The Inquisition Knights had arrived at Papel Village.
But there was one thing bothering me.
The village square was far noisier than it should have been.
“Maybe the chief’s making a fuss about something again…”
“…No… surely not. Even they wouldn’t go that far…”
“Grana? What’s wrong?”
“…It’s nothing. At least… I hope it is.”
Standing by the front entrance, I tilted my head at Grana’s strangely uneasy expression.
Then a knight riding a land dragon—an enormous reptilian beast easily larger than a horse—approached our house.
“Saint Raphiel, this is the first time we have properly greeted one another. I’m Zereshia of the Inquisition Knights.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Zereshia.”
The knight was a one-eyed woman with striking gray hair.
She was beautiful in a sharp, dignified sort of way. Under normal circumstances, I probably would have found myself captivated by her appearance.
But for some reason—
The moment I looked at her, what rose inside me wasn’t admiration.
It was disgust.
A deep, instinctive revulsion.
Like my body itself was rejecting her existence.
The female knight named Zereshia dismounted from her land dragon and bowed gracefully before Raphiel, speaking with a gentle tone and a refreshing smile.
“Raphiel-sama, we humbly ask that you resume your pilgrimage. It’s the unanimous will of the temple that you fulfill your sacred duty as a Saint.”
“…I understand. My preparations to depart are already complete, so there’s no need for concern.”
“That’s wonderful news.”
Raphiel began walking forward.
She’d caused all sorts of commotion during her stay here, but now that she was actually leaving, I felt unexpectedly lonely.
Still, Raphiel was a Saint.
I still didn’t fully understand what a Saint even did during a pilgrimage…
But I knew enough to understand this much:
It was probably far harsher than anything someone raised in a peaceful world like mine could ever imagine.
And so, the only thing I could really do was—
“Raphiel.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Uh… well… here. Take this.”
“This is…”
What I handed her was a rice ball.
Simple and homemade.
One filled with salmon, the other tuna mayonnaise, both wrapped in a sheet of seaweed.
“When your pilgrimage is over, come visit again. You’ll always be welcome here.”
“…Thank you very much. I think… I can keep trying now.”
“Good luck on your journey.”
The rice ball I was trying to hand to Raphiel—
Along with my arm—
Dropped wetly to the ground.
“Eh?”
“Huh?”
For a moment, my mind couldn’t comprehend what had happened.
My arm—
From the elbow down—
Had been cleanly severed.
At some point, it had already fallen onto the dirt beside me.
Then the pain arrived.
A horrifying, explosive agony.
“Gah— my arm!! M-my arm!!”
I collapsed to my knees on the spot.
But before I could even writhe in pain, something slammed violently into my body and sent me flying.
“A filthy heretic like you dares act so familiar with the Saint, you worthless trash!!”
“Gah—! Ugh…!”
“You think vermin like you have the right to speak the Saint’s name!? Piece of shit!!”
It was Zereshia.
She was the one who cut off my arm.
And the one now kicking me while I lay helpless on the ground.
“Eight!!”
“R-Raphiel…”
“It’s fine. I shall reconnect your arm immediately.”
“T-this is bad… Raphiel actually looks like a real Saint right now…”
“I am a real Saint.”
Raphiel hurried over in panic and began chanting a spell.
Light enveloped my severed limb—
And in the next instant, my arm was perfectly reattached.
The pain vanished completely, as though it had never existed.
“Inquisition Knight Zereshia!! What’s the meaning of this!?”
After confirming my arm had healed, Grana let out a relieved breath before furiously rounding on Zereshia.
Zereshia merely shrugged.
“Oh my, my. If it isn’t Holy Knight Grana, esteemed guardian of Saint Raphiel. And yet despite someone as exceptional as yourself standing watch over her, the heretic corrupting the Saint continues to live freely. Might I ask what exactly your intentions are—”
“I don’t care for your long-winded nonsense!! Why did you attack Sir Eight!?”
“…I merely passed judgment upon one who behaved disrespectfully toward the Saint.”
“Whether his actions were disrespectful or not is for Raphiel-sama to decide—not you!!”
“Ahh… how unfortunate. It seems you too have been corrupted by heretics.”
Zereshia snapped her fingers.
“Miracle of Restraint—Sacred Bind.”
Chains of light instantly erupted around Grana’s body.
“Gh—!? This is—! My strength… I can’t move!?”
“The Miracle of Restraint seals the power of its target through divine authority. Even the strongest Holy Knight can’t resist it.”
“Guh…!”
Unable to move even a finger, Grana was completely immobilized.
Zereshia looked down on her with a contemptuous snort.
And then—
“Inquisition Knight Zereshia.”
“Yes, Saint-sama? Do you require something from me?”
“As a Saint, I command you. You’re forbidden from harming Eight or any resident of this village from this point onward.”
“Oh dear. That presents a problem. I already ordered my subordinates to slaughter every villager.”
“!?”
Raphiel’s eyes widened in shock.
And seeing that expression—
Zereshia smiled.
A twisted, sadistic smile.
She even forced tears into her eyes as though performing some grotesque act.
“Ahh, Raphiel-sama. You have merely been deceived by heretics and the foolish villagers who succumbed to their sweet lies.”
“What are you—”
“Set fire to the village. Leave nothing behind.”
“Yes, ma’am!!”
“Inquisition Knight Zereshia!! Do you intend to ignore my orders!?”
“Please rest easy. This Zereshia shall save you from your momentary madness.”
Raphiel froze in disbelief.
She had probably never imagined someone would outright defy the command of a Saint.
We had to stop them.
But the Inquisition Knights bound even Raphiel herself, sealing away her movements just as they had done to Grana.
Ronda, meanwhile, had apparently fallen completely asleep in the living room after eating her fill.
Which meant—
The only person left who could move was me.
But after having my arm sliced off moments ago, terror rooted me to the spot.
The thought that next time it might not be my arm—
But my head—
Paralyzed me completely.
At least until Zereshia uttered the most horrifying words yet.
“Ah, perfect timing. Start by burning down the heretic’s house in front of us.”
“““Yes, ma’am!!”””
“!?”
At Zereshia’s command, the Inquisition Knights began splashing oil around my house.
…No.
No no no no no.
“Stop!! Stop it!! There are children inside— please stop!!”
“Children? Ahh, don’t worry. Once the house is burning, we’ll kill you too and toss your corpse into the flames. Then you can all die together.”
“T-that house… it’s important to me…! It’s filled with memories of my grandfather…!”
“Memories? Important? Such things are unnecessary for heretics.”
And then—
Just as Zereshia moved to ignite the house—
『D O N O T M O V E』
“““!?!”””
Everyone froze.
As though time itself had suddenly stopped.
No one could move.
No one could breathe.
And before anyone realized it—
Something was standing there.
A black shadow shaped vaguely like a human figure.
Its entire body was covered in countless eyes and mouths.
An abomination overflowing with murderous intent, hatred, and malice—
A living nightmare that should never have existed in this world.
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