"It's been three days, and only now are we finding traces of them? What the fuck is going on?"
The anxiety was really getting to Rose. He even stopped caring about his choice of words around the Holy Knights the cardinals lent them.
"It doesn't make sense, does it now? Even if they disregarded my instructions and ended up venturing out… how in the world would it take us and a team of hired adventurers with tracking abilities three whole days before finding anything? Stein is a prodigy at tracking. It doesn't mean that he is anywhere near as good at masking his own presence."
Zane's expression perfectly reflected his inner feelings about the situation.
Something was wrong. So very, very wrong.
"Do you think they've been demon-crowned and went into hiding, fearing the Church's reaction?"
Rose ran his fingers through his hair, barely stopping himself from clenching his fist and tearing out a handful before asking bitterly.
"Quite optimistic of you to believe they are still alive."
"Hey, my devices work. Although odd, the life signature readings are coming in form all of them!"
The monstrous man raised his brow and sighed, causing the albino human to tense up and declare while pointing his index finger at the earring.
The two of them, with seven of the dozen Holy Knights in tow, were moving through the thinning forest, following a widening path of broken branches and trampled vegetation.
It appeared that the path would soon open up into a clearing, but surprisingly enough the forest ended up thicker and trees, vines, and even bushes blocked their way except for a small passage fit for only a single person.
It was also the spot where one of the hired adventurers was waiting for them.
"..."
Judging from his expression, good news weren't on the menu that day either.
Actually, it appeared that the search team would be served with the worst news yet.
"We found them."
"!!!"
Completely shocking the Holy Knights and Rose, the dispirited adventurer announced while stepping aside, clearing the path through the thicket.
Without asking any follow-up questions, Rose and the knights rushed past the adventurer.
"..."
"..."
The dispirited man gazed upon Zane, and he responded to the questioning nod by slowly shaking his head from right to left.
*thump*
"Wh-what…? No…! NO!"
Zane didn't even had to actually see the scene to know what to expect as the next moment the sound of Ross falling to his knees and muttering with disbelief backed up the adventurer's silent report.
But the monstrous man could not simply stay in place without actually witnessing the scene for himself, so he followed the others.
And, lo and behold!
The expected clearing was right there after the wall of vegetation!
Only that it wasn't a natural occurrence. At least, judging by the fact that the ground was covered in a thick layer of splinters, woodchips, and broken branches, with a few tree stumps sticking above its surface.
Some of the tree stumps appeared to be crushed by something large and heavy, at least the size of a house.
…something with hooves…
If one would look up at the opposite side of the clearing, they would notice something hanging down one of the trees, slowly oozing a reddish-brown substance of foul smell that attracted countless flies and rainbow-winged butterflies.
That something was the rotting headless corpse of the half-elf Alenas.
However, in her case, she was not only missing a head but also her neck and collarbones, opening up a massive hole in her torso.
"..."
Although it might have been someone else only dressed up in Alenas equipment, it was clear to Zane that it wasn't the case.
Zane was also the only person who began to move towards the corpse, threading through the woodchips as if they were high water.
On his way, the monstrous man stopped as the overwhelming stench, the change of perspective, and accumulation of flies and butterflies allowed him to notice a crater previously obstructed.
The crater stomped in by the hooves wider than an adult man's height, at least judged by the imprints they left.
The crater was layered with even more reddish-brown mass mixed with pieces of dirty, formerly white fur.
The fate of the wolf beastman, Stein.
"..."
Zane breathed out without saying a single word and moved on.
With Alenas and Stein accounted for, that would only leave the part incubus, Viran.
But that search didn't take long.
He was right there, under the tree his lover was hanging from.
A decapitated, rotting corpse with a huge hole going through its chest, almost splitting the body in three.
*whoosh* *thump*
As if some sort of morbid parody, a gust of wind swaying the trees somehow managed to stir the body of the half-elf, throwing it off, and as it fell, by some sick sense of humor, one of its hands ended up on top of the hand of Viran's corpse.
…as if starved for the closeness the death robbed them of…
"...that… that doesn't make sense… my device… their life signature…!"
Rose, who somehow managed to get up with the help of the Holy Knights, ended up muttering after following Zane and witnessing the state of their companions.
"We're dealing with a frenzied Deep-Dusk Dullahan on a headhunt. You surely can fill out the rest."
"!!!"
Zane straightened his back and pointed out with a vacant expression, causing Rose to flinch and start trembling uncontrollably.
"Gentlemen. Call back the rest of you. After searching this area, we're returning to give a report to Cardinals. You may send them an early version, too. Our monster has been absorbing over 240 levels the past three days not to even mention the abilities and skills of my deceased comrades. If the remaining members of the Seven Authorities won't come to help us immediately, the one option they adamantly refused before will end up as our only chance."
"U-understood!"
The monstrous man declared with a horrifying grin, and the present Holy Knights all saluted and called in unison.
"...it… it doesn't make sense… why…? How…? How did they get here? Were they chased? Were they ambushed? Teleported? There should be plenty of the Dullahan's blood around if they fought…! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED HERE!?"
Rose's mumble gradually turned into hysterical screaming as the albino human dropped on all fours, unable to hold himself up, stirring up the woodchips and splinters.