The moment he saw that doorway, the Maintainer was struck as if by lightning.
The color instantly drained from his face, leaving him even paler than the hollow face peeking out from behind the curtain. His pupils trembled uncontrollably.
"Hunger... Hunger..."
A faint, broken whimper escaped his throat, but soon, he could no longer make a sound.
Eyes wide, tongue-tied, struggling in vain, unable to move.
The instant that face saw him, his body seemed to have already fallen under the control of Formless Power. He could not even call for help from the colleague close at hand.
The only thing he could do was tremble. The only thing in his mind was fear.
His gaze had already been drawn into that deep, shadowy darkness.
He could not look away.
"Hungry, so hungry. Come in, come in, come in..." The ghastly pale face smiled, bloody tears winding down its cheeks as it beckoned. "Hehehehe... Come in and eat, eat, eat, eat... Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat..."
Though they were clearly separated by such a great distance, when that figure reached out, it felt as though his hand had been taken, tugged gently.
Leading him step by step into the darkness behind the hanging curtain.
From within the darkness came the sound of viscous liquid dripping onto the ground.
Surrounded by pale faces that smiled as they wept blood, his body was carefully lifted by two enormous, grotesquely oversized hands, as though he were a priceless treasure.
Crunch.
Amid that crisp sound, blood rained down.
Sweet and delicious.
The first, then the second, the third...
It was not until the fourth officiant vanished without a sound that Sido noticed something was wrong amid the violent turbulence of the ritual and Secret Rite. He abruptly turned around and looked around.
Four