Mist swirled through the orphanage, strange silhouettes flickering in and out of view within its depths.
"This should be Frey's room."
Yomi parted the fog, leading Alice up to the second floor. The hallway was lined with many small rooms, and the one tucked away in the corner seemed to be Frey's bedroom.
Opening the door revealed a wall completely covered with photographs. They pictured a lively young man, a beaming young woman, and a couple with gentle smiles.
So Frey and Loki did have parents.
Alice blinked slowly, her gaze resting on the couple in the photos.
Considering Yomi's earlier reaction, it seemed this orphanage housed quite a few 'Promised Children'.
It appeared not only were the Promised Children artificially created, but their status as orphans was manufactured as well.
Even indoors, the fog remained thick, so dense Yomi could no longer see the floor at her feet.
"May I make a little noise?" she asked softly.
Planning to use her Magic Circuits to feel the way?
"Go ahead," Alice replied offhandedly, her steps light and unhurried. "Is Bronson in the orphanage?"
"I've been confined to that cell until now, I don't know his movements," Yomi shook her head and continued leading the way. After a moment, she added, "I didn't hear any vehicles coming or going today."
So he's probably still somewhere on the orphanage grounds, then.
A slight curve touched Alice's lips as she began to hum a light, cheerful tune.
"Hmm-hmm..."
The faint melody echoed in the thick mist. The monsters within the fog seemed to grow more excited, churning and swimming through the white haze.
Hearing the song hummed beside her, the fur on Yomi's body prickled slightly.
Just what kind of person has Bronson managed to provoke?
They slowly made their way out of the orphanage building and entered another structure.
The atmosphere inside was reminiscent of a school, with several spacious, classroom-like rooms. Some were equipped with blackboards, while others resembled gymnasiums.
As they walked down the corridor, Yomi's eyes caught on the occasional white lab coat scattered on the floor. A cold sweat broke out, thoroughly soaking her fur.
The silent hallway echoed only with Alice's footsteps and her humming song. There was no other sound.
Alice stopped beside a room that looked like a classroom and gently pushed the window open.
Inside, a group of children sat neatly and quietly at their desks. On the teacher's platform lay a torn half-sleeve of a white lab coat.
Despite the absence of any adults, they sat diligently at their seats. There was no communication between them; they just sat silently, perfectly upright in their chairs.
All the children shared the same traits—pale, off-white hair and vivid crimson pupils.
As the window creaked open, the children all turned to look. Alice gave them a friendly wave.
Faced with this unfamiliar older sister, the children finally showed some reaction. Some glanced at each other, while others opened their mouths slightly, though no words came out.
It seems the children's innate nature hasn't been completely erased yet.
Alice pressed a hand down gently, signaling for them to remain quiet, then turned and walked back towards the building's exit.
"There's nothing much else out here. The lower floors are the most important section, aren't you going to check them?" Yomi asked, puzzled.
"That's where the children's remains are, or something similar, right?" Alice clasped her hands behind her back, swaying slightly as she walked briskly outside. "That can wait. The main event has arrived."
Outside the building, like a bolt of lightning, a massive sword slammed down from the sky.
Its golden blade was dazzling. A gentleman stood on the third-floor window frame, looking down at the fog with a grave expression.
The mist enveloping the entire orphanage suddenly began to churn, slowly parting to reveal a girl wearing a penguin hood standing below.
The gentleman narrowed his eyes, then leaped down, landing in the central courtyard as lightly as a feather.
"Might I ask who you are?" he inquired, composed.
The girl didn't answer his question, instead asking lightly in return, "Bronson?"
"Indeed."
"Good."
As the word fell, a pale, gigantic hand emerged from the fog, its blood-red claw swatting down towards the greatsword.
"Lucifer!"
The greatsword instantly transformed, shifting into a humanoid shape—the golden angel, Lucifer.
A scorching wind whipped up around it as it gripped its longsword and slashed towards the giant claw.
By gathering hot winds to create super-high temperatures, it could sever all steel in a single strike—this was the same Magic Circuit, 'Jet,' as the one belonging to Loki's Cherubim.
The thermal wind, carrying temperatures exceeding thousands of degrees, sliced into the mist, but... it was utterly ineffective.
The blistering storm couldn't even disperse the fog.
The longsword in Lucifer's grip was easily shattered by the giant claw. As the hot winds raged, Lucifer barely managed to evade the claw's attack, using the winds to hover in the air.
"What in the world is that? A hound? A lizard? Or... a dragon?" Bronson muttered grimly.
He couldn't clearly make out the monster's form, only catching vague glimpses of the crimson claw within the white mist.
Alice smiled soundlessly.
Impossible to capture with the eye, appearing alongside the thick fog, beasts with 'sharp fangs and crimson claws'—the Wander Snatch.
The white fog rolled and surged.
In this dense mist that completely obstructed vision, countless strange sounds echoed around Bronson.
The sniffing of hounds, the chirping of birds, the roars of giant dragons—a cacophony of noises blurred and distorted Bronson's world, making it hazy, illusory.
"Come, let's play a game!"
The world-enveloping fog reflected a dark fairy tale. In this illusory world, only Alice's voice, like a sorcerous melody, felt as real and tangible as blood.
A great fissure split open within the white mist, and within the fissure, fine threads stretched taut.
Bronson, watching those threads that resembled viscous strands within the haze, narrowed his eyes.
A second later, he frantically manipulated Lucifer to carry him higher into the air.
Viscous strands? Those weren't threads at all, but a row of enormous teeth!
"Just what are the things in this fog?!"
He stood on the rooftop. Lucifer transformed back into a greatsword, thermal winds gathering along its blade.
Concentrated super-high temperatures could cut through anything. The greatsword hovered in the air, then swung down violently towards the spot where the penguin-hooded girl stood.
But before the sword could complete its arc, a crimson giant claw seized its hilt.
In that instant, an immense amount of magical energy overflowed from Bronson, the man who had once been closest to the throne of the Demon King.
The magic poured into Lucifer. He and the giant claw struggled for control of the greatsword, the intense thermal winds scraping against the claw.
But the pale giant claw seemed utterly indifferent to the spreading heat. It waved the greatsword around a few times like a toy, then slammed it hard into the ground.
A screech of grinding metal rang out. Peering with difficulty through the thick fog, one could see the greatsword snap cleanly in the middle, then be crumpled into a ball by the giant claw.
Bronson breathed heavily, gasping in terror as he scrambled towards the opposite side of the roof.
Chitter chitter chitter.
What—?!
A plump, round bird with a crimson beak and claws seized him by the back.
Sharp claws dug into his flesh. The bird hurled him back down into the central courtyard.
Thud—
Bronson crashed onto the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
He scrambled to his feet, looked around in panic, then shouted into the depths of the fog, "I have no quarrel with you, do I?"
His voice traveled into the mist. There was no response.
"If this is about these children... this is all for the progress of humanity! For humanity, stagnation is equivalent to cessation, to extinction! So these are just... insignificant costs!"
The fog echoed his voice. Again, there was no response.
Bronson looked around, suspicious and alarmed. Is this... is she letting me go?
The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk. He turned around—and was met with two rows of sharp teeth, right before his eyes.
The enormous maw had been waiting behind him all along.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
The grotesque sounds lasted for a few seconds, then faded away.
Silence began to spread through the orphanage.
Alice stood in the center of the courtyard, moonlight falling upon her as the fog gradually receded.
The plump, round bird also began to shrink, its form shifting, blue feathers slowly appearing.
Its massive body dissipated like mist. No—it was mist.
Robin shook its head, fluttered its wings, and flew back to perch on Alice's shoulder.
"Miss Alice, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Alice said, gently massaging her temples. Her gaze shifted to Yomi, who was crouched on a first-floor window frame. "Someone will come to take over shortly."
This was a situation that called for the 'official channels' to clean up.
Yomi nodded silently and jumped down from the window frame.
The thick fog dissipated, the stars in the night sky growing increasingly clear.
If this is what it takes for humanity to progress, then humanity is truly pitiable.
Alice lightly brushed off her skirt and adjusted the penguin hood on her head.
"Let's go, Robin."
"Righto!"
At that moment, from the direction of the school, a beam of white-gold light split the night sky.
"Seems things are lively over there too."
The young girl chuckled softly and walked towards the beam of light.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.