Wain kneeled next to the corpses, poking at the jewelry dangling from their horns.
"He killed two Minotaurs by himself?"
Mel kicked a rock against a nearby wall, trying to calm herself down after her fight with Asura. "Dealing with Asura was like dealing with a toddler. Always argued over everything! Even when you compliment him, he always has something to say back." She thought. However, she couldn't help but think about the situation as well.
She'd fought one or two Minotaurs before, but they were always a hassle to deal with. Mel hated fighting one by herself, but two? That sounded miserable. No matter how many times she shot one, they kept charging forward. "Intestines on the floor? Didn't matter. A large hole, the size of a baseball, in the skull? Who cared? Not them." The unstoppable, bloodthirsty cows on steroids were a handful for even high-ranking paladins. Most of the teams composed of priests were slaughtered by these beasts.
"Yeah, I guess he did."
"That's crazy. Usually, it takes a group, and even then, they struggle with it."
"Well, I have seen one killed by a single paladin in the past, but two at the same time? It's news to me."
Suddenly, the severed head's eyes shot open as Wain poked at it. Terrified, Wain fell on his butt, desperately trying to pull himself away. Its neck began to try and heal. Tendons crept across the floor trying to reattach its head. From behind him, the sound of two gunshots rang out. Wain turned to see Mel holding her pistol out as the barrel released a small stream of smoke,
"They were alive?"
That was odd... Had Asura killed them with their own weapons? Mel walked over to the corpses, studying the weapons sunk into their bodies. Pulling the smaller axe from the Minotaur's head, she discovered an interesting secret. "Weren't they enchanted? Why wouldn't they be enchanted with demonic mana?" Every demon had enchanted weapons because they could enchant it themselves...
The bodies burst into holy flames as the mana coursed through the corpses, burning away to ash. For every answer Mel received, she was left with two more questions. Before Asura, her life was simple. Kill a few monsters here and there, eat some food, and be lazy around. Now, it was a complete mess.
Mel tossed the axe into the flames. She began to investigate the surrounding area. After surveilling the area, Wain and Mel found that only the Minotaur corpses remained nearby. Malachi and his goons were nowhere in sight.
As the two walked away from the building towards Asura, who sat on a nearby curb, he could not help but ask,
"So, how do you guys deal with the wreckage?"
Confused by the sudden question, Mel asked,
"What do you mean?"
"Do you guys just leave buildings fucked up like that?"
"Oh no. The old man repairs it. In other places, it would be priests or high priests. Priests show up and assess the damage, record any details that might be important, and then afterward, they use mana to rebuild the building. Remember the training room and your clothes? We put those pillars in every building that people pay for it."
"Wait... people that pay for it? You guys an insurance agency or something?"
Mel pondered the question,
"Huh, yeah, I guess it is like insurance."
"Fucking evil bastards, charging people for insurance and shit to have their homes rebuilt."
"Well, we aren't the ones who caused it to explode now, are we? Who's the real evil one?"
Asura mocked Mel as she walked past him.
"M-well, we aren't the ones who caused it to explode now, aren't we?"
"You say something?"
"Nope... just that you are so lovely today..."
"That's what I thought."
After all this time, everything finally caught up with Asura. Like a tidal wave of fatigue finally smashing into his body, all of it began to ache. Although he never received an open wound, being punched, hit, smashed, slashed at, and smooshed underneath things did take its toll on his body. Asura may be blessed with a nearly impenetrable body. However, he still felt pain, and it hurt a lot.
Letting out a big yawn, Asura was ready for bed. He fantasized about lying in his soft bed covered with silk sheets and a pillow that felt like a cloud under his head. "How wonderful it would be if he could just jump into it and forget about his sorrows."
Once arriving at the cathedral, they walked into the main worship area. Each one collapsed into the pews due to their exhaustion. Immediately, they were met with the old man standing with his arms crossed. Asura could tell without even looking at him he was pissed... His aura radiated throughout the room like usual. Asura cowered in his seat but noticed something small beside the old man.
It was Lily! She ran up with her arms wide as if welcoming a giant hug. The exhausted ogre couldn't help but smile at the child's waddling run.
"Thank you for saving me, mister."
With a massive smile, he hugged Lily back, enjoying the fact that she was safe. Asura didn't understand his attachment to the child, but he couldn't deny it at this point. She was important to him.
"No problemo, little one. If they ever try to take you again, you scream out my name. I'll kill them all."
The old man cleared his throat. Asura sighed, knowing that punishment was due. Depressed and ready to accept his judgment, Asura set Lily on the ground. Lily watched with a perplexed look on her face as the ogre sluggishly moved over to the old man's side. The old man motioned for Lily to go to her room, which she happily complied.
The old man turned his attention back to Asura, finding him staring off after Lily. Asura looked down at his feet for a moment before speaking.
"Look, I got angry after hearing about Lily disappearing, so I ran off to fight. I know I wasn't supposed to do that, but like..."
The old man stopped Asura, holding his hand up before him.
"I don't care about that. You saved Lily and stopped the cultist. There's nothing to be mad about. What I'm mad about is my car now missing a door."
Asura pursed his lips. A quiet, nervous laugh escaped his lips. Then, as if he were not ever in the room, Asura bolted down the hallway, fleeing from the old man's wrath. The old man sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Are all ogres like this? They can't all possibly be this childish." The old man thought.
For a few minutes, silence settled throughout the room. The old man tried collecting his thoughts. Those remaining in the room also tried to take their chance at escaping. Just as they were about to escape, the old man stomped his foot, causing them to freeze in place. They were caught! Mel clenched her fists and cursed under her breath.
"Damn it... Look, I know we were supposed to-"
"Come to my office and make a formal report, Mel. Wain, please keep an eye on Asura."
Wain was flabbergasted,
"We really need to stop saying that because I can't do anything about that dude running around like a maniac. Mel can't hurt him, Ash can't hurt him, I can't hurt him. That mark on his chest is our only insurance if you don't get involved, Captain. It's like bad juju every time we say it. That ogre is going to get into trouble whether we-..."
A woman's scream cried out from down the back right hall.
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Mel and Wain turned to the hallway, confused by the sudden outburst. "What was going on now?" Mel turned to the old man to ask but stopped in her tracks. A vein was visible on the old man's forehead. His eyes glowed like molten metal.
Mel looked down at the old man's hands. They were clenched tightly. He had left Asura alone far too many times now. He managed to save Lily and stop the cultists, but the damage was severe. He had no care for the human realm, destroying everything he could.
Holy mana filled the room, making the air thick and heavy. Mel dared not speak as she watched the old man shake his left fist. "This is where I draw the line." The old man was going to kill the ogre. It was one thing to do childish antics, but hurting one of the people he swore to protect?
The old man coated his arm in heavenly smite.
Suddenly, Asura burst from the hallway. Drug by her habit, the old nun screamed in pain, trying to break free from his grasp. Tears poured from her eyes as he slung her body forward to the middle of the room. The woman harshly smacked against the floor.
Asura roared in anger that paralleled the old man's. The old man hesitated for a moment, not out of fear but out of curiosity. "Why was Asura so angry?"
"Tell them what you just said!"
Through her fit of tears, she cried out,
"I-I don't kno-now what you're talking about!"
Asura screamed at her with bleeding rage that tore at his vocal cords,
"DON'T LIE! TELL THEM WHAT I HEARD. WHAT YOU SAID ON THE PHONE!"
"I didn't say anything!"
She pleaded to the old man,
"He tried to kill me! Please! He attacked me in the laundry room!"
Asura raised his fist in anger, ready to strike. However, he had to hold himself back. He knew no one would believe him if she did not confess. But oh, was he going to get her to confess...
Asura moved forward, but the old man blocked his path.
"Calm down, what happened?"
Their eyes locked for a moment. Asura's eyes blazed with rage, unsteady and unpredictable. Every statement written in their records of the ogres was true. An ogre's will was set in stone, an unshakable foundation. Asura was living proof.
Although he was certain he could kill Asura, just how many would die in the process? The rune on his chest was a bluff...
"Calm down... CALM DOWN? SHE IS THE ONE WHO GAVE THEM LILLY!"
Terrified, the nun watched in horror as his white eyes locked with hers. Asura bared his sharp teeth like a wild dog, snarling viciously with a low growl rumbling in his throat.
"He is going to kill me if Mark lets him..." The nun thought.
She cried out with a wail,
"HE'S LYING! HE ATTACKED ME IN THE BATHROOM!"
The old man turned to look down at her.
"Bathroom? I thought it was the laundry?"
"Uh... egh, yeah laundry... I meant laundry room!..."
"Sarah..."
She looked up at her old friend. Sarah could see the captain's eyes were now on her. She felt naked as she lay on the floor underneath his righteous gaze. Like a judge presiding over the accused, his eyes studied every inch of her soul. Guilty... he already cast his judgment upon her.
However, his eyes softened for a moment, teary and sad. This was her moment to defend herself! Sarah's mouth moved, but no words came out. No matter what she said, it was worthless.
The old man's scowl slowly drifted into a look of betrayal. Asura's rage ceased as the mana dispersed. Asura stopped yelling as he studied the old man's eyes, filled with deep sadness at losing a close friend. The ogre understood those eyes...
The captain asked,
"What did you hear?"
Asura looked down at the nun. He realized the old man had known her for a long time. This was a betrayal from his own family.
"Betrayed by your own family..."
Asura nodded, processing the situation. However, this did not make up for what she did. He pointed at the older nun cowering on the floor,
"I heard her as I walked down the hallway. She was talking to someone on the phone. Said she could do it again, and she was sorry for her mistakes. I didn't know what the hell she was talking about, but then she said Lily's name. I fucking knew I smelled quotidian mana!.."
Asura hissed at the nun as he opened and closed his fists. The thought of losing Lily again lingered in the back of his mind. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her again.
"The mana was on you when I met you in the hall! You were the one feeding them the children for sacrifices!"
Bursting into tears, the old nun whispered,
"I didn't."
The old man grabbed the front of her gown. His glowing eyes stared deep into hers as he spoke. His voice was soft, but underneath every word was anger and authority that chilled her bones.
"Before Judex Divinum, lies are condemned, and the truth will be told. Through the righteous judge Mazriel, justice will be upheld. Speak and let your truth be heard."
Suddenly, holy runes wrapped around her throat, binding her vocal cords underneath Mazriel's name.
"Give your defense. If you lie, Mazriel will strike you down where you stand. Tell the truth, and you shall live. Justice condemns only the wicked and lifts up the righteous... Sarah, if you speak truthfully..."
Sarah pleaded,
"Mark..."
Ignoring her plea, he commanded once again,
"Give your defense before Judex Divinum!"
She gasped as the runes constricted.
"You thought of lying? I will warn you once more. Make such an attempt again, and your throat will be filled with holy fire."
"Please... Mark!"
Mel turned away from the sight of her begging.
She's known Sarah since she came here. Old memories began to resurface, making it difficult to stand. Sarah was always such a nice older lady, offering to help her with laundry and chores. The thought of her selling the children left Mel with a knot in her stomach. Sometimes, when Mel got into trouble, Sarah would reason with the captain to get her out of trouble... "Why would she do this?"
"Why did you do it, Sarah?..."
Sarah's head dropped upon hearing this. No one believed her... They believed the demon instead. To think, after all the time she spent here... Everyone would turn on her.
"I did it to save us... We kept fighting and fighting for so many years... The Temple stopped sending help. We're losing funding and trust from the residents. These attacks can't keep happening... they offered a deal. A few children for peace, for them to stop terrorizing us here. They promised they'd leave if I gave them her... I just wanted it to stop. For the town's people to finally be safe and for us to be happy again. We live in exile, Mark! If we don't-"
Asura kicked a pew, causing it to snap in half. The two halves slammed into the others, moving several pews across the room. Asura snarled,
"You deserve worse than death."
The old man held his hand before Asura, stopping him once again.
"Who did you make a deal with, Sarah?"
"A group of men from the cult."
"Was one of them Malachi?"
"I don't know... they didn't give me names. They were all hooded."
"Where were you meeting them?"
"The location moved every time..."
"We're you supposed to meet with them again?.."
Sarah sat quietly on the floor, avoiding eye contact,
"Where are you supposed to meet them?"
"I was supposed to wait downtown for them to find me..."
"What location?"
Sarah began to sob as she buried her face in her hands,
"No location... they would find me; they would bring me somewhere, and I would give them the children..."
"So the reason Tommy is dead is because of your actions... I thought it was possibly due to Asura being able to enter the cathedral freely..."
"You suspected me? Killing children? The fuck man?"
"You're a monster at the end of the day. I can't believe it was you, Sarah..."
The old man turned away, ashamed. How could he not know? All this time, it was his dear friend working with the cult right under his nose...
"Mel... Take her to the exorcism room and lock her up. Then return to me and make a formal report on everything recent."
Asura watched Mel quietly grab the nun, walking her down another hallway.
"What? Just going to lock her up with everything she's done? She's fucking giving children to the cultists! Kill her!"
The old man spoke gently but sternly.
"Silence, Asura."
"That's it? She gets away with-"
"We will punish her under Judex Divinum's law. There will be consequences for her actions... if the law calls for death, then so be it. But for now, go to your room... please."
"FU-"
"Silence..."
Although the word was soft and quiet, the power behind it silenced Asura. Try as he could, his mouth remained sealed until the old man left the room.
With his back turned, the old man walked down the hallway as Asura watched. Wain approached Asura, patting him on the shoulder.
"I know you are mad, but... Sarah is one of the captain's only remaining family. She's been with him for like sixty years, just this once can you let it go? He won't spare her just because she is family. The captain believes in fair judgment. Please?"
"Fuck no, dude. How the hell haven't you guys known this whole time? How many children died before the one used to summon me? Whos next? Lily!? Marco?! Joel?!?"
"Asrua-"
"You can't tell me you're not angry either?! How-"
"ASURA! I know... I know. Im pissed too. To say you are devoted to God, then do that... It's fucked up, I know. We will handle it. She won't see the light of day. She'll probably be chained in the exorcism room for years. She deserves to rot like you say, I'm with you on that. But for the Captain's sake, just quit for now..."
Asura sighed. He turned to confront Wain, but he stopped as Wain's eyes flashed a shade of purple. It was only for a brief moment, but it was long enough.
"Whatever."
Asura walked away down the hallway. Wain gave a dry smile as he followed after the ogre.
"Thank you."
As they walked back to the room, Asura was left with regret. He lied about the entire situation. He never heard the nun speaking on the phone... In fact, all of it was made up, except her working with the cult.
Asura could smell the strong scent of quotidian mana again as he walked the halls earlier. After following it, he arrived right at the nun's room. Inside were diaries and old clothes stained by the beast race's stench.
After searching for a while, he got caught by the nun. However, it was too late. He found what he needed to. He was certain that it was her. On the thirtieth page of the diary were the names of her victims... Lily, Marco, Joel, and the fourth kid, Tom. She ripped the diary from his clutches as he stood stunned by this revelation. "How could she... just... give up the children."
Knowing that her secret had been revealed, she rushed to the dresser and pulled out a lighter. In shock, Asura hesitated too long. She lit the page, causing it to burn up instantly. As the page burnt away to ash, she began laughing hysterically as he gripped her shoulders,
"HahHAHa, you... you can't prove it. They'll never believe you..."
That is when it all began. Asura dragged her down the hallway, ripping her hair out as he clenched her habit.
He began to formulate a lie as he walked down the hall. Honestly, it could've all been thwarted if she had been honest from the beginning. Why did she even claim to be in the laundry room? It must have gotten to her. The fear of being caught, or maybe the guilt of her actions, finally surfaced, making her become irrational.
It did not matter to Asura, though. He was going to kill her if they believed her.
He was ready to deal with the consequences. Even if the entire world turned against him, he would have fought them all to ensure she paid for this unforgivable crime. For making Lily, Joel, Marco, and Tom... suffer as they did.