Chapter 212

Chapter 210 – Lucifer who Leads Evil – 5

No, it couldn’t be said that all the demons of hell possessed enough power to impose significant sacrifices on humans.

Basically, the demons that could emerge into the human world were of a different caliber altogether.

In hell, where only greater power is truth and law, it was impossible for weak beings to collect offerings raised by devil worshippers. If they were weak, they wouldn’t even have the opportunity to do so.

Moreover, the demons had to be prepared to be permanently annihilated by divine power the moment they set foot in the human world, which meant that only confident demons would respond to summoning.

In most cases, they would appear at their peak strength after gathering offerings and would even gain power through nearby humans immediately upon being summoned.

All these factors combined made demons that appeared in the human world bear considerable damage as entities as well.

ㅡKieeeeeek!

Conversely, it meant that the majority of them were rather insignificant.

The shrieks of the demons flooded the heavens and the earth. Naturally, it was impossible for such weak demons to withstand the elite forces of the holy kingdom that had come prepared for battle.

The sun rose, cutting through the blood-red sky. Golden light spread across the blood-stained heavens. The entire land blazed bright, casting a divine and brilliant radiance.

Hundreds of demons engulfed in sunlight writhed in agony, flailing like fish that had come ashore. Eyes, heads, bodies, arms, legs. Everything the light touched melted away.

The holy knights, backed by the blazing sun, moved with even greater vigor. The blessed weapon slaughtered the writhing demons lying on the ground.

Next to the sun, the round moon also rose. A silvery veil unfurled through the golden brilliance covering the sky. A cool aura settled down, cutting through the radiance.

Hundreds of demons, bathed in moonlight, stood still in their places. Unlike the demons consumed by sunlight who were rampaging, those affected by moonlight neither screamed nor erratically flailed.

They simply stood quietly, toppling over in their still postures. The fallen demons would never rise again.

Battle nuns powered by the cold moonlight grounded the heads of the fallen demons, one by one.

“If the sun embraces us, what must we do?”

“We must show our faith!”

“Exactly.”

Hearing voices echoing across the battlefield, Stella smiled contentedly as she raised her flail.

A weighty pendulum larger than a human’s head came crashing down onto a demon’s skull. The creature couldn’t even utter a sound as it was squashed into the ground. Blood and flesh burst from what had once been a demon.

Behind Stella, battle nuns wielding shields and flails charged forward, shouting cheers.

“Heaven is for the faithful.”

“Bring hell to the unfaithful.”

“There will be no place left in hell anymore.”

Adding one line of prayer inscription to the chilly battle cry of the previously used inquisitor, Selene raised her rapier.

The sharp point of the blade pierced through the demon’s right ear, scrambling its brain. Then it emerged perfectly through the left ear without missing a beat.

Behind Selene, the battle nuns melted away like shadows.

While the followers practiced the rightful cause under the sunlight and moonlight, Floretta and Luna slowly walked across the battlefield, illuminating it with sacred relics.

A small sun for the Pope of the Sun. A small moon for the Pope of the Moon. Just that alone was enough to send their morale soaring endlessly.

“Sister.”

“Yes, Evangelina.”

“Is this weaker than what’s recorded in the scriptures?”

“Did you feel it too?”

The sisters exchanged glances and smiled slightly. The scriptures described the demons as noticing the threat at an instinctual level ‘like grains of sand on a beach’ as they entered hell.

But now it was different. Although the numbers over there were vastly larger than this side, it was evident that there were gaps here and there, and crucially, there wasn’t a single demon that posed a significant threat.

If there were any, the Pope would have intervened personally.

“Maybe the distinguished guest and the empress dealt with them?”

“That might be the case.”

The two couldn’t help but think of Delta and Kaiquilia. The two who had fallen into hell a few steps ahead of them.

If the owner of the holy sword and the one blessed by the gods were roaming together, it would undoubtedly be an easy feat for them to accomplish such a task alone.

Floretta and Luna walked on, talking casually and without any tension. Everywhere their feet touched turned into a wasteland under the sunlight and moonlight.

Although they didn’t possess the ability to devastate the land with divine power, the special environment of hell caused divine power to have an effect similar to extreme poison.

Even if the purification ended, it wouldn’t be habitable for humans, but the same went for the demons.

In any case, they would die, so what did it matter if they couldn’t live here?

“Your Holiness? We’re almost at the place you mentioned.”

“We’ve had about a hundred minor injuries and thirty serious ones, but they have been safely recovered.”

Stella and Selene approached. The faces of the Popes brightened at the report that they were almost there.

The place where the gate of transference opened was not far from Lucifer’s castle. They had deliberately pinpointed a close location to meet the distinguished guest more quickly.

Perhaps because Floretta and Luna’s spirits melded perfectly, before long, they began to glimpse the outline of the castle. Their steps quickened slightly, and the parched land erupted with dust beneath their high heels.

Especially after the explosion had swallowed the distinguished guest, Floretta had an overwhelming sense of guilt. Every action she took was dripping with urgency.

The Lord had assured her that the distinguished guest was safe, but she still wanted to see with her own two eyes that it was true.

Before long, they arrived at a massive castle that was on par with the great cathedral of the holy kingdom or the imperial palace. The city gate was firmly closed.

“Step aside.”

Luna stepped forward, lifting the sacred relic. The battle nuns and holy knights who had gathered earlier parted left and right. The full moon at the tip of her staff radiated bright light.

The city gate melted away entirely.

Originally, it would have just been broken, but given it was a structure built in hell, naturally filled with demonic energy, it was greatly affected by divine power.

Floretta and Luna stepped into the castle without hesitation. They didn’t mention that they should go first, as anyone around could be in danger, just in case.

Even if they combined all their forces, they wouldn’t be able to defeat even a single Pope, so why would they do that? It was an unnecessary concern.

“……What happened here?”

“……I’m not sure either, sister.”

A road of blood made from the demon’s blood welcomed the Popes. It was different from when Kaiquilia and Delta had visited; it had hardened slightly over the considerable time that had passed.

It was easy to predict the Pope’s reaction. The dark red, congealed blood melted away under divine power, and the entire castle began to tremble. This was the result of the castle being purified along with the divine power.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s the distinguished guest’s doing.”

“Then the empress…?”

“That seems unlikely… .”

Luna trailed off.

It would be reasonable to think that since the distinguished guest had entered first and if there were no remaining demons, the people who had come before must have dealt with them all.

But both of them didn’t have the character to do something like that.

With questions in mind, Floretta and Luna entered the castle.

“……Your Holiness?”

They discovered Kaiquilia, gazing blankly into space.

Kaiquilia, upon confirming Luna and Floretta’s arrival, opened her mouth with a slightly surprised face.

“I suppose the question of why you are here is unnecessary. If that girl managed to escape safely, she must have requested your help.”

“That’s right.”

“What are you doing here, empress?”

The holy sword pointed at the empty air.

“I’m waiting for the audacious servant who dared to leave you here.”

“I thought you were fighting alongside the distinguished guest to kill the king of demons.”

“That worthless king that claims to be one has dragged Delta to another space. I had predicted that such might be the case. To dare bring you here and hunt the biggest one alone; what a treacherous servant! They will receive a hefty punishment when I return.”

Kaiquilia scoffed. Floretta and Luna tilted their heads in confusion.

“I thought the distinguished guest was alone—”

Before she could finish, the entire castle trembled with a chilling sound that felt like the space was being twisted.

Kaiquilia frowned and gripped her holy sword, while Floretta and Luna lifted their sacred relics, and the others kept a tight watch.

“……That’s it.”

As the chilling sound echoed once more, an arm covered in tree roots popped out of the space.

The arm covered in tree roots slammed down heavily onto the ground.