episode_0046

Soon after the underground organization of devil worshippers was discovered thanks to Phantom’s .

The Holy Empire successfully eradicated the guerrilla organization that had spread throughout the country by mobilizing all available public power.

A network maintained by traitors who hid to avoid oppression.

Sometimes through cruel torture, sometimes through harsh interrogation, they were able to extract information and track down their whereabouts.

… … And this good news(?) was quickly delivered to the Vatican, the headquarters of the Catholic Church.

“The devil worshippers were hiding so secretly? We almost got into trouble.”

One of the members of the Conclave, the highest decision-making body of the Holy See.

Cardinal Bertelio, who was always renowned for his upright and strict religious life, felt his heart sink.

“I heard that all of this was the work of the warrior candidate. They say that thanks to his efforts, they were able to trap the demon collaborators.”

“Looking at the cardinal making the sign of the cross with all his heart,” added Abraham, a middle-aged professor who brought the news.

He is a demonologist who studies primordial evil officially recognized by the Catholic Church of the Holy See.

He was a scholar of high authority and an enthusiastic explorer in the field of Theosophy, which explores the demons of hell and the hidden mysteries of the world.

“A hero candidate? Oh, could it be a sword hero candidate?”

“I remember a half-elf girl with blue hair and yellow eyes,” asked Bertelio.

“I heard that you suddenly stopped wandering and are considering enrolling in the academy? It seems that you are staying in the capital and contributing to the identification of traitors?”

Since ancient times, the authority to recommend candidates for the throne has been granted only to high-ranking officials of the Vatican.

And wasn’t it Bertelio himself who officially recommended the half-elf Maya as a candidate for the Sword Hero?

If by any chance she had achieved some merit, Bertelio would have been secretly proud.

“No. It’s because of the new work written by the candidate for the warrior of the pen.”

But Professor Abraham just shook his head.

“It is said that the danger of the ancient demon was well expressed and aroused people’s alertness. It is said that the Empire will also praise the achievement.”

“Play? Did the pen warrior candidate write a play about the devil?”

“A puppet show titled Cthulhu Mythos. It is said that the people who saw this and awakened their fear of demons voluntarily watched over suspicious people and caught them.”

“Heh heh, really? This is it. This is truly a blessing from the heavens. If it weren’t for the coincidence, this might have been a huge disaster.”

“… … I am sorry, Your Eminence. Do you really think that this series of events was just a coincidence?”

“Hmm? What does that mean?”

“The results of the investigation show that the depiction of the demons in the play is difficult to imagine with just imagination. The Phantom himself vehemently denies it, but it’s as if he actually saw the demons in question.”

Is the description in the Cthulhu Mythos something that is impossible to create with just creativity?

Bertelio frowned at the demonologist’s remark, which came across as quite heavy.

“What do you want to say, Professor Abraham? Keep in mind that your opponent is a candidate for the warrior recommended by the saint.”

“Please don’t be prejudiced. No matter how great a writer he is, do you think an ordinary playwright could express the existence of evil this well?”

Phalang!

Professor Abraham hands me a few pages of report as he finishes his speech.

Bertelio, who was scanning the contents inside, also had a serious expression on his face.

Analysis of the connection between the Cthulhu Mythos and the ancient evils followed by actual devil worshippers.

Certainly, there were too many details to suggest that the play was drawn based on mere imagination or academic knowledge.

“In addition, there are rumors floating around about a man named Howard Lovecraft who appears in the Cthulhu Mythos. In fact, it is not a fictional character, but a rumor that he actually taught Phantom the forms and records of demons in detail.”

Professor Abraham added, looking at the cardinal who had just finished reading the report.

“Of course, since it’s just a rumor, we can’t know how much of it is true. But in this case, isn’t it a claim that’s hard to ignore?”

“So what’s the conclusion?”

“It’s simple, sir.”

Hoo, Professor Abraham takes a deep breath and clears his throat.

Then he confessed his thoughts in a very serious tone.

“… … The great writer Phantom may be a messenger from the heavens who has visited the realm of dreams.”

The realm of dreams.

A legendary alternate dimension that exists between the material and immaterial worlds.

A mysterious world where it is said that only angels and humans with God’s permission can travel.

It was a space similar to a kind of purgatory believed in by the priests of the Cheonshin Church.

“I don’t think the Phantom author lied to us. From his perspective, it may have really been a figment of his imagination. But what if it wasn’t?”

“… … ”

“The realm of dreams is a place where only a select few can set foot. It is a dream world that is opened only when the gods give revelations. However, those who visit there have all their memories sealed and forget everything. Except for the vague mental images that the gods leave behind for the purpose of ‘revelation’.”

“Really? Phantom writing the Cthulhu Mythos and discovering the organization of demon worshippers through it was all the will of the heavens? Then that hermit prophet Lovecraft too?”

“I think it’s highly likely that he’s actually a wise man I met in the realm of dreams. Although Phantom himself may be dismissing it as a simple dream.”

Randolph Carter, an explorer of space and time created by Howard Lovecraft as his own persona.

Coincidentally, Abraham grills the Cardinal by making a conjecture that identifies him with Lovecraft himself and the Phantom.

It is truly a dream, an interpretation that is worse than the dream, a wild illusion without any far-fetched explanation.

But the title of ‘Pen Warrior Candidate’ also made him persuasive without it.

Moreover, didn’t the saint also testify that she saw a strange color in the Phantom’s soul?

And then, there was even a misunderstanding that all of this was the work of a god…

“You are so foolish to disdain danger just because it is not apparent. The heavenly gods, frustrated with this, scolded us through Phantom.”

Bertelio lowered his head and began to reflect bitterly.

He had been beating his chest, shouting ‘It’s my fault! It’s my fault!’ for a while, then he turned to the professor and said.

“We need to prepare so that the same unfortunate incident does not happen again. We don’t know when the deadly poison of devil worship will spread again.”

“I agree, Your Majesty. There are many mysteries on the continent that are beyond our understanding. If someone were to exploit them, terrible things could happen.”

In fact, the devil worshippers arrested this time also showed a similar behavioral pattern.

Ancient relics, idols, or sources of magical power whose origins are still unknown.

Have you not been searching for it, performing evil rituals, and trying to use various wonders?

Even if the crisis was averted with Phantom’s base for the time being, there was no guarantee that the same luck would repeat itself forever.

“Isn’t there a better way, Abraham? One that can quickly respond to the dangers of its kind?”

“I’ve been thinking about that too. How about this countermeasure?”

Then, as if he had been waiting, Professor Abraham submitted the next report.

Bertelio, who had been reading this, muttered with an interested look on his face.

“Foundation? A foundation supported by the Holy See? An organization that isolates mysterious and supernatural phenomena related to the devil?”

“It would be more appropriate to establish it as a research team under the Inquisition Department of the Holy See. So that they can focus solely on research while receiving protection from the Inquisition Unit. If we can nip the danger in the bud in advance, there would be no need to worry about the future, right?”

“Hmm, definitely… …not a bad idea.”

Now that a dangerous precedent had been set, the conclave was unlikely to vote against it.

Because it was a group that was necessary in today’s world, with inquisitors, demonologists, priests, and other skilled workers coming together to prevent danger to the continent.

“Good. Let’s quickly call a meeting. So that we can quickly discuss the establishment of this ‘foundation’.”

Bertelio smiles with satisfaction as he returns the report that Professor Abraham gave him.

He asked Professor Abraham as he left the preparation of his presentation to be presented at the conclave.

“Then what would be a better name for this foundation? It can’t just be called ‘the foundation’.”

“Hmm, the name of the foundation. If it’s a name… … ”

Abraham, who had been pondering the cardinal’s question for a moment, soon had his eyes sparkle.

“… … Lovecraft Foundation.”

Abraham broke the brief silence and presented his own answer.

He answered in a serious voice, touching the crucifix on his rosary.

“The sage of the dream realm who warned the Phantom of the evil incursions. How about naming him after Howard Lovecraft, Your Eminence Cardinal?”

… … In this way, the Vatican began discussing the birth of a new Buddha under the influence of the Cthulhu Mythos.

A unique arrangement in a fantasy other world version.

An SCP Foundation department that remains faithful to the principles of securing/containment/protection of strange phenomena.

At around the same time, an underground laboratory was secretly hidden east of the capital.

There too, the purge of the remaining forces of devil worshippers was underway.

Crunch! Crunch!

Kweeek! Kyaaaa-!!

“Ugh! What the hell are these?!”

“Undead? Demon? Oh, or is it just a lump of flesh sewn together from a corpse?”

The soldiers in the center were shocked by the horrifying appearance of their enemies.

The young knight who was leading them shouted with a displeased look.

“Whether they are undead or demons, they are the same enemy! Don’t be afraid and strike! I will lead the way!”

Hurrruk!

A cool blue flame burns from the sword of the knight who bravely steps forward.

The soldiers who saw the skill, which was reminiscent of the Samadhi Evolution in , exclaimed in admiration.

“Oh, that’s it?!”

“The fruit of the Imperial Sword Master Project!”

The project led by Lord Wenford, the Secretary of War, was progressing slowly but with promising results.

Although I failed to train a swordsman with the same concept as the Overlord, I succeeded in training him as a ‘reinforced soldier’ using magic.

Kyle, a young knight who is now with the guards, is one of the 30 people born as the first fruits of the project.

Although he may not be as good as the overlord Xiang Yu, he was one of the top-ranking figures among his peers in terms of skill.

“Most of the devil worshippers I’ve caught so far are just squid! The real big fish is that guy called Doctor! Be careful, you never know what kind of sly tricks he’ll pull off!”

A century ago, the Empire launched a massive campaign against demon worshippers who threatened the very existence of humanity.

The fallen ones who took advantage of the chaos in the world to open the gates of hell and seek the resurrection of the Demon King.

It was a sword-wielding campaign to eradicate by force the toxic weeds that had permeated every corner of society.

And now that the war in question has ended, devil worship has virtually become a thing of the past.

It was considered to be a past tragedy that the church and the government had joined forces to nip in the bud.

But while everyone was off guard, he was trying to create chaos by secretly building up his power underground.

I would have thought that they would maintain a tight communication network and conduct espionage activities for the Demons…

“Hey! Sir Kyle! Over there!”

A soldier raising his arm and pointing in one direction with a single shout.

Located there was the main door of a large, seemingly important laboratory.

And from inside.

“Help me! Please, please save me! Gosh!”

A woman’s desperate screams could be heard.

“Hey, someone’s alive!”

“Hurry up! Rescue them before they get killed by the monsters!”

“Get out of the way! You’re bothering me!”

Bang!

The soldiers’ cries of confusion were short-lived, as the swordsman Kyle dashed across the hallway and kicked open the door to the laboratory.

Then the inner scene came into view clearly before his eyes.

A mad, black magic circle drawn all around.

An alchemical spherical shape carved into an unknown shape for an unknown purpose.

Human organs and chunks of blood scattered everywhere.

And a woman with lime hair, struggling on a surgical bed in the middle of the room… …

… … An old man standing in front of him, holding a saw and a butcher knife.

“Help me! This crazy guy is trying to kill me!”

A woman with lime-hair cries as she sees a man approaching her with a saw.

Kyle looked into her sparkling, tear-stained eyes and burst into righteous anger.

“Are you Dr. Ephraim? The one who kidnapped innocent people and used them as tools for human experiments?”

Doctor Ephraim, a being discovered during the interrogation of previously arrested devil worshippers.

It is said that he has close ties with the northern demons and is revered even among devil worshippers.

A person with outstanding intelligence and outstanding alchemy skills that even the Demon Lord holds in high regard.

However, everything about this sinister being, including his true identity and how he came to be such a horrifying madman, was shrouded in mystery.

“Kreul, keuhhhh… … keuhhh… … !!”

The old man wearing glasses, the Doctor, continued to make strange noises. He seemed completely indifferent to what Kyle was saying.

“Drop your weapons and surrender immediately, Doctor! Then I will spare your life!”

Kyle raises his blazing sword and issues a warning.

Even for him, this wasn’t a lie.

The order from above was to capture this ‘Doctor’.

The main goal was to interrogate him and extract all the important information.

… … But things didn’t go as Kyle had hoped.

“Keuhihi!”

The very next moment, the Doctor leaped forward with a sickening noise. Despite his old age, he was as quick as a bird of prey pouncing on a rabbit.

“Tsk!”

A madman who practically charges at you with the attitude of a do-or-die man.

Avoiding the blade swinging with a fierce momentum, Kyle had no choice but to swing his sword widely in self-defense… …

Crunch!

Boom! Roll… … !

… …Finally, the doctor’s head fell to the floor with a clean, cutting sound of bone and flesh being cut.

The evil alchemist met a miserable end due to the counterattack of the swordsman Kyle.

“Damn it!”

Kyle glared at the corpse that had rolled into his room and cursed.

In the end, the capture operation ended in failure, but it was too late.

First, we decided to start the task of rescuing the people who were tied up in bed.

“Are you okay, miss?”

“Oh my! Thank you! Thank you for saving me, sir!”

The victim stands up, wiping away tears as he is freed from his bonds with a dagger.

A woman who appeared to be in her early to mid twenties sobbed, running her hands through her blood-stained lime-colored hair.

“I thought I was going to die because of that crazy alchemist. He tied me up and used all kinds of extensions, saying he was going to do an immortality experiment… … ”

“Don’t worry, you’re safe now.”

First, I wrapped a warm blanket around the frightened woman.

Then, he asked the other person about his identity in the most gentle tone possible.

“My name is Kyle, a swordsman belonging to the Imperial Army Department. What is your name?”

“The, Derby… … My, my name is Derby.”

“Miss Derby. I’m glad you’re safe. We’ll just do a quick check and send you home, so don’t worry.”

“Really? Oh, I thought I would never be able to go home. My parents will be happy too.”

A woman with a smile on her face and sparkling eyes the same color as her hair.

She staggers to her feet, escorted by Kyle, and looks relieved.

The swordsman patted the woman’s shoulder and sent a signal to the soldiers behind him.

Then, the superior’s subordinates came and dragged Miss ‘Derby’ out of the bloody laboratory.

“Sigh.”

Meanwhile, after the area around the river was roughly cleared, Kyle looked down at the ‘Doctor’s’ body, rubbing his throbbing forehead.

If this happens, the connection between the Doctor and the Demons, and the clues to their secret plans will be lost.

As a result, there was only one option left.

“… … Collect all remaining materials in the lab!”

Kyle looked around at the rest of his men and shouted in a serious tone.

“We need to figure out what the heck the Doctor was researching, what his connections are with the devil worshippers, and why the demons joined hands with him!”