One day later.
A member of The Replaced named Oswald, wearing a suit, appeared in a forest.
Surrounded by chirping birds and fragrant blossoms, his mood gradually sank.
Upon reaching the bottom of a waterfall and discovering that the wooden box buried alongside the skull had vanished without a trace, his spirits instantly plummeted.
Just then, an old woman holding a tin staff appeared behind him.
"This won't do, granny. I went to the trouble of setting up a whole Warring States–era role-play for you to keep watch here."
Oswald narrowed his eyes and walked toward the old woman, smiling.
"I... I don't know. All I know is that late last night, a group of people suddenly barged in. They killed all the spirits here, and I think they took the wooden box as well."
"Oh? Who were they?"
"W-well, one was named Hozuki Yayoi, and there were others, too. I don't know. I really don't know anything."
Seeing the old woman in such a deranged state, Oswald placed a hand on her shoulder.
She had been like this ever since he discovered her as an evil spirit, granted her power, and assigned her this task.
Now that he had the information, it was time to deal with the aftermath.
"Don't worry, granny."
Right after he spoke, the old evil spirit's body suddenly swelled before exploding into a swirl of black miasma that dissipated into the air.
Oswald took a deep breath, inhaling the miasma through his nose and mouth.
"When you do something wrong, you have to take responsibility."
He then turned to look at Monk Tenkai Nankoubou and Dorothy.
"Looks like someone else took it."
"It was indeed moved; I can sense its presence," the old monk said calmly.
"Failing in her surveillance and then simply finding peace was too easy a way out."
"My apologies. But I just can't stand those who can't speak human language."
Oswald put his hat back on.
Hearing this, the monk shook his head. "No matter what, we must get it back. That mummified arm is absolutely essential to our goal."
"Leave it to me," Oswald said with a shrug.
"Then go quickly. We need to prepare a powerful body as soon as possible. We can't keep the guardian spirits waiting," the monk said.
"I think we still have plenty of time, right? After all, no one's noticed us yet." Oswald shrugged again. "By the way, any new information from the Washuu Tsuneyoshi's side?"
"Mm. They've already made contact with the Stray Priest and met Valper Galilei, the Church apostate who heads the Holy Sword Users Project. Through him, those ghouls heard the voice of a cadre from the Child of God Observers," the old monk said quietly.
"They say simply hearing that person's voice made them sense a terrifying majesty and power. If an evil spirit appeared before him, it might be destroyed on the spot."
"How scary. And what about that exorcist in Kouh Town?" Oswald went on.
"They've halted for now. Word is that this cadre from the Child of God Observers will be active in both Hachioji City and Kouh Town. We just need to focus on retrieving that arm," the monk replied.
After that, the three high-level members of The Replaced left, using the network they had built over decades to gather information on Hozuki Yayoi.
"I'll go meet her, okay? I'm really interested in her story. Maybe she's the same as us, taking over someone else's body," Dorothy said, raising her hand.
No one objected.
After all, the girl Dorothy had taken over had once been in the same elementary school as Hozuki Yayoi.
…
On a dark, windy night…
At an abandoned factory near Hachioji City, a large number of ghouls and stray priests knelt in a gathering, faces filled with fear, worship, and fervor as they looked upon the being seated on a floating throne.
He was clad in a jet-black robe, his refined, pale chest visible through the open collar.
Long black hair flowed down both sides like waterfalls.
Ten black wings—five pairs—stretched out behind him, perfectly symmetrical, and his eyes shone a blood-red hue.
Kokabiel, a high-ranking Fallen Angel, lounged on the throne.
Simply looking at him radiated a bottomless sense of oppression.
"Valper, how's the research on the Holy Sword going?"
"Most esteemed Lord Kokabiel, it's progressing extremely well. I've already chosen a suitable priest as the Holy Sword's host, and he's a perfect match," a short man said, bowing low.
"I heard that before I arrived, some Fallen Angels sneaked into Kouh Town and clashed with the devils there. Is that right?" Kokabiel asked casually.
"Yes, that's correct. They were going around in your name, forming an alliance with the local ghouls to seize the sacred gears within human bodies. But they ended up being taken out by a freelance extraordinary individual," Gapar explained.
He had looked into these matters long ago.
"Hmph. Sacred gears, huh… Ever since the war ended, Azazel's been focusing on nothing but useless research like that." Kokabiel's voice carried a hint of resentment.
As for the freelance extraordinary individual Valper mentioned, Kokabiel thought nothing of them.
From his perspective, even coming to this city—leading a group of burdens all the way from Europe to snatch the Church's Holy Sword and relocate it—was beneath his station.
But without doing this, achieving his goal would be difficult.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 20 Chapters Ahead of Others!