Fremd Torturchen - Volume 1 - Chapter 4

4

An Envoy from the Church

“This is delicious!”

Fork and knife in hand, Elisabeth burst into a smile.

It was the first time Kaito had seen her smile without even a shred of malice. The situation was so abnormal, he was getting goose bumps. It wasn’t just her, either. It was the entire table.

The long table had been furnished with a stately arabesque tablecloth, and the empty seats were decorated with colorful flowers. The line of alternating gold and silver candlesticks was all lit, gently illuminating the silverware.

And the aroma of a number of elaborate dishes wafted up from the plates.

There was hog’s-head jelly with brioche. There was a delectably sour salad with intestines, a bowl of lamb tripe minestrone, and a golden-brown kidney pie. And the main course was finished off with some foie gras terrine.

Finally, for dessert, there was a tart, topped with thin apple slices in the shape of a flower.

Elisabeth stuffed her cheeks with the freshly prepared dishes one after another. Large, exaggerated tears of joy welled up in her eyes.

“This is delicious, I say—truly sublime! True delicacies! You have my praise, doll!”

“For it to have met your tastes is an honor, Lady Elisabeth, master of Master Kaito.”

The automaton stood at the ready by Elisabeth’s side. Her emerald-green eyes gleamed kindly, and a gentle smile appeared on her face. Between her long, classical maid uniform and her adorable little maid cap, she gave the impression of having served in this castle for many years.

It was hard to believe that she was the same person who had been going on a rampage the day prior.

Although he was still somewhat afraid of her, Kaito asked her a question.

“So you don’t just fight, but you can cook, too?”

“Indeed. In addition to combat data, my Self-Recording Device contains thousands of recipes, as well as many other useful skills. From cooking and cleaning to playing games and accompanying you at night, I can fulfill any of your desires, Master Kaito.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, you don’t need to go that far. I don’t need that kind of extra service.”

Kaito waved his hands from side to side. Whenever he interacted with this doll, he often found himself at a loss. And whenever he did, the doll hung her shoulders with such dejection that he could practically see dog ears and a tail drooping from her head and waist.

“Is that so? Well, should you ever change your mind, please do not hesitate to instruct me as you see fit. I exist solely for your sake, Master Kaito, so no matter the time or place, doing whatever you want with me is my ultimate pleasure.”

“Wait… ‘No matter the place’…? You mean, like, outside?”

“Of course—outside is fine, too!”

“What in the world might you two be going on about?”

Munching on a huge slice of pie, Elisabeth raised her voice in exasperation. After enjoying the delicate blend of the sweet, crunchy crust and the gaminess of the meat, she finished eating.

She courteously wiped her mouth with her napkin, then turned to the doll as if to praise her.

“See, when my irredeemable butler booted you up, I thought I’d have little choice but to destroy the two of you together. But your aptitude for cooking proved quite splendid. Every cloud has its silver lining, they say. My congratulations, Kaito. Your life may yet continue.”

“Geez, I had no idea I was on the verge of death for such a stupid reason.”

“In short, you are saying that I was of use to Master Kaito? My deepest thanks. I can think of no greater honor, no greater joy!”

“But enough of that. You are a servant of mine. Nay, in respect to your desires, I wish to welcome you once more as a servant of my servant, but… Hey, Kaito. Give this thing a name.”

“A name?”

“You would do well to stop being befuddled by contrivance. All things need names. And it is most inconvenient to be unable to call for your possessions.”

“I mean… I wouldn’t call her my possession. Even if she’s a doll, she’s still a girl.”

Kaito shook his head vigorously. Owning something that was practically human was too big a responsibility for him. But the doll stepped forward, her fists balled up and her cheeks puffed out.

Curling her lovely lips into a pout, she pleaded with him.

“While it may be imprudent of me to say, I am most certainly your possession. Ever since the fateful moment you chose me as your lover, I have been your eternal lover, your faithful companion, your soldier, your weapon, your love outlet, and your sex doll. Come what may, I shall forever remain yours and yours alone. I beg you to remember that always.”

“A-all right, I get it. Just try not to say stuff like that. But yeah, either way, it would be nice if you had a name. Uh…”

Kaito scrunched up his forehead as he thought it over. He fumbled through his memories for something to use as a reference. But he’d never so much as named an animal before. Also, he hadn’t been allowed much social interaction. He could recall the names of a few of the women who had spent time with his father, but none who he had any desire to use as references. Even the woman who had made him purin had left in the end.

It was then Kaito recalled a soft, nuzzling sensation.

…Oh yeah…her. There was that one time. There was someone who loved me unconditionally.

A snow-white puppy floated up from the depths of his memories. She had belonged to one of his neighbors. She had become attached to him, and every time he visited, she would wag her tail and lick the tears off his face. He had been able to play with her for only a short period before he had to move again, but Kaito felt that was for the best. If his father had found out about his affection for the dog, he would have likely tried to kidnap and kill her.

She had been a good, kind girl. And her large, droopy eyes slightly resembled the doll’s.

Despite some reservations, Kaito recalled the dog’s name and spoke it aloud.

“‘Hina’… How does ‘Hina’ sound?”

“It sounds incredibly arbitrary, much like you plucked it from a hat.”

“Hey, I put a lot of thought into that!”

“You’re brilliant, Master Kaito! It’s the finest name in all of heaven and earth, surpassing that of any human, demi-human, beastfolk, mythical beast, or god! My deepest thanks! From now on, I shall bear the name Hina. Hina… Hina. I am Hina. The name that Master Kaito blessed me with… Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee.”

Hina’s shoulders began quivering oddly. She seemed to be happy, but her reaction was a bit frightening.

Just as Hina’s christening was complete, the Butcher made his appearance. Elisabeth purchased a large quantity of organs from him, then handed it all to Hina. While she dealt with that, Kaito began piling the plates from the table into his arms.

Apparently, having a good cook around loosened Elisabeth’s tongue. After bowing to Elisabeth, who was engaged in a lively conversation with the Butcher, Kaito and Hina headed for the kitchen.

Once they reached the kitchen, Kaito carried the dirty dishes to the sink. Hina, using the meat she’d received from the Butcher, began making preliminary preparations for dinner.

Watching her line up with utter certainty the jars of seasoning she would need, Kaito called out to her.

“So wait, you can tell which ones are which flavors?”

“Oh yes, I have registrations for most of the seasonings that exist in this world. I can also use their scent to analyze whether or not they’ve degraded over time and the minor changes in flavor resulting from the manufacturing process, so I can adjust the quantities I use as necessary.”

“Wow. That’s really impressive, Hina.”

Kaito nodded in earnest admiration. Hina’s cheeks went flush with embarrassment.

“I receive your praise with great honor. On a related note, um, Master Kaito, what kinds of dishes do you like?”

“…Uhhh, I don’t really have preferences when it comes to food. As long as it’s not rotten or poisoned, I’m pretty fine with whatever.”

His eating habits in his previous life were more survival based, after all. He’d simply been grateful whenever he got his hands on something edible. Hina nodded earnestly in response to Kaito’s half-hearted answer.

“I understand. Then I will give it my all to cook something you find delicious, Master Kaito. And then, perhaps—and this would be terribly august—were you to possibly find my cooking to your liking, Master Kaito… Ah, my heart would be so full with honor and pride that I would surely die!”

“Settle down there, Hina. Please don’t die over something like that.”

“Understood! Then I will live forever!”

Hina nodded, her cheeks still red. Vaguely muttering something to the effect of “by your side forever” and “Master Kaito,” her body swayed from side to side. As he watched her plump breasts bob up and down, Kaito felt somewhat embarrassed. But he’d spent so much time alone in this claustrophobic dungeon of a kitchen, and now…

It really is nice to have someone to talk to.

Nodding, Kaito turned on the sink’s faucet. The castle’s water supply was linked to a reservoir full of undines. He was glad for the limitless source of water, even if it was sometimes annoying that it didn’t come hot.

As he washed the dishes with cold water, Hina stood beside him, preparing the offal, her knife constantly moving. In the blink of an eye, the unnecessary sections were removed and the meat was cut to the perfect dimensions. As if to ensure that the meat not suffer more damage than necessary, the cuts were all clean and precise.

Kaito unwittingly stopped moving as he watched her masterful knife work. It was at that moment that Elisabeth’s voice rang out.

“Butler! Oh, Butler!”

“…”

“Kaito!”

“I heard you. What do you want?”

Abandoning the wet dishes and leaving the rest to Hina, Kaito broke into a run.

He had expected her to be waiting in the throne room, but she was still in the dining room.

He opened the door and saw her sitting on her ball-and-claw chair, tipping a wineglass back and forth. She wore a sullen expression, and her legs were crossed. A new visitor sat before her, occupying the same seat the Butcher had been in when Kaito had left.

“Apparently, this unpleasant man has some matter he wishes to discuss with you.”

“Ah, pleased to meet you… Young Kaito Sena, correct?”

The blond man’s face was chiseled, and he wore a black cassock.

He evoked the image of a goat, and his eyes seemed gentle as he smiled. Yet, his face gave off a somewhat suspicious impression, and looking at him gave Kaito goose bumps on his back and an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. He also noticed that the man’s pronunciation of his Japanese name had been smooth and more correct than he’d heard in some time.

Showing no signs as to whether or not he’d deduced Kaito’s unease, the man opened his mouth with dignity.

“My name is Clueless Ray Faund. I come as an envoy from the Church, looking to conduct a personal interview with you.”

“……………Huh?”

“He truly is your servant, Elisabeth. His manner resembles yours.”

The man spoke in a tone that made it impossible to tell if he was truly impressed or if he was being sarcastic. Kaito took another good long look at Clueless, the man from the Church.

Kaito didn’t know much about this world’s Church. But based on the fact that they’d been able to suspend Elisabeth’s execution and order her on her demon hunt, he could tell they wielded substantial influence. In the face of such power, Kaito’s first reaction was the desire to flee. But if he fled now, it would look highly suspicious. Suppressing his automatic response, which was to turn around, Kaito focused his gaze on the man, silently inquiring as to what questions he wanted to ask.

Clueless stood from his chair, stretched, and offered a rather unexpected proposal.

“Well then, shall we make our way to the Church? I’d rather not hear you out in a place as gloomy as this castle.”

“Huh? Well-I’m-Lady-Elisabeth’s-butler-you-see. I can’t just come and go as I please.”

“Insolent cur… So you’ll admit to being my servant when it’s convenient for you, I see. Nevertheless, he speaks the truth, Clueless. Do not simply carry off my servants with you. I made that one myself. The core component may be worthless, but it comes attached to a rather splendid golem, so he ends up being somewhat useful. You shan’t take him without my permission.”

“You say that, Elisabeth. But you’re the one who failed to report having summoned the soul of someone from another world, aren’t you?”

At Clueless’s declaration, Elisabeth twisted her lips. He seemed to have hit the mark. Kaito was fairly surprised that the fact that he was from another world had been exposed.

Laying his large hands one on top of the other, Clueless continued.

“However, I have no intention of reporting that fact to my superiors. I can say that I simply wanted to check on the specifics of how you defeated the Knight and the Earl, and besides, this little visit was off the books in the first place. Don’t you think that rather than dealing with formalities and punishments, it would be more constructive to quietly resolve this matter together? To that end, I would like to speak with the young man. How does that sound?”

“Bah, enough with the farce. At any rate, you intend to blather on and grumble until I relinquish him to you, am I wrong? Fine, then. What a bother. You have my permission. If you fail to return him, however, I shall have your head.”

“There’s a good girl, Elisabeth. A most sensible choice indeed.”

Watching their exchange, Kaito couldn’t help but be surprised. He hadn’t thought there was a person alive who could stand up to Elisabeth the way Clueless just did. Nodding to Kaito, Clueless began walking.

From the way the conversation had gone, Kaito guessed he was supposed to follow.

Neither party seemed to have the slightest interest in how he felt.

Half-desperate, Kaito obediently followed after the cassock-clad man. He accompanied Clueless down an underground passage, and they arrived at Elisabeth’s teleportation circle. Kaito, having thought they’d been heading outside, knit his brows. Clueless stood in front of the circle and turned to look at Kaito.

“Now then, young Kaito, shall we be off? Do mind the vertigo.”

Clueless reached inside his cassock and pulled out a heavy-looking silver pendant. At the end of its thick chain hung an upside-down sculpture of a veiled woman. The intricately carved veil defied gravity in its obstinate quest to conceal the woman’s face.

“Guide me down the path of righteousness.”

He held it over the center of the circle, and the bloody runes blurred. Crimson drops began pouring into the air. They then glowed blue and began orbiting like little planets. When the rotations reached their peak speed, the blue lights froze. They then fell to the floor as one.

When the blue rain had cleared up, a basement with a notably different ambience to the one they were in before spread out before them.

“This place is…”

Apparently, they’d reached a place separate from Elisabeth’s basement. The walls were made of bare packed earth, giving off a completely different sense of claustrophobia than stone. The cool air had a damp odor, announcing loud and clear that they were underground.

“Come now, young Kaito—follow me. We’re going this way.”

Placing his pendant back in his cassock, Clueless left through the single door.

Outside the room, long, tunnel-like wooden passages extended to both sides. Old magical lanterns hung from the low ceiling and lit the path. It felt almost like a passage built for mining.

As he walked through the corridor rich in smells of soil and rotting wood, Clueless spoke quietly.

“These are the hidden passageways that extend beneath the Church. They connect to my private chamber. Follow me.”

Obeying the instructions, Kaito turned halfway through the passage and made his way up a narrow staircase.

Beyond it was a surprisingly small room. Its wooden interior was barren, save for a stately desk and a filing cabinet. One wall, however, was adorned with an image of the same inverted, veiled woman Kaito had just seen. Upon closer inspection, he saw a single red tear running down the woman’s cheek.

Ignoring Kaito, Clueless knelt and offered a heartfelt prayer to the woman. After a few moments, he stood back up.

“Forgive me for the wait. And please make yourself comfortable.”

“Ah, thanks.”

Kaito, being offered the chair at the desk, took it. While he did, Clueless busied himself with the porcelain tea set that had been left on the desk. He poured a pinkish liquid into a cup. A surprisingly refreshing minty aroma wafted up from it.

“I’m quite a fan of this tea, you see. I buy it up every time I’m at my favorite shop.”

“Uh… Ah, well, that seems like a pleasant hobby.”

“Ha-ha, I wonder. I’m glad you think so, at least. My subordinates often scold me for buying too much.”

Clueless winked. It was a very human gesture, but for whatever reason, it made Kaito tense up. Something about the way the man talked seemed uncanny, almost superficial.

Clueless moved his own chair such that he was facing Kaito from across the desk. Kaito noted that the arrangement resembled an interrogation. Clueless took a sip of his tea, then began the conversation in earnest.

“I must say, I never imagined Elisabeth would drag someone from another world into her demon hunt, even if only as a servant.”

“Uh, not that Elisabeth really talks about it much, but I got the vibe that it wasn’t really a big deal. Are you saying it’s uncommon for people to get summoned from other worlds?”

“Wait, she hasn’t bothered explaining anything? Well, she’s never been much of a responsible one. Uncommon would be putting it lightly. It’s beyond rare. I’d heard the two of you had shared some memories during the summons, but you and Elisabeth must really be on the same wavelength. That, or perhaps you have similar natures.”

“You’re saying I’m similar to that woman?”

Kaito immediately frowned. He would hardly describe himself as similar to that proud, haughty, devil-may-care woman. Taking another sip of tea, Clueless shook his head.

“I’m sorry; that was rude of me. I certainly don’t find the two of you similar. After all, I’ve heard that Elisabeth Le Fanu’s cruelty started quite early on in her childhood.”

The statement caused Kaito to start. The image of the young girl he’d seen a few days prior flashed through his mind.

She’d just sat on her bed, her body thin and frail and her eyes hollow.

Kaito shook his head to dispel the vision. Ignoring Kaito’s unrest, Clueless continued on.

“She was born as the only child of the distinguished Le Fanu family. She was a feeble child who broke toys and delighted at the deaths of animals, but she didn’t truly bloom until she turned sixteen. It was at that point that she began torturing people, gaining significant magical ability from their pain. And with those wicked powers, she killed even more. As she committed her many, many atrocities, no entity, living or dead, could inspire fear in her any longer, least of all God.”

Clueless’s hand squeezed down on his porcelain cup. A stern light burned in his azure eyes, and Kaito could tell that his voice was full of needle-sharp hostility. Clueless had been chatting merrily with Elisabeth just a moment ago, but his words were now steeped in hatred.

Squinting in the face of the severity of Clueless’s reaction, a seed of doubt took root in Kaito’s mind.

Obtaining power from the pain of others—that was exactly what the demons did. But Elisabeth Le Fanu was no demon; she was the Torture Princess.

“I thought Elisabeth wasn’t one of the fourteen demons, though?”

“True, she isn’t. She accomplished that all by herself, not contracting with anyone or anything. She shouldn’t be able to use the powers of demons, and none but the High Priest has been able to discern the mechanism by which she’s able to turn people’s pain into her own power. But the facts are the facts. She is an evil woman, with powers surpassing those of the demons. Her very existence is blasphemous.”

Clueless spat these words. Perhaps he was right, but Kaito wasn’t sure how to respond. It was true that Elisabeth was a torturer, a despot, and a tyrant. But now, she was fighting the demons. And the number of people in this world who could stand up to those hell-birthing monsters probably wasn’t high.

And for now, Kaito was assisting her.

While he still lashed back at her at times, ever since the incident with the Earl, he’d stopped having qualms about serving her. He even kind of liked the innocent side she occasionally revealed.

Maybe it was a warped way to live, but it worked for him.

In his hesitation, Kaito had grown silent. But Clueless nodded, seeming to understand Kaito’s position, and heaved a heavy sigh.

“Forgive me. It appears I have gotten rather heated. But I thought that you, after spending some time with her, would find such things obvious. Now then, would you mind if I asked a few questions about your world? I hear that your world is where machines have progressed further than magic has; is that correct?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Or rather, magic doesn’t really exist in my world at all… At least as far as I know.”

Kaito matter-of-factly answered Clueless’s questions. But on top of the fact that his knowledge of his previous world was strongly biased, he knew nothing about the workings of many of the industrial technologies he had benefitted from in life. But even though their exchange touched only on broad generalities, Clueless appeared enraptured.

He finished his tea, then gently shook his head.

“Thank you. I learned quite a bit. And you have my condolences. The battle against the demons will no doubt grow fiercer from here. I find it difficult to imagine you continuing to serve Elisabeth once she finishes killing all thirteen demons.”

“Is… Is that so? I mean, this body is immortal, but I expect it’ll get pretty rough from here.”

“Quite. And even on the off chance you do survive, all that awaits you is an inquisition by the Church.”

“Wait, what?”

Kaito raised his voice in surprise. Clueless was unbothered by his rudeness. As he stared at Kaito, something resembling sentimentality welled up in his blue eyes.

However, it wasn’t the gaze of one looking at another human but of one looking down at a worm.

“Why so surprised? It’s a natural measure to take, no? The Church can’t exactly allow one of Elisabeth’s puppets to roam free after she completes her task. The stake awaits you both. At best, you’ll be confined, but not before being thoroughly tortured.”

“That’s… Okay, I’m gonna be honest with you. I’d rather pass. I got sucked into this mess against my will. You guys are the ones in charge of the torture, right? Can’t you do something about that?”

“It just so happens that I have a proposal for you.”

Clueless leaned forward in his seat. As he did, Kaito felt as though a piece of the incongruous puzzle he’d been a part of had finally slid into place. All the talk leading up to this had been a mere prelude. Clueless appeared attentive, but Kaito got the sense that it had all gone in one ear and out the other.

“Think about this. I consider Elisabeth dangerous enough that I’ve been unofficially monitoring her as well as occasionally dropping by to check up on her. After the Church captured her, we bound her in such a way that she could not resist us or try to escape. But if she was to form a contract with one of the thirteen demons, her power would grow, and those shackles would be insufficient to restrain her. In fact, if her unique power was to synergize with the demon’s, it would be quite terrifying indeed.”

“Are you sure you should be making someone like that fight for you?”

“She swore she wouldn’t forge a contract with a demon, and the head of the Church, Godot Deus, told us to believe in that promise. He also said that should the time come when she breaks that promise, he would sacrifice his life and soul to seal her away… But while he likely possesses the power to make good on his word, we would still be losing the most distinguished member of our clergy. Having anticipated such a calamity, I cannot, in good faith, sit idly by and allow the birth of a demon that will surpass all demons.”

Clueless reached inside his cassock and once more withdrew the pendant with the upside-down suffering woman. He carefully opened its hidden compartment and pulled out a vial.

He tilted it over Kaito’s cup, and a single tear-like drop of clear, colorless liquid made ripples in his tea. As it did, it briefly stained the pinkish tea deep purple. The tea quickly returned to its original color.

“If you make Elisabeth drink this poison, I can promise you a painless death.”

“You’re promising me death?”

“That I am. Your existence is an affront to God, and I cannot permit it to continue. Although from what I heard, upon being summoned, you wished to die anyway, correct? Having served under her, you know how terrifying pain can be. Do you understand what I’m offering you? I myself think the terms are rather fair.”

Clueless smiled. Remembering the uncomfortable feeling he’d initially been getting from the man, Kaito felt validated once more. Clueless was arrogant. He seemed to be looking down on Kaito from so high up that he didn’t even realize he was being arrogant.

Clueless no doubt thought he was being earnestly merciful.

Kaito swallowed his retorts. He decided to speak as little as possible until he returned safely to the castle.

Not receiving an affirmative response, Clueless tilted his head in dissatisfaction.

“You seem displeased… Very well. In order to demonstrate to you the validity of my proposal, allow me to offer you the privilege of observing the heretics under my jurisdiction. Come along.”

Clueless went back down the staircase, Kaito in tow. He strode along the dark corridor with vigor in his gait. They met no other clergymen on their journey. As he continued after Clueless, Kaito thought this rather strange. Clueless eventually reached a new staircase and ascended it.

At the top of the stairs was a door with cloth stuffed under it for soundproofing. Clueless turned the knob.

“Look, listen, and learn.”

He pushed the door open. The second he did, a bloodcurdling scream rang out.

People were groaning, screaming, writhing, and begging for death. The wide, square inquisition room beyond the door was rank with the thick stench of blood and split down the middle by a set of iron bars.

On the other side of the bars lay a small-scale hellscape.

There were people chained to walls, each completely devoid of hair. Their pasty skin had rivets driven into them. Their bald heads were full of screws, and even as Kaito watched, more were being wound in by people dressed in all white. One woman was tied to an operating table, convulsing as she was slowly sawed apart. An old man pleaded for death, his feet strapped to a white-hot iron plate. A young boy hung from a hook by his tongue, which was also covered in horsehair. The boy wept as he waited for his tongue to dry out completely and tear, dropping him to the floor.

There was also a number of people writhing on the ground. Kaito was unsure how any of them was still alive, and his eyes widened.

He staggered backward a step, but even so, he burned the hellish scene into his eyes. While simultaneously being assailed by terror, he calmly surveilled the scene.

What a merciful proposal the prospect of a painless death now seemed.

Kaito realized how serious Clueless had been.

“I look forward to a favorable response.”

Clueless smiled kindly as he pressed the vial of poison into Kaito’s hand.

The blue rain fell away, and Kaito’s vision cleared.

After using the teleportation circle to return to Elisabeth’s castle alone, Kaito immediately fell to his knees.

“…Rgh… Blargh…”

He was assaulted by nausea and vertigo. Neither had happened when Elisabeth had been the one activating the circle. Though perhaps his nausea could be attributed to the spectacle he had just been forced to witness, as well as the weight of the choice that had been thrust upon him.

“Shit… That… That was so fucked up…”

After cursing and spitting, he somehow managed to struggle to his feet. He walked through the underground tunnel on unsteady feet.

He remembered the way back. He knew from experience that pain jogged his memory, so a little while back, he’d carved a map of the important bits of the tunnel in his flesh and had Elisabeth heal it for him. She’d been shocked and impressed, and it had hurt like hell, but thanks to that, he was able to avoid getting lost and dying like a fool.

“Dammit… I can’t remember—was there something I was supposed to do when I got back?”

Kaito reviewed his remaining duties as he walked. Hina had probably taken care of all the chores for him, and Elisabeth was unlikely to call on him for the rest of the day. She didn’t tend to spare much thought for him, so even if she planned on asking him about Clueless, that could be days from now. He had a million things he needed to think about, but for now, all he wanted to do was rest.

If he could just forget about the vial of poison in his breast pocket until the following day, that would be wonderful.

Kaito staggered into the servants’ quarters, then made for his room in the corner. He somehow managed to reach the thin door, and its ancient hinges creaked as he opened it.

The instant he did, something soft wrapped around his face.

“Wh-wh-wh-what?”

“Welcome home, Master Kaito! I have awaited your safe return!”

Hina squeezed Kaito tightly. It was only natural for him to be surprised to see her immediately after opening the door.

Hina was on the taller side, so when she leaned over like that, Kaito’s face ended up buried right between her breasts. Kaito frantically pulled away, and when he did, Hina’s eyes grew wide and sad like a puppy’s. The same tactic had gotten him nowhere with Elisabeth, but he was not as immune as she’d been.

Kaito, at a loss for words, averted his gaze from Hina. The cramped room had both a bed and a chair, but neither showed signs of use. Kaito tilted his head to the side, and Hina gave a small hop.

“Lady Elisabeth assured me that you would return, and each moment I waited for you felt like an eternity. I’m deeply sorry that I was unable to accompany you. Oh, I’m so glad you returned unharmed. I was so worried for you that I feared my chest would burst and all my gears would come tumbling out.”

“Hold up, Hina… Did you, by any chance, finish the chores and then just stand here all day waiting for me?”

“But of course. Why? Is there a problem?”

“Well, uh… You know, if you really want to wait for me, you can sit down while you wait. It’s not like I’m going to get mad at you if you lie down or anything.”

Hearing Kaito’s words, Hina swayed on her feet. Her cheeks flushed and she pressed down on her mouth.

“Oh my, to receive permission to sleep on my master’s precious bed. That is, um, the special privilege of lovers, nay, of husband and wife. In other words, this is a roundabout solicitation—”

“That’s not what I meant. Sorry, but I don’t have the energy to joke around today…”

Kaito lightly brushed Hina aside and collapsed onto the bed. When he did, he noticed a change. The mattress Elisabeth had given him had been hard, musty, and often damp, but now it was soft and had a pleasant herbal fragrance. Hina had probably carefully washed it, dried it, and scented it for him. But he lacked even the energy to thank her.

His mind a mess, Kaito squeezed his eyes closed. No matter how comfortable it became here, he might soon have to leave the castle. As a traitor. As someone who’d slain his own master. And as compensation for that, he’d get to die painlessly. But no matter how hard he tried, Kaito couldn’t imagine himself killing Elisabeth.

When she dies, it’ll be of her own accord.

She wasn’t the kind of person someone like Kaito could kill. She wasn’t the kind of person anyone could kill. But Kaito knew what would become of him if he turned down the proposal. Kaito clutched the vial from over his pocket.

When he did, the bed creaked. A soft, pleasant aroma drew near him. Kaito could tell what it was without having to open his eyes. Hina was lying down beside him. Kaito sighed, then spoke to her again.

“…C’mon, Hina. I really—”

“My apologies, Master Kaito…”

Then she hugged him tight. As she gently cradled his head, her soft hair brushed against his face. Her touch wasn’t sexual but sensual: a gesture meant to soothe and comfort. She ran her fingers through his hair. His eyes widened in surprise.

She lay by his side, her twinkling emerald-green eyes rich with adoration. She looked like a woman caring for her troubled husband, and Kaito was at a loss for words in the face of such raw affection.

“…But you seem weary, and this is how lovers comfort their beloved.”

Hina gently stroked his hair, running her hands across it again and again. Kaito wondered if this was how children felt when their mothers patted them on the head. Her hands were warm, and their warmth traveled all the way to his heart, transcending reason and language to gently unravel the knots of stress deep inside him.

Surrounded by clean sheets and the warmth of skin, Kaito could feel his eyelids growing heavy.

“…Hina, if you keep doing that…I’m going to fall asleep.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? You can rest easy. Everything is going to be okay, Master Kaito.

“No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

When she whispered those words into his ear, the knot of stress finally came undone. Kaito realized how unnerved he had been, both by the gruesome display he’d been shown and by the fate that had been thrust upon him. Apparently, he had carried that fear of an agonizing, horrific death all the way back with him.

Oh… I get it now. I was afraid.

He didn’t know what would happen now. But here, at least, he was safe. There was no pain here, and if anyone wished ill on him, Hina said she would protect him.

Back in his old life, no one had ever protected him. This was the first time since he was born that he had ever felt so at ease. He’d never imagined that something so peaceful awaited him after death.

Accompanied by those thoughts, Kaito slowly but surely drifted off to sleep.

He dreamed.

He dreamed, yet he knew it was a dream.

Various images and sensations flashed across his eyes and skin, appearing and disappearing like the light of a revolving lantern.

Enduring countless wounds. Stifling innumerable sorrows. The words Remember this, carved into his skin every time he messed up at work. The small, warm tongue that would lick his wounds. The big, round eyes that seemed to suggest they could even love a piece of trash like Kaito. The grief and despair he felt in the moment his windpipe was crushed. Lamenting the fact that he couldn’t even scream. The body in the armor. The Knight’s eyes. The terrifying spider. Neue’s pained smile.

The first kindness he’d received. The words Neue had left him.

The wish Kaito wanted to grant, no matter how impossible it seemed.

The vision of the frail girl, gazing at the outside world. The people, slaughtered without mercy. The wicked, cackling girl.

The distant voice he heard.

“But if she was to form a contract with one of the thirteen demons, her power would grow, and those shackles would be insufficient to restrain her. If that happened, she would become far more dangerous than any of the current contractors.”

“You embarrass yourself, Earl.”

“You and I—we are fated to die, forsaken by all of creation.”

“Having lived the cruel and haughty life of a wolf, I shall die like a lowly sow.”

“…For that is the choice I made.”

Her long black hair fluttered as she looked over her shoulder. Kaito realized something as he was lost in thought within the dream.

Ah, that’s right.

You aren’t going to run, are you?

No matter how much pain and despair awaited her, she would take responsibility for her life.

She would take full responsibility for her wretched life.

As the Torture Princess, Elisabeth Le Fanu would bear it.

It was then that Kaito slowly opened his eyes.

Hina held him, still stroking his hair. On her face she wore a peaceful, spellbound smile.

She would have been unable to do anything while stroking his hair. Feeling he’d done something wrong, Kaito quickly got up. Hina seemed reluctant to let him go. She looked at him, then tilted her head to the side.

“Were you able to relax? Compared to earlier, you seem much calmer.”

“Yeah, thanks, Hina. Because of you, I was able to get my thoughts in order.”

Kaito leaped from the bed and immediately went to leave the room. Sensing his newfound resolve, Hina did not rise to follow him. Kaito stopped in his tracks, then turned around.

Hina sat on the bed, a contented look on her face as she saw him off. Standing in front of the door, Kaito asked her a question.

“Hey, Hina. Would you be sad if I died?”

“In the horrible and unlikely event you were to pass away, Master Kaito, I should surely die as well.”

“No, no, no, no, no. What are you talking about?”

“Well, you see, I have absolutely no desire to spend so much as a second in a world where you do not exist.”

As if wondering why he would ask such a ridiculous question, Hina looked at him in puzzlement.

Kaito, feeling a headache coming on, pressed down on his forehead. Her response had, once again, been over-the-top. Kaito didn’t know what was to become of him. He felt he should tell her not to follow him to the grave, but for the moment he simply returned to bed and stroked her silken silver hair. Hina smiled a warm smile and brought her cheek close to his.

The way she looked at him with unreserved affection, she really did resemble that puppy from so long ago.

Turning her words over in his mind, Kaito muttered as if to confirm his thoughts.

“I see. I guess, if nothing else, I’ll have to keep living, then, won’t I?”

He made for the hallway. Not long after, he broke off into a run, searching for Elisabeth.

He found her in the throne room. She sat alone in front of the caved-in wall, gazing at the full moon.

Below, the dark forest rustled.

At the place where the beast had been skewered, no traces remained of its corpse. But its bloodstain was etched deep in the earth. Even then, in the dead of night, the ground appeared unsettlingly damp. However, eventually new trees would grow and cover that up as well.

“What happened to that beast’s corpse?”

“It burned together with the Knight. But that matters little. Cast your gaze skyward.”

Not even turning around as she answered, Elisabeth lifted a gaudy wineglass off the table beside her. She raised it overhead and tilted it from side to side, the full-bodied wine swirling within.

The red wine reflected the white of the moon.

“’Tis a good moon tonight.”

She gulped down the moon’s reflection, then placed her glass back on the table.

Kaito retrieved the bottle from a silver bowl packed with spirit-made ice. He poured her another glass of wine, then drew out the vial of poison from his pocket. He poured a drop of the clear liquid into the wine. The beverage briefly changed from a velvety red to a sickening shade of purple before settling back to its original hue.

Kaito handed the glass to Elisabeth, who’d been watching the whole process.

“Very interesting. And what might this be?”

“He told me to poison you.”

“Oh-ho, and quite the fine poison it is. Even I might not live after imbibing it. Here, ’tis a special occasion, so I shall give it to you. A glass of wine from your master. Accept it with thanks.”

“I respectfully decline. Such a thing would be wasted on me.”

“Clueless, eh? And what did he offer you in return? A painless death?”

“I’m surprised you could guess.”

“Yes, well. No matter if you live or die, Hell surely awaits you.”

Elisabeth spoke bluntly. It seemed she’d more or less suspected what was in store for him. It probably wasn’t the case that she’d been hiding it from him; it was more likely that she simply hadn’t cared enough to tell him.

She placed the glass back on the table, then gave a large shrug.

“You’d be a fool to take his offer. ’Tis too high a price to pay if death awaits you in the end regardless. But the basic details are half-reasonable. If you were to seek refuge with other members of the Church and avoid being captured by Clueless and his fanatics, the odds that you would be shown mercy and be allowed to keep living are actually quite high.”

“Really?”

“You do hail from another world, after all. It would be absurd to accuse you of heresy. True, if you were to survive all thirteen killings, you would likely be treated as one of my possessions, but you still have time remaining. And Hina possesses the knowledge required to link the teleportation circle to the Church. Do as you will.”

“Wait… Are you saying that it’s all right for me to run away from here?”

“Of course not, fool. You’re a puppet of mine. You will remain mine until the moment you break. But unnecessary as it may have been, a servant of mine showed me mercy, and failing to return that mercy would be boorish. Do as you please. But if you intend to flee, you’d best be covert about it. If I catch you deserting, you will face torture.”

Yawning, Elisabeth recrossed her legs. She exhaled softly, then reclined against the throne. Her face, cast in profile by the moonlight, had the sharp beauty of a blade.

She said nothing more. Even if Kaito continued waiting, it didn’t look like more words would come.

He turned to leave without a sound. But before he could, Elisabeth murmured softly.

“A question, though. Why not just slip me the poison?”

“Hmm?”

“You’ve despised demons ever since that affair with the Earl. Do you intend to sit idly by and allow the birth of an even more powerful demon? Surely Clueless warned you of the danger.”

Elisabeth turned. Her crimson eyes glittered in the moonlight as they fixed on Kaito.

He pondered her question. He hadn’t expected it, not from Elisabeth herself. After thinking for a moment, he responded frankly.

“Just like that important-sounding guy from the Church said, I don’t think you’re the type to make a contract with a demon.”

“Oh?”

“You were going to die alone—forsaken by everything in creation, right?”

“Yes, indeed. I shall die with the solitude of a wolf and as pitifully as a sow. All by myself.”

“So not even a demon will be by your side, then, right?”

That was Kaito’s declaration. She probably wouldn’t even have a demon by her side when she died.

Because she’d tortured innocent people and piled up countless corpses, she would be executed.

She herself had chosen that solitary, pitiful death.

Her lips twisted into a smirk. Her shoulders shook, and she burst into pleased laughter. She nodded once, and Kaito left. He exited into the hallway, then cast his gaze up at the clerestory windows and the moonlight they were letting in.

Trying to avoid looking at the creepy images they were casting on the stone floor, he muttered under his breath.

“…Eleven left, huh?”

He clenched his fists, his face full of determination.

The following morning, with Hina’s assistance, he fled the castle alone and made for the Church.

Kaito passed through the teleportation circle, which should have been connected to the front gate of the Church’s main building. The crimson walls around him finished their work and poured down as showers of blood. But after the crimson cleared, he found himself in a dark room made of packed earth. Kaito’s eyes widened. This was the small room that connected to the Church’s hidden passages.

He looked around in confusion. When he did, he found the worst possible person waiting for him.

“My, my, did you come seeking the Church’s protection?”

Clueless wore a calm smile. Behind him stood a number of his followers, all clad in cylindrical white outfits, their faces covered by hoods.

Surrounded by the men in white, Clueless looked like an executioner leading a body disposal crew.

He peered at Kaito like he was examining a worm, and when he spoke, his tone was full of disappointment.

“My apologies, but it would be inconvenient for me if word got out about the deal I offered you. Since you seem to have declined, I’m afraid we’re going to have to settle this in-house. But be at ease. Since you weren’t planning on taking my deal, this would have happened sooner or later.”

Clueless’s followers grabbed Kaito’s arms and dragged him roughly to his feet. When they did, a sharp pain suddenly ran through his chest, and he let out a low groan. Clueless gazed at him and raised his voice in exasperation.

“Good grief. It would cause no shortage of problems if you were to continue making noises like that this far up. If you keep doing that, you’re liable to wreck your throat. Not that I would mind, of course.”

On Clueless’s orders, they dragged Kaito away. Based on the direction he was being taken, Kaito discerned that he wasn’t going to Clueless’s private chamber but to the inquisition room. That was fast. Apparently, Clueless didn’t have any more reason to maintain pretenses with him.

Clueless beamed from ear to ear as he reached for the handle to the inquisition room.

“Welcome, dear sinner. Here we will receive you, and here we will deny you.”

As he threw it open, the door made a sound like that of the gates of Hell.

They carried Kaito to the other side of the iron bars. As cries of pain surrounded him, he was brought helplessly to the wooden pedestal in the center of the room. They bound his hands and feet in shackles to prevent him from fleeing.

…Looks like I got box-seat tickets.

Kaito cynically mused on his predicament. He hadn’t noticed it the last time he was here, but now that he was about to be tortured, he saw a painting of the suffering woman on the ceiling. She wept crimson tears as she gazed down through her veil at the people being tortured. Kaito wondered why she was grieving. He didn’t know the specifics of their belief system. But he doubted that the scene she was gazing on was supposed to be a part of it.

Those chosen by God would never wish for such a hellscape. Even Kaito, who was from another world, knew that.

“I mentioned it before, but summoning someone from another world is quite rare. Through dissection, we should be able to figure out how Elisabeth summoned you. And once we’ve analyzed the spell, we’ll be able to put the information to great use in summoning people ourselves. Worry not—your death will not be in vain. In fact, this should be far preferable to being judged as Elisabeth’s servant. You will be able to serve man and, in doing so, begin atoning for your sins. Ah, I simply cannot wait.”

Clueless looked down at Kaito, barely able to stop himself from drooling. His eyes were blazing, a far cry from when he’d been looking at Kaito like a worm a moment ago. He’d acknowledged Kaito’s worth, although much of that worth seemed like it would be present only in the scraps of meat remaining after Kaito was dissected.

One of the subordinates drew out a large knife. His neighbor to the right held a pair of bone shears, and the one on the left held a coping saw. They drew near Kaito, who by this point was well and truly afraid. He wanted to scream.

His thoughts burning, he opened his mouth.

“When you say ‘we,’ do you mean you and the demon you contracted with?”

Clueless’s smile froze on his face. Kaito felt the familiar sensation of the pieces clicking into place. Clueless was the kind of person who was weak to surprise attacks. In Kaito’s past life, one of the people his father had blackmailed was a company president who had been cooking his books, and the president had often worn that exact same expression. Kaito heaved a heavy sigh before continuing on.

“The thing is, I was connected to the Church’s front gate, but my intention all along was to come looking for you. Your interference saved me some time. I wanted to run, but I couldn’t… After seeing this hell, I couldn’t just leave things like this.”

Kaito could move his head a little, and he peered through the iron bars. Even now, a hellscape was unfolding around him. Right next to his pedestal was a man with his chest torn open and his stomach exposed, writhing in agony. There was a mother and her child, bound by thick strings and both coughing up foamy blood.

Kaito didn’t have a particularly strong sense of justice. Normally, self-sacrifice would be the last thing on his mind. But even he had his limits. He couldn’t just let this nauseating spectacle continue.

“When I saw this hell, I realized just how suspicious you seemed. Demons get their power from people’s pain, from the discord in their souls that pain causes. And when I saw the torture you were performing in the name of inquisition, I got the same impression I get from demons… After all, it didn’t exactly look like you were just torturing people to get them to confess to their heresy.”

The people around him were on the verge of death, writhing in unending agony.

The worst things one could imagine were being done to these heretics. This kind of torture could only be the work of demons.

“How could they stay alive with their bodies full of rivets, with their bodies diced to pieces, with their stomachs torn open? Maybe if you were taking serious measures to keep them alive, the facade would be more convincing, but most of them were just left to suffer. When you first showed me this room, I unconsciously burned the image into my mind, so when I thought about it later on, I was sure of it. Their lives were being forcibly extended by a demon’s power… Which means that this little party definitely isn’t Church approved.”

When they’d gone through Clueless’s secret underground passageway, they hadn’t run across any other members of the Church.

If this torture was official Church business, and similar things were going on elsewhere, then there should have been more people coming and going, people doing things like transporting heretics and cleaning up blood. But no one had been in those passages but Clueless and his men. Kaito hadn’t seen a single other person from the Church.

Clueless had kept Kaito from meeting any of the other clergymen, obstinately concealing them from him.

In other words, his actions were in defiance of the Church.

“I also found it interesting that you resolved to kill Elisabeth all on your own. When the Church came to her for help, I have to imagine they didn’t have anywhere else to turn. They were probably at their wits’ ends. Imagine. Hiring a sow to deal with the pigs. Yet, in spite of this, a supposed member of the Church came to the castle in secret and tried to get me to kill her. The prevention of the birth of an almighty demon—it sounds like a reasonable excuse at first, but after you got rid of her, how did you plan on dealing with the remaining demons? There could only be one reason you wanted to get rid of your prize hound after she’d only killed two of the thirteen demons—you’re one of the thirteen.”

Given that there had been a contractor among the Royal Knights, it didn’t seem strange for there to be one in the Church as well. And having been tasked with disposing of heretics, he’d found himself in a convenient position to accumulate pain. He’d even tried to use his position to eliminate a potent foe. But he’d done it too hastily and far too sloppily.

That was what happened when one failed to keep up appearances while looking down on others.

Clueless had treated him like a worm, and Kaito laughed scornfully as he looked up at his face.

“I’m right, aren’t I, Clueless? Well, the only reason I was able to notice was because Hina helped me get my thoughts in order, but still.”

“Is that all you have to say, you doddering little doll?”

Clueless smiled calmly, neither confirming nor denying Kaito’s accusations. But Kaito didn’t fail to notice the vein slightly bulging on his forehead.

If he hadn’t been bound, Kaito would have shrugged, but he settled for a nod.

“Yup, that’s all for me. I found the demon. I set the snare. Now it’s the Torture Princess’s turn.”

“Oh, but the teleportation circle is closed off from this side. You imbecile! You have no cards left to play!”

Clueless laughed. Kaito’s eyes grew cold as he wondered if Clueless was an idiot. Kaito had watched Clueless meddle with the teleportation circle before. It was obvious that Kaito had seen this coming.

Kaito took a deep breath, then exhaled sharply.

And his stomach hurt.

“It only seats one, but I’ve got a circle right here.”

A puzzled look spread across Clueless’s face, but in the next moment, his eyes opened wide. He tore off Kaito’s shirt.

Several leather belts were wrapped around Kaito’s midsection. A crimson teleportation circle glowed beneath the high-quality hide. Clueless frantically removed the belts with his bone shears, then tore off the dressing beneath them. When he saw where the teleportation circle’s light was coming from, he gasped.

“…You son of a bitch.”

“It’s real handy, how much blood this body can lose without dying.”

The teleportation circle was carved on Kaito’s stomach. The cuts were deep, and blood gushed out of them. Even so much as breathing sent sharp pains rippling through his chest. When Clueless’s men had been dragging him a moment ago, he had thought he might die from the pain. But the time he spent gritting his teeth was paying off.

“As my servant, even you could use your blood to summon something to your side.”

Elisabeth had mentioned that once, some time ago. Clueless clutched the shears and tried to add fresh cuts to Kaito’s wounds. But he was too late, and the teleportation circle began violently glowing. Crimson flower petals flew through the air, and darkness began to spread. Clueless’s eyes widened, and he shouted as he drew back.

“Stay away… Stay away, Elisabeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeth!”

“Ah, but how could I, after hearing my name called so passionately?”

A voice rife with mockery rang out, and the darkness surged forth. Crimson flower petals fluttered throughout the prison. The petals then turned to raindrops, showering the room in red.

Elisabeth, drenched in blood, made her appearance from the teleportation circle. Her elegant black hair and draping dress wafted gently, and her ample bosom bounced. She landed on her heels, right on Kaito’s gaping wound.

Her smile was sinister, and ignoring Kaito’s screams of pain, she snapped her fingers.

“Nothing fancy for the small fry, I think. Death by Hanging.”

Straw ropes dropped from the ceiling and wrapped themselves around the necks of Clueless’s men. It was almost comical how quickly they got yanked into the air. Their necks made loud popping sounds as their spines snapped, their respiratory tracts collapsed, and their veins burst. The hoods that had been concealing their faces plopped off.

Their faces were made of huge, festering sarcomas. They weren’t humans. They were underlings.

Their corpses dangled from the ceiling.

“This can’t… Damn you. Damn you!”

Clueless’s hands shook as he grabbed the necklace from his collar. He tried to mutter something. But when he did, steel shackles bound around his wrists. His gaze froze on Elisabeth and her smile.

“It seems you’re fond of pain, hmm?”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!”

The shackles jerked, and his wrists snapped. Fragments of bone pierced his skin from within. He screamed, writhing in agony. But suddenly, his arms slid out of the fetters binding them.

His whole body was soon covered in venom. His thick blond hair fell out in clumps, and his cassock burst off. As his limbs continued to swell, he leaped into the air. Now resembling a fleshy meat-frog, he pushed his flesh through the prison’s iron bars and fled for the corridor.

For some reason, Elisabeth’s face contorted in surprise after seeing Clueless’s massive, hideous form.

“That man… He possesses an unnatural amount of magical power, but he is no demon! He’s a weakling, a mere underling!”

“Really? That’s good news, right? That means you can take him out easily.”

“Of course it isn’t good, you fool! He’s a member of the Church! Surely you jest… The only demon a member of the Church would encounter is…”

Elisabeth snapped her fingers. The restraints on Kaito’s arms and legs popped open. Crimson petals collected around his wound and forcibly infused it with Elisabeth’s blood. The petals also wrapped a fresh leather belt around him. Kaito screamed at the sudden pain of the forcible transfusion and hemostasis.

“Gah! What’re you doing? Dammit, Elisabeth, that hurts!”

“Follow me if you wish. Or stay, but I may return late, or take another route back to the castle altogether. It would be on you to stay alive until you received proper treatment.”

“Not following you doesn’t seem like much of a choice, then, does it?!”

After struggling to his feet, Kaito took off after Elisabeth. He’d only recovered a little from his blood loss. If he could ignore the pain, he’d probably be able to keep up with her.

Having cleared the door, the meat-frog was clumsily running through the passage. Elisabeth waved her hand at it. Darkness and crimson petals coalesced, then became a massive spiked wheel. The wheel spun toward it, but it vanished midpath as if repelled by something.

For a second, Kaito thought he saw a black dog’s tail sticking out of the frog’s back.

The meat-frog turned and then, with a relieved expression, took off again, even faster than before.

“That reaction… Could it really be him?!”

Elisabeth’s voice was tinged with uncharacteristic desperation. Even though her foe was a mere underling, she unsheathed the Executioner’s Sword of Frankenthal.

The meat-frog hopped up a larger set of stairs, then smashed through the door at the top. Upon seeing the frog, an old, gentle-looking clergyman carrying a bundle of scrolls screamed and fell on his rear. A group of believers hid behind a young clergyman who’d apparently been leading them around. Kaito hadn’t expected the Church to be such an ordinary, upright organization.

The path the meat-frog was taking led it into an orderly, neat marble room. It continued to flee, spraying foamy venom as it went. As it made for the worship hall, Elisabeth swung her sword in its direction.

“Gibbet!”

The darkness spiraled in a long, vertical pattern, and a cage barely wide enough to fit a person standing up straight clamped around the meat-frog, wringing massive amounts of venom from it. Chains surrounded the cage. Even if the meat-frog broke out of the cage, the chains would still restrain it. But the next moment, Elisabeth’s body quivered and she dropped to her knees.

“Rrrgh… Mm… Ah, my body…”

The cage crumbled, returning to darkness and petals. The chains, too, lost their power, collapsing to the floor and wriggling a few times before vanishing.

“Elisabeth!”

Patterns of scarlet characters snaked across her body. Kaito’s golem features tried to decipher their meaning but failed. His knowledge bank told him it was the Word of God, unable to be translated or vocalized.

The scripture was etched all over her body like burns. She looked as though she had been branded.

So those were the shackles the Church had put on her. But why did they activate just now?

“It burns… Rrrgh… Wh-why…? Who…?”

Even though she was down on her hands and knees, Elisabeth shot a hate-filled glare to her side. Up on the altar was a clergyman, clutching his necklace and waving it side to side as he chanted a prayer. With every verse, the patterns on Elisabeth’s skin flared scarlet. She screamed in bloodcurdling rage.

“Not me, you imbecile! That’s the one you should be stopping! Fool!”

The meat-frog mowed down worshippers and smashed through pews as it headed deeper into the church.

A band of guards had finally assembled, but the meat-frog mercilessly routed them. Pressed beneath its massive belly, their bones shattered in their armor. But even in his confusion, the clergyman never stopped his prayer.

Kaito dashed up the short steps, then forcefully stuck out his hand.

“What—?”

“I’m borrowing this, old man!”

Kaito snatched the necklace off the man’s wrinkly neck and threw it. Elisabeth stood, then took off like a newly fired arrow. But she was still covered in serious burn marks.

Elisabeth ran, continuing to be tormented by the scripture, and Kaito followed after her.

The hallway was littered with the guards’ battered corpses, and they only grew more prevalent the farther the two of them got. They seemed to have been guarding an imposing door, but that door was now wide open.

An impressive office lay behind it. An old man wearing a diadem and a gold vestment sat dead atop a velvet chair, his body crushed from the waist down.

The wall behind the man had been smashed to pieces.

Beyond the wall was a hidden passage, covered on all surfaces by the faint glow of the Word of God. With every step the meat-frog took down it, its body frothed violently as its flesh burned. But Elisabeth was no different. The instant she’d dashed into the corridor, the patterns on her body flared up again, and she let out a scream of agony.

“Rrrgh… Aaaaaargh! Ah, ah!”

“Elisabeth, don’t be stupid!”

Hurriedly, Kaito rushed to support Elisabeth. As he propped her up, he endured the pain in his stomach and walked forward. The meat-frog, somehow still alive, reached the end of the passageway. It clung to the wall and pleaded, shedding a flood of tears all the while.

“Oh my Lord. I was mistaken. Hungry for power, I left you sealed away. Had I but believed in you, I never would have done such a thing. But now I offer you my everything. I will free you as a sign of my devotion. So please, save me from that demonic woman.”

The meat-frog vomited something out. From within the mass of phlegm, it retrieved a golden key.

After intricately tracing the Words of God and offering up words of prayer, it inserted the key into what appeared to be a featureless wall. A clicking noise rang out, and the wall flashed violently before vanishing.

Deep darkness and a sharp chill flowed out from inside. In the center of the persistent darkness sat an Iron Chair.

Upon it sat a black-haired man.

The man slowly looked up. His dark, tangled hair rustled, and his crimson eyes glittered. From what Kaito could see of his facial features behind the hair, he possessed a certain androgynous beauty. But the instant he looked at the man, his throat swelled up, intimidated, and he understood something.

That man was terrifying. Even though he possessed a beautiful human form, he was no human. He was something repulsive.

Yet, despite all that, his face looked somehow familiar.

Without a sound, the belts holding the man’s arms and legs burned to ash. He slowly stood, as though he was rising from a throne. Clad in prison garb, he plucked a needle free from his back, and blood gushed out. Yet, his expression did not change in the slightest.

His eyes were vacant, as if he were in a waking dream.

Clueless, the meat-frog, crawled toward the man and knelt awkwardly before him with eyes that screamed for mercy. Without even looking at the meat-frog, the man raised a foot.

He then brought his bare foot down on its head. The frog’s massive eyes popped right out at the impact.

“Ble—”

Dark-red blood began spilling forth. The meat-frog’s head had been abruptly crushed, and its gray brain tissue oozed out. But even surrounded by blood, the man was still emotionless. He looked back up, as if he’d simply stepped on an ordinary frog that had jumped in his path.

It was then that he saw Elisabeth, standing in the entrance, for the first time.

His absentminded expression vanished, replaced by an impossibly charming smile.

“Elisabeth.”

His voice, filled with fervent adoration, was the same as the one Kaito had heard in the castle’s Treasury.

“VLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!”

Elisabeth howled, shoving Kaito away. He flew into the wall and crumpled without a word.

She rushed into the room, waving the Executioner’s Sword of Frankenthal. She slashed at the empty air, and hundreds of chains bore down on the man like a torrent. But the scripture still burned in her flesh, and her chains lacked their usual strength. Even so, they would have been sufficient to shred the Knight they had fought before to pieces, but a canine black tail whipped through the air and blocked every last one.

Grrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrr.

Out of nowhere, an enormous black dog squatted by the man’s side. It was a first-class hound, with lustrous fur and rippling muscles.

The black dog had the stench of a beast, and its mouth and eyes burned with hellfire. While it didn’t look hideous in the slightest, every instinct Kaito had screamed out to him that it was more dangerous than any demon they had faced yet. But for whatever reason, he didn’t feel an ounce of fear. His mind was unusually numb.

Face-to-face with the embodiment of death, his sense of fear had been completely paralyzed.

This thing was in an overwhelmingly different realm than the ugly, twisted demons.

The black dog stuck out its head. With movement so efficient you could almost call it beautiful, it leaped toward Elisabeth with its sharp fangs. But right before it could clamp down on her slender frame, the man shook his head. The dog stopped, and with a dreamlike gaze, the man vanished.

When he did, so did the suffocating pressure that had filled the room. Kaito had seen everything from the passageway. After finally reaching the room, he looked around in a stupor.

“Wait… Where did he go? Or rather, more importantly, who was that?”

“The Kaiser.”

“What?”

Elisabeth answered his question in a stiff voice. He tilted his head to the side.

Seeing Kaito’s poor grasp of the situation, she repeated herself.

“The Kaiser has returned to his homeland.”