The sun shone through the intricate golden stained glass. Everywhere the radiant sunlight touched was dyed the same holy color of the Divine.
In the golden-lit inside the room, a woman with bright golden hair and green eyes gazed down from the highest staircase with a faint smile.
At the end of her gaze was another woman, also golden-haired with green eyes. As their eyes met, a beaming smile returned. The colors of their hair and eyes were identical.
However, their appearance was not the same.
The woman on the staircase had lush, long golden hair that seemed to wrap around her entire figure, while the woman below, looking up, sported a short bob that reached her collarbone.
The woman on the staircase looked like a symbol of maternal compassion, while the one below appeared sweet yet playful.
The only things they shared were the color of their hair and eyes.
“What brings you here, Your Holiness the Pope?”
The woman on the stairs was the Pope, while the one below was the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor looked up at her with a bright smile as usual.
“The Time for Purification is approaching, Inquisitor.”
“Oh my. Has it already been that long? I thought I received a report about finding traces of a demon just the other day.”
The Inquisitor’s eyes widened in surprise. The Pope slowly nodded in agreement.
The phrase “Time for Purification” pointed to a definite meaning.
It meant that traces of a demon had been discovered. Hence, they must use any means necessary to eliminate those connected to the demon, regardless of the sacrifices required.
Essentially, it marked the beginning of the Holy War.
“Understood. How many Battle Nuns should we mobilize?”
“Do as you see fit, Inquisitor.”
“In that case, I’ll take them all. That’s fine, right?”
“Yes, you may do so.”
With the Pope’s permission granted, the Inquisitor hummed a tune cheerfully, bowed slightly, and picked up the weapon she had left nearby.
It was a flail, with a weight twice the size of her head, featuring a horrifying spiked ball on the end. Just looking at it sent chills down one’s spine.
The Inquisitor lifted the heavy flail with ease, as if it were a simple pouch, and hung it over one shoulder.
“One more thing to ask, Inquisitor.”
“Yes? What is it this time?”
The woman, who was about to step back with the flail on her shoulder, paused.
“The man you mentioned that time is also predicted to be found in this expedition.”
“Wow! Really?”
Her green eyes sparkled with excitement, reflecting the curious emotion of a child having found a favored toy.
“Yes, indeed.”
In response, another green eye grinned.
“Where can we find him? In the village we are departing to now?”
“I do not know. However—”
The Pope clasped her hands in front of her chest.
“The Divine Will Guide Us.”
In a small village on the outskirts of the Empire, life was relatively peaceful.
Occasionally, monsters would roll in, but the villagers could unite to fend them off without casualties, and while rare outsiders would come, they only stayed long enough to eat and rest before leaving.
As long as the village paid their taxes to the Empire regularly, their ordinary peaceful life continued. The villagers thought this life would carry on uninterrupted.
Until the moment an uncountable horde of monsters descended upon them.
“Ahh! Save me!”
“Let’s go together!”
The peaceful village was instantly thrown into chaos.
Fires erupted from all corners of the village, ignited by someone—a complete mystery—and the screams of those being devoured alive by monsters filled the air. The stench of blood pierced their noses.
James, who had become a mere common villager trying to safeguard his own life amidst chaos, ran desperately.
“Ahhhhh!”
James ran and ran.
He ignored the pleas for help echoing around him and the sounds of despair as the catastrophe unfolded in the village, fleeing for his life.
Preserving his life alone was a challenge; he had no room to care about others.
The entire village was engulfed in flames and swarming with monsters. James spotted one monster feasting on a human up ahead and hurriedly looked for a way to escape, darting into a nearby alley.
And in that instant, he froze, unable to even scream.
Inside the alley, a man with limbs flailing was being devoured by a wolf-like monster. He still seemed alive, but it was a hopeless situation.
Not just the man but multiple victims’ remains stained the alley with blood. Realizing this, James was grateful he hadn’t screamed. Thanks to that, the monster hadn’t noticed him.
He just needed to turn around and slip away. James took small steps backward, silently praying the monster wouldn’t raise its head. His legs trembled uncontrollably, making him move painfully slow.
Just a little more. Just a few steps—
—CRACK.
The moment James stepped on a charred wooden plank and crushed it, he realized something had gone wrong.
The monster, which had been gnawing at the corpse of a man who had long since lost his life, lifted its head. A growl escaped its mouth.
GULP, all strength left James’s legs. His whole body shook like a trembling aspen. Just a few steps more! If only he had gone just a bit further, he would have made it out!
Perhaps deciding that fresh humans were more appetizing than corpses, or maybe simply to hunt a living target, the monster stepped over the deceased and began stalking toward James slowly.
James struggled to retreat, but with his legs weakened and seized by fear, he couldn’t create any distance between them.
“EEEEK! EEEEEEEK!”
The monster prepared to pounce on the strange, screaming human. James squeezed his eyes shut at the sight of its gaping mouth leaping towards him.
—THUD!
“……?”
THUD? A sound that shouldn’t have been heard reached James’s ears. He slowly opened his eyes. A massive object stood right in front of him. His mind was too dazed to grasp the situation as he turned his gaze slightly.
Finally, he realized the identity of the enormous object blocking his way. It was a shield. A shield so large it could cover the whole body of an adult male.
Someone stepped forward, shoving James aside. In one hand was a flail while the other held the shield larger than her. It was a woman with long hair reaching down to her waist, golden locks accompanied by green eyes.
Her attire looked remarkably sacred.
More skin was on display than covered. She wore a garter belt around her thigh, and a long cloth obscured her modesty, barely reaching the ground.
Strange symbols embroidered in gold adorned the cloth, which he had never seen before.
Her sides and thighs were wide open, barely held together under her armpits, and she seemed to make no effort to cover her breasts, with only two triangular pieces of fabric draped over them. It looked like a gust of wind or a vigorous movement could expose her entirely.
The sacred attire radiated Divine blessings. James had heard of women clad in such garments before.
Battle Nuns from the Raphael Holy Kingdom.
Specifically, an elite Battle Nun under the command of the Inquisitor.
Despite having stood at the edge of death moments ago, James found himself nodding instinctively upon laying eyes on her. The attire before him overflowed with a sense of holiness.
Of course, the infamous reputation of the Inquisitor and her elite Battle Nuns contributed to that as well.
Ignoring James completely, the Battle Nun began to bang her shield with her flail, provoking the monster. The monster let out a fierce roar and charged at her.
—THWACK!
To call it a battle seemed almost insulting. It was a swift declaration of death, ending in mere moments. The monster’s gaping maw never even got close to the Nun’s neck.
Before it could, her flail had already smashed its head in.
The Battle Nun casually crushed the monster’s skull and raised her arm to bring it down two more times. The corpse quickly turned into mush. Blood dripped from the flail, reflecting the horrific scene James had just witnessed.
His pants became damp just from watching the gruesome display. HIC, he let out a small, suppressed sob. The Nun straightened her back after the cold execution.
Her green eyes locked onto the collapsed James. Upon meeting her gaze, he felt his senses returning.
“Thank you for helping— cough?!”
Before James could even express his gratitude, the Battle Nun grabbed the nape of his neck with an expressionless face, pulling him out of the alley with ease.
There was no trace of mercy in her actions, reminiscent of handling a beast.
But James didn’t dare think of resisting or protesting; he simply surrendered his body to her rough grip. Resistance? Complaining? Was he even in a position to think about that?
He had no idea how far he was dragged, but the moment he was tossed onto the ground, he let out a pathetic scream, “Kek,” and spat out the dirt and dust in his mouth, glancing around.
Familiar faces surrounded him. Villagers who had survived amidst the chaos.
All of them wore bewildered expressions. They clearly didn’t grasp why they were gathered here or what was happening.
“Is he the last one?”
A clear voice rang out.
The villagers, who had been staring at each other in confusion, turned their heads together, drawn by the melodious tone.
“Yes, Inquisitor Stella.”
“Good. Prepare for it.”
However, the atmosphere felt strange. The Battle Nun stood around the surviving villagers, forming a circle around them. It wasn’t just a few; she had surrounded everyone present.
With a flawless enclosure complete, the woman called Inquisitor Stella stepped forward. Like all the others, she had golden hair and green eyes.
“Now, everyone. You are the fortunate ones who survived the monster’s attack. The others have met one of two fates: dead or devoured. Though you lost your possessions, isn’t it something to be grateful for that you live?”
CLAP, Stella clapped her hands. Her chest swayed left and right with the motion. Her garments were even more revealing than those of the Battle Nuns.
They were sufficiently sacred and holy, fitting of the title “Holy Attire.” Just seeing it could cause a demon to purge itself into nothingness.
Either because of her outfit or other reasons, her expression was gentle and kind. Her tone was soft and serene, accompanied by a smiling demeanor.
In stark contrast to the emotionless Battle Nuns who made one feel like they were facing a golem.
“I would love to return to my home, but before that, you all need to prove your purity. To see if your eyes were clouded by those things. But don’t worry too much; it will be over soon.”
Purity? The survivors tilted their heads in confusion. James was no different. What on earth did she mean by having to prove their purity?
“Iris.”
“Yes, Inquisitor.”
Iris, the Battle Nun who had brought James here, stood obediently by Stella’s side.
“Proceed.”
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