Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Holy Kingdom (5)
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"……"
Thud, thud.
The nun Laila, who had been smiling warmly in the slums and handing out bread, now moved forward with an expressionless face as if it had all been an act.
Behind her trailed two slum dwellers clutching their loaves of bread.
"Hehe… Sister. But where are we going?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm curious too. You said we'd get paid and food if we worked…"
She halted.
As Laila stopped, so did those following her.
And just like outside, she instantly flashed a warm smile.
"We've arrived at our destination."
"Yes…? Here? There's nothing here…"
"Is there work for us here…?"
"Of course. Brothers, you'll work here and receive salvation."
—And become the foundation for others' salvation.
She swallowed the latter part.
"Salvation?"
"Yes. Salvation."
"What kind of salvation…?"
"Hmm."
Laila made a thoughtful expression before beaming brightly.
"You'll know once you experience it yourselves."
At that moment, black-clad figures burst from thin air and knocked out the two oblivious men.
Every one of the black-clad figures harbored demonic energy in their bodies.
In the holy city, the heart of faith, demonic energy instead of holy power.
"Ahh. Poor brothers. I'm sorry, but I deceived you. But I didn't lie about the salvation—you'll receive it. So please, find happiness there."
They would surely become valuable sacrifices. A world where everyone could eat their fill and live without pain—a happy world.
Sacrifices for such a world would surely be salvation for them too.
Even if the process was painful and arduous, even if no one understood, even if it ended in failure—this would all be worthwhile.
"Take those two brothers below."
Nod.
Soon, Laila moved underground with the black-clad figures. The rundown house was actually a passage to an underground lab.
'Master, master.'
'What is it.'
'People smelling of demonic energy and carrying it are going underground.'
'…Underground?'
Of course, Yuseol, hidden in Laila's shadow, had seen everything.
From the path to this house, its interior layout, and the passage leading below.
'Can I go back to master now?'
She was requesting reverse summoning—the sticky demonic energy here disgusted her.
As Yuseol's emotions reached him, Yujin pondered deeply.
'…Can you hold out a bit longer?'
'Umm… If master wants.'
'Thanks.'
…Ah.
'Can you share your vision right now?'
'Yeah, I can.'
Soon, the world Yuseol saw from the shadow began appearing in Yujin's eyes too. It was possible because their souls were linked by contract.
"How's the experiment?"
"Not much progress."
"Hmm… How many times has it been? It seemed like it might succeed last time, but it failed again."
"Don't glare like that. Success is right around the corner."
Laila was speaking with the demonic energy wielder—the Pandemonium researcher.
'…What experiment?'
What experiment could it be? Kidnapping those two from the slums wasn't enough; considering the 'devil's curse' spreading in the Holy Kingdom lately, this seemed related…
"Just wait, and it'll be done. We've spread the curse too—all we need is a 'vessel' that survives it, and we're really finished."
"Is that so? Then why did you request those two brothers over there?"
"To practice in advance, to boost the vessel's completion later."
'…Vessel? Completion…'
He had no idea what that meant.
But one thing was clear: the warm smiling nun handing out bread was a heretic or traitor colluding with Pandemonium, and they were creating some 'vessel' through experiments in the Holy Kingdom.
"Still, it's a shame. If we could secure a high cleric like a cardinal, it'd be perfect."
"So greedy."
"Greed's my nature. That's why I serve under Greed."
'…Greed?'
Greed… Was that shaggy mutt from before plotting in the Holy Kingdom now?
"Next you'll want His Holiness the Pope."
"Haha! The Pope would be the ultimate test subject. If we had him, we wouldn't need these experiments."
"…I regret that too. If so, salvation would come to us all much sooner."
What salvation did this nun speak of?
And why did she still wield holy power despite allying with Pandemonium?
…Tch.
'No point listening more.'
'Huh?'
The course of action was clear.
Infiltrate the underground lab at undetectably high speed, crush everyone with overwhelming force, and secure the scene.
Gathering intel came after.
'Wait there a bit longer, Yuseol. I'll be right there.'
'You're coming to get me?'
'Yeah.'
'Okay. Hurry, master.'
From that moment, Yujin raced toward where Yuseol's presence emanated. Sena, with him, followed suit.
Reaching the house Laila had entered, Yujin sensed the underground space below and smashed straight through.
Boom—!
"…What was that?"
"…!! Intruder!"
The massive door-shattering noise alerted them to the anomaly. They scrambled into combat stances or fled—but
'Fall.'
Slash—
Spluuurt—!!!
In an instant, the demonic energy bearers' bodies split in half, spraying blood.
They didn't even register their deaths—just felt their vision split and bodies tilt.
Beeeep—
Only then did the lab's alarms blare, but it was too late.
Yujin was already speeding deeper, toward Yuseol's presence.
In his wake lay corpses diced like cubes.
To Sena following behind, it was a gruesome sight.
As they delved deeper, razor-sharp ice suddenly jutted from the ceiling ahead.
Kaboom—!!!!
"Halt."
Black-clad figures surrounded Yujin.
"Pass here, and we kill you."
Spewing demonic energy, they drew weapons. Most seemed mid-to-upper Sword Expert level, but…
"What nonsense."
Slash—
One swing, and their heads exploded like crushed fruit.
Crunch—
"Ugh…!"
"…Tch. Cover your eyes at least."
It was quite the sight for Sena. But she shook her head vehemently.
She didn't want to seem useless baggage and disappoint him.
"I-I'm fine."
"…Hm. Let's go."
Smashing through another door, they finally reached Yuseol's presence.
"……!"
There, countless people in horrific states were caged behind bars.
Some had ant-like faces instead of heads; others sported monster limbs. Like ragged chimeras.
Not even that was the end—women wrapped in giant cocoons clutched bizarre eggs.
All these experiments—no, victims—shared one trait: they still breathed, and their bodies blackened, rotting like the cursed corpses seen above.
"Urk…!"
Sena dry-heaved uncontrollably.
"Oh dear, defiling our sacred lab like this. What a sinful girl."
"…The brothers from before."
Ahead stood the man who seemed the leader from Yuseol's view and the nun.
Not just them—dozens of black-clad figures and chimeric lab results flanked them.
"You, nun."
"Me?"
"Yeah. One question."
"……"
"Why side with Pandemonium?"
"No reason to tell you, brother. It's for humanity's salvation."
Humanity's salvation…
Bullshit.
Not that he cared.
"Enough talk? Whoever you are, you've come this far—time to die."
Then the leader vanished from sight, reappearing instantly before Yujin.
Yujin's mind raced. The foe seemed upper Sword Expert—a strong one even among peers.
Their eyes met. The foe sneered mockingly, reaching out.
"Farewell!"
But.
"You don't know your place."
Flicking his finger at the demon's chest changed everything.
Crunch—!
Spluuurt—!!
A massive hole tore through his body. The nameless lab head realized too late, collapsing.
Silence blanketed the lab at the absurd scene.
Instinct told them: the man before them was unbeatable—not just unbeatable, but would squash them like bugs.
'W-What?'
'Boss in one hit…!'
'What the fuck is that guy.'
'C-Crazy…!'
Paralyzed by primal fear, the demons belatedly moved to survive.
"Chimera! Attack!"
"Die…!"
"Hah!"
However.
"Rip them."
A massive Fenrir jaw erupted from below, chomping the charging demons and chimeras.
Crunch———
Chomp, chomp———
When the jaws vanished, only minced meat scraps remained.
At the grotesque sight, Sena averted her eyes; the nun collapsed trembling.
The jaws' source: Yuseol, now in Yujin's shadow.
'Good job.'
'Yeah!'
Yujin glanced at Sena, then approached the nun. She tried fleeing but hit the wall—no escape.
To Sister Laila, the man looked a true monster.
Black hair, black eyes.
Absurd power.
Blood-soaked yet impassive face.
Why realize now?
He was the empire's new duke, spoken of in tales. But realization came too late.
Impact to her neck, and she blacked out.
'Killed the rest, so spare one for intel.'
Needed her later for questioning.
But…
'…Should've spared the leader too.'
…Too late now.
…
Sena, pale-faced, approached as the situation ended.
"I-It’s over?"
"Over."
"I-I see… Urk…"
She finally vomited.
'Tch. So frail.'
Then a caged chimera—no, Pandemonium victim—spoke in a grating, metallic rasp.
"Grraaah…"
Of course, incomprehensible—mumbled words, voice like warped static.
Regaining composure, Sena flinched but approached the bars with resolved eyes, hand extended.
"What are you doing?"
She flinched.
"H-Helping. They're victims."
"Better not."
"…Yujin?"
Sena turned, shocked.
"What do you mean…?"
"I said don't help them."
Precisely, don't do what she was about to.
"Planning holy power healing?"
"…Yes."
"Then definitely don't."
"What…?"
Shock rattled her.
What did Yujin just say?
Don't heal…?
'…Why?'
These caged ones were victims. Likely slum folk like the recent pair, abducted on false hope, tortured into this.
"…Why not?"
Unwittingly, defiance crept into her voice.
She soon realized it meant nothing.
"Look at their state. Can't you tell?"
They're no longer simply human.
"Chimeras. Ones harboring demonic energy."
What happens when demonic energy meets holy power?
…
The answer: excruciating agony. Holy power is like poison to demonic energy.
The most torturous poison.
"…Ah."
She gasped, understanding.
"Besides, you lack your unique ability still."
Records said past saints, mastering theirs, even revived the dead.
Even reverted demons to humans.
'……'
But Sena?
A saint, yet immature. A holy power bomb clueless of her own gifts.
"So using holy power to 'heal' would bring hellish pain. They're already in hell."
Mercy killing would be their salvation.
As if affirming Yujin's thoughts, the chimeras rasped.
"Kill… me…"
"Grrruk… Kill… kruk… me…"
"Graaah…"
The lab filled with pleas for death. Shame, helplessness at aiding them not, self-loathing for frailty and doubting Yujin—even briefly—overwhelmed Sena.
"…Sorry."
Sorry, Yujin.
"……"
Ignoring her quiet apology, Yujin drew his sword to grant their wished salvation.
"Last words?"
"Kill… meee…"
"Grrruk…"
"Graaaah…"
"…None, then."
…
Salvation for these wretched souls.
Yujin prayed silently within, swung.
Slash—
The chimeras met the death they craved.