Henry ran.
He ran in fear as everyone who once looked up to him now glared at him, throwing stones, screaming curses. The sharp crack of a rock striking his skull made him clutch his head, blood slid down his fingers. The village around him blurred.
'Someone… save… me…'
He was destroyed—completely destroyed.
And behind him, the crowd chanted.
"DOWN WITH THE CHURCH OF LIORA!"
"DOWN WITH THE BISHOP!"
"DOWN WITH THE PRIESTS!"
"THE SAINT SPEAKS TRUTH!"
"LONG LIVE YAGUYA'S SAINT!"
'Chants… How? Why? What did I even do to Dilek? Why did he do this to me?'
Tears blurred his vision as he reached the church. The priests inside looked at him with the same fearful horror. They had heard it all. They had been there… but they had fled too.
"Bishop, what do we do?" one asked, trembling.
"We… we aren't going to be killed, are we?"
Henry couldn't respond. His body trembled so badly he couldn't form words.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor—calm, authoritative, cutting through the panic.
"Bishop Henry," a man said. The Archbishop's secretary.
He stood with a cold expression. "Archbishop has called you to his room."
Henry's heart stopped.
Slowly, he followed the secretary down the long, candlelit hallway. The church—usually warm and holy—felt colder than ever before.
At the archbishop's door, the secretary opened it. Henry stepped inside, head lowered.
He looked up.
Kaelis stood there, his face twisted—not with disappointment but pure, seething hate. His eyes held nothing human as he reached for the lash hanging beside his chair.
"HENRYYY, YOU BASTARDDDD!"
Henry flinched—
WHIP—WHIP—WHIP
"Pl-please, stop—"
WHIP—WHIP—WHIP
The lash tore through his white robes, streaking them with red. The sound echoed violently against the stone walls, each crack slicing the silence. Blood soaked into the floor beneath him as he fell to his knees, begging for mercy.
The Archbishop's voice thundered.
"FOOL!"
"You embarrassed the Church!"
"You dirtied Liora's name!"
"You will go BACK THERE and say you acted alone.
That your jealousy consumed you. THAT YOU BETRAYED THE CHURCH AND THE PEOPLE.
Then—
you will never return here."
Henry looked up—and realised.
'The second I confess… when I walk out of the village… he'll send people. People to kill me. I'm dead.'
He cried as he walked out of the room.
For minutes, he cried. No one came. No one listened.
He was alone.
When he finally stepped outside, the priests rushed to him.
"The people are in front of the church… What do we do?"
Henry didn't think.
His eyes were empty—dead.
If death awaited him anyway… then giving up wasn't that hard.
He walked outside. The entire crowd was waiting for him. Torches lit the dark area in front of the church, casting shadows across the grass.
And in the center stood Dilek—the one who destroyed Henry's life.
Henry bowed in front of everyone.
"I apologise to everyone… I have been a selfish man all these years and only acted solely for my best interests… I used our God's preachings in order to do selfish things that harmed others… You people and, Dilek… who I overcame with jealousy and hired someone to kill him."
The people glared.
But Henry felt nothing now.
Death was approaching.
"I'll be leaving as I am a disgusting man… I will never return here…"
He walked out.
The crowd parted, letting him pass.
He didn't take anything. No clothes. No money. No supplies.
'Why bother… I won't reach the next town before they kill me.'
Under the moonlight, he walked alone into the cold road path.
'Ah… I wonder if I ever even did anything good…'
He looked up. Tears slid down his cheeks.
'Why me…'
He cried silently as he walked deeper into the darkness.
Nothing.
Nothing was there for him.
Except absolute defea—
"Hey—"
Henry froze. Ahead stood Dilek, illuminated by the pale moonlight. Behind Henry, the distant chants of the crowd still echoed faintly.
He turned back, confused.
"W-what? H-how are you doing this?"
Dilek smiled.
"Illusion. We have someone who can do amazing illusions. Honestly, I was planning on getting myself stabbed, but they suggested I use an illusion. An illusion disguised as my friend."
Henry blinked.
"Marcus… Marcus was the Dilek over there. I healed him quickly the second he got stabbed. Even Marcus didn't want me to get hurt."
Dilek shrugged with a smile.
"Crazy, right? My own friends would get hurt in order for me not to get hurt?"
Henry stared.
He couldn't even hate Dilek anymore.
He deserved this.
He had scammed people for years, preaching that worship would improve their lives… but it never did.
"You won," Henry whispered. "I don't know why you targeted me, but you won. Now let me go…"
"Oh no, no, no." Dilek stepped closer.
"You weren't my target. My target was…"
He smiled.
"Archbishop Kaelis."
Henry's eyes widened.
Dilek continued, "Henry Smith, Bisho—no. Henry Smith. Just that. You aren't the bishop anymore."
He stepped closer.
"So let me ask, Henry Smith… do you wanna live?"
"Huh?" Henry stared. "H-how do you know…?"
His stutters slowed.
He felt strangely calm.
Dilek answered, "Lots of ways to tell. First, you didn't care to even hear anyone' opinions. Second, you looked full of guilt. And the biggest factor? You didn't take anything with you. The closest settlement is Phermola—at least 25 kilometers. Sure, it's not big, but 25 km in this dark?"
He tilted his head.
"You're begging to be killed."
Henry swallowed.
"So… you came here to mock me?"
"No? Did you forget I just asked you if you want to live?" Dilek said softly.
"I am sorry first."
Dilek bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry that it had to be you, But that's the only way to beat the Archbishop"
Henry stared. "You can stop the Archbishop? Good luck…"
Dilek smiled. "I can… I absolutely can. Well, not me… but really it's just me."
A shimmer rippled through the air, and Duja appeared out of thin air. Henry staggered back, eyes widening.
"Wh-who is this?" he asked.
Dilek turned briefly as Duja handed him a coat. The night wind rustled, as a faint cold breeze brushing Henry's face.
"Here," Duja said. Another figure stepped out behind him—just for a second—before vanishing with the same silent, distorted ripple.
Henry blinked. "How did—"
"Illusion again," Dilek said casually. He tossed the coat to Henry. "Do you know who this belongs to?"
The coat dropped at Henry's feet with a heavy thud.
There was blood on it.
A memory flashed across Henry's mind—
'The secretary…?'
His breathing quickened.
'There's blood… The secretary was sent to kill me? How? Why is his coat in blood? Is he dead?'
Dilek watched him. "Let me repeat it, Henry. Do you wish to stay alive?"
Henry swallowed. The moonlight shimmered on the tears forming in his eyes.
"Yes… but what good is it? Everyone thinks I'm some sort of evil demon…"
Dilek sweat-dropped a little. "Ah yes… sorry about that. Buuut don't worry, I can help you stay alive for a while. You can do what you want."
"For a while?" Henry whispered. The forest path around them rustled with insects and distant wolf howls. "So I will die eventually…"
"Of course," Dilek said. "I can't stay with you forever, can I? Since you might want to go back home. Or wait—is Porustu your home?"
"It's not…" Henry muttered. "So I will die eventually…"
"Not if you join me," Dilek said.
Henry froze.
Dilek's smile was the same smile from earlier—but now, under the moonlight, it wasn't unsettling. It was gentle.
"Be the Archbishop of the Yaguya Faith from today," Dilek said softly. "I'll guarantee your survival."
"What?" Henry stared as Dilek continued.
"I'm not sure how long it'll take—it could be months, or years. But the Yaguya Faith will absolutely rise in dominance. And you, Henry… you can heal people all you want. You don't need to be tied to rules or anything. You'll be a free man—just acting as Yaguya's Archbishop."
Henry's eyes widened.
Tears welled up again.
'I tried to kill him… Why is he helping me…?'
"I-I don't wanna die…" Henry broke down, crying harder than ever. Dilek stepped forward and helped him up, gently pulling him into a hug.
"It's alright, Archbishop Henry… no one can harm you," Dilek whispered with a smile.
—
"Goodness… where the hell is my secretary?" Kaelis muttered in frustration inside his dimly lit chamber. Candlelight flickered across the ornate walls and gold-trimmed religious paintings. "Did he kill Henry? Why is it taking so long?"
He stood up and walked to the window. Dawn's first light brushed the horizon. Hours had passed—he hadn't slept at all.
He exhaled in relief.
"I saved it… I saved our God Liora…"
He smiled and muttered a prayer under his breath.
"Archbishop… I am done killing Henry."
He kept praying.
"Archbishop?"
Silence.
"Kaelissss… Helloooo?"
"YOU DAMN SECRETARY, DON'T INTERRUPT ME DURING MY PRAYER! I TOLD YOU THOUSA—"
He turned.
A girl stood there. Ami.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
Ami smiled sweetly. "Me? Someone who will kill you."
Kaelis stared at her. "Really? You? Where is Ben?"
"Oh, I killed him," Ami said cheerfully.
Kaelis blinked. "So you've come to kill me now… You must be from his side. The man preaching the demon, I suppose?"
"Yaguya? Oh yeah, that's where I'm from." She shrugged. "Not that I actually worship her. I just stay with him since the messenger is my friend."
Kaelis scoffed. "Hey… do you really think you can kill me? Do you know who I am?"
"A… old man?" Ami offered.
Kaelis inhaled slowly. "This must be what God willed me to do…"
"Oh, so now you realise your time is here?"
"God Liora… why are you so cruel to me…" Kaelis lifted his eyes upward dramatically.
"Dude, okay, that's waaay too emotional," Ami said.
"God Liora… must you really make me kill a young one? Even if it's a demon? Why me?"
"Kill, huh?" Ami repeated, raising a brow.
Their eyes met—
BOOOOM—
A bright explosion burst from the second floor of the church. The stone walls trembled as windows shattered outward. Villagers woke, scrambling out of their homes, staring toward the smoke and sparks rising into the morning light.
Duja held Ami by the collar like a cat, dangling her in the air.
"Well, that could've been dangerous," he muttered.
"Blame Dilek for his god-awful plan!" Ami snapped. "You're pretty fat, how the hell do you move like that?"
"Oh well, I was in the dungeon removal program," Duja said as he set her down. "Sometimes we had to fight mutated monsters."
"Dungeon removal… what?" Ami stared.
"Don't mind it," Duja chuckled.
From a distance, the Archbishop emerged—floating in the air. A divine aura surrounded him, glowing gold and white. His robes fluttered with the rising power forming around him.
Duja sighed. "Oh well… he really is an Archbishop now, isn't he?"
"I guess," Ami muttered. "Still… isn't flying a bit too much?"
Orange needles formed out of thin air—hundreds of them—radiating heat. Ami squinted.
"Hey… are those sizzling?"
The needles grew in size, vibrating violently before shooting toward them at blinding speed.
Duja grabbed Ami like a sack of flour and leapt aside, dodging the barrage.
"DOES DILEK REALLY HAVE A PLAN?!?" Duja shouted.
"STOP ASKING AND FOCUS! YOU ALMOST DROPPED MEEEEE!" Ami screamed, clinging onto his arms as Duja ran for his life.
—
A few hours earlier
"A plan?" Henry whispered.
"Yeah," Dilek replied casually. "We're going to beat the Archbishop."
"Th-The Archbishop?! You can't!!!"
"What, why?" Dilek tilted his head. "Is he really powerful?"
"Compared to you or me?" Henry asked.
"Both of us?"
"He used to lash you," Dilek shrugged. "He can't lash me. I'd grab it and beat him up with a stick."
"What? No—wait, how did you know he lashed me?"
Dilek pointed at Henry.
Henry looked down—then turned slightly and saw his back and shoulders still marked with bloodied lash lines.
"Oh…" Henry muttered. "Well, anyways… it's not that. Archbishops usually have really powerful divine powers, and he is no less. He could be an adventurer even at his age."
"Oh?" Dilek's eyes lit up. "And what Star?"
Henry thought. "By today's standards… Archbishop Kaelis… would be a four-star adventurer."
Dilek's expression froze.
"…Fuck."
He blinked.
"He is as strong as Darkest Night?"