「Now that you understand, go home.」
Seraphina said curtly to Zeilug and Yumira.
Zeilug and Yumira exchanged glances.
They clearly did not wish to withdraw, but refusing a spirit’s order was out of the question. In the end, Zeilug said,
「…Please excuse us.」
They turned on their heels and leapt away, disappearing into the sky.
Before long, their figures vanished completely.
「By the way」
Seraphina spoke again.
「Is it true… that you killed the spirit Nea?」
Henry answered without hesitation.
「It’s true.」
「I see」
Seraphina exhaled through her nose as though impressed.
(Well, it makes sense if it’s him.)
There was a time when Seraphina herself had once attacked Henry.
He had blocked her assault with ease, but what she sensed immediately afterward was a murderous intent so intense and abnormal that ordinary humans, and even most spirits, would never have perceived it.
Because Seraphina was a warrior spirit who had mastered combat, she had been able to detect Henry’s hidden trump card.
She had felt a chilling instinct then, that if they had truly fought to the death, she might have lost.
Seraphina now understood that it was likely that same power that had allowed Henry to kill the spirit Nea.
「Will you condemn me? I’m a human who killed one of your own.」
Henry asked.
「I won’t」
Seraphina replied.
「Nea may have been a fellow spirit, but that’s all. If she fought and lost, it isn’t my place to judge.」
A warrior simply mourns the soul of the one who falls in battle.
Unless the victory was gained through cowardice or disgrace, Seraphina saw no reason to rebuke Henry.
If anything, she felt a measure of admiration for him.
「However… other spirits won’t be so forgiving. For a human to rebel against a spirit is considered the gravest of sins. Divine punishment will surely fall upon you. Be careful.」
「I’ll keep that in mind」
Henry replied.
-0-
＜Zeilug’s POV＞
A few days later.
Zeilug and Yumira had returned to their base, the temple.
The temple stood deep in the mountains, long abandoned and thus known as the “Ruined Temple”.
There, the two of them made their report to their master spirit.
「So, about the matter of the spirit Nea… Did you learn anything?」
The one asking was the female spirit Hazaris.
She stood about 162 centimeters tall.
Black hair.
Golden eyes.
She was clad entirely in black.
Barefoot.
Her appearance was like that of a vampire, yet she was unmistakably a spirit.
「Well―――――」
Zeilug began his report.
He explained that Henry had spoken rudely to the spirits, and that just as conflict was about to erupt, the warrior spirit Seraphina had intervened and stopped them.
He reported everything truthfully.
Hazaris murmured in thought.
「So it was Seraphina behind it after all.」
「Eh?」
「I’ve been wondering who killed the spirit Nea… but if Seraphina has a spirit contract with that Henry, then the answer is almost certain.」
Henry was suspected of involvement in Nea’s death.
And Seraphina was connected to him.
From those facts, only one conclusion could be drawn.
「The one who killed the spirit Nea was Seraphina. Seraphina is the true culprit who fought Nea and destroyed her.」
Hazaris declared with absolute conviction.
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