Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

The wooden floorboards cracked and splintered, collapsing outwards from the blade.

The "Yama" sword, which possesses the property of "separation," can easily dismantle objects that have been forcibly fused together through magic.

The "ground itself," transformed into a living entity, crumbled and disintegrated, eventually forming a bottomless cave—

That was like a road leading to hell.

"So it really was hidden underground."

Natalia tried throwing a lit cigarette in, watching as a tiny red light slowly disappeared before her eyes.

"Good~"

The silver-haired hunter grabbed Shirou's waist and leaped down.

The cave is over twenty meters deep.

When she sensed the ground, Natalia raised a hand and slammed it against the wall, scratching at it with her nails to slow herself down until she came to a stop.

"...I never knew there was such a place."

It was an underground cave that was not man-made but formed naturally.

Feeling the cold temperature and the strong magical energy in the humid air, Shirou realized that this was the location of a spiritual vein similar to the Great Hollow.

"Hey, something's coming."

Natalia whispered to herself as she used magic to create light and began to walk forward.

After walking a few steps, a stench of decay reached their noses.

More chilling than the stench of rotting flesh was the damp, rattling sound coming from the darkness, like flesh writhing together.

Then—they met.

To give an analogy, that thing is like a giant queen ant.

Within that incomparably enormous ovipositor, humans are being produced in an endless stream.

The human, whose entire body was covered in solution and who was still wearing clothes, was the man Shirou had killed the night before.

"This guy works at the hotel..."

"Yes, I've seen this face before."

The man swept the solution away with his hand, stood up straight, and walked deeper into the cave.

"In other words, the villagers who attacked us..."

"They're all this guy's kids."

Shirou and Natalia were now certain that the massive, tumor-like human factory was indeed the Heinrich Zeppelin they were looking for.

Seeing that ugly and twisted form, even a Death Apostle who despises human life would scoff and regard him as an anomaly.

The people in this town are not ghouls, but rather they have all become its puppets, going through a cycle of "reincarnation" day after day in this small, enclosed world.

For some reason, the melancholy face of a certain monk he had encountered in Kanbuko City appeared in Shirou's mind.

"It seems there is no other option but to kill it."

Natalia named the thing "Lord of the Flies": "Next, we need to devise a strategy..."

"That's not necessary."

With that, Shirou stepped out of the darkness.

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

Natalia let out a low growl.

She gritted her teeth and finally gave up on going out together. Instead, she hid in the shadows with a pump-action shotgun to keep watch for her companion.

Shirou swaggered out—to face the monster before him.

In a flash, countless compound eyes turned toward him.

Shirou didn't care at all, nor did he seem afraid. He spoke with an imposing attitude.

"Nice to meet you, Heinrich Zeppelt."

Although the monster remained silent, a powerful mental connection, which did not require it to speak, entered his brain.

"It's an honor to meet you, Shirou Amamiya."

"How do you know my name?"

The enormous fleshy placenta rotated its compound eyes: "Everything in this town belongs to me; there's nothing I don't know—"

Even that woman hiding over there aiming at me.

"..."

Natalia remained silent and motionless.

"Is that so? You really succeeded. That body is practically immortal. Even so, you're still human."

"—That's right. I, Heinrich Zeppelin, am a genuine human being, and I love this posture in a perfectly normal way."

"So, do you intend to stay here forever, controlling the villagers in their clones, and live a peaceful life?"

"How could that be? I am both human and a magician, so naturally I have the corresponding desires."

"Even in this state, you're still a mortal at heart. Do you want to reach the root of all things? To use your immortal life to reach that realm that everyone desires?"

Zeppelin responded to the question with a mocking tone that even Natalia could sense.

The Root—the vortex of the beginning and end of all things, which is the goal of almost all magicians.

"I'd like to hear why you don't want that?"

Shirou said without changing his expression, "Because there is no need for expectation, I have already arrived at the place I longed for."

The ugly monster said, "Me too. I love this chaotic world."

What good is knowing the end, the beginning, and the end of the world?

The so-called absolute uniqueness there is really a boring thing.

What I desire is something simple that allows me to transform in countless ways.

Shirou smiled and said, "We might get along very well."

Before we begin the war, I'd like to ask you a question.

"It's alright. Since you're a long-awaited guest, there's no reason to refuse your last wish."

Shirou narrowed his eyes: "Has your research received assistance from others?"

"What?"

"Did you really achieve what you have today solely through your own efforts and the technology of the Zept family?"

"Of course."

Zeppelt's voice was filled with immense pride.

Driven by his passion for the "corpse modification" profession, he has reached his current level.

Surpass our ancestors and our competitors.

Even high-ranking Dead Apostles and wandering sea magicians of the Age of Gods would be amazed by his achievements!

Shirou sighed: "...Let me ask you a different question."

"Didn't we agree there would only be one question?" Natalia thought to herself.

Shirou asked, "Odd Polzak, do you remember that name?"

"Who is that?"

Zeppelt countered without hesitation.

"…………I see, I understand."

"You've asked all your questions? Then go die! And become part of my collection!"

Sensing the intense killing intent, Natalia used all the magic power she had absorbed from Shirou to strengthen her body, and charged out with a shotgun in hand.

But before that, a large number of tentacles attacked Shirou from all directions.

"—You brat!"

Natalia shouted nervously.

Shirou, who was being targeted by countless tentacles, remained standing in place, slowly drawing his "Enma Blade".

The moment the blade was drawn, its light seemed to illuminate the dark underground cave.

Even the stench was swept away.

Faster than the tentacle whips of the hideous monster.

It's faster than Natalia's body going berserk.

The demonic katana flashed through the void.

The countless slashes that flew out sliced ​​off the surrounding tentacles, and the monster's main body began to collapse.

A massive army of flesh, its tough flesh armor shattering and exploding in all directions—

Then, a man's face appeared from inside.

Although it was as thin as a mummy, the empty eyes that reflected the void were those of the person Shirou and the others had just seen on television.

Their eyes met, and Heinrich Zeppelt's cloudy eyes twisted with shock and fear.

That expression lasted only a moment before the entire face vanished—covered by countless slashes, sliced ​​into hundreds and thousands of pieces of flesh.

"Wow~"

Natalia stood frozen in place, too stunned to speak.

With a single, effortless strike, Shirou instantly killed the terrifying, immortal alien.

"Kid...who exactly are you...?"

Shirou turned his head and said with a smile.

"Just an ordinary human being raised by some irresponsible half-human succubus."

Natalia chuckled to herself.

……

……

"Ugh—it stinks so bad, it's making me want to throw up."

Natalia traverses the hills of corpses, searching for her target.

"Hey kid, kid, come help too! The magic crest should be somewhere in this wreckage."

The Zept family's inscribed magical secrets on the flesh.

If we sell that, we should be able to live a comfortable life for a while.

Natalia already had a severe obsession with spending money, and she would casually buy so-called "secluded" refuges all over the world, so she was always very poor.

Finally, Shirou found the magic crest on that mummy-like arm.

"..."

He thought for a moment before calling out to Natalia.

This magic trick is far too dangerous.

Is technology that doesn't involve resurrecting the dead, but rather creating the living from the dead, something that can be sold on the market?

After spending two days together, Shirou had a clear understanding of Natalia's character.

She will do good, but she will not harm her own interests for "evil that has not yet happened".

As a bounty hunter, Natalia would definitely sell this magic trick without hesitation.

"Did you find it?"