And God Answered
Then God answered: Vroooom! The car Andre was driving sped through the heart of the city, racing toward somewhere.
"Andre, we need to get out of Seoul first."
"Yeah. We can't do shit here anyway!"
Screeech! For now, the two had decided to escape Korea's capital. In their current state, swept up in this anomaly, Seoul's infrastructure and population were more hindrance than help—practically enemies. Of course, ways to access the Anomaly Management Bureau's main control center or its various divisions were overwhelmingly concentrated in Seoul. But who were they? Unlike the real-world Vatican, these were the ones who had built a center in the anomalous world itself. And to commute there, they'd created gateways all over the globe.
So there were plenty of entry points even without dealing with Seoul's chaos. The problem? They didn't know the exact locations of those gateways.
"Veronica, still no contact with the Anomaly Management Bureau?"
"No... Looks like all comms are down."
"Damn... Unlike the Bible, this world's apocalypse is full of laughter."
As he drove, Andre glanced at Veronica in the rearview mirror. Was she thinking only God could resolve this? She kept praying.
"...Veronica."
"Yes?"
"...What if we temporarily ally with Korean shamans, monks, or even Muslims...?"
BOOM!! Andre immediately regretted asking. In an instant, Veronica's sword sliced through the car's roof. Then a laughter-infected corpse thudded down from above, rolling onto the road.
I shouldn't have asked.
"Whew, didn't expect it to drop from the building. Oh, Andre—what did you just say...?"
"...Nothing. Let's just hurry out of Seoul."
"Yes. I'll keep praying. That little girl might get hurt otherwise."
"...Right."
There was a reason Andre always deferred to Veronica like this. Andre was a Vatican exorcist. Though he operated in hidden, sacred realms unknown to the public, next to Veronica, he seemed utterly ordinary. Among inquisitors, she was an Execution Inquisitor—one granted independent field judgment and commensurate combat authority. She looked like a frail nun praying now, but in reality, she outmatched Andre.
Mentioning other religions to her? Insanity. She'd just comforted that Korean pastor and his flock for their sacrificial spirit. Normally, Andre wouldn't have brought it up either. But in an apocalyptic situation like this, he'd hoped... No such luck.
What a headache.
Andre was more flexible, having built ties with local religions worldwide through exorcisms. Even here in Korea, he knew a powerful shaman and a monk.
...But first, escaping the city.
* * *
The car carrying me raced onward.
At this rate, I won't make it back to Goru Bookstore.
No big deal. I could always create another entrance to the Shinbi Library.
How much time passed? Suddenly, the car stopped.
"Shit, the tunnels are all blocked. No way out of Seoul."
"No...! No other routes?"
"Everything's jammed. With weird-ass carnival rides. They're blocking inter-city travel."
"Then we'll go on foot."
"Guess so. Veronica, the girl's still out?"
"Yes. I'll have to carry her... Huh? She's awake!"
Being carried was a bit much, so I pretended to come to, sitting up. Veronica, who'd been speaking Latin, switched to Korean: "Are you okay?"
"From here on, we might have to walk a ways. Seoul's too dangerous right now, all things considered."
"Could be a long hike."
I nodded quietly. Veronica smiled gently.
"If your feet hurt, just say so? Andre can carry you."
"Yeah... What?"
They abandoned the car at the tunnel entrance and headed inside via the pedestrian path. Vehicles couldn't pass, but walking seemed fine.
"Do you have a name? When did you first find faith?"
Veronica peppered me with questions en route, but I stayed silent. Thinking I'd lost my voice from shock, she gradually trailed off.
We'd covered about half the tunnel when—
Scritch.
"... ? Hold up—stop."
Andre, a step ahead, halted abruptly. Awkwardly, like he'd bumped into something soft.
"Something's here. This is..."
He groped the air. Veronica approached, doing the same. Their faces filled with confusion.
"...A ceiling?"
"Wait, what the hell...?"
I touched too: rough canvas texture. They tried elsewhere—same result. The tunnel's midpoint was sealed by invisible canvas.
Veronica drew her sword. "I'll cut it open. Andre, watch the girl—just in case."
"Got it!"
Shiiiing! Her platinum sword slashed the air. No tear—but a slight warp, like slicing a taut tent.
...Tent?
Tent. Circus tent.
...Is this a circus big top?
I'd never seen one, but it matched. And the foe was the entity of Laughter—always going on about skits and gags. Plausible.
And above all—
Scritch.
Scritch.
Veronica and Andre reached the edge of the massive circus arena "it" had conjured. They panicked at the invisible entrance, hacking at the unbreakable canvas.
Scritch.
Scritch.
"... "
Having "scribed" in the archive books, I knew: this was a circus tent. The bastard had turned Seoul into a giant circus ring.
.
.
.
Veronica and Andre seemed to realize it too.
"...Looks like physically escaping Seoul's impossible."
"Haa... What do we do?"
Her sword held a higher aura than church relics. Yet even it couldn't cut the canvas. No clue how to proceed.
...Hmm, why do they seem so inept?
Vatican folks should handle madness and faith with zeal. But they're stuck debating.
Different specialties, maybe?
Makes sense. Their domain: religion. Great against faith, doubt, demons, angels—but clueless on this anomaly type. Maybe that's why the Anomaly Management Bureau exists. They'd handled past encounters more flexibly. That's why these two sought them.
...Guess I have to step in.
While they weren't looking, I quietly opened Jijong.
* * *
"...Andre. Things are getting serious."
"Damn. Should've planned alternatives sooner."
"But it was unavoidable. This city's already dead—trapped in laughter's hell."
"...Sigh."
Actually, Veronica and Andre had options for such scenarios. But they chose to flee Seoul because... no living souls registered.
Her faith needed people. One prayer was weak; dozens wielded power.
Their methods required crowds. But en route, no life signs—not even expressionless bugs or microbes, all infected by laughter. Only them and the girl lived.
Of course, they might be hidden or evacuated elsewhere.
"Lord... where must we go...?"
Veronica unconsciously invoked God.
And then—
Scritch.
Scritch.
God answered.
Behold.
"Huh...?"
Child of man. Advance.
Awaken the sword in thy hand with holy prayer,
and in one stroke, rend asunder that loathsome veil
blocking thy path with its grotesque laughter.
Thus spake the Lord.
Veronica's mind went blank.