice began looking visibly embarrassed. It would appear that she'd been cognizant of how little sense she'd been making. Eventually, the man in black shook his head to reprimand her. "Alice, I've told you time and again. People from this world aren't familiar with your Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass stories. If you want to talk about them, you need to at least start by outlining the plot. You're the one who wanted to become a lady, weren't you? If so, thoughtlessly confusing people is no way to go about it." "I-I'm sorry, Father... I guess I wasn't thinking." "Am I the one you should be giving that apology to?" "Oh, no, you're absolutely right! ...I'm sorry, Elisabeth. It turns out that I was the one talking about confusing, incomprehensible things. I hope you'll forgive me." "I don't even know where to begin with you two." Elisabeth's bewilderment had evolved into a full-fledged headache. She squeezed the bridge of her nose. The man stroked Alice's cheek to praise her for apologizing properly. She cooed like a happy little puppy. A moment later, though, the man tore his eyes from her innocent smile. Just like last time, the gaze he cast Elisabeth's way was full of sympathy. She shot him a frigid stare in return. He then placed his hand atop his chest and gave her a gentlemanly bow. "I apologize for calling you such a long way, Elisabeth Le Fanu. However, it's as I said before. 'In order to discuss particulars, we should first change locale.' Now we can finally talk things over at a comfortable pace." "'Talk things over,' eh...? Before that, I have a question. Is La Christoph unharmed?" "Of course. He, too, is someone important for us to talk to." The man in black answered matter-of-factly. Elisabeth frowned. She hadn't expected for them to care about La Christoph as anything other than a hostage. He was the saints' representative, and Elisabeth was the Torture Princess. It was unclear what criteria the man in black had used to select them. If he deemed them important, though, then it was probably safe to assume he found some value in speaking to them. For now, 'tis essential I gather more information. "Then talk we shall. So? What is it you wish to speak of?" "It should be obvious." The man then turned without actually answering her question. His black longcoat fluttered behind him as he strode off. Alice rushed after, then leaped toward him. She grabbed his arm and dangled from it. A nasty popping sound resounded from his shoulder, but he marched on undeterred. Clearly, he wanted everyone to follow him farther inside the villa. I'll likely be left with no way to flee... On the other hand... There wasn't any point in staying. Elisabeth nodded and followed after them. Partway through, however, she unconsciously narrowed her eyes. Alice and the man in black were making no efforts to sidestep the body parts scattered across the floor. Broken fangs shattered. Intestines ejected their spoiled contents. Lips were crushed flat. The sight was peaceful yet cruel, cheery yet grim. The two of them were striding through hell, as happy as could be. Still facing forward, the man finished his truncated answer. It's time for a story. What kind of story, you ask? "A story of repentance, dreams— "—and hatred. "We're here. Please, after you." The man stopped in front of a simple door. Unlike the others, it didn't have a peephole. After he spoke, Alice courteously opened the door up. Elisabeth's shoes clicked loudly as she walked in. Inside, the entire room was pure-white. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all covered in a white, plaster-like coating. The only furniture in the room was the single, cabriole-legged chair at its center. The demi-humans tended to prefer their furniture a little sturdier than that, so it had presumably been brought in after the fact. Originally, the room must not have had any furniture at all. That struck Elisabeth as peculiar. Aside from festivals, the concubines spent their entire lives in the villa. As such, all the rooms were outfitted with lavish, elaborate interiors befitting the fact that it was their final abode. Yet that room alone was different. Elisabeth glanced around to try and suss out its purpose. Then she suddenly noticed the strange shading on the walls. They were adorned with a carving of the Sand Queen, which covered the entire room. If you knelt in the middle of the floor, it was positioned such that she was cradling you like an egg. I see... 'Tis a room for prayer and meditation. Satisfied with that explanation, Elisabeth then turned her gaze to the chair. It had a strange individual sitting atop it. The man had broad shoulders and a well-built physique, and his white outfit was long enough that it trailed on the ground. Its hem and his thick, straight black hair formed a pair of circles on the floor. However, his true peculiarity lay elsewhere. For one, he had a set of crude chains binding his arms such that he was embracing himself. Elisabeth knew he hadn't been forced into those restraints. If his chest wasn't sealed off, he wouldn't have even been able |
to sit down the way he was. Elisabeth strode over to the man. He looked up. Before he could say anything, Elisabeth beat him to the punch. "It's been a while, La Christoph—what, some two years since we last met in person?" "Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu—you said as much in your reports, but I'm glad to see you're in good health." La Christoph gave a calm reply. He didn't sound like he was in pain, and the room's air was clear. It didn't smell of blood. Elisabeth nodded in satisfaction. It appeared that La Christoph hadn't been subjected to torture or harsh questioning. Saints were resilient against pain, but even they had their limits. Plus, controlling their divine beasts took a heavy toll on their stamina. Him being uninjured was a stroke of good fortune. Elisabeth gave him a light shrug. "If anything, I should be saying the same to you. 'Tis gladdening to see you've not been injured. Fortunate, I suppose, that this lot has enough sense to realize that a hostage is only useful unharmed." "Hmm... Are you...so certain about that?" "What's wrong? 'Tis unlike you to be so inarticulate. Did they do something to you?" "They may be our enemies, but even so, it goes against God's will to unnecessarily sully the name of another. Thus, I hereby give my testimony. They have committed no slights against me—but I will note they did ask me to be their friend." "I beg your pardon?" "It caught me somewhat by surprise. There's a possibility that it was the preliminary step toward some form of mental attack, or perhaps brainwashing." La Christoph was the very image of earnestness as he gave his report. Elisabeth frowned. Even before he was made a saint, La Christoph had voluntarily lived a life of pious devotion. There were likely few people he could call a friend, if any at all. And especially now that he was a saint, he could hardly be blamed for getting confused when an enemy asked for his friendship. However, the odds that his prediction was right and it was a prelude to some sort of attack were low. At any rate, Elisabeth had never heard of a spell that required such a byzantine method. Right as she was about to sink into thought, though, a cheery voice called out from behind her. "All right, it's finished! There's no table or sweets, but I made cute chairs for our Mad Tea Party! Elisabeth, you can sit on this one, okay? Here, I'll bring it over for you." With a "heave-ho, heave-ho," Alice brought a cabriole-legged chair over and placed it beside La Christoph's. However, the fact that they were in an empty room with nothing but a pair of chairs made it seem less like a tea party and more like a prison cell. Perhaps realizing what it looked like, Alice puffed up her cheeks. To even out the ambience, she scattered black miasma and flower petals facing them and made another set of chairs for herself and the man. The three of them took their seats. Both pairs faced each other as though drawn to some sort of invisible boundary line between them. The Torture Princess and the saints' representative having a sit-down with two world-class revolutionaries in a demi-human prayer room, eh. It was almost absurd how fraught the scene was with inauspicious symbolism. Elisabeth was taken by an ominous premonition. Across from her, the man in black spoke in the same level tone as always. "As I'm the one who sought this discussion, I suppose I ought to start by introducing myself. My name is Lewis. No surname." "...Lewis, is it?" "If you want more in the way of a self-introduction...then you might try searching your memories for a group of magic-item thieves who were apprehended in the Capital some ten-odd years ago. Although, I doubt there are much in the way of records. And if there were, I can't imagine anyone bothered keeping them around." "I beg your pardon?" Elisabeth let out yet another inane cry. After all, the man—Lewis—stood nothing to gain by willfully giving up information on himself. Yet again, his actions were utterly inscrutable. "Now then, we're finally in a suitable location to hold a conversation. Once more, I have something I'd like to ask of you two." Beside him, Alice gave a big nod. She noisily kicked her blood-soaked shoes about. Lewis stopped her with a sidelong glance, then made his request as though he were calling on a pair of students. "I want you to betray the world and butcher all who live in it." Elisabeth came to an intuitive understanding. 'Tis another "simple equation," so to speak. Vlad had said it himself, back when he was still alive. Those who had been taken from had a right to take from others in turn. They were, if nothing else, prepared to accept that they had that right. In order to carry out great acts with no regard for good or evil thereof, a certain capability was required. The capability to wear the tyrant's mantle as if it were a role one were meant to play. Lewis's proposal was that of a man who'd been taken from. Regardless of his reasons or circumstances, though, Elisabeth's answer was the same. "Hard pass!" "I have feelings, too, you know. I'm going to have to insist you at least hear me out before making your decision." Elisabeth gave her answer just as immediately as she had in a similar situation long ago. However, Lewis merely brushed her rejection off. It seemed he could be unexpectedly flexible. Elisabeth clicked her tongue, then crossed her legs up high. Alice, eyes sparkling in awe, tried imitating her. After quickly admonishing her, Lewis went on. "Besides, snap judgments are a rash thing to make. Go on, listen to your heart. After all, you, too, possess them." "Possess what?" "Repentance, dreams— "—and hatred. They were the same words he'd said before. Irritated, Elisabeth made to flatly deny his statement. Suddenly, though, she clamped her mouth shut. A vivid image had bubbled to the forefront of her mind. The people she cared most about in the world, slumbering at the World's End. It was a beautiful sight—but nothing more. She could speak to them, but they wouldn't respond. She could extend her hand to them, but her fingers would never reach. A single, agonizing question was with her always. Why am I the one out here, and you two the ones in there? Kaito Sena wasn't the Torture Princess. He wasn't a saint. He wasn't even the Mad King. He was just a boy. Yet now he was slumbering with his bride, bearing the burden of a world that by all rights he should have had nothing to do with. Why did you two have to be sacrificed? If I wait, shall I ever see them again—and is there something more I could have done? But no matter how many days and nights she spent agonizing about it, no answer came. And the more she thought, the more resentment began eating away at her. Then Lewis put that anger into words for her. "Too often does this world force a small few to bear the great burden of sacrifice." That was the true tale of repentance, dreams, and hatred. Elisabeth stared at Lewis in silence. She realized something—he was trying to redo his failed recruitment attempt from before. Once again, he was presenting her with the same taboo question. Once all was said and done in the battle for salvation— —what had Elisabeth Le Fanu been left with? And that question had another side to it, too. Once all was said and done in the battle for salvation— —what did Kaito Sena even obtain? Had the choice the young man had made— —with that infantile look in his eyes, really been the right one? Or rather, was it truly acceptable for those who remained to unilaterally say, Yes, it was the right choice? "Like Kaito Sena, Alice Carroll is from another world. And like him, she was subjected to senseless pain and cruelty. It's as I told you before: Them being from another world is crucial. I died, but I got a second chance at life. This time, I'm going to accomplish everything I set out to do. That conception serves as an almighty justification. It gives them that magical quality that allows them to obtain limitless power. And how could it not?" As Lewis spoke, Alice tapped her toes together in boredom and let out a yawn. It being La Christoph's first time hearing the speech, he knit his brows ever so slightly. Lewis faced Elisabeth and continued: "Not even being allowed to live one's own life is a cruel, pitiful fate, and one well deserving of such obsession. After all, a tragedy is a tragedy. But it doesn't have to end as one." Nobody wants to just leave things like that. The declaration was firm and earnest. Even though he was using the Fremd Torturchen as a weapon, his voice was strangely absent of any falsehoods or scorn. Elisabeth discourteously rested her chin on her palm. "Go on then, say it." "What would you have me say?" "What cause have you to elicit our sympathies? What is this grand tragedy of yours?" Elisabeth's tone was biting. She had known a great many tragedies in her time. Kaito Sena's pain. Hina's devotion. Elisabeth's loss. She wasn't prepared to treat just any old misfortune as on par with those. Alice flinched at her sudden intensity. She looked at Lewis nervously. Lewis, not shaken in the slightest, spoke in a dry voice. "Very well. Then allow me to show you." Allow me to show you my tragedy. Suddenly, Lewis raised his black-clothed right arm. He moved his fingers. A small shuffling noise sounded out. Lewis had removed his half mask, as one might take off a hat as a show of respect. The crow visage was gone, and the hidden section of his face was laid bare. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. In an instant, all her doubts had been cleared away. There was no need for him to explain any further. Elisabeth immediately understood everything—what Lewis sought, what his motive was, and what he was talking about when he spoke of tragedy. "You're..." Lewis smiled. There was no animosity in it. However, his face was so hideous that it seemed to be from another plane of existence. The left half of Lewis's face was human. But the right half was different. His eye was gold, its pupil was narrow, and his skin was covered in bluish-black scales. The section the mask had been covering had the features of a demi-human. The two races' characteristic traits were laid out side by side, making for a mixture that was both highly peculiar and deeply unfortunate. Elisabeth Le Fanu quietly murmured the name of the tragedy she knew he was undoubtedly connected to. "...The Mixed-Race Massacre." It had happened in the background while the noble battle for salvation raged on. And it was a tragedy grim enough to warrant revolutionizing the world. 6 The Rebellion's Cause To tell you the truth, we began formulating the plan for our rebellion decades ago. We'll probably earn some criticism for that. After all, the massacre hadn't happened yet. And at that point, I hadn't even been born. But that only goes to show how long we mixed-race folk have been persecuted for. Each time the various races go to war, we inevitably get caught in the cross fire. And even in peacetime, too many of us get bled dry regardless. Allow me to cite a personal example. My father was a demi-human, and my mother was a mixed-race beastfolk-human. Now, unlike me, my sister manifested the kind of beastfolk ears and tail that made her a target for deviants. When she was ten, a group of men |
assaulted her in an abandoned building. Afterward, she closed off her heart and went missing shortly into adulthood. As for my brother, he didn't manifest any mixed-race characteristics at all. He went to work for the Church as an assistant, but when they discovered that we were related, the priest's relative who was supposed to adopt him broke it off, and he hung himself out of grief. After that, I left my family as well. My childhood friend got sold off for a copper, and I haven't seen them since, either. Whenever anyone saw me, they would always scream the same thing. "He's possessed by a demon." Now, it is true that demons induce grotesque transformations in their contractors. But the masses didn't know that. However, vague impressions were more than enough for them to shun me. "It's like in fairy tales," "hideous people do hideous things." No doubt that that's how most people perceived me. I once offered my hand to a little girl who'd fallen over, and I got beaten half to death for my concern. And so I roamed about, alone, planning on dying by the roadside somewhere. But a group planning a rebellion found me and took me in. A few decades ago, a group of mixed-race folk whose appearances made it too difficult to participate in society banded together. Now, back in the beginning, they were little more than a seedy group of bandits. But by the time I joined up, they'd acquired a number of successful commercial benefactors and were using their resources to steal and occasionally buy magic remedies and items, acquire golems and spirits, and amass rare materials and equipment. They'd even set up a little school of sorts for those with magical aptitude. They dreamed of seceding from the world much as one might yearn for a lover. When I lamented the fact that my attack took three years to put into action, that long period of enduring was the primary culprit. When the fourteen demons began their assault on mankind, our organization swallowed up information on them and used it to grow stronger. But right when we finally succeeded in summoning a low-ranked demon ourselves, I and the rest of the leadership declared we were ceasing our efforts. We were afraid, you see. Most of the mixed-race folk lived in poverty, but they lived all the same. They had it hard, but no harder than the humans struggling to make ends meet in the slums. And we couldn't bear to put a mark on their heads as a result of our desire for rebellion. We didn't want to make our sinless brethren have to shoulder that grief. So we sealed away our dark magic and instead chose a path of endurance. We forgave countless small atrocities and left tragedies as they were. And that was fine. We thought it was for the best. But then the end of days came. And after that, well, you know the rest. Thank you for lending me your ears. And I have one last request for you—please remember this. We were the ones who chose rebellion and swore revenge. But we were not the first to draw swords. You people were. "That is the reason I aim to revolutionize the world. The Mixed-Race Massacre, and the countless mundane sorrows that preceded it. Now, as for the former, I was planning on omitting an explanation, but would you prefer I went over it?" "That shan't be necessary. I'm well acquainted with it." Elisabeth gave her answer immediately. La Christoph was undoubtedly the same. And it wasn't just them, either. Basically every member of the intellectual class who survived the end of days knew about it. However, no one so much as mentioned it. After all, it was a scandal serious enough to completely ruin the moving tale of the three races uniting in the face of oblivion. The series of tragedies began back before the end of days, when the reconstruction sect spread a certain rumor. "Hark, O ye ignorant faithful. Pray that God shall be your salvation. For the beginning, the middle, and the end all lie in the palm of His hand." "The end-time is nigh." "After the restoration, the devout faithful will be led into the new world." They were selfish delusions, and they weren't grounded in anything but bullshit. But when faced with the calamity that was the end of days, many people falsely believed that the predictions were coming true. However, only a scant few of them could truly claim to have been the "devout faithful." Afraid of dying, they turned to a crime not listed in their dogma. Killing heretics. That desire for salvation led to the Mixed-Race Massacre. People hoped that by killing heathens, they could demonstrate their piety toward God. Now technically, the beastfolk and the demi-humans' objects of worship, the Three Kings of the Forest and the Sand Queen, respectively, were all God's creations, so all their faiths shared the same foundations. However, even those mere aesthetic differences were enough for people to brand all other races as heretics. And because the mixed-race folk lived among them, they were the ones who became targeted. However, demi-humans were blood-purity fanatics, and because of all the chaos and mayhem, the beastfolk and other humans abandoned the mixed-race folk to their fate as well. The mixed-race folk had no one to protect them and nowhere to run. Countless lives were lost to the senseless violence. And to make matters worse, the incident left lasting marks. At the time of the tragedy, most of the perpetrators had been completely deranged. Even still, there was no consensus on how harsh their punishments should be. And although officials often had their suspicions, it was rare to find a crime scene where it could be definitively proven that it wasn't just the work of the demon underlings. Forget victims and perpetrators; it was difficult even pinning down how many crimes had actually been committed. Aside from the incidents where malicious agitation could be proven and the extreme outliers in terms of scale and brutality—like the case out in the sticks where dozens of people had been locked in a storehouse and burned alive—most of the perpetrators had been left at large. And for another thing, the tragedies continued to happen even after the end of days was averted. The stupid sheep are little more than base animals. They haven't even the capacity to learn. There was no shortage of fools who, still fearing God and Diablo, had begun committing ceremonial killings, forcing the three races to establish the Peace Brigade to crack down on them. Even that hadn't stopped the violence, but over the past year, incidents had begun dropping precipitously. It was a happy trend, but the sudden dramatic change had left Elisabeth puzzled. A short while ago, she'd mentioned as such to the crystal-bound Kaito and Hina. "Ah, but there is some good news. Although they yet continue, the mixed-race murders have subsided dramatically over the last year. 'Tis a natural result of the situation calming down, but still. That said, there is something strange that's caught my attention about the way it's subsided." Now that I think of it...that may well have been our sole sign that this incident was coming. Lewis and his compatriots had completely suspended their efforts right when they reached the stage where they could have put them into practical use. After the chaos of the end of days, it had taken them some time to get their operation back up and running. And while they were doing that, they were no doubt also rushing to protect the mixed-race folk. A year ago, those efforts must have finally started bearing significant fruit. While Elisabeth spun up conjectures, Lewis continued on. "If you want to laugh at me, then laugh away. My words are but a lamentation of the humiliating lives we've been forced into. A cry of rage at the cruelty of the fates we've been subjected to—for so, so many insisted on continuing their insane foolishness. And who allowed them to be so stupid? So cruel?" Why should we have to forgive them? Make no mistake—we have been called on to forgive them time and again. Lewis's sorrowful lament echoed throughout the white room. Elisabeth could tell that his yearning was true. In the past, he'd forgiven time and again. After "not even being allowed to live his own life," he'd tried to "let the tragedy end as a tragedy." But his resolve had been betrayed. If there was an answer to his question, he no doubt wanted to hear it. However, no one spoke. Elisabeth simply thought. Irrationality is irrational precisely because it cannot be explained. Why had those tragedies happened? Probably not even the perpetrators could answer that question. Elisabeth and La Christoph were both involved in overseeing the three races' affairs. However, neither of them had the base audacity to try to offer up excuses. During her time with the Peace Brigade, Elisabeth had seen one of the massacres firsthand. The crime had taken place in a demon worshipper's ceremonial chamber. The victims, all mixed-race children, had had their beastfolk ears torn off and the fur flayed from their skulls. And despite his head being reduced to little more than a lump of muscle fibers, one boy had even survived the process. That...that was akin to butchering an animal. "You're not the same as me. You're different from us. We're completely different creatures. That means I can do whatever I want to you." That was the vile rationalization some people had come to. No apology could be sufficient for that. Atonement was never an option. And what's more, the scene Elisabeth had stumbled onto was from after the end of days was averted. The ones that took place during that panicked time were crueler yet. Just reading the records of them had been enough to make several civil officials puke up their guts. No answer could explain away irrationality on that scale. Instead, Elisabeth posed a question. "I understand your motive full well. So what exactly do you intend to do?" "A thought crossed my mind once—if the end of days truly had been upon us, maybe it would have all been fine. On the brink of annihilation, I could greet even their malice with a smile. All their atrocities could be forgiven, written off as isolated incidents of fear-induced derangement. But God and Diablo failed to bring down the hammer—" —so I must do it in their stead. The whisper slipped fluidly from Lewis's lips. He was laying his worn-out heart bare, but in a different way than he had when he'd expressed his sympathy for Elisabeth. For the first time, he was allowing his warped obsession to leak out. "I'll take this world, I'll make it my own, and I'll kill every last fool who walks upon it. I don't need a reason. After all, justice died long ago. At this point, what use does anyone have for something so decent and proper?" For those who've sustained such bitter wounds—may well just try to destroy everything. The words Elisabeth had been contemplating earlier floated to the forefront of her mind. Lewis had been left with his sympathy and his rage, but his passion and avarice had run dry. As he saw it, the world had no worth, and it was impossible to feel passion or avarice for something worthless. He'd decided to make the world his own, but not out of any sort of personal desire. He merely wanted to right a horrible wrong. Nothing more. Those who've been taken from have a right to take from others in turn, eh. As far as Elisabeth was concerned, though— —the whole thing seemed downright trivial. Writing him off like that was narrow-minded and cruel. Elisabeth was well aware of how callous she was being. Yet even so, she couldn't help but |
think. What exactly is a tragedy? An irrationality? What exactly was rage? What did it mean to not have any sin? Who got to decide who had sin and who didn't? Was guilty? Or innocent? 'Tis but one answer you can give with any certainty. Namely, that thinking about it would get you nowhere. It was true—the world did force a small few to bear the great burden of sacrifice far too often. If she was forced to say if that was forgivable or unforgivable, she would probably choose the latter. The day of forgiveness would never come. And the victims had every right to curse, resent, and detest the world. But on the other hand, there was something Lewis and Alice had forgotten. As such, Elisabeth merely gazed at them. Upon finding herself on the receiving end of that ostensibly calm gaze, Alice frowned, then nodded. "It's a shame, Elisabeth. It really is a shame. From looking at your eyes, I can tell I shouldn't expect the answer I want...but you know, I sort of knew that already. Saying to the Torture Princess look at how pitiful we are—please lend us your strength was never going to work, right? So you see, we prepared a reward for you. Now let's talk about it!" "A reward, eh? I must say, I can't imagine anything you'll offer changing my mind." "No, no, that's not true at all! I told you, remember? 'I'll help you meet them'!" Elisabeth's eyebrow twitched. That was something Vlad had pointed out, too. Diablo, the entity with domain over destruction, and God, the entity with domain over reconstruction, were sealed away within Kaito Sena's body. Depending on how he was handled, the world's fate would shift greatly. And Elisabeth had no intentions of letting anyone who planned on reaching for the two of them with blood-soaked hands live. Alice, perhaps sensing the hostility well up within her, shook her head. "We're not going to do anything bad to the two people you care about, really! We just want to help you meet them!" "Perhaps it would be better if I spoke on the particulars of the deal we're offering Elisabeth Le Fanu," Lewis cut in, as though he'd been waiting for the opportunity to do so. La Christoph remained silent. It was unclear whether or not he'd been offered any terms of his own. Elisabeth elected to stay quiet for the time being as well. For the moment, her curiosity had won out over her anger. As long as God and Diablo remained in his body, Kaito Sena could never be freed. Or at least, that was supposed to be the case. And she didn't believe revolutionizing the world was possible, either. I imagine Lewis's primary objective is to root out the rest of the Mixed-Race Massacre's perpetrators and see them punished. After that, it was conceivable that he'd want power and control so as to prevent the same atrocity from ever happening again. The fastest way to correct a foolish flock was to become a shepherd yourself. The Fremd Torturchen, the Torture Princess, saints, and demon grandchildren were all valuable weapons with which to achieve that end. They might even be strong enough to rewrite the world's power structure entirely. However, that was all. The road ended there. There were three different races that lived in that world. Even if you kept one in check, the other two would invariably push back. They all lived in different places and fought in different ways, meaning their resistance would be deep-rooted. Maintaining control would be trying. For a small group to truly maintain control, 'twould take unimaginable power to... No, hold on a moment. All of a sudden, Elisabeth realized something. Their current situation bore a striking resemblance to a story she'd once heard. It was a tale from long, long ago, of events that had happened in the world prior. The Saint had told it, and Kaito Sena had recorded it. Then after she told it to him, the Saint vanished. In spite of the frenetic search conducted by paladins and associates of the Church, she still hadn't been found. However, Elisabeth didn't much care about that. The problem lay in how similar their situations were. Before the last reconstruction, the world had descended into a morass of conflict and war. The Saint, wanting to quell the fighting on her own, went out in search of something. Specifically, a powerful deterrent—God and Diablo. What was it that Lewis needed now that he stood in the same position the Saint once had? As if to answer that question, he spoke. "I summoned a pair of weaker demons into a man and a woman, then destroyed both their egos. They had two children. Then I bred the children together. By repeating that process, it was possible to create a pure, powerful demon... I've already told you that story a number of times. What I want to teach you now is what lies beyond it. You see, over the course of my experiments, I was able to prove a new theory." "An inauspicious prelude, to be sure... What was it that you found?" "Demon grandchildren aren't restricted to breeding with dissolved contractors who couldn't control their demons. While you do need to use homunculus technology to grow artificial genitals for them, it's possible to make demon grandchildren breed with regular humans—and in doing so, we were able to create a new species." *** Elisabeth was at a complete loss for words. La Christoph's shoulders twitched. The test subjects had likely been those who'd tried to murder mixed-race folk and had the tables turned on them. In a sense, it was just deserts. However, it was repulsive simply imagining the process it had taken to finally reach that result. Plus, what was even the point? Lewis continued as dispassionately as if he were talking about crossbreeding mice. "Demon grandchildren have human parts that are too damaged for them to form contracts with higher entities. However, if you cross a demon grandchild with someone capable of using magic, not only does it still inherit some of the demon blood, but you also obtain a new entity with a profound affinity for higher beings. The more powerful a mage the human mother is, the more human the baby becomes, and the easier it is for it to form a contract. My plan, going forward, is to prepare two babies, then transfer God and Diablo from Kaito Sena into them. Immediately thereafter, we can use God to prevent Diablo from going on a rampage. Then by sealing God in a crystal, we'll be able to contain both of them in much the manner the Saint did." "Armchair theories, then. You've no actual proof that your plan will work. And even if it does, what then? The best you can do is contain them. The moment you awaken them, the end of days will commence all over again. That hardly makes for much of a military asset. What gain is there merely from changing their vessel?" "We don't have to use them. We just have to have them." Alice gave Elisabeth's warning an apathetic response. Elisabeth turned her gaze over to her. Seeming to understand the plan despite her youth, Alice smiled gently. "We'll have the babies with God and Diablo in them. That fact's the only thing that's important. It doesn't matter if we don't use them—as long as everyone else knows that if we do, the world will end. That way, we can become proper shepherds." "I see—you aim to use them as deterrents." Elisabeth heaved a deep sigh. Their plan was the exact same as the Saint's had been in the old world. The similarities between their current situation and the one that had preceded the last world's end of days were more than she'd imagined. However, there were also a number of key differences. For one, the greatest barrier—the summoning—had already been completed. Also, they knew a good deal more about contracts with higher entities than the last world ever had. Terrifying as the prospect was, their plan was much more likely to succeed than the Saint's failed attempt to control Diablo had been. Elisabeth's headache worsened. She looked up at the ceiling. But what exactly is a "proper shepherd"? Was it someone who wouldn't abandon even a single lost sheep? Or was it someone who was willing to cast a single sheep down a ravine to save a thousand others? Or was it perhaps someone who was willing to take a hundred stupid sheep and chop all their heads off? There were too many ways to answer. If nothing else, it was foolishness for lower entities like them to try and find one with their limited reasoning skills and value systems. But if that was the case, then... What exactly would proper salvation have looked like? Even the conversation they were having right there at that moment had come about as a result of how the battle for "salvation" had concluded. The more she thought about it, the more she realized just how inane it all was. The Torture Princess fought through her headache and spoke: "So...what part would you have me play in this horrid scheme of yours?" "Hmm? Why, your role should have been clear from that explanation just now—you're going to be the mother!" Alice hopped up on top of her chair. Lewis buried his face in one hand. His carefully laid negotiation strategy had clearly just gone out the window. La Christoph blinked and cocked his head to the side. A few seconds later, after realizing what Alice meant, he turned to look at Elisabeth. It was a strangely amusing reaction. Elisabeth, distracted by watching La Christoph, took a little longer to catch her drift. A moment later, though, the veins in her forehead practically bulged out of her skin. "Let me make sure I'm understanding you clearly. You want me to copulate with a demon grandchild and have a baby?" "That's right! After all, you're a woman, and your body's adapted to the First Demon's flesh! And you're the world-renowned peerless sinner, the Torture Princess! And a pretty, mature lady! Why, you might well be the very best candidate for the mother in the whole wide world! So that's our condition for you—and also your reward!" "My reward? What part of that sounds like a reward to you? Do not sully my ears with drivel." "But, Elisabeth, don't you see? All you have to do is have two babies, and you can free Kaito Sena!" Through sheer obstinance, Elisabeth was able to keep her discomposure to a minimum. Alice didn't seem to have any ill intent. Yet in a rare occurrence, her words struck Elisabeth like a spear to the heart nonetheless. The thing was, there was a certain truth Elisabeth had long since known. Skilled mages lived long lives, and the Torture Princess was certainly no exception. She had the capacity to vastly outlive any normal person. However, she'd also done the math. The odds were close to zero that, in her lifetime, she would ever meet a vessel powerful enough to serve as Kaito's replacement and become a contractor to God and Diablo. And even in the unlikely event one was born, it wasn't like she could just force them to take over the role. In other words, the answer was clear: No matter how long she waited, it wouldn't matter. "I wish I could see you," she'd said, dreaming of that someday. But on the other hand, she'd already reached her conclusion. That idyllic dream wasn't going to come true. And once she'd acknowledged that, all that remained was the cold, hard truth. There shan't be a "someday." Elisabeth Le Fanu would never see her dim-witted servant again. Elisabeth recalled a certain sight—a sight that was beautiful, but nothing more. Her two dearest people, slumbering amid azure and crimson flower petals. The |
crystal was cold and hard. The distance its clear walls separated was slim, yet it was farther than the World's End. She couldn't touch them. She couldn't talk to them. Just once is all I ask. If I could reach them, I wouldn't mind chopping off my fingers. If I could talk to them, I would happily stitch my lips together. If I could hear their voices, I would light my ears ablaze and then crush them with glee. But there was no one she could pay that toll to. The Torture Princess spoke calmly to the weak self in her heart. "You knew, didn't you?" "Aye, I knew indeed." Their reunion would never come. Yet just now, Alice had put a crack in that hopeless conclusion of hers. It was like she was whispering to her. Your hands can reach through that crystal, she said, tempting her. All she had to do was sacrifice herself and choose to drench the world in blood. "It's okay, Elisabeth; I know. In their heart of hearts, everyone has just one thing that truly matters to them." And for its sake, they could do or become anything, right? Alice Carroll deepened her smile, as though to demonstrate her understanding. It was a pure expression, filled with nothing but concern toward Elisabeth. "...Ah, I see." Elisabeth quietly closed her eyes. She was holding one leg, which was perched atop the chair. Still posed like that, she leaned all the way backward and rested her back against the chair's. Her elegant black hair rustled as it draped around her. She pursed her lips tight. Then she went still, as though considering the demonic proposition. Silence filled the room. Nobody said a word. Even Alice closed her chatterbox of a mouth. And not just Lewis, but La Christoph, too, was wordless. A few moments later, with no warning whatsoever, Elisabeth snapped her eyes open. Her red irises gleamed as she sat back up. Then she looked straight forward. Without asking anyone's opinion, and without exchanging so much as a glance with La Christoph, she gave her answer. Sure enough, her answer was the same as it had been in a similar situation once before, down to the very word choice. "Hard pass!" "That was surprisingly quick." "And decisive." "Yeah, I figured that wouldn't work." Surprisingly, the reactions she got were all fairly nonchalant. It would seem everyone had more or less seen it coming. Elisabeth snorted with a feline "hmph." Her anguish was still there, but she showed no hesitation. After all, it was the only answer she could have ever given. The avengers' motives and actions were reasonable. And their temptation was certainly appealing. But she had her pride, and she wasn't about to abandon it. If that had been an option, she'd have smashed the crystal ages ago. After all, Elisabeth knew. Kaito Sena was a fool. An utter, incorrigible fool. Even though he'd known just how disgraceful, reprehensible, selfish, and cruel people were, he'd forgiven them anyway. Even after concluding they were hideous, he'd still called them precious. And he'd chosen to love and protect them. That alone meant the world was worth defending. The things cherished by the people you care about are beautiful. Even if you bear no love for those things yourself, that fact still remains. Kaito Sena saved the world. His unconditional love had saved everything. Thus, to destroy it all would naturally be an action founded on the opposite emotion. And it then followed that those saved by love had no choice but to prevent that destruction. It was a strange, comical equation. But it wouldn't be beautiful any other way. Anything else would have been a disservice to that boy's resolve and to the way he'd lived his life. And besides, Lewis and his allies had forgotten something. "You're not the same as me. You're different from us. We're completely different creatures. That means I can do whatever I want to you." That was how Lewis now perceived the targets of his vengeance, too. It was true—the world did force a small few to bear the great burden of sacrifice far too often. If she was forced to say if that was forgivable or unforgivable, she would probably choose the latter. The day of forgiveness would never come. And the victims had every right to curse, resent, and detest the world. However—that was all. There was no reason the persecuted should have free rein to persecute anyone and everyone. "I see no reason why those who've been taken from should be able to take from others as they please." Elisabeth made her assertion loud and clear. Alice's white ribbons swelled up. A fiendish smile carved its way across her young face. However, Elisabeth merely ignored her and went on. "'Tis only reasonable you seek revenge. Your resolve shan't waver, I can see that much. But if you aim to resent, kill, and seize control indiscriminately, act not surprised when your audience bares its fangs at you. For in the end, both are the perpetrator, and both are the victim. Those who kill are killed, and the cycle of revenge only ceases when the side killed relents and willingly presents their own neck. You and yours faced tragedies. 'Tis only reasonable for you to curse the world—but do not pretend your reasoning is just." Elisabeth fixed her gaze on the two of them, the hideous mixed-race man and the girl killed in another world. Both of them were innocent victims. Words could hardly begin to describe the depths of the wounds their hearts had sustained. And they had no way to make their perpetrators pay. It was only natural they would wish for destruction. However, they had no right to turn that wish on the world. No one did. Lewis was right—justice had perished long ago. But if that was the case, then using the fact that he'd been taken from as justification was completely contradictory. Those who resented the world could never be loved by it. Kaito Sena knew that. Even when faced with the opportunity to kill his father, he'd turned it down, saying, "I don't need him." And after that, he'd continued suffering in pain time and again. But he'd never tried to make anyone else shoulder his agony. I love you, so I'll shoulder it myself, he'd said. Why, he'd even smiled while saying it. "You people are vile." Elisabeth spat out the epithet from the bottom of her heart. She acknowledged their feelings, but as a person, she held them in contempt. It didn't matter if they had taken or were taken from, if they were sinful or sinless. "'Tis base to proclaim yourself weak for the purpose of trampling on others." The room fell into silence once more. Alice moved to hop down from her chair, but Lewis reached out and grabbed her arm. He was waiting for Elisabeth to finish speaking. The Torture Princess laughed wickedly. "And one more thing. Who the hell do you think it is you've invited? 'Tis hardly an exaggeration to call your choice of guest fatally misguided—for I am the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu. I am the peerless sinner, hated and resented by all. I am the proud wolf and the lowly sow. Having lived the proud and haughty life of a wolf, I shall die like a lowly sow—and yes, true, I acknowledge it all." Elisabeth raised her head in a dignified manner. She thought back on what Vlad had said. He was right—it was hardly fitting for the Torture Princess to grieve like that. And so she laughed again, a heinous, inhuman laugh. "I have had everything taken from me. At the end of my long battle as the Torture Princess, I was left with nothing. But what of it? Do not mistake me, Lewis. Your sympathy is misplaced—for I was always on the side that took. I slew countless innocents, and by all rights, I shan't have so much as a demon by my side when I die. But what of it?" Throughout Elisabeth Le Fanu's life, she was accompanied by a single dim-witted servant. She would never see him again. She couldn't talk to him. She couldn't even hear his voice. And yet even so— "There existed a calm, banal, dreamlike moment. That moment has passed—but so be it." Even though it was over— —a part of it lived on. "'Twas his wish that the world be saved and that I live on. As his master, I aim to honor that decision. Those days were a miracle and a blessing the likes of which were too good for this sinner, and they shan't return. But so be it." Every dream eventually ended. But what was so bad about that? That was no reason to err. It was true—she could give birth to those vile children, drown the world in blood, and allow vengeance to flourish. But it wasn't the ending the boy had wished for. And because she knew that, it was her duty to protect his story, even if doing so was more painful than death. She had to make sure it reached its proper conclusion. She couldn't allow anything to defile Kaito Sena's story. Even should that choice prove wrong. Something beautiful and radiant existed. That fact was certain and was true to that day. Even rent from beauty itself, its fruits were worth protecting. "I thank you, Alice Carroll. 'Tis true, I was hardly acting like myself, and I've now seen the error of my ways. So allow me to say this loudly and with pride: There was meaning indeed in this peerless sinner's solitary survival, if only but to quash that resentment of yours—for to lop off the heads of those who've chosen evil is evil's task in turn." Elisabeth sneered unpleasantly. She leaped from her chair and thrust her arm out into the air. Darkness and flower petals wound magnificently around her. From within, she drew her trusty scarlet blade. "Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal!" The Torture Princess's voice boomed loud as she stood with her executioner's blade in hand. This time, Alice hopped down from her chair for real. Lewis didn't move a hair. The faintest of smiles played on La Christoph's lips. Alice's hair bobbed up and down as she prepared to launch into an angry tirade. Before she could, though, Elisabeth raised a finger in front of her face. "And one more thing—no matter what answer I gave, your time was up regardless." "Now listen here, Elisabeth, you... Hmm, wait, what do you mean?" Alice blinked. Lewis raised an eyebrow. However, seeming to have realized something, he immediately shifted his gaze to a section of the wall. Elisabeth nodded. His instincts were sharp. The next moment, a heavy, muffled BRRRRRRRRRRRRRN echoed through the air. The entire villa shook. Chips and splinters rained down from the ceiling. Something was clearly happening. Lewis quickly rose to his feet, and Alice clutched his coat's hem in fear. However, the room had no windows. There was no way for them to see what was going on outside. Despite that, the noise and the tremor had definitely both come from the direction Lewis was looking. It was the direction the Sand Temple lay in. Elisabeth knew that meant all hell had just broken loose. For that sound was none other than the Sand Queen's corpse exploding. 7 A Waltz for Two Right before Elisabeth left for the demi-human lands, another act unfurled in the human Capital. The stage was the royal tomb's lowest floor, in front of the chamber with the kings' coffins. The cast had two members. And the play was about the attack on the demi-human lands, as the ebony Torture Princess so rhythmically told the golden Torture Princess. "Listen well, Jeanne. I intend to head for the demi-human lands, exactly as demanded. But in the meantime...I want you lot to make a move elsewhere. While Alice |