---

“In the name of the merciful and compassionate Lord, I offer praise to You, the Master of all things in the world.”

From Veronica’s lips, a prayer flowed.

She rummaged through her pockets and recited the next line.

“O Almighty Lord who governs judgment.”

A shell was wedged between her fingers.

Two broken barrels were loaded with shells, aligning the mechanisms and the barrels perfectly, as the geometric religious symbol engraved on the silver mechanism shone brightly in the darkness.

“We worship only You and seek salvation, so guide us along the righteous path at the door of our hearts. Therefore….”

Click!

The hammer is cocked. Loaded and ready, Veronica aimed her double-barrel shotgun at the hellish monsters.

The saint, holding her impressive shotgun adorned with religious symbols, recited the last line as she took aim at the demons.

“Put those bastards straight back to hell.”

Episode 12 – The Strongest Magician Ever

Lightning strikes.

Thunder made of steel and gunpowder shook the darkest and deepest places.

– ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶!!

A thunderous roar dramatically shook the air, and in its wake, a flash of light burst forth, dispelling the darkness. The fired bullet shot straight and ripped the monster’s hair away.

Veronica pulled the trigger at the oncoming monsters.

The creatures, crawling up from hell, clung to human bodies, fell back into the abyss after being hit by the bullets fired by the saint.

A second flash illuminated the darkness once more.

– ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶!!

The shotgun blasted through the heads of the demon lackeys. The Muspels, hit by the shots, floated into the air, their brains splattered across the ground.

Was the power of a shotgun really this strong? The ones I had shot before didn’t have that kind of firepower.

After finishing her shooting, Veronica broke open the barrel.

Smoke wafted up as two spent shells ejected, and before the smoke could clear, Veronica pulled a fresh shell from her pocket and stuffed it into the barrel. She aligned the barrel and the mechanism correctly, pulled the hammer back, and squeezed the trigger again.

Three Muspels charging at her were shredded apart by the blast, flying several meters away. The Muspels swept up by the storm of steel and gunpowder returned to hell, leaving only their last cries behind.

What overwhelming firepower.

This is no ordinary hunting or military shotgun. Perhaps it was specially made for a specific purpose.

Watching Veronica tidy up the muspels, I noticed her tilting her head as she loaded the shotgun.

“What’s wrong? Is this your first time seeing a priest wielding a gun?”

“…I have seen a priest who enjoys drinking, singing, and gambling, though.”

“Sounds like a deeply faithful person. If they weren’t excommunicated, they must be very pious.”

“Right, Saint.”

Veronica grinned.

The shotgun illuminated the darkness once more.

Like moths attracted to a flame, the hellish monsters rushed toward the saint.

“Stop them!”

A shout burst forth from the middle-aged priest.

The priests who arrived at the cavern behind Veronica tried with all their might to prevent the monsters from reaching her.

Some drew their weapons, some opened their holy books, and others clasped their hands in prayer.

The middle-aged priest, who had shouted, now wielded a radiant sword and shield.

“Kill them!”

“It is what the Lord desires!”

With those words as the signal, the priests and monsters collided.

*

– Kyaaaah!!

The shield-bearing priest lowered himself, bracing for the coming battle.

He measured the distance from the monster swinging its claws at him.

With his footwork swiftly pushing off the ground, the priest waited for the right moment when the monster came within reach and lifted his shield.

He smashed the monster into the air with his shield, while a spear rose from behind him and pierced through the muspel’s belly.

The radiant weapons shone like flames spreading across the field, and a white flash erupted, the monsters’ screams echoing into the sky.

– Thud!

The priest, who had thrust a spear into the chest of a demon, looked around. Two muspels were baring their teeth at him.

The priest stomped on the spear lodged in the chest of the demon, breaking it. Then, he pulled out the shorter spear and drove it into the heart of the oncoming monsters.

In that moment, his cloak billowed in the wind, and the silver armor glowed with radiance.

I instinctively recognized the identity of the priest wielding the spear.

“…Knight.”

The knight made from a makeshift spear stood shoulder to shoulder with other priests. It seemed a few knights were among the priests.

They were fighting extraordinarily well for priests.

As the priests and knights dispatched the approaching monsters, a small contingent broke away from the line to protect Lucia and me.

A priest with a holy book knelt beside the fallen Lucia.

“How is the saint’s condition?”

I relayed Lucia’s state to the priest.

Amid the clashing sounds of weapons and explosions, Lucia, with a pale complexion, murmured softly.

“That necromancer did a number on her. She lost consciousness. The symptoms seem similar to shock, but I can’t determine her exact condition. It appears she’s been cursed.”

“A curse, huh? Did you provide any first aid?”

“I did give her holy water, but I’m not sure if it was effective…”

The priest placed a finger on Lucia’s wrist. Closing his eyes, he focused all his senses.

“Fortunately, it seems the holy water wasn’t entirely ineffective. I will pray to ensure she regains her consciousness.”

At that moment, a pure holy light erupted from the priest’s feet.

The healing priest’s prayer.

Looking down, I saw Lucia, who had been unconscious, had gathered her hands in prayer.

“Ugh….”

I grabbed her hands under my chin.

“Lucia, are you coming to?”

With dazed eyes, Lucia barely turned her head to survey her surroundings.

“The demons, where….”

Her words were cut off by a shout.

“Graaaah!”

One of the four priests protecting us, wielding a mace, let out a shout.

The spiked mace sliced through the air, crushing the head of a muspel crawling on the ground. The priest who smashed the demon continued swinging the mace and bludgeoned another monster that followed.

But perhaps he used too much strength, as he swung the mace wide and exposed his chest, allowing a muspel to take its chance.

The muspel lunged into the priest’s embrace.

“Ugh…!”

“Matteo!”

The priest collided with the monster and fell on the spot.

Another priest, seemingly his colleague, hurried to help him, but there were too many monsters surrounding them.

The muspel, mounted atop the priest, drooled thick saliva.

As the sharp claws rose high and aimed to tear open the defenseless chest…

– ㅡ! ㅡ!

Two air holes were shot into the muspel’s head, causing its body to topple backward.

I exhaled as smoke wafted from the barrel of my pistol.

“Phew… That was close.”

The priest, who had just stepped back from the brink of death, turned his head to look at me in a hurry.

He cleared the muspel from atop him, staggering to his feet and shouted in gratitude.

“Thank you!”

I took aim and shot at the surrounded monsters.

Knights swung their swords and spears, crushing the skulls of the muspels, while priests raised their holy powers, supporting them in various ways.

Among them, the most outstanding priest was none other than Veronica.

She stood confidently with her ornate double-barrel shotgun in hand, like a noble out on a hunt.

“……”

With her shotgun steadied, Veronica opened her eyes and searched for her target.

Once she identified the target, her eyes narrowed.

– ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶!!

With a thunderous noise, lightning erupted.

The shotgun was aimed at the fleeing demons and the necromancer.

As the thunderous roar resonated, the limping necromancer turned his head. In a panic, he flailed his arms.

Suddenly, the muspels surrounding him converged, forming a flesh wall, and not a single bullet could reach either the necromancer or the demon.

Veronica lowered her shotgun and clicked her tongue in disappointment.

“…Tch! I only managed to hit one leg. They’re quite cunning.”

“……”

The necromancer glared at Veronica.

The magical energy in the air began to swirl around him, as a magic circle began to form in the air.

Veronica glanced once at the necromancer preparing to attack but showed no sign of tension, instead displaying a relaxed demeanor as she lowered her gaze.

She broke open the barrel and ejected the spent shells, then extended her hand to the priest behind her.

“Bullet number three. Make it penetrating.”

“Yes, Saint.”

The wind howled fiercely.

Her long hair swirled in the gusts, and the pure white fascia, reserved only for saints, fluttered like a ship anchored in the stormy harbor.

Yet, Saint Veronica showed no hesitation whatsoever.

– Clack!

The saint had finished reloading and aimed her firearm, while the necromancer swung his arm.

Bullets and spells collided in mid-air.

The thick lead bullet shredded through the flesh barrier and struck the necromancer and the demon lurking behind him.

“Cough…!”

Conversely, the green curse hurled by the necromancer missed Veronica entirely.

“…The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

As the saint raised a prayer, the green curse veered off, dodging her as though someone had deflected it before her.

The wayward curse flew behind her, melting the wall before exploding.

Even amidst the turbulent winds that tousled her hair, the saint calmly reloaded her weapon. The roar of thunder shook the cavern as the monster’s head burst apart, a perfectly natural spectacle.

Standing tall on the upraised stone bricks, Veronica sent the hellish creatures crashing back down to their origin.

The priests and knights witnessing this cheered, while Lucia groaned and pushed herself up from the ground.

“Ugh….”

In the moment I reached out to support Lucia, my eyes caught a long object rolling on the floor.

It was the familiar shape of a staff’s handle, with a long white blade extending beneath it. It was the Staff Sword of Inquisitor Agato that had fallen during the initial clash with the demon.

I picked up the staff sword rolling on the ground and handed it to the swaying Lucia.

“Use this to steady yourself. Are you alright?”

“…Yes.”

Her blue eyes twinkled in the darkness.

Stumbling to her feet, Lucia tightly wrapped the loosely hanging cloth around her fist and steadied her posture, preparing for battle.

At that moment,

“Don’t get up.”

Veronica ordered Lucia sharply.

“You’re in no condition to fight. Just stay down.”

“But…!”

“Enough.”

Veronica, reloading her weapon, cast a heavy glance at Lucia. The coldness of her gaze made Lucia flinch, her shoulders tensing.

“What have you done to be so bold?”

“…….”

Lucia lowered her head, and Veronica pulled the trigger.

With a heavy gunshot, the chest of the Muspel charging through the air exploded. Blood and flesh splattered, making it seem as if the monster’s fur was sprouting wings.

As Veronica pulled the trigger, she received another round from the priest and, inserting the bullet into the bent barrel, added,

“For now, let’s leave the story here. We can discuss the rest later.”

Lucia muttered in a faint voice.

“…Sister.”

The saint, fists clenched, glanced at the saint armed with a shotgun, as the reloaded saint turned her firearm forward.

As she pulled the trigger, a powerful shot resonated, creating a burst of light.

Towards the beaconing glow, the hellish monsters charged with a cacophony of screams.

– Kyaaaaah!!

– Kieeeeek!!

Veronica fired at the monsters. However, the number of Muspel far outnumbered her two shots.

Loading her shotgun, Veronica glanced at the priests and knights holding back the advancing beasts and clicked her tongue.

“Tsk…!”

No matter how many monsters she killed, they seemed to be multiplying endlessly. For every one that fell, two more rose from the ground, which made such a reality seem almost predictable.

Until now, Veronica had been taking out clusters of Muspel with her shotgun as if sweeping them away, but perhaps the short interval allowed them to space out, making them dodge the incoming rounds.

“This won’t do.”

Sensing the effectiveness of her shots dwindling, Veronica relaxed her aim and lowered her shotgun.

She tossed it to the priest handing her bullets, then, without a word, extended her palm.

“Gun.”

The priest placed a gun into the saint’s hand. To be precise, it was the handle of a revolver contained in a leather holster.

Veronica pulled the revolver from the holster, her grip firm around it—it was significantly larger and heavier than the one I usually carried.

A long barrel,

A round cylindrical chamber,

Intricate religious symbols engraved along the barrel,

And a checker-patterned wooden grip for added sturdiness.

A revolver that was just as luxurious as her double-barreled shotgun.

“…Huh.”

Holding the revolver, Veronica closed her eyes and took a series of deep breaths.

Then, in a very soft voice, she began to recite a prayer.

“Arise. The light has come; the holy glory of the Holy Spirit has descended upon you.”

At that moment, a light appeared in the air.

The light gradually took the form of a sphere and slowly fell like dandelion seeds riding the wind.

Having finished her prayer, Veronica opened her eyes and gazed at the light.

At the same time, someone’s panicked whisper reached everyone’s ears.

“…No.”

It was the voice of the demon possessing Inquisitor Agato, who was being supported by the necromancer.

The demon, fixated on the floating light, shouted in a desperate tone.

“No!!”

“…What do you mean, ‘no’?”

Raising a finger towards the demon, Veronica smiled wickedly and stomped the ground.

Charging forward with the revolver in hand, she soared into the air, trampling over the stunned knights and priests beneath her.

“No!!”

As the demon outstretched its claw, emitting a final scream in despair.

At that moment, Veronica’s hand, soaring high into the air, made contact with the sphere of light.

– WAAAAH!

In that instant, divine power surged like a storm.

A sudden gust of wind and a torrent of light caused everyone to squint and turn away. The demon’s agonized screams echoed amidst the light and wind.

Veronica, gripping the sphere tightly, became enveloped in light.

Surrounded by a brilliant white glow, she floated through the air and opened her eyes, which she had briefly closed.

“…….”

Below her were the monsters from hell, the priests, the demon, and the necromancer. And there, one annoying sister and one familiar man.

Veronica lifted her gaze towards the sky.

Although countless monsters swarmed below, above her was a vast, open expanse.

All that lay above her head were the stars.

– Click.

The distinct sound of the revolver’s hammer being cocked echoed clearly.

As the saint lifted her gaze towards the sky, she looked back down at the monsters, the necromancer, and the demon.

Like a fish swimming through the deep ocean, the demon glared at her, its bloodshot eyes gritting its teeth.

“…Cursed priest!”

Veronica, soaring high, shifted her gaze.

Passing over the demon, the necromancer, the knights, and the priests, her gaze found us. She glanced briefly at the gloomy Lucia before stealing a sidelong look at me.

Suddenly, a smile graced her lips.

Surrounded by the radiant white light, she descended slowly from the sky, still smiling.

Then, looking past the priests and knights back to the demon, the necromancer, and the monsters, she spoke.

“Here.”

The saint declared.

“The divine retribution you ordered has arrived.”

*

The silvery barrel gleamed as it caught the starlight.

With a deliberate movement, the hammer struck the bullet, and a heavy gunshot erupted, coupled with a flash.

The fired bullet zipped through the air, piercing the demon’s body. The subsequent shot punctured the necromancer’s abdomen, while the remaining projectiles rained down upon the monsters charging toward us.

It was akin to a bombardment from the heavens, or thunder and lightning striking down.

As the bullets from the revolver struck the Muspel, a burst of white light erupted from within, resulting in their explosion.

The explosion, infused with overwhelming divine energy, swept away the surrounding Muspel, causing the ones who were knocked back to collapse to the ground without even a scream.

“…….”

“…….”

The sight of dozens of Muspel being obliterated in an instant left everyone speechless.

Veronica, unleashing a barrage from her revolver, landed softly on the ground with an elegant motion.

She blew a puff of smoke from the still-warm barrel of her revolver, then spun it once with her finger.

As she finished dispatching the monsters and was twirling her gun, she suddenly locked eyes with me. She flashed a playful smile and made a light-hearted quip.

“What’s wrong?”

“…….”

“Is this your first time seeing a priest who shoots so well?”

 

---