Grigori's gaze bypassed Kaito entirely, settling instead on the invisible presence only Kaito could perceive.
"It has been a long time, Durandal," he stated in a calm voice, almost a greeting between old acquaintances.
A flicker of unease passed through the air.
'Could he be...' Durandal whispered to herself.
Kaito's grip on the sword tightened, his body tensing with instinctive caution.
Grigori finally looked back at Kaito and offered a faint, knowing smile. "Fear not, Kaito Tanaka. I am not like some of my more… fervent colleagues. I have no interest in claiming Durandal for its role in resurrecting the Age of Gods."
Kaito didn't relax. He cast a sharp glance at the silent homes and the frozen bodies scattered throughout the quiet streets.
"Are you responsible for all of this?"
Grigori's gaze swept across the lifeless town, and for a moment, something almost like sorrow passed behind his eyes.
"In the strictest sense, yes."
He turned away then, the breeze tugging gently at his simple, monk-like garments.
"If you still wish to talk… I will be at the church."
Kaito watched until Grigori vanished from view before slowly lowering Durandal. The tension in his shoulders began to ease, though wariness still lingered in his eyes.
Eleanor stepped closer. "Kaito… who is he?"
He shook his head, brow furrowed. "I'm not sure exactly. But he's extremely powerful. He called himself a titled mage of the Veiled Circle. I fought a clone of one of those titled mages before, it nearly killed me. Grigori... felt stronger than that clone. By a lot."
He turned his thoughts inward. "Durandal. He could see you."
'I recognized him,' Durandal replied, her voice composed but shadowed with disbelief. 'Though not in that form, his essence is unmistakable. He is a powerful lich known in my era as the No Life King.'
A cold silence followed as she continued. 'He was betrayed by his own subordinate and was later trapped and sealed away by the Church. Roland was there—he and the paladins of Charlemagne fought in that final battle. Roland stole the lich's scythe and used it to deliver the final blow that ended the threat.' She paused, as if stunned by her own words. 'That blow cursed Roland, sending him on a long, harrowing journey to lift it. But never—never did I imagine the Church would entomb the No Life King here, of all places…'
'Normally, I would suggest you turn back, Kaito, as you're clearly not ready for a foe of this caliber. But if the seal binding the No Life King has truly been broken... then this world stands on the brink of a cataclysm. A tide of the undead would rise, and all life could be swept away.'
"So, what did the sword say?" Tamamo interjected, peering at Kaito expectantly.
Kaito quickly boiled down Durandal's urgent message for them. "She said Grigori may actually be the No Life King, a powerful lich who was sealed away by the Church long ago. And she thinks his seal breaking could lead to a great catastrophe worldwide – like, a literal undead apocalypse."
"No Life King?" Tamamo mused, tilting her head. "Never heard of it."
Eleanor weighed their options. "Should we go to the church to talk to him? He doesn't seem to be inherently hostile towards us. He did invite us."
"Well, let's go, humans," Tamamo declared, already starting to walk in the direction Grigori had taken.
"Wait, what if it's a trap?" Kaito said, catching her.
"You worry too much, human," Tamamo scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "If he wanted to kill us, he would simply do so. To entrap others in needless conspiracy when he could crush them directly is merely the ploy of a third-rate villain. If he is the No Life King your sword claims him to be, then his intelligence must be on par with my own." She puffed out her chest slightly, daring them to doubt her assessment.
"But..."
They stood before an Eastern style Orthodox church. Its sweeping roofs curved as its golden dome rising against the slate-gray sky. Snow blanketed the houses and buildings surround it, but the church itself was untouched.
As Kaito pushed open the wooden gate, a wave of warm air rushed out to greet them. They stepped inside. Tamamo paused and gestured back at him to close the door to keep the warmth in.
Kaito hesitated. Closing it meant shutting off their only clear exit, but at her urging, he ultimately complied as a heavy thud of the door sealing them within.
The interior of the church was surprisingly brightly lit, though Kaito noticed there were no candles burning, nor any visible light sources aside from the window views of falling snow. The warmth, too, seemed to emanate from the very air itself.
At the altar, stood Grigori with his back to them. He didn't turn immediately as his voice resonated with a calm authority. "I'm guessing Durandal has already informed you. I am indeed the No Life King."
Kaito, still wary, asked. "Why did you want to talk to us?"
Grigori slowly turned, his grey-blue eyes meeting Kaito's. "It was by God's will that brought you here, Kaito Tanaka. I wish to request help from you, chosen of Durandal."
"Help?" Eleanor interjected in surprise.
"Why would you seek help from that human?" Tamamo scoffed, though her tone was more curious than truly dismissive.
"You see," Grigori began to narrative, "after I was sealed by the Church, my soul, by some twist of fate or divine intervention, escaped its prison. It was reborn as the man you see standing before you now." He gestured to himself. "In this new life, I became a man of God. I've learned to look past my former hatred of all life and humanity."
"In my relentless pursuit of knowledge and power in my previous existence, I discarded the very weakness of flesh and humanity itself to pursuit immortality. It was only when I was given no other choices but to inhabit this vessel that I learned the true wonder of life and, paradoxically, regained my humanity."
"However, my sealed body remains, trapped under these frozen lands. Although it is but a husk without a soul, my immortal vessel instinctively yearns to be reborn. And in its yearning, it has manifested another consciousness—one entirely comprised of my former hatreds for all life." Grigori's gaze settled on Kaito. "You, Kaito Tanaka, are one of the very few wielders of a holy weapon in current existence. I ask of you to slay that newly formed consciousness in my stead."
"I'm sorry," Eleanor interjected, "may I ask why you can't do it yourself, given your powers?"
"An excellent question, one I have asked myself and attempted to resolve for many years now," Grigori replied with a hint of weariness in his voice. "Simply put, when I transformed into an undead and gained immortality, I imprinted an oath deep within my soul: to never harm or kill myself. I had foreseen the implications of immortality, and planned for its ultimate consequence. Without the driving ambitions I had once possessed when I was alive, I knew I would eventually grow bored when I accomplished everything I could. In turn, I would surely attempt to put an end to my immortal existence."
"What about your colleagues in the Veiled Circle?" Kaito pressed. "Couldn't they resolve this problem if you were to ask them?"
Grigori let out a humorless chuckle. "The Circle wouldn't lift a finger. Our organization was initially a hidden community of mages and other practitioners of magic, formed as a means of escaping the wrath and discrimination of the Church. We are reclusive by nature, and without something equivalent in exchange, no one would lift a finger." He sighed. "I have forsaken much of my worldly wealth in my tomb, and my promise of a future favor was merely laughed at."
He looked around the silent church. "I had initially planned to simply contain this phenomenon and let it spread to a noticeable level—just enough to force the Order to get involved and resolve it themselves. But your arrival... it changes things." Grigori's eyes fixed on Kaito once more. "How about it, chosen of Durandal? Will you accept my humble request? I shall owe you a favor, if you manage to accomplish it."
Kaito looked at Eleanor, who returned his gaze with a small, reassuring nod. The choice was clear. "We accept your request."
"Splendid," Grigori said, a genuine smile finally gracing his lips. He produced a small, ethereal will-o'-wisp that glowed softly in his palm, then offered Kaito a set of ancient-looking keys. "Take these. They will open the door to my prison chamber. Be careful not to accidentally open the other prisoner rooms with them. This will-o'-wisp will show you the way to the prison."
Grigori then made a subtle gesture, and an ethereal light emanated from his hand, washing over Kaito, Eleanor, and Tamamo.
"That is my blessing," he explained. "It will reduce the devastating effects of my former vessel's attacks and shield your souls and bodies from anything that would instantly kill you." He paused as his gaze softening slightly. "If, for any reason, you find yourselves overwhelmed and choose to abandon my request, do not worry. The Order would eventually take care of things when they notice and care enough to step in. However, I cannot guarantee the condition or the lives of those who will be affected as a result of its expanding influence."