“Will Shin and the others be alright?”


    After Shin’s party left, Lilish’s group was waiting in her room .


    In the current situation, even if they acted, they wouldn’t aplish much . As it was unthinkable that only Eline was under Bulk’smand, acting carelessly would have been dangerous .


    Waiting without doing anything, though, was painful not only for Lilish, but also for the knights at her side .


    “Shin and Yuki will not have any trouble even if they face Eline head on . What we should worry about is the movements of the enemy’s other troops . ”


    Casting Lilish’s worries aside, Shibaid leant against the wall of the corridor leading to the entrance . His words were filled with the absolute trust he felt towards Shin .


    Not knowing that Shin was a High Human, Lilish’s group was probably worried at the thought of a head-on battle against Eline . Eline’s fighting ability was just that great .


    “Well then, it appears it is time for us to move too . ”


    Less than an hour since Shin’s party left, Shibaid spoke while staring at one point in the room .


    “What happened?”


    “There’s a group of people walking in this direction . Judging from the fact that they are not hiding their hostile intentions, they must be Bulk’sckeys . ”


    Shibaid’s words made Lilish feel more anxious .


    On her side there were 4 people, Shibaid included . Even if they were allpetent fighters, depending on the enemy numbers, they might be at an overwhelming disadvantage .


    Shibaid’s party left the room, thinking it would be dangerous to fight inside . As they got out, there was a group of people heading towards them .


    Leading the group was none other than Bulk himself .


    “Oh my, where are we going now?”


    “Nowhere that may concern you, Father Bulk . ”


    “My apologies, but I do have business with Lady Lilish . If you would kindly apany me, I am sure Her Highness the Holy Woman would be pleased as well . ”


    “Kh…!”


    The sly grin formed by Bulk’s lips made Lilish feel goosebumps .


    If it was possible, she would have crushed him to the ground, then and there . Her clenched fist and teeth expressed that wish very clearly to anyone who would look at her .


    Someone then put a hand on Lilish’s shoulder .


    “Lady Lilish, it appears you do not need to apany this charming fellow anywhere anymore . ”


    “But…could it be that…!!”


    Lilish, who had understood the meaning implied by Shibaid’s words,pletely changed her expression .


    “Yes, I just received contact from Yuki . They are heading here as we speak . ”


    Shibaid nodded strongly, and not only Lilish but also the knights erupted in cheers . At the same time, their hostility flowed freely to the group blocking their way .


    “W-what’s with those looks? Have you forgotten what it means to defy me!?”


    “How could I forget . Or rather, it’s impossible for me to forget . ”


    Lilish could not contain a chuckle, as her body was wrapped in highly dense magic power .


    Bulk, feeling the danger emanating from Lilish’s clear intentions of attacking, drew his weapon and stepped forward .


    Those behind him also took out their weapons .


    “Ko, Konig! Protect me!! You all too, step forward!!!”


    “Konig? It can’t be, you too…?”


    Looking at the knights before her, Lilish too said that name, with surprise in her voice .


    Konig was a knight that was dispatched to Balmel, and by that logic, he was not supposed to be here at Palmirack .


    “Lady Lilish…I apologize . . ”


    “Do not apologize . I am aware of the circumstances . ”


    Konig, who had stepped forward as well, showed eyes clearly filled with regret .


    His struggle to stop the body that was moving against his will was palpable to Lilish, who was also well versed in the ways of fighting .


    His regret was felt by the people opposing him, as if it was their own .


    “Flee, I beg of you…! Or I will cut you down…!”


    Konig’s arms slowly reached the de at his waist . The brilliantly decorated weapon was the legend-ss magical sword 『Haufer』 .


    『Haufer』, unsheathed with a brilliant sound of metal, sparkled with an almost transparent silver gleam, in utter contrast with its owner’s will .


    “Is that a real magical de?”


    As he drew the magical de, an overwhelming pressure emanated from Konig’s body, as if to crush his opponents . Despite his manipted state, his strength did not waver an inch .


    Lilish’s party, who was prepared to fight, could not help stiffening before Konig’s presence .


    “Ha-hahaha . What happened to all your confidence and boasting?”


    Noticing Lilish’s party’s hesitation, Bulk had regained hisposure and was now jeering at them, standing right behind Konig .


    None of them, however, had lost to Konig’s aura of pressure .


    “Well then, I suppose we should start by stopping this man . ”


    These nonchnt words were spoken by Shibaid .


    His equipment was the same as when he joined with Shin’s party, light gear covering only part of his body .


    The only difference was the silver-colored gauntlet he was now wearing . Lines of ck mixed with silver grain covered the whole item .


    Shibaid had materialized one of his original pieces of equipment .


    “Hmph . Konig is one of the most capable upper ss chosen ones . If I were you, I would not boast so quickly . ”


    Bulk, enjoying the view of Lilish’s party being pressured by Konig, bit back at Shibaid .


    To Bulk, it looked like Shibaid was just bluffing .


    “You petty scum…do not think that you have angered only Lady Lilish . ”


    As Shibaid uttered those words, the pressure bearing on Lilish’s party suddenly vanished .


    Immediately after that, as if the pressure had simply changed targets, the knights standing before Bulk kneeled to the ground .


    They looked as if an unseen giant was pushing on them with all its weight .


    “W-what the…gah…!”


    The sight of his knights groveling had shaken Bulk, who too was forced on his knees slightlyter .


    A pressure so strong, trained knights sumbed to it: it was impossible for Bulk to resist . He cried, lying on the ground like a ttened frog .


    Originally, techniques that pressure the opponent with one’s aura or spirit did not have the effect of pushing the opponent down physically . The pressure was felt simply on an emotional level .


    However, in Shibaid’s case it was slightly different .


    “I have heard of all your despicable acts . You will not escape me . ”


    Shibaid’s deeply resonating voice shook Bulk’s eardrums . As if responding to his anger, the pressure emanating from Shibaid grew even more intense .


    At the same time, the floor around Shibaid started cracking .


    Shibaid’s main job is Holy Knight . Its role is to be an iron wall, a shield to repel enemy attacks .


    If we were topare skills that attracts the enemy’s attention and pressure enemies into submission . Shibaid boasts the best aptitude among all the support characters .


    Against enemies with great difference in abilities, it even manages to pressure them physically .


    “The church headquarters…is vibrating…?”


    Konig, the only one of Bulk’s entourage still on his feet, looked at Shibaid with disbelief in his eyes .


    Konig felt that Palmirack itself was resonating with Shibaid’s anger .


    “I know you are being controlled, Sir Konig . As I have no way to break that cor, I will have to be somewhat rough…I trust you will understand . ”


    “…I would rather be killed than for my de to y those without sin” .


    “Your spirit is trulymendable . ”


    Shibaid’s words provoked an explosive eleration in Konig’s movements . The afterglow following his de swings painted streaks of light in the air .


    As a weapon worthy of its “Legendary” grade, 『Haufer』 sliced through the air with little resistance, aiming at Shibaid’s neck .


    It all happened in an instant .


    Being controlled allowed Konig to perform a movement he would normally find difficult, a swing at his maximum speed .


    The de, however, was stopped right before meeting its target, by a silver gauntlet .


    “!?!”


    A sharp metallic sound . It was 『Haufer』’s cry after grinding against the gauntlet .


    The shock of the impact and the difference in quality between the two weapons resulted in only 『Haufer』 to be damaged .


    A result which left Konig wide-eyed and speechless .


    Immediately after that, the gauntlet, which had stopped 『Haufer』, vanished in thin air, together with Shibaid himself .


    “… . . Go to sleep . ”


    The instant those words reached Konig’s ears, he was already drawing his de…only to be hit vertically into the air .


    Where Konig was standing just before, now stood Shibaid, his fist raised in the air . The armor which saved Konig’s life so many times on the battlefield now bore a deep dent in the shape of Shibaid’s fist .


    Konig, blown in midair by Shibaid, crashed against the ceiling with roughly the same speed as he had stepped in to swing his de .


    “Gwah!!”


    A counter performed after blocking the opponent’s attack .


    That single blow was enough for Konig’s body not to follow its master’s will anymore .


    Yet the emotion filling Konig’s chest was not surprise .


    Towards the existence of an overwhelmingly powerful warrior, capable of dealing with upper ss chosen ones with ease, who did not ept or forgive evil .


    Towards the fact that a person like that appeared before him .


    “I am…thank…ful…”


    After uttering these words, Konig lost consciousness .


    “If you lose consciousness, you cannot move even under maniption, is that it?”


    Shibaid went closer to Konig’s body and confirmed that all strength had left it .


    As he did not know how the control worked, Shibaid put restrains on him to be sure .


    “I cahn’t, beliive it…”


    Watching Konig be defeated so easily left Bulk bbergasted .


    The other knights too seemed to grasp just how dangerous an enemy Shibaid was, and they were desperately trying to crawl away to safety .


    “Lady Lilish, could I ask for your help in restraining them?”


    “Of course . ”


    Shibaid captured the higher-leveled knights, while Lilish took care of the rest . Bulk tried to flee too, but he was obviously captured as well .


    “H-how dare you treat me like this!!”


    “Your subordinate in the other room has been defeated already, did you know?”


    Bulk was cut off as he was trying to talk . Shibaid informed him about Eline’s capture and Hermie and Millie’s rescue .


    Bulk’s expression was one of utter shock . Considering that Lilish’s party turned against him, he realized that Shibaid must have been speaking the truth .


    They did not need to endure humiliation to protect the controlled ones any more .


    There wasn’t a reason anymore not to oppose him directly .


    “You have done as you pleased more than enough…”


    Probably because of the anger within her, a heat haze was surrounding Lilish as she walked towards Bulk .


    Her beautiful features hid a strong aura projecting a “I will beat you till you’re an inch away from death!!” vibe, was abundantly clear to anyone who would look at her .


    Her pressure was so fierce that even the valiant knights present stepped back .


    “I-I don’t deserve to die in a ce like this!! Teleport!!!”


    Under the weight of Lilish’s pressure, Bulk frantically chanted the keyword .


    It was the same teleport crystal stone that Shin had used before .


    “No! Wai-”


    Bulk disappeared before Lilish could prevent it . It was as if he never was there in the first ce .


    “Kh…! To think that he had a teleport crystal stone that was supposed to be lost…!”


    Lilish’s expression was distorted by regret . The other knights too were left stupefied by Bulk’s sudden disappearance .


    Differently from Lilish, however, Shibaid showed no sign of apprehension .


    “Do not fret, Lady Lilish . Bulk hasn’t escaped us yet . ”


    “But he alreadypletely disappeared…”


    “This building is the High Human’s – Cain’s – base . A crystal with such low purity can’t teleport outside its walls . ”


    “I-is that really true?”


    “I have lived my share, you see . I have had the chance to learn about this Palmirack from High Elves and High Lords . He is likely regretting trying to escape right now . ”


    Shibaid nodded with confidence, which let Lilish feel at ease .


    Some timeter Lilish, who had reunited with Hermie’s party, felt as if something akin to Bulk’s screams reached her ears .


    ◆◆◆◆


    “Yourrades?”


    “Subduing Lilish’s party while the main force is headed to the Holy Woman . That much is easy to predict . Thus we only needed to set a fitting opponent in wait for them . ”


    “Ridiculous…Konig will be apanied by other upper ss chosen ones! No matter how strong yourrades might be, they too surely have their limits!”


    Konig, a warrior close to Eline in ability, was heading to Lilish’s location . Shin did not know Konig very well, but he was not worried in the slightest about the possibility of Shibaid’s defeat .


    “If that Konig is close to you in terms of strength, as you say, then it will be child’s y . ”


    Even if there was another chosen one on the same level as Eline, Shibaid would not have trouble defeating him . It was a definite fact .


    Shin spared no expense to reinforce his support characters, hispanions were not to be trifled with .


    “Well then, now that you know that there is no way left to stop us, let us talk about what to do with you . ”


    “Eek!”


    Shin walked closer to Eline, slowly . Thetter, remembering the punishment he had just received, let out a cry and tried to flee .


    No matter how much of an upper ss Chosen One he was, not enough time had passed for him to recover . The type of movement avable to him was on all fours at most .


    Maybe because all he had in mind was to run away as fast as possible, Eline crawled away with a speed Shin and Wilhelm did not expect . He could not truly escape, obviously . Shin gradually closed in on the distance between them .


    “S-shit!! Why am I…why is this happening to a chosen existence such as I . . !!!”


    As if he failed to grasp his current situation, Eline was muttering senseless words .


    Eline had advanced for several mel when it happened .


    His body started convulsing wildly, with jerky movements like a puppet with unoiled joints .


    “What’s going on?”


    Shin was puzzled at Eline’s sudden strange movements .


    “Aaah…gah…why? N-no…NOOOOOOOO!!!”


    Eline screamed out of the blue .


    Perhaps he had been hiding something in card form, Eline was holding a short sword with a ck de in his hand . After that, right before Shin and Wilhelm’s eyes, Eline stabbed himself with that same de .


    “What the!?”


    The sudden insane act stopped both Shin and Wilhelm in their tracks for an instant .


    The moment the de prated Eline’s body, his HP gauge, as it appeared in Shin’s eyes, instantly dropped to 0 .


    Instant death .


    “Gah…i…”


    Eline whispered something, spat blood and dropped to the ground . A mixture of fear and confusion remained on his face .


    “Give me…a break…suicide all of a sudden? Is this a sick joke?”


    Unable to understand what had happened, Shin grimaced at the blood flowing from Eline .


    “We don’t know for sure . That bastard sure didn’t look like someone who was thinking of offing himself . ”


    It was clear that it had not happened because of Eline’s will . His movements, as if under someone’s control, led Shin to think of a certain item .


    Shin drew closer to Eline and examined his neck, arms, legs . However, not a single submission item simr to Millie’s could be seen .


    “So, he wasn’t controlled via an item?”


    “Looks like it . Did he have any abnormal statuses?”


    “No, it didn’t look like he was affected by anything…”


    Shin checked Eline’s general status disy, but found no trace of status abnormalities .


    He wasn’t controlled by an item, nor under the effect of confusion or brainwashing . It was a very odd situation .


    (Could it be something I’m not aware of? Or is there something I missed…?)


    As the game turned into reality, it was highly possible that something not existing before now did . However, it could simply be that Shin had forgotten about it .


    Even a long-time yer like Shin could not remember all events and in such detail .


    “I can’t think of anything rted, but it’s probably better to check with Schnee too . ”


    “Why’s that?”


    “Well, it could be something I forgot about . ”


    As Shin mentioned that Schnee and the others might know something about it, Wilhelm nodded in approval .


    “It’s surprising that there are things that even you don‘t know . Anyway, he was raised by Bulk since he was a child . The Summit Faction likely did something to him, not that I pity him though . ”


    Rather than an item, he could have been under the effect of magic . If that was true, that could perhaps also exin his contorted personality .


    Wilhelm, having heard of Eline’s feats from Jai, did not have anypassion to spare .


    Memory maniption by an item could delete memories but it could not affect the person’s personality . And Eline who actually used this type of item, said as such .


    Even after such a death, it was clear that he wasn’t worthy of pity .


    “We got the information, but I can’t call this a pleasant way to close the curtains . ”


    “I feel the same . The body…I suppose we can leave it here . ”


    This room too was inside Palmirack .


    As with the chosen one who exploded, after some time passed the corpse would be dispersed .


    The two removed all of Eline’s equipment and items, searching for what could have been manipting him . Not even Shin knew of a way to preserve corpses, thus they left it to be dispersed .


    As Shin left the room with Wilhelm, a Mind Chat from Shibaid reached him .


    “(Shin, we have subdued Bulk’s subordinates who attacked us . )”


    “(They came to you then, as expected . What happened to Bulk?)”


    “(He ran away with a teleport crystal stone . However, the crystal seemed to be quite low in purity . He should have fallen in the maze section . )”


    “(Please give me a second…yes, I found him . Leave the rest to me . )”


    Shin, who had activated Palmirack, could use part of its functions even without the control console .


    He used the search function he had previously used to find Wilhelm and confirmed that Bulk was moving within Palmirack .


    Even a teleport crystal stone of the highest purity would not allow instant escape if used inside Palmirack .


    Even Shibaid, whose fighting-oriented job did not grant especially high appraisal ability, understood that the crystal stone used by Bulk was a low purity one . Such a crystal stone would not allow the user to flee, but instead would transport him directly to the maze section, built for intruders .


    As he closed the Mind Chat with Shibaid, Shin called to Wilhelm, who was walking ahead .


    “Listen, Wilhelm . It looks like Bulk ran away . I’m going to go catch him, so go ahead and join the others . ”


    “He ran away? You don’t need any help?”


    “I already know where he is, so no problem . He can’t get out, or rather, he ended up in the maze section we used for training . If we leave him there, he’s going to die . We have information to extract from him too, so I’m going to secure him . ”


    “Looks like his luck finally ran out, eh? I’m going ahead then . Make sure you give him a good scare . ”


    Wilhelm, with an evil grin, walked on through the corridor .


    After seeing him off, Shin used Teleport .


    ◆◆◆◆


    “Aaaahh!! Eeeekk!! What, what’s going ooon!”


    Forcing his pudgy body to an awkward run, Bulk cursed his fate .


    Bulk, church priest and central member in the Summit Faction at the same time . After gaining a pawn such as Eline, he had stained his hands in all sorts of evil deeds .


    Drunken by the vision of attaining High Human status, he had in not only monsters but also other humans .


    He was responsible for the death of many humans with special abilities, offering them in ritual sacrifice .


    After gaining control of the Holy Woman and the knight guarding her, thanks to an item obtained by chance, he even managed to control a girl with the “Star Reader” title . In that moment, he thought that the whole world was moving to help him be a High Human .


    “Shit!! Someone of my caliber is not supposed to end in a ce like this… . . ! Bwah!”


    Bulk was running frantically, but finally his unhealthy lifestyle caught up and his feet tripped each other up . He fell to the ground and, unable to break the fall, was struck badly all over his body .


    “Gaah! Where is this ce supposed to be anyway! I used the teleport crystal, so why am I not outside!?”


    Bulk flew in a fit of anger while squirming because of the pain .


    He was supposed to have been transported outside Palmirack, but he found himself inside a dark cavern instead . The unexpected situation was already pushing Bulk’s frail spiritual fortitude to its limits .


    “Grrrrrrrrrrrr—”


    “Eeep!”


    What eroded Bulk’s spirit the most was the roaring cry which would sometimes resonate in the cavern . The cry, clearlying from a monster, wasing closer and closer to Bulk’s position .


    He could not see where the corridor lead, no exit was in sight, nor were any of his guards escorting him .


    The increasingly louder roar was shaking Bulk to his core .


    “Da-damnitall!!!”


    “Yo”


    A hand touched Bulk’s shoulder as he was about to run again . As Bulk turned around, his field of vision was filled with the figure of a man emerging from the darkness .


    This new surprise caused the already tense Bulk to utter an iprehensible scream: “KWESDRFIGYYFIJIKIIII!!”


    “Fijiki” is the only thing I could make out from that . ”


    Bulk had jumped up, crashed back down, and was now looking up at the face of the young man who talked to him .


    “W-what in zes is going on!! But no matter! You, take me out of here! Now! I am a church priest, you shall be amply rewarded . ”


    Bulk, in a state of confusion because of the extreme situation, barked his orders without confirming the young man’s identity .


    To such a Bulk, the young man talked with a smile and a menacing tone .


    “Hahaha . Your face is the only joke we need here, pig bastard . ”


    “W-what did you say? I’m a priest of the church, I said!!”


    The young man walked closer to Bulk while cracking his knuckles . The closer he came, the farther Bulk crawled .


    In that moment, Bulk finally understood that the young man had clearly hostile intentions .


    But it was far toote .


    “I have a bunch of things to ask you . You better answer if you want to stay in one piece . ”


    Eyes lit up in the dim darkness .


    Apletely artificial smile .


    Hostility so palpable that his instinct was screaming to run away .


    It was the manifestation of fear, a terror the likes of Bulk had never experienced before .


    Bulk had no room to crawl backwards anymore, and part of his clothes had started to be slightly damp . A faint scent of ammonia pricked the two men’s noses .


    “Let’s start talking . ”


    Bulk’s screams resounded through the barely lit corridors .


    ◆◆◆◆


    Lilish’s party had reunited with Hermie and Millie, led by Schnee, and was in a joyous mood .


    Lilish shed tears of happiness at the sight of Hermie’s neck, finally free of the ck cor; seeing her in tears made Hermie cry as well .


    The knight cheered loudly, confident in Bulk’s downfall .


    As Wilhelm arrived, Millie, who had been eagerly awaiting him, ran up to hug him .


    “Oh, nice cheery mood here folks . ”


    “Here you are . Hey, it’s still alive right?”


    “He’s not dead yet, nope . I doubt he’ll be able to continue being a priest though . ”


    Wilhelm sighed while talking to Shin, who had joined them with some dy . Millie was still stuck to him and wouldn’t let go .


    The reason was an unconscious Bulk, carried by Shin’s left arm .


    Seeing the priest with white eyes, drooling and sometimes trembling would have provoked the same question not only from Wilhelm but from anyone who witnessed it .


    “Shin-sama? What did you… . ”


    “I just squeezed information out of him . I’ll let the church decide what to do with him next . ”


    Shin handed Bulk over to the guard knights and opened a Mind Chat with Schnee and Shibaid .


    “(ording to Bulk, there’s a high chance that Filma was captured by the Summit Faction . It looks like 『Exvaine』 was given to him by someone iming to be from the Faction . )”


    The two’s eyes narrowed after hearing Shin’s information . They could not remain indifferent after hearing that arade might have been captured .


    “(Is there no information about the ritual site?)”


    “(Someone was supposed toe pick him up . I know the date, but who knows what this messenger will do . )”


    “(Any other clue?)”


    “(Nothing . I had the impression that he doesn’t know anything either . Looks like they deleted the important parts of his memories . )”


    Making Bulk sleep and using an item like the maniption cor on him wouldn’t have been difficult . Lilish’s method too would allow a simr result, if used with ill intentions .


    “(Spiritual type skills are a real pain . )”


    Right next to the rejoicing Lilish group party, Shin’s could not feel at ease .


    ◆◆◆◆


    After Shin and Wilhelm left, something started moving in the room where Hermie had been captured .


    “Uuh . . ghaah…”


    The figure awkwardly standing up was none other than the man who was supposed to have died on the spot after piercing his own chest, Eline .


    “Kaah, he’s finally dead!”


    Eline’s smile was even more distorted than before . More than half of his face was covered with a tattoo of thorns .


    “This guy’s contortion was of decent quality, but it was pretty obnoxious . ”


    Eline talked as if concerning someone else . To a third party’s eyes, he would look like he had be someone else .


    “Aaaah, having a body is really fantastic after all . Better not waste any more time here though, let’s hightail it before that monster notices us . ”


    The wordsing from his mouth clearly showed how the spirit inhabiting the body was no longer Eline .


    Something was controlling Eline’s body . With a small chuckle, Eline’s body vanished into the darkness as if melting in it .


    Nothing else was left .


    ◆◆◆◆


    Tiera, who was heading to the inn after parting ways with Shin, was suspicious of theck of any pursuers . She tried asking Kagerou and Yuzuha, but apparently there were no hostile presences in the surroundings .


    Tiera too was worried about Millie, but she knew well that with Shin’s party heading to rescue her, there was nothing for her to do .


    Tiera climbed onto the inn’s roof and stood gazing at Palmirack . She let slip a small grumble .


    “They told me to stand guard from outside, but I can’t see anything . Someone that could slip away from Shin and the others…who could ever do something like that?”


    She ended up wondering if she was really being of help to them .


    Yuzuha and Kagerou, who were on lookout, drew closer to her as to reassure her .


    “Kuu”


    “Gruu”


    “Thank you . Should something unexpected happen, I’ll do my best . ”


    Tiera answered to the two and focused her sight on Palmirack .


    Her focus then paid off, as she perceived unrest among the spirits around Palmirack .


    Tiera followed their trail with her eyes and saw something fly from the roof of a building on the edge of Palmirack .


    “What’s that?”


    Tiera’s excellent eyesight allowed her to recognize the flying figure as humanlike . However, there were two pairs of wings sprouting from its back .


    As far as Tiera knew, all Bird-type had just one pair of wings . None of the ones Tiera knew had two .


    In addition, those two pairs of wings were one animal-like and the other insect-like,pletely different types . It was clearly something abnormal .


    The fact that the figure looked almost transparent must have been due to a skill .


    “What in the world is that shadow? Is there any skill we can use to track it?”


    Yuzuha activated a skill after Tiera’s request . A bird-like something, melting in the moonlight, danced in the sky and flew after the shadow .


    “Did something happen to Shin and the others…?”


    Tiera then was informed of Millie’s rescue by ate message .


    The shadow she had witnessed .


    That very shadow would decide the next destination of Shin’s party .