Hello.
I'm
Eight knights clad in polished blue armor have me encircled.
Today, I'm going to introduce them one by one.
First, the person standing directly in front of me is Therese.
Therese Latreia.
Yes, that's right.
She's my aunt, and a member of the Latreia family.
In the Temple Knights, who champion the expulsion of demonkind, she's a bit of an odd one out.
She understands that I get along well with demons...
Or rather, she seems to think that whether someone's a demon or a human doesn't really matter either way.
She usually gives me a warm smile, but right now I can't tell what expression she's wearing.
Her helmet's hiding it, so I can't see.
Let's go clockwise from her right.
Next to Therese.
A man wearing a skull-shaped helmet.
There's a dent in the chest area of his armor.
I recognize that dent.
I don't know his real name, but he must be the knight called "Skull Ash."
Skull-shaped helmet—that checks out.
Next to him.
A man wearing a helmet that looks like the trash cans you find on the street corners of the Millis Holy Country.
He's the only one among the seven wearing a red cloak.
The Saint was very fond of this red cloak, and often wiped her dirty hands on it.
I recall that he was called "Dust Box."
Next.
A man with a plain helmet densely engraved with the words "Rest in Peace."
Well over two meters tall, this man.
He often let the Saint ride on his shoulders to pick fruits from the trees.
The name he went by then was "Grave Keeper."
Fourth.
A helmet that looks like a bamboo broom balanced on his head.
No distinctive features on his armor.
Um... broom... cleaning...
Ah, he's probably the one called "Trash Sweeper."
The remaining three.
Honestly, I can't tell them apart or remember their names.
They had names related to "death" or "graves," I think.
Each time the Saint called their names, they'd puff out their chests with pride...
But those codenames were embarrassingly edgy.
Oh, right.
Black Coffin.
Burial Garment.
Cortage Head.
Something like that.
The team name was... what was it again... um...
"The heresy trial will now commence! The presiding judge will be Therese Latreia, captain of the Keepers of the Holy Tomb!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The seven knights surrounding me drove their swords into the ground once more.
Right, right, the Keepers of the Holy Tomb.
Therese had told me about it once before.
"Then, I shall pose the first question to the defendant. Does anyone object!?"
"No objections!"
"No objections!"
"I object! Execute him immediately!"
"No objections!"
"No objections!"
"No objections!"
"No objections!"
"The objection is overruled!"
Oh, Dust Box looks dejected.
Yeah, trying to say "let's investigate first" when we're about to investigate—of course that gets rejected.
...But you, remember this.
"The defendant's name is Rudeus Greyrat!"
Um... hold on a second.
I can't wrap my head around the situation.
Someone, give me a recap of everything so far.
RECAP I'd been working on getting Therese and the Saint on my side to rescue my mother
Apparently, I'm suspected of being a heretic who plotted to kidnap the Saint.
...Right, let me assess the situation through my own narration.
Okay.
It's true that I once considered kidnapping the Saint.
But I gave up on that and have been negotiating with Therese to get Zenith returned peacefully.
So this situation is some kind of mistake.
Or someone spread a false rumor.
The number of people I told about the kidnapping idea isn't many.
The most likely culprit would be the Pope.
Or maybe Geese was already captured and broke under torture.
...Is Aisha safe?
"Let the trial begin! The defendant Rudeus is to answer all questions honestly!"
"...Yes."
I don't understand the situation.
For now, staying calm is the priority.
Causing a scene here could ruin everything I've built up so far.
"The defendant Rudeus Greyrat.
You have been distributing texts claiming that demons are not evil, thereby misleading the faithful, have you not?"
They investigated that too, huh.
Well, the Pope knew about it as well.
It must be in their database.
"No."
"Answer honestly. We've already investigated."
"It wasn't a distribution—I charged money for them."
"But at prices so low they can hardly be called sales."
Well, yeah, they were cheap.
The whole point was to reach as many people as possible.
"As Therese knows, I—"
"The defendant is only permitted to answer the questions posed."
I wish you'd listen to me, though.
About how I was promoting Laplace's cause for a specific reason.
No, Therese must already know.
I told her before.
"The defendant Rudeus Greyrat.
You worship demons and revere them as gods, correct?"
"..."
Oh, this is one of those questions where saying "yes" would be really bad.
"No, I do not believe in gods."
"Liar!"
"The defendant is lying!"
"Lies!"
"Lies!"
"Lies!"
"The defendant's words are judged to be lies!"
"Lies, isn't it!"
"By majority vote, this is ruled a lie."
Ruled a lie. By majority vote, no less. How wonderfully democratic.
But I guess that's how heresy trials work.
"This is the final question.
The defendant Rudeus Greyrat.
You conspired to kidnap the Saint, who is the symbol of our Millis Church, did you not?"
"No. I did make a half-joking remark to that effect, but it never progressed to any actual planning."
It's true that when I said it, it wasn't really a joke...
But I hadn't even prepared anything.
It was half-joking... just talk.
"Liar!"
"The defendant is lying!"
"Lies!"
"Lies!"
"Lies!"
"Judged to be lies!"
"Lies, isn't it!"
Right, right.
This is actually getting kind of amusing.
I'd love to try one of those heresy trials where you tell outrageous lies to normal questions and a bucket falls on your head when you laugh.
But this is the final question...
"By majority vote, this is ruled a lie."
With Therese's solemn pronouncement, the other seven struck their swords against the ground once more.
The intimidation is intense.
If I hadn't seen who they really were over the past month, I would've been trembling.
"The result of the trial. The defendant Rudeus Greyrat is hereby declared a heretic!"
"No objections!"
"No objections!"
"No objections!"
"I object! I'm not putting up with this kind of trial! I gotta go home and harvest rice!"
"...No objections!"
"No objections!"
"No objections!"
"No objections!"
When I interrupted mid-way, I got glared at.
Sorry, it was Trash Sweeper's turn.
"That concludes the heresy trial. The defendant shall be subjected to the Spell Severance!"
"Is that a type of death penalty?"
I ask, expecting no answer, but figure I'll try anyway.
"No... we will not take your life.
We will sever both your hands, seal them with barrier-infused cloth so you can never use magic again, and then solidify the stumps with earth magic."
They actually answered.
Well, I was wondering how they planned to carry anything out in this situation where neither side can move...
They were the ones who trapped me.
As for follow-up attacks—they'd surely have plenty prepared.
But Spell Severance...
Cutting off both hands and sealing them with barriers.
Then encasing the stumps in a concrete-like material to prevent ever using them again.
Taking away both magic and swordsmanship.
Hence the name, Spell Severance.
If they did that, I wouldn't be able to feel up breasts anymore.
I'd have to rely on prosthetic arms again.
Zaniff's prosthetic arm—the feel isn't bad, but apparently it's not great from the receiving end.
Hands really need to be warm, soft, and full of warmth.
"Therese, are you trying to take away a man's hobbies?"
"...Is killing people your hobby?"
She said it like she'd finally seen my true colors.
Is that what she thinks of me?
Having both hands free means I'd go around killing people...?
It's actually the opposite... I prefer creating things.
"No, I mean, without both hands, hugging your wife just isn't the same."
"What? What did you just...?"
"I-I mean, hugging my wife is... one of my favorite things."
*Tch.* She made me say something embarrassing twice and then clicked her tongue at me.
What is her deal...
Whatever.
I'm not about to let myself get captured and have something out of a dojinshi happen to me.
"In any case, you have no intention of letting me go, correct?"
"That is correct."
"This joke of a trial wasn't just for fun—you were serious about it?"
"That is correct."
"If you'd call the Saint, I could prove my innocence... Actually, isn't the Saint always present during heresy trials?"
"...Seven or more Temple Knights have the authority to condemn heretics through a summary trial."
"So you have no intention of calling the Saint."
"That... is correct."
I can't see Therese's face behind the helmet.
But her voice trembled slightly.
"Was everything you did for me up until now just an act—all for this moment?"
"...No. We and the Saint had genuinely accepted you. The one who betrayed us was you, Rudeus."
"I didn't betray anyone. I trusted Therese and confided in you, and I believed I was getting along well with the Saint you all cherish."
"..."
She won't answer.
So she has no intention of listening to anything I have to say.
Sigh...
How disappointing.
Truly disappointing.
This time, I'd genuinely intended to deal with everyone honestly.
I'd suppressed my impatience, bided my time, and tried to get Zenith back through steady, reliable means.
"Therese, what will happen to my mother?"
"...I will personally take responsibility for persuading her. This matter and that are unrelated."
Hmm.
If she's answering that way, it means Therese isn't the mastermind.
"It's true that I'm not a Millis follower, and I do have connections with the Pope... but you all knew that from the very beginning, didn't you? So why now—"
"Are your questions finished?"
A cold voice that made it clear our time was up.
No sign she was willing to answer.
She never intended to have a real dialogue in the first place.
"Last question—is my information from 'a divine revelation that came to me in a dream'?"
"No. It comes from a reliable source. We do not trust the words of unknown entities."
"What if that dream deity calls itself Millis?"
The moment I said that, everyone around me erupted in protests.
"Lord Millis does not grant revelations!"
"That is precisely why He is a god!"
"Even if He did grant revelations, would someone as insignificant as you be worthy of receiving one!"
"The Saint comes first!"
"That's right! If you haven't spoken to the Saint, then that is no longer Lord Millis!"
"Lord Millis is the true God!"
"Those who impersonate God are demons!"
Hearing the voices around her, Therese declared proudly: "Exactly right. Well spoken, everyone... Rudeus. Our faith is absolute."
"...I'm relieved to hear that."
At the very least, none of these ardent fanatics are apostles of the
They're all devout Millis followers.
That's all I needed to hear.
"..."
I spread both arms wide, brushing aside the sleeves of my robe.
A sharp, satisfying sound rang out—one I myself thought sounded pretty cool.
On my left hand, I had equipment prepared for exactly this kind of situation.
"O arm, consume it all."
The mana-absorption stone embedded in my hand activated, and the barrier at my feet silently vanished.
As the Temple Knights' eyes went wide, I spoke: "Well then, shall we fight?"
--- "All personnel, scatter!"
At Therese's command, the Temple Knights leaped away.
As they created distance, I side-stepped and formed Stone Cannons in both hands.
The speed and hardness were adequate.
Enough to kill on a direct hit to a vital point.
I fired.
First target... you, Dust Box!
"Support!"
"Guah!"
The two Stone Cannons aimed at Dust Box were deflected by two other Temple Knights who flew in from the sides.
In their hands, they held semi-transparent, membrane-like shields.
A beginner-level barrier spell: Magic Shield.
...Wait, are those really beginner-level? Deflected by beginner-level stuff?
"Dust Box, Grave Keeper, Skull Ash—right wing!
Trash Sweeper, Black Coffin, Burial Garment—left wing!
Cortage Head, you're with me on roaming!"
From the opposite trio, magic came flying all at once.
Fire, water, and earth.
Three elements, but it doesn't matter.
"O arm, consume it all."
I used the mana-absorption stone to disintegrate the spells while countering with Stone Cannons.
But these were deflected too.
By someone who wasn't joining the attack but had set up a barrier spell in advance.
"—Let this small ember consume the great bounty! Inferno!"
"——Strike them down with the valorous ice sword! Frost Strike!"
Simultaneously, spells came from the other side.
Fire and water.
No— one of them had their hand on the ground. Three types.
Earth Spike incoming!
"O arm, consume it all!"
I used the mana-absorption stone to simultaneously disintegrate the fire and water.
At the same time, I overwrote the Earth Spike's origin point with Quagmire to neutralize it.
Damn, I was a beat too slow.
Couldn't fire a counter.
But my legs work.
I quickly back-stepped to dodge the spell coming from the opposite direction.
One spell.
Fire only. Judging by its scale, a Fireball?
Just one?
There were three enemies in that direction. Why not three?
No time to think.
I aimed both hands at the left and right wings.
"Stone Cannon!"
Thanks to the back-step creating distance, I got a clear view.
Three Temple Knights on each wing, left and right.
Two from each group had the semi-transparent shields and were positioning themselves to intercept my Stone Cannons.
Deflected.
These Stone Cannons had more speed and mass than before, but they were brushed aside easily.
That looks familiar too.
It's a technique from the Water God Style.
So it can be applied to magic shields. Impressive.
"Spirits of the earth! Answer my call and pierce the heavens from below! Earth Strike!"
"Majestic water spirits, prince of the thunder emperor who ascended to the heavens! Strike them down with the valorous ice sword! Frost Strike!"
With a slight delay, the ones without shields fired their magic.
Of course, I can resist those... but let's see what to do.
The enemies are split three on each wing.
Of the three, two on each side use barrier spells to deflect my magic.
I can only fire two spells simultaneously, so two shields is fine.
The third one fires magic at me, and I counter with a spell of my own.
The team that doesn't get attacked realizes they're safe and drops their shields.
Then, with me defenseless on my flank, all three fire at once.
The fact that they used three elements—they must know I can only use two spells at once.
They didn't know the mana-absorption stone could neutralize multiple spells simultaneously—that must be their intelligence gap.
The fact that spells only came from one side at first was probably a distance issue.
From there, if I closed in, I could shift to close combat.
I could've exploited the chanting gap to land a punch.
The one without a shield was probably responsible for handling close combat too.
But as long as I was in the safe zone, they wouldn't move.
...Good thinking.
Then how about this?
"Fireball!"
I deliberately shouted it loudly while channeling mana.
A fireball roughly two meters in diameter.
Size and heat output comparable to an advanced spell.
But the speed was slow compared to Stone Cannons.
Slow enough to look like a slow ball.
I launched them toward both wings.
"Support!"
The two knights with shields stepped forward.
But mana barriers have a weakness.
"Disturb Magic!"
"!?"
With Disturb Magic, the knights' shields vanished.
Left wing side, both at the same time.
Barrier spells consume mana continuously while active.
That's true even for beginner-level mana barriers.
Meaning, Disturb Magic works even when they're not chanting.
The right wing's shield will hold, but that's fine—pick them off one at a time.
"...!"
Just as I thought that, something came flying from directly behind me.
I spun around while raising my right arm to guard.
A massive clang rang out as something shattered into pieces in front of me.
Brown rock fragments rained down on my face and scattered behind me.
The impact still lingered around my elbow.
This was a Stone Cannon.
First time being hit with my own spell, probably.
"Rudeus uses one spell per hand!
Two deal with him and one attacks—that's more than enough.
Don't let even one fall back!"
Therese and the other one had, at some point, moved directly behind me.
That last spell was fired by the other one.
"..."
Before I knew it, the encirclement was complete.
Retreating backward initially was a mistake.
No—they must have some countermeasure for close combat too.
The knights I'd hit with the fireball earlier were still standing despite smoke rising from their armor.
"Rudeus. We are the strongest among the Temple Knights. You have no chance of winning."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Over the past ten days or so, we've thoroughly researched your fighting style."
Hmm.
Then why not draw their swords?
They're only using magic.
Well, the fact is they've been dodging my magic successfully.
Of course, I still have plenty of cards left.
They might be wary of those, which is why they're avoiding close combat.
Given that they've completely pinned me down, it seems effective.
If they're planning to wear me down through attrition, their research is lacking—but they've taken my back too.
They must have something planned.
In that case, I need to play my next card.
"Rudeus, surrender! I'll tell you upfront—we have countermeasures for your signature spells! The mana tool on your left hand was unexpected, but we've figured that one out too!"
"Oh?"
"The garden entrance has been sealed with barrier magic! No help is coming for a while!"
I see.
If you're that confident, you must think you have it all figured out.
They must have developed a thorough plan to capture me.
Making sure no half-baked tactics would work.
Meticulously.
It might be worth testing out various approaches to break through.
But if I lose as a result, it'll be an ugly sight.
"...Quagmire."
Time to get serious.
--- Therese's Perspective --- The moment Rudeus muttered that, the ground beneath our feet turned to muck.
This spell was in the intelligence files too.
Rudeus Greyrat's signature spell: Quagmire.
Normally, it only creates a small, plate-sized swamp beneath the opponent's feet.
But as befitting a signature spell, the range was enormous.
Every inch of ground visible within this sprawling garden had turned into a muddy swamp.
The Sirakh trees, Baltah trees, and Peelis trees that the Saint loved so much were all groaning and tilting.
But something like this wouldn't stop our feet.
Trash Sweeper had already begun chanting a resist spell.
"...Dense Fog."
The moment Rudeus's murmur reached us, the surroundings were engulfed in white fog in an instant.
This is bad!
"All personnel, stay on guard! He'll use the swamp to pin us down and the fog to pick us off one by one!"
The next instant, the ground crackled with purple lightning.
A moment later, a loud *bang* of something bursting echoed, and our ears rang.
"Don't panic! The enchantments on our armor nullify Lightning Strike! Watch for his escape—he'll try to break through!"
From within the fog, voices called out "Roger!"
It's fine.
According to our intelligence, Rudeus's close-combat ability is nothing exceptional.
The Keepers of the Holy Tomb are all advanced-rank swordsmen with advanced barrier magic and mastery of four magic elements—elite warrior-priests.
Each one is strong individually, and we've trained extensively in group suppression tactics.
I'm only intermediate Water God Style, but the Cortage Head beside me is a Water Saint.
No matter how they say Rudeus is a mage with Emperor-class power, he cannot break through this encirclement.
My tactics are not wrong.
"—Quagmire resist, initiating!"
"Quicksand!"
Trash Sweeper's voice overlapped with Cortage's.
As the muck beneath our feet transformed into sand, we pulled our feet free to avoid being buried.
Sorry, Rudeus.
Quagmire can be overwritten with advanced Earth magic: Quicksand.
They probably didn't teach you that at the Magic University.
Research on mixed magic resistance is still ongoing, you see...
Having your Quagmire resisted head-on must be a first for you.
I don't know what you were planning, but this is checkmate.
Of course, we never actually believed you were trying to kidnap the Saint.
You truly made the Saint happy.
You were genuinely worried about Zenith and came to me for help.
I know that's all there was to it.
But it can't be helped.
These are orders from the Cardinal.
Regardless of whether the intelligence is true or false, we have to follow them.
Dust Box was the only one who kept fuming about it—he knew Rudeus really did care about the Saint...
At least I recommended that we not take his life.
That recommendation was accepted.
The Cardinal said that taking only the hands of an enemy of God was a merciful punishment.
Therefore, no swords, no poison.
It'll be fine, Rudeus.
You're still young, but you married a wonderful wife, didn't you?
If you have
Besides, aren't you supposedly a subordinate of the Dragon God?
I heard as a child that the Dragon Race could use mysterious spells.
Perhaps they can undo our seal.
We wouldn't mind if you did something beyond our sight.
And I'll do what I can about Zenith.
Like I said, that's a separate matter.
"—Dense Fog resist, initiating."
At Cortage's voice, my thoughts surfaced.
At the same time, a sense of wrongness suddenly washed over me.
...Something's off.
What's off?
Nothing has happened.
Right—Rudeus hadn't moved a single step since casting Dense Fog.
If he'd run or cast spells, there would've been some sound.
But in fog where you can't see a meter ahead, there was complete silence.
Since the first Lightning Strike—nothing.
Could he have already escaped?
The Quagmire, Dense Fog, and Lightning Strike were diversions to pin us down.
He must have used some other spell to— "—Gale!"
Wind magic erupted, and the fog was blown away in an instant.
"..."
"..."
"...Wh-what?"
We all stared in disbelief.
Where the fog had been cleared, standing in our midst was not Rudeus.
Something standing on a torn scroll.
Something enormous... made of rock.
A figure?
Armor?
"...Summoning magic?"
The words escaped my lips as a murmur, and the next instant— The massive armor moved.
With a speed unimaginable from its colossal frame.
--- Rudeus's Perspective --- I took out Dust Box's group first.
I closed in the instant the fog cleared.
They were stunned and couldn't react in time.
Using Foresight Eye to track their shield positions and footwork, I hit them once, twice, three times.
They tried to defend, but my strikes went right through.
Their armor crumpled as they were sent flying.
Of course, I held back.
I only knocked them unconscious.
They shouldn't die.
As I crushed those three, I activated the Gatling mechanism.
Spinning toward my left rear, I swung my arm.
A buzzing sound, like a bee's wings, echoed as a line of Stone Cannons swept through.
Three pairs of legs—greaves and all—snapped like twigs.
They weren't severed.
I didn't hit vital points, so they shouldn't die.
But I didn't want them getting back up, so I smashed Stone Cannons into their heads to knock them out.
Two more.
I used the footwork
A series of steps mixing evasion with closing distance on enemies attacking from behind.
It didn't feel like I was being attacked, but just in case.
When I stopped, Therese was right in front of me.
Eyes wide, mouth half-open, staring at me.
The other one drew his sword protectively in front of her.
But slow.
Way too slow.
If it were Eris, she would've slashed him ten times over before he could finish drawing.
When I've achieved Isshiki—when I'm in the zone—I can handle this.
That's what I've trained for.
Before the sword could clear its scabbard, my fist was already swinging through.
The last one was sent flying without even a sound, slamming into the wall of the Church headquarters and passing out.
Therese was still standing there in a daze.
She wore a look of total bewilderment—like she couldn't understand what had just happened.
"Wh... what..."
In tribute to all the effort she'd put in so far, I didn't use my fist. I used a Stone Cannon to knock her unconscious instead.
It was over.
The magic armor Mk. I was, as expected, overwhelming.
Their attacks couldn't touch me, and my attacks pierced their defenses effortlessly.
It almost felt unfair.
Therese and the rest of the Temple Knights lay scattered across the ground.
No one was dead.
My personal rule: I don't kill humans who aren't apostles of the Man-God whenever I can help it.
This time, I had the leeway to hold back.
"Ahhh... that feels good."
Maybe it was because frustration had been building up lately, but this was especially cathartic.
I really do need to let loose from time to time.
I should take a page from Eris's book...
No, that'd be overdoing it.
Now what do I do from here?
Having gone this far, the Temple Knights would now be my outright enemies.
First—who leaked the information?
People who knew about the kidnapping idea were me, Geese, Aisha... and then Cliff and the Pope.
Maybe the girl at Cliff's house too?
First of all, it definitely wasn't Aisha.
If she'd betrayed me, she wouldn't have needed to go through any of this.
She could've just gone "Onii-chan, carry me~" and snuggled up, and while I was enjoying the feel of her chest on my back, she could've slit my throat.
Or she could've just put poison in my drink.
It wouldn't be Cliff or Geese either.
Same logic—no need for roundabout methods when my back was already theirs.
So... the Pope?
Would the Pope use this timing to eliminate me?
What's the benefit?
No, wait—the opposite.
Maybe he simply wanted to pit me against the Temple Knights as a chess piece.
From the Pope's perspective, I'd said I'd be an ally but never followed through.
Maybe he got sick of me dangling the carrot and hatched this plan.
With the regular guards deployed elsewhere, the Pope's people could kidnap the Saint in the background...
Wait, wait.
Therese said the information came from a reliable source.
For her, would the Pope count as a reliable source?
The Pope is the enemy.
He wouldn't be a reliable source at all.
Actually, maybe the kidnapping accusation is just a coincidence.
Someone fabricated a lie that I was going to kidnap the Saint.
Wait.
Rather than assuming it's a coincidence, it's more likely the Man-God's doing.
Once again, there's an apostle of the Man-God lurking somewhere I can't see.
Yeah, that makes more sense than someone betraying me, and the probability is higher.
The Man-God's intentions?
He decides everything by looking at the future anyway, so who knows.
Basically, everything bad is his fault.
"..."
In this situation, I can't determine the culprit.
Thinking about it is pointless.
The real problem isn't that.
The problem is that, at this rate, I'm making enemies.
I don't know what's happened to the Saint.
But the Temple Knights who were guarding her look like this.
From here, I can guess what the Cardinal's faction will do.
First, they'll arrest me for "attempted kidnapping of the Saint."
Then, using that as leverage, they'll go after Cliff—and Cliff's grandfather, the Pope.
Huh?
Wait—when I think about it that way, maybe the Pope didn't orchestrate this after all?
No, see—stop looking for the culprit.
The question is: what do I do from here?
What should I do...
Maybe I should just grab everyone and flee the capital?
No—what about Zenith?
I can't leave Zenith behind.
I could go to the Latreia estate right now and rescue Zenith...
What if she's not there?
While I'm executing this plan, what if they've already moved Zenith somewhere else?
Do I then fight the Knights all the way to destroying the Millis Holy Country?
That would be exactly what the Man-God wants.
Well, whatever.
Even so.
Let's do it.
First, I'll evacuate Aisha, Geese, and Cliff.
Then go to the Latreia estate and retrieve Zenith.
If she's not there, I'll head to the castle, grab some nobles, and demand a hostage exchange.
Forget it.
That's good enough.
I'm tired of thinking.
"...Ah."
A voice suddenly drifted over.
I looked toward the edge of the garden, now twisted and warped by the Quagmire.
Standing before the door leading to the inner sanctum—the one that can only be opened with a special key—was a single girl.
She was holding the key.
Standing there, all alone.
"..."
She was looking into my eyes.
I tried to look away in a hurry, but it was already too late.
She wore a smile as though she'd seen through everything.
Then, as if asking for something, she spread both arms toward me.
Seeing that, I understood.
It might have just been a gut feeling.
But my decision was swift, and my action immediate.
I abducted the Saint.