I exhaled deeply and said, "Geni, tell me the truth." What the hell is going on here?

Genie looked at me, in a confused manner and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Everything here doesn't add up, and it's starting to get on my nerves."

Genie politely replied, "Maybe you're just overthinking things."

Aviorah must have felt my annoyance, because she quickly stepped in and calmed the situation down.

"Genie, what's over in that direction?"

She looked over to the right of us and pointed, "Over there is the village graveyard."

A graveyard? Maybe we can get a lead there.

I asked, "Can we have a look around there?"

"Only if you bring an offering, because it's disrespectful to enter that area without one."

Aviroah walked over to some yellow flowers that were growing out of the ground and picked them.

"Will these do it?"

Genie nodded and led us to the graveyard.

I just couldn't get this sinking feeling that something was very wrong out of my mind. Everything from the village to the investigators. Was I being too paranoid?

As we entered the area, the scent of decay grew even stronger. So strong that I began holding my breath until I couldn't anymore, then started to engage in shallow breathing.

The thick mountain trees surrounded us on both sides as we stepped on rocks and mud in order to get there. As we approached the main area of the graveyard, I observed the grave markers that were made out of wood.

We walked closer and closer, then finally stopped. There was a flat, elevated stone platform where Aivorah placed the flowers and offered a prayer.

Afterwards, we keeping walking forward. Something was strange about the graves.

Aviorah observed it as well and said, "Genie, why do these graves look like they have been dug up recently?"

"Oh, we've been having a few cases of grave robbing, so the place is a little untidy at the moment."

Maybe it's zombies? Nah, I am just being unrealistic right now, or am I?

There were shoveling sounds to the left of me. I quickly turned my head in that direction, and saw a man filling dirt back into a grave.

How did he appear there without me sensing him?

I side-eyed Aviroah, who seemed just as tense as I was. She looked like she was ready to transmute into her relic form.

Guys, calm down. It's just the village chief. "

I don't think we can fully calm down right now. Things have been too weird up to this point because his wife said that he was out of the village until later on.

The village chief seemingly ignored us and continued filling the grave. Geni waved at him, and he finally turned around.

"Oh, it's more of you Umbella Investigators."

I observed him and replied, "Yes. We're here doing an investigation."

"There's nothing to investigate here. As you can see. "

I was at the end of my patience and looked up to the sky, the sun had alread begun to set and we were still here.

The village chief got up and said, "Let's head over to my house for a cup of tea. We can chat about this afterwards.

Aviorah agreed to it and both of us followed the chief back to his house. However, for some reason the village was completely dead. There was no one in sight as if each one of them already retired to their house for the night. Genie decided to return home as well.

Night time is the ideal time for witches to strike because it makes them harder to detect. So that definitely means something is afoot here.

As we entered the chief's house, there was his wife again nursing the baby. She seemed a bit drained, it must be due to dealing with her newborn.

I excused myself from the house and stood outside. For some reason, she just made me feel uncomfortable. I wasn't sure if it was her or just the entire situation.

It's a bit after 6pm. So I decided to send an update to Midori. After looking downwards and reaching into my inner trench coat pocket to grab a sheet of messenger parchment.  I heard footsteps. 

It shoudn't be possible because the area was completely empty. I slowly looked upwards and saw Genie was standing there, with a crowd of villagers behind her. That same scent of decay was stronger than ever.

"Ayato Amaya. You need to leave now."

"I am not quite sure what you mean, but we have to stay until this is completed."

Genie sighed and slightly moved her left index finger. One of the villagers came rushing towards me with a gardening hoe in his right hand.

He swung it horizontally, but I jumped backwards, just barely getting grazed with the sharp end.

I took a step backwards and said, "Um, Aviroah, I could really use some assistance."

She burst through the front door and asked, "What's going on?"

I pointed towards the crowd and said, "That?" while simultaneously dodging another attack from the same villagers.

Aviroah observed the situation, "We can't kill them, so try to subdue each of them, as gently as possible."

After saying that, a white light engulfed her body and she transformed into her relic form, which I caught with my right hand.

The same villager brought the gardening hoe down in a swift manner which I blocked with the blade of my knife. Afterwards, I kicked the villager in the abdomen with my left foot. However, he didn't react nor did it seem like he felt any pain.

Aviroah said, "Um, what's going on?"

"I am not sure."

The man continued swinging the hoe in a wild manner. Fortunately, I was able to safely dodge all of them by side stepping multiple times. Our attacker didn't seem tired after doing all that.

After patiently waiting, I saw an opening on the left and launched a high kick to that side of his head.

*Crack*

The man's head flew right off and landed on the dusty ground, just a few feet from him with a hard thud.

"Huh, that shouldn't be possible, right?"

The headless body fell to it's knees and then collapsed on it's left side.

There was no blood or anything.

"Ayato, I think these people are corpses."

Genie sighed and replied, "I guess the jig is up." Then she snapped her fingers.

It was as if a veil was lifted from our eyes. The once lively villagers became rotting, maggot-filled corpses.