"The scenery here is quite lovely," Alistair remarked, taking the stone steps one by one. Looking at the lush greenery and the towering trees, he felt a fleeting sense of nostalgia.
In his previous life, Alistair's hometown was nestled in a remote mountain range. Every year during the Ancestral Festival, they had to hike through the wilderness just like this, though back then, they didn't have the luxury of neatly paved stone stairs.
"I agree, meow. The air is so crisp, it's perfect for a nap, meow~" Tamagane purred, lounging lazily atop Alistair's head.
"Um, Miss Hyakkiya seems to have gotten quite far ahead. We should probably pick up the pace," Yukino suggested, squinting upward. Hikari's silhouette was already blurring into the distance.
"She's that fast?" Alistair looked up. Hikari was indeed a tiny speck now. It seemed she hadn't slowed down at all since they started.
"Something feels off, meow~ Hikari wouldn't normally rush ahead like that alone. She probably saw something and chased after it, meow~" Tamagane noted. She wasn't particularly worried, though. Hikari carried the prestigious Hyakkiya bloodline; taking her down was no easy feat.
"Could there be some kind of illusion barrier on this mountain?" Alistair asked. Seeing that Tamagane wasn't panicked, he didn't feel the need to sprint. Tamagane had known Hikari far longer than he had.
"A barrier? I don't think so," Yukino shook her head. "When I was staying with Kaede, she never mentioned anything like that. She only sets up defensive wards around the shrine itself."
"Then it's strange. Tamagane, what did you say you were here for again? Could it be related to your case?"
"Someone was murdered and drained of their life force," Tamagane explained. "The police found the body on this mountain a few days ago. Since it was clearly a supernatural incident, they commissioned us to investigate."
"Life-drain? On Mount Peak-Crest?" Alistair looked at Yukino suspiciously. The only powerful mage on the summit was a Kuryuin. It seemed likely she was the culprit.
"Kaede only cares about the summit," Yukino clarified, sensing his doubt. "The lower slopes are under government jurisdiction. That's why the police called Hikari and Tamagane."
"Our investigation showed the victim died of 'mental death,' meow. Meaning the killer has high-level psychic spells or a natural talent for it," Tamagane added. "But it makes no sense, meow. If you're that gifted, why not just go to the Academy of Elves? They offer endless resources. Killing for life force is just... inefficient, meow."
In the world of Demi-humans, they focused on refining their own bloodlines. Draining life force was usually a desperate move for those seeking forbidden magic or immortality—neither of which were common issues for races that naturally lived for centuries.
"I see. Wait... Hikari's gone completely. Let's speed up," Alistair said, noticing her silhouette had vanished.
"I'm holding on! Let's go!" Tamagane gripped Alistair's horns with her claws, sounding like she was about to go on a roller coaster.
"You really aren't worried about her at all, are you?" Alistair muttered.
"Not at all. Hikari is stronger than she looks... Look! There's a gazebo up there. She's probably waiting for us," Tamagane pointed.
Alistair accelerated his pace, and within moments, the two humans and one cat reached the stone pavilion. To their surprise, it was empty.
"She kept going? I was hoping for a break," Alistair sighed. He wasn't tired, but he enjoyed the company.
"Alistair! Tamagane! Yukino! You guys are so fast! I thought you were behind me, but you're already at the gazebo! Did you fly up here?"
A familiar voice called out—from below them.
"Hikari? How are you behind us?" Alistair looked down as Hikari ran up the stairs toward them. "You were way ahead of us just a minute ago!"
"I thought I was in front too!" Hikari panted, looking bewildered. "But then the path felt lonely and I couldn't see you guys, so I stopped to wait. When you didn't show up, I started walking back down to find you!"
"Well," Tamagane interrupted, her tail twitching. "It looks like our culprit is still here."