They stopped and followed the source of the smell of blood. A female corpse lay in the living room ahead.
The woman's face was twisted in pain, as though she had suffered brutal abuse before her death. Alice looked at her abdomen and, as expected, saw through the massive wound that her internal organs had disappeared.
At the same time, they both heard a "Heh, heh, heh" sound.
The twelfth!
That Demon Hound!
Alice instantly realized what had happened. Unlike Klein, whose body hair stood on end, Alice remained fairly calm. She raised her head and swept over the bright yellow living room decor before finally fixing her gaze on the vivid red carpet.
The carpet had been stained red by the female corpse's blood, which was slowly spreading. The acquaintance Alice had met only once—the Demon Hound that had once fled from her—was squatting nearby, its mouth half-open and fresh flesh still caught between its teeth.
Their figures were reflected in the Demon Hound's pupils. Alice saw it arch its back, its fur standing on end as it let out a threatening growl from its throat. "Heh!"
Before they could react, the Demon Hound growled as it backed away, voluntarily clearing the path ahead for them.
Klein looked at Alice in stunned surprise. Recalling how Alice had described scaring the Demon Hound away, he suddenly fell into deep thought.
Alice also fell silent for a moment as she looked at the clearly ferocious Demon Hound that had nevertheless stepped aside for them.
This dog still remembers what happened last time?
Expressionless, Alice grabbed Klein and left along the path the Demon Hound had cleared, under its wary gaze.
The rest of her escape went smoothly. After parting with Klein, Alice happily took a public carriage home.
—Then she happened