you know where the demon is?" "Ha! Invading the castle of the Torture Princess is the act of an audacious fool. 'Tis but one place someone like that would chooseâ€”as the saying goes, impossible heights are coveted by smoke and the foolhardy alike." Spitting out her declaration, Elisabeth ran down the path lit by the stained-glass clerestory windows. After making her way up the spiral stairs leading to the throne room, she threw open the massive double doors. A gust of wind rushed out to meet her. The throne room was adorned with antique tapestries and an extravagant throne, giving it a dignified air. But ever since one of the Knight's beasts had attacked, there was a wall that had been completely destroyed. And out of either laziness or stubbornness, Elisabeth had neglected to repair it. There was someone sitting upon the throne, the pale-blue sky that peeked through the hole serving as a backdrop. The person was a handsome young man with rosy cheeks and shoulder-length blond hair. His slender, feminine legs extended out from his short trousers and swayed from side to side as he played with a piece of fruit that he'd brought to the side table. "And down the hatch...huh?" He'd just cut the pomegranate in half, and his mouth was wide open. Then his amber eyes caught sight of Elisabeth. Without even a hint of mercy, she called out. "Pendulum!" Crimson flower petals and darkness swirled in the middle of the ceiling. An enormous blade hanging from a chain dropped from it and let out a heavy-sounding noise as it froze in the air. It then swung in a wide arc, the glistening blade rapidly accelerating before it smashed the throne into tiny pieces. But when the dust settled, the boy's corpse was nowhere to be found among the wreckage. Unnoticed, he'd somehow made his way over to the wall. The blade corrected its trajectory and then sped toward the boy's new location. But right before it could slice through him, he vanished a second time. Elisabeth and company suddenly found themselves face-to-face with him. "...Whâ€”?!" Kaito gasped. But Elisabeth seemed to have anticipated this development. She licked her lips and then raised her arm once more. As she did, the boy dropped to one knee so quickly that it seemed like the bones in his foot must have snapped. He knelt, making no effort to defend himself. It became evident that an unbecoming scarlet shawl was draped around his neck, as if to cover his nape. Elisabeth raised an eyebrow at her foe's unexpected action. "What are you playing at, Governor?" "It's been some time, Ms. Elisabeth Le Fanu, beloved and over-perfect daughter of Mr. Vlad. While I harbor no shortage of animosity toward you, as you can see, I have no desire to do battle with you. I have come today to invite you to my manor, O Torture Princess." "What?" "Here is your formal invitation, with a present to accompany it. P-please, please accept it." The Governor pulled an envelope and a paper box tied up with a ribbon out of thin air and then proffered them to Elisabeth with a trembling hand. After she confirmed there was no sort of magical trap afoot, she frowned and took them from him. Then the Governor suddenly rose, his strange movements evoking the sense of a cord being yanked up. His features contorted in a soft, strange manner as he gave an awkward, clownish bow. "P-p-please do comeâ€”I've been e-e-eagerly anticipating your arrival." Without warning, he leaned all the way to the side. His smile the very picture of artificiality, he fell onto the floor and was swallowed up. Elisabeth snapped her fingers, returning the pendulum to flower petals before crossing her arms. "The Governor is the next weakest after the Knight, but there was something clearly off about him." "Oh yeah, for sure. I thought so as well. What's up with the box?" "Its contents appear to be...baked goods. Careful nowâ€”make sure not to touch them." Within the box was a row of brightly colored cookies. They were plastered with jam and looked quite tasty indeed. But in tune with her harsh voice, Elisabeth snapped her fingers. The well-made cookies burst into flame in midair and then burned to ash. "Among all the demons, he was the one who expended the most effort sucking up to Vlad. I know his ability. His is a power suited for assassinationâ€”the talent to turn any food he touches into poison or narcotics... Consequently, I expected him to stay hidden and out of my reach for as long as he could." "But wait, didn't he just come to the castle, invitation in hand?" "Aye, that he did. Why invite me, though? And when did he become so well versed in using teleportation circles?" Her gaze fell to the invitation. Bluish-green runes flickered across its surface. No doubt they could be used to allow Elisabeth's teleportation circle to connect directly to the Governor's manor. Kaito joined Elisabeth in frowning. "That doesn't make any sense." "Indeed, it doesn't. But I do not intend to fall for his trap. Something lurks beyond it, something we need to verify soon. 'Tis naught but my intuition, though, simply the feeling I'm getting." Kaito and Hina both nodded in assent. They needed to find out who was pulling the Governor's strings. Even though he'd agreed, an ominous feeling swirled up in Kaito's chest. I dunno why, but I don't like how this is playing out. He clicked his tongue in irritation. As he did, Hina pressed her hand to her mouth and gasped. "If I may, before we set off, we really ought to let down the Butcher." ""Oops,"" Kaito and Elisabeth said simultaneously. Now that she mentioned it, they'd both completely forgotten about him. When the three of them returned to the dining hall, they found the Butcher swinging back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Clearly desperate, he seemed to be trying to bring down the entire chandelier. "Hold it, Butcher. Don't go breaking other people's chandeliers now." "Come nowâ€”was it not inhumane to run off and abandon me? Was it not unjust? And to say nothing of getting me wrapped up in a fight I had nothing to do with. Madam, I must protest! Even if I should rot away to nothing, the second and third Butchers shallâ€”" "My apologies. Wait just one moment, and I shall have you freed. Hina." "Yes, ma'am." Hina, having already fetched her halberd, flew up from the floor. Leaping into the air, she struck the chain. Her sharp attack severed it in a single blow. His tail freed, the Butcher collapsed onto the floor. Upon landing, he quickly retracted his arms and tail into his cloak like a turtle. Nimbly squirming within it, he righted his clothes without his face ever becoming visible. He stood, raising his arms in celebration, and then looked quizzically at the other three. "Hmm? You all look so tense... And Ms. Maid already had her weapon on hand... Are the three of you off to somewhere dangerous?" "Yeah, we're heading for the manor of the demon who strung you up." "Oh my. If that is the case, Mr. Dim-Witted Servant, then do take care." The Butcher's voice was unusually docile. Kaito met his gaze and silently asked what the matter was. The Butcher drew his face close to Kaito's and then whispered in a serious tone. "It may seem a trivial matter, but...the intruder had a peculiar smell about him. The smell of foul meat." The Butcher spoke of how the scent gave him unpleasant premonitions. Kaito couldn't help but agree. When Elisabeth placed the invitation on her teleportation circle, it dissolved in a swirl of blood. The blue runes alone remained, drifting alongside the sanguine lines. Elisabeth, Hina, and Kaito stood upon it. When they did, the circle turned blue and began spinning rapidly. Azure flower petals surrounded them. They melted together into cylindrical walls and then transformed into black feathers. The feathers shot up into the air and began vanishing. "Listen, don't let your guards down. We'll be in constant danger from the moment we arrive." "Got it." "Understood, ma'am." The black curtain disappeared, and as it did, loud laughter rang out. Kaito and the others found themselves in a grand entrance hall, no doubt belonging to the Governor's manor. A banquet was spread out before them. "...What?" The hall was filled to the brim with round tables, each one overflowing with food. A whole-roasted suckling pig sat atop the elaborate mantelpiece, and antique busts were being used as platters to hold pies. Corks shot through the air like bullets, and people were drinking wine and beer straight out of bottles and casks. A beautiful lady made vulgar noises as she used sausages to scrape up what appeared to be a rich red tomato sauce. Beside her, a young man who looked like a farmhand was stuffing his cheeks with scarlet cakes. Many of the attendants were vomiting from overeating. The floor was covered with red sauces, half-digested food, and vomit, and people had trampled all the detritus down to a sticky paste. The naked revelry was truly chaotic. Vivid colors spread out before the three of them, with noxious aromas assaulting their nostrils and lively music beating in their ears. The clanging of silverware rang out to accompany this, as did a sound that resembled a herd of pigs chewing on scraps. "What is this place?" Looking out over the magnificent, hideous banquet, Kaito was taken aback. Beside him, Elisabeth silently surveyed the surroundings. Hina stepped forward to cover Kaito and then murmured softly. "...Lady Elisabeth, this smell..." "I'm well aware. There's little need for us all to say it aloud." Suddenly, a kindly old woman and a young girl carrying a silver tray emerged from the banquet. Their mouths, stained red, broke out into friendly smiles. The girl lifted the lid of her tray, revealing the potherb-decorated roast hare beneath it. The hare's back was drizzled with red sauce as well. The old woman's eyes were out of focus, but she spoke kindly as she kneaded her hands. "My, my, it appears we've received three more guests. Welcome to the Lord Governor's banquet. Ever since we were invited here, we've been able to spend countless days feasting on splendid foods, cut off from the suffering of the world. Let's all continue this magnificent feast together. Come nowâ€”eat to your heart's content!" She doesn't seem like an underling. She just seems like an ordinary person. All the people here drinking and partying, including the demi-humans and beastfolk among their ranks, had apparently come on the Governor's invitation. The Governor had the power to turn food into poison and narcotics, but for the moment, none of the guests looked to be suffering from any fatal abnormalities. Though the food was likely addictive, that was all. While pondering how to approach the situation, Kaito's thoughts were cut off. "La Guillotine, Saint of Beheadings." Elisabeth spoke in a low voice. Darkness and crimson flower petals materialized in response. A white figure rushed past them and landed with a gong. The beautiful maiden raised its head. The doll who'd been called a saint resembled the Iron Maiden yet gave off a decidedly different impression. The saint wore a plain white dress, and its thick, straight silver hair draped down as it closed its eyes as if in prayer. Unlike the showy Iron Maiden, La Guillotine seemed to combine the fastidiousness and tidiness of a nun. Elisabeth clicked her heels. The saint crossed its pale arms in front of its chest and then spread them out. With a sharp noise, a pair of rectangular blades slid out of its arms. They swung wide across the hall, gently caressing the necks of all the people within, and then buried themselves in the far wall. Blood sprayed everywhere as