The four of them slipped through the city gates of the Empire's capital, leaving under the cloak of anonymity to avoid drawing a crowd. Ysoria looked around. "I noticed there are still a lot of female citizens naked on the streets, if not thinly dressed."
Tina let out a heavy sigh. "It's a lingering effect of the Sculptor. Public nudity has become a common trend across the capital. Neither my father nor any of the guards bother to enforce any punishment against it." A fire of defiance ignited in her eyes. "Don't worry, with me here, I will at least try to enforce punishment for public intercourse. It's the least I can do as a Princess to restore the Empire's decency."
"It's good to know you'll be dealing with it," Ysoria said with a relieved nod.
Two griffins were brought forward. Ysoria mounted the first, settling in behind Kaito and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. Rin and Nysera took the second. With a wave, Ysoria bid Tina farewell. "We'll be going now, Tina."
"Stay safe, Ysoria..." Tina's voice grew smaller before cutting off entirely as the griffins flapped their mighty wings and soared into the sky.
They soared through the sky on the backs of griffins, the wind whipping through their hair as they passed over vast, sun-drenched meadows and the dark, unbroken canopy of ancient forests. Below them, rivers shimmered like silver ribbons winding through the green expanse, and scattered ruins of forgotten ages peeked through overgrown thickets, silent witnesses to the passage of time.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting the world in a golden hue, the shimmering outline of the Port City emerged on the horizon—a sprawl of terracotta roofs, bustling harbors, and proud towers rising from the coastline like sentinels of civilization. The scent of salt and sea breeze drifted on the wind even from this distance, and the cries of gulls echoed faintly in the air.
The griffins circled once before descending, wings outstretched as they landed gracefully in a clearing just beyond the city's outer fields. With a few parting chirps, the majestic beasts lowered their heads, allowing the party to dismount. From there, they continued the rest of the journey on foot on the paved path that led toward the city gates.
Kaito walked with a subtle tension in his frame. He had braced himself for the worst—expecting to be met with writhing masses of corrupted flesh, tentacled horrors spilling through the streets, or the distant screams of a city under siege. But instead, there was only calm.
The city gates stood open. Merchants passed by with carts full of goods, fishermen mended their nets by the dockside, and the scent of freshly baked bread wafted from a nearby bakery. Children laughed as they chased each other along the cobbled lanes.
As the group strolled through the bustling streets of the Port City, a strange dissonance settled over them. The impression of peace wasn't just a surface illusion—it felt real.
Kaito glanced at Ysoria and Rin, quietly skeptical. "This doesn't feel like a city in the grip of a Demon King's commander."
Then, as if to affirm the illusion locals began to recognize them. A pair of elderly women clasped Ysoria's hands in gratitude, pressing fragrant flower garlands into her arms.
Rin turned. "Should we ask someone if they know anything? I mean… it's too peaceful."
"How about that guard?" Ysoria suggested, pointing to a city guard leaning against a wall, looking bored.
Kaito stepped forward. "Excuse me. We heard troubling reports that this city had fallen under the control of the Shaper of Flesh, a warlock aligned with the Demon King. But from the looks of it… that doesn't seem to be the case. Could you explain what's really happening?"
The guard blinked at them, then rubbed his nose with a gloved hand. "Huh? You're talkin' to me? Well… you guys look important, so sure, I'll bite."
He scratched his head. "Yeah, there were rumors flying around a few weeks back. Weird stuff. People vanishing, freak storms, folks talkin' about tentacles crawling up from the sewers. But none of that ever actually happened."
"That warlock kid is healing people with his weird flesh magic. He regenerates limbs, cures blindness, and makes people walk again. He's doing it all for free, and the local church here started calling him the Shaper of Flesh and one of the Demon King's Commanders ever since."
"That can't be!" Ysoria protested, her voice filled with doubt. "The followers of the Goddess wouldn't lie about such grave matters. All the reports we received from here indicated something vile was occurring."
The guard shrugged. "I dunno what to tell you, lady. All I know is, the city's calm. Frankly, the stuff going on with the Empire and the Republic's been more disruptive."
Ysoria stepped closer to Kaito, whispering, "He must be under some kind of mind-affecting spell. Hero… can you use the App?"
Kaito nodded. "Excuse me, sir. I'm going to hypnotize you for a moment."
The guard raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Hypno-"
Kaito activated the Hypnosis App with a quick flash, and the guard's eyes glazed over. Kaito repeated his questions, urging him to reveal any hidden truths.
But the answers remained the same.
"We need to speak to the warlock directly!" Ysoria declared. "Only then can we know the truth."
Guided by kind townsfolk, the party made their way to a quiet quarter of the city near the sea cliffs, where a modest stone building stood surrounded by makeshift benches and flower boxes. Children played in the yard. A woman sat nearby, weeping tears of joy while flexing her once-limp fingers.
Kaito stepped to the door. "I'll handle this."
He raised his voice. "Hello? We are the Hero's party—"
Before he could finish, the cobblestone path beneath their feet quivered. A sickening squelch echoed as dark, veined tentacles burst from the ground, whipping toward them with unnatural speed.
"Ambush!" Rin shouted.
Kaito's sword was already out, cleaving through a mass of writhing flesh in a single blow. Rin moved beside him, slashing with precise strikes. From the rear, Nysera raised her staff as forks of searing white lightning exploded from her fingertips, incinerating the tide of tentacles in crackling arcs of power.
The front door slammed open just as Kaito kicked it in.
Inside, the air was thick with an oddly sweet, herbal scent. The furniture was humble, handmade, and stacked with medical supplies—salves, bandages, herbs, and strange glowing orbs.
And in the middle of the room, crouching behind an overturned stool, was a young boy. Green hair in a messy tangle. Tears streaming down his cheeks.
"P-Please don't kill me!" he cried, raising his trembling arms in surrender. "I-I only wanted to help people!"
Ysoria lowered her staff slightly, stunned. Rin blinked.
Kaito narrowed his eyes but kept his sword lowered. "You're the Shaper of Flesh?"
The boy nodded frantically. "T-That's what they started calling me. But I never called myself that. I'm not related to the Demon King in any way."