Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 210

“Sister…? Surely you’re not trying to say you’re a illegitimate child of the Grimm family?”

It was hard to believe that William of all people would have an affair and even have a child.

To begin with, the other person didn’t have the Grimm family’s characteristic black hair and blue eyes, but blonde hair and red eyes.

Above all, the thick scent of blood and curses that could be detected immediately proved she wasn’t human.

“Heh, hehehe…”

Red Hood Karen giggled.

“I’ve been looking for you all this time. Thanks to the veil of souls that Noah arranged, I couldn’t find you until now… but it seems that’s gone now.”

“Noah? Veil of souls? You were looking for me – just who are you?”

“I’m Karen. Some might call me Red Hood.”

“As I thought… you were looking for me, could it be you want to kill me? Fine. Go ahead and try!”

Hilde gripped the Executioner’s Axe tighter.

If the opponent really was Red Hood, and judging by her aura she almost certainly were, there couldn’t be a more fitting opponent for a final battle.

No, there probably couldn’t be a better opponent than this.

After all, she was the origin of all the Beasts Eugene had fought his whole life.

“Wrong. I won’t kill you. The opposite, actually.”

Karen casually twirled her axe that was as tall as herself like it was a twig.

Just that motion alone created a chilling wind that rippled through the surroundings.

“I came to help you.”

“Help? You help by dying! For everyone! And… for Senior!”

Hilde immediately wrapped Crescent around her axe blade and swung it at Karen.

“Ahaha, just as expected!”

Though it was Hilde’s best and strongest attack, Karen blocked it far too easily while wrapping her axe blade in a red light.

Blue moonlight and red moonlight clashed creating an intense explosive sound and shockwave, but Karen didn’t budge an inch.

Rather, Hilde’s shoulder tingled slightly.

She could sense the same overwhelming gap in power as when she had swung her weapon at Blanc back when she was still a complete rookie.

A transcendent being she couldn’t hope to match yet.

However, Hilde’s eyes held more bewilderment than powerlessness.

“Wh-why is this…?”

The point where Hilde’s Crescent met Karen’s attack was severely distorted.

If it was simply being overwhelmed by power it should have shattered, but this kind of warping had never happened even once before.

Moreover, while Karen was overwhelmingly stronger, strangely it seemed like Hilde’s side was trying to devour the opponent.

“Fufu… you handle Noah’s power quite well. You definitely have the aptitude.”

Karen withdrew her axe.

“What exactly is going on? Who is Noah? Just who are you?”

Hilde still had her weapon aimed.

“You must have many questions since you don’t remember. This is all Belle’s fault…”

“Belle…? Surely you don’t mean Lady Saintess?”

“Saintess?”

Karen’s smiling face instantly contorted as she ground her teeth.

“Anyone else is fine but not you! You mustn’t be deceived too! In this world, only you and I are Noah’s true allies!”

“L-like I said, who is Noah?”

“Fine. I’ll tell you the truth of the world that Belle hid… But first, there’s something I want to ask too.”

“What is it?”

“About a lower-ranked hunter named Eugene. Do you know him by any chance?”

*    *    *

“It’s right there.”

Blanc pointed at the ruins.

They truly couldn’t be described as anything but ruins.

Though there were traces showing quite a large building must have existed here long ago, all that remained now was rubble and a single statue of something.

It looked similar to a cross, but even that was covered in moss.

“Red Hood kept disappearing around there.”

“I see…”

Eric stroked his chin while carefully observing the statue.

Such cross-shaped symbols weren’t common.

The most representative one that came to mind was the Decra Orthodox Church’s symbol, but to begin with most religious organizations besides the Hunting Order were treated as cults now.

“Will there be any problems if we get closer?”

“None. Nothing happens at all – I almost wish something would.”

Blanc walked right up to where the statue was.

“I tried investigating this place myself but was surprised to find absolutely nothing.”

“Hmm…”

Eric followed and slowly examined the cross while clearing away the moss.

Some characters were engraved on the statue.

“Something is written here, but I can’t even tell what language it is.”

“…It says ‘Ark’.”

The characters written on the statue were in an ancient script that calling it old would be insufficient.

Eric had learned a little in his childhood education lessons as a prince.

“Huh? Wait, you can read it? And Ark? Oh? That sounds familiar somehow…”

“It was the name of some religion’s church from hundreds of years ago. You should have lived longer than me though?”

“Ah… I remember a bit now. They were just called the Ark people, I didn’t think they were a religious group. I was just a normal country girl back then.”

“You…?”

“I was human once too you know. Anyway, the Ark… they used to pray to some god… was the name Noah? Anyway, they all disappeared at some point so I just thought they collapsed.”

“Noah… that name was written as a god’s name in the Wales royal family’s historical records too. But it was completely erased from all external records that appeared on the surface. Unnaturally so.”

“Well that doesn’t really matter, but is ‘Ark’ all that’s written there?”

“…Seems we need to say some password to enter.”

“Any hints maybe? Surely there’s more than just the name?”

“No particular hints. The rest is just text expressing gratitude and reverence for the god.”

“Try saying anything at all.”

“You probably know better than me. You lived in the era when the Ark people existed.”

“Even if you say that… Hmm…”  

“Nothing at all? Something they used to say?”

“Well… Open sesame?”

“What kind of strange… huh?”

“Oh wow, that actually worked!”

The moment Blanc spoke the spell, the scenery changed.

The endless moonlit night disappeared, and for the first time in months the sun could be seen in the sky.

The surroundings were an endless prairie and right in front was the wall of some mansion completely covered in vines.

“W-what was that just now? Sesame??”

“The Ark people used to say it sometimes back then. They always said something about sesame.”

“That’s quite… an odd spell.”

“Well it worked so it’s fine. Let’s go in.”

Blanc pointed at the mansion.

Though the walls were covered in plant vines, the door showed signs of someone regularly coming and going.

“Please wait a moment.”

“…!”

Eric startled and looked up.

Someone was crouched on top of the mansion wall looking down at Eric and Blanc.

“My my… I didn’t expect to see you all here again.”

“Who are you?”

Blanc asked.

But before they could answer, Eric called out their name.

“Ryu…?”

“Good to see you again, Lord Eric.”

The small elderly man with a short sword on his back, Ryu, spoke while looking straight down at Eric.

“Your eyes… they’re better now?”

The eyepatch that had covered both eyes on Ryu’s face was gone.

His clearly visible eyes were a stark white that made him look blind, but there was definitely sight in them as he gazed at his conversation partner.

“And you say you didn’t expect to meet us?”

“Yes. I’m no longer a prophet or anything else now.”

“Who is this? Someone you know? You said prophet?”

“Are you… the famous Lady Blanc? I knew of you but never met since I was busy avoiding you.”

“How wise. But you say you avoided me? Without me even noticing? Are you really a prophet?”

“Yes. At least until I fulfilled my duty.”

“Just what are you doing here? What is your true identity? I always thought you weren’t an ordinary human…”

Eric asked.

“Now I am merely a gatekeeper. My original job that I’ve reclaimed after 500 years.”

“Gatekeeper… so you won’t let us in?”

“That would be correct. This isn’t a place just anyone can enter. So please, I would be grateful if you turned back.”

“Just where exactly is this?”

Blanc asked.

“This is the one and only true sacred ground in this world. Though it no longer holds divinity, it remains an important place nonetheless.”

“Divinity… you mean Noah?”

“Yes, that’s right. This is the dwelling of Lord Noah, who created this world.”

“Come on, that’s just superstition. The Ark church people and nobles went on about Lord Noah, but they never answered any prayers.”

“Haha… well of course. Why would Lord Noah listen to the prayers of such people? Lord Noah wasn’t that kind of god to begin with. I wonder how his name even spread to the common folk…”

“…Are you saying this Noah god actually existed?”

“Yes. Lord Noah was a real god, and continues to exist even now.”

“Are they inside? If they really created the world, that means I’m Noah’s creation too.”

“Well, you’re not wrong broadly speaking.”

“Then I want to meet them. Move aside.”

“That won’t be possible.”

“I’m not asking.”

Blanc raised their claws.

“This is troublesome, but still not possible. To begin with, Lord Noah isn’t here right now.”

“…Then?”

“I’m not sure myself. Having fulfilled my duty as a prophet, I no longer know everything like I used to.”

“Doesn’t matter. I still want to go in and look.”

“Then I have no choice but…”

Ryu gripped the handle of the sword on his back.

With a smooth motion he drew it slightly, the exposed blade glinting.

“Wait. We didn’t come looking for Noah, but for something else.”

“…”

“I’ll answer if I can. Ah, no need to pay me silver coins anymore.”

“Rather than Noah… did Lady Rusalka or Red Hood perhaps come here?”

“Lady Rusalka and the others don’t visit much, but Lady Karen comes often. It seems she even did some light cleaning while I was away. Most kind of her.”

“Cleaning…? Red Hood?”

“Just what is Lady Rusalka’s relationship with Noah?”

“Creator and creation. Like everything else in this world.”

“…But they were special creations?”

“Well… that’s right. Not just Lady Rusalka, but Lady Belle, Lady Margarete, Lady Bari and Lady Vasilisa, and… Lady Karen and Lady Hilde too.”

“Hilde… surely not…?”

“Huh? Hilde? That Hilde?”

“…Ryu. Perhaps… do you know about a human named Eugene?”