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Atop «Torres del Pecador», on the outskirts of Argentum, capital of the Graviol Empire, a scene was unfolding.

An average-height man, clad in the uniform of a Graviol Empire guard, stood guard outside a special isolation cell reserved for nobility. Under his helmet, he sighed, hearing the heavy footsteps and rough snorts approaching, followed by the muffled sound of something hitting the floor. He anticipated what was to come, though he hoped for a different outcome.

“…There’s no helping it. This, too, is for the greater cause.”

He subtly slipped the dagger — a flamboyant piece left in his care by the Grand Pope to feign defenselessness — into his sword belt and quietly opened the door behind him.

Originally a prison, «Torres del Pecador» couldn’t be locked from inside. It had to be secured from the outside. However, today it was repurposed for a secretive discussion rather than confinement. For quick intervention in case of trouble, the door was left slightly ajar.

Stepping silently into the room, the man heard faint rustling from the bedroom. He was relieved that the worst had not yet transpired. Moving stealthily, despite his heavy armor, he resembled more a veteran spy or assassin than a guard.

Peeking into the bedroom while careful to keep his shadow hidden, he saw Grand Pope Werner nonchalantly tossing Hiyuki’s dress under the bed. Hiyuki, unconscious, was left in just two pieces of clothing, barely covering her. The Grand Pope, indulging in the sensation of her skin, was oblivious to his surroundings. His exposed, flabby body was starkly visible.

Hmm. I can take advantage of his negligence.

Resolved, the man prepared to act. He remembered the dagger from the Grand Pope and murmured, “Ah, just perfect.”

As the Grand Pope breathed heavily, reveling in his twisted delight, he reached toward Hiyuki’s remaining garments, “What exquisite sensation. This surpasses even celestial raiments.”

“Well, this ends here……”

Just as his fingers touched her underwear, the guard crept up behind him and crouched down. Then, aiming the dagger’s tip at the center of the Pope’s buttocks, he prepared to strike.

“Here I go. Take a deep breath and relax yourself to enjoy this experience. Hn?”

“3, 2, 1. —Haaa!”

The dagger, originally belonging to the Grand Pope, was thrust deep into its owner’s flesh, the hilt disappearing into the wound.

◆◇◆◇

“Die! You vile creature! How dare you, under the guise of holiness, attempt such heinous acts! You deserve nothing but death, you despicable fiend!”

Enraged beyond measure, Hiyuki, in a state of undress, unleashed a relentless assault on Grand Pope Werner. The dagger, still embedded in his posterior, was a testament to his blood-drenched state. His eyes were rolled back, his mouth foaming, as blood continued to seep from his mangled face, forming a gruesome pool around him.

The guard, his helmet now removed, revealing black hair, felt a surge of revulsion at the sight before him, as the Grand Pope’s health plummeted alarmingly. Tentatively, he addressed Hiyuki.

“My lady, any further and he… he might not survive…”

Hiyuki’s response was a ferocious glare, her eyes flashing dangerously.

“That’s precisely my intent – to end him!”
“But, my lady, killing him could lead to dire consequences…”
“To hell with consequences! If the Holy Kingdom dares to challenge me over this, I’ll obliterate them from existence!”

The man appeared shocked at the depth of Hiyuki’s fury, hastily trying to reason with her.

“Please reconsider, my lady. The Pope alone is responsible for this; the others are ignorant of his actions. Isn’t execution a bit excessive?”

“Fine, I’ll relent. But I see no issue in dispatching this swine right here, do I?” Hiyuki’s voice was icy as she poised to strike the Grand Pope’s skull.

“Wait! While I understand your sentiment, killing him here could trigger a war. Perhaps just incapacitating him severely would suffice? Spare him – and me – this once.”

With a sigh of internal struggle, Hiyuki gradually lowered her lethal leg.

Her foot, withdrawn in the nick of time, smashed through the bed and floor, leaving a gaping hole.

Turning away from the battered and bloodied Grand Pope, Hiyuki spoke with finality.

“I can’t bear the sight of this beast any longer! I’ll let this slide, thanks to your intervention. But there won’t be a next time, understand?”

“Thank you, my lady,” the man murmured in relief, quickly administering a healing potion to the critically injured Grand Pope. The potion revived him, but the dagger remained lodged, leaving his posterior grotesquely splayed.

Meanwhile, Hiyuki began to redress in her scattered garments, her expression one of utter revulsion. Limited by the tower’s constraints, she had no choice but to don these garments.

Determined to change and cleanse herself at the earliest opportunity, Hiyuki mentally vowed to dispose of her current attire at the first chance.

“Speaking of which…” After adjusting her shoes with a tap, Hiyuki turned to the man, her tone nonchalant yet inquisitive. “Why are you here, Kagerou?”

Kagerou, under the guise of a guard, collapsed back onto the bed.

“Now, of all times, you decide to ask?”