Became an Apostle of an Ancient God

Chapter 4

A tearful reunion for some.

But for others, it was a scene bordering on abnormal.

A reunion with Noona after twenty years.

Overwhelmed with joy at meeting Noona, Lee Haru could think of nothing else but basking in her warm body heat.

On the other hand, to Iron Mask, the sight looked nothing short of bizarre. A monster he had never seen or heard of before was cherishing this small boy like her own child, like family, with genuine care.

Although he couldn't understand the monster's words, Iron Mask instinctively felt an emotion from this tentacled monster's terrifying appearance that didn't match at all.

Love.

Or something even deeper than love.

A whirlwind of emotions, far too profound for a mortal like Iron Mask to comprehend, was raging within.

"So it's true. He really is the Child of the Devil."

It was the moment Iron Mask was caught in confusion. Suddenly, from deeper inside the cabin where Lee Haru and Iron Mask had burst out, a new priest rushed out and chanted a rite.

"[Radiance of Light!]"

Amid the storm and dark clouds, over the pitch-black sea, Serre's miracle burst forth a flash as bright as the sun.

"Damn...!"

Iron Mask shielded his eyes too late—it was already done.

Though physically stronger than anyone on this ship, he lacked the ability to read the rite being cast.

Moreover, for someone like him who used the mask's power to take the form of a shadow monster, the flash of light was the perfect counter.

In an instant, Iron Mask's flesh began to burn and emit smoke.

But Shub was different.

Just before the flash exploded, Shub extended her tentacles to shield Haru, embracing him and turning her back to the light to protect his eyes.

As Iron Mask flailed blindly in an attempt at a counterattack, the priest who had cast the rite gave an order to something.

"Tear them apart. My beasts!"

With the priest's shout, three beasts burst out from the cabin. But Lee Haru had never seen beasts like these in reality.

They walked on 'two legs' naturally, but didn't resemble apes or monkeys. Their bodies were covered in fur, with long arms ending in sharp claws, and dog-like faces.

No, Lee Haru searched his memory.

In reality, he had never seen such beasts.

He couldn't have.

But he had seen them before.

Beasts of that form...

"Werewolves."

They were one of the monsters featured in the board game he used to play with Shub Noona.

But something felt off. Until now, Haru hadn't seen a single werewolf aboard this ship.

Even so, this place wasn't exactly ideal for werewolves to appear.

Werewolves usually appeared in forests, or cities ravaged by plague.

So perhaps, through some artificial means—say, the effect of a rite—these monsters were born. Lee Haru, in a brief moment, read the situation that far and cautiously stepped back.

Just in case he might be affected by the rite himself.

Meanwhile, Iron Mask still hadn't recovered from the shock of the flash and was stumbling around.

The three werewolves charged at Iron Mask.

'I can't let Iron Mask die like this.' With that decision, Haru began gathering strength to activate a rite.

There was no way he could escape safely from the Holy Maiden Jeanne and reach land with just his own strength.

Escaping from the prison had also been thanks to this mysterious man, in a way. For now, he was the only adult and ally Haru could rely on.

Then, from behind Shub, a long, purple tentacle suddenly appeared and wrapped around Iron Mask, dragging him toward where Haru was.

In that fleeting moment, Lee Haru felt a strange sensation.

As if the tentacle were an extension of his own limbs, responding to an unconscious command he had given.

"Noona?"

When Haru looked up at Shub, she gently patted his head and smiled warmly. Seeing the endless affection in her smile, Haru gave a slight nod and straightened his posture.

"A Masked Revenant and a Child of the Devil. To think the Child of the Devil could summon monsters to use. You filthy Heretic."

[I'm... not a monster.]

Leaving behind a voice tinged with sadness, Iron Mask stood up on the deck, rubbing his eyes, and shouted.

"And you! You're using the power of werewolves too. How are you any different from us, using the power of monsters? Where do you even get the right to persecute Heretics?!"

As if in response to Iron Mask's words, the priest gave an order. With a single gesture, the three werewolves rushed at Iron Mask—but neither Iron Mask nor Lee Haru just stood there.

Iron Mask swung a black spear drawn from the shadows.

He first beheaded the closest werewolf, flinging it off the deck, then skewered the remaining two like kebabs, killing them instantly.

Meanwhile, Lee Haru finally seemed to get the hang of it and looked back at Shub. Noticing his gaze, Shub turned and enveloped him.

In that moment, Haru felt an infinite love directed at him.

If it was to protect Haru, if it was to be with Haru—

Then even crushing every last one of Serre's believers on this ship like bugs wouldn't be too much. That was the look of mad love in her eyes.

"Shub Noona."

[Hm?]

"Your power. Is it okay if I borrow just a little?"

There was no way Shub would refuse such a polite request from Haru. After all, the small boy in her arms was practically her fiancé, promised in marriage.

[I'm always on your side, Haru. Go ahead. As far as your wings can take you.]

"Okay. Thanks."

Haru muttered briefly and wiped his lips. Unlike before, when only his nose had bled, now blood was boiling up from his mouth as well.

"What are you—"

It was the moment the priest panicked. The boy, still just a child, stepped forward boldly and made a request to Shub.

Unlike the priest who commanded his beasts, Shub, moved by the gesture of a request, revealed the 'monster's form' that had been shielding her without mercy toward the enemy.

Four long tentacles extended from her back, grabbing the werewolves' limbs and tearing them apart like a prisoner being drawn and quartered.

Seeing the werewolf torn apart and blood spraying before his eyes, the priest's face turned pale for a moment.

Facing the Child of the Devil who could freely command monsters, he instinctively realized his beasts were utterly useless.

"A-Aim for the main body! T-That brat! Target the brat!"

No matter how skilled he was with rites or how well he controlled ferocious monsters, a child was still a child. He wouldn't last long against a werewolf's claws and fangs.

And so, the last remaining werewolf lunged at Haru.

In that moment, the one who acted was Iron Mask.

Iron Mask pushed off the deck with such strength it nearly collapsed, sprinting toward Haru.

Then, he pierced the werewolf's heart with his shadow spear, pinning the dead monster's body to the deck like a nail.

And Shub extended her tentacles. Just as she tightly bound the werewolf's limbs, Haru, who had already prepared [Distortion], lightly twisted his wrist.

"Grrrk. Grrgrgrgrgr... grrk!!"

The werewolf pinned to the deck was instantly twisted and torn apart in a rift of overwhelming spatial distortion, bleeding to death helplessly.

But with great power comes a fitting price.

"Guh. Uuurgh!!!"

Sure enough, using the Rite of Distortion once more brought backlash. Black-red blood poured from his mouth, and his head throbbed with pain.

Unable to endure the pain, Haru collapsed forward—and then, he saw a hallucination.

A grotesque sight as countless tentacles sprouted from his hand touching the ground. His hand's flesh split open, revealing the black eyes of a monster in a state of 'mutation.'

"Hrk!"

But Lee Haru didn't succumb to fear—he chose to fight it. Shutting his eyes tightly and opening them again, shaking off the hallucination, he stood up with Shub's support, who looked at him with concern.

"Hee. Heehee? Heeheehee..."

And more than anything, Lee Haru wasn't the only one paying the price for excessive use of Divine Power. The priest who had begun attacking Haru's group unilaterally was starting to suffer as well.

Consumed by madness, he held a bizarre staff in his right hand. Unlike ordinary staffs adorned with crystals or sacred gems at the tip, this one had a grotesquely preserved 'beast's right arm' mounted on it.

Haru felt something ominous from the staff—or more precisely, from the beast's right arm attached to its end. The strange feeling he had when he met Shub or used a rite.

"Shub Noona. What's that thing at the end of the staff?"

[Hmm.]

Appearing in Haru's eyes as a 'human figure,' Shub touched her lips with a finger and answered.

[Using an interesting toy, huh. That's called a 'Sacred Relic.' You can think of it as an ancient artifact that grants the power of a god.]

Shub trailed off, cutting her explanation short. There was clearly another 'truth' hidden in that Sacred Relic.

But now wasn't the time to question it. Satisfied with Shub's response, Haru asked again.

"Those werewolves that popped out earlier. It's highly likely they came from that staff's rite, right?"

[That's right. As expected of you, Haru. Quick on the uptake.]

That priest relied heavily on the werewolves for combat. In that case, simply taking the staff would be enough to neutralize him.

"Noona, you know what I'm thinking, right?"

Haru clenched his fist as he looked at the priest, who was laughing half-madly. In response, Shub smiled at Haru and revealed hostility toward the priest as she spoke.

[Of course.]

We take the Sacred Relic.

In this world where heretics are punished, in this harsh world where one is branded as a 'Child of the Devil,' one must do whatever it takes to survive.

Even if that means stealing the power of another god.

"Hand over that staff. Then at least your life will be spared. Unless you want to end up like the werewolves you just summoned."

"Take it? From me? The Sacred Relic? Not a chance. Not a chance."

The priest shouted as he swung the staff at Haru, blood tears streaming from his eyes.

"You dare—this 'Thomas Moore' will personally punish you. Child of the Devil. I'll rip that little body of yours to shreds and toss it to the sharks waiting outside!"