Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Episode 56.
The human farms created by demons and the territories controlled by the Demon God Cult were fundamentally different in nature.
If the farms operated through oppression, the latter was relatively free.
Unlike demons who treated people like livestock, the Demon God Cult gradually corrupted people by blending into their daily lives.
The rewards of apostasy were so sweet and intuitive that people found it difficult to resist the temptation.
The Demon God Cult made the land fertile, dispelled droughts, and subdued natural disasters like floods and earthquakes.
These were miracles granted through the power of demons.
But these were fundamentally different from the blessings bestowed by gods.
Gods only demanded worship, while demons exacted their price elsewhere.
The more prosperous the lands of the apostates became, the more other regions fell into ruin.
Dealing with demons only brought misfortune to others.
In the end, it was a vicious cycle. If the Demon God Cult took over the continent, eventually every place would become desolate.
This was also why their roots needed to be torn out.
The man with a sword plunged into his abdomen was either an apostate or a member of the Demon God Cult.
Either way, there was no reason to spare him.
His eyes and mouth gaped wide as he stared at Aiden.
Moments later, he coughed up blood and collapsed sideways. The sharp holy sword slid out effortlessly.
Aiden flicked the blood off his blade and looked at Siron.
"
Let's head to the church.
"
The two left the corpse behind and moved on. At the end of the farmland path stood a village, and beyond it, the church.
Strangely enough, the cathedral was much larger than the lord's castle. Such cases were extremely rare.
Perhaps they had expanded the building bit by bit, resulting in its current form.
They must have hidden all sorts of things inside and beneath it.
Though no demonic energy could be felt, Aiden was certain. That place was teeming with demonic beasts. His certainty came from his experience in the original story.
Siron stood before the church, scanning its exterior. It followed the architectural style of the Varancesar Church, with the sun emblem clearly engraved.
"
Disgusting. These vermin infesting a sacred place... Let's go in.
"
Siron's eyes burned with fury. She seemed excited at the thought of slaughtering the heretics.
"
Don't let your guard down.
"
"
Of course not.
"
Aiden pushed open the church doors. The layout was typical. Passing through a long corridor led to the entrance of the grand chapel.
Priests walking by bowed their heads with gentle smiles toward the paladins.
But their eyes held a subtle undercurrent. Both Aiden and Siron noticed.
Though they showed no outward signs, they were on high alert.
Had they not known this place had fallen to heretics, they might not have sensed anything amiss.
The Demon God Cult was adept at concealing their true nature.
Aiden nodded slightly in response to the priest. Then he abruptly opened the grand chapel's main doors.
A hymn spilled out.
A long table stretched horizontally across the center, flanked by a carpet.
The sight of countless people seated and singing held no hint of awkwardness.
Siron scowled in disgust.
Her gaze traveled to where the pristine white silk ended.
A podium stood there, and upon it, the bishop conducted the hymn.
Aiden and Siron stepped onto the carpet and strode forward.
Eyes followed them from behind.
Every face bore the same benign expression.
When they didn't stop even as they neared the podium, the bishop raised a hand to halt the hymn.
Silence fell over the chapel. The congregation stared intently at Aiden and Siron.
The bishop smiled kindly and spoke.
"
If you've come from the order, please wait a moment. If you're seeking seats, I'm afraid you're out of luck. As you can see, there are none left. Please stand for now.
"
Aiden took another step forward. Though his hand didn't reach, his sword certainly could.
"
Greetings, Bishop. Though, for a cathedral of this size, the chapel seems remarkably small.
"
They must have needed space to hide other facilities.
"
Haha, this space is more than sufficient for the flock here to serve God.
"
Aiden nodded.
"
I see. Though, I can't help but wonder who exactly they're serving.
"
The atmosphere shifted subtly. The once-harmless expressions began to harden.
The bishop still smiled warmly.
"
Is this the kind of jest young folk enjoy these days? This old man must be behind the times. But please refrain from such talk before me. In my day, such words would have cost you your head.
"
"
They still would. But since you're crossing the line into blasphemy, I'm beginning to doubt your faith, Bishop.
"
With those words, Aiden drew his holy sword and slashed it horizontally across the bishop's throat.
A red line appeared across his windpipe.
The moment the bishop belatedly realized and clutched his throat, the severed flesh gushed blood.
The scripture he'd been reading was stained crimson.
Without even a dying scream, the bishop crumpled to the ground.
Siron immediately turned and drew her halberd.
"
Apostate scum, don't you dare beg for mercy!
"
Her face twisted with madness as she glared at the heretics. With a shriek-like battle cry, she lunged through the air.
Her arms spread wide, gripping twin axes. She spun like a top.
As she descended, a fountain of blood erupted around her.
Like a shredder, her blades crushed and tore through every human they touched.
The apostates screamed and fled the chapel.
Aiden saw no need to chase them. His target was the demonic beasts. They'd summon them soon enough.
He calmly watched Siron's slaughter.
The humans being torn apart in real time had once been ordinary villagers. Even now, they couldn't truly be called Demon God Cultists.
Of course, from the Empire's perspective, they deserved death, and Aiden himself had slaughtered countless apostates since arriving in this world.
But he didn't hate them.
The reason he killed them was simply because the more demon worshippers there were, the harder the later stages would become.
Thus, whether they were apostates or not, he felt no urge to indiscriminately slaughter unresisting humans.
Long ago, he might have even vomited, but watching so calmly now meant he'd nearly fully adapted.
A sign he'd completely assimilated into this world!
Still, if necessary, Aiden could massacre them too.
Since there was no need, he remained in place.
Killing humans didn't grant experience, and they were doomed to perish anyway.
He'd already stationed troops along their escape routes.
But unlike Aiden, Siron genuinely despised heretics and, in a way, enjoyed the hunt.
The Valkyrie, drenched in entrails and flesh, mercilessly crushed the humans trembling before her, even as they begged for mercy.
Aiden roughly understood why.
It was a common tale in this world.
Her father's adopted child had committed apostasy, leading to the destruction of their house. Siron was the sole surviving daughter.
But she awakened her divine gifts, and the order interpreted this as divine forgiveness.
Thus, Siron swore to spend her life slaughtering apostates.
If Aiden grew stronger by killing demons, Siron grew stronger by killing them.
And just as Aiden raged against demons, Siron raged against them.
The Valkyrie of Blood. Or, the Mad Maiden of the Order. These were the titles Siron bore.
The pristine marble floor had already become a sea of blood, leaving no space to step.
Siron brought her halberd down on the last man's skull. It shattered, spraying bone fragments and brain matter.
The Valkyrie of Blood surveyed her surroundings with a piety more solemn than ever.
Then she approached the podium and knelt.
Facing the sun, she made the sign of the cross.
"
Varancesar, I have judged those who forgot Your grace. May a shred of mercy accompany the judgment of my foolish father.
"
Suddenly, the lights flickered. The ground trembled, sending ripples through the pools of blood.
Siron slowly rose.
"
Sir Aiden, this won't be easy. If Bishop Benzegma himself is here, we might have to stake our lives.
"
Aiden actually hoped the bishop was present.
The demon he commanded would be worth killing.
Aiden nodded and looked up at the shuddering ceiling.
"
Above.
"
Something approached. The building shook, and the chandelier crashed to the ground, shattering.
With a sharp crack, the light inside vanished completely.
Aiden and Siron immediately activated their divine auras, illuminating the surroundings.
Aiden's thighs swelled, and his holy sword blazed with white light.
There was no need to wait for it to descend.
He kicked off the ground. The marble cracked under the force as Aiden shot upward, reaching the ceiling in an instant.
He smashed through the wall with his sword, grabbed something, and crushed it.
Crunch! Flesh and fluids sprayed everywhere.
Brightening his aura, he saw his target.
A massive goat-like beast, its mangled muzzle gushing black blood.
The part Aiden had crushed must have been its mouth. The beast crashed down, shaking the earth. It let out a horrific scream.
A monster with a head the size of a man. Aiden grabbed its twisted horns and mounted its head.
He sawed at its neck with his holy sword. The demonic beast thrashed in agony, but Aiden kept his balance effortlessly.
Siron hacked wildly at the black goat with her halberd, sending foul fluids spraying.
Aiden's blade reduced the monster's neck to tatters.
Each convulsion made its head wobble, aiding the decapitation.
When the sword was halfway through, Aiden stomped on the back of its skull.
Crunch! With the sound of tearing muscle, the demon's head fell to the ground and rolled away.
Black blood geysered from the severed stump.
Mingling with the apostates' red blood, it dyed the floor a murky brown.
BOOM! Both turned toward the main entrance.
A cyclopean giant smashed through the doorway.
Simultaneously, CRASH! Every window in the church exploded outward. Hideous creatures of all kinds glared with burning eyes.
The Evil-Slaying Ascetic began to lose himself. The prey had come to him willingly, and his excitement peaked.
Bloodlust surged, overwhelming his mind.
Siron looked at Aiden.
She understood the expression mixing disgust and exhilaration—perhaps only she could.
Aiden drew Gargantua.
The holy spear greedily devoured the pure divine energy, swelling in size.
It vibrated wildly in his grip.
Then he released it.
SHIIING!
It pierced the cyclops's eye in an instant. Moments later, the beast burst into white flames.
The concentrated divinity within the Grand Armament detonated. Radiance consumed the surroundings, incinerating the malice.
The darkness melted away. The surroundings burned white as black blood sprayed everywhere.
Countless messages flooded his vision. Aiden retrieved his spear and stepped forward.
Even drenched in the black blood raining down, Aiden was pleased.
Benzegma had been right.