A black figure darted between the buildings, pursued by a swarm of tentacled flying creatures and two girls armed with blades. At first glance, it looked like they were chasing him. But the black figure abruptly turned, kicking one of the girls mid-air, flipping the situation on its head.

Bang, bang, bang!

Even though they had human forms, the relentless bullets launched toward the black figure struck the two girls. The force sent them collapsing, clutching the bloody stumps of their limbs.

"Aaagh! M-My arm…!"

"My leg, my leg…!"

Ignoring the wailing girls, the hunter coolly took aim at the incoming swarm of Foreign Entities, as if holding a revolver, and pulled the trigger. Twice.

With only two shots, the creatures vanished without a trace.

The hunter looked down at the agonized girls and bit down on his cigarette.

"…Pathetic."

But he couldn’t ignore the way his hand trembled as he smoked. Why, though? They were just spawn of the Foreign Entities.

He took a rough drag and blew the smoke out, agitated.

This was all because of Raydan Tanten.

That fool’s belief was misguided. If Foreign Entities truly had no intention of harming humans, they should have left the moment they realized they were causing human deaths.

But even the hunter found himself wondering at times, “What if they’re simply creatures expanding their territory to survive?”

"Damn it."

He crushed the cigarette under his heel.

Looking up, he saw the sky swarming with Foreign Entities, their pinkish hues rippling like waves within the red mist.

He recalled the moment Tanten had wandered into the hidden chamber, mingling with the Foreign Entities like it was nothing.

"He said he’d deal with the Inquisitor alone."

The hunter sighed, unable to grasp Tanten's twisted sense of justice.

How could he leave that troublesome man on his own?

Turning around, he saw an even greater number of Foreign Entities and girls with weapons glaring back at him.

"This is why I hate your kind."

He raised his double-barreled shotgun, aiming at the mass obstructing his path. He needed to finish them off quickly so he could back up Tanten.

A suffocating silence.

The Inquisitor, wearing a sneering grin, waved his fan as if savoring the moment. No matter how many knights wore protective helmets, the more casualties there were, the stronger he would become.

The cold wind brushed against my cheek like a signal. I launched myself toward the Inquisitor with rapid steps, and Asti matched my speed, charging in from the other side.

Boom!

As expected, he blocked our attack effortlessly, fending off my sword with his fan and stopping Asti’s dagger with his blackened claws, which didn’t even chip.

"How adorable."

His mocking laughter grated on my nerves, but this was all part of the plan.

I pushed back against the fan and rebounded away, preparing to strike again as Asti withdrew.

Whenever I swung my sword, Asti thrust her dagger, attacking in tandem.

Yet, the Inquisitor remained unfazed, kicking the dagger away and deflecting my sword with his fan, gracefully dodging like a matador.

He caught me off guard by gripping my chin and pulling my face close to his, but I had no time to be shocked.

"Why not give it a try, hmm?"

I retaliated with a side kick, using the recoil to pull back. The slick snow made my feet slide as I tried to regain my footing.

"You're the first human to make my heart race like this. If you surrender, I’ll treat you as one of my daughters."

At his words, Asti’s shoulders trembled, visibly disgusted.

"For someone like you, a charge of attempted rape against a Foreign Entity would probably be considered a reward, wouldn’t it? Hah."

"Shut up!"

The thought of hearing such a vile joke from him made my blood boil.

"When I win, you’ll disappear on the spot."

"Do you really think you can handle it? Pain is what pushes living beings to grow."

The Inquisitor’s eyes sparkled with a sickening pleasure as he gestured to the sky.

"Everyone struggles to overcome their suffering. It’s admirable. But watching them fail and crumble under their own weight is… an art that no other creation can compare to."

His cheeks flushed as he hugged himself, seemingly lost in his twisted ecstasy.

"A creature without suffering isn’t truly alive."

As he spoke, I noticed a contradiction.

If he found suffering so beautiful, then why was he trying to wipe humans out?

"Wondering why I’d want to destroy you?"

The Inquisitor seemed to read my thoughts, covering his face with his fan as if embarrassed.

"Even if I shouldn’t be picky, I’ve grown bored of your era. I want a change."

His eyes gleamed red.

"When Earth was filled with countless Foreign Entities and varied life forms, I enjoyed it. But then you humans appeared, and everything changed."

His expression soured.

"You’re selfish. You feign coexistence but inflict artificial pain on anything that benefits you and kill those that don’t. This tedious pattern has grown old. So, I thought…"

He closed his fan, extending it toward me.

"If I wiped you out, new life forms would emerge, offering fresh experiences."

I couldn’t comprehend his words. His prideful proclamations sounded absurd, as if he thought himself a savior.

He spoke as if humans deserved to pay for their sins, but wasn’t he just another being desperate to eradicate us?

Grinding my teeth, I swung my arm through the air.

Seeds buried under the snow sprouted, growing long tendrils that lashed toward the Inquisitor.

He leapt into the air, dodging instead of blocking with his usual grace.

An opening.

Boom!

But the Inquisitor blocked my sword once again, grinning with delight, and I scowled.

"You’re insane."

"And you think you’re sane?"

Clang, clang, clang!

As our weapons clashed, I pulled back a fist, charging it with Meditatio, aiming for her gut.

Thud.

"Kya-haha!"

"Ugh!"

She grabbed my fist as if expecting it, and a crimson energy started emanating from her grip, sending searing pain through my hand. I gritted my teeth, glaring at her.

She watched with a maniacal gleam in her eyes, seemingly thrilled by my suffering.

I tried to raise my sword, but she lifted my trapped hand high.

"Ugh!"

My body lost balance, and she hurled me to the ground. Even though the move seemed casual, I felt the crushing weight of gravity as I fell.

In that moment, as I braced for impact...

Thud.

Vines burst forth from the snow, cushioning my fall and absorbing most of the shock.

"You okay?!"

The Gardener’s unusually loud voice rang out. It made sense. I had been dangerously close to losing my life.

But I couldn’t afford to stay down. The glove Belle had given me sensed something.

Even across the globe, her power allowed her to watch over anyone.

The Inquisitor had disappeared from sight, but the glove told me he was right behind me.

"Gah!"

I rolled forward just as I heard the air rush past where my head had been, sensing the force of a kick aimed at me. When I turned, I saw the Inquisitor raising her leg.

"My, impressive."

"Master!"

Asti rushed to my side, checking me over. Thanks to the Gardener’s quick save, I had avoided any serious injuries.

I patted her head, reassuring her.

But there was no time to relax. A crimson orb, pulsing like a ball of blood, hurtled toward us.

I barely managed to push Asti aside as we dodged the attack.

Looking at the ground where it landed, I was horrified.

The orb had blackened the earth around it, as if bringing death itself.

"Surprised? If I can absorb pain, surely I can expel it."

The Inquisitor’s taunting gaze met mine.

Was she so confident in the amount of suffering she had absorbed that she could waste it like this?

One touch of that would shatter my mind.

Unlike mental corruption, pain is a physical force.

"Haa…."

The situation was getting increasingly dire.