"What is this place?" Balder asked. He stood in a lightless room, with several iron bars decorated by exquisite brass vines blocking the passages from other rooms. Balder recognized at a glance that the room's décor was almost identical to that of an Umbra Witches stronghold, though certain artistic styles differed. The Umbra Witches had more than one stronghold, and the sages' strongholds were often adjacent to theirs. Balder put on his golden monocle and examined the room closely, determining that this more fashionable artistic style had likely been popular during the Renaissance. This should be a stronghold somewhere in Italy.
"This is my era," Bayonetta said. "But there's no time to explain. We have to go to Holy Mountain."
"What's on the mountain?"
"I don't know. But it was once the dwelling place of the god who created the Eyes of the World. Now someone wants to take that power." Bayonetta answered truthfully. She truly did not know what awaited her on Holy Mountain, but no matter what, that person called the Prophetess had to be there. She was going to kill her. At the same time, she forcibly suppressed her worries about Salomon. She believed that Salomon would surely find a way to return to this era.
"How are we getting there? This is Wigrid," Balder said. The moment he finished speaking, the entire room began to shake violently. A massive fissure split open across the gorgeous marble mosaic floor, as though the entire crust of the earth were falling apart.
"Jump down!"
"Jump?" Balder demanded. "Are you insane?"
"This isn't a request! Hurry!" Bayonetta said irritably. "For our kind, staying clear-headed is a necessity!"
The Witch transformed into a pitch-black panther, while the Sage, who possessed a corresponding spell, transformed into a white giant wolf. They ran