Chapter 440
Chapter 440
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 440
Chapter Title: Devilish Bastards
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"Alright, Elise. Let's start the investigation now. You ready?"
"Of course!"
"I'm fully geared up too. Let's head out!"
"Yes, sir!"
With Elise brimming with enthusiasm, we stepped out beyond the eastern gate.
With Elise by my side, there's nothing I'm afraid of.
I trust her that much.
I don't know her exact combat prowess, but the grit and mental fortitude born from her unwavering faith and devotion surpass even mine, who's embraced the true teachings of Fusion Confucianism.
And basically, she's stronger than me.
She can even use holy spells, so her combat power is on another level. But that's the old me talking—now, I could probably hold my own against her.
When the two of us team up?
Those Amidgean demonic heretic criminal fuckers might as well crawl into their mothers' graves that very day.
Thud thud.
Thud thud.
Elise and I marched straight down the well-maintained road.
The plan was to head out a bit from the city, spot an imp when it shows up, and start the investigation there. With as many as they say there are, it shouldn't take long.
"Oh yeah, Elise. This happened last time I went to the Fog Plains."
"The Fog Plains, you say?"
"You know it?"
"I've seen it on maps."
Since we were walking anyway, I decided to tell her the story from back then.
It involved heretics, so I'd planned to fill her in next time we met anyway.
"When I got there, I found this bandit village doing human trafficking."
"W-what?! Is that true?!"
"Yeah! Those bastards drugged travelers lost in the fog, killed them or stole their stuff, then sold them off as slaves!"
"A village of such vile evil actually exists in this world?! I absolutely cannot forgive them!!!"
Elise, listening to the tale, exploded in rage, her whole body trembling.
Some things never change.
"They were lacing the stew they served up. Heh heh, I caught on right away and wiped the lot of 'em out. The whole village was in on it."
"You did exactly right. Filth like that needs to be crushed entirely!"
As I recounted the events, Elise was fully immersed, drawing her mace and scanning left and right.
"Truly a saint who never rests a single day in pursuit of a just world. I'm honored beyond words to hear such a pious tale."
But honestly, it wasn't a fun story at all.
More like a ghost story.
"But that's not the end of it."
"What...?"
I went on to tell her about the heretics showing up right after.
They were colluding with the village on the trafficking. Hearing that, Elise erupted in hatred and fury, cursing every evil thing in the world.
"S-such an outrageous abomination...!"
"I recovered some evidence. I'll show you next time."
"Please do! We must report this to the Church at once! Heretics hiding in the Fog Plains...!"
In those fog-shrouded plains, shrouded in mist year-round—what could the heretics possibly want with human trafficking?
Seems like these borderlands are crawling with them.
"Whew! Saint! Your rage is overflowing! This must be that unstoppable impulse!"
"When it hits, you gotta yell 'Dejjaaaaaat!!!' at the top of your lungs, Elise!!"
"Got it! Dejjaaaaaat!!!"
"Dejjaaaaaat!!!"
And so, bellowing endless "Dejjaaaaaat!!!" shouts with Elise, we plunged into the forest. Doing this together ignited an unbelievable surge of fighting spirit and motivation.
These wicked heretic fuckers!
I'll slaughter every last one and seize their loot...!
"Whew, shouting with you calms that unstoppable impulse a bit."
"Nah, it's not calmed. It's just stored up in your heart now. It'll explode again when you face evil!"
"I see!"
With that vibe, I drew my sword and began the search, fist at the ready too. Monsters fled here and there—probably 'cause we were yelling so loud.
Where the hell are those imps?
"Elise, thinking about it, this area's lousy with heretics. The undeveloped zone near Krasheim where we first met, the ossuary too."
Slash!
We pushed through the brush, snapping branches as we delved deeper into the forest.
There was a maintained path right beside us, but stray off it and it's a jungle. That's the terrain here.
"Undead festival, kobold dungeon, Isvant sewers, even the slums—they've got their filthy tendrils everywhere. Fog Plains too."
I shared my thoughts on the heretics with Elise trailing behind.
"Their main base has to be somewhere in these borderlands. Hiding out, plotting to turn the world upside down... What do you think?"
"Spot on. Our Church thinks the same—we're cooperating with other parishes to scour the area. But no real results yet."
We scanned around during the chat, but no imps. Just occasional sounds of unknown monsters fleeing.
Fuck. Where are they?
"What's their goal? Why use undead to infiltrate the city? Turning people into ghouls for slaves, creating heretic giants too..."
The questions kept piling up.
Not sure if it's 'cause I bought a house or what, but lately I've been wondering: are these heretic fuckers targeting Isvant?
Even if they mass an invasion, they won't easily topple a city defended by the lord and the Church.
Still, it worries me.
"What's their endgame?"
Enough to make me want to kill 'em all right now and ease this unease.
"Their goal... probably reviving an evil god or summoning a demon king from another realm—some vile ritual like that. Most heretic aims boil down to it."
I asked seriously, and Elise answered in kind.
"Buncha brutal assholes."
Evil gods, demon kings—just hearing it screams utter fuckwits. Better off if those stay dead forever—for humanity's sake.
"Or maybe they're breaking the taboo of lion resurrection."
"Lion resurrection?"
Like Elise said, maybe the heretics are pitiful fucks researching ways to revive their long-dead mommies from ages past.
Literally motherless bastards.
Suddenly their constant bitching made sense. Venting grief for lost moms through crime and murder. Makes total sense.
"During the Idol War, countless evil gods, demon kings, and demons fell. Naturally, so did their followers."
The Idol War era was pure madness, where good and evil, religions, values, ideologies all tangled up—everyone slaughtering each other claiming righteousness.
Communists, imperialists, fundamentalists, democrats, dreamers, nationalists—countless factions waged total war for survival. That's the gist. Mix in isekai common sense, religions, values, and the factions numbered in the thousands.
Even demon kings and demons from outside realms jumped in, turning an already chaotic world into utter hell.
Basically an isekai World War.
"Perhaps they're keeping the heretic flame alive even centuries later to revive their old idols... That's just my personal take."
"Argh!!! Scary stuff!"
"Heh, scary yes, but with faith as steadfast as yours, Saint, it's no issue."
"Heh heh, yeah. Strong heart, and those fuckers are nothing."
"Well said."
Chatting like that, we kept searching the forest.
About 30 minutes in, something black slithered ahead.
Grrrk, grrrk...!
That pitch-black, grotesque shape...!
An imp!
"There! Elise! Imp! We found one!"
"Finally!"
Elise roared like thunder, mace out, charging the imp like a bullet. I bolted after her.
"Lord of Order!!!!"
"Kieeeek!!!"
Riiiing!
Our holy screams echoed, and the imp turned. Seeing that monster's mug ignited inhuman rage and killing intent!
"You hellspawn fucker!!!!"
"Vile demon spawn!!"
Crack!
Elise the monster-pulping savage swung her mace with expert skill, smashing the imp's head in one shot. Investigation starts after exterminating, as it should.
Grrrk!
Grk!
"That's right! You fuckers were holed up here!"
"There are tons of imps!"
This wasn't just one imp.
Grk, grk!
Grrruuuk!
Grgrruk!
Had they all gathered here? Imps writhed between bushes, atop trees, behind rocks—dozens of them!
These creepy fuckers!
"Execution Fist Technique Dejjaaaaaat!!!"
"We must wipe them all out!!!"
Whoosh!
I unleashed Execution Fist Technique on the crawling imps, slamming fists and kicks home. Thud! Pow! Punches and kicks infused with Fusion Confucianism's profound philosophy exploded flesh with crisp impacts, bursting bodies and heads.
Boom!
"Dieeee!!!"
Against my murder-honed Execution Fist Technique, their watery flesh stood no chance.
Grk!!
Grk grk!
The imps finally got it and tried fleeing, but their speed was a joke—they weren't escaping.
Splat splat!
"You crazy fuckers!!!! How dare you rampage here of all places!!!"
I berated the imps while bursting them barehanded.
Didn't take long for the playful imps to become gut shrapnel.
Compared to me or Elise, imps were water balloons. Levels didn't match. Her mace and my fists popped them alive.
In seconds, a field of gore.
Fitting end for vile demons.
"Bursting imps barehanded—truly the Saint!! Such bold, righteous fists! Your iron might surely stems from pious heart!"
Elise, who'd watched me unleash Execution Fist Technique, cried out in awe.
"Elise! You need to learn to beat demons barehanded too! Situations where you lose your weapon will come—always fight assuming that!"
"Wise words! So that's how you prepare, Saint!"
Seeing her admiration, the urge to teach her Execution Fist Technique seized my brain.
"Now, follow me, Elise! Execution Fist Technique!!!"
Now was the time!
"E-Execution Fist Technique!"
"Watch and learn! Terrifying power in barehanded combat! My primal Justice martial art, made solely to pulverize the wicked!"
"Understood!"
Whoosh!
Splat splat!
I demoed the killer forms, and Elise mimicked flawlessly. Mimic? Nah, that was no mimicry.
She'd reached murder mastery...!
"Like this? Like this?"
"Exactly, Elise! You're nailing it!"
First time ever, yet her overflowing talent and combat sense let her master Execution Fist Technique from one look.
This is talent, huh...?
Whoosh!
Splat splat!
"I feel the surging power!"
"Good, straight to combat! Dejjaaaaaat!!!"
"De-Dejjaaaaaat!!!"
Thus, Elise and I unleashed Execution Fist Technique with roars. Today, not one imp blooming in this forest would survive.