My nose looks crooked. ...... When I came here before, the miasma was not this thick.


　Ursula Uthgarza furrowed her brows.

　Ursula Uthgarza's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the horrible scene inside the demon's gate in the eyes of a young woman who had risen to the tenth rank in the First Banner, which was composed of the best bannermen among the Eight Banners of Qinglin.

　The soil, which had been exposed to the demonic power of the demon gods for a long time, was half-rotten and conveyed an unpleasant feeling through her iron shoes. The air is heavy and damp with the smell of decay, and poison miasma is constantly spewed out from the holes in the ground here and there. The reddish-purple toxin covered the area like a mist, refusing the existence of any living thing, be it animal or plant.

　The inside of the gate is a barren land where even buckwheat noodles do not grow well, but this place is even worse than that. Even demons would not be able to approach this area.

　Having decided that, Ursula took out a handmade map from her pocket and quickly wrote down the new information she had acquired. Ursula's mission was to investigate the inside of the demon's gate, and for that reason, she was exceptionally allowed to act alone.

　After writing down the necessary information, Ursula turned on her heel and left the miasma-infested land.

　The poison itself can be blocked by the use of a strong defense, but the stench cannot be prevented. If we stay here forever, our noses will go crazy, and if the smell gets on our bodies, it will be bad. I promised myself that I would take a hot bath when I returned to the fort.

　The bannermen of the flag, who are all oddballs and roughnecks, may not care about the smell, but that doesn't mean I should become one of them. I didn't want to be teased by Ayaka and Kreia when I returned to the holly city.


"...... So that's the fifth place you've just been. It's too much to be a coincidence.


　Ursula raised an eyebrow and murmured. What's the fifth one? It's the land that has been altered by the miasma.

　The miasma that fills the inside of the gate is much thicker than that which leaks out from Onigashima. As a matter of course, everything inside the demon's gate is affected by it, the soil is rotten, the water is muddy, and the air is stagnant, making it look like hell.

　However, the area inside the demon's gate is vast, and not all the land and water are contaminated by demon energy. Ursula is now scouting the northern part of the fort, the base that the Miken family built inside the gate, and this area is relatively unaffected by demon energy. At least, when I came here a month ago, the miasma was not this thick.

　It had changed drastically in such a short period of time. Ursula felt the roar of distant thunder at this fact.

　The occurrence of a thick miasma meant that the demonic energy had intensified. It also implied that the demon god's power had been activated.

　What comes to my mind is the fact that a demon god recently descended upon Shuto. There was no denying the possibility that that event had triggered the activation of the demon gods--that was when Ursula was thinking about it.


"Scream!　Scream!　Scream!


　A metallic roar echoed in the air, and several demons blocked Ursula's path.

　Eight eerily glowing red eyes. Eight legs reminiscent of a spider. The name of this demon with a demonic face and a beastly body is the Tsuchigumo, and it has the wisdom to ambush its prey in multiples and has mastered the art of cutting off their presence.

　There are four man-eating monsters (man-eaters) that Sora once faced on Onigashima, and they are surrounding Ursula.

　The Tsuchigumo, also known as the "Newbie Killer," is an opponent that Seirin Hatushi cannot afford to let his guard down. It's even more so when you're dealing with several of them at once.

　However, there is no tension in Ursula's face. Before she knew it, she had a sword in her hand. There was no decoration on the hilt or the tsuba, only the blade was red as if wet with blood.


"Here we go, Raika.


　As if in response to Ursula's voice, the red blade of the Shinso glowed slightly.

　The battle that followed was more like a massacre than a battle.

　Once you pull it out, it won't stop until it cuts the enemy to pieces. It is said that when Ursula Uthgarza runs on the battlefield, all grass and trees will be covered in red.

　Although she is not on the same level as Ayaka and Laguna in the rankings of the eight flags of Seirin, her abilities and achievements in actual battle are no less than those of the two.

　Her nickname is Akehime. Or Uthgarza, the God of Death.

　The four earth spiders that had been torn into a thousand pieces proved that these nicknames were not just names.

　After kicking off the demon attack, Ursula returned to the fortress to report the facts she had uncovered during her investigation.

　--It was at this time that she learned that her friend Clair Belch had escaped from the island.


◆◆


　Ursula walked through the fort with high-pitched shoes. On the way, she passed several bannermen, but none dared to speak to the current Ursula, whose brilliant good looks were filled with cold anger.

　Ursula paid no heed to the reactions of those around her, and headed straight for the back of the fort, to the room of the flag officer, Dialto Berch.

　Ursula's mind was filled with the news she had just heard about Kreia's escape from the island.

　According to her, Kreia, who had escaped from the Belch family without being released from house arrest, was discovered by a bannerman belonging to the Belch family when she left the house, and a battle ensued. He may have judged that he could not escape from the holly city, and tried to escape to the demon gate, but he failed because he was blocked by the bannermen of a single flag who were on high alert due to the previous attack by the demons. In desperation, he fled the island.

　When Ursula was told the whole story, she groaned and said that it was impossible.

　The term "island-hopping" refers to the act of a Seirin bannerman leaving Onigashima without permission, and is punishable by death without exception. In the past three hundred years, no one has ever succeeded in leaving the island.

　There was no way that Kreia didn't know that, and there was no way that her thoughtful friend would commit such a foolish act. If Kreia's actions were true, there must have been some unavoidable circumstances. Based on the fact that she went to the gate first, something related to the gate must have forced Kreia to do such a foolish act.

　Ursula couldn't imagine what it was. The only people who would know would be those of the Belch family. That's why Ursula is on her way to the general.

　On the way to Diarte, Ursula's anger remained unquenched.

　In fact, the fact that Kreia's house arrest is still going on is strange in itself - she thinks with indignation. It was certainly a blunder to have been caught unawares off the island, but the same blunder was forgiven long ago by Gozu and Klimt. Why should Kreia alone be under house arrest until now?

　Speaking of strange, it is also strange that a bannerman of a single flag let Kreia go when she tried to pass through the gate without permission.

　It is true that Kreia is a highly skilled bannerman, but even so, it would be extremely difficult for him to take on multiple bannermen of one flag, the most elite of the eight flags of Seirin, at the same time. His physical strength must have been waning due to his continuous house arrest, and the fact that he had just taken on Berch's bannermen suggests that he was extremely exhausted.

　It would not have been difficult for those who were defending the gate to seize Kreia. If they had stopped Kreia at that point, they could have at least prevented the crime of leaving the island.



　What was the bannerman doing there, Ursula wondered, taking her anger out on her unnamed colleague.

　Just then, a deep male voice shook Ursula's ear.


Ursula's ears quivered as she heard a deep man's voice say, "Your eyes are sunken in. Where do you think you're going with that look on your face, Ursula?


　In a calm voice, Ursula's path was blocked by the second-in-command of the flag, Shukuya Kumon.

　Ursula bowed and was about to reply, when Shukuya preceded her and opened her mouth.


"I heard about Kreia's incident and came to inquire about the matter with the Flagellant. Is that it?

"As you say, sir.


　When Ursula responded with a stiff voice, Shukuya said, "If that's the case," and invited Ursula to her office.

　Shukuya is the brother of Ursula's classmate, Kuumon Saisai, and has known Ursula since before she became a bannerman. Of course, he also knew Kreia. He says that he has nothing to do with this matter.

　The warm-hearted Shukuya is well-liked by the bannermen of the flag, and Ursula is no exception to this rule, but she hesitates to follow Shukuya, partly because she wants to hear what happened directly from Diarto.

　In response to Ursula's hesitation, Shukuya tipped the scales of her decision by telling her the truth.

　Kishou is back at the Belch residence in Hiiragi.




　Ursula enters Shukuya's office and reveals all of her thoughts to the Vice Admiral in front of her.

　Ursula nodded her head in response, and slowly opened her mouth.


Your thoughts are roughly the same as mine. Let me clear up a few questions for you. First, the reason why a bannerman could not seize Kreia at the gate is mine.

"...... What do you mean?

I'm the one who let Kreia go. Kreia was clearly out of sorts at the time. In addition, his strength was so strong that it was hard to believe he was under house arrest for so long.


　It was as if he had taken an elixir," Sukuya said.

　Of course, no matter how powerful Kreia was, she was no match for Shukuya. She could have killed him if she wanted to. However, Shukuya, who knew Kreia well and had high hopes for her as a future pillar of the Goken family, did not take that option and tried to seize Kreia unharmed.

　Shukuya, who knew him well and had high hopes for him as a future pillar of the Gouken family, did not take this option and tried to seize Kreia unharmed. While Shukuya was trying to hold back her bannermen and capture Kreia herself, Kreia attacked with all her might.


It was a blow as good as a suicide bomb, unleashing her own strength. I must admit, I was chilled.

Kreia went that far ......?

Yeah. It caught me off guard, and I let him go.


　Even Shukuya didn't think that Kreia would escape from the island, and prioritized confirming the situation rather than pursuing Kreia. Like Ursula, she thought that Kreia had gone to this extent for a good reason.

　If he pursued Kreia without knowing the reason, Kreia would continue to resist. Then you'll have no choice but to kill him.

　--He was already too late when he tried to go through the gate without permission and crossed blades with Shukuya, but since he was the one involved, he could defend himself. Shukuya thought so, and sent a messenger to the Belch residence, and also met directly with Diarte and Gilmore to inquire about the situation.

　As a result, the head of the Kumon family was stunned by the revelation.


"Klimt is dead.

"............ What?

"It is said that Klimt had repeatedly asked Lord Gilmore to release his sister from house arrest. In response to this, it is said that the Lord Gilmour made it a condition of appeasement that the head of the demon tribe, a king named Azuma, be killed. In response, Klimt went to the demon gate and lost his life. The master said that Kreia must have been delirious when he found out about it.

Wait a minute. Klimt is dead?　Did he enter the demon gate alone?　And I've never heard of a plan to defeat the demon king!

"Of course not. I'm the second-in-command, and I wasn't even told about it.

"You mean the ...... Berch family's own decision?


　Ursula asks in a chilly voice.

　He sent Klimt to his death on the condition that he would save his sister, and then he sent Klimt to his death so that Kreia would break the law, and then he sent him away.

　In Ursula's eyes, the series of events could only be seen as a conspiracy by Belch to get rid of anyone who got in his way.

　However, the next words that came out of Shukuya's mouth put a question mark on Ursula's assumption.


It's not arbitrary. The master was aware of it.

What?


　Ursula was surprised, but Shukuya told her in a low voice.


"To tell you the truth, I had similar thoughts as you at first. In fact, at first I thought the same thing as you. I thought the Berch family might have tried to get rid of the two adopted children they no longer needed. But it's a different story when you consider that the lord was aware of the whole operation.


　If the Berch family's goal is to get rid of the two, and the head of the family, Shikibu, has admitted it, then there is no need for any tricks. All he had to do was to order Diarte to kill the two men and give them appropriate names for their crimes. They could have been killed in the middle of a demon gate.

　However, the Berch family, with the permission of the Shikibu, secretly sent Klimt to the demon gate. What is the significance of this?

　It is unlikely that they expected Klimt to be able to defeat the demon king. We should assume that Klimt's failure was already anticipated.

　If this is the case, it is highly likely that Kreia's subsequent actions were part of the plan.

　Perhaps the fact that she was in the demon's gate at that time was also part of the plan's ringleader's calculation. The ringleader might have thought that he would not kill Kreia carelessly.

　If she had hit the nail on the head, then the ringleader must have anticipated Kreia's escape from the island.

　As he fled from Shukuya's presence, Kreia must have thought.

　--To save her brother, she had to pass through the gate. But she couldn't pass through the gate by herself. I can't rely on my friends. The path I choose is to make an enemy of the Mikado family. It's the worst choice anyone has made in the past three hundred years. How could I bring my friends into this?



　But I still want to help my brother. I have to help him.

　So. That's why I have to ask for help.

　To a person who is more powerful than the Seirin Bishi, who is not afraid to make enemies of the Gouken family, and who can even defeat the demon gods: ......