Chapter 144 – Duo Beris Cult

Riding atop Lindwurm, I rushed toward the orphanage. Using Circulating Ki to enhance Lindwurm’s physical abilities, I reduced air resistance with Wind Magic and Shield to accelerate further.

Amid the blaring alarms, what came into view were figures clad entirely in black hoods. Four in total. Clashing swords with them were the knights and soldiers assigned to perimeter security.

The intruders wielded peculiar weapons like shotels. Common thieves wouldn’t carry such arms. They were almost certainly followers of Duoveris.

An attack on the orphanage… I’d anticipated it, but seeing it in reality was infuriating beyond words. Apparently, women and children held greater value as sacrifices for Duoveris. What a ridiculous notion.

Judging from the fight at the gate, they were either attempting to retreat due to unforeseen circumstances or trying to buy time.

Perhaps because I’d provided information about shotels in advance, the soldiers seemed to be handling themselves well. A surprise attack to quickly subdue them would be best here.

“Lindwurm. Take care of one.”

Saying this, I leaped from his back. With Ouroboros and Lindwurm following—the latter letting out a joyful roar—I dove through the air, cutting through the wind. I crushed the black-clad figure who was about to strike with his shotel, landing squarely on his shoulder. Simultaneously, I swept Ouroboros through the side of another nearby.

A follower’s scream echoed from above. Lindwurm had snatched him as we passed. Accelerating further, Lindwurm flew toward the building, hurled the man against the wall, and then sharply ascended.

“Wh-what is that?!”

Both soldiers and followers stared wide-eyed, seemingly unable to comprehend what had just happened.

“I’ve come to assist,” I stated briefly before launching myself at the remaining black-clad figures.

“Th-thank you for your aid!”

“Guh! Wh-what the hell?!”

I struck the bewildered follower with Ouroboros.

As he barely blocked with his shotel, I pressed forward, activating Wind Magic from a Magic Circle I’d concealed in my left hand, sending him spinning into the air.

Right on cue, Lindwurm flew in. With no means to defend himself, the man’s weapon-wielding arm was crushed between Lindwurm’s jaws. Letting out an agonized scream, he was flung away with tremendous force. Lindwurm certainly knows how to coordinate well.

I intended to swiftly subdue the remaining one, but… from around the orphanage’s second floor, I heard the sound of shattering glass and a scream. …So there were more of them inside.

“I’m going to assist over there.”

After a brief exchange of glances, the knight nodded. Seemingly entrusting it to me. I flew toward the second-floor window, tumbling into the room.

Exiting the empty room into the hallway, I saw Sandra carrying a sobbing little girl, running deeper down the corridor, with Brad gripping a broom as a makeshift weapon. Two followers were in pursuit.

I grasped the situation. They must have gone to rescue a child who’d been left behind, only for the intruders to break in, forcing them to flee.

“Over here!”

To draw attention, I deliberately shouted as I charged. The followers turned—one continued toward Sandra and the others, while the other pivoted to face me. Trying to buy time? Or perhaps he didn’t care if his opponent was me, as long as he could target the child? When our eyes met, he seemed to smirk beneath his mask.

“Annoying.”

Sorry, but I won’t hold back at all.

I could understand starting demon worship to resist oppression. But given the Duoveris Cult’s origins, there’s no reason they should be targeting the Kingdom of Verdugal. Much less a place like this. It makes me sick.

Closing the distance toward the man, I activated magic. Fifth-tier Water Magic: Acid Fog. Enveloped in the strongly acidic mist, the man screamed, clutching his face as he writhed on the floor.

Whether his eyes or throat were burned by the acid—I didn’t care. Wrapping myself in a Barrier Wall of Wind Magic, I broke through the acidic fog I’d created. As I passed, I silenced him by stomping through his mouth as he rolled on the floor. One left.

The hallway ahead was a dead end. Cornered, Sandra held the girl tightly while Brad stood ready with his broom. …Reckless beyond belief.

“Heh heh.”

And he—mocked their desperate resistance.

…I had to deal with this before he reached Sandra and the others. Halting my Magical Power Circulation, I cast magic from my normal state.

Water Magic: Ice Wall separated Sandra’s group from the intruder.

“You damn magician—don’t get cocky!”

Annoyed by the interference, the last remaining one clicked his tongue and turned around. Something glowing on the back of his hand—was that a tattoo? The mark of a cult follower. It was shining red.

He raised his palm toward me. Something shot out from it. I blocked it with Shield, but it eroded through and penetrated. I dodged before it could pierce me completely.

That was—a Miasma Bullet? If so, since I wasn’t using Magical Power Circulation, I now understood its effect.

A demon… but something felt off. The fact that he had the cult’s tattoo on his hand was hard to reconcile.

“What’s wrong? First time seeing miasma? Don’t think your magic will work now!”

He seemed to interpret my pause to assess the situation as fear.

If he were a demon, powerful magic would be necessary. I was just considering how to handle it without involving the two behind me… but fine.

“With a tattoo like that, you’re not a demon, are you?”

“Demon? Call them the Noble Ones.”

So that’s how the cult referred to demons.

“…Why come all the way to the Kingdom of Verdugal? The cult and this country have no connection.”

“Enemies of the Noble Ones are our enemies. And—we must demonstrate our cult’s glory upon this land where the Noble Ones fell.”

“Ridiculous. You’ve heard about the Demon Slayer, right? What reason is there to target children?”

“We offer sacrifices to the Noble Ones. Then the Master will acknowledge us. We shall obtain even greater power.”

The man spoke with a fervent tone.

…I see. So there’s someone higher up in the cult who can perform such rituals or something. I understand the mechanism now. This guy is probably the leader of this operation?

“Not all sacrifices are equal… You—would likely make a fine offering.”

“Don’t make me laugh.”

Hearing this much is sufficient for now. The image of the Director and the others earlier flickered in my mind, making me feel sick. I won’t let this one off easily.

Activating Magical Power Circulation, I charged straight at him. He fired Miasma Bullets in response. But this time, I blocked them with Shield, deflecting them aside as I broke through.

“What?!”

His expression twisted in shock. Riding the momentum, I swung Ouroboros down. I thought it might shatter the shotel along with him, but he enveloped his sword in miasma to block Ouroboros. Sparks scattered as our weapons were repelled.

He swung his shotel from the side. I stepped inside its range, shifting the point of impact of his Slash Attack. He tried to hook his weapon back, as if catching prey. No problem. There were plenty of shotel users in BFO.

Bending low to evade, I swung Ouroboros upward in a wide arc, forcing him to lean back.

Taking advantage of his compromised stance, I switched positions, putting his back to the window. Strengthening my Magical Power Circulation to enhance my body, I flung him backward as if shaking him off.

“Guh!”

Shattering the window, the man was hurled into the night’s darkness.

If he could borrow a demon’s power, he should be able to fly, at least. The man steadied himself in midair. Following him, I launched myself into the air.

“You bastard!”

Miasma Bullets fired. Kicking off Shield, I leaped sideways. Coming to a halt midair and assuming a stance, I made him widen his eyes in shock.

“That’s—what…? C-could you be…?”

Did he just realize I’m the Demon Slayer they’re after? Since I don’t know if they have lookouts, it was the right call to take Mathius’s form.

“I’ve never heard of the cult’s tattoos having such power. So, for future reference, there’s one thing I want to confirm.”

“C-confirm?!”

“That tattoo. What happens if you lose it? Can you maintain your Flight Technique?”

Widening my eyes, I grinned as if baring fangs. Terror flashed across his expression.

He seemed to have guessed my intention, but I wouldn’t give him time to think about descending or escaping. Kicking off Shield, I charged.

Trying to keep me away, he fired Miasma Bullets in rapid succession. His aim was poor. Even in volume, he was far inferior to Linette.

Without deploying Shield, I let them graze past me, taking the shortest path at maximum speed. He tried to retreat, but it was futile. Whether he’s weak or the tattoo has limits, I can’t tell, but his Flight Technique is no match for a demon’s. Better than just Levitation, I suppose.

Honing my magical power, I readied Ouroboros, which emitted a pale spark. The man pulled his hand back, protecting the tattoo. Instead—from the wrist of his hand not holding the shotel, an assassin’s wrist blade shot out. Aiming for my face as I charged, he delivered a thrust as if performing a Palm Strike.

I knew about the wrist blade’s existence. It was an expected move. Tilting my head to evade, I drove a Knee Strike into his now wide-open side.

With a groan of agony, his body bent into a U-shape. In that instant, I pressed the tip of Ouroboros against the tattoo.

“Grind it to dust.”

Earth-Wind Composite Magic: Grind Dust. The battle ring of particles wrapped around my palm instantly scraped away the tattoo, rendering it meaningless.

The man screamed and leaped back—but a few moments later, as if a string had been cut, he plummeted downward, obeying gravity.

“Lindwurm.”

The black giant flying in from the side batted the man midair, sending him spinning upward again.

Neatly catching the man by the scruff of his neck, Lindwurm dropped altitude sufficiently before roughly hurling him to the ground.

…Well, it was probably from a height and angle that wouldn’t result in death from falling. Maybe Lindwurm adjusted on his own. Well, continuing the fight should be impossible now.