St . Winifred Great Church on the outskirts of Knot Reed .

It was the terminal point of the main twelve pilgrimage areas in the vicinity and was the oldest and only G.o.d’s church in Knot Reed .

In the bas.e.m.e.nt of the cathedral where it had been renovated many times, there were remains of the era where Ignitia’s teachings were conveyed to this place for the first time .

The two phantom beasts and I were in the deepest part of the second floor bas.e.m.e.nt of St . Winifred Great Church .

After the banquet, we secretly went out of Water Palace and came to this place .

There was a faint sound of water came from behind the wall .

Perhaps there was a groundwater flowing somewhere .

The cave was cut out of limestone .

At the height of a standing adult, the ceiling drew a round arch .

In the back of the cave, there was a square marble altar engraved with a relief of the Sun and the angels .

Next to me were Palug who had dressed up as a man and the plush toy-size Tirnanog .

The altar, illuminated by the torch that Tirnanog had, seemed to be an ordinary common altar for Ignitia’s rituals .

Dropping the large jute bag she was carrying on her back, Palug opened her mouth .

“I’m sorry for bringing you here . ”

“Don’t mind it . We are equal status in this regard . ”

『I have to confirm that you are not just playing around .

Since you have brought us along, were there some good results?』

“Good results……if I can choose, it would be better if I didn’t find any result at all . ”

『Hm? Do not use weird phrases .

Didn’t you call us because you wanted to show us something?』

When Tirnanog pointed it out, Palug smiled while narrowing her eyes .

It was a ferocious smile .

“Unfortunately, there is nothing here, or rather there is only something I don’t want to be exposed to anyone’s eyes if possible . ”

『Fumu, in other words, our purpose is to check the existence of things that should not exist . 』

“Correct . Although if possible, I want it to only be me thinking too much . ”

Palug glanced at the altar .

And yet, it was a mediocre and ordinary altar .

“Is it impossible to check it alone, or is it dangerous?”

“If it really exists, neither you nor myself should touch it .

However, if we really have to check it……don’t you Aurelia have a convenient technology?”

Saying so, Palug pointed to the sandbag that had been transported by Tirnanog .

I see . She was thinking of making a golem to act on our behalf for the dangerous matters, huh .

Tirnanog opened the sandbag, poured the soil onto the floor, and roughly shaped it into the shape of a person .

I took out the athame knife and carved magical letters from the 72 letters on the core to be incorporated into the golem .

Unlike the standing-upright golems made at the testing field, this golem also incorporated proper motion control .

As I breathed in magical power into the golem, the headless humanoid earth golem stood up .

Since it could only act in a sluggish manner as it was now, I threw one portion of the torch into the hollow part of his torso as the power source .

While the torch was burning, the golem would become somewhat agile and it would be possible for it to do physical work .

“Is this sufficient?”

“Yes, it’s more than sufficient . From here, please move in accordance with my instructions . ”

When Palug nodded in satisfaction, she took out several items from her jute bag .

An old golden candlestick branched into seven .

Seven candles made of beeswax .

Silver handbell with leather belt handle attached .

And, a tattered codex with several sheets of bookmark put between the pages .

“Thou, those who will step into the Realm of Death .

The threshold of the impure has already opened before thee .

First, burn the seven-branched light and illuminate the visible darkness . ”

On the ground underneath us, Palug’s poetry reverberated .

I ordered the golem and let it set the candles on the candlestick and lit them on fire .

At Palug’s cue, Tirnanog extinguished the fire of the torch by smothering it .

The seven flames of the candles projected the ominously swaying shadow of the headless golem on the ceiling .

“Second, ring the silver bell and call out to the Other Side . ”

The golem picked up the handbell and shook it several times .

The sound that should be refres.h.i.+ng resounded coldly .

Before I knew it, I couldn’t hear the water sound that I heard from the other side of the wall .

Feeling as if the temperature of the room which had been cool by nature cooled down further, I hugged my own body .

“Third, praise Him and shout words of profanity .

Beware, thou will not return under the suns.h.i.+ne .

—You are already in the Realm of Death . ”

The golem picked up the codex .

At the same time, Palug moved us several steps back .

The moment when the page marked by a bookmark was opened, some creaking sounds resounded from the golem’s chest .

The part where the clavicles should be in human beings was torn apart horizontally, and it became a mouth-like figure .

From the opening of the golem that shouldn’t have any vocal organ, a low voice that resembled the voice of a toad leaked and shook the air .

『N-now—, I respectfully offer You my salutations……ooh, Lord of Fresh Blood……

You who are the Master of Mausoleum, of the Night and Darkness— .

I will come to Your side—for this soul is pure— .

These are Your hands on my back, and in Yours lies my fate .

Ooh, I wish, bestow on me my own mouth to speak—』

The golem was already breathing by itself, moving away from my control by itself .

Mutated into an unknown monster, what was once a golem knelt towards the altar .

A change also occurred to the altar .

As if seeping out of empty s.p.a.ce, drop by drop, blood was stuck to the marble surface .

It seemed as if an invisible offering on the altar was being chopped up .

『I, who I am diminutive here and now, respectfully offer You my salutations .

The Exalted G.o.d of Corruption, You who dwells eternally inside the Tombs of the Land of Dusk .

The One who rides a boat of Skin and Flesh and pa.s.ses time perpetual, the One who takes on Many Kinds and Many Forms .

Ooh, King of lands vast and clad in dark night, You who is magnificent, Your Name is—』

Before I knew it, the golem was speaking fluently just like a human being .

The lump of soil around the golem’s core was bulging and wriggling towards the core, trying to capture it .

Just before the characters of emet engraved on the core was captured by the mutated lump of soil, Palug swung a glowing nail .

The golem whose characters engraved turned into met, turned back into a lump of earth once again .

『Mu……!?』

“This is……just what exactly……”

“Wait . It’s not over yet . ”

Palug took us by hand .

As she said, even after the golem, the performer of the ritual, was destroyed, the changes of the altar continued .

I wondered how many times the sacrificial knife was swung down .

The blood of the invisible offering wet the altar .

There was a trace of blood continuing down from the altar to the floor, as if something soaked in blood had fallen down .

There was a trace of blood continuing down from the altar to the floor, as if something soaked in blood had fallen down .

Flopping down, I looked at the traces on the floor and shuddered .

No matter how I looked at it, it looked like a human handprint .

An unseen knife cut off the life of a person and their handprints were erased by the newly flowing blood .

Then several more bloods were shed, when the altar was completely covered with fresh blood, the phantom halted .

Inside the narrow bas.e.m.e.nt was filled with unpleasant smell of blood .

『Twelve people……huh . 』

“The number of altars is also twelve . One person was killed per altar .

Unfortunately, it seems that my conjecture is right .

In addition, it’s the worst among the worst conjectures . ”

Palug had a smile on her face that made her seems about to bite at the unseen killer .

With that expression alone, I could see that she held a considerable anger in her chest .

“No way, for what purpose did they kill 12 people?”

“They wanted to rewrite the altar’s ceremonies and authorities .

This was a dedicated offering to a different G.o.d, this altar is not the altar of my G.o.d anymore .

The other eleven altars connected to this altar should have also been rewritten completely . ”

『By doing that, they were s.n.a.t.c.hing your and the other angels’ power .

Fumu . Having done that, it means the power of the faith that is currently being scattered to the sea is a diversion, huh . 』

“Yes, thanks to that, I was late in realizing this .

It seems that this someone didn’t want to be found out by me . ”

Tirnanog was throwing glances at Palug’s way .

Speaking of which, she was depleted of power until she almost died because of this .

There was a sound of him clenching his fangs anxiously from underneath his face armor .

He was also thinking about the circ.u.mstances of his quarreling friend .

『I do not know who it was, but they have a bad hobby .

Secretly sucking up the lives of other people, even if it was discovered, it would still give a serious wound on the other party .

If you had exposed their secrets unknowingly, you might have been encroached and taken in . 』

“Yes, that was their……the vampires’ way . ”

Vampires .

Just hearing that word, I felt chills running through my spine .

Information on the worst bad end of the original game came to my mind .

A mountain of dead bodies covered the ground, exchanging kisses smeared with blood on top of it .

With the same name as the last King of Casketia, the hidden character named Cain .

With the same name as the last King of Casketia, the hidden character named Cain .

『Was it a survivor of the destroyed ancient Kingdom, or was it a religious fanatic enthralled by the power and knowledge of the vampires?』

“Even if it was a religious fanatic, if they have the power and wisdom derived from the vampires, I couldn’t leave them as is . ”

Palug cut off her words for a moment and looked at me .

Her eyes held a firm resolution .

“Erica, please give me time to move freely .

I can help you with your oracle during the interval .

Even if I am the only surviving angel, this is the only enemy that must be destroyed . ”

I held Palug’s gaze and shook my head quietly .

Her eyes shook a little in unrest .

“That’s right . I am not an angel anymore; I am your subordinate .

I have attracted unnecessary crisis with my selfish behaviors—”

“That’s not it, just you alone are not enough, right? You will need plenty of help and supplies . ”

Hearing my answer, Palug was dumbfounded for a while .

Tirnanog’s laughter echoed within the silent underground altar .

『Kukukukuku, interesting . That’s the friend I know . 』

“Hey now, Tir is also included in this, for the time being, I wonder if the three of us is enough . ”

“Y-you guys……jeez, just how much of good-natured people are you~~!”

Palug cried out with somewhat teary eyes .

She was so happy that she couldn’t help saying the opposite words .

I thought so when I saw her lion-tail jutted out and swaying lightly .

To tell the truth, I was angry with this culprit .

I thought about how terribly miraculous it was being alive .

Whether it was people or beasts, they were earnestly standing on the place where they belong, it was unreasonable to take away their lives easily .

Even so, this was not natural selection or natural disaster, but clear animosity and malice .

“I need to prepare . Even if every vampire of Casketia revives, we only need to destroy them a second time . ”

With a glimpse of the biggest death flag appeared in front of me, I spoke so in determination .

It could be said that my challenge was reckless .

On the other hand, Tirnanog had an expression like he was admiring the grades of a good student, and Palug was nodding with a new expression of resolute .