------------------
[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
------------------
Chapter 28: The Birth of Evil
After the incident, Ray was able to catch a few more of these cult fanatics.
"No way... that person too?"
When Ray nodded, Aaron pressed his lips tightly shut.
In the end, the two of them brought in their target and took him into custody without any beating during the process.
"Stay put if you don't want to die."
At this point, they didn't even have time to waste beating these people.
"Four of them."
"That's four just from those who came here."
Then, how many hosts does this cult actually have? Anyway, once they brought in the fourth host, Bishop Yuna was waiting.
"Bishop, has the mass ended?"
"Yes... Brother Ray, I heard the details from Sister Jenny."
It wasn't just Bishop Yuna who was waiting. The priests from Campbell Church, whose help they had requested, were cleaning up the blood-soaked beds and corpses.
"Is he... a 'host' too?"
"Yes, they're crawling inside him."
"......"
Bishop Yuna seemed to understand the situation. She rummaged through the strange lifeform pulled from the corpse and said.
"These are fiends from the demon realm. Someone has been using these heretics as hosts to cultivate eggs."
"Is that possible?"
"Summoning demons is a primary method for warlocks. But I never imagined... this kind of reproduction would be possible..."
There's a warlock in this city, and they're plotting something evil.
"Bishop! Right now we need to strike at these Sun-Moon cult fanatics!"
"Calm down, Brother Aaron. That's impossible right now."
Bishop Yuna explained the reason to the excited young brothers.
"We lack sufficient forces. If the pagans have planted demon eggs in these hosts, there must be a parent demon. This means they've already succeeded in summoning a demon."
Even if they raided the Sun-Moon cult now, they'd be facing demons from the demon realm.
"Three novice members and one apprentice. Can you be certain the four of you can eliminate them?"
"......"
How could they be certain? Although the four had excellent results in the entrance exam and training, they were still just teenagers in their mid-teens.
Even though they had experience killing a witch or exorcising an archdemon, those were individual cases.
If they were facing a group, four people wouldn't be enough.
"Then, how about requesting soldiers from the city mayor? If we present evidence, wouldn't they act?"
Ray pointed at the fiend dissolving in Sacred blood as he spoke.
But Bishop Yuna shook her head at this suggestion too.
"The mayor of Campbell has been taking money from heretics for a long time. That's why suspicious cults can operate so freely."
Even if they brought evidence, he would ignore it or consider it a fabrication.
"Taking money from heretics!"
"Since they're cults, they're flexible with bribes. They must be a good source of revenue."
Major religions have to remain honest.
The budget of local churches is controlled by higher authorities like the local diocese and ultimately the papal office.
- Where’d this missing money go?
- Bribes to the local lord, sir.
- You blasphemer!!
If that happened, an excommunication beam would be fired from the central authority.
But cults are different.
Usually, to survive, they become closely connected with local influential figures and administrators, so many people take their money.
"Then what do we do? Do we just watch as these heretics turn people into fiend hosts?"
"No. We have power that surpasses the authority of a mere local mayor."
This is what the armed organization is for. This is what the Inquisition is for.
"I will request the Inquisition and Holy Knight Order deployment from the armed organization. Once they enter the city, we can trample on things like religious freedom and laws."
Overwhelm them with absolute power. Bishop Yuna's conclusion was more radical than expected.
"We'll conduct mass as usual. We mustn't let them notice anything is amiss."
"But won't they notice that we're holding their members?"
"We'll release some of them."
At Bishop Yuna's words, all four pairs of eyes widened.
"We'll persuade them to provide false information. That we haven't noticed anything about the fiends, and we're just detaining heretics."
That way, the Sun-Moon cult wouldn't cause immediate trouble. They would first contact the law enforcement or mayor's office that they've bribed.
Claiming they're being unjustly oppressed.
"But how do we persuade them?"
"They've seen the fiends burst out from inside their friends, haven't they? Many of them must feel betrayed."
Just as she said, those in the nearby beds had witnessed the fiends bursting out of the cult fanatic's stomach.
They were terrified. What if I have those monsters in my stomach too?
Bishop Yuna interviewed the frightened individuals and selected those who would send false information to the cult.
After releasing several recruits, they reported the fabricated information to the cult as instructed.
"My God, Boris! What happened to you!"
"Sob... those Solar Theocracy bastards...!"
Fortunately, these cult fanatics were masters of acting.
It's a profession that naturally requires acting skills, as they have to infiltrate other religions pretending to be believers to gather internal information.
Thanks to the released fanatics providing false reports, they were able to block the information that the Solar Theocracy had discovered the fiends.
"From now on, we will monitor the Sun-Moon cult."
The four decided to monitor the Sun-Moon cult until the Holy Knights arrived.
"Brother, I bought bread here."
"Red bean bread?"
"Yes, the bakery up ahead bakes bread three times a day."
Ray was observing the Sun-Moon cult with Henry. They were watching their movements to respond to any unexpected changes.
Ray, who could receive the 〈Sun's Blessing〉 even at night, volunteered for the evening surveillance, and the four were taking turns in two shifts for stakeout duty.
"It's been a week already, and there's been no movement from them."
"They must be cautious since their dispatched members were all captured."
Besides, the Sun-Moon cult has few visitors except for their weekly mass. At most...
"Ah, a carriage is going in."
"More prostitutes? That old man has impressive stamina."
The Sun-Moon cult's leader, Riman, was having wild nights with the city's prostitutes every day.
There were also several other people coming and going from the cult's sanctuary.
"No way, a person who claims to be religious calls in, p-pros... workers from that industry every day?"
Henry was appalled by the behavior of the Sun-Moon cult leader, who was the embodiment of greed.
"In the cult, he's basically considered a god, so he doesn't need to hold back. I bet if he told female believers to take off their clothes, they'd obey without question."
"Why do people fall for such cults? Anyone can see they're not normal."
There could be many reasons for that.
From the outside, cult religions always appear to be bizarre groups.
They collect absurd donations and enforce strange doctrines that equate the cult leader with god.
"You’re donating how much? Why?"
"He’s the second coming of Jesus? You believe that?"
To outsiders, they might look foolish, but people caught in the cult's grasp are cunningly brainwashed.
They extend their tentacles little by little, loaded with psychological manipulation, social castration, and a sense of belonging to a community.
The purpose of cult evangelism isn't to succeed with everyone.
It's to succeed with just one out of a hundred, insert a straw, and keep sucking until they dry up.
Ray had experienced that viciousness and evil in his previous life as Pastor Kim.
As the morning sun began to rise, it was about time for Aaron and Jenny to come for the shift change.
"Ah, brother. The ladies from that specific industry are leaving."
"Looks like they're heading home after the wild orgy party."
"B-Brother! As someone who serves Sol Invictus, such indecent language is inappropriate!"
While Ray was watching the departing prostitutes, leaving Henry blushing, that's when it happened.
"Huh? Wait."
Someone was in the carriage.
They realized simultaneously that it was the face of the cult leader they had identified from their information.
"He's going out?"
"Um..."
The cult leader is going out. He had bodyguards, but it was the first outing for the reclusive cult leader.
"...Am I the only one thinking this?"
"It's a golden opportunity, I think."
The two began to move.
An improvised situation. An improvised action.
It certainly couldn't be called planned, but it was too tempting an opportunity to ignore.
Ray and Henry changed from surveillance and standby mode and rushed toward the prostitutes' carriage.
It's impossible to chase a horse-drawn carriage just by running. But if they could predict where the carriage was headed, they could certainly block its path in advance.
"Whoa! Whoa! What are you doing, you madman!"
The coachman pulled the reins to stop the carriage as the two suddenly appeared.
"Who the hell are you!"
"Let's have a look inside."
"Who are these bastards!"
Robust men stepped out of the carriage.
Two men with fierce expressions glared at the two.
"Henry, can you handle one of them?"
"Leave both to me!"
Henry put on his gauntlets and rushed at the cult leader's bodyguards.
"You little shit...!"
The bodyguard immediately drew his sword and swung it.
An action that showed no hesitation to kill.
"Hup...!"
Henry met it with his fist. He deflected the man's sword and quickly closed in to secure close range.
Bam!
When the steel fist drove into the man's solar plexus, he exhaled sharply.
"Gaaack...!"
"You bastard...!"
The other bodyguard rushed in as he watched his colleague being hit.
Henry avoided him by stepping back with bouncing movements.
It was a butterfly-like elegance reminiscent of boxing footwork.
"Wabyo~! That landed perfectly!"
Henry let out a victory shout toward the bodyguard who couldn't breathe after being hit in the solar plexus.
"You motherfucker, how dare you...!"
The man rushed at him, taking it as mockery, but Henry's boxing skills were not something a neighborhood thug could contend with.
Despite the reach advantage of the sword, his method of combining defense and attack with his gauntlets was on a different level from back-alley brawling.
The Granville Monastery is a group that nurtures armed priests who walk the path of martial arts.
They aim to walk the pilgrimage path through healthy bodies and martial arts training.
"Ugh!"
The man who was hit in the shoulder stepped back.
Left arm for defense, right arm for attack.
It felt like facing a heavily armored infantry equipped with spear and shield.
'My reach is much longer! If I maintain distance and face him...!'
At that moment, the man witnessed a shadow floating up into the sky.
The footwork that had been stepping on the ground kicked off and instantly accelerated.
A spinning kick with added leap and acceleration struck like a typhoon.
'Right. Kicks...'
Crack!
A dizzying impact and noise twisted the man's jaw.
"Ho...! This is the Granville Monastery's pilgrimage boxing technique!"
"...Boxing technique?"
Didn't he just use his foot? Let's just go with it.
"Brother! Did you see! I caught two heretics! I did well, right?!"
"Uh... yeah. You did well. Your skills are quite good."
"It's my first time beating up heretics! I can't contain my excitement!"
"Alright, alright, you did well. Now let's go beat up the ringleader."
"Got it! Let's beat up the cult leader!"
Henry was so excited about working as a member of the armed organization that he was breathing heavily with enthusiasm.
'Still, a fifteen-year-old kid instantly destroying two adult male swordsmen.'
What kind of beings are the priests in this world, whether it's the Axe Sisterhood or the Granville Monastery?
Anyway, Ray patted Henry's shoulder, waved off the coachman's protests, and opened the door.
"Eek!"
"W-Who are you!"
The cult leader buried among prostitutes couldn't hide his dismay.
"......"
And Ray felt a sense of defeat as he examined the cult leader.
"...Come with us quietly."
There's a fiend soul sleeping inside the cult leader's stomach too.
"......"
"......"
Aaron and Jenny exchanged glances as they looked at the hideous creature before them.
Until Henry came running with an excited face, they had been wondering what was going on.
Ah, they must have done something.
I'm not sure what, but did they get some good information?
As expected, Ray is skilled, after all, having topped the entrance exam.
"...Is this what I think it is?"
"Probably, young master?"
"But why is it here?"
Jenny nodded in agreement as she looked at the hideous creature before them.
Having been properly beaten, there were many swollen parts besides his thick belly fat.
"It's the cult leader. We caught him when he came out."
Aaron made an exasperated expression at Ray, who spoke as if he'd just returned from the corner store.
To be honest, Ray had many questions too.
At the very least, he'd expected that the leader of a cult of this size would have used more capable bodyguards.
But catching him so easily was rather anticlimactic. Above all...
'This bastard isn't a warlock...'
The cult leader's soul was a deep red color. But it lacked the black tint characteristic of those who made pacts with demons.
"Well, that's good. So if we kill this one, it's resolved?"
"Let's cut his head off at once. Don't give him time to cast any spells."
"Mmph! Mmmmph!"
The cult leader struggled desperately and shed tears. Ray stopped them.
"...He doesn't seem to be a warlock."
"What?"
"What are you saying, Brother Ray? If this guy isn't a warlock, what are the cult's fiends?"
I don't know that either. The two were confused by Ray's response.
They had captured the cult leader who was suspected to be the mastermind, but now the cult leader wasn't a warlock?
"It seems this guy is more like a puppet."
"A puppet?"
"You mean there's another mastermind behind him?"
Ray nodded.
Then who on earth is the real warlock?
We don't know how the fiend eggs are implanted, but if the method isn't too difficult, anyone related to the cult could be the culprit.
"Mmm! Puhah!"
The cult leader gasped for breath as Ray removed his gag.
The option of screaming to call for help wasn't available to him.
Considering how mercilessly Ray had beaten the cult leader until Aaron and Jenny arrived, he was the type who would kill him and flee before guards could arrive.
"Now, sir. Being honest would be good for both of us."
"I-I'll talk! I'll tell you anything, just stop! Please stop...!"
The cult leader had completely surrendered. It might seem pathetic for someone who is the leader of a religious cult, but it makes some sense if he's just a puppet.
The four first asked about the fiends implanted in the pagans.
"What? What are you talking about?"
He doesn't know anything. Is he pretending not to know? Actually, there was the most certain method.
'Just kill him.'
Kill the cult leader and absorb the evil karma of his soul to examine his memories.
Then there would be no need to verify the truth of his statements; they could simply extract the information.
But.
'This bastard is infected too.'
The fiend soul sleeping in the cult leader's stomach.
If the host died, it was highly likely that it would tear open his stomach and emerge.
Of course, Ray didn't care whether the cult leader lived or died.
The fact that his soul was red rather than pinkish-red meant he was an exceptional human scum.
"Since the cult leader has been kidnapped, there will be a reaction soon. We need to resolve this as quickly as possible."
"But how?"
When Aaron asked, Ray immediately answered.
"At this point, we need to borrow the strength of the city guard. We need to meet the mayor."
The plan was to mobilize the city guard to search and suppress the Sun-Moon cult.
In the absence of the Holy Knights, they would borrow whatever hands they could.
"But how do we persuade the mayor? They'll dismiss the conflict between religious groups and cults as turf wars."
"...I have a way."
Ray intended to feed Sacred blood to the cult leader in front of the mayor.
The cult leader would certainly die, but as the fiends in his stomach tore it open and emerged, their true nature would be revealed.
"Let's go directly to Bishop Yuna. The bishop will be able to meet with the mayor right away."
Once the plan was decided, the four quickly consulted with Bishop Yuna.
Bishop Yuna gladly approved and led them to the mayor's office, saying it was now a race against time.
"It's fortunate the city hall is close."
"Since the meeting with the mayor is arranged, we'll be able to meet him soon."
"......"
Many eyes were on Riman, the cult leader who was bound and beaten to a pulp. But after this matter was resolved, Riman would be sentenced to death.
Bishop Yuna and the three didn't mind the stares. Except for that, the city hall was no different from usual.
Everyone except Ray thought so.
"Shit..."
"Brother?"
Henry was startled to see Ray sweating profusely.
At this moment, only Ray among them was aware of this horrific situation.
Black spots embedded here and there, starting from the guard at the city hall entrance.
"Please come in. The mayor will see you."
Even the mayor's secretary. Everyone. They all had fiends implanted in them.
"Oh, Bishop Yuna. It's been a while. I'm glad to hear the church is flourishing these days."
"Good to see you, Mayor. It's thanks to your concern."
The mayor was the same. Ray's gaze trembled as he looked around.
Who is it? Who on earth is the warlock? Is there anyone normal? How long has this infestation been going on?
Then suddenly. His eyes fell on an aide standing next to the mayor's desk.
Multiple souls in one body. Unlike the evil black spots dotted inside stomachs, this one was 'black-red.'
"Secretary Luka. Could you give us some privacy?"
"Yes, Mayor. Have a good meeting."
In the moment when the secretary named Luka passed by. Ray drew the sword from Aaron's waist.
"What are you doing!?"
There was no hesitation. The holy sword Ray swung cut Luka's neck clean off.
Slash!
Blood gushed from the body that lost its head. Black-red blood shot up like a fountain.
Luka's head rolled on the floor. He killed him. Or so he thought.
"Hee! What a shame!"
The head was laughing. At the same time, the headless body snapped its fingers.
"Uugh?"
The mayor began vomiting with sudden nausea. He was just the beginning.
"U-urgh...! Uweeeeeh!"
Even Riman the cult leader, who was in custody. Their stomachs writhed as they expressed horrible pain.
Slash!
Soon after, monsters tore through their stomachs. The newly born monsters screamed like nestlings begging for food.
"What are you doing! Kill them!"
Ray handed the sword back to Aaron while drawing his own. Two holy iron swords cut down the monsters born from the cult leader's stomach.
Crash!
Shortly after Jenny split open the mayor's stomach.
"Kyaaaaaah!"
"M-Monsters!"
Screams could be heard from outside. The birth of evil had just begun.
------------------
[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
------------------
