Yohan broke through the defensive line set up by the guards and scanned his surroundings.
“Kiaaaak!”
“Kieeek!”
The beasts swarmed around him, lunging to drink his blood and tear his flesh apart.
Woong!
Yohan reached out indifferently. As he clenched the air, the beasts’ bodies twisted in midair, grotesquely contorting.
Crack!
Bones snapped, and crimson blood burst forth like an explosion.
It was a skill a fusion of psychokinesis and mana manipulation.
“Francia.”
Yohan’s eyes widened as he searched for her. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His breath grew ragged, and his gaze sharpened.
He had reached the central infirmary, but Francia was nowhere to be seen. His fingertips trembled. Anxiety gnawed at him. Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
The constant rhythm of galloping hooves, the beasts’ shrieks, and the pounding of Yohan’s own unsteady heart intertwined.
“Damn it.”
Where had she disappeared to?
If she had fled, she would have regrouped with the guards…
“Kraaaaah! Francia Pervacheeee!!”
Just then, a rough, metallic roar shook the forest. It was unmistakably a human voice yet it was closer to the scream of a beast.
“Francia?”
Yohan’s brows furrowed. The cry sounded neither fully human nor entirely beastly. And yet, why was Francia’s name being shouted? Questions surged, but he had no time for answers.
“I’m heading toward the roar.”
His grip tightened on the reins. The horse bolted forward, brushing past the pursuing beasts.
“Kiaaak!”
“Kiraaak!”
The monsters gave chase. Yohan only eliminated those he couldn’t afford to ignore. He reached out, twisted his wrist in the air….
Kwa-duk!
The beasts’ bodies distorted as if about to rupture. Sticky blood splattered, and the air reeked of molten iron.
Clearing a path through the carnage, Yohan pressed on. A foreboding, chilling energy loomed ahead. And at the end of that sinister aura……
Francia stood.
“…Francia?”
At the sound of his voice, she turned her head slowly. Her cold, expressionless face shifted in an instant.
“Yohan…!”
Relief and fear mingled in her voice. Francia took trembling steps toward him before throwing herself into his arms.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes… I’ve used quite a lot of mana, though.”
Despite her reassurance, Yohan examined her closely. There were no visible injuries. Her breathing and pulse were steady, and her mana remained intact.
A wave of relief washed over him. He had been plagued by the fear that something had happened to her, but now that she was here, safe, that fear melted away.
“That’s a relief. But… what is this energy? It feels ominous.”
Yohan glanced around warily. The sinister aura made his skin prickle. Even the beasts avoided this place.
“It’s a long story. But first… could you look over there?”
Francia pointed with her trembling fingers.
At the spot she indicated….
There stood Cain Luhar, his human form consumed by a dark energy.
’That bastard.’
Yohan’s expression darkened. The man had seized the opportunity during the rift’s restoration to approach Francia.
He should have assigned someone to keep watch.
“Archbishop Cain… he suddenly turned into a beast.”
“…Is it the Curse of Beastification?”
“Yes. I’m certain of it.”
Beastification.
A curse that transformed humans into monstrous beasts.
“…So, he walked the path of the demonic.”
“That’s right.”
The Curse of Beastification didn’t affect ordinary people.
Because they never had the chance to be afflicted in the first place.
To be cursed like that, one must walk the path of magic.
“This isn’t something we can decide on our own. The Archbishop, walking the path of magic…”
A shadow fell over Yohan’s eyes. He hadn’t known that Cain Luhar was afflicted with the curse of beastification. When he read the original story, he had simply assumed Cain was drawn to Francia because of her unique constitution.
‘Was there such a secret?’
Now, it was clear why Cain was so obsessed with Francia and why he was approaching her like this.
The only way to break the curse he had received from walking the path of magic was through Francia’s purification power.
“I’ll check his condition first.”
“Yes.”
Yohan focused entirely on Francia, activating his spiritual perception and mana sensitivity to their utmost limits. Even if a high-ranking demonic beast were to ambush them suddenly, he would be ready.
“…”
Cain Luhar’s skin was as pale as a corpse, and thin veins stood out starkly. His breathing was irregular, as if it might stop at any moment, and his mana was surging wildly, barely keeping his body together.
Most concerning of all, his eyes were being swallowed by darkness.
‘At this stage, he should be dead…’
Yet, whether due to the effects of beastification or something else, Cain was still alive. In fact, his vitality and mana were overflowing to an abnormal degree.
‘What should I do? Wouldn’t it be best to finish him off here?’
In the short term, eliminating Cain Luhar on the spot and disguising it as an accident would be the optimal choice. This place was already a den of evil no one would question if something happened.
But in the long run, exposing the curse and completely ruining him socially would be the better move. That way, there would be no suspicion on their end, and many troublesome issues could be resolved at once.
As Yohan was weighing his options.
“Aah! Saint Yohan—! Fear not! I, Arbella, have slain five high-ranking demonic beasts and have come to rescue you and the Obsidian Saintess!”
Arbella had arrived as reinforcements. She was covered in blood yet beamed with a cheerful smile.
Taking down five high-ranking beasts already… She might seem odd, but her skills were undeniable.
‘Looks like the long-term plan is the right choice.’
Yohan hadn’t even taken that long to consider his options, yet she had already arrived. It was clear that keeping Cain alive was the wiser decision. If he went for the finishing blow now, things would only get more complicated.
“Hmm…? But what is this situation? Why is Archbishop Cain lying on the ground, surrounded by such a strange aura? It feels like magic…”
Arbella glanced between Yohan, Francia, and the collapsed Cain before asking.
“Archbishop Cain has been afflicted by the curse of beastification. The reason five high-ranking demonic beasts suddenly appeared is because they were drawn to his energy.”
Magical energy stimulates demonic beasts they are fundamentally the same in nature. That’s why magic practitioners often use demonic beasts for their crimes.
Cain Luhar’s energy was so overwhelming that only high-ranking beasts had dared to approach him.
“No way…! Am I just not understanding this properly? What are you even saying?! No matter how much of a Saint you are, I cannot forgive you for slandering the Archbishop of the Holy Kingdom!”
Arbella’s expression twisted slightly. Her disbelief was natural. The Holy Kingdom viewed beastification as one of the most horrific divine punishments.
And yet, their most sacred and revered Archbishop was afflicted by such a curse? It was unthinkable.
“…I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. He tried to devour me, aiming for my purification power.”
Francia spoke firmly, her expression resolute.
“Ugh…!”
Arbella clenched her eyes shut, rubbing her chin in deep thought. She was clearly troubled. It was hard to accept, but the dark energy overflowing from Cain Luhar was undeniable.
“This conversation is going to take a while. Let’s discuss the details later shall we return for now?”
Arbella clenched her fist and nodded.
“A wise decision! After all, we’re in the heart of a demon’s lair!”
Yohan lifted Francia into his arms, then used telekinesis to bind Cain Luhar and suspend him in the air.
“Let’s go. The lair has been sealed.”
* * *
Thanks to the proper handling of the high-ranking demonic beasts the biggest variable in the lair there were no casualties. And since there were many priests from the Holy Kingdom present, even the injured only suffered minor wounds.
Thus, the first mission of the Purification Order could be considered a success.
Though there were some issues.
“Are you saying Archbishop Cain was afflicted with beastification?!”
Inside the detention center of the Lehern territory, Holy Knight Commander Rante widened his eyes in shock, his entire body expressing his astonishment.
“Yes… He claimed my magic was special and tried to consume me. When I attempted to flee, he transformed into a beast and attacked…”
Francia trailed off, a small tear slipping from her eye.
The tears were a lie, but that hardly mattered. The fact remained that Cain Luhar had made outrageous demands and succumbed to beastification.
“My god.”
“The Archbishop… beastified?”
“That can’t be!”
“There must be some mistake!”
The holy knights and priests surrounded Cain Luhar. Their reaction was expected. It was hard to believe that the most revered archbishop of the Holy Kingdom had turned into a beast.
“…A simple test will prove it.”
Francia had anticipated this reaction. That’s why she pulled out the dagger she had hidden in her robes. Its blade shimmered faintly with golden light.
“That is…?”
“The Light of Judgment?”
“How could that be…?”
While the holy knights and priests murmured in confusion over the rare holy light, Francia approached Cain Luhar, who was bound in chains that suppressed magic.
—Hwaaak!
As she neared him, the golden light surrounding the dagger flared even brighter.
“GRAAAAH!”
Cain Luhar, who had been unconscious and silent just moments ago, suddenly screamed and opened his eyes. His shadow trembled violently, and dark energy surged from his body.
There was only one thing this could mean.
“The curse of beastification!”
“Then it’s true Archbishop Cain…?”
“He must have sought power from a demon!”
“He deceived us…!”
Now that undeniable proof was in front of them, the holy knights and priests erupted in rage. Betrayal was evident in their eyes, and that betrayal quickly turned into fury.
The energy he exuded and his reaction to the Light of Judgment made it clear Cain Luhar had walked the path of magic.
“Archbishop Cain…! How could you tread the path of magic? You, of all people, who should have been the most devout!”
“GRAAAGH…!”
Arbella grabbed Cain Luhar by the collar, her body enveloped in pure white divine power. But Cain could do nothing but groan in agony as the Light of Judgment burned him.
“Answer me at once! If you do not, I Arbella will deliver divine judgment upon you with my fists! I will shatter your cheekbone!”
“Ghhk…”
Despite her desperate shouting, Cain remained trapped within the dark energy, unable to move.
“You refuse to answer until the end! As Freya’s representative and the Holy Kingdom’s Saintess, I will carry out judgment upon Archbishop Cain!”
Just as Arbella clenched her fist and raised her arm…..
“…Enough.”
Holy Knight Commander Rante, who had been silently observing, raised his hand.
“There is no doubt. Archbishop Cain walked the path of magic and, in doing so, was cursed with beastification. His reaction to the Light of Judgment proves it.”
The ever-smiling Rante now had a rigid expression.
Crackle—!
Divine power surged from his body, sending white sparks flying.
“As the Holy Knight Commander, I will execute Archbishop Cain immediately.”
“Wait.”
Just as Rante was about to draw his sword, Yohan stepped forward.
—Kugugugu…
A strange pressure filled the detention center. It almost felt as though the entire building was shaking.
Even Arbella, who possessed power beyond the highest rank, was not exempt from mana weighed down on her shoulders.
“Cain Luhar’s execution will be carried out by me personally. He dared to lay his hands on my fiancée.”
By custom, it should have been the Holy Knight Commander who carried out the execution. However, none of the knights or priests dared to speak.
Yohan’s rage was so palpable that it stilled their tongues.
“If anyone has an objection, speak now.”
Yohan’s deep blue eyes flickered dangerously.
Before his wrath, no one could say a word.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.