Chapter 19

"Leen!"

When Cecilia arrived at the cave, Leen was already in Huey's arms, unconscious. Beside her lay the cut ropes and the cloth that had likely been stuffed in her mouth. Her skin had turned pale blue, and her lips were purple, probably from being left in the cold.

Mordred, who had arrived with Cecilia, immediately rushed to Leen's side and began treating her with his Noble Phantasm.

"We need to raise her body temperature first."

A soft light enveloped Leen's body, and her complexion began to return to normal. Cecilia leaned closer to Mordred.

"Teacher, is Leen okay!? Is she alright!?"

"There don't seem to be any external injuries. No signs of poisoning either... It looks like she's just unconscious."

Mordred said this carefully, observing her closely. Cecilia let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness..."

Huey, who seemed to share the same relief, visibly relaxed, though his arms still held Leen firmly.

(But why...)

Why didn't the Killer kill Leen? If he had killed her here, he could have pinned all the blame on Cecilia...

Thinking this, Cecilia covered her mouth with a troubled expression.

(But of course. The Killer doesn't know I'm a candidate for the Shrine Maiden—)

There was no reason to kill Leen and pin the blame on Cecilia. Moreover, unlike in the game, Cecilia and Leen had a good relationship. This would just be a murder in the Sylvie family's territory, and no one could be blamed for it.

(If no one can be blamed, the Killer might have just killed Leen here...)

It was unlikely that the Killer would hesitate to kill a candidate for the Shrine Maiden. In the game, the Killer never hesitated to kill candidates. When he delayed killing, it was usually because he intended to pin the blame on someone. In the game, that someone was usually Cecilia.

(Did he try to pin the blame on someone this time too?)

Just then, a growl like that of a beast echoed from somewhere. Cecilia looked up to see several dark shadows at the cave's entrance.

(Wild dogs!?)

She gasped. These were the wild dogs infected by the "Curse" that she had seen during the forest trip. They growled menacingly, their bloodshot eyes fixed on Cecilia and the others. A black mist rose from their bodies.

"Teacher, I found what we were looking for."

Dante turned to Mordred with a casual tone. Mordred, however, was wide-eyed and pale, clearly not a skilled fighter.

"Cecilia, hide."

Oscar stood protectively in front of Cecilia, a Noble Phantasm already in his hand.

(...I see...)

Cecilia understood as she took in the scene. The Killer had intended to pin the blame on these wild dogs. If a candidate for the Shrine Maiden was killed by the "Curse"-infected wild dogs, it would be just an accident, and no one could be blamed.

(But if that's the case, does the Killer have the ability to control those infected by the "Curse"?)

There were only two possibilities: either he knew the wild dogs would pass by here by chance, or he could control them. The latter would be a serious problem.

(Which one...)

Just then, a high-pitched bark echoed, and a wild dog slid in beside them. Looking in that direction, Cecilia saw the dog had already lost consciousness, and the mist that had been rising from it was gone.

"Nice. I wish I had a cool Noble Phantasm like Oscar's."

It was Dante. It seemed Oscar had cut the "Curse" from the wild dog with his Noble Phantasm, a sword that could cut any object at will, a very convenient tool.

"Instead of talking, think of what to do! There are too many for me to handle alone!"

"Sure thing."

Dante remained as calm as ever, even surrounded by so many enemies. His demeanor exuded nothing but confidence.

"But this time, my Noble Phantasm might be more useful—"

(If I remember correctly, Dante's Noble Phantasm...)

Just as Cecilia was recalling her past memories, Dante stomped his foot hard. A wind swirled around him, kicking up dust and light, and a static-like crackle filled the air.

"Whoa!"

"Goodnight..."

Dante's lips curled into a smile. Instantly, the wild dogs began to fall one by one. Within seconds, all of them were incapacitated.

(I always thought his Noble Phantasm was unfair when I played the game...)

His Noble Phantasm forced enemies to sleep for a certain amount of time. It affected all enemies within range, with the duration depending on their intelligence. In the game, it put human-like enemies to sleep for one turn and animals for three turns. In this real-world battle, it was unclear how many seconds equated to one turn, but it was undoubtedly a useful Noble Phantasm.

"Some people don't sleep, so I thought it wasn't very useful. But for animals, I think they won't wake up for at least fifteen minutes. We can exorcise the 'Curse' from them in that time."

He touched the foreheads of the wild dogs. The marks were hard to see under their black fur, but they were there. His ability only incapacitated them with sleep; it couldn't exorcise the "Curse" itself.

"Since that's the case, you guys should head back. It's better to treat Leen at home than here. We can handle this with just the two of us."

"Got it."

Huey stood up and nodded to Mordred and Cecilia, signaling it was time to go. Cecilia ran to Oscar and Dante.

"Be careful! I won't forgive you if either of you gets hurt!"

"Ah, yeah. Actually, I've been thinking, your choice of words—"

"Alright, alright. Let's get to it, Oscar!"

Dante interrupted Oscar, putting an arm around his shoulder and leading him away, despite Oscar's puzzled expression.