The white cowl held the meaning of praising His greatness and reminding oneself of their own ignorance. Ridiculous things like morality and laws were worthless. It came to heart how useless the thousands of years of human civilization were when compared to Him, who possessed infinite wisdom.
The world would revolve around those who are superior. No one would serve someone poor and powerless as the center of their world. Most humans looked up to and followed those who knew and could much.
It was simply because of the instinct of the human species to act in groups.
Then, how could one not serve Him?
He possessed the greatest wisdom in this vast universe. He existed regardless of time and space and he could erase the Earth with a single wave of his hand. He was the emperor if he were to be compared by the worthless standards of humans while humans were mere scum.
It’s natural to serve Him. It’s like throwing away a useless rock for a diamond that shined a brilliant light. The scale of the universe was clearly tilted toward Him.
The fanatic wandered around the library intoxicated with religious enthusiasm. He knocked over a bookshelf with a kick and burned the book with a cigarette. Both astronomy and geography were merely useless and vain knowledge.
That was why not being accepted into Miskatonic University or making minor mistakes like killing his parents because he was sick of them yelling at him were no different from non-occurrences from a cosmic perspective.
He witnessed those who had the same faith as him.
Some praised and prayed to the sky, some enlightened imbecile humans left in the library about the truth, and some others struggled to open up the vault of the evil heretics.Abraham.
The Cult Leader had informed us that that damn old man’s research could disrupt His path. If He had truly decided to come, it wouldn't be an event that a mere old man could stop.
The Cult Leader had said that we were in a situation where we needed to beg Him, saying ‘Please look at us’. If a panhandler wanted to beg for money from the emperor, there at least shouldn't be a crazy old man talking nonsense next to him.
It was almost time. The sacred ritual of pleading and longing for Him was just one step away. Four days later, on a fine day of July 14th. The Cult Leader and the Saintess would light a large beacon of fire by sacrificing countless human beings.
His heart was beating like crazy. His body shook, breaking out in a river of cold sweat. The fanatic couldn't tell whether his emotion was ecstasy or horror.
Right then…
Blue light flashed from the ceiling of the library.
Could this be a divine revelation? Did He recognize the devotion of all our hearts and gift us a blue star as a reward? If so, it would truly be a blessed day⋯⋯.
A shadow writhed from the blue light. Soon, it formed the shape of a person. It wasn't just one. There were three.
Three people appeared from the ceiling and fell down.
A man with a scar on half of his face pulled out a longsword in the air. The white light reflected on the blade was so brilliant that the fanatic lost sight of it for a moment. This, something, something was wrong⋯⋯.
That was the last chemical reaction that happened in the fanatic's brain.
Slash-!
Bennett landed as he slashed a fanatic apart at once. He had already finished assessing the situation when he was summoned from the ceiling. He shouted.
“The Cult Leader isn’t here. Let's quickly finish up the situation and get out!”
“I'll kill them all, starting from the left!”
Niolle signaled, ‘Then I’ll get the right!’, with her body.
Tara wrapped mana around her fist and Niolle opened the grimoire. With his fully recovered mana, Bennett accelerated with full power and scattered the brisk light of his sword.
The unexpected ambush caused the fanatics to panic and die. One of them looked at the faces of the three people and screamed in shock as if his eyes were about to pop out.
“⋯⋯You, all of you definitely! Died to the Cult Leader’s Authority!”
“How could you defy death! HOW COULD YOU DEFY DEATH-!!”
Tara threw a roundhouse kick at a fanatic, the hem of her Saintess attire fluttering. Surprised by it, he was slow to react. The hem of her skirt, which had too big of a slit on the side, exposed Tara's lower body.
Bennett, who was cutting down the fifth one, turned his gaze to where Tara was. The black lingerie panties remained in his mind like an afterimage.
Smack-!
The fanatic fell as his neck broke. Tara roared powerfully as she stepped on the corpse of the fanatic.
“YEAH, YOU SONS OF BITCHES! WE'VE RETURNED FROM THE DEAD TO AVENGE ABRAHAM-!”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
“⋯⋯What, why, what, Bennett! Why are you looking at me like that! What's so wrong with saying that we want to avenge Abraham?!”
“No, I'm just saying that you should be aware that our clothes are back to normal. Because we re-entered after an emergency escape.”
Tara's brain stopped working for a second. Come to think of it, there was no resistance when she threw a roundhouse kick. The clothes she had changed into Isaac's would've made her feel a bit uncomfortable.
She lowered her gaze, and there it was. Fully customized lewd Saintess attire. She threw a roundhouse kick in this, so⋯⋯?
Tara's face turned red and screamed.
“⋯⋯WH-WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE LOOKING AT!!”
“I was trying to assist, assist!”
Pew-! Puwhaak-!
There was the sound of two projectiles flying in the wind. Two grotesque spears made of bones and flesh impaled the fanatic into the wall. As Tara and Bennett simultaneously turned their heads to look, Niolle brought her index finger to her lips.
[Shhh.]
“⋯⋯I got scolded because of you, BENNETT!”
“Don’t make me laugh⋯⋯. The magic is flying over, stay focused!”
Crack, Crunchhh.
“Kwaaaaah-!”
An invisible projectile, launched by sacrificing oneself, was the primary method the fanatics attacked. When he first saw it, he couldn’t do anything but use his senses to block or evade it, but now he had prepared a countermeasure to it since he was able to reorganize.
Bennett reached his hand towards the projectile.
"『Spatial Expansion』!"
[23, 47, 59!]
Spatial Expansion, a spell that could be cast to create artifacts by attaching them to the back of backpacks. Since that subject wasn't his major, his proficiency was low, and the output strength was so poor that it was only able to temporarily expand the space of just a finger or two.
Wooooong-!
With Niolle's keen insight, it was just enough power to deflect the trajectory of spatial spells. It gave a slight curve to the space and changed its direction. It was, so to speak, magical parrying.
The trajectory of the invisible projectile was bent and then it disappeared after it pierced out through the ceiling.
“It was worth staying up all night learning it⋯⋯.”
[It worked!]
Ordinary fanatics couldn’t stop the three people who even had counters to their primary attack method. The library was quickly cleared out without any damage taken.
Tara, whose hands were covered in blood, stretched her body. Then, she started walking towards where Abraham's vault was located as she complimented Niolle.
“Good work there, Niolle. Your parrying was amazing!”
[Thank you, Tara.]
“I’m the one who casted it.”
“What, you want to hear that you’re cool or something?”
“⋯⋯That is not what I meant.”
“Then what else would you mean by that⋯⋯?”
The party arrived in front of the safe. There were some dents around the safe as if fanatics had tried to open it. Bennett squatted down and entered the password. '0714'.
With a Squeak, the safe opened.
Thick stacks of research papers were lying in disarray. It appeared to be undamaged. Bennett gathered the papers and held them out towards Tara.
“Tara, you keep this safe.”
“Huh, me?”
“You’re the one that is best at defense here. Since you can use Holy Magic, you will also have the highest chance of surviving alone in an emergency.”
"⋯⋯No, you keep it. Not me.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
“Anyway, you do it!”
Bennett looked straight into Tara's eyes. Tara avoided his eyes as if she was hiding something. Why? Since he couldn't force someone who wouldn't just do it, Bennett kept the research materials himself.
“Let’s move first. We’re going back to the secret safehouse on Carter Street.”
Bennett took the lead. Tara followed and Niolle walked at the end, staring at Tara's back.
Tara felt nervous and anxious. Ever since she began to doubt God after Abraham’s death, her Divine Power was steadily decreasing. This was the reason why she was only using basic physical enhancement.
In the worst-case scenario, her Divine Power might completely vanish from her.
Without Divine Power, Tara was just a girl from a clothing store. She had no regrets about not being a Saintess anymore. It was just that she didn't want to be abandoned. And so, once again, Tara pushed something to a later date.
===============================================================
Note : Players should always have short-term goals. To avoid getting lost, clearly present what you can and should do at this time.
===============================================================
They were on their way back to Carter Street. Tara was left in the overly stimulating Saintess attire because she couldn't find any clothes.
Nobody knew what kind of change in mind she had, but at the Academy, she shamelessly walked around in the crowded streets dressed like that. Now, every time Bennett turned around, she vented her anger and made him look back in front.
“⋯⋯Is it possible to develop an acquired sense of embarrassment?”
“Bennett, I can you, you know-?!”
“I said it so that you could hea met. Because I do not understand.”
[Bennett is more thick-headed than I thought.]
"⋯⋯?"
A path walked alongside questions. The atmosphere of the city was a little different than before. After Abraham's mansion was cut out and eaten by something, there were many monsters that were let loose in the city.
Maybe that was why, if one listened carefully, they could easily hear the bustling sounds of the city.
A person, who held a phone, yelled at the police, saying that they saw the monster.
A fanatic who tried to persuade people that they could protect themselves from monsters if they took refuge now.
There was someone's severed arm left behind on a deserted street.
Looking at the city's atmosphere of deteriorating public security and increasing chaos, it felt strange. A strange sense of futility and loss, like watching a tower carefully built with trump cards collapse.
It felt like each person's life was lowered in value.
Perhaps it was because the current city resembled a battlefield.
As you passed by an apartment complex, you spotted a trace of someone who appeared to have been dragged into the dark depths of an alley. Judging by the fact that the blood hadn't hardened yet, it was an attack that occurred recently.
It might be possible to save that person if you started moving now, but….
[Let’s just pass by.]
“⋯⋯Niolle?”
[I see the monster’s footprints. There were probably two of them. It will be noisy during the fight, and then the fanatics will flock again. It also seems like the person who was dragged away is already dead.]
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Niolle cut out her emotions. She felt like her heart was being stabbed, but it didn't hurt that much if she ignored her feelings. After all, she couldn't afford to make another mistake.
Then, Tara added on.
“If we’re going to fight them eventually, wouldn't it be better to kill them now?”
Tara wished to fulfill her revenge as much as she could while she still had Divine Power. With the hopeful thought that the Goddess may return her strength if she actively used her Divine Power to save people.
Niolle and Tara's eyes came together on Bennett. He made a choice.
"We save the person."
[⋯⋯Why?]
“I think what Tara said is reasonable. We need to reduce their power when we have the chance. And I know you want to save the person, Niolle.”
[⋯⋯⋯⋯.]
“He said do not lose yourself.”
Bennett patted Niolle on the back and entered the darkness of the alley. After a moment of silence, both of them ran after him.
15 minutes later.
The party took out two monsters and three fanatics, thus rescuing three civilians.
In return, fanatics flocked in and the chase began once again.
Meanwhile, someone was filming the scene with a camera from afar.
===============================================================
We shouldn't have saved them. If only I did something to stop it⋯⋯.
With those thoughts in mind, Niolle ran away with a gloomy expression on her face. Bennett, who was running beside her, read her expression and blurted out.
“I do not know why you are regretting the decision that I made. Which way do we go from here?”
Right.
Following Niolle's order, the party took a sharp turn. Tara gasped as she gritted her teeth.
“These crazy fanatics⋯⋯! How long are they going to chase us for!”
“That’s why it would’ve been nice if you used Enhancement Magic before all of this!”
"⋯⋯I didn’t feel like using it!”
[12, 56, 78!]
"『Spatial Expansion』!"
Wooooong-!
The invisible projectile cut off the corners of buildings and bounced off into the sky.
It was a chase that consumed their energy steadily. Maybe they needed to have a big fight to break off this tough pursuit. Right as Bennett was fiddling with the handle of his longsword, from all the way in front of them… A hand popped out.
“⋯⋯An enemy?!”
"No, wait."
A woman was waving her hands.
She looked familiar. It was a woman who they saved by defeating fanatics before. It was a person named Sally who worked at New Life Newspaper. She had definitely said that the company was located on Carter Street.
“Here! Come in here! I’ll hide you!”
“What if she’s lying?!”
[She seems to be sincere!]
“⋯⋯We are receiving the help. Go in!”
You decided to believe the reporter and ran into the building. The fanatics who were chasing you couldn't find any traces and returned.
===============================================================
The entrance had a staircase that immediately led straight up. And above, a clumsy barricade was placed at the curve.
“There's been a lot of turmoil lately. Especially since I was marked by the Order of the Silver Twilight⋯⋯."”
Sally struggled to push the barricade aside. Bennett thought it would take at least 5 minutes if he just watched, so he stepped forward to help.
Creaaak.
“You’re quite strong, aren’t you? I even saw you cutting the monster in, like, one swing and stuff.”
"⋯⋯Were you watching us?”
"I was filming with a telephoto lens on the rooftop. I also filmed you rescuing people. That's why I asked you guys to come in. Because you guys seemed like trustworthy people. And you saved me last time too⋯⋯."
Sally gave them a thumbs up as she said ‘Good job.’
Bennett tapped Niolle on the shoulder. As if telling her to look at the person she saved.
[⋯⋯⋯⋯.]
They saw a glass door as they climbed up the stairs. The logo ‘New Life Newspaper’ was printed there. When they entered the room, the windows were all curtained and nailed shut with wooden boards.
The inside was dark because there were no light sources.
Sally fumbled through the darkness and lit the candle with a lighter. The light was not enough to brighten up the entire room, but it was bright enough to make out people's faces.
“It’s a little dark because if I turn on the lights, they can see that there are people in here. Is that okay?”
“There is no issue with that.”
“First of all, thank you. For letting us hide in here.”
“It’s nothing, I’m just paying you all back for my life that you saved. I’d like to serve you a meal, but⋯⋯ You know, there’s a restaurant right in front of here that’s really good at making handmade burgers. But, the chef was taken away by a monster.”
Reporter Sally sighed deeply.
“That is how the world is now. I thought it was just some pseudo-religion, you know? So even if I poked around, I thought it would be just about money exploits, sexual harassment, and things like that. Who would have thought that our lives would become some horror movie?”
"⋯⋯You must have been very shocked."
“But it doesn’t seem like it’s a sign that people should just keel over and die! After all, right before my eyes, there are good people with superpowers, saving people. Are you guys like super mutants secretly fostered by the government or something?”
Tara tilted her head at her incomprehensible talk.
“I don’t really get what in the world you are even talking about, you know?”
“If it's confidential, I won’t ask any more questions. Other than that, there’s something I want to show you! I found this when I infiltrated them.”
Sally wandered through the darkness once again. Then she hit her head on a corner, screaming, ACK!After that, she took out a notepad and came back. It gave them critical information about the order.
“A call-up order has been sent to all members of the Order of the Silver Twilight. Four days from today, July 14th. I was told that they were planning to hold a 『Summons Meeting』 attended by all followers and to actively secure the safety of the living sacrifices. "
"⋯⋯July 14th, is it?”
“Yeah, yeah. They must be trying to do something terrible. I can’t even imagine what they’re trying to do⋯⋯but you probably know better than me, right?”
As Sally said, Bennett could see what this information meant. This── was information about the date of their summoning ritual.
In many ways, the day of reckoning was drawing near.
***
https://ko-fi.com/genesisforsaken