"Seriously, this is the first time I've seen a demon so afraid of death. It's not easy. Most demons I encounter want to tear me apart, relentless until death."
York chuckled and pressed his hand downward.
Hearing this, Sakxir, barely hanging on to life below, flashed a look of grievance in its eyes.
It was just sleeping in its lair, awakened from its slumber by the summoning out of curiosity, only to almost get blown to pieces by the explosion.
Remembering the instant annihilation of its defenses and power by the burst of holy light, a flicker of fear crossed Sakxir's mind.
Reflecting on this, it stared at the human above and remembered his name.
"You're not Ning Weize! Who are you, really?"
"Me?"
York's magic power surged.
"I'm your daddy. Go back to your hell. Next time I see you, you won't be so lucky."
As he finished speaking, the magic circle that had been surrounding them dissipated.
In that moment, Sakxir sensed the presence of hell and glared at the human as if to engrave his face in its memory before vanishing in a flash of light.
York remained expressionless, though a wave of thoughts passed through his mind. By the definition of a soul, he was an unnamed, rootless soul.
"So..."
York mused to himself.
"Who am I? I don't even know."
He turned and walked towards his parked Ford Raptor, ready to continue elsewhere.
Finally, having found the demon from Ernst's fifth report, he was close to achieving his goal.
York drove to a new ambush site. He got out of the car and, from the trunk, took out a holy remote-controlled bomb, blessing it with a hundred points before starting the setup.
Now, he faced two possibilities.
If this demon, possibly named Kaldos, couldn't withstand the total of six hundred points of blessing and died, it would be revenge for Ernst.
If it survived, he would continue investigating Ernst's case and then exact revenge.
Like before, York efficiently dug a medium-sized hole at the new site, buried the holy remote-controlled bomb, covered it with soil, and completed the task smoothly.
"Finally, the summoning circle."
Without a specific, direct summoning circle, York could only create a generic one.
Unlike specialized demon circles, this method of summoning could be sensed by other demons.
And since it wasn't a true name...
There was a chance that some powerful demon might hijack the summoning.
"A bit risky, maybe?"
Thinking this, York paused, his expression slightly awkward. With his many exorcisms, he naturally had many enemies in hell.
Moreover, there was Satan, who, if not explicitly seeking him, was certainly watching him from the shadows.
"Let's add some double-layer buffs."
York smirked and added another layer of buffs to the bomb buried underground.
[12 points of Spirit used] He deliberately left twenty points to avoid headaches.
[50 points of Magic used] Fifty points, or fifty times, should be enough to avoid detection by U.S. officials, though they might already be aware of the commotion here.
The holy remote-controlled bomb now had a blessing of seven hundred and twelve points and a ninety-point, or ninety-fold, enchantment.
"450 kilograms of TNT firepower and seven hundred points of penetrating critical damage should be enough."
York calculated the data, feeling much more at ease.
He waved his hand, filling in the circle shape in his mind with magic power.
Instantly, a deep red circle appeared in the air and pressed down to the ground, forming a generic summoning circle.
"It's still not enough. Let's add a 'Dark Night Imprisonment' circle, capable of completely restraining any dark power."
Remembering the sealing circle learned from the fourth book of the Book of Lebo, York skillfully applied it, creating a second circle pressing downward.
"Still feeling insecure, let's add one more to weaken the demon's power, something like 'Holy Seal Suppression'?"
York, who hadn't used it in a while, recalled the circle he learned in the church's secret chamber — filled with holy marks, capable of weakening or sealing evil forces.
With a wave of his hand, three circles interconnected, forming a comprehensive setup.
"Summon, seal, weaken — now I feel at ease."
York, satisfied, added two points of blessing to the new walkie-talkie and placed it at the center of the circle, leaving the site while setting up cameras along the way before driving off.
Before long, he parked the car over seven hundred meters away. At this distance, his real-time mental map was less effective, unless the fifty-meter range could be expanded.
This was a reluctant choice, as the explosion's power had increased forty-fold, necessitating greater distance.
Staring at the tablet screen, York watched the circle inside, reciting a somewhat chuuni summoning spell, calling to Kaldos, hoping the demon would sense his summoning.
"...I offer my soul, Ning Weize's, to you."
The tablet's screen lit up.
York ceased the summoning, fixating on the light gathering at the center of the circle on the screen, ready for battle.
Unsure whether other demons might be attracted.
If so, it would be troublesome.
Watching the light intensify and a form start to emerge, York expressionlessly allocated the twenty unused attribute points he had just earned to his slowly recovering spirit, now back to 26 points.
[Spirit: 46/152]
[...]
As the notification sounded, a figure with deep purple skin materialized in the center of the circle.
"Looks like the right one?"
York narrowed his eyes, observing the demon at the circle's center, and pressed the remote control for the explosion.
Click! The crisp sound of the button press.
The result was a massive explosion at the circle's center, seven hundred meters away, deafening York and lighting up the sky with a giant orange fireball, shooting out beams of holy light brighter than sunlight.
He felt the ground tremble, the car vibrating slightly.
Judging by this alone, York imagined the scene within the orange fireball.
As he expected, trees at the circle were instantly shattered by the blast, towering trunks collapsing under the shockwave.
The powerful shockwave and flames swept through the surrounding forest, scattering trees, rocks, and soil in all directions...
"Didn't it just kill it outright?"
Seeing such a huge commotion, York was somewhat concerned about the demon at the center of the explosion. However, he only drove toward the now-ruined site after the dust settled, proceeding slowly.
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As York approached closer, he could feel the formidable power of the sacred bomb even more.
Debris was scattered everywhere, like waves in the ocean tossing their contents ashore.
Everywhere.
The car could no longer make it through.
York had to park the car on a forest trail and walk towards the direction of the magic formation.
When he was only a few dozen meters away, he noticed many trees in the vicinity were snapped in half.
"The remnants of the power of the Holy Light are so strong, they've begun to materialize and become visible to the naked eye…"
York gazed at the glowing specks on the surfaces of trees, the ground, and even in the air, subconsciously gripping the handle of his knight's sword at his waist.
He suddenly thought of the incident at Saint Cata's Monastery and the towering mushroom cloud.
That mushroom cloud was much more powerful than this fireball, at least doubling in the amplified data, measured in tons.
"If that's the case, isn't that place even more mystical than here?"
York hesitated. He hadn't gone back to the scene, nor had he asked the old man for photos.
But then he thought that maybe it was for the best.
At least it would back up his claim that God had descended.
The more obvious, the more believable his words.
He was curious about what it would look like. Perhaps a holy site?
"One day when I have time, I should ask Bishop Rolf for some photos. Places like this, full of holy remnants, are where even demons dare not tread…"
Lost in thought, York suddenly realized he had arrived at his destination.
Before him was a pit about ten meters in diameter and one to two meters deep.
The ground was overturned, revealing moist, fresh earth, emanating a distinct earthy smell.
Magical summons, seals, and weakening formations were faintly visible.
"Kaldos?"
York's gaze settled on the center of the pit.
In his eyes, the pit was filled with splattered fluids and unrecognizable chunks of flesh, as if the demon had been blown to bits upon its arrival.
At the center of this mess was a lump of flesh, barely recognizable as anything, with maybe half a face, a deep purple arm without a hand, and bone wings reduced to mere skeletons.
Despite its state, the heart in the flesh lump was still faintly pulsing.
"No, this must be your pseudonym." York crouched down, looking at the flesh lump with a mix of awe and revulsion. Demons and humans are incomparable. Not only are demons extraordinarily resilient, but they also possess various powers. Some have immense physical strength, others excel in psychic abilities. To deal with them, one needs to rely on holy powers for efficiency. Otherwise, it's an uphill battle.
"Not bad for a demon associated with Ernst. You're tough, surviving in such intense Holy Light."
As he spoke, York watched the heart and flesh buds in the pit, slowly growing amidst the struggle against the lingering Holy Light, and smiled.
"Don't waste your effort. Before you recover, I can kill you a thousand, ten thousand times. Even if you do recover, I can still kill you just as many times. I've killed my fair share of high-level demons like you."
As he finished speaking, York summoned a deep red, invisible longsword with a spell, Exorcio, and slashed it towards the connecting membrane.
Pff!
A deep slash appeared on the ground, and the membrane connecting the flesh lump and surrounding tissues was effortlessly severed.
"So, you still want to live? Then answer my questions."
York spoke calmly as he crouched there.
"Or just die."
His tone was cold, unmistakable. Only Kaldos could understand the pressure he felt.
In its perception, the pressure from above was real.
The burst of Holy Light upon its arrival had informed it of the extreme danger posed by the person above.
Its body, filled with holy energy, seemed invincible, like a turtle's shell, indicating that it couldn't be invaded.
Yet, the feeling it got from its adversary was special, so unique it didn't seem human.
"You're not Ning Weize," Kaldos weakly spoke from the pit's center.
"Who are you, exactly?"
York shook his head at the familiar question. "It seems you still don't grasp your situation. Right now, I ask, you answer.
I don't understand why you all need a beating to get it."
Without moving, York's presence alone seemed to explode in the pit, as if invisible giant hands were smashing into the flesh lump.
Boom!
The pit sank further, the imprint of the giant hands visible, and Kaldos' true body was further flattened.
York could hear the painful breathing from the flesh lump, see its heart racing. The demon was in even worse shape than before.
But York was unfazed. Being harsh with demons was a matter of survival; otherwise, you're the one who dies.
"Feeling more lucid now?" York asked indifferently.
"If not, I can do it again."
Kaldos' heart raced even faster, filled with rage and resentment. But it understood its situation – completely at the mercy of its captor.
Its only option was to survive and return to hell for revenge, to gather strength and come back to the human world to tear this hateful human to shreds.
"Ask!"
Detecting the underlying rage and spite, York remained calm.
"Do you know Ernst Borga?"
"Ernst? Let me think... Ah, yes, that pitiful wretch whose faith was crumbling?"
The voice was filled with the typical demonic mockery. York, expressionless, just stared at the still-speaking flesh lump.
Kaldos, sensing a chance to turn the tables, spoke: "Seems you're an acquaintance of his. Stranger priest, do you know what he did?"
York remained silent.
A mocking laughter filled the silent space.
"He's not as powerful as you, thinking he could exorcise me, utterly delusional."
The voice grew more excited, with a predatory tone.
"I merely tempted him a bit, just a little, and he was utterly ensnared. He did exactly what I wanted to see.
And he didn't realize the person I controlled was fully conscious. Interesting, very interesting… hehehe…"
"So that's it."
York stood up, remembering Ernst's description, and sighed internally.
"Is this the truth?"
He understood everything. The truth was so simple, he didn't know what to feel.
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