had placed their trust and loyalty in her. "The Holy Knights' main force has to receive any untoward orders. But it's only a matter of time. It's as Ms. Jeanne says: Organizations are, for better or for worse, like long centipedes. I refuse to let my people unknowingly destroy the very people, the very world they're trying to protect." "Even so, you stillâ€”" "I understand how you feel. Or rather, allow me to pretend to sympathize despite being wholly incapable of understanding. Still, though, foolish little lady, I must ask that you stop." An unexpected voice called out to restrain Izabella. Jeanne stepped forward and stood beside Kaito. She, too, didn't hesitate to give her warning. Deus Ex Machina stooped over, as though trying to scoop Izabella back up. Falling away a step, Izabella took on a defensive pose. Jeanne pointed a pale finger at her. It hung in the air as Jeanne tried to elucidate the situation. "I didn't bring you along just to let the Church pass judgment on you, miss. I needed someone besides the Torture Princess and her servant who knew the truth of the world and was able to help convey it. Someone who was affiliated with the Church yet could accept the truth without breaking. That was what I chose you from among the stray sheep for." "So I supposed. I had the sense that your expectations for me were something along those lines." "It wasn't so you could die a dog's death. Don't forget. Death is absolute. If you die, that's it. Game over." "...Forgive me. I understand the importance of the task you've given me. But would you be able to find someone else to carry it out? I have my own task I need to finish, you see." Izabella flatly refused to heed Jeanne's warning. Narrowing her rosy eyes, Jeanne made to set Deus Ex Machina into motion. As things were, Izabella had no means to resist. But with a gentle expression, she repeated back the words Jeanne had once thrust at her. "I am a commander, though perhaps only in name." *** For once in her life, a look of surprise crossed Jeanne's face. Izabella began walking. It was easy to make out the unwavering pride in her gait, as was the fact that stopping her would accomplish nothing. She walked past Jeanne, practically daring her to act. Her silver hair nearly grazed Jeanne's honey-blond locks. Standing straight up, Jeanne let out a quiet whisper. "...What a fool you are." Taking her cue, Deus Ex Machina sprang into motion. But instead of trying to capture Izabella this time, it strode directly forward. It seemed that the steel giant intended to serve as Izabella's shield, just as she'd requested. "You can't..." Still refusing to give up, Kaito raised his voice. But the timing with which Izabella turned around indicated that she'd seen that coming. As light continued to explode at her back, her voice was the image of composure. "Farewell, ladies and gentlemen. Dreadful as it was, I'm glad I was able to learn the truth. Even now, I still hold that the Church's teachings are wonderful. Using faith as a way to support a life lived nobly and properly is an honorable thing. People are weak. They need something to believe in. So as a member of the Church, I will fight to my last to right its wrongs." Kaito sucked in his breath. Even after learning so many ugly truths, Izabella retained her piety and pride as the commander of the Holy Knights. Her next words were stern, and her voice rang with conviction. "That is why, Kaito Sena, Elisabeth Le Fanu, Jeanne de Rais, even if history ends up validating your actions, I cannot become like you." With quiet yet unfaltering words, Izabella issued a complete rejection of Kaito and the others. The ebony and gold Torture Princesses said nothing. Kaito, too, gazed silently at lacerations running across Izabella's skin and her tranquil eyes. His thoughts turned to the metaphor he'd just heard. There exist shepherds who would gladly cast themselves into the fire just to catch a glimpse of a miracle. And their sheep would follow after them, blind to the foolishness of their own actions. Even though she was just a lone sheep, Izabella was trying to shout out warnings to the rest. She was likely to find herself cut down in the blink of an eye. But even so, she refused to abandon her flock. Izabella Vicker is a noble person through and through. Authority and cajolery would utterly fail to make her falter. And she had the rare power to not only believe in her own sense of justice but to put it into action, too. Which means that there's no way she'd ever become an enemy of the world. Kaito now felt that fact keenly. In other words, it was pointless trying to get her to stay by their side any longer. Kaito and the others were enemies of the world, and the road before them was paved with thorns. At the end of the day, what we're trying to do is kill God and the Saint. Trying to coerce someone who was living their life nobly and properly wasn't possible. Satisfied with that fact, Kaito threw in the towel. Elisabeth quietly clicked her tongue. Her sleek black hair rustled as she shook her head. "Ha, do as you please. If one persists in their foolery, that, too, is a form of conviction. If you have no regrets, then go forth and die unburdened. Your brand of idiocy may differ from mine, but we are both idiots nonetheless." "That we are, I suppose. Idiots, one and all." Izabella's smile was tinged with a hint of embarrassment. The lacerations running across her face twisted unattractively. Yet, even so, Izabella Vicker was beautiful. The next moment, she dashed up the stairs. Her silver hair fluttered as she broke into a run. Explosions of white light rocked the entrance she was heading for. With surprisingly fluid motions, Deus Ex Machina took the lead from Izabella. The steel giant was the first to rush outside. Izabella followed unflinchingly after. The bombardment exploded across Deus Ex Machina. Protected by its massive body, Izabella shouted out. "Please stop, La Christoph! It's me, Izabella Vicker! I have something I wish to report! Everyone, please, you have to listen to me!" Tragically, her voice was drowned out. It looked as though the attacks would continue. But she didn't give up. "Rgh!" Seizing the tiniest of gaps between explosions, Izabella made her move, leaping out from behind Deus Ex Machina. Having abandoned her shield, Izabella laid herself exposed before La Christoph. "It's time for us to move." "Indeed." If they didn't leave then, they wouldn't make it in time. With no room to doubt whether or not Izabella would succeed, Jeanne and Elisabeth dashed forward. Kaito and Hina followed after them. With a singularly nonchalant air, the Kaiser shook his head in exasperation and did the same. Vlad floated along behind, a wide grin plastered across his face. Together, they passed through the entrance. Unbelievably, the bombardment had stopped. It was almost miraculous how quiet their surroundings were. They could see a priest wearing a lavish vestment shouting something at La Christoph. He was undoubtedly trying to get him to resume the bombardment. But as he gazed at Izabella in bewilderment, La Christoph obstinately refused to open his arms. The priest shouted again, even louder. "What the hell are you doing? Why show mercy to someone who's been won over by the demons?" As he did, Izabella's subordinates started moving at once. They all rushed over to the priest. The group that looked like executioners tried to get them to fall back, but the paladins gave determined shouts. "Please, that's not it! Our commander was taken against her will!" "Bah! Back, you lot, back! What are you thinking?!" "You're the one trying to dispose of our kidnapped commander all on your own! What are you thinking?!" "She's fallen into the demons' clutches!" "We told you, she was abducted! We're not going to just let you blow away our commander!" Disorder swelled through their ranks. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, Deus Ex Machina collapsed into pieces. The steel giant's body separated into a number of chunks. From them, four machines landed atop the ashen earth. One of them was a beast made of nothing but fangs. Another was an automaton, shaped like a human except for its fatally warped frame. One of the other monsters was a lizard with limbs made from pipes and wings of glass. And the final one was a bipedal suit of armor with no visible seams anywhere on its body. The chains on Jeanne's wrists jingled. Taking their cue, the machines began spinning. White light started glittering in a circle around them, and golden flower petals danced up through the air. The teleportation circle began activating, leaving Izabella behind. The priest went slack-jawed. La Christoph continued looking solely at Izabella. She made no motions to flee, so La Christoph chose not to resume his attack. "Get ahold of yourselves! Don't let them get away, dammitâ€”stop them!" As he shouted orders at the fighting paladins, the priest began chanting to activate Elisabeth's shackles. As she stood beside Kaito, her skin started burning, and she let out a small cry of pain. "Urkâ€”" "Elisabeth..." "Lady Elisabeth." Kaito and Hina supported her shoulders. However, Elisabeth wasn't the one giving the chant for the summoning circleâ€”Jeanne was. The light gradually grew in strength. The paladins and the executioner-like group frantically rushed toward them. As they did, Jeanne gently extended her hand. Making sure she wasn't seen by the people closing in on them, she lifted a tuft of Izabella's hair. Then she kissed her, like a knight kissing a princess's hand. Izabella's shoulders twitched. But she didn't turn around. Finally, Jeanne offered a surreptitious murmur to her dignified back. "I don't hate seeing a mere human trying to oppose them. After all, such actions are the ones that are supposed to change the world. You may be an idiot, a dunce, and a fool, miss, but I choose to believe that your actions helped delay the clock hands in their march toward the end. You did catch my eye, and the eyes never lie." With slight vestiges of sorrow, Jeanne let go of the silver hair. As she did, she offered a quiet farewell. "Good-bye, my stupid, gallant little lady." *** The next moment, the paladins and executioner-like group rushed in. Metal flower petals and white light blotted out their figures, but the moment before they faded from vision, a scene burned its way into Kaito's eyes. Losing a close struggle to the executioner-like group, the paladins were forced back. Countless arms draped in crimson cloth reached out. Then, one after another, they grabbed Izabella. And then, finally, she was pushed forcefully down onto the ground. 3 Something Left Behind The gold petals and white light dissolved together to form a solid, cylindrical wall. Then, immediately afterward, it crumbled. The fragments gently melted, transformed into droplets, and crashed against the stone floor. When each one landed, it sent a small crimson splash into the air. "...Crimson?" Kaito tilted his head to the side in confusion. Then he noticed the second magic circle at their feet. The blood it was comprised of was recoiling at Jeanne's mana, causing it to bounce up off the ground. As a result, their surroundings were like a rain of light pouring atop a sea of blood. After looking at the room he was in, Kaito furrowed his brow. "Huh? Wait, don't tell me this is..." "Jeanne, you little... I must say, I was expecting we would arrive in the forest nearby. Why is it that you're able to leap directly to my castle? When was it you interfered with my teleportation circle?" Her skin still covered