A darkness pervaded the Einzbern Castle, the lights flickering now and then.
Then, with a sudden burst of flash, all lights went out, the darkness settling in the stones.
Sella and Leysritt, who had been preparing snacks for Sakura in the Castle's large kitchen, suddenly frowned, sharing a glance.
Everyone except Sakura had already gone out in search of the loose Shadow.
Also, it wasn't like there was any concept of lights going out at this place. Everything was being fueled by Magic here, even the lights. So, complete darkness here meant only one thing.
Intruder!
Sella and Leysritt dashed across the kitchen, leaving behind pale white blurs.
In only a few seconds, they rushed into the Grand Hall, where Sakura was waiting for them.
However, when they reached the place, they couldn't find any sign of the girl, a nervous expression flashing across their eyes.
Sella's eyes hardened, a globe of white light appearing in the palm of her right hand.
Next to her, the quiet Leysritt took out her massive halberd. "Ms. Sakura!" she called out. "… Are you…"
Something shifted in the corner.
Leysritt and Sella jumped, their breathing quickening.
But when they looked closer, they found it was just a flicker of shadow. Nothing else.
"I think we should let our disgusting Master know," Sella spat, mentioning Black. "It would be…"
Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine.
From the corner of her eye, she spied a flash of red and black, hovering above Leysritt's head like a guillotine.
"Leysritt"
Crackkkkkkk!
The giant halberd in Leysritt's hand blurred, striking off the strip of cloth, the contact letting out fiery sparks.
With a hiss, dozens more red-black strips of cloth hurled toward them from the darkness.
The white globe of light in Sella's hand spun on her palm, dividing in two, then three before becoming six… stopping at a dozen.
Like bullets, all the Mana blobs shot toward the incoming strips of cloth.
However, the moment they neared them, and the instant they touched the tip of those strips, all the white blobs vanished, disappearing into a mass of blackness.
Leysritt and Sella's eyes popped out.
Steps rang in their ears as the darkness in front of them materialized, taking a beautiful, evil shape.
From the darkness, Sakura Matou, dressed in a red-black striped gown, walked out, the end of her white purple hair flailing as if each strand had a life of its own. Her purple eyes, half-opened, carried a dreaminess within them. Her head kept bobbing left and right as if she were drunk, and even her gait carried a drunkenness, her legs wobbling now and then.
Only one thing seemed truly in control about her.
The dress…
The Shadow!
"… What sorcery is this?!" Sella wondered aloud. "Sakura! Snap out of it!!"
In response, all the strips at the end of her gown lifted simultaneously before launching themselves toward the two maids.
Booms-Bangs rang out across the Castle as the two Homunculi fought the possessed Sakura, parrying the incoming attacks.
With a loud noise, an entire wall collapsed, the two maids getting thrown out in the corridor, rubble flying here and there.
Leysritt struck the ground with her halberd, regaining her footing.
Sella's soles let out a golden magical glow, letting her step on the air to reposition herself.
As they skidded and arrived at the moonlit courtyard, their eyes landed on the collapsed wall in front of them.
In the darkness beyond, Sakura was standing, her entire figure glitching.
"Leysritt…" Sella said, letting out a breath. "… Run!"
There was no other option left to them.
Between the two of them, one must leave the Castle and warn the others about this insidious plot.
With the Castle buried under many-layered Bounded Fields, if they died here, no one would ever know the truth.
Also, running away wasn't an option… not for both of them.
So, nodding heavily at her companion, Leysritt turned around and bolted… and suddenly fell face forward.
Brokenly, both Sella and Leysritt, now using the halberd to prop herself up, looked at the spot where the latter had been standing a moment ago.
There, surrounded by thin, shadowy tendrils, was Leysritt's left foot, cut right under the knee.
With a muffled crunching sound, the entire foot vanished, the possessed Sakura gulping behind them, licking her lips.
Sella let out a shout, creating a humongous ball of fire in front of her.
Next to her, knowing her purpose, and despite losing her leg, Leysritt kicked the ground with the remaining leg, blurring out of existence.
With a fiery, hissing sizzle, Sella fired the ball of fire toward Sakura.
However, the moment it reached her, the giant fireball got squeezed by blackness, making it vanish.
Far behind a stunned and terrified Sella, Leysritt had just landed on the roof.
One more jump, and she would cross all the Bounded Fields, as she was allowed to come and go through them as she pleased.
Unfortunately, just as she pushed against the stone, a mass of shadow propped itself up in front of her.
From the blackness, a spot of golden light came out… becoming a giant, sizzling fireball.
Booooooooooooooom!
A charred Leysritt shot across the space and landed back in the courtyard, the halberd lodging itself in the earth next to her.
Stuttering under the burning pain, Leysritt looked to her right, barely able to see through her right eye.
There, Sella was standing as if petrified, red-black strips plunged deep into her body, painting her white gown red.
Then, with another flicker, Sella's head rolled down.
"… Mistress…" Leysritt worded, remembering Illya, coughing blood. "… Forgive… us…"
A red and black fountain of cloth-strips rose in her vision, rising higher and higher… before turning around and plunging, crushing her face.
Sakura Matou stood for a moment between the mutilated corpses. Then, with a flicker, she disappeared, reappearing underground. For a moment, she lingered there before disappearing, reappearing in the cellar.
Flickering rapidly, Sakura scanned through the entire Castle, making sure nothing alive remained here.
With one last glitch, she blinked out of existence altogether, leaving behind utter silence.
After a moment, the space flickered in the courtyard once again… but it wasn't the possessed Sakura.
With his hands clasped behind his back, it was Kai, looking at the two maids' corpses.
Then, sighing, the Master Manipulator put Leysritt charred corpse in his Inventory and disappeared.
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