Chapter 64

Chapter 64. The Appearance of a Great Demon (1)

The red sunset had begun coloring the sky, and the shadows were gradually growing longer. At a time when most families would be preparing dinner, a taxi stopped in front of Myeongdong Cathedral.

Step.

Michael had just stepped out of the taxi. He adjusted Durandal, whose blade was wrapped in several layers of cloth, and secured it behind his back. The leather straps connected to his shoulder and waist felt slightly uncomfortable because they were a little tight, but they held Durandal firmly in place.

"It's been a while since I came here."

Since this was the first place he had visited after awakening from the coffin, returning here brought back quite a few memories.

Creeeeak!

Having arrived at Myeongdong Cathedral after receiving Sia's message, Michael pulled the handle of the brown wooden entrance door. When the door opened, bright light streamed through the stained-glass windows inside and illuminated the entrance. Just as Michael stepped into the sacred light,

THUD!

Someone collided with his chest.

"I, I'm sorry!"

Hearing the youthful voice, Michael lowered his head slightly. Standing before him was a rather small boy. Since he was wearing a cassock, he appeared to be a member of the clergy working at Myeongdong Cathedral.

"Take the holy water over there!"

"Bring all the crosses and rosaries this way!"

"Move the documents inside!"

Beyond the boy, priests were rushing around busily. The urgency with which they carried the sacred objects made it look as though they were preparing for battle. Apparently, the reason Michael had been summoned to Myeongdong Cathedral was more serious than he had expected.

"U, um..."

Michael hadn't done anything particularly frightening, yet the boy was shrinking back like a terrified mouse. Seeing him like that brought back an old memory.

Come to think of it, that little guy was just as timid as this one.

Long ago, among the children Michael had taken under his wing, there had been one who resembled this boy. The child had been gentle and timid, and because he wasn't particularly good at anything, he had always lacked confidence. Nevertheless, he had learned prayers at Helena's side and eventually become a clergyman.

Who would've thought he'd later be praised as a Saint?

That child had grown into someone revered by the clergy. Michael felt that the boy standing before him was similar. Of course, their personalities weren't the only things they had in common.

With this much power at his age... Becoming a bishop shouldn't be difficult for him.

The amount of aura the boy possessed was extraordinary for someone his age. If the aura of an ordinary priest were given a value of five, this boy's aura would exceed fifty. That was more than ten times as much. Considering Sia's aura was around thirty, the boy was anything but ordinary.

But he's still too young.

For someone so young, power that far exceeded the level of ordinary people could be as dangerous as poison. During his long life, Michael had seen countless geniuses. Some had lived long, fulfilling lives and passed away naturally, but there had been at least twice as many geniuses who had died young.

Talented people are easy targets for demons, but... Now that I think about it, this really pisses me off.

Michael frowned as his dislike of humanity suddenly grew stronger. After all, the world was full of people who were even worse than demons. The child who had eventually been called a Saint had also died young because of the jealousy of those around him.

That doesn't mean this boy will suffer the same fate, but...

For a moment, the boy reminded Michael of the child who had once followed him.

Michael stood in front of the boy, who was still hesitating because he didn't know what to do.

It doesn't mean he won't, either.

The boy's innocent appearance, which reminded Michael of an old acquaintance, suddenly awakened his mischievous side.

"W, well, I haven't been a deacon for very long... C, could I bring someone else to help you?"

"..."

These timid, easily frightened types became wonderfully flustered if you simply stared at them without answering.

"I, is that not allowed?"

"..."

"Could you at least say something?"

After Michael remained completely silent for about a minute, the boy became so nervous that he couldn't even properly defend himself. Just as Michael was about to end his little prank,

"Michael! When did you get here?! I was worried because you suddenly stopped answering your phone."

After listening to the boy's increasingly faint voice, Michael naturally turned toward the refreshing voice that broke the tension. It was Sia, wearing a cassock. It was still somewhat surprising to see a woman dressed as a priest rather than a nun.

Glance, glance.

As the other priests passed by, they kept glancing at Sia. Their reactions were understandable. Michael was thinking much the same thing.

"What are those things?"

"Ahaha... Well, I'm not really sure myself..."

A lazy cat was sprawled across Sia's head, yawning. A hardworking sparrow was resting on her shoulder, while a raccoon that looked as though it had come straight down from the mountains clung to her back. A friendly dog circled her feet, begging for attention. She had practically become a resting place for animals.

Is this an effect of her awakening?

During Glasya-Labolas's trial, Sia had used the power of her partial awakening to summon animals and escape a dangerous situation. It was entirely possible that this was a lingering effect of what had happened back then.

"Th, then I'll be going now..."

"Sure! Good work, Jinwoo!"

Seeing his chance, Jinwoo received Sia's permission and successfully escaped.

"Who's that kid?"

Michael pointed in the direction Jinwoo had gone.

"He's a deacon who recently joined us. He's still young, isn't he? But he's very friendly, and he's good at his work."

He certainly looked younger than most of the other priests working at the cathedral.

"Did John bring him here?"

Children rarely chose to enter the clergy at such a young age entirely on their own. That meant someone must have brought him here. Of the people at Myeongdong Cathedral, only Jungon and John were likely to have noticed the enormous amount of aura hidden inside Jinwoo. Since Jungon already had Sia, that naturally left John.

Sia's eyes widened in surprise at Michael's accurate guess.

"How did you know? Bishop John brought him from an orphanage and has been looking after him ever since."

"I can see why he brought him here."

Michael understood the situation well enough. Even in the past, if he'd encountered a child as blessed with aura as Jinwoo, he would've done everything he could to bring the child into the clergy and raise him as a priest.

"What worries me is that I don't know whether Jinwoo is really suited to this path. I think he might have started a little too young..."

Judging by her reaction, John must've done something to hide his abilities.

When it came to natural talent, Jinwoo was undoubtedly exceptional. There was no way Sia, who had already learned to use her senses to some extent, wouldn't notice his aura. In other words, John had probably taken some kind of measure to keep Jinwoo from attracting attention.

"I was wondering why things had suddenly become so noisy. So it was you."

"Oh, you're here?"

At that moment, Jungon approached Michael, accompanied by an aide. As usual, the muscles beneath Jungon's cassock bulged so much that the fabric looked ready to burst.

"Musclehead. I heard John has gone missing. Don't tell me you're the one who called me here."

"When the bishop is absent, all his duties fall to me. That's how serious this matter is."

"A serious matter?"

Michael questioned Jungon, who appeared to be in quite a hurry. Jungon's expression darkened.

"This isn't something we should discuss here. I'll guide you. Sia, you come along too."

If he was going this far, there was only one likely explanation.

A Great Demon, huh?

When Michael had first met John, he had been offered a mercenary contract. The Exorcism Association would support Michael, and Michael would help the Association in return. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Until now, the Association had kept its side of the agreement by providing Michael with various conveniences, while Michael had hunted demons.

However, this was the first time the Association had specifically called him to Myeongdong Cathedral to request his help. That meant an enemy had appeared that they couldn't handle on their own. Considering the priests preparing for battle as well, the answer could only be a Great Demon.

"Lead the way."

Michael nodded, leaving Jungon to guide them.

Step, step.

Following Jungon, Michael eventually descended a staircase leading underground.

The reliquary chamber was a sealed room that received no natural light and depended entirely on white and yellow electric lamps. Beyond the hard wooden pews near the entrance, the remains of a Saint were enshrined behind a small altar. Their noble presence was enough to attract anyone's attention, but Michael was looking somewhere else.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."

A fat man sitting on one of the pews and reciting a prayer had caught Michael's attention. The fact that he was waiting alone in a reliquary chamber that had been cleared of visitors meant he was an important person.

"What's with this pig?"

However, Michael had abandoned such considerations a long time ago. In his experience, overweight people were often nobles or wealthy merchants, and he had rarely met a pleasant person among them. Following that deeply rooted prejudice, Michael naturally picked a fight with the man.

The man Michael had called a pig was quite heavy, although his facial features were surprisingly distinct for someone with so much extra weight. His uniform was stretched almost to its limit, much like Jungon's cassock, though for an entirely different reason. Three embroidered hibiscus flowers and an ESP insignia decorated his police shoulder boards, indicating his rank.

"I, I'm so sorry, Chief Nam Joo-eun!"

Sia quickly bowed in apology for Michael's sudden rudeness. As though sensing their owner's feelings, the animals clinging to Sia quietly lowered their heads too.

"Oh, it's perfectly fine! It's true that I'm overweight, after all."

"Oh? You've got a good personality."

The man addressed as Chief Nam waved his hands dismissively and wiped his sweat with a handkerchief. Since the room was enclosed and poorly ventilated, it was rather hot and stuffy. For someone as heavy as Chief Nam, the environment was enough to irritate him even under normal circumstances. Yet instead of getting angry, he handled the situation so calmly that even the ill-tempered Michael was impressed.

"Could you please stop?"

Sia clenched her teeth and raised a fist at Michael's continued rudeness. However, before she could do anything, Jungon raised his hand to restrain Michael.

"Stop causing trouble and sit down."

Michael wasn't the kind of person who would obediently follow an order just because someone told him to, so Jungon reminded him again.

"At least remember your mercenary contract."

Michael dropped heavily onto a pew and crossed his legs.

"Fine. Let's hear just how important this is. Why did you call me here?"

"Bring him in."

At Jungon's instruction, the priest serving as his aide hurried out of the chamber. Once the aide had left, Jungon stood in front of the altar and began speaking.

"A Great Demon has appeared."

The reactions to Jungon's announcement were divided. Some, like Chief Nam and Sia, looked extremely serious.

"Well, I figured as much."

Others, like Michael, were completely indifferent.

"The Great Demon appeared in Japan. His name is Marbas, commonly known as Marbas, the Demon of Pestilence."

The moment Marbas's name was mentioned, Michael's gaze turned cold. He had been wondering where the bastard was hiding. Now he could finally learn his location through the Exorcism Association.

"Michael."

After establishing a solemn atmosphere, Jungon calmly called Michael's name.

"I have a favor to ask."

He was being unusually cautious, which was completely unlike him. Was it because John was absent? For some reason, Jungon's shoulders seemed particularly heavy today.

"I'd like you to tell us what you know."

On the night John's group left the island, the sound of rough waves could be heard across the sea, which had become so quiet that it almost seemed as though time itself had stopped.

Splash, splash.

A man was walking across the vast ocean as casually as though he were following an ordinary road. Ignoring the laws of nature, he approached the cold body of Forneus.

"...Forneus. Who... Who did this to you?"

The man, whose green hair resembled a mass of seaweed, gently stroked Forneus's corpse, which had not yet disappeared. When his hand touched the body, enormous bubbles rose from the water and filled the hole in Forneus's torso.

Grit.

As the man examined the remaining sword wounds, he ground his teeth.

"I will find them. I swear I will find them and destroy them. Even if the Sins themselves are responsible, I will never overlook what they've done to the child of Focalor."

Focalor, whose face had turned red with rage, turned away from Forneus.

"You who joined forces to leave these wounds upon Forneus, the day you rise to the surface of the sea, you will surely face me, Focalor."

WHOOOOOSH!

Enormous tidal waves rose from every direction and swallowed Forneus. Within moments, the waves had submerged the island-sized whale. Then, as though nothing had happened, they returned to the sea.

"We'll meet again someday, Forneus. For now... rest in Hell."

Having sworn revenge, Focalor slowly sank beneath the sea, carried down by the water.