types qw

Time

Chapter Text

"Miss Darmine, we've arrived."

The short-furred cat's ears perked up as she stood up.

She stretched after lying down for hours and jumped down the carriage.

Through her travels during this past half a year, Darmine's Scout Patrol spread in numbers.

There were even two humans amongst the ranks who were able to handle many tasks which animals couldn't.

She also figured out that being constantly called by her title was annoying for all parties involved.

A large brown owl was perched up on a nearby tree, cautiously observing the surroundings.

Darmine looked around, the gray environment reflected in her thin pupils.

The air was damp, but also disgustingly dry.

It was the kind you'd expect in a subtropical forest or a jungle.

Darmine kept her tail to the ground.

After slowly moving forward for a few minutes, a small village entered her view.

Immediately, she noticed the signs of corrosion and death.

The plants around the village were dried up and the stone walls were cracked, ready to crumble.

The villagers looked even worse than described.

Their bodies were thin, outlining their skeleton and veins.

Darmine blinked but didn't waste a single second.

She moved onwards and easily sneaked into the village.

She turned into a nearby alley and-

She froze.

Through the dark alley spread a foul odor, the smell of rotting flesh.

Darmine's eyes constricted.

A dead child with busted head and twisted legs hung out of a metallic container.

Next to the overflowing container lay a sewered head and multiple bodiless limbs.

Darmine's body was rooted in one spot for a long while.

Her breath was steady but her heartbeat loud.

Slowly, and with clear uncertainty, she turned away.

With a few swift jumps, Darmine appeared on a rooftop, away from the nauseating scent.

She sat, her fur was standing up and her ears were tilted downward.

Her eyes were closed as she rested stiffly on the uncomfortable roof.

After a few minutes of complete stillness, Darmine stood back up, her eyes opened.

She didn't bother looking back, moving and jumping over the different rooftops.

Aeron stayed back, watching the two humans, a man and a woman, entering the village.

They left their carriage a few minutes of travel away, leaving the horses enough food for a few days.

Immediately, all surrounding villagers turned to look at them.

Their eyes were wide and bloodshot, almost falling out of their eye sockets.

Most gritted their black teeth or even growled.

The younger woman, Muiry, froze at the zombie-like gazes.

She stepped back, grabbing the older man by the arm.

The man didn't flinch, he instead glared back.

Halter was a very intimidating 35 year old man, so many of the half-dead villagers turned away, or just silently observed.

The two walked in, looking around.

But noone approached them, nor did anyone force them to leave.

They were ignored, it was as if the villagers couldn't care less.

Since they couldn't be hunted as an easy prey, there seemed to be no reason for the villagers to bother with them.

The sand under their feet was crunching with each step.

It was an unreasonably loud sound, but it wasn't too obvious.

It was something minor which would send a shiver running down one's spine without any real reason.

After a while, an Inn appeared at the end of the street.

Filled with uncertainty, Halter reached out and opened the door.

The corroded hinges made painful, screeching sounds.

Muiry hissed, swallowing her fear.

The Inn's walls were filled with mold and cracked walls.

Deeper inside was a counter, but noone stood there.

Which, of course, wasn't too unusual.

In such a secluded village, the Inn was barely used, so unless one was lucky, it was necessary to call for the owner using a light bell on the counter.

The two didn't exchange words.

Unlike the two scouting animals, their job was to investigate the place through communication instead of eavesdropping.

They moved closer and Halter gently tapped the bell.

Feeling a bad premonition, Muiry covered her ears before Halter's hand even got close to the button.

But just as he pressed down, the most sickening and jarring shriek burst through his eardrums.

It was revoltingly loud, completely different from a wraith's cry, but it had awfully similar intensity.

Muiry's knees buckled even as she pressed hard against her ears.

Halter was still standing, but his brain was ringing.

Bright red liquid ran down the side of his face from his ear.

Not even a few seconds later, a nearby door opened and an older man stepped out.

He had deep wrinkles and his skin was light gray, lacking any sign of life.

But unlike those outside, he didn't show any hostility towards the two.

His eyes were sunken and his whole posture seemed tired.

The old man's head turned up from the floor.

He moved behind the desk, his steps slow and rugged.

"He...llo... wha...t ca....n I um... do fo...r you?"

His words were slow, prolonged.

Halter stepped closer, his voice deep.

"We would like a room."

The old man looked to the side and then back at Halter.

His movement still as slow as before.

"A... room..?"

Halter's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, a room. You are the owner of the Inn, no?"

The old man flinched, he once again scanned the place before slowly nodding.

"Inn... yes. This i...s our Inn..."

As he said the word 'our', his back hunched, as if with sadness.

Muiry tilted her head.

She cautiously moved forward and let go of Halter's arm.

"Um, sir? What happened here?"

The depressed old man looked at her.

He slowly shook his head.

"It... is a cur...se. Don...'t sta...y for to...o long."

The old man's eyes hazed, tears glistening in the corner.

The two shared looks before Muiry moved in to touch the wooden counter.

"Could you tell us more about that?"

...

Aeron flapped his wings, looking at the roads and houses below him.

After a moment, his gaze paused.

He could see a small group of people walking through the village and entering a house.

The men wore good and clean clothes and their complexions looked healthy.

He also saw a short, shadowy figure following behind them from the rooftops.

With a few light flaps, he moved to a nearby fence.

Darmine eyes glanced at him as Aeron landed on a fence right before the empty house.

She nodded at him before moving around the house and jumping onto a windowsill.

"...tain, this is even worse than what was stated in the report."

Her ears immediately caught the sound of voices coming from the inside.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked through the fogged window.

There were three men somewhere in their mid-twenties to thirties.

They wore white shirts and black windbreakers.

Darmine could see a gun hidden underneath their clothes as well as red gloves on each of their hands.

The middle, oldest man replied to the previous comment.

"Yes, it does not seem like a simple wraith. I suppose we should retreat for now."

The youngest of the three spoke up, his fists clenched.

"But Captain, at this rate, there will not be a next time for the investigation! The people here could be already classified as undead, and who knows if the affected area doesn't expand."

The oldest man nodded, his voice heavy.

"Yes, that might be so, but we do not have the manpower needed to face this. It might very well be a cursed artifact, or even an Evil Spirit. Wa cannot act rashly because of our emotions."

The youngest shuddered, but didn't protest further for now.

Darmine's ear twitched as she jumped down, disappearing into a nearby alley.

...

In the place filled with thick gray fog, Juny turned to the Seat of Honor.

The pages in his hands disappeared as Mr. Fool leaned back in his chair.

"You may begin."

Juny leaned her elbows on the bronze mottled table, staring at the high white pillars around the table.

As she was observing, presumably nothing, Miss Justice happily looked at Mr. Moon.

"Mr. Moon, do you have news of the fruit of the Tree of Elders and the blood of a Mirror Dragon?"

Mr. Moon immediately nodded.

"A total of 750 pounds. Just pay this amount and they'll be yours. And of course, there's my payment. 100 pounds."

Miss Justice brightly responded, unbothered by the total price.

"Deal! I hope that the deal will be completed today or tomorrow."

"No problem."

Mr. Moon didn't refuse Miss Justice's request.

Miss Justice sneakily clenched her hand into a fist in excitement.

She then turned to Juny, who was still staring at the gray fog surrounding her body.

"Miss High Priestess, I have successfully completed your previous request. Were there any problems?"

Juny flinched, almost unnoticeably, before looking up at Miss Justice.

She smiled, nodding.

"Not at all, Miss Justice. Those involved didn't have any negative thoughts, I hope the second part of my request will be done as soon as possible."

Juny was talking about the circulation of a cure against the spreading plague, which she requested of Miss Justice the previous gathering.

Miss Justice wore a happy smile.

"Of course!"

As their conversation came to a finish, Mr. Hanged Man turned to Mr. Moon.

"Do you still want the inheritance of that Sanguine Baron? 4 500 pounds. That's the best prize I managed to get for you."

Juny's eyes narrowed.

Although she did not care much about money, but she hated being scammed.

Because of that, she regularly checked up with Shake and Degster, making sure that she understood the Mysticism-related prices.

This is one of the reasons why Mr. Hanged Man failed to scam her in the past.

She was quite sure that a Sequence 6 Potion Professor's Beyonder Characteristic could be sold for around 3 500 pounds.

Maybe even less if it's Mr. Hanged Man haggling the price.

This meant that Mr. Hanged Man just raised the price by more than a thousand pounds.

'... I truly respect this man. Purely for his ability to scam people.'

Juny looked away as Mr. Moon's expression twisted.

"I... I'll think about it again."

He spoke with difficulty.

Juny suppressed a smile.

'Heh, Mr. Moon just made the sound of pure poverty.'

Thankfully, Mr. Hanged Man didn't press the poor Sanguine further.

"No problem."

He then turned to Miss Justice.

"My fair lady, the Artisan has completed the work and has obtained a rather mystical item. It allows you to change your appearance while also providing you with three Beyonder powers — Flame Controlling, Damage Transfer, and Danger Intuition. It improves your balance and agility. It's a silver mask, but it can also be a hat or an earring; it can change its appearance, and you can name it."

"Of course, it also has its own minor flaws. When you wear it, your emotions will be amplified, and you must learn how to control yourself. It costs 5 500 pounds."

At this point, Mr. Hanged Man chuckled, turning to Mr. World.

"The Beyonder characteristic you provided earns you 4 500 pounds, and the Artisan's workmanship is worth 1 000 pounds."

Mr. World soon nodded in agreement.

"That wouldn't be an issue."

Miss Justice also lightly nodded.

"I will pay within two days of receiving the mystical item."

"Sure."

Mr. Hanged Man didn't seem one bit concerned about Miss Justice's credibility.

Juny leaned back in her seat as Mr. Hanged Man, Mr. Sun and Miss Magician finished their three-way deal.

'But seriously...'

A multitude of very bright lights in the gray fog once again caught her attention.

'there are so many Elementals here. And so many strong ones too!'

Juny's eyes narrowed, she could hear light whispers and words from the bright lights, but she didn't try too hard to understand them.

'Why would that be? And why are there only three types?'

Juny concentrated on the Elementals's looks, comparing them to the ones in her own Pocket Dimension.

'Huh... purple with vertical eye - The Fool Pathway? Then there are many from the Error Pathway, and even the Door Pathway. Huh? Aren't these three Adjacent Pathways? Uh?'

Juny blinked a few times, looking down at the bronze mottled table.

'Now that I think about it again, how are there Elementals here? Does that mean that this place is somehow connected to the three Domains? Making it possible for them to survive by feeding and growing off of its spiritual energy? But that would make this place too strong. And there is technically noone strong enough here to supply enough such spirituality...'

Juny's gaze moved to the Seat of Honor.

'Let's look at this from the start again. Mr. Fool appeared here, in this OVERLY powerful place while he was still just an 'ordinary' human. And also, he's a Beyonder from the Fool Pathway, so there should be no reasonable way for him to create a place like this, not to mention 'pull' others inside...'

'And then there's his Honorary Name. It technically doesn't refer to him, but Mr. Fool in this strange place. Then... does this place have the authority similar to that of an Angel? Let's see... No way that this is a Sefirot, right?'

Juny's body twitched, she did her best not to turn agape.

'No way, right?'

Juny shrank her thoughts back, shaking her head.

'I'll ask the Elementals later, maybe they know something, yes. Let's not jump to conclusions.'

Just as she had that thought, Mr. Fool spoke with a light chuckle.

"Continue your free exchange."

Miss Magician was the first one to speak up.

"Backlund is still under the same kind of high pressure as before. Don't take any risks unless you're an official Beyonder."

Mr. Hanged Man nodded in thought before turning to Mr. Sun.

"Don't be careless. Before holding a sacrificial ritual, it's best to confirm that the chief who led the exploratory team isn't in the City of Silver, or if he's busy with other matters."

Mr. Sun's face carried a hint of astonishment.

"Mr. Hanged Man, do you mean that the Chief could've noticed the repeated cycle of fate?"

Mr. Hanged Man wore a serious expression.

"That possibility can't be ruled out. However..."

At this point, Juny noticed Mr. Hanged Man sneaking glances at her.

Juny's eyes narrowed.

'Sir? Sir, you don't plan on scamming the child, right? Right, sir?'

Just as she had that thought, Mr. Hanged Man finished his sentence.

"I can't be sure since I don't know enough about your City of Silver."

Juny blinked, glared and then buried her face in her palm, in that order.

But her inner monologue didn't matter much as Mr. Sun answered with uncertainty.

"There are many things I'm not sure of either..."

"In short, caution and carefulness will allow you to live longer."

Hearing that Mr. Sun wouldn't disclose something important for free, Juny calmed down.

She immediately straightened her back and openly smiled.

Mr. Hanged Man noticed, but didn't respond to her, his expression still neutral.

Mr. Sun didn't notice this shift in Juny's posture as he spoke with sincerity.

"Thank you for your reminder."

Mr. Hanged Man withdrew his gaze and smiled.

"After the recent rise of a new Vice Admiral, the sea has been relatively calm."

Before Juny could add to the topic, Mr. World replied in a hoarse voice.

"I just happened to hear about something at sea."

While, presumably, waiting for Mr. Hanged Man to answer, Mr. World turned to the female side of the table and asked.

"Ladies, can you buy me a radio transceiver?"

While, presumably, waiting for Mr. Hanged Man to answer, Mr. World turned to the female side of the table and asked.

"Ladies, can you buy me a radio transceiver?"

Miss Magician was the first one to speak, although she didn't seem interested.

"I... can give it a try."

Miss Justice gently shook her head.

"Sorry."

Juny leaned forward to look around Miss Magician and at Mr. World.

"I can get it for you today. 20 pounds."

Juny was inwardly taking notes.

'So you did run away to sea. Good that I have some leftover from buying things for Dager. Oh, I should mention it to him. Although I still don't know your identity.'

Mr. World nodded.

"Deal."

Mr. World then cleared his throat.

"That matter has something to do with the Church of Storms."

Mr. Hanged Man frowned, but Mr. World's expression stayed collected as he continued with a hoarse laugh.

"An old custom in Bansy Harbor was revived. Some of the inhabitants became heretics, and even a bishop of the Church of Storms was corrupted. I heard that the matter has been resolved, but quite a few people died."

Mr. Hanged Man seemed to be recalling something before explaining to those present.

"There's a custom of living sacrifices there, and the target is an Evil Spirit called the God of Weather. Overseas, in the Southern Continent, there are quite a number of such evil spirits. On the surface, it seems like they've been cleared away, but in reality, they continue living in a strange state. Many people have suddenly died in those places."

It appeared as if he was trying to explain the happenings in Bansy Harbor as an accident.

After a slight scoff, Mr. Hanged Man continued.

"Heh heh, it isn't necessarily because of an illness. If you guys have similar travel or adventure plans, don't be careless."

Just then, a rather deep laughter sounded in the wide dome.

Juny turned to the side and towards the Seat of Honor.

Mr. Fool leisurely smiled, a hint of reminiscence in his voice.

"This reminds me of a King of Angels."

Everyone expressed their either surprised or puzzled feelings on their faces.

After a while, Miss Justice asked.

"Honorable Mr. Fool, which King of Angels is it?"

Mr. Fool leaned back, chuckling.

"Medici, who established the Rose Redemption. 'His' descendants live in Binsy."

'Oh? I actually didn't know that! How cute. It's not too surprising that an Evil Spirit is there.'

While Juny was happily taking notes, Miss Justice questioned.

"Binsy?"

Mr. Hanged Man immediately replied, his voice low.

"That's the old name of Bansy."

After a moment of processing and a lot of internal struggle, Miss Justice asked once more.

"Honorable Mr. Fool, what's the title of the King of Angels, Medici? Or should I say, what's 'His' Pathway?"

Before Mr. Fool could answer, Juny lifted her gaze off of the table.

"I can answer as much."

Seeing Miss Justice turn to her, Juny added.

"Medici is the War Angel. He's a King of Angels from the Red Priest Pathway."

Miss Justice lightly tilted her head, uncertainty evident.

Juny shrugged.

"I only share information which I'm sure is completely reliable. I was only sure after hearing Mr. Fool speak of Medici and making the connection with the Evil Spirit called God of Weather."

"I see."

Miss Justice nodded in understanding and a hint of satisfaction in her tone.

Seeing this, Mr. Fool placed a hand to his chin, smiling.

"Continue."

Immediately, Mr. Moon shared his 'hypothetical' scenario of getting money out of a big shot.

Like one might expect, Mr. Hanged Man came in clutch, teaching the poor Sanguine the art of scamming.

No, acting?

Either way, it's a way to get money for free, very useful.

Except that in Juny's case, she was the big shot with money, so it wasn't very useful.

As that ended, Mr. Fool gently tapped the surface of the long bronze mottled table with his finger.

After he got everyone's attention, Mr. Fool smiled.

"I can foresee that everyone will present a new appearance of themselves next week. Let us end today's gathering here."

Juny didn't pinpoint that it would be much cooler, had he said so last week before Juny's Advancement.

Instead, she stood up alongside the others.

Miss Justice's voice was the last one she heard before her vision went crimson.

"Thank you for your blessings."

...

Darmine's eyes were hazed as she stared expressionlessly at the dead body before her.

Its stomach was torn open with disgusting maggots crawling through and out of the intestines.

The dead person was short, couldn't be much over 11 years old.

It was a girl with wide-open, pitch black eyes, filled with pain and despair.

The girl's hair was black with slight Violet highlights.

Her tattered clothes were strange, but still aesthetically pleasing.

She sat by the corpses side, not moving for who-knows how long.

"Miss Darmine!"

Her head whipped to the side.

She saw a large brown owl standing by her side, looking at her with concern.

Darmine didn't immediately answer, turning back to where the dead body lay less than a second ago.

There was nothing, just gravel.

Darmine stared at the place emotionlessly for a moment longer before completely looking away.

Although she managed to suppress her emotions this time too, it was dangerously close.

"I'm fine, Aeron. Psychological attacks won't have any effect on me. What about Muiry and Halter?"

Aeron readjusted the position of his wings, still looking concerned.

"Thanks to your constant care, nothing is amiss. But Miss, I truly think-"

"No, we don't have the time anymore... We're too late. And who knows what might happen to Juny if I were to open a portal here..."

Darmine's words slowly faded, a flicker of emotion flashed across her eyes.

But the feeling vanished before it was taken advantage of by whatever was manipulating them.

It's been mere hours since Darmine realized just how terrible the situation was.

The Evil Spirit's influence was rapidly spreading.

It has spread so far, that even the horses, which they left far away from the village, have been affected.

That's also when the hallucinations and emotional outbursts started occurring.

Of course, the group stayed unharmed thanks to Darmine's ability as a Hypnotist.

But they weren't the only ones stuck here, so were the official Beyonders who came to investigate.

In the end, the three never left, although Darmine didn't know exactly why that was.

But whatever the reason, they unfortunately don't have a Darmine to take care of them.

'It's only a matter of time before their emotions become unstable and they-'

Just then, a loud explosion, followed by an intense tremor rang out.

Darmine flinched, her small head moving towards the rising cloud of dust.

Her eyes widened, but her emotions managed to stay steady.

Her feet hit the ground hard, pushing her forward.

Aeron also showed alarm, flapping his wings to get to the sky before flying forward without waiting for Darmine.

Way before the smoke could clear up, Aeron could already see debris and destroyed walls lying on the ground.

Although they have not been here for too long, Aeron immediately knew which building it was.

He stayed in the air, staring at the collapsed Inn.

Slowly, a male silhouette outlined itself in the foggy air.

He wasn't- no.

That thing was human, or at least used to be human.

Its limbs were long and twisted in the wrong directions.

It had long, almost claw-like, nails.

Bright red light flashed from where its eyes should've been.

Its mouth was filled with saliva and its teeth looked sharper than blades.

Aeron felt fear rising from behind the lock Daimira placed on his emotions, but the lock didn't collapse.

Aeron didn't lose control, because that thing was neither Halter nor Muiry.

Loose strands of once-stylish fabric hung from the thing's body.

Its clawed palms still kept a red coverage from the torn-up gloves.

Darmine arrived at around that time.

Her eyes scanned the place, looking for a certain duo as well as an old man.

She kept her tail to the ground, sneaking around the place.

Darmine soon took notice of a destroyed wall which seemed out of the ordinary.

It was lying vertically and it was slightly shaking amidst the debris.

Darmine quickly rushed over.

She could see a middle aged man holding the thick wall up with his arms while a young woman crouched under him, holding an old man close to her body.Darmine heaved a sigh of relief as she whispered in Jotun.

"Move!"

The collapsed wall was immediately surrounded by a thin layer of violet flames.

Halter, a Sequence 9 Warrior, felt the weight of the wall lift off of his shoulders.

He immediately grabbed Muiry and the old Inn keeper before rushing out of the demolished area.

His hands were stiff, but he wasn't badly injured.

As her feet hit the ground, Muiry, a Sequence 9 Assassin, pulled three charms with Runic symbols from her carry-on bag.

She infused them with spirituality before handing them out and keeping one for herself.

Then, without the need for anybody to say it, she took the hand of the old Inn keeper before running away and retreating.

Although Halter should've done the same, he stayed behind.

He walked over to the short-furred black cat, his mouth already moving calmly.

"Miss Darmine, about five minutes ago, the three official Beyonders you've described entered the Inn's lobby. We stayed hidden, as per your instructions, but we soon noticed abnormalities in their movements. Especially in the youngest looking one. And then, well, you must already be aware. The youngest looking one's bones cracked and terrifying roar sounded before the place exploded from the force. I don't know about the location of the other two Beyonders."

Darmine nodded, turning to look at the figurine in the smoke.

Its limbs were moving unsystematically and with quick but short motions.

"Leave this place and evacuate the villagers to the forest's edge. Use force if needed, but get them out of here."

Halter straightened his back and saluted.

"Yes, Patrol Leader."

He switched to the Troop's titles before turning around and retreating to where Muiry vanished.

Aeron didn't dare to take his eyes off of the monstrous figure.

Where it stepped with its disgusting feet, a strong sense of dread spread.

Aeron soon noticed two men in messy windbreakers appearing by the side of the wreckage.

Their faces were filled with terror, negative emotions surging and taking over them.

Just then, the figure's split lips parted.

"Ah..."

Its voice was rugged and screeching, as if it came from the mouth of a gruesome beast.

"Ha... at last. Flesh, blood. I need chaos to feast upon! Heh, hahaha!"

Darmine's ears immediately flopped down, protecting themselves from the sickening laughter.

Her pupils moved to the large brown owl in the sky.

Aeron noticed, placing his attention to her.

The air was slowly drying up, terrified villagers already left their houses with Halter in lead.

Darmine nodded towards the two officials, who already showed slight signs of losing control.

Aeron's wings shook, making his flight unstable because of the pressure from the Evil Spirit.

But, even through that, he flew distance away and around the figure.

He moved in the air next to the two officials.

One's body was covered with thick fur, while the other's skin was sunken as if he was just skin and bones.

Unlike the zombie-like one, the older one with fur hasn't lost over his emotions just yet.

Although his hands were shaking and his eyes were clouded, he hasn't lost it just yet.

It was because of this that he noticed the large animal flying next to him.

It was quite obvious that an animal shouldn't be here, it should've ran away a long time ago.

Before either of the two could say anything, Aeron's composure collapsed.

His body curled up in pain.

It felt like something was invading his mind, tearing it open, making it constrict and explode.

Aeron's wings stopped moving as he fell powerlessly to the floor.

His feathers became hard, like spikes, and his vision flashed black.

The sound of the maniacal laughter and the painful groans filled Aeron's mind.

But the pain didn't last forever, it actually soon stopped.

Very soon.

The chaos in his brain was abruptly intervened with and calmed by a separate powerful force.

As if he had just woken up from a terrible nightmare, Aeron's eyes shot open.

Between him and the terrifying creature was Darmine, the collar around her neck glowing.

Darmine's eyes were calm, glowing with a hint of Violet hue.

The space they were currently in felt different, the stench of death was dimmer, if not gone.

Only then did Aeron notice that the monstrous creature in the debris was not looking at them.

It was looking around the place they were just standing at.

'Is it trying to find something...?'

Just as he thought that, Aeron paused for a moment before coming to an understanding.

'It can't see us? I see.'

At this moment, the black cat turned her head around.

"We're safe for now, but we can't stay in one place forever, the spirituality will run out."

Aeron nodded, gently flapping his wings to get off the ground.

He then looked back.

Two men were there, lying on the dusty road.

One of them was bleeding from his nose, while the other, older one, was slowly pushing himself up.

Darmine walked over, patiently waiting for him to make sense of his surroundings.

Soon, his eyes landed on Darmine, the short-furred black cat before him.

He blinked a few times while Darmine opened her mouth.

"Greetings, sir. We seem to have gotten ourselves into a troubling situation."

The older man stared at her, he then checked the disappearing black fur on his arm.

He slowly nodded, looking at the monstrous figure behind the two animals.

"That... is the case. Um?"

Darmine's eyes flashed as she followed the man's gaze.

"It can't see us for now. Think of it as a strong illusion."

The man gently nodded, looking back at Darmine.

"I would like to thank you... miss?"

Darmine tilted her head, covering up her smirk.

"My name is not important. You're here to rescue the villagers and get rid of the Evil Spirit, correct?"

The man didn't inquire further, since he was talking to an animal after all.

"That was what we intended. Although we were unaware of the true nature of our opponent."

Darmine's whiskers twitched, but she didn't speak.

After a moment of silence, Darmine turned around.

"I am able to call for a backup, but sir, we'll need to buy time until then."

The man's eyes narrowed.

"You don't mean that you plan on confronting that thing, do you?"

Darmine didn't turn back and instead continued observing the monster.

"I do, it would be very much welcome if you'd join. Since calling for assistance may take a while and this village may be wiped out before they get here."

The man slowly stood up.

"If you could, why didn't you call for help this entire time?"

Darmine lightly flinched, her paw gently rubbing against the ground.

"The Scoutmaster is very busy, I suppose I was mistaken about the amount of time we had left."

Her tone was calm, but Aeron noticed the slight hint of shame.

Darmine turned to Aeron and pointed out.

"You, don't involve yourself. Your brain would turn to minced meat before you could even register it. There is only so much my Cue can do."

Aeron nodded, not interested in arguing with Darmine.

He flapped his wings a few times before moving away to the forest's edge.

The older man watched this with cold eyes, his true thoughts a mystery.

Next to him, the man whose body became skin and bones, slowly stood up.

His face was quite different from his captain's.

And the same could be said about his personality.

He moved closer, scanning Darmine with curiosity and a very different emotion.

Darmine looked back, meeting the man's eyes.

The man flinched his hand away, immediately taking a step back...

"Uh, thank you for the help."

Darmine's small eyes narrowed.

'Was he trying to pet me..?'

Her thought was a mixture of concern and utter exasperation.

She decided not to point it out, nodding instead.

"I had a reason for doing so. But if you're going to join me, we should take action, now."

The two men's gazes turned to the monstrous figure.

Strange black smoke has began emanating from it, spreading out.

The older man nodded, his voice carrying a hint of urgency.

"We'll accompany you."

Darmine's hummed, taking a small step forward.

She the turned around, her eyes brighter than before and small black scales were plastered around her small face.

"I am a Sequence 6 Hypnotist. We're about to confront an Evil Spirit of the Criminal Pathway, Sequence 4 Demon. I don't know how broad your knowledge is when it comes to a Saint's powers, but we need to buy 10 minutes."

Her tone changed, it was cold and commanding.

It was as if she was making sure that the two understood the severity of the situation.

The older man didn't argue, he instead nodded.

"I'm a Sequence 6 Soul Assurer and he is a Sequence 7 Spirit Medium. We know the most crucial facts about the Criminal Pathway."

Darmine turned away, she expected as much.

The collar around her neck pulsed with white, gentle glow.

From now on, it would be race against time.