womb, lives, we can make as many as we wish." Upon hearing that, Kaito felt the blood drain from his face. He looked at the baby's mangled corpse. Their being able to produce more of those was a fact he couldn't take lightly. "Now, here is your question. Will Elisabeth kill her? Or will she not?" "If she cannot kill her, we intend to snatch Marianne up and produce an army of Earls." Kaito glanced at Marianne's chain-bound pale face. On it was etched her resolution toward death and her exhaustion toward life. She wasn't the kind of person who should have had to become a necromancer. "...You mean you're going to exploit her even more? Hasn't she had enough?" "Until her fragile heart breaks, we intend to mass-produce Earls and release them into the wild." "Ah, and that scene will play out once more. Countless delightful Grand Guignols will take place." The maids giggled in unison. Kaito's vision went red with fury. At the same time, hallucinations of spiders crawled about in his brain. One after another, children screaming their throats raw ran through his mind. Neue cursing his fate, then smiling tearfully. The boy's body being pulled backward and disappearing. He thought he heard a ghastly scream and the boy's bones snapping. The first person who had ever wished him happiness being brutally killed. Kaito's mind was painted over with heartache and vengeance. Somewhere in his mind, an odd slamming noise resounded. He looked up slowly. His eyes were opened wide in a manic death glare, and he posed a question to the two maids in a cold voice. "...You think I'll let you?" "Your valor is impulsive but splendid nonetheless." "But we are not the ones you need to face." The maids clasped the hems of their dresses once more, bending their knees as they curtsied gracefully. The maid who'd been holding the box pointed at Marianne, bound in chains. The other raised her clock. "Now then, shall we resume?" "You have only a few seconds to make your choice. Act quickly, if you please." ""Do as you will, but ensure that you have no regrets."" Then the two disappeared. Color returned to the world. The cold wind blew, and the cloud of dust danced through the air. Elisabeth bit her lip, then raised her hand high. As she did, Kaito took off at a run. The maids had told him he had only a few seconds to decide. He didn't have time to wait and see if she would snap her fingers or not. If she didn't, there wouldn't be time to keep the situation from getting ugly. Kaito had immediately understood what the two had insinuated. His mind was clear, he understood what he needed to do, and he did it without hesitation. He pulled the Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal out of the ground where it was buried. The blade was remarkably light, possibly due to the magical assistance it offered. Elisabeth turned around. Her crimson gaze clearly meant to question what he was doing, but he ignored it as his body was practically thrown forward. He already knew how unreasonable his actions were. No matter what I do, Marianne's going to end up dead, either from Elisabeth's torture or from being used up and crippled. Those are the only paths left for her. Either way, she'd find herself facing Hell. Recognizing that, the reality of her situation helped assuage his guilt as he seized the third unspoken option. "...Sorry." Kaito ran Marianne through with the sword. The magical blade encountered little resistance as it pierced her chest. "...Whâ€”?" Marianne coughed up blood, her eyes wide in surprise. Kaito felt himself perk up as it showered him. Warm blood ran down his cheek. For a second, he didn't realize what he'd just done. Then he choked down the bile welling up in his stomach as he peeled his hands from the sword. His gaze met Marianne's. Kaito looked straight at the woman he'd just killed. Her face was full of bewilderment. Over and over, Kaito mouthed that he was sorry. For some reason, when she saw that, she smiled tenderly. "A-ah... My...thanks...Truly...this was...the way..." Her words were cut short. Still bearing a tranquil expression, her head slumped forward. In astonishment, Kaito turned over her dying words in his head. When he did, a possible end to her final sentence came to mind. "Wait, did you...?" Maybe Marianne hadn't wanted to add any further sins to the burden Elisabeth bore. But before he could give the matter much thought, Kaito was sent flying. "Urgh!" He'd been kicked hard, and he slid down the road. He tumbled over the gravel and ash before finally crashing into a pile of rubble. The pain that ran across his body was so intense, he was afraid one of his organs had ruptured. Coughing up blood, he looked up. Elisabeth was standing at the same spot he'd been a moment ago. She gazed at Marianne's corpse, her face devoid of expression. A long moment passed. Then suddenly, Elisabeth grabbed the hilt of the sword piercing Marianne and gave it a yank. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the ground dark. Elisabeth's black hair fluttered as she turned toward Kaito. Her eyes were narrowed and filled with a dry rage. "Why act on your own, cur? Based on your answer, you can imagine the punishment that awaits you." Her heels clicked as she approached. She stopped directly in front of Kaito. Kaito stared stupidly at the pale hand approaching him. But just before her fingers could reach him, his vision blurred horizontally. Hina had scooped him up, then leaped to the side. She scraped the ground as she landed, carrying him in her right arm and holding the halberd in her left hand at the ready. Elisabeth clicked her tongue. "Drop it, doll." "I refuse. You are not my master." The two glared daggers at each other. Determining that this was not a foe she could contest one-handed, Hina gently set Kaito down and stood in front of him as a shield. Elisabeth pursed her lips coldly. Trying to prevent a fight, Kaito opened his mouth. But his breathing was so ragged, he couldn't speak well. He tried his best to gather strength in his wounded chest. "H-hey, you two, cut itâ€”" But the moment he'd finally gathered the strength to speak, he realized that the space around him had frozen once again. Even with his vision blurred from the pain in his abdomen, he could make out the two maids standing in front of him. One of them was wearing shoes stained with the blood of a baby, and the other held her clock. They turned their scuffed purple eyes toward Kaito without a word. The next moment, their fair faces clicked and contorted into expressions that were anything but natural. The maids wore broken, hideous smiles. They gracefully bowed once again. "You passed, Sinless Soul." "Our master calls for you." Humming contentedly, the maids grabbed Kaito's limp shoulders. He was helpless to resist as they pulled him away. As they dragged him along, he weakly turned to look over his shoulder. After the three of them had traveled a fixed distance, the frozen-blue world suddenly sprang back to life. "Hmm? ...Kaito?" "Masâ€” Master Kaito? This can't be! Master Kaito, where are you?!" Elisabeth and Hina noticed Kaito's disappearance and surveyed their surroundings. He wasn't that far away from them. He stared at them, begging them to notice him. Hina turned in his direction. But then a sound rang out. Grrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrr. As if to block their view, a deep-black darkness coalesced and swallowed the light. As it growled, the darkness formed fine, rippling muscles and sleek black fur. Before long, it had taken the form of a first-class hound. Crimson hellfire burned in its eyes. The Kaiser had arrived, and the air itself froze in awe. "Gah-ha-ha-ha, heh-heh-ha-ha, gah-ha-ha-ha." He laughed at the two of them in a voice that sounded almost human. That hopeless scene was the last thing Kaito saw before his consciousness faded. 6 Kaito's Decision Kaito reflected on just how miserable his life had been. People kept calling him a Sinless Soul, but he certainly didn't feel like one. On the contrary, as he'd just committed his first murder in this world. Even though he'd been complicit in murders before, such as helping clean up bodies, this was the first time he'd ever stabbed someone with a sword. His new life had been a mess. He'd born witness to unspeakably horrible sights and been tortured for nonsensical reasons. He'd been forced to cut off his own hand and carve deep wounds in his own chest. But despite all that, he'd also had some experiences he didn't want to forget. Someone had wished him happiness. Someone had promised to protect him. He'd had to dig through metaphorical mud, chunks of metal tearing at his flesh, but he'd finally received those blessings. For most people, small comforts like those were a constant in their day-to-day lives, trivial motes of warmth that hardly bore mention. But it had taken Kaito until after his death to receive them. Because of that, Kaito thought something for the first time. He definitely wasn't a Sinless Soul, and the things he'd seen had been hellish. But even so... In spite of all that... This second life he'd had forced upon him wasn't a bad one. Perhaps there had been meaning in the resurrection of a pitiful creature like himself after all. Of course, he'd never share these thoughts with anyone. When he opened his eyes, Kaito found himself seated on an extravagant chair. His surroundings were dimly lit, and the edges of his vision faded into darkness. He brushed against his chair's expertly crafted armrests as he surveyed the room. Wait, where am I? What am I doing here? A pearl-gray tablecloth extended out before him. On the table lay an assortment of foods on silver buffet platters. The food was so colorful, it almost looked like it was made of wax. There were a number of hors d'oeuvres, from a translucent gelled oyster dish and a vividly orange marinated salmon to a broad selection of pÃ¢tÃ©s. For entrees, there was a golden-brown pig roast, a vegetable quiche, and an aromatic lobster chowder. There were also fruits drizzled in honey, a cake covered in crushed almonds, and an olive-brown pudding adorned with berries. The table was absolutely packed with fragrant foods. Flames illuminated them from atop red candlesticks, flickering as they cast their light on the banquet that looked too good to be true. But despite the meal's splendor, nobody was partaking of the spread. The silhouette of a man sat at the head of the table. He wore a silk shirt with a cravat. His coat was decorated with silver thread, and he declined to remove it as he ate. The man ignored the buffet platters, instead eating from a single pure-white dinner plate. Upon the porcelain dish was a slab of meat with blood dripping from it. The raw liver didn't even look seasoned. The man cut thin slices of the meat and carried them to his mouth with his fork. The darkness was broken up only by the candlelight and the soft sound of dishes clinking. Kaito immediately recognized the man's crimson eyes, silky black hair, and beautiful, androgynous features. The man, Vlad, bore a striking resemblance to Elisabeth. But...why? Why'd they bring me straight to the final boss, of all people? Confused, Kaito took stock of his body. The pain in his abdomen hadn't gone away, but he could move his arms and legs freely. He wasn't bound, nor did there appear to be any manner of magical restraints. Kaito looked at Vlad, hoping he would drop his guard. Vlad simply continued eating in silence. He seemed engrossed in the meat, as if it was the sole thing