As the sun had just set, a star pierced the sky, its radiance growing ever more intense. But something was wrong—it happened so quickly, and at first it wasn't even recognized as a star; it had just sliced through something.
Planted where the projectile was supposed to be lay a sword now buried in the earth. One could deduce that the projectile was nothing other than the sword itself. But who could wield a sword in such a manner?
This very question crossed the mind of a woman surrounded by knights reminiscent of those defeated by the St. Paladins. Each knight was more sinister than the last—clad in foreboding armor and armed with various weapons—yet all wore helms that concealed their very features.
The woman, dressed in a black researcher's jacket and sporting a monocle—with her hands resting gracefully on her ample bosom—could not be denied her striking beauty. She was clearly the one in command; in truth, everyone present here was nothing more than her puppet.
But what unsettled her composed gaze and pretty features was not the shock of the projectile. No, she was confronting something that made her remove her gloves. The burst of pressure was nothing compared to the monster who had just unleashed a large number of his puppets.
"I don't understand!" she declared. Though her expression betrayed her anger, her voice remained as gentle as that of an actor playing a role—of course, she was truly furious.
"The spell was cast successfully—I saw clearly that it hit its mark. But what is this? The second one was canceled, and now this thing is upon me! I knew it wouldn't be easy, but not to this extent."
Originally, this woman, XR2, was a researcher unaffiliated with any official organization—a notorious fugitive pursued by all the realms because of her predominantly taboo studies.
During her wanderings, she had crossed paths with members of a strange organization. Failing to extract any information from them had infuriated her to the point that she decided to glue their eyes and mouths shut before transforming them into puppets.
Nevertheless, using her considerable skills, she had determined that these individuals were meant to attack the convoy carrying the hero and the church personnel as soon as they left the hero's domain in the Haz plains.
At first, she had intended merely to cross the hero's domain to escape the surveillance of the Celestial Kingdom and venture onto the unknown continent. But upon learning about the hero, she couldn't hide her curiosity—which is why she decided to test him.
Not content with merely testing the hero, by turning the church's chosen ones into puppets she had just cut the ground from under their feet. But the backlash was terrible; she hadn't expected that not only would a large portion of her forces be annihilated by a single person, but she could no longer sense the vanguard she had dispatched.
"Don't tell me that you are…"
"Oh, by the way, who are you?" XR2 mused. Ever the seeker of even the smallest tidbit of information about powerful and influential individuals who might pose a threat, she usually kept herself well-informed. The problem was that no matter how she gathered such details, she always ended up forgetting everything unless it was part of her research. At first, she had the impression of knowing this person, but now that she couldn't pinpoint who they were, she assumed she had no information at all about them.
As she spoke, her puppets tightened their formation around her to protect her from their enemy.
"You're certainly not one for words. Can you stop what you're doing? I mean, I can't see a thing—I can't even gather any data under these conditions. What exactly are you?"
At last, the silence was broken.
Slow footsteps approached; the atmosphere was calm, as if the very elements had been subdued by her presence. Then she spoke:
"I thank you, and I pity you, poor child!"
"I am Demigra, from Cell 0 of the Inquisition. I've been given the outrageous nickname 'Soul Destroyer.' As for the interruption, I must apologize—it is not my doing, and if you need to gather data, I'll gladly tell you everything you need to know. I don't mind at all."
Demigra wore a nun's habit, though her hands were bound by chains that encircled her body. Her outfit was so loose that her figure was entirely concealed, in stark contrast to XR2, whose attractive face was undeniable—even if Demigra's could have rivaled it, her pronounced dark circles did her no favors.
XR2 smiled.
"Is that so?" she asked. But as she spoke, she ordered one of her puppets to attack. However, before it could reach Demigra, it fell like a marionette whose strings had been cut.
Demigra regarded the fallen puppet without the slightest emotion—as if it were merely a stone in her path. She held respect only for the living.
"Yes, I know what intrigues you! Why they fall like flies even though I'm not using any special abilities!"
With that remark, wasn't it clear that it wasn't the effect of some special power? After all, not everything was lost—I might learn something new!
"Well, I'm curious, but closing the distance between us would be a mistake. As long as I haven't identified your ability, projectiles lose their speed and fall, and those who come near you collapse like ragdolls. As a researcher, this certainly piques my interest."
"Then let's begin with the reason I must thank you. I never leave a consecrated space except through a certain ritual; the only times I venture out are during missions for the Inquisition, and each mission is my opportunity to breathe the fresh air of the world. Of course, I understand that it is for the good of all—and that I, myself, must remain confined."
"And the reason I pity you is that you do not realize you are being used. Even though we nearly were deceived as well—no, we were deceived. And what does that mean for you? It means you will die because of your curiosity."
"Now, ask all your questions—I am all ears!"