Episode 4 : Mors Mirabilis Sed Crudelis (Part 5)

Huh? What does he mean by that?

Yayoi's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Did she unknowingly walk into some kind of trap?

It was certainly a possibility. He had already proven himself to be a very crafty opponent.

Her mind raced through potential scenarios, but before she could reach a conclusion, Ezakiel's voice cut through the silence.

"What's wrong? Why won't you attack?" he asked, his hollow eye sockets glowing faintly with dim blue flames.

A strange, uneasy feeling settled in her chest.

Something was wrong.

Ezakiel slowly pushed himself back to his feet, his movements eerily composed despite his damaged state. He tilted his head, the bones in his neck cracking audibly.

"Now, don't tell me you've chickened out after calling me a coward," he said, his voice dripping with amusement.

"What exactly are you planning?" Yayoi demanded, narrowing her crimson eyes as she raised her palm. A swirling mass of dark energy began to form, growing larger with each passing second.

Ezakiel let out a dry chuckle, wagging his bony index finger at her. "Why don't you take a guess?"

She exhaled sharply, irritation flashing across her face. "Forget it. I'll just kill you now and make you a puppet later."

Without hesitation, she unleashed the black mass of energy, sending it hurtling straight toward him.

But just as the attack was about to connect—

A green, transparent barrier materialized between them, absorbing the blast entirely. The energy dissipated on impact, as if it had been swallowed whole.

Yayoi's eyes widened slightly.

What…?

Before she could react, the transparent wall suddenly expanded, encasing her in a dome of glowing green energy.

"What is this?!"

She pressed her hand against the barrier, but an unsettling realization struck her—she couldn't phase through it.

"Just a little special barrier," Ezakiel said, his tone almost playful. "It vibrates at shifting frequencies—changing every second—to ensure you can't phase through. And before you think about nullifying it… you can't."

Yayoi glared at him.

"It isn't an attack," he continued. "Which means Undo Time won't erase it. Oh, and I reinforced it several times over, so breaking out won't be easy either."

Her expression darkened. "You're bluffing!"

Ezakiel merely shrugged. "Believe what you want. But the fact remains—you're stuck."

Yayoi's fists tightened, her crimson eyes burning with frustration. This doesn't make sense…

"When did you even create this barrier?" she demanded. "There's no way you set this up instantly! If you could, you would've done it from the very beginning!"

Ezakiel let out a dry chuckle. "Who said I wasn't?"

Yayoi's expression faltered for a brief moment. "What? When?!"

Ezakiel calmly raised three bony fingers. "Let me break it down for you."

He lowered one finger. "Number one—when I first entered and transformed, I released an extremely small, nearly undetectable fragment of this barrier into the area. It gradually spread without you noticing. That's why I kept talking to you. And why I was mostly on defense—to stall for time."

He lowered another finger. "Number two—once the barrier had spread enough, I used my illusion clones to buy even more time. You hunted them down, wasting your energy, while the spell finalized its activation."

Finally, he lowered the last finger, leaving only his closed fist. "And number three—when I reappeared and fought you directly, that was just to reinforce the barrier and ensure you couldn't break out."

He tilted his head slightly, his hollow sockets glowing faintly. "Everything you did… played right into my plan."

"No… no… NO!" Yayoi screamed, her voice echoing through the void.

She slammed her fists against the barrier, again and again, but it absorbed every impact effortlessly, reinforcing itself even further.

"I don't believe it!" she hissed through gritted teeth. How?! How could someone like me fall into such a trap?!

Meanwhile, Ezakiel let out a weary sigh. "Well, my job here is done. This barrier won't hold forever—maybe a month at best, if I'm being generous."

He raised his skeletal hand and slashed through the fabric of space, tearing open a swirling portal.

Yayoi glared at him with pure hatred. "I will kill you once I get out of here!"

Ezakiel paused, turning his hollow gaze toward her. Then, with a faint flicker of blue light in his sockets, he said, "I'll be ready."

And with that, he stepped through the portal, leaving her trapped and alone in the endless void.

...

As Ezakiel stepped into the room, his form shifted seamlessly back into his human appearance—at the exact moment he crossed through the portal. It was a necessary precaution. He couldn't afford to be detected by the Magical Girls—not yet, at least.

His gaze immediately fell on Rin and her sister. They were still bound, their mouths gagged, their bodies marked with dried streaks of blood on their skin and clothes.

"Relax," he said gently. "Everything is fine now. I'll explain everything—just let me untie and ungag you first."

He moved quickly, untying their restraints. The moment they were free, Rin and her sister threw themselves into each other's arms, trembling as tears streamed down their faces.

Ezakiel gave them a moment before speaking again. "I know this must be overwhelming for both of you. Sit down, take a breath."

He turned to a wooden cupboard near the corner of the room, pulling out two expensive-looking glass cups from the shelf. Then, from the lamp table, he grabbed a jug of water, pouring it carefully into the glasses before handing them over.

Rin and her sister accepted the glasses with shaking hands, taking slow sips before setting them down on the bed beside them.

The silence in the room was heavy, but for now, they were safe.

"Now that you two have calmed down, we can begin," Ezakiel said, his voice steady. He leaned back slightly, considering his next words. "How should we do this? Would you rather ask me questions, and I'll answer them? Or should I just explain everything from the start?"

Rin and her sister exchanged glances before nodding in silent agreement. "We'd prefer to ask," Rin said.

"Alright," Ezakiel gestured. "Go ahead."

Rin hesitated for a moment, squeezing her sister's hand before finally speaking. "What… what are you, exactly?"

His expression didn't change. "I'm a monster."

"A… monster?" they both echoed, their voices laced with disbelief.

"Yes," he confirmed. "In this world, there are many things lurking in the dark—things that kill, torture, and rape without remorse. Monsters are one of them."

A cold shiver ran down their spines as horror settled into their eyes.

Ezakiel noticed their reaction but remained unfazed. Slowly, he stood up and walked toward his table. With ease, he lifted it and set it closer to them before sitting on it, facing them directly.

I need to present myself in a good light… just a little manipulation, twisting a few details here and there.

He continued, his tone calm, almost reassuring. "You don't need to fear me. If I had any intention of harming you, I would have done it already."

Rin hesitated before asking, "What about Yayoi… Is she also a monster?"

"Yes," Ezakiel nodded, "but she and I belong to two entirely different groups of monsters."

"Different groups?" Her sister furrowed her brows. "How many are there?"

"There are four categories," he explained. "The ones who are born as monsters, the half-breeds—part human, part monster—the cursed, and those who transform into monsters."

Rin's grip on her sister's hand tightened. "Which group do you and Yayoi belong to?"

"I fall into the third category—the cursed. Yayoi, however, is in the fourth. Those who transform are rare… but cursed ones like me? We're even rarer," he said, his glowing eyes briefly flickering.

"And what happened to Yayoi?" Rin asked, her voice tense.

Ezakiel exhaled. "We fought. I managed to trap her, but I couldn't kill her. She's too strong for me."

Rin's sister stiffened, fear creeping into her eyes. "Are you telling me that crazy psycho is coming for us?!"

"Yes," Ezakiel admitted. "And the only way to deal with her… is if I have your help." His gaze locked onto Rin's, unwavering.

"Wait—me?!" Rin's voice wavered. "How the hell can I help you? I'm just an ordinary person!"

Ezakiel's next words sent a chill down her spine.

"You are a magical girl, Rin."