139

By the time they returned to the village, night had already fallen and the surroundings had grown dim.

Yet for some reason the village seemed lively.

It was rather strange.

In a rural village, people usually returned home at dusk, ate supper, and went to sleep.

Instead, the villagers had filled baskets with flowers and food and were heading toward the square.

“Is it a festival?”

“I don’t know.”

Hamel withheld his words in response to Lena’s question.

It was odd to hold a festival under these circumstances.

For now, they had no choice but to follow.

Hamel followed them toward the village square.

The square was filled with bright lights.

Torches were placed all around, making the area clearly visible.

The villagers were somehow boisterous.

They seemed elated, or perhaps slightly excited.

“…?”

Could it really be a festival?

That question lingered as they watched.

“Silence!”

An old man wearing a mask walked into the center of the square. He had a girl clutched in his hand.

“The time has come. Let us begin!”

“Yes!”

At the old man’s soft words, the villagers cried out in unison. At the same time, musical instruments began to play from one side of the square. The drums thudded and vibrated, stirring a strange exhilaration.

Everyone began to jump in place, reaching their hands upward.

It looked like a dance.

“Is this really a festival?”

Daniel looked puzzled.

“No.”

“This is…”

Only Ono and Hamel frowned as if they understood the situation.

And that expectation soon turned into reality before their eyes.

“They are coming.”

“"Coming."”

“Like a shadow.”

“"Coming."”

“Quietly and fiercely.”

“"Coming."”

“They will swallow evil.”

“"Coming."”

Though it sounded like singing, it was clearly ritual. The chorus the villagers chanted together formed a potent magical rite.

This was…….

“This doesn’t look like a mere festival but rather an offering ceremony.”

“What… then shouldn’t we stop it?”

At Daniel’s urgent suggestion to stop the ritual immediately, Hamel shook his head.

“Let’s watch a little longer.”

Perhaps it might appear here. I mean the rumored Azidahaka. If it appeared here like Reteil—the Man-Faced Lion had long ago in Rengbaster—that would actually be fortunate. It would save them the trouble of searching for it.

They waited a short while.

─Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud

With the vibrations, something in the darkness began to move.

“…Is it really coming?”

Ono tightened his grip on his weapon.

“…No. That’s… just an ordinary horde of demons.”

To Hamel’s eyes, the mass rushing in was clearly visible. They formed a strange mixture of different demons, but none appeared extraordinary.

Could this really be the rumored Azidahaka’s true form?

Even so, how were the villagers supposed to deal with so many demons?

Hamel watched the situation a little longer.

But none of the villagers fled; they held their positions. Fear and tension were visible in their eyes. Yet at the same time there was a strange fervor and excitement.

What on earth was happening?

Meanwhile, the demons drew close enough to be seen by the villagers. Their numbers swelled further, rushing in from multiple directions.

Daniel and the others, already drawing their weapons, shouted urgently.

“Hamel!”

“…I’ll stop them.”

As soon as the words fell, Daniel, Ono, and Lena dashed off in different directions.

Hamel also ran, taking up a position to guard one of the four sides.

And just as he was about to slash the demon before him—

─Swoosh

A black streak of shadow slid beneath Hamel’s feet.

And then.

─Crunch

It bit through a demon like someone snapping a cracker. The demon’s lower body vanished in an instant and it collapsed to the ground with a thud.

But the shadow greedily swallowed it whole. Not a drop of blood fell.

Such things happened simultaneously all around. Demons were being swallowed up in the blink of an eye everywhere around the square.

“…Azidahaka.”

Hamel realized instinctively that this was the being people had been whispering about.

Hamel tensed and watched beneath his feet.

But contrary to his worries, nothing happened.

Instead, a thunderous cheer broke out from behind him.

“It has come!”

“They have saved us again!”

“Long live Azidahaka!”

Hamel paused at the villagers’ shouts.

Is that all?

So was Azidahaka truly a benevolent protector of the village?

Just as Hamel wondered,

“Begin!”

one of the villagers cried out as if he’d been waiting for this.

Their gleaming gazes turned to the very center of the square.

Damn.

Only then did Hamel realize the shadow beneath his feet had glided toward the center of the square.

On the platform at the center stood the girl who had been led out earlier by the old man. She was smiling brightly, dressed prettily as if she were going to a festival.

Behind her, a shadow rose up. It took the form of a giant serpent, opening its maw as if to swallow the girl whole.

At that moment.

─Thwack

A sword thrown by Hamel pierced through the shadow.

“…Huh?”

Just as the startled girl turned, the shadow—torn by the blade—swallowed her before it could properly take shape.

Inside that closing mouth, the girl’s frightened eyes met Hamel’s.

Just a little more…

Hamel, having thrown his sword and sprinted forward, was almost there. He kindled the Azure Flame and reached out toward the shadow—

─Flash

A burst of light erupted from somewhere, lifting the veil of night. The light reached the shadow just before it could fully swallow the girl.

Under that radiance, the shadow melted away like snow in spring. It tried to flee back into the dark, but the brilliance consumed torchlight and moonlight alike. The only darkness left nearby was the forest and the night sky.

─Shhrrik

With the hiss of an enraged serpent, the shadow recoiled hastily.

The commotion passed in the blink of an eye.

What followed was a silence as profound as death.

After a brief moment passed.

“…Oh.”

The frightened girl went rigid and then suddenly burst into tears.

Hamel patted her gently to soothe her.

“It’s all over.”

The villagers stood there not knowing what to do. They could not have imagined that the deity they worshipped would be driven off by human hands.

While Hamel comforted the child, the startled party hurriedly gathered near the square.

“Hamel, are you all right?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Hamel nodded at Daniel for a moment before Ono snapped coldly.

“You idiot, don’t let your guard down. That was almost dangerous.”

“…I’m sorry.”

There was no excuse to offer. The child had nearly died. Hamel reflected deeply—he had rushed to resolve the problem while neglecting the life that should have been the top priority.

At that moment, someone parted the crowd and approached. A faint glow still emanated from the person’s body. It was not hard to see he had been the one to repel the shadow earlier.

Everyone frowned as they scrutinized the approaching man.

“Oh?”

Ono was the first to exclaim. Hamel and Lena reacted the same.

After all, the man who appeared before them was someone they knew well.

“Antonio.”

Hamel stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder.

“Hamel, you’re safe!”

Antonio lifted his bandaged head and smiled brightly.

Hamel found himself strangely at a loss for words at the sight of him. He quickly suppressed his emotions and asked calmly.

“How did you come here?”

Antonio answered with the same innocent, boyish smile.

“I came because I have something to tell you.”

“Something to tell us? What could it be…”

What on earth was important enough to bring him so far?

As Hamel wondered, Antonio nodded and said,

“Could you guide that girl for a moment?”

“Yes. Of course.”

Hamel took Antonio’s hand and approached the girl on the altar.

Antonio smiled brightly and said,

“Hello.”

“…hic.”

“Oh dear, you must have been frightened. It’s okay now. My name is Antonio, a priest of the order.”

“…Malle.”

The girl, finally calmed, whispered her name softly.

Antonio nodded and asked,

“All right, Malle. I’ll ask you one thing. Have you recently received or picked up anything?”

“…This.”

The girl held out something she had been clutching. Antonio took it carefully and stroked the girl’s head.

“Thank you.”

“They said the god would protect you if you kept it.”

“…I see.”

Antonio smiled bitterly and rose to his feet. He then turned to Hamel and handed it to him.

“What’s this?”

Hamel looked at the item placed in his hand: a small stone engraved with the image of a raven. The familiar insignia made the corners of Hamel’s eyes tremble slightly.

Antonio said calmly,

“I saw an item exactly like this not long ago. You probably know it too, Hamel.”

“Yes?”

As Hamel tilted his head in puzzlement—

“Ha ha, ah, greetings. We meet again.”

Aznos and his troupe, looking somewhat embarrassed, gave a small wave. The Bremen ensemble. They had said they were heading east. Why were they here?

Antonio briefly answered Hamel’s question.

“I came here to warn you.”

“A warning?”

“Yes. About Leo Benedictus Geza.”

“…!”

Antonio’s words were shocking.

Leo Benedictus Geza. A brown-haired priest. Even if he wasn’t connected to Daniel’s past, everything else seemed linked together.

According to Antonio, he had been pursuing them for a long time. He had carried out the massacre in Rengbaster. He stirred discord against the Glenval family in the north. And the events unfolding now in the west—all were connected to him.

A follower of the raven fellow.

Raven again.

He was as tangled up with Hamel as Marbas was. While pursuing them, he annihilated the Rengbaster family. In the north he devoured Lunacornus’s spirit and even manipulated Rupert’s consciousness to try to kill the Swordmaster.

Maybe the purification garden is tied to the raven too.

They had lured Irene into turning Solmer into an enemy, so the possibility was considerable. The raven didn’t seem on good terms with Marvas. Looking at it this way, it was a truly tenacious grudge. The other side probably felt much the same.

Hamel let out a long sigh.

“So you too received an item like this from Leo Benedictus Geza?”

“Y-yes.”

Aznos nodded hastily.

Hamel fell into thought for a moment.

So the incidents in the west are the work of the Inquisition? But then again…

Even so, the Ashitaka family was surely hiding something.

As Hamel’s worry deepened—

“Hamel.”

Daniel suddenly called out to Hamel.

When he turned his head, he saw a retainer of the Ashitaka family, bruised and battered.

“…Who’s that?”

“When that Azidahaka showed up earlier, he tried to sneak away. I trailed him quietly so he wouldn’t notice.”

Hamel nodded. This was the retainer who had been out of sight until now.

“The place he fled to was the basement of the mansion that belonged to the former lord, the Albre family. And…”

Daniel trailed off and looked back.

Then someone staggered out from behind Daniel. Their body gave off a stench; they looked emaciated and battered. But the black cassock he wore conveyed a clear meaning.

“An inquisitor…!”

Hamel cried out in surprise, and the man nodded weakly.