Ch.273Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

Veronica casually spun her revolver and opened the cylinder.

Silver cartridges, distinctly different from ordinary bullets, fell out with a clear, melodious sound.

Veronica reached out toward the priest holding a shotgun, received six bullets, and loaded them into the chambers.

“Perhaps it’s because they’re made from holy relics. They’re certainly effective.”

After loading the revolver, she turned to the priest with a smirk.

“Won’t the Holy Father scold us for wasting these so carelessly?”

“No matter how many shots Saint Veronica fires, the holy relics of St. Sophia Cathedral will never run out. As long as the saint doesn’t sell the church’s sacred items on the black market.”

Veronica’s attack had been truly remarkable.

In the blink of an eye, she had dispatched dozens of monsters, using only six bullets in the process. Four, to be precise. The remaining two were used on the demon and the necromancer.

Even to my untrained eye, the condition of the demon and necromancer was far from ordinary.

The demon glared at her while bleeding dark red blood from its leg, and the necromancer clutched his abdomen, which had been hit by both shotgun and revolver, spilling a bucket of dark red blood.

“Hmm.”

Veronica surveyed the remaining Muspels, the demon, and the necromancer with a relaxed attitude.

With revolver in hand, she flashed a grin at the enemies before her.

“The performance is definitely reliable.”

Episode 12 – The World’s Strongest Mage

The holy knight swings his sword toward the approaching Muspel.

Swoosh! A clear sound of air being sliced. Following that, part of the Muspel’s horn and head was severed.

The holy knight adjusted his sword path and took off the Muspel’s neck. When the cleric tore a page from the holy book, sacred energy enveloped his mace, and the light-infused weapon ground the monster’s head to dust.

The Inquisition forces, who had come at Lucia’s request, quickly cleared the remaining monsters from the scene.

The few remaining Muspels fell to their knees under the Inquisition’s blades.

The commander leading the holy knights and clerics—Veronica, who had single-handedly dispatched dozens of Muspels—approached us with light footsteps.

“They say leaving home brings hardship, and old sayings are never wrong. It’s almost the new year, and what is all this?”

Veronica grumbled, scratching her head.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…As you can see. I’m safe today.”

I responded with a tired voice, spreading my arms. Veronica, who had been scratching her head, smiled wryly and looked at me with an incredulous expression.

“You mean you’re safe today too.”

“Same difference.”

“Always so pretentious… Anyway, I’m glad you’re not hurt. Aren’t you grateful I arrived in time?”

“Of course I’m grateful.”

“Just with words?”

A playful question was tossed out. I wiped my bloody blade on my sleeve and answered in a curt voice.

“I’m grateful, but don’t think about adding it to my tab, Saint.”

“Major, are you a man who can’t even pay his debts?”

“I can pay my debts. The problem is that sometimes I choose not to.”

“And what happens when you don’t pay?”

Well.

I silently pointed at the ground. Following my gesture, Veronica looked down, understood my meaning, and spoke with an incredulous tone.

“Don’t tell me you’ve buried people because you didn’t want to pay your debts?”

Veronica stood with one leg cocked, hands on her hips.

The antique silver revolver tucked at her waist gleamed in the starlight.

“It’s better for your health not to know.”

“Sigh… How did I end up involved with a man like you?”

“Maybe you should have accumulated more virtue in your past life.”

“I think I’m virtuous enough. I am one of only two saints in the world, after all.”

“Quit smoking before you say things like that.”

Veronica laughed as if she’d heard an amusing joke.

The revolver in her hand began to spin smoothly. With the hammer not cocked, there was no risk of accidental discharge, and even setting that aside, her handling showed remarkable skill.

I looked at her revolver and heaved a deep sigh.

“If you had that all along, why didn’t you use it earlier? We wouldn’t have needed to shake off those Intelligence Bureau spies…”

“Ah, I couldn’t use this then.”

Veronica looked down at her revolver with a gentle smile. Then, kissing the revolver, she added in a playful tone:

“This isn’t meant for killing people.”

“Then what is it meant for killing?”

“Who else?”

The spinning revolver stopped with a snap.

Catching the gun handle with precision, Veronica pointed the revolver at the distant demon and necromancer.

“It’s for killing things like them.”

*

Veronica, having shown off her trick, walked forward while spinning her gun.

Passing by the holy knights and clerics slaughtering the hellish monsters, she muttered with interest:

“A bullet made by melting down cathedral relics, infused with holy water, and drawing on the power of the Holy Spirit for a direct hit.”

Tap! Her shoe struck the stone bricks covered in dust, making a dull sound.

“And yet you’re still alive after taking that hit.”

“……”

“Considering Lucia’s temperament, she would have beaten you senseless long ago, and you survived that too, so she must have gone easy on you.”

Veronica smiled at the demon and necromancer.

“So you’re not just some pathetic devil after all?”

The demon, shot in the thigh, dragged its leg and glared at Veronica with murderous intent.

“Veronica! Saint of the Order!”

“Oh.”

A smile spread across Veronica’s face as she spun her revolver.

“You know me?”

“Vulgar gunslinger! Silver bullet shooter! Angel’s servant!”

The demon shouted as if having a fit. Though I had never heard these titles before, I realized they were referring to Veronica.

The demon cried out:

“You have shot and hit two with that gun! And that was before you even reached adulthood!”

I looked at the convulsing demon once, then turned my head to look at Veronica. Facing off against the demon, she tilted her head.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Have you killed demons before? Why is this bastard suddenly acting like this?”

“Ah—”

Veronica exclaimed as if she had just realized something. As if that was what I was curious about.

“I once sent two demons back to hell. One possessing a nobleman’s body and another contracted with a necromancer. Two in total.”

“Were you an exorcist?”

“Hmm… not exactly. I just happened to come across them and lent a hand. Almost died, though.”

Revolver in hand, Veronica grinned as she looked at the demon.

The demon glared at Veronica with bloodshot eyes and spewed curses too vile to repeat.

“How dare a whore like you point a gun? You should be nailed to a cross to dry in the sun, you insolent—”

“I’m a virgin.”

“Damn you…!”

A torrent of vulgar insults poured out, but Veronica remained completely unfazed.

“Your leg can’t even move, yet your tongue is so long. Why don’t you try running away like before?”

“You dare mock me!”

“Mock?”

Veronica smiled.

Standing with one leg cocked at an angle, she pointed her revolver at the demon.

“Look at your condition. You can’t even move properly because of the bullet in your leg, and you can’t even run away.”

“……”

“All your summoned minions are dead, and the lackey who came to help you looks like he’s about to die too, doesn’t he?”

As she said, the demon was in a precarious situation.

The Muspels summoned using human sacrifices had been killed by Veronica and the Inquisition forces, and the necromancer who had suddenly appeared to help the demon had been shot.

“…Keck!”

The necromancer coughed up another handful of blood.

Hunched over and coughing, he knelt on one knee and couldn’t even lift his head. Anyone would end up like that after taking thick lead and silver bullets to the abdomen.

The demon frowned at the miserably defeated necromancer, while Veronica narrowed her eyes and smiled confidently.

“A demon and a necromancer. This is enough to make even the old fogies at the Order very happy. Now, enough games.”

“……”

“It’s time for you to go back where you came from.”

Click! The hammer was cocked.

The long silver barrel gleamed in the starlight, and the bullet loaded in the chamber was aimed at the demon. Veronica, aiming the revolver that could fire at any moment, narrowed her eyes and prepared to pull the trigger.

Finally, as her eyes narrowed and her finger tensed—

– Bang!

A heavy gunshot shook the cavern.

The exploding gunpowder propelled the bullet forward. Flames and smoke burst from the muzzle, and the bullet, spinning along the rifling, flew toward the demon.

Just as the ticket to send the demon back to hell was about to reach it—

– Swoosh!

The necromancer jumped in and took the bullet meant for the demon.

“What the.”

Veronica, still aiming her revolver, showed an expression of disbelief.

“Why did that crazy bastard suddenly jump in? Is there something wrong with his intelligence?”

“…Wait a moment, Veronica.”

I interrupted her. Something was off.

It’s not unheard of for someone to take a bullet for another once or twice. But there was something strange about the necromancer’s current behavior.

“…Huk.”

The necromancer stared at his shot chest with wide eyes and an expression of disbelief.

Blood gushed out, and his trembling hands clutched the area around his chest. Using both hands to cover the entry wound, the necromancer looked back with shaking eyes.

Behind him stood the demon who had used the necromancer as a meat shield.

“What is this… why…”

“You’re quite curious for a useless piece of meat.”

The demon revealed its blackened teeth.

“This shouldn’t be… happening…”

“Why should I protect someone who can’t even run away properly?”

“This is different from what I was told…!”

The necromancer, held by the demon, screamed. He shouted in a voice filled with indignation and rage.

But the demon paid no heed. It turned the necromancer around and brought its face close, almost touching his lips.

A smile spread across the demon’s face.

Its mouth opened wide, revealing blackened teeth. The necromancer, grabbed by the collar, struggled in terror.

“No, don’t…!”

Just as his death cry echoed, a strange phenomenon occurred.

Pale smoke began to rise from the necromancer’s body. Face, neck, chest, arms, legs—smoke rose from every part of his body without exception.

The smoke flowed slowly, very slowly, up along the necromancer’s skin, passing through his neck and face, and was sucked into the demon’s mouth.

“…That’s.”

Veronica’s eyes narrowed as she loaded the next bullet.

“It’s absorbing his soul.”

“What?”

“The demon is absorbing the necromancer’s soul.”

*

Veronica explained the situation unfolding before us in a calm tone.

“What demons need is human souls. You know that succubi seek human vitality, right, Major?”

“Yes.”

“It’s the same principle.”

Just as people need money to live, for demons, human souls are a kind of resource and currency, she explained.

Just as people collect money to buy better houses and cars, demons also collect human souls to trade for something or attempt an “ascension,” she added.

“Of course, necromancers and demons have a somewhat special relationship, so they rarely collect souls.”

“……”

“Well, that’s not what’s important right now.”

Veronica aimed at the demon absorbing the necromancer’s soul. She muttered a prayer, preparing a decisive blow to send the demon back to hell.

At that moment, I noticed something flying from behind.

– Swoosh!

Turning my head, I saw an object with high velocity pass nearby.

The flying object passed by my side and pierced straight through the bodies of the necromancer and demon.

“Arghhhh!!”

A terrible scream shook the cavern.

Suddenly, a silver blade connected the necromancer and the demon, with the handle of a staff deeply embedded in the necromancer’s back.

A staff-blade used by battle priests.

There was only one person here who could wield such a weapon.

I turned my head back and saw Lucia with her arm extended, as if she had just thrown something.

“…Shoot!”

Lucia shouted.

“Right now!”

Lucia, who had thrown the heavy staff-blade, spoke while catching her breath. Clerics around her rushed to support her as she staggered, about to collapse.

Agato’s staff-blade, thrown by Lucia, had skewered the demon and necromancer like a kebab, fixing them firmly in place. The demon, howling in pain, struggled to remove the blade, but the deeply embedded blade showed no signs of coming loose.

“Saint Lucia!”

“…Quickly!”

“……”

Veronica glanced at Lucia before turning back to aim at the demon. Finally, her finger tightened on the trigger, and the gun fired.

The demon, seeing the silver bullet fired at it, widened its eyes. It had been trying to remove the blade, but now it bit its lip with sharp teeth and struck the side of the blade with its fist, breaking it.

– Thud!

Free from its restraint, the demon twisted its body to dodge the bullet. Veronica had aimed for the head, but her bullet hit the demon’s shoulder instead.

“Damn it!”

Veronica cocked the hammer of her revolver and pulled the trigger.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Three shots followed in succession, but the demon twisted its limbs to avoid her bullets.

Eventually, it even resorted to rolling grotesquely on the floor. Gone was its earlier arrogance—now there was just a monster covered in dust and filth, desperate to survive.

Even the last bullet failed to hit the demon.

The demon, having used the necromancer as a meat shield and absorbed his soul, seemed to have regained some strength and cackled.

“Stupid woman!”

“This bastard.”

Veronica gritted her teeth and emptied her pockets. Six bullets received from the priest. After dumping the empty casings from the cylinder onto the floor, she quickly reloaded and aimed at the demon.

But,

“Too late!”

The demon pulled out the blade embedded in its body. Then it swung the bladeless weapon in all directions.

– Crash!

Fragments and dust fell from the stone bricks supporting the cavern. The stone bricks that could have lasted a hundred years began to crumble helplessly under the demon’s slashing.

– Rumble!

As clerics and holy knights scattered in panic from the falling bricks, and Veronica staggered, the demon, having shattered the cavern, tossed aside the blade and grinned.

“You are nothing but monkeys. No matter how hard you try, you cannot defeat us. Today, this place will be your grave.”

Just as the demon grinned, drunk on victory, a single bullet lodged in its mouth.

Having shot the bullet into the demon’s maw, I raised my middle finger at it.

“A gift from my heart, you son of a bitch.”

The demon let out a terrible scream after being shot in the mouth, but even that was buried under the falling bricks.

The demon was buried under the collapsed stone bricks.

I couldn’t be certain whether it was dead or alive, but it was clear that we couldn’t pursue it right now.

– Rumble!

The severed bricks began to collapse even faster. The collapse was accelerating.

Knowing that staying still would certainly lead to death, as the demon had predicted, I holstered my pistol and ran forward.

My destination was the fallen necromancer. Drained of his soul, he was withered like a mummy.

After pulling out the staff-blade embedded in the necromancer’s back, I used what remained of the blade to cut off his wrist.

– Slice!

I roughly stuffed the necromancer’s wrist into my inner pocket. My business was done.

I led Veronica away from the collapsing bricks. Several holy knights and clerics were escorting Lucia to safety, and many troops surrounded us, deflecting falling stone fragments.

Veronica, walking unsteadily with her arm over my shoulder, looked at me thoughtfully and then broke into a smile.

“If I had known this would happen, I should have given the revolver to you, Major…”

And so we escaped from the collapsing cavern through the sewer tunnel to the surface.

Leaving behind the withered corpse of the necromancer and the demon buried under the pile of stones.

“Let’s go. Home.”

“Yes.”

I adjusted my grip on Veronica’s arm and replied.

“Let’s go. Home.”

It was the moment when the battle with the demon, necromancer, and monsters from hell finally came to an end.