-- Belphegor’s Perspective --

** batan **

I let out a sigh after Fracesca left.

I stood up and opened the curtain beside me.

Three manikas are silently creating puppets of them. The first one is carving limbs and bodies one after the other, he then gives it to the second one. The second one would then put holes on those limbs for the strings. The last one will combine them all together.

The finished products are stored next door, which I recently rented. As long as I paid, the clerk didn’t get suspicious at all.

Just like the spiders and the crows, they need someone to actively control them which is a bit tedious. Since I’ve already gathered enough information about the princess and why she woke me up, I had already disposed of those spiders. Now, I have enough leeway to control these manikas.

As for the three crows, I was already planning to, but I put them on guard at the slave market. Everytime someone tries to buy Francesca’s cousin, the crows would snatch their purse and throw it around the market. I did the same with the rest of the slaves.

It’ll be cloudy soon. At that time, I’ll storm the castle and look for my old puppet. It's the only option I have. When it comes to guard patrols, Francesca wasn’t able to get the information I needed, they’re secretive when it comes to it. And none of them discussed it in their homes. I almost thought they’re not organized at all or they just lack interest in it.

--

Hours later. The moonlight slowly fades away as the clouds overwhelmed the sky.

I began to unlit the candles in the room. I look out the window.

“It’s time.”

I jumped out of the window. Seven manikas followed as I landed on one of the rooftops. Their sturdy bodies are reinforced with my magic. It should be enough to last for quite some time. We all wear the same grey robes, carrying two manikas at our disposal, wrapped in cloth.

We jump over the roofs until we safely cross the aristocrat’s residential homes, and then jump over the towering wall of the castle.

I landed on one of the castle’s balconies.

I silently open the door.

“You must be a complete fool to come back here...”

“!!”

A three-meter tall woman is flying above me. Looking down at my back with pure irritation.

“Hm. You thought I didn’t notice you?”

“...”

“You’re lucky I was in the middle of celebration the last time you came in.”

“...”

“But now..., you’re not going anywhere!”

She quickly summoned her golden spear.

** voooom **

A shockwave was generated breaking the windows around us.

“Die!”

I made a flip as I dodge her attack. Spreading out my arms along with my strings, I ordered the manikas to storm the east side of the castle. The manikas quickly summoned their minions they carried. Two manikas appeared at their disposal, spreading their limbs like a newborn spider.

** crack, shatter **

They infiltrated the castle.

I safely landed on the handrail of one of the balconies.

“Hmph!”

“...”

“You’re the first pest to dodge my attack!”

“...”

She brandishes her spear and swings it against me.

** swoosh, boom, crumble **

The spear disappears as she leaps forward.

“Don’t run away, pest! Accept your fate!”

“...”

** voooom **

She summoned her spear again, creating another shockwave.

I summoned the two manikas from my back, protecting me from the impact.

“Tsk!”

“...”

“Why! Won’t you! Die!”

“...”

She glared at me with bloodlust.

The manikas I’ve sent inside haven’t found my old puppet yet, some of them are fighting the dark knights. It’s getting difficult for me to fight all of them at once.

She leaps at me again, stabbing me consecutively.

“Die! Die! Die!”

“...”

The two manikas deflect the spear coming towards me.

She suddenly stops. Twitching her nose.

“This smell…”

“...”

“You! You dare use Bell-sama’s power!”

“...”

“This... Is... Unforgivable…”

“...”

She gritted her teeth. Slowly, her eyes succumbed into her own madness.

“Unforgivable. Unforgivable. Unforgivable. Unforgivable. Unforgivable. Unforgivable. Unforgivable. Unforgivable. Unforgivable.”

As she murmured, her body began to radiate light blue.

“Death won’t be enough for you!”

“...”

“Aaaggghhh!”

She let out her battle cry before flying towards me.

** voom, hyun, voom, hyun **

Her movements have become more agile than before and she’s now spamming her spear.

The east side of the castle wall is trembling as she summons her spear multiple times.

The two manikas couldn’t match her speed. The other one just broke his wrist.

** kachak **

She stabs the other one with her spear and raises it to the air.

“Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahaha!”

She looked at me with a sinister laugh.

She swung her spear, throwing the broken manikas at the towering wall of the castle. It crashed like a ragdoll and shattered its limbs.

** voom, hyun, voom, hyun **

She’s spamming her spear again. But this time, she's throwing her spear at me and summons it back in her hand.

** swoosh **

** sha **

My last protection was sliced in half.

As soon as it drops on the floor, she leaps forward.

In an instant, she’s already choking me.

“Who are you!”

“...”

“Speak, pest!”

She glared at me.

As the clouds moved away, the moonlight slowly came back.

I could see her face much clearer than before.

“Hmph. So I was fighting a puppet all along.”

“...”

She looked closer at me.

“I don't know who you are, but I will find you and I will kill you!”

“!!”

** crack **

She broke its neck and dropped it on the ground.

--

I wasn’t able to find what I was looking for, but at least, I managed to make some progress.

I kept on pestering Freya with the remaining manikas before I left the castle. I went to the north side while I drew her to the south side.

“That was tiring.”

I said to myself as I walked outside of the castle. Controlling them physically is tiresome since my body isn’t used to physical labor. And it's even more exhausting with this seal wrapped in my body. I may look like I'm moving lightly, but this seal makes the same sensation as carrying shackles as heavy as an atlas stone.

I then disposed of my grey robe and switched it with my old one.

Seeing Freya again, I can’t help but think about the old days we’ve been through. Even if I told her that it’s me, I doubt she’d believe me. Even Maya would doubt me. After all it wasn’t me who did these things, it was my old puppet, it’s me but not physically.

If I show myself now and manage to tell them that it’s me all along, what’s the next thing I should do after that? Should I rule this Kingdom once again? Should I conquer the world just like before? And what happens after that? I’ll be repeating the same thing again and again.

Which is why I don’t see any reason to reveal my true identity nor the reason to continue living in this new world in front of me…

“Agh!”

My head hurts.

I’m starting to remember my parents again.

I-I must get back to the inn right away.

--