For the second time in his life, Subaru Natsuki found himself in a whole new world. One full of non-humans, magic, and new possibilities. But unlike when he ended up in the kingdom of Lugunica, this time the Japanese teenager had been in control of where he ended up.

And having control over his own life and its direction was something Subaru desperately craved. Suffice it to say, he was sick of ending up in situations where everything went wildly out of his control and he ended up suffering a few times before he eventually found a narrow escape path to salvation.

With an entirely new set of possibilities ahead of him, Subaru could barely contain his excitement. "I can't believe I'm a personal guest of the king, himself. I can't wait to see how different this place is from Lugunica." No matter what he ended up encountering, he was certain he'd have plenty of opinions about what he'd see when he finally got out into the city. A romantic sense of newness threatened to overwhelm the former NEET as he followed behind the two guides who had been summoned to show him around.

The two women in front of him gave off two distinct, but opposite sorts of energies. The red-haired girl had a real enthusiastic energy to her and felt like the sociable type. And the black-haired, bespectacled woman almost reminded Subaru of a school teacher.

"Guess I should do my best to not look like a total idiot in front of these two. Don't wanna end up on their wrong side." It was a memory that he couldn't look fondly upon, but Subaru had prior experience in messing things up when he encountered two beautiful maids in the past. He instinctively knew he couldn't repeat those same actions.

It might not have been something to be particularly proud of, but Subaru was usually rather good at holding a conversation. The only problem was, he oftentimes tended to get on people's nerves. He was working on curbing that tendency. "But who knows, maybe it will end up being a virtue sometime in the future. Maybe I can even annoy one of my enemies to death."

The thought was amusing, but he knew something like that could never happen.

Not wanting this walk to go on in silence forever, Subaru decided he needed to be the first one to speak up, "So, I appreciate the two of you taking time to show me around. You must have other stuff to do rather than show a guy like me around so that I don't get lost." He would never, ever again underestimate the duties of servant staff. Having served as an apprentice butler for only a short period, Subaru now knew that anyone who chose to be a maid or butler had a work ethic that was to be respected.

"Please, think nothing of it. It is our honor and duty to serve the Supreme One, no matter the task he bestows onto us." The one to speak was Yuri Alpha. She'd looked over her shoulder and given Subaru a smile that he found to be reassuring and made him feel more at ease.

But it didn't end there. Lupusregina was up next. "Besides, Lord Ainz already told us that you were a really big help to him. We didn't see it ourselves, but we heard you brought in a super rare monster from the world you come from. Sounds like it was a real fun time! Wish we could have been there to help bring it in, to be honest." While she would not openly complain about her given tasks, Lupusregina at least wished she could have been permitted to participate in such an undertaking.

"If you're talking about the White Whale, then yeah. It's one of a kind!" And if it wasn't, the entirety of the continent would have been forced to endure an even greater nightmare than the one Subaru had freed them from. "But then again, there are two more creatures out there in the world like that..." But Subaru quickly pushed those thoughts out of his head. The only reason that he even went up against that flying monster in the first place was due to a crisis.

Subaru felt that after 400 years of nothing but terror, the White Whale more than deserved its fate of being used as a resource for whatever the Sorcerer King intended to build out of it. "Heh, maybe it'll do people some good in death since it never did in life." There was no sympathy in his heart for the creature. He would have felt no different even if the same faith awaited the members of the Witch's Cult.

"Then even greater thanks seem to be in order. Please allow the two of us to serve as your escort and guides while you tour our master's growing capital city." Yuri's pleasant and professional words brought Subaru's mind back to the moment, and in a flash, his pitiless thoughts toward his hated enemies seemed to vanish.

"Feel free to lead the way! I guess it's not often that the king himself hands out an invitation to someone that lets them explore the city and have anything they want for free." Subaru didn't intend to go wild. After all, it would probably make people talk if it seemed someone who had been approved of by the Sorcerer King was going around and acting like a maniac who didn't know what moderation was.

And lead the way they did.

Subaru had only ever been in one castle before in his life. But this time he had a real invitation.

At first, he thought it was odd for a castle to be so empty. But now, Subaru believed that perhaps the Sorcerer King wanted complete privacy for their first meeting. Because the moment that he was directed toward a lower floor by the two maids, he finally didn't feel so alone in what was undoubtedly a massive palace.

This part of the castle was chock-full of life. Warriors donned in full plate armor. Scholars carrying handfuls of scrolls. Well-dressed men and women who could have either been aristocrats or perhaps even politicians exchanging words with one another. And there was something Subaru immediately noticed that was greatly different between this castle and the one he knew from Lugunica.

"A lot of these people aren't humans..."

It wasn't simply the presence of non-humans that he found to be worthy of note. After all, minutes after he was summoned to Lugunica, Subaru immediately realized that there were demihumans of all shapes and sizes and in a variety of different races that were walking the streets and integrated with the human population. Even still, though he didn't pay any attention to it at the time, Subaru couldn't help but remember something that now stuck out like a sore thumb to him.

"Weren't all the knights and the nobles back in Lugunica humans?" Searching his memory, Subaru now realized that he'd come into contact with quite a few aristocrats in such a short time while in Lugunica. Probably more than the average person who wasn't an employee of one, at least.

Roswaal was the owner of an immense mansion and the court magician of the entire nation. And now that he thought of it, the makeup-wearing magician even once made note that he had more than one place of residence and that wherever he currently was could be considered the main household.

Crusch's family were supposedly very close allies of the now-deceased royal family and she was in the running to become the potential new king.

Reinhard descended from a family of expert swordsmen and he was the bearer of a once in a generation title that made him famous.

And even though he didn't want to think of these people, Priscilla Barielle was the epitome of opulence and wealth, just from the one ride he'd taken in her blinged-out dragon carriage. Not to mention the flashy dress and jewelry she wore. Anastasia Hoshin may not have been of upper-crust birth, or even from Lugunica, given her suspicious Kansai accent, but her level of wealth was probably comparable. Last but not least, the so-called Finest Knight was a guy who completely oozed with a pretentious air of noble snobbery.

He didn't even know if he could include the crossdressing knight, Felix Argyle. Sure, he likely had some non-human blood, somewhere. But he was only one guy. Subaru supposed this meant only one thing. Lugunica may have allowed demihumans to coexist in their nation, but perhaps there were still some social barriers in place. "It's like letting someone inside your house but telling them they're not allowed to open any of the doors."

"There seem to be a lot of different races here working in the castle. Can't believe I just saw a dwarf with glasses who looked like he just got out of school."

But considering that their king was an undead, Subaru found it to be fair enough that this nation was also one that was not only made up of a variety of races but ones that seemed to not be as socially restricted as in Lugunica.

Another thing that he noticed was that everyone who laid eyes upon their three-person group seemed to have a look of respect in their eyes. But Subaru wasn't arrogant or stupid enough to think that anyone was looking at him as if he was some sort of big shot. People were looking at Yuri and Lupusregina. But the question was, how come? Did being a maid carry that much weight here in this country?

"Looks like you'll be spending time with the two of us, so we already made sure we have transportation ready for a special guest such as yourself! Can't have a VIP just walking around the entire city on foot! You'd fall apart from exhaustion, soon enough!" While Subaru felt reassured to hear that arrangements had been made to ensure their travel was comfortable, he somewhat got the sense that Lupusregina would have found it amusing if he did keel over from fatigue. She just couldn't seem to hide that impish grin.

After traversing down many more flights of stairs, the three of them finally arrived at what Subaru thought to be the main entrance to the castle. The double doors were opened for them by two sentries who were standing guard, and as the three of them exited, Subaru was treated to the sight of a magnificent carriage that seemed to be waiting just for them. But, unlike what he was accustomed to in Lugunica, it wasn't drawn by a ground dragon.

Did dragons even exist in this world?

Either way, what was pulling the carriage was a whole lot more eye-catching and powerful looking than any ground dragon he'd ever laid eyes on! It was a magnificent, huge horse. Except it seemed to have eight legs! Its black fur was so sleek that it seemed to glimmer in the sunlight, and its mane was a brilliant silver-white color.

Just from looking at it, Subaru felt like he'd get knocked straight into the afterlife if he was kicked by this beast! "Uhm, I don't mean to sound like a total tourist, but what in the world kinda horse is this?" He'd seen a variety of ground dragons that were likely of different breeds, so it didn't surprise him that in this world there were other beasts of burden that were used as modes of transportation.

"This is what is known as a Sleipnir. They are fantastic for ground travel due to their physical abilities. You could ride one for days on and they would not tire." It was Yuri who spoke, gesturing toward the immense creature. Subaru halfway expected it to greet him with some sort of defiant snort, but the horse did nothing like it. Was this proof of how well it was trained? Or perhaps were these creatures simply not aggressive?

While he was staring their ride up and down, Lupusregina took advantage of Subaru's lack of focus and clapped him on the back so hard that when he came back to his senses he felt a jolt of shock reverberate through his entire being! It was the kind of surprise one felt when someone jumped out at you from behind a door when you thought you were alone. And, to his embarrassment, Subaru made what was probably a rather unmanly squeal from the unexpected contact.

This seemed to greatly amuse the redhead maid because she responded by holding her stomach and laughing at him. "Gotcha! I love it when that trick works! I didn't even have to hide myself to get you to jump like that! So hilarious!" As she reveled in her laughter, she wasn't able to enjoy it for long, because seconds later, she was interrupted by a sharp, distracting blow to her head!

"Ow!"

Yuri had administered a downward karate chop straight to Lupusregina's head.

"Do not make a nuisance of yourself in front of the guest of our master, Lupus." Though her tone was stern, the bespectacled woman did not allow her pleasant smile to leave her face. It made Subaru think she was not unfamiliar with having to calm her associate down. "Please forgive her behavior. My sister has a penchant for playing pranks and jokes. Though not everyone appreciates her sense of humor."

"Sister?"

Subaru didn't fail to notice this bit of information. But he chose not to say anything about it at the moment. "Hey, it's no big deal. It's all in good fun. Besides, I like how neither of you is stuffy and overly severe about having to escort me around." If she was the type of person who liked to jump out and scare people simply for playful amusement, then Subaru automatically felt like he could get along with a person like this. He felt like he was in good company with the two of them.

"I see. Thank you for your understanding, then." Yuri gave him a polite bow, while Lupusregina folded her arms behind her head and smiled a wide, toothy smile. "We don't wanna be sitting out here in front of the castle all day. Can't do our jobs unless we're showing you the city. So let's get a move on!" With more exuberant energy than the other, Lupusregina was the first to open the door to the Sleipnir-drawn carriage. As the guest, Subaru assumed he was the one who should enter first, even if he was accompanied by two ladies.

Exactly as expected, the interior was lavish and spacious. Subaru breathed a sigh of relief upon noticing that this thing wasn't decked out in a bunch of pointless decorations like a certain someone's ride of choice. Subaru took a seat on one side of the cab and seconds later, both Yuri and Lupusregina filed in after him. Both women sat together adjacent from him, and even the way they positioned themselves seemed very indicative of their personalities. Yuri sat with her hand placed neatly on her lap, and Lupusregina was leaning on whatever the heck that scepter...staff thing of hers was.

"They're seriously not like Rem and Ram at all..."

Now that everyone was seated, the carriage immediately set into motion, suddenly making Subaru wonder who in the heck was diving this thing, as he hadn't seen anyone at all in the front.

"If there is anything at all you would like to know, please do not hesitate to ask. We are here to assist you in any way that we can."

Having been looking out the window, Subaru was so eager to take in all the sights that he only barely caught what the bespectacled woman told him.

As they set off from the castle itself, Subaru looked out the window to find that the property outside was surrounded by a truly immense garden. On either side were fountains that could have been mistaken for swimming pools, with spouts of water periodically jumping up from the surfaces. Incredible statues of fantastic beasts were placed all over the garden. They were so well sculpted that Subaru felt inspired by their flawless brilliance! They looked real enough to get up and start moving around on their own!

There were branching pathways for walking and vehicles that seemed to be smoothly paved. This was undoubtedly why this ride was so smooth. There was no other way to say it. This landscape was absolutely one that belonged to royalty.

His face was almost glued to the window in a ridiculous sort of way. Ainz wasn't lying about the castle being situated on an elevated platform. Because they were slowly going down an incline as they descended further away from the palace.

One of the things that immediately caught his attention was a building that seemed to have a lot of traffic going in and out. It wasn't nearly as big as the castle, but even still, it was sitting on its own property and seemed to have everything from elves to what looked like lizardmen populating its courtyard. Many of them were dressed in robes and carrying books and scrolls as they conversed in groups. Four tall towers surrounded the main building in the middle, and in the center of the quad was undoubtedly a huge statue of the Sorcerer King, himself. "Whoa! What's that place?"

Yuri seemed to be glad to answer this question. "That is the Eclipse Institute. It is the largest school for those aiming to study magic in the entire country. This is of course why it is located here in the capital. The Sorcerer King is not named as such without just cause. He rules by magic, and as such, it is only natural that this country invests in the magical education of those who wish to learn."

The way she explained this was crisply practiced. If only they were outside the carriage, Yuri would have brandished her trusty telescopic pointer tool to feature every detail she could go over.

"You guys have schools, here? Are you serious?!" Even though this was something to be expected from any society, Subaru was a person who tended to avoid academics. He and the schoolyard just didn't get along. But even still, when it came to the topic of magic, he was instantly curious. So much so that he felt that almost forgotten sense of curiosity that he first experienced when he learned he also was capable of using magic.

"Until I completely messed that up. Oh well. Not like I wanted to be a stupid debuffer, anyway. Freaking Yin magic."

"Yep. And there's another big school here in this city, too!" This time, it was Lupsregina who piped up to give her brand of exposition. And Subaru was all too eager to listen. "It's not just magic casters. In another part of the city, there's a school for warriors who focus on physical skills. The training over there is really brutal." The cheerful way she said this made Subaru imagine some sort of harsh, gladiator-style training regimen that weeded out the weak within the first few days to only leave those who were of iron body and will.

Deciding to be daring, the golden-eyed girl leaned over a little, as if to beckon Subaru's attention. Silently, he did the same, wondering what other special info she had for him. "Just between you and me, big sis, Yuri sometimes goes over there and leaves those people with broken bodies and shattered dreams. Then, she walks along the field of crushed spines and dislocated joints to finish—"

"Lupusregina!"

A glare of light seemed to catch on Yuri's glasses, shielding her actual eyes from view and making her look a few shades more ominous. Merely hearing her name called in this way, the more playful of the two maids immediately knew that her sister was being serious.

"But sis! You totally beat them up whenever you visit! I'm just trying to explain the facts to our guests in case he ever decides to visit!" The redhead crossed her arms, pouting. Subaru had the feeling there was a whole lot more she wanted to talk about before she was stopped.

"It is merely training. And not knowing how to deal with pain is a liability for anyone who calls themselves a warrior. Sometimes a fight very well may come down to who is able to endure more hits. And when I am teaching, it is, of course, my responsibility to beat this into their bodies." She said this with the most serene smile that Subaru had ever seen. It was pretty unnerving if he had to say so.

"My sister may have super gentle hands, but she's actually a musclehead who uses gigantic boulders as punching bags! Watch out, Subaru!" This secret advice was a total failure, no matter how low Lupusregina attempted to make her voice. After all, Yuri was sitting directly next to her.

Subaru really didn't know if this was the point where he should laugh, or feel like this was a warning of some kind. At the very least, he didn't want to end up getting hit by one of Yuri's unforgiving Brick Break chops.

"Y'know, there is something I wanted to ask about. Sorry if this is way too direct, but the two of you have mentioned being sisters, but you really look nothing alike. Is there some sort of story, there?" As far as he knew, it could either be something completely mundane, or even an explanation that would knock his socks off. But at the end of the day, this was just Subaru trying to make conversation and get to know these two women better.

Yuri was the one who spoke in response to the curiosity of their guest. "It isn't surprising that you are curious about that. In fact, we have other sisters who are also maids who serve Lord Ainz, and there is no strong physical resemblance between any of us, either." It wasn't something that had ever bothered any of them. Or even be cause for concern or question. After all, the sibling bond that was shared between all of them superseded anything as trivial as their outward appearances.

"Well, I'm not surprised to hear that there's more of you. If someone's a king or anybody else who's really important, it only makes sense that they have a bunch of people working in their service." But that did make him wonder why a certain magician he knew was oddly short-staffed. "Then again, he did mention one time that because of the situation in the country, a lot of the other servants were off doing other things." Subaru understood that this explanation easily enough. After all, with the collapse of an entire royal family, the loss in leadership could throw an entire country into disarray and the important aristocrats would have to perhaps pick up any slack.

After taking a few moments to observe the outfits of both women, something that Subaru heard before they'd left Lugunica suddenly occurred to him! "So you two have other sisters who are maids, right? Sorry to be nosy, I just couldn't help but notice that the Sorcerer King said that the two of you are Pleiades maids?"

"Yep! That's us! We might be maids, but we do more than just wave a duster around!" This was especially true for Lupusregina who didn't have the right eye for such things. Though the truth was, their skill in domestic chores was not as high as one might assume. That said, all of the Pleiades behaved and presented themselves in this way when not ordered into direct combat.

"I see. I just asked because I couldn't help but notice that your name is familiar to me. I dunno if you're aware, but the Pleiades has the same translation to my own name. In...my culture's language, at least. So I thought it was a pretty funny coincidence that we have this in common. Not too often that I have run into that kind of thing, you know?"

While he would not say so out loud, Subaru at one point in time had a bit of a fascination with stars and constellations. And because he happened to be named after one, this is what triggered this interest. It was how he so quickly recognized the origin of the name of the Hand of Algol as being named after the Demon Star.

"I guess that means that if they are referred to as the Pleiades, then there must be seven of them in total."

Subaru wasn't expecting some sort of joyful, exuberant conversation regarding the cosmos from either of them, but he did find it to be a little bit strange how neither of the maids seemed to react in any way at all when he revealed this information. Did they already know about this? Were they just not interested? If that was the case, then he couldn't blame them. Everyone had different bits of trivia that they found to be worth gluing their attention to and stuff that they would forget about by the next day.

Not wanting to make anything awkward, Subaru had another glance outside the window and took notice that they appeared to still be in a wealthier part of the city. How did he know? The houses were spread far too far apart. And really, they weren't houses. More like manor houses that were set on their own, huge properties. "I guess that no matter what kind of world you're in, there's always gonna be people who have more than others."

And as if on cue, and perhaps a bit too eager to explain, Yuri gestured to the houses that they passed by and spoke, "What you are seeing now are the homes of the more influential people who live in the capital. They are ones who have greatly served the Sorcerer King and have earned his favor in one way or another." But the truth is, many of these mansions? They were empty. Not because their occupants had been ejected from their homes, but because they stood as a symbol of what those who proved themselves worthy could very well attain.

"Geez, the landscape of this place is crazy! I can't believe there's a freaking small lake in the backyard of that house over there! A lake! And that mansion has a lawn the size of a football field!" Sticking his head outside the window of the carriage, all Subaru could smell was fresh, crisp air. Off in the distance, he even saw a manor that was very clearly Japanese inspired in its architectural structure.

Coming back inside, Subaru couldn't help but feel envy for the people who ended up living in houses like those. The lands that they were sitting on were simply amazing. And there wasn't a single unpaved dirty road anywhere in sight! These streets seemed smooth enough to skate on! And yet, there was something that greatly confused the Japanese teen, and it showed on his face as he mulled it over in thought.

Lupusregina was quick to catch this. "Hmm? Something wrong, Special Guest? You look like you're gonna pop a blood vessel if you keep on thinking that hard. You don't hafta be worried about asking us any questions, y'know. We're happy to explain anything to show off just how awesome our lord's city is!"

"Well, it's not like I have a problem or anything. It's just that this part of the city is completely amazing. I don't think that I have ever seen anything like it. The Sorcerer King really picked an amazing place to set up shop. But, something about the area seems...seems—" His words failed him. Subaru knew what he wanted to say, but the correct words simply wouldn't come to him. He crossed his arms in thought, hoping he could figure this out before he had a massive brain fart.

But, to his fortune, one of the Pleiades was a step ahead of him. "You're thinking that it all doesn't look natural, right?" Lupusregina didn't fault anyone who would come to this conclusion. The sector where the wealthy lived was a true paradise that all would seek to enter. One might even say that it looked too good to be true. And there was indeed a reason for that. "Don't worry, you're not going crazy or anything! And even if you were, it's not like that's always a bad thing!"

Deciding to clear up any confusion, Yuri took over from where her sister began. "The entire city has been flattened and the territory restructured with magic. In order to create a most beautiful scene, all things that were not appealing to the eye were done away with. The process took a few years, but with the aid of magic, the cost of labor was next to nothing."

The elevated platform upon where the Sorcerer King's place stood, the oddly placed lakes where there seemingly shouldn't be any, expertly paved roads for traffic and foot travel? Each of these things was made possible by the aid of nature manipulating mages who had been gathered under the command of one of the Sorcerer King's attendants.

It was explained to him very plainly, but Subaru still couldn't believe his ears, "WHAT?! Are you serious? This entire city has been done over with magic? Is something like that even possible?!" Subaru had never spent even a day on a construction yard, but he knew from walking by them that sometimes it could take years to finish even a single large building. "But, with the aid of magic, maybe it is doable?" Ainz had told him that he'd been in this world for over a century. And even in Japan, it was certainly possible for cities to spring up and become operational in less than that time.

And not only that, he suspected that with competent enough magic users, the cost of doing all this was infinitely cheaper. "See, this is exactly why I didn't wanna be a debuffer! Magic can do so many amazing things!" Once again, Subaru cursed his inclination toward non-awesome Yin magic.

"Seeing is believing! Besides, only the best of the best is even suitable for someone of Lord Ainz's caliber. It'd be an embarrassment if he wasn't ruling over something of at least this level!" Lupusreina folded her arms behind her head as she sang the praises of the skeleton king. While she may have been truly relaxed about it, she seemed to hold just as much reverence for her master as any maid would.

Indeed he was seeing. And Subaru knew he wasn't high or drunk, meaning he had no choice button believe what was in front of him. "Well, I guess that's what happens when you have a school for magicians and then put them to work in the real world."

Finally, it seemed that they were leaving the area where the manors and mansions were situated. Despite this, they hadn't yet come into the hustle and bustle of what he expected a true big city to look like. Because what caught his attention next was a huge building with multiple flags decorated across its face. Subaru could count at least five of them. He couldn't immediately hazard a guess as to what this place was, but it certainly looked important, given that it seemed to be sitting in a sort of middle ground between the wealthier area and the city itself.

It was such a sight to see that their carriage stopped so that Subaru could take it all in.

"What you are looking at here, is the guild association building. It is a gathering place for all of the guilds that exist within the Sorcerer Kingdom, and ones that have yet to be established." It seemed that with every part of the city she explained, Yuri became even more fervent in her explanations, always ready and eager to divulge more and impart further knowledge.

"These include guilds for adventurers who take on work that has been requested by those who require learned and strong people with specialized skills, the apothecary guild, which is dedicated to the research of medicines and pharmaceutical pursuits, the merchant's guild, where all those who are licensed gather to sell their traded wares, the mason's guild, which is staffed by many of the craftsmen who use their hands and even magic in the construction of new buildings throughout the nation, as well as the mage's guild where only those who have successfully graduated the Eclipse Academy are admitted entrance as employees. These, and so on."

Unlike the other times, Subaru seemed strangely quiet. His head sank and his expression was no longer visible. The glasses-wearing maid's explanation had been concise and clear. Yet Subaru still didn't respond, which worried the eldest of the Pleiades. Had she said something to displease their guest? Or, was it that he was not satisfied with her explanation? Was she not thorough enough?

The truth was that none of these concerns were correct because Yuri Alpha could not have been further from the truth.

"Guilds?"

Subaru spoke only this single word, but his tone was so flat that it was impossible to discern his meaning.

"Did you just say...guilds?"

"Yes. They are very important places in the city as locations of work, creativity, and—" Yuri, prepared to give an even more in-depth explanation to dispel any confusion was quickly, and abruptly cut off by an unexpected outburst from Subaru.

"GUILDS!" The Japanese teenager stood up, a fist pumped out toward the ceiling of the carriage! He knew that he couldn't think of anything around him as being a scene from a video game or manga, but was he so wrong if all the proof was sitting right here in front of his eyes? "Guilds are the ultimate symbol of fantasy worlds!" They were the places where wizards and warriors, traders and artisans of all shapes and sizes communed to share information, find work, and embark on life-threatening adventurers in the pursuit of fame and fortune!

"I can't even believe this is happening! This country has so many guides that it's crazy! Amazing! This is exactly what I was hoping to see in Lugunica, but there wasn't anything like it! Guilds! Real guilds! Is there gonna be a sexy girl in a sexy uniform behind the counter to talk to customers about their business? What are the adventurers like? I bet they're a bunch of badasses who have some seriously awesome stories to tell!"

Subaru kept on and on like this to the point where the maids began having a quiet conversation that he didn't even notice.

"Hey, hey. I think this guy might have a screw loose, big sis! Should we...whack him on the head until he comes back to normal?" Lupusregina could not understand why their guest was getting so overexcited at the existence of something she found to be so expected. Wasn't it obvious that their supreme master would have implemented a system such as this into his country? At the very least she could understand that Subaru was rightly in awe, but wasn't this a bit too much?

"You of all people have no right to talk about getting carried away when you are enjoying yourself." She was the eldest sister, and as such, it fell on Yuri to be the one to ensure her siblings understood the situations before them. "He is simply excited, Lupus. There is no reason to spoil his enjoyment." As far as she was concerned, this was proof that the maids were indeed satisfactorily conducting their duties. This sort of glowing review from their guest was exactly what anyone giving a tour should expect.

Having been going on like this for a few moments, it seemed that Subaru was slowly starting to come back to reality.

"—And unlike last time, I'm not hopelessly curious and completely broke!" In the past, he remembered introducing himself as someone who had no idea what was going on around him and he didn't have a penny to his name, either. But that wasn't the situation, this time. He had knowledgeable guides who could fill in the blanks, as well as what was essentially a golden ticket!

This couldn't have been more opposite to his first day in Lugunica. It was at this point that Subaru knew what he needed to do.

"Yuri! Lupusregina! Please, can we stop here! I have to visit those guilds and see them for myself! It's a man's romantic adventure!" Clasping his hands together, he must have sounded like an overly enthusiastic preteen who saw something shiny in the store and was begging to go over and get a closer look.

Fortunately for Subaru, this was exactly why the Pleiades maids were here. All he needs to do was ask and they would make everything as comfortable for him as possible. This was a direct order from the master that they served.

"But of course. It makes sense that you would be attracted to such a place of commerce within the city and want to visit, here. In fact, it would be more surprising if you found this place to be of no interest at all." She was pleased to see that this was the first place that their guest wanted to stop and begin his sightseeing.

Lupusregina needed no further convincing that this was something Subaru was dead set on visiting. And without been asking, the red-haired maid was the one to open the door of the carriage for him so that he could run around and explore to his heart's content. And Subaru didn't waste a second in dashing out of the carriage, not even waiting to walk down the small staircase. He simply hopped out and landed on the ground a few feet below!

"Guilds, watch out, 'cause here comes Subaru Natsuki!" He was so excited that he didn't even seem to be bothered that he was probably attracting the attention of those who were coming in and out. But Subaru wasn't so stuck in his fantasy that he was unaware of what was going on around him. Because the moment he stepped out of the carriage, he locked eyes with various non-humans who seemed to be going about business as if this was just another day.

There was a blonde, male elf who was carrying a satchel of scrolls while exiting the guild headquarters, a dwarf who was carrying an oversized hammer slung across his back, and probably the most surprising of all, a winged, humanoid figure who swooped down from the sky itself to casually walk into the guild.

"Man, this place seems like it has everything!" He almost couldn't contain his excitement. After so many trials and feeling like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, it felt almost like a foreign experience for Subaru to indulge in such a fantastic unknown that was right in front of him. And it was. But, before he could race off to the gathering place of those who sought adventure, he turned back to the carriage, seeing Yuri still sitting down in her seat, and Lupusregina hanging on the still open door, watching him with a wide smile.

"...Well, aren't the two of you gonna come in with me? You're supposed to, right?"

"Nah, I feel like this is the kinda thing you should get into on your own! You don't want the two of us breathing down your neck the whole time, do you?" Lupusregina seemed content to let Subaru do as he liked, but the teen from another world wasn't certain if he could read her expression correctly. Though she was smiling, something about it just seemed...off?

Fortunately, Yuri reassured him that it was fine if he wanted to get the lay of the land on his own. "You need not worry, Subaru. There is nothing wrong with wanting to see things with our own eyes." Though she wasn't as informal about it, he could only assume that she meant the same thing that Lupusregina said about not needing them following him the entire time.

While he was eager to get moving, the cautious part of him forced him to stop. Subaru Natsuki had been punished in the past for running around an unfamiliar city, caring of what corners he may have turned. Still, he wasn't the same person he was on the first day he came to Lugunica. Subaru was no longer naive enough to go walking down any suspicious alleyways or go off into the bad part of the city.

"I would say nobody here in this place has any reason to mess with me. But, the same thing was true before, and look how that turned out." Both Yuri and Lupusegina seemed strong. So, in the worst possible scenario, he'd want to get ahold of them. And fortunately for Subaru, he was still being followed by the stealthy stalker who had already proven to be an invaluable asset to him.

Checking his surroundings for a moment, Subaru neared the carriage to ensure he wasn't overheard. He didn't know if this was okay to talk about in public. "Hey, so, I have this Shadow Demon that was assigned to me. Is it okay if I send it over to you? Just in case something goes down?"

Neither of the maids seemed to have been aware of this information beforehand, but upon being told, both Yuri and Lupusregina could understand without anything further being explained. If their guest had been given a Shadow Demon as an initial escort, then that would mean his value was even higher than what they had originally been led to believe.

"That would be ideal. But even still, we are quite confident that no danger will befall you while in our master's city. Please be at ease and enjoy yourself to your heart's content. One who has been given this permission by the Supreme One is deserving of all the comfort we can give."

After having been given their word that he would be in harm's way, she felt this should have been sufficient enough. "Perhaps there is a reason he is so wary of being alone?" She did not know what the source of this worry could be, but if it would alleviate his concern, there was but one course to take. "But if you feel as if you are approaching any peril, please do not hesitate o contact us by the Shadow Demon. Do so, and we will come to your aid."

But even if Yuri said this, she still didn't think it was necessary. And if Yuri's serene promise was not enough, Lupusregina's cheerful declaration of protection surely would serve to dash any worries that may have plagued their guest.

"Yeah! We'll beat them to death, real good! So there's nothing to worry about right?"

With that much enthusiasm, Subaru suddenly began to believe that perhaps he was overreacting and thinking too much based on his past bad results. "Well...if you're sure about it, then I'll head in there and see what there is to see. I promise I won't take all day, though. This is still your time that I'm burning, so I'll be as considerate as possible." He knew they would probably say something about this being their job and that it was no issue. But Subaru had also served as a butler. And he knew that when guests were around, there could be a whole lot of monotonous sitting and waiting.

Not wanting to waste a second more, Subaru assured the Pleiades that he wouldn't take long before dashing off to the gathering place for all of the city's various guilds. At this moment, Subaru Natsuki felt as if this day couldn't get any better! He was venturing into a whole new environment straight from his dreams, and one of his most hated enemies was probably locked away in a dark dungeon, somewhere.

Everything was right with the world.

Many hours later, after nightfall.

For one of the very few times in her life, Elsa Granhiert was experiencing something she thought had been all but purged from her heart: Fear. And aside from this, a torrent of other thoughts and emotions raced through her mind and being as she cautiously explored this dark, unfamiliar territory.

Everything happened in a flash.

One moment, she was in an open field in the Mathers domain. And then, she was in a completely different location. But only for a few moments. From what she momentarily observed, Elsa had somehow been dragged to what looked like the home of a fabulously wealthy person, judging by the architecture and splendor of the halls.

Then it happened again.

Before the scene changed again, the mysterious Man in Red mentioned that she would be going to some sort of Graveyard. And yet, Elsa didn't think she had been taken to any sort of cemetery she had ever seen, before. Because the Man in Red wasted no time in throwing her into an unlit room where she was tied up by her hands with numerous, thick ropes that hung from the ceiling.

And as the Man in Red departed, all Elsa could see was the lenses of his sinister glasses before he vanished into the darkness. And as he left, the Man in Red told her in the most welcoming of tones, "I hope you enjoy your new accommodations."

Elsa sat there for what felt like hours, pondering how she ended up in this situation.

Her freedom of movement had been mysteriously taken away from her, robbing her of the ability to even fight back and clash blades in a glorious, bloody battle. She could not think of anything more dissatisfying than not even being able to meet her end in combat.

More hours passed. At least, that was what she assumed. It was so dark and she had no ability to judge the passing of time in this place.

She didn't even know where she was. But, Elsa knew one thing. Yet again, she had been underestimated. If her captors thought that simply restraining her with ropes would keep her in place, they were sadly mistaken.

It was at this point where Elsa Granhiert did something that one would think only a truly desperate animal would attempt. But, that was exactly what the woman from Gusteko was. A starving predator that may have been caged, but was not yet ready to concede defeat.

With agility that would shame most gymnasts, Elsa jumped into the air, grabbing onto the hanging rope from an upside-down position with her legs. What she did next would have been considered madness by anyone else. But Elsa wasn't just anyone. Without hesitation, she dislocated the joints in her shoulders, forcing her body to contort unnaturally until she could lean in close enough to savagely gnaw and chew at the thick ropes. Thanks to her blessing, something like this was not only non-fatal, but not even an inconvenience.

She didn't feel a thing. Or rather, Elsa didn't feel pain. The only thing that consumed her being was an immense need to escape to freedom. The ropes were thick, but to her fortune, they weren't steel. She had no way of knowing how long she was in this pose, he mouth bleeding out from tearing away at the rose that bound her, but eventually, Elsa managed to grind her teeth through the very last of it, and she fell to the ground.

The ropes came loose, and in a disturbing, bone-popping movement, the northern woman forced her arms back into place, her blessing repairing the damage she had done to her upper body in the span of moments. She was no longer tied up, but she wasn't free.

Elsa got up and ran for the door. She remembered the Man in Red going this same direction. And as she crossed over to the other side, she was lucky to find it wasn't unlit. There seemed to be multiple branching corridors, all of which were stone-paved. If Elsa had to guess, she would have assumed she was in some sort of labyrinth.

She needed to escape. But first, she needed to find a weapon. She couldn't defend herself to her best if she was unarmed.

"Meili was right! We should have never come into contact with that boy. I should have listened to her!" She was consumed with an overpowering sense of regret. Meili, the girl she'd found and taken care of as an older sister had warned her that something about their current job seemed off. And yet she, Elsa, could not resist the temptation to indulge in her depraved desire to jump into combat against one who had foiled her once before. It should have been easy. Hundreds had fallen to her blade, and this time there should have been no mistakes.

Again, she was wrong.

Elsa had been trained to expect surprises in the field and to isolate her opponents in order to ensure she achieved the kill. But that turned out to be impossible in what was arguably the most sloppy assassination she had ever attempted in her professional career.

"Why didn't he tell me?" As this thought came to her, a great feeling of resentment sprung to life inside the Bowel Hunter. The face of Roswaal L. Mathers appeared in her mind, further increasing her frustration and anger. "Why didn't that bastard tell me the boy was being protected by people so strong?!" So rare was it for Elsa to shout out in anger, the woman from Gusteko could not contain her emotions and she lashed out, her fist colliding with the stone wall to her side!

She didn't break her hand, nor did she dent the wall.

Turning another corner, Elsa found herself encountering a multitude of corpses. Ones that had long since turned into skeletons. She was neither unnerved nor interested in this. They weren't alive, meaning they had no guts to spill. But, there was something that caught her interest quite a good deal. These fallen skeletons were armed. Whoever they were, they'd been equipped with weapons before they died.

A bow and arrow. Not her style. A longsword. Elsa didn't know why anyone would be foolish enough to use such a lengthy weapon inside a place like this. It was far too narrow to swing. Something that looked like a gnarled, wooden cane. She couldn't use this to slice open anything that got in her way.

After searching around, a glimmer of delight came to life inside her. Elsa found a corpse that was impaled with a short sword that was decorated with serrated teeth on one side. Grabbing the weapon to inspect it, she found that it was in fine cutting condition. It wasn't her preferred weapon, but she knew she could make do with this.

Now all she needed to do was find the exit to this place before the Man in Red returned. Elsa absolutely could not risk coming into contact with him, or the butler from before. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't even enjoy the thrill of battle with opponents like that. Getting out of here and finding her partner was the top priority. And after that, the two needed to go into hiding.

"Did he really set us up? Was Meili truly correct about this?" If this was true, then why? What could the margrave have possibly gained from this? Was he hoping to have her eliminated for some reason? To erase any evidence they'd done business? At the moment, this was the only thing that made sense to Elsa's panicked mind. "The boy—Subaru Natsuki, he was too well guarded. That piece of trash magician must have known!"

Elsa had been trained to expect the unexpected. In the field, it was not acceptable to fail under any circumstances. She knew the rules of the organization. And yet, even still, "I wasn't prepared for those...monsters!"

Something truly unpleasant crept up her spine. A twinge of fear that her body, no, her soul still remembered. And it made her feel something that Elsa truly detested above all else. It sapped the warmth from her skin and chilled her to the bone.

She felt cold, wet fear.

"I hit that old man and he wasn't even affected by my attack." This was enough of a shock in itself. How was she supposed to impale, slice, or lacerate an opponent if she couldn't even cut them? The only thing she could conclude was that butler possessed some sort of Divine Protection that granted him a superior defensive ability. Surely that was why he was so confident she would never get past him? It was the same as when she attempted to throw her knife at the Sword Saint and he didn't even bother dodging.

Why was she running into so many opponents who she couldn't cut open?

Elsa was not afraid of death because she could feel no pain. She had even run headlong into battle against the Sword Saint himself with a ready smile on her face, as well as a certain blue-haired swordsman from Vollachia. And yet, there were still things that could paralyze her with fear.

Her head hung low, black, wavy hair cascading around her face as she pondered what was in store for her in the future. "Mother is going to punish me when she finds out..." She didn't even want to think about the abuse she would suffer when her superior learned of this second failure. And she would. It was only a matter of time.

The only thing that a more immediate concern was the Man in Red. The only thing Elsa could ask herself was, "What was that thing?" He didn't seem to be any sort of demihuman she had ever encountered in her life. No matter how sweet his voice sounded, and regardless of how calm his words penetrated into her heart, there was an unmistakable and vile feeling of pure evil that violated her simply from being held captive in his grasp.

She had never experienced such a thing in her life.

Stopping where she was, Elsa instinctively grasped her stomach, a mental, almost phantom-like pain attacking her. The Gusteko woman's pace of breath quickened, sweat forming at her temple. Suddenly, Elsa felt as if she had suddenly exhausted herself, even though she never got tired. "He...he did that on purpose. He cut me open like that to humiliate me."

She, the Bowel Hunter, had been sliced open from behind by what she remembered to be razor-sharp claws in the hand of the Man in Red.

Wild fury came to life inside her gut. Her otherwise beautiful face shifted into a nasty, almost bestial snarl. "That fucking bastard! How dare he do this to me! You can't disembowel a Bowel Hunter! You can't!" Elsa so rarely used foul language, but she could not help venting her violent anger at her situation.

At this moment, Elsa hated everything.

She hated Subaru Natsuki for coming into her life in the first place. She despised that deceitful clown, Roswaal Mathers for leading her into a situation where she had no hope of success. And worst, she absolutely could not forgive herself for putting her little sister in this situation simply to indulge in her own desires. Elsa Granhiert sank to her knees, overpowering gloom creeping in and threatening to swallow her. Here, in this dark, unknown corridor, the assassin from the cold north shed warm tears of shame and regret. "Meili...I don't know where you are, but please be safe. I should have listened. I should have listened. I should have listened."

She regretted from the very depths of her soul that Meili had to have a bad sister like her.

And just before she could muster the small amount of willpower to get on her feet and find a path to freedom, a voice called out to her from the distance. "Are you done making such a pathetic spectacle of yourself?"

Immediately, Elsa jumped to her feet, weapon at the ready! The voice had truly surprised her. Was she that absorbed in her own grief and internal struggle that she had left herself open to a stranger? It didn't matter. She was now on guard, and she now knew that she was not alone. She sensed something coming near, but she didn't know what, and until she did, she had no way of knowing how she would attack.

One thing was for certain, though, the voice was male. It sounded old and ghastly. But the Bowel Hunter did not need to wait long in order to learn the identity of her mysterious visitor.

The man wore a rather luxurious, purple robe that covered every inch of his body. Elsa could also see what was a necklace of beads that seemed to be wrapped twice around the stranger's neck. Unfortnfortunately, she could not see his face, for it was concealed with a flowing hood that completely obscured his features. And whether it was because of the lighting in this place or some sort of unknown magic, the newcomer appeared to be draped in some sort of black, foreboding mist.

Elsa knew this was no time for play, and without warning, the northern assassin charged forward, weapon in hand. She dashed out with such speed that it staggered even her opponent, who was not able to respond or dodge in time before Elsa plunged her blade straight into what she knew was the robed person's heart.

Except she didn't.

She knew her attack hit home. And she knew her weapon hadn't shattered. So why has she not felt that familiar sensation of steel penetrating flesh and organs? "Something's wrong! This isn't supposed to feel this way!" Elsa immediately knew this. She had stabbed and run through so many bodies that the feeling of goring someone was as normal to her as the feeling of the ground beneath her feet.

And it was only at the moment where she saw what was underneath that hood that she knew why her attack had failed.

It had a skeletal face that was devoid of even a single layer of skin. Its eye sockets were completely empty, save for two glowing spheres of green light that shone with a fiendish intelligence.

He was an Elder Lich. An undead magic caster who had risen from the grave.

"You surprise me. I did not think you would be so speedy for one who has been in captivity." The skeleton had no vocal cords and no tongue, yet his speech was as clear as it was unnerving. The reason her attack hadn't done the intended damage was clear. She couldn't stab or cut an undead's internal organs out, because they lacked them in the first place.

This repulsed the Gusteko born woman. A creature like this with no bowels for her to cut open was unforgivable! But before she could pull her weapon away, the skeletal creature grabbed Elsa by her slender throat. And yet, instead of crushing her neck, something else happened. The creeping, black fog that seemed to surround the undead seeped into her body without warning, and for the first time in years, Elsa Granhiert cried out in agony.

Her veins turned to ice as the negative energy ate away at her vitality. Even though she felt nothing from being cut, smashed, or beaten, it felt as if the energy from her very soul was being sucked out of her body, leaving her weary and limp in the hands of this skeletal monster.

The confusion and pain were so immense that while her blessing quickly restored her strength, it was then sucked out of her, leaving Elsa in a constant state of healing and then suffering.

But the Elder Lich was not finished. Unless ordered otherwise, he would make all living things suffer without limit.

With his free hand, the undead placed it upon the breast of his captive and spoke a devastating incantation:

"[Fireball]."

The second the spell was cast, Elsa was engulfed in a sphere of flame that sent her flying into the darkness. And she didn't stop until she crashed into a wall with the force of having been shot by a cannon!

Elsa's hair, skin, and muscles were melted off her body by the intense heat. And the only reason her mind hadn't gone blank from the pain of the flames was due to the protection of her blessing. She was already beginning to heal and return to her normal self. This was the power that allowed her to survive even a wound from the Sword Saint, himself. It took less than a full minute before the assassin could pull herself to her feet. And though her physical wounds were now nonexistent, her legs felt weak.

"Am I...at my limit?" She dare not speak these words out loud. The idea of dying in such an inglorious way didn't appeal to her. This didn't make sense. Surely she should have been able to take more damage than that and keep going? Something like this had never happened to Elsa. It just seemed to be one thing after another where everything went wrong!

She wasn't accustomed to fighting enemies like this with these strange powers.

"When that thing touched me...did it somehow disrupt my blessing?" Elsa didn't know and she didn't have time to ponder this. All she could do was stumble away and hope she could find a path to freedom without running into any more unknown monsters.

Unfortunately for her, that was not meant to be.

The moment she found herself in another intersection, Elsa was met with another stranger, but it wasn't the skeleton from before. This time, it was a woman. A woman with deathly pale skin and long, black hair tied in two long twin tails. She wore a white dress that exposed quite a generous amount of cleavage. Needless to say, the woman was quite beautiful. But she wasn't human. She was a Vampire Bride.

Her eyes were a glowing, bright red, and the bloodthirsty, fanged smile on her lips was something Elsa recognized quite clearly. It was the expression of a hungry predator in the presence of prey. And she didn't give the woman from Gusteko even the slightest chance to defend herself before she attacked.

"[Shockwave]."

The attack was just what its name sounded like. From the woman's hand, an invisible wave of force burst out, distorting the air as it made contact with its intended foe. The moment she was caught in the blast, Elsa's entire body was smashed by the unforgiving impact and sent flying backward, skidding across the ground until she again smashed into a wall. Her organs were ruptured and her jaw was broken. This was enough to cripple, or even kill a normal person.

But not Elsa.

Her unique blessing had protected her from death and pain. But it did nothing to soothe this unrelenting fear that told her she would never escape this maze and the monsters that lurked its halls. Without her cloak that could protect her from magic, she was all but defenseless against these enemies who had drained her of strength and were playing this sadistic game of cat and mouse with her.

Somehow, Elsa once ore got to her feet after her wounds healed in short order. And with all the energy she could summon, she ran. "What...is this place? Where are these creatures coming from?"

She had no weapon. She didn't know where she was. She was surrounded by foes who she could do nothing to. Elsa had become the fly in a spider's trap, and she didn't even know how vast this web was. Where was the end?

Escaping through a nearby door, Elsa found herself in a wide-open room. And in front of her was an old, rickety-looking bridge. The room was rather spacious. If she were at full strength, this would be exactly the ideal environment for her to use the walls to attack from all directions. But that wasn't the case. The battle-loving Elsa knew that this was a time where had never wanted to avoid a fight more.

There was another door on the other side of the bridge. And as she neared closer, she could see that there was a chasm beneath the dilapidated structure. And there were countless corpses were sitting in the opening beneath her.

Elsa had no intention of joining them.

She didn't trust the structural integrity of the bridge. Fortunately for her, this was a width she could easily jump over. And she did, easily clearing over five meters. Checking her surroundings before she continued on, Elsa did not want to waste any time lingering. There was light coming from the open entryway on the other side of the room, and she would reach it, no matter the cost.

But, before she could take even a single step further, two figures descended from what was probably the ceiling.

It was the Elder Lich, who casually glided to the ground, along with the Vampire Bride, who landed smoothly without any sign of discomfort.

The skeletal undead had no facial features to speak of, which was why its words were the only way Elsa could discern what it was feeling. "Did you think you had escaped? You can't escape and you never will." The tone of the Elder Lich was full of dark joy, having once more cut off her path of escape.

"Or perhaps she is going to drop to her knees and cry, again." The Vampire Bride's fangs gleamed, a sadistic smile crossing her face. "Because you will cry by the time we are through with you."

Drawing back into a defensive stance, Elsa may have been completely unarmed, but she refused to be killed in a place like this without exhausting every ounce of strength in her body. "What are you monsters?! Where in the world am I am why are you chasing me like this?" It was a rather ironic question for someone such as her to even ask, considering how she had done the same thing to countless others.

"You want to know what we are?"

"She wants to know what we are."

The two of them spoke amongst themselves, their tones more playful not that they were in a group. They were enjoying her confusion and pain.

The answer to her question would soon come, but not from either of the monsters who were blocking her only path to potential escape. Instead, it was a third, new voice that rang out from above. No, that was wrong. Rather, it was more like the single entity spoke simultaneously with the voices of many, like some sort of horrible, ghostly legion.

The new creature that made its appearance looked like a cloud of swirling, black mist. And from within that mist, countless faces that seemed to be in constant agony appeared. This creature was a Wraith, and its very presence caused mental disturbance toward its foes. "You ask what we are?" It took its place among its fellows and they stood as a terrifying threesome, ready to further crush any hopes their prisoner had of leaving this place.

"We are the antithesis of life."

"We are the keepers of the grave."

"We are death."

One after another, each one of these unnatural creatures gave Elsa the answer she was looking for. As well as one she never wanted. Undead monsters weren't unheard of, but also not nearly so common. Especially not these exotic, powerful creatures before her.

Together as a group, these three monsters spoke in perfect unison, directly conveying their malice and sadism toward the human before them, "We are death and despair. And we are here for you."

The appearance of the Wraith sent a great feeling of unease through Elsa. It was so thick that she would have found it palpable in someone else. "Without my weapons, I don't stand a chance against these things..." And what's more, Elsa didn't even truly know how best to kill them. And even if she did, was she capable of it? When the skeleton was capable of seemingly draining her life by mere touch, did she dare come near?

If she retreated, it was likely she would simply be cut off from somewhere else. She didn't know the layout of this place and her enemies did. The only option was to go forward, no matter the risk. Attempting to swallow the dark lump of hopelessness that seemed to take root in her body, Elsa stood as firm as she could, ready to charge forth with all her might. "I'll fight you with my teeth and my bare hands if I have to!"

She would escape from this place. She would find Meili and get to safety. And no matter what, she would make sure that treacherous magician paid for leading the two of them into this death trap. Elsa swore on it.

The tension in the air grew, killing intent increasing on both sides. The only difference was, the undead who were blocking the door felt no sense of hesitation or concern for what may happen next. But before either side could launch an assault, the sound of footsteps coming from the open pathway stopped them all. The sound of the walking gait was so casual, as if the person coming closer was completely at home in this dark, dismal place.

Elsa felt cold sweat form on her body once more upon seeing who had entered the room. She knew this person.

The Man in Red.

"Well now, isn't this a surprise. You managed to escape much quicker than I thought you would. I applaud you for your efforts. It was truly entertaining to watch." As always, the man's words were hypnotically pleasant, the sound of his voice easing its way into one's heart.

But Elsa was not pleased to see him. Not one bit.

Shrinking back, she couldn't believe what she had just heard with her own ears. "You...were watching me? The entire time?" When she'd broken out of those bindings by breaking her own body, she thought her cunning had been underestimated, which led to her getting away from that room. She thought it was merely bad luck that she had run into these sentries who'd brutalized her with powers she didn't expect. And here he was, the Man in Red, telling her that this was planned?

Elsa's face was one of dumb confusion and dejected disbelief. And it was this that made the bespectacled man smile.

"Did you truly believe I would have restrained you with regular ropes if I didn't want you to escape?" From his perspective, it was so obvious what his intent was from the very beginning. But, when an animal was caught in a trap, many of them would bite off their own leg in order to escape.

The Bowel Hunter's throat was so dry that she felt as if she had swallowed a mouthful of sand. She had been stuck in a hopeless loop from which there was no salvation. Around every corner, there was nothing but another machination designed to throw her into the pits of failure. All she could do was coak out a hollow question, "And is there...no way to escape this place?"

"None."

There was nothing resembling empathy in his voice. No compassion. No humanity. Only pleasant, soft sadism that enjoyed every second of her suffering. He consumed her grief and hopelessness as if they were the finest of luxury foods. While the undead were beings who sought to instinctively do harm to all things that lived, the Man in Red was not one of the undead.

"You have committed a great offense by targeting the life of Subaru Natsuki. And for this, you will be punished." In this place, death was a mercy that freed one from suffering. And while their foreign prisoner may not have been victim to contemporary pain, there were many other ways to instill suffering. "You will tell me for what reason, or under who's orders you sought to kill Subaru."

His smile grew wider, fangs exposed at the idea of what was to come.

But Elsa saw a glimmer of hope. Something that may yet provide her an early relief from this veritable hell. "W-Wait! I can tell you just that! I can give you every detail you ask for. The only thing I request in return is that you do not lay hands upon Meili! She is only a little girl! You can do what you like to me, but don't harm my sister!"

Meili was always the one who simply wanted to get the job done and leave. It was she, Elsa, who always insisted that she be allowed a few moments of playtime. Meili was so much younger but always had her mind focused on the work and then a clean escape. If Elsa had only listened, then she wouldn't be in this situation right now. "I don't know where Meili is, but I can't let her fall into a place like this. Anything but that!"

One thing in return. Just this one and Elsa would spill any secrets she had. On her employers of the past, and even on Mother, herself. She would throw away her fangs if only to become a shield that could protect the only person who was her sole family.

As the Man in Red opened his mouth, Elsa hoped and prayed he would see reason. And seconds later, her sole wish was crushed.

"In this place, the cries of our enemies, no matter their age, do not stir our sympathies."

There was an audible sound of the undead behind the Man in Red. All three of them were relishing in her anguish, a different kind of mirth spreading on their faces, even if they had none.

From there on, the entire world turned black in Elsa's eyes. Everything lost color. The Man in Red was a being so vicious that even her pleas of mercy for a single girl would not move him. Nothing she said would quench his thirst for blood and suffering. And it was at this point that Elsa could feel nothing but an all-encompassing sense of swallowing regret and fear. Sinking to her knees, once more, the woman from the cold north shed hot tears.

"Meili...forgive me for doing this to you."

"[Aspect of the Devil:]"

This was the last thing Elsa Granhiert heard. Because from that point, there was nothing ahead of her existence but despair.