episode_0045
by fnovelpia“The basic principle of exorcism is to make the demons inside the possessed person give up on their own.”
My hands are shaking. I am just a priest. I was just a deacon in a rural village.
“Can we… . face the devil?”
“Father Lucio. That’s… .”
Kkaaaak—!
Suddenly, a scream is heard from inside the tent.
It was an echo of the sorrow boiling up from hell. It was something that hurt the ears and shook even the thickest faith.
The cold sweat running down my temples was hot. I wiped the sweat that had formed on my forehead.
“I, I… . I… .”
I can’t do it. I’m scared. I’m scared. That’s how I felt when I first encountered a demon-possessed person.
Fear. It was not a fear from the unknown. From what I could perceive, it was an entity that showed me infinite fear.
That’s why it’s scary. It’s so scary.
Priest Helena grabbed my shoulder tightly. I looked into her clear eyes.
“Can you deal with it or not? That’s not the point.”
Green eyes as clear as a mirror. Reflected in them, shining like an emerald, I was an ugly person trembling with fear.
“Father Lucio. This is something only we can do.”
But, the moment I heard her words.
I looked completely different in the eyes of Priest Helena.
* * * * *
“Substitute Sophia.”
Deacon Sophia sat reverently on her knees outside the salt border, her notebook and pen laid down before her.
“Are you ready?”
“Ready.”
“It’s not difficult. Just write down the conversation between me and the devil from beginning to end.”
Leaving Deacon Sophia behind, who nodded, he poured holy water into the holy water bowl.
The blessed water of the Samadhan River gradually filled up. After pouring a whole bottle, I placed the holy water bucket neatly into it.
There was no time to waste. He immediately took out a crucifix the size of his forearm and placed it neatly on Father Peter’s chest.
“… If you ask for it, you will receive it, because your faith has reached me.”
The body of Priest Peter was still motionless. I covered Priest Peter’s eyes with the veil and pressed them with my left hand.
“Lord, have mercy.”
Under Father Peter’s closed eyelids, I could feel his eyeballs rolling. I pressed the sacrum a little harder and continued praying.
“You are the Almighty, the Lord of all ages, the Maker and Transformer of all things.”
– Caw. Caw. Caw.
I heard a crow cawing. At least, it wasn’t coming from inside the dormitory. I just ignored it.
“The Lord is my shepherd; my mind, my soul, and my body are all with him. Who can harm me?”
Sasa-sak—.
Suddenly, a raccoon came down from the dormitory ceiling. I glanced at the raccoons crawling down the wall.
“I am not afraid because I am with you, my eternal Savior. My strength, my future, the peace of light that has been with my ancestors. We… .”
“Ugh… . Ugh… .”
“… Protect them from all evil. By the grace of the Lord who is most holy and full of glory, chase them into the ever-burning fire. ”
Father Peter’s body began to tremble slightly. With each movement of his limbs, the bands restraining them tightened more tightly.
“Oh, great and almighty Lord. Through the intercession of Archangel Michael, I pray that you free our brothers and sisters who have become slaves to evil.”
“Grrr… ! Extreme… !”
“Oh, all the saints of this land, with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, help us.”
Clunk! Clunk!
The body of Father Peter, who had been trembling, now began to swing his limbs wildly as if he were going to break the bed. I pressed down harder on the bandage covering his eyes.
“Protect us from hatred and envy, anxiety and sadness, adultery and compulsion as we go into battle. Lord, free us.”
“That, ugh… !”
“Give us light and peace, and free us from all evil and curses, so that we may enjoy your peace forever.”
The prayer ran towards the end. I made the sign of the cross in the air towards the body of Priest Peter, whose trembling was gradually subsiding.
“We earnestly pray that we may bear witness to the Lord who is present among us. Come, Lord.”
CLANG!
The swaying body of Priest Peter lost its strength and fell limply on the bed. I removed the bandage covering Priest Peter’s eyes. His eyes were still closed.
“It’s no use trying to hide now. Show yourself.”
“… … .”
“… Okay. If you want, I can do it all day long.”
I covered my eyes with the veil again. Father Peter’s body was moving slightly.
“We pray to the Lord in heaven, that the evil of the first false and abandoned descendants may not spread. May the faith increase in protecting us, but only… .”
“Ah, Antonel… .”
The priest Peter’s mouth opened. His voice was extremely dry and cracked. I stopped praying and opened my eyes.
“Antonel, Lee… Your Excellency… . It is I… . Father Peter… .”
“… … .”
“What the heck is going on… . Please let me go… . It hurts… .”
“… Just please heal the suffering of the brothers and sisters here.”
“Chief Priest… ! Please, let me go… ! It hurts… !”
“You are my life and the resurrection of the Divine. Let me have confidence in this and enjoy joy and peace.”
“My, foot… !”
Father Peter’s body began to tremble wildly. I watched with anxious eyes as the bedposts creaked.
Deacon Sophia opened her eyes wide and looked this way, but her hand, which was writing down the conversation, moved without stopping.
As this was her first time participating in an exorcism, she would need special attention. Without taking her attention away from Deacon Sophia, I placed the rosary beads on Father Peter’s forehead and pressed them with my fingers.
“It’s no use using abominable numbers. You’ve already been exposed, so racking your brains will only cause you more pain.”
“What are you talking about…! Don’t you ask me to let you go! Why are you ignoring me…!”
“… I pray to the Almighty Lord to drive away the demons that are eating away at my body and soul.”
I ignored Father Peter’s words and continued the prayer. As the prayer became longer and longer, Father Peter’s body began to writhe in pain.
“Why are you ignoring me…! My, foot…!”
“Please do not let them infect us with evil any more. Protect us from all the evil, sin, jealousy and anger they do.”
“Listen to me…! ”
“Our Lord, our light, look upon your servants Benedict and Peter, and save them from all the threats and lies from evil… .”
“Listen to me—!!”
Crackle! Crackle!
The light in the living room flickered and lost its light. From one side of the darkened living room, Father Peter’s whispers could be heard.
“Listen, all you children who have ears.”
It is a whisper of evil. A message from the darkness.
“You insignificant insects just need to live quietly. If you see us, cover your eyes. If you hear us, cover your ears.”
“… Please destroy all threats and lies from evil. I pray earnestly to Archangel Michael, who will punish all evil, and to the Lord, his master.”
“Listen to me, sons and daughters of original sin.”
I lit a match on the consecrated candle I had prepared in advance, and peeked at one of Father Peter’s eyes. The bloodshot eye, covered in whites, rolled toward me.
“Just pretend not to see it and live on. Do you not understand what I am saying? What you are doing is nothing but a waste of time.”
A rotten smell vibrated from his mouth. I turned my head slightly and made the sign of a cross in the air.
“We, the servants of the Lord, will not listen to your words.”
“You must be scared. You fucking coward… !”
I took off the rosary beads that were pressing against Father Peter’s forehead. With my left hand still pressing down on the rosary, I made the sign of the cross over Father Peter’s face again.
“O false one from the beginning. I ask you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Where did you come from?”
The face of the priest Peter turned dark. The priest Peter, who had been writhing in pain, smiled, revealing his gums that were oozing dark red blood.
“When you first enjoyed the grace of fire, I was there. When you looked up to the sky and walked on the water with a small piece of wood, I was there. When you first established a dynasty in the land of blessing, I tempted their king.”
Father Peter, with the corners of his mouth raised to his ears. Leaving that mean smile behind, I made the sign of the cross again and asked.
“When did you come here?”
“Huh, hahaha—!”
Father Peter laughed loudly. He was out of breath, laughing so hard that the bed shook. He spoke with blood and spit flying.
“When your first offspring was conceived, I came here. When you began to serve false fathers, I betrayed the light you worshiped.”
“When will it come out of that body?”
Father Peter closed his mouth. The dark red blood that flowed down the corner of his mouth soaked the bedsheets.
“I ask you again. When will you leave that body?”
“Hehehe… . Why should I go out?”
The voice changed. It was a little thinner and more sly than before. I glanced at Deacon Sophia, and Deacon Sophia nodded as she read my gaze and continued writing.
“I will ask you one last time. When will you leave that body?”
“This body is so comfortable… . My soul is sweet! Why should I leave this comfortable body? I will not leave! ”
The conversation was no longer going well. So, I had no choice but to take action.
I dipped my thumb into the holy water. The clear holy water wetted my finger, and with my wet finger I made the sign of the cross on Father Peter’s forehead.
Crunch…! Crunch!
As the cross drawn with holy water was placed on his forehead, Father Peter ground his teeth loudly, which sounded like the crunching of bones.
He opened the Bible he had received from Deacon Sophia and put it under his pillow, then covered Father Peter’s eyes with his stole.
“I ask in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: Why have you come here?”
“… … .”
“Tell me. Why did you come here?”
“Tsk!”
Father Peter, who had been mumbling, suddenly spat something out loud. I turned my head slightly to avoid it.
It was a raccoon, curled up in a ball, soaked in blood, writhing. I snorted and made the sign of a cross in the air.
“Don’t test my patience. I’ll ask you. Why are you here?”
“… We came here to turn off the light.”
The voice changed. This time it was thick and low, and there was so much phlegm in it that it sounded like a dog barking.
“We have come here to extinguish the light. We will extinguish the light you worship. Darkness will come to the world! You will not be able to stop the 666 beasts that will come here!”
My ears began to ring. I frowned slightly and pressed harder against the scepter that was pressing down on Father Peter’s head.
“I ask in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Who is your leader?”
“I came here to turn off the light! I came here to turn off the light! You bugs can’t see the falling star!”
“The Lord has already conquered the world! Who is your leader!”
“… … .”
There was silence. Cold sweat dripped down my chin.
The suffocating air felt like it was weighing on my lungs. The eyes of Deacon Sophia, who was looking this way, wavered.
“I know you.”
Father Peter’s mouth opened. It was another voice.
A creepy voice, like scraping the floor with iron nails. I focused on the bastard’s voice.
“I know your sins. Benedict the 891,366th.”
“… May the Spirit of the Lord sanctify me. May the Blood of the Lord cleanse me. May the Passion of the Lord… .”
“That fucking whore.”
I stopped praying. I looked down at Father Peter’s mouth.
“That bug-like woman who used to hang out with you. The woman with the dirty smile like a whore. Do you know why she died?”
My lips trembled. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to ignore his words.
“… The Lord’s suffering is… .”
“You had no idea what a nuisance you bugs were.”
“Number of people, I am… .”
“Shall I tell you what she said before she died?”
“… … .”
I couldn’t continue the prayer. My hands holding the rosary were shaking.
A drop of hot sweat sprang from my cheek, which was trembling without warning, and fell on the corner of Father Peter’s mouth. Father Peter licked the sweat and licked his lips as he opened his mouth.
“Father Lucio. Please save me~! I don’t want to die~!”
“… … .”
“Can I tell you one more thing? I killed that bitch.”
Kkudangtang—!
At the same time, everything before my eyes flashed white.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness!”
Before I knew it, I was strangling Father Peter’s neck with both hands.
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