Fremd Torturchen

At the throne room, Elisabeth had her legs crossed arrogantly.

Sitting on the throne, she was facing the sky that was filled with dark clouds. Hovering in front of her was an orb glowing blue-white. Kaito did not ask what specifically was going on. The slowly spinning orb was showing an image of some big shot faraway. However, the face, which was always shown from the front, seemed fuzzy as though behind a curtain of mist, making it impossible to even distinguish the facial features.

The mysterious character spoke in a deep voice lacking in human compa.s.sion.

"Due to considerations from discussions about whether or not to transfer The Emperor to the royal capital, he was not sealed in a completely secure manner. Furthermore, Krulus was a master of cultivating relationships and managed to obtain leaked information from higher officials regarding the secret location where The Emperor was held as well as lock opening method. In addition, most of the high priests including me had gone to the royal capital for ceremonial rites, thus weakening security at the Church headquarters... This current situation arose from the stacking of many unfortunate and unforeseen factors."

"What a great joke. Simply stated, humans are to blame. Cut the formalities and get to the chase."

"The Church is officially tasking you, Elisabeth Le Fanu, to exterminate or capture The Emperor."

Elisabeth scoffed at the orb"s answer and haughtily crossed her legs the other way, grinning sardonically.

"Ordering me to wipe your a.s.s again? You people never change. Your G.o.d remains sitting on the throne without the slightest movement, never saving you. And what saves you is the power and authority you flaunt arbitrarily. You people whip the dog that is leashed in the name of G.o.d while sitting on your high horse."

"We do not possess the military strength to oppose those beings, which is why we have no choice but to employ you. However, this does not negate the truth of G.o.d being with us at all times. Although G.o.d tests us with trials and tribulations, G.o.d"s blessings are with us as children of G.o.d."

"Cut the nonsense! You conman! According to your dogma, those men who contracted with demons, turning into misshapen forms, and I, Torturchen, are all created by G.o.d. Yet when has G.o.d"s blessing been with us? I cannot believe how you can cling to these words despite the obvious contradictions!"

"May G.o.d"s blessing continue to be with you. G.o.d is merciful and you will know that G.o.d is by your side if you open your heart to experience carefully. Shedding tears of blood on your behalf, G.o.d will surely grant you redemption through punishment. I have known you since you were young, Elisabeth, daughter of my ally, the head of the Le Fanu family... You are supposed to hate the demons."

Elisabeth"s eyebrow twitched as she pursed her lips with displeasure. Kaito peered timidly from the side at her face. However, he hastily righted his posture when Elisabeth glared at him.

Unconcerned by Elisabeth"s silence, the orb of light continued indifferently.

"Do not the forget the inscription we engraved on your sword. "Earn your freedom through action. Pray for G.o.d to become your savior. The beginning, the process, the end, everything is in G.o.d"s hands." The Church has also imposed multiple restraints on The Emperor and we have activated all of them today. They will expire after the seventh day. Kindly punish him during this time."

The glowing orb issued a deadline in an unchanging tone of voice. His tone did not sound like a threat, but precisely because of that, Kaito felt bone-chilling terror. By Elisabeth"s side, he began to think.

(Seven days, is it possible to take care of The Emperor during this period? If not, what would be the outcome?)

When the time came, what kind of calamity would befall mankind?

The other side did not elaborate. As though adding a final stab, he finished with a command.

"Do a little good before you die."

The orb stopped glowing and fell to the floor with a clunk. Kaito picked it up, only to see that it was made of thin paper. He had no idea at all which part of it was giving off light just now.

Looking up in confusion, Kaito asked Elisabeth:

"Hey, just now that was..."

"A meeting initiated by G.o.dot Dios, one of the Church"s top officials. That old fart is still annoying as ever."

Elisabeth shook her head and say no more. Watching the side of her face while she stared off into s.p.a.ce, Kaito asked the question that bothered him the most.

"Hey, do you have an idea where The Emperor went?"

"Yes."

Elisabeth instantly replied. Kaito breathed a sigh of relief for now. Whether The Emperor"s whereabouts were known would greatly affect the difficulty of the mission.

Elisabeth narrowed her red eyes at the wall"s collapsed hole as though staring out into the distance. Over there were endless gray clouds glinting darkly, shrouding the sky over the pitch-black and rustling forest.

"The Emperor has returned. Returned to my castle and homeland."

Why had The Emperor returned to Elisabeth"s homeland?

Why did The Emperor call out to Elisabeth with affection?

Kaito waited for a continuation but Elisabeth stopped talking, so he did not pry. The two of them stood there without moving, staring at the hole in the wall.

After a long silence, the wind brought in the smell of rain from outside. Soon after, Elisabeth took a deep breath and exhaled. She clicked her tongue and suddenly stood up forcefully as though intending to knock her chair over.

"———Time to set off."

"————Oh."

Kaito nodded in response to her words that were infused with subdued anger.

In the next instant, Elisabeth floored Kaito with a sharp kick, saying "Is this the proper att.i.tude of a servant?"

Elisabeth"s homeland was on the other side of a tall wall.

It was said that the great n.o.ble house of Le Fanu used to own vast territories. This rural town was a special place. The b.l.o.o.d.y legend of Torturchen began none other than here.

With the Le Fanu family"s spired castle of chalk in the center, the town had its back to a steep mountain while its front was spread in a fan shape. Using the mountainous terrain, the town was surrounded by walls equipped with phantasmal beast summoning platforms, allowing solid defense during times of war. But currently, the walls were being used for a completely different purpose.

With the gate tightly shut, the walls had sealed the town securely. Take one step beyond the wall and one would arrive in a realm of death.

The tall walls currently stood tantamount to a gigantic tombstone for this little town.

It was said that "Torturchen" Elisabeth Le Fanu had shut the gate and set up instruments of torture and execution on the streets to subject every last one of the town"s residents to torture. The ma.s.sacre had lasted three days and three nights during which the screams of pain were like a grand musical piece, playing throughout the town the whole time.

With the slaughter at this town as a starting point, she proceeded to create the Field of Impalement, the Death Ball at the Mountain Village, acc.u.mulating every greater piles of corpses.

(...The more I learn, the worse the details coming to light.)

All this was information told to Kaito by Elisabeth herself.

Kaito wanted to understand their next destination, so Elisabeth tossed him a copy of The Records of Torturchen compiled by the Church. After learning this series of legends, Kaito was shocked. Then she scoffed lightly at him.

"Who do you take me for? I am "Torturchen" Elisabeth Le Fanu."

"Even though I am currently hunting demons, I am also a great sinner with few equals in this world, and by no means a saint all the way to the bitter end."

Currently, Kaito, Elisabeth and Hina were standing at the place where the tragic legend began.

In front of them was a scorched and blackened wasteland.

After the ma.s.sacre, the great number of corpses in the streets were difficult to dispose of, so in the end, a fire was set inside the walls to incinerate everything. The fire burned for seven days and seven nights. After the fire, the town was sealed off as-si without recovering the dead bodies inside.

"What a terrible sight."

"Well, borrowing the Church"s description, this is "the land forsaken by G.o.d.""

Elisabeth murmured as though it did not concern her and Kaito nodded slightly.

This description was no exaggeration. Ma.s.sive areas of housing had been burnt down. Between piles of rubble remained torture devices and countless bones, reminiscent of religious paintings of scenes from h.e.l.l. Against a backdrop of brick houses whose roofs had been burnt down, innumerable skeletons were skewered on iron stakes as though they were offerings to demons.

Amidst all this, the castle of chalk was the only structure standing there in beauty, neither decayed nor scorched black.

It was like a toy castle that had been placed after the fact onto a ground covered by ash and dirt.

The one responsible for creating this surreal scene—Elisabeth—clicked her tongue.

"Tsk, even I find this atmosphere annoying. Both of you better be careful. The Emperor has returned and I am unsure what awaits us. However, it is definitely nothing good."

"Understood. I shall stay in combat mode. Lord Kaito, please stay behind me to avoid injury."

"Oh, thanks."

Kaito nodded and went behind Hina obediently. Hina smiled tenderly, bowed and murmured gently:

"Please rest a.s.sured. I will protect you at all costs."

Currently, she was wielding a ma.s.sive halberd.

Tracing out a vicious outline, this weapons was far longer than her height. Its tip, the spear portion, was exceptionally stout while the ax part was a thick and hooked blade. That thing must weigh a lot, yet Hina was holding it like carrying a teapot, quite at ease even when walking with it.

The scene before his eyes was like a joke or perhaps a nightmare. Starting from a while ago, Kaito had felt dizzy. Just as Elisabeth had said, the atmosphere here was quite terrible. There was an unpleasant warmth in the air, as though past flames were still burning underground. The corpses should have rotted or turned to ash, yet it still felt like a pungent stench of decay was brushing against their noses. Like flesh, human regrets and feelings had decayed, turning into mud, piled up in this place. This was Kaito"s most direct impression.

Furthermore, the clear blood l.u.s.t and hatred exuding from the mud were all focused on one target.

Contemptible Elisabeth, terrifying Elisabeth, ugly and cruel Elisabeth!

Be cursed, be cursed, be cursed, forever be cursed, Elisabeth!

The entire town was roaring in silent voices, but Kaito had no way of telling if it was a hallucination.

No matter what, this was a town of death, Elisabeth"s homeland, the birthplace of Torturchen. However, Elisabeth herself completely ignored the pressure from all directions, walking forward openly.

(What exactly... are you thinking?)

Kaito had no clue what was going through her mind. However, how should he go about asking her? But he did not know at all if it was necessary to ask. And the pressing issue at hand was to take care of The Emperor.

Following Elisabeth, he walked along the road that was covered by a thick mixture of ash and mud.

Along the entire street, signs of slaughter could be seen everywhere. Skeletons were buried in the ground in a row like vegetables in a field. On the branches of a burnt tree, three human skeletons were hanging with bones of dogs by metal wire. This was probably a setup where the sharp claws of randomly struggling animals would add to the victims" pain.

Such malice. Kaito frowned. Suddenly, one of the skeletons slowly looked up.

"...Huh?"

"Hmm? What is the matter, Kaito?"

"Uh, umm..."

The skeleton slowly moved, turning its hollow eye sockets towards Elisabeth. Kaito rubbed his eyes but no matter how many times he checked, the skeleton whose head should be down was still staring in their direction. At that moment...

From the incinerated wasteland, dry sounds were heard endlessly At the same time, a huge number of skeletons jumped into the center of the road. Some were impaled by spears from their mouths to their bottoms with spikes all over their backs. Some had all their limbs amputated. Despite their pitiful state, they were dancing in apparent joy.

Confronted with bones that stood as evidence of brutal torture, Kaito gulped. Seeing Kaito halt in his tracks, one of the skeletons approached, reaching out with a hand where half the fingers were gone, like grasping for a lifesaving straw. Kaito felt an urge to hold the hand, but at the same time, the bones brought a sharp broken wrist in a backhanded swing. Instantly, the skeleton collapsed entirely with a whack.

Unsure what happened, Kaito frantically looked to the side. Hina was frozen in a pose after the swing of her halberd, her emerald eyes widened to a scary degree, murmuring to herself:

"—Touching Lord Kaito is forbidden, you accursed sc.u.m."

"Ah, okay."

Kaito hastily dodged behind Hina again. The skeletons kept coming one after another but their primary target, Elisabeth, did not even bother to glance at them.

"What a ha.s.sle."

While stretching her back, she walked with audible footsteps and continued. With every contact of her heel against the ground, darkness and red petals popped out from the road surface and exploded into iron stakes. However, even when nailed to the ground, the skeletons would disa.s.semble and rea.s.semble their bones to approach again. Even with Hina swinging her halberd and Elisabeth eliminating them, the tide was undead was endless.

Kaito felt a chilled to the bottom of his heart. To think that Elisabeth had killed this many people.

As though partic.i.p.ating in a parade, new skeletons kept charging, prompting Elisabeth to click her tongue.

"How much will this weak weak attack continuing? Huh? Mere skeletons will never kill me, not even if they spent a century going at it. Why not show yourself sooner? If you lack other means, stop hogging the stage."

Even with the skeletons hindering them, Kaito"s trio was still advancing east uphill, reaching a main road connected to the castle.

Probably to facilitate the coming and going of horse-drawn carriages, the gently sloping path was paved with tiles and made quite wide. The left and right edges had remains of melted metal signs as the frames of what used to be magnificent houses. The roofs of surviving single-story buildings were covered with dust and ash, probably a row of shops in the past. Even now, with the entire town in utter decay, memories of past prosperity lingered on this main street. However, a terrifying silhouette was currently standing at what appeared to be a residential neighborhood.

A tall woman, dressing in funeral attire, was standing there as though mourning the vast number of deceased.

Her face was obscured by black lace. Her sleek black hair draped down on her back while she stood there silently. She was wearing silk gloves and a long dress whose collar completely covered up her throat. The color black was uniform from head to toe. Covered up like those adhering to imposed propriety, her body was exceptionally skinny except for the ma.s.sive bust, resulting in an unbelievable air of allure. The wide sun hat was decorated with many fragrant-looking lilies on top.

These lonely flowers, like those presented at graveyards, were the only source of color and brightness on her pure black getup.

Elisabeth halted and asked with displeasure:

"Suspicious woman over there, dressed in black, are you the necromancer conducting this annoying attack?"

"——It seems that you do not hold back at all, even against the people you toyed with, violated, and killed in the past."

Her voice was quite deep for a woman but strangely gentle. Elisabeth frowned and narrowed her red eyes as though she was searching her memories.

Kaito was behind her and puzzled too. Elisabeth rarely showed any expression to enemies apart from anger or annoyance. In a distinct babbling tone of voice, she continued:

"Showing no interest in the bones after consuming the flesh... Is that what you mean?"

"Oh, certainly, however... Your voice and manner of speaking, could it be that..."

The woman did not reply to Elisabeth"s question. She lifted up her skirt hem from the mound of ash, raising it up to the base of her thigh. Her skin under the skirt was exposed, to a dangerous height that invited doubt as to whether she was wearing underwear. Then she shook her skirt hem, resulting in human bones falling out.

With a clatter, the bones a.s.sembled into their original shape. Like giving a cat affection, the woman stroked the skulls of the crawling skeletons. Seeing the finished skeletons, Kaito was rendered speechless.

Twisted limbs and spines arched backwards in a bridge posture, crawling on the road. It was impossible to walk around in this manner unless the body had been restricted in such a state for long periods of time.

These small skeletons were all children.

Crawling on the ground, the skeletons pounced at Elisabeth. What sounded like screams leaked out from between their teeth, but Elisabeth mercilessly kicked without hesitation.

"No end to this!"

The tip of her heel smashed the child"s chest, causing the skeleton to collapse just like that. Due to the wind from that powerful kick, the woman"s hat was blown to the ground. The face hidden under the black veil was revealed.

She possessed full lips, slender eyes and a beauty mark at the corner of her eye. A beautiful woman who gave off a modest impression.

She smiled and said:

"I apologize for not being in touch for so long, Lady Elisabeth."

Her blue-gray eyes moistened while she bowed her head deeply. She looked up and picked up her hat, patting away the dirt before putting it on her head, this time in a manner showing her face. She narrowed her eyes nostalgically with a smile on her lips.

"My lady, you have not changed the slightest. I have advised you many times in the past to change that impatient character of yours."

"Wretched woman... Are you Marianne?"

Elisabeth"s voice showed faltering. The woman nodded with delight. Faced with Elisabeth"s unusual reaction, Kaito asked:

"Marianne?"

"She used to be my governess. Why are you here? Originally, you were merely an ordinary woman, rather mundane, well-educated but average in looks, with a strong obsession about cleanliness, remaining as a spinster, am I not correct? Why did you become a necromancer?"

"My lady, do you truly not know? After witnessing such cruel scenes, do you honestly believe I could continue my life as an ordinary woman?"

The woman—Marianne—answered in a singing voice while her hands, clad in gloves of black lace, began to move.

With every motion of her slender fingers, the bones scattered on the stone tiles would bounce up one after another like marionettes. While Marianne having the skeletons enact a ridiculous dance, she continued:

"Logically speaking, when the notorious Torturchen allowed me to live, I ought to have fled this town to the remote countryside to live out my life quietly. However, I could not do that. Having educated you... That willful and adorable little lady, but supposed to be quite righteous in the fiber of your being, to think you would take out tools of torture and execution with delight, to start a mad ma.s.sacre that would create h.e.l.l on earth. Confronted with such scenes, I honestly felt..."

Marianne lifted her face and directed a gaze of compa.s.sion as though looking at someone pitiful.

"I was wrong, it was my fault. Had I performed my duties properly as your governess, to educate and guide you correctly, you would not have strayed into such a misguided path after the death of your parents. All this is my responsibility. I am to blame for failing to save you, my lady."

"Cut the nonsense. How could you possibly be responsible? Do not get too full of yourself. Ever since my childhood, your education had failed to affect me in any way, so there existed no possibility of you changing my cruel nature. Regardless what you did, it would have been akin to wind against my ear, leaving nothing permanent. Futility at its best."

Elisabeth raised her black fingernails with a whoosh.

(Is she summoning another instrument of torture?)

Kaito held his breath but instead of of summoning anything, Elisabeth simply pointed into the distance.

"Be gone. I have no idea why you chose now to appear before me, but do not let me see you again. During my childhood days, I was confined indoors for long periods of time and you looked after me plenty. This time, I shall let you go, but never again. Hurry and get lost somewhere far away from me. Find a place to die in peace and quiet."

(Is she letting an enemy that attacked her go?)

Kaito felt surprised again while recalling the image of Elisabeth in childhood that he had witnessed some time ago. Next to that extremely emaciated girl was a slightly neurotic but very gentle woman.

A willful young lady and her governess... Their appearance was a surprisingly perfect match for this relationship.

Precisely because such a scene had occurred in the past, Elisabeth was showing mercy to her now, but Marianne did not look like she would listen to Elisabeth.

With her hands clasped firmly before her chest, she tightened her fingers so much that the flesh was squeezed, making the bones visible.

"It was my fault... I was the one who allowed you to become so twisted. That is why I..."

"Enough, Marianne! Listen to others!"

"...my lady, the way you are..."

Marianne"s finger bones creaked. As though responding to her turbulent emotions, the bones underfoot jumped violently. These bones abandoned human form to a.s.semble a giant scaffold. The scaffold rattled while falling towards Elisabeth.

Elisabeth simply shrugged. In the next instant, the bones scattered as though there had been an explosion from within.

Out from the scaffold dashed a blood-less horse.

"What!?"

Elisabeth widened her eyes in surprise. Kaito was speechless too. The horse glowing with phosph.o.r.escence, the stately armor... This belonged to The Knight who was supposed to be dead. However, this was not the real Knight.

The Knight before their eyes was made from rotten flesh. The flesh horse"s chest was dangling, exposing the ribs. From gaps in the armored helmet, juices of decay and maggots kept emerging. Even if it was a resurrection, that body looked far too fragile. Nevertheless, lightning attacked the surroundings with every kick of the hooves against the ground, just like the real thing.

Spurring his horse to charge, The Knight grabbed a lance from the lightning in the air.

"Bone Mill!"

Elisabeth swung a flat hammer featuring many spikes, gouging a large chunk of decomposing flesh from The Knight"s body and crushing his bones. The Knight easily collapsed. However, just before he vanished, the lance smashed the ground violently. Although the body composed of rotting flesh was fragile, the offensive strength was not to be underestimated.

"The way you are, my lady, I love you to bits!"

With cheeks flush red, Marianne screamed in joy. Panting heavily, she hugged her own body tightly with her slender arms, looking like she was trying to suppress the excitement in her heart, squeezing her bust under the ma.s.sive pressure.

Elisabeth"s face twitched as she back away forcefully. Kaito also broke out in cold sweat on his back. Before them, Marianne"s eyes were flashing brightly.

This woman did not seem mentally sane at all.

Squeezing her chest further, she deformed her bust even more and started to murmur in ecstasy:

"Shoudering heavy sins that are impossible to redeem, my lady, no one will understand you, no one will love you. Cursed and hated by the people, you will ultimately die pitifully... I am probably the only one who can save you despite yourself, the only one willing to save you despite what you are. This is precisely the new mission I have accepted for failing to stop you in the past. Precisely because of that, I have committed my resolve."

Marianne licked her luscious lips and saliva dripped to her chin.

"I will... personally end your life!"

"The Knight, eh? ...My, what bizarre techniques you have acquired. I know not your objective but presumably, that man must be the one pulling strings, yes? How great a power have you received from The Emperor?"

Ignoring the confession delivered with fervent gaze, Elisabeth asked. Marianne simply responded with a quiet smile.

With the sound similar to percussion instruments, the bones formed a scaffold shape again. Like a burning torch, the center swirled with blue flames in a vortex. In this horrifying scene, like a magic ritual, the bizarre looking Knight was born in flames. Then more scaffolds were set up one after another, producing replicas of The Knight nonstop.

Next, boxes a size smaller than the earlier scaffolds was a.s.sembled and meat frogs jumped out from inside. Countless slimy hands and feet slapped the stone tiles of the ground, splattering liquid poison and decay fluid all over the place.

"All for the sake of loooooooooooooooooove!"

"You... are thoroughly insane."

The strange voice echoed, sounding like it was moistened with love. Elisabeth shook her head as though she had an intolerable headache. Marianne said something and then her face flushed even redder as though in embarra.s.sment, and nodded her head deeply.

Staring at her, Hina cautiously raised her halberd and whispered:

"...Why is this? I want to refute her yet I also feel deeply sympathetic with her."

"Please don"t do that, I"m begging you."

"N-No, Lord Kaito, you have misunderstood! What I understand is the heartache felt for a master who has strayed into the wrong path, but proceeding to decide that the master should be killed would be far too arrogant. Even if the master is walking the wrong path, one should support the master to the very end, squeezing out even the last drop of bone marrow and die for the master, that is what a servant"s duty entails. Besides, love means self-sacrifice. So long as it is for your sake, Lord Kaito, I will gladly die any time."

"Hina, ahead of you!"

Many meat frogs were jumping about. Their soft and rotten flesh pushing against one another and deforming, pushing their way to approach Kaito and company. Instantly, Hina vanished without a sound. She charged forward and swung her halberd fiercely.

"—Mere decomposing flesh—"

The meat frog at the forefront had its belly ruptured in one hit, splashing rotting meat and liquid poison on the meat frogs in the back. As though dancing, Hina stepped on the frog"s corpse and advanced, her body spinning half a revolution while swinging the halberd, sweeping the surrounding meat frogs.

Then she swung her halberd vigorously again to throw off the poison fluid stuck to the blade and suddenly stopped.

"—Quit bothering—"

She lowered her center of gravity and dashed fiercely. During the instant when she pa.s.sed by The Knight, she swung her halberd at the horse, bifurcating the horse"s body horizontally. The horse"s lower half galloped some distance before collapsing on the road just as the top half fell on the stone tiles. The Knight looked around uneasily.

"—my loving conversation with Lord Kaito!"

Hina lopped off The Knight"s head, kicking the head flying out of sight the second it fell to the ground.

After doing all this, Hina returned to Kaito as though performing a magnificent dance. Brandishing the halberd rapidly with great dexterity, she sent rotting meat flying into the air. Once all the filth was gone, she readjusted her grip on the halberd and smiled at Kaito.

That smile was as sweet as an angel"s.

"Excuse me, let us continue. Only for your sake, Lord Kaito, I have long prepared myself to walk gladly to my death. Even now, I will not allow anyone to harm a single hair of yours, so please do not worry."

"Th-Thanks. Y-You"re such a great help. B-By the way, how"s Elisabeth doing on her side?"

Under Hina"s intense pressure, Kaito acted a little suspiciously while looking around him.

Elisabeth was facing an endless onslaught of demons reproduced through rotten flesh. However, she remained completely unfazed, even swinging a spiked metal ball in a haphazard storm, piercing the bodies of these demon replicas, tossing them to the ground to produce a huge number of meatb.a.l.l.s.

"Marianne, what is the meaning of this?"

"This is one of the thirteen demons defeated by you. Or rather, its devotees. I extracted some of their blood back when they were still alive, then using that blood as a catalyst, I summoned part of their soul to replicate. By manifesting the intense twistedness in their souls through temporary bodies of flesh, this is the result."

"A sudden career change to a necromancer cannot possibly attain such powerful techniques. Sure enough, you have joined Vlad."

"Indeed, I have received plenty of help, sacrificing many people as well. However, all this was for your sake alone, it was unavoidable. For the sake of allowing a weak woman such as I to be able to fight Torturchen, everything was a necessary sacrifice."

After listening to Marianne, Kaito examined those demon replicas again. The materials used probably consisted of human flesh. This town had bones all over the place, but no flesh. Where and how did Marianne obtain this human flesh? Given the ma.s.sive quant.i.ty required by her spells, just the thought of that was nauseating.

As though praying, Marianne clasped her gloved fingers together.

"Yes, indeed. Unavoidable... Unavoidable, unavoidable unavoidable unavoidable! This was unavoidable! Because, because I wanted to become like you, there was no other way except to shoulder an acc.u.mulation of sins just like you!"

Blue flames rushed forth as her voice heightened. The flames burned as though recreating the great fire from the past, producing a huge number of Knights from them.

The Knights charged at Elisabeth while an army of meat frogs swarmed Kaito and Hina.

"Stop exposing your ugly forms endlessly in front of Lord Kaito!"

Hina swung her halberd with precision, even calculating the trajectory of splashing poison, but suddenly, the bones in the surroundings turned into a shield, blocking her attack. Even though the bones were smashed, the meat frogs were spared.

"Hina, are you ok—"

"—Impudent knaves!"

Hina shouted, burying the sole of her boot into the face of a meat frog that had evaded her halberd. The frog"s head was crushed and exploded, splashing all around. Hina landed magnificently, the hem of her maid uniform fluttering.

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Kaito. Sure enough, you are so kind... But now..."

The same situation was happening over at Elisabeth"s side.

Skeletons were crawling all over her metal ball. Despite their smashed bodies, those skeletons continued to cling tightly to the spikes on the metal ball while digging their feet deep into the ground, forcefully stopping the metal ball, using their numbers to fight a battle of attrition.

"Ahh, my lady, do you feel it? Has regret made your skin tremble? Has chagrin brought stinging pain to your womb? You shall be killed by the remains of the innocent people you slaughtered. Do you feel it? Their intense hatred, blood l.u.s.t, sorrow, does it sting your skin and burn your flesh!? My lady!"

Clutching her lower abdomen tightly, Marianne called out like an opera singer.

Countless lances had their tips pointed at Elisabeth. Elisabeth impatiently snapped her fingers.

Arms of iron grabbed the lances. Equal numbers of Iron Maidens surrounded The Knights, preparing to drag them into their chests. However, skeletons kept throwing themselves into the open chest cavities, one after another, invading the internals of the Iron Maidens, breaking their gears.

With a storm of tears, as though she were the one being attacked, Marianne cried out:

"My lady, did you know? Your people whom you have killed, they used to have ordinary lives that they wanted to protect? No one deserved to die by your hand, you know? My lady!"

Marianne looked very bizarre. The ecstatic red flush on her face had subsided. Pressing her hand firmly against her chest, she was panting as though she were in pain, shedding tears nonstop.

"Why? Why? My lady, why did you have to perpetrate such cruel acts? Why, why did you not understand!? My ladyyyyyyyyyy!"

"...Her mind... has split huh?"

Kaito could not help but mutter. Marianne"s conduct was very unstable. While driven by love in ecstasy, trying to kill Elisabeth, she was also tearfully demanding her to show remorse and contrition.

"My lady, why, why will you not understand...? I have given up on being myself. What you have done will make everyone weep, I must kill you. I must stop you and it must be I who will stop you."

Only now did Kaito realize that Marianne"s mind was completely broken. She had been utterly crushed by the h.e.l.l on earth created by Elisabeth as well as the guilt of failing to prevent Elisabeth"s atrocities.

"...my, my, my lady, it was my fault, so..."

What was in front of Kaito and company was nothing more than an ordinary woman who had gone completely mad.

Emitting a sharp cry that resembled a scream, Marianne covered her face. On that hat of hers, the white lilies silently shook. Elisabeth clicked her tongue and said quietly:

"......How tragic, Marianne. This was all done by your hand."

At that moment, Elisabeth"s leg was grabbed by a skeleton"s hand. She was pulled into a large group of undead all at once. These people whom she had slaughtered cruelly, their rotted bodies br.i.m.m.i.n.g with concentrated blood thirst and hatred, and Torturchen was completely submerge in this blood thirst and hatred.

Contemptible Elisabeth, terrifying Elisabeth, ugly and cruel Elisabeth!

Be cursed, be cursed, be cursed, be cursed, forever be cursed, Elisabeth!

Kaito felt like he could hear the dead"s pitiful cries, but not to outdone, he shouted loudly:

"Elisabeth! Come out! Elisabeth! Stop s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around, hey!"

"Lady Elisabeth, Hina shall come a.s.sist you!"

Hina cried out too and charged. Before she got there, the skeletons rattled and squirmed as though trying to make Elisabeth savor the pain they had experienced. Marianne shouted again:

"Did you know? Did you know? My lady, my lady!"

"Something like that... I..."

A feeble voice leaked out from the skeletons. Hina hastily halted. At the same time, a voice exploded.

"I knew it... Long agoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Accompanying a thunderous shout, chains extended out like an explosion.

With Elisabeth at the center, countless chains erupted, swirling in a vortex like a hurricane, sweeping away the undead completely mercilessly. Countless skeletons were easily dragged by the chains, producing an endless sound of breaking bones.

The vortex of chains was like the blooming of a gorgeous rose, unfolding all around. The chains swept across the ground, smashing debris, crushing skeletons into fragments, utterly pulverizing all the people whom she had tortured and killed in the past. Noticing the wildly flying chains that were like a multi-headed snake, Hina murmured:

"As expected of Lady Elisabeth, how beautiful. However, this... is bad news! Excuse me, Lord Kaito!"

"Woah!"

Hina dashed at full speed, picking up Kaito in a princess carry to head off. In the next instant, chains struck their former location. Caught in the storm, an abandoned house collapsed immediately, scattering charred timber fragments and ash in the surroundings.

After the dust settled, only Elisabeth remained standing in the center.

Like a cat with all hairs standing on end, she was panting heavily.

Marianne had backed away. The few remaining Knights were standing in a row, blocking in front of her. Before they could charge at her, Elisabeth stabbed the Executioner"s Sword of Frankenstahl into the stone tiles at her feet.

"h.e.l.l Hole!"

This shout summoned an earthquake, causing the road surface to sink into a funnel shape, ensnaring all of The Knights.

At the bottom of the pit, countless insects were writhing around. These insects, covered with metallic carapaces, glinting with black l.u.s.ter, seemed to be creatures from another world. The Knights" bodies were submerged in insects. Their rotten flesh bitten off by the insects" tiny teeth, they emitted horrific screams. Faced with this abundance of food, the swarm of insects chirped in frenzied delight.

"......!"

Marianne backed away step by step but a chain penetrated the surrounding ground and flew out like a snake, entangling her skinny body and ma.s.sive bust tightly, hanging her into the air exactly how she remembered Elisabeth had done so previously. As though wanting to know Elisabeth"s answer to her earlier cries, she stared straight at Elisabeth.

In front of her, Elisabeth was wearing a solemn expression with both hands superimposed on her sword"s hilt.

"I am sorry, Marianne. I knew all that long ago, but kept it to myself."

Marianne"s eyes widened slightly in surprise. Elisabeth stared back straight into her blue-gray eyes.

"In this world, not one of my people deserved to die by my hand. Everyone I killed had wholesome existences and the right to enjoy their lives. Whom I killed were innocent people. Cruelly, tragically, mercilessly, tyrannically, I sliced them up. Marianne, what you say is right. There is no way for me to redeem such heavy sins even with my death."

Elisabeth confessed her sins sincerely but at the same time, she spat at the stone tiles. Recounting and admitting her sins, but unrepentant... Elisabeth declared firmly:

"It was with full knowledge and understanding of all this that—I became Torturchen."

What was the reason behind that? Elisabeth did not elaborate.

The empty wind blew against her gorgeous hair. Carrying the heat from the remains of the great fire, the wind howled in apparent lamentation.

Contemptible Elisabeth, terrifying Elisabeth, ugly and cruel Elisabeth!

Be cursed, be cursed, be cursed, be cursed, forever be cursed, Elisabeth!

Taking on the grudge and hatred from all of the deceased on her own, Elisabeth continued:

"I desire neither forgiveness nor understanding. I used to take joy in screams and take pleasure in despair. With derision, profanity and cursing, go to h.e.l.l... My apologies, Marianne."

"......My lady."

"Soon enough, I shall follow in your footsteps. Worry not, it will definitely not be long."

Elisabeth curled the corners of her lips slightly. Although the childish look persisted for merely an instantly, she looked more vulnerable than usual.

Elisabeth applied more force to the Executioner"s Sword of Frankenstahl in her hand. Seeing that, Marianne shook her head. She closed her eyes, then opened them, speaking softly with a calm expression like a governess.

"My lady, I know. The Executioner"s Sword of Frankenstahl is a high-level catalyst for summoning torture instruments and chains. However, it itself is sword of execution forged for the sake of decapitating sinners while burned at the stake, to relieve them of prolonged pain and suffering, a weapon filled with warm compa.s.sion. Do you intend to kill me with something like that?"

"Indeed. I shall use it to chop off your head, you ordinary woman who has gone insane."

"That will not do, my lady. This runs completely counter to your style. You must not grant mercy to me alone. Since your twistedness cannot be rectified even unto death, please use a torture instrument on me to slaughter me cruelly."

Elisabeth tensed her expression slightly. Marianne"s eyes were filled with strong determination while she scolded Elisabeth:

"Only by rejecting and slaughtering me with pain and suffering will you prove that there is no one capable of shaking your spirit. That even after you were captured to become a dog of the Church, your spirit remains that of a tyrant... In that case, such is your true colors!"

Marianne closed her eyes for a moment then opened them slowly. With a solemn expression, as a governess, she gave Elisabeth a final warning.

"Showing mercy to even one person will shake your determination. Remember this well."

Elisabeth did not respond. However, Marianne suddenly put away her strict expression as a governess. Like facing a willful child, she showed a very gentle gaze.

"I love you sincerely, my lady. Even after things have come to this, my admiration for you has not changed the slightest since your childhood."

Marianne smiled gently then spoke with sincere sorrow:

"If you were to kill me now, I fear that there will never be anyone in this world who will love you."

"Yes, you are correct. Forever and ever, there will be no one."

Elisabeth quietly agreed. Marianne nodded and lowered her head as though waiting for her execution.

Elisabeth released the Executioner"s Sword of Frankenstahl she was holding, her gorgeous black hair fluttering in the breeze. She looked up at the sky with an exceptionally calm expression. A heavy silence was hanging between the two women. The executioner and the condemned. Neither of them moved.

At that moment, the air around Kaito made a noise and froze.

"...What"s happening?"

A few seconds after the strange noise resembling gla.s.s shattering, Kaito finally noticed what was odd in the surroundings.

The scene within his view had taken on a slightly blue tinge, frozen. Elisabeth, Hina and the particles of bone and dust rolling in the wind, everything was motionless. Kaito reached out in trepidation, but a transparent membrane seemed to be isolating him from the frozen objects, preventing him from even touching them.

"What"s going on? Hey, Elisabeth, Hina!"

Kaito yelled loudly but they could not hear him at all. No response. Just as Kaito was feeling confused, he suddenly felt someone behind him and turned around.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, innocent soul."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, innocent soul."

He saw two girls dressed in a maid uniform even more archaic than Hina"s, raising their skirt hems in a curtsy.

One of them was holding in one hand a box that was tied with a ribbon. The other was holding up a watch whose hands had stopped. Their long hair, flowing down their back, was made of gold thread, with cracked violet gemstones embedded in their eye sockets. Seeing artificial organs, Kaito realized that these two were not people but dolls.

Expressionless, they moved only their lips once again.

"Do you think Elisabeth will kill her?"

"Will Torturchen be able to do the deed?"

"What"s going on? What are you two talking about?"

"How tragic, killing someone who loves you."

"How sad, killing someone who admires you."

"You"re right, but it"s not like I can stop it."

Kaito clenched his fist. He did not understand what kind of bonds and debts existed between Marianne and Elisabeth, nor what kind of memories they had between them, nor what they were currently thinking, so he had no idea what would be right.

This was Elisabeth"s choice and decision. Her choice had no room for Kaito"s half-baked ideas to interfere at all. However, the two maids shook their heads in perfect unison.

"Who say anything about stopping her?"

"Not a single word."

" "We are not asking what you will do, not what Elisabeth will do." "

"...Huh?"

Kaito had no clue what they were talking about anymore. Besides, who the heck were they?

The maid holding the box cleared her throat mechanically and quietly approached. Kaito stepped back warily. However, the maid untied the ribbon and opened the lid, openly presenting the contents to Kaito.

The instant he saw that thing, Kaito felt a violent urge to vomit. He covered his mouth with his hands.

"...Gah, urgghhhh."

Inside the box, a great many spiders with crow feathers on them were writhing. Palm-sized spiders in layer after layer were scurrying about on eight legs that were covered in feathers. In the center of the box, there was a baby buried in the spiders, unbelievably. Kaito wanted to reach out to rescue him, but instantly gasped in horror.

"Don"t tell, this is..."

"Oh dear, he realized, huh?"

"Yes, he figured it out, huh?"

A closer look showed that the chubby healthy baby"s lower body had spider legs. Already filled with teeth, his little mouth was shaped in an exceptionally cruel grin.

Feeling a penetrating shock to his head, Kaito understood at the same time.

"This thing... Don"t tell me it"s The Earl?"

Speaking of which, The Earl was not among the swarms of demons recreated with rotten flesh attacking them earlier.

Kaito shuddered in revulsion and took a step back. At the same time, the two maids spoke:

"Marianne has preserved The Earl"s soul too."

"We have injected it into a human baby."

" "Left alone, he would probably grow up into something like that accursed man." "

With a flabby hand, the baby was stroking the spiders" backs like playing lovingly with pets. With eyes filled with crafty intellect, he looked down at the spiders, smiling contentedly with malice.

Kaito subconsciously raised a fist but did not swing it down. If this thing before him were identical to The Earl last time, he would be able to strike a killing blow. This was something he had wanted to do countless times. However, although this thing was fundamentally the same as The Earl, it was still a baby after all.

Kaito could not bring himself to hit him, much less kill him. Murdering a baby in cold blood would make him no different from his father. He forced his tightly clenched fist open and slowly stroked his own cheek that had turned pale.

Noticing Kaito"s appearance, the two maids exchanged glances and nodded.

"Ah, sure enough, it is beyond him right off the bat."

"Oh well, we will just have to be patient."

" "Let it be for now." "

The maid with the box raised it high then dashed it to the ground without hesitation.

The spiders panicked and rushed out from gaps in the smashed box. The baby also crawled out, flattening the escaping spiders that got in his way. The maid used the tip of her foot to flip the baby then stepped down hard on him.

"Wha!"

With inhuman strength, the baby"s fat belly was deformed under compression and exploded. A huge number of organs were squeezed out, different from human ones in shape. Amid the vivid pool of blood, the baby twitched for a while then became motionless. Witnessing this excessively cruel scene, Kaito was speechless. In front of him, the two maids shrugged.

"Very well, it is flattened now. Are you relieved?"

"It has been well taken care of. Nothing to worry anymore, right?"

"I wasn"t... No, that"s not it. I definitely am relieved... d.a.m.n it, this sucks! But you"re the ones who made that thing in the first place! Why did you do that?"

"Precisely. Even if we squash one now, more can be created."

"So long as the necromancer keeping the soul in her womb does not die, it can be recreated endlessly."

Listening to the two maids, Kaito felt a chill through his entire body. He glanced at the baby"s pitiful corpse. To think that they could create more of this thing, that was definitely no joking matter.

"Now the issue we face is this. Will Elisabeth kill her, or not kill her?"

"If she does not kill her, we will capture Marianne and use her to ma.s.s produce The Earl."

Kaito turned towards Marianne, who was restrained by chains, only to see her pale face showing she was fully prepared for death and well as deeply tired of life. She was not supposed to be someone who would become a necromancer in the first place.

"...So what you"re saying is that you guys are going to cruelly force her to work, even though she"s already broken, is it?"

"Until Marianne"s fragile mind completely breaks, we will keep ma.s.s producing The Earl to release outside."

"Indeed, when the time comes, that scene will reappear. Countless instances of Grand Guignol will be reenacted happily nonstop."

The two maids smiled coldly at each other. Kaito could feel his vision turning red from anger.

At the same time, the spider"s restless appearance surfaced in Kaito"s mind. The pitiful screams of the children. Neue cursing helplessly, smiling while crying, then dragged away to disappear.

He felt as though he could hear pitiful screaming and the sound of the young man"s neck being broken. The first person to wish Kaito a happy life had been cruelly killed in this manner.

Anger and blood l.u.s.t filled up Kaito"s mind, causing a weird noise like grinding gears somewhere in his brain. Kaito slowly looked up, his eyes abnormally widened. In an icy voice, he asked the two maids:

"Do you think I will let you succeed?"

"This courage, foolhardy at best, is quite impressive."

"But you are misguided. The one you need to kill is not us."

Raising one side of their skirt hem, lowering one knee, the two maids curtsied gracefully again. The maid who had thrown away the box motioned to the chain-bound Marianne while the other maid held a watch up high.

"Very well, time to resume."

"You have only seconds to make your call. Please be decisive."

" "Do not leave regrets for yourself." "

Instantly, the two of them vanished and color returned to the world. The cold wind blew, ashes and dust flew in the sky. Biting her lip hard, Elisabeth raised her arm up high.

At the same time, Kaito kicked the ground and took off.

There were only a few seconds left for him to make a decision. Regardless whether Elisabeth was going to snap her fingers or not, there was no time to wait. If she failed to snap her fingers, there would be no chance to stop events from unfolding, resulting in inevitable tragedy in the future.

Kaito naturally understood what the two maids were hinting at. Thinking calmly and clearly, he understood what he needed to do and instantly turned thoughts into action.

Kaito pulled out the Executioner"s Sword of Frankenstahl from the ground. Possibly due to magical a.s.sistance, the sword was unexpectedly light. He turned towards Elisabeth and ignoring her surprised red eyes, he walked up to her extremely naturally, forcing himself to ignore the legitimacy of this act.

(Even if I don"t do it, Marianne will still be killed. Either dying in pain and suffering under Elisabeth"s torture or being exploited to the limit by others until she is useful to no one, these are the only paths awaiting her.)

h.e.l.l was the end, regardless which path taken. This fact diluted Kaito"s sense of guilt, allowing him to choose the only solution without resistance.

"—Sorry."

Kaito made a thrust at Marianne with the sword.

Magically enhanced, the blade effortlessly pierced her chest.

"......Huh?"

Marianne widened her eyes in shock and coughed out a lot of blood. Showered with blood in that instant, Kaito felt like he was waking up from something. Warm blood dripped down his face. Instantly, he was confused what he was doing. Suppressing the stomach acid that was surging up, he slowly withdrew his hands from the sword"s hilt. Making eye contact with Marianne, all he could do was move his lips, repeating "sorry." Looking at Kaito"s expression, for some reason, Marianne smiled.

"A-Ahhh... W-With this... Finally, re... pa... id—"

Uttering fragmented words, her face finally froze in a peaceful expression and her neck fell powerlessly.

Ruminating over her final words in a daze, Kaito realized a certain possibility at the same time.

"...Don"t tell me, you..."

Could it be that Marianne actually did not want Elisabeth to keep adding to her sins? However, there was no time for Kaito to ponder this before he was viciously blown away from the side.

"Gwah!"

A flying kick delivered to Kaito"s abdomen sent him sliding , falling on the road that was covered with fragmented stones and ash, only stopping when he finally smashed into a pile of rubble. The intense pain, making him wonder if some of his organs had ruptured, was radiating throughout this body. While coughing blood, Kaito looked up.

Elisabeth was standing at his earlier location, looking expressionlessly at Marianne"s dead body. After a fairly long time, she suddenly gripped the hilt of the sword buried in Marianne"s chest and pulled it out forcefully. A great amount of blood dripped down, turning the ground black.

With her black hair fluttering, she turned towards Kaito. Filled with cold fury, her eyes narrowed.

"Useless dog, why did you act without permission? If you answer fails to satisfy me, I expect you know the outcome?"

Kaito gazed blankly at the pale hand approaching him from the front. But just as her fingertips were about to touch him, Kaito found the sky and earth spinning before him. Hina had picked him up in her arms and jumped to the side. Holding Kaito with her right arm, she raised the halberd warily in her left, sliding on the ground before finally stopping. Elisabeth clicked her tongue.

"Put that thing down, puppet."

"I refuse. You are not my master."

The two of them glared at each other, about to fight any moment. Probably judging that Elisabeth was not an opponent she could handle with one hand, Hina put down Kaito and stepped forward to shield him. Elisabeth grinned in exasperation.

Kaito wanted to stop them from fighting but only irregular breathing leaked out when he opened his mouth. Unable to speak. He desperately forced air down to the bottom of his diaphragm, his abdomen aching, and stuttered:

"Y-You two, cut it out."

Just as he finally squeezed these words out with difficulty, he realized his surroundings had frozen again.

The two maids were standing within his view, blurred from the intense pain and the impact on his abdomen. One of the maid"s shoe was dirty from the baby"s bodily fluids. The other was holding up a watch. The two of them stared at Kaito expressionlessly with their cracked violet eyes. In the next instant, the two beautiful faces turned unbelievably twisted into gentle expressions.

With utterly terrifying smiles, they curtsied gracefully towards Kaito again.

"You pa.s.sed, innocent soul."

"Our master will summon you."

The two maids hummed a melody in a good mood and grabbed the immobile Kaito by the shoulder. Kaito could not muster any strength even if he wanted to resist, and was forcefully lifted up. Gradually dragged away, Kaito turned his head weakly to look back. After being pulled some distance away, the blue and frozen scenery suddenly started to move again.

"Hmm? ...Kaito?"

"Huh? L-Lord Kaito? No way... Lord Kaito, where did you go!?"

Noticing that Kaito had disappeared, Elisabeth and Hina frantically looked around them. Dragged not too far away, Kaito stared at them, hoping they could find him. Hina looked in Kaito"s direction but in that instant...

Growwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwl growwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwl, growwwwwwwwwwwwwl.

Darkness swirled in a vortex as though to block their view, looking as though it would devour everything. The darkness growled while forming beautiful muscles and sleek black fur of the highest quality.

Soon after, the darkness transformed into an exquisite hound with the fires of h.e.l.l burning in its eyes.

Freezing the surrounding air with its imposing presence, The Emperor had appeared.

Guhiehehehehhehehehe, huyuhehehehehehehehe, guhieheheheheheh.

Towards Elisabeth and Hina, that thing emitted what resembled human laughter.

At the end of this despairing scene, Kaito"s consciousness faded into darkness.