Cristiano's Basement (Please Subscribe)

Bulldog Asido was the director of the Rhine City Police, a noble officer who had retired from the army to take up the post. His fierce, ruthless methods had earned him the nickname Bulldog among his subordinates and the city's underworld.

Asido was in a foul mood. Today was his daughter's twelfth birthday, and he had planned to leave work early and surprise sweet little Elena. Instead, the Blood Eye and the Nature Church had chosen this exact moment to stir up trouble.

As director of the Rhine City Police, Asido knew the backgrounds of both organizations. But the Police handled ordinary cases; anything involving Transcendents or Eerie matters fell to the Anomalies Bureau. This time was clearly different. Dozens had died in a bar, and the scale of it left almost no doubt that some kind of evil Magic Circle was involved.

Asido walked into the bar's kitchen. The sight made him angrier still—not because so many people had died, but because such brazen slaughter showed utter contempt for the Kingdom government and for him as police director.

He stood silent, brows drawn tight, a dangerous chill gleaming in his one remaining eye.

"Director, our preliminary examination found forty-two dead. The fatal wounds were cuts to the carotid arteries. There are minor abrasions on the bodies, but no obvious signs of restraint..." A capable young officer stepped forward to report as soon as Asido entered.

"Mm. Verify the victims' identities first, then bring me the bar's owner," Asido said coldly. "And remember, I don't mean that fat pig Henry. I want to see who really runs this place!"

Asido knew the bar was a Nature Church outpost. He just could not say so. Once he pierced that thin layer of window paper, he would only make more trouble for