Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

"...Could it be related to Haruhime?"

Sakura spoke softly to everyone, suppressing her emotions.

Having received the report, the Takemikazuchi Familia already knew that their old friends from their hometown had become prostitutes, and Bell and the others were preparing to "buy them back."

Chigusa lowered her head sadly, and the other three members of the group who knew the fox-girl also looked grim.

Takemikazuchi also kept his eyes tightly closed.

"They said that the fox-woman is just a regular member, so she probably won't prompt the goddess (Ishtar) to take action..."

Hestia put her hand on her chin. "Oh, right." Suddenly, as if remembering something, she looked up.

She told her the information she had heard from Bell.

"Ishtar seems to have an item called the 'Killing Stone'—"

"Although I expected it, it's still really narrow..."

Inside the palace (headquarters) of the Ishtar Familia, the messenger crawled along the stone ventilation ducts.

She escaped from the vault, which was being approached by someone, through a vent into this ventilation duct—the space between the ceiling and the roof. Although she no longer had to worry about being seen, the space, which was only the size of a coffin in length, width, and height, was really cramped.

The girl kept rubbing her elbows and head, and even got spider webs stuck to them, as she crawled forward, dragging her body along.

"...?"

As Ming moved, using the [Yata no Hakuryu] technique for what seemed like the umpteenth time, he heard voices.

"Haruhime seems to have disappeared."

"Isn't the ritual for the Killing Stone tonight...? Could it be her!?"

"Could it be that she went to beg the 'rising stars' to rescue her and help her escape?"

She peeked down through the vent with iron bars.

As he eavesdropped on the conversation of the Amazonians, he frowned suspiciously.

(The "Sessho-seki"...?)

Looking down at the Amazons, she said, "Oh no, quickly find Chun Ji too!" Her hurried appearance revealed several questions in her mind.

What is the "Killing Stone" ritual? What does it have to do with Haruhime? To be honest, wasn't Haruhime just a prostitute—a low-ranking member?

As a dark doubt began to grow in his heart, Ming continued to move forward in the ventilation duct.

As she moved, she heard the Amazons' search extending beyond the palace. Just as she was considering whether she should also go out, the space inside the ventilation ducts suddenly began to narrow. She was forced to abandon her attempt to proceed, and after confirming from the nearby vent that no one was below, she dismantled the iron bars.

"here it is……"

Several bookshelves surrounded the life that had fallen to the floor.

The sheer number of books stored in the bookshelves led her to guess that this place might be a library or a archive.

The dimly lit room was filled with the scent of paper and wood.

Holding her breath and carefully navigating the maze of bookshelves, searching for an exit, a scene suddenly came into her view.

It was a pile of parchment and scrolls casually tossed on the table.

It looks like a lot of people have seen this, so Ming tried picking up a piece of parchment to take a look.

"...Regarding the ritual for the Killing Stone."

He managed to read a line of text in the dim light, and his heart skipped a beat.

She looked around and then lit the oil lamp-shaped magic stone lamp on the table. She pulled the light to her side, knelt down, and began to read the Common Language written on the paper.

"One day, upon receiving the 'Killing Stone' from the Hermes Familia, I fought a prostitute—"

"—You mean the 'Killing Stone'!?"

Takemikazuchi seized Hestia's double shields.

Faced with her friend's loud voice and fierce expression, Hestia was speechless.

"Are you telling the truth!? Ishtar—does she really possess this item!?"

"Takemikazuchi!"

"Please calm down!?"

Seeing the male god yelling, Sakura stepped forward to stop him, and then Lily and Welf also intervened between the two gods to protect Hestia.

Chigusa and the others were stunned, staring wide-eyed as their revered god transformed into a different person.

"I'm sorry, Hestia."

"No, it's alright... Let's not talk about that now, Ken. What exactly is the 'Killing Stone'?"

After Takemiya released Hestia's shoulder, she immediately demanded an explanation from him with a serious expression.

At Sakura's urging, Takemikazuchi took a step back and gritted his teeth.

"The 'Killing Stone' is an item used exclusively by fox spirits."

"The Killing Stone... is a forbidden magical item made from the 'Tamamo Stone' and the 'Toba Stone'."

Asphie, a creator of magical artifacts, said with disgust and disdain.

After getting the details of the delivery request from Hermes, she stared at the god before her.

"You sent that stuff to the Ishtar faction?"

"I only found out after I saw the contents."

Hermes shrugged, enduring Asphie's reproachful gaze.

The God's attitude seemed to add fuel to the fire, and Asphie, as a member of the Beloved, emphasized her words.

"Where did that thing come from?! The raw material for 'Tamamo Stone' is...!"

Speaking on behalf of the family members who couldn't continue, Hermes said:

"Yes, they are the remains of fox people."

"They actually made props from children's remains... Is this for real!?"

After hearing the explanation of the "Tamamo Stone", Hestia asked in astonishment.

Kenjiro pursed his lips, frowned, and nodded heavily.

"The 'Tamamo Stone' was originally an item that could greatly enhance the magic of fox people... also known as 'sorcery,' but..."

They dug up the graves of the dead and made illegal jewels.

When Sakura and Chigusa were speechless upon hearing the truth, only Lily calmly asked Takemikazuchi:

"The other 'bird feather stone' you mentioned... could it be the lunatic light?"

"Exactly," Takemikazuchi said.

"Moon Sigh Stone?" Hestia asked back, and this time it was Welf's turn to speak.

"Moonstone is a special mineral that changes color, emits light, and generates magic when exposed to moonlight. Blacksmiths also use it as a material for weapons."

It is also known as "Bird Feather Stone" because the original color of the ore is as black as a wet black feather.

Because a certain bard held a mineral bathed in moonlight that emitted various colors and lights, and sang a sad love poem about the moon, the poem became widely known, and the mineral gained recognition from the world.

Takemikazuchi nodded in agreement with Welf, and then continued to explain:

"Weapons and items crafted from this material will change in hardness, power, and effects depending on the moonlight. However, this property is meaningless for deep underground dungeons, so Moonstone itself is not traded in the Labyrinth City (Orario) market..."

"The 'Bird Feather Stone' is most effective on the night of a full moon. At that time, the 'Killing Stone,' which combines the two minerals, will transform into the Devil Stone."

Watching the sand fall softly from the hourglass, Hermes moved the pieces of the chess game.

Asifi's gaze remained stern as she spoke:

"It will seal the user of the stone... the fox-man's magic, no, his 'soul' into the stone."

"That's right. With the right equipment, the 'Killing Stone', which is perfectly sealed with magic, can provide the fox people's precious magic... 'Sorcery' power to a third party. This magical artifact, which is no less powerful than the 'Demon Sword', is now complete."

Hermes slammed another piece onto the board, a slight smile on his face.

"As a price... the sacrificed fox-people will become empty shells devoid of souls."

They literally stripped the "soul" from the body.

That's why it's called a taboo.

This is a "sorcery" that allows others to use the fox spirits; it is a negative magical artifact invented by the ancestors of the human race.

"I've heard that the one who made the 'Killing Stone' was also a fox spirit, which is quite surprising."

Asphie silently watched Hermes, who was smiling, and glanced at the chess pieces on the table.

The White Army and the Black Army.

Led by the Black Queen, the Pawns surround the rabbit and fox-shaped chess pieces.

It was as if they were showing off their power against the enemy's capital city led by the White Queen.

"The obsession of children who are blinded by power is truly terrifying."

What happens to someone whose soul has been stolen!?

Chigusa said, almost screaming.

With a scream that startled the members of the Takemikazuchi Familia and a tearful expression, she asked what fate awaited the victims of the "Sesshoseki" (Killing Stone).

"By injecting the 'Killing Stone' into the body, the fox-person whose soul has been stolen will regain consciousness. As long as the body is unharmed, they should be able to live as usual."

Takemikazuchi's answer relieved everyone, but the heartthrob's expression remained serious as he continued:

"However, the 'Sessho-seki' will shatter."

Takemikazuchi told everyone that it should be said that it will only reach its maximum effect after it is broken apart.

"Each fragment of the shattered 'Sessho-seki' is a magic activation device capable of using 'hex magic.' The effect is exactly the same as the original magic, and no incantation is required."

When he said that this prop could provide the fox spirits' magic to everyone, everyone was speechless.

A legion that received the bounty of the stones and wielded a rare magic called "hex."

Although it also depends on the "sorcery" sealed in the stone, its power will be immense and without limit.

—This is practically "Crozio's Demon Sword".

Upon hearing someone's whispered words, Welf remained silent, his fists clenched so tightly that his bones cracked.

"...What would happen if the fragments were lost or broken, and the soul were transferred into the vessel (the child) inside the stone?"

Hestia asked with a heavy expression.

Takemikazuchi hesitated for a moment before answering, then, after a moment of hesitation, he said:

"It's impossible to restore it to its original state. Even if the remaining fragments are collected and the soul is returned to its rightful owner, the person involved will probably become a baby-like doll... or a cripple."

Chigusa almost collapsed to the ground, but Sakura quickly caught her.

"In that case, Haruhime, she..."

Her beautiful eyes, hidden beneath her bangs, were distorted with tears as the girl spoke in a hoarse voice.

The goddess's scheme, the "Killing Stone" in her hand, and the existence of Haruhime, the fox spirit.

The "Killing Stone" must be an item used to seal Haruhime's magic.

"...If the activation of the 'Killing Stone' is affected by the properties of the 'Toba Stone,' then the time to perform the soul transfer ritual is on a full moon night..."

"The next full moon is..."

While Lily and Welf were talking, the male god (Takemiya Rai) looked up at the ceiling with a pained expression and said:

"Tonight."

"—How is this possible!?"

After reading all the materials, he screamed at the top of his lungs.

She even forgot that she was in enemy territory, her trembling hands gripping the parchment tightly.

Haruhime's soul will be sealed in the "Sesshoseki"—she will become an empty shell without a soul.

The fact that was almost equivalent to death robbed him of his inner peace.