CHAPTER 137 PART 2
For some bizarre reason, Kanade seemed to be comparing herself to the one who did all this.
「That’s not true. And it will never happen.」
「Nyah!」
Saying that, I gently patted Kanade on the head.
Kanade’s eyes narrowed in a pleasant way the moment I did that, and she seemed rather pleased.
「Listen closely, Kanade…… You are not the one who did this. Neither you, nor everyone else. Neither of you are killers.」
「Rein……」
「So there is no reason at all for me to be afraid of you. Each and every single one of you are your own people, and nothing is ever going to change that fact.」
「Y-Yeah, thank you♪」
Having regained her usual upbeat mood, Kanade’s tails started to sway happily from side to side.
「……………」
Kanade seemed vaguely concerned about that idea, but still……
Others surely must have been worried about that matter as well. Because not everyone was going to be as generous and understanding as I was.
Because this time around, the members of the Ultimate Species might end up being persecuted because of what happened here.
So we have got to do everything in our power to prevent that from happening.
We have to catch the culprit behind this incident at all costs.
And in order for us to do that, what we need is the information.
That is why we would continue to investigate Pagos village some more.
「But still, I must say that it’s rather strange, though.」
A voice suddenly came out from the kettle that Kanade was holding on top of her head.
Of course, it belonged to Tina.
Because she couldn’t possibly walk on her own while staying in the kettle, even though she could make it levitate a little bit with her ghostly powers at the cost of getting tired rather quickly and her magic power running dangerously low…… Kanade carried the kettle with Tina inside of it on her head this whole time.
It’s not that it’s all that important to me or anything like that, but for some reason, all this time that we have been walking around, Kanade has been carrying Tina’s kettle on top of her head and she did not show any signs of losing her balance or dropping the kettle.
How did she even acquire that exquisite sense of balance in the first place?
「Nyah? What is so strange here, Tina?」
「Oh, I’m talking about the Ultimate Species that presumably is responsible for all of this. Because that’s your assumption, right?」
「Well ,yes, that’s right.」
「So, you are saying that this Ultimate Species is dubbed as the “Devil” for the lack of a better term, right? Now, please excuse me for being like that, but I have been around for a long time, both alive and not, and…… To be around not being alive? Huh? That’s a weird way of putting it? I mean, I have been dead for so long that I actually…… You know what, nevermind that for now. Anyways, I have been around for a long time, but I have never heard of any such Ultimate Species. How about you, Kanade? Does that ring any bells to you?」
「Umm, let’s see…… Any rumors about a girl…… wearing a black dress…… and with wings on her back, right? And being called a Devil…… Umm, no. Sorry, I haven’t really heard anything about someone like that.」
That’s the thing. That’s the problem that we are currently facing.
From what we have heard from the Pagos survivors, the one who was responsible for all of this destruction is most probably a member of the Ultimate Species.
And seeing the scene of carnage right before our very eyes, it was something that was making me more than convinced that this was the case here.
Only a very small and select few people have the power to cause such a tragedy seemingly in an instant.
So I don’t think the idea that the one who did this is the member of the Ultimate Species is wrong, but……
At the same time, I cannot really think about any Ultimate Species that would actually fit the bill here.
「The most distinctive feature of our perpetrator here is the fact that they have wings. But we don’t know of any Ultimate Species with wings right in the open. Have you ever heard of Ultimate Species like that? Kanade? Master Rein?」
「No, I don’t think I know anyone like that.」
「Same here, really……」
I was about to say that I also didn’t know anyone like that, but then I was stricken with a sudden feeling of being really uncomfortable.
Do I really not know anyone like that?
There seemed to be something stuck in the corner of my memory, nudging at me and not giving me a rest……
What was it?
Why do I feel like I’m forgetting about something important all of a sudden……?
「Hey~!!」
The moment someone called out to me, I was able to come back to my senses.
When I turned around, I saw Ax and Cell looking at me.
The two of them had gone their separate ways the moment we arrived at Pagos.
Our group was to investigate the remains of the village.
As for Ax and Cell, they had been tasked to go check out the shrine in the mountains where the Devil was said to have been sealed.
「How’s it going there? Have you found anything of interest?」
Ax asked us straight away.
We shook our heads in response.
「Unfortunately, no. No clues that could be of any use to us. The only thing that we can say for sure is…… that whoever it was that did this, they were insanely powerful.」
「Yeah, we can agree on that one for sure. I know that it’s a small village and all that, but…… How could there be anyone in this world who would ever want to do something like this?」
「Ax, you are getting way off track here.」
Cell said, as if to reprimand Ax.
「Whoops, sorry about that.」
「How’d it go for you, guys? Did you find anything?」
「Yeah, we managed to find something that looks like the remains of a shrine of some sort.」
…… Remains of some sort?
I remembered something that stuck with me about the way in which Ax phrased his words.
「I think it would be much faster and better for you to actually see it on your own. Or maybe there is still something that you wish to investigate in the village?」
「No, there’s nothing more……」
I looked at everyone’s faces.
They all shook their heads as well.
「That would be it for the time being.」
「Then, do you want to come with us?」
「Lead the way.」
We then left the village at once.
We then climbed the mountain with Ax and Cell guiding us.
On the way, we had to walk along some animal trails and other wild paths like that, but with Ax and Cell’s guidance, we didn’t get lost.
And about thirty minutes into the mountain climb……. We arrived at our destination.
「That’s where the shrine was supposed to be.」
‘
「T-This is……」
Because of the uncertainty of the existence of the Devil up until now, I was rather skeptical that the shrine that was supposed to contain it was real, but now……
We had a confirmation that the Devil-containing shrine was most certainly real.
……. But it had been completely destroyed by someone.