The Krisanax Household was a small herding family who lived at the edge of the most remote part of the Empire.

It had the most striking resemblances to the Campbell Barony that she had visited before.

The region was ruled by a Baron who gave off a peaceful impression, completely the opposite of Dowd Campbell, who would cause a stir everywhere.

Iliya's parents also gave a similar impression.

With friendly neighbors, respectable adults, and the one and only, the most precious, the best family a person could ever have.

If there was one thing that immediately came to her mind when she thought of her hometown, it was the clear blue sky above the endless green grassland.

The next thing that would come to her mind was the endless shade of blue and green that glowed under the soft moonlight.

…Ah, this.

…Was a dream.

Just seeing the view in front of her made her aware of the fact.

The plants and trees on the hill, swaying in tune with the breeze, the crying sound of a newly born calf, the friends she used to play with, the voice of her mother, calling her from the hill, reminding her to eat…

Such recollections. Such memories.

“...”

Iliya looked at her house on the hill with dead eyes.

Because she knew all too well…

Of the thing that was going to happen after this.

“W-What is that?”

“Flames?”

Over in the next village, which was half a day away, something was burning.

A red aura rose from the sky in that direction.

Karmic Fire.

Even from a long distance, a huge column of fire could be seen.

She could vividly remember the heat that made her peach fuzz bristle up, the blazing flame that seemed as if it was going to turn the sky into ashes, causing shadows to envelop the surroundings.

And she clearly remembered the word that she had uttered back then.

“...Brother?”

She didn’t know why she said that word.

Perhaps, her childlike innocence allowed her to notice it.

The wickedness surging from that column of fire and the ominousness that would completely twist her life.

Perhaps…

That was why she unconsciously called the person she had depended on the most in the world.

“O-Ooh?”

“It’s getting bigger!”

If the column of fire was caused by an explosion, it usually would only soared up high once and subsided quickly if they were fortunate.

But, even her young self sensed something was off, and that itchy feeling eventually turned into anxiety—even horror—when she saw the people inside the village pouring out of it one by one.

Instead of subsiding, the column of fire went on strong.

Red light coming up from the flame was spread to the dark surroundings.

As if trying to paint the sky red.

Giving off the impression that the entire night was engulfed in red flame.

“Iliya!”

Then, she remembered how her parents, who were also watching the scene, moved at the same time.

There was a clear confusion on their faces, but they were still rushing towards her to take her to safety.

Though they didn’t understand what was going on, they understood that they had to protect the young Iliya first and foremost.

They threw away their curiosity over what was going on and rushed down the hill as quickly as they could.

Her sick mother tripped over again and again, yet she paid it no heed.

“...”

Meanwhile, Iliya still looked at the sight with dead eyes.

“Iliya!”

Because…

The moment when her parents called out to her desperately like that…

Was the moment when it ‘began’.

It was always the most excruciating moment for her.

Because she couldn’t even close her eyes to avoid seeing it since this was just a dream.

-!

-!!

Something popped out of the column of fire, making a ‘pong’ sound.

Then, everything in front of her was engulfed in the fire.

The plants and trees, the other kids that didn’t even have the time to scream; From Daisy, who was building a sand castle the other day, to Hans, who had confessed to her that he liked her, wearing a stupid expression. Even the adults like the bakery owner who always smiled nicely while giving her extra bread was embraced by the raging flames.

Everyone.

Disappeared into ashes.

“...”

Those who disappeared in a blink of an eye without being able to scream could count themselves as fortunate.

Because they didn’t need to smell the thick scent of burning flesh, hear the echoing ear splitting screams that would make anyone’s legs feel weak.

Parents died. Children died. Those same children cried out, begging for their mommies to save them. Those same parents desperately begged for their children to be saved.

Misfortunes poured down like heavy rain.

In a matter of seconds, the pastoral and peaceful village was destroyed.

“...”

Though it was a dream.

Iliya felt the urge to throw up.

Unconsciously, she sank to her knees, wrapping her arms around her shaking body as she looked up at the sky.

The column of fire.

The huge disaster that had painted the entire night red.

“...”

And inside it…

Although it was so far away…

She could see a human shape in the middle of it.

Their blood-like red hair, long nails, and yellow eyes with slit pupils resembling that of reptiles.

When their eyes met, one word came to her mind.

“...Devil.”

The Crimson Night.

To be exact, it was the moment when the night began.

Her memory of the scene was always blacked out by that.

●

She woke up soaked in cold sweat.

The fancy bed inside the accommodation, which was provided by the Holy Land, near the location of the Last Ordeal, was soaked by her sweat.

With ragged breaths, Iliya swept her face.

She sweated so much that it looked like a transparent film was swept out of her face as she did so.

Her heart was beating quickly, meanwhile her eyes were unfocused.

“...I haven't had this dream recently.”

Ever since she met Teach, she had rarely experienced the dream again.

Because, strangely enough, she felt reassured in many ways when she was with him.

A strange experience for sure, since she used to dream about it every single day back in the Kendride Margravate.

“...”

She knew exactly why she dreamed of this again, though.

Because she had seen something that had reminded her of the Karmic Fire she had seen back then.

Faenol.

Faenol Lipek.

The woman that gave off a similar feeling to the Red Devil.

“...”

If that woman was actually the Devil’s Vessel…

That meant her sworn enemy was nearby.

It wasn’t hard to find out if she was a Vessel or not.

She just had to look at her using the Eye of Truth that was awakened by the Fist Saint.

It was an ability that allowed her to see through the existence of a Devil more accurately than anyone else. With it, she’d be able to tell at a glance what exactly was sleeping inside Faenol’s body.

Yet she hadn’t done it. The reason for it was because…

“...”

Iliya looked at her trembling hands.

Yes.

She was still…

Afraid of the Devil.

Of the being that had twisted her whole life in a single day.

“...It’s okay, Iliya.”

You’ll be able to overcome it soon.

Because the Last Ordeal would start soon.

As long as she could grab the ‘Holy Sword’, she should be able to stand up against such a being somehow.

She got up with a determined look on her face.

There were only a few hours left before the conferment ceremony.

She had to get ready.

●

[ Main Quest ]

〖 Chapter 4 – Crimson Night 〗

[ The related event will occur soon! ]

I swiped to another window.

[ Gift-Related Character Alert ]

▼ Faenol Lipek

[ Trust Level 3 ]

[ Related Event Occurs in D-1 ]

“...Hmmm.”

Stroking my chin, I scanned through the messages, one after another.

I knew that this would happen eventually, so I wasn’t particularly surprised that this punk would go berserk, as it was guaranteed to happen.

The problem here was…

…Why is it tomorrow?

In the original game, she would go berserk today, on the day of the Conferment of the Holy Sword.

As I raised the favorability with Faenol, the event got delayed more and more, but today was the Maginot Line. It shouldn’t happen tomorrow, there was no reason for it.

[Why are you like this? It isn’t like anything ever goes as you planned anyway. All you need to do is to play it by ear like always. Just treat this as a variable like usual.]

“...The thing is, it won’t be that easy this time.”

A Devil with three fragments going berserk was on a different level entirely. I could tolerate variables if they were still within reason, but this time, I couldn’t even tell why the time of the occurrence changed.

“...”

If I were to guess though, a certain someone came to mind.

[The Prophet?]

“As always, I guess.”

Every time I faced a difficult situation, it was all because of her forcefully raising the ‘difficulty’ for me.

This time, it was definitely because of her that the progression had deviated much from what I knew.

I sighed as I looked around the busy surrounding.

Originally, inside the Great Temple of the Holy Land…

…They must be plotting something.

That fucker, the Pope, was originally someone like that. In terms of wickedness, he was comparable even to me.

The reason why they didn’t let people in was definitely because they were conspiring something.

“...”

Well.

Let’s think about that later.

There was something else that was bothering me currently.

“...By the way, Caliban.”

I narrowed my eyes and glared at the Soul Linker.

“Are you plotting something?”

[Huh? No, of course not.]

“...”

[Why are you accusing me like that? Do you have a persecution complex or something?]

At his nonchalant answer, I silently glared at the Soul Linker.

Nothing felt off. He was just the usual Caliban.

However…

“...You know that our minds are connected, right?”

[And?]

“I can sense your state of mind to some extent, just as you can know mine."

[...]

“Yours feels much…different than usual. You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?”

[It’s just you.]

“...”

[I said it’s just you. Do you have evidence?]

Well, I don’t.

I was only suspecting him without proof.

“...Ssssssp…”

I sharply inhaled in exasperation as I got up from my seat.

Whatever, the main quest was just around the corner.

It was more important to prepare myself for what the Prophet was about to do than dealing with this shit.

“...Just don't do anything too strange, please.”

[Okay.]

“...”

I thought you said you weren't plotting anything.

You crazy motherfucker.

●

Seras Evatrice could only look at the person standing in front of her in a daze.

Actually, it was her first time seeing the person at all, as she never even saw a glimpse of him before.

Although, calling him a person was a bit of a stretch.

Since he introduced himself as someone who had died.

“...So, your name is…”

[Valkasus.]

“Hiiiik—!”

When he saw Seras jumping with eyes filled with tears, Valkasus narrowed his eyes.

[...You, don’t they refer to you as a Grand Assassin or something impressive like that?]

Though he criticized her for showing such a pathetic look, Seras didn’t care and instead responded to him while trembling.

“I-Is it wrong for a Grand Assassing to be scared of ghosts?!”

[...I mean, I’m sure you’d be able to fill up a whole cemetery with all the people you’ve killed…]

“But I can’t kill you!”

[...So you’re scared of everything that you can’t kill?]

“Yeah!”

[...]

Though she was trembling, her answer came out very clearly.

…Such a simple and clear standard.

So she’s saying that she isn’t scared of anything that she can kill with a knife, but scared of those she can’t.

No wonder she had been obediently listening to him well since the first time they met.

[...Anyways.]

Valkasus let out another deep sigh and continued.

[I have a simple matter to tell you. Well, it’s simple but it’s still a serious matter.]

“What?”

Then, Valkasus told her Caliban’s ‘plan’.

“...”

The more content of the plan he ‘delivered’...

The more fear on Seras’ face that had disappeared.

In place of it, she wore a serious look.

“...That’s definitely a serious matter.”

Seras muttered with narrowed eyes.

“You’re telling me that the Red Devil is going berserk?”

[Yes.]

“...”

Then they should prevent it from happening.

[The others beside you must’ve been informed about it as well.]

“The others?”

Obviously he was talking about the Devil’s Vessels.

But, Caliban claimed that there was a better way to call them, which was…

[The other women around Dowd Campbell.]

“...”

[Like they said, opportunities are found in times of crisis. As you can tell from what you have heard, this time, things have gotten way too dangerous for that man to make it out alive. That’s why we want you guys’ help.]

“...Hm, so you’re hiring me?”

[Judging by the form, it’s going to be like that. Although, the payment will be something different from what you have in mind.]

“What?”

[This is a battle of possession. The most helpful person in the scene will get to do something nice with him.]

“...Something nice?”

[You are allowed to do whatever you want with him, whether it’s to sleep together with him or whatever.]

“...”

She wished he would not say crazy things while looking as if he had given up.

But, let’s think about it a little more.

Seras’ face was filled with question marks instead upon hearing what he said.

She sensed that something was off.

Was Dowd the type that would agree to do something like that easily?

“...Did he agree to this himself?”

[Let’s just say that I’ll tell you his weakness that would make him agree no matter what.]

“...”

[Of course it isn’t the way to overpower him physically, rather, it’s the way to win his ‘heart’, which is what you all are aiming for anyway, no?]

It was a lengthy speech.

But he had definitely left out Dowd's own opinion.

“...Uhm, doing that without listening to the person's opinion is kind of…”

[Does that mean you don’t care if another woman were to take him away?]

“...”

[Even if he were to say no, those women would put the method into practice right away once they heard what his weakness is. For example, the daughter of the Tribal Alliance’s Chieftain that you argued with recently.]

“...Are you trying to provoke me?”

[Yes. Just imagine, are you going to be okay if such things were to happen?]

His intention was way too obvious. This was merely a cheap provocation.

However…

“...”

Seras closed her eyes and imagined the scene for a moment.

The sight of that blue girl hugging Dowd while smiling in triumph before her eyes.

And the sight of her shaking as she was looking at the scene.

Then, those two would start to kiss, hug and eventually lead to mixing each other’s-

“...Alright, who am I supposed to kill?”

Needless to say, the cheap provocation was very effective on her.