A single shadow knelt upon the cold stone floor. The Grand Cathedral of Aurelia—centered around its 85-meter spire, this was the most sacred place in a city where solemn religious architecture stretched endlessly in every direction. The stained glass of the audience chamber blazed with seven colors as it caught the light from outside, yet it seemed to radiate no warmth at all. Yui could not lift her face. The ends of her short black hair trembled faintly. Her deep brown eyes gazed vacantly at her own reflection in the polished floor. A white blouse and black slacks—garments specially tailored for her as the Saint—now felt like heavy chains. "...Yui." A voice from the throne. Aged, yet cold in its resonance. Timidly, Yui raised her head. Pope Alexius IV. Sixty-two years old. His tall, gaunt frame was wrapped in white vestments, and his gray eyes looked down upon Yui. No emotion could be read in their depths. Like a winter lake—still, and cold. Behind him stood twelve cardinals in a row, their expressions as blank as stone statues. "You shall be sent to the Demon Territory." The meaning of those words did not reach Yui right away. "...The Demon Territory?" "Indeed. As an offering—to the Demon King Guran." An offering. It took several seconds for the word to sink into her chest. Until this day, her eighteenth birthday, Yui had been raised within the facilities of the Holy Church. She did not know her parents' faces. For as long as she could remember, this place had been everything. Her role as the Saint—bestowing blessings upon the sick, offering prayers for the people—she had never once doubted that this was her calling. And yet. "[surprised]Why... must it be me?" Her voice came out hoarse. The Pope's gray eyes narrowed, just barely. "It is to ease tensions with the Demon Territory. These past few years, skirmishes along the border have increased. Should it escalate into full-scale war, the Holy Kingdom of Gardia would suffer catastrophic damage. The demon army exceeds fifty thousand, with their magical combat units alone numbering three thousand. Our own forces maintain a standing army of eighty thousand and two thousand magic knights—but even if we were to win, the sacrifices would be incalculable." "However—" "You, as the Saint, are the most appropriate gift." The words pierced like a blade. A gift. As if she were a thing. Yui's fists clenched tightly on her lap. "[cold]I have... served the Church. Healing the people, offering prayers—that has been my entire life. And yet—" "Precisely because of that." The Pope rose to his feet. His footsteps echoed coldly through the silent audience chamber. His tall shadow fell over the kneeling Yui. "You bear the Holy Crest. Proof that you were chosen by God. It is because you possess that value that you are fit to be an offering." The Holy Crest. Yui's hand unconsciously touched the nape of her neck. A pattern etched into her by a Church cleric when she was young. She had always believed it was a sign of divine protection. For eighteen years, she had even taken pride in this mark. But—not anymore. "...I cannot accept this." Her voice trembled. Even so, she could not keep the words inside. "I am the Saint. My duty is to protect the people. To be handed over to demons—" "[cold]...Then it shall be an Inquisition." She thought her heart might stop. The Inquisition. A religious tribunal that judged those who defied the Church's doctrine. The accused had no right to defense. At best, fines or pilgrimages—at worst, execution by fire. A system of terror where eight out of two hundred annual cases ended in guilty verdicts. Even a Saint was no exception. The Pope's gray eyes pierced straight through Yui. There was not a shred of mercy in them. "...I understand." The voice did not feel like her own. Small, thin—as if it belonged to someone else entirely. The Pope nodded with satisfaction. "Departure is at dawn. Make your preparations." He turned his back. His white vestments billowed as he disappeared beyond the heavy doors. The cardinals followed, and soon Yui was left alone in the audience chamber. The light from the stained glass cast its colors upon the cold floor. Yui could not move. *(I was just a tool.)* Now that she thought about it, there had always been questions. Why had she been chosen as the Saint? Why had she grown up never knowing her parents' faces? Why—had this Holy Crest been carved into her? But she had believed. The people of the Church needed her. There was meaning in praying for the people. She had tried so hard to convince herself of that. She had been wrong. She was nothing more than an offering. Raised for that purpose from the very beginning. A single tear fell. It landed on the stone floor, forming a tiny stain. — The preparations were over in no time. A nun who served as her attendant silently packed Yui's belongings. Just a few changes of clothes and a bible. As if it had already been decided that she would never return. Yui was made to stand before a mirror. The nun's hands unceremoniously removed the cloth covering her neck. Her reflection in the mirror—short black hair, deep brown eyes, a slender frame. And there, clearly etched into the nape of her neck, the Holy Crest. The pattern, which emitted a faint golden light, traced a complex geometric design. She had always thought it was just a mark, devoid of any sensation. But. *(I can't get those words I overheard in the corridor this morning out of my head.)* The low voices of the cardinals. "When the sacrifice touches Guran and it activates, that mark should fulfill its purpose." What did that mean? She didn't know. But—a deep unease stirred in her chest. Yui gently reached out toward her reflection in the mirror. Her fingertips touched the cold glass. *(This mark... what is it really for?)* No one would give her an answer. — The carriage departed Aurelia before dawn, while it was still dark. Three escort soldiers. All of them low-ranking members of the Royal Magic Knight Order, clad in armor and bearing swords. But—their eyes already looked down on Yui. "Heh, so the Saint's gonna be the demons' plaything, huh?" One of them muttered under his breath. "Saint or not, she's just a woman. Wonder what kinda sounds she'll make when a demon's got her." "Wouldn't mind seeing that." Vulgar laughter. Yui kept her gaze fixed outside the window and bit her lip. Even if she wanted to talk back, the words wouldn't come. *(Is this happening to me because I'm the Saint?)* The carriage headed toward the Wasteland of Lamentations. A dead land, eighty kilometers east to west and two hundred kilometers north to south, contaminated by forbidden curses. The taboo magic used by humanity during the War of Ruin three hundred years ago still gnawed at the earth to this day. Not a single blade of grass grew; only yellowish-brown soil and stone stretched on forever. Crossing it required a safe-conduct pass issued by the Church—violators became targets for attack by both factions. It was that kind of danger zone. Gazing out the window, Yui tried to think of nothing. But it was impossible. *(Kain.)* Her childhood friend, and her fiancé. Hot-blooded and clumsy, he could never leave someone in trouble alone. About two years ago, by the Church's order, he had become engaged to Yui. Honestly, she had been bewildered at first—but Kain had told her with earnest eyes: "I will protect you. No matter what." So she had believed. That someday, he would come for her. *(But—where is he now?)* The Resonance Stone. One half of a pair of small mineral stones that Kain had given her. Yui quietly drew it out from her chest. A cold stone. It did not tremble. No communication came. She squeezed it in her fingers. Its hard texture was the only means she had to feel his presence. — It was just past noon on the third day when the carriage reached the middle of the wasteland. From around the time the sun began to climb higher, Yui noticed something wrong. The nape of her neck was hot. At first, she thought it was her imagination. But as time passed, the temperature kept rising. When she placed her hand there, only the area of the Holy Crest was gently, persistently warm. "...What is this?" One of the escort soldiers saw her state and grinned. "Oh? The Holy Crest reacting? Looks like the demons are rolling out the welcome mat." "Now that you mention it, I've heard about that. They say the Holy Crest aches when you get close to demons." "Better do your best to please the Demon King, Saint-sama." Laughter. But Yui was in no state to care. The heat was growing stronger and stronger. Not just a gentle or faint warmth—nothing so mild. It was distinctly—throbbing. *(Something is... wrong.)* The Holy Crest was radiating a pulsing heat, as if calling out to someone. — That night, they made camp. A campfire created a small light in the wasteland. The escort soldiers shared their rations and laughed among themselves at crude jokes. Yui was handed only a single piece of dry bread. A cold wind blew through. Yui pulled her blanket close and hugged her knees. The Holy Crest was still hot. *(Kain...)* She gripped the Resonance Stone once more. But the stone did not tremble. His voice could not be heard. *(He'll definitely come for me—I believe that.)* But. Somewhere in her heart, a part of her thought it might already be impossible. After all, this was the very middle of the Wasteland of Lamentations. The Church, the kingdom—they had already abandoned her. All that remained—was the throbbing of the Holy Crest. Yui closed her eyes. She tried to picture Kain's face. But she couldn't concentrate. The heat was beginning to turn into pain. *(I don't want this... I'm scared...)* She couldn't tell anyone. She could only endure it, alone. — Just past noon on the third day. "This is as far as we go." The escort soldier's voice rang strangely cold. The carriage stopped. Outside the window—there was nothing. Just a vast, vague expanse of earth. But far in the distance, a faint outline of light was visible. A beautiful radiance, shimmering like a mirage. That was—the fortress city of Tenebris. The capital of the Demon Territory. Population: 550,000. Characterized by floating structures that glowed with magical light, it was a magnificent city the likes of which could never be seen in human lands. Its appearance was nothing like the "fortress of darkness" the Church had taught about. But she had no time to take it in properly. "Get out." One of the soldiers grabbed her arm and dragged her from the carriage. "Leave the luggage here. The demons will pick it up." Her bag was tossed aside, landing on the ground with a puff of dust. Yui stumbled, trying to stand—and then. "Our job here is done." Another soldier pushed her back. Not hard. But unmistakably—shoving her down. Yui fell to her knees on the ground. The carriage sped away. Carrying the three soldiers, back to the land of humans. Leaving Yui here, alone. "Wait—" Her voice vanished into the wind. She tried to stand. But—in that instant. The Holy Crest. A violent pain shot through her. Burning. Piercing. On a completely different level from the faint heat she'd felt before. "Ah... aaaah!" She clutched the nape of her neck and fell to her knees. The pain spread from the Holy Crest throughout her entire body. As if a hot iron was being pressed against her—no, deeper than that, as if something was being torn apart from the very depths of her being. *(What... is this...)* Her vision began to darken. The distant lights of Tenebris looked blurred. Beautiful. Completely different from the dark image the Church had taught. But. She couldn't think about anything more than that. "Kain... help... me..." A murmur that could not form a voice. Her vision bleached white. The violent pain of the Holy