Chapter 8: The Girl and the Chariot
"That『Lamp Bearer』ability you used before—can you still use it again?"
Shiltina said, "The kind that can cover all the cultists inside the main manor."
"It’s possible."
Rast’s gaze paused slightly on Shiltina’s slender shoulders beneath her cloak.
"But are you sure?"
"Activating that kind of ability puts a heavy strain on me, especially when expanding the target from a single individual to dozens… In this mentally exhausted and weakened state, I can’t provide you any support."
"There are thirty-six people in the manor's main residence, more than half of whom are armed… And most of the cultists, due to the contamination of their flesh, can continue moving despite injuries and without feeling pain."
Rast also had some guesses about Shiltina’s ability.
Unlike his own『Tower』, which leaned more toward the spiritual, Shiltina’s sequence rank likely related to combat.
But even so, the plan she proposed was extraordinarily risky. Shiltina didn’t have the same endless retries Rast did.
"No matter how much they can ignore pain, as long as they still have bodies made of flesh, then once the heart or head is pierced, they naturally won’t be able to move anymore."
Shiltina spoke, "Besides, since in the tens of thousands of loops before, you’ve never changed the outcome of Deep Blue Port being destroyed by the Descent of the Evil God at dusk…"
"That just means what we’re facing is far more than what’s in front of us."
Given what Rast had shown, Shiltina didn’t believe the cultists in the manor could hinder his steps.
What could trap Rast in this endless loop, one he couldn’t break even after centuries of reincarnation, must be something far more terrifying.
"A predetermined history, an ending already branded in the ancient texts…"
"Fate is not something that can be easily broken without taking risks or struggling with all one’s might."
Shiltina calmly looked at Rast, "I don’t want to die unknown in the Nightworld like this."
"Since you said I’m the only variable you’ve encountered in your tens of thousands of loops…"
"Then, why not try trusting me once?"
Looking into those clear, cloudless brown eyes, Rast gave a small nod.
Receiving a definite response, Shiltina brushed away a strand of hair from her forehead and smiled. "Come to think of it, we’re about to fight side by side, yet I haven’t even introduced myself properly."
"You’ve probably guessed already—just like that dancer from the Shadow Sequence, I’ve also reached the Third Tier."
"As for my sequence rank, it’s called—"
She paused slightly, the corners of her lips curving.
"『Chariot』"
…
Inside the manor’s main residence, the lights were bright.
Men and women raised their glasses, switching drinks, with empty bottles cluttered across the floor—it looked like a normal banquet.
But upon closer inspection, one would notice a fanatical anticipation hidden in the eyes of everyone present, regardless of gender.
As if they had gathered here just to await something to happen.
Clack—
Suddenly, rushed footsteps came from outside the manor’s door.
Getting closer and closer, they immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Two figures in black robes finally stopped at the mansion’s entrance, with the leading one stepping halfway inside, bent over and gasping for breath.
"Vice Pontiff… urgent intelligence from West Street needs to be reported to the Leader."
"Davi? What’s going on?"
In the crowd, a middle-aged man addressed as the Vice Pontiff stood up, frowning as he looked toward the gasping figure outside.
Though it was hard to make out the man’s face because of the cloak and the darkness beyond the doorway, the Vice Pontiff recognized his voice—it was one of the two guards he had assigned to keep watch outside.
His expression darkened slightly with displeasure. "Didn’t I say? The Leader is not seeing anyone today."
The man bent down for a moment as if to catch his breath. "But this intel is extremely critical—it’s about Councilor Talis."
"To deliver this intelligence, the West Street outpost has already been wiped out by the Inspection Bureau."
The Vice Pontiff’s brows furrowed even deeper, like gnarled tree roots twisting together.
He was no stranger to Councilor Talis—currently, the greatest threat they faced in Deep Blue Port.
Of course, Councilor Talis’s motives could not be as simple as eradicating cults or maintaining urban order.
The councilor had somehow discovered the supernatural nature of the sculpture the Leader dredged up, and had long coveted it.
Curing disease, eternal youth… One could only imagine how tempting that was to an aging nobleman.
Yet now their cult also held some influence in Deep Blue Port, and Councilor Talis had been wary of others discovering the sculpture’s powers—thus the two sides had been in a long-standing stalemate without major clashes.
Now the councilor was leveraging his political position to have the Inspection Bureau destroy one of their strongholds. Was this a sign he was about to break off all pretenses with the other nobles?
"Speak. What’s going on with Talis?"
The Vice Pontiff asked in a deep voice.
The other cultists in the hall also turned their gazes toward the messenger, their faces grave.
Just one more day—if they could get through today and the Leader completed the ritual… then nothing else would matter.
Why did that old bastard Talis have to make a move at this critical moment? Did he catch wind of something? Or was there a traitor in their midst?
Under all those scrutinizing eyes, the man in the black robe outside finally straightened up.
"This is a direct account from the last survivor of the West Street outpost. We can’t confirm its authenticity, but the credibility is high."
He raised his left hand from his long sleeve, as if revealing a great secret, and spoke each word slowly, "The intel is—"
"Councilor Talis—"
"He shat himself during a City Assembly meeting."
?
Such a wildly off-topic declaration caused all the cultists who had been fully focused on receiving critical intelligence to freeze for a second.
It was only a brief moment of confusion, but for Rast, that was already more than enough.
A silver-white firearm slipped from his sleeve into his palm.
Without hesitation, Rast pressed the gun to his temple.
Then, in the spotlight of every eye—
Bang—
The muzzle exploded with a thunderous roar.
No bullet emerged from the smoke, but Rast’s head jerked to the side as if it had really been pierced, and the ice-blue glow in his eyes suddenly flared.
In the next moment, everyone present—completely unprepared—saw the towering『Tower』behind Rast amidst storm and gale.
And beneath the tower, the『Lamp Bearer』phantom holding a lantern glowing with clear, pure fire.
The bright flame reflected in their eyes, and every cultist in the main residence froze as if they had just been hit with a blinding light in utter darkness.
The『Lamp Bearer』’s mental shock didn’t last long.
Even though Rast’s timing was unexpected, he had targeted dozens of people. Under normal conditions, the effect would fade in at most ten or so seconds.
At that moment, Shiltina—who had been trailing quietly behind Rast and minimizing her presence—stepped forward, now side by side with him.
As if worried her outfit would hinder combat, Shiltina pulled off the hooded cloak she had been wearing, revealing the knight uniform beneath, a striking contrast of pure white and vivid red.
Her vibrant chestnut hair cascaded down, catching golden highlights in the torches of the night, brightening even the dark night sky and sweeping away the shadows in the manor.
In just a few heartbeats, the red-and-white whirlwind stirred up by the swift rapier-wielder engulfed the entire residence.