No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 24

EP.24

Chapter 2

Encounters and Opportunities (11)

On the way, I tripped over a rock and stumbled a bit, but I managed to reach the fallen figure before it was too late.

The person was covered in blood, but at least they didn’t seem like a low-ranking Hunter. The injuries were far less severe than the last time I’d seen Lee Si-yoon. Still, while their face was intact and limbs were attached, they were gravely injured. Even with holy water, there was no guarantee they’d survive.

Slowly, a light from above began to shine down on me.

…Alright, alright. I understand.

How could I just stand back and do nothing in a situation like this?

I placed my hand on the injured person and closed my eyes.

…Even if I didn’t ask directly for help, the divine power would flow. That’s just the nature of it. You exist to help. Up until now, you’ve never abandoned me in moments like this. Maybe if I grew arrogant and started flaunting my “Saintess” title, it would be different. But at least, for now…

I wasn’t the only one running toward the wounded. Gasps sounded all around, probably because of the brilliant light I’d called forth. There was even a scream, a woman’s, though I couldn’t tell who it came from in the distance.

Then, a different kind of scream echoed.

Was it an animal? No, it was…different. Unlike any wild animal I’d ever heard. The sound made my skin crawl more than anything I’d heard before.

—A monkey?

It vaguely reminded me of the howl of an ape. And then, the sounds of people screaming started up again—men’s voices, women’s voices, all mixed together. Red shapes flew through the Gate once more.

What dropped with a heavy thud was…humans, or parts of humans.

And some of it was animal skin—pieces resembling that of large cats, maybe a tiger or lion.

Except they were enormous.

What did Ria say on our way here?

She’d told me to imagine a bear the size of an elephant.

Well…this might not be quite as large as an elephant, but it was at least rhino-sized.

“No…”

I shook my head quickly and tried to rise again, stumbling slightly as I did so, and ran once more toward the closest flash of red.

“Ah…”

…This one was hopeless. There was no way they could be alive.

I moved to the next red stain.

It was only part of a person. With a single leg, there was nothing divine power could do.

Then to the next—

“…”

As I tried to lift myself and move forward, someone grabbed my arm.

Just like before, I was abruptly turned around.

It was Ria.

Her face looked far angrier than it had been when I’d tried to talk to Lee Si-yoon.

“Where do you think you’re going—”

I pointed instead of replying. Not at some random direction, but at the next figure drenched in red.

Ria seemed lost for words as she took in my actions.

Though she had already drawn her sword, she hadn’t had time to put on her armor. It made sense. She’d only been in her nun’s habit moments before.

Ria’s veil had long since fallen from her head.

Instinctively, I reached up to feel my own head, realizing that my veil was also gone.

“Wait, just wait a moment…!”

Sophie rushed toward me, shouting. Surrounding her were several knights, some of whom wore expressions that seemed to ponder whether they should pull her back.

“Sister, that way is closer to the Gate!”

She called out, clearly panicking but still running. Given her demeanor, she seemed to have a saintly disposition, despite having tried to scratch me earlier.

Well, considering there was another candidate who hadn’t run into me while here, I knew that if I wasn’t around, one of the two of them would inevitably become the Saintess. They had to have at least a minimal awareness to do so.

Or was it that there were actually quite a few? It was said that there were at least two more in this area alone, so it wouldn’t be surprising if there were about a hundred scattered across the country.

“That way, Sister. You need to go that way.”

I said, pointing in the opposite direction I had intended to run.

“Pardon?”

“There are many injured people over there.”

I said only that and turned back to Ria.

“…Ugh.”

Ria rubbed her face and released my hand.

“Wait here. If anything happens, hide behind the Hunters. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

Ria took off quickly, and I ran toward the patients.

Kneeling almost in a slide on the ground, I barely checked to see that the injured person was still breathing before pouring divine power into them.

People were pouring out of the building. Relatively low-ranking Hunters who had been hiding a moment ago, along with injured Hunters who had been receiving treatment. Clergy members had also been caring for people inside.

A few knights came out with them, indicating that one of the other Saintess candidates must have been tending to the injured inside.

I raised my hand and shouted at the incoming Hunters.

“Gather the injured! As many as you can, quickly over here!”

The Hunters, trained to move as efficiently as possible in situations like this, quickly spread out in response to my call. The clergy joined them, likely knowing that if they weren’t on the verge of death, the holy water and power those people possessed would at least be able to stem the bleeding.

I confirmed that the person I had treated was still alive and tried to rise, only to stumble slightly.

“Ugh.”

This was a moment when efficiency was crucial, and I was trying my best to enhance my own effectiveness, but the amount of divine power I had wasn’t enough to share very efficiently—

“—————!”

Once again, a chilling scream echoed.

Everyone, including me, instinctively turned towards the sound.

The Gate looked like a thin layer of mercury spread out. Its surface shimmered with light, and if my memory served me right, it had a rippling effect as if it were liquid when touched.

And now, that gate surface was violently rippling.

Bang!

A sound like something being struck echoed.

“Damn it!”

Someone shouted.

And then, something flew out from beyond the gate. It was equipment I had never seen before. It looked like a large communication device you might see at a military headquarters in a war movie, and it was flying towards me as if it had been kicked from the other side of the gate.

In a moment of foolishness, I threw myself over the patient.

Did I think that by shielding them with my body, the patient would be safer? I had no idea—

But before it could reach me, it split in two.

Boom!

It slid across the ground, forming a V-shape around me and the patient.

“…Hah.”

As I exhaled, lifting my gaze, I locked eyes with someone, and I froze.

“…….”

It was Ria.

She held a sword in one hand and the shield I had been using in the other. Though there seemed to be a lot she wanted to say, she refrained from voicing any of it.

“…Well, it’s partly my fault too.”

Ria muttered, and then placed the shield in front of me.

“I couldn’t bring a gun, but… you learned how to protect yourself with a shield, right? I can’t stop whatever’s coming out of that Gate, but—”

“At least it can block falling debris. Thank you, Ria.”

“…I’m your knight.”

Ria closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened her mouth again.

“So, where are you going to go?”

“For now—”

“Sister!”

Someone called out to me.

Turning my head, I saw Lee Si-yoon along with other Hunters trying to pull the injured as far back from the Gate as possible.

“Let’s go that way, then.”

As I stood up, other Hunters rushed toward us, grabbing unconscious patients and pulling them away.

“————!”

Just as we started to run, a loud roar echoed again.

Boom!

This time, the ground trembled.

I looked back toward the Gate, almost stopping in my tracks. What was emerging from it was a giant. No, not a human. It looked like a monkey.

It wore several pieces of tiger skin, much larger than any we had seen before, crudely woven together to form a headpiece. The creature resembled a monstrous version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre character I had seen as a child, with a grotesque imitation of a tiger’s face.

With one hand, it seemed capable of snatching a person’s waist and chewing them whole, as it twisted its body to force itself out from within the Gate.

“Oh my god, a Second-Class Hunter…”

Seeing what it was holding, someone muttered in shock.

At those words, chills ran down my spine.

Though First-Class Hunters are considered equivalent to heroes, it didn’t mean that Second-Class Hunters were to be underestimated. By the time someone reached Third-Class, it was unusual for them not to possess abilities that defied human limits.

…

Without realizing it, I glanced over at Lee Si-yoon.

How did he manage to survive in a situation like this…?

No, wait.

There was still some hope.

The tiger skin on its body was torn in several places, and blood was seeping out. At the very least, that meant it wasn’t a monster. If that was the case—

Boom—!

A sound erupted, and the beast screamed again.

“Do you think we’re just going to let this happen!?”

A voice came from inside the Gate.

Right, there’s still a First-Class Hunter inside. Even if victims were coming out, it was still possible to intervene.

“Ria!”

“Uh, okay…!”

When I shouted, Ria startled and hurried to follow me.

I sprinted toward the injured person, the scent of blood thick in the air.

Stopping whatever was coming from the Gate wasn’t our job.

At least, it wasn’t something I could do.

So for now, I focused on saving the people in front of me.

Without brushing away the light falling above me, I concentrated solely on that thought.