"Zhar, the Trickster Moon."
The mere sound of that name struck Nicholas like a physical blow. It was as if he had suddenly become conscious of a truth he was never meant to know. The forbidden knowledge burrowed deep into his soul, distorting his very perception of reality.
The maddening laughter inside his head grew louder. while Antonio, who had now fully transformed into a monstrous creature— slowly began to crawl toward him.
Nicholas felt his grip on his own body slipping away. Merely hearing the name of the god worshipped by that nameless cult had nearly driven him to madness. It was as Romero had once warned: gazing upon a deity with the naked eye could bring catastrophe upon the observer.
Yet Nicholas had never imagined that simply hearing a god's name could have such devastating effects—enough to make him lose control of himself.
…Or perhaps it was because he himself was still too weak to withstand revelations far beyond what he was meant to comprehend.
Nicholas gathered every shred of willpower and strength remaining in his body, forcing himself to regain control of his body. He glanced at the revolver in his hand, wondering whether he should fire the final bullet remaining in the chamber.
Truthfully, though he had brought the weapon along, he never intended to use it for anything more than leverage, it was an excellent tool for intimidating Antonio into confessing the truth. But firing even a single shot would inevitably draw unwanted attention and potentially leave behind evidence that could be traced back to him. Besides, he doubted that a mere bullet could do much harm to the monster standing before him.
His thoughts were interrupted by a massive hand swinging toward him. Nicholas gritted his teeth and raised his left arm to form a guard.
Thud!
The sound of the heavy impact rang out as Nicholas was sent flying, slamming against the wall.
Although Nicholas's body was many times stronger than that of a normal human, he could still feel the damage inflicted upon him. The raw strength of the monster was nearly on par with David's Vengeful Spirit he had encountered previously.
Nicholas decided to tuck the revolver, which had fallen nearby, back into its holster. Using the gun contradicted his objective of carrying out the mission silently. Even if he used it, the outcome might not be much different, yet it could render his entire plan wasted.
With such a disparity in physical strength, facing his opponent empty-handed would be no different from seeking death. Nicholas's gaze swept across the room in search of a weapon until he spotted a short sword hanging as a decoration on the wall.
The blood-drenched red figure lunged at Nicholas once again, but the young man dove out of the way, rolling across the floor before leaping up to grab the short sword and drawing it from its sheath.
They say that the Krabi-Krabong (sword and staff) classes from high school were useless and could never be applied in daily life. But who would have thought that one day Nicholas would have to pick up a sword to fight a monster like this?
Perhaps because he had become a Spirit Medium, Nicholas felt his mind remained remarkably sharp even in the face of such danger. Although Antonio had mutated into a monster, his body still retained some human characteristics.
This might be the first time Nicholas would take the life of a living human being. Yet his gaze held no hesitation—only unwavering resolve.
"Let's finish this."
The beast lunged with its massive arm, attempting to strike Nicholas again. but he pivoted his body to the side to evade the blow, Gripping the short sword with both hands, he swung it down at the giant limb with all his might.
Slash!
The short sword cut deep into the bone. It embedded itself halfway into the monster's arm. The sword, which was supposed to be a mere decoration, was unbelievably sharp. Unfortunately, Nicholas had never been trained in swordsmanship, and his technique wasn't refined enough to sever the limb entirely.
The monster continued its mindless assault, swinging its smaller arm horizontally toward Nicholas. Nicholas released his grip on the sword stuck in the creature's arm and ducked beneath the strike. The moment he slipped past the attack, he brought his right foot down with a heavy stomp onto the hilt of the sword below. The blade sliced clean through the monster's arm, sending it thudding to the floor.
The crimson figure let out a wretched, agonized howl. Although Nicholas had already knocked out the two bodyguards standing outside the room, it was still hard to believe that no one had come to investigate despite the deafening commotion of the fight. Still, if this continued, it was only a matter of time before a casino guest or a gang member sensed something was wrong. Nicholas knew he had to finish this monster quickly.
Looking on the bright side... at least he had managed to sever one of its arms.
However, before he could celebrate this small victory, Nicholas cursed under his breath. He watched as blood and pus erupted from the stump of the severed limb, sprouting into a brand-new arm.
"Now, that's just cheating!"
Over the past few weeks, he had studied the Spirit Medium Order's guidelines thoroughly. In truth, an Enna-level Spirit Medium was not all that different from an ordinary person. Of course, he possessed special abilities and enhanced physical strength, but those were not powers designed for combat—especially against an enemy like the monstrosity before him.
... …He did not even have a bound spirit he could summon to aid him in this. He utterly lacked the destructive power necessary to deliver a finishing blow to this monster.
It was no wonder that missions assigned by the Order were normally carried out in teams. Typically, at least one Dío-level or Tría-level Spirit Medium would lead the operation and accompany the group.
Judging by the disparity in power levels, it would have been impossible for Nicholas to defeat Antonio without any assistance...
Fortunately, Nicholas was no ordinary Spirit Medium.
Ever since he became a Spirit Medium and gained mystical powers, he had relied on those abilities alone—so much so that he had almost forgotten that he possessed an authority far greater than that.
...The Authority of a Judicial Representative!
He was Antonio's lawyer. He had witnessed and understood every fact and every sin Antonio had committed. The conditions required to invoke the authority of the Judicial Representative had already been completely fulfilled.
In truth, there had never been any need for him to fight Antonio like this in the first place.
The details of the mission he had received from the Gray Mirror surfaced in his mind. He had been given a hint to rely on the power of the Judicial Representative to resolve this mission
—and that was exactly what Nicholas intended to do!
Nicholas took a deep breath before reciting the incantation that had saved his life many times before.
"I am the Arbiter of the blazing primordial ages..."
The laughter that once echoed was slowly brushed away, replaced by a shriek mixed with dread and fury.
"The one who wields the scales of merit and sin across the Three Realms... The sovereign who reigns above the Crimson Throne of the Eternal Abyss..."
It was at this moment that the scales and the throne of light manifested beneath Nicholas's feet. The young man glanced down at the beast, now bound by the Scales of Justice.
For the first time since its transformation, he could once again perceive the monster's emotions.
Its body trembled with terror. Even the laughter that had once driven it into madness could not erase its fear.
"...Hearken to the Judgement as witnessed by the Eyes of the Abyssal Void."
Energy from the depths of Abyss surged through the Grey Mirror into his being. The aura spreading from him dyed the surrounding atmosphere a deep crimson.
At last, a pair of scarlet eyes burst open behind the young man as it fixed its gaze upon Antonio's monstrous form.
Like hellfire meant to burns sinners. Crimson flames erupted across every particle of its body. Unlike before—when it had casually regenerated the arm Nicholas had severed—this time the wounds inflicted by the flames could neither heal nor regenerate.
The beast let out a mournful wail. This was the second time Nicholas had invoked his power as a Judicial Representative. By comparison, David's final moments had been filled with peace, whereas Antonio was meeting an end of excruciating agony.
...And at last, the time for judgment had finally arrived.
"Go atone for your sins in Hell."
Nicholas murmured softly to himself as the image of David and his family crossed his mind.
Finally, they, and perhaps Nicholas himself, might finally find true peace.
"Condemnation!"
The scale of light that pinned the monstrosity's body descended into the floor beneath it, before the ground cracked open into a rift—a Dark abyss with no visible end.
Countless grotesque hands clawed their way up from the rift. They tore at the flesh of Antonio's body, grabbing and dragging him down into that dimensional crack.
If the hell described in Buddhist teachings truly existed, Nicholas thought it would not be much different from the place within that abyss before him.
By now, almost the entire body of the beast had been dragged into the darkness. Only its head remained above the crack on the floor.
Yet when Nicholas looked at that face, a chill ran through his entire body—despite the fact that he was currently sitting upon the radiant throne of Supreme Judge.
...That face was no longer Antonio's.
It was a sphere, as round as a full moon, adorned with a terrifying smile. Though its pitch-black eyes stared in Nicholas's direction, he felt they were not looking at him, but rather at the crimson eye hovering above him.
Deep within the farthest reaches of his senses, Nicholas heard a voice speaking in an ancient language whose origin he could not identify.
"…So you have returned."
Nicholas's body trembled uncontrollably. He felt that if he were not being protected by the Throne of Light, he might already have lost control and turned into an abomination.
The monstrosity's wailing ceased as the dimensional rift closed. The beast's body vanished as though it had never existed at all.
The red thread that had once connected him to Antonio snapped apart. It was a sign that the karmic debt between him and Antonio had been completely served.
Nicholas reached into his coat and took out the glowing Gray Mirror as a message manifested before his eyes:
"Congratulations! You have completed the Secondary Mission.
You have Severed the karmic bond between you and Antonio Marcelo
and sent the souls of the innocent to their final rest.
Penalties will not be enforced upon you.
Reward: Treasure Map of York"
The moment he finished reading the message, the sheet of paper and the quill inside the room suddenly lifted into the air and floated before him as if by magic. The quill began to scratch on its own, forming a hint in the Ukati language.
"There is an antique shop located on 13th Street.
Most of the items inside are merely imitations and worthless scraps.
But who knows? Perhaps you might find something useful there."
"Even for the reward, I still have to go looking for it myself?"
Nicholas let out a weary sigh, unable to stop himself from grumbling. Still, at least the fact that penalties would not be enforced upon him was already a relief.
The moment Nicholas took the paper containing the hint into his hand, the message on the Grey Mirror shifted once again:
"Congratulations! You have completed the Main Mission.
You have solved the mystery of Nicholas Parlay's death
and discovered the identity of the Moon-Worshipping Cult.
Penalties will not be enforced upon you.
Reward: You have met the conditions for advancement as Judicial Representative and may receive a promotion mission."
'The Moon-Worshipping Cult?'
So that was the name of the nameless cult? Nicholas supposed it made sense to call a cult that believed in a moon deity "the Moon-Worshipping Cult."
But the most important part of the message was the line at the bottom—which mentioned his advancement.
Nicholas frowned as he decided to examine the details of said promotion mission:
"The Moon Worship Cult are servants of the Primordial God 'Zhar.'
They are disciples of catastrophe and chaos.
Promotion Mission: Discover the cult's true objective and stop their plans.
Reward: You may advance to the next Rank of Judicial Representative.
The promotion mission will begin once you accept.
[Accept] [Decline]"
This was the second time Nicholas had been given a choice whether or not to accept a mission. Unlike before, there was no specified penalty, indicating that he could choose not to take this on. However, that also meant if he declined, he would be unable to advance to the next Judicial Rank
"Primordial God?"
Yet another unfamiliar term had appeared. Nicholas had no idea what exactly a " Primordial God" was; perhaps deities themselves were divided into different statuses and titles.
Nicholas glanced again at the mission description, which sounded far too grand for a mere Enna-level Spirit Medium like himself to handle alone.
Perhaps he would need to rely on the power of others. At this moment, the only one he could think of was the Order of Spirit Mediums, which could be considered the organization backing him.
He might need to discuss with Romero about everything he had experienced before deciding whether to accept the promotion mission.
With that in mind, Nicholas put the Gray Mirror back into his coat pocket for the time being. He could always make his decision later.
The most important thing right now was leaving this place without being seen. Still, he couldn't help letting out a long sigh.
"As soon as one mess is cleared, another headache pops up."
Ever since he had been transported to this world, he had been constantly entangled in life-or-death situations. At first, he thought that once today's mission was over, he might finally have a moment to catch his breath. Instead, he found himself dragged into something far more dangerous than before.
'Damn it... can't I just have a bit of peace and quiet for once?'
06.11.550
Nicholas Parlay
Spirit Medium (Éna)