LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 87
When they returned to the cathedral, the overwhelming presence of the demon had completely vanished.
Looking at the ruined exterior of the cathedral, a slight unease crept in.
Outside, there wasn’t a sound of any battle commotion.
The cathedral was so quiet it raised suspicions.
There was no other way than to go inside and check for themselves.
They cautiously entered the building.
“…….”
Upon seeing the interior of the cathedral, no one could find the words to speak.
An unexpected shocking scene unfolded before their eyes.
The Black Goat, battered and broken, sat crumpled from defeat.
“Captain…!”
The Blue Shark gasped and tried to rush to him, but someone stopped her.
Opposite the Black Goat was a pale purple girl, also in rough shape.
“Step back. Don’t come any closer.”
She glared at the uninvited guests sprawled on the floor, lacking even the strength to rise.
“Why… are you back? You should’ve run as far away as possible.”
A gaze filled with emotion from Longinus, who glanced at the fallen Black Goat next to her.
Meanwhile, the Red Dragon couldn’t hide his puzzled frown.
Just moments ago, when assessing the situation with magic, this result seemed impossible.
Certainly, Longinus was quite capable, but the battle had been nearly a one-sided victory for the Black Goat.
Had the odds flipped in the moments it took for them to arrive?
Then it happened.
Bang!
The doors of the cathedral suddenly slammed shut, and a voice dripped from the darkness.
“I never thought you would come searching for me. You’ve saved me some trouble.”
A low voice of an old man.
Soon, from the shadowy corner, the owner of the voice revealed himself.
The only girl who recognized his face gasped in horror.
“Y-you… are you the priest?!”
“It’s been a while, sister.”
It felt like a dream from the days back at the academy.
He was the kind-hearted old man who had helped her on her first visit, sharing a few kind words.
The owner of this cathedral.
He leisurely appeared in a place that had turned into nothing but ruins.
Meanwhile, Shin Woo also noticed something too late, his gaze shaking violently.
Clenching his teeth, the boy spat out through gritted jaws.
“You…”
“Oh, I saw you not long ago. But I never imagined you’d escape and end up here.”
Although his face was unfamiliar, that voice was unforgettable.
That moment in the darkest space of the academy’s rooftop.
He was a member of the council.
His face was lined with wrinkles, and his attire oozed a religious vibe, looking no different from an ordinary priest.
“Messiah, apostles, and even the Antichrist. Quite the fresh combination.”
There was no time to listen to such nonsense.
The Blue Shark deemed the old man an enemy and decided to kill him right away.
She acted swiftly.
She reached out her hand to use her abilities immediately.
“…Huh? Could it be…”
The ability didn’t activate.
A nauseating feeling seemed to clog her from deep within.
She’d experienced the same thing at a Japanese shrine before.
“It’s already too late. Now that you’re here, there’s no turning back.”
“What have you done?”
“The barrier has been set, and this cathedral is now the land of the gods, not the mortal realm. A mere imperfect creature can do nothing.”
The old man’s confident tone twisted the Red Dragon’s expression into a scowl.
“You arrogant human. Does that mean you’re not a mere creature?”
“Ha-ha. Of course not. I’m imperfect too. We all are. But things will be different from now on.”
The old man was filled with fervor, as if he received holiness through a miracle.
He stretched both hands to the sky and cried out with overwhelming emotion.
“At last, the time has come! The Messiah is here, and finally, we can realize our plan!”
“Shut up! I will never hand over Hana!”
I don’t know exactly what the plan is, but based on the actions of the council so far, there’s no way it can be normal.
I can’t let Hana fall into the hands of such a madman. I will protect her no matter what.
“You foolish boy. None of our plans are for personal greed. Everything is for the sake of humanity.”
“Humanity…? To commit such brutal massacres and say it’s for humanity? I’ve seen clearly how the holy water is made and what the consequences are! Claiming it’s for humanity after committing such horrific acts is nothing but hypocrisy!”
Shin Woo witnessed the materials for holy water with the Vice Principal and had heard the words of the Great Mage, who faced a horrific end just moments ago.
Such actions could not be justified in the name of benefiting humanity.
It was clear evil. The council was not good; it was evil.
“You can say that so easily because you know nothing. If we do nothing and remain idle, humanity is bound to perish.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because that is the prophecy. The sudden appearance of gates and monsters. The confrontation with demons. The great war. And even the sacrifice of the Messiah. Everything is written to unfold according to the apocalypse.”
I don’t care about all that.
The appearances of gates and monsters were unexplained.
The confrontations with demons and wars were merely due to the Black Goat’s declaration.
Apocalypse? I’ve never heard of that and I’m not curious about it at all.
Why must the sacrifice of Hana be deemed prophecy and fate?
I can’t accept that.
“All humans are born with original sin from the very beginning. The reason this world is so despairing? The fundamental cause lies not in the monsters but in human imperfection. The sacrificial atonement of the Messiah. Through death, we cleanse original sin and are reborn as perfect beings.”
Of course, such words wouldn’t persuade Shin Woo.
The old man’s rants only sounded like the ramblings of a madman to the boy.
“Are you using that lousy excuse to kill innocent people and invoke humanity?!”
“You still don’t understand. The moment we become perfect, death becomes nothing but a concept. Transcending time and space, life and death, we become beings close to god. All of humanity.”
Is that even possible?
That was such an absurd claim.
It was a dream-like story that couldn’t even be imagined.
“Imagine it. A world where there’s nothing left but despair, completely transformed. Nothing could tear us apart. Not even death.”
“That kind of world… if it’s achieved through wrong means, it’s worth nothing at all.”
“Well, that can’t be helped. In any case, you will come to understand once you’ve experienced it yourself.”
The old man pulled something out from his robe.
It was an ordinary gun, nothing special about it.
For those with powers here, it felt like a laughably useless toy.
But now, in a realm where abilities were completely sealed by the gods.
It became the most daunting threat of all.
Bang!
In an instant, the flying bullet pierced the heart of the Pink Hawk.
Another shot followed.
Bang!
A bullet pierced through the Blue Shark’s forehead.
And then aimed again.
Bang!
A bullet barely missed and struck the shoulder of the dragon, who fell to the ground and howled.
In a different time, such a pathetic lump of metal could’ve been dodged with just a close-eyed blink.
Now, a single shot was the judgment of the gods that took a life.
“Such unnecessary resilience.”
Bang!
The skull of the dragon shattered into pieces.
“As long as there’s no interference outside, I am a god in here.”
In an instant, all the apostles who came with them collapsed.
The issue was that the probability of the next barrel aiming at them was very high.
The prediction was not wrong.
The next muzzle pointed towards the boy.
The old man said with a cold, expressionless face.
“I’ll be waiting in paradise.”
“Wait!”
At that moment, a voice filled the cathedral.
All eyes shifted to one side, where a girl was holding a spear to her own throat.
Seeing her, the old man clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“Damn. That Longinus…”
Holding her life hostage, Hana said.
“Drop the gun immediately. If you don’t, I’ll stab myself. For the ritual, I must stay alive, right? So drop it.”
“I’ll comply, if you lower that spear first.”
“Gun first.”
“Annoying you are.”
Bang!
A bullet quickly shot toward the target.
The bullet reached not Shin Woo but Hana’s abdomen.
As the bullet struck, her body sagged, and she dropped the spear before collapsing to the floor.
“If you don’t have her, I can just use Kim Shin Woo.”
The old man’s aim now shifted to the girl’s forehead.
“It’s better to eliminate unnecessary variables.”
As the trigger was being gradually pulled,
Bang!
The cathedral doors burst open, and someone entered.
At that, the old man turned around with a perplexed expression and shouted.
“Who is it! The barrier of the cathedral…!”
At the crucial moment, the girl who barged in yelled loudly.
“Damn it! Where’s the yellow dog!?”