Runaan lifted her trembling eyelids.
'My head is dizzy….'
She didn't know how much time had passed. It felt like more than two days, but being in the basement without windows made it impossible to tell.
"…Thanks to the distraction from my subordinates' blood, I was able to easily behead the Ogre Lord."
Syria, sitting within arm's reach, moved his lips with a crazed look in his eyes.
"The next mission was a rescue. We were supposed to rescue the vermin that had fallen between the canyons, but it felt like a waste of time, so I killed them myself and reported that they were all dead."
"..."
Runaan clenched her fist as she looked into Syria's twisted eyes.
'What is he thinking?'
She couldn't understand.
At first, she thought it was all over, but Syria had only suppressed her aura and didn't lay a finger on her.
He kept babbling about his own story, but she couldn't predict his intentions.
"Ah! Something interesting happened there. Have you heard of human hunting? It's like releasing animals and killing them, but you let people go on purpose…."
There was another strange point.
Syria kept spewing hateful and disgusting words, but strangely, her killing intent and anger towards him were slowly subsiding.
Even more bizarre was the feeling of a shared identity, as if she had participated in his atrocities.
'It must be because of this.'
Runaan looked down at the floor.
A red magic circle, drawn as if with blood, was installed in the room that had originally been used as a warehouse, filled with dust and rough surfaces.
At first, she didn't know the effect of the magic circle, but now she had a rough idea.
Her senses felt as if they had been rubbed with sandpaper, softening her emotions and soul. It was clearly a magic that loosened one's spirit.
'Whatever this magic circle is, it doesn't matter.'
Runaan gritted her teeth.
'I will endure till the end.'
Every time her hatred and contempt for Syria subsided, she thought of her parents, Raon, and the Light Wind division.
Thinking of the precious people made her wavering heart become firm again.
"It's not that I only committed murders. Sometimes I did good things too. For example, in regions affected by floods…."
"What about my mom and dad?"
Runaan's eyes sharpened as she looked at Syria.
"What happened to them!"
"Don't worry. I adjusted the dosage so they wouldn't die."
Syria spoke in a gentle tone, even as he mentioned using drugs on her parents.
"How can I believe that? Show me. Show me that they are safe!"
Runaan bit her lip, ready to die here if her parents, Rokan and Clara, were dead.
"That's not difficult."
At Syria's gesture, two swordsmen who were standing behind him opened the door and went outside.
After a while, they returned with Rokan and Clara in their hands. The two were breathing faintly with their eyes closed, seemingly unconscious.
"I have no intention of killing them yet."
"Yet…?"
"Sullion is not a kennel. If the head of house suddenly disappears, even Zieghart would find it strange. Father and Mother will retire quietly after handing over the position of head of house to me."
Though he used the word 'retire', it was clear he meant he would kill them.
"You…"
Runaan bared her teeth as she glared at Syria.
"What exactly do you want to do!"
Her grip tightened so hard that blood dripped from her hands.
"What a waste."
Syria licked the blood that had fallen from her clenched fists with his finger.
"Ah…."
Runaan trembled, stepping back. Though she should have felt disgusted, she felt nothing because of the spell.
"Because of this!"
She slammed the spell down forcefully, but the red light only intensified.
"You asked what I want to do?"
Syria licked all the blood off his finger, then raised his eyes filled with madness.
"It's simple. I will pierce the heart of Zieghart."
"What?"
"Soon the continent will be engulfed in flames. Sullion will quietly stand behind Zieghart and at the crucial moment, stab their heart."
"Do you think that will work?"
"It's not that difficult."
Syria reached into the air. A helmet with long goat horns appeared, spreading like black smoke.
"Th-That helmet…."
Runaan trembled as she looked at the goat's helmet. It was unmistakable.
"Watch carefully."
As Syria put on the goat's helmet, molten iron flowed from it, covering his entire body in black armor.
His lower body was that of a goat, his upper body was knight's armor, and from within the goat's helmet, cold, eerie purple eyes shone.
"Baphomet. Then you are the Evil Goat Demon…."
Runaan leaned against the wall, gripping her shaking arms.
'So that's why you brought up Baphomet's story.'
The reason Syria suddenly mentioned Baphomet at the dining hall and had an obsessive fixation on her as his blood relative was because he was possessed by Baphomet's helmet.
"Yes. I am the Evil Goat Demon."
Syria admitted he was the Evil Goat Demon of Eden, exhaling a heated breath.
"Give my brother back! Return my brother to me!"
Raon had said that the monster's soul inside that helmet devoured human souls and took over their bodies.
Her brother, who had been kinder and more affectionate than anyone else, had disappeared because Baphomet's soul had swallowed him.
"That's not true."
Syria slowly shook his head.
"I devoured Baphomet instead."
"…What?"
"Reversal. I want to return this peaceful continent to the era of monsters ruling the land, as envisioned by 'that person'."
He laughed, holding his stomach, claiming he had devoured Baphomet.
"Ah…."
Runaan swallowed dryly. He was crazy. He was truly insane. She wanted to stop him at all costs, but there was nothing she could do.
"The start is the Continental War."
Syria raised his left hand, and with black flames, a new helmet appeared.
It was similar to the Baphomet's helmet he was wearing now, but the cheekbones were smaller, and the horns were longer.
"You and I will be at the center of it."
He raised the helmet to Runaan's face, curling his lips.
"My lovely sister."
Raon was running with all his might, knowing that Martha and Dorian were falling behind.
'Why is it so far….'
The Sullion family's annex was built on the outskirts of the Zieghart territory.
Normally it was no big deal, but in this situation, it felt incredibly far.
-You're slow! Move faster!
Wrath slapped his back, calling him a slug.
"Damn it…."
Raon bit his lip. His legs felt slow as Wrath said.
He regretted not focusing more on his footwork training as well as his swordsmanship.
'Please, let nothing happen.'
He tried to reassure himself that he was overreacting and that Runaan had just overslept, but the bad thoughts kept rising in his mind.
'That guy would never break a promise about ice cream.'
If it were Burren or Martha who hadn't shown up at the meeting place, he would have let it slide. They neither liked nor disliked ice cream particularly.
But Runaan had never broken a promise about ice cream.
She always arrived an hour early and waited, so something bad must have happened for sure.
-The house is in sight! Is that it?
Wrath pointed to the blue roof that curved elegantly downward.
'Yes.'
Raon nodded and pushed himself harder, focusing only on speed despite the aura depletion, heading for the main gate of the Sullion family's residence.
Two swordsmen were standing guard at the gate, looking relaxed as if nothing was wrong.
"Stop right there."
"This is the Sullion family's private property. What brings you here?"
When Raon stopped at the gate, the swordsmen blocked his path, asking his purpose of visit. They placed their hands on their swords, their eyes cautious.
"Light Wind Vice Division Leader, Raon Zieghart. I'm here because Squad Leader Runaan hasn't responded to the call and I came to check."
"Welcome, Raon."
The swordsmen lowered their hands from their swords and bowed, showing respect.
"You said Runaan hasn't responded to the call?"
"Yes. It's been over two hours and there's no contact, so I came."
He lied, saying two hours had passed instead of the actual time.
"Hmm, we haven't heard anything about that. Please wait a moment."
The swordsman on the left opened the gate and went inside to the central mansion.
"..."
Raon used the Ring of Fire and Perception of the Snow Flower to scan the inside of the mansion.
'Nothing seems particularly strange….'
He spread his senses meticulously, but there was no sign of a battle or someone dying.
The movements of the servants and swordsmen inside were calm.
However, he couldn't sense Runaan's presence anywhere.
'Where could she be?'
As he focused his mind to find Runaan's location, the mansion door opened, and an elderly man with a kind face came out.
'I've seen that man before….'
He remembered. He had seen this butler standing behind Rokan Sullion during the selection ceremony.
"Long time no see, Raon."
The butler of Rokan bowed respectfully.
"Miss Runaan is not feeling well and is resting."
He explained that Runaan had overexerted herself during training with Rokan yesterday and was now asleep.
"I would like to inform her that Raon has come, but she just fell asleep, so I cannot wake her up. I apologize."
The butler deeply bowed, expressing sincere apologies.
"Then can I at least see her while she sleeps?"
"Haha, Miss Runaan is not a child anymore, but a young lady. Even if you are the Vice Division Leader, I cannot allow that. Please understand."
The butler waved his hand gently with a soft smile, as if he had anticipated the question.
"I spoke out of turn."
Raon nodded and looked at the mansion.
"Runaan said her room overlooks the training ground, so it must be that room on the left."
"No, her room is on the right. You must be mistaken."
The butler shook his head, explaining that her room overlooked a blooming garden, not the training ground.
"Is that so? I must have been mistaken."
Raon scratched his head, nodding.
'That's true.'
Runaan had said her room overlooked the garden. He had tested if the butler had been swapped, but he knew Runaan's room correctly.
However, there was no sign of Runaan's presence in the right room where he said she was sleeping.
'I couldn't possibly miss sensing Runaan's presence.'
He was confident after almost ten years of knowing her. Runaan was not in that mansion.
"Hey! What is going on…."
"Y-Young Master…."
Martha and Dorian, who had arrived late, stopped at the gate, their faces contorted in pain.
"It's nothing. Let's go back."
"Huh?"
"W-What are you…."
Raon grabbed Martha and Dorian's shoulders, smiling.
'Something must have happened.'
He didn't show his real thoughts, maintaining a calm expression as he bowed to the butler.
"I'm glad Runaan is safe. Please tell her to come to the training ground when she wakes up."
"Understood. Thank you for your concern for Miss Runaan."
With the butler's bow, they left the entrance of the Sullion family's residence.
"What is going on! Are you really sure it's okay?"
"Did you see Squad Leader's face?"
Martha and Dorian frowned, wondering why they had come all the way here and left without seeing Runaan.
"I'm not sure. But something definitely happened to Runaan."
Raon blocked the sound from escaping with an aura barrier and explained the situation to the two.
"Then we should just barge in!"
Martha beat her chest in frustration.
"Let's break everything!"
"If we make a commotion, they might take Runaan as a hostage."
Raon shook his head, turning back.
"When you hear a loud noise from that mansion, rush in immediately."
"A-A loud noise? What are you planning…."
"If Runaan is being held captive, we need to rescue her."
After giving them a brief plan, he concealed his presence.
He lightly jumped over the wall and hid behind a tree in front of the mansion.
'Wrath.'
Raon called out to Wrath, who was staring blankly at the air with his chin propped up.
'Do you sense anything?'
-She's not inside that house.
Wrath's eyebrows twitched as if focusing on finding Runaan.
'Got it.'
Raon nodded and followed the butler's presence who had entered the mansion.
The butler talked to a Master-level swordsman inside.
The swordsman, after listening to the butler, went to the back of the mansion and stood in the center of a small training ground. After wandering there for a while, he went back inside.
'What is over there?'
-I found her!
As Raon spread his aura towards the bottom of the training ground, Wrath leaped.
-There were so many filthy manas, but the ice cream girl is below! Her condition is not good!
Wrath pointed to a small warehouse at the edge of the training ground.
'Not good? Is she injured?'
-Her body is fine, but her soul is blurry!
As Raon was about to run to the warehouse, Wrath continued.
-But there are many strange things installed on the stairs leading down! You must avoid them to not be late!
'Hmm….'
He spread his senses, feeling the strange manas gathered. They were traps set to delay him.
'Traps….'
Raon narrowed his eyes at the ground where the swordsman had stood.
'I don't have time for this.'
"Ugh…."
Runaan trembled as she looked into the purple eyes of the Evil Goat Demon.
"Don't resist."
Syria smiled as he twirled the second Baphomet helmet with his fingers.
"This spell reveals one's true feelings. If you're drawn to me, it means you truly loved me…."
"Shut up!"
Runaan shook her head and bit her tongue.
'It's a lie.'
Syria was a man who lied as easily as breathing. This spell didn't reveal true feelings but tore down the walls of soul and mind.
Even knowing that, she couldn't resist. Her mind was fogging up, and her heart was loosening like a snapped rubber band.
"You're always so cute."
Syria scratched his cheek as he looked at the frowning Runaan. Then, a knock sounded, and the door opened.
The swordsman who had brought Rokan and Clara entered and bowed.
"Raon Zieghart has come."
"What?"
"He said he came because Miss Runaan didn't respond to the call."
The swordsman reported everything about Raon coming to the gate.
"Ah!"
Runaan clenched her trembling fist.
'Raon….'
He believed in me.
Hearing Raon's name, the feelings Syria had been manipulating disappeared, and the fog in her mind cleared as if washed away by water. She felt refreshed as if she had washed her face with cold water.
"They say he has left for now, so you can relax…."
"Relax…."
Syria turned and patted the swordsman's head.
"S-Syria?"
"You don't know Raon Zieghart. That madman will definitely come here."
As soon as his low words ended, the swordsman's head exploded, and blood spurted onto the walls and floor.
"Ah…."
Runaan's fingertips trembled as she watched the magic circle turn even redder. Killing a subordinate suddenly made no sense.
"I guess I should prepare."
Syria threw an unknown bead into the corner of the room and approached Runaan.
"I pursued a natural meeting. I wanted you to love me as I am. But there's no time."
He raised Baphomet's helmet, curling his lips.
"It's too late. Raon will surely stop you…."
"Maybe. But not today."
"Wait…!"
"Exposed to this spell for two days, it won't take long."
Syria held Runaan's hands and forced Baphomet's helmet onto her head.
Kwooooooo!
Black energy poured out from the helmet's eyes, enveloping Runaan.
"When you open your eyes, a new world will unfold."
"Ah, ah…."
Runaan tried to force the helmet off, but her hands couldn't overcome Syria's strength and only scratched at it helplessly.
"Oh, one more thing. This brother of yours is quite jealous. Don't mention other men's names from now on."
Syria smiled, stroking the hair that flowed out of the helmet.
"When Raon arrives, it will all be over…."
As he stepped back from the unconscious Runaan, the blood-red ceiling shook and collapsed with a deafening roar.
Kuwaaaang!
Amidst the falling dust and debris, a pair of red eyes flashed.
Swish!
Without hesitation, the owner of the red eyes slashed a razor-sharp blade at Syria's neck.