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Veronica lightly spun the revolver and opened the cylinder.

Silver cartridges, distinctly different from ordinary bullets, clinked down with a clear sound.

Veronica reached out toward the priest with the shotgun, received six rounds, and loaded them into the chamber.

“Must be because they’re made from holy relics. The effect is impressive as expected.”

After loading the revolver, she turned to the priest and smirked.

“Isn’t there a chance the saint might scold you for wasting like this?”

“No matter how many shots Saint Veronica fires, the holy relics of the Sophia Cathedral will never fall. As long as the saint doesn’t sell the cult’s relics as contraband.”

Veronica’s offensive was truly remarkable.

In the blink of an eye, she took down dozens of monsters, using only six bullets in the process. To be precise, it was four bullets. The other two were each used on a demon and a necromancer.

The state of the demon and necromancer was peculiar even for a layman like me.

The demon glared at her, bleeding dark red from its leg, while the necromancer clutched his wounded abdomen, bloody vomit spilling out like a bucket.

“Hmm.”

Veronica leisurely surveyed the remaining Muspel, the demon, and the necromancer.

She flashed a grin at the enemies in front of her, revolver in hand.

“The performance is guaranteed.”

Episode 12 – The Strongest Magician in History

The knight swung his sword at the approaching Muspel.

Swish! A crisp sound split the air. Then its horn and part of its head were severed.

The knight twisted the blade to take off the Muspel’s neck. As the priest tore the scripture, divine energy swirled around the mace, and the light-infused mace obliterated the monster’s skull.

The forces of the Inquisition, who came to support Lucia’s request, quickly cleared the monsters at the scene.

The remaining Muspel knelt before the blades of the Inquisition.

The commander, directing the knight and the priest, was none other than Veronica, who had single-handedly taken down dozens of Muspel, now approaching us with light steps.

“They say leaving home leads to hardship, and I see that old saying holds true. The New Year will be here in just a few days, and what on earth is this?”

Veronica scratched her head in annoyance.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…As you can see. I’m safe today.”

I responded with an exhausted voice, arms wide open. Veronica, still scratching her head, glanced at me with a smirk, as if finding it amusing.

“I guess it means you’re safe for today.”

“Same difference.”

“Anyway, this bravado… Well, at least you weren’t hurt. You showed up just in time, so thanks?”

“Of course, I’m thankful.”

“Just in words?”

Her playful question slipped out. I wiped my blood-stained sword on my sleeve and replied curtly.

“I’m grateful, but don’t think I’ll owe you a debt, Saint.”

“Colonel, you weren’t thinking of not being able to pay me back, were you?”

“I can pay off debts. The issue is sometimes I just don’t.”

“And what happens if you don’t pay it back?”

Well.

I silently pointed to the ground. Following my gesture, Veronica lowered her gaze and understood the meaning, opening her mouth in disbelief.

“You didn’t bury someone to avoid paying up, did you?”

Veronica leaned sideways with a hand on her hip.

On her waist rested a vintage silver revolver, sparkling under the starlight.

“Not knowing certain things may be for the best.”

“Sigh… How did I end up entangled with a guy like this?”

“Well, maybe you should have accumulated some virtue in your past life.”

“I’m virtuous enough. After all, I’m only one of two saints in this world.”

“Quit smoking before you say such things.”

With an expression as if she had heard a fun joke, Veronica laughed.

The revolver in her hand began to spin elegantly. Since the hammer was not cocked, there was no risk of accidental discharge, and even if it were, her skill was impressive.

I sighed, staring at her revolver.

“If you had such a thing, you should have used it sooner. You wouldn’t have had to evade those National Security spies…”

“Oh, I couldn’t use this back then.”

Veronica smiled down at her revolver. Then she kissed it and added playfully,

“This isn’t for killing humans, you see.”

“Then what is it for?”

“For catching demons, of course.”

*

Displaying her skills, Veronica spun her gun and advanced.

Passing by the knight and priest, who were slaughtering the monsters of hell, she muttered thoughtfully.

“Melting sacred relics, putting holy water into bullets, and calling upon the power of the holy spirit to deliver a blow.”

Thunk! Her heel struck a stone brick coated in dust, making a dull sound.

“Yet they somehow manage to stay alive after getting hit.”

“……”

“Considering Lucia’s temperament, she would have taken them down ages ago. Yet they were still alive after taking that hit; clearly, they were going all out.”

Veronica beamed at the demon and necromancer.

“Seems like a low-quality demon after all?”

The demon, shot in the thigh, dragged its leg and glared at Veronica as if it wanted to kill her.

“Veronica! Saint of the Cult!”

“Oh.”

A smile crept onto Veronica’s face as she twisted her revolver.

“You know me?”

“Lowly gunslinger! Silver-bullet sharpshooter! Servant of angels!”

The demon shrieked like a lunatic. Though I had never heard those titles before, I realized they referred to Veronica.

The demon hollered.

“You’ve shot and hit not one but two beings with that gun! And both were when you were yet a child!”

I looked at the frenzied demon for a moment, then turned my gaze to Veronica. She tilted her head, puzzled.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Have you killed a demon before? Why is that thing acting like this all of a sudden?”

“Ah—”

It was as if Veronica had just made a realization. So that was what you were curious about.

“I sent two demons back to hell a while ago. One possessed a possessed person, and one was contracted with a necromancer. Just those two.”

“Were you an exorcist?”

“Um… no, not really. I just happened to cross paths with them and gave them a little tune-up. It was a close call, though.”

With her revolver in hand, Veronica grinned and gazed at the demon.

The demon cursed with pulsating red eyes, spewing out a curse that was difficult to say.

“How dare a harlot point a gun at me? You dare to hang me on a cross until I dry in the sunlight?!”

“But I’m a virgin.”

“You damn harlot…!”

A torrent of vulgar insults poured out, but Veronica remained completely unfazed.

“You’re a pathetic bastard who can’t even move your legs but has a sharp tongue. Why don’t you try running away like earlier?”

“How dare you mock me!”

“Mock you?”

Veronica smiled.

With a slouched posture, she leaned on one leg, pointing her revolver at the demon.

“Look at your state. You can’t even move properly because of the bullet lodged in your leg, making escape impossible.”

“……”

“All the minions you summoned are dead, and the pathetic minion that rushed in to help you will soon die, too, right?”

As she correctly assessed, the demon was trapped in a perilous situation.

Muspel, summoned by offering up humans, were falling victim to Veronica and the forces of the Inquisition, while the necromancer, who had crashed in to assist the demon, was now injured.

“…Cough!”

The necromancer coughed up another mouthful of blood.

Bending over, he struggled to keep himself upright, kneeling on the floor. Anyone would end up like that after taking heavy silver and lead shots to the abdomen.

The demon scowled at the defeated necromancer while Veronica tilted her head proudly with a smile.

“Demons and necromancers. This should please the old-timers of the cult. Now, let’s end this charade.”

“……”

“It’s time for you to return to where you came from.”

Click! The hammer was pulled back.

The elongated silver barrel sparkled under the starlight, and the bullet loaded in the chamber aimed at the demon. As Veronica narrowed her eyes and prepared to pull the trigger, the moment her eyes squinted, the tension heightened.

– Bang!

The heavy gunfire reverberated through the cavern.

Gunpowder exploded, pushing the bullet out. Flames and smoke erupted from the muzzle, and the bullet, spinning along the grooves, flew toward the demon.

Just as the ticket to send the demon back to hell was about to reach it.

– Pffft!

The necromancer dove in to block it…

I took the bullet instead of Marle.

“What the heck?”

Veronica, who was aiming the revolver, had a look of disbelief on her face.

“Why did that crazy guy jump in out of nowhere? Is this a case of low IQ?”

“…Wait a sec, Veronica.”

I interrupted Veronica’s words. Something felt amiss.

Seeing someone take a bullet for another isn’t an everyday occurrence, but the necromancer’s appearance had an odd quality about it.

“…Huh.”

The necromancer gawked at his chest where the bullet had struck, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Blood gushed out, and with trembling hands, he clenched the wound. Plugging his injury with both hands, he cast a fearful glance behind him.

Behind him stood a demon, using the necromancer as a flesh shield.

“What the… why is this happening?”

“Hungry for a useless hunk of meat, are we?”

The demon bared its blackened teeth.

“This can’t be happening….”

“Why should I protect someone who can’t even run away properly?”

“This is different from what I heard…!”

The necromancer, caught by the demon, screamed. His voice held both indignation and desperation.

But the demon paid no heed, turning the necromancer around with one hand, almost leaning in for a kiss.

A smile spread across the demon’s lips.

Its jagged black teeth emerged as its mouth opened wide, and the necromancer, seized by the collar, flailed in terror.

“No, please…!”

At that moment, a bizarre phenomenon occurred.

A pale mist began to rise from the necromancer’s body. The smoke billowed from every inch—his face, neck, chest, arms, and legs—slowly and deliberately rising, flowing up his neck and face, then getting sucked into the demon’s mouth.

“…What is that?”

Veronica, loading the next bullet, narrowed her eyes.

“It’s absorbing his soul.”

“Excuse me?”

“The demon is absorbing the necromancer’s soul.”

*

Veronica explained the situation before us in a calm tone.

“What the demon needs is a human soul. You know how demons roam in search of human essence, right, Colonel?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s the same principle.”

Just like a person needs money to live, she said, for demons, human souls are a kind of resource or currency.

Just as people save money to buy nicer homes or cars, demons can collect human souls to trade for something or even attempt ‘ascension.’

“Of course, necromancers and demons have a somewhat special relationship, so they hardly ever collect souls.”

“…….”

“Well, that’s not the important part right now.”

Veronica took aim at the demon who was absorbing the necromancer’s soul. She began to chant a prayer, preparing a strike to send the demon back to hell.

Just then, I noticed something flying from behind.

-Swooosh!

Turning my head, I saw a fast-moving object whiz by.

The flying object zipped past me in a straight line, piercing through both the necromancer and the demon.

“Graaaah!!”

A horrific scream shook the cavern.

By now, a silver blade had linked the necromancer and the demon, with the handle of a staff sword lodged deep into the necromancer’s back.

The staff sword used by battle priests.

Only one person here could wield that.

I turned my head back and caught sight of Lucia, who had just thrown something with her hand outstretched.

“…Shoot!”

Lucia shouted.

“Right now!”

After throwing the staff sword, Lucia was gasping for breath. Surrounding priests rushed in to support her as she swayed unsteadily.

The staff sword that Lucia threw had pinned the demon and necromancer like a shish kebab. The demon, howling in rage, struggled to pull out the blade, but it showed no signs of coming free.

“Saint Lucia!”

“Hurry up!”

“…….”

With a quick glance at Lucia, Veronica turned her focus back to the demon. Finally, with determination, she pressed her finger on the trigger.

The demon, wide-eyed, stared at the silver bullet aimed right at it. Struggling to pull the blade out, its sharp teeth crunched against its lips as it struck the side of the blade with its fist, shattering it.

-Bang!

Freed from its restraints, the demon twisted its body to dodge the bullet. Veronica aimed for its head, but her shot only grazed the demon’s shoulder.

“Damn it!”

Veronica cocked back her revolver and pulled the trigger.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Three shots rang out in quick succession, but the demon twisted its body to avoid her bullets.

At one point, it even rolled on the filthy ground in a desperate bid for survival. The monkey-like swagger it had shown earlier was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was merely a monster, covered in grime and dirt, fighting for its life.

She fired her last remaining bullet, but it missed the demon again.

The demon, having absorbed the necromancer as its flesh shield, seemed to regain some energy and started chuckling menacingly.

“You foolish girl!”

“That bastard.”

With gritted teeth, Veronica flipped her pockets inside out. Six bullets she had received from the priest. Pouring the spent casings onto the ground, she quickly reloaded and aimed at the demon.

However,

“Too late!”

The demon pulled out the blade that had been lodged in its body. Wielding the blade, which had no handle, it swung it around wildly.

-Kgakakak!

Chunks of stone and dust fell from the brick walls that had supported the cavern. The once sturdy brick could do nothing against the demon’s onslaught.

-Kurururung!

As the bricks began to fall, the priests and knights panicked, and as Veronica staggered, the demon, having shattered the cavern, tossed the blade aside and cackled.

“You are but monkeys. No matter how hard you try, you can’t defeat us. Today, this place shall be your grave.”

Just then, in the moment the demon reveled in its perceived victory, a bullet slammed into its mouth.

I had shoved my middle finger into the demon’s mouth with the bullet inside.

“A little present from my heart, you bastard.”

The demon bellowed in agony, but even that was consumed by the collapsing bricks.

The demon was buried under the fallen stones.

Whether it was dead or alive was uncertain, but one thing was clear—I couldn’t chase after it right now.

-Crumble!

Fallen bricks began to accelerate their collapse. The destruction was intensifying.

If I just stood idle, I would surely die, just as the demon had said, so I pocketed my pistol and sprinted forward.

My target was the fallen necromancer. The one whose soul had been drained now lay withered like a mummy.

I yanked out the staff sword lodged in the necromancer’s back, then—I severed his wrist with the remaining blade.

-Crack!

I shoved the necromancer’s wrist into my pocket. Job done.

I led Veronica, dodging the falling bricks. A few knights and priests were helping Lucia escape, while a significant number of soldiers surrounded us, warding off the stones crashing down from above.

Veronica, walking unsteadily with her arm around my shoulder, gave me a sidelong glance and then broke into a small smile.

“If I had known this would happen, I would have handed the revolver to the Colonel….”

So, we left the collapsing cavern behind and navigated through the sewage tunnels to the surface.

Leaving the withered necromancer and the buried demon behind.

“Let’s go. Home.”

“Yeah.”

I replied, tightening my grip on Veronica’s arm.

“Let’s go. Home.”

It was finally the moment when the battle against the demon and the necromancer, the creatures that rose from hell, came to an end.

 

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