episode_0041
by fnovelpiaThe steps toward the professor’s office are getting faster and faster.
There was no way to predict how much time would be left. It was a matter of how tenaciously the possessor held on to the demon.
bang!
As I roughly opened the door to the professor’s office, Deacon Sophia, who was sitting on the sofa working, turned around with a startled expression.
“What a surprise…! Chief Priest?!”
“Hoooo… . Deacon Sophia. I need help. ”
“… Yes?”
Deacon Sophia made a blank expression. I took a slow, steady breath and said.
“A little while ago, you said you were curious about what was going on.”
“Uh… Weren’t you supposed to say that?”
“… Not anymore.”
Deacon Sophia, seeing my stern expression, slowly got up from the sofa. I nodded heavily and said.
“Follow me. I’ll explain the details as we go.”
* * * * *
“What, what do you mean? There’s a devil in the Academy?”
Deacon Sophia followed me quickly. I glanced at her and said,
“It’s literally true. There’s a devil in the Academy.”
“Oh, no… .”
“Sub-title Sophia. There is a devil in the Academy. Just know that for now.”
“Where are those demons?”
I stopped walking and looked down at her. There was tension on Deacon Sophia’s face.
“Priest Peter and Priest Camilla. They are both under suspicion.”
“… Yes? No, is that possible?”
“It is possible.”
“How many demons exist?”
“I’m guessing around net, but I’m not sure.”
What is certain is that the number of demons exceeds three. Priest Camilla’s awkward reaction was proof of this.
– The sound of dishes clanking, the sound of something hard being chewed, the sound of a crow croaking… I think it was something like that.
Three voices. There are three people who support the leader demon. But because of that, they desperately tried to hide their leader.
Demons desperately try to hide the fact that they are possessed. They are cunning and clever. They twist the course of events or intentionally try to erase their traces from the memory of the possessed.
However, if you can’t completely control the bodies of the possessed, it usually ends up as a half-baked plan.
There was also a flaw in the conversation with Father Camilla. I was concentrating on that.
– You mean the bedroom, not the living room?
– Oh, the living room. Right. The living room.
The fact that the dormitory had no bedrooms was something that Priest Camilla could not have been mistaken about after living there for about a month.
“They didn’t fully understand the layout of the dormitory.”
“That means… .”
“Yes. I haven’t completely taken control of Priest Camilla’s body yet.”
That means it hasn’t been long since I became a prince. That was one of the few comforting facts.
“There is more evidence.”
“Huh? There’s more?”
– So… what did it look like…?
– …yes?
– Now that I think about it, I don’t think there was anything like that.
“The rest of the demons are desperately trying to hide the existence of the leader demon. There was no such being. I was mistaken… .”
“If you wanted to hide it, you shouldn’t have consulted from the beginning. Isn’t that too sloppy?”
Yes. If the demons possessing Priest Camilla’s body wanted to hide the existence of their leader demon, they should not have come to me for consultation in the first place.
But, even so, they didn’t stop me from meeting them.
“To insult the Lord.”
“Huh? You’re insulting me?”
“When seeing off Priest Camilla and Priest Peter, Priest Camilla showed a particularly regretful reaction.”
“But, what about that?”
The time the two left the church was exactly 2:59 PM.
“It was just before three o’clock in the afternoon. That was the hour the Lord passed away.”
“Then, you said you were sorry to leave… .”
“Yes. At 3pm when the Lord passed away, and in the cathedral at that. It is a pity that they could not stay until that time. If they had walked around the cathedral until 3pm, it would have been an act of insulting the Lord and insulting the light.”
Deacon Sophia shook her shoulders as if she had goosebumps all over her body. I, too, was secretly disgusted by that wicked intention.
“They were trying to insult the Lord and the Light, but they probably didn’t want their existence to be discovered. The unstable state of Priest Camilla is proof of this.”
“And yet, the fact that Priest Camilla spoke of the existence of three demons… .”
“Yes. Priest Camilla is still holding on. Resisting the demons.”
Yes. The three voices that Priest Camilla spoke of. Those must have been the things that Priest Camilla desperately wanted to tell me while resisting the demons.
“This situation will not be pleasant for them either. They value hiding their identity the most, and their existence has already been revealed. Priest Camilla did a good job.”
“So, are we going to Father Camilla to perform an exorcism?”
“… It is difficult to proceed right now.”
Yes, there was a problem. According to church law, exorcisms must be approved by the parish priest.
And I know someone who can contact the parish priest of the institution.
“I need to see the president.”
“But, I have a question.”
“What is that?”
Deacon Sophia scratched her head and asked.
“Then, Father Peter is not possessed? Do we just need to exorcise Father Camilla?”
“I originally had no intention of performing the exorcism only on Father Camilla.”
“Huh?!”
Deacon Sophia was shocked. It was only natural. All the evidence pointed to Father Camilla, but she refused to exorcise him.
“Substitute Sophia. Demons usually want male bodies.”
“That’s right… ?”
“And they are wicked. Since I have already discovered their true identity, do you think they will stay in Priest Camilla’s body? Priest Camilla is already very rebellious and we don’t get along well?”
“Then… .”
I nodded heavily. The situation was not good.
– Since I came here, there hasn’t been a day where I couldn’t fall asleep easily. I always fall asleep before midnight and wake up early in the morning… .
What Father Peter said to me. His words did not make sense.
Father Peter and I certainly went for a walk together until the wee hours of the morning because we couldn’t sleep. Father Peter didn’t remember it.
And he, like Priest Camilla, may not have been getting enough sleep. The reason he had been looking so old lately was because he was tired.
Perhaps it is the effect of being possessed by a demon. It does not seem to have completely taken control of the body yet… .
“Priest Peter will also be possessed by the demon that follows the leader. However, the leader demon will be in the body of Priest Camilla.”
“Well, then that would explain why the leader demon desperately tried to prevent his presence from being known.”
“Yes. He will probably move to Father Peter. He is the closest male and he is probably the one he knows best.”
If even the chief demon crosses over into the body of Priest Peter, it will only be a matter of time.
Of course, it is not easy for demons to escape from the possessed body. If the possessed desperately holds on to the spirits, they will not be able to escape easily.
However, it is a different story when the possessor does not have the strength to hold on to it.
“Father Camilla has been very tired both physically and mentally for the past month. She probably won’t be able to hold them back from moving on to Father Peter for long.”
We hurried to the president’s office. We couldn’t afford to lose even a moment.
“… Lord, have mercy.”
Please, I hope you two can hold on tight.
* * * * *
“Hmm… ?”
Father Peter opened his eyes. He didn’t like the throbbing in his head.
His expression distorted on its own. Where was he now?
I can’t remember anything. My head is pounding and I’m dizzy.
“Priest Peter.”
Suddenly, someone spoke. Father Peter looked around in confusion.
It was the dormitory for the faculty and staff of Chaldea Imperial Academy. It was a familiar sight, but something strangely different from the room he had been staying in caught his eye.
“Priest Peter.”
The sound was coming from the bed. Father Peter’s eyes turned towards it.
“Priest Peter.”
Priest Camilla was lying on the bed, looking at him. If so, this must be Priest Camilla’s room. Priest Peter tried to approach Priest Camilla.
“Ka, Priest Camilla?”
Something feels strange. What is this disconnect?
The room was completely red. Whether it was the sunset light streaming through the curtains or something else, Father Peter could not tell.
Creak… .
“… Huh?”
bang!
Suddenly, the front door slammed shut with a loud noise. Father Peter turned around without realizing it.
And then, he shuddered. He felt an intense gaze from somewhere.
Father Peter looked back hurriedly.
The bed where Priest Camilla had been lying until just a moment ago.
“What is this… .”
There was no one there.
“Gasp… Huh… .”
He was out of breath due to an inexplicable sense of fear. Something was wrong. Sensing this, Father Peter hurriedly opened the closed front door and went out.
No, I was trying to go out.
“Father Peter?”
It felt like waking up from a dream. Hearing the usual tone of voice from behind him, Father Peter felt a great sense of relief.
That’s right, the moment I was about to turn my head.
The rosary around his neck trembled, and then the string snapped.
The cross-shaped rosary that was hanging from it fell limply to the floor.
Father Peter’s body froze. He slowly looked down at his rosary with trembling eyes.
“… … .”
The rosary in the shape of a cross was turned over.
The inverted cross. It is a sacred symbol representing Saint Peter, who is also the priest’s own name.
Above it, a strange set of footprints suddenly appeared, branching into three paths.
It looked like the claw marks of a beast, but also like three writhing snakes covered in blood.
“… How dare you.”
Father Peter could tell what it meant.
The wicked being was insulting himself and, by extension, Saint Peter, by using the name of Saint Peter.
“You… this beast… .”
A giggle and a laugh could be heard behind him. Father Peter clenched his teeth and tried to rebuke them.
However, Father Peter was unable to continue speaking.
“… … .”
It was because the stench was so terrible that I couldn’t come out of there.
Sour smell.
Like the smell of a corpse rotting away.
No. It smells like something burning… .
“Oh, uh… sigh… .”
My vision became blurry.
Black dots, like hallucinations, appear and flutter before my eyes.
And then I saw.
A beast’s arm, soaked in blood, appeared behind Father Peter’s back and gently stroked his arm.
Following that gesture, I felt a hot heat.
Feathers as red as blood fluttered.
What on earth is behind me?
“This, run… .”
As soon as my hand passed over it, it no longer moved.
It was as if the nerves in that area had disappeared. For a moment, my head felt dizzy and I became faint.
An unbearable feeling of extreme fear comes over me. I can’t breathe.
“Priest Peter.”
And Priest Peter turned around when he heard someone calling him.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
It is, it is….
“Ah. Ah, ahh… .”
It is the bead of all evil.
Sitting on the bed in the dormitory, large eyes looking at Father Peter.
It was those two eyes that were glowing red like a blazing flame.
Priest Camilla tilted her head.
Tilt.
Nonsense.
At that angle.
He tilted his neck.
No, it was broken.
And, the eyes. Those ugly… disgusting… beautifully sparkling eyes and… . That sweet… ecstatic, one… voice… .
The immortal being. Peter’s body.
Licking it.
Chewing it carefully.
From the high sky, falling.
Hoshitamtam, aiming for the lottery ticket to heaven.
Eyes, eyes… .
Eyes of vengeance, burning like flames.
A morning star falling from the sky, engulfed in flames.
him.
Looking at it.
“Peter.”
An ecstatic, sweet voice.
I felt like my heart was breaking.
Yes. The heart that had been wrapped in the firm faith of Father Peter had become weak like a collapsed wall.
“Don’t go.”
Suddenly, I came to my senses.
Father Peter’s body was turned exactly towards Father Camilla.
Without even knowing it.
The voice. The more I hear that sweet, heart-stirring voice.
My heart felt like it was being squeezed and my mind was breaking.
Still, I couldn’t close my ears.
This is, this is….
You, dirty beast!
The Lord protects me! The Lord protects me… .
…will you protect me?
I am Peter. I am a junior priest. Peter is here.
I came here when your first offspring was conceived.
When you first enjoyed the grace of fire, I was there.
When you first set sail, looking at the celestial landmarks, I was there too.
And when you first established your dynasty.
I was there.
Peter. That rock-solid guy. When he saw the glass palace before his eyes, I should have headed toward it.
I regret not being able to get you through. That’s why I came here.
The chisel and hammer for breaking the rock were all prepared by the hands of you monkeys.
I only gave advice. The beasts of prey, the fierce dogs, the treacherous snakes helped me.
“Ugh, gasp… . Huh… !”
Suddenly, Father Peter’s vision expanded.
It is the blazing eyes of a bird of prey and the blood-soaked snake.
The moment you look at it.
Priest Peter, Priest Peter… .
No, I… .
I am…….
… … .
……uh.
… … .
[ Peter. The 1,213,946th Peter. ]
Beyond the slowly collapsing Priest Peter, the red-hot eyes of the beast were shining brightly.
[ I came here to put out the light . ]
Just before his last consciousness was lost, Father Peter uttered words filled with despair.
“Oh my god… .”
okay.
I saw the devil.
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