"…"
Lilith's question plunged Mr. Door into speechless silence.
"Pfft."
Lilith covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Alright, back to business. Since you've already given your uniqueness away, what harm is there in giving one more portion of your Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic? Bethel, you don't want to bring calamity back into reality someday, do you?"
"The weaker you are, the safer the rest of the world becomes—isn't that right?"
Mr. Door stared fixedly at Lilith. "You are correct."
"But…"
A sudden ripple of blood-red aura surged around Him. His previously calm eyes abruptly twisted into madness.
"Run…The Mother Goddess has detected you."
As He spoke, Mr. Door uncontrollably activated a spatial confinement, interrupting Lilith's attempt to dive into a mirror. A second later, the crimson moonlight descended, sealing that entire region and cutting off every route of escape.
At the same time, the surface of the scarlet moon bulged with countless masses of blood-red flesh and veins. These pulsated rhythmically as though breathing. A colossal phantom, larger than the moon itself, manifested and dragged Lilith—now trapped—rapidly toward it.
Tendons and fleshy strands erupted from the moon, surging toward Lilith. The instant they wrapped around her, Lilith shattered into countless fragments.
But the writhing flesh did not cease. It heaved the crimson tide forward toward another location—Lilith reappeared there, only to be swallowed instantly by the onrushing tide.
Within the blood-red torrent, her body stiffened. Under the continuous invasion of the Mother Goddess of Depravity's power, she began to undergo intense and violent transformation—
The corruptive force of an Outer Deity's authority.
———
Backlund, inside Trissy's home.
The vortex resembling an "illusory door" remained silent for a long time—until it abruptly solidified into a horrifying door of flesh and blood.
Behind this grotesque door surged waves of crimson corruption so intense that Trissy, and even Krismona, nearly lost control. Within the tides, Mr. Door's blood-red robe faintly flickered into view.
His expression shifted erratically, revealing deep exhaustion. In His hand, He held a strange half-transparent key, which He extended through the fleshy door and dropped onto the floor.
"Then, the transaction is complete."
The next second, the door of flesh rapidly shrank, vanishing along with Mr. Door's crimson robe and the surging tides, as though none of it had ever existed.
Trissy collapsed onto the floor, her entire body drenched in sweat, her delicate figure outlined beneath her clinging clothes. She exhaled weakly, "A-alive…I'm still alive…"
Hearing her voice, Krismona finally snapped back to awareness. She bent down, picked up the half-transparent key, placed it into the prepared box, then walked to the window to gaze at the moon—now stained entirely red.
"Mama…you must return safely."
———
Among the stars.
"As expected of a pillar-level authority…The gap is still far too vast."
Lilith murmured softly, and with another surge of invasive power, bang—her body shattered again.
This time she had not used mirror-substitution to escape. In reality, even with mastery over the Mirror World's authority, such an escape was impossible.
There was only one way to break free from the Mother Goddess of Depravity's corruption and control:
Death.
Not true death, but sacrificing a portion of her own soul to preserve the rest. She had learned this method in the deep Mirror World from the "Mirrored Original Creator": by splitting the soul, maintaining multiple "selves" simultaneously.
The Lilith who approached the moon—the one who attempted to request the Key of Stars' characteristic from Mr. Door—had always been merely a clone created from a small portion of her fragmented spirit.
Her true body was hiding safely far from the moon.
Of course, compared to the "avatars" created through Cowardly Trio's authority, this form of soul-fragmentation and self-annihilation caused far greater damage.
But so long as she obtained the Key of Stars' Beyonder characteristic, everything was worth it.
Lilith suddenly placed her hands on her hips and huffed at the distant moon. "Mother Goddess of Depravity, just you wait! Next time we meet, Miss Lilith will beat the crap out of you!"
From afar, as if realising she had only captured a sliver of broken spiritual fragments, the Mother Goddess flew into a towering rage. The blood-red moonlight expanded violently, threatening to swallow the surrounding starry sky.
Lilith immediately stepped back and dove into a silver mirror, slipping through the layered illusions of the Mirror World back to Earth. The next moment, she stepped out from the dressing mirror inside Trissy's home.
"Did you get it, Lil Krismona?"
Krismona's tense expression melted at once into a smile. "It's in hand."
Lilith took the box, opened it for a quick glance, and narrowed her eyes.
"So the Fallen Mother Goddess's avatar truly did make use of Her own power to deliver the separated Beyonder characteristic from Mr. Door."
She tapped her cheek lightly. "Is He determined to stand against the Mother Goddess? Or…is the Fallen Mother Goddess deliberately using this trick to gain His trust?"
She curled her lips skeptically. "But even if that were the case…no one would genuinely trust Her, would they?"
"Forget it. Guessing blindly won't get us anywhere. We'll take things one step at a time."
Trissy shrank her neck and stayed quietly on the side. Although she was extremely curious about this mysterious girl whom even Lady Krismona treated with respect, she dared not show it. What she wanted most now was simply to live a peaceful life—far from matters involving these high-level individuals.
But just as this thought crossed her mind, she saw the mysterious girl turn toward her. Lilith's expression carried a trace of amusement.
"Trissy, I have a task for you."
"…"
Her heart tightened. She forced a smile.
"L-Lady, please give your instructions."
"As expected of the vessel Cheek chose for Her descent. Quite impressive."
Lilith extended a finger and lightly pinched Trissy's chin before giving a faint smile. "Did you know? Edessak has returned."
"!!!"
The smile on Trissy's face froze. Memories she had forcibly buried resurfaced like a rising tide.
Lilith released her chin and continued casually, "So, do you want to see him?"
Trissy shook her head without hesitation.
"No!"
"Alright then."
Lilith shrugged indifferently, turning away. "I only wanted to tell you…this may be the last time you ever have the chance."
Trissy's pupils contracted violently.
"Don't let yourself regret it."
———
Saturday morning arrived with a sky heavy and misty, filling the heart with an inexplicable pressure. Though spring was near, Backlund remained bitterly cold.
On the road toward Memorial Square, Fors and Xio walked side by side. From time to time, citizens passed them—many heading in the same direction. Some wore dazed expressions, some looked sorrowful, while others held faint hope in their eyes.
They were all going to listen to King George III's speech.
Fors pulled her scarf tighter and whispered, "I didn't expect Backlund to become like this in such a short time."
Xio, still dressed in her knight attire, her short hair slightly messy, wore a solemn expression on her still-youthful face.
"I conducted a quiet investigation. Logically speaking, the war shouldn't have affected Backlund this severely, this quickly. The main issue is the grain merchants and the wealthy—they've been fanning the flames, spreading fear about the war, and using it as justification to raise prices again and again."
Fors gritted her teeth.
"Those damned profiteers!"
"It's not just the profiteers."
"Huh?"
Xio lowered her voice. "I suspect they're acting under someone's instructions. Normally, when war breaks out on the front lines, the rear should do everything possible to maintain stability, not spread panic. Why is the government turning a blind eye to such fear-mongering?"
"Fear breeds anxiety…but anxiety can turn into hatred. And hatred is far easier to manipulate."
"And so…we end up with the King's speech today."
Realisation dawned on Fors. "Ah, I see." She clenched her teeth.
"Damn…that George III."
As they approached Memorial Square, more and more people appeared ahead of them—some in proper suits with canes like gentlemen, others in deep black mourning dresses, and many in workers' clothes. Most wore pale, hungry, exhausted faces.
They converged from every street, merging into a massive tide that poured toward the square's entrance.
Within minutes, the large square was packed full. Few cared whether they had a seat—they merely stood in the cold wind, gazing toward the platform where the King would appear.
At precisely nine o'clock, King George Augustus III stepped onto the platform in formal attire. Moving before the microphone, he began solemnly, his voice deep and heavy, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am your Emperor, the Ruler of Loen—George Augustus III."
Klein stood quietly in a corner of Memorial Square, watching the hypocritical king from afar. He wondered whether he could use the identity of MI9's deputy director's Marionette to get close enough to assassinate George III.
But he quickly shook his head. George III might look like a slightly overweight monarch, but in reality he was a powerful Sequence 1. With only a Sequence 4 Marionette, how could Klein possibly kill him?
On the stage, George III continued his impassioned speech:
"…Too many outstanding young people have already died on the frontlines. They died in this war, though they should have had bright futures. They should have been able to accompany their parents in old age, mature alongside their spouses, and raise children in a loving environment—children who should have known joy in their youth…
"…The people of Feysac destroyed all of this…"
Klein had to admit: to those who did not know the truth, this speech was highly stirring—moving, even.
Many young people clenched their fists, teeth gritted, fire blazing in their eyes, ready to charge onto the battlefield that very moment.
Those who had lost family members lowered their heads, wiping at their eyes as they quietly wept.
Klein took a deep breath, lowered the brim of his silk top hat, and turned to disappear into the crowd.
He still had his own mission today.
To hunt Ince Zangwill.
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.