Chapter 17: Fake Church (6)

The situation was resolved in an instant.

The thugs, knocked out by a single punch from ST, lay collapsed, and the cult pastor was prostrate on the floor, forehead pressed firmly against it.

His arrogant attitude from moments ago had vanished completely; he trembled, barely daring to breathe, bowing low.

“….”

Watching him, I briefly collected my thoughts.

Karen and Sophia, the mother and daughter I had treated earlier, were originally targets of the cult this pastor belonged to.

Therefore, they couldn’t have been unaware of the pair’s desperate situation and illness.

And if they confirmed Sophia’s recovery, the existence of the ‘miracle’ could be revealed.

Thus, for thorough silencing, not only this pastor but the entire ‘One Heart Association’ involved in this incident needed to be dealt with decisively.

‘If necessary, by any means…’

I was prepared.

After all, the cults in this city were all parasites feeding on the desperation of people.

Witnessing their practices firsthand today only strengthened that conviction.

They were trash deserving no sympathy whatsoever.

Having gone to the trouble of helping them at considerable risk, I couldn’t allow the same misfortune Karen and her daughter faced to repeat like a broken record.

It felt right to at least clean up the trash that had landed within my reach.

So, I asked ST.

“ST, may I ask you to handle this?”

As I spoke, I glanced at her expression.

I felt genuinely sorry.

It felt like I made the decision, but then dumped all the hard work onto her.

While keeping secrets could be considered a form of bodyguard duty… I couldn’t help feeling like I was burdening her.

However, she accepted without any sign of reluctance.

“I will gladly comply.”

Indeed, it felt like her attitude towards me had softened somehow.

Perhaps through the time we spent together, some kind of bond had formed between us, making my chest feel strangely ticklish.

She paused for a moment to gather her breath and added.

“Handling matters like this is best done swiftly. Let us go immediately.”

Then, she ruthlessly kicked the cult pastor, Meyer, who was sprawled on the floor, forcing him up.

“Lead the way.”

“Ye-yes, ma’am!”

His voice completely different from when he addressed me, Meyer hastily bowed, his tone utterly subservient to her chillingly cold voice.

His previous arrogance was gone, replaced by a completely shrunken demeanor.

“I will escort you properly! Both of you, please follow me this way…!”

We began to follow his limping figure.

Suddenly, I asked.

“By the way, is it okay for me to be present at the scene…?”

The opponent was a group that employed dangerous individuals under the guise of church pastors, essentially a violent organization disguised as a religious group.

While ST wouldn’t lose to such riffraff, the process of handling them wouldn’t be pleasant.

I worried that my presence at such a scene might hinder her.

But ST replied nonchalantly.

“Now that potential enemies have emerged, it is safer for you to stay close to me until the entire situation is resolved.”

Confidence that protecting me wouldn’t impede her ability to fight.

Above all, it was a reassuring attitude.

‘If the expert says so, then it must be the right judgment.’

Without further doubt, I moved closer to her side.

============

We had walked for several blocks like this.

“Th-this is the place.”

Following the pastor’s guidance, we arrived at a church building of considerable size.

It looked old, but the exterior walls were relatively well-maintained.

The brass door handle at the entrance gleamed brightly.

It looked like an ordinary cathedral, but in reality, in this era, such religious buildings were all dens of cults.

Thus, I knew at a glance that we had arrived at the right place.

‘But… something’s strange.’

A sense of unease struck me the moment we reached the front of the church. It was too quiet.

At this time of day, the sounds of worship or the murmuring of people should typically be heard, but the area around the building was as silent as if time had stopped.

There was no sign of human presence.

It clearly wasn’t an abandoned ruin either.

It showed signs of daily upkeep, yet an unusually desolate atmosphere lingered.

“….Why is no one here?”

At my question, almost mumbled to myself, Meyer, who was about to open the door, flinched and glanced around nervously.

“I-I don’t know…! A-at this hour, everyone should definitely… be gathered for worship… This is strange….”

Fearing he might be interrogated about something he didn’t know, his trembling hands couldn’t even grasp the doorknob properly, and he fidgeted anxiously.

Seeing his reaction, it seemed this peculiar silence wasn’t a trap he had set.

So I asked ST again.

“Could they have known we were coming and fled or hidden?”

She scanned the surroundings cautiously and replied calmly.

“The possibility is low. Considering our travel route and speed, they would not have had sufficient time to evacuate or set an ambush.”

“Then why is it so quiet?”

Instead of answering my question directly, ST briefly fixed her gaze on the empty air.

Her calm pupils adjusted minutely, emitting an artificial light.

After a moment, she spoke.

“Scan results indicate human life signs within. However, most are… concentrated in the central chapel of this building. There are almost no reactions in the corridors and outside.”

“How about we head inside and assess the situation?”

“….Alright.”

Having come this far, simply turning back felt unsatisfying.

As we entered the church, the coolness of the empty space, mingled with the faint scent of incense and the smell of old wood and dust, hit my nose.

As expected, the first-floor lobby and corridors were devoid of any human shadows.

‘Still strange. Even during worship hours, there should be at least one or two guides remaining to greet newcomers.’

With each step, our footsteps echoed unusually loudly in the empty space.

Cutting through the eerie air, we passed the first-floor lobby and corridors and reached the stairs inside.

It was the central staircase, quite wide, leading to the main chapel.

There too, not a single sign of human presence could be felt.

By this point, everyone sensed something was wrong.

The pastor, terrified since earlier, moved as if forcibly pushed, trembling, while ST advanced, maintaining vigilance without a hint of disorder.

We hadn’t climbed many steps when something like a stain caught my eye.

“….?”

A faint, dark reddish mark on the stair floor.

At first, I thought it might be a knot or stain on the old wood.

But upon climbing another step, a similar mark appeared again.

And this time, there was also a splatter-like trace on the wall.

Around then, a faint smell began to register at the tip of my nose.

Very faint, but definitely familiar. Like rusted metal… no, this is…

“….The smell of blood?”

At my low murmur, Meyer jumped startled and looked around.

His face had turned deathly white, as if he were about to faint.

As we climbed higher, the scattered bloodstains became increasingly vivid, and their number noticeably grew.

Dark reddish splatters were clearly visible here and there on the corridor walls and stair railings.

And the smell, faint earlier, now transformed into a nauseatingly thick stench of blood that assaulted the nostrils.

It was becoming difficult to breathe.

“…….”

The ominous atmosphere made everyone’s expression harden.

Exchanging silent glances, we proceeded with even greater caution.

Finally, stepping onto the last stair.

We reached the double doors at the end of the wide corridor.

This was the place where ST initially detected the concentrated biological signals.

Beyond this door lay the large chapel.

She paused briefly before the door and reported to me.

“All human responses are concentrated inside here. A large number remain stationary and clustered.”

“……..”

Something is definitely wrong.

‘The door is locked from the outside.’

Latches were attached to both sides of the chapel doors, and a thick iron padlock firmly secured the space between them.

It wasn’t closed from the inside, but clearly locked from the outside by someone.

‘Locking the chapel doors from the outside, especially with congregants inside?’

A strong intuition that something unusual was happening sent a chill down my spine.

Staring at the firmly shut doors and the silver padlock, I told ST.

“….For now, could you open it?”

“Yes, Lady Eve.”

Simultaneously with her reply, she reached for the padlock.

Without any tools, she simply hooked her fingers onto the thick wrought iron loop and applied very light pressure, causing the padlock to snap.

Crack-

ST casually tossed the broken padlock pieces onto the floor.

Her strength was truly new and astonishing every time.

However, this time, I couldn’t marvel at the sight.

Because the scene unfolding through the slowly opening gap in the doors was….

“……..!”

Truly hellish.

Corpses filled the vast chapel interior.

They must have been the church’s congregants.

Dozens, perhaps even more, bodies lay strewn about—before the altar, between the pews, in the corners of the corridors.

Pools of blood like lakes soaked the floor, and a nauseating stench of blood wafted out the moment the doors opened.

And standing tall amidst that horrifying carnage was someone.

No, there were two people.

On the pulpit, erected to preach God’s mercy, a middle-aged priest was held by the scruff of his neck by someone.

And the other person was a young man, strangling him with bloodshot eyes.