CHAPTER 9

Fall.

Cornu had left. I moved quickly, rushing back into the mercenary guild.

"F-Father Marnak! What on earth is going on?"

"Do not move a single step from that spot! Stay exactly where you are!"

"What? But—"

I didn't wait to hear Erin's reply. I ran like the wind to my room, grabbed my froststeel sword, and immediately headed to the quarters where the reformation priests were staying.

"Mother! Are you there?"

'Murder!'

As expected, she took the relic. I turned back without hesitation and headed to the first floor. Erin, peeking out the door, heard my footsteps and shouted urgently.

"F-Father! A m-monster! A monster is in the middle of the city!"

She hadn't run off like I told her not to. One less thing to worry about.

"What do we do now— Eek!"

I scooped Erin up into my arms.

"F-Father Marnak?!"

"Where is it?"

I burst out of the mercenary guild.

"What?"

"Where's the clinic where we left Fueur for treatment? Take me there now!"

I couldn't let the life I'd barely managed to save be lost to this madness.

"Help!"

"Out of the way! Move, now!"

"Aaaaah!"

Screams and chaos in the crowd. The city had already fallen into complete disorder.

—GRAAAAAHH!

A massive monster rampaged, destroying everything it touched. Buildings crumbled and debris flew. The trail of the demon was soaked in blood and torn flesh.

Atop the demon's pitch-black head, a man in shining white armor raised his hammer and shouted,

"O Scales of Retribution!"

The giant war hammer blazed with white light. Obs gripped the raised hammer with one hand and struck the demon's head.

"Die, foul creature!"

The war hammer smashed into the demon's skull, and at the same time, a massive hammer of light fell from the sky. Struck by the Hammer of Judgement, the demon let out a scream of agony.

—GRAAAAAHH!

As the monstrous black beast thrashed wildly, more people were crushed beneath it.

Blood. Blood. Bright red blood. Flesh. The flesh of the innocent. Despair. Fear. Chaos.

Guis was falling apart.

"Erin!"

"Y-Yes?!"

"Quickly, where is Fueur?"

Erin pointed in one direction. I bolted down the street. Even with her in my arms, Mother stayed silent—she knew I was serious.

"Father Marnak! There! Over there!"

The clinic where Fueur was being treated was near the demon's rampage. Its door was already open.

"Fueur!"

Blood trailed along the floor. The clinic's original owner was already dead. Two men, looting the place in the chaos, looked up at me, startled.

Trash. Utterly irredeemable trash.

"Wh-Who?!"

Without hesitation, I drew my froststeel sword with one hand and sliced through the nearest man's neck. As blood splattered the blade, I grabbed the other's head and slammed it into the wall. His skull crushed under the force, blood and flesh bursting out.

"Fueur!"

Fortunately, Fueur was still alive—bandaged head to toe, unconscious on the bed. I sheathed my sword and picked him up barehanded.

"Hold on tight! I can't carry you with both hands now!"

As Erin clung tightly to my neck, I dashed for Guis's west gate. The streets were packed with citizens fleeing for their lives. Those who fell while running were trampled to death by the crowd.

—GRAAAAAHH!

Thinking quickly through the roar, I realized it would take too long to push through this path.

I scanned the surroundings—there! A low rooftop I could leap onto in one go. My decision was instant, and my body moved even faster than my thoughts. Erin screamed.

"Kyah! Kyaaah!"

Leaping from roof to roof, I ran toward the nearest west gate. I finally arrived, only to find it just as packed and chaotic as the streets.

"F-Father! I know a secret passage!"

"Where is it?"

"That way!"

Following Erin's lead, we arrived at a small building.

"We can get out of Guis through this house's basement passage! But the door is locked—"

"Got it!"

I kicked the door down—the thick wood shattered like paper. I ran downstairs and set Fueur and Erin at the entrance of the passage.

"If things get worse, run. No matter what."

"W-What about you, Father?"

"I'm going back."

I'd ensured the safety of those I knew. Now it was time to save the ones I didn't.

Erin tried to say something, but I didn't listen. I dashed back out of the building.

—GRAAAAAHH!

Another hammer of blinding white light fell from the sky. The demon shrieked in agony, shaking its head. Obs gripped the white sword embedded in its skull, bracing himself.

"O Scales of Retribution!"

A horned man charged toward the demon's front paw. A glowing white hammer struck the limb. Another hammer of light fell from above. But Cornu's hammer was clearly smaller than Obs's—and its impact weaker.

—GRAAAAAHH!

Cornu failed to evade the demon's swinging paw. The one-horned man was flung through the air, smashing through a wall.

Seeing that, I rushed toward where Cornu had crashed.

"Father Cornu!"

I called his name as I climbed over the wreckage. From somewhere nearby, a faint voice crawled through the rubble. I quickly headed toward the source.

"F...Father Marnak... it's you..."

Cornu's condition after being struck by the demon's forepaw was horrific. His twisted armor had long since become a shackle imprisoning his body, and bright red blood flowed ceaselessly from the gaps in the plating. Grabbing his half-crushed form, I quickly asked:

"Where is the other priest?"

The priest named Petina, who had accompanied them, was nowhere to be seen. Cornu gathered his last strength and spoke:

"Petina... is dead."

"Is there a way to suppress the demon?"

"There is. The other sacred relic we brought... the white sword Priest Obs drove into the demon's head... if that sword is pushed through the thick hide and into the brain... the demon will die..."

With those last strained words, Cornu passed away. I placed a hand on his head and closed my eyes.

"O Mother of Decay. I will now claim this one."

With a quiet prayer, Cornu's body instantly decayed, leaving behind only his battered armor. The man with only two fingers returned to divine purity.

Having learned all I needed, it was time to put an end to the rampaging demon.

I stepped out of the building and drew my Froststeel sword. The blade slid from its sheath as if eager to be used.

— GAAAAAAAH!

The demon continued to rampage in agony.

"Scales of Retribution!!!"

Obs, clinging to the demon's head, relentlessly pounded with one hand. Upon closer observation, I realized he wasn't striking the demon's skull, but the hilt of the white sword.

That sword must be the sacred relic capable of ending the demon.

The massive black beast tore down buildings as it charged toward us. Each step of the colossal lifeform shook the ground violently. Amidst the tremors, I calmly waited for my opportunity.

— GAAAAAAAH!

At last, as the demon approached within reach, I leapt and drove my Froststeel sword into its leg, clinging to it.

Its thrashing sent my body flailing, but I remained composed, gradually climbing its leg toward the head.

"Scales of Retribution!!!"

Another blinding flash of light fell from the sky.

— GAAAAAAAH!

The world flipped with the demon's furious roar.

Out of patience, it rolled its entire massive body across the ground. I yanked out the Froststeel sword and leapt away, narrowly avoiding being crushed.

Falling from the great height I had just climbed, I was met with the harsh resistance of air. The ground rushed toward me. I tucked and rolled, minimizing the impact. My flesh scraped raw, and my white priest's robe was stained red with my blood.

Through the stinging pain, I rose quickly. My drug-enhanced body obeyed my mind's commands without hesitation.

— GAAAAAAAH!

A bone-chilling roar. Once standing, I saw the utterly crushed remains of Obs. Unlike me, he hadn't escaped the disaster wrought by the demon's mass.

Looking up at the demon's head, I saw the white sword embedded deep into its crown.

Having slain all the priests of the Reformation, the demon, still unsatisfied, resumed its mindless destruction.

The screams of those still unable to flee echoed through the chaos.

I ran once more — across broken roads, over ruined buildings, leaping across rooftops.

Thud.

My Froststeel sword pierced the demon's tail. Compared to its massive form, the sword was less than a needle and caused no damage.

The demon ignored me and continued destroying the city of Guise.

Clinging to the trembling beast with my sword, I steadily advanced.

My target: the sacred relic buried in the demon's head. Thanks to Obs's efforts, the sword was already deeply embedded, with only a small portion of its blade still exposed.

If I could just push it a little further, the demon's rampage would end.

— GAAAAAAAH!

My body was thrown about with each violent motion. When I couldn't bear the shaking, I clenched the hilt of my Froststeel sword tightly and held on until the tremors passed.

The demon's frenzy intensified. Patiently, I climbed its back until I was just in front of the white sword.

As the monster shook again, I reached out for the sacred sword.

It was a foolish and hasty mistake, focusing solely on the sword before me.

'Murder!'

In the violent shaking, something was flung away. My mother's hand, which I had carried, was cast from my chest and began to fall freely toward the ground.

'Murderrrrrrrrr!!!'

Snap.

Her voice vanished. Silence fell. A crushing sense of solitude gripped my throat. I couldn't breathe.

Mother. Mother. Mother! Mother!!!

The sword before me no longer mattered. Without hesitation, I jumped from the demon's head.

The landing was a complete failure. My legs, unable to bear the impact, were crushed. I cried like a child.

"Mother! Where are you?! Mother!!!"

Then, a faint voice seeped into my mind.

'Murder…'

I crawled toward the direction of the voice, using my hands. My nails broke, and my fingertips turned red with blood, yet I kept crawling.

At last, I reached the fallen hand of my mother among the rubble. Peace returned to my mind.

"Ah… Mother…"

'Murder!'

"I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry. I was too hasty, and I almost lost you."

'Murder! Murder! Murder!'

"I… I don't know what to say… What?"

Following the direction my mother pointed, I saw the crushed corpse of Obs.

And just in front of it, a small mirror.

'Murder!!!'

That mirror was the very sacred relic containing the divine power of Decay that my mother and I had desperately sought.

Clutching the mirror, I smiled.

"They say life is full of twists and turns. Indeed. Mother, this is getting quite fun, isn't it?"

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