"The people of Morion, not much of a big deal."

Esther's eyes narrowed at Kraken's words.

From what Esther had heard, Kraken had killed three guards. And this happened after her real body had already left the prison.

Esther pressed down on her white prison hat firmly.

"Right. Our kids owe you one."

At that moment, Kraken extended its hand. There was no point in hiding since it was already exposed as a monster.

Kraken’s tentacle attack, one of the fastest in Indus, shot out from her fingers towards Esther's neck without hesitation.

In that moment, Esther, revealing a cold gaze from beneath her hat, said,

"Prisoner, state your name."

Instantly, Kraken's hand stopped. The fingers it believed would undoubtedly pierce through Esther's neck froze in mid-air.

"…Kraken."

Kraken spoke its name. It wasn't due to brainwashing or mental manipulation. Kraken clearly had its own will.

It simply couldn't help but speak out, driven by an overwhelming fear.

"…This feeling, could it be?"

Kraken looked into Esther's eyes. They weren't just cold. Those pupils, emitting light, and the low murmuring voice – it had heard it before.

"A monster that kills people while pretending to be human, hiding its true identity for a long time, Kraken. Your sins are heavy."

With each word from Esther, her aura intensified.

It wasn't aura. Nor was it mana. But a familiar energy. Kraken smelled it and was horrified. For a monster like Kraken, it was the worst possible opponent.

"Justice from the gods will scrutinize you. It will take a long time to absolve your sins."

With those words, Kraken fully realized.

'Divine power!'

Kraken halted its intention to attack and instead turned to flee. Divine power is a rare force. Even more so in Etius, where multiple gods exist.

But for that reason, it was the worst match for a monster like Kraken.

'To die here, of all places! I, I have things left to do….'

Kraken moved desperately to escape Esther's sight.

However, Esther watched its movements with a dismissive gaze and reached out her hand.

Catching a glimpse of that movement behind her, Kraken unwittingly opened her mouth.

"Pl, please-"

"Divine punishment."

Boom!!

Lightning struck from the sky. Unlike ordinary lightning, it shot down in a straight line. The light literally split the air vertically. It was a merciless hammer of judgment, allowing no evasion or defense.

"Ke, keuk......"

With a short groan, Kraken fell.

Esther slowly approached Kraken. She looked down at Kraken for a moment, her expression soon turning into a frown.

"…Alive."

Shivering from intense pain, Kraken’s human body had already disintegrated, resembling a soft-bodied creature, yet Kraken was unmistakably alive.

"It's strange. Humans who have committed such sins have all without exception died."

Heavenly punishment brings a penalty commensurate with the sin.

Was Kraken's sin insufficient? That couldn't be. The scale of its sin surely warranted the death penalty without a doubt.

"…This must also be the will of God."

Esther soon shook her head and took out a restraint from her bosom.

For a human, handcuffs would suffice, but considering the characteristics of this monster, the method of restraint had to be something very proper.

* * *

After restraining Kraken, Esther set foot into Heldre's mansion.

Before coming here, she had confirmed Heldre's body in the forest. She had been feeling an ominous aura since then.

"…What is this?"

And now, Esther was lost for words at the catastrophe inside the mansion.

The mansion was literally rolling with corpses. The walls and floor were soaked with blood, and there seemed to be hardly anyone alive.

Step by step, Esther slowly moved. The mansion was as silent as if even sounds were killed.

Could someone who killed so many people be the very person who killed Heldre?

As Esther walked up to the front of the mansion's lobby,

She stopped in her tracks at a certain scene atop the stairs.

"Who is that."

A man sitting in a chair entered her view.

With his limbs tied and head bowed, only his hair was visible. However, he was wearing a school uniform.

From just the school uniform and hair, Esther guessed his identity.

'Frondier de Roach!'

Upon closer inspection, she noticed his shoulders were moving up and down slightly. Frondier was alive.

Furthermore, Frondier wasn't the only one alive.

Three men lay in front of Frondier. They had also merely been knocked unconscious.

'Cain, Thompson, Skyler… They're all leaders of Indus.'

Esther was shocked when she recognized their faces.

'Did this kid do all of this by himself...?'

He took care of anyone who would get in his way, but in the meantime, he only knocked out Indus' important figures from whom he needed information? While tied to a chair?

Esther unconsciously looked around again.

'No. That's impossible. There's no way.'

Esther checked the wounds as she looked at the surrounding corpses. Some had been cut or stabbed with sharp weapons, while others had been crushed by blunt objects. They had each been attacked with different weapons.

'Right. They were all attacked with different weapons. There's no way he could've taken care of this many people and Heldre all by himself. Especially while tied to a chair.'

How could he have killed so many people while unable to move his hands or feet? On top of that, the weapons were all different.

Using all these different weapons without hands or feet is impossible—

'…Wait. Frondier's ability.'

What was it? I heard something. During Constel's final exam, he did something to defeat his older brother, Azier…

…He created a sword out of thin air and aimed a spear at his neck. It perfectly explains the current situation—

"Hey."

A cold voice suddenly rang out. Esther flinched and looked at Frondier.

Frondier, who had been hanging his head, slowly lifted his emotionless eyes.

Exactly like the image Esther had heard about, he showed no mercy.

"Can you untie me?"

— languid yet arrogant.

He looked down at Esther from the bottom of the stairs.