The Thunderous Hymn
Due to the Bahon tribe’s custom of living apart from other continental peoples in the isolation of the Bahon Highlands, they had developed a number of unique cultural traits and characteristics rarely seen elsewhere. The most common images associated with the Bahon—towering, muscle-bound physiques, wild beards and hair, bodies covered in tattoos bearing personal significance, men who typically went bare-chested, clothing fashioned from animal hides, and the bizarre ability to move on all fours—were prime examples. Particularly striking to outsiders was their practice of painting their faces with blood in distinctive patterns before major battles, along with their so-called “battle cries,” which were nothing short of terrifying.
Because the Bahon Highlands were so vast, ordinary shouts could not carry across the distances required for communication. Their voices had evolved to reach at least several kilometers away. This was especially vital in battle, where coordination with allies was essential. In short, the battle cry had originally been developed as a means of communication, just like any other method.
“Good heavens……!”
That was why Sister Celine could not close her mouth. Any continental native who heard a Bahon battle cry would be stunned by its sheer volume. Yet her shock stemmed from more than that alone.
“Under the Lord’s grace, may ten thousand blessings descend────!”
Because the content Harnok was roaring was a hymn.
“O, only radiant glory shall remain────!”
“Kuh…! Kheuk……!”
Harnok looked down at the bandit writhing on the floor, unable to control himself from the sheer piety of hearing the Lord’s praise at such close range, and nodded with a satisfied smile. As expected, even a man drowning in sin could not help but be moved to the point of losing control of his body when confronted directly with the Lord’s words through song.
Sister Celine, too, found it only natural that the bandit had collapsed while convulsing.
“Kuaaaargh……!”
After all, no one could stay standing when blood was streaming from their ears.
‘……’
Sister Celine no longer knew what expression she was supposed to make.
“You insane bastard────!”
Kelkaro, on the other hand, knew exactly what face to wear. It was something caught between horror and tears. And, remarkably, he managed to produce it. His lips trembled as he screamed, the sound halfway between a shriek and a sob.
“Y-you…! What the hell are you, you barbarian?!”
“As you can see, I am in the middle of singing a hymn! Yes! It was truly wise to begin with a hymn! The fact that you cannot even stand from the piety of hearing it alone proves the Lord’s boundless mercy, reaching even those drowning in the swamp of sin!”
“What the fuck are you even saying……!”
Kelkaro gave up on conversation. There was no way dialogue would work with this barbarian who had smashed the lock and immediately unleashed that ridiculous sonic assault. He quickly scanned the surroundings. Roughly forty men were inside the base, but fewer than half were still combat-ready. Those who had returned from outside were curled up and sobbing, clearly having suffered something at the barbarian’s hands. His own subordinates who had charged the moment the door was breached were rolling on the floor, blood pouring from their ears after being hit by what the barbarian insisted was a hymn.
Including himself, only about ten men could still fight. But that was nowhere near enough. There was no way to deal with a madman who could incapacitate an entire force with nothing but his voice.
Kelkaro’s eyes darted around the base once more. There was only one entrance—the one the barbarian had destroyed. The single door, originally built to prevent captives from escaping, now trapped them inside. Damn it. Was there really no other way……?
‘That’s it.’
Kelkaro smiled.
‘Yes. That’s the answer. Why didn’t I think of it sooner?’
He raised the corners of his mouth further and gripped his axe tightly. Stepping back slightly, he muttered to his men.
“You lot need to buy me some time.”
His subordinates stared at him in horror and whispered back.
“Boss, are you out of your mind? You want us to go out there and die?”
“Who said anything about dying?! Just stall him! Pretend to attack and then collapse if you have to! Buy me a little time. Or do you want us all to die to that lunatic right here?”
The bandits groaned in reluctance, but each gripped their weapons. They could not think of any better plan either. While they hesitated, the mad barbarian was already stomping toward them.
“Shit────!”
Clenching their teeth, the bandits charged.
Harnok grinned broadly at the sight. So many were coming forward to hear the Lord’s words! If their desire to listen was this fervent, then he had no choice but to oblige. He took a deep breath.
-Fwoosh─!
Just as one bandit’s blade lunged toward his chest—
‘Die already, you crazy bastard!!’
“The Lord’s voice is like thunder─!”
It was a hymn like a thunderclap. The charging bandit dropped his sword, clutched his ears, and rolled across the floor.
“The throat! Aim for the throat! Stop him from making sound! Charge and pin his movements!”
Another bandit shouted. It was a sound judgment. Even this mad barbarian would be unable to vocalize if multiple attackers seized his neck at once. The remaining bandits bared their teeth and split to flank him, rushing in from behind.
“The Lord’s might shatters stone─!”
‘O Lord! So many seek to hear Your words!’
Unable to contain his swelling emotion, Harnok flung both arms wide—directly toward the charging bandits.
“Huk?!”
“Kuhak!”
The men struck by the sudden punches briefly wondered if they had been hit by boulders instead.
‘That lunatic!’
Kelkaro flinched at the sight of his men being flung away, but soon smiled. They had all reached their positions. With a triumphant gleam in his eyes, he looked toward the massive water barrel in the corner of the base. It was enormous, built to supply water for dozens of bandits. Without hesitation, Kelkaro began connecting the hoses scattered on the floor. Once everything was linked, he aimed the nozzle at Harnok.
‘You insane barbarian bastard! It’s over for you now!’
“The Lord’s mercy cannot be compared even to the vast sea─!”
-Fwoooosh─!
The water erupted from the hose at almost the exact moment Harnok began roaring the final verse of the hymn. Harnok’s body trembled violently. He could no longer contain the overwhelming emotion surging through him. It was at that moment, as his limbs shook with rapture, that the hoe slipped from his grasp.
-Whiiiish─!
“Huh………?”
The hoe flew straight toward the water barrel. Kelkaro’s mouth fell open in disbelief at the absurd trajectory.
-Crack─!
The hoe struck the center of the barrel dead-on. The wooden container began to split with a loud creak.
“Its gentleness surpasses even the highest tide─!”
A “wave” swept through the base. It was hard to believe, but it was unmistakably a wave. The impossible combination of enough water for dozens of men and a hoe hurled with monstrous force had literally created a tidal wave inside the building. Naturally, Kelkaro, who had been standing closest, was caught in it.
‘Dear God……!!!’
Sister Celine, whom Harnok had left outside the base beforehand in case meeting the leader of these heathens proved dangerous, could only blink in stunned silence. She lacked the capacity to even process what was happening before her eyes. A wave indoors—that was practically a miracle. And it was only natural for those who witnessed a miracle to feel their faith stir.
-Shhhhhh……
Once the water had drained away, Kelkaro was found curled in a corner, his eyes unfocused and vacant. He muttered the same words over and over.
“O God… O God… ugh… Please, please save me…… Please, please, O God……!!”
The nun stared at him with her mouth agape before covering her face with both hands.
‘Dear God……!!!’
She, too, was a woman of the cloth who could not endure the sight of a miracle. Harnok’s booming voice—“Do you see, Sister?! Even those steeped in crime will have faith take root when the sermon is delivered with true sincerity! Sincerity is what matters most!”—barely registered. Her reason and instincts alike had already surrendered to the second fainting spell brought on by witnessing a miracle.