"Kyaaak!""R-Run away!"

Outside the walls of Freesia.The place was filled with people who had taken refuge.

They had managed to escape outside the walls through a dimensional gate, but they were not entirely safe.

Shadow beasts had reached outside the walls and were flapping their wings, opening their long beaks wide towards the innocent civilians.

A giant pterosaur shadow dived from the high sky to the ground.It was targeting the children.Monsters always had the instinct to prey on the most vulnerable and tender weaknesses!

"Mo-Moooom...!""Waaaaaah...!"

The children ran from the pterosaur shadows chasing them from the sky. But it was impossible for their short legs to outrun the flying pterosaurs.

"Block them! Block them!""Protect the children!"

The mages of Walpurgis and the soldiers of Freesia focused on defense as much as possible, but there were too many shadow beasts.

Even among them, the shadows of vile robbers and thieves were mixed in.They threw nets toward the children, and already, more than five nets were tightly wrapped around the kids.

"Damn it! Vile thieving bastards!!! It's the Alubaba gang! Bloody hell!"

Shadow thieves.They made no sound, not even a word, and had no expressions because they were shadows, yet people felt like they heard them laughing vilely and grossly, like auditory hallucinations.

"To kidnap children in such numbers? What on earth are they planning to do?!"

People were scared.They couldn't even guess what the shadow thieves would do to the children they had caught in nets. Ask for money?But what use would money be to shadow thieves?All people knew was that something unspeakably terrifying was going to happen.And the children knew that too, which is why they cried their eyes out.

"Moooooom...!""Hiiiiing...!"

The children's cries echoed everywhere.It was at that moment.

Something strange popped out from the black flickering shadows of the children.Soft black tufts of fur.And some of the children recognized it.

"Mo...Molumolu...!""It's Molumolu!"

"Meow.""Kong."

They were Molumolus.Mini Molumolus hiding in the shadows of the small children.

The children had received mini Molumolus from Naru and had hidden them well in their shadows, which was a fun thing to do.

Being able to live with a mysterious and cute creature in one's own shadow...! No child wouldn't be excited and delighted by it.But, one day, the Molumolus stopped appearing from their shadows.

No matter how much they called for them, there was no response.The children were truly shocked by that.

Some students couldn't even go to school, sobbing with disappointment. But to think that the Molumolus, who had vanished, were popping out of their very shadows!Even from the shadows of ordinary boys and girls who didn't know what a Molumolu was and had never met Naru, Molumolu emerged!

━Meow.━Grrrrr...!

The Molumolus that popped out threw themselves at the monsters and shadow thieves attacking the children.

Although small in size, the Molumolus became as hard as iron balls thrown with all their might, making their body-slamming attacks considerably powerful.

"Molumolu!""Hang in there!"

The children shouted wildly.Adults didn't understand the situation but felt relieved that something was there to help them and their children.

Whizzzz—Suddenly, numerous shurikens flew through the air, slicing through the shadow net.

Salome had landed, leading the Bandit Lords to the scene and help the refugees. The Bandit Lords were appalled by the current situation.

"...Judas, it was true that he could steal shadows.""Shadows are like souls...! A thief who steals souls, like a character from myths."

To the people of Pangaea, shadows were regarded as souls. It was natural that they could be destroyed but not stolen.

"To have such power and yet obediently serve as a hunting dog for the Kingdom of Ordor.""But why is he trying to kill us now?!"

The Shadow Lords couldn't hold those words in.But even as they spoke, they were still evacuating the refugees and cutting down monsters.

"Never thought I'd become a hero to the people.""Perhaps we will become real lords now?"

Of course, the Bandit Lords' intentions in helping the common folk were far from pure, but if the results were good, things might work out somehow. They were also commissioned by the King of Thieves, Judas.If they could survive and win this war, it was almost certain they would get their hands on the 'Skeleton Key'.

However, the Bandit Lords' expressions were grim.

Because there were far too many shadow soldiers.And among them were many powerful monsters; frankly, the bandits only wanted to flee.They didn't run away because they knew better than anyone that running anywhere would be a matter of time and pointless.

Whoooooooo—That's when a strange sound was heard.

Salome turned her head to find masked figures, their lips hidden, holy shh-ing powerful jets of water like a water cannon.

"Nymph sisters use Hydro Pump...!"

In the center of them was someone Salome knew all too well.It was Sifnoi.Soon, the Bandit Lords realized who Sifnoi had brought with her.

"The Nymph Thieves?""Can it be? The real Nymph Thieves? I thought it was just an old tale told by adults!""Are you talking about the story of Linknoi who stole Princess Zelda of Ordor, 300 years ago...?"

"Who summoned this Linknoi? Remember that this treasured nymph is called Linknoi and not Zeldanoi...!""Menneris, who steals children to raise them as she pleases, is here too...!""Mwehehe, there's also this monster Nymph Koopanoi, a specialist thief of princesses...!"

They were the Nymph Thieves.A band of ten nymphs, each fond of stealing strange things, leaving many legends in the world.

The Bandit Lords were astounded by the Nymph Thieves.For the Nymph Thieves were legendary figures of more than 200 years old.

Some were rumored to have lived since the days of the now-ruined city 'Uruk' or even the ancient city of 'Sodom'.But upon reflection, it was not so strange.For the lifespan of nymphs blessed by Demiurges was incomparably longer than that of humans.

"All nymph sisters use Hydro Pump...! Just as this Sifnoi said, vile shadow forces are approaching...!"

Sifnoi informed the Nymph Thieves.Then, forming a strange seal, the Nymph Thieves unleashed a large stream of water from their mouths.*Wooooooosh—*It swept over the black shadows like a wave.And then, something astonishing happened.

━...!━...!!

The shadows writhed as if in agony, swept away by the jet of water. They contorted like deflating balloons in distress.While everyone stood agape at the astonishing scene, Sifnoi declared,

"It's certain that Judas has an allergy to ditch water...! His shadows also have the same allergy, as we've already tested...!"

Judas had an allergy to ditch water.Judas found it very peculiar and conducted various experiments. As a result, he discovered that his weakness was the ditch water spewed or purified by nymphs.

"Attack them all while the shadow monsters are suffering...!"

The nymphs created a significant breach in the ranks of the shadow creatures.Seizing the opportunity, many people slashed the throats of the shadows or stabbed their bodies, twisting them in agony.Soon, Sifnoi cackled sinisterly.

"Mwehehe... This Sifnoi has made the greatest contribution... to obtain the Skeleton Key... and the Codex, the thieves' law book...! I must become the King of Thieves...!"

Sifnoi was ambitious.

"When This Sifnoi becomes the King of Thieves..., all thieves will only be allowed to steal sugar and candy, and delicious honey and chocolate by law...!"

Hearing her words, all the thieves thought that Sifnoi must not be made the King of Thieves.So they fought even harder to diminish Sifnoi's accomplishments.

Salome, watching this spectacle, had a lot to say but couldn't organize her thoughts. There were too many astonishing scenes, and frankly, it was ridiculous.

"It feels like my worldview is crumbling."

A Nymph Thieves' gang.Now that she thought about it, Salome remembered hearing such stories in her childhood.As Salome recalled her younger days, Hina's face flashed before her eyes like lightning.

"Hina."

Salome didn't know where Hina might be or what situation she was in.

So she leaped high to rescue Hina, heading for the urban hellscape of Fresia, her heart strangely fluttering as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

Bang—!Suddenly, a loud gunshot tore through the air.Salome stopped in her tracks and, as if entranced, moved towards the source of the sound.There, she saw a shadow slaughtering the mages of Walpurgis.

"Block it!""He's too strong! This shadow...! Too powerful for spells to work!"

The poor mages fell, spurting blood.Seeing this, Salome approached them and said,

"Fall back. This opponent isn't something middling mages can handle."

Salome's eyes trembled.Honestly, she had not anticipated that the scene unfolding before her was possible.

But she had experienced a lot today and would face more in the days to come.Salome decided to accept the situation and do what she could.

"Judas."

Salome said.The shadow slowly cocked its head about 90 degrees to the left. Then it spread its right hand outward, as if politely saying he-llo─.

At that gesture, Salome felt a slight joy and longing welling up deep in her heart. But those feelings quickly turned into a fiery passion.

Swoosh—Taking a deep breath, Salome drew her dagger and said,

"Judas...no, that's not your name anymore. Herod. I will kill you."

Salome had regretted not being able to kill her father, Herod, with her own hands after learning the truth. Now that the opportunity had arisen, it felt like it was all preordained by fate.

***

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