#78
“You must be aware that the Grand Temple recently revived the Inquisition system, dispatching Inquisitors across the entire continent. These devout apostles of God are systematically apprehending and purifying heretics hidden within each territory. Just a few days ago, Brother Benato, an Inquisitor present here, achieved the glorious feat of locating and slaying a demon beast under demonic control. Now, witness this clearly with your own eyes!
This is powerful evidence that demonic power lurks in this world—!”
Hardly had the Archbishop finished speaking when the crowd erupted in cheers.
Receiving a signal, the Holy Knights swung open the wooden cage containing the demon beast’s carcass.
Thump! Thump!
The wooden cage crashed loudly to the ground, fully exposing the demon beast’s corpse to the public’s view.
Boos! Groans!
The crowd jeered with all their might at the sight of the demon beast’s remains.
Burn it! Purify it!
Shouts echoed from every direction. The cries grew louder, eventually becoming a unified roar from the entire crowd.
Burn it! Purify it! Burn it! Purify it!
The deafening shouts of the immense crowd, as if speaking in unison, shook the skies of Encarosha. Jeha felt a sudden chill run down his spine as he listened to the colossal roar.
‘He couldn’t help but imagine Hereis tied up where the demon beast’s carcass lay.’
‘If Hereis’s contract with him were discovered, or ever came to light, it would be Hereis bound there instead of the demon beast.’
‘And the very people who once revered him would shout with contempt and terror: Burn him. Purify him.’
‘Jeha’s thoughts did not stop at Hereis.’
‘Hadn’t the Archbishop just said it? Inquisitors were already scouring the continent, finding and ‘purifying’ heretics.’
‘They were likely tied in village squares, dying in flames amidst the jeers of the crowd. Perhaps, even at this very moment, someone was meeting such a gruesome end.’
Jeha gripped the terrace railing so tightly it felt as though it might shatter.
‘Even if his own descent had merely been the most convenient excuse, it was undeniable that the Inquisitors now roamed the continent because of him.’
‘The thought of people dying so unjustly because of this stirred a deep, visceral surge of emotion within his chest.’
Jeha was jolted back to reality by a pair of piercing blue eyes that stared directly at him. He composed himself and surveyed the situation.
Holy Knights were tossing pre-prepared logs onto the demon beast’s carcass. High priests sat in their designated chairs, observing the scene, as the moment slowly approached.
The demon beast’s corpse was densely covered with wood, then topped with bundles of straw, which would ignite easily. Holy Knights formed a tight perimeter around the pyre.
Below the altar, many priests began chanting prayers almost in unison. As the atmosphere intensified, Inquisitor Benato, credited with slaying the demon beast, received a blazing torch from a Holy Knight.
Benato raised the torch high toward the crowd.
WAAAHHHHHHH!
The people roared with cheers.
Benato waited until the crowd’s cheers had peaked, then turned and began striding purposefully towards the demon beast’s corpse.
At that exact moment, the rat that had burrowed into the demon beast’s carcass regurgitated the drop of Jeha’s blood it had swallowed earlier.
A single drop of Jeha’s blood seeped into the demon beast’s remains.
…
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The demon beast’s heart, which had been pierced and riddled with holes by spears, instantly healed itself completely, then began to beat powerfully.
Jeha watched the demon beast’s fingers, hidden beneath the wood and straw, twitch subtly, and a slight smirk touched his lips.
And the next moment, Benato hurled the torch.
The straw caught fire, and the crowd’s cheers intensified further. Just as the roaring flames were about to engulf the logs…
Suddenly, the demon beast’s carcass, buried beneath the wood and straw, began to writhe. In moments, the beast tore through the pyre and lurched upright.
Waaahhh…
The crowd’s cheers slowly died down. Soon, an eerie silence settled over the plaza.
The demon beast’s blood-red eyes slowly swept across its surroundings. Then, it threw back its head and unleashed a colossal roar.
KAAAHHHHHHH-!
The demon beast’s roar possessed the power to incite profound terror in any creature that heard it.
The stunned crowd, who had been silent moments before, now screamed and scattered, fleeing in every direction. The streets instantly devolved into utter chaos.
“Kyahhh-!”
A shrill scream erupted right beside them.
Miss Fanucci was on the verge of collapsing just from hearing the demon beast’s roar. Knights frantically surrounded both Miss Fanucci and Mrs. Fanucci.
‘Below, the streets were choked with people struggling to escape, making it suicidal to descend, as they would surely be trampled.’
‘Remaining safely on the third floor was undoubtedly their best option.’
“What are you doing? Usher them inside at once! And seal off the third-floor entrance so no one can flee up here!”
Jeha yelled at the knights. Snapping to attention, the knights quickly escorted the mother and daughter into the third-floor interior.
In an instant, only Jeha and Paimon remained on the terrace. Jeha, clinging to the railing, focused intently on the demon beast’s movements as it began to rampage in earnest.
He watched the Holy Knights struggle desperately to subdue the demon beast. Its massive body refused to be easily overcome.
‘Even when the Holy Knights thrust their spears, they failed to penetrate the demon beast’s tough hide.’
‘Only a handful of Holy Knights, wielding swords and spears imbued with holy power, were barely managing to contend with it.’
‘It was already formidable enough, yet this beast had been revived by the Demon King’s blood.’
‘With its power and madness exploding, the demon beast rampaged, heedless of the holy-powered swords and spears piercing it, until its gaze suddenly fixed upon the altar.’
Its blood-red eyes, appearing ready to drip blood, slowly scanned the altar where the high priests stood.
The altar was tightly encircled by Holy Knights and ordinary priests, all risking their lives. As the demon beast surveyed the high priests, its movements abruptly ceased.
Its gaze was fixed on Hereis, who sat in the Archbishop’s seat. The moment its blood-red eyes met Hereis’s, the demon beast leaped from its spot.
“Protect the Archbishop!”
The Holy Knights shouted, rushing towards the altar. With two powerful leaps, the demon beast landed on the altar and immediately swung its sharp claws at Hereis.
CRACK!
With a sharp, air-rending sound, the demon beast’s terrifying claws halted directly above Hereis’s head. A thin, pale blue barrier shimmered around Hereis.
“Now! Launch a full assault!”
Commander Evan of the Holy Knights roared. Immediately afterward, a small group of Holy Knights, led by Evan, flew forward and plunged their weapons deep into the demon beast’s back.
However, instead of falling, the demon beast continuously struck at Hereis with both hands.
CRACK! CRUNCH! CRACK!
Each time the sharp claws slammed into Hereis’s shield, the air vibrated with a tortured shriek. Jeha gripped the terrace railing as if to shatter it, watching the scene, breathless.
He could see cracks forming in the shield with every strike.
‘A little more? Just a little more?’
‘Jeha carefully judged the timing.’
‘Until everyone was convinced that Hereis was the sole target of the concentrated attack. Until Hereis’s shield had endured to its utmost limit.’
‘Yet, crucially, it had to be before Hereis could suffer any real harm.’
Even as the immense demon beast relentlessly assaulted him, Hereis remained perfectly still, seated upright in his dignified posture.
Instead, his piercing blue eyes calmly met the demon beast’s gaze. As Jeha meticulously gauged the moment, he felt his heart pound fiercely at Hereis’s unwavering composure.
“Damn it! Channel your holy power to its maximum and aim for the heart!”
Commander Evan’s roar shook the plaza. Following his command, the Holy Knights unleashed all their might, attacking the demon beast again and again.
‘The demon beast’s body, assailed countless times by weapons imbued with holy power, was now utterly shredded.’
‘Even as Jeha controlled it, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity and guilt at the demon beast’s gruesome state.’
CRACK!
With a desperate strike from the demon beast, Hereis’s opaque shield shattered completely. Its blood-red eyes flashed, and it swung its hand once more.
Hereis calmly closed his eyes, as if serenely accepting death.
“Hereis!”
‘Even knowing this entire situation was staged, and despite being its very orchestrator, Jeha found himself involuntarily shouting Hereis’s name.’
Almost simultaneously, Sir Evan’s sword, having leaped into the air, precisely pierced the demon beast’s heart.
‘As its connection to Jeha severed, the demon beast slowly toppled backward, maintaining the same posture it had assumed to strike Hereis.’
‘Then, with a colossal crash, it plummeted to the ground.’
“Haaah…”
‘Jeha gasped for air, his breathing ragged. He had been so tense that cold sweat streamed down his forehead.’
‘If a mere staged event could make his heart pound so fiercely, he couldn’t even begin to fathom how he would feel if Hereis were truly in danger.’