The sound of gunfire shook the downtown area. Yet people continued on their way without the slightest sign of disturbance.

Gunshots that only I could hear and no one else could. Is that even physically possible?

It is. If someone used spirit bullets.

"Ugh!"

Billord groaned and collapsed.

Thud, thud.

Footsteps approached from behind. Two people. I quickly turned around. Two women emerged from the twilight-covered alley.

"Sonia, and... Sister?"

"I've come to escort you, Young Master."

Sonia curtsied slightly, lifting the hem of her skirt. Beside her, Ireh was holstering her spirit gun.

"Thank goodness. We weren't too late."

"I sensed something bad from that person. Is he the new traitor you mentioned before? Don't worry. I didn't kill him."

I hurried to check Billord's condition. There were no visible external injuries. He seemed to have just lost consciousness. I stood up and asked.

"How did you know where to find me?"

"That foreign god told us."

"Cartesia?"

"Aren't you connected to that foreign god, Young Master? If one can communicate with the foreign god, finding your location is simple enough."

"...I owe a debt now."

Given Cartesia's personality, she would certainly demand payment for this rescue later. I couldn't even imagine what she might ask for.

I swallowed dryly and hoisted the unconscious Billord onto my back.

"Let's head to the Spirit Sanctuary for now."

***

Southern Spirit Sanctuary.

My father, after examining every corner of Billord's mind with the power of the Serpent Bearer constellation, let out a sigh.

"Son."

"Yes, Father."

"Where on earth did you find such a person?"

"Is it that serious?"

"It's severe enough to be published in academic journals immediately."

Severe enough to be published in academic journals.

Oh.

"Then publish it. Write a paper too."

"You fool, what paper are you talking about in this situation? We need to think about saving him first. If he continues at this level, he'll eventually die from Pron addiction."

"Wouldn't publishing a paper allow more doctors to see it?"

"How quickly do you think such a paper could be written? Have you ever tried?"

"Can't it be done?"

"...Your way of thinking is truly different. Well, one shouldn't judge a tiger by a cat's standards."

I tilted my head in confusion. My father sighed for what must have been the umpteenth time.

"Three high-ranking foreign gods plus signs of Laplace. This is no ordinary case."

"Laplace is there?"

"The high-ranking constellations all warn of the same thing. That someday the strongest foreign god will descend upon this world and destroy everything. Life forms contaminated by this foreign god show Pron not only in their cerebral cortex but also in their saliva and blood..."

Father finished his sentence glumly.

"...Your mother died this way too."

"Let's say the other foreign gods make sense. Is there a pattern to the people Laplace targets?"

"According to case studies, there is. People close to those in important positions in the Federation have a higher infection rate. Aides to powerful politicians, assistants to Megacorp heads, spouses or children of the Ten Great Family heads..."

Father placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Son, this might sound irresponsible, but... be careful. Having the help of constellations doesn't solve everything."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Father attached various medical devices to Billord. When he connected the electrodes, Billord's Pron levels appeared on the screen.

"I plan to treat him with the resonator first. Son, meanwhile, contact the Rublen family. Since this involves the Ten Great Families, we need to handle it without causing friction."

"I already did. They're on their way here now."

"You already did? Well... good job."

Father placed Billord on a stretcher cart. An ambulance had already arrived. Doctors disembarked one after another with medical equipment, including a resonator and a containment device.

"Ugh."

It was then that Billord groaned. His eyes suddenly flew open, and he let out a scream.

"Wh-where am I...?"

"You're in a hospital. Mr. Billord von Rublen, you've been infected by a foreign god. We're from Stellarium Hospital. Based on the Foreign God Response Protocol, we're going to treat you, if that's alright?"

"Wait, what are you... Ah, time. TIME! Time is running out!"

Billord's previously dazed eyes became completely lucid. He began spitting wildly and thrashing on the cart. But since he was already restrained, the cart merely shook.

"What is this! Let me go! Let me go right now!"

"Patient, please calm down! You shouldn't move around!"

"Do I look like I can calm down? Damn it, no, no, NO! Time is running out! Time is running out!"

To the doctors, this looked like simple delirium. But I sensed something strange and approached him.

"Billord von Rublen."

"Eidel von Rheinland...? Yes, good timing. You, I need to kill you. If you don't die, I'll die! Quickly, a knife or gun, anything, give me a weapon! Someone, anyone, cut this bastard's throat!"

Billord's face was contorted with extreme fear. Strange. He was supposedly plotting to assassinate me, but this is different. It's as if he's racing against time...

Ah. Time.

"Your Majesty! Please give me more time! This is unjust! Unjust!"

Without a windstorm, it's impossible for a foreign god to control its host in a Spirit Sanctuary. But what if it had set a timed quest beforehand?

"Lord Rheinland, the head of the Rublen family has arrived!"

A tall woman with auburn hair came running breathlessly. Though I'd never seen her before, I knew who she was. Imyur von Rublen. The head of the Rublen family and Billord's birth mother.

As soon as Imyur arrived, Billord screamed.

"AAAAARGH!"

"My third son, what happened to you?!"

"Mother...? You came at the right time! You must kill the head of Rheinland...!"

CRACK!

Billord's words were cut short. His limbs twisted grotesquely. His joints bent outward, and his neck flipped backward until the back of his head was pressed against his upper back. Bluish moss grew on his face.

In this state, Billord slowly rose. The restraints that bound him stretched taut before snapping helplessly.

The standing Billord could hardly be called human. His eyes were completely black without any whites, and yellowish liquid poured from his gaping mouth. His height had nearly doubled, exceeding 3 meters.

[— "Billord von Rublen" has died.]

[— Due to "Color of Destruction," 200 Pron has been added to those who witnessed the "Transformation."]

"Ah, aah..."

Thud.

Imyur collapsed. She rolled her eyes back and fainted. I quickly called Sonia to move Imyur to a safe place.

"Wh-what is that?"

"A monster."

"Call the inspectors stationed at the Spirit Sanctuary! Now!"

Grrrr.

The monster that was once Billord made a strange noise and stomped its feet. Many people made eye contact with it, but the monster ignored them and turned its gaze toward me.

No way.

Crack.

The monster's head split in half, revealing a shining crystal inside. It was a crystal with a dark purple light. Its tip was sharp like a spear point.

Whoosh!

Sensing danger, I immediately turned my body. Half a beat later, the crystal embedded itself in the ground. It was a ranged attack.

"Damn it."

"Brother, duck!"

BANG!

As soon as I lowered my head, Ireh's spirit bullet whizzed overhead. The spirit bullet hit the monster square in the solar plexus.

[— "Bullet of Delay" takes effect.]

"Grrrk."

The monster's movements slowed. It seemed to exist in a different time from the rest of us.

In that brief moment, elite inspectors swarmed in. They protected the doctors and me while charging their plasma swords.

Keeeeeng.

The inspectors and the monster began a fierce battle. Though the monster's movements were sluggish, its skin was tough and constantly regenerating, making it difficult to penetrate with ordinary attacks.

I helped my sweating father and the unconscious head of the Rublen family into the ambulance and said:

"Father. Please go ahead and request backup."

"Son, what about you?"

"I need to deal with this somehow."

BANG! BANG!

Gunshots rang out repeatedly.

"It's dangerous! Stop talking nonsense and get in!"

"I have something I need to do."

"What can someone who's not even a soldier do?"

"Because I'm not a soldier, there are things I can do."

Before my father could say anything more, I closed the door and started the engine from outside. The ion engine roared and sped away like a beam of light.

This is the Southern Spirit Sanctuary.

Which means Julia, the former saint of the Megnus Order, is here.

I headed to the deepest isolation room that doubled as a chapel in the Spirit Sanctuary.

Julia, apparently worn out from her long stay at the Spirit Sanctuary, was giggling to herself. But as soon as she saw me, she hiccupped and fell on her backside.

"Wh-why are you here again?"

"Didn't you hear the commotion outside?"

"This room is soundproof, what commotion? I haven't taken a single step outside today. Really, I swear!"

"Never mind that, I need to turn back time."

"T-time?"

Julia tilted her head in confusion before turning pale.

"Don't tell me... you're trying to use me for your research again!"