She is not an investigator.

He became more silent and looked older.

The atmosphere in the church was oppressive, so oppressive that it almost suffocated her.

"Tsk..."

Simia clicked her tongue and walked out of the church without looking back.

“Simia…”

"Don't bother me, I just want to get some fresh air."

Felina silently withdrew her hand and sighed without a sound.

"You don't need to do this. After all, it's not your fault, and you don't need to be responsible for everyone's feelings."

Constantine spoke quietly, trying to calm Felina down.

She looked terrible, perhaps without realizing it, but she looked worse than anyone else.

But perhaps it's her gentle nature that makes her still unable to resist comforting others and taking care of their feelings in such situations.

Even if she is the one who most deserves comfort.

"...I'm fine, it's just...sorry...it's nothing."

She had a lot to say, but she couldn't confide in Constantine. The priest could understand her emotions, but that was all.

As mentioned before, everyone here is experiencing a unique feeling at this moment.

"I'm a little worried about Simia..."

"You don't need to worry about her. She's calmer than you think and looks. She'll take responsibility for her actions. You, who've been advising others to rest, might be the one who really needs a break. This night will be long, and maybe when you wake up, Igris will be back."

No one would believe such a thing, but for her, this comfort was indeed very helpful.

Thank you... Good night.

Constantine waved his hand, and only after watching Felina slowly leave did he turn his gaze to Anfer in the corner.

He didn't intend to soothe everyone's emotions, because he was just a priest, not a psychologist, and besides, most people here could handle their own affairs.

Especially the guy in front of me.

“Father, do you think…they would have thought this would be their fate before they died, no…before they joined the army?”

By the moonlight, Constantine could see what was in his hand.

It was something that was somewhat rusty, but still incredibly precious.

A dog tag.

“I don’t know. I’ve never served in the military, and I don’t know what kind of psychological struggle those soldiers go through before going to the battlefield, nor do I know how many people’s dreams and expectations they carry… But you’re right, they are human beings, not weapons.”

"Oh…"

Anfer smiled and put the dog tag in his hand into his pocket.

“You are a very interesting fellow, Father… You are not like a clergyman. You are very firm in your faith, but you are not pedantic or rigid. You are young enough and see everything very clearly… I am glad that someone understands my confusion and bewilderment.”

"In fact, everyone here can."

Constantine shook his head and continued.

"The preciousness of life itself can only be understood by those who truly love life. I used to hate my life and all the sins I had to bear, but today I realize that those things are actually very precious to me, so I am willing to bear those past sins."

"Sin".

Anfer rejected the word, thoughtfully stroking his mustache.

"You're a cult member?"

"In fact, she was a cult leader. I'd be happy to tell you how I met Igris, because that period of economics was truly remarkable."

Constantine shrugged, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his face.

"At that time, I was forced to inherit the mess that my adoptive father handed me, a... bloodstained cult organization. Many times, I couldn't really control it, so after I took over everything, I spent more time adjusting and balancing the internal conflicts of the organization."

"You look very young, so how old were you when you took on this mess?"

"Twenty years old."

Anfer laughed, and Constantine laughed too. They looked at each other and laughed silently.

Everyone has been young, and they are always happy to share their past experiences and observations after they have matured.

Whether he is young or old.

"It's ridiculous, but the first time I was about to do something that a cult would do, another cult member beat me to it."

"Haha...you really are..."

The Fools of the Gods—Beyond the World: Chapter Forty-Eight, The Broken Bond

The moonlight was hazy, bright, yet cold.

In the pale street, a lone figure stood by the wall, panting heavily, watching the white mist rising from his mouth.

It was very cold, but she didn't want to go back indoors.

"...Tsk."

Simia suddenly frowned and clicked her tongue loudly.

She felt sadness, confusion, and anger.

Igris has disappeared, they are in dire straits, and everything seems to be heading in the worst possible direction.

How long will they be stuck here? If you include the food Vicatina provided, they should be able to survive here for about a week.

But what happens after that?

They had no supplies, no food, not even a source of drinking water. Communication was completely cut off, no one knew they were there, and they had no way to escape.

Coming here was a bad idea, she always thought so.

But there's no point in saying all this now. After all, she's already here, and all she can do is try to find a way to solve the predicament she's facing.

"Ah... Shall we fight our way out...?"

She came up with the best plan for herself: she would take her own weapons, use her most proficient methods, and unleash powerful firepower to shatter their defenses and leave without a care in the world.

She could do that; if the enemy was really just ordinary soldiers, she could lead everyone out by herself.

But clearly, she can't do it now; even if her attacks are effective, they can't actually kill them.

Exceptional physical qualities and extraordinary self-healing abilities.

This made her think of many, many strange creatures, but that was all she thought of.

If they were indeed transformed into this state by some kind of experiment, then the process and methods of that experiment might also become their weakness.

Just as vampires fear sunlight, most aberrant creatures also have their own weaknesses. And if you find their weaknesses, then they are not invincible or difficult to defeat.

Perhaps breaking out isn't a truly impossible plan, although this plan... requires some preconditions.

Given their current combat strength, it's probably still quite risky, even if they do find those people's weaknesses.

Even with Igris included, maybe...

"...Tsk!"

Igris isn't here; how many times will she have to repeat herself before she understands?

If things continue like this, they won't be able to find Igris, let alone ensure their own safety.

"So annoying, so annoying, so annoying... Ugh..."

Sighing again, Simia silently crouched down.

She got tired of standing.

As usual, she took the notebook out of her pocket—the investigator's notebook that once belonged to Aaron and now belonged to her.

She didn't have much to write about, although there was certainly a lot she could write about, but writing notes in the pitch black of night was not a good idea.

Besides, she wasn't in the mood for it; she was just going to take it out to reminisce about the past.

"Gah—!"

"...!"

A sudden cry rang out from above her head; it was the sound of a crow.

This would be quite common in other cities, but here, it's definitely not right.

After all, the city is located near the Arctic Circle, so it's normal for there to be fewer of these kinds of animals. In addition, the changes that have occurred in the city have meant that they haven't seen any animals, including birds, since they arrived.

"..."

Simia had a bad feeling, so she didn't hesitate any longer. She raised her gun and aimed at the crow that was almost blending into the darkness.

But just as she was about to pull the trigger, the crow suddenly flapped its wings and its entire body underwent a dramatic change.

He became...one person.

Someone she recognized.

“Igris…?!”

"what?"

She heard the sounds below from the rooftop and saw Simia crouching in the corner.

Like the departed lord of Hayashi-ji Temple, the sheep exclaimed, "Ah! It's you!"

She quickly jumped off the roof, still clutching a nearly shattered mirror tightly in her hand.

She came to Simia's side, waving excitedly.

"Did Igris send you to pick me up?"

"You... are the Mirror Demon?"

She thought of the strange pet that Igris had, a magical creature that could transform into various shapes.

She is not Igris, but the Mirror Demon.

"Yes, yes, it's me."