As they walked through the eerily quiet town, the will-o'-wisp hovering ahead, Durandal's voice resonated in Kaito's mind.
'We shouldn't be so trusting of the No Life King's word, Kaito,' she warned. 'I don't believe his disdain for life would simply vanish because he was reborn. There's much more to this machination of his than he's letting on.'
Kaito relayed Durandal's assessment to the others. "Durandal thinks Grigori isn't telling us the whole truth," he murmured. "What do you think, Tamamo?"
Tamamo, her expression unusually pensive, rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Although I sense no outright deception in his words, I've also felt that he's not telling us the whole story."
Eleanor nodded in agreement, her brow furrowed. "I still can't fathom why he asked Kaito for help in this endeavor, specifically. It's almost as if he had expected us to agree to his request before he even made it. Nevertheless, we absolutely should investigate this matter, especially if what he said about its influence spreading is true. We can't let this phenomenon engulf more lives."
Tamamo scoffed, though there was a hint of underlying seriousness in her voice. "While you did manage to defeat me, human, I'm doubtful of your capabilities to truly defeat this so-called 'newly formed consciousness' on your own." Her eyes narrowed. "The excuse that human gave us for why his 'Circle' wouldn't interfere was rather odd. Undoubtedly, this 'Circle' possesses beings of far higher caliber than you. Yet, no one among them decided to help him, that's if he even needed help in the first place." She paused as her gaze fixed on Kaito. "Human, the nature of your sword may be far more special than you realize."
Kaito mulled over Tamamo's words, a new layer of unease settling over him. "If so, what might be the reason he would involve us? Do you have any clue, Durandal?"
'I'm not sure,' Durandal admitted, her voice reflecting a genuine uncertainty. 'Aside from defeating him once, I bear no other connection toward the No Life King. I'm also unsure as to why the Circle would think that I possess the ability to usher in a new Age of God, as he suggested. Perhaps it's my connection to Heaven, but what does that have to do with anything related to this new threat, aside from the Church's seal?'
Kaito relayed Durandal's unsureness to Eleanor and Tamamo. "I'm uneasy about this too," Kaito confessed, looking between his two companions. "But even so, I can't turn a blind eye to this matter. Eleanor, Tamamo, if you feel that it's too dangerous, I shall go on ahead alone. I can't risk endangering your lives just for my selfish desire to stop this."
Eleanor's expression hardened with resolve. "I can't let you go alone, Kaito. I've decided to join the Association, and this is exactly the purpose of the organization—to face threats like this. If I were to back away now, it would mean I'm unfit to be a part of it."
Tamamo snorted, a flicker of her usual arrogance returning, though softened by a subtle hint of concern. "Worry about yourself, human. I don't need to concern myself with a lesser being's safety." She then adopted a more serious tone, "However, I can't let my servants go off unattended into such a predicament. It would reflect poorly on my stewardship."
A genuine smile touched Kaito's lips, a warmth spreading through him despite the cold. "Thank you both of you."
...
Far away from the small, silent town, the ethereal will-o'-wisp suddenly stopped in a clearing and hovered there, its soft light illuminating the swirling snow around them. Kaito, holding the strange key Grigori had given him, waved it uncertainly in the air, unsure of what to do.
"Give it here, human," Tamamo instructed with impatient behind her voice. She took the key from him and walked a few steps in a small circle before stopping and inserting the key directly into the ground. A faint light spread out from the point of contact, creating a shimmering circle on the snow.
Then, Kaito felt a sudden, dizzying lurch. His stomach dropped, and he felt himself moving upward. Eleanor let out a short gasp of surprise.
"We are falling?" Kaito exclaimed, his mind trying to process the bizarre sensation. He could feel his entire center of gravity flip. The ground he had just stood on began to shrink below them, zooming out as he, Eleanor, and Tamamo began to fall—or rather, ascend—into the vast, endless grey sky.
Kaito quickly reoriented himself mid-air as his mind catched up to the reality of the situation. They were indeed falling into the heavens. He manifested his wings and grabbed both Tamamo and Eleanor into his arms, slowing their fall.
...
They passed through layers of thick, gray clouds that were quickly replaced by a clearer blue above. The atmospheric pressure began to thin, making it difficult to breathe, a stark reminder that they were rapidly leaving the planet's atmosphere.
"Are we going to fall into outer space at this rate?" Eleanor asked as she held onto Kaito.
Kaito looked down at the vast blue sky below them, feeling a profound sense of disorientation. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "I can't see anywhere we're supposed to land. Didn't Grigori say it was underground? Yet, we're so high up now."
Tamamo, despite the unnerving circumstances, seemed unbothered. "I can't find anything either."
'Fly to your far right, Kaito,' Durandal provided a clear directive.
Kaito willed himself to fly in the commanded direction, adjusting their course. They flew for some time, the blue sky stretching around them. "Are we near it, Durandal?" he asked.
'A little to the left, and a bit downward,' she replied.
As he approached, he noticed a large, faintly glowing circle of light suspended in the emptiness. He paused, hovering in the air just outside the circle.
'Pass through it,' Durandal instructed.
As they did, a blinding flash of light assaulted their eyes, forcing them all to instinctively shut them. When Kaito opened his eyes again, he found them standing in a large, pristine rectangular room. Its wall was made of polished white marble, its surface gleaming under the light of several floating lamps that illuminated the space fully. In front of them, an open passage led to an unknown, cavernous darkness.
"Is this the place?" Kaito asked.