Advent of the Three Calamities

Tik, tik-

The pocket watch ticked.

It was; 5:30 P.M.

'...He should be the only person present.'

Rather than panicking, I remained coolheaded while glancing at the door. Recalling the words that the priest had shared in his dreams, I knew that priest Kyle wouldn't have other people enter the room.

The two of them were the only ones who were aware of the Pope's presence.

'How should I go about this?'

I alternated my gaze between the two priests.

'Should I just kill them?'

If the two of them were to suddenly disappear, it would pull most suspicion towards the two Priests.

That would buy me a lot of time.

Furthermore, given my strength, they wouldn't suspect me.

"Although the two priests are also quite weak themselves..."

Still, they were two and they had a higher chance of doing something to the Pope than me. If anything, the two could've brought the Pope elsewhere.

"They should also be the only few who are aware of the fact that I was escorted to the Pope.'

Hopefully.

I knew they'd figure out that the Pope had an audience with me, but what I needed right now was time, and this would help me gain that valuable time.

'Alright.'

To Tok-

The door knocked again and the Priest's voice echoed again.

'Tick, tick.' The pocketwatch continued to tick.

It was; 5:31 P.M.

"Marian?"

With a soft 'click,' the door swung open, and a figure stepped inside. I fixed my gaze in his direction, briefly shutting my eyes. In an instant, the room shifted, and my appearance transformed along with it.

"Oh, so you're here."

His expression relaxed at the sight of me.

"....Why were you taking so long?"

"I was tending to his holiness."

"Is that the case?"

Kyle shifted his attention towards where the Pope was. His face relaxed further.

"Ah, you should've told me in advance. I was getting worried since you weren't—"

Xiu!

I clenched my hand and the threads snapped down. With a 'thump,' the priest's body fell face flat against the floor. I tapped against the side of my neck and placed the body into the ring.

Following this, I shifted my attention towards the other Priest and did the same thing.

"....There's no going back."

My heart was at my throat.

Killing them was the only way for me to place the bodies inside of the ring. Otherwise, it would've been impossible.

But I had no choice but to do so.

This was the only way for me to get rid of the two bodies. Furthermore, with the two bodies in my ring, they wouldn't be able to trace them.

It would essentially make them go on a wild goose chase.

'Okay, what next.'

I looked around the room.

The room was practically spotless, the scent of blood that had once hung in the air completely vanished. The only flaw left behind was the chair, fractured in several places.

After a little thought, I decided to put the chair in the ring with me.

Just in case.

"This should be it."

'Tik, tik'

It was; 5:33 P.M.

Glancing around the room, and making sure that there was no other evidence left behind, I lightly waved my hand. A figure appeared shortly after.

"I need your help."

"1

Owl-Mighty glanced around the room before resting over my extended arm.

"Does it have to do with the bodies that you just put inside of the ring?"

"Yes. I need your help replicating them."

"That is not difficult."

Swoosh-!

As Owl-Mighty waved its wing, two figures materialized next to me. Looking at them, they looked identical to the two Priests. I observed them from the side and couldn't help but lower

My head in defeat.

"..... How is it?"

"It's good."

As expected of Owl-Mighty. Despite all my training to master the 'Veil of Deceit', I was still nowhere near creating the flawless illusions he could produce.

If one looked at mine closely, they'd be able to notice subtle imperfections.

The same couldn't be said for Owl-Mighty who could create perfect replicas with just the

Wave of its wing.

I was still far from reaching his level.

"What next?"

"....I need you to stay around this area for a while."

"Do you need me to sustain the illusions?"

"Yes."

Outside of this room were small devices that recorded everything that happened. If I came out

Of the room by myself despite the two other priests who had entered as well, a lot of suspicion would fall on me.

For that reason, I needed to make it seem like I came out of the room alongside the two other

Priests.

Which was why I had Owl-Mighty create two illusions of them.

With them now beside me, I reached for the doorknob and twisted it open.

"Let's go."

'Tik, tik!'

It was; 5:35 P.M.

A long and empty hallway greeted my sight. The silence that greeted me right after coming

Out of the room felt unsettling.

'Where is everyone?'

I quietly pursed my lips and looked around. In the distance, I could see the exit of the building. It wasn't far, and yet, the corridor seemed to stretch for an eternity.

Tak-

The soft click of my shoe echoed through the space as I began to walk forward. Holding my breath, I walked in the middle of the two priests who escorted me out of the

Building. The entire time I kept my expression firm and glued to the door in the distance.

All sorts of thoughts gnawed at my mind as I pressed forward. They added to the anxiety that

Was eating away at my chest.

Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!

The beat of my heart drummed loudly in my mind while I pressed on.

Sweat trickled down the side of my face.

One step, two steps, three steps.

The door appeared a few meters away from me.

Tik, tik.

The tick of my pocketwatch continued to echo in my mind.

It was; 5:36 P.M.

The two Priests eventually stopped and I turned to look at them. Or more specifically, Owl-

Mighty.

'Stay here for a while. Leave the place only after I give you the signal.'

'Okay.'

Nodding at the two priests, I opened the main door and exited the building.

Swoosh!

A strong gust swept in through the door, sending my hair streaming back in wild waves.

Seeing the Academy campus once more, my chest, which had grown heavy a few moments

Prior finally started to lighten up.

"...This is the first step done."

I chewed on my lips before turning in a certain direction.

I already knew what I had to do.

Just as I was about to take a step in that direction, a familiar light-hearted voice broke

Through the heavy silence, drawing my attention.

"Ah, cadet. If it isn't you."

A chill shot down my spine, locking every muscle in place.

My legs nearly buckled beneath me, and my breath shook.

There, half-hidden in the shadows, stood a figure cloaked in pure white, their face obscured

Beneath a hood. The empty gaze beneath it seemed to bore into my soul, locking me directly

In place.

In spite of the hood covering his features, I could see it.

I could see the smile that lingered on his lips as he looked at me.

Why...?

Why is he here?

"It's been a while. How are you doing?"

He approached me with a friendly tone.

And yet...

Yet...

Each step he took crushed the air around me, an invisible weight pressing down on me,

It was as if the very gravity shifted with his appearance, pinning me in place and leaving my

Chest tight, making each breath harder than the last.

It felt suffocating.

"Oh? This looks like the building designated to the ones from the church of Oracleus. Are you

A follower of his?"

"....Yes."

Forcing a reply, I swallowed silently.

"I... just came back from the Confessional Hearing."

"Oh? And how was that?"

"It was good."

"That's good to hear."

As the conversation continued, his tone grew lighter, almost casual, like he was speaking to

An old friend. Yet, the friendlier he sounded, the deeper my unease grew.

'Has he caught onto something?'

No, but how was that possible?

It shouldn't be possible for him to catch onto something so quickly.

'Yes, it's more likely that he's here for me in regard to the previous incident than what happened to the

Pope. He still suspects me that I'm from the Inverted Sky."

While the scenario was still not good, it was far better than the other scenario in which he

Knew I had done something to the Priest.

....Anything was better than that-

"Hm? Do you smell that?"

Cutting my thoughts off, the Keeper raised his head and sniffed the air. I tilted my head at his

Actions. What is he...?

"...You don't smell it?"

"Smell what-"

"The smell of blood? Do you not smell it?"

||||

My face squeezed and whatever response I had vanished from my lips. Opening my eyes

Slightly, the faint smile tugging at the Keeper's lips seemed to winden.

Tik, tik.

Why could I still hear the tick of my pocket watch?

It was; 5:39 P.M.

Sniffing the air, he eventually settled his gaze towards me.

"So strange."

He mumbled.

"...Why does the smell seem to come from you?"

Tilting his head, the Keeper's voice grew lighter.

"Did you kill someone recently?"

Pain flooded my mind as my nails dug deeply into my hand. As my core tightened, the Keeper placed his hand over my shoulder, keeping me in place.

"What's with the lack of response? Don't tell me you really did kill someone."

The Keeper laughed before retrieving a small circular object from his pocket and showing it to

Me.

"Just about ten minutes ago, I received a message saying to come over here. You see, there's a very important individual residing within that building." The Keeper pointed at the building behind me.

"His identity is very very precious and only a select few know that he's present. And as you

Know, given his identity, anything suspicious that happens gets directly reported to me."

|| ||

Tilting the communication device towards my side, the Keeper read the message aloud, "Priest Marian has entered the Confessional room. He has yet to respond to me. I will be

Going to check it out now. If you do not hear a reply within the next few minutes, something happened to the two of us."

My mind spiraled as the words echoed loudly within my mind.

Putting the communication device away, the Keeper retrieved a small pocket watch.

Tik, tik-

"Would you look at that? Five minutes have indeed passed since then."

It was; 5:42 P.M.

"Kh!"

A hand pressed directly against my neck before I even had the chance to reply.

It was then that I saw it.

That I saw the eyes that hid beneath the hood.

They were a deep green hue. A poisonous green hue.

When his lips parted once more, my body trembled, a chill running down my spine as his voice

Reached my ears, hoarse and ragged.

"You wouldn't happen to know what is going on, right?"

It was an image that burned itself into my memory; straight from a nightmare.

One that brought a series of notifications across my vision.

And one that faded shortly after as I suddenly found myself back in the confessional room.

"Uh?"

As I surveyed my surroundings, my gaze landed on the priest's body slumped in the wooden chair at the center of the room. What... When?

Staring at the body which was still breathing, I took out my pocket watch and checked the

Time.

Tik, Tik-

It was; 5:18 P.M.

How was this possible?