“Please, Grandpa!” Mila tried her best to play the role of a frightened girl. She pressed herself against Isabel as if to get further away from the angry old man. “W-We didn’t do anything wrong.”

While Mila wasn’t overly confident in her acting, Isabel’s surprised glance didn’t do any favours either.

“I am not senile, you little rascal.” The Inquisitor harumped but still did not move. His eyes bleary eyes scrutinised their every move. It looked like he was about to yawn again, but he shouted again. “SLOW DOWN!”

The following high-pitched noise scraped against their ears before Astra’s exclaimed angrily. Silinth’s mad laughter followed.

For a moment, the old man in front of them sagged as it looked like the last years he had left flowed out of his body. “Now, girlies, what do you need from this elder?” His wrinkles slowly regained some energy and expression.

Frankly, the old man didn’t look dangerous. It seemed he had to take his time each time he attempted to hinder Silinth. It was also a question of how quick that decrepit body of his could move.

“W-we were just escaping the fires.” Mila tried to squeeze out a tear. Isabel still had not moved and didn’t look like she would talk.

“Pah! That’s some crappy acting!” The Inquisitor spat on the ground. When his lips parted, they revealed an empty mouth devoid of any teeth.

“W-We will leave then.” Mila tried. “Please don’t hurt us.”

“You are not leaving.” The ancient man denied Mila’s request. “It’s safer here.” He mulled on his words before adding. “We still have something to discuss, don’t we?”

Was it safe? There were doubts in Mila’s mind on whether or not that was true. She nudged Isabel to try and take a step back.

However, once Isabel lifted her leg, an invisible pressure coming from the seemingly harmless old man pressed it back on the ground.

“Okay, so we talk.” Mila suddenly changed her demeanour. There was no point in humiliating herself if the man didn’t buy it. She let Isabel put her down, and once on the ground, Mila raised her chin and walked a couple steps closer to the Inquisitor. “I am Mila.” She announced as Isabel took the same steps to stand next to her.

“Drun. Or some people call me ‘Sleeper’, the annoying gnats.” Drun grumbled. “Using me to scare children.”

“What do you wish to discuss, Mister Drun?” Mila calculated her chances of a throwing knife reaching the man. His capabilities were still in question. She needed to be a few more steps closer to gauge his mana pool.

And annoyingly, Mila’s goal was also on the man’s body. Clearly, he was the guard for her prize. She evaluated the man’s reactions and took another step closer. There still was no visible reaction.

Until Drun violently pushed air out of his lungs, raising his voice as much as possible. “STOP!”

But these words slid around Mila and Isabel, not even doing as much as disturbing a strand of hair. Drun still only aimed at Silinth.

Drun deflated once again. Each shout aged him even more. He coughed before speaking again. “Why are you with Silinth?”

It was a direct question. Mila didn’t believe her lies would work. Drun was too old and villy for it. But there was no need to lie either. The truth was already quite damning. “He kidnapped us, advised us not to leave his place and then attacked that old Inquisitor. Now we are forced to run and hide.”

“Huh?” Drun was taken by surprise. “Is that so?” It seemed that he couldn’t quite believe Mila’s words.

The time seemed to slow down as the man thought about Mila’s words. “It’s the truth. Isn’t that right, Isabel?”

Isabel slowly nodded. “Right.” She had not dismissed her summoned shield, not even for a moment, always holding it ready to intercept an attack.

“Unfortunate.” Drun finally concluded, his eyelids drooping dangerously low. “Do you know what Silinth did in his fight against Kaldiro? Has he told you about the method he used? Did he tell you about his group?” He started to throw out a question after question.

Both Mila and Isabel always answered negatively. Silinth had seldom spoken about him, his goals or his group. They knew almost nothing. The most they had learned was from Hanna.

More questions followed, but after not getting the answers he wanted, Drun dry coughed in his palm before shouting and ordering Silinth to freeze. “It is a relief.” He finally stopped the questioning, his face relaxing for a moment. “It could be worse. So he did control himself.”

There was a lull of peace in the air. Both Mila and Drun looked to the side at the same time. Something was wrong. Mila could tell.

“I spoke too soon,” Drun whispered. “Oh, no.” His trembling limbs pushed him up to stand. “This city is doomed.”

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Isabel looked around in confusion. The sudden silence felt deafening. “What…”

Mila’s eyes widened. “Cover your ears, close your ears, raise the strongest barrier you can. No matter what, don’t look, don’t listen! Start humming, drown out the sound!” She quickly spoke, following her own words.

This was what had bothered Mila before. Silinth had been too far gone. When he had lashed out against the Inquisitor, she should have realised that this would be the result.

A sudden wild howl shook the foundations of the world. Mila felt her body tremble with instinctive fear. A desperate shouting followed, but she did her best to not listen. Her hums were not enough.

But Drun was moving as well. Mila finally felt the man’s mana pool as he entered the range of her senses. He was powerful. Drun wielded just about as much mana as Silinth, but…

Most of it was tied to something in Drun’s chest. And now that the situation had turned for the worst, the experienced Inquisitor started to unravel the knots around the mysterious something he guarded.

More and more power flowed into Drun’s body. Mila could not see, refused to see, but she still felt.

There was murmuring in the air. Soft whispers and a censure. These voices came from three directions, corresponding to each Inquisitor. They pushed against the terrible wrongness, containing and eradicating it.

But they struggled. Mila could feel they did. These three were barely enough. The prayers they gave were pushing back against Silinth, but they did not stop him.

And this could be a chance. Mila cleared her mind, not letting the foolishness of Silinth taint her heart. Currently, Drun was preoccupied. It would be so simple to kill the man and claim part of his mana and the piece of the mysterious rock for herself.

Just…

What then? Could they escape Silinth’s madness? Drun was necessary to hold back the corruption that began to take hold in the surrounding reality.

Mila gritted her teeth. The world felt like it was ending. But there was an opportunity here. She could feel it. Her guts…

No, not only her guts. Another voice inside her told her to grab this opportunity. As the surroundings grew more unstable and Silinth’s howls intensified, Mila felt a part inside her unravel just as it did inside Drun.

There was surety in the feeling that was transferred to Mila. A conviction that it was the time to make a move.

The otherworldly mutters grow more intense to match Silinth. The three Inquisitors struggled to keep the world stable. Mila’s senses grew scrambled, as did her mind. She still was too weak to meddle in this insanity on her own.

So, Mila grabbed the dagger she had killed Munny with. It was hard as her fingers refused to listen to her orders, but she managed.

As for the target? That was simpler. The only thing that was still clear to Mila was where Drun was. He burned in her awareness brightly.

There would be consequences. The sensation brushing against Mila’s thoughts told her so, but they would be manageable. It could take time, and she would not be able to get away, but she didn’t need to.

Isabel was here. Mila’s girl was strong and dependable. She could trust her.

The following step was so easy. Mila’s body carried itself forward. Her arm floated through the air, and the dagger plunged inside Drun’s neck without resistance.

There was a sudden jerk as one of the pillars holding down Silinth vanished. The world hiccuped, and Mila fell. Her shoulder impacted the ground as Drun’s lifeless body collapsed next to her.

The world seemed to slow down. There was a scream nearby. Several now. Mila felt Drun’s mana seep into her body and expand the pool she could wield by magnitudes. There was wetness running down her face.

And then Mila’s hearing cut. Sudden chilly quietness surrounded her, but she still could hear Silinth’s trashing.

But there was also heavenly singing mixed in between soul-wrecking roars. Astra’s voice grew in strength, and a man supported her. Their duet had called forth something higher than they were. Just a sliver of it as the world was about to break.

Calming her racing heartbeat, Mila clumsily pulled her arm closer to the corpse lying next to her. Her fingers finally found the leathery skin.

The goal of this suffering was just there. Mila just had to reach out a bit more. Her body spasmed as it struggled to give orders to her treacherous limb.

It was there, but so far away. Mila felt her body break down some more. She had listened to Silinth’s raving for far too long. But there was still mana. She had more than ever.

Mila’s body was suddenly flooded with power as she spent all she had to get her hand to move just a breath more.

Something was cut, and Astra’s and the unknown Inquisitor’s voices sputtered out. There was a yowl of challenge. It reminded Mila of a primordial beast more than a man.

More jerking followed as the ground started to spin around. Mila’s fingers were almost there. She pushed more mana into her muscles. Just a bit more. The rock was just there. She just had to touch it.

“Where are you running?” Silinth’s voice was suddenly clear and cold. It travelled through the world unimpeded. “Your duty is to destroy us-”

“STOP!” Astra’s desperate shout stopped Silinth from speaking any further.

“I shall not. You have failed.” Silinth simply stated. There were no emotions in his voice. Something hot passed above them, burning away at the reality.

Mila thought she heard sorrowful wails as Astra and the other Inquisitor were repelled. There was no more time. If she didn’t move, Isabel would be in danger. Her trembling fingers were just a moment away.

And the horrible stench suddenly was right there, next to her. Mila hoped Isabel was still keeping her eyes and ears covered. They could not behold what had come.

“What are you?” Silinth asked. The cool, unfeeling tone chilled the surroundings. His alien feelers extended to cover the tiny body in front of him.

Mila’s fingers jerked. Just a little bit more. Once she touched the stone, she would lose consciousness and fall into the sweet oblivion. Only then could Mila face the horrible corruption that ate away at their existence.

Silinth… No. Silinth was no more. The being didn’t exactly move. It was simply closer now to Mila, scrutinising her. Perhaps it found her wanting, as it spoke no more.

Instead, it turned its attention to Isabel. “Ah, we have met your kind before. Those chosen by destiny must die.” The being pronounced.

But now that the being was distracted, Mila finally reached the stone. Her fingers clasped it, and the world vanished as her mind sank into the world of dreams.