"Promise me, Kallen. Once you advance to Inquisitor, learn this Spell Art first. Turn into black mist to come in, then turn into black mist to leave. It's truly beautiful."
"Can you learn it as an Inquisitor?"
"It should be a Spell Art only Arbiters can learn, but judging by your experience, you should be able to learn it above your rank."
"Did Dis never show it to you before?"
"He was always an ordinary Inquisitor."
"Heh."
"Most importantly, even when he used a Forbidden Spell, it felt perfunctory and dull. Life, Spell Arts, faith-they all need a sense of ceremony and refinement. That's the right way!"
As she spoke, Puer raised a paw and tugged down the brim of her hat, covering half her face.
They reached the gas station. Kallen parked, took the handgun out of the car's drawer, and slipped it into his coat's inside pocket.
"You actually brought that along, Kallen. Believe me, I'll never worry about you dying of carelessness again, because I've honestly never met anyone more cautious than you."
"A long time ago, I wanted to experience what carrying a gun felt like."
Kallen pushed open the car door and walked toward a diner. Just as he was about to open its door, he saw a tall man and a short man coming out together.
Both wore casual clothes, but Kallen noticed that each had a black-and-white ring on his finger.
Ever since snapping the plastic ring the captain had given him, Kallen had found himself unconsciously paying extra attention to rings he encountered in everyday life.
Black and white were the Abyss Church's favorite color combination, symbolizing their god's great feat of opening a passage between Hell and Heaven.
So, were Abyss Church members here?
*Or did a small group of Abyss