It was not until nightfall that Duanmu Huai saw Kentō Kanami again. Perhaps because this was familiar territory for her, she brought back a piece of intelligence that was somewhat troubling.
"Ghosts?"
"Mm...…"
When the topic came up, Kentō Kanami's face turned a little pale, but she still relayed to Duanmu Huai the story she had heard from that student.
"This is… a story my friend told me… Near the Parris Academy, there is an uninhabited mansion. It's said that it used to be a villa belonging to royalty or high nobility, but something happened there a long time ago, so it was sealed off ever since. Recently, because things haven't been very safe, everyone goes out in groups…"
The room was dimly lit. Perhaps to set the mood, Kentō Kanami had lit only a single candle and placed it in front of herself.
"…Classmate A and classmate B were the same. Because they were good friends, they always went home together after school. However, just as they were passing that mansion, B suddenly pointed at a window and shouted that there was someone there. When A looked over, she didn't see anyone. She thought B had seen wrong, but B insisted that she really had seen someone—and that it was their good friend, classmate H."
As she continued, Kentō Kanami's voice grew increasingly low.
"At that time, H had already been missing for several days. A only thought that her friend was overly worried and had hallucinated. Besides, even if the place was abandoned, as noble young ladies they couldn't possibly trespass into a private residence. So A just comforted B a few words and then took her away, and then… the next day, B went missing."
Duanmu Huai crossed his arms and sat against the wall, silently watching Kentō Kanami's narration.
"At the time, everyone was quite shocked. According to B's parents, B had gone to school early that morning, but the teacher never saw her arrive. A was of course very worried. Then, that afternoon when she was heading home after school, she suddenly remembered what B had said earlier. As if possessed, A lifted her head and looked toward the second-floor window of that villa… and then she saw… B standing there with a deathly pale face, staring straight at her!"
"...…"
"After that, A was so frightened that she ran home. The next day, she brought several friends with her to check, but they didn't see B again… However, just when A thought what she had seen was only a hallucination, after she returned home, suddenly a hand reached out from behind her…"
"Crash!"
"Waaahhhhhhh!!!!"
Before Kentō Kanami could finish her story, the sliding door suddenly opened. Startled, she let out a scream, leapt up, and instantly darted behind Duanmu Huai. Then the lights came on, and Miss Horikawa Nami walked in.
"Ah, it's already dinnertime. May I ask if the two of you would like to eat?"
"Of course. Sorry to trouble you."
"Alright, please wait a moment."
After replying with a smile, the innkeeper turned around, closed the door, and left. Kentō Kanami cautiously peeked her head out from behind Duanmu Huai.
"Whew… that really scared me to death."
"If you're afraid of ghosts, then don't tell ghost stories."
Duanmu Huai muttered dryly, then got to the point.
"Alright, the story's finished. And then?"
"Uh… if my guess is correct, that villa should belong to Princess Liya…"
"So you're saying that all those kidnapped noble girls were taken by the princess?"
"That… I don't know. But Lady Liya wouldn't do something like this."
As she said this, Kentō Kanami lowered her head in dejection.
"I still remember that Lady Liya used to be very gentle. Back then, after I escaped from my homeland and collapsed by the roadside, it was Lady Liya who saved me. That's why I swore to devote everything to Her Highness."
"No wonder…"
Duanmu Huai nodded. He had indeed felt that Kentō Kanami's willingness to sacrifice herself for the princess went a bit too far—but now it was clear there was a reason.
"In any case, whether it's really a ghost story or not, wouldn't everything be clear if we just investigate that house? You should be very familiar with the place."
"Yes. I've followed Her Highness there several times before. There were never any incidents, and definitely no ghosts…"
"In any case, we'll know once we go. We're going tonight."
"Huh? Tonight?!"
Kentō Kanami's face instantly turned pale.
"Of course. Were you planning to go during the day?"
"D-during the day, ghosts wouldn't come out, right?"
"Didn't you just say there were no ghosts?"
"Uh...…"
At this point, Kentō Kanami had no grounds left to object.
So after finishing dinner, the two left the inn and headed toward the so-called ghost mansion.
At night, the outer city was completely different from the daytime. Heavily armed Hermann soldiers patrolled everywhere, but that was naturally no obstacle for the two of them. Soon, under Kentō Kanami's guidance, Duanmu Huai arrived at the mansion.
From the outside, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary Western-style villa. There were no lights inside, and everything was silent, making it look completely uninhabited.
"I remember the key should be here… ah, please wait a moment."
Kentō Kanami quietly moved a flowerpot aside, took out a key, and opened the front door.
"Creeeeak—"
Inside the villa was deathly silent. Only the faint sound of the door opening echoed through the stillness.
"Ugh…"
Looking at the pitch-black mansion, Kentō Kanami hesitated slightly, while Duanmu Huai strode straight inside. Seeing him enter, she had no choice but to follow.
"No matter how you look at it, this doesn't seem like a place where anyone's been living."
Passing through the corridor into the main hall, Duanmu Huai glanced around and lightly brushed his hand across a table. The thick layer of dust proved that no one had stayed here for a long time.
"Let's check the second floor first."
According to Kentō Kanami's story, the figure seen by that student should have been in the room at the far western end of the second floor. There weren't many rooms upstairs. Duanmu Huai and Kentō Kanami opened them one by one, but found no signs of habitation or daily life.
"This should be it."
Standing before the glass window at the very end, Duanmu Huai looked outside. The road below was clearly visible. From the angle, if someone were walking along the road and looked up, they would indeed be able to see someone standing here.
"But there aren't any traces here either, are there?"
After checking again, Kentō Kanami voiced her doubt. Although she wasn't very strong, she hadn't neglected her basic ninja training. If someone had been living here, she wouldn't have failed to notice.
"No, there are traces here."
Duanmu Huai raised his hand and pointed at the glass window. A beam of light shot out, striking the glass, and soon a human handprint appeared.
"This is?"
"A human handprint. Judging by the size, it should be about the same as yours."
Duanmu Huai compared it.
"Could it be something left behind long ago?"
"That's also possible, if no cleaning was done before you left."
"Ugh...…"
Kentō Kanami frowned. She was a ninja, not a maid—cleaning wasn't her responsibility.
"In any case, let's go down and take a look. Is there a basement here?"
"Of course."
The moment they walked down the stairs, the atmosphere instantly changed.
Though it was hard to describe, both Duanmu Huai and Kentō Kanami felt something off—an unspeakable presence seemed to be flowing through the air.
"Sir, the light in that room is on."
"Let's take a look."
"Yes."
Duanmu Huai leaned against the wall, scanned both sides, then gestured to Kentō Kanami. She nodded, took out her lockpicks, and smoothly opened the locked door. Then she took a deep breath and suddenly flung it open.
The next moment, when the two rushed inside and saw the scene before them, they froze.
"Ugh...… ah...…"
A naked blonde girl sat on a chair, her hands tightly bound to the backrest with leather straps, her legs tied apart as well. Her azure eyes were vacant and unfocused, her mouth occasionally letting out faint breaths. She tilted her head upward, staring blankly at the ceiling, weak moans escaping her lips. She had nearly lost consciousness, leaving only instinctive reactions.
"This… seems to be one of the missing noble ladies."
"In any case, let's get her down first."
Duanmu Huai walked to the chair and reached out to undo the black leather straps binding the girl's limbs.
"Ah… ahhh… ahhhhhhh!!!"
The instant his hand touched her, the girl screamed. Her pale skin flushed vivid red, her slender body tensed violently, trembling hard. Moments later, like a collapsing dam, transparent liquid burst forth in a flood, spraying forward and splashing across the floor.
"Ugh… ah…"
She then closed her eyes and lost consciousness.
"...…"
What the hell?
Duanmu Huai stared silently at the unconscious girl and exchanged a glance with Kentō Kanami.
"You do it."
"Ah… y-yes…"
Kentō Kanami hurried forward, freed the girl, laid her down gently, and examined her carefully.
"She seems to be Miss Angel of the Angel family… she's also a student at the Parris Academy."
"Alright. Looks like we've found the source."
Duanmu Huai drew the greatsword from his back.
"Let's go. I think the source is further inside."
"...…Yes."
Kentō Kanami's expression darkened, but she nodded.
They continued deeper. Along the way, they opened several rooms—most contained imprisoned girls. They had been confined here and subjected to all kinds of torture and abuse. The sight was horrifying. The further they went, the stiffer Kentō Kanami's expression became.
This was Princess Liya's villa. If none of this had anything to do with her, that would be far stranger. No matter how much Kentō Kanami didn't want to believe it, all evidence pointed to Princess Liya being controlled by a Devilman—and committing unimaginable atrocities.
Finally, they reached the end.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
Before opening the door, agonized screams poured out. Duanmu Huai frowned and gestured. Kentō Kanami gritted her teeth, flung the door open, and the two charged in.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
Under the dim lighting, a girl was suspended in midair, straddling a triangular wooden torture horse. Her body was covered in wounds and lash marks.
Two figures stood nearby, watching. When they turned around, Kentō Kanami froze.
"Y-Your Highness? Lady Maris?!"
One was a beautiful blue-haired girl in a white dress—Princess Liya of Lisath—whom Duanmu Huai had seen on television. Beside her stood a green-haired attendant.
"What… what are you doing?!"
Kentō Kanami stared in horror.
"Oh my, isn't that Kanami?"
Princess Liya smiled cheerfully, utterly unconcerned.
"You're finally back. Perfect timing—I'm still short of a capable helper. Come help me."
She was exactly the same as on television—casual, relaxed, as if hosting afternoon tea.
"Y-Your Highness? What are you saying? Why would you do this?"
"You mean this?"
Princess Liya glanced at the tortured girl and smiled innocently.
"I just want to play with cute girls. Watching them cry and beg… that attitude is the greatest pleasure…"
"…Huh?"
"They resist at first, then submit and beg. But to me, this is just entertainment. Even if they beg, what difference does it make? I simply enjoy watching them struggle in pain."
"How could this be…"
Kentō Kanami collapsed to the floor.
"Your Highness… you weren't like this before…"
"That was before."
Liya pouted.
"Thanks to the Devilmen, I finally understand what I truly want. This is my real happiness!"
"No… you've been brainwashed by the Devilmen—"
"Oh my, I can't pretend I didn't hear that."
A voice interrupted. A blond, vampire-like man stepped out of the shadows, followed by two doll-like girls.
"It's you!"
Kentō Kanami leapt up, gripping her blade.
"You know him?"
"Yes, sir. When I escaped, it was this Devilman…"
"I merely helped Her Highness open her heart. Facing one's deepest desires is far more important than boring morals."
He smiled, then looked at Duanmu Huai.
"You're the one who killed my lovely doll. Hand over the Sacred Armament."
"Sacred Armament?"
Duanmu Huai laughed.
"I've never heard of it."
"Playing dumb won't help."
He glanced at Kentō Kanami.
"She carried it out. Without it, how could you kill my doll? Hand it over and I may spare you."
"Simple," Duanmu Huai said, stepping forward with a savage grin.
"Because she was too weak."
"Like this—!!!"
Terror exploded outward, becoming a tangible storm. Princess Liya, her attendant, and the Devilman recoiled in shock.
"Th-this aura… could it be the Demon King…?"
"Heretical scum who worship demons!"
Duanmu Huai raised his force-field sword.
"In the name of the Inquisition, I will purge you and all your lackeys. Die!!"
(End of Chapter)