Chapter 24

SHALLTEAR POV, THE NIGHT OF THE ATTACK:

Toward the middle of the city, the taverns were alive with the sounds of adventurers.  However, in this dim residential area they sounded distant, one female kept to the shadows as she made her way into one of the buildings between East Main Street and Southeast Main Street in Orario's third district.

In the tapestry of darkness, over a hazardously built building in Daedalus Street, Shalltear looked at the two-story tall Soma Familia's home.

"It is finally time..." murmured Shalltear, her lips curling into a sadistic smile.

Shalltear began to mentally review her plan to attack the evildoers of Soma Familia. She needed to strike both their home and their wine cellar on the same night, one after the other.

To ensure the success of her mission and to create confusion during the subsequent investigation by Ganesha Familia, she opted for a tactic she had grown fond of—misdirection.

The attack had to appear both impeccably executed and haphazard, two distinct approaches, as if two different culprits were responsible.

"First, let's check who is inside," she muttered as she gracefully leaped from the towering building to the rooftop of Soma Familia's residence.

On top of the building, Shalltear discovered the door to be securely locked. In a swift motion, she wielded her divine lance and sliced through the lock with unparalleled precision.

"Perfect Unknowable," she whispered, her voice laced with power, as she became invisible. With stealth as her ally, she began to peer inside the dimly lit home.

Silently, she moved across the upper sections of the residence, casting her gaze down upon the central meeting hall where the familia gathered for dinners, celebrations, and announcements. As she continued her surveillance, two vigilant guards stationed in front of a reinforced door caught her attention. They appeared alert, and vigilant in their roles as the night watch.

Hmmm...That should be the treasure room, which is under strict management and supervision...

Still concealed from view by her invisibility, Shalltear continued her reconnaissance, slipping into the members' rooms with ease, confirming that each was unguarded, as expected.

o-O-o

Sometime later, two unconscious guards lay at Shalltear's feet. Having completed her search throughout Soma Familia's residence, she had found the three girls, the god Soma himself, Canoe, and numerous other members. However, Chandra, Zanis, and the elite members of their familia remained elusive.

Then Chandra and Zanis must be in the wine cellar... All right, time to set everything in motion!

Exiting the building, she returned to the rooftop terrace. From there, she gracefully descended into the familia's garden.

"First, I need to ensure that nobody interferes from outside or attempts to escape," she declared with determination.

"Summon Monster Third," Shalltear chanted, and in response, twenty-four dark brown wolves materialized before her. These harmless-looking creatures, level four YGGDRASIL monsters, blended seamlessly into the night, resembling ordinary dogs.

In perfect synchrony, the legion of nearly identical wolves turned their gaze toward Shalltear, their tails wagging energetically, and their tongues playfully hanging out. She couldn't help but feel a momentary distraction by their adorable appearance.

An army of good boys! They look so adorable! No... no... I must not allow myself to be distracted

"Summon Undead Seventh," Shalltear intoned, her voice laced with power, and multiple high wraiths manifested. These spectral beings resembled black ghosts, their faces twisted into expressions of eternal misery.

Unburdened by the constraints of gravity, the high wraiths swiftly ascended into the night air above the garden. They radiate an aura unique to the undead, one which the living could not abide. The wolves, in particular, began to show signs of distress, their eyes tearing up, and plaintive sounds escaping their throats.

"Cease your Despair Aura," she commanded the high wraiths, and the wolves seemed to recover, their agitation diminishing.

Clapping her hands, Shalltear issued her orders to the assembled creatures. "All right, everyone, here's the plan. I want packs of four wolves to move silently to the north, east, south, and west of this house. If any passersby approach, your task is to distract and playfully harass them, ensuring they stay away from this house."

She held up a single finger, emphasizing her instructions. "But if that isn't enough," she continued, "you're allowed to get a little angrier. Start barking and simulate an attack. At that moment, the high wraiths will be nearby, concealed, and they'll release their aura once more, sending any passerby fleeing in terror."

Shalltear clapped her hands again, underscoring the urgency of her commands. "In each group, I want at least one high wraith. Now, off you go."

The packs of wolves and high wraiths obediently scattered, heading in their respective directions.

"Now, now," Shalltear began with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "I could easily control everyone with a Charm Species spell... but where's the fun in that? Ahahaha–!" She started to laugh maniacally but then caught herself. "Wait! No maniacal laughter. That always precedes everything ending badly."

After a brief moment of reflection, she nodded to herself. "I need to make the three girls leave on their own... If I use my eyes, they won't remember a thing... and I need to ensure they never want to return here."

With a sadistic smile, she mused aloud, "I'm going to need some good screams." She gracefully leaped back onto the house's roof and returned inside, descending to the lower floors.

Moving stealthily through the upper floor, Shalltear reached a room where a light-brown-haired rabbit demi-human girl lay sleeping. In a swift and agile motion, she jumped over the girl's bed, landing on all fours. Using her Mystic Eyes, she locked her gaze onto the startled girl, who was gasping for breath after such a sudden scare.

The girl's expression gradually shifted from shock to relaxation, her light-brown eyes taking on a reddish tint under the influence of Shalltear's power.

o-O-o

COCO COLLINS POV:

Coco, Momiji, and Kaede shared a room in Soma Familia's house, situated on the upper floor of a two-story building. One section of the room had deteriorated bricks due to moisture, and the plaster had fallen off. The room had poor ventilation and no windows, making it feel more like a storage area than a livable space. Despite the poor conditions, the three girls chose to live together in this humble abode.

The three girls were sleeping when screams could be heard from outside their room.

Coco is startled awake by the screams. "Coco is sleepy...What is it?" She looks around and spots the translucent, deformed figure at the door. "GyyyyYYY! Gh-ghost! There is a ghost!" Coco exclaims, her eyes wide with fear. She rushes to wake up Momiji, shaking her vigorously.

Momiji groggily wakes up, rubbing her eyes and putting down the white and brown kitsune doll she hugs when sleeping. "Hmm, Coco? What is it?" she asks as Coco points at the door, where nothing seems to be.

Then, the wrath appears again, partially passing through the door, and they hear the terrified female screams from the other side. "Nooooo!!" "Help meee!!" "What is that thing??!!" A cold breeze sweeps through the room, making Momiji's face turn pale. "Kaede!! Something very bad is happening," she warns.

Kaede sluggishly wakes up by the commotion, sitting cross-legged on her bed. "Momi..ji?" she mutters, still half-asleep.

Coco moves to shake Kaede urgently. "Kaede! Wake up! There is a ghost!".

Being shaken by Coco, Kaede stammers, "Ghost? Did you have a bad dr–" but her words trail off as she sees the wraith looking at them and disappearing. Another wave of fear washes over the girls, and they quickly move to the opposite side of the room, their eyes fixed on the door.

"It is the vengeful spirit of an adventurer killed by a monster, unable to pass on...!!" the shrine maiden recites, her voice trembling with dread, recalling a horrifying legend from her village in the Far East.

"One of the members of the familia that died? Coming back for vengeance?!" Kaede asks, her face pale with fear.

"Ve-vengeful?! Coco wants to get out of here!" Coco exclaims, her voice quivering with terror.

The three girls gaze at the only exit—the same door where the vengeful spirit had been a second before.

Kaede takes charge, grabbing one of the beds and lifting it up. "Momiji! Help me barricade the door," she urges, determination in her eyes.

"Ah! Right! Coco, start packing what you can! We are leaving!" Momiji commands, rushing to assist Kaede in moving the bed to use it as a barricade.

"B-but how are we gonna get out?! The ghost is there! GYY!" Coco cries out in distress, her eyes darting between her friends. She soon notices that now two vengeful spirits are attempting to cross the barricaded door, intensifying the sense of urgency.

Kaede's decision is swift. "I am gonna break the wall, and we will jump down!" She grabs her obi and swords, heading to the section of the room with more structural damage, and charges at it. She repeatedly hits it with her shoulder in an attempt to create another exit from the now perilous room.

Momiji grabs her oonusa, taking a defensive stance behind the barricaded door. Her fingers mimic a fox, and she moves her oonusa in a purification ritual toward the door, chanting softly.

Coco rushes to grab Mr. Bear and Momiji's red bag, feverishly piling their belongings into the two backpacks. More screams echo from beyond the door but are abruptly silenced, leaving an eerie stillness in the air. Coco's fear intensifies, causing her to break out in a cold sweat as she finishes filling the bags.

A third wraith materializes, causing Momiji to step back from the door, overwhelmed and furious. "This is not gonna work," she declares angrily. Her frustration boils over, and she begins to unleash a torrent of insults at the wraiths, stomping her feet in frustration.

Continuing to stomp her feet and hurl insults, Momiji moves to assist Kaede by shoving the room's wardrobe, causing it to fall sideways behind Kaede. Kaede quickly catches on, using it to rest her upper back and utilizing her arms as support to start kicking the bricks one by one, creating an opening in the wall.

The two girls, Coco and Momiji, anxiously wait at Kaede's side, eager to escape the haunted place. Coco clings tightly to Mr. Bear, her trembling voice muffled against the stuffed animal. "Where are we gonna go?"

Momiji, hastily packing her red bag, responds in a panicked tone, "I don't know, Coco...Anywhere but here!"

A pounding sound resonates from the door, as if someone or something is desperately trying to break through. But the barricaded bed holds it closed, at least for the moment.

Kaede continues to kick at the bricks, gradually making a hole large enough for them to escape. She urges the others, "Miach!! Let's go to Miach!" and helps Coco pass through the opening, making sure to hug Mr. Bear tightly to prevent it from getting damaged upon landing.

Coco lands safely on the ground outside the house, a floor below, now securing Mr. Bear as a makeshift backpack over her back using its straps.

Momiji and, finally, Kaede leap down, and as they do, a loud crash echoes from above as the wooden door of their room breaks.

"Run, run, run!!" Kaede shouts, leading the way as she dashes toward East Main Street.

Momiji and Coco follow closely behind, their hearts racing. As they hurry along, they pass by a group of brown dogs, and then a new ghost materializes nearby, giving chase.

"Gyyyy!" Coco screams in terror.

"Coco, don't look behind! Just run!" Momiji shouts from ahead of her.

The three girls are propelled forward, fleeing from the haunting horrors they've encountered today.