As Claris locked eyes with the boy standing amidst the cacodemons, her blood ran cold. She couldn't feel darkness in the boy's body, but for some reason, his existence was enough to make her stand back.
She gripped her sword tighter, her knuckles white. This was no ordinary child—she could feel it in her bones.
And then it hit her. That face… she knew it.
"You… you're that damned witch's son!" she hissed, pointing her sword at him as her voice cracked with a mix of fear and fury.
Claude tilted his head, a mocking smirk on his lips. "Oh? Is that what they call me now?"
Claris's expression twisted with both revulsion and triumph. "So, the prophecy is true after all," she sneered.
"The witch has brought calamity into this world, and darkness will blanket the land like a shadow over a moonless night!"
"Huh?" Claude raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. "What nonsense are you rambling about? I was born with this power—it's not my fault or my mother's."
Claris's grin widened, her voice dripping with venom. "Oh, you poor, ignorant child. You think you're just… unlucky?" She laughed bitterly.
"No, boy. Everyone born with a dark affinity carries the blood of the Lord of Calamity in their veins and his followers will do anything to keep the blood of the Calamity alive by any means, including marrying innocent women, especially witches."
Claude's smirk faltered for the first time. His eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"They're called Deimons—the cursed children of darkness," Claris said, her voice rising with righteous conviction. "Your very existence is an affront to this world."
Her words struck a chord in Claude, his mind racing. 'Theo lied to me… He knows something, something he's been keeping from me!'
Claris saw his hesitation and seized the opportunity. With a battle cry, she charged at him, her sword glowing with divine power.
The holy energy radiated from her weapon like sunlight breaking through storm clouds, its intensity burning his skin even from a distance.
But before her blade could strike, Sun leapt in front of Claude, its massive claw intercepting the sword.
Sparks flew as holy light clashed against the beast's shadowed talons, the sound ringing out like a deafening crash.
Claris gritted her teeth, struggling to overpower the Chaos Hound. "You coward! Hiding behind your beasts!"
"Tch," Claude clicked his tongue, his smirk returning. "You're so annoying. Boys, don't let her breathe."
At his command, Sun, Moon, and Star surrounded Claris, their growls deepening. Bolts of shadowy lightning crackled in the air, illuminating the dark forest.
Claris barely managed to dodge the first strike, her movements sluggish from the oppressive aura of darkness around her. "Damn you!" she spat, her voice trembling with both anger and fear.
But her luck ran out. A bolt of shadow lightning struck her square in the chest, sending her sprawling to the ground.
Her sword fell from her grip as her body convulsed, the lingering shocks coursing through her limbs.
Claude approached her slowly, his grin widening with each step. He crouched down beside her, tilting his head mockingly as he looked into her pale, terrified face.
"So this is the power of a Holy Knight?" he mused, his tone dripping with disdain. "You're no different from my pathetic excuse of a father."
Claris struggled to lift her head, her breathing ragged. "Y-you… You'll be burned for this," she choked out. "Everyone will know what you are! I'll make sure of it!"
Claude leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "Oh? And how are you going to do that?"
Claris's bravado faltered as he continued, his tone menacing. "You're alone, and you'll disappear into the shadows like you never existed. Do you even know what's about to happen to you?"
Her face turned ashen, sweat beading on her brow. "W-what are you saying?"
Claude's grin widened as he whispered something into her ear. Whatever it was, it drained the blood from her face. She began trembling, her once-defiant eyes now filled with pure terror.
"I… I'm sorry!" she cried, her voice breaking. "I promise I won't tell anyone! Please, spare me!"
Claude stood up, brushing dirt off his hands as if he'd just finished a mundane task. "Nah. Why would I take that risk?" He turned to his Chaos Hounds, his tone casual. "She's all yours, boys."
Claris's eyes widened in horror as the beasts closed in. "NO! PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS! I BEG YOU! PLEASE—"
Her screams echoed through the forest, piercing the stillness of the night. The shadows seemed to swallow her whole as Sun, Moon, and Star dragged her into their domain.
Claude watched with a detached smirk, her desperate pleas fading into silence. The campfire crackled softly behind him, the only light remaining in the now-empty clearing.
"Pathetic," he muttered before turning and walking away, leaving nothing but darkness in his wake.
***
The holy knights and clerics gathered near their disheveled camp, their exhaustion visible. Zero, the silver-haired knight, slammed his fist into a tree. "How can we still not find this cacodemon? It's supposed to be weak! And why the hell Claris suddenly disappeared!"
"We also searched right and there since we found the small amount of darkness around, but we still couldn't find that damned cacodemon!"
Rai, leaning against his sword, sighed. "Claris's letter said she left the Church. Maybe the cacodemon messed with the camp after she ran. The trace of darkness here is faint."
"Ran?" Zero spat. "Why would she run? That makes no sense!"
"She owed the Church a fortune and had plenty of scandals," Rai replied. "It adds up."
Nadia, adjusting her glasses, chimed in. "It doesn't matter why. We're chasing shadows. Let's go back to the witness—Enzo. He might have details we've missed."
The group nodded in agreement and rode toward Enzo's house.
At Enzo's house, Claude stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the horizon as he waited. The plan was already in motion.
He had sent his Chaos Hounds to tear through the camp, making it look like the creatures were scavenging for food.
He had even forced Claris to pen that letter, ensuring it would pass any scrutiny. Everything was falling into place.
"Now, all that's left is for them to take the bait," Claude muttered under his breath, his lips curling into a faint smirk.
The thought of the holy knights chasing their tails amused him. He had gone to great lengths to keep them confused—scouring the forest for Chaos Hounds, spreading their darkness strategically to throw off any attempts at tracking.
The knights were likely scratching their heads now, unable to piece it all together.
"They must have decided to question Enzo," Claude muttered.
"Trying to sniff out clues about the so-called cacodemon… but why are they taking so damn long to get here?"
He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair before grabbing the can again. "Tch. Forget it. Might as well water the garden while I wait."
As he watered the garden—his mother, Dalia, busy tending to Enzo inside the house—his sharp eyes caught a glint of ivory and white in the distance.
Four figures, clad in the pristine armor and robes of the Everbright Church, were approaching.
"Perfect," Claude murmured, gripping the watering can tighter. His grin widened as the plan's next phase took shape in his mind.
'Now I can show them just how insane Father has become. Once they see his condition, there's no way they'll deem him fit to be a holy knight anymore. That'll sever our ties with the church for good.'
He crouched to pluck a weed from the soil, masking the grin tugging at his lips. The thought lingered, dark and satisfying.
'Sooner or later, Father might suspect me, might even uncover the truth about my power. But who would believe the words of a madman?'
Straightening, Claude glanced over his shoulder toward the house, where faint murmurs of Dalia and Enzo's conversation drifted through the open window.
Claude straightened as the group approached, the afternoon sun catching on their ivory armor. Nadia, the cleric, stepped forward with a gentle smile.
"Hello there, you must be Enzo's son," she greeted warmly.
Claude returned her smile, his posture relaxed but carefully composed. "That's right. You're from the promised land, aren't you?"
Nadia nodded. "We are. Are your parents home?"
"They are," Claude replied with a small sigh, glancing toward the house.
"But my father is still… unwell. He keeps saying there's a cacodemon in the house, claiming it's trying to eat him alive. My mother and I haven't seen anything, but he insists."
He paused, lowering his gaze as if troubled. "A couple of days ago, he even tried to harm himself, saying the darkness is inside his body, writhing around like a worm." His voice cracked slightly, the perfect note of a son weighed down by worry.
Nadia exchanged uncertain glances with the three knights behind her. They seemed hesitant, but Nadia's smile never wavered as she looked back at Claude.
"Sister," Claude continued, his eyes wide with a mixture of hope and despair, "you're a cleric from the Holy Land, right? Can you heal my father's mind? I… I feel so sorry for my mother. She's been taking care of him all alone."
Nadia's expression softened, her voice reassuring. "Of course, child. We'll do everything we can to help."
Claude's eyes lit up with what seemed like genuine gratitude. "Really? Thank you so much, Sister! May Goddess Eunomia bless all of you." He clasped his hands together in prayer, the picture of devotion.
Though inwardly, his breath hitched slightly at invoking that name, his face remained serene. The game was unfolding perfectly, piece by piece.