Chapter 8: Pursuit, Reminiscence, Requiem

Chasing Elsie from the port town of Welapoli, I returned to the holy land of Leyline.

The station staff informed me there wouldn’t be another train until tomorrow. Desperate, I bowed my head and hitched a ride on a freight line instead.

Freight trains were slower than passenger ones—burdened by their cargo—and by the time we arrived at Leyline, the sun had already set.

I reached the mission desk just before closing, ready to report on our Welapoli mission—assuming Elsie would be doing the same.

"She’s already left for another mission...? Seriously?!"

My shock made the receptionist flinch.

"Y-Yes, that's correct... You weren’t informed?"

Elsie had departed for a new assignment immediately after returning—to avoid me.

I clutched my head.

Elsie... you must be exhausted.

Do you really not want to see me that badly?

"Where? Where did she go?"

"It's... here."

The slip of paper listed her destination: the commercial city of Junes—half a day away by train.

Unlike port towns, commercial hubs kept trains running late into the night. It made sense... but I still panicked.

"Is there... a train? One I can take now?"

"I-Impossible... The last one departed five hours ago."

Night operations were too dangerous. I understood, but... just this once, I wished they’d make an exception.

"Isn’t there any way to get there?! I need to reach Elsie as soon as—"

"Yuri. What are you doing?"

The voice hit me like a bucket of ice water. I turned.

Standing there was Elsie’s mentor, her surrogate parent... and my instructor—Senior Exorcist Fraule.

"Fraule, I... It’s just—"

"She’s just a receptionist. What do you expect her to do?"

"That’s... true... Sorry."

I bowed to the receptionist, ashamed of my desperation.

"No, I understand how you feel."

"Still... I’m sorry. That was selfish."

The receptionist waved it off, but I bowed again before stepping aside to join Fraule.

"So, Yuri. What happened?"

Her arm settled on my shoulder. Heavy.

"Well... Elsie, she—"

I told her everything.

What happened in Welapoli.

How I shielded Elsie, only to be cut off.

How she’d cried.

And now... how she’d left on a mission alone.

Fraule stroked her chin, eyes narrowing as she stared somewhere far away.

"...That idiot."

She cursed under her breath, then sighed and roughly ruffled my hair.

"Yuri, I get it. You care about Elsie. You want to chase after her right now."

"...Yeah."

"But give it up."

"...Huh?"

My head snapped up. Fraule wore a wry smile.

"Ah—no, no. Not chasing her entirely. Just... give up on going tonight."

"O-Oh... That’s what you meant."

"Obviously. If I could, I’d drag Elsie back by her collar right now."

"...You’re not going after her?"

Fraule sighed again, her shoulders slumping.

"I have a mission elsewhere tomorrow. Cleaning up after some junior exorcist’s mess... So no, I can’t."

"I see..."

Loneliness crept in. Fraule was always reliable—her strength, her judgment, how she handled Elsie...

And yet—

"So Elsie is... yours to deal with, Yuri."

I blinked.

"You’d... trust me with that?"

"I would. You’re the right one for this, Yuri."

As I stared, Fraule’s smile turned self-deprecating.

"It’s embarrassing, really... I’ve been misunderstanding things all along. She never showed me her true self."

"Her true self...?"

Her eyes lowered, and for a moment, she looked almost... envious.

"Yeah. Around me, Elsie always wore a mask—the perfect little adult. She never let me see her real face. So... I’m counting on you, Yuri."

"Counting on me...? But Elsie—"

"Elsie considers you special. If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t have shown you her tears."

I felt my tear ducts loosen as I hesitated... then slowly nodded.

"I'll talk to Elcie. I'll... I'll make things right."

Fraule studied me for a moment before her usual sternness softened.

"...Good. If anyone can, it's you."

Her smile held something rare—not just approval, but a quiet hope.

---

Early the next morning, I boarded the first train to Junes, the commercial city.

I reread Elsie's mission details:

"The priest in Junes has gone silent. Status unknown... Suspected demon attack, but the city shows no signs of disturbance. Cargo shipments continue as normal—only the priest's communications have ceased."

"Two mid-rank Exorcists sent to investigate also vanished. Presumed dead, yet the city remains unchanged."

"Threat level upgraded from mid-rank to high-rank."

That was the situation.

The demon’s identity—if there even was one—remained unclear. But ordinary humans couldn’t possibly harm an Exorcist...

Something was off.

Victims were disappearing, yet the city thrived as if nothing had happened.

A chill ran down my spine. Cold sweat beaded on my skin.

"...Elsie."

She had walked into this alone.

If—if she died... it would be my fault. Our fallout drove her here.

I had to find her.

Gripping my rosary, I took a deep breath—

—only for sudden drowsiness to hit me like a wave.

Not now! But the early hour betrayed me.

I must have blacked out because, when I came to, the train had already arrived.

Junes, the Commercial City

Massive walls surrounded the sturdy metropolis—likely to keep out both beasts and demons.

The train passed through the towering gates, rolling into the station.

By midday, the streets were bustling. No signs of crisis.

"...Is there really a demon here?"

And yet, a priest and two Exorcists had vanished.

Steeling myself, I stepped off the train—

—and caught a floral scent.

A girl stood near the station, selling pale pink flowers. Ignoring her, I pressed on.

Find Elsie first.

The cobblestone streets and brick buildings spoke of prosperity, even surpassing Welapoli’s.

I needed leads. Exorcists weren’t exactly subtle—someone must have seen her.

Spotting a skewer vendor along the main boulevard, I approached.

"Excuse me, could I ask—"

"Hey, kid. I don’t chat with non-customers."

Fair. I pulled out my wallet.

"Two skewers, please."

"Thanks. So, what’cha wanna know?"

"Have you seen a girl in maroon robes? Like mine, but—"

"Maroon? Oh—yeah. Reddish hair? Saw her heading deeper in."

Already?!

Paying quickly, I followed his direction—pushing through crowds, moving further inward—until I reached a plaza with a grand fountain.

No sign of Elsie.

Had she moved on? Multiple paths branched ahead… Tracking her would be tough.

Sighing, I slumped onto a bench by the fountain.

That floral scent again. Flower beds surrounded the plaza—local specialties, maybe?

My stomach growled. Might as well eat the skewers—

"—Ghuh?!"

I spat out the meat.

Rancid. Sour. Burning my tongue.

What the hell was this?!

As I stared at the fallen morsel—

"What’re you doing here, Yuri?"

I jerked upright.

"...Elsie?!"

There she was—arms crossed, looking exasperated.

"I—I came after you! This city’s—"

"Ugh. My bad."

Her uncharacteristic apology softened my tension.

"...I’m just glad I found you."

"You’re way too desperate. Something happen?"

"Huh? This city is—"

I froze.

"Is what?"

"N-Nothing... I guess."

Why had I come chasing after Elsie again?

"Weirdo. Having a senior moment?"

"N-No, not that... Wait, huh?"

"...Whatever. Since you're here, wanna do some sightseeing?"

"Oh... Yeah, sure."

A fog settled over my thoughts.

Something felt off.

Something was wrong—but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Something was missing.

A nagging, clawing wrongness—like I'd forgotten something vital.

But what?

The thought slipped through my grasp, dissolving into the air, light as mist.

"...Yuri? If we're going, hurry up."

"Ah! Sorry! Coming, Elsie!"

The unease should have lingered.

But it didn't.

It drowned beneath the cloying sweetness of flowers.

Pale pink blossoms swayed in the breeze, blooming vibrantly...

Too vibrantly.

Like poison disguised as petals.

---

"Miss Elsie, is something wrong?"

Sherry turned to me, her long lashes fluttering.

I shook my head.

"Huh? No, it's nothing..."

I must have spaced out. For a moment, I thought I heard someone call my name—but it was just my imagination. There shouldn’t be anyone I know in this city.

"If you're tired, should we head back to the inn?"

Sherry peered at me with concern.

"N-No, I'm fine! Really, don’t worry about it!"

"But..."

Her skeptical look told me my flustered tone hadn't convinced her.

"I said don't worry about it! Come on, let's go!"

"You're acting weird... like you're hiding something."

I grabbed Sherry’s hand and pulled her along.

Above us, the blue sky stretched wide, streaked with thin, ragged clouds.

We walked down the main street, browsing the stalls set up by traveling merchants, laughing and joking as we went.

"Wow, this is so cool!"

Sherry’s suspicion faded as she slipped back into her usual excitable self.

"Miss Elsie, look at this! A stick that glows when you bend it!"

"...Are you going to buy it?"

"Yes!"

"And... what exactly are you planning to do with it?"

"Haven't thought that far yet!"

Sherry smoothed her short hair, grinning sheepishly.

I sighed. "Isn’t that just a waste of money?"

"Huh?! No way! Look, it glows! Isn’t that amazing?"

"It glows. And? What’s the point?"

Sherry puffed her cheeks. "You just don’t get it, Miss Elsie."

"Get what?"

"The romance of it! It sparkles! It’s beautiful!"

"I don’t need to get it."

I laughed at her childishness. She huffed in mock offense—just like always.

"Junes really has so many interesting things, doesn’t it?"

"Yeah... Well, it is a commercial city. They have everything here."

We moved on to the next stall, chatting easily.

Junes was large—smaller than the holy land of Leyline, but still bustling with goods from all over.

Rare and unusual items filled the market. A perfect place for sightseeing, somewhere I’d always wanted to visit with Sherry—

"Huh?"

But Sherry was right here.

We’d made it, hadn’t we?

So why did something feel... off?

Had I forgotten something?

"Miss Elsie?"

No, no. Everything was fine.

"Ah, no... I'm okay."

I pushed the thought aside before Sherry could grow suspicious. I needed to focus on the present.

"Are you sure? If you're tired, let's go back to the inn. I'm worried!"

"...Y-Yeah. Maybe we should."

"Let’s do that! It’s fine—we can always come back tomorrow!"

Sherry smiled at me.

Right. We could always come back tomorrow.

It was fine.

We had plenty of time.

I took a deep breath.

The scent of flowers filled my nose.

My gaze drifted over the scenery.

—The lively shopping district.—Sherry smiling at me.—A child chasing dragonflies.—A small bird singing.—The reflection of the sky in a puddle, blue and endless.—The flowers in the planter, smiling at me.—A piece of rotting, blackened meat lying on the ground.—Someone waving at me.

Ah. It was Sherry.

But... wasn’t she supposed to be dead?

No, no—she was right here, alive.

That was fine.

In the darkness, eight eyes gleamed in a row.

And I followed after her, step by step.

---

I walked alongside Elsie through the commercial city of Junes.

With every step, her pale pink hair bounced lightly.

Watching it, I felt an unease growing in my chest—like a fog creeping over my thoughts. Something was wrong. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

I tried desperately to remember—

"Yuri, did you book a room yet?"

Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, no... not yet."

"Then why not stay where I am? Splitting a room would save money."

"W-Wait, separate rooms are fine—"

"You don’t want to?"

Elsie’s brows furrowed slightly.

"N-No, that’s not it!" I shook my head frantically.

"Then why? We’ve shared rooms before. Like in Welapoli."

"That’s true, but—"

Welapoli…?

Why had we shared a room?

Ah, right—we’d stayed at the church.

But then why separate…?

Because we’d fought.

And the reason we came to this city—

"—Elsie!"

"W-What? Don’t shout like that—"

"The demon in this city—where is it?"

"Demon? What are you talking about? We came here to relax."

"...Huh?"

My head spun violently.

A dark haze swirled inside my skull.

A sickly-sweet scent filled my lungs.

My vision blurred. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

"Yuri... you’re really acting strange today."

This wrongness—every part of me screamed to ignore it.

But I couldn’t.

"...Elsie, there’s supposed to be a demon in this city."

"What? Based on what?"

"Because— ngh…! W-Wait, no, but—"

My thoughts churned.

Round and round, round and round—

Something sweet lodged itself inside my mind, like a foreign object wedged between the pages of my thoughts.

I shook my head violently, trying to dislodge it.

Ah.

That’s right.

"We came here to investigate this city’s anomaly—to exorcise a demon!"

"I don’t think so?"

"No, that’s exactly why! Something’s wrong here!"

My raised voice drew stares, but I barely noticed.

The scent—

Sweet.

Cloying.

Rotten.

It slithered into my mind, interrupting my thoughts, warping them.

"Yuri…?"

Elsie looked at me with concern.

No.

I couldn’t let her worry.

That wasn’t what I wanted.

Because we—

We still hadn’t made up.

"...Elsie?"

"Thank goodness. You’re back—"

"Who the hell are you?"

Right.

We hadn’t made up.

This was too convenient. Too aligned with what I wanted.

Wrong.

The real Elsie always defied my expectations. Always kept me on my toes.

This wasn’t—

"You’re not Elsie."

"W-What are you saying? Yuri, have you lost it?"

The sickly-sweet stench burned my nose.

This wasn’t the scent of flowers.

It was the stench of something burning.

I gripped the rosary at my chest.

"Y-Yuri, what are you—"

Tighter.

Tighter.

"I came here to make things right with Elsie—not you."

The rosary dug into my palm, drawing blood.

I channeled every ounce of holy ether into it, forcing the sacred silver to convert—

Into a weapon meant to purge demons.

My veins burned.

My blood boiled.

No—it was burning.

Something impure inside me was being incinerated.

"…………"

I shut my eyes, focusing.

The voice pretending to be Elsie faded.

All that remained was the pulse of holy ether surging through me, searing away the microscopic something infesting my body—

"—Hah!"

I opened my eyes.

Elsie was gone.

So was the vibrant cityscape.

In its place—

A dim, decaying street.

Walls stained black with something foul.

The sky, choked with dark clouds, blotting out the sun.

Instead, a crimson glow bathed everything in an eerie light.

I looked down.

The "flowers" growing from the pavement weren’t flowers at all.

Their pale pink petals resembled flayed entrails, their stamens lined with jagged, fang-like protrusions.

"...Is this the real Junes?"

People still walked the streets—but many talked to empty air, lost in hallucinations.

A pit formed in my stomach.

I looked at the paper bag in my hand.

The skewered meat I’d spat out earlier—

Discolored. Slick with rot.

Putrid.

Nausea rose, but I swallowed it down.

I couldn't waste energy now.

"—Elsie... I have to find her...!"

If this demon could strip away reason, then even the strongest Exorcist would be defenseless if caught off guard.

I tightened my grip on the rosary.

Holy ether surged through me as it shifted—transformed—

The greatsword Claymore took shape in my hands.

I took a deep breath.

Then stepped forward—

Into the stench-filled streets of hell.