Please Stop The Pope-Chapter 54

I've encountered beings like this several times before, even in Eden.

Judging by the prison-like clothes the creature wore, it seemed the others had launched this attack to retrieve it from confinement.

I couldn't understand why such a dangerous creature was imprisoned in the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities, but it was somewhat fortunate.

If we hadn't been here, they would have succeeded in escaping with this Incarnation.

If that had happened, it would have led to an unimaginable catastrophe.

In the worst case, the Demon King might have manifested through the Incarnation.

An Incarnation is a vessel through which the Demon King can manifest.

“At least that's a relief.”

However, not all Incarnations of the Demon King can manifest the Demon King. For the Demon King to descend into an Incarnation, the Incarnation's demonic nature must reach its peak.

In other words, the Incarnation must corrupt countless souls for the Demon King to manifest.

Fortunately, this boy before me hadn't yet reached such a degree of demonic nature.

But still.

[Passive Skill: Will of the Accursed> recognizes the opponent as an evil being!] [Listing the evil deeds of Player Park Suho>.] [Assault>, Murder>, Bullying>, Cannibalism> and 17 other counts]

As expected of the Demon King's Incarnation, he showed potential for great evil.

The list of his evil deeds was terrifying, especially for someone who appeared to be about 15 years old.

Seeing the category "Bullying>" among them, I could roughly understand what kind of person he was.

Grrrrrr-!

“It seems you can't control yourself. This must be your first time with cannibalism?”

The beast before me, exuding black demonic energy and baring its teeth, couldn't easily attack me.

I could see it.

The demonic energy within it was rampaging. Though it had absorbed demonic energy through cannibalism, it couldn't control it.

Its beast-like state was proof of this.

Had it been accustomed to cannibalism, it could maintain its sanity even after the act.

However, only ferocious instincts remained in it.

“My grandmother used to say, 'If you can't bite, don't show your teeth, and the answer to a mad dog is a club.' Something like that.”

Grrrrrr!

The creature, its mouth smeared with blood, was wary of me. Its beastly instincts made it even more cautious.

Holy power is the ultimate counter to demonic energy.

And my holy power, being particularly strong against demonic energy, naturally made it fear me.

“If you're scared, you should run. You beast.”

There was no need to drag this out.

I immediately rushed at it, driving my fist into its chest.

The moment my body touched the creature's, the unrestrained evil demonic energy engulfed me.

The demonic energy, as if trying to devour me, surrounded me with wide open jaws.

Instinctively, the Demon King's Incarnation moved its body.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

Paaaah-!

Knocked back by my punch, it quickly flipped its body. Then, it generated a mass of demonic energy in the air and used it as a platform to charge at me.

The black claws that sprouted from its hands gleamed darkly.

Screeeeech!

The claws roughly scratched the holy protection around my body, creating a sound like metal being torn.

But the claws couldn't penetrate the thick protection.

Had it been a magical barrier, it would have been torn apart, but the holy protection remained unscathed.

I didn't miss the opportunity. As it swung its claws and its body momentarily opened up, I grabbed its neck with my right hand.

“Gaaack.”

The Incarnation struggled desperately to escape.

Any ordinary human's neck would have snapped under such pressure, but it twisted its body without concern. Unable to move, it soon turned its head to glare at me. Its red eyes were filled with malice.

[The opponent's powerful curse is nullified!]

Beyond the red eyes, there was only blind hatred directed at me.

Crrrunch- Crrrunch-!

Before I knew it, the demonic energy leaking from its body began to erode everything around us.

The floor, the walls, even the cell bars were all eroded by the demonic energy, turning black and shifting. From the erosion, dozens of tentacles extended.

The tentacles aimed not at me but at the Incarnation of the Demon King.

The floor, eroded by demonic energy, seemed to try to reclaim the Incarnation from my grasp, wrapping around and pulling it strongly.

But I had no intention of letting them take the Incarnation.

“Let's end this cleanly here.”

[With the concentration of holy power, Passive Skill: Sacred Flame> activates.]

The Sacred Flame that ignited at my feet quickly spread, consuming the erosion.

After a few blinks, the Sacred Flame had filled the entire floor.

In the sacred flames that burned away the demonic energy, I kindled another Sacred Flame on the body of the boy I held in my right hand and said,

“The wicked will be destroyed by their own wickedness.”

The flames of the Sacred Flame roared intensely.

8.

The flames of the Sacred Flame that engulfed the 38th floor subsided once the demonic erosion was entirely eradicated.

The unprecedented terror attack on the second office building of the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities at midday concluded like that, and I sat quietly at the place where I had burned the Incarnation of the Demon King, waiting for my companions.

Before me was a pile of gray ash that had once been the Incarnation of the Demon King.

“Holy One. We have subdued those who were heading to the rooftop. Additionally, we found and neutralized a dark magic circle on the rooftop.”

“What kind of dark magic circle?”

“It was one that would cause a massive explosion using human blood and flesh. Judging by the scale and level of the magic circle, it could have collapsed the entire building.”

“Well done. You saved many people, Leo.”

Leo humbly bowed his head at my praise and quietly looked at the ashes before me.

“I was merely following your orders, Holy One. But, Holy One, what is this ash?”

“It was the Incarnation of the Demon King. It seems they were targeting this.”

Leo's expression twisted at the mention of the Demon King's Incarnation.

“So the demonic nature I sensed earlier was this. Holy One, the appearance of the Demon King's Incarnation means...”

“It means the Demon Kings have gathered quite a number of followers. This one was with the Demon King of Wrath.”

The Incarnations of the Demon King are similar to the prophets of our church.

Just as there are multiple prophets, there are multiple Incarnations of the Demon King. Only those whose demonic nature has reached its peak can become a vessel for the Demon King.

Moreover, just as each sect has its own prophet, the Demon Kings also have their own Incarnations.

Since there are seven Demon Kings, there are corresponding Incarnations for each faction.

The one I had just eradicated was one of the Incarnations of Wrath.

“It's something we'll need to investigate further. Leo, be honest. How many did you manage to keep alive?”

“I kept about 70% alive. The remaining 30% were too weak and died.”

“You were lenient?”

“They sold their souls to demons. I merely demanded a fitting price.”

“...Well, keeping 70% alive is something. By the way, where is Luna...”

“Holy One!”

“Speak of the devil.”

Luna appeared right then.

In her right hand, she held someone's hair, dragging a woman along. Although she could have easily carried her, Luna harbors a particular hatred for dark magicians.

This is likely due to her childhood memory of losing her parents to a dark magician.

In her mind, treating them like trash was already showing mercy.

“I'm not good at extracting information, so I kept her alive for Leo.”

“Are you hurt?”

“Of course not! Are you worried about me? How embarrassing.”

“If you say such things, you should blush to make it believable.”

“Hoho, you're not being honest. I saw on the internet that people like you are called tsundere...”

“Please stop reading that stuff.”

The Rimen Order, are we really okay with this?

What exactly is she reading online? Although she learns quickly, this is too much.

I sighed deeply and looked at Team Leader Kim Dongsik, who stood awkwardly beside Luna.

“Team Leader, are you uninjured?”

“Oh, yes. Lee Sehee attacked me earlier, but somehow I'm fine.”

“That's good to hear. Rimen must truly favor you, Team Leader Kim.”

“...Ah! Could it be?”

“I placed a blessing on you some time ago.”

“Thank you so much!”

“I promised to treat your wife to a meal. I wouldn't want her to dislike me.”

I smiled as I spoke.

I had placed a blessing of protection on him two weeks ago. Since Team Leader Kim had been helping our order so much, I wanted to repay him in some way.

If the blessing had protected him from a dark magician's attacks several times, it likely means he has some faith in Rimen, even if only faintly.

That's how blessings work.

A blessing given by a follower of Rimen naturally has a stronger effect on those who believe in Rimen.

I'll verify his faith later, but for now, there's something more important to address.

“During the battle, we had to eliminate one of the detainees held by the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities.”

Team Leader Kim furrowed his brow and asked,

“Park Suho, that must be him. The only one detained on the 38th floor was Park Suho.”

“You knew?”

“Of course. Park Suho, age 16. Awakened as a player in March last year. Assaulted and murdered two classmates at the Awakener Academy. Involved in several other crimes. He was detained here two days ago after his crimes were revealed.”

In other words, he was a bastard from the start.

This raises a question.

“With that much, shouldn't he have been sent to a juvenile detention center immediately?”

At my question, Team Leader Kim lowered his head in shame.

“I have no excuse.”

“...I understand.”

Just from his demeanor, it was easy to guess what had happened.

He was someone difficult to touch.

“A child of an influential person, I suppose. Minister Yoo Sunho wouldn't have tolerated that.”

“Unfortunately, even the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities is divided into factions. I'm deeply sorry.”

“As I said before, that's not something you should apologize for, Team Leader. It's another's issue. But if that Park Suho was the child of an influential person, isn't this a troublesome situation?”

Team Leader Kim answered as if he had been waiting.

“He is one of the victims of the terror attack, according to the Bureau's stance.”

“Also, publicize all the crimes he committed. Let it be known that a bastard who deserved to die has died. After all, he's now a dead man.”

My style would be to make sure he suffered even in death, but a being tainted by demonic nature attracts numerous evils just by existing.

Therefore, desecrating his corpse seems like a suitable alternative.

Understanding my intention, Team Leader Kim nodded again.

“If that is your wish, we will do so.”

“Oh, and like last time, we would like to interrogate Lee Sehee first. Is that alright?”

“That is beyond my authority. It would require direct approval from Minister Yoo Sunho. Lee Sehee is an international fugitive and the worst kind of criminal.”

Then there's no choice.

“I had something to discuss with Minister Yoo Sunho anyway. Can you guide me to him?”

“...It concerns the terrorists, I presume.”

“That's correct.”

I sighed deeply and shook my head as I concluded.

“It seems this matter cannot be resolved by the order alone.”