The Cult Leader in the Clergy Academy

[Kid, always watch your back,] Damballa said as I walked through the darkness.

I turned around. Two giant eyes glowed in the darkness.

Damballa, who had grown huge after shedding her small and cute form, was staring at me from behind. Her split tongue gently licked my cheek.

[If it weren't for me, you could have been in a very difficult situation...] Damballa said before disappearing somewhere.

I caught the scent of blood from a gust of Bade’s wind. It seemed that Damballa had helped me without my knowledge. I erased her enchanting voice from my mind and once again sensed the positions of the people through Bade's wind.

The men in black who had gathered in front of the entrance were now holding daggers and had scattered. The lights had gone out and their guns had malfunctioned, so they must have changed their strategy. Besides the men in black, it was almost impossible to distinguish who was who. It was because the appearances of the people that I sensed through Bade’s wind were all similar.

Only a few people with unique body shapes could barely be distinguished, such as Dae-Man and Han Dae-Ho. Their physiques were too large to be considered ordinary.

Dae-Man was hunching his body while leaning against a pillar on the first floor. Next to him were two relatively slender individuals, probably Jin-Seo and Min-Seo.

And Han Dae-Ho...

"...is on the third floor?"

The third floor was the highest floor of the museum. With the men in black occupying the first floor, it could be considered the safest place at the moment. He was precariously leaning against the railing, looking as if he could fall at any moment. I had no clue why he was on the third floor or what he planned to do there.

I briefly hid behind an exhibit nearby and took out the Burning Bush Twig from my pocket. I could still hear Han Dae-Ho's voice coming from the Burning Bush Twig.

—Everyone, hide for now. If conditions allow, tell me your location. The opponents appear to be in a state where they can’t use firearms.

—Oh, this is Su-Ryeon, and I'm hiding on the second floor...!

—Good, that’s a relief. As for Yu-Hyun...

Han Dae-Ho continued to speak.

—As soon as you see me, do everything you can. If you understand my words and can respond, then answer.

—...Understood.

Yu-Hyun replied.

Based on how Han Dae-Ho was standing while leaning against the railing on the third floor and the conversation between Han Dae-Ho and Yu-Hyun, I could figure out what Han Dae-Ho was trying to do.

I knew he was a bit reckless, but he was even crazier than I thought. He intended to act as bait, and he was planning to engage in a full-on physical battle with the men in black without any sort of strategy.

"..."

However, that plan was too dangerous. I had seen a tattoo on the neck of the man leading the men in black. He was either an executive of the Satanists or a subordinate of the executives.

In any case, it was clear that the person with the tattoo was associated with the Satanists. That meant that there was a possibility that they would use black magic. Not even Han Dae-Ho would be safe if he were attacked by black magic.

I could have tried to find the man with the tattoo and subdue him beforehand, but within the darkness, it was difficult to distinguish who had a tattoo and who didn't.

I could also choose to subdue all the intruders in the museum with spells and the power of the Loa, but that was difficult to do right now. To wipe out such a large number of enemies at once, I had to use a fusion Voodoo spell. And if I did that, I’d risk revealing my identity. Thus, there was only one option left.

I had to find Ha-Yeon.

* * *

She believed that she had to overcome this. She had always thought that way. Since ancient times, the members of the purification clan became distinguished inquisitors, or they garnered accomplishments of similar magnitude. Sung Yu-Da had achieved such a feat, and Ha-Yeon had to do the same. To do that, she had to overcome her fear of cultists.

However, Ha-Yeon couldn’t help but tremble whenever she encountered a man with a larger build than her. She would feel especially terrified if they wore a mask or if they had a strange glint in their eyes that showed glimmers of madness, to the extent that her legs would feel weak.

Whenever she saw such people, she couldn’t help but think of the memories of how she had been kidnapped as a kid.

"Huff, huff...!"

Ha-Yeon was ultimately unable to overcome her fears and ended up running away. Within the darkness, it was impossible for her to figure out where she was going, so she just ran wherever her legs led her.

Eventually, she hid in a secluded corner of the museum and crouched down. She closed her eyes and covered her mouth with both her hands so that the sounds of her breathing wouldn’t leak out.

Her mind told her that she had to overcome her fears, but her body simply couldn’t do so. Whenever her childhood trauma resurfaced in her mind, her breath would get stuck in her throat, and her chest would burn painfully as if someone was squeezing her heart.

Whenever that happened, it became difficult for her to make rational judgments. She could only think about how much she wanted to live or how much she wanted to hide.

"Huff..."

For now, she collected her breath. She tried to drive away the fear that filled her mind using whatever method she could. She was able to calm down a little, but she was still unable to muster up the courage to fight against the man who had infiltrated the museum.

The only thing she could do was pick up the Burning Bush Twig and listen intently to the sounds coming out of it, and even that had taken her a lot of courage to do.

—Everyone, hide for now. If conditions allow, tell me your location. The opponents appear to be in a state where they can’t use firearms.

—Oh, this is Su-Ryeon, and I'm hiding on the second floor...!

—Good, that’s a relief. As for Yu-Hyun...

Han Dae-Ho’s voice continued to resound from the Burning Bush Twig, and she could faintly hear Su-Ryeon’s response. Han Dae-Ho continued to speak.

—As soon as you see me, do everything you can. If you understand my words and can respond, then answer.

—...Understood.

Yu-Hyun's voice could faintly be heard. Ha-Yeon listened up to that point before placing the Burning Bush Twig on the ground. Her hands were trembling too much and her arms were too sore, so she could no longer hold on to the Burning Bush Twig.

The Burning Bush Twig had the characteristic of emitting light when receiving messages, so there was also a risk of revealing her location to the enemy. In any case, communication with Han Dae-Ho was not cut off, and Yu-Hyun and Su-Ryeon had been able to respond.

She wasn’t sure about Jin-Seo, Min-Seo, Dae-Man, and Sun-Woo, but at the very least, four people were in a situation where they could safely communicate.

If she waited long enough, everyone else would resolve the situation. Han Dae-Ho would save everyone. That was why she did not need to go out of her way to do something. As long as she just quietly waited here...

"Gasp...!"

At that moment, someone approached from behind Ha-Yeon. A rough and rugged hand covered her mouth, and something cold touched her neck. An unfamiliar, chilly, and eerie sensation of a blade was touching her throat.

Crack!

Then, without even a moment for her to feel fear, she heard the sound of something breaking.

Thud.

Following that, she heard the sound of someone collapsing onto the ground. The sensation of a blade against her throat disappeared.

Clatter.

She heard the sound of a dagger falling to the ground, and she felt a presence from behind. The individual who had subdued the person placing a dagger’s blade against Ha-Yeon's neck calmly retrieved the fallen dagger from the floor.

Ha-Yeon was unable to scream or turn around and look. Instead, she just froze in place. Her brain couldn’t keep up with the series of events that had occurred.

Who was the first person who had placed the dagger’s blade on her neck, and who was the person who picked up the dagger that had fallen onto the floor? Judging from how they were picking up the dagger, it didn’t seem like they were an ally.

If that was the case, was it an internal conflict? Were the men in black fighting with each other? Or did they drop their dagger due to a slip of the hand? What was she supposed to do in this situation? She had to take advantage of the opponent's confusion and run away...

"It's me."

The voice that came at that moment calmed her chaotic mind. It was a soft whisper, but she immediately knew who it was. Because the situation was quite dire, she was glad to hear his voice.

However, now was not the time to show her joy. Sun-Woo brought his index finger to his lips and made a shushing sound as he slowly approached Ha-Yeon. The sound of his footsteps was muffled.

Within the darkness, they spoke to each other with lowered voices.

"Don't scream."

"...I’m not going to scream."

The sound of rain, wind, and occasional thunder provided cover, ensuring the enemy wouldn’t hear their voices and thus eliminating any danger. Even if the enemy happened to hear their voices and came looking for them, it would be alright since Sun-Woo was there.

The only thing that had changed was that Sun-Woo was by her side now. However, just that fact alone made Ha-Yeon feel strangely relieved.

"Earlier... who was it that put a blade to my neck? Was it you?"

"I saved your life, and you’re spouting nonsense? Do you want to die?"

"Ah, I see."

"We don’t have time for useless talk,” Sun-Woo said.

His voice was quiet, but since he brought his mouth close to her ear, she could hear his words clearly. Maybe because it was dark, but even though they were in close proximity, there was no sense of intimacy. It was also probably because now was not the time to worry about such things.

Sun-Woo grabbed Ha-Yeon's hand and placed the dagger in it.

"What's the range of the Blessing of Purification?" he asked.

"If I use it right now, it will only reach the nearby area... If I prepare a little more, I could have it reach the entire first floor," Ha-Yeon said.

The Blessing of Purification alone did not have a wide range, but by creating a fusion blessing by combining it with other blessings, it was possible for the Blessing of Purification to cover a much larger area.

"Then, you hide here and prepare to activate the Blessing of Purification. Do you have a Burning Bush Twig?"

"Yes."

"I will signal you using the Burning Bush Twig, and when that happens, shed someone of your blood to complete the blessing array. If you don't receive the signal, you don't have to activate the blessing."

"..."

"But if you do receive the signal, it means that it’s a situation where we absolutely have to use it. You have to give a definite answer here. Can you use it?"

Ha-Yeon could not come up with an immediate answer, but she eventually nodded. The question of whether she could use it or not was meaningless in the current situation.

If it was a situation where she absolutely had to use it, even if she couldn’t do so, then she had to find a way.

Ha-Yeon nodded with determination. However, Sun-Woo just kept his mouth shut and didn’t respond.

"Hey, answer me. Do you understand?" Sun-Woo said.

"...Huh? I nodded earlier, didn't I?" Ha-Yeon replied.

"Really? I couldn't see because it was dark. Anyway, I understand."

After saying that, he tried to go somewhere else again. Ha-Yeon urgently grabbed him.

"Wait, wait just a moment. What if someone comes while I’m preparing the blessing array? Like what happened earlier—"

"Stab them in the neck with the dagger."

"..."

Ha-Yeon was so shocked that she couldn’t help but close her mouth. If she stabbed someone in the neck with a dagger, they would die. He was telling her to kill someone as if it were a natural thing to do. Seeing how Ha-Yeon was not responding, Sun-Woo shook his head, perhaps belatedly realizing that something was strange.

"No, what I just said was a joke... Hey, this," Sun-Woo said.

He then pulled out something from his hand and put it on Ha-Yeon's finger. It was a ring. In the darkness, the gemstone on the ring glowed with a faint purple light. Sun-Woo tapped the ring and said, "When it becomes dangerous, shatter the ring's gem."

"...What is this?"

"A holy artifact."

‘Ring-shaped holy artifacts indeed exist, but was there ever a ring with a purple gem like this?’

Although Ha-Yeon was greatly interested in holy artifacts, this was the first time she had seen such an artifact. However, she decided to believe his words for now. He had no reason to lie in this situation.

"I’ll be going then," Sun-Woo firmly said.

"..."

He then left to go somewhere. She didn’t even have a chance to stop him. His steps showed no hesitation at all. Even though he knew that the museum was filled with villains carrying guns and swords, he didn't seem to be afraid at all.

Although he left, Ha-Yeon still felt the sense of relief that she had felt when she encountered him. The feeling on her finger felt strangely comforting.

Ha-Yeon put the Burning Bush Twig against her ear, fiddled with the ring that Sun-Woo had given her, and cautiously unleashed her divine power. Slowly, she began drawing a Blessing of Purification that would fill the first floor of the museum.

* * *

Rip, ripp—!

Within the darkness, Jin-Seo grabbed her skirt and tore it apart. Upon seeing her do so, Min-Seo widened her eyes in surprise. She was just about to raise her voice, but soon decided to lower it. "What are you doing...?"

"It’s to stop the bleeding."

Jin-Seo tightly wrapped the cloth she tore from her skirt around the wound on her arm. Her skirt, which had been long, became shorter.

As a test, Jin-Seo lightly flicked her leg in the air. It was definitely easier to move in a shorter skirt. She could have considered it as having stopped her bleeding and fixed her clothes at the same time.

Min-Seo was so dumbfounded that she burst into laughter.

"Hey, if you're going to stop the bleeding, why not use a healing array instead?" Min-Seo asked.

"The light from a healing array is too bright and noticeable," Jin-Seo responded.

Jin-Seo pulled the knot she made with the cloth even tighter, making the bleeding stop even more.

"So, is now the time to worry about things like this?" Jin-Seo asked.

"...Well, that's true," Min-Seo said.

Min-Seo easily understood what she was saying. When she thought about it, there was no reason to stop Jin-Seo since she was just tearing apart her own skirt.

While hiding behind a pillar, Jin-Seo held the portable spear and carefully observed the enemies’ movements. She was waiting for an opportunity. Min-Seo couldn't understand her actions.

"If we just quietly stay here, the director will take care of it," Min-Seo said.

There was no need to take unnecessary risks. It would be wiser to stay still and wait for the enemies to come. If they got involved, in the worst-case scenario, they could end up pointlessly dying. In the best-case scenario, they would survive, and not much would change. There was nothing to be gained from taking on so much risk.

Jin-Seo firmly shook her head. "We don't know what will happen to the others."

Although she said ‘others,’ she only thought of one person.

Min-Seo looked at Jin-Seo in stupefaction and then turned her gaze to Dae-Man, who was still crouching.

"...This bastard is still like this," she said.

"Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler..."

Dae-Man was crouching down and continuing to mutter the same words. He was different from his usual self.

"Free yourself, like a bird from the snare of the fowler..."

Min-Seo continued to listen to Dae-Man’s mumbling. He had always left a strong impression and had been known for his loud voice and confident demeanor. But now, seeing him whimper while feebly hunched over, Min-Seo couldn't help but feel angry for some reason.

Min-Seo frowned and spat, "Hey, stop it."

"I can't remember..." Dae-Man said, clutching his head.

"I simply can't remember..."

Min-Seo couldn't understand what he meant by not being able to remember. From an objective standpoint, Jin-Seo could be considered the most reliable fighter, and she was going out of her way to engage in a disadvantageous fight. Meanwhile, Dae-Man, who was unmatched in size and strength, was mumbling incoherently. It truly was a desperate situation.

"Sigh..."

It was a situation where she had to gather her wits. Min-Seo took a deep breath and started thinking about how they could survive. For now, she picked up the Burning Bush Twig. She was thinking about asking Han Dae-Ho when he was going to come and rescue them. At the moment, there was no one they could trust but Han Dae-Ho.

—Like a bird from the snare of the fowler...

She heard Han Dae-Ho's voice from the Burning Bush Twig. It was clearly Han Dae-Ho's voice, but he was saying something similar to what Dae-Man had been muttering. Min-Seo frowned and turned her head toward Dae-Man.

"What's going on? Dae-Man, you..."

Crash!

That was when it happened. The sound of glass shattering loudly echoed from above, followed by the tinkling of glass fragments pouring onto the floor. Min-Seo lifted her head. A giant man, covered in light from head to toe, was falling from the third floor to the first floor.

"Free yourself."

Crash—!

The man landed. The light emanating from his body was incredibly strong. It was to the extent that looking at him directly would blind the eyes. His figure, shining alone in the darkness, stood out so much. Min-Seo belatedly realized that the man was Han Dae-Ho.

"These crazy bastards...."

Perhaps there was no one worth trusting here.

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