Chain Casting (Part 2) (20-1=19)

After the room fell silent once more,

a dark crimson shadow surged up from the floor, tracing an elegant curve.

First-Meeting Kurumi slowly rose from the shadows.

She glanced at the thermos on the table from the corner of her eye, the corner of her mouth twitching as she let out an elegant, soft sigh.

Miss Shiori, your actions left far too many openings.

Miss Rinne, I know you were focused on erasing the traces, but did you notice the most fundamental problem—the stuff Shiori sprinkled might not have worked at all.

And Miss Origami, I already looked into your medicine. It takes effect too quickly. There was no way Ellen would fail to notice that something had been put in here.

A powerful sense of responsibility weighed upon First-Meeting Kurumi's shoulders.

Near the doorway, the Kurumi Four Heavenly Kings she had bribed stood guard.

As long as anyone passed by, they could silently deploy [City of Devouring Time] and briefly knock out any ordinary people who came along. Once it was lifted, they would have no memory of it anyway and would only think they had low blood sugar.

Thinking this, First-Meeting Kurumi elegantly took another packet of colorless, odorless powder from her pocket.

As long as she mixed it in—the effects of the medicine in this water would be delayed by several dozen minutes.

By then, Ellen herself would not immediately realize what she had taken to end up like this.

Hmm... No fingerprints were left behind. The thermos and the other objects were all positioned exactly as before.

Once everything was settled, Kurumi smiled with narrowed eyes and sank back into the shadows, making her elegant exit.

--

Not long after,

the space in this room was quietly pulled apart.

After completing its task, [Seraph of Thousand