“Anyway, I understand now why you were so shaken, Nyau. Bearing a burden like that, it’s no wonder you were distracted enough to let Elsie steal your mana... But there’s one more thing I need to know. How exactly did Ryune turn into the demon Beelphegor?”
The name Beelphegor had been weighing on me since we fled the village. I knew he was a nightmare in the previous timeline, but I couldn't fathom why Ryune specifically had ended up as his vessel.
“I sensed Ryune-san had demon blood in her from the moment we first met,” Nyau explained. “Because of that, her grades at the magic school were poor. Human-oriented formulas simply didn't suit her.”
“Demon blood... and that's why you took her as an apprentice?”
Nyau nodded at my question.
“Yes... to be honest, I was curious. But when I saw how Ryune-san suffered because she couldn't control her own mana, I wanted to help her. When I tried teaching her the magic used by the demon race, she mastered it instantly.”
“She certainly had a handle on dark magic.”
“But that power comes at a cost; it pushes her closer to her demon form. I judged that using it in front of others would draw too much attention, so I told her to restrain herself under normal circumstances.”
I recalled Ryune’s transformation—the jet-black horns and claws, the sinister mist that had clung to her. The reason she wielded high-level dark magic with such ease was the power of her demon blood.
“As for how Ryune-san became the demon Beelphegor... to be honest, there is much that even I don't understand.”
So even Nyau was in the dark about the demon’s manifestation.
“Do you know anything at all? Even a little?”
“Well... demons are kin of the Demon God Deusgort, whom the demon race worship. Long ago, they were far more numerous, but most were wiped out during the First Hero-Demon Great War. Any demons left today are invariably survivors from that era. I’m surprised such a powerful one was still lurking.”
“The First Hero-Demon Great War... that happened centuries ago, didn't it?”
Several conflicts had broken out between heroes and demon kings over the ages, but that was the very first. And now, a being from that ancient era was dwelling inside Ryune’s body.
“Yes. Demons normally exist in a dimension separate from our world. Manifesting here requires very specific conditions. It’s possible something in Ryune-san’s demon blood satisfied those requirements. Or perhaps her dark mana went out of control when she was on the verge of death... and that served as the catalyst. Ryune-san could control the magic, but her heart hadn't fully adapted to it. In that extreme situation, her blood rampaged and... well, it’s just my theory, but she might have called the demon to her.”
I thought back to Ryune using the last of her strength to cast that horrific magic. She had looked like someone driven to total despair.
Regardless, our path was clear.
“Either way, we have to hurry to Kataroff Village if we want to save her.”
“...Yes. Before Ryune-san’s body is completely consumed by the demon. We have to hurry.”
Nyau tightened her grip around my waist. I could feel her body heat, but she was trembling. I knew she was pushing past the pain to stay with me. For now, all we could do was chase Beelphegor.
This time, I wouldn't lose anyone. Not Nyau’s painful tears, not Ryune’s suffering—I was done seeing them.
And one day, the time would come to tell Nyau the truth—that I remembered that other timeline, too.
With that resolve in my heart, I spurred the horse faster. Kataroff Village would be in sight any moment.
The pre-dawn wind was cold enough to cut my cheeks. As I pushed the horse forward, listening to Nyau’s ragged breathing, a familiar sight finally appeared at the end of the highway.
Kataroff Village.
Under normal circumstances, the town should have been in the middle of the Demon King Subjugation Commemorative Festival.
But for some reason, the entrance looked dim. There was none of the expected festive energy. The paper flowers meant for decoration swayed listlessly, withered as if they had been abandoned.
“Hey, Nyau. There was supposed to be a barrier over the whole village...”
For this festival, especially with the Second Prince attending, High Priest Sierotia and her subordinates were supposed to have covered the entire village in a protective barrier. It should have been visible from miles away, yet there was no sign of it.
“Something must have happened,” Nyau whispered.
The same unease I felt was mirrored in her words.
I had a suspicion. Namia—or rather, the Revenant wearing her face—had likely stolen the Holy Grail required for the barrier, just as she had in the previous timeline. That would explain why the defenses were down.
Either way, we had to go in and find out for ourselves. I signaled to Nyau and dismounted near the village gate.
A lone villager wandered toward us.
He was a large, burly man, but his shoulders were slumped with exhaustion. A small festival ribbon was tied haphazardly to his chest, looking entirely out of place.
“...Are you... travelers? This village isn’t in any state for a festival right now. Lady High Priest Sierotia... she’s been murdered. And the Holy Grail... it was stolen...”
“Sierotia was murdered...?”
I shouted, my voice cracking with shock.