Episode 163 Priest Hunt (2)
< 'Nine-Fan City' Dantalian >
Danger Rating: S+
Size: ?
Discovery Location: ‘Serpent’s Womb’ in the depths of the Gate of Destruction
– also known as ‘The Ninth Corpse’.
One of the ten plagues leading to the natural enemy of mankind, incomprehensible and unkillable.
“Boils will be rampant because of the disease.”
– 『Ten Commandments(十誡)』 10:上 –
Poududeudeudeuk!
The human mask shattered, and the true form of the devil emerged from within.
Bikir was watching all of this with an aloof attitude.
‘……It’s finally out.’
Dantalian. ninth decade.
Elderly, young, child, woman, man, handsome, ugly, ugly, fat, skinny, black, white, yellow, noble, slave, rich, beggar, hero, villain…
This demon, with as many as 36 heads and identities, has a slender humanoid body and a gloomy-looking suit. wore off
The purple tongues of each of the 36 faces stretched as long as they could, and the tip was sharper than a blade.
Bikir was able to recall the past in the appearance of this demon, which was as grotesque as ever, except for the shape of its faces.
”Thousand Faces’ Dantalian. He was the one who killed most of his teammates.’
Before returning, Bikir had lost countless of his comrades to this demon in front of him.
That’s because Dantalian has the ability to steal the face of the person he killed.
Mother, father, older brother, younger sister, older sister, grandmother, grandfather, ball friend, respected teacher, cherished disciple, childhood friend, fiancée, first love, unrequited love, etc… Other than that, against Dantalian, who has all kinds of faces, colleagues who hesitated or hesitated even for a moment were without fail. I had to face death by being pierced by his blade-like tongue.
And in doing so, it was Dantalian who killed and killed again and again his colleagues and family lovers with the stolen face.
Therefore, as Vikir, who has lost countless comrades to him, I have no choice but to evaluate Dantalian this way.
‘A demon that must be killed in the beginning.’
Regardless of how strong it is, since it will cause the most damage to the human union in the future, it would be beneficial in many ways to eliminate it from the beginning.
Right then.
Tsutsutsutsutsutsu…
Along with the smell of rotting meat, disgust began to rush in.
Bikir quickly backed away.
Dantalian was a demon with many faces, but he was also famous for bringing plagues.
It is perfect for causing a plague and harvesting it, and at the same time putting on a gentle face and playing the role of a fake priest.
But in this case, it was fortunate.
It was because Dolores was behind Bikir now.
…destroy!
Dolores radiated divine light to block Dantalian’s pestilence poison mist.
She opened her mouth with a firm expression.
“……What is the reason?”
[Ho-ho-ho-Why? What is the reason?]
Dantalian asked, and a vein stood on Dolores’ neck.
“Why did you come to the human world and do this! Why did you do this at the nursery school…!”
Then, all 36 faces looking down at Dolores smile at once.
Of course, he didn’t say a word about the ‘gate’ that ten demon kings were gathering to open, except for the initial sigh.
However, the reason why he had been playing in the nursery school was obediently confided.
[It’s a kind of ‘farm’ management.]
“What?”
When Dolores asked back, Dantalian replied with a still grinning attitude.
[See this?]
He lifted a gold necklace from his hand and showed it.
Dolores only frowns, as it was worn around the neck by some of the children in the orphanage.
Finally, Dantalian spoke.
[This means ‘breeding meat’.]
“……!”
Dantalian’s words made Dolores’ expression hardened.
[We demons live by eating humans. Just like you humans eat animals. So, I also changed my thinking. Rather than bother hunting humans every time, let’s make it like a farm and grow it. Like livestock such as dogs and pigs.]
“What?”
[They breed in this place, increase the population, manage the quality of the meat, and when they reach a certain age, they eat it. how efficient is it It’s also a win-win strategy.]
“Crazy! How is that a win-win!?”
[Win-win. The orphans in this orphanage were destined to never be born at all, or to die soon after birth, or die on the streets at a young age. Thanks to me, you came here and managed to live comfortably and safely until your late teens. Of course, after a certain age, the meat becomes tough and tasteless, so you have to catch and eat it before that. Hohohoho!]
“Uuuuuuu…! How dare you do something like this behind the name of a religious chant!? You devil will be punished!”
Dolores exclaimed in rage.
However, when Dantalian heard the word ‘punishment’, his 72 eyes widened as if he didn’t understand the meaning.
[Hohohohoho- Is it a heavenly punishment? I am innocent?]
The devil who seduced and ate the poor children was innocent? A passing dog would laugh at it.
But Dantalian really seemed to think so.
because.
[I have these things.]
Eventually, Dantalian took out a bunch of pieces of paper from his bosom.
I thought it was a bill, but it was a little smaller than that.
Dantalian took out pieces of paper from his bosom and scattered them in the air.
The red letters and seal written on the white size are like a pagan talisman.
“……this is.”
Dolores looked blankly at the white pieces of paper flying in the air.
< Indulgence >
‘I forgive all the sins of this faithful church member.’
– This indulgences was issued and guaranteed by the Old Testament sect, and can be punished in case
of
counterfeiting
.
– This book of indulgences was issued and guaranteed by the Old Testament sect, and can be punished in case of
counterfeiting
.
Dantalian had countless indulgences and indulgences of such content.
[Ho-ho-ho-ho! I paid a huge donation and received these certificates. So, is it not my fault? According to the standards of your church.] It is
the world’s principle that if you commit a crime, you should be punished.
However, even if you commit a crime, you may be exempted from punishment or may be pardoned for the sin itself in the first place.
It was a law that even Quo Vadis, a religious chant, tolerated, and because of that, an ironic situation was created in which the devil, the source of sin, was acquitted.
Dolores, who seemed shocked and lost her words, was killed by Dantalian.
[Ah, by the way, the person who issued these certificates to me. I am your father.]
“……!?”
[Ho-ho-ho! After he piled up the chests of gold and went, they got a lot of attention, so he stamped them all over again?]
Dolores’s father is Cardinal Humbert, and he is a symbolic figure of the Old Testament sect and at the same time a snarky fundamentalist who unconditionally abides by the classical law. It is known as …..
However, he was an ambitious man who tried to take over the family by raking in a lot of wealth in return for selling indulgences behind the scenes.
As a result, even the sins of the devil that would never be forgiven were pardoned.
“…”
Dolores stumbled back in shock upon realizing her father’s true identity.
I couldn’t even easily accuse it of heresy or pseudo.
This was because the affected area inside the family crest had festered and exploded, growing a fearsome tumor.
[Ho-ho-ho-ho! So I am innocent! I was pardoned of all sins directly from your Church of Rune… Kkeuk!?]
However, Dantalian could no longer poke fun at Dolores.
It was because a single red-hot knife had torn off two of his flabbering mouths in quick succession.
“…When dealing with demons.”
night hound. Vikir pulled a long tongue from the mouth of Dantalian’s third face and held it in her hand.
“Don’t play on your tongue.”
At the same time, Vikir tugged at the tongue and slashed Dantalian’s third face with an awl.
[Quaaaagh!]
Dantalian screamed again.
It opened its mouth on the rest of its faces.
The tongues dyed purple are sharp like knives.
However, the speed at which Bikir wielded the demonic sword Baalzebub was much faster.
…BOOOOOOOOOOOO! Damn it!
The blade, tempered with malice and forged with hatred, spewed out red trails.
Dantalian cried out in fright as he saw faces explode one after another.
[This bastard! How dare you point your sword at me!?]
Eventually, the first face Dantalian made was looking at Vikir.
She was an old woman with a gentle and warm smile.
Did you say you can’t spit on a smiling face?
but.
…jump!
Bikir cut the grandmother’s face in two with a merciless knife.
The face of the grandfather who followed was also the same.
[Horo’s bilateral cub!]
Dantalian bite it and pulled out a new face.
A woman with a beautiful appearance. It was the face of a young actress with a high stock price these days.
but.
…jump!
Bikir brandishes his sword relentlessly this time as well.
No matter what face came out after that, the result was the same.
…jump! …jump! …jump! …jump! …jump! …jump!
A bright child, a sexy woman, an old and powerless old man… All of those faces have become side dishes for kabobs.
At this point, Dantalian was rather perplexed.
Their faces are made by peeling off the facial skin of real people, and they can even reproduce their expressions and voices as they were when they were alive.
But how could this guy in front of me not be shaken even by a grain of rice?
[You don’t even look like a human! I’d rather be more human than you!]
“…”
Vikir fired another slash, ignoring Dantalian’s words.
…Fuck!
Disgusting dark green blood spurted out and Dantalian stumbled backwards.
The number of tongue spears, his main weapon, has been greatly reduced.
A new face is regenerating, but Bikir is destroying it much faster than that.
‘Even before returning, I was fed up with it. It won’t be beaten twice by the same number.’
The face and voice that Dantalian imitates, the ‘Thousand Faces’, is nothing more than an imitation.
Vikir from her previous life only realized this after losing many of her comrades.
So, at this moment, there was no reason or room to feel guilty.
“Make your neck longer.”
Bikir walked forward, brushing the disgusting blood off the blade.
Then, a fishy smile crept across the rest of Dantalian’s face.
[Ho-ho-ho! A friend who doesn’t care much about other people. Then how about this?]
Eventually, Dantalian’s faces began to change all at once.
It is for boys and girls under the age of 13.
These were the faces of these orphanage children.
Bikir answered in a dry voice.
“I’ve broken a lot of children’s faces so far? Do you think you’ll be able to communicate again now?”
[Ho-ho-ho! Of course, it won’t work for you.]
“……!”
Those words made Bikir stop for a moment.
Yes.
Dantalian was shaking the mentality of Dolores behind him, not Vikir.
Saint Dolores has been volunteering here for many years and taking care of many children.
Among them, there were children with whom they had a deep bond, and there were also children who were adopted to good places and never seen again.
……but it wasn’t.
None of those children went to a good place.
Because everything was ‘here’.
[Ahh! sister! I missed you!]
[Sister! Help me! It hurts so much!]
[Sister! sister! sister! Get me out of here!]
[It hurts, sister! Ugh- Heh- I was wrong!]
Numerous faces bloomed on Dantalian’s body like bouquets in a vase.
From the time Dolores was a freshman in the first year of the academy to becoming the president of the student council in the third year, the nursery school children she met every weekend.
As they all groaned and cried in pain, Bikir fell silent for a moment.
If you are definitely yourself, you have the confidence that you will not fall for this kind of emotional arm.
But what about Dolores? What if she is a saint of the Church of Rune, a model for all people, and a woman who loves all the less fortunate?
Bikir turned around, feeling a slight uneasiness.
And the moment you turn your head back.
“……!”
Bikir’s eyes widened slightly in the mask.
And soon, a dry voice scratches his throat.
“…I see. A hero is a hero.”
at the same time.
…destroy!
A flash of intense white light exploded as if stabbing my eyes.
[Keep off!?]
Dantalian staggered backwards at the heat that seemed to burn his entire body.
Chii’s profit ……
The burning black smoke rises from the whole body exposed to bright light.
Then Dolores’ voice came through the white halo.
He has sunk extremely calmly, but on the other side, anger hotter than lava seems to boil.
“……You touched something that shouldn’t be touched.”
It was that voice.
And the moment I heard her awakened voice.
…creepy!
Bikir felt a slight thrill.
A battlefield where everything was destroyed before returning.
The light of hope, the last ember that always achieved a miraculous reversal even in the midst of despair that looked like it could never be overturned.
Although it was only for a brief moment, I felt nostalgic as if Dolores, the last hero of mankind at that time, had returned.
