Peide lay on the ground, watching Kallen stand motionless ahead. He was worried and tense. In a sense, his opponent had already defeated him, but now he had a chance to turn the tables with his eldest uncle's soul.
He believed in his uncle, who had been a true standout among the Reincarnation Church's previous generation. Had an accident not claimed his life, he would certainly have qualified to be groomed as a candidate for the next Gatekeeper.
However, the Pendant at his chest was already swaying gently. He could use it to contact his great-aunt, because it was her gift to him at his coming-of-age ceremony when he turned sixteen.
But he did not want to do that. By coming out to find a body to host his lover, he had already broken his great-aunt's prohibition. He did not want to disappoint her. Although she had no children of her own, she had many siblings, which meant she had many great-nephews and great-nieces to choose from.
Behind Peide, the woman clutched the tree bark nervously with both hands. She was deeply worried about her lover, but she knew even better that, having only just occupied this ordinary person's body, she had no ability to fight.
Behind Kallen, Ophelia's gaze kept shifting between Kallen, Peide, and the woman behind Peide. She was worried about Kallen, but his repeated attempts to stop her from intervening left her afraid to act rashly now.
She was ready. If anything happened to Kallen, she would strike immediately and kill Peide and that woman.
Still, Ophelia knew what Kallen had been worrying about all along. That fellow named Simorson very likely possessed a Sacred Artifact capable of transmitting messages. The people from the Reincarnation Church were still at the distant hotel.
Ophelia began considering her