Chapter 104: The Sheep’s Cry Part 3

Amon swung his sword.

However, the old man dodged it with ease.

From a distance, Sonia provided cover fire, but the mecha-crocodile leaped up to block the bullets.

“I’ll join in!”

With a loud shout, Cassie entered the battle.

Unaware that the old man was a demon and only knowing that Amon was her enemy, she instinctively activated her ability.

The old man merely sneered at her attempt.

“Clairvoyance? Such a basic technique.”

Mixing in a simple feint, he guided her movements and then kicked her away.

Watching her get sent flying, he smirked once before refocusing on Amon.

“You’re much weaker than I expected.”

Even with the penalties of fighting as a mere avatar and being in the Vatican, the demon still held the upper hand against Amon.

But Amon didn’t grow anxious.

He knew better than anyone that his greatest strength was his “composure” (?).

“Die!!!”

Maybe he was getting a little too heated, but at least he believed himself to be composed.

The old man smirked and blocked Amon’s sword with his arm.

“A machine?”

Beneath the torn sleeve, metal gleamed where flesh should have been.

“Just because I’m a demon doesn’t mean I wouldn’t undergo enhancements.”

Unlike other demons, the old man had no qualms about using human technology alongside his mystical powers.

Beyond his alloyed arm, crocodile scales and magical engravings were also visible on his nape.

“Tch.”

Clicking his tongue, Amon widened the distance between them.

The old man stretched out his steel arm, aiming directly at Amon.

His arm opened up, and a small grenade was fired.

Amon briefly glanced at the civilians still unable to evacuate behind him—then slashed in place.

Caught in the explosion, he tumbled across the ground before quickly closing in on the old man again.

This time, the old man drew a blade from his knee and aimed for Amon’s chest.

As the blade grazed his chest, a long-forgotten chill ran down Amon’s spine.

“Amon!”

Sonia shouted.

But she wasn’t in a great position either.

The mecha-crocodile had clamped down on her gun and wouldn’t let go.

When the crocodile spun its body like a hurricane, she had no choice but to release her weapon.

“Ugh!”

Grimacing, she immediately spread her wings.

A halo glowed above her head, and feathers of healing rained down from the sky.

The old man’s eyelids drooped slightly.

The mecha-crocodile also started to blink drowsily.

“Huh… I’m getting sleepy.”

With a faint smile, the old man stretched lazily.

Amon didn’t miss his chance and aimed for the heart.

However, the old man casually caught the sword with his hand and muttered, “Human technology is truly convenient.”

Then, he snapped the blade in half.

A procedure that could turn an ordinary human into a monster.

‘If a demon were to undergo such modifications, what would happen?’

Amon’s past fears had become reality.

The old man shifted his gaze from Amon to Sonia.

“It feels nice, but if I sleep now, I won’t be able to sleep at night.”

He signaled to his pet crocodile.

The beast leaped high into the air, aiming for Sonia.

She barely dodged its snapping jaws but failed to evade the blade hidden in its tail.

“Ugh!”

With a small groan, the saint lowered her altitude.

While the others fought, Cassie, who had been knocked down earlier, got back on her feet.

She adjusted her spear and aimed at the old man’s back.

Just then, his mocking voice reached her ears.

“Know your place, little girl.”

With ease, the old man dodged the spear.

It flew past him—straight toward Amon’s neck.

She hurried to recall it, but—

“You don’t often fight hackers, do you? Figures.”

With those words, control of the spear temporarily shifted to the old man.

Clang!

The weapon moved with far greater precision and force than when she wielded it, aiming directly at Amon’s body.

Cassie quickly regained control, but any moment of carelessness would let him seize it again.

“Looks like I just got myself a new weapon. Thanks, miss.”

She had no words to counter his taunt.

The old man continued to push them back.

Not only did he control Cassie’s spear, but he also hacked nearby vehicles to use them as weapons, revealed hidden cyberware throughout his body, and cast magic without incantations using engraved sigils.

He was practically an impenetrable fortress.

In a desperate situation, Amon made a gamble.

[Lord, look upon me.]

The old man wasn’t about to let him finish.

“I don’t underestimate you, you know. If I can tell you’re trying to use a trump card, why would I just stand by and let it happen?”

“I know, you bastard.”

“?! “

Amon grinned fiercely.

As if this was exactly what he had planned from the start.

“You, huh? You’ve been avoiding stepping past the Vatican’s boundary this whole time.”

“?! “

Because he had closed the distance to interrupt Amon’s incantation, the old man couldn’t stop Amon from grabbing him.

He drew the blade from his knee, but Amon twisted his arm behind his back.

“You should at least do some sightseeing once in your life!”

Amon shoved him toward the Vatican.

The closer they got, the weaker the old man’s resistance became.

By the time his resistance completely faded, he gave a bitter smile and spoke.

“This time, victory is yours. Even if it was just an avatar, your strategy was impressive.”

“You talk like this is over.”

“Aren’t you just going to kill the avatar anyway? By the way, torture won’t work. Obviously, pain doesn’t—GAAAH!”

The old man screamed, his composure shattered by the pain racing down his spine.

“Pain? Why?”

He stared into Amon’s eyes.

His left eye was one the old man recognized.

“The Evil Eye…?! Why do you have that?!”

Instead of answering, Amon pressed down on the cracked section of the old man’s soul.

Divine power flowed into the area just below his knee, triggering an extreme reaction.

“The Evil Eye…! Why does that monster’s eye belong to you?!”

The old man shrieked, unable to resist properly.

As he tortured him, Amon sighed in disappointment.

‘Just as I thought, his lifespan doesn’t decrease.’

He had attacked the weak points revealed by the Evil Eye just in case, but it didn’t shorten the demon’s lifespan.

‘So attacking an avatar only causes pain, huh.’

Despite his disappointment, Amon diligently continued the torture.

He forced the old man to kneel on a bench, pressing him down as if using an executioner’s rack.

As a bonus, he flooded him with divine power.

“STOOOOOP!!!”

With a final scream, the old man severed the connection to his main body.

“Aw, he ran away.”

Amon dusted himself off, somewhat disappointed.

Even if it was just an avatar, he still managed to harvest some demon remains as a bonus.

***

“It’s over.”

He turned to where Sonia was still fighting the crocodile.

By the time he arrived, she had already put a hole through its head.

“This thing wasn’t a mechanical crocodile—it was a real one that had undergone enhancements.”

Lying exhausted on the ground, Sonia gestured toward the now-inactive crocodile.

Instead of fuel, blood was streaming from its head.

Amon grimaced.

“How was it controlled?”

“Not sure? My guess is they stuck a chip in its brain or something.”

“Guess we should bring an EMP next time.”

“Agreed. Who’d have thought a demon would use implants?”

The two exchanged lighthearted remarks as they made their way to Cassie.

They found her crouched on the ground, looking dejected.

Sonia pulled her into an embrace.

“Why the long face?”

“I was useless again today…”

“That’s not true. Do you know how much we rely on you?”

“Hmm…”

Cassie buried her face in Sonia’s chest.

Sonia, in turn, embraced her with overwhelming motherly affection (?).

For just a brief moment—just a very brief moment—Amon felt envious.

But then—

“You can have a turn later too.”

Sonia mouthed the words at him, and he immediately erased the thought from his mind.

After wrapping up the scene, the three headed for the cathedral.

White smoke was rising from it, signaling the conclusion of the vote.

“Looks like it’s over.”

Regardless of the outcome, they had secured proof of demonic worship.

Even if the corrupted faction won, the results could be nullified.

So Amon and his group waited for the official announcement with a relaxed demeanor.

(The demon remains were wrapped up in a bundle and placed beside them.)

Eventually, the doors to the conference room opened.

The news that came, however, was far from what they expected.

***

“The secularist cardinals collectively manifested cyber-schizophrenia and attacked the other cardinals.”

“What?”

“As a result, the conclave has been temporarily suspended. It will resume in two weeks.”

The paladin delivering the news looked utterly exhausted.

The citizens were too stunned to react.

As soon as the announcement ended, Amon immediately rushed to find Heinrich.

“I’m with Cardinal Heinrich’s security detail!”

Ignoring the paladins trying to stop him, he made his way toward the conference room.

The closer he got, the stronger the scent of blood became.

And when he finally looked inside—

The worst sight he had feared unfolded before him.

The corpses of fallen cardinals.

A conference room drenched in blood.

And…

“Haha… you’ve arrived.”

Cardinal Heinrich, missing his right arm and right leg, receiving emergency treatment while offering a dry, weary smile.

***

“It seems we were far too naive.”

Beside the wounded Heinrich, the leader of the moderate faction wore a grim expression.

“Cardinal Heinrich… We will not forget this debt.”

“There is no need. We are all brothers, are we not?”

“Without you, many more cardinals would have died.”

“It was a duty someone had to fulfill.”

Heinrich shifted his gaze away from the moderate cardinal and looked directly at Amon.

“I imagine you would have done the same.”

Amon’s expression stiffened as he nodded.

Yet, for some reason, a dull ache settled in his chest.