(What,happened......)



　The captain commanding the summoning party--Kaylee Zoff--stares at the all-black figure.



"Oh, there you are. So they were based by the creek. We need a watering hole, don't we?"



　The black man says happily, looking at something floating in front of him.



　The more I look at it, the more bizarre it appears.

　The smooth, shiny helm is so shiny that there is not a single gap in the helm to allow for vision. From the neck down, he was dressed in a tight-fitting garment made of a material that looked like tanned leather.

　Behind him, a gigantic stone man - a giganto-golem, which is supposed to be used by them, is standing quietly.



　And again.

　Not only the army of night skeletons, but also the Gigant Golem had been taken from him. Especially the latter, who had been obeying our orders until the man came along.



"They haven't noticed anything unusual over here, so I guess we'll have to wait for the guys at the base. Well then..."



　Without chanting, they silenced their comrades one after another with something invisible. I tried to escape, but the invisible wall blocked my escape, and I was left to be overrun. The location of the base became known when one of our men slipped up in a daze during the melee.

　No, that's not important.



"Let the interrogation begin."



　Zoff's voice trembled as the man approached slowly.



"What's (・・・・・・) going on (......) right now?"



　Only Zoff's neck up was placed on a large rock.



"How are we (...) alive ......?"



　Below us, heads, heads, heads of people lying on the ground ....... Some were stricken with fear, some with vacant eyes, some with a wry smile on their faces, unable to accept the reality of their situation.

　They are all alive.



　Only their necks were left.



"Oh, is that it?　I unintentionally decapitated a bandit once, and when I (・・・・・)connected (・・・・)the severed surface while stopping the blood, he didn't die, right?"



　The man's voice sounds strange, a string of words that could be either condescending or frivolous. But I could not understand what he was saying at all.



"Well, I was in a hurry at that time. I had to ask him where they were hiding and I almost killed him. But I guess you can call it a good thing that I was injured, right?　In my mysterious state of mind, he told me things that I didn't ask him. So..."



　The man rambled on in a very eloquent manner,



"I thought this would be a good way to interrogate him."



　A horrible feeling of dread ran down Zoff's spine.

　I can feel my body. But it was as if something was completely covering me from the neck down, and I could not move, though I could feel my strength.

　I could breathe. I can speak. I can feel my heart beating.

　My head and body are separated, but I can still .......



"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I being too familiar?　I'm not good at talking to strangers, and when they don't talk, I talk one way to keep them quiet. Let's see ...... which one is yours?"



　The man began to rummage around at his feet. There lay the bodies of Zof and the others.



"Oh, is this it?　There's an embroidery like a coat of arms on the chest of the robe. It looks like a captain.



　Yes, that's my body.



Yo.



"Hi!"



"It's okay. I just lifted it.



　I know that when I see it. But I could surely feel the sensation of my body being touched from several meters away.



　How much pain was about to be inflicted on me?

　Zof was simply terrified.



"Now, tell me your name, please..." he said.



"......"



"Can you tell me where you belong?　Whether I know it or not."



"......"



"Why do you summon magic?　What is your purpose?"



"......"



　I didn't want to say it, but I was too afraid to lie, and my mouth wasn't moving properly.



　If I remained silent, the natural consequence would be my death. Depending on the man's mood, at any time, for sure.

　There is no guarantee that he will save my life if I tell him the truth.

　In the first place, the flash princess will never forgive you for having failed your mission so spectacularly.



　Whether you tell her or not, your death is a done deal.

　Then...



"...... I will say nothing."



　At least I didn't want to look like an a**h*le on my deathbed.



"Ha-ha-ha-ha ......, I will show you my loyalty. I will not answer for anything, no matter how much pain you are in!"



"What, you ran away without your men earlier?"






"No excuses. But I had to inform my unit of the anomaly. If I, the wounded captain, took the initiative and left the scene, my men would follow..."



　Thud.

"Gee whiz!"



"Oh, I'm sorry. I dropped it. I didn't do it on purpose. I swear.　But that's just an excuse, right?　I don't think it's cool, that kind of thing."



　Zoff's face was wet with tears, snot, and drool.



（I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't do it ....... I can't endure torture. ......)



　The pain wasn't so bad now. But I was reminded that the pain would definitely be felt.



(What should I do? ......)



　Even if I could get through this, the torment of the flash princess might be more than this black man.

　Kill me already!



（Wait a minute.　(If you act crazy, you can ......)



　There are others to torture. You don't force an insane person to confess.

　If he does not speak, he may escape the queen's censure.



　While he is looking for the right moment, the man stops to pick up Zohu's body.

　After a short pause, he comes closer to Zohu and the others.

　He reaches not for Zof, but for one of his men on the ground,



"What the hell?　Stop, please help me!"



　He grabbed her by the hair and lifted her up.



"I'm sorry, I don't have anywhere else to hold it. But the weight is only on your head, so it can't hurt that much, right?"



　The man returns to where several bodies lie.



"No, I really don't understand this. ....... Oh, I see. If you're aware of the "connection," ...... there it is."



"No, don't do that. ....... Leave me alone. ......



　The man lifts one body with his free arm. He walks away lightly and hides in the trees.



　There is no scream.

　I wonder how long the heavy silence lasted.



　Then the two men emerge.



　My man's head is on top of his body.

　This was a normal situation, but to Zoff's eyes it looked strange.



　The man's expression was mixed: relieved and confused at the same time.

　But he was walking on his own feet.

　The man urged him to sit on a tree that the golem had reaped. He is saying something, but Zoff cannot hear what he is saying.



"I guess ...... you're next."



　The man again grabbed another subordinate by the head.



"No way. ......"



　Zov read the man's intentions.

　Is he going to take them out one by one and make them tell him everything instead of restoring them to their original state? Then, he checks the testimonies against each other to make sure they are not lying.



　The third person is taken away and appears with his head and body connected. The three sit side by side in a tree, not speaking to each other, not even looking at each other.



（Are they guilty?　Hey, turn around. Traitors!)



　I was angry and gloating at the same time.

　I feel like a fool for having endured the horror of torture, but now I can relax...



"...... My name is Kaylee Zoff. I'm the captain of the summoner squad under the direct control of the queen.



Captain?

"What ......?"



　As his men lined up on the ground, bewildered, Zoff continued in a nonchalant manner.



"I was preparing here to have the summoned beast attack the group that is going to inspect the farmland tomorrow. The queen gave the order."



"Why would the queen attack her own children?"



"The purpose is to eliminate Charlotte Semphis."



　Slight silence.



"Why would the queen want to go after Char ...... Lotte?"



　For the first time, Zoff feels a man reveal his emotions, and he becomes elated and talkative rather than fearful.



Her qualities exceed even those of the Princess Flash. He feared that with the frontier count's backing, the country would eventually split in two. In that sense, he also aims to diminish Lord Semphis' power by allowing the invasion of demons into his territory.



　In the end, he told the whole story of his raid plan.



　In the distance, three of his men cast reproachful glances at him.



（You told us first, how dare you look at us!)



　The man turned around and looked at them. He looked at Zoff and the three men alternately.

　And then--....






"Yeah, I don't think he's lying. Thank you for telling me. But it's a terrible story. They're blaming the princess and maybe even wounding the prince. Well, that's what she'd do."



"Heh?"



　What is this man talking about?　No way. .......



"Most of what I told you, those three said too, didn't they?"



"Hmm?　I didn't say that, did I?"



"...... what, huh?"



"I just told those people that if they were quiet, I'd take it back. If they tell me different things, it's hard to tell which is true and which is a lie.



　The man says it plainly.



"Oh my God, you shouldn't look so desperate. <


"Ha--,uh,ah......"



　I can't keep my voice down. I forgot how to breathe, and my heart did a wild dance.



"Well, I'll ask the guys at the base and the ones the Bone and Bone Army caught.



　Now," the man's tone changes from light to cold.



"Did you guys just follow orders from the top?"



　To the question, one of them shouts.



"Yes, that's right!



　The voices continued to rise from the crowd as if from a dam.



"I can't disobey the queen's order!"

"I really didn't want to!"

"So please help me!"



　The three men behind him each beg for their lives.

　Zoff's anger exploded.



"How dare you! You are no better than I am. You're just a bunch of shallow people who are sucking up to the queen for a comfortable life!　That goes for everyone here!"



"Shut up!"

"I don't obey you anymore."

"You'll be killed alone, at best."



　The look of mockery on their faces tells the story.

　After they are released, they intend to report to the queen, blaming Zoff alone. They're all talking together, all of them.



"Oh, shut up!"



　The shouting stopped.



"Hey, if you don't like it, why are you here?"



"Well, that's because ...... I can't go against the queen. ......"



"Hmm, so you're afraid of the queen. But I still don't think it's a good idea to try to kill little kids, do you?　Yeah, I was going to let you guys live and turn you over to the frontier count, but--"



　The man slowly lifts one hand.



"I changed my mind. You tried to kill my little sister (・・・・・・), and I won't forgive you."



　As soon as the man spoke the words that would lead to his true identity, Zoff and the others realized their fate.



"Bad luck. No, you have the wrong master."



　Snap, snap.

　A man snaps his fingers.







　--See you later.



　



　The last words never reach anyone's ears.

　The consciousness of everyone except the man in black, including the three who are supposed to have returned to their original forms, is suddenly cut off.