Chapter 129

Level Up Heresy Inquisitor – Episode 129 (129/227)

Episode 129: The Underground World (3)

Ku-gu-gu-gung!

A series of loud explosions echoed through the long passage leading to the entrance.

The headquarters was under a surprise attack by the Church’s Holy Knights and the believers of the Dusk Council, who were fiercely battling.

But there were just too many of them.

Since this was the largest facility owned by the Crimson Dusk Council, the Knights of Light were gradually being pushed back.

Moreover, the skill levels of those attacking were much stronger due to this being the heart of the Dusk Council.

And worse still, the situation had the Church forces surrounded, desperately trying to break out, making it even harder to suppress them.

“Hold on just a little longer! Reinforcements from the Heretical Interrogation Office will be here soon!”

The leading Holy Knight shouted.

They couldn’t afford to lose even a single passage if they wanted to prevent the escape of the Dusk Council’s leader, whose whereabouts had finally been discovered.

But then, a black mage in the rear finished a long incantation.

A massive dark sphere he launched flew straight toward them in an instant.

Kwaang!

“Kraaaagh!”

The Holy Knights blocking the passage were thrown off.

Even some of the Dusk Council fanatics caught in the blast radius perished, but no one paid any mind to that fact.

“We’ve finally broken through! Let’s get out of here quickly!”

“Wait, over there…!”

“What…?”

Suddenly sensing movement.

An overwhelming killing intent swept over them, and everyone in the passage reflexively turned their heads.

From the darkness of the passage…

A woman with long red hair came walking toward them.

Her eyes were covered by a black cloth, and she held a long sickle in one hand.

She wasn’t wearing heavy armor like the Holy Knights, but the emblem of the Church—a red cross—was embroidered on her attire.

“Are… are you also one of the Church’s lackeys?”

A man shouted as he raised his sword.

Clearly, the opponent was only one person, and she was blind.

Yet his body instinctively recoiled despite himself.

“You heretics have sold your souls to demons.”

“Shut up, trash!”

He charged at her with his sword raised.

The woman continued advancing down the long passage.

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“We are all sinners. All beings are destined to be consumed by death. From the moment we are born, we are sinners sentenced to die according to the Creator’s will.”

The woman slowly approached through the dark passage.

She eventually stepped fully into the light.

“I shall guide you to salvation.”

Whoosh!

Sacred flames erupted around her long sickle.

The head of the guy screaming while swinging his sword was cleanly severed first.

All the believers filling the passage rushed forward, and the black mages began preparing spells.

Every time her sickle swung, their blood spurted endlessly.

Fierce flames burned the sinners, filling the passage with intense heat.

Thud!

Everyone was cut down, and sticky rivers of blood formed.

Only two people remained standing in the entire area.

The last remaining man had a long sword embedded in his side.

“Keuhk…!”

The Dusk Council believer was grabbed by the neck by the woman and struggled against the wall.

“Heretics deceived by demons or believers serving the gods… It’s merely a matter of degree of sin. We must all prove our sins through suffering and atone for them.”

“Kraaaaaaagh!”

White flames erupted from the embedded blade, and sacred fire began burning his flesh.

Unable to endure the searing pain spreading from his side, he writhed in agony.

But it didn’t last long.

Losing even the strength to scream, the man began begging for death.

“Lord, kill me.”

The trembling fanatic’s eyes overflowed with tears of blood.

But the woman quietly extended her hand and gently caressed his cheek.

“Cease your tears. You don’t need to cry anymore. I’ll burn away both your sins and your tears.”

Kwaaak!

The sword plunged deeper.

The man’s eyes rolled back as his mouth twitched.

As death approached, a powerful divine magic enveloped him, repeating his torment endlessly.

Instinctively grabbing the dagger at his waist, the struggling man made one final attempt.

“Die…!”

Kwaaak!

The dagger buried deep into the woman’s heart.

Blood trickled down her lips as she swayed.

But she neither screamed nor fell.

She simply opened her mouth slowly.

“Since I too am dying and going to hell, I gladly offer you salvation.”

* * *

“All entrances have been sealed, Executive. The secret passages we knew about have been destroyed, so there’s no way for them to escape.”

“Good job.”

A young man spoke briefly as he entered the headquarters of the Dusk Council.

The man leading the charge was named Pedro, one of the five Executioners of the Lu.

Since this was essentially the last stronghold of the Dusk Council, two Executioners personally participated in this raid operation.

Pedro confidently advanced inside and soon reached the opposite passage, where he encountered the aftermath of a terrible massacre.

The floor and walls were soaked in blood.

The bodies were so heavily mutilated that identifying them was impossible, and the air was filled with a foul stench.

Hundreds appeared to have been torn apart.

Pedro faced the woman standing in the center of this scene of hell.

“Sethon, was this your doing again?”

Frowning, he spat out his words.

Turning her head, Sethon, the scythe-wielding woman, looked at Pedro.

“You’ve arrived.”

Sethon greeted him with a faint smile.

She too was an Executioner of the Church, wielding immense power as one of the top decision-makers within the Light Church.

“If not for the Goddess’ vast mercy, you would’ve deserved to be burned as a heretic without complaint.”

Pedro made no effort to hide his displeasure.

The strict fundamentalist couldn’t tolerate her thoughts and actions.

As a follower of the Light Church, judging sinners and restoring world order was their true mission.

Though interpretations of the Divine Will varied among the Church’s numerous believers and even among the Executioners themselves, Sethon took things a bit too far.

However, Sethon casually laughed it off, used to his attitude.

“Hmm, really? If my faith were wrong, I wouldn’t be able to stand as an Executioner. Everyone has their own path toward the Goddess, and walking it faithfully is enough. What matters most is that we’re both here, receiving her will.”

“…”

Pedro continued to look at her disapprovingly.

Breaking the awkward silence, Sethon spoke first.

“Will you leave the Dusk Council’s leader alone? Brother.”

“…Bring him.”

The most important thing was the Goddess’ command.

Capturing the Dusk Council leader hiding inside the base was the priority.

After the Inquisition joined forces, most of the Dusk Council fanatics stationed within the facility had already been subdued.

Kwaang!

The two Executioners burst through the door.

“There you are, leader. Still putting up resistance?”

“Don’t make me laugh! The ones who’ll end are you bastards!”

Chaaa!

Black energy surged toward the Dusk Council leader.

Pulling out an unknown black gem from somewhere, he activated it, and thick black fog began to envelop the surroundings.

The leader collapsed unconscious due to the artifact he used.

But soon, the expressions of the two Executioners turned to shock.

Jje-jjer-jeck!

A massive demon emerged from the fog.

The Greedy Demon, Benaron.

Not a lesser demon imitating its form, but the true demon itself had appeared.

Kuung!

With a casual wave of Benaron’s hand, a powerful shockwave occurred, sending the two flying from the impact.

“Khrrk…!”

The two Executioners who had rolled on the ground quickly got up.

They reached for their dropped weapons.

Tsts-ts-ts-ts!

However, the movements—and even their consciousness—of the Executioners completely froze.

No matter how strong one might be, they were powerless before the presence of a deity incarnate.

“Two Executioners… Not bad.”

Benaron grinned down at them.

The strongest steeds cherished by the Goddess of Light.

Manifesting physically in the world required tremendous energy, and Benaron stretched out his arm to kill them immediately.

But at that moment…

Kwaaa!

Blinding white light dispelled the black fog and illuminated the room.

In front of the startled Benaron appeared the Goddess herself.

Dressed in radiant white armor, the Goddess of Justice and Light, ‘Lu,’ stood there.

“I didn’t expect you to appear directly. I thought creating apostles would prevent you from moving for a while.”

Benaron scanned her with a greedy gaze.

While he had manifested using a consumable artifact, Lu had descended without any aid—an act requiring enormous energy expenditure.

“How did you show up here? Two Executioners aren’t worth this much trouble.”

Benaron questioned.

But Lu silently stared at him.

“Are you angry because your precious apostle was harmed? Or is this another result of madness? Either way, it’s foolish.”

Benaron stepped closer with a disturbing grin, his monstrous arm reaching toward Lu.

Chaaak!

Lu swung her longsword, severing the demon’s arm.

The severed arm wriggled on the ground.

Chiik!

But the severed limb quickly regenerated, and a smug smile spread across Benaron’s face.

“We are eternal beings. Neither of us can kill the other, even if we’ve manifested in this world.”

“Eternal… What a great misunderstanding.”

Lu spoke with disdain.

Despite having to look upward at the towering demon, her proud gaze pierced through the insignificant devil before her.

“The time you’ve existed is barely a year, and half of that you spent asleep.”

Chaaak!

Once again, the demon’s right arm was severed, spurting black blood.

“No…?”

But Benaron hesitated, startled.

The severed arm didn’t regenerate this time.

Not only that, he could feel it…

The damage wasn’t limited to the physical form he’d revealed here; his true essence itself had been struck.

“You bastard… What is this?!”

Enraged, Benaron extended his left arm to strike Lu.

But it was futile.

His attack was blocked by the brilliant light barrier surrounding Lu and bounced off harmlessly.

“You don’t truly understand, do you? A half-deity like you wouldn’t know the rules of the game… Your role ends here.”

Whoosh!

Sacred flames blazed around Lu’s longsword.