healers be better equipped toâ€”? Oh, goodness." Lute had silently held out Izabella to her. As she gazed at Izabella's half-mechanized body, Lute's wife, Ain, immediately sensed just how complicated the situation was. She nodded, then turned around. Her voice was as matter-of-fact as her steps were quick. "She looks to have burned through a great deal of her stamina. Let her rest here. There you go, gently." Lute followed her orders and set Izabella down on a bed in a quarantined section of the ward for the severely injured. Now they wouldn't have to worry about anyone seeing her mechanized body. Ain then quickly got to work inspecting Izabella all over. After checking her esophagus and making sure it was functioning properly, she poured a decoction down her throat. Then she started applying ointment to the places where metal and skin joined together. After a little while, Izabella's breathing grew steady. With a kindly look on her face, Ain stroked her mechanized cheek. Then, though, she suddenly whirled around and stared straight at Kaito. "That should put Ms. Izabella at ease for now, but...you don't seem quite well, either, do you?" "Who, me? I mean, I guess I'm covered in blood, but I'm not really injured anywhere. Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine." "It isn't a matter of being injured or not. You seem like yourself right now, yet, at the same time, you seem like someone else." Lute gasped a little. He, too, had thought the same thing, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to ask Kaito about it. Ain's gaze stayed firmly fixed on Kaito. Not flinching, she probed even deeper. "I can't quite put it into words, but...I find that fact rather alarming, no?" A heavy silence descended upon them for a moment. Kaito blinked. Hina looked down but said nothing. The tension caused Lute's tail to puff up. A few seconds later, though, Kaito burst into laughter. "Ha-ha-ha, you and me both. Man, Lute, you found yourself a good wife." "Errr, yes, I'm more than aware... Ow, Ain, don't step on my feet!" "Now is hardly the time for that kind of talk, dear. And as for you, you're certain you're all right?" "Yeah... I mean, you're right. But I'm fine... I'm still me, after all." Sir Kaito is dodging the question. Lute could feel it. Perhaps Kaito realized it, too, as he gave an awkward smile. Upon seeing it, Lute felt a slight tinge of relief. That good-natured expression was undoubtedly Kaito Sena's. Suddenly, a thought crossed Lute's mind. Perhaps... Perhaps I ought to make sure to remember that smile. It would be best if he made sure to remember it, no matter what happened. He didn't quite know why, but Lute was certain of that. After leaving the temporary infirmary behind them, Lute and the others began making their way toward the meeting hall once more. Eventually, after traveling down a long, wide hallway, they reached its sole set of double doors. The doors were made from a part of the World Tree itself, and flowers associated with the Three Kings and the various members of the imperial family were delicately carved into its surface. Two muscular lionmen stood in front of its gorgeous design. Upon seeing Lute, the doorkeepers saluted. As they did, they crossed their spears and firmly barred the door. One of them called out briskly to Lute. "Excellent work, Captain Lute. Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast told us of your expedition. However, the conference has already begun. We cannot allow any to enter, no matter who they may be. You can give your report after the meeting is complete. Until then, you can make yourself at home in the antechamber." "What, it started already? Hey, perfect!" Before Lute could reply, though, Kaito poked his head out from behind him. When they saw his bloodstained figure, the lionfolk gatekeepers' expressions contorted in bald suspicion. "Wait, who isâ€”?" "La (take a nap)." Kaito snapped his fingers. When he did, a pair of small blades quietly appeared behind the two gatekeepers, then slammed into the backs of their necks. Concussed, the two of them toppled wordlessly to the ground. As he rushed over and caught one of them in his arms, Lute directed a quiet shout Kaito's way. "Sir Kaito, what do you think you're doing?! There's no need for such violence!" "Don't worry. I controlled it well, if I do say so myself. They'll be up before you know it." His voice calm, Kaito reached toward the doors. As he did, Lute suddenly noticed the other collapsed figures throughout the corridor. Evidently, Kaito had dealt with all the patrolling guards in the same manner. All in that one moment? As Lute tried to come to terms with that fact, he suddenly heard the sound of meat sizzling. Panicking, he looked back toward the doors. When he did, he discovered that smoke had billowed up from Kaito's hand as he'd grabbed its handle. Despite the fact that his own flesh was burning, though, Kaito wore a thin smile on his face. "Damn, that's a decent barrier they've got going on. But still, for it to be able to burn me... I must be more wounded than I thought, huh?" In the blink of an eye, Kaito's hand had been hideously burned. Its flesh was seared and its skin was peeling off. Yet, he still held on tight. Hina made no move to stop him. Sizzling blood and bodily fluids ran down the door's handle. Around it, azure petals and darkness raged like a storm. Then the sound of something splitting rang out. When it did, the door exploded open from within. The gazes of everyone presentâ€”human, beastfolk, demi-human royalty, aristocrats, and clergymen alikeâ€”all fell onto Kaito. "'Scuse the interruption. Here I am, the Torture Princess's representative." Kaito, for his part, replied with a savage, villainous smile. Practically everyone present was utterly dumbfounded. Vyade Ula Forstlast and La Christoph merely nodded, though, as if they'd seen this coming. In the next moment, a number of swords were noisily unsheathed and pointed Kaito's way. The guards had all drawn their weapons at once. Their response was prompt, as one would expect. At the same time, one of the Church's high priests called out. "Such insolence! What business could the Kaiser's contractor possibly have with us?!" The guards' murderous stares bore down on Kaito. As they did, a shrill noise filled the air. One after another, the guards' sword blades and spearheads went spinning into the air. Hina's halberd was magically enhanced and glowing blue, and she'd used it to lop them off. After fully swinging it, she stooped down low like an animal. Then she calmly looked up. The guards were frozen in surprise. She turned her jeweled emerald gaze on them. "You people have no idea. No idea what he gained. No idea what he lost. Such insolence." Her voice was quiet and cold. Faced with her stern demeanor, everyone else gasped in fear. As they did, Kaito loudly clapped his hands together. After getting everyone's attention, he spread his arms out wide. "Now, if you would all be kind enough to settle down. La Christoph sent me a message about this meeting, and Vyade knows me as well. Furthermore, I serve the Torture Princess, the strongest weapon at the Church's disposal. I feel like that qualifies me to be here. I'm not gonna leave, but I'm also not gonna get in your way. Feel free to carry on." Kaito casually rattled off the names of the authority figures he was acquainted with. Lute's face went pale, and just as he'd suspected, accusatory glances rained down on the parties in question. However, the third imperial princess of the forest and the astoundingly resolute saint replied nonchalantly. "I ordered Lute to inform me of what happened at the World's End. The events that took place there were the root of all evil, the reason we find ourselves gathered here today. If he deems Kaito Sena a necessary witness, then I stand by his decision." "It's true. I did, in fact, send for the Torture Princess. After the uproar at the plaza, it became evident that she and Izabella Vicker discovered something down in the depths of the royal tomb. Afterward, the Grave Keeper mobilized the paladins and set off for the World's End. They should be able to clear up the suspicions the demi-humans have leveled at us, and as such have an obligation to testify." Their responses were met with a number of angry bellows. Despite the turmoil, though, Kaito flippantly snapped his fingers. Azure petals and black darkness swirled. This time, it was the mages who stood at the ready, but all he did was create a chair. It was the exact same extravagant chair as the one Vlad had summoned in the past. Kaito took a seat. Then he haughtily placed his arms atop the armrests and crossed his legs. When he spoke, his voice was utterly devoid of fear. "Go ahead, carry on. The world's gonna get destroyed if you don't hurry, right?" Kaito's words had a certain truth to them. Furthermore, the sole present saint had endorsed his attendance. And in any case, it wasn't as though they had any way to expel someone powerful enough to destroy the barrier. The room gradually settled down. Then, reluctantly, they resumed the meeting. And thus, the Kaiser's contractor, the enemy of humanity, was added to the discussion that would determine the fate of the world. "It's true, we have no time. Those two pillars sprouted up at the World's End, and the underlings coming from the black one are destroying everything in their path. At this rate, all our people will perish. Given the current situation, the chances that the restructuring the Church is so fixated on will actually take place seem rather low." "...What, that's as far as you guys have gotten?" Upon hearing the beastfolk official's speech, Kaito muttered to himself. Apparently, the Church was still placing their faith in the restructuring. But when he thought about it, he realized that he and his group were the only ones to have talked with the Apostle or seen the Saint's madness firsthand. It was no wonder that there were those who viewed the appearances of the two pillars as a divine miracle and a sign that the restructuring was imminent. Consequently, the meeting had reached an impasse. The discord between humanity and their Church and the other two races was only getting worse. Even now, the high priest was objecting to the official's proclamation. "You people don't share our faith, so you may find it difficult to understand. But we know that the promised day spoken of in legend is at hand. The devout faithful will be welcomed into the new world. You all may lack that qualification, but I'd ask you to kindly avoid gnashing your teeth and referring to it as the end." "I see. Then let's suppose that the current situation is, in fact, part of the restructuring you all are so keen on. Can we then take it that this is what you wanted, that you were the ones who brought this about?" The next individual spoke in a thorny tone. Kaito turned to look at its source. It was a foxwoman with silken red fur and a beguiling smile spread across her face. Upon hearing her antagonistic response, Vyade called out to reprove her. "Dear sister, shouldn't we be less concerned with carrying out investigations and more with coordinating our strategies?" "Be quiet, would you, Vyade? What do you think we stand to accomplish if we don't know who's to blame? And we have such a convenient intruder, too. Perhaps it's high time I divulge a piece of information I've been keeping." The woman's voice dripped with honey. She was likely the first imperial princess, the one who was focused on expanding the