Midnight, 12:00 AM.
Three figures lurked in the shadows near the Church of Light, their eyes fixed on the entrance.
"Master, it's past twelve. Is that truck even coming?" Denji asked, stifling a yawn.
After touring the Tsutenkaku Tower, they had stopped at a local Kushikatsu shop. The deep-fried skewers dipped in sauce had reminded Arata of the street food carts back in his home country. They hadn't arrived back at the church until 11:00 PM, and now, an hour past midnight, there was still no sign of life.
"Maybe it really isn't coming tonight?" Arata began to doubt his intuition.
"Could they be entering the church from somewhere else? An underground passage, maybe?" Power suggested.
"I've placed flies to keep watch inside and around the church. If there were any abnormalities, I'd know instantly. The fact that the flies haven't reacted confirms the corpse-haulers aren't coming tonight."
"Can we go home then? The Great Me misses the steak in the fridge!"
"Power, didn't you just finish a mountain of fried skewers? You're still hungry?" Denji was speechless; Power was a bottomless pit.
"What the Great Me eats is none of your business!"
"Enough. You two, go into the mirror dimension. I'll keep watch outside; if something happens, I'll call you."
Arata created a mirror on the wall, and Denji and Power slipped through into the mirror realm. Arata, not needing sleep, continued his vigil in the grass.
Time ticked by. Arata checked his phone—2:00 AM. It was unlikely they'd get a catch tonight. Just as he was about to stand up and leave, headlights flickered at the end of the street. Arata vanished into invisibility. A truck approached slowly, finally coming to a stop in front of the Church of Light. Two masked men stepped out, exchanged not a word, and moved in perfect unison toward the cargo hold.
To avoid any accidents, Arata controlled a fly to monitor them. As the cargo door creaked open, over twenty headless white skeletons were revealed. Confirming the two men were indeed the "corpse-haulers," Arata cast a Sleep Spell. Unexpectedly, both men collapsed instantly. Arata moved to the back of the truck.
"Looks like they haven't contracted any devils."
He summoned a mirror and woke Denji and Power from the mirror realm.
"I need to enter their dreams to interrogate them. You two stay here and guard the place."
"Got it, Master. We'll be right here." Denji rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep. Power simply flopped onto the ground and went back to snoring.
Arata's soul left his body and entered the dream realm. After a quick interrogation in the "Second-Level Interrogation Room," he learned where the Gluttony Devil was hiding. However, knowing the location so easily felt too simple; Arata worried it might be a trap. But it was a risk he had to take. He returned to his body, bound the sleeping haulers, and stuffed them inside the Church of Light, instructing Denji to move the skeletons inside as well.
With the task done, Arata had a new truck at his disposal. Since there were no taxis at that hour, the group climbed into the truck and headed for the Gluttony Devil's lair: the St. Mary's Cathedral in Osaka.
"Master, you have the location now?" Denji asked from the passenger seat.
"Keep your guard up. We're going to fight a boss."
"Fighting monsters in the middle of the night? Can't we wait until tomorrow?" Power asked.
"Bosses need to be taken down early. The longer you wait, the harder they get."
"Master, what are the Gluttony Devil's abilities? We should know the enemy before we fight."
"Heh, Denji's getting smart. Learned to 'know your enemy'?"
"I'm just gaining experience from fighting alongside you, Master." Denji rubbed the back of his head, grinning like an idiot.
"The Great Me is smarter than Denji! I was just about to ask that!"
"Sure, sure, Power is smart too." Arata reached out and ruffled Power's hair with one hand.
Soon, the truck arrived at the St. Mary's Cathedral. It was a grand structure of European Gothic style, far more solemn and dignified than the Church of Light. If God were to choose a place to stay, this would be it. Yet, in the dead of night, the church felt eerie. And the front doors were wide open—a tell-tale sign that things were not as they seemed.
"Master, the doors are open."
"I see them. Transform now."
As they walked, they transformed. Arata unsheathed his blade-claws and donned his hat. Denji pulled his starter cord, and three chainsaws burst from his body. Power sliced her wrist, summoning two blood-blades.
They stepped into the church with arrogant confidence. The moment their feet touched the floor, the dark church suddenly blazed with light. The interior stunned Denji and Power. The stained-glass windows, which looked like mere black smears from the outside, glowed with vibrant, holy colors. The vaulted ceiling was magnificent, deep and sprawling like the firmament itself, filled with a sacred atmosphere.
"Master... is this Heaven?"
"For an atheist, there is no Heaven. But for the faithful, this is the key to it. And if you're a devil, this is the place where you come to desecrate God."
Arata marched to the pulpit, but no one was there. Suddenly, two figures appeared at the church entrance—solely to slam the heavy doors shut.
"Master, people!"
"Grab them!"
Just as they moved, the church began to shake violently, as if a massive earthquake had struck.
"What's happening?!"
"I don't know! Let's get out of here!"
Arata blasted the doors open with a sonic wave, but the scene outside was disappearing, fading away into nothingness. The three ran for the entrance, but as Arata reached the threshold, a terrifying vacuum-like force dragged them backward. They were slammed into the walls of the cathedral.
Outside, the world had vanished entirely. The church lights flickered and died. Everything was swallowed by total darkness. Then, they felt the building begin to plummet. The sensation of free-fall hit Denji and Power like a nightmare.
"MASTER!! What's happening?"
"JUMP! Grab the chandeliers! We're falling!"
Arata leaped, demonstrating the maneuver. Power sprang three feet into the air and latched onto a massive crystal chandelier. Denji jumped, used a pew to launch himself higher, and grabbed another. But fate was cruel—the iron chain holding his chandelier snapped, sending him plunging into the abyss.
"HAHAHAHA~" Power laughed gleefully at his misfortune.
BOOM!!!
A deafening roar shattered the dark as the entire cathedral slammed into the ground, tearing apart upon impact. The three of them were buried deep beneath the ruins.
[Patreon Just got updated dropped chapters till 150 there]
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