Chapter 34

PROLOGUE The Tale of a Certain King “Hee-hee-hee… That was fun…,” someone whispered in the shadows. Evil reincarnate, worthy of the lowest circle of hell. A man-eater. A heretical savage. Up until ten minutes ago, a certain family had been congregating in the living room of this house—a warm space, a familiar sight. But now it was a ghastly scene. The wood floor, walls, ceiling, table, sofa… Every surface was drenched in blood. Blood. Blood… It was as though someone had turned over a bucket of it. Corpses. Bodies. Human remains. A family had been stabbed by enough daggers to look like crowded pincushions. What atrocities could they have possibly committed in their past lives to deserve such a brutal end? With all the lighting fixtures smashed in, only the muted flickering of the television illuminated the travesty in the thick darkness. The newscaster’s delivery was inappropriately composed, ringing through the room as if to offer their last rites. At the center of this tragic stage… “Amazing. So this is what an Excalibur can do… It’s spectacular.” …stood a young girl in a black sailor school uniform, concealed by a hooded cloak. She must have been sixteen or seventeen. The hood was pulled low over her head. Alone in the somber living room, she giggled to herself, surrounded by pools of blood. In her hand was a dagger forged from a curious metal that gave off a luster that was neither gold nor silver. It winked in the darkness, commanding attention to itself. “With the power of this King, I can kill to my heart’s content… What a wonderful world… Running over with new and exciting experiences…,” she muttered, gazing at her dagger in a trance. “Hee-hee… Oh, the King Arthur Succession Battle… I imagine I’ll have more opportunities to kill in the most delightful of ways in this world… Something that will make my soul sing… Don’t you agree?” She suddenly cast her gaze to a corner of the room. “…Gh!” A shadowy figure had crept into the space without a word. Burrowed deep into the darkness of night, the figure was concealed so that their build and height were indiscernible. But she could tell this intruder had something to say. “What? I see your eyes. Do you have any objections?” the young girl snapped, trying to provoke the shadow. “You can’t seriously be thinking of stopping me. It’s too late for that. Plus, what gives you the right? A Jack has no business stopping a King.” “……” “Got it? Take note. I’m the King…the one to rule the world! And a King is allowed to do anything!” she shouted in rapture. “Just like the former King Arthur!” The figure was silent—earnestly and persistently so. She turned her back to the wordless silhouette. “We’re heading out, my Jack…to the international city of Avalonia. I want to commit the best murder. Something to give me life. I want to feel warmth slip through my fingers…and relish in my depraved desire… For this reason, I will become King,” she declared in her cruel and joyous way. She started to leave the gruesome scene, strolling as though on a little walk. “…Out of the way,” she barked in irritation, kicking away the corpse of a small child at her feet before sauntering out of the living room. “…Gh?!” The figure gasped when her foot made contact with the body. For a while, the silhouette just stared at her from behind…before eventually walking toward her in silence.