A mob, driven by the intent to destroy the Capricorn 1 with Jin still inside, began its slow advance.
"Stop it, everyone!"
No one lent an ear to Istalis’s plea.
"Netros, hurry back and tell Jin-sama to retreat!"
"But, Lady Istalis—"
"Don't worry about me!"
At that moment, Reiko deactivated her Invisible state and revealed herself.
"I will carry Istalis. Let us return in haste."
"Y-You? Where on earth did you come from...?"
"This is hardly the time for questions, is it?"
No sooner had she spoken than Reiko scooped up Istalis in her arms and sprinted toward the Capricorn 1. Netros followed close behind.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Experiencing two hundred kilometers per hour firsthand, Istalis could do nothing but scream.
"...And that is the situation," Reiko reported to Jin (his Body Double) inside the retreating Capricorn 1. In reality, Jin was listening in real time from the command room on Hourai Island.
"No..."
For Sion and Lucas, however, the news was a complete bolt from the blue. Their faces were masks of disbelief.
"It’s awful, but it’s the truth... Oh, why? Why, Grandfather...?"
"Lament later. It’s going to get a bit bumpy."
"Eh?"
To shake off the pursuing All-Creation clan, Jin ordered Land 1 to reach maximum speed.
Seventy kilometers per hour. Naturally, the vibrations were significant, but since the pursuers' movements were sluggish to begin with, it was more than enough to leave the All-Creation clan behind.
Speeding toward the interior, the Capricorn 1 completely lost its trackers as the sky began to grow dark.
＊ ＊ ＊
"...Sniff."
"Big sister, cheer up. There has to be a reason for this."
Sion tried to comfort Istalis, who remained unable to recover from the shock.
To have gone through such hardship to secure aid for her clan, only to be branded a traitor in an instant—the impact was immense. Istalis continued to sob.
"...Now then, what should we do?"
Staring into the darkness ahead, Jin (his Body Double) murmured to himself.
The Capricorn 1 was currently idling at the foot of a small, rocky mountain.
"U-Um, Jin?"
"Yeah?"
Sion addressed Jin with a hesitant tone.
"Are you... thinking about going home?"
"Why... Ah, I see."
He had traveled all this way intending to offer help, only to be met with an attack instead of a welcome. As far as Jin was concerned, there was no further reason to remain in the demon territory.
"...I think I’ll stay here a little longer."
"Really?"
Sion’s face brightened instantly.
"Yeah. The gap between what you told me and their behavior back there is too unnatural. I’m not leaving until I find out the cause."
If there was some kind of plot hidden behind this, then he had all the more reason to stay. For the sake of Kaina Village's safety, Jin wanted to at least confirm the intentions of the moderate faction.
Since it was his Body Double present and Jin himself was not in physical danger, Reiko offered no objection.
"Thanks, Jin."
Sion bowed her head sincerely. Jin gave her head a light, reassuring pat to signal she shouldn't worry.
"The Clan Chief... Can we say that your grandfather's attitude changed suddenly?" he asked, shifting the conversation to the issue that needed immediate confirmation.
"How much resistance do the demon race have against mind control?" Anne spoke up.
"‘Debyeni An Skyabo’. That’s the brainwashing Master-Slave Magic we use," Sion explained. "With that, you can brainwash someone... though the ordinary Master-Slave Magic you asked about before doesn't work. I'm sorry for keeping that a secret until now."
Given the circumstances, Sion clearly felt that secrets were no longer an option; she looked ready to tell them everything.
"But if someone is enslaved with that magic, you can tell immediately. It’s as if their will disappears... yes, their emotions vanish entirely."
The members of the All-Creation clan had shown plenty of emotion. Therefore, Jin and the others concluded they were not under the influence of 'Debyeni An Skyabo'.
"In that case, it would be either a different type of Master-Slave Magic, or perhaps a completely different method," Anne mused, unable to speculate further.
It also seemed different from the method used by Marcosius, which had been something closer to possession.
As the group fell into a thoughtful silence, a single ray of hope appeared.
"That's right, we still have that guy."
Belialus, the Puppet Clan specialist they had taken prisoner. He might know something.
"Hmph. You want something?"
When they dragged Belialus out from the storage area, he was as defiant as ever.
"There's something I want to ask. 'Trans Info'."
"Whoa!?"
It was the first time Jin had used the demon-specialized 'Trans Info', but it appeared to work perfectly.
The magi-crystal containing the extracted data was sent to Hourai Island via the built-in Warp Gate, where Laojun immediately began the analysis. The results were relayed back to the occupants of the Capricorn 1 through Reiko.
"One thing has become clear. There is a location the demon race calls the 'Land of Beginnings,' isn't there?"
"What! How do you know that...? No, I suppose it's that magic of yours."
Netros looked stunned by the question. Sion and Lucas shared his look of surprise. Istalis had finally stopped crying, turning her red, swollen eyes toward Jin.
"The 'Land of Beginnings' is a place where legends say the distant ancestors of us demons first arrived," Sion explained.
Jin recalled the legend he had heard from Vivienne. Long ago, the ancestors of humanity and the demon race might have arrived there together.
While Jin pondered this, Laojun’s analysis continued to flow through Reiko.
"The clan closest to that 'Land of Beginnings' is the 'Gospel' clan, right?"
"That's correct. But the Gospel clan has fewer than ten members, and they rarely interact with other clans," Sion said, looking confused.
"It seems the Gospel clan is the one advocating for... well, for stirring up trouble with humanity."
In reality, they were advocating for guerrilla warfare.
"And everyone just... listened to them?"
"...I can't imagine the Gospel clan having that much influence..." Istalis added, her voice finally returning.
Meanwhile, Belialus wore a look of pure frustration.
"Damn you... So you read my memories. How despicable humans are."
"Don't be ridiculous," Anne retorted. "The methods of the demon race are hardly praiseworthy. Conflict is always like that—pursuing one's own interests with no regard for others."
She stood her ground against Belialus.
"Master dislikes that kind of world. Ordinarily, he would prefer to live in peace and quiet, but because everyone else is so loud, he cannot remain a mere bystander."
"Hmph. Sophistry."
"It is the truth."
"Anne, that's enough."
Judging that further argument would be fruitless, Jin cut her off.
"Where is the Gospel clan located?"
"In the interior of the Gondoa Continent," Reiko explained. It was considerably further north than their current position.
"Shall we go meet them?"
"Eh?"
"I’m interested in this 'Land of Beginnings,' and I’d like to speak directly with the clan that seems to have started all this."
"I... see. There doesn't seem to be any other choice."
"But they'll surely try to stop us, won't they?"
Istalis agreed with the plan, while Sion pointed out the inevitable danger.
"What are you saying at this late stage? If they get in the way, I'll just remove them."
"It's amazing how you can actually pull that off, Jin..."
Sion sounded slightly exasperated, but she clearly understood that this was the only path left to change their situation.
"...Jin, please."
As she whispered those words, Sion's face was still filled with lingering anxiety.