Chapter 257

"Sun-Woo?" Ha-Yeon said, staring blankly at Sun-Woo in front of her.

The demon had suddenly roared, and the other priests fell to the ground, their faces distorted in pain. She had no memory of what happened after that. It seemed like she had briefly lost consciousness.

When she regained consciousness, Sun-Woo was standing in front of her. It felt like she had experienced something similar before. Not just once, but multiple times. Sun-Woo always appeared to save Ha-Yeon whenever she was in a tight spot.

"How come... you again...."

Sun-Woo had his eyes glued to the demon that was struggling from being hit by the spear.

"Sorry, but I have no time for greetings. Draw the blessing array,” he said.

The sound of demon withering in pain echoed through the sky. Seeing this, Ha-Yeon belatedly regained her senses and nodded. However, she couldn't figure out what blessing to use for Sun-Woo. She hadn’t learned blessings that would be helpful in actual combat. She only focused on researching blessings and miracles—particularly easy research, thanks to her special lineage as a member of the clan of purification.

"What blessing should I use in a situation like this...?" she asked after trying to draw any blessing array.

She had no idea what blessing to use. She was afraid to draw a blessing array without someone's guidance, based solely on her judgment. Moreover, this was a real situation. If Ha-Yeon used the wrong blessing, Sun-Woo's life could be at risk.

Sun-Woo just stared at Ha-Yeon, and then nonchalantly replied, "Use the blessing you’re the most confident in, one you can use quickly."

“...”

Ha-Yeon heard Sun-Woo's words, but instead of drawing a blessing array, she remained silent for a while.

She had never received such instructions because she only used blessings as directed. She had never fully displayed her abilities by drawing a blessing array solely through her own will.

Thud!

At that moment, the demon slammed the ground with its fists and flapped its wings wildly in a struggle to defend itself. Jin-Seo and some crusaders approaching the demon could not withstand the gust of wind from the flapping wings and fell.

Although the demon initially just struggled against pain, it gradually became more aggressive. It was close to recovering.

Sun-Woo looked between the demon flapping its wings and the struggling Jin-Seo.

He clenched his teeth. "Damn it... Just use any blessing. I believe in you!"

He started running toward the battlefield where the demon was flapping its wings.

Ha-Yeon looked at Sun-Woo's back with a bewildered expression.

‘

I believe in you

.’

Sun-Woo's words strangely lingered in her ears.

"...

Sigh

.”

She felt confused and pathetic for being so moved by Sun-Woo's words, which might have been just a passing remark. She couldn’t believe that she, the girl who had been disgusted at the thought of talking to someone that wasn’t at her level, was now trying so hard to share one more word with this boy.

However, now was not the time to be immersed in such thoughts. Ha-Yeon closed her eyes tight, and then opened them again.

She started drawing the blessing array. One, two, three... In an instant, over a dozen blessing arrays were drawn in the air. It was a massive fusion blessing array.

Ha-Yeon had not just been playing around. Rather, she studied blessings even harder to not tarnish the name of the clan of purification. She simply did not have the opportunity at the Central Priesthood to show the results of her efforts.

Shaaaah─!

Ha-Yeon’s blessing array emitted a brilliant light. It was brighter and clearer than any blessing array that a priest at the Central Priesthood could draw. The light spread out in all directions, enveloping Sun-Woo and the other crusaders. The entire area lit up from the bright light of blessing that Ha-Yeon created.

"..."

Ha-Yeon gazed blankly at the enchanting and beautiful scene she had created. A tremendous sense of liberation and ecstasy welled up within her, unlike anything she had ever experienced while studying blessings or miracles in the labs.

***

I walked toward the demon. My heart was still pounding wildly due Bossou’s power. No, it wasn’t just my heart. My whole body was trembling and throbbing. Then, a strange light enveloped my body. It was the light created by Ha-Yeon's blessing, but it was much brighter and clearer than the usual light of blessing.

"Ugh!"

My breath got caught in my throat as I accepted the light of blessing. Ha-Yeon's blessing was much stronger than any other blessing. It felt as if my body was not my own. Indeed, meeting a member of the clan of purification as an enemy would be the most fearsome encounter.

“I’ll take this.”

I approached the demon with lighter steps, and took a spear from a fallen crusader. Then, I approached Jin-Seo.

She was keeping her distance from the demon, waiting for an opportunity to attack. She seemed completely focused on the demon and unaware of my presence nearby.

I tapped her shoulder.

Tap.

Startled, she turned around and narrowed her eyes at me.

“Hey, you scared me.”

I pointed at the thrashing demon. “It looks like we’ll have a better chance if we attack together.”

Tough leather covered its entire body, making it much larger than other demons. While it wouldn't be difficult to defeat the demon with the powers of other Loa, subduing the demon with Bossou's power alone seemed challenging.

[Bossou doesn't need to combine forces!]

'...'

Even so, attacking together would make it faster and easier to defeat the demon.

Jin-Seo hesitated, then nodded. “...Alright.”

Bang!

Suddenly, there was a loud sound, like something had exploded. In the blink of an eye, Jin-Seo disappeared and was no longer by my side.

I turned my head toward the demon. Jin-Seo was charging toward the demon, her legs wrapped with the light of blessing. With both hands tightly gripping her sword, she swiftly approached the demon.

The demon swung its arms to grab Jin-Seo as she got closer. She moved flexibility, dodging all the attacks. Then, she struck the demon's ankle with her sword.

Slash.

Jin-Seo’s sword effortly sliced the thick ankle that seemed impenetrable.

Thud—!

The demon lost its balance and fell over.

I looked at Jin-Seo, and she gestured to me. Although not a word was exchanged, I could tell what she was asking of me. I raised my spear and climbed up the demon’s body in a flash. My body felt lighter than usual with Bossou’s power and Ha-Yeon’s blessing.

"..."

I looked down at the fallen demon. The weak point of this demon was clearly its heart, an organ that the Romanican Chruch called the 'core.’

Stab.

Without hesitation, I stabbed the demon’s heart with my spear. The spear pierced through the demon’s tough armor and pierced its heart. The red eyes of the demon, and the faint eyes on its forehead, all lost focus. Its struggling arms and legs collapsed weakly as well. With its core shattered, the demon had to be dead.

I approached Jin-Seo to exchange unfinished greetings with her. I hadn’t been able to talk to her because I had been treating Yoon-Ah, and even after that, I had hardly contacted or met her due to dispatch training.

Kiiiiiiiiik—!

"Ugh!"

Then, another piercing sound rang out. Jin-Seo stopped in her tracks while approaching me. Her eyes that were looking at me suddenly lost all focus.

I looked at the demon that I thought was dead. Its eyes were still unfocused, with its arms and legs that were devoid of any strength. Its mouth was tightly shut as well. It was clearly dead.

Then where was the roar coming from?

Kiiiiiiiiik–! Kiiiiik–!

"..."

The agonizing sounds echoed twice this time, and the crusaders and priests who belatedly regained their senses collapsed again, spitting out blood. I realized where the noise was coming from: its stomach.

The noise was not coming from the demon’s mouth, but its stomach. When the noise stopped, the belly of the demon tore open.

"Kiik, krrrk!"

"Keeek!"

"Kgggk! Keekk!"

From the inside of the stomach, tiny screaming demons the size of humans began to pour out.

***

—

You were weak. And always thirsty.

Oh Hee-Jin, momentarily stunned by the demons’ screams, heard a woman's voice in the dark abyss. It was a sweet and enchanting voice that seemed to melt his brain.

—Seeking knowledge may quench your thirst, but that is not truly what you desire.

"W-who?"

—

And that’s why I like you

.

"..."

Along with the voice, a woman emerged from the darkness and walked toward Oh Hee-Jin. She was undeniably beautiful and mesmerizing. Oh Hee-Jin belatedly realized where he was and who the woman was.

It was a hallucination.

This was a space created by a black magic-induced hallucination. Oh Hee-Jin tried to shut his eyes to resist the Satanist's allure, but he couldn't. His eyes were captivated by the beautiful woman in front of him.

The woman embraced Oh Hee-Jin and whispered in his ear.

—

I can quench your thirst. All your desires, everything you long for...

"Oh Hee-Jin, Oh Hee-Jin!"

"Ugh, ugh! Yes!"

At that moment, Oh Hee-Jin was barely able to break free from the hallucination due to Han Dae-Ho’s call.

Oh Hee-Jin looked beyond his blood-red vision and saw Han Dae-Ho's figure. Just like Oh Hee-Jin, Han Dae-Ho was also bleeding from his nose and mouth. However, he didn’t grimace in pain. Instead, his eyes were filled with strong determination.

Han Dae-Ho grabbed Oh Hee-Jin's shoulders. "Wake up. The pain caused by the screams is just an illusion. If you just wake up, everything will be fine."

"No, as far as I know...!"

"Think of it as an illusion." Han Dae-Ho interrupted Oh Hee-Jin.

Oh Hee-Jin looked at Han Dae-Ho with a bewildered expression. Oh Hee-Jin knew that the pain caused by the demons’ screams was not some illusion. It was a kind of black magic used by the executives of the Satanists, especially Lust.

If a person listened to the screams for a long time, they would lose consciousness, hallucinate, and in the worst-case scenario, be consumed by the hallucinations and go crazy.

Oh Hee-Jin knew this fact, and that was why he was even more afraid. He had just been wandering in that hallucination, almost captivated by the woman he saw.

However, Han Dae-Ho shook his head. "You have to think like that to endure it."

"..."

"Think of everything you saw earlier, everything you felt as an illusion from the pain. Like, like that guy." Han Dae-Ho pointed somewhere. Oh Hee-Jin turned his head.

At the end of Han Dae-Ho’s finger, he saw Sun-Woo fighting against the demon. He was also bleeding from his mouth, nose, and eyes like everyone else. However, unlike the other clergymen writhing in pain with agonizing expressions, he was expressionless.

In addition, he had dislocated his right shoulder. It seemed like his shoulder had popped out while throwing a spear. Nevertheless, Sun-Woo used his right arm without hesitation, as if he didn't feel any pain.

"You can’t go mad if you’re already crazy," Han Dae-Ho muttered as he looked at Sun-Woo.

He drew a blessing array, and enveloped himself in the light of blessing. Then, he walked confidently toward Sun-Woo.

"I will join forces with Sun-Woo. It's frustrating just to stand by and watch as a director."

"I-I’ll come as well, director."

"You won't be of any help anyway. Go request for support."

With that, Han Dae-Ho walked toward the battlefield. Oh Hee-Jin sat hesitantly and was left alone. He gazed silently at the mace in his hands. The mace, designed to fight demons, was vicious and large in size.

Oh Hee-Jin tried to lift the mace and stand up, but it was too heavy for him to hold. His body had weakened upon hearing the demons' roars. Oh Hee-Jin felt a sense of despair.

Sun-Woo, a mere apprentice paladin, and Director Han Dae-Ho had both overcome the demons' roars and engaged in battle. However, Oh Hee-Jin couldn't do the same.

He had been born frail and lacked the mental strength to overcome his physical weakness.

"..."

All he could do now was follow Director Han Dae-Ho's advice and go request for support. It was unfair that he couldn't do anything else. The enchanting voice that he had heard from the black magic hallucination kept echoing in his ears.

At that moment, someone took away his mace.

"Huh? Wait, what are you doing?”

Oh Hee-Jin lifted his head to see the man who had taken his mace. The man toyed with the mace and smirked.

"Judging by your attire, you must be a paladin. I am a superior officer, much more superior than you. Hmm... I must be something like the superior officer to your superior officer."

"Inquisitor?"

"Do you know me?"

Joseph frowned as he stared down at Oh Hee-Jin for a while. Then he chuckled.

"Sorry, but I don't know you... Let's exchange names after the battle is over." Joseph firmly gripped his mace, and looking at the numerous demons pouring out from the belly of the demon in the distance, he laughed.

"At this rate, it looks like it'll be over in about five minutes."