Amid the rumbling rain, bizarre figures emerged from the windows, alley mouths, and rooftops of the seemingly abandoned houses around them. At the same time, after Shade and the professor had jumped out the window, shadowy figures of local residents appeared on the street behind them as well.
Professor Katia might have been too old to see clearly, but Shade saw it perfectly. Those residents had faces exactly like those in the oil paintings—ugly and terrifying. Perhaps they were not as purely horrifying as the captain of the Fishbone Pirate Ship, but they were absolutely not normal humans.
"This Old Street. Professor, Mr. Scott, run first. Head in the direction Miss Princess indicated."
As Shade spoke, a silver arc flew from his hand and severed the head of the male servant who had poked his head out from the window they had jumped from moments ago.
The head landed on the rain-soaked street, rolled in circles, and came to a stop beside Professor Katia's feet. Its eyes remained open, revealing eerie, bloodshot fish eyes that were especially disgusting.
Professor Katia looked at Shade in surprise, then an enlightened expression appeared on her face.
"So that's it. You are... I understand. We'll go first."
How could a folklorist who had once worked with the Church not know of Ring Arcanists? The professor grabbed her terrified student, who was staring at their surroundings, and ran straight toward the street that had not yet been blocked off.
Leisha stood beside Shade. She nodded and took a deep breath. As the scroll she casually tossed out began to burn, faint green motes drifted from her body. A few seconds later, the phantom figure of a Forest Archer with a quiver on its back appeared beside her.
"The cult here is transforming humans into those