Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 173

Weapon-Eating Bastard 173

Nighttime in Vatican City.

With Christmas just around the corner, and despite being known as one of the safest places in the world, the streets of Vatican City were deserted.

It was the aftermath of the recent terror attack.

There were no casualties, but the culprit hadn’t been caught, and the identity of the explosives remained a mystery.

“Heh, there used to be so many people around Christmas time.”

Still, it wasn’t as if no one was out and about.

Alberto, a longtime resident on the outskirts of Vatican City, was smoking a cigarette and surveying the night streets.

The time was well past 8 PM.

Dinner guests were starting to thin out, and it seemed like a good time to close up shop.

Thump…….

As he stubbed out his cigarette and turned around, a heavy vibration suddenly reverberated through the ground.

Alberto looked up at the sky with a puzzled expression.

“Huh!”

He could see flames rising from the city center in the distance.

That was the area where the residences of high-ranking clergy were located; perhaps another terror attack had occurred.

Alberto quickly locked the door and began gathering his belongings.

Clang!

But then, the sound of the restaurant’s bell rang.

Without even looking at the customer, Alberto hurriedly packed his things and said.

“We’re closed for today! Please go home quickly! It seems like another terror attack has occurred!”

Alberto finished packing and stood up from behind the counter.

And then, Alberto felt an inexplicable sense of unease from the customer who had arrived.

“Krrrk.”

Their teeth were jagged and sharp like a dinosaur’s, and both hands were stained green.

It was taking on a human form, but it didn’t look like a human.

“Kiyaaaaak!”

At that moment, the grotesque being swung its green-stained arm at Alberto.

“Ugh, uaaaagh!”

Crack! Bang!

As Alberto screamed and collapsed, there was a sound of something bursting, and bright red blood splattered down.

“Wh, what?”

“Lock the door and stay quiet.”

The one who had entered the shop was a girl in light armor, holding a mace.

The girl, Serena Cannata, said that and flicked the blood off her mace before rushing back out into the street.

-Kiyaaaaaak!

The monster’s cry began to echo through the night streets of the Holy State.

* * *

The same events were unfolding throughout the Holy State.

Attacks by strange beings, the sudden appearance of people acting strangely, explosions, destruction, and murder…….

There were also reports of the ground suddenly turning over and golem-like mounds of earth moving, and reports of mannequins suddenly talking and attacking humans.

Fortunately, the Holy State’s forces were not so incompetent as to be easily defeated by terrorists.

Defense forces, which had been preparing for the threat of terrorism in advance, quickly suppressed the surrounding area.

Meanwhile, at the Holy State’s National Defense Headquarters, orders were being issued to those forces.

In the central control room, a man was issuing orders to the entire army.

-This is the situation control room. All forces near the Great Cathedral, including the guard forces of the main headquarters, are to be dispatched immediately to suppress the terrorists. I repeat…….

With Bishop Francis temporarily away, Bishop Javier, the deputy director and one of the cardinal bishops, was temporarily exercising control and issuing such orders to all forces near the Holy State.

His aide bit his lip and said, seemingly flustered.

“Deputy Director! We don’t know the enemy’s objective, but even the guard forces of the main headquarters and the Great Cathedral…….”

“Do as I command! It was the Director’s order! The citizens of the Holy State come first!”

The deputy director gave a firm order and turned away.

As he walked away, Deputy Director Javier took something out of his pocket.

It was a mask.

The mask of an ogre, looking as if it would come to life at any moment.

Bishop Javier put on the mask.

Javier wasn’t the only one.

Numerous masked individuals began to rise up throughout the Vatican.

The night had only just begun.

Their targets were two places that were symbols of the Holy State.

The Vatican, the main headquarters.

St. Peter’s Basilica.

A nightmare, unprecedented in the Holy State, one of the world’s major powers, had begun.

* * *

Bishop Horatio’s residence.

I immediately infused Aura into Eunhan and drew Mujin.

Kwaaaaaang!

A flash of light flickered from Bishop Horatio’s jaw-dropped mouth.

I simultaneously deployed River Qi Gong Lightning and Gravity Pressure. Bishop Horatio’s attack was blocked by the power of the Aura that quickly occupied the surroundings through Eunhan.

Crack!

But it didn’t block it completely.

The surface of Eunhan was burning.

Even Eunhan’s own defense was breached by the Aura defense that had been deployed with full power.

“Hmph.”

I quickly stirred the hem of Eunhan to shake off the flames and extended Mujin, aiming for Bishop Horatio’s neck.

Kaaang!

The sound that came from the end of Mujin, which had been transformed into a sword, was not the sound of fabric, but a noise like metal clashing against metal.

‘A barrier? It’s primal magic!’

It wasn’t just the high durability of his body, nor was it a simple deployment of magic power.

Mujin was blocked in the air, three centimeters in front of Bishop Horatio’s Adam’s apple.

‘It’s the power of the Dragon race.’

I could tell as soon as I saw the shape of the mask.

A mask taking the form of a dragon. As soon as I thought of Behemoth’s characteristics, I could tell that the power dwelling in Bishop Horatio was that of the Dragon race.

“Do you think you can do anything with just a mere human body?”

I widened my eyes slightly.

Unlike the ones I met in Gyeongju, Bishop Horatio spoke to me in clear pronunciation even though he was wearing a mask.

“You have reason?”

“Reason, you say. What do you think reason is? All meaningless questions and answers.”

Kwaaaaaang!

Suddenly, an explosion occurred in the empty air and engulfed my body.

I shook off Eunhan, brushed away all the explosions, and rushed forward.

Crack!

A strike aimed at Bishop Horatio’s shoulder from left to right was blocked in the air.

It’s primal magic again.

A clear voice was heard from beyond Bishop Horatio’s mask.

“I know you’re strong, but give up. You can’t do anything. I have no intention of hurting you.”

Bishop Horatio looked at me arrogantly.

“I don’t want to hear that from an old man covered in lizard skin who’s about to die.”

I frowned and said.

It really is a power that deviates from common sense.

Bishop Horatio, who had a special aura unique to clergymen but had not learned magic or any other special power, was blocking my attacks one after another just by wearing a single mask.

“It’s a power that humans can’t obtain. I have obtained the power of an actual dragon. I won’t kill you. Your life is needed to resolve the underground body…….”

I chuckled.

Did he think that what I’ve shown so far was my true ability?

If so, that’s a huge miscalculation.

“Even if you’ve gained great power, you still don’t know anything about combat.”

Until now, it was a reconnaissance mission.

Now I was going to give it my all.

Thump!

The Aura that had been spreading around me converged into my body.

River Qi Gong [a technique to circulate and amplify aura], the activation of the Mana Body.

That wasn’t the end of it.

Pajik!

I unleashed River Qi Gong Lightning in the Black Night, seized the space with Gravity Pressure, and bloomed Black Lotus with Mujin.

Mana Body, Lightning, Gravity Pressure, Black Lotus.

Four Aura skills deployed simultaneously.

Bishop Horatio hurriedly raised both hands. Primal magic dwelled at his fingertips once again, but it was already too late.

Swish! Kwaang!

Black Night completely annihilated the magic power of the primal magic that had been defending Bishop Horatio’s body.

“Heok!”

Bishop Horatio’s urgent breathing could be heard from beyond the mask.

Kwaang!

Following up with a second strike.

Mujin severed Bishop Horatio’s arms with the force of tearing through space.

“Kuaaaaak!”

Both hands fell to the ground with a thud.

It wouldn’t stop there. I swung my sword, aiming for Bishop Horatio’s neck.

“Kuaaaaak!”

Bishop Horatio hurriedly turned his body and flew towards the wall that had been destroyed by the breath he had unleashed at the start of the battle.

Kwaaaang!

The precarious wall burst open, and Bishop Horatio was thrown outside.

The study was on the third floor.

If he had thrown himself outside, he should have fallen, but Bishop Horatio suddenly flew into the air.

Wings.

Wings suddenly sprouted from Bishop Horatio’s back.

A pair of wings covered in membranes flapped, causing Bishop Horatio’s body to soar into the sky.

I stared at Bishop Horatio for a moment at the absurd sight.

‘Does it even change the body?’

The wings were not made of magic power or primal magic, but of actual flesh.

He was showing such abnormal power just by wearing a single mask.

“You already look like a demon. Bishop Horatio.”

A dragon’s mask on his face.

Wings covered in membranes on his back.

Primal magic was emitting ominous magic power around him.

It was a recreation of the demon’s appearance from storybooks.

It felt almost blasphemous to attach the title of bishop to that appearance.

“Shut up! Shut uuuup!”

Bishop Horatio screamed and unleashed his magic power.

It was an indiscriminate bombardment falling from the sky. The magnificent mansion began to shatter into pieces by the primal magic.

‘Die! Die!’

Bishop Horatio cursed like that and poured out all his power.

‘How, how can he be so strong at such a young age? He’s a Satanic demon. A Satanic demon!’

Kwaaaang! Kwaaaang!

Without even trying to figure out the opponent’s location, Bishop Horatio continued to pour out primal magic.

“Heok, heok…….”

After pouring it out for a long time, Bishop Horatio gasped for breath and looked at the thick sandstorm that had risen.

He narrowed his eyes and tried to look into the sandstorm.

It was at that moment.

Swish!

A sound of something being torn was heard.

And as his body lost its balance, he began to fall to the ground.

“Keo, eu, eok?”

After a series of broken groans, he saw both wings that had been cut off.

How? What happened?

Bishop Horatio couldn’t believe the current situation.

He had definitely obtained the power of an actual Dragon race.

Thwack!

At that moment, Lee Cheol tore through the dust and had already reached right in front of him.

Bishop Horatio couldn’t even think of doing anything.

Because at the same time as the rapid charge, a sharp sword had already pierced his abdomen.

“Kueok!”

Kwaaaaaang!

Bishop Horatio crashed into the ground as he was.

“Power isn’t important. It’s how you use it that matters.”

I looked down at Bishop Horatio, who was fixed to the ground as if nailed, and said that.

* * *

“Cough!”

Bishop Horatio coughed up blood.

The sound of that cough was filled with the aura of death.

I frowned.

“Bishop Horatio. You’ve crossed a point of no return.”

“I, I…… for the future of the Holy State…….”

Bishop Horatio muttered, breathing roughly.

“What, what did I do wrong? I don’t know what’s wrong that it’s irreversible.”

The corners of the mask’s mouth twisted and rose.

“I am, I am the one who…… I am the Holy State. Ri, right…… uh…….”

His words were cut off.

Whether he was losing consciousness or losing his life, Bishop Horatio’s words were cut off.

“……You did this for the Holy State? Do you think that’s right?”

“Of course. Of course…… we must kill the humans and put on the masks. Because that is what the Lord has commanded…….”

I frowned at Bishop Horatio’s confused voice.

It wasn’t just that he had a wrong belief or that his unconscious desires were being expressed.

I recalled the story I had heard from Ron’s father, Henry Russell.

-They find some gap in the unconscious desires.

-And they pull out that gap and put on a mask. After that, it’s over. It’s not like hidden desires are expressed or that there’s a split personality.

-It’s just chaos. Like a monster. It just becomes something incomprehensible and unacceptable.

-That’s why they’re scary. The moment you put on a mask, everyone loses themselves. Because it becomes something unknown.”

The man who was dying here like this was no longer Bishop Horatio.

It was just something that had gone mad, neither human nor monster.

I’ve heard enough stories now.

I grabbed my sword and approached Bishop Horatio.

Seeing that, Bishop Horatio burst out laughing.

“Kek! Hahaha! Young Master Lee Cheol. You don’t know anything. Do you think it’ll end just by killing me? No! Even if I die, it’s already over. Everything is already over. Do you think I’m the only one who has put on a mask and regained freedom? The Holy State is already over!”

“What does that mean?”

“The main headquarters has already been captured, and the Apostle will be leading everything into chaos in the city of the Holy State. You can’t stop anything!”

Bishop Horatio, who dreamed of the Holy State’s prosperity, was talking about the Holy State’s destruction.

As expected, he had lost himself and become something completely different.

I scoffed at those words.

“You really don’t know anything.”

I silently took out an object from my pocket.

It was a cell phone. And the phone was already connected to someone.

“What is that?”

Bishop Horatio wondered.

I ignored him and spoke into the cell phone.

“I think you’ve heard enough.”

-…….

There was a reason why I continued the conversation even with the enemy in front of me.

-Yes, thank you. So he was the traitor.

A voice flowed out.

A gentle and soft female voice.

Bishop Horatio’s breathing stopped for a moment when he heard that voice.

The sword of the Holy State.

The leader of the current Paladins.

Saintess Christina.

-I owe you one.

“Yes, and this will cost you quite a bit.”

I raised Mujin.

The Vatican, the Great Cathedral.

The strongest sword of the Holy State was headed to those two places.

The dragon’s mask contorted.

Its brow furrowed as if it were really alive, and the vertically drawn pupils narrowed.

“Farewell, Bishop Horatio.”

Thwack!

The traitor met his death like that.