35. Survival Is Victory
35. Survival Is Victory
"As this is our first meeting, let us introduce ourselves.
As for me... I hold the position of Evangelist within the Demon Church.
I am on a mission to spread the gospel of the Great Demons to all of you. What mission brings you sisters to stand in this place?"
A deeply unpleasant person... no, a demon, he was.
His actions and speech were polite, but his voice, like nails on a chalkboard, made one grimace.
Like the rank-and-file fanatics, he wore a black robe, but the large horns protruding from his mask gave him a pressure distinct from the common zealots.
"What is that...?"
"That's a Demon Evangelist of the Demon Church... They're con artists who deceive naive farmers into converting to the Demon Church."
At the appearance of the Demon Evangelist, whom she had never seen before, Liber drew her sword.
She did not know what kind of person he was, but she seemed to realize instinctively that he was dangerous.
"A con artist, you say. I merely opened their eyes. I have never once forcibly taken any of my brothers and sisters. They all came to the Demon Church of their own volition."
-Bang bang bang!!
There was no reasoning with a Demon Evangelist who spread the gospel of the Great Demons.
Instead of answering, I fired silver bullets from the pistol in my right hand, but they still seemed to have no significant effect on the Evangelist.
"Hmm..? I see. So it was you. I heard there was one troublesome meddler bothering us lately... Did you do this to our precious altar? How sad."
"We didn't do it.."
"Making excuses while wearing something like that... The person next to you still seems to have potential for conversion, but you do not."
From beneath the Demon Evangelist's mask, a serpentine gaze swept over Liber.
The fact that he was looking at Liber with such eyes was infuriating.
"Amy, can't we attack now?"
"Not yet. Let's wait just a little longer."
Liber wanted to slice the Demon Evangelist to pieces right then and there, but she had to hold back.
Demon Evangelists were the core combatants of the Demon Church, possessing enough martial power to protect themselves while roaming every corner of the Empire—where simply smelling of the Demon Church got one killed—and recruiting believers.
It wasn't that I was dismissing Liber, but for her, who did not know how to fight demons, a Demon Evangelist was dangerous.
"Ahh, Ivan, Frea, James, Charlie, my brothers and sisters... Your martyrdom... the Great Demons will surely remember it.
May you rest peacefully in hell...
I shall carry on your will."
The Demon Evangelist's shoulders bulged grotesquely, and two more pitch-black arms burst forth.
"Then shall I clean up the annoying meddler and welcome a new sister?"
"Who would ever follow something like you!!"
It seemed he had chosen combat over preaching.
Liber aimed her sword at the Demon Evangelist.
-There was no need to listen further. 'Let's use it.'
I had faced Demon Evangelists several times before.
Demon Evangelists, who spread the gospel of the Great Demons and multiplied the fanatics, were beyond reasoning.
The reason I had left him alone until now was that I was watching to see if he might just ramble on by himself and disappear.
It wasn't something I had prepared to use against an Evangelist, but fortunately, I now possessed a weapon extremely effective against demons.
I drew the pistol in my left hand, which I had not yet fired even once.
Until now, I had continuously consumed silver bullets, teaching them that the gun had no particular effect.
The gun in my left hand was no different from the one in my right hand that I had been firing up until now.
If there was a difference, it was the two rounds loaded inside it.
Unlike the right-hand gun, which only required pulling the trigger, this time I had to infuse mana into the firearm before pulling the trigger.
That was the trigger that awakened this special bullet.
"Seal release, Flame of Saint Macinto."
As I infused mana, a fragment of terrifying power began to be felt within the pistol.
Before the Demon Evangelist could even notice it, I pulled the trigger.
-Bang!!
As I pulled the trigger, a dry sound echoed just like the right-hand pistol.
But what was fired was not a silver bullet.
What was loaded was the holy breath of the Red Dragon 'Saint Macinto,' who, moved by the word of God, ascended to the ranks of sainthood despite being a high-ranking species like a dragon.
The holy flame sealed within the bullet was unleashed and devoured the Demon Evangelist.
-Hwareureureuk!!
The Flame of Saint Macinto, which lasted for about five seconds, burned the destroyed altar without leaving a trace.
"Whoa?!"
Liber, who had been ready to leap out at any moment, was startled by the pure white flame filling her vision.
The holy breath of the dragon, capable of harming even a Great Demon, was reproduced.
To be able to use it even once, one had to build a good relationship with the Church, not just donate a lot of money.
When I began hunting demons, the thing I worked hardest at was creating a friendly relationship with the Church.
All of that was years of effort to obtain this 'Flame of Saint Macinto,' which I had only just begun to receive one at a time starting two years ago.
I received one round per year and had three in total; I had used one initially and had now used another of the remaining two.
If I were alone, I would have fought and won somehow, but Liber was beside me now.
I had no choice but to use it.
It was regrettable to use Macinto's breath, which I could only obtain once a year, but I decided to be satisfied with the fact that I had kept Liber safe beside me.
"Wow, I really got hit~"
"?!"
That unpleasant voice could still be heard from within the hazy smoke.
The Flame of Saint Macinto had definitely engulfed the Demon Evangelist.
There was no way he could be fine after taking that hit, so how was he talking?
"To bring something like that... Even for me, I have no choice but to raise both hands... no, at least one hand."
The Demon Evangelist, who spoke nonchalantly, was in a state where most of his body had been blown away.
From his left arm to his leg had been reduced to ashes by the holy flame; it was a wonder he was even alive, yet he was sustaining his life with only his right leg and right arm, without a spine.
"You think I'll let you go?!"
He was acting composed, but half his body was gone.
Instead of the ineffective silver bullets, I grabbed the mithril greatsword I had been carrying on my back.
If I landed the decisive blow now, it would be over.
"You won't have the leisure to worry about someone like me."
Suddenly, an immense amount of demonic energy began to pour out.
"The altar is completely destroyed, so where is that coming from?!"
An altar and sacrifices were needed to summon a demon.
Both were utterly smashed, so where in the world was the ritual proceeding?
"Amy, on the ceiling... what is that?"
Liber pointed her hand at the ceiling.
It was not hard to find where the altar was.
From the end of the high-looking ceiling, a black sphere of condensed pitch-black demonic energy was slowly descending.
"This dungeon's structure was quite interesting.
To seal the boss room and seize control... it's a truly remarkable idea. To just close it up without knowing what's inside...
The pastor said so. He thought it would look quite splendid to offer it, sealed as it was in this amusing way, to our master."
As confirmed by the prior investigation, the boss room's seal had no problems.
The ritual was engulfing the boss room along with that seal.
Human lives did not matter much to them.
What they were after was the dungeon itself.
"This altar was bait?"
"No, this was an important altar as well. This is beneath the boss room, and performing the ritual here activated the altar on the ceiling... that is, the altar directly below the boss room, in the same structure.
Ordinary believers couldn't hang from the ceiling to conduct the ritual, after all."
-All he does is spout cunning tricks...!!!
I hadn't even known the ritual was proceeding because the altar was destroyed.
If the ritual had been proceeding properly, there would have been definite precursor phenomena, but this descent was far too sudden.
Seeing me and Liber in a state of panic, the Demon Evangelist laughed.
"My master enjoys conversing with the lambs.
If you find favor with my master... you might accept the gospel and join us."
The pitch-black sphere slowly descended.
"Then, I shall take my leave..."
The Demon Evangelist said only that and vanished.
The black sphere was slowly falling toward us.
[Are you the insolent worms who called me?]
The sphere composed of dense demonic energy dispersed, and a figure revealed itself from within.
The sight of it falling from the pitch-black ceiling inspired terror, as if an unknown nightmare were awakening from a black egg.
The descended Great Demon, at first glance, looked merely like a gigantic old man.
Deep wrinkles carved into his face, a stooped posture, a bulging belly, and a beard that reached down to his toes.
If not for the gnarled horns sprouting from his head and the long, sharp fangs protruding from his mouth, he would have simply looked like a foul-tempered old man.
But he was unmistakably a Great Demon.
Wreathed in thick demonic energy, exuding a terrifying majesty and power, he revealed a form as if he had descended from hell itself.
His very presence shook the cavern with endless horror.
My hands trembled violently.
That old man who appeared to have merely indolent eyes instilled a primal fear in people.
Seeing the humans trembling before him, he opened his mouth for the first time.
[I am Belphegor.. the Great Demon who rules the Swamp of Hell.]
His voice was low, like a massive boulder rolling.
With the voice of an old man just as he appeared, the Great Demon Belphegor spoke.
Belphegor's voice echoed through the entire cavern like a reverberation, and the dreadfully low tone pressed down upon the chest.