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The sight that greeted me was nothing like the Kyokutou I had envisioned.
Inky-black trees and ground stretched out before me, drenched by an inky rain pouring from the heavens. Then came the screams—distant cries of terror echoing through the air.
There was no doubt about it: something terrible was already unfolding here.
"...What is this?" Haruto-san stood frozen, his voice a hoarse whisper.
"Luna, Haruto-san! Scout the perimeter!"
As I barked out orders, I activated [Bird's-eye Vision] to survey the area. The view from above was, in a word, unnatural.
The shroud covering the sky wasn't anything as benign as dark clouds. It looked as though ink had been splattered across the heavens, staining the clouds a dense, abyssal black.
"This isn't normal rain," Shion murmured, gazing upward.
The rainfall wasn't quite a torrential downpour, but it fell with a steady, oppressive density. Despite being out in it, our clothes didn't get heavy or cold. The inky droplets simply slid off the fabric as if we were wearing waterproof gear. It didn't dampen the cloth, nor did it transmit any chill. It resembled rain, but it was something else entirely.
"It’s mana," Oliver said, his voice low as he stared at the droplets on the back of his hand.
"Yeah. And not just any mana," I added. "It’s remarkably close to that of the Evil God."
Everyone gasped.
I recognized the trace of that same sinister energy Beria had wielded during our fight in the Nohitant capital months ago.
"Shion, Oliver, Teruche-san—can the three of you scout the immediate area?"
"Understood. We're on it," Shion replied, and the three of them vanished into the darkness.
It happened a moment later.
"N-no... Stay back!"
A girl's scream pierced the air. Fuuka moved instantly.
She reached a clearing where a bizarre monster loomed over a child. The bipedal beast was composed entirely of inky mana, its hand reaching slowly toward the girl, who was huddled on the ground in a state of paralyzing terror.
Fuuka cut in between them. Her blade flashed, severing the monster’s arm in a single fluid motion. With a lightning-fast return stroke, she took its head, and the creature collapsed to the earth.
As expected of Fuuka. Taking it out in a single heartbeat.
I was about to marvel at her skill when she suddenly scooped the girl up and leapt back. An instant later, the monster’s remaining arm slammed into the ground where they had just been, gouging the earth and leaving a jagged crater.
Inky mana snaked out from the severed neck and arm, weaving through the air to reconnect the missing limbs. The creature reformed in seconds, perfectly intact.
Immortal? No, that’s not it. If its body is made of mana...
I closed the distance instantly with Shukuchi. Manifesting Schwarzhase, I coated the blade in Ki and cleaved the beast down the middle.
It burst like a water balloon, splattering liquid mana across the ground. I held my breath, waiting for several seconds, but it didn't stir again.
"Phew..."
I turned back once I was certain it was gone. The girl Fuuka had saved was sobbing, stammering out her gratitude between gasps. Katina-san and Huey-san knelt beside her to offer comfort.
I decided to leave the questioning to them. While I was considering our next move, Fuuka approached me.
"Did you use [Evil-Bane]?" she asked.
"No, just standard Ki. It works against them."
"Good. Then I'm going to kill them all. From the looks of it, there are plenty more to go around."
Fuuka’s face was its usual mask of calm, but her aura radiated pure, cold fury.
"Fuuka, I understand, but wait a second."
While I was holding her back, Luna and Haruto-san returned.
"What’s the situation?" I asked.
Neither of them looked pleased.
"Sorry. I tried everything, but my Special Ability isn't giving me anything," Haruto reported gloomily.
"Same here," Luna added. "My link with the Pixies is weak. I can't establish a [Sense Connect]."
Their reports were exactly what I had feared. I had tried to scan the area with [Bird's-eye Vision], but the feedback was scarce. My version of the ability was just a reproduction—it couldn't compete with the original. I had hoped Haruto-san might have better luck, but he was in the same boat.
"It’s the rain," I said. "It’s destabilizing the mana in the atmosphere."
"Because of the Evil God's mana? Talk about a pain in the ass," Haruto muttered.
"Orun, I've heard the story from the girl," Katina-san said, stepping toward us.
"Let’s hear it."
Katina filled us in on what she'd learned. Apparently, something dark had erupted from the Sacred Mountain a short while ago, spreading out to cover the sky. The rain had followed immediately, and then the monsters had appeared.
"Erupted from the Sacred Mountain, huh? There's no doubt the 'inky substance' is the Evil God's mana, but why would it come from there?"
"That isn't strange," Fuuka stated matter-of-factly. "The Sacred Mountain is the final destination for dead magic beasts."
"...What do you mean?"
Fuuka’s expression remained unchanged. "The black mist released by dying magic beasts is supposed to gather at the Sacred Mountain. I was taught that the Reibu Festival is a ritual meant to purify that accumulation once a year."
She spoke quietly, simply listing facts. To her, this was common knowledge she had lived with since childhood.
"Though it's news to me that the mist was actually the Evil God's mana," she added, casting her eyes down slightly.
"I see... so that's it..."
It clicked. When magic beasts die, they turn into black mist, leaving only a magic stone. That mist was actually a diluted form of the Evil God's mana. August-san had told me in the Hidden World that the beasts were pawns created by that entity. Since the Evil God's mana is essentially "foreign" and toxic to humans, it made sense that the Principles of Magic would have a system in place to filter or concentrate it.
"I'm sorry, Orun. I thought you knew. I should have told you sooner," Fuuka apologized.
"No, it's not your fault. The pieces were all there for me to reach that conclusion myself. My own thinking was just shallow."
If this was the case, the situation was far more urgent than I had imagined.
"We're going to the Sacred Mountain. Right now."
We regrouped with Shion’s scouting party and immediately set off toward the mountain.
Thank you for reading to the end. I hope you enjoy the next chapter as well!
One announcement: The 15th volume of the manga adaptation was recently released! It's full of great scenes, like Orun vs. Derrick. Please check it out if you can! Thank you for your support!