Raging flames roared, crackling as they ignited the gates and the lawn before the entrance. Witch Cultists stood holding torches, gazing fanatically at the burning mansion—until someone appeared before them, blocking their path.
Lillian had arrived. He cut down seven or eight cultists who were setting the fire, then pressed onward without delay, rushing into the mansion. The entire space was filled with scorching heat, which made him uneasy.
If Petelgeuse had led an assault here, things should not have gone so smoothly. Even if there were few guards in the mansion, Rem and Ram were still present. Though the sisters might not be able to win, working together they should at least have been able to hold out for some time. And with Ram's meticulous mind, she should have devised a way to counter the Invisible Hand.
Although Lillian had little personal connection with them, he had a grudge against Petelgeuse and intended to eliminate him regardless—otherwise the future consequences would be endless.
…Was it in the courtyard?
Sensing a violent surge of mana from that direction, Lillian rushed over. Leaping onto the rooftop and seeing the situation in the courtyard below, his breathing halted for several seconds.
"Is it really necessary to do this? Honestly, I don't think you want that outcome either. Being struck by something like a chain hammer really hurts, you know. It'll flatten a person—that's quite rude, wouldn't you say?"
The speaker was a young man with neatly combed white hair. Dressed in simple black clothing, his face and figure were utterly ordinary—so average that he would not attract any special attention. Beside him stood a short male—judging by his face, a boy of about ten. His long hair extended past his knees, and he wore disheveled clothes that looked as if they had been pulled from a garbage heap.
These two seemingly unremarkable individuals caused Rem and Ram—standing opposite them—to display an extremely serious expression, one they had never shown before.
The reason Lillian's breath had stopped was precisely their identities. His scalp tingled, and his first instinct was to turn and flee. He had no intention of concerning himself with Rem or Ram—he immediately tried to escape in the opposite direction with all his strength.
"Who are you?"
The short, long-haired boy suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path. His eyes, hidden behind his hair, stared deeply at Lillian as he swallowed.
"I'm hungry. What's your name?"
Damn it!
Lillian hadn't expected him to be this fast. But then again, among the Sin Archbishops, the one least reliant on Authority and most skilled in physical combat and magic was this very small figure—the Archbishop of Gluttony, Lye Batenkaitos.
As long as he learned someone's name, he could devour that person's "memory" and "name." If one's memory was eaten, all memories would vanish. If one's name was consumed, everyone would forget that person's existence.
Slash—!
Without the slightest hesitation, Lillian swung his sword toward the boy's head. Just as the blade was about to strike, the boy produced a dagger from nowhere and blocked it, then slightly parted his lips.
"Lunar Eclipse."
Spurt!
Without any warning, Lillian's right arm—the one holding the sword—was severed, blood spraying as it fell. His body instantly lost balance, and Lye kicked him down from the rooftop. He crashed heavily to the ground below.
"Lunar Eclipse…"
Lillian rose from the ground. He knew this was also Lye's ability—an unreasonable Authority that directly inflicted injury upon its target.
"Oh my, where did this person come from?"
The white-haired young man looked at him curiously. Across from them, Rem and Ram also stared at Lillian in shock. For a moment, they had thought he was allied with the two men—but upon seeing his severed arm, that notion vanished.
"The Archbishop of Greed…"
Lillian glanced at the white-haired youth, realizing that the situation had reached its worst possible state. The problem was… he had never expected these two to appear here. Judging by the timeline, they shouldn't have been present. Had the butterfly effect changed events that drastically?
Hiss… hisss…
White steam rose from his severed arm. Gluttony, Lye, also leapt down from the rooftop, staring at the wound with fascination.
"Hm? Can it grow back? Good—how wonderful! Does that mean I can keep eating endlessly? Like the Great Rabbit? That makes you worth capturing, doesn't it!"
"…."
Escape would be extremely difficult now. As for fighting… Lillian glanced at Rem and Ram. Even with the two sisters and himself combined, could they defeat these two Archbishops?
Impossible.
Not to mention Gluttony—Greed's Authority was simply…
"I'm asking you a question. Why won't you answer?"
The white-haired young man bombarded Lillian with words. "Isn't that terribly rude? When someone asks you something, how can you remain silent? Responding to questions is common courtesy in human society, isn't it? What does your silence mean?"
At the moment, there was still a slim chance of survival…
If Beatrice intervened—if she used teleportation magic—then perhaps escape would still be possible.
Lillian clutched his severed arm, the blood dripping from the stump already staining his palm a deep red. He lifted his head and glanced toward the direction of the Forbidden Library, causing the white-haired young man to frown, his expression turning visibly displeased.
"…Even after I spoke those words, you chose to remain silent and even looked away. No matter how patient a person I am, I can't help but feel angry. You may say that remaining silent is your freedom and your right, but your right has offended me. And so, I may just as well take this contempt as an insult to the rights I possess…"
Whoosh—!
Before his voice had even faded, Lillian shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, charging toward the Forbidden Library. At the same time, he shouted:
"Beatrice!!"
His voice was loud enough to carry the message. Yet just after shouting, his other arm detached from his shoulder and fell straight to the ground—arm and body collapsing together.
He had long grown accustomed to pain; he felt almost nothing. Still, his body convulsed uncontrollably. He had sensed nothing just now. Likewise, Rem and Ram had seen nothing either. From the moment the white-haired youth made his move to the instant Lillian's arm was cleanly severed, nothing at all had been visible.
"Die!"
Ram suddenly raised her hand and unleashed ice magic. Carried by a biting gale, the young man's neatly combed white hair fluttered wildly. The ice blade halted abruptly just half a centimeter from his cheek. Before everyone's eyes, the blade inexplicably lost all momentum, clattering to the ground. Immediately afterward, Ram collapsed to her knees with a dull thud.
"Sister!"
Rem rushed to support the nearly unconscious Ram. Looking down, she saw that a bloody hole had pierced through Ram's lower abdomen. Not far behind her, embedded in the ground, lay a bloodstained gold coin…
"The Witch Cult!!"
Rem let out a furious roar. A silver-white horn emerged from her forehead as the reason in her eyes faded, exchanged for overwhelming power.
It was useless.
Lillian, now stripped of both arms, sat on the ground, watching the frenzied Rem with cold indifference.
Before the Archbishop of the Sin of Greed—the white-haired youth named Regulus Corneas—any attack was meaningless. His Authority, known as "Lion's Heart," was currently an unsolvable power. Fighting him was nothing but a waste of effort. Forget defeating him—Lillian, in his present state, likely couldn't even touch him. That was how weak he was.
As for Beatrice… she had never been obligated to act. Why had he even called out to her?
"Ahhhhh!"
"A one-horned noble! A treasure! Isn't she a being destined to be killed from birth?"
Seeing Rem's transformation into an oni, Lye immediately stepped in front of Regulus.
"She's mine—don't touch her! Ah, how wonderful! Rage! Love for her sister! Mad determination! Such exquisite nourishment! Your name and memories shall enter my stomach together!"
Spreading his arms wide, Lye activated [
[Lunar Eclipse] without any warning. As Rem charged forward, blood burst from both her legs simultaneously—yet she pressed on as if she felt no pain at all.
"Then let's try again!"
Silently, her legs were cleanly severed, separating from her body. Losing all support, she collapsed forward, sliding several meters across the ground from inertia. When she lifted her head again, Lye had already seized her hand.
"Your name is Rem, correct?"
"Are you about to eat?"
The Archbishop of Greed, Regulus, tilted his head as he glanced over. In that moment of distraction, Lillian's eyes widened—
Two short blades struck with perfect precision, stabbing into Regulus's chest and the back of his head.
The venomous serpent hidden in the shadows had finally bared its fangs.
"Elsa!?"
The instant Lillian recognized the person who had launched the ambush from behind Regulus, he forced himself to his feet. His face turned deathly pale—there was not a trace of joy in his expression. Instead, it felt as though the sky, which had only just begun to brighten with dawn, had suddenly darkened again, as if everything stood on the verge of collapse.
Why? Why was she here?!
Pfft—!
The next moment, before anyone saw what happened, the short blade had already been driven in reverse into Elsa's chest.
Time had been stopped. What occurred during that suspended instant was known only to Regulus.
When time resumed, he held a short blade in one hand, gazing with displeasure at the wounded Elsa. Her face was filled with shock. She couldn't understand—her attack had clearly struck vital points, yet the man before her remained completely unharmed…
And moreover… lowering her gaze to the blade embedded in her abdomen, she wondered when exactly it had happened.
"I didn't even sense your presence. You're quite an excellent assassin. But that's rather insulting to me, isn't it? And besides, sneak attacks are the method I dislike most…" Regulus said, revealing a smile that was both gentle and violent. "You seem curious why I didn't die. Well then—sorry, but I didn't bring my heart with me."
"…!"
Elsa clenched her teeth. She had endured for so long—holding herself back when Lillian's arm had been severed, waiting patiently until Regulus let his guard down before striking—only for it all to be in vain.
If one loses their claws, they still have teeth. If they lose their teeth, they still have bones. And if even the bones are gone, then one stakes their life itself… isn't that right?
"What a stubborn gaze," Regulus said. "Die."
"Stop!!"
Time froze instantly.
Inside the Forbidden Library, Beatrice clenched her fists tightly, her expression conflicted as she stared at the words appearing in the Gospel before her. She murmured softly:
"Why… Mother…"
Since earlier, three words had continued to appear upon its pages.
[Do not interfere.]