As the glow from lightning bathed the face of the one who commanded so much respect and reverence, the winds turned turbulent and coiled around him.
The bright face was finally revealed.
It was oval-shaped, featuring dark eyes and short black hair, the skin the color of the sand. And it belonged to a man who was young, far too young, perhaps barely in mid-twenties.
This startled Steve, and he doubted if he was really the Holy Pope.
As if sensing his doubt, a bright radiance spread from the Holy Pope, illuminating the gothic environment. A feeling of awe-inspiring followed, causing colorful flowers to blossom in the air.
Steve gulped.
This feeling was far too pure, and it radiated holiness whose depth couldn’t be gauzed.
He instantly concluded this young man was indeed the Holy Pope!
"Glory to the one true Lord," The Holy Pope said as he arrived at the entrance.
"Glory to The Lord!"
The kneeling followers exclaimed in unison.
"Glory to The Lord!"
Alistair, Kala, and the rest too joined.
"Glory to The Lord!"
Steve was the only one who didn’t praise The Lord, which caused murderous intent to seep out of the kneeling followers.
The atmosphere turned malevolent and dark from so much murderous intent. Steve felt suffocated, and he shot back while forming a barrier of fire.
Spears of fire energy appeared before him, ready to shot out at his command.
"He’s new to the path."
The Holy Pope suppressed the murderous intent with his holy radiance.
"So be kind and forgive him for his ignorance."
"Ignorance?" Steve was offended.
As an aristocrat of the highest order, he was well-read and experienced. He knew the mechanism of the world and was sure no true Lord existed; at least, not the kind they were so vehemently praising.
"Ignorants often believe they know everything," The Holy Pope said with great kindness. "And you are no different, but rejoice, for enlightenment is on the horizon."
"I need no enlightenment!" Steve retorted.
"You are just like them."
The Holy Pope pointed to the rows of his followers.
"And in the start, they were like you – claiming they knew everything and in no need of enlightenment."
"We were arrogant and impudent back then," Alistair said respectfully. "Thank you for forgiving us and accepting us."
"Who am I to forgive or accept?"
The Holy Pope asked as he turned to the cathedral and started walking inside.
"Everything is The Lord’s will."
"Everything is The Lord’s will!"
Everyone agreed as they exclaimed together.
"The Great Lord is forgiving and all-accepting!"
Steve was stunned.
He wondered if they were members of a cult instead of a church. But suddenly, his thoughts stopped as he recalled what the Holy Pope said.
"Wait!" Steve told the Holy Pope to stop. "What do you mean I’m like them?"
The Holy Pope replied without stopping, "They were sad, hurt, and angry just like you are now."
"!!"
Steve’s expression dramatically changed as realization dawned upon him.
"You mean everyone here is a cuckold!?"
The Holy Pope didn’t respond. Alistair and others who were outside rushed in. The door started closing, startling Steve.
He expected them to invite him in, given they brought him here. But they were doing no such thing.
"Wait!"
Steve said as he rushed forward. He entered through the small gap just as the door was about to shut.
The door closed behind him, and he saw the inside.
Steve marveled at the profound and well-lit design of the cathedral.
"What’s this?"
The inside of the cathedral was vast, but there was a common engraving on all walls and ceiling. In all of them, there were portions of golden wings.
From a bird’s eye view, it seemed as if an angel has spread open its gigantic wings, taking the entire cathedral in its embrace.
"They seem so familiar!"
Steve thought while wondering why only wings were engraved here.
Perhaps that might give him the answer.
"Wha...what the hell!?"
His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped, and he collapsed.
Because just a hundred meters ahead, the source of the pair of wings was engraved on a gigantic scale.
Kiba!
With his arms stretched and wings spread, and a divine halo behind him, he seemed to be The Lord itself.
"All hail the one true Lord," The Holy Pope announced. "The only source of bliss in this world of misery."
"All hail the Lord!"
"The source of bliss!"
"The herald of happiness!"
"The one true Lord!"
Steve slapped himself. He felt heat rising in his cheek and realized he wasn’t in some dream or illusion.
He then rubbed his eyes and ears to make sure he was seeing and hearing right. But the statute and chants didn’t change at all.
"You got to be kidding me!"
Steve was furious, and he pointed at Kiba’s angelic statute.
"He’s the one who stole my wife!"
"As I said, you are just like them – someone they love was blessed with the divine essence of the Lord!"
The Holy Pope said amidst the echoing chants of his followers.
"So, just like them, you are a beneficiary of the Lord’s will!"
Steve was dumbstruck, and he eyed the hundred or so people.
Their wives, too, were stolen by Kiba?!
Then why the hell are they hailing him as some savior!?
"They are victims of his crimes and are yet worshipping him!!" Steve said, disbelief written all over his face. "Are they all crazy!?"
"How dare you label us beneficiaries as victims!?" Kala was offended by such blatant disrespect.
Unlike most people here, it wasn’t his wife that got blessed by the Lord. Instead, it was his loving mother.
But he worshipped the Lord with no less fervor than the rest.
"And you even dare accuse the Lord of crimes, that too in the Holy Church?!"
Alistair’s body morphed into his swamp form. He stretched his hand, and a layer of swamp exploded out.
Startled, Steve burst flames underneath his feet, and using them as propelling force, leaped back to evade.
Simultaneously, he summoned a series of fire spears to teach Alistair a lesson.
Behind, a middle-aged man’s hand transformed into a stone hammer. Without any warning, he violently hit Steve’s head.
Bang!
Steve was sent rolling to the floor, blood splashing out. The spears faded into thin air.
"I have never seen such an ungrateful fellow!"
The middle-aged man said with venom in his eyes.
"Lord blesses your wife, and instead of thanking him, you slander him!"
Steve shivered. The middle-aged man has transformed his hands into blades!
"Patience, Inox. When you were new, you were no different than him."
The Holy Pope raised his hand to stop the man named Inox.
"After all, only the enlightened can understand the mystic ways of the Lord."
Inox stopped and stepped back.
He recalled he was indeed like what the Pope said.
A year ago, when the Lord blessed his wife, instead of being grateful, he attacked the Lord!
But the Lord was merciful! He spared his life!
Still, he didn’t understand how lucky he was. So he sulked, but thankfully he met the Holy Pope and was enlightened.
He understood he should be celebrating.
After all, the very fact that existence of Lord’s caliber took his wife meant he was special!
It also signified his wife was extraordinary!
Otherwise, how else can she invoke the blessings of the Lord when countless women never received his rain of love!
Now he can even brag to his friends!
His wife was blessed by The Lord!
But what about his friends’ wives?!
They didn’t even qualify to come underneath Lord’s vision!
Didn’t that signify they were ordinary and not at all special!?
Inox once again praised The Lord. Joining his hands together, he prostrated and thanked the Lord for his blessings.
"Urgh!"
At the same time, Steve grunted in pain and jumped to his feet. His head hurt, but he was strong enough to suppress the pain.
He looked around and saw every pair of eyes focused on him.
"This is bad!" Steve told himself.
He was strong, but many here were equally strong. Even if he could defeat a dozen or so mutants here, he would be overpowered by the rest.
And there was the risk of a sneak attack like the one before!
"Mom, dad... what wrong I did to suffer like this?!"
Steve wanted to cry.
His heart was broken by his wanton wife just seconds after they married!
He never got the chance to cry, to vent, to do anything that would relieve him.
And just when he finally decided to drain his sorrows in some bar, he was brought in the church of a cult!
A cult that wanted him to worship the source of all his miseries!
Just how was it fair!?