Chapter 28

　　The Watchers’ lights drew steadily closer. The hounds, noses to the ground, were tightening their cordon.

　　Come forth, Simon commanded internally, summoning a single skeleton from his Subspace. He ordered it to halt and lie prone in the tall grass.

　　"Kami. This way." Simon grabbed the trembling girl’s wrist and pulled her into a low crouch. After a lantern beam swept past, he dashed from behind the tree to a wide rock, pulling her with him. There, he summoned another skeleton and had it lie prone. He could control a maximum of two at his current level.

　　I have to use everything I’ve got.

　　Simon scooped up loose stones, storing them in his Subspace while his eyes darted around, absorbing every detail: the number of Watchers, how many held lanterns, their weapons, the breed and behavior of the hounds, the terrain, the wind direction, the gurgle of a nearby stream. The wind was at their backs for now, confusing the dogs, but that could change at any moment. It was time to make his move.

　　Now!

　　Simon’s eyes snapped open. The skeleton under the tree shot to its feet and broke into a run.

　　"Over there!" a Watcher shouted.

　　They reacted instantly. The hounds erupted in a chorus of barks and gave chase.

　　"Only half of you follow! The rest, keep advancing!" another commanded.

　　"The other dogs are still on the scent!"

　　As expected of hunting experts, they weren’t fooled by a simple diversion. Simon sent his second skeleton, the one by the rock, sprinting in a different direction.

　　"That’s the real one!"

　　"Get it!"

　　The Watchers and hounds swarmed to the side.

　　"Kami, run!" Simon yelled. This was their chance. The two of them, who had been hiding behind the rock, turned and bolted.

　　I didn’t lose them completely. There are still some following us!

　　Even as he ran, Simon glanced back. A few Watchers were still in pursuit.

　　"Keep it up, Kami!"

　　"Okay!" she panted.

　　Woof! Woof!

　　The hounds, having locked onto their scent, were closing in fast, parting the grass like arrows. No matter how fast they were, they couldn’t outrun dogs.

　　"Kami! Use your blood-flow magic! Anything! Spray it toward the dogs!"

　　"Got it!" Kamibarez cast the spell on the run. A small magic circle bloomed at her fingertip, and fresh blood gushed forth. She twisted at the waist, flinging her arm backward. A spray of Jet-Black-tinged blood flew through the air, soaking the grass.

　　"Woof! Woof woof woof! Grrrrr!"

　　The scent of vampire blood was so potent it was used in high-end perfumes. The rich, cloying aroma sent the dogs into a frenzy, and they began tearing at the ground, momentarily distracted. Simon and Kamibarez used the opening to gain more distance.

　　Simon’s heart hammered against his ribs. He was starting to worry about Kamibarez’s stamina, but she was running doggedly, keeping pace right behind him.

　　"There they are!"

　　A lantern beam swept across their backs. At the same time, Simon heard the taut twang of a bowstring.

　　Arrows suddenly slammed into the ground near them, and Kamibarez let out a short scream. "Th-They really shot at us! What do we do?"

　　"It’s fine," Simon said calmly, his eyes fixed forward. "They saw our uniforms. A subordinate can’t risk injuring a Kizen student."

　　Just as he predicted, the arrows were landing wide of their path. They were clearly warning shots.

　　"Those brats…!"

　　"Stop! I said stop!"

　　As if we’d stop for you, Simon thought with a smirk, pulling an imaginary lever.

　　His Subspace opened at ground level, and the stones he’d stored earlier poured out at maximum velocity. It was just a simple stone toss, but the approaching Watchers, mistaking it for black magic, halted and raised their guard.

　　"Kami, this way!"

　　"Okay!"

　　Thanks to Simon’s quick thinking, they bought a little more time. It might have seemed like they were running aimlessly, but Simon had been following the sound of water. They finally reached the stream.

　　Damn.

　　It was a cliff. Far below the sheer drop, a stream gurgled, and the opposite bank was a considerable distance away.

　　"Kami! Remember that leaping technique from Combat Magic? Can you use it?"

　　Her face pale, she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. She had been one of the two students who couldn’t make the jump during that class.

　　Woof! Woof!

　　There was no time to hesitate. The barking and the lantern lights were getting closer by the second.

　　"Simon. I’ll be fine," Kamibarez said, forcing a weak smile as she pushed against his chest. "Go on ahead. Even if I get caught, I’ll never say anything about you…"

　　"Excuse me."

　　Moving like lightning, Simon swept her into his arms, spun around, and sprinted toward the cliff’s edge.

　　The sensation of treading on Jet-Blackness!

　　Black smoke exploded from his feet, launching him into the air. Below was a dizzying precipice; above, a brilliant full moon. He felt the cold headwind, the thrill of having nothing beneath his feet. After a moment of perfect, suspended flight, his body began to descend.

　　Screeeech!

　　He landed on the opposite bank by a hair’s breadth, his boots scraping against the ground. He quickly scrambled down the slope and set Kamibarez down, both of them pressing themselves flat against the earth.

　　"Where are they?" a voice called from the other side.

　　"They disappeared!"

　　Above their heads, lantern beams sliced through the darkness. After a few minutes of meticulous searching, the lights were finally withdrawn.

　　"Let’s check that way."

　　"Move! They couldn’t have gotten far!"

　　Woof! Woof! Woof!

　　The lights and the barking grew more distant until, finally, all signs of them vanished. Only then did Simon let out a shuddering breath.

　　"Phew… Kami, are you okay?"

　　Kamibarez seemed to be in a daze. Then, as her eyes met Simon’s, tears began to well up.

　　"What’s wrong? Are you hurt?" a flustered Simon asked, sitting up.

　　She shook her head, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "I really thought we were going to be caught," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you. Thank you for saving me…!"

　　She dissolved into ragged sobs. Simon silently patted her on the shoulder.

　　She was that terrified, yet she was willing to be caught for my sake?

　　He felt like he was beginning to understand what kind of person she truly was.

　　After some time, Kamibarez calmed down. They stood and brushed the dirt from their uniforms.

　　"Let’s go back," Simon said. "We’ll have to take a detour to avoid the Watchers. Is that okay?"

　　"Yes."

　　They set off again into the dark forest. They kept their lanterns off, wary of being spotted by monsters or more Watchers. Fortunately, the moon was bright enough to see by. After about an hour of walking, Simon paused.

　　…Where are we now?

　　In their haste, they had wandered deeper into the forest than intended. The surroundings were so eerie he hardly recognized them. The trees grew taller and denser, their leaves forming a thick canopy that blotted out the night sky. Pairs of eyes—beast or monster, he couldn’t tell—glimmered in the darkness before vanishing. Unsettling cries echoed through the woods, making his shoulders tense and his nerves fray. The thought of deliberately seeking out the Watchers seemed almost preferable; the midnight forest possessed something that stirred a primal fear.

　　Even Kamibarez, a vampire, seemed terrified. She gripped the edge of Simon’s sleeve, her eyes darting nervously.

　　The map is clear in my head, but I have no idea where we are. It felt as if they were bewitched, walking in circles. I’m getting tired, and my body temperature is dropping. What should I do?

　　"…Simon," Kamibarez whispered, her face pale. "Don’t you hear something?"

　　"An owl?"

　　"No." She pressed closer to him, her voice trembling with terror. "A person’s… voice…"

　　Simon fell silent, straining his ears. She was right.

　　It was faint, but he could hear it. He couldn’t tell if it was an animal, a monster, or a person, but an indistinguishable, repetitive sound drifted through the trees.

　　"Let’s check it out." He had heard that some people lived in the forests on Roc Island. If it were a person, they might be able to help.

　　They nodded to each other and moved forward, following the sound.

　　-#$#@%@#^@.

　　As they walked, the voice grew clearer.

　　-@$%@^have mercy.

　　-$톰ítake away this fate @%#$^@ almighty @$@%mother.

　　The voice was cold, monotonous, and utterly devoid of emotion.

　　-$††@^we worship thee @%@$$^holy and.

　　What in the world is this? he wondered, frowning as he focused on the strange words.

　　"…Simon."

　　He jumped. Kamibarez was streaming tears, her face a mask of pure terror. Yet, the corners of her lips were turned up in a trembling, grotesque smile.

　　"What’s wrong? Kami."

　　"…We have to run."

　　-#$^$##mother who alone is exalted %@% glory to thee.

　　"…We have to run away," she repeated, her voice strained.

　　"Run? What are you talking about?"

　　"Ugh. Ahh. Ahh. Aaaah…!" She began to convulse, her limbs flailing.

　　Simon grabbed her and ran in the opposite direction of the sound. But the voice only grew closer, more distinct.

　　-@#$@#show us mercy. The sins of the world#@$@#$@.

　　Frantically pushing through the undergrowth, Simon finally broke into a clearing and froze. He had found the source of the voice.

　　An altar stood in the center of the clearing. A figure in a long, gray robe was prostrated before it, arms outstretched on the ground, palms facing the sky. The altar itself was draped with unidentifiable objects and glistening animal entrails. At its base, a beast lay twitching, a dagger plunged into its chest—a sacrifice. Thick, dark blood stained the ground crimson.

　　And in the center of the altar, something large was placed.

　　Simon knew what it was, but his mind refused to accept it. It was something that should never be on Roc Island. Something that should never be at Kizen.

　　A cross.

　　Why is a cross here?

　　A naked woman was bound to it in a grotesque pose, her body entwined with thorny vines. The robed figure before the altar raised their torso to chant another line of the prayer, then bowed again, pressing their body to the ground.

　　Simon felt the blood drain from his face.

　　…A Priest!

　　A Priest was here. At Kizen. Kneeling on Kizen’s soil, bowing, and reciting prayers.

　　I have to run. He had seen something he shouldn’t have. If they were caught, it was over.

　　Kamibarez was completely frozen in terror, but thankfully, she had clamped her hands over her mouth, stifling any sound. Simon wrapped an arm around her shoulder to turn and leave, when—

　　Rustle.

　　A single dry leaf crunched under his foot.

　　The praying Priest went still.

　　Feeling his throat go dry, Simon slowly, stiffly, turned his head.

　　The Priest was standing, staring directly at them. From the deep shadows of the hood, two eyes seemed to glow with an unnatural light. Power surged into Simon’s legs.

　　"Run!"