Chapter 94: The Malevolent Spirit

After skipping the unnutritious simple self-introduction, Dark Lotus and Dark Spirit took the initiative to reveal their identities, subsequently becoming Miss White Fox’s guides, leading her to the internal chamber allegedly occupied by the Oracle.

The two sisters were both taciturn in nature, and Miss Vilyric, of course, wouldn’t bring up any awkward small talk, so they made their way in silence for most of the journey.

However, as they were about to reach their destination, the previously indifferent one—who had bangs covering her right eye and seemed to be the younger sister, Dark Spirit—suddenly turned her back on Miss White Fox and spoke without looking back.

“Miss Xī, you visited Demon Town a few days ago, didn’t you?”

“Hmm?”

Miss Priestess, who was still pondering the specific relationship between the Grim Reaper’s Scythe and the Lingyin Merchant Association, and what kind of situation was unfolding, was momentarily taken aback by the cold inquiry. But soon, she simply nodded without panicking at the unexpected comment from the indifferent girl.

She didn’t feel the need to elaborate unnecessarily; she just awaited further words from the other party.

It was indeed true that she had appeared in Demon Town and had intervened to assist hundreds of girls from various races caught in a magical rampage. Even though her identity and the reasons for her sudden appearances and disappearances were shrouded in mystery to outsiders, this was an indisputable fact.

Once those girls regained consciousness, they would surely inquire about “the priestess Miss Xī wearing a white fox mask,” so it was not surprising at all that the two girls in front of her, who were already at the core of the incident with the Grim Reaper’s Scythe, had heard that name.

“Indeed, what is it?”

Hearing Miss White Fox’s calm and nonchalant response, Dark Spirit turned back, appearing somewhat surprised, but quickly regained her composure.

“I just wanted to thank you on behalf of the girls you saved… Thank you, they are all very grateful to you. To be honest, I admire you a little… I’m sorry, it’s nothing…”

“Um~?”

Wait, after all that, it turns out she’s a cold tsundere, huh…

Saying too much wouldn’t be meaningful, so Miss Vilyric merely nodded slightly.

“No need to thank me; it was just a small effort.”

“…”

Listening to Miss White Fox’s still detached reply, the two girls couldn’t help but share a glance, and though they didn’t continue the conversation, their air of indifference seemed to have diminished a bit.

The brief journey quickly arrived at its destination, as the sisters brought Miss Vilyric to an ancient-looking small door, standing by its sides, while they slightly closed their eyes and raised their hands in a welcoming gesture.

“This is it. Miss Xī, please, your mentor is waiting inside.”

“Mm.”

Walking straight past the seemingly disinterested twin sisters, Miss Vilyric gently pushed open the door and entered the room.

What hit her immediately was a kind of… indescribably bizarre smell.

How to put it? It was somewhat reminiscent of a few dead rats from mid-summer, rotting for days in the crevices of a cramped and sealed room—an odor strong enough to wrinkle one’s brows and bring a wave of nausea, yet one couldn’t pinpoint the source of the stench.

However, observing the elegant layout and exquisite decorations of the room, it was hard to believe anything like that could exist here. After a brief frown, Miss White Fox suddenly realized.

This was not just a smell; to be precise, it was an aura.

An aura of malevolence that wasn’t tolerated by the world.

Miss Vilyric directed her gaze to the three, or rather four, figures standing in the room.

First to catch her eye was an elderly man with white hair, blindfolded, holding an ancient abacus, exuding an aura of ethereal wisdom. Beside him stood a graceful and holy blonde girl, radiating a pure, shining presence just by being there.

The Saint of Bright Light was indeed here.

Aside from them, there were two more figures whom Miss Vilyric recognized from previous encounters.

Wearing a black cloak and a straw hat, with a calm and grave demeanor, this figure didn’t hold his long pole in hand, but these features alone were enough to identify him—Ferryman, the oldest assistant among the Grim Reaper’s Scythe team.

This similarly aloof middle-aged man, who seemed the most taciturn among the team of four, noticed Miss White Fox’s entrance but reacted with only a slight nod as a greeting.

“What’s going on here?”

Miss Vilyric stepped forward, and the Oracle and the Saint of Bright Light turned to look at her in turn.

“Alas…”

The former merely stroked his beard, letting out a soft sigh, seemingly weighed down by something, while Yuna, who had greeted the girl actively, also wore an expression that suggested she was facing some difficulty.

“Praise the Goddess. As expected of Miss Xī; you’ve found your way here so quickly. As you can see…”

Following her gaze, Miss Vilyric finally directed her attention to the last figure in the room— a gray-clad youth sitting cross-legged on something resembling a cushion, with his eyes closed and seven swords hanging from his waist.

This was the person Miss Vilyric had met several times, codenamed Soul, the leader of the Grim Reaper’s Scythe team.

Clearly, he was the “problem” Yuna mentioned earlier.

On his revealed right forearm was an injury—a particularly bizarre wound.

An odor of malevolence rushed over.

If one spoke of ordinary injuries on a body, as long as they were not poisoned, they would merely bleed, and even if severe, it would mostly just mean losing a limb.

But the wound on Soul’s arm showed no sign of blood flowing forth; instead, it looked like some sort of indelible black ink had been applied to his skin, creating a bizarre mockery of a wound.

However, the reason it was called a wound was that something was still leaking from it.

Perhaps ordinary eyes might not perceive it, but at least those present—the Oracle, Yuna, Ferryman, and the newly arrived Miss White Fox—all had their gazes clearly focused on those dispersing things, and whatever their methods, being able to enter this room now surely had its reasons.

That was the dispersing Souls.

“Ah, I see…”

“Did Miss Xī notice something?”

Pulling her “gaze” away from Soul, the Oracle turned towards her. Even though his eyes were covered by black cloth, Miss Vilyric could still sense that he was “looking” in her direction.

The girl nodded slightly, almost noncommittally.

“If you’re referring to the wound on his hand, I indeed understand the crux of the issue, but shouldn’t you first explain what exactly happened?”

According to the reports from Leila and Renée, when they last encountered Soul, he should have been perfectly fine, which means this bizarre wound appeared only after he chased after the temple knight Karina, who was possessed by the Black and White Mask, for some reason, and likely due to her injuries.

From the timeline perspective, it coincided perfectly with the sudden deterioration of the city’s situation last night. After that… something must have happened.

“Mm… What Miss Xī said is quite right; while the urgency is high, there should still be enough time for a brief explanation.”

Thus, the Oracle took something from his sleeve.

“Miss Xī, please look.”

“Huh…?”

What he produced was an eerie mask, black and white, shaped like a round face, almost the same size as the Mask of the God Fox, capable of completely covering an average adult human’s face.

The material of the mask was strange—not wood nor metal, reflecting a glaze-like luster. The eyes on it squinted joyfully, while the mouth was stretched almost to an unreasonable width, encompassing half the face.

At a glance, it even gave off the impression that the mask was somehow alive and staring into the eyes of the observer, sending chills down the spine.

   

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