If Lancer felt nothing before entering, the moment he leaped onto the ramparts, he reflexively shivered————a terrifying aura saturated the entire city.
While the city looked largely intact from the outside, the moment he stepped inside, he felt something familiar.
'Malice'
The air was thick with it. It wasn't as overwhelming as the collapse of "Walpurgisnacht," but it was still horrific. Lancer could already guess how this city met its end.
As malice spread and fear took hold, hysterical civilians turned on each other until the final survivors were consumed by the master of this malice.
"Olga, stay sharp. You have a physical body now, but as a soul-construct, you're more susceptible to 'malice.' Don't let it affect you."
Lancer's sudden warning made Olga Marie nod reflexively. Before she could speak, Lancer had already turned to observe the ruins.
Less than a month had passed since the fall, yet there were almost no traces of human life left. Aside from damaged buildings, the most common sights were strange, dried bloodstains on the ground.
Following these stains, Lancer noticed they all pointed in the same direction: the tallest and most heavily damaged building in the city. Unsurprisingly, that was likely the site of the final stand.
The Gáe Bolg seemed infected by the horrific atmosphere, emitting a faint red glow. The three humans and three cats advanced cautiously, but as they reached the massive building, Lancer's expression turned extremely grim.
"Olga, if you can't handle it, wait for me outside."
She didn't quite understand why he was warning her again, but she responded with her usual spirit.
"I get it, but don't look down on me! I am the Director of Chaldea, after all!"
Lancer knew her personal status and strength had nothing to do with the horror they were about to face, but seeing her confident expression, he knew words wouldn't convince her.
"In that case... let's go in."
Since words were useless, he would let her see for herself. He would be there to help her when the time came.
With a groan of metal, Lancer pushed open the massive gate—nearly three people high. A bizarre stench hit them. Lancer frowned but kept his composure; Olga Marie simply shut off her sense of smell.
As Lancer stepped inside————
Squish~
The strange sound made Olga Marie's instincts flare, but she followed Lancer bravely. She didn't consider herself a hothouse flower—she had survived Singularity F and Walpurgisnacht. In her mind, her experience far exceeded most. But as her right foot landed, she frowned.
The sensation was like stepping into a liquid, but not like water—it was much more viscous. Just then, the Gáe Bolg in Lancer's hand began to glow softly, like a lantern in the dark.
As the light illuminated the area, Olga Marie's eyes widened, and she reflexively covered her mouth.
The ground of the wide corridor was covered in a dark red sludge. On the walls were countless charred skeletons. They were in various poses, but they all shared one thing: a visible sense of hysteria even in death. She realized the "strange smell" from before was the scent of blood gone bad.
Though her combat power and horizons had expanded ten-fold over the last six months, she had never seen such a horrific scene. A chill shot from her heels straight to her skull.
She had long forgotten she was a soul-construct; anything she "ate" was broken down into energy. Yet, her biological instincts made it feel as if something was rising in her throat... even though her stomach was empty.
At that moment, a hand rested on her head.
"Calm down. It's terrifying, but they're just corpses. They aren't going to jump up."
The warmth on her head felt like a campfire in the freezing gloom. She reflexively leaned closer to him.
Seeing her huddling close, Lancer's instinct was to step away, but looking at the silver-haired girl—usually so proud, now so panicked and lost...
'Sigh~'
He sighed silently and didn't move, instead providing her with steady support.
Whether it was Lancer's words or his physical warmth, she regained some spirit and couldn't resist a retort.
"If they actually moved, I'd actually be more used to it."
Lancer took it as her usual stubbornness and gave a small smile. As she looked like she wanted to say more, he removed his hand from her head.
"Everything has to be taken in steps. I'm not looking down on you, but in this state, how much of your strength could you actually use? I asked you to wait outside because I believe that with your strength, you could at least protect yourself out there..."
The sudden removal of his hand left her with a sense of loss. Once she calmed down, she realized he wasn't speaking without reason. But his next words made her expression dim.
"Besides, you're Fiore's student. If she finds out I didn't protect you properly, she'll probably come looking for me to settle the score."
It was a perfectly logical answer, but the light in Olga Marie's eyes faded. After a long silence, she nodded slowly.
Watching her leave the corridor, Lancer shook his head helplessly. He knew this might hurt her, but it was better than a breakdown later. This "last resort" was the only way.
"Aru, please look after Olga. And prepare an escape route for us."
"Meow~"
Aru didn't hesitate. After nodding to its two friends, it followed her out.
Looking down the dark, deep corridor, Lancer steeled his resolve.
"Let's move."