Became an Apostle of an Ancient God

Chapter 21

"Find him! He escaped this way!"

Along with the armed guards, priests who seemed to be at Sun-level from the moon joined the search for the escaped Iron Mask.

Disguised as a guard with his face covered, Iron Mask observed the scene and pretended to search for the escaped prisoner like the other guards.

'Is the Firefly of Guidance not here yet?'

Clicking his tongue, Iron Mask looked around every corner of the alley.

Haru had said in the prison's meeting room that he could create bugs with various functions using Divine Power.

Atonement in the Hall of Atonement means brainwashing. It's a cruel punishment that turns those caught in the rite into Serre's loyal apostles through the infusion of Light using the holy relics.

Therefore, Haru, despite being a powerful priest, assessed that there was still a chance he could fall into brainwashing and requested insurance for it.

That insurance was Iron Mask.

In the unlikely event that he gets brainwashed, he asked Luther to destroy the holy relic he possessed. He believed it was possible with his combat power.

It was an outrageous plan. Even if Iron Mask had the power to borrow the strength of a monster, breaking Luther's holy relic was a completely different issue.

But since there was no other way, he had no choice but to do it.

No matter how low the probability was.

For this, Haru created fireflies for long-distance communication with Iron Mask and rite bugs to help him escape from the prisoner camp.

One day, while waiting for Haru's communication.

On the day the incident broke out from the central church, a firefly entered through the prison bars and clearly conveyed Lee Haru's voice.

The truth of the Hall of Atonement revealed by Lee Haru through the firefly.

It was more shocking than Iron Mask had anticipated.

Initially, Iron Mask suspected that Haru might be brainwashed and trying to deceive him with a trap. But such doubts were washed away by Haru's terrifyingly blasphemous remarks towards Serre.

The plan changed.

Iron Mask's current objective is not to destroy Luther's holy relic.

First, to uncover the Rear side of the Hall of Atonement, referred to by Bishop Luther and the Inquisitors.

Second, to take advantage of the confusion in the Hall of Atonement, caused by the funeral of the dark acolyte and the Chosen Child from the 5th Church, to rescue Lee Haru.

"Hey, you there! What are you doing?"

At that moment, a man who seemed to be a commander of the guards shouted at Iron Mask. Even though he had covered his face with the hood, the distinctive mask would be visible up close.

Iron Mask pulled his hood as deep as possible to avoid showing his face to the commander and answered.

"I discovered the escaped prisoner. He broke into a private house, changed his prison clothes into civilian attire, and plans to attend the funeral procession as a civilian."

"What did you say...!"

Iron Mask pretended to search the surroundings thoroughly without exposing his face until the end.

"He was consumed with anger towards Serre. He said he would kill Bishop Luther."

"I see. I will personally report this matter to the Commander."

"Where is the Commander?"

"He is in a strategy meeting at the 2nd Church."

"2nd Church... I see. So, they are trying to protect the Rear side first."

After hearing just that much, Iron Mask grabbed the musket he had slung on his back with one hand. Then he aimed the muzzle at the guard's head and revealed his face.

There stood a man treated as a revenant, his face stolen by the Iron Mask.

"You... you... are...!"

"I have a question."

Iron Mask placed his finger on the trigger.

"Do you have a family? If not, a partner? Answer before I kill you."

"What are you asking that for?"

"To remember at least that name."

"... I left a beloved wife back in Lusis. Her name is Luina..."

"I see."

Bang!

With the heavy sound of the shot, silence followed. But no one lay bleeding on the ground.

"I'll let you go once. But if you do anything foolish, I'll kill you immediately."

Intentionally firing the shot to miss at the last moment, Iron Mask spared the guard and dropped the musket to the ground, then began walking towards the 2nd Church. From behind him, the guard who survived shouted.

"You stabbed and killed countless people with a spear during this escape. Do you think sparing me lightens your crimes? That's just hypocrisy. Don't pretend to be humane. You... revenant...!"

After killing dozens, hundreds of people, it's ironic to say this, but having killed so many, I want to kill fewer.

Iron Mask replied cynically, bringing his right hand to the mask.

"If you have a partner, it's better to endure the shame and survive than to be killed by me for spouting nonsense."

"..."

Stung by Iron Mask's words, the guard lost the will to resist.

"Excuse me."

With those final words, Iron Mask leisurely left for the 2nd Church, leaving behind the contradictions of hypocrisy.

* * *

"Where is the sinner of Anatolia?"

"I'm sorry. Ah. There have been no sighting reports from the other priests yet."

The Sun-level priest guarding the 2nd Church and the Commander of the Punishment Knights anxiously awaited reports.

"What on earth is going on? The sinner of Anatolia must have been wearing special prisoner clothes. There's no way he would have been freed from restraint. Isn't someone helping with the escape?"

"Well, that..."

The guard beside the deputy commander hesitated but confessed the truth.

"There was an unidentified explosion at the prisoner camp. Perhaps, due to the... rite."

"Nonsense! All the reactionaries and heretics dragged to the Hall of Atonement are bound in restraints! It's impossible to perform a rite of that magnitude while restrained!"

"But..."

"Find the great sinner of Anatolia immediately! Find [God's Refutation]! I will confront him personally."

"No need to search. Knight Leader."

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!

At the moment the Commander ordered the search, a man in the guise of a guard from the Hall of Atonement spoke. Carrying over eight guns on his back, he held pistols in both hands and pulled the trigger at the guards.

Two guards fell before the gunfire in an instant.

Thanks to the barrel being attached to both sides, he was able to fire one more shot, quickly pulling the trigger again to kill two more, then tossed the guns aside as if reloading was unnecessary.

Terrifying accuracy.

The aura of a veteran mercenary emanated from the man who had handled guns more than once or twice.

Having killed four with two pistols in an instant, he grabbed two rifles from his back and began shooting the guards indiscriminately with emotionless precision.

A knight who had been waiting at the scene charged belatedly, but ordinary armor without Divine Power was pierced and destroyed before the gunfire.

"Fire in formation! Stop that man!"

The Commander ordered, but morale was already shattered. A single man had already subdued an entire squad. There was no way to win.

Nevertheless, under the Commander's pressure, they hurriedly prepared to fire. Kneeling, as they were about to fire in formation, the man brought his right hand to the mask and whispered softly.

"Source of magic denying the god."

Having unleashed the power of Shadow, he leapt towards the hastily formed line, slicing the musket barrel with the spear in his right hand, then skewered the gathered guards like a kebab.

Unable to watch any longer, the Commander decided to intervene personally. Channeling Divine Power through his body to enhance it, he grabbed his sword and charged at the man in the Iron Mask with lightning-fast reflexes.

"You Masked Revenant!!!"

However, just before the Commander's attack landed, the man in the Iron Mask skillfully deflected it with the spear in his right hand, then used the difference in reach between the sword and spear to stab the Commander in the side first.

"Ugh?!"

The Commander stepped back a pace. In front of him, Iron Mask took a stance.

"Your short sword can't reach me."

In the arsenal of shadows, Iron Mask can forge any weapon form through shadow. He can shape it into not just a spear but also a sword, or even a warhammer or axe.

The reason Iron Mask insisted on using a spear was simple.

When drawing on Shadow's power, he gains strength comparable to or greater than a monster. In such a case, a spear, which doesn't lose in range, is much more suitable for killing opponents than a sword.

Especially in open fields.

However, the high-ranking knights with some renown in Lusis prefer swords over spears.

There are various reasons, like ceremonial armaments or command armaments, and in non-open, general situations, swords are better.

But there's a real reason.

It's because swords are much more conducive to being imbued with rites than other weapons.

Therefore, Iron Mask reviewed and observed this battle, which seemed overwhelmingly advantageous at first glance due to the range advantage.

To factor in the enemy's rites.

"[God's Refutation] bastard."

The Commander held his side, where blood was flowing, and glared at Iron Mask.

"I will judge you for the weight of the sins you've committed."

He's not sitting in the Commander's seat for nothing.

He must at least possess Sun-level talent in rites.

Iron Mask touched his mask and smiled as he thought.

'I don't want to show it, but against this man, I might have to bring out another mask.'