The Closed City
Monsters. The term encompassed animals and insects corrupted by mana, and occasionally even creatures whose true nature remained unknown. Because of their strength and ferocity, they often treated humans as prey, making them a constant threat and target for extermination.
Thud!
"Aaaagh! I didn't hear there would be this many!" Asa grumbled, drenched in blood, as she cut down a massive wolf lunging toward Jenkinson, who sat calmly chewing on jerky. The sheer number of monsters pouring out was enough to drive her mad. On top of that, Jenkinson never so much as flinched even when monsters charged straight at him, forcing her to fight while protecting him—an exhausting task.
"You're really not going to help?" she asked, watching yet more wolf-type monsters drawn by the scent of blood begin to prowl nearby. How many had she already cut down? Her stamina was reaching its limit against the seemingly endless horde.
"...Well, you've worked hard enough." At those words, Jenkinson rose from his seat. Asa had more than proven her abilities by this point. Crack! When he lightly crushed the wolf monsters with gravity, they were flattened beyond recognition. Gravity magic was notoriously difficult, yet Jenkinson had cast it effortlessly in an instant.
"..." Asa stared at the sight and thought, Is this man perhaps the real monster? A rather rude notion, but one she couldn't help.
"No wonder this village became so insular. With numbers like these..." Jenkinson now understood why the city had become isolated. If the roads were this infested with monsters, traveling to other cities would be nearly impossible.
"Be careful. They're likely hostile toward outsiders." With that warning to Asa, Jenkinson pressed onward.
[Whine!]
Monsters... running away? Asa wore a disgusted expression as she watched monsters fleeing in terror from the mana Jenkinson was emitting. Observing this, Jenkinson made his assessment. Well, this should be enough to give her a passing grade. Unless the situation was this dire, Asa possessed enough strength to protect people. With that judgment, he awarded her a passing mark in combat ability.
More importantly—
"There it is. Ogwen." Jenkinson smiled as he gazed at the walls, battered by monster attacks yet still standing firm. They had finally arrived at their destination.
--
"...How unusual. I never expected you to come looking for me." In a splendid mansion within Hell, built upon burning earth and appearing utterly alien in its surroundings, Lilith—who had been gathering souls in a room and draining their vitality through succubi—brightened at the sight of her unexpected guest. She felt no fear whatsoever, certain that Beelzebub stood behind her.
"...Still the same vulgar tastes." Satan grimaced as she removed her goat mask, watching Lilith command a rather handsome soul to lick her feet. A surprisingly normal face was revealed beneath. Though pale, his features were sharp and handsome, and his golden goat-like eyes carried both mystery and terror. This young-looking man was Satan—the great archdevil who ruled half of Hell.
"Why? Want me to suck yours instead? That might be rather special." Lilith whispered in a sweet voice, her pure white naked body exposed, but Satan merely chuckled.
"Not particularly interested in that sort of thing."
"You may leave for now." The soul stopped licking and vanished at her command. Lilith adjusted her clothing. Though the sight of her in nothing but a white gown was captivating, Satan paid it no mind.
"Beelzebub will only protect you. He will never grant you what you desire." Of course, since she had chosen to seek his protection, he would shield her—but only up to that point. Beelzebub had never agreed with the world she wanted or her ideals. Her dream would remain forever out of reach.
"..." Lilith crossed her legs, revealing their smooth curves, and fell silent at those words. She knew it well. Beelzebub was undeniably powerful, his strength an unmatched barrier... but that was all. He would never create the world she longed for. The gap between the world she desired and the one Beelzebub envisioned was simply too vast.
"Take my hand. This body shall grant you the world you seek—the world under my dominion." Satan extended the offer to Lilith. What Satan needed was military strength capable of toppling Beelzebub. A demon of Lilith's caliber would certainly prove useful.
"Your hand..." Lilith hesitated. The moment she accepted Satan's hand, she could no longer expect Beelzebub's protection. The two were locked in such sharp opposition. Ideals, or reality? Lilith pondered, though not for long.
"Very well. I shall lend you my strength." Lilith chose the world she had always envisioned. After all... she had long yearned for the days when chaos had ruled before order took its place.
"A fine answer." Satan smiled in satisfaction. Lilith then asked, "So when will you make it happen?" When would her ideal be realized? She could not wait long—humans had already begun targeting her. Satan laughed and replied, "Wait. Until all preparations are complete. That is all I can say for now." With those words, Satan vanished in an instant. Lilith wore a dissatisfied expression.
"Wait? And what about me?" With this choice, Beelzebub's protection would end. Yet no further answer came, and Lilith suddenly regretted her decision. She felt as though she had been tricked by a swindler.
--
"So... that was Lilith's choice." Beelzebub had, of course, witnessed the moment of her decision. Lying in a filthy, foul-smelling place filled with all manner of filth, the small figure nodded after receiving information from his flies. Well, their goals had always differed, so it couldn't be helped. Beelzebub understood her choice itself.
[Then what shall we do?]
When one of the flies—a golden-bodied specimen nearly the size of a fist—voiced the question, Beelzebub spoke lightly. "Withdraw all the flies that were protecting Lilith." Since she had abandoned his protection in favor of Satan, there was no longer any reason to shield her. Thus, Beelzebub decided to recall his forces in accordance with their pact.
[Understood.]
Once the fly disappeared after its reply, Beelzebub closed his eyes. So we will fight after all. He found her choice regrettable. Humans and demons—now that Hell and the human realm were connected, conflict between them was inevitable. Beelzebub had not wanted war... but the current flow made it unavoidable.
"How unfortunate." Buried in filth, Beelzebub muttered in a sorrowful tone. He truly regretted this reality in which war could not be avoided.
--
"Inspection really is thorough here." After over an hour of questioning, Jenkinson finally received permission to enter and muttered wearily. He had gotten inside, but... the inspection had been so strict they had nearly made him strip completely. It was rather chilling. No wonder there had been separate male and female inspectors... it had been truly relentless.
"There's no inn either." Asa looked around and expressed surprise at the absence of any inn. Jenkinson, however, was not particularly surprised. In a city this insular, the lack of an inn was only natural.
"An inn only exists where there's demand." With no outsiders arriving in the first place, an inn would have been the strange thing. At his reply, Asa asked with a flustered face, "Then where are we supposed to sleep?" That question... left Jenkinson at a loss.
"...It seems Sir Asa still has a long way to go." The foolish question gave him a headache. Jenkinson stayed at inns only because of the nature of his profession—he needed information. He positioned himself in places where people inevitably came and went. In other words, his habit of staying at inns stemmed from being an Inquisitor, not because it was where ordinary priests lodged.
"Here's a question. What building can be found in every city across this continent?"
"Um... a grocery store?"
"...Not incorrect, but not the answer I'm looking for." Jenkinson pressed a hand to his forehead and waited for another response. Soon, Asa realized.
"A church. Right?" Churches. Given that the Goddess Yuno's faith held influence over ninety percent of the continent, it was rare to find a city or village without one. Even the smallest villages had at least a single church.
"Yes, that's correct. We can stay at the church." Priests performing holy duties could simply lodge at churches from the start. Though it was unsettling to see Asa only now grasping something so simple...
"Then let's go." For now, he decided to move on. Thus, Jenkinson walked forward under the wary and curious gazes of the locals. First, he planned to drop his belongings at the church and rest from the journey.