been none other than Kaito himself, alongside the Torture Princess, who had killed every last one. 2 A Mysterious Foe Time flowed on mercilessly, leaving mortal matters and concerns behind in its wake. The sky grew dark. The hill where Kaito had knocked out the paladins was blanketed in darkness as well. Even the holes in the earth gouged by conflicts past were cast in black relief. It was as though a jet-black sea had spread over the entire area, concealing the coffins and bones in deep shadows and bringing a gentle silence to the surroundings. Then a sharp noise rang out. â€”Click, clack. A beautiful woman stood atop the hill's summit, her heels ringing like the notes of a song. It was Elisabeth Le Fanu, the Torture Princess. She cast her crimson gaze on the area around her, taking it in with a scornful eye. "So this is where you went, eh? You chose yet another unpleasant and nostalgic spot." Elisabeth scoffed. Her silken black hair fluttered, as did the dress she was wearing, which was colored scarlet on the inside and extended past her waist. As she stood atop the hill, she began searching for irregularities. A few seconds later, she dropped to one knee and knelt on the ground. Not shying away from the bones around her in the slightest, she inspected the spot where she'd noticed the influx of mana. At first glance, there didn't appear to be anything left. Someone had probably been in charge of destroying the evidence and, as such, had carefully scooped up the earth and smoothed it out. But concentrating to her utmost, Elisabeth discovered a spot that was stained ever so slightly red. "Hmm." She scooped it up with the tip of her finger and stuck it in her mouth. As the mana lingered on her tongue, she searched her memories. Upon zeroing in on a particular magical tool, she spat out the dirt and lightly brushed off her soiled tongue. "Mana mixed with the taste of old flesh. Blood, bone, and organ shavings. Primitive, but convenient. I'd thought it banned across all human lands, so... Ah." Elisabeth heaved a deep sigh. After receiving notice from the Church about a new sighting of the Kaiser's contractor, she'd made the unusual choice of visiting the scene herself. The reason she'd done so was because there'd been a point that had caught her attention in the report she'd received. It had been in the testimony of one of the paladins who'd apparently been saved after barely escaping with his life. When he'd been on the threshold between dreams and consciousness, he reported feeling like he'd heard the Kaiser's contractor having a conversation with someone. There was a chance that the person Kaito had been talking to had been no more than Hina, Vlad, or the Kaiser. But the timing was too ominous to casually overlook it. 'Tis been quite some time since Kaito made his declaration of war at the Capital. Unlike the demons to date, Kaito was capable of holding a dialogue. Now was around the time when people would start to realize that. Someone might have finally tried to make contact with him. That was what sparked Elisabeth's apprehension. And it seemed her fears had been wholly on the mark. And what's more, the first to come into contact with him had been of a different race. "The other person is a beastman, eh? This is turning out to be quite bothersome indeed." If that was the case, then she had a new problem to deal with. The beastfolk's pureblood borough was completely off-limits. The Church's eyes didn't reach that far, and Elisabeth now found herself wholly unable to pursue Kaito. The Torture Princess was a pawn of the Church, and a powerful weapon to boot. If she went and trespassed on the beastman territories on her own, it could very well end up sparking a war. "What in the blazes have you gotten yourself wrapped up in, Kaito? What are your intentions?" Elisabeth whispered, and the darkness around her grew steadily deeper. No answer came back. That was only natural. Once, Kaito had tried to remain by Elisabeth's side to the bitter end. But now he was off in a distant land. Kaito Sena had chosen to become the enemy of mankind. And now the beastfolk had reached out to him. It was unclear what the significance of that was, or what consequences it would bring about. The only thing for certain was that Kaito had temporarily slipped Elisabeth's reach. "...'Tis nonsense." She bit down on her lip, enraged. But the thing that upset her wasn't Kaito's disappearance itself. No, the object of her anger was a different emotion that was welling up within her whether she wanted it to or not. She had just felt a definite sense of relief at the fact that she was unable to kill Kaito Sena. And as the Torture Princess, that was something she could not allow. "Ah, achoo!" "Oh my, did you catch a cold? Our lands are far chillier than those in which humans live. As you can see, we are blessed with thick fur. But adjusting the temperature to suit human tastes is an area we find ourselves tragically deficient in. If the fire doesn't meet your needs, please don't hesitate to say something." "No, no, I'm fine. It's not a cold. It really does feel like someone's talking about me behind my back, though." Lute's words were brusque yet filled with earnest concern, and Kaito's reply was easygoing. The sun had long since set, and they'd left the village where the massacre had taken place behind. They were currently in a different small village, one that sported a row of simple houses just like the last. Its tall fence was crafted from interwoven branches, and Kaito and the others were huddled around an open-air fire near its entrance. Trees spread out in every direction. Humidity percolated in the shadows the trees cast, causing the chill to sink into their skins. However, the strong flames did a lot to help drive the cold away. A pot full of water sat atop the fire, and finely torn flower petals sat simmering inside it. Before long, the water was dyed a vivid orange hue. Hina had been watching over the pot, and her maid uniform rustled as she quickly stood. "All right, if I decoct these any longer, it'll go bitter. Quickly and carefully...now!" Removing the pot from the flame, Hina scooped out the withered, mushy petals. She placed them on a separate plate, then sliced up some dried fruit and added it to the pot. As the lingering heat warmed them up, the orange water started to take on a reddish tinge. After deciding the hard chunks had spread out enough, she began ladling the pot's contents into bowls. "There you go, Master Kaito and Mr. Lute. Eat up." "Thanks, Hina." "Oh my, you've done a wonderful job with the leaves we brought along. Your functions are a marvel, Madam Hi...na... No, forgive my rudeness. I'd been told you were an automaton, Madam Hina, but I should have referred to you the same way I would a person. In my carelessness, I spoke presumptuously. My apologies. Erm..." "Hee-hee, please, don't worry about it. I am my beloved Master Kaito's eternal lover, his faithful companion, his soldier, his weapon, his love outlet, his sex doll, and his brideâ€”all because I am a puppet. And I take great pride in that fact." Hina flashed a gentle smile. His eyes filling with admiration, Lute held his bowl high. "Well said. Whatever one's nature is, being able to take pride in it is a beautiful thing. In that case, I wish to express my thanks toward your functions once more." Though he was singing Hina's praises, Lute didn't bring the bowl to his mouth. It seemed beasts and beastfolk alike favored their senses of smell, as the shape of his mouth relaxed while he savored the aroma. Apparently, it was beastfolk custom to wait for food to cool completely before eating. Kaito was the first to have a taste. The broth had a curious viscosity to it. A honey-like sweetness that was mixed with the fruit's acidity filled his mouth. The flavor seemed to wash all the fatigue from his body. Slowly exhaling, Kaito looked up at the night sky. As he gazed at the smattering of stars in the darkness, he let out a small remark. "...I'm not seeing anyone." "Quite. And I was so ready to rend them limb from limb." "I've yet to sense anyone suspicious around us, either." As they calmly passed the time, the three of them quietly whispered among themselves. They were feigning being relaxed, but they were constantly surveying their surroundings. Lute's subordinates were doing the same. All of them were waiting. They were waiting to ambush the killer when they attacked a new village. Their simple yet precise plan had been suggested by a rather unexpected source. "Let's put aside the matter of who the killer is for the moment. Right now, we should be focusing on how to prevent the next massacre." Back at the village with the strung-up victims, Kaito had shelved the prospect of identifying the one responsible. Just because they'd figured out that the culprit was a demon didn't mean they had any concrete way of stopping the killings. Their top priority needed to be preventing the murderer from preying on any more victims. And in order to do that, they had to figure out where the next attack would take place. But even though Kaito had been called in to help, his investigative capabilities were borderline nonexistent. Unfortunately, his presence wasn't doing much to improve the situation. They also didn't have time to add him to the patrols that were going from village to village. More victims would undoubtedly spring up in the interim. "Is there any way we could figure it out for...oh. Well, I guess we could ask him." It was at that point that Kaito thought of asking a particular man for advice. Specifically, the Kaiser's previous contractor: Vlad Le Fanu. After all, the man had committed his fair share of massacres himself. His unique viewpoint might prove useful. With that hope, Kaito ran mana through the jewel containing the replica of Vlad's soul. Extravagant azure petals and black feathers sprang out from within. With that as his backdrop, Vlad made his appearance, as gracefully as always. His cravat paired well with his aristocratic outfit, and it waved from side to side as he crossed his legs in the empty air. "Do you have some business with me, my dear successor?" "There's something I want your opinion on. Do you mind?" "Hmm... Rather cheerful words, coming from a man who abandons others to mind-numbingly boring jewels once they've served their purpose." "Sorry about that, then. Back in you go." "Let me hear you out." It looked like Vlad's complaints about boredom were rather serious. The beastfolk were startled by the man'sâ€”who was clearly no saintâ€”sudden appearance, even though he was just a phantom. However, Kaito decided to leave off the explanation for later and instead told Vlad what had been going on. Stroking his chin, Vlad nodded thoughtfully. "Lend me a map." Something had clearly piqued his interest, as he stared intently at the map Kaito held up. He fired off a series of questions to Lute as he pointed to various locations. "Where did the past killings take place? Hmm, beastman diets vary from species to species, so villages tend to be homogenous, correct? What types of animal were the victims? What, don't call them 'animals'? Oh, quit fussing over minor details. Hmm, I see. Now, how were they killed? Skinned, skewered, strung up... Now then, would you tell me about the species that live in the villages in this radius? Yes, all of them." Finally satisfied,