The Demon Lurking Beneath the Earth
The demon species crouched underground, lying still as if waiting patiently for the moment to hatch. No one knew what would happen the instant it crawled up to the surface. This thing was on another level entirely from the half-baked demons we'd faced so far. You could tell just from its appearance.
Could I take it down with Granbwa's power? Even if completely eliminating it was impossible, I figured I could at least keep it from surfacing while the exam was underway.
"Granbwa, power—"
[No.]
"Ah, what now!"
But what came back was Granbwa's cold refusal. I snapped in frustration.
No matter the cost in sacrifices, I had to stop that demon species. This wasn't the time to worry about side effects from the powers or my own condition.
[All the plants nearby have rotted and died.]
"......Why?"
[Demonic energy seems to be leaking from the demon species' body. The soil... it's all rotten too.]
Granbwa said. There was no strength in her tone. It felt like she was saying she wanted to help me but truly had no way to do it.
I slumped to the ground right there, dropping my head to the dirt.
"Then what the hell am I supposed to..."
Because of the demonic energy the demon species was emitting, the plants had all died, so Granbwa's power couldn't block it. But I couldn't just stand by and watch it emerge and wreak havoc either. A lot of people would die. A lot of people.
There were other ways to subdue the thing underground besides Granbwa's power. There was one Loa perfect for this kind of situation. But that bastard...
My head was a mess. I drew a spell circle.
Shaaaa...
I inhaled the mist of the Intoxication Spell. My mind cleared. Or maybe it just felt clear because of the pleasure. Either way, it didn't matter right now.
Instead of thinking more, I decided to walk. My stamina could run out any second. If I got so exhausted that I couldn't use Dan Wedo's power or Sobo's power, re-entering the exam grounds could become a problem.
First, get inside the exam grounds. I could figure out how to deal with the demon species once I was in. If nothing came to mind even then, I'd handle it myself. Whether Bosu's power or whatever, as long as I didn't get caught, I could fend it off using everything at my disposal.
[Reckless and arrogant.]
[A bit reckless, sure. Arrogant, not so much.]
Dan Wedo's power was gradually losing strength, and the raindrops were thinning out. Legba and Baron Samedi chimed in almost simultaneously. Had their opinions ever aligned so perfectly? As I thought that, Legba continued.
[Thinking you can subdue that thing with your limited power—that's arrogance.]
"There aren't any other options."
I shot back at Legba as I walked toward the exam grounds. My steps were heavy, my voice laced with irritation.
[You don't have to step up. They'll handle it themselves.]
'They' meant the Romanica Church's clerics. He was saying the clerics would take care of the demon species without me, but I couldn't agree.
That would inevitably lead to casualties. A few clerics would die like it was nothing, and if luck was bad, Florence students could get caught in the crossfire too.
[That's the 'minor sacrifice' they have to accept.]
"......"
[It's not your problem. No need for you to bear the sacrifice.]
Legba spoke in a cold, dry tone devoid of emotion. He wasn't entirely wrong. I had no reason to worry about Romanica clerics dying.
But there was one part that was dead wrong.
"This is my problem."
If casualties happened during the exam, investigating and cleaning up would delay the academic schedule. If students got hurt in the cleric-demon fight, we might even get another school closure.
The missionary trip couldn't be delayed any further. That would mess up and push back all my plans.
[Consider the chance they subdue it without casualties. You have to learn to trust their capabilities.]
Legba said. I sensed a hint of testing in his tone.
I let out a scoffing laugh and shook my head.
"I've got people I can actually trust. Right?"
Kang Dae-man's vision flashed white, then went pitch black. His sight kept blinking out endlessly. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, barely managing to open them, but all he saw was hazy smoke.
Boom!
An explosion ripped through the smoke. The shockwave hit his whole body. He staggered backward and crashed to the floor. Pain like his back and shoulders were shattering surged through him. A cold, stinging sensation came from his waist. He tried to get up, but his legs wouldn't respond.
The shockwave cleared some smoke. Yeo Min-seo was charging at him, eyes wide with fury. Her eerie gaze locked onto him. A familiar fear gripped him.
'Like a bird escaping the fowler's net, save yourself.'
That verse popping into his head wasn't coincidence. Long ago, Kang Dae-man had endured something similar—no, far more horrific and gruesome. Trapped with no way forward or back, he'd been saved by a blood-soaked stranger. One of the mutterings from that man had been exactly that verse.
"Graaah...!"
Kang Dae-man bellowed a guttural roar and pushed off the ground with his arms. If his legs had no strength, he'd use his arms. He managed to stand, but that was the easy part. He could barely stay upright, let alone move.
Stepping forward would strain his waist for sure. But staying still meant taking Yeo Min-seo's attacks. Hurt moving or hurt taking hits—same difference.
Kang Dae-man lowered his stance, preparing to counter the approaching Yeo Min-seo.
Screeech.
Then she stopped dead, like a predator halting mid-pounce. Through the swirling smoke, her piercing eyes fixed on him. Instinct screamed danger. Don't move.
Thwip!
A bullet grazed past his eyes. The air tore, smoke split, the sharp sound echoing through the cathedral. Kang Dae-man turned to see Han Su-ryeon. She'd fired once, set her gun down briefly, and was now casting a Mid Temperance Blessing.
"Ah, damn..."
Spotting that he'd noticed her, Han Su-ryeon muttered and resumed the blessing. Holy light enveloped him, melting away tension, steadying his trembling hands. She reloaded, aimed at him again.
Her gaze locked on target, time seeming to slow. She excelled at focus and immersion. That's why she aced studies and handled blessings well, but combat? She could never get used to it.
She could've just applied to priesthood, but she wanted to be a holy knight even if it killed her. So she'd learned shooting and archery—more like ingrained through her body, but whatever.
Thud!
Dull gunshot. The bullet arced gently toward his forehead. To her, even that seemed slow. It struck dead center without fail.
Holy flash round exploded in a blaze that blinded him. Kang Dae-man reflexively covered his eyes, flailing.
Yeo Min-seo didn't miss the opening. She loaded Low Strength Enhancement Blessing into her legs and leaped. Her toe flew toward his jaw.
Crack!
"Urk...!"
Her foot hit his throat instead of jaw. The glancing blow spared him blackout, but the pain was intense. Clutching his neck, he stumbled back.
His blurred vision showed no sign of clearing. Two holy flash rounds in a row.
Kang Dae-man shut his eyes and curled up. Then kept backing away, like he was trying to flee.
Yeo Min-seo laughed in disbelief at the sight.
"What... Were you always this pathetic?"
"......"
"Just give up and hands out. I'll cuff you nice and painless."
She pulled handcuffs from her pocket, jingling them as she strode toward him.
Kang Dae-man backed away silently, gauging his odds. Waist injured from her explosion shockwave. Legs weak, eyes blind. But it wasn't all bad. Yeo Min-seo had come to the practical exam still healing too.
The problem was Han Su-ryeon. Smoke filled the cathedral; teammates scattered and dazed. His only fighter self was blinded by flash rounds. No chance like this.
Clack.
Something touched his heel. He reached back, groped—a wall.
"Dae-man, dead end there. Just surrender already! You're embarrassing yourself, man."
Yeo Min-seo shook the cuffs, approaching. Her voice dripped mad threat.
Kang Dae-man crouched lower, drew a deep breath. He opened his clenched eyes. They burned with steely resolve.
"Do Seon-woooo—!"
His shout boomed through the cathedral. Yeo Min-seo flinched back, covering ears. Up close, it was ear-shattering.
The light on his arm was the most brilliant, beautiful blessing glow he'd ever seen. The Diligence Holy Mark and Charity Holy Mark shared an epithet: Pope's Spear.
The Diligence Holy Mark's blessing was called the Well. If Mighty Strength handled power transfer, the Well handled accumulation. Gather power through enduring effort over time, release all at once. A blessing perfectly suiting diligence.
Kang Dae-man unleashed his stockpiled power here and now.
Kaboom!
Light-wrapped arm smashed the old wall. Explosion-like roar; dust and debris flew. Nearby windows shattered or cracked.
A massive hole gaped in the wall; his fist was raw and bleeding. Smoke poured out through cracks and hole, billowing skyward like a beacon fire.
"Kahaha, graaaaah!"
His resistance didn't end. He roared beast-like, charging Yeo Min-seo. Reckless, sloppy rush full of openings. She could've countered easily.
But she backed off first.
"Ha, huff, ha, huff."
"......"
Watching him catch breath like mid-workout, Yeo Min-seo pondered. He'd clearly called for Do Seon-woo. That volume would've reached him. Hole in wall to vent smoke—probably to guide Do Seon-woo here.
Take him hostage? But his resistance was fiercer than expected. 2-on-1 with Han Su-ryeon was tough. If Do Seon-woo joined for 2v2, she'd be at a huge disadvantage.
Ditch him for other teammates? No, others had no value. Negotiation wouldn't yield tokens, maybe not even possible.
"No..."
Deep in thought, she muttered. Fix the premise. Don't assume Do Seon-woo would come. Not even same team—why would he bother for Kang Dae-man?
He's ruthlessly rational. Better spend time grabbing tokens with his own team.
So then...
"......Fuck, this isn't the place!"
A familiar voice pierced the smoke. Familiar, but the tone and words weren't.
Yeo Min-seo stopped thinking, looked toward Kang Dae-man. Sunlight leaked through cracks, illuminating them.
Kang Dae-man slumped exhausted on the floor. Beside him stood a man looking wretched: mud-caked clothes like he'd bathed in filth, hands streaming blood, rain-matted hair revealing mad eyes.
Do Seon-woo!
"Hey... Hey! You fucking bitch, Han Su-ryeon!"
She called Han Su-ryeon. But she was already staring at Do Seon-woo, dumbfounded.
His eyes were unfocused, pupils dilated. What he saw was unknowable. Han Su-ryeon could read moves from eyes. But not his.
"Huff, huff..."
Han Su-ryeon used Temperance Blessing to steady herself. Quick-witted, she loaded a holy flash round, aimed at his head, pulled trigger.
Thud!
Gunshot. Focus slipped at the end, but aim true. Bullet flew predicted path straight for his forehead.
But don't let guard down. He wasn't as slow as Kang Dae-man.
Thup.
Do Seon-woo caught the bullet. Not shocking. Training grenade launchers weren't powerful. Superb reflexes or luck could snag it.
She'd anticipated that. It was a holy flash round anyway. Damage from explosion's light, not direct hit. Just burst near him.
Pssshhh...
But the bullet in his hand didn't flash. Instead, it hissed smoke. Dud...? No—wrong load!
"We're screwed, run!"
Han Su-ryeon slung her gun, yelled desperately at Yeo Min-seo. They bolted for the cathedral doors without looking back.
"......Close it."
By then, smoke had mostly cleared. Kang Dae-man dragged his spent body up, growling.
Dazed teammates, scattered by smoke and blasts, were regaining senses.
He pointed at the doors, bellowed.
"Shut the doors—!"
(To be continued)