"A first-category ritual on such a grand scale... When did they inscribe the ritual array? And where?"
Black Banyan looked in astonishment at the massive crimson inverted triangle rising from the rain curtain, blotting out the stars and moon.
"The array is inscribed in the deepest part of the sewer system, probably during the great plague over twenty years ago. That was the only chance, and the best chance."
….
Silver Wing Locust spoke nonchalantly, emerging slowly from the shadows of the alley. Although she held a large black straight-rib umbrella, she still chose a sheltered spot. Vivian was obediently standing beside her.
The young Confidential Division agent was currently pursing her lips, trying hard to keep her expression stiff to prevent panic from showing.
The Red Cup High Priests' willingness to sacrifice at all costs, and the appearance of multiple Secrets-Hunters division heads... all indicated this attack was anything but ordinary. Her wish to slack off amidst it all seemed rather unrealistic.
"When did you find out? Tsk, too late! If only it had been earlier..."
Black Banyan wiped the viscous, blood-like raindrops from his face, looking somewhat annoyed. He couldn't help but stomping a few more times on the now bone-fragment-only remains of Hovan to vent his frustration.
"Actually, the Confidential Division learned about the problems in the drainage system three days ago, but there was a slight issue when we were about to inform the Burial Court..."
"Three days ago?"
Black Banyan's aged temple twitched slightly, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Three days would have been enough for us to clean out both the ritual array in the sewers and those rats in human skin! What were you all doing? Why wait until the ritual was activated to speak up?"
Right now, the heavy rain was pouring, the city's drainage pipes flooded with rushing torrents. It was impossible to conduct any cleanup work at this point.
Silver Wing Locust tucked a strand of her curled crimson hair behind her ear and raised a hand to stop Black Banyan, who was about to grab her collar.
"Yes, why? I don't understand either. That question is best left for your 'Chief Hunter'."
Black Banyan's look of disbelief turned into confusion, to the point he didn't even notice his leather hunting attire becoming soaked through with the blood-rain.
"The Chief prevented the information from being relayed? But... he must have his reasons for doing so. Forget it, let's proceed according to the established contingency plan..."
Silver Wing Locust placed a hand on Vivian's shoulder and, holding the umbrella, led her slowly into the blood-rain.
"If only our Confidential Division agents had obedience levels as high as yours. Truly 'pure blades', not doubting the 'Burial Lord' even in matters that defy common sense."
"Although I'd love to stay out of this, given the circumstances this time, I'm afraid I'll have to stay and fight alongside you. The Red Cup has been a very quiet cult for a century, yet when they finally act, it's on a scale rivaling the 'Withered Crown'..."
She let out a slightly mournful sigh, then handed the umbrella to Vivian and stepped into the blood-rain, letting the viscous blood dampen her exquisite makeup.
"I hope the Chief Hunter really can clean up this mess."
During their conversation, the blood droplets floating in the air suddenly froze, as if captured in an old photograph. They rapidly flowed backward, falling into the inverted triangular holy emblem in the sky, coalescing into a blurred humanoid figure.
"A complete [Drinker]..."
Silver Wing Locust bit her red lip lightly, letting out a soft tsk.
Although back at the Norlington Central Museum, the dancer Sines had almost summoned a Drinker by herself... that was a simplified ritual inscribed on her skin, with major flaws.
Even if successful, a Drinker summoned under those conditions would be extremely unstable in the real world, likely to collapse at any moment.
But the current ritual was complete. If they failed to kill it in time... this divine servant would gradually "adapt" to this world.
"How sweet, this material world. Even the rain is full of the fragrance of life."
The "Drinker" composed of pure blood glanced around. Although its gaze lingered briefly on each Secrets-Hunter present, it didn't truly look at anyone. It was like admiring flowers in a garden.
"Thank you for the warm welcome. I am the Cup's servant, 'Yates'... Although there is no invitation, I will make an exception and allow you all to become participants in the banquet, to share in this endless revelry."
Boom!
While he was speaking, a burst of explosive flame instantly engulfed his entire form.
"Hit! Chest impacted, damage unknown. The bullet did not over-penetrate excessively, suggesting the target's body, though composed entirely of blood, possesses considerable physical strength."
Hidden in the shadow of a windowsill, Child licked his lips and reported the specifics to Professor Terence beside him.
The White Cup members stationed at the central museum, after thoroughly dealing with the invading Evil Spawn, quickly received news of the Drinker's arrival and came to the Secrets-Hunters as support.
"Good. We should run."
If the opponent were a High Priest, Terence would have Child provide suppressing fire.
But the entity before them was a genuine "Divine Servant," so leaving this sniper position was the optimal choice. The two quickly left the room, even evacuating the building entirely.
"[Redundant Knowledge Intrusion]? The White Cup's old trick..."
After the smoke and blinding light dissipated, Yates's damaged form reappeared in the air. He slowly descended to the ground, his liquid body of blood showing no distinct facial features or expression.
The blood was dividing, intertwining, rapidly shaping into bone and flesh. In almost the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a skinless human. The massive wound caused by the earlier sniper shot had also vanished.
"Ugh..."
Once Yates's form solidified, the first thing he did was vomit. Countless red-and-white suspended slurry-like matter gushed from his mouth, scattering on the ground.
"It's brains. He vomited out the proliferated brains, incidentally expelling the invasive 'redundant knowledge'."
Black Banyan exhaled a heavy, turbid breath, then turned his gaze to Haida.
"Sister Haida, this is not your assigned combat zone. You have already killed a Sufferer-Walkers High Priest at the Sated Club; there's no need to sacrifice yourself here... Withdraw."
"I will not make meaningless sacrifices. Let me stay. I might be of use."
Haida gently stroked the hilt of her wooden-handled clasp knife, meeting Black Banyan's gaze without retreat.
"...Alright."
The experienced Outrider Hunter pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Just from that eye contact, Black Banyan knew Haida was an exceptional hunter, not someone seeking martyrdom.
He paused, then raised his banyan mallet and shotgun, charging towards the divine servant Yates.
"Aged, frail, shrouded in death's aura, irritating... How could there be a fly like you at the feast?"
Blood condensed into a longsword and armor in Yates's hands. By now, his skin and hair had fully grown. If not for the terrifying oppressive aura, his specific appearance would be no different from an ordinary person's.
Yates casually swung his sword horizontally towards Black Banyan. A crimson arc splashed forth, severing the latter at the waist. His entire body was split into separate upper and lower halves.
"Hah... Much more comfortable."
Yates shook his sword with satisfaction, looking down on everyone from a superior position.
"Is your Chief Hunter not coming yet? Also, I recommend you not come to die one by one... That would make the whole banquet quite dull."
Silver Wing Locust glanced around and somewhat helplessly realized she seemed to hold the highest rank present... So she could only take command and start issuing orders.
"Abandon close combat engagement, maintain suppressing fire. Simultaneously, tighten the formation. Evacuation is permitted after ammunition is depleted."
The surrounding Secrets-Hunters responded to her command, beginning to pour their final firepower onto Yates.
"Your craftsmanship in inscribing prayers on weapons is improving. Given a few more centuries, perhaps mortals could truly kill me with the things in their hands..."
His body was torn to shreds in the scorching storm of steel, yet he didn't move an inch. Those flesh chunks seemed fixed in place, incinerated one moment and replenished the next.
Just as the suppressing fire barrage was becoming unsustainable, Silver Wing Locust gave a shallow sigh and drew a slender dueling sword engraved with raven feathers from her cane.
"Being an intelligence officer, yet always forced to participate in such matters... This is probably the fate of working for the Secrets-Hunters cult, isn't it?"
Vivian, holding the umbrella at the street corner, watched her complaining superior and thought to herself that even Confidential Division heads had such troubles. She thought she was the only one...
Silver Wing Locust raised her blade, performing an ancient and formal Attilan dueling salute towards the divine servant before her, then slowly walked towards him.
Unlike with Black Banyan, this Cup's servant did not attack her directly, but allowed her to approach with mocking indulgence.
"Beauty, you are more polite than that hunter lunatic. Since you have shown courtesy, I must accept this invitation... I accept your duel."
Yates placed the blood-forged blade before him, returning the salute with an even more standard motion. To show respect for the lady, he even gave a slight bow.
At that very moment! Silver Wing Locust had already closed in, sword in hand, and suddenly let out an utterly undignified shout.
"Jonsen! If you're not dead, move now! You don't actually want to watch me duel this guy alone, do you?"
Black Banyan, called by his real name, immediately propped himself up from the ground.
His upper and lower body halves were still severed. Although the massive wound was bleeding profusely, no intestines or the like were spilling out... It was filled with tangled banyan branches.
"Good timing..."
He pushed off with one hand, while the "Death Banyan" mallet in his other hand struck Yates's ankle. Seizing this opening, Silver Wing Locust's dueling sword pierced through his neck.
"So this is the surprise you prepared for me? It certainly has your Secrets-Hunters' style."
Yates murmured, then banyan branches began extending incessantly from his mouth. These life-force-draining plants had already burrowed into his body through the crack in his ankle, consuming their way upward.
"But... it's still far from enough!"
All the Evil Spawn corpses around him rapidly withered, while his own body swelled instantaneously, shaking off both attackers in a flash.
Right then, Haida's grayish-chestnut eyes suddenly darkened. This was the opening she had been waiting for.
Her pure black nun's habit fluttered with a sharp sound. The clasp knives in her hands danced like butterflies, thrusting deeply into Yates's chest.
With her full spirit channeled into them, the Secrets-Hunter prayers inscribed on the wooden-handled knives emitted dazzling azure light.
"Mortals, do you truly believe you can harm a god? How arrogant, how insignificant... how foolish."
Yates, his mouth filled with banyan branches, wasn't angry, merely frowning and uttering a heartfelt sigh. Suddenly, the frivolous, careless expression on his face shifted to one of astonishment.
"You found it, but... how is that possible? You lowly thing, you!"
Haida had accurately carved out a portion of the true "heart" from within the heavy layers of flesh protecting it inside him. This piece of strong muscle was impaled on her knife tip, still beating.
Yates swung his sword to slash, but she dodged nimbly and retreated to a safe distance.
A sliver of light pierced through the crimson cloud cover—the morning sun... It was several minutes past six.
A faint, almost imperceptible mist began to spread unnoticed at the street corner, like ordinary morning fog...
"You are not mortal? Are you a chosen one of the God-Hunting God? Or..."
This Cup's servant nearly glared at Haida through gritted teeth. Having lost a part of his "heart," his body was beginning to destabilize. Haida remained silent as ever, merely advancing slowly, clasp knives in hand.
"Forget it." Yates's look of hatred almost instantly returned to calm.
"No matter how talented, how exceptionally brilliant you are among humans, your final outcome is nothing but turning to dust alongside my projection. Feel and understand what despair is... pitiful thing."
His body began to contract violently, flesh and blood rapidly dissolving and taking on a treelike form.
The other was about to transform into a Sacred Tree. Once completed, probably all life in most of the district would be dissolved as nourishment. How to stop it?
Haida did not know.
She didn't even understand the principle behind how she had managed to injure Yates's core just now. Everything was simply following an instinct so strong it felt absurd.
Suddenly, she caught a familiar floral scent, like the clear, slightly bitter fragrance of fallen leaves. Very familiar, yet she couldn't name it at all.
A slender, sutured index finger gently scratched the tip of Haida's nose. Fran, with sleep still in her eyes, had somehow appeared beside her.
"'Beckoning Finger Remedy' is an ointment made from fallen leaf flowers. Dear Sister Haida, remember? Using it summons a helpful big brother willing to lend a hand."
"...I probably forgot."
Haida narrowed her eyes at Fran, a strong premonition arising... This doctor girl was very likely the culprit behind her fuzzy memory.
Fran, upholding the spirit of never taking the blame, wagged her finger and explained the specifics.
"It's normal to experience memory loss after your first time going through something so intense... I recommend you read Transdimensional Side Effects and the Brain's Self-Protection Mechanisms compiled from Mr. Randolph's account. You can't blame the doctor for being sick."
"Even without external interference, you'd probably start remembering gradually over the next few weeks anyway."
Haida indeed felt threads of memory weaving back into her mind, though still hazily.
"So, who did you summon, Dr. Fran?"
"An old acquaintance, one we both know..."
Fran pressed her lips together, hands clasped slightly, a cunning and mischievous smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
The expanding flesh-and-blood Sacred Tree was suddenly enveloped by a massive, profound ink-green light.
The writhing branches, twisted human faces, spreading bone spines—everything was instantly annihilated within the radiance of the dark star.
"Master Azur, your comet is the best!"
A knight clad in full White Wolf War Ghost armor placed a staff inlaid with full moon glintstone to her lips, lightly blowing away non-existent gunpowder smoke.
Judging by voice and demeanor, she seemed to be a woman... Although Haida didn't know who the newcomer was, she inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity, as if they had known each other for a long time.
"She is the 'Lord of the Lands Between'. Perhaps she has other names and forms... but the one we know is named 'Yvonne'."
Fran winked lightly at Haida, then took a bronze pocket watch from her white coat's pocket.
"Or, Sister Haida, if you'd like free memory restoration therapy, I can provide that too?"
….
"...What was that? A secret art of the stellar lineage, or... real 'magic'?"
Silver Wing Locust watched the divine servant Yates burn to ashes and the gradually fading profound starlight, the muscles at the corner of her eye twitching uncontrollably.
Although the Divine Servants summoned by first-category rituals were highly threatening, they hadn't transcended human essence.
Even mortals with only meager esoteric power, if sufficiently skilled and employing clever enough methods... could find ways to kill them.
+++
T/N: Hey readers~! New Translator here! Before I say anything, I'd first like to thank the original author for creating this wonderful story. Without them, I wouldn't have the chance to share this adventure with you. I hope my translation does justice to their work, and that together, we can enjoy this story.
With that said, I'm happy to let you know I'll be uploading daily chapters. And for those who wish to support my work and gain early access, I've set up a Patreon where advanced chapters will be available.
[email protected]/PeakTL