How a Reincarnated Warlock Lives – Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Caridad Catacomb (7)

『One God. Five Archangels.

And Seven Great Demons.

The great beings who gaze at the heavens from the lowest depths of hell.』

The first volume of the Hell Bible. Its first sentence.

A sentence clearly engraved in my mind, the only black mage, or perhaps even mortal, to have read all seven volumes of the Hell Bible.

Rumble.

I felt almost all of the Magi I had stored in the Artifact of the Rift drain away like an ebb tide. It’s a good thing that Magi is stored in other places; if it had been dwelling within my body, I would have suffered terrible pain from the backlash of the suddenly drained power.

The reason Harzan, who is bleeding from the corner of his mouth, and the High Priest named Otfrid are horrified is not simply because I, whom they believed to be an Inquisitor, used Magi.

Of course, that alone would have been unprecedented, but the real reason that shocked them lies elsewhere.

The top of the altar. The fact that I instilled my will in the place where Caridad’s energy resides is not something that can be done simply because one can handle Magi.

It’s not difficult to push your own Magi into a place where demonic energy resides and convey your will.

The important thing is that the being responding to my will right now is not a trivial lower-ranking demon.

“……!”

Right now, I’m certainly not at a level where I can handle the High Priest of the Caridad Catacomb and all the black mages gathered below.

But it’s not me who’s punishing them now.

「Ah, as expected, it was you, Astrid.」

A voice that came from somewhere, tearing through space, in a moment of abnormal silence as if time had stopped.

It hasn’t been long since I woke up again, but the owner of the voice immediately recognized my identity, which no one had even guessed at.

Hell, the Negative World, the Negative Dimension.

One of the seven rulers of the place that people call by different names.

The Demon of Charity, Caridad.

A voice contained within an indescribable resonance shook the space.

In reality, no actual voice was heard. This place is eerily quiet right now.

The Great Demon’s words were something completely different from the waves that are transmitted by a simple voice vibrating the air.

It feels as if he’s conveying his will directly into my mind.

Drip, drip.

The sound of blood dripping onto the floor from a wound I got scratched by a sharp stone nearby while running in a hurry was clearly audible.

In that strange silence, I slowly opened my mouth.

“……It’s been a while.”

「I already knew that your soul hadn’t arrived below. But for you to find me first.」

A blurry form in the air. A color like a shadow. But there was no object casting the shadow.

In the first place, it’s a being that cannot manifest in the real world. Unless it’s the day the end of the world comes.

The reason why even a faint fragment of the Great Demon could be projected into the real world is because this place also contains a small amount of his energy, but above all, it’s because the Great Demon himself willed it.

If Caridad himself hadn’t wanted it, he wouldn’t have responded even if I poured all my strength into it.

Just like he did to his followers for the past five hundred years.

「Did you run away because you were afraid of suffering eternally in this place you call hell?」

A strange resonance.

It took considerable effort not to lose my mind to that head-spinning resonance.

I bit my lip and looked at a part of the strange shadow projected into the real world.

Only two people here could withstand even a little of the momentum emanating from the shadow and understand its meaning.

Me and the High Priest of the Caridad Catacomb. Harzan and the rest of the black mages located below the altar had already lost consciousness and collapsed the moment the first wave surged.

“I, I-Impossible……!”

The old man with a hunched back had a pale face. As if he had seen something he shouldn’t have seen even in his dreams.

「Ah, before that.」

And the fact that he saw something he shouldn’t have seen was a simple truth.

Thud!

The moment the shadow’s voice ended, the giant cocoon on top of the altar burst open.

The outer shell, which looked thicker and harder than the Gardener’s that Harzan and I dealt with before, was torn as lightly as paper, and the contents inside splattered everywhere.

“No! This can’t be! This can’t─”

The High Priest shouted as he saw the results of his research, which he didn’t know how long it had been, being shattered so easily.

Whoosh!

The old man, with a face full of rage, turned towards the direction where the shadow was flickering.

Crackle.

The robe that was covering his body ripped, and something sprouted from his back.

What appeared to be a hunchback was four arms. A fitting appearance for the leader of those grafting research freaks.

Each arm was densely engraved with hellish letters.

“Even you can’t do this! Why are we doing this─”

The High Priest, who had tried to create something to replace the unresponsive Great Demon, shouted with resentment and raised his arms.

Wooong.

Different spells began to flicker from each of the four arms.

He’s a person who could easily break the shield I created by pouring most of my Holy Power into it just by lightly waving his hand. I could tell how powerful the fatal spell he was creating would be without having to experience it.

The surrounding air violently fluctuated due to the powerful energy the High Priest was creating.

But the next moment.

Thud!

The spell the High Priest was preparing disappeared without a trace, and his body exploded.

Splash. Black blood splattered all over the altar.

Not a single word was spoken.

As if he didn’t even feel the need to exchange words.

Indeed, it was power befitting a ruler of hell who opposes God and the Archangels. I muttered softly as I watched the exhilarating yet terrifying scene.

“You’re overdoing it. Using that much power on earth will have a significant impact on your main body. Are you feeling betrayed?”

That was true.

If this were the Negative Dimension where the Great Demon’s main body is located, that level of power would be nothing, but this is the earth.

A considerable price is required to forcibly draw and use your power while deceiving the laws of reality governed by Mana. Whether it’s an Archangel or a Great Demon.

Of course, Caridad came here because he was interested in me, but he probably also wanted to end the ritual here.

Creating something new in the Great Demon’s domain that would supply them with Magi would have been a direct insult to Caridad’s pride.

「Betrayal. You make interesting noises, mage.」

The shadow trembled slightly, as if he had heard a funny joke.

Indeed, betrayal is established when there is mutual trust and minimal respect. Would there be a human who feels betrayed by an ant?

The shadow, shaking with amusement, said something meaningful to me.

「That’s cheating. There’s no reason to give those despicable hypocrites above an unnecessary excuse.」

Did he know from the beginning what the black mages of the Caridad Catacomb were doing behind his back?

The thick Magi fluttering like wind tightened around me, suffocating me, but I raised my head.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

The important thing is that a definite opportunity has come right before my eyes.

Crack.

While the short conversation was going on, I could see clear cracks appearing on the platform containing the Great Demon’s energy.

It couldn’t withstand the aftereffects of the long-lasting ritual and the immense power that was drawn and used here.

The Great Demon’s symbol, which couldn’t be scratched with ordinary force, was half cracked.

「Now, there’s not much time left.」

Caridad seemed to have read my gaze as well. As the shadow slowly approached me, a gloomy resonance followed.

「If you wish, I can grant you death. Your story ends here. It’s a most comfortable and natural conclusion.」

It doesn’t seem very comfortable.

I smiled slightly at the Great Demon’s question and raised my sword as an answer. It was chipped and even had cracks in the middle, but it still maintained the form of a sword.

I looked directly at the faintly flickering shadow and slowly opened my mouth.

“You asked if I was avoiding death because I was afraid of suffering in the fires of hell.”

In order to destroy the symbols of the Catacombs and Sanctuaries, one needs a powerful force that transcends the level of ordinary humans.

But now, having exhausted all my power and no longer meeting that condition, in order to destroy the symbol, I have to aim for the moment right after it has consumed the most power, that is, right after the beings of each place have used that power.

Just like the current situation.

“Absolutely not.”

Caridad’s shadow was just staring at me. The shadow of the guy who had exhausted all the power of the altar was gradually fading.

Looking at the increasingly blurry shadow of the Great Demon, I raised my sword. Even though it was just a fragment of the main body, it wasn’t easy to control my body as I wished in this place filled with the Great Demon’s energy.

Even a high-ranking mage with excellent mental strength probably wouldn’t be able to lift a finger here.

But I twisted my lips into a smile and looked directly at the faintly flickering shadow. My will, which had reached this point after overcoming five hundred years, wouldn’t be blocked by a mere fragment of a Great Demon.

“I came back to achieve the goal I couldn’t achieve before.”

A single goal.

To destroy all seven Catacombs and five Sanctuaries, and to permanently separate the damned parasites from the human world.

Something I could never have attempted before, burdened with countless restrictions stemming from various contracts and stigmas, despite my immense power.

But not anymore.

The moment I died five hundred years ago, the contracts with the Great Demons were broken, and the stigma imprinted by the Archangel was cleanly erased as my scattered soul, devoid of consciousness, gathered again into a new body.

Only one thing remained.

The sword containing my will fell.

Whoosh!

A descent that would feel infinitely slow to some.

But the sword, swung with all the remaining energy in my body, faithfully pierced Caridad’s statue, which was already cracked.

Crack!

And at that moment.

I could see the Great Demon’s shadow begin to shake.

Rumble.

「Is that your choice? You always exceed my expectations.」

At the same time, the space began to shake. A gloomy demonic voice could be heard amidst the vibrating vision.

「But Astrid, you cannot avoid death forever.」

A voice that seemed both angry and intrigued. The shadow of the Great Demon projected into the real world became increasingly faint.

Gulp.

The terrifying level of Magi rising through my arm made me dizzy, and the blood that rose from inside my body pooled in my mouth, but I didn’t let go of the sword until the end.

「In the Negative World, I will be waiting for you with pleasure, someday……」

Crack.

With Caridad’s last words, black smoke seeped out from the cracked gap like a final death throe.

It was the moment I achieved the first goal: the destruction of the seven Catacombs and five Sanctuaries.

🔹🔹🔹

Anton slowly blinked his eyes. His head was spinning, and he felt nauseous as if he were about to vomit.

However, as a veteran Inquisitor who had experienced all sorts of battles, it didn’t take him long to regain his composure.

But even he couldn’t figure out exactly what had just happened.

He felt a surge of tremendous power emanating from the center of the garden, or rather from beneath it, and momentarily lost consciousness.

“……!”

Lanth Hegeria.

Anton, remembering the young Brother who had fainted and collapsed earlier, turned around urgently.

He was lying sprawled on the dirty ground, covered in black, dead blood.

Fortunately, the hideous plants and monsters that made up the Corpse Garden had also stopped moving due to the previous surge of power.

He must have been quite shocked by the sudden destruction of the Holy Magic Circle he had painstakingly completed. The aftermath a caster suffers when the magic they cast is forcibly dispelled can be severe enough to lead to immediate death.

“……”

Anton, holding his breath and checking Lanth Hegeria’s pulse, drew up his Holy Power. It was faint, but he was still breathing.

Wooong.

A holy light, unsuited to the Catacomb, slowly seeped into the young Brother’s body. It wasn’t as skilled as professionally trained healing priests, but it would be enough for minimal first aid.

“Ugh……”

While he continued to infuse Holy Power into Lanth Hegeria’s body, the Inquisitors who had been scattered around began to regain consciousness one by one.

Even after waking up, some were still staggering, unable to find their balance, while others vomited blood.

‘What in the world happened inside……’

Anton clenched his fist and looked towards the inside of the garden. His instincts as an Inquisitor who burns heretics flared up, but now was not the time to be reckless.

The operation had failed.

The best judgment he could make in the current situation was to gather the remaining personnel and return safely.

Anton, who quickly made his decision, moved to help the staggering Inquisitors.

At that moment.

Rumble.

He felt a huge tremor shaking the ground.

“……!”

Could it be an earthquake?

Anton frowned and quickly helped the Inquisitors recover.

He didn’t know what the hell had happened inside, but one thing was for sure.

They had to get out of this damned Great Demon’s domain quickly.

“Hurry! Quickly get out of here and return to the Cathedral!”

Rumble.

The tremors were getting closer together. The Inquisitors, who had barely managed to pull themselves together, began to leave the garden one by one.

As Anton, who was carrying Lanth Hegeria on his back, stood at the very back of the group and looked back for the last time.

“……?”

He saw someone approaching from inside the garden.

A black mage?

Thanks to the drooping plants, his vision reached relatively far, and he was able to spot him.

Clench.

Anton gripped the thick iron chain with a slightly tense expression. He could buy them some time, as much as he needed.

“……Huh.”

But a genuine exclamation, rarely heard from him, escaped Anton’s lips as he realized that the one approaching was not a black mage. No way.

Thud, thud.

A familiar silhouette. A heavy-looking sack was slung over the back of the young man who was getting closer through the smoke.

Did he raid the Catacomb’s warehouse or something?

The secret warehouse of the Catacomb, with its long history, is a great object of curiosity for many. Of course, to him, an Inquisitor, it was nothing but trivial stuff.

Even amidst the precariously shaking ground, Anton was still standing in place. It was because of the lingering hope, however small, that it might not be what he thought.

Eventually, as the distance narrowed, the face of the young man running quickly became clear.

He shouldn’t be here, but as Anton confirmed the face of the guy who was boldly running towards him, a word of admiration finally escaped his lips.

“……Good heavens.”

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