"Delicious!"
Holding a knife and a fork in her hands, Elisabeth smiled radiantly.
Seeing her smile so innocently for the first time, this unusual situation made Kaito feel goosebumps forming on his back. Furthermore, Elisabeth's reaction was not the only change. There were many changes on the dining table too.
On the long table, the sticky tablecloth with vine patterns had been replaced with a new one with colorful fresh flowers placed in front of the unoccupied seats. Gold and silver candlesticks alternated, all lit to provide candle light, with plenty of silverware shining serenely.
And on the plates, many meticulously prepared dishes were giving off lovely aromas.
Head cheese paired with brioche. Sour and refreshing sausage salad. Minestrone with lamb tripe. Kidney pie baked to a golden color. Foie gras terrine.
Then there was dessert, a tart covered with thin apple slices arranged like a flower.
Elisabeth was ravenously enjoying the dishes that were served one after another, her eyes welling up with tears of emotion in an exaggerated manner.
"Delicious, wonderfully delicious, this is too amazing! Absolutely divine! Well done, doll!"
"I am honored that the food is to your liking, Lady Elisabeth, Lord Kaito's master."
The robot doll was waiting on Elisabeth innocently, her emerald eyes full of gentle light, a demure smile on her lips. She was dressed in a classical maid uniform with a very long hem with an adorable maid cap on her head, looking like a servant who had been working at this castle for many years.
Kaito found it inconceivable that she was the same person as the one who had attacked him yesterday.
Despite lingering fears, Kaito still asked her in trepidation:
"Not only can you fight, but you can cook too?"
"Yes. In addition to combat data, stored within the memory of my recorder are various skills useful in all kinds of situations including thousands of recipes. From cooking and cleaning to games of the night, I am able to satisfy your every need and desire at any moment, Lord Kaito."
"No no no, forget about that. Excessive service is a bit much."
Kaito waved his hands. He often felt lost when interacting with this doll. But immediately, she became depressed like a puppy with drooping ears and tail.
"Is that so...? Please tell me immediately if you change your mind, okay? My body is yours, Lord Kaito. I have no greater joy than for you to do with me as you please, any time, anywhere."
"Any time, anywhere... Uh, so that includes outdoors?"
"Of course, outdoors is fine too!"
"What nonsense are you two talking about?"
Cutting the tart into large mouthfuls to chew, Elisabeth called out in exasperation. Aftering enjoying the sweet texture the crispy crust left on her lips and teeth, as well as the complex symphony of gamey flavors from internal organs, she ended her meal.
Wiping her dainty lips carefully with a napkin, she looked approvingly at the doll.
"Hmm, I never thought your culinary skills would be so superb back when the foolish butler activated you and I was thinking my only choice was to destroy you along with that idiot. What a blessing in disguise. Rejoice, Kaito, know that your miserable life has been extended."
"I never thought I would've been almost killed by you unknowingly."
"In that case, it means I was able to help Lord Kaito? Thank you very much, there is no greater honor and happiness for me than this!"
"Hence, you are my servant too... No, but I should respect your wishes in this regard, so allow me to welcome you anew, as my follower's follower...... Kaito, bestow a name upon her."
"A name?"
"Why are you always surprised? Everything needs a name. Would it not be inconvenient if your own possession lacks a name for you to call it?"
"No, I never thought of her as my possession. Even though she's a doll, she's still a girl after all."
Saying that, Kaito shook his head. It felt too great a responsibility for him to take possession of something that seemed no different from a human. However, the doll pouted and took a step forward with both fists clenched.
Pouting adorably, she objected desperately.
"Pray forgive me for being forward, but I am yours, Lord Kaito. Starting from that moment of destiny when you recognized me as your lover, I am eternally yours, Lord Kaito, your companion, soldier, weapon, pet plaything and sex toy. My body belongs only to you alone at all times. Please bear this in mind." "I know, so stop making these shocking speeches all the time. Hmm... Anyway, I definitely want you to have a name... Uh."
Pressing his hand on his forehead, Kaito began to think, desperately looking for reference material from his memories. However, he had never had the experience of naming a person or an animal. Furthermore, his social interactions were highly restricted. He recalled the names of several women who had stayed with his father, but he did not want to use them for reference. Even the woman who had made pudding for him ended up abandoning him after all.
At that moment, Kaito suddenly remembered the soft feeling when the doll had rubbed her cheek on his palm.
(...Oh, speaking of which, there was this one individual who was willing to get close to me unconditionally.)
The memory of a pure-white puppy surfaced. It was a neighbor's female puppy that had been very affectionate with Kaito. Every time Kaito went over, she would wag her tail and lick away Kaito's tears. Kaito's time with her was limited to a brief period before he had to move homes again, but Kaito remembered her very clearly. Kaito's father was someone who would abduct the puppy and kill her cruelly if he were to find out that she got along well with his son.
After pondering for a while, Kaito recalled the puppy's name and said:
"Hina... How about Hina?"
"That feels rather sloppy and totally something you thought up on the spot."
"I-I racked my brain desperately, okay!"
"Nothing less expected from Lord Kaito! To think that you came up with a wonderful name that exceeds all humans, demi-humans, beast folk, phantasmal beasts and the gods across heaven and earth! My gratitude knows no bounds so please call me Hina from now on, okay? Hina... Hina, I am Hina. The name that Lord Kaito chose for me... Gufufufufufu."
Hina's shoulders began to shake a little eeriely. This seemed to be a happy reaction, but Kaito found it a little scary.
Just as he finished naming Hina, the Meat Supplier happened to arrive. Elisabeth bought a great quantity of innards from him and handed them to Hina. Kaito began to pick up the utensils in his arms.
Now that she had gained an excellent chef, Elisabeth seemed to have a lot to chat about. While she was happily engaged in conversation with the Meat Supplier, Kaito bowed to Elisabeth before heading to the kitchen with Hina.
At the kitchen, Kaito placed the dirty utensils and cutlery in the sink. Hina swiftly handled the innards received from the Meat Supplier and made preparations for dinner.
Seeing her arrange without hesitation the seasoning bottles she was going to use on the counter, Kaito asked:
"Hina, you're able to distinguish all these flavors?"
"Yes, I have essentially registered all seasonings existing in this world. Also, through scent, I can analyze subtle changes in flavor due to degradation over time or the preparation process, allowing me to make quantity adjustments any time."
"I see. You're so amazing, Hina."
Impressed, Kaito nodded with an honest attitude. Hina fidgeted shyly and blushed bright red.
"I am not worthy of your praise. By the way, Lord Kaito, what kind of dishes do you prefer?"
"...Well... Let's say that I'm not too particular about food. As long as it's edible, not rotten and not poisoned, I guess?"
After all, in Kaito's previous life, food was simply food. He was already satisfied with just being able to eat his fill. Hearing Kaito's extremely vague answer, Hina nodded with a serious look.
"I see, I understand now. Then I will do everything I can with my unique flavors to make food delicious for you, Lord Kaito. Then, suppose... pardon me for being bold, but if you happen to like the food I make, Lord Kaito... Ahhh, if such a glorious day should ever arrive for real, I... could die with no regrets!"
"Don't get too excited, Hina, I wouldn't want you to die from something like that."
"As you wish! I shall live, forever and ever!"
Hina nodded with a blush, murmuring "I can't believe Lord Kaito asked me to stay by his side forever..." Her body began to squirm. Looking at her large bust, wobbling up and down, Kaito felt a little troubled, but with this, he no longer needed to spend time alone in this claustrophobic kitchen that was like a dungeon cell.
(At least I've got someone to talk to. It feels so much better.)
Kaito nodded and opened the sink faucet. The castle's pipes were connected to a reservoir that had a water spirit, so even though it did not supply hot water, which was a pain sometimes, the fact that there was a free-flowing supply of water was enough to celebrate already.
Kaito used cold water for dishwashing while Hina skillfully employed the kitchen knife next to him to handle the innards. In almost no time, the organs were all cleaned, had unwanted parts removed, and were cut into appropriately sized pieces. Perhaps to avoid causing unnecessary damage to the meat, the cross-sections were very neat and tidy.
Kaito subconsciously stopped what he was working on and stared at her excellent knife work. At that moment, Elisabeth called out.
"Butler, butler!"
"......"
"Kaito!"
"You're being loud! What's the matter!?"
Kaito put down the wet dishes, left the remaining work to Hina then rushed out.
He originally thought Elisabeth would be at the throne room, but she was still in the dining hall.
Kaito pushed the door open, only to see her sitting on a cabriole-leg chair, waving a wine glass while crossing her legs unhappily. In front of her was a new visitor, sitting where the Meat Supplier had been earlier.
"This man apparently wishes to have a word with you."
"Hello, nice to meet you... Sena Kaito, isn't it right?"
It was a blond man with blue eyes, deep-set features, and dressed in a black cassock.
The man narrowed his gentle eyes that were reminiscent of a goat's. Confronted with the suspicious looking fact, Kaito felt his spine tremble with an ominous feeling. At that moment, he noticed that the man had spoken his name fluently, pronouncing the kanji with accuracy.
Kaito did not know if the man had noticed the unease in Kaito's heart, but he spoke with dignity:
"My name is Krulus Ray Fownd, from the Church. I have come to inquire of your personal particulars."
* * *
"..........Come again?"
"Elisabeth. As expected of your servant. His attitude is most similar to yours."
The man spoke in a tone that could be either impressed or surprised. Kaito took a closer look at Krulus, this man who claimed to be from the Church.
Kaito did not know much about the Church in this world. However, since it was the Church that had suspended Elisabeth's death sentence and ordered her to hunt demons, it must wield considerable authority. In the face of authority, Kaito's natural instinct was to run the hell away, but fleeing at this moment would be way too suspicious, so he forcibly stopped his ankles that had automatically turned halfway and used his eyes to ask the visitor "What do you want to ask about?"
Krulus stood up from his chair and straightened his back, then offered an unexpected suggestion.
"Well then, would you paying the Church a visit next? This castle is rather dark and puts me ill at ease if I had to speak with you here."
"Eh? But I'm Lady Elisabeth's butler and can't just leave without permission."
"You knave, insisting you are my servant only when it suits you... But indeed, you are correct. Krulus, I cannot allow you to take away my servant so easily. I created him and despite his stupidity, he does have a very capable robot doll for a companion, which means he is not free to do as he pleases. I prohibit him from leaving without sufficient reason."
"So this is the attitude you are taking, Elisabeth? You have yet to report to us regarding the matter of you summoning a human soul from another world, have you?"
Elisabeth's lips twisted silently when she heard Krulus. He was evidently right on the mark. To think that the fact that she had summoned a human from another world had been exposed, Kaito was quite shocked.
Krulus brought his large palms together and continued:
"However, I have no wish to go out of my way to report this to the higher-ups. Hearing news that you had taken care of The Knight and The Earl, I came over here in the name of 'inquiring about the details' but ultimately, this visit is unofficial. Prior to bureaucratic procedures and punishment becoming unavoidable, wouldn't you agree that it would be more constructive if we were to discreetly confirm matters between us first? Hence, I hope you would grant him permission to go with me. What do you say?"
"Hah, you can spare me this sort of farce. Despite all your pretty words, ultimately what you seek is a way to take him away, am I wrong? Bah, so be it, what a hassle. I grant my permission, but should you fail to return him, watch out for your measly life."
"Good girl, how obedient. You made a wise judgment call."
Kaito was quite surprised by their conversation. To think that someone could face Elisabeth fearlessly, that was quite beyond his expectation. Krulus nodded at Kaito and walked out.
Based on the direction of their dialogue, it looked like Kaito was permitted to go with Krulus.
Neither of them seemed to need Kaito's opinion at all.
With feelings of abandonment and resignation, Kaito obediently followed the cassock-wearing Krulus. Led by Krulus, he entered an underground passage leading to Elisabeth's teleportation magic circle. Originally expecting to go outdoors, Kaito frowned. Krulus stopped in front of the teleportation magic circle and turned to face Kaito.
"Kaito, shall we set off? Be careful of dizziness."
Krulus took out a heavy and blackened silver pendant from inside his cassock. Hanging at the bottom of the thick chain was a sculpture of a veiled woman suspended upside down. Ignoring gravity, the intricately sculpted veil remained upright to cover the woman's face tightly.
"'Guide us along the right path.'"
Krulus held up the pendant in the center of the magic circle, causing the words of blood began to shine. A great many droplets of red liquid became suspended in the air before glowing blue and rotating around them like planets. When the spinning reached maximum speed, the blue light suddenly stopped and everything fell to the ground.
After this blue rain, what appeared before their eyes was an underground room but the atmosphere was different from before.
"...This place is..."
This was apparently not Elisabeth's underground room, but somewhere else. The wall's reinforced concrete was flaking, giving off a different feeling of oppressiveness compared to stone. The air was damp and cold, a strong reminder of their underground location.
"Come, we have arrived. Kaito, here we go."
Krulus returned the pendant to inside his cassock and walked out the only door.
Reinforced with wooden beams, the tunnel-like passage extended to the left and right. Under the low ceiling, ancient lanterns lit with magical fire were swaying. Overall, it felt like a mine tunnel.
The two of them advanced, surrounding by the smell of earth and half-rotten wood. Krulus said quietly:
"This is a secret underground passage of the Church and also connects to my private room. Over here."
At the far end of the passage was a small room that was astoundingly crude. The interior of the wooden room only contained bookshelves and a work desk. Empty. However, the wall was adorned with the same sculpture of the veiled woman hanging upside down that Krulus had taken out earlier. Looking at it up close, Kaito could see a single trail of red tears flowing down the woman's face.
Krulus knelt down in front of the sculpture and started to pray devoutly without heeding Kaito. After a short while, Krulus finally stood up.
"Sorry for making you wait. Very well, please sit wherever you wish."
"Oh, thanks."
Kaito obeyed and sat down on the chair at the desk. Krulus picked up a porcelain teapot on the desk and poured a pale red liquid into a teacup. A refreshing minty scent wafted in the air.
"I enjoy this kind of tea. Every time I frequent the store, I would buy out their entire stock."
"Uh... Sure, well, I think it's a nice hobby."
"Haha, is that so? I am very happy to hear that from someone else. My subordinates are always yelling at me, saying I buy too much."
Krulus winked. Even though his behavior was very human, Kaito still did not relax. The conversation was flowing too smoothly, it made him feel somewhat terrified.
Krulus brought his own chair over and sat down in front of the work desk, face to face with Kaito.
"This feels like an interrogation."
Kaito muttered to himself. Krulus took a sip of tea and started speaking:
"Even though it was in the form of a servant, I never thought someone from another world would get roped into Elisabeth's demon hunt."
"Uh, Elisabeth basically told me nothing and I'm a bit curious about this myself. Is it a very rare thing for people from another world to be summoned here?"
"She did not explain to you? How irresponsible, but that would be Elisabeth's style. This is extremely uncommon, much less rare. It is said that a sharing of memories would occur during the summoning process, so I presume you must be an excellent match for Elisabeth's wavelength. Or perhaps, you two are quite similar in nature."
"Me, similar to her?"
Kaito could not help but frown. He did not consider himself the slightest bit similar to the arrogant and haughty Elisabeth. Krulus took a sip of tea and shook his head.
"Forgive me, I have misspoken. Of course, I do not think you two are similar, because from what I have heard, Elisabeth Le Fanu was a cruel girl since childhood."
Hearing this, Kaito jumped in surprise. The images of the girl he had seen recently flashed through his mind.
That skinny and sickly girl, sitting on the bed with very hollow eyes.
Kaito shook his head, dispelling the image from his mind. Ignoring his discomposure, Krulus next said:
"She was born into this world as the only daughter of the prestigious noble house of Le Fanu. Sickly since childhood, she had a cruel nature and would take pleasure in breaking toys and killing small animals. After the age of sixteen, her personality was exhibited fully in a terrifying manner. Tirelessly, she tortured people, obtaining magical power at the cost of other's pain and suffering. Then using that evil power, she slaughtered even more people. Set in her cruel and horrific ways, she does not even fear God."
Krulus gripped his porcelain teacup tightly. In his blue eyes, a vicious glint surfaced. Kaito noticed prickly hostility in his tone. Even though he had been chatting amiably with Elisabeth earlier, judging from what he just said, Kaito could sense clear resentment.
While frowning at his intense reaction, Kaito was struck by a question.
Obtaining magical power at the cost of other's pain and suffering—This was practically like a demon. However, Elisabeth Le Fanu was not "Torturchen," not a demon.
"Elisabeth isn't one of the fourteen demons, right?"
"Indeed, you are right. She accomplished all that on her own without forming a contract with anyone. Despite clearly not using the power of demons, how exactly did she convert other people's pain and suffering into her own magical power? The specific method is known only to the high priest. However, this is the truth. She is an evil woman possessed power surpassing demons. Her existence itself constitutes endless sacrilege against the world."
Krulus cursed viciously. What he said might be true but Kaito hesitated, not knowing how to answer. Elisabeth was Torturchen, an oppressive ruler and a tyrant. However, she was currently hunting demons. There were probably very few people who were capable of opposing the demons, creators of hell in this world.
And Kaito was currently in the position of assisting her.
Ever since the incident of The Earl, he no longer hated serving at her side despite frequently acting defiant against Elisabeth as always. Kaito was actually quite delighted by her innocent side that she displayed occasionally.
This was the truth despite its twistedness.
Deliberating to the end, Kaito did not concur with Krulus. However, Krulus nodded knowingly for some reason and sighed deeply.
"My apologies for accidentally getting worked up. However, you ought to understand after spending so much time with her. Very well, allow me to inquire about your world next, shall we? From what I have heard, machinery is more advanced than magic in your world?"
"Yeah, that's right. To be precise, there's virtually no magic in my world... Normally speaking."
Kaito answered Krulus' question calmly. However, Kaito's knowledge from life was quite skewed. Despite enjoying the fruits and conveniences of industrial technology, he did not understand the underlying principles of how they worked. The conversation turned vague, but Krulus still listened with great interest. He finished his tea and calmly shook his head.
"Thank you very much, it was most informative. However, I must offer my utmost condolences. The battles with demons will only intensify from hereon. I honestly do not believe you will be able to survive until Elisabeth finishes killing those thirteen demons."
"I knew it, huh? Although this body is immortal after all, but it does seem quite difficult."
"Indeed. And even supposing you survived to the end, what awaits you is the Church's inquisition for heretics."
"What?"
Hearing something unexpected, Kaito exclaimed in suprirse. Confronted by Kaito's natural response, Krulus remained unfazed. His blue eyes, staring straight at Kaito, had no emotion.
This was the kind of gaze one would give to despised bugs, not a human being of equal stature.
"What are you so surprised for? That is a most logical outcome. According to the ways of the Church, there is no way that a puppet created by her would be allowed to live after 'Torturchen' Elisabeth accomplishes her mission. You too shall be put to death by fire, or face incarceration at best. But before that, what awaits you is prolonged torture."
"Well... To be honest, that's not really acceptable to me. I was only roped in against my will. Aren't you guys the ones doing the torturing? Can't you find a solution for me?"
"Here, I have one proposal."
Krulus leaned forward slightly. At that moment, Kaito felt the same sense of dissonance as before and finally found the last piece of the puzzle. Since a while ago, he had a feeling that the conversation so far was just a farce leading to something else. Despite concurring very earnestly, Krulus was not seriously listening to anything he said. This feeling was evidently not his imagination.
"There are solutions. As I gradually dwelved deeper in my unofficial surveillance and visits, I came to realize more and more how dangerous Elisabeth is. Back when she was captured by the Church, she was fitted with restraints to prevent her from counterattacking or escaping. However, if Torturchen were to enter a contract with any one of the thirteen demons, her power would be amplified dramatically, allowing her to break free of her restraints. Not only that, but if Torturchen's unique power were to combine with a demon's, the result would be most unthinkable."
"Do you guys have any way of fighting her if she does that?"
"One of the top officials in the Church, His Excellency Godot Dios, has taken an oath to guarantee that she will not enter a contract with a demon. If developments actually unfold to that stage, he would sacrifice his own life to seal her... His Excellency is definitely capable of that, but should that come to pass, we would lose a great man of the cloth. We cannot passively accept the arrival of an expected and inevitable disaster, watching the birth of a new demon surpassing all other demons without doing anything."
Krulus reached into his cassock and once again took out the necklace of the female martyr that was hung upside down. He carefully opened a cap on the back and took out a bottle, then poured the contents into Kaito's teacup. The colorless and transparent droplets, akin to tears, produced ripples inside the teacup. In the next instant, the pale red tea turned deep purple before returning to its original color.
"Let Elisabeth drink this poison. In exchange, I will grant you a peaceful death."
"Death?"
"Indeed. Beings counter to the will of God are not permitted to live. But according to your testimony, you were already dead before you were summoned, is that right? Currently staying at her side, you must be no stranger to the fear of pain. You should be able to understand that this is not a transaction that runs counter to your interests, right?"
Krulus smiled. Kaito recalled the poor first impression he had of Krulus and understood even more now. Krulus was quite arrogant and even more, he was unaware of his own arrogance, looking down at Kaito from absolute height. From his own perspective, this proposal was genuine mercy.
Kaito carefully suppressed an impulse to curse and decided to stay silent until he was allowed to go back to the castle.
Seeing that Kaito had not agreed readily, Krulus cocked his head in puzzlement.
"From your reaction, you do not seem very satisfied... To enable you to understand the legitimacy of my proposal, I shall make a special exception and show you the fates of the heretics under my management."
Krulus led Kaito to continue downstairs. With quick footsteps, he advanced through the dark passage. There were no other members of the clergy in the passage. Although Kaito felt something was not right about this situation, he still followed Krulus. Soon after, Krulus went up some steps.
At the end of the steps was a very thick door with its edges stuffed with cloth for soundproofing. He grabbed the door handle...
"Watch and listen, then learn properly."
Then he pushed the door open. Instantly, there was a flood of bone-chilling screams.
People were moaning, lamenting, in suffering, pleading madly to be killed. Inside the inquisition room for heretics, there was a heavy stench of blood. The square room was partitioned in half by metal fencing and covered quite a large area.
Presented inside was hell on a small scale.
A man with all his body hair shaved off was stuck to the wall, his pallid skin covered densely with rivets, a great number of screws embedded in his bald head. Even now, there people dresed in white, drilling screws into his flesh. Bound to an operating table, a woman was getting sliced up by a saw, bit by bit, convulsing nonstop. A old man's foot was pressed firmly on a red-hot griddle to roast, convulsing while begging to be killed. A young man was hung up by horse hair tied to his tongue, crying profusely while waiting for his tongue to break.
In addition, there were many people squirming, a total mystery how they could still remain alive. Confronted with such a scene, Kaito widened his eyes in shock, staggering backwards. Even so, he continued to stare intently at the scene before him, imprinting this horrific scene from hell upon his eyes. Despite the intense terror attacking his mind, he remained calm and observed the place.
Dying peacefully was such a merciful proposal.
Kaito understood now, that there was not the slightest exaggeration in Krulus' words.
"I await your good news."
Krulus smiled gently and pressed the bottle of poison into Kaito's hand.
* * *
With the fall of blue rain, Kaito's view opened up.
After returning to Elisabeth's castle alone through the teleportation circle, Kaito instantly fell to his knees.
"...Guh... Urghhh."
The intense dizziness was making him puke. This was a side effect that he had never experienced when teleporting together with Elisabeth. Perhaps when confronted with that scene and the choice presented to him just now, his stomach could not bear the burden.
"Holy cow, that was really... horrific."
Kaito cursed and spat then struggled to stand up. Unsteadily, he entered the underground passage.
Kaito remembered the way back. Knowing from experience that he would never forget any information accompanied by pain, some time ago, he had carved essential portions of the underground passages onto his skin. He then asked Elisabeth to heal him afterwards. Elisabeth had been quite surprised by what Kaito did. Kaito too was in abject pain but as a result, he was able to avoid wasting away and dying due to getting lost.
"Damn it... Is there anything else I have to do after coming back?"
Kaito thought about his remaining work while walking. He expected Hina to have already handled all the daily chores for him, so there should not be anything for which Elisabeth would summon him for today. Elisabeth essentially expressed no concern for Kaito on a daily basis, so even if she was going to ask about Krulus, she would probably wait until tomorrow. There was a ton of stuff to think about, but right now, all Kaito wanted was to rest.
For the rest of today, he did not want to think about the bottle of poison in his chest pocket at all.
Kaito walked unsteadily to the floor reserved for servants and dragged himself to his bedroom. With a creaking of old parts, he opened the thin door.
At that moment, something soft covered his face.
"W-W-What?"
"Welcome home, Lord Kaito! I have been waiting and you finally came home safe and sound!"
Hina was hugging Kaito tightly against her bosom. Meeting Hina as soon as he opened the door, Kaito was naturally quite startled.
Leaning forward slightly, hugged by the tall Hina tightly, Kaito's face ended up buried in her chest. Kaito hastily pulled his face away, only to see Hina staring at him with sorrowful eyes like a puppy. Kaito had tried using this type of gaze against Elisabeth to no effect, but when Hina gazed at him like this, he could not help but hold his breath.
Unsure what to say, Kaito moved his shifty gaze away from Hina. Even though there were a chair and a bed in this cramped room, there were no signs that they had been used. In front of the puzzled Kaito, Hina danced a little.
"Lady Elisabeth said you will surely return, so I have been waiting for your arrival eagerly. I was so worried, worrying so much that my chest was about to burst and my gears fly out."
"Say, Hina... Don't tell me you've been standing here waiting for me the whole time ever since you finished today's chores?"
"Yes, I did. Is there any problem?"
"Uh... You could sit down while waiting for me. I won't be mad even if you took a nap."
As soon as she heard Kaito, Hina stumbled unsteadily. With her hand over her mouth, she blushed intensely.
"I-I cannot believe you permitted me to sleep in the exalted master's bed... C-C-C-Could this be the lover's privilege... No, we are already akin to husband and wife, so this would be a subtle invitation?"
"Of course not. I don't have the energy to entertain you now... Sorry."
Kaito pushed Hina away gently and collapsed on the bed. At that moment, he noticed something was different. The bed Elisabeth had given him originally had a musty smell and was hard and damp, but now it was quite soft with a pleasant fragrance of herbs. Hina must have carefully washed and dried the mattress. However, Kaito did not have the strength to thank her now.
In his confusion, Kaito shut his eyes tight. Despite this comfortable bed, he still might be leaving the castle... as a traitor who had killed his master, to die in peace as a reward. But no matter how Kaito tried, he could not imagine the scene of himself killing Elisabeth.
(She's a girl who will walk to her execution on her own.)
She was neither a girl who would be killed by Kaito nor killed by anyone else. However, if Kaito were to reject the proposal, his final fate might be unthinkable. Kaito gripped the bottle of poison through his pocket.
At that moment, the bed creaked and a sweet fragrance drifted to him. Even without opening his eyes, Kaito knew that Hina had lay down next to him. He sighed and spoke again:
"...Listen to me, Hina, I'm really..."
"Excuse me, Lord Kaito."
Kaito was then hugged gently against her bosom. Hina embraced his head lightly, caressing his hair. She was comforting Kaito, combing his hair nonstop, doing all this in a non-sexual manner. Surprised, Kaito opened his eyes.
With her emerald eyes partially closed, Hina was leaning against Kaito, looking at him with sincere love and affection. Seeing that tender look on her face, incomparably gentle like a wife consoling her husband, Kaito found himself speechless.
"You seem exhausted. As your lover, I should look after my beloved like this."
Gently, Hina kept caressing Kaito's hair. Kaito could not help but think... So this is what kids felt when their mother stroked their head. Her hand's warmth was transmitted to him and Kaito's heart naturally warmed up too. This warmth transcended language and reason, making the taut threads in his heart begin to loosen.
Surrounded by clean sheets and the tenderness and warmth of human skin, Kaito felt his eyelids grow heavy all of a sudden.
"...Hina, if you do this, I'll fall asleep."
"Is there anything wrong with that? Please relax and sleep. Please rest assured, Lord Kaito."
—No matter what happens, I will protect you.
The instant he heard these whispers, the taut threads were finally unraveled. Only now did he realize he was afraid when confronted with the hell presented to him and the fate shoved before his eyes. It looked like the terror instill upon Kaito by that utterly brutal death had not subsided even after his return.
(Ahhh... I see, I'm afraid.)
No one could be sure what was going to happen next, but at least, this place was safe for now. Currently, Kaito's body was not in pain. Furthermore, Hina had told him that she would eliminate everyone that wanted to harm him.
In his previous life, Kaito had never had the experience of being protected by anyone. To relax like this could very well be the very first time in his life. He never thought he could feel such comfort just before death.
While thinking these thoughts, he was plunged into the land of dreams as though gradually sucked away.
He had a dream.
It was a dream where he could tell it was a dream.
All kinds of images and sensations were recreated in his eyes and on his skin kaleidoscopically then disappearing.
Countless wounds. Intense sorrow suppressed all the time. Every mistake at work resulted in the words "never forget" carved on his skin. Gently licking his wounds, a little warm tongue. Big eyes, as though saying "I love you" to Kaito who was like trash. Under strangulation, the despair and lamentation at the moment that his neck broke. The pain that could not even be screamed out. The armor bulging with flesh inside, The Knight's eyes, the terrifying spider, Neue's almost crying smile.
The first words dedicated to him. His words to Kaito.
Even if impossible to achieve, Kaito still wanted to strive for it, the wish from Neue to him.
Staring out the window, the image of the feeble girl. Cruelly slaughtered people. The evil girl laughing.
Sounds from somewhere.
'Back when she was captured by the Church, she was fitted with restraints to prevent her from counterattacking or escaping. However, if Torturchen were to enter a contract with any one of the thirteen demons, her power would be amplified dramatically, allowing her to break free of her restraints. Should that come to pass, it would usher the birth of a new demon surpassing all other demons.'
'Stop making me laugh, Earl.'
'Whether you or I—Both of us are to be forsaken by all creation across heaven and earth, to ultimately die.'
'Cruel and proud, I extol life like a wolf, and will ultimately die like a sow.'
'—This is preordained.'
Sleek, black, long hair fluttering in the air. Elisabeth turning around. Kaito thought to himself... Thinking in his dream...
Oh, right. You...
You're not gonna run away, right?
Regardless what kind of despair and suffering awaited her, she was going to shoulder her life responsibilities.
As "Torturchen," Elisabeth Le Fanu was going to—
Take full responsibility for her utterly atrocious life.
Then Kaito slowly opened his eyes.
Hina was still hugging him tightly, caressing his head. On her face was a faint and especially happy smile.
While stroking Kaito, Hina could not do anything else. Kaito felt sorry that he had inconvenienced her and hastily sat up. Hina seemed disappointed and looked up again at Kaito, tilting her head.
"Have you calmed down? Color has returned to your face a little."
"Yeah, thank you, Hina. It's thanks to you that things now make sense in my mind."
Kaito jumped off the bed and was about to leave the room directly. Hina seemed to notice something and did not chase after him. Kaito paused and turned around.
Hina was sitting on the bed, seeing Kaito off with a happy look on her face. Standing at the doorway, Kaito spontaneously asked her:
"Will you be sad if I died, Hina?"
"In the event that you should die, Lord Kaito, I will die too, you know?"
"No no no no no, that's just not right."
"Because I have no wish to live even an extra second in a world with you, Lord Kaito."
Hina was showing a surprised look as though saying "Isn't that perfectly matter-of-fact?"
Feeling a headache, Kaito clutched his forehead. Her answer was too unexpected. Kaito did not know how he was going to end up in the future, but decided he had to persuade her not to follow him in death no matter what. But for now, he returned to the bedside, reached out and stroked her silver hair. Hina closed her eyes happily and drew her face near affectionately.
(I knew it, this expression is so similar to that puppy that offered me pure affection and goodwill in the past.)
Savoring her words, Kaito gritted his teeth and muttered.
"I see. Then I have to survive as much as possible."
Leaving the room, he ran along the corridor to go find Elisabeth.
* * *
Elisabeth was at the throne room. Sitting in front of the collapsed hole, she was looking out to the full moon on her own.
Presently, the dark forest was rustling and swaying in the wind.
At the spot where the beasts had been skewered, not a single fragment of the corpses had remained. However, burn marks stuck stubbornly to the ground and the patch of earth still seemed to glint with a bloody tint even at night. However, these lingering traces would eventually end up covered by trees, presumably.
"What happened to the beast's flesh in the end?"
"Burned away at the same time as The Knight's demise. Putting that aside, how about watching the sky too?"
Elisabeth answered without looking back at him. Raising an expensive wine glass from a small table, she swirled the aromatic and exquisite wine in it.
The magnificent full moon was reflected on the red liquid's surface.
"Tonight's moon is very beautiful."
Elisabeth finished the wine with the moon's reflection in it then lowered her glass.
Kaito brought a well-chilled bottle of wine from a silver utensil containing ice created by a spirit. Refilling the glass, he took out the bottle of poison from his pocket. When the colorless droplet was added to the wine, the wine turned from silky red to a poisonous purple for a moment before turning back as though nothing had happened.
Kaito handed this glass of wine to Elisabeth, who had observed the entire process.
Raising the glass to the moonlight, she curled her red and luscious lips.
"How amusing. What are you doing?"
"Poisoning you."
"Oh? Now that is rather rich. If I were to drink this, even one such as I would be hard pressed to escape fatality. Fine wine is not easy to come by, so I shall gift this to you. Do know that this is fine wine from the master as a gift, so you would do well to drink it with gratitude."
"Please allow me to refuse firmly. I will be wasting this wine."
"Was it Krulus? What kind of terms did he offer you? A peaceful death?"
"Heh, you really know your stuff."
"Well, at this rate, whether you live or die, it would undoubtedly be hell for you."
Elisabeth spoke calmly and candidly. It looked like she had completely predicted the final fate Kaito faced. However, rather than hiding it, she simply thought nothing of it, which was why she had not worried about it all this time.
Placing the glass on the table, Elisabeth shrugged ostentatiously.
"To make a deal with him would be plenty foolish. There is no escaping death either way. However, the basic terms are not bad. If you seek asylum from the Church organization instead of Krulus personally, there is a rather high chance of finding mercy including a guarantee of your life from now on, as long as you are not caught by individual fanatics."
"Huh?"
"No matter what, you are from another world. Putting you to trial to determine whether you are a heretic or not would be utterly ridiculous. If you survive until all thirteen demons are killed, you would be deemed my possession, but it is not too late if you do it now. Hina's knowledge should be sufficient to activate the teleportation circle and connect to the Church. Make your choice as it suits you."
"So basically... You don't mind if I run away now?"
"How could I not mind? You are my puppet and belong to me until the moment of your destruction. Nevertheless, even though you are simply meddling in what does not concern you, I would spend my days uncomfortably if I failed to repay the pity from a little servant like you. Do as you wish, but do it secretly if you are running away. If I catch you, prepare yourself to be tortured."
Elisabeth yawned and crossed her legs high. She exhaled lightly and leaned back against her throne. The moonlight was shining on her face, her profile as beautiful as a blade.
She did not want to say anything more. Even if Kaito continued to wait, it looked like he would not get any answer.
Kaito silently turned around but before he left, Elisabeth murmured softly:
"I have a question for you. Why did you not poison me secretly?"
"Hmm?"
"After the incident of The Earl, you developed an intense hatred for demons. Yet you are allowing the birth of an even more powerful demon, are you fine with that? Krulus must have told you too."
Elisabeth turned her face towards him. Reflecting moonlight, her red eyes started straight at Kaito.
How should I answer...? Kaito began to think. He never expected Elisabeth herself to ask this kind of question. After a moment's thought, he gave the answer without pretense.
"Someone high up in the Church apparently made a judgment call. Also, I don't think someone like you would contract with a demon."
"Oh?"
"You will be forsaken by all creation across heaven and earth—to die in solitude, right?"
"Yes, indeed. I shall die, as lonely as a wolf and as pitifully as a sow, to die in solitude."
"Surely you cannot tolerate a demon by your side, right?"
Kaito said firmly. By the time this girl died, the demons would most likely be no more.
She tortured her innocent subjects, piling up the corpses into mountains of flesh and blood, and was going to be executed.
This death scene was decided by herself, lonely and sad.
Elisabeth grinned and her shoulders shook as she laughed in delight. Kaito nodded at her and started walking. After entering the corridor, he turned his gaze to the high window where moonlight was streaming in.
Taking care not to look at the disgusting patterns projected on the floor, he whispered:
"...Eleven left, huh?"
With a fully determined look, Kaito clenched his fist.
The next morning, he slipped out the castle with Hina's help and made his way alone to the Church.
* * *
Passing through a gate that was supposed to lead to the Church headquarters, Kaito found himself surrounded by a wall of red that proceeded to fall as a rain of blood. After the red color dissipated, he was in a dark room on bare ground. Kaito widened his eyes in surprise. This place was the small room connected to the Church's secret passage.
He looked around in puzzlement. The one person he did not want to see was standing right in front of him.
"Hello, looking for the Church to seek asylum?"
Krulus smiled calmly. Behind him were hooded followers dressed in cylindrical robes of pure white.
Leading a bunch of guys dressed in white like that, Krulus seemed like an executioner with a corpse disposal team.
Gazing disdainfully at Kaito like looking at a bug, he spoke in disappointed tone of voice:
"My apologies. It would be very troublesome if the higher-ups were to find out about my private transaction with you, hence if you refuse, my only regrettable choice would be to secretly dispose of you. Nevertheless, relax, since you will not accept the deal, then ultimately this is merely a matter of sooner or later."
His followers grabbed Kaito by the arms and forced him to stand. At the same time, an intense pain radiated from his belly, forcing him to groan. Seeing Kaito like that, Krulus said in surprise:
"Oh dear, it would be troublesome if you cried out like that. Towards the end, you will probably scream until you wreck your throat. Oh dear, but a wrecked throat is no skin off my nose, personally."
At Krulus' orders, Kaito was dragged away. Looking at the passage, Kaito realized he was being dragged to the inquisition room instead of Krulus' private room. There was apparently no need to be civil with Kaito anymore.
Smiling radiantly, Krulus grabbed the inquisition room's door handle.
"Welcome, great sinner. You will be welcomed here then rejected."
The door opened, sounding like the gates of hell.
Kaito was moved inside an enclosure within metal bars. Amid painful groans, Kaito was helplessly secured to a wooden table in the middle. To prevent him from escaping, his arms and legs were shackled.
(...Special seating huh.)
Kaito thought to himself sarcastically. Now that he was on the side of being tortured, he realized there was a drawing of the female martyr on the ceiling. While crying tears of red, she looked down at the tortured people from behind her veil. Kaito suddenly thought, what was she mourning? He did not know the Church's dogma, but felt that the scene she was looking down upon was not what she desired.
God and revered individuals were not supposed to desire this kind of hell. Even as someone not from this world, Kaito believed this should be the case.
"As I have told you last time, cases of summoning from another world are extremely rare. Hence, we will dissect your body and analyze the composition of Elisabeth's summoning spell from the magical power. This was be very beneficial for us to summon those with useful information. Your death will not be completely worthless, so no need to lament. Instead, this will be much better than being executed as Elisabeth's servant. You shall benefit mankind, thereby atoning for your deep sin. Ah, what joy, what joy."
Krulus looked down at Kaito with a salivating look. His eyes glowing radiantly, no longer the cold gaze as though looking at a bug, affirming Kaito's value. Apparently from Krulus' perspective, the pieces of flesh from dissection were much more useful than a living Kaito.
One of his subordinate took a sharp knife while one guy on the right picked up a pair of bone-cutting shears and a guy on the left took a jigsaw, all of them approaching Kaito. Kaito honestly felt afraid and wanted to scream right away.
With such dry thoughts, Kaito spoke:
"By 'we,' are you referring to you and your contracted demon?"
Krulus' smiled instantly froze. Kaito merely thought "as expected." Someone like Krulus were not used to handling sudden attacks. In his previous life, one of his father's blackmail targets was a certain company president who cooked the books, and he often made this kind of expression.
Kaito sighed deeply and said:
"Actually, I was planning to find you even though the magic circle was connected to the Church's main entrance. Your interference actually saved me a lot of work. How could I possibly run away... This kind of hell is not something to leave alone no matter what."
Kaito turned his neck slightly and looked across the iron bars. The surroundings had turned into a true hell. On a nearby table, a man was groaning nonstop with his gut exposed, the flesh of his abdomen sliced off. Over there, a mother and son were coughing blood nonstop, their bodies compressed into one by thick ropes.
Kaito did not have a strong sense of justice. Originally, he had no spirit of altruism at all. However, toleration had limits and faced with such disgusting acts of cruelty, how could he possibly stand back and let things be?
"After seeing this hell, I began to suspect you. Demons derive power from human suffering, from tormenting the soul. The scene of your inquisitions gave a very similar impression as what demons do... Besides, the point of an inquisition to to make someone confess they are a heretic, but this doesn't seem to be the point no matter how I look at it."
The surrounding people were all on the brink of death, suffering in endless pain and torment.
Atrocious situations beyond human imagination was being used on heretics. This was evidently the ways of the demons.
"With rivets driven all over the body, sliced up into pieces, flesh removed from the belly, how are they still alive? Forget about appropriate treatment, these people are mostly left unattended. When you showed me this room, I subconsciously burned all the images into my eyes, but when I thought about it later, I concluded it was just as I suspected. What maintains their lives by force is a demon's power... And this definitely cannot be condoned by the Church."
He had not seen any other clergy in Krulus' secret underground passage.
If this was torture condoned by the Church, the same thing would be taking place in other places. Then there should be more people coming and going to handle blood and transporting heretics. But in this secret passage, there was no one apart from Krulus and his followers. Kaito had not seen anyone else from the Church.
Krulus had insisted on hiding Kaito's existence without letting him meet other clergy.
This also meant that what he was doing was against the will of the Church.
"Also, it's quite fishy that you came up with your own decision to kill Elisabeth. The only reason the Church would employ her is presumably because they can't find any other solution, backed into a hopeless corner... Otherwise, why would they 'hire a sow to take care of pigs'? However, as a member of the Church, you came secretly to the castle and even asked me to kill her. To prevent an even stronger demon from being born—This sounds kind of legitimate at first but how are you guys planning on dealing with the remaining demons after she's gone? Of the thirteen, only two have been killed so far, and yet you're going to kill the outstanding hunting hound this soon? There is only one reason for this, and that's because you're one of the thirteen demons—"
If a contractor could be found among the kingdom's knights, then a contractor in the Church was not surprising either. Given his position, it was perfect to torment heretics and gather their suffering. Furthermore, he could use the convenience of his duties to take care of powerful enemies. However, he had been too impatient and his plan was too crude.
Precisely because he looked down at humans from far above, without deigning to hide anything, this current situation resulted.
Kaito, whom he viewed as a bug, looked at him and scoffed.
"Am I right, Krulus? Well, I only realized this possibility thanks to Hina helping my mind to calm down."
"Mr. Puppet that has not died completely, is this all you have to say?"
Krulus smiled calmly, neither offering confirmation nor denial, but Kaito did not miss the vein popping slightly on his forehead.
If Kaito were not tied down completely, he would probably shrug but that was not possible in his current state, so all he could do was nod.
"Yeah, that's all. I've discovered the demon and set the trap. Next is Torturchen's turn to enter the stage."
"The teleportation circle has already been shut down from this side, you fool! You are completely helpless!"
Krulus roared with laughter. Finding this guy hopelessly stupid, Kaito glared at him coldly. Kaito had already seen Krulus interfering with the magic circle beforehand, so of course he predicted that.
Kaito took a deep breath then called out.
Ahhh, this abdominal pain.
"There is still a magic circle here, capable of letting one person pass through."
Krulus made a look of surprise, In the next instant, he widened his eyes and ripped Kaito's clothing.
Wrapped around Kaito's belly were leather straps. On the surface of the top-quality leather, a red teleportation circle appeared. Krulus frantically severed the leather with the bone-cutting shears, but gasped when he saw the source of the magic circle.
"...Damn you."
"What a convenient body. I don't die even after bleeding so much."
A magic circle had been carved on Kaito's belly. Fresh blood was spurting out from the deep wounds in the flesh. With every breath, Kaito felt intense pain from his abdomen. Back then when Krulus' followers were dragging him, Kaito even thought he was going to die, but enduring this pain had definitely earned results.
'As my servant, you are also capable of using your own blood to summon certain things to your side.'
This was something Elisabeth had told Kaito in the past. Using the shears, Krulus tried to gouge out Kaito's wounds. But before he could do that, the teleportation circle glowed brightly. Blood-red petals danced in the air while darkness began to swirl. Krulus widened his eyes in surprise, backing away while he yelled:
"Stay away... Stay away, Elisabeeeeeeeeeeeeeth!"
"How could I not come when summoned with such fervor?"
With the sound of a mocking voice, the darkness suddenly erupted. The red petals swept through the dungeon in a mad dance. The petals turned into droplets in the air, falling down from the ceiling as red rain.
All covered in blood, Elisabeth emerged from the teleportation circle. Her long sleek black hair and skirt hem fluttered. Her elegantly shaped breasts wobbled. Elisabeth casually landed on Kaito's wounds.
Ignoring Kaito's screams, she made a gorgeous smile and snapped her fingers.
"Let us keep it simple for small fry. Death by Hanging."
Ropes descended from the ceiling, wrapping around the necks of Krulus' followers. Looking like a prank, these followers were all suspended from the ceiling. With a snapping sound, their neck bones were broken, their windpipes crushed, their blood vessels severed. The white hoods covering their faces fell from their heads.
What came to light were not human faces but those of devotees, formed from bloated pus-filled tumors.
Several hanged corpses were suspended helplessly in the room.
"No way... Bastard, bastard!"
Krulus took out his necklace from his collar with trembling hands. He was just about to mutter something when a chain entangled his wrist. His stunned gaze turned to Elisabeth who was smiling.
"You like pain, don't you!?"
"Gyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Pulled by the chain that was attached to shackles, Krulus' wrist was violently broken. Bones popped out from the flesh while he screamed and struggled. However, he suddenly slid his arm out from the shackles.
Spontaneously, his entire body became covered with poison, his blond hair gradually fell off, his cassock was blown away. His body continued to expand, finally turning into a flesh-colored meat frog. Then he jumped high, deforming the iron bars in the dungeon, escaping to the underground passage.
Seeing that ugly and massive form, Elisabeth showed surprise for some reason.
"That guy... Although his magical power is unnaturally great, he is no demon! He is nothing more than just a pawn, a devotee!"
"R-Really? Then all's fine if we just need to defeat him, right?"
"All's fine, my foot, you imbecile! He is a member of the Church! This is no joke... Speaking of the only demon that the clergy could come into contact with, that would be..."
Elisabeth snapped her fingers, instantly blowing away the restraints on Kaito's arms and legs. Red petals gathered at his wounds, forcing Elisabeth's blood into his body by force. Immediately, his wounds were covered up by new leather straps. The forced transfusion and blood stopping brought horrific pain, making Kaito scream.
"Dahhh, what are you doing to me!? This is too painful, okay!?"
"Follow me if you wish, I care not even if you stay behind. If I fail to return in time, or end up taking a different route back to the castle, you will have to figure out on your own how to heal yourself and extend your life!"
"You're giving me no choice but to follow you!"
Kaito forced himself to stand up and began to run after Elisabeth. Having recovered some of his blood loss, he should be able to keep up, just barely, as long as he ignored the pain.
Leaving through the door, the meat frog fled along the underground passage in panic. Elisabeth waved her hand at the frog, producing a vortex of darkness and petals that turned into a giant spiked wheel that started rolling towards him. However, the wheel was deflected by something along the way and vanished.
For merely a brief instant, Kaito felt like he saw a shadow resembling a black dog's tail behind the meat frog.
The meat frog glanced behind itself, made look of relief, then sped up further.
"That response... Could it be real!?"
Elisabeth shouted anxiously, completely unlike her usual style. Against a devotee, she even pulled out the Executioner's Sword of Frankenstahl.
The meat frog quickly ascended a relatively wide staircase and broke through the door. In the middle of transporting scrolls, a staid middle-aged member of the clergy screamed and fell on his bottom. A young member of the clergy was apparently taking believers on a tour inside the Church. Seeing the situation, he stepped forward to shield the believers behind him. The normal Church seemed to be a more wholesome organization than what Kaito had expected.
The meat frog was moving along a corridor paved with marble and kept quite clean and tidy. Spreading bubbling poison fluid along the way, the meat frog charged forward. Elisabeth dashed into the chapel and swung her sword at the meat frog.
"Gibbet!"
Darkness swirled in a narrow vortex, producing a cramped cage that barely allowed a person to be stuffed inside in an upside down posture. The meat frog was squeezed into it, forcing out a great deal of poison fluid from it. Furthermore, the cage had chains wrapping tightly around it. With this setup, the meat frog would remain bound by the chains even if it broke the cage. But in the next instant, Elisabeth shuddered violently and fell on her knees.
"Guh... Mm, ah... My body..."
The cage broke apart, turning into darkness and petals. The chains also lost tension, gradually disappearing while falling to the ground.
"Elisabeth!"
Red letters appeared over her body. Kaito's golem functionality attempted to translate the words, but ultimately failed. His knowledge told him that it was language from God, impossible to translate or pronounce.
The scripture of God was imprinted all over Elisabeth like burns. These words seemed as though fire was being poured into the shackles under her skin.
These were probably the restraints the Church had imposed on her. However, why did this mechanism suddenly activate?
"It burns... Guh... Nn-nn, ah, why... who... who is it?"
Elisabeth crawled on the ground, glaring angrily to the side. The priest at the altar was holding a necklace up high, trembling while reciting a prayer. With every sentence he spoke, the words carved on Elisabeth's skin would glow red. Elisabeth unleashed a bloody roar:
"Preposterous! I am not the one who needs to be controlled! It is that one over there, imbecile!"
The meat frog knocked down many worshipers, smashing seating along the way, charging deeper into the Church.
A group of guards finally gathered but were smashed into disarray. Flattened by the meat frog's massive belly, their bones were crushed under their armor. However, the confused priest continued to recite his prayer.
Kaito rushed up the few steps and reached out towards him without warning.
"Y-You..."
"Old man, give me that!"
Kaito pulled off the necklace from the priest's wrinkled neck and tossed it away.
Elisabeth then stood up and dashed like an arrow. However, severe burns remained on her body.
Kaito went on the move too, following after Elisabeth who had suffered much from the scripture.
Scattered along the corridor were collapsed guards that had been crushed to death. The farther they went, the more corpses there were. The majestic door they had been guarding securely was now wide open.
Inside was a grand office. Seated on a velvet chair was an old man dressed in vestments with gold thread and a diadem on his head. His entire lower body was crushed and he was already dead.
The wall behind him was wide open with a secret passage revealed.
The interior of the secret passage was carved with God's scripture, glowing faintly. With every step the meat frog took in the secret passage, its surface would froth and burnt flesh would fall off. However, the same phenomenon was happening to Elisabeth too. As soon as Elisabeth rushed into the passage, the scripture glowed again, tormenting her.
"Guh... Ah, ahhhhhhhhhh, ah, ah, aa."
"Elisabeth! You idiot, don't be so reckless!"
Kaito frantically caught Elisabeth by the shoulder and walked, enduring the pain on his abdomen. The meat frog barely made it to the end of the passage alive, then pressing itself against the wall, it spoke with a torrent of tears:
"Your Majesty, I was wrong. To think I dared to imprison you all this time, intending to one-sidedly obtain your power. Maintaining my faith while exploiting you, what a presumptuous notion. I now offer everything of mine to you, exalted one, to liberate you as proof of my loyalty. I implore you to deliver me from that demonic woman."
The meat frog spat something out. From the mass of mucus, it took out a golden key.
The frog touched the words of God appearing on the wall in a complicated sequence then recited a prayer while inserting the key into the wall that lacked keyholes. With a click, the wall glowed intensely then vanished.
Out flowed concentrated darkness and bone-piercing cold air. In the center of the viscous darkness was an interrogation chair.
On that chair sat a raven-haired man.
The man slowly lifted his face, his black and tousled hair shaking, his red eyes flashing brightly. The face visible under the hair exhibited androgynous beauty. However, the instant Kaito laid eyes on him, he felt a kind of pressure as though he was being choked. At the same time, he came to understood something.
This was something extremely terrifying. Despite a beautiful human shape, it was definitely something completely different from a human, something fearsome.
And for some reason, that face seemed familiar to Kaito.
The leather straps restraining the man's limbs suddenly burned silently and fell off. The man stood up slowly as though rising from a throne. From his back, clad in a prisoner's uniform, thick spikes were pulled out with a gush of fresh blood. However, there was no change in the man's expression at all.
As though in a dream, his eyes continued to stare into space.
The meat frog—Krulus—crawled to the man's feet and knelt down in a disgraceful manner, desperately making eyes at the man in hopes of mercy. However, the man lifted one foot without even looking at the frog, then buried that bare foot directly into its brain. The meat frog's giant eyeballs fell out from the impact.
"Gubeh."
Squish... A scattering of red-black blood. The meat frog's head was easily crushed underfoot. Gray brain matter oozed everywhere but standing in the pool of blood, the man made no reaction, almost as though he was unaware that he had trampled a frog by the side of a road. Then the man looked up in a daze.
At that moment, the man finally turned his gaze to Elisabeth who was standing at the entrance.
His sluggish expression suddenly changed to reveal a sweet smile of rapture.
"Elisabeth."
The voice was filled with fervent love, completely identical to the voice Kaito had heard in the treasure vault at the castle.
"Vlaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"
Elisabeth roared, swatting Kaito away with a wave of her hand. Kaito crashed loudly into the wall.
Elisabeth charged into the room, swinging the Executioner's Sword of Frankenstahl. The sword tore through the air while hundreds of chains rushed at the man, but with her entire body scorched by scripture, the chains released by Elisabeth were far weaker than usual. Even so, an attack capable of pulverizing The Knight was entirely blocked by a black dog tail sweeping through the air.
Growwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwl, growwwwwwwwwwwwwl, growwwwwwwwwwl.
Spontaneously, a giant black dog had appeared, crouching next to the man. Exhibiting a sleek coat of fur and fit muscles, it was a hunting hound of the best pedigree.
The black dog exuded a strong beastly scent, with hellfire burning in its eyes and mouth. Although its appearance was not ugly, Kaito's instincts told him that this was the most dangerous being out of all demons encountered so far. Even so, he did not know why he did not feel the slightest fear. Perhaps his mind has numbed in a rare moment.
Faced with this manifestation of death, his feelings of fear had been utterly paralyzed.
Compared to those demons with ugly appearances, this one was on a completely different level.
The black dog silently poked its head forward, its sharp teeth could be considered beautiful. With perfect motions, it approached Elisabeth, but just before it was about to crush Elisabeth's delicate body in its jaws, the man shook his head. The black dog stopped. Still with a rapturous expression on his face, the man disappeared.
At the same time, the terrifying pressure dominating the room also vanished. Kaito witnessed everything from the secret passage. Finally reaching the room, he swept his gaze across his surroundings in a daze.
"W-Where did that thing go? More importantly, what on earth is it..."
"The Emperor."
"Huh?"
Elisabeth replied to Kaito's question in a stiff voice. Kaito tilted his head.
She supplemented her answer for the puzzled Kaito:
"The Emperor has returned to his homeland."
At that moment, Kaito finally figured out the man's true identity and the worst-case scenario at hand.
Previously captured by the Church, the highest ranked demon out of the fourteen—The Emperor—was now unleashed upon the world.
"Delicious!"
Holding a knife and a fork in her hands, Elisabeth smiled radiantly.
Seeing her smile so innocently for the first time, this unusual situation made Kaito feel goosebumps forming on his back. Furthermore, Elisabeth's reaction was not the only change. There were many changes on the dining table too.
On the long table, the sticky tablecloth with vine patterns had been replaced with a new one with colorful fresh flowers placed in front of the unoccupied seats. Gold and silver candlesticks alternated, all lit to provide candle light, with plenty of silverware shining serenely.
And on the plates, many meticulously prepared dishes were giving off lovely aromas.
Head cheese paired with brioche. Sour and refreshing sausage salad. Minestrone with lamb tripe. Kidney pie baked to a golden color. Foie gras terrine.
Then there was dessert, a tart covered with thin apple slices arranged like a flower.
Elisabeth was ravenously enjoying the dishes that were served one after another, her eyes welling up with tears of emotion in an exaggerated manner.
"Delicious, wonderfully delicious, this is too amazing! Absolutely divine! Well done, doll!"
"I am honored that the food is to your liking, Lady Elisabeth, Lord Kaito's master."
The robot doll was waiting on Elisabeth innocently, her emerald eyes full of gentle light, a demure smile on her lips. She was dressed in a classical maid uniform with a very long hem with an adorable maid cap on her head, looking like a servant who had been working at this castle for many years.
Kaito found it inconceivable that she was the same person as the one who had attacked him yesterday.
Despite lingering fears, Kaito still asked her in trepidation:
"Not only can you fight, but you can cook too?"
"Yes. In addition to combat data, stored within the memory of my recorder are various skills useful in all kinds of situations including thousands of recipes. From cooking and cleaning to games of the night, I am able to satisfy your every need and desire at any moment, Lord Kaito."
"No no no, forget about that. Excessive service is a bit much."
Kaito waved his hands. He often felt lost when interacting with this doll. But immediately, she became depressed like a puppy with drooping ears and tail.
"Is that so...? Please tell me immediately if you change your mind, okay? My body is yours, Lord Kaito. I have no greater joy than for you to do with me as you please, any time, anywhere."
"Any time, anywhere... Uh, so that includes outdoors?"
"Of course, outdoors is fine too!"
"What nonsense are you two talking about?"
Cutting the tart into large mouthfuls to chew, Elisabeth called out in exasperation. Aftering enjoying the sweet texture the crispy crust left on her lips and teeth, as well as the complex symphony of gamey flavors from internal organs, she ended her meal.
Wiping her dainty lips carefully with a napkin, she looked approvingly at the doll.
"Hmm, I never thought your culinary skills would be so superb back when the foolish butler activated you and I was thinking my only choice was to destroy you along with that idiot. What a blessing in disguise. Rejoice, Kaito, know that your miserable life has been extended."
"I never thought I would've been almost killed by you unknowingly."
"In that case, it means I was able to help Lord Kaito? Thank you very much, there is no greater honor and happiness for me than this!"
"Hence, you are my servant too... No, but I should respect your wishes in this regard, so allow me to welcome you anew, as my follower's follower...... Kaito, bestow a name upon her."
"A name?"
"Why are you always surprised? Everything needs a name. Would it not be inconvenient if your own possession lacks a name for you to call it?"
"No, I never thought of her as my possession. Even though she's a doll, she's still a girl after all."
Saying that, Kaito shook his head. It felt too great a responsibility for him to take possession of something that seemed no different from a human. However, the doll pouted and took a step forward with both fists clenched.
Pouting adorably, she objected desperately.
"Pray forgive me for being forward, but I am yours, Lord Kaito. Starting from that moment of destiny when you recognized me as your lover, I am eternally yours, Lord Kaito, your companion, soldier, weapon, pet plaything and sex toy. My body belongs only to you alone at all times. Please bear this in mind." "I know, so stop making these shocking speeches all the time. Hmm... Anyway, I definitely want you to have a name... Uh."
Pressing his hand on his forehead, Kaito began to think, desperately looking for reference material from his memories. However, he had never had the experience of naming a person or an animal. Furthermore, his social interactions were highly restricted. He recalled the names of several women who had stayed with his father, but he did not want to use them for reference. Even the woman who had made pudding for him ended up abandoning him after all.
At that moment, Kaito suddenly remembered the soft feeling when the doll had rubbed her cheek on his palm.
(...Oh, speaking of which, there was this one individual who was willing to get close to me unconditionally.)
The memory of a pure-white puppy surfaced. It was a neighbor's female puppy that had been very affectionate with Kaito. Every time Kaito went over, she would wag her tail and lick away Kaito's tears. Kaito's time with her was limited to a brief period before he had to move homes again, but Kaito remembered her very clearly. Kaito's father was someone who would abduct the puppy and kill her cruelly if he were to find out that she got along well with his son.
After pondering for a while, Kaito recalled the puppy's name and said:
"Hina... How about Hina?"
"That feels rather sloppy and totally something you thought up on the spot."
"I-I racked my brain desperately, okay!"
"Nothing less expected from Lord Kaito! To think that you came up with a wonderful name that exceeds all humans, demi-humans, beast folk, phantasmal beasts and the gods across heaven and earth! My gratitude knows no bounds so please call me Hina from now on, okay? Hina... Hina, I am Hina. The name that Lord Kaito chose for me... Gufufufufufu."
Hina's shoulders began to shake a little eeriely. This seemed to be a happy reaction, but Kaito found it a little scary.
Just as he finished naming Hina, the Meat Supplier happened to arrive. Elisabeth bought a great quantity of innards from him and handed them to Hina. Kaito began to pick up the utensils in his arms.
Now that she had gained an excellent chef, Elisabeth seemed to have a lot to chat about. While she was happily engaged in conversation with the Meat Supplier, Kaito bowed to Elisabeth before heading to the kitchen with Hina.
At the kitchen, Kaito placed the dirty utensils and cutlery in the sink. Hina swiftly handled the innards received from the Meat Supplier and made preparations for dinner.
Seeing her arrange without hesitation the seasoning bottles she was going to use on the counter, Kaito asked:
"Hina, you're able to distinguish all these flavors?"
"Yes, I have essentially registered all seasonings existing in this world. Also, through scent, I can analyze subtle changes in flavor due to degradation over time or the preparation process, allowing me to make quantity adjustments any time."
"I see. You're so amazing, Hina."
Impressed, Kaito nodded with an honest attitude. Hina fidgeted shyly and blushed bright red.
"I am not worthy of your praise. By the way, Lord Kaito, what kind of dishes do you prefer?"
"...Well... Let's say that I'm not too particular about food. As long as it's edible, not rotten and not poisoned, I guess?"
After all, in Kaito's previous life, food was simply food. He was already satisfied with just being able to eat his fill. Hearing Kaito's extremely vague answer, Hina nodded with a serious look.
"I see, I understand now. Then I will do everything I can with my unique flavors to make food delicious for you, Lord Kaito. Then, suppose... pardon me for being bold, but if you happen to like the food I make, Lord Kaito... Ahhh, if such a glorious day should ever arrive for real, I... could die with no regrets!"
"Don't get too excited, Hina, I wouldn't want you to die from something like that."
"As you wish! I shall live, forever and ever!"
Hina nodded with a blush, murmuring "I can't believe Lord Kaito asked me to stay by his side forever..." Her body began to squirm. Looking at her large bust, wobbling up and down, Kaito felt a little troubled, but with this, he no longer needed to spend time alone in this claustrophobic kitchen that was like a dungeon cell.
(At least I've got someone to talk to. It feels so much better.)
Kaito nodded and opened the sink faucet. The castle's pipes were connected to a reservoir that had a water spirit, so even though it did not supply hot water, which was a pain sometimes, the fact that there was a free-flowing supply of water was enough to celebrate already.
Kaito used cold water for dishwashing while Hina skillfully employed the kitchen knife next to him to handle the innards. In almost no time, the organs were all cleaned, had unwanted parts removed, and were cut into appropriately sized pieces. Perhaps to avoid causing unnecessary damage to the meat, the cross-sections were very neat and tidy.
Kaito subconsciously stopped what he was working on and stared at her excellent knife work. At that moment, Elisabeth called out.
"Butler, butler!"
"......"
"Kaito!"
"You're being loud! What's the matter!?"
Kaito put down the wet dishes, left the remaining work to Hina then rushed out.
He originally thought Elisabeth would be at the throne room, but she was still in the dining hall.
Kaito pushed the door open, only to see her sitting on a cabriole-leg chair, waving a wine glass while crossing her legs unhappily. In front of her was a new visitor, sitting where the Meat Supplier had been earlier.
"This man apparently wishes to have a word with you."
"Hello, nice to meet you... Sena Kaito, isn't it right?"
It was a blond man with blue eyes, deep-set features, and dressed in a black cassock.
The man narrowed his gentle eyes that were reminiscent of a goat's. Confronted with the suspicious looking fact, Kaito felt his spine tremble with an ominous feeling. At that moment, he noticed that the man had spoken his name fluently, pronouncing the kanji with accuracy.
Kaito did not know if the man had noticed the unease in Kaito's heart, but he spoke with dignity:
"My name is Krulus Ray Fownd, from the Church. I have come to inquire of your personal particulars."
* * *
"..........Come again?"
"Elisabeth. As expected of your servant. His attitude is most similar to yours."
The man spoke in a tone that could be either impressed or surprised. Kaito took a closer look at Krulus, this man who claimed to be from the Church.
Kaito did not know much about the Church in this world. However, since it was the Church that had suspended Elisabeth's death sentence and ordered her to hunt demons, it must wield considerable authority. In the face of authority, Kaito's natural instinct was to run the hell away, but fleeing at this moment would be way too suspicious, so he forcibly stopped his ankles that had automatically turned halfway and used his eyes to ask the visitor "What do you want to ask about?"
Krulus stood up from his chair and straightened his back, then offered an unexpected suggestion.
"Well then, would you paying the Church a visit next? This castle is rather dark and puts me ill at ease if I had to speak with you here."
"Eh? But I'm Lady Elisabeth's butler and can't just leave without permission."
"You knave, insisting you are my servant only when it suits you... But indeed, you are correct. Krulus, I cannot allow you to take away my servant so easily. I created him and despite his stupidity, he does have a very capable robot doll for a companion, which means he is not free to do as he pleases. I prohibit him from leaving without sufficient reason."
"So this is the attitude you are taking, Elisabeth? You have yet to report to us regarding the matter of you summoning a human soul from another world, have you?"
Elisabeth's lips twisted silently when she heard Krulus. He was evidently right on the mark. To think that the fact that she had summoned a human from another world had been exposed, Kaito was quite shocked.
Krulus brought his large palms together and continued:
"However, I have no wish to go out of my way to report this to the higher-ups. Hearing news that you had taken care of The Knight and The Earl, I came over here in the name of 'inquiring about the details' but ultimately, this visit is unofficial. Prior to bureaucratic procedures and punishment becoming unavoidable, wouldn't you agree that it would be more constructive if we were to discreetly confirm matters between us first? Hence, I hope you would grant him permission to go with me. What do you say?"
"Hah, you can spare me this sort of farce. Despite all your pretty words, ultimately what you seek is a way to take him away, am I wrong? Bah, so be it, what a hassle. I grant my permission, but should you fail to return him, watch out for your measly life."
"Good girl, how obedient. You made a wise judgment call."
Kaito was quite surprised by their conversation. To think that someone could face Elisabeth fearlessly, that was quite beyond his expectation. Krulus nodded at Kaito and walked out.
Based on the direction of their dialogue, it looked like Kaito was permitted to go with Krulus.
Neither of them seemed to need Kaito's opinion at all.
With feelings of abandonment and resignation, Kaito obediently followed the cassock-wearing Krulus. Led by Krulus, he entered an underground passage leading to Elisabeth's teleportation magic circle. Originally expecting to go outdoors, Kaito frowned. Krulus stopped in front of the teleportation magic circle and turned to face Kaito.
"Kaito, shall we set off? Be careful of dizziness."
Krulus took out a heavy and blackened silver pendant from inside his cassock. Hanging at the bottom of the thick chain was a sculpture of a veiled woman suspended upside down. Ignoring gravity, the intricately sculpted veil remained upright to cover the woman's face tightly.
"'Guide us along the right path.'"
Krulus held up the pendant in the center of the magic circle, causing the words of blood began to shine. A great many droplets of red liquid became suspended in the air before glowing blue and rotating around them like planets. When the spinning reached maximum speed, the blue light suddenly stopped and everything fell to the ground.
After this blue rain, what appeared before their eyes was an underground room but the atmosphere was different from before.
"...This place is..."
This was apparently not Elisabeth's underground room, but somewhere else. The wall's reinforced concrete was flaking, giving off a different feeling of oppressiveness compared to stone. The air was damp and cold, a strong reminder of their underground location.
"Come, we have arrived. Kaito, here we go."
Krulus returned the pendant to inside his cassock and walked out the only door.
Reinforced with wooden beams, the tunnel-like passage extended to the left and right. Under the low ceiling, ancient lanterns lit with magical fire were swaying. Overall, it felt like a mine tunnel.
The two of them advanced, surrounding by the smell of earth and half-rotten wood. Krulus said quietly:
"This is a secret underground passage of the Church and also connects to my private room. Over here."
At the far end of the passage was a small room that was astoundingly crude. The interior of the wooden room only contained bookshelves and a work desk. Empty. However, the wall was adorned with the same sculpture of the veiled woman hanging upside down that Krulus had taken out earlier. Looking at it up close, Kaito could see a single trail of red tears flowing down the woman's face.
Krulus knelt down in front of the sculpture and started to pray devoutly without heeding Kaito. After a short while, Krulus finally stood up.
"Sorry for making you wait. Very well, please sit wherever you wish."
"Oh, thanks."
Kaito obeyed and sat down on the chair at the desk. Krulus picked up a porcelain teapot on the desk and poured a pale red liquid into a teacup. A refreshing minty scent wafted in the air.
"I enjoy this kind of tea. Every time I frequent the store, I would buy out their entire stock."
"Uh... Sure, well, I think it's a nice hobby."
"Haha, is that so? I am very happy to hear that from someone else. My subordinates are always yelling at me, saying I buy too much."
Krulus winked. Even though his behavior was very human, Kaito still did not relax. The conversation was flowing too smoothly, it made him feel somewhat terrified.
Krulus brought his own chair over and sat down in front of the work desk, face to face with Kaito.
"This feels like an interrogation."
Kaito muttered to himself. Krulus took a sip of tea and started speaking:
"Even though it was in the form of a servant, I never thought someone from another world would get roped into Elisabeth's demon hunt."
"Uh, Elisabeth basically told me nothing and I'm a bit curious about this myself. Is it a very rare thing for people from another world to be summoned here?"
"She did not explain to you? How irresponsible, but that would be Elisabeth's style. This is extremely uncommon, much less rare. It is said that a sharing of memories would occur during the summoning process, so I presume you must be an excellent match for Elisabeth's wavelength. Or perhaps, you two are quite similar in nature."
"Me, similar to her?"
Kaito could not help but frown. He did not consider himself the slightest bit similar to the arrogant and haughty Elisabeth. Krulus took a sip of tea and shook his head.
"Forgive me, I have misspoken. Of course, I do not think you two are similar, because from what I have heard, Elisabeth Le Fanu was a cruel girl since childhood."
Hearing this, Kaito jumped in surprise. The images of the girl he had seen recently flashed through his mind.
That skinny and sickly girl, sitting on the bed with very hollow eyes.
Kaito shook his head, dispelling the image from his mind. Ignoring his discomposure, Krulus next said:
"She was born into this world as the only daughter of the prestigious noble house of Le Fanu. Sickly since childhood, she had a cruel nature and would take pleasure in breaking toys and killing small animals. After the age of sixteen, her personality was exhibited fully in a terrifying manner. Tirelessly, she tortured people, obtaining magical power at the cost of other's pain and suffering. Then using that evil power, she slaughtered even more people. Set in her cruel and horrific ways, she does not even fear God."
Krulus gripped his porcelain teacup tightly. In his blue eyes, a vicious glint surfaced. Kaito noticed prickly hostility in his tone. Even though he had been chatting amiably with Elisabeth earlier, judging from what he just said, Kaito could sense clear resentment.
While frowning at his intense reaction, Kaito was struck by a question.
Obtaining magical power at the cost of other's pain and suffering—This was practically like a demon. However, Elisabeth Le Fanu was not "Torturchen," not a demon.
"Elisabeth isn't one of the fourteen demons, right?"
"Indeed, you are right. She accomplished all that on her own without forming a contract with anyone. Despite clearly not using the power of demons, how exactly did she convert other people's pain and suffering into her own magical power? The specific method is known only to the high priest. However, this is the truth. She is an evil woman possessed power surpassing demons. Her existence itself constitutes endless sacrilege against the world."
Krulus cursed viciously. What he said might be true but Kaito hesitated, not knowing how to answer. Elisabeth was Torturchen, an oppressive ruler and a tyrant. However, she was currently hunting demons. There were probably very few people who were capable of opposing the demons, creators of hell in this world.
And Kaito was currently in the position of assisting her.
Ever since the incident of The Earl, he no longer hated serving at her side despite frequently acting defiant against Elisabeth as always. Kaito was actually quite delighted by her innocent side that she displayed occasionally.
This was the truth despite its twistedness.
Deliberating to the end, Kaito did not concur with Krulus. However, Krulus nodded knowingly for some reason and sighed deeply.
"My apologies for accidentally getting worked up. However, you ought to understand after spending so much time with her. Very well, allow me to inquire about your world next, shall we? From what I have heard, machinery is more advanced than magic in your world?"
"Yeah, that's right. To be precise, there's virtually no magic in my world... Normally speaking."
Kaito answered Krulus' question calmly. However, Kaito's knowledge from life was quite skewed. Despite enjoying the fruits and conveniences of industrial technology, he did not understand the underlying principles of how they worked. The conversation turned vague, but Krulus still listened with great interest. He finished his tea and calmly shook his head.
"Thank you very much, it was most informative. However, I must offer my utmost condolences. The battles with demons will only intensify from hereon. I honestly do not believe you will be able to survive until Elisabeth finishes killing those thirteen demons."
"I knew it, huh? Although this body is immortal after all, but it does seem quite difficult."
"Indeed. And even supposing you survived to the end, what awaits you is the Church's inquisition for heretics."
"What?"
Hearing something unexpected, Kaito exclaimed in suprirse. Confronted by Kaito's natural response, Krulus remained unfazed. His blue eyes, staring straight at Kaito, had no emotion.
This was the kind of gaze one would give to despised bugs, not a human being of equal stature.
"What are you so surprised for? That is a most logical outcome. According to the ways of the Church, there is no way that a puppet created by her would be allowed to live after 'Torturchen' Elisabeth accomplishes her mission. You too shall be put to death by fire, or face incarceration at best. But before that, what awaits you is prolonged torture."
"Well... To be honest, that's not really acceptable to me. I was only roped in against my will. Aren't you guys the ones doing the torturing? Can't you find a solution for me?"
"Here, I have one proposal."
Krulus leaned forward slightly. At that moment, Kaito felt the same sense of dissonance as before and finally found the last piece of the puzzle. Since a while ago, he had a feeling that the conversation so far was just a farce leading to something else. Despite concurring very earnestly, Krulus was not seriously listening to anything he said. This feeling was evidently not his imagination.
"There are solutions. As I gradually dwelved deeper in my unofficial surveillance and visits, I came to realize more and more how dangerous Elisabeth is. Back when she was captured by the Church, she was fitted with restraints to prevent her from counterattacking or escaping. However, if Torturchen were to enter a contract with any one of the thirteen demons, her power would be amplified dramatically, allowing her to break free of her restraints. Not only that, but if Torturchen's unique power were to combine with a demon's, the result would be most unthinkable."
"Do you guys have any way of fighting her if she does that?"
"One of the top officials in the Church, His Excellency Godot Dios, has taken an oath to guarantee that she will not enter a contract with a demon. If developments actually unfold to that stage, he would sacrifice his own life to seal her... His Excellency is definitely capable of that, but should that come to pass, we would lose a great man of the cloth. We cannot passively accept the arrival of an expected and inevitable disaster, watching the birth of a new demon surpassing all other demons without doing anything."
Krulus reached into his cassock and once again took out the necklace of the female martyr that was hung upside down. He carefully opened a cap on the back and took out a bottle, then poured the contents into Kaito's teacup. The colorless and transparent droplets, akin to tears, produced ripples inside the teacup. In the next instant, the pale red tea turned deep purple before returning to its original color.
"Let Elisabeth drink this poison. In exchange, I will grant you a peaceful death."
"Death?"
"Indeed. Beings counter to the will of God are not permitted to live. But according to your testimony, you were already dead before you were summoned, is that right? Currently staying at her side, you must be no stranger to the fear of pain. You should be able to understand that this is not a transaction that runs counter to your interests, right?"
Krulus smiled. Kaito recalled the poor first impression he had of Krulus and understood even more now. Krulus was quite arrogant and even more, he was unaware of his own arrogance, looking down at Kaito from absolute height. From his own perspective, this proposal was genuine mercy.
Kaito carefully suppressed an impulse to curse and decided to stay silent until he was allowed to go back to the castle.
Seeing that Kaito had not agreed readily, Krulus cocked his head in puzzlement.
"From your reaction, you do not seem very satisfied... To enable you to understand the legitimacy of my proposal, I shall make a special exception and show you the fates of the heretics under my management."
Krulus led Kaito to continue downstairs. With quick footsteps, he advanced through the dark passage. There were no other members of the clergy in the passage. Although Kaito felt something was not right about this situation, he still followed Krulus. Soon after, Krulus went up some steps.
At the end of the steps was a very thick door with its edges stuffed with cloth for soundproofing. He grabbed the door handle...
"Watch and listen, then learn properly."
Then he pushed the door open. Instantly, there was a flood of bone-chilling screams.
People were moaning, lamenting, in suffering, pleading madly to be killed. Inside the inquisition room for heretics, there was a heavy stench of blood. The square room was partitioned in half by metal fencing and covered quite a large area.
Presented inside was hell on a small scale.
A man with all his body hair shaved off was stuck to the wall, his pallid skin covered densely with rivets, a great number of screws embedded in his bald head. Even now, there people dresed in white, drilling screws into his flesh. Bound to an operating table, a woman was getting sliced up by a saw, bit by bit, convulsing nonstop. A old man's foot was pressed firmly on a red-hot griddle to roast, convulsing while begging to be killed. A young man was hung up by horse hair tied to his tongue, crying profusely while waiting for his tongue to break.
In addition, there were many people squirming, a total mystery how they could still remain alive. Confronted with such a scene, Kaito widened his eyes in shock, staggering backwards. Even so, he continued to stare intently at the scene before him, imprinting this horrific scene from hell upon his eyes. Despite the intense terror attacking his mind, he remained calm and observed the place.
Dying peacefully was such a merciful proposal.
Kaito understood now, that there was not the slightest exaggeration in Krulus' words.
"I await your good news."
Krulus smiled gently and pressed the bottle of poison into Kaito's hand.
* * *
With the fall of blue rain, Kaito's view opened up.
After returning to Elisabeth's castle alone through the teleportation circle, Kaito instantly fell to his knees.
"...Guh... Urghhh."
The intense dizziness was making him puke. This was a side effect that he had never experienced when teleporting together with Elisabeth. Perhaps when confronted with that scene and the choice presented to him just now, his stomach could not bear the burden.
"Holy cow, that was really... horrific."
Kaito cursed and spat then struggled to stand up. Unsteadily, he entered the underground passage.
Kaito remembered the way back. Knowing from experience that he would never forget any information accompanied by pain, some time ago, he had carved essential portions of the underground passages onto his skin. He then asked Elisabeth to heal him afterwards. Elisabeth had been quite surprised by what Kaito did. Kaito too was in abject pain but as a result, he was able to avoid wasting away and dying due to getting lost.
"Damn it... Is there anything else I have to do after coming back?"
Kaito thought about his remaining work while walking. He expected Hina to have already handled all the daily chores for him, so there should not be anything for which Elisabeth would summon him for today. Elisabeth essentially expressed no concern for Kaito on a daily basis, so even if she was going to ask about Krulus, she would probably wait until tomorrow. There was a ton of stuff to think about, but right now, all Kaito wanted was to rest.
For the rest of today, he did not want to think about the bottle of poison in his chest pocket at all.
Kaito walked unsteadily to the floor reserved for servants and dragged himself to his bedroom. With a creaking of old parts, he opened the thin door.
At that moment, something soft covered his face.
"W-W-What?"
"Welcome home, Lord Kaito! I have been waiting and you finally came home safe and sound!"
Hina was hugging Kaito tightly against her bosom. Meeting Hina as soon as he opened the door, Kaito was naturally quite startled.
Leaning forward slightly, hugged by the tall Hina tightly, Kaito's face ended up buried in her chest. Kaito hastily pulled his face away, only to see Hina staring at him with sorrowful eyes like a puppy. Kaito had tried using this type of gaze against Elisabeth to no effect, but when Hina gazed at him like this, he could not help but hold his breath.
Unsure what to say, Kaito moved his shifty gaze away from Hina. Even though there were a chair and a bed in this cramped room, there were no signs that they had been used. In front of the puzzled Kaito, Hina danced a little.
"Lady Elisabeth said you will surely return, so I have been waiting for your arrival eagerly. I was so worried, worrying so much that my chest was about to burst and my gears fly out."
"Say, Hina... Don't tell me you've been standing here waiting for me the whole time ever since you finished today's chores?"
"Yes, I did. Is there any problem?"
"Uh... You could sit down while waiting for me. I won't be mad even if you took a nap."
As soon as she heard Kaito, Hina stumbled unsteadily. With her hand over her mouth, she blushed intensely.
"I-I cannot believe you permitted me to sleep in the exalted master's bed... C-C-C-Could this be the lover's privilege... No, we are already akin to husband and wife, so this would be a subtle invitation?"
"Of course not. I don't have the energy to entertain you now... Sorry."
Kaito pushed Hina away gently and collapsed on the bed. At that moment, he noticed something was different. The bed Elisabeth had given him originally had a musty smell and was hard and damp, but now it was quite soft with a pleasant fragrance of herbs. Hina must have carefully washed and dried the mattress. However, Kaito did not have the strength to thank her now.
In his confusion, Kaito shut his eyes tight. Despite this comfortable bed, he still might be leaving the castle... as a traitor who had killed his master, to die in peace as a reward. But no matter how Kaito tried, he could not imagine the scene of himself killing Elisabeth.
(She's a girl who will walk to her execution on her own.)
She was neither a girl who would be killed by Kaito nor killed by anyone else. However, if Kaito were to reject the proposal, his final fate might be unthinkable. Kaito gripped the bottle of poison through his pocket.
At that moment, the bed creaked and a sweet fragrance drifted to him. Even without opening his eyes, Kaito knew that Hina had lay down next to him. He sighed and spoke again:
"...Listen to me, Hina, I'm really..."
"Excuse me, Lord Kaito."
Kaito was then hugged gently against her bosom. Hina embraced his head lightly, caressing his hair. She was comforting Kaito, combing his hair nonstop, doing all this in a non-sexual manner. Surprised, Kaito opened his eyes.
With her emerald eyes partially closed, Hina was leaning against Kaito, looking at him with sincere love and affection. Seeing that tender look on her face, incomparably gentle like a wife consoling her husband, Kaito found himself speechless.
"You seem exhausted. As your lover, I should look after my beloved like this."
Gently, Hina kept caressing Kaito's hair. Kaito could not help but think... So this is what kids felt when their mother stroked their head. Her hand's warmth was transmitted to him and Kaito's heart naturally warmed up too. This warmth transcended language and reason, making the taut threads in his heart begin to loosen.
Surrounded by clean sheets and the tenderness and warmth of human skin, Kaito felt his eyelids grow heavy all of a sudden.
"...Hina, if you do this, I'll fall asleep."
"Is there anything wrong with that? Please relax and sleep. Please rest assured, Lord Kaito."
—No matter what happens, I will protect you.
The instant he heard these whispers, the taut threads were finally unraveled. Only now did he realize he was afraid when confronted with the hell presented to him and the fate shoved before his eyes. It looked like the terror instill upon Kaito by that utterly brutal death had not subsided even after his return.
(Ahhh... I see, I'm afraid.)
No one could be sure what was going to happen next, but at least, this place was safe for now. Currently, Kaito's body was not in pain. Furthermore, Hina had told him that she would eliminate everyone that wanted to harm him.
In his previous life, Kaito had never had the experience of being protected by anyone. To relax like this could very well be the very first time in his life. He never thought he could feel such comfort just before death.
While thinking these thoughts, he was plunged into the land of dreams as though gradually sucked away.
He had a dream.
It was a dream where he could tell it was a dream.
All kinds of images and sensations were recreated in his eyes and on his skin kaleidoscopically then disappearing.
Countless wounds. Intense sorrow suppressed all the time. Every mistake at work resulted in the words "never forget" carved on his skin. Gently licking his wounds, a little warm tongue. Big eyes, as though saying "I love you" to Kaito who was like trash. Under strangulation, the despair and lamentation at the moment that his neck broke. The pain that could not even be screamed out. The armor bulging with flesh inside, The Knight's eyes, the terrifying spider, Neue's almost crying smile.
The first words dedicated to him. His words to Kaito.
Even if impossible to achieve, Kaito still wanted to strive for it, the wish from Neue to him.
Staring out the window, the image of the feeble girl. Cruelly slaughtered people. The evil girl laughing.
Sounds from somewhere.
'Back when she was captured by the Church, she was fitted with restraints to prevent her from counterattacking or escaping. However, if Torturchen were to enter a contract with any one of the thirteen demons, her power would be amplified dramatically, allowing her to break free of her restraints. Should that come to pass, it would usher the birth of a new demon surpassing all other demons.'
'Stop making me laugh, Earl.'
'Whether you or I—Both of us are to be forsaken by all creation across heaven and earth, to ultimately die.'
'Cruel and proud, I extol life like a wolf, and will ultimately die like a sow.'
'—This is preordained.'
Sleek, black, long hair fluttering in the air. Elisabeth turning around. Kaito thought to himself... Thinking in his dream...
Oh, right. You...
You're not gonna run away, right?
Regardless what kind of despair and suffering awaited her, she was going to shoulder her life responsibilities.
As "Torturchen," Elisabeth Le Fanu was going to—
Take full responsibility for her utterly atrocious life.
Then Kaito slowly opened his eyes.
Hina was still hugging him tightly, caressing his head. On her face was a faint and especially happy smile.
While stroking Kaito, Hina could not do anything else. Kaito felt sorry that he had inconvenienced her and hastily sat up. Hina seemed disappointed and looked up again at Kaito, tilting her head.
"Have you calmed down? Color has returned to your face a little."
"Yeah, thank you, Hina. It's thanks to you that things now make sense in my mind."
Kaito jumped off the bed and was about to leave the room directly. Hina seemed to notice something and did not chase after him. Kaito paused and turned around.
Hina was sitting on the bed, seeing Kaito off with a happy look on her face. Standing at the doorway, Kaito spontaneously asked her:
"Will you be sad if I died, Hina?"
"In the event that you should die, Lord Kaito, I will die too, you know?"
"No no no no no, that's just not right."
"Because I have no wish to live even an extra second in a world with you, Lord Kaito."
Hina was showing a surprised look as though saying "Isn't that perfectly matter-of-fact?"
Feeling a headache, Kaito clutched his forehead. Her answer was too unexpected. Kaito did not know how he was going to end up in the future, but decided he had to persuade her not to follow him in death no matter what. But for now, he returned to the bedside, reached out and stroked her silver hair. Hina closed her eyes happily and drew her face near affectionately.
(I knew it, this expression is so similar to that puppy that offered me pure affection and goodwill in the past.)
Savoring her words, Kaito gritted his teeth and muttered.
"I see. Then I have to survive as much as possible."
Leaving the room, he ran along the corridor to go find Elisabeth.
* * *
Elisabeth was at the throne room. Sitting in front of the collapsed hole, she was looking out to the full moon on her own.
Presently, the dark forest was rustling and swaying in the wind.
At the spot where the beasts had been skewered, not a single fragment of the corpses had remained. However, burn marks stuck stubbornly to the ground and the patch of earth still seemed to glint with a bloody tint even at night. However, these lingering traces would eventually end up covered by trees, presumably.
"What happened to the beast's flesh in the end?"
"Burned away at the same time as The Knight's demise. Putting that aside, how about watching the sky too?"
Elisabeth answered without looking back at him. Raising an expensive wine glass from a small table, she swirled the aromatic and exquisite wine in it.
The magnificent full moon was reflected on the red liquid's surface.
"Tonight's moon is very beautiful."
Elisabeth finished the wine with the moon's reflection in it then lowered her glass.
Kaito brought a well-chilled bottle of wine from a silver utensil containing ice created by a spirit. Refilling the glass, he took out the bottle of poison from his pocket. When the colorless droplet was added to the wine, the wine turned from silky red to a poisonous purple for a moment before turning back as though nothing had happened.
Kaito handed this glass of wine to Elisabeth, who had observed the entire process.
Raising the glass to the moonlight, she curled her red and luscious lips.
"How amusing. What are you doing?"
"Poisoning you."
"Oh? Now that is rather rich. If I were to drink this, even one such as I would be hard pressed to escape fatality. Fine wine is not easy to come by, so I shall gift this to you. Do know that this is fine wine from the master as a gift, so you would do well to drink it with gratitude."
"Please allow me to refuse firmly. I will be wasting this wine."
"Was it Krulus? What kind of terms did he offer you? A peaceful death?"
"Heh, you really know your stuff."
"Well, at this rate, whether you live or die, it would undoubtedly be hell for you."
Elisabeth spoke calmly and candidly. It looked like she had completely predicted the final fate Kaito faced. However, rather than hiding it, she simply thought nothing of it, which was why she had not worried about it all this time.
Placing the glass on the table, Elisabeth shrugged ostentatiously.
"To make a deal with him would be plenty foolish. There is no escaping death either way. However, the basic terms are not bad. If you seek asylum from the Church organization instead of Krulus personally, there is a rather high chance of finding mercy including a guarantee of your life from now on, as long as you are not caught by individual fanatics."
"Huh?"
"No matter what, you are from another world. Putting you to trial to determine whether you are a heretic or not would be utterly ridiculous. If you survive until all thirteen demons are killed, you would be deemed my possession, but it is not too late if you do it now. Hina's knowledge should be sufficient to activate the teleportation circle and connect to the Church. Make your choice as it suits you."
"So basically... You don't mind if I run away now?"
"How could I not mind? You are my puppet and belong to me until the moment of your destruction. Nevertheless, even though you are simply meddling in what does not concern you, I would spend my days uncomfortably if I failed to repay the pity from a little servant like you. Do as you wish, but do it secretly if you are running away. If I catch you, prepare yourself to be tortured."
Elisabeth yawned and crossed her legs high. She exhaled lightly and leaned back against her throne. The moonlight was shining on her face, her profile as beautiful as a blade.
She did not want to say anything more. Even if Kaito continued to wait, it looked like he would not get any answer.
Kaito silently turned around but before he left, Elisabeth murmured softly:
"I have a question for you. Why did you not poison me secretly?"
"Hmm?"
"After the incident of The Earl, you developed an intense hatred for demons. Yet you are allowing the birth of an even more powerful demon, are you fine with that? Krulus must have told you too."
Elisabeth turned her face towards him. Reflecting moonlight, her red eyes started straight at Kaito.
How should I answer...? Kaito began to think. He never expected Elisabeth herself to ask this kind of question. After a moment's thought, he gave the answer without pretense.
"Someone high up in the Church apparently made a judgment call. Also, I don't think someone like you would contract with a demon."
"Oh?"
"You will be forsaken by all creation across heaven and earth—to die in solitude, right?"
"Yes, indeed. I shall die, as lonely as a wolf and as pitifully as a sow, to die in solitude."
"Surely you cannot tolerate a demon by your side, right?"
Kaito said firmly. By the time this girl died, the demons would most likely be no more.
She tortured her innocent subjects, piling up the corpses into mountains of flesh and blood, and was going to be executed.
This death scene was decided by herself, lonely and sad.
Elisabeth grinned and her shoulders shook as she laughed in delight. Kaito nodded at her and started walking. After entering the corridor, he turned his gaze to the high window where moonlight was streaming in.
Taking care not to look at the disgusting patterns projected on the floor, he whispered:
"...Eleven left, huh?"
With a fully determined look, Kaito clenched his fist.
The next morning, he slipped out the castle with Hina's help and made his way alone to the Church.
* * *
Passing through a gate that was supposed to lead to the Church headquarters, Kaito found himself surrounded by a wall of red that proceeded to fall as a rain of blood. After the red color dissipated, he was in a dark room on bare ground. Kaito widened his eyes in surprise. This place was the small room connected to the Church's secret passage.
He looked around in puzzlement. The one person he did not want to see was standing right in front of him.
"Hello, looking for the Church to seek asylum?"
Krulus smiled calmly. Behind him were hooded followers dressed in cylindrical robes of pure white.
Leading a bunch of guys dressed in white like that, Krulus seemed like an executioner with a corpse disposal team.
Gazing disdainfully at Kaito like looking at a bug, he spoke in disappointed tone of voice:
"My apologies. It would be very troublesome if the higher-ups were to find out about my private transaction with you, hence if you refuse, my only regrettable choice would be to secretly dispose of you. Nevertheless, relax, since you will not accept the deal, then ultimately this is merely a matter of sooner or later."
His followers grabbed Kaito by the arms and forced him to stand. At the same time, an intense pain radiated from his belly, forcing him to groan. Seeing Kaito like that, Krulus said in surprise:
"Oh dear, it would be troublesome if you cried out like that. Towards the end, you will probably scream until you wreck your throat. Oh dear, but a wrecked throat is no skin off my nose, personally."
At Krulus' orders, Kaito was dragged away. Looking at the passage, Kaito realized he was being dragged to the inquisition room instead of Krulus' private room. There was apparently no need to be civil with Kaito anymore.
Smiling radiantly, Krulus grabbed the inquisition room's door handle.
"Welcome, great sinner. You will be welcomed here then rejected."
The door opened, sounding like the gates of hell.
Kaito was moved inside an enclosure within metal bars. Amid painful groans, Kaito was helplessly secured to a wooden table in the middle. To prevent him from escaping, his arms and legs were shackled.
(...Special seating huh.)
Kaito thought to himself sarcastically. Now that he was on the side of being tortured, he realized there was a drawing of the female martyr on the ceiling. While crying tears of red, she looked down at the tortured people from behind her veil. Kaito suddenly thought, what was she mourning? He did not know the Church's dogma, but felt that the scene she was looking down upon was not what she desired.
God and revered individuals were not supposed to desire this kind of hell. Even as someone not from this world, Kaito believed this should be the case.
"As I have told you last time, cases of summoning from another world are extremely rare. Hence, we will dissect your body and analyze the composition of Elisabeth's summoning spell from the magical power. This was be very beneficial for us to summon those with useful information. Your death will not be completely worthless, so no need to lament. Instead, this will be much better than being executed as Elisabeth's servant. You shall benefit mankind, thereby atoning for your deep sin. Ah, what joy, what joy."
Krulus looked down at Kaito with a salivating look. His eyes glowing radiantly, no longer the cold gaze as though looking at a bug, affirming Kaito's value. Apparently from Krulus' perspective, the pieces of flesh from dissection were much more useful than a living Kaito.
One of his subordinate took a sharp knife while one guy on the right picked up a pair of bone-cutting shears and a guy on the left took a jigsaw, all of them approaching Kaito. Kaito honestly felt afraid and wanted to scream right away.
With such dry thoughts, Kaito spoke:
"By 'we,' are you referring to you and your contracted demon?"
Krulus' smiled instantly froze. Kaito merely thought "as expected." Someone like Krulus were not used to handling sudden attacks. In his previous life, one of his father's blackmail targets was a certain company president who cooked the books, and he often made this kind of expression.
Kaito sighed deeply and said:
"Actually, I was planning to find you even though the magic circle was connected to the Church's main entrance. Your interference actually saved me a lot of work. How could I possibly run away... This kind of hell is not something to leave alone no matter what."
Kaito turned his neck slightly and looked across the iron bars. The surroundings had turned into a true hell. On a nearby table, a man was groaning nonstop with his gut exposed, the flesh of his abdomen sliced off. Over there, a mother and son were coughing blood nonstop, their bodies compressed into one by thick ropes.
Kaito did not have a strong sense of justice. Originally, he had no spirit of altruism at all. However, toleration had limits and faced with such disgusting acts of cruelty, how could he possibly stand back and let things be?
"After seeing this hell, I began to suspect you. Demons derive power from human suffering, from tormenting the soul. The scene of your inquisitions gave a very similar impression as what demons do... Besides, the point of an inquisition to to make someone confess they are a heretic, but this doesn't seem to be the point no matter how I look at it."
The surrounding people were all on the brink of death, suffering in endless pain and torment.
Atrocious situations beyond human imagination was being used on heretics. This was evidently the ways of the demons.
"With rivets driven all over the body, sliced up into pieces, flesh removed from the belly, how are they still alive? Forget about appropriate treatment, these people are mostly left unattended. When you showed me this room, I subconsciously burned all the images into my eyes, but when I thought about it later, I concluded it was just as I suspected. What maintains their lives by force is a demon's power... And this definitely cannot be condoned by the Church."
He had not seen any other clergy in Krulus' secret underground passage.
If this was torture condoned by the Church, the same thing would be taking place in other places. Then there should be more people coming and going to handle blood and transporting heretics. But in this secret passage, there was no one apart from Krulus and his followers. Kaito had not seen anyone else from the Church.
Krulus had insisted on hiding Kaito's existence without letting him meet other clergy.
This also meant that what he was doing was against the will of the Church.
"Also, it's quite fishy that you came up with your own decision to kill Elisabeth. The only reason the Church would employ her is presumably because they can't find any other solution, backed into a hopeless corner... Otherwise, why would they 'hire a sow to take care of pigs'? However, as a member of the Church, you came secretly to the castle and even asked me to kill her. To prevent an even stronger demon from being born—This sounds kind of legitimate at first but how are you guys planning on dealing with the remaining demons after she's gone? Of the thirteen, only two have been killed so far, and yet you're going to kill the outstanding hunting hound this soon? There is only one reason for this, and that's because you're one of the thirteen demons—"
If a contractor could be found among the kingdom's knights, then a contractor in the Church was not surprising either. Given his position, it was perfect to torment heretics and gather their suffering. Furthermore, he could use the convenience of his duties to take care of powerful enemies. However, he had been too impatient and his plan was too crude.
Precisely because he looked down at humans from far above, without deigning to hide anything, this current situation resulted.
Kaito, whom he viewed as a bug, looked at him and scoffed.
"Am I right, Krulus? Well, I only realized this possibility thanks to Hina helping my mind to calm down."
"Mr. Puppet that has not died completely, is this all you have to say?"
Krulus smiled calmly, neither offering confirmation nor denial, but Kaito did not miss the vein popping slightly on his forehead.
If Kaito were not tied down completely, he would probably shrug but that was not possible in his current state, so all he could do was nod.
"Yeah, that's all. I've discovered the demon and set the trap. Next is Torturchen's turn to enter the stage."
"The teleportation circle has already been shut down from this side, you fool! You are completely helpless!"
Krulus roared with laughter. Finding this guy hopelessly stupid, Kaito glared at him coldly. Kaito had already seen Krulus interfering with the magic circle beforehand, so of course he predicted that.
Kaito took a deep breath then called out.
Ahhh, this abdominal pain.
"There is still a magic circle here, capable of letting one person pass through."
Krulus made a look of surprise, In the next instant, he widened his eyes and ripped Kaito's clothing.
Wrapped around Kaito's belly were leather straps. On the surface of the top-quality leather, a red teleportation circle appeared. Krulus frantically severed the leather with the bone-cutting shears, but gasped when he saw the source of the magic circle.
"...Damn you."
"What a convenient body. I don't die even after bleeding so much."
A magic circle had been carved on Kaito's belly. Fresh blood was spurting out from the deep wounds in the flesh. With every breath, Kaito felt intense pain from his abdomen. Back then when Krulus' followers were dragging him, Kaito even thought he was going to die, but enduring this pain had definitely earned results.
'As my servant, you are also capable of using your own blood to summon certain things to your side.'
This was something Elisabeth had told Kaito in the past. Using the shears, Krulus tried to gouge out Kaito's wounds. But before he could do that, the teleportation circle glowed brightly. Blood-red petals danced in the air while darkness began to swirl. Krulus widened his eyes in surprise, backing away while he yelled:
"Stay away... Stay away, Elisabeeeeeeeeeeeeeth!"
"How could I not come when summoned with such fervor?"
With the sound of a mocking voice, the darkness suddenly erupted. The red petals swept through the dungeon in a mad dance. The petals turned into droplets in the air, falling down from the ceiling as red rain.
All covered in blood, Elisabeth emerged from the teleportation circle. Her long sleek black hair and skirt hem fluttered. Her elegantly shaped breasts wobbled. Elisabeth casually landed on Kaito's wounds.
Ignoring Kaito's screams, she made a gorgeous smile and snapped her fingers.
"Let us keep it simple for small fry. Death by Hanging."
Ropes descended from the ceiling, wrapping around the necks of Krulus' followers. Looking like a prank, these followers were all suspended from the ceiling. With a snapping sound, their neck bones were broken, their windpipes crushed, their blood vessels severed. The white hoods covering their faces fell from their heads.
What came to light were not human faces but those of devotees, formed from bloated pus-filled tumors.
Several hanged corpses were suspended helplessly in the room.
"No way... Bastard, bastard!"
Krulus took out his necklace from his collar with trembling hands. He was just about to mutter something when a chain entangled his wrist. His stunned gaze turned to Elisabeth who was smiling.
"You like pain, don't you!?"
"Gyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Pulled by the chain that was attached to shackles, Krulus' wrist was violently broken. Bones popped out from the flesh while he screamed and struggled. However, he suddenly slid his arm out from the shackles.
Spontaneously, his entire body became covered with poison, his blond hair gradually fell off, his cassock was blown away. His body continued to expand, finally turning into a flesh-colored meat frog. Then he jumped high, deforming the iron bars in the dungeon, escaping to the underground passage.
Seeing that ugly and massive form, Elisabeth showed surprise for some reason.
"That guy... Although his magical power is unnaturally great, he is no demon! He is nothing more than just a pawn, a devotee!"
"R-Really? Then all's fine if we just need to defeat him, right?"
"All's fine, my foot, you imbecile! He is a member of the Church! This is no joke... Speaking of the only demon that the clergy could come into contact with, that would be..."
Elisabeth snapped her fingers, instantly blowing away the restraints on Kaito's arms and legs. Red petals gathered at his wounds, forcing Elisabeth's blood into his body by force. Immediately, his wounds were covered up by new leather straps. The forced transfusion and blood stopping brought horrific pain, making Kaito scream.
"Dahhh, what are you doing to me!? This is too painful, okay!?"
"Follow me if you wish, I care not even if you stay behind. If I fail to return in time, or end up taking a different route back to the castle, you will have to figure out on your own how to heal yourself and extend your life!"
"You're giving me no choice but to follow you!"
Kaito forced himself to stand up and began to run after Elisabeth. Having recovered some of his blood loss, he should be able to keep up, just barely, as long as he ignored the pain.
Leaving through the door, the meat frog fled along the underground passage in panic. Elisabeth waved her hand at the frog, producing a vortex of darkness and petals that turned into a giant spiked wheel that started rolling towards him. However, the wheel was deflected by something along the way and vanished.
For merely a brief instant, Kaito felt like he saw a shadow resembling a black dog's tail behind the meat frog.
The meat frog glanced behind itself, made look of relief, then sped up further.
"That response... Could it be real!?"
Elisabeth shouted anxiously, completely unlike her usual style. Against a devotee, she even pulled out the Executioner's Sword of Frankenstahl.
The meat frog quickly ascended a relatively wide staircase and broke through the door. In the middle of transporting scrolls, a staid middle-aged member of the clergy screamed and fell on his bottom. A young member of the clergy was apparently taking believers on a tour inside the Church. Seeing the situation, he stepped forward to shield the believers behind him. The normal Church seemed to be a more wholesome organization than what Kaito had expected.
The meat frog was moving along a corridor paved with marble and kept quite clean and tidy. Spreading bubbling poison fluid along the way, the meat frog charged forward. Elisabeth dashed into the chapel and swung her sword at the meat frog.
"Gibbet!"
Darkness swirled in a narrow vortex, producing a cramped cage that barely allowed a person to be stuffed inside in an upside down posture. The meat frog was squeezed into it, forcing out a great deal of poison fluid from it. Furthermore, the cage had chains wrapping tightly around it. With this setup, the meat frog would remain bound by the chains even if it broke the cage. But in the next instant, Elisabeth shuddered violently and fell on her knees.
"Guh... Mm, ah... My body..."
The cage broke apart, turning into darkness and petals. The chains also lost tension, gradually disappearing while falling to the ground.
"Elisabeth!"
Red letters appeared over her body. Kaito's golem functionality attempted to translate the words, but ultimately failed. His knowledge told him that it was language from God, impossible to translate or pronounce.
The scripture of God was imprinted all over Elisabeth like burns. These words seemed as though fire was being poured into the shackles under her skin.
These were probably the restraints the Church had imposed on her. However, why did this mechanism suddenly activate?
"It burns... Guh... Nn-nn, ah, why... who... who is it?"
Elisabeth crawled on the ground, glaring angrily to the side. The priest at the altar was holding a necklace up high, trembling while reciting a prayer. With every sentence he spoke, the words carved on Elisabeth's skin would glow red. Elisabeth unleashed a bloody roar:
"Preposterous! I am not the one who needs to be controlled! It is that one over there, imbecile!"
The meat frog knocked down many worshipers, smashing seating along the way, charging deeper into the Church.
A group of guards finally gathered but were smashed into disarray. Flattened by the meat frog's massive belly, their bones were crushed under their armor. However, the confused priest continued to recite his prayer.
Kaito rushed up the few steps and reached out towards him without warning.
"Y-You..."
"Old man, give me that!"
Kaito pulled off the necklace from the priest's wrinkled neck and tossed it away.
Elisabeth then stood up and dashed like an arrow. However, severe burns remained on her body.
Kaito went on the move too, following after Elisabeth who had suffered much from the scripture.
Scattered along the corridor were collapsed guards that had been crushed to death. The farther they went, the more corpses there were. The majestic door they had been guarding securely was now wide open.
Inside was a grand office. Seated on a velvet chair was an old man dressed in vestments with gold thread and a diadem on his head. His entire lower body was crushed and he was already dead.
The wall behind him was wide open with a secret passage revealed.
The interior of the secret passage was carved with God's scripture, glowing faintly. With every step the meat frog took in the secret passage, its surface would froth and burnt flesh would fall off. However, the same phenomenon was happening to Elisabeth too. As soon as Elisabeth rushed into the passage, the scripture glowed again, tormenting her.
"Guh... Ah, ahhhhhhhhhh, ah, ah, aa."
"Elisabeth! You idiot, don't be so reckless!"
Kaito frantically caught Elisabeth by the shoulder and walked, enduring the pain on his abdomen. The meat frog barely made it to the end of the passage alive, then pressing itself against the wall, it spoke with a torrent of tears:
"Your Majesty, I was wrong. To think I dared to imprison you all this time, intending to one-sidedly obtain your power. Maintaining my faith while exploiting you, what a presumptuous notion. I now offer everything of mine to you, exalted one, to liberate you as proof of my loyalty. I implore you to deliver me from that demonic woman."
The meat frog spat something out. From the mass of mucus, it took out a golden key.
The frog touched the words of God appearing on the wall in a complicated sequence then recited a prayer while inserting the key into the wall that lacked keyholes. With a click, the wall glowed intensely then vanished.
Out flowed concentrated darkness and bone-piercing cold air. In the center of the viscous darkness was an interrogation chair.
On that chair sat a raven-haired man.
The man slowly lifted his face, his black and tousled hair shaking, his red eyes flashing brightly. The face visible under the hair exhibited androgynous beauty. However, the instant Kaito laid eyes on him, he felt a kind of pressure as though he was being choked. At the same time, he came to understood something.
This was something extremely terrifying. Despite a beautiful human shape, it was definitely something completely different from a human, something fearsome.
And for some reason, that face seemed familiar to Kaito.
The leather straps restraining the man's limbs suddenly burned silently and fell off. The man stood up slowly as though rising from a throne. From his back, clad in a prisoner's uniform, thick spikes were pulled out with a gush of fresh blood. However, there was no change in the man's expression at all.
As though in a dream, his eyes continued to stare into space.
The meat frog—Krulus—crawled to the man's feet and knelt down in a disgraceful manner, desperately making eyes at the man in hopes of mercy. However, the man lifted one foot without even looking at the frog, then buried that bare foot directly into its brain. The meat frog's giant eyeballs fell out from the impact.
"Gubeh."
Squish... A scattering of red-black blood. The meat frog's head was easily crushed underfoot. Gray brain matter oozed everywhere but standing in the pool of blood, the man made no reaction, almost as though he was unaware that he had trampled a frog by the side of a road. Then the man looked up in a daze.
At that moment, the man finally turned his gaze to Elisabeth who was standing at the entrance.
His sluggish expression suddenly changed to reveal a sweet smile of rapture.
"Elisabeth."
The voice was filled with fervent love, completely identical to the voice Kaito had heard in the treasure vault at the castle.
"Vlaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"
Elisabeth roared, swatting Kaito away with a wave of her hand. Kaito crashed loudly into the wall.
Elisabeth charged into the room, swinging the Executioner's Sword of Frankenstahl. The sword tore through the air while hundreds of chains rushed at the man, but with her entire body scorched by scripture, the chains released by Elisabeth were far weaker than usual. Even so, an attack capable of pulverizing The Knight was entirely blocked by a black dog tail sweeping through the air.
Growwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwl, growwwwwwwwwwwwwl, growwwwwwwwwwl.
Spontaneously, a giant black dog had appeared, crouching next to the man. Exhibiting a sleek coat of fur and fit muscles, it was a hunting hound of the best pedigree.
The black dog exuded a strong beastly scent, with hellfire burning in its eyes and mouth. Although its appearance was not ugly, Kaito's instincts told him that this was the most dangerous being out of all demons encountered so far. Even so, he did not know why he did not feel the slightest fear. Perhaps his mind has numbed in a rare moment.
Faced with this manifestation of death, his feelings of fear had been utterly paralyzed.
Compared to those demons with ugly appearances, this one was on a completely different level.
The black dog silently poked its head forward, its sharp teeth could be considered beautiful. With perfect motions, it approached Elisabeth, but just before it was about to crush Elisabeth's delicate body in its jaws, the man shook his head. The black dog stopped. Still with a rapturous expression on his face, the man disappeared.
At the same time, the terrifying pressure dominating the room also vanished. Kaito witnessed everything from the secret passage. Finally reaching the room, he swept his gaze across his surroundings in a daze.
"W-Where did that thing go? More importantly, what on earth is it..."
"The Emperor."
"Huh?"
Elisabeth replied to Kaito's question in a stiff voice. Kaito tilted his head.
She supplemented her answer for the puzzled Kaito:
"The Emperor has returned to his homeland."
At that moment, Kaito finally figured out the man's true identity and the worst-case scenario at hand.
Previously captured by the Church, the highest ranked demon out of the fourteen—The Emperor—was now unleashed upon the world.
