A few minutes earlier.
"...Detective Sherlock, congratulations. You've successfully gotten yourself caught up in this whirlpool."
Trissy smiled sweetly at the detective across from her.
She had spent some time pouring out to him her experiences since arriving in Backlund: being captured by the Demoness Sect, being renamed, being forced to wear a ring, having her spirit modified, becoming a prince's plaything...
"You can report me to the three major churches.
Let the 'Punishers,' the 'Nighthawks,' or the 'Machinery Hivemind' come arrest me."
Her life, her fate, were all being manipulated by invisible hands, trying to make her no longer herself.
She wasn't willing to accept it and wanted to resist, for which she'd resort to any means necessary!
"I believe that for the sake of your own life, you'll struggle hard. That way, you can also buy me a chance to escape."
She said with a smile.
The detective before her was immersed in extreme shock, which looked quite amusing.
If time weren't so tight, Trissy wouldn't mind teasing him a bit...
"Oh, by the way, let me tell you a piece of intelligence. Perhaps those official Beyonders will be interested..."
Trissy added.
"What is it?"
Klein suppressed the tumultuous waves in his heart and asked in a deep voice.
"There's a Demoness of Despair spreading plague in the East District. I ran out while she was busy doing her work.
The specific location is Rosecote Street, seems to be the territory of a gang called the 'Remann Gang.'
If the three major churches can catch that demigod, it would really help me out."
Having said that, she concealed her body, jumped down from the carriage, and left.
"..."
Klein gripped his right arm with his left hand, suppressing his body's trembling.
Trissy Cheek.
This was the name Trissy was now called by the Demoness Sect. When he recalled this name, he couldn't help but feel another wave of intense unease.
Not for any other reason, but because the original owner of this name was no ordinary person.
From Roselle's diary, Klein already knew that the Primordial Demoness's name was Cheek.
A symbol of doomsday, one of the pillars among the evil gods: the "Primordial Demoness," Cheek!
Trissy was a vessel for the evil god's descent!
His spiritual intuition screamed in his mind.
Klein clearly understood that he had learned something incredible, and the disaster of being silenced was about to arrive. He had to do something!
"Bang!"
He first used "Flaming Jump" to escape from the carriage and arrive on the road outside.
The Red Rose Manor was located in the suburbs.
Even the nearest town was about a ten-minute carriage ride away, so there weren't many people around.
Klein used "Flaming Jump" repeatedly to reach a place farther from the road.
The first thing he did was take out the copper whistle Mr. Azik had left him and blow it hard.
The copper whistle made no sound.
Instead, in his spirit vision, a fountain of white bones surged up from the ground.
The fountain constructed itself into a giant skeletal messenger, with pitch-black flames burning in its eye sockets, extending its hand toward Klein.
Klein pulled out paper and pen from his person, briefly wrote a single word—"Help"—and threw it to the messenger.
After doing this, he didn't dare pause for a moment.
He quickly disguised himself as a Blessed and began transmitting messages to the Tarot Club members.
To Justice, Audrey, he conveyed the message: "Trissy is a Demoness, renamed Cheek," with The Fool adding a sentence: "Cheek is the true name of the Primordial Demoness," to remind Audrey to immediately report this to the orthodox churches.
As for Temperance, Silas, his message was even more concise: "Your parish is about to be attacked by a Demoness!"
As "Klein," through his exchanges with Silas, he had already learned of the series of efforts Silas made for acting, such as settling homeless people and organizing a flock relying on the Remann Gang.
The Demoness demigod's attack location was exactly where Silas's parish was located.
Whether by coincidence or intentionally, Silas's flock was in danger!
Time was urgent and the situation grave.
He could only warn Silas this way. But the consequence of doing so was that he would very likely expose his World identity to him.
However, he had no time, no energy to consider a more reasonable approach!
Klein grabbed two prayers and cast them into the corresponding stars of the two people, then quickly withdrew from the gray fog.
Just as he was planning to desperately flee this place, he suddenly felt the sky above his head suddenly becoming bright.
Instinctively looking up, he saw dazzling radiance blooming in the sky.
It was a meteor burning with blazing flames, cutting through the sky, piercing through the leaden clouds, thunderously falling toward the grove where he was located.
"Boom—"
The irresistible fate and coincidence descended at this moment.
————
At the same time, in the East District, in the territory actually controlled by the Remann Gang.
The clean streets were filled with a cheerful atmosphere. Pedestrians and workers all wore smiles on their faces.
Although the missionary they all respected couldn't stay, he still cared about everyone.
This morning, Charles had called people to come to the gang headquarters and receive New Year supplies in order.
He said this was what the missionary had instructed him to do before leaving.
The supplies included many things: bread, bacon, fruit, coal, new winter clothes... there was even 1 soli in cash! Everyone felt that gentleman's care for them. He had considered so much for the people.
Good heavens, life was getting better day by day.
Though they couldn't compare to those who could go south for the winter, with these things they could still happily welcome the New Year.
Next year, when the textile factory reopened, they could earn even more money...
"Hurry, hurry!"
A group of children ran laughing through the street, each holding up a wooden steam locomotive model.
The models were somewhat crude, but they all liked them very much, shouting "choo-choo" with their mouths as they ran with them.
School was already on vacation. Classes wouldn't resume until after the New Year. They were probably the happiest group on the street.
"My train is the fastest!"
"No, my train is the fastest!"
They shouted at each other, showing off their newly acquired toys.
"My train has a whole bunch of soldiers inside, all carrying guns!"
The children freely expressed their imaginations.
"My train has military officers wearing big leather shoes, specifically in charge of your soldiers!"
"My train... my train has lots of pretty sisters, each one as beautiful as the one I saw that day!"
The red-haired little boy was momentarily at a loss for words, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and shouted.
As a result, his words drew unanimous ridicule from everyone.
"Hahaha!"
"Alan is lying again..."
They didn't believe him at all.
"It's true!"
Alan waved his arms urgently. "I really saw them..."
But the children just laughed even louder.
Alan's face flushed redder than his hair.
But just then, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he pointed behind everyone.
"Look! That's the big sister!"
"See, isn't she beautiful? I wasn't lying, was I!"
The children looked in the direction of Alan's finger and discovered that standing at the head of the street was a beautiful woman in white robes.
She was smiling at them.