Chapter 434
The item known as the Cup of Apostasy is an extremely troublesome thing when used in indiscriminate terror attacks.
Regardless of the user's will, anyone can easily be turned into a demon that becomes a terrorist's pawn, and by disguising the vessel, it can be smuggled in without being noticed.
As a countermeasure, the only way to prevent it is to thoroughly avoid consuming anything received from suspicious people.
"For now, we've begun guiding evacuees to the campsite. From here, how should we go about finding the Heretic Church agents?"
"How many people had climbed?"
"We cross-referenced the climbing applications and lodging registers; the total is nine hundred and eight people. About three hundred are currently gathered at the campsite, so roughly one-third. We've left the guidance to the knights, so I think most will gather within a few hours."
Due to my position as an apostle of the Goddess, I've ended up in an advisory role for counter-terrorism measures.
I'm receiving some harsh stares from a few knights, but since Bishop Trades, the person in charge of the mountaintop temple, is actively seeking my opinion, there haven't been any complaints so far.
"The problem is the demons running rampant at the evacuation site. Damage from that is unavoidable."
The first measure we took was to not let anyone inside the temple. We judged this would prevent damage to the temple itself, but some temple knights want to act on the premise of helping the people.
The harsh stares come from those who feel aversion to my judgment, which prioritizes our safety and seemingly neglects the populace. Their sense of justice is correct, and my judgments are basically often rational.
Many young temple knights emotionally want to carry out rescue operations, but in terms of minimizing damage, my instructions aren't wrong.
"We have countermeasures for that. I'd like your cooperation for that purpose."
"Anything. We can only really patrol, so..."
But I have no intention of abandoning the evacuees either.
In FBO, various countermeasures against the Cup of Apostasy were considered, and many methods were devised.
"Are there any mages who can use Sanctuary? If so, deploying it at the campsite would solve everything."
One of those is the area-of-effect spell, Sanctuary.
A magic that creates a holy zone, enveloping the entire space with light-attribute purification, creating a hellish environment for undead and demon types.
The drawback is that it's a niche spell, basically having no effect on anything other than those two races.
"Only a few历代 saints have possessed it as a skill. Unfortunately, not in the current generation."
In the original FBO, it was a skill considered quite special, with the idea of being able to create a holy barrier anytime, anywhere, though not quite legendary. Any player could obtain the Sanctuary skill.
It dropped with a certain probability from a treasure chest upon defeating a certain Class 6 dungeon boss.
There were also scrolls sleeping in ancient ruins discovered through quests.
But in this world, venturing into dungeons infested with Class 6 monsters and defeating a Class 7 boss is the stuff of fairy tales, something legendary heroes accomplish.
It's only natural that no one has it, I suppose.
"What about a choir?"
"Unfortunately, not on a mountain like this."
"Choir members who climb to train their lung capacity?"
"None. The choir members train at the foot of the mountain every day."
So, the next best plan was to ask the choir to deploy, purifying the space with hymns to smoke out the sinners suffering within it. But I guess there are no die-hard choir members willing to climb this mountain.
"Sorry we can't be of help."
"Don't apologize. It would have just been a bonus. Then, let's use a surefire method, though it's a bit muscle-brained."
"Muscle-brained?"
"Yes."
If only Amina were here, she could sing hymns and turn the space into a sanctuary... I think, but our available options are limited. Ultimately, we arrive at the simple, best, muscle-brained method.
"Do you have holy water?"
"Yes, we do."
"Please prepare a large quantity of it."
"A large quantity... how much exactly?"
Holy water, the classic demon repellent.
Using this, we can smoke out those transformed by the Cup of Apostasy.
"Hmm, about a mug's worth per person?"
However, its effect is the weakest among the options presented so far.
Just splashing it on might be endured.
A single sip could be tolerated.
So, they need to drink the entire contents of a large beer mug.
"Th-that much is necessary? It's a lot to drink! A glassful would be..."
"They're probably thirsty from climbing, so drinking it shouldn't be a problem. With a small amount, they might fake it and slip through."
I understand why Bishop Trades' face pales.
Assuming a large mug holds 700 milliliters, for about nine hundred people, that's 630 liters.
There's no way they have that much holy water in stock; it needs to be made now. Considering emergencies, a reserve is also necessary, so naturally, even more needs to be produced.
Even if they pulled out all their库存, it wouldn't be nearly enough.
This is a kind of litmus test.
If they're innocent, they'll just drink the clean, purified holy water to hydrate.
If they're transformed by the Cup of Apostasy, they'll be drinking a deadly poison.
"We have no choice but to do it, do we?"
"We'll produce it on-site for efficiency. There should be a clear stream near the campsite, and this is a divine mountain, so the素材 should be sufficient."
"We'll do it! We'll make it happen!! For the sake of protecting the people heading to this temple! Gods, witness us!"
And thus, Bishop Trades' death march was confirmed.
Holy water isn't something that can be mass-produced like alchemy.
Each bottle is a handmade, one-of-a-kind item.
It requires专用 glass bottles,专用 magic tools, and专用 skills.
Mobilizing all the priests possessing these, escorted by knights, they head to the campsite.
With no time to lose, those ready begin moving at a trot along the mountain path.
The advance party is led by me and Bishop Trades.
The temple is being fortified with full-power barriers by the barrier priestesses, and thick defenses of temple knights are deployed.
The only concern is familiar reconnaissance, but taking down a temple in full defensive mode is no easy feat.
Trusting in that, I also head towards the campsite.
I'm hoping, just maybe, that Nell and the others might be there.
"We're here. Start making the holy water immediately. You, line up the people at the campsite. Be careful not to mix those who have and haven't drunk the holy water."
"Yes, sir!"
However, Nell and the others weren't at the campsite.
Genjirou and the others should be with them, so if they were here, I'd know instantly.
That means they're either still climbing or didn't climb at all.
My expectation for reinforcements was off, and it's confirmed I have to manage on my own. Checking my current equipment, since I left my full gear with Nell, it seems I have to fight demons with just the dragonslaying morning star.
No time for complaining.
While the temple knights and priests bustle about to gain even a slight advantage, I survey the campsite.
They probably don't yet know what happened at the foot of the mountain, but since evacuation warnings were issued by the knights and priests, quite a few people seem anxious.
Conversely, with many people showing anxious expressions, it's easier to spot suspicious individuals, if anything.
People who remain calm and observe their surroundings in times like these, or those who are smiling...
"Hmm?"
As I scan for suspicious individuals, I spot one man with conspicuously suspicious behavior, looking around furtively; another patting his shoulder as if to tell him to calm down; and a third feigning indifference.
They're dressed like climbers, but they keep some distance from the others.
The temple knights also find these men suspicious and have increased their surveillance from afar.
"Please take the finished holy water. Return the bottles here for collection."
The holy water is distributed one after another.
Those with nothing wrong drink it without hesitation, gulping it down.
No change in complexion; some even seem happy to drink the clean water.
The three men are gradually left behind. They're seen letting newly arrived evacuees go ahead to buy time, and they also notice the encirclement slowly being formed by the knights.
"Next, it's your turn."
"No, we're fine going later. Not thirsty yet."
"You're sweating profusely. Here, drink this well-chilled water."
"I'm fine, I'm fine."
Finally, I see the knights approach them, holy water in hand.
They draw near, offer the holy water, and the men refuse. Just as I think they'll be considered guilty and subdued—
"If we're found out, it can't be helped! Do it, you guys!"
The men shed their human forms and transform.
"Oh! Primordial God, now grant salvation to this world!"
Crimson-black skin, twisted horns, eyes turned pitch black, pointed fangs.
As they metamorphose into inhuman beings, screams erupt around them.
"Yeah, yeah, why are you just blankly staring at the transformation? The transformation sequence itself is the biggest opening, you know."
I dash out holding holy water in both hands and shove it into the mouths of the demons gleefully transforming.
"Guh!?"
Those transformation scenes familiar from games are, for us FBO players, the perfect attack opportunity.
"Come on, drink up, drink up, bottoms up!"
Mixing in some appropriate chants, I pour the holy water down their gullets.
"Y-you bastard!?"
"Oh, this one's energetic. Guess I'll crush him first."
Two of them collapse from ingesting a large amount of holy water, a deadly poison to demons.
One barely remains standing, but his body is unsteady.
So, while he's weakened, I swing the morning star full-force into his face.
"You! Have you no humanity!? What about the original owner of this body!?"
"From the moment you possessed them, they were already beyond saving. I know all about you—you're beings that manifest by eroding the host's soul and body. If that's the case, freeing them from having their bodies used by scum like you is salvation itself."
Spouting the usual lines, trying to evoke sympathy and stop my attack—it doesn't matter.
Abandoning all mercy and compassion, expressionless, I just keep beating the demon to death.
"Ugh, this is sickening."
Unlike monsters, these guys have the bodies of the sacrificed humans, so they don't just vanish.
That's why, looking at a demon that's finally lifeless only after being beaten beyond recognition, I want to sigh.
"L-Lord Liberta. Isn't that going a bit too far?"
"Unless we go this far, they won't be finished. Also, pour holy water on these corpses. If we don't burn and dispose of them, they'll resurrect as undead."
It's essential not to listen to their words.
If you listen even once, they'll evoke sympathy with surprisingly good acting and then launch a surprise attack, causing casualties.
If they took hostages, it would be even worse.
"Also, you there, knight. Make that man drink holy water, and that woman too, and that elderly person over there, and..."
While beating down demons, I point to the source of killing intent directed at me. They flinch, and several climbers try to put distance between themselves and the knights.
"Jeez, how many did they deploy?"
With that gesture, it's confirmed that those ones are demons hiding among the climbers.
The knights, not expecting so many demons to be lurking, hurriedly draw their swords and encircle them.
With this many Cups of Apostasy used, if they managed to infiltrate the temple, they could certainly cause a catastrophe.
But... I feel like there's no decisive strong opponent, the kind that would be the terror attack's trump card.
"......"
Wondering if the Heretic Church chose quantity over quality, or if I've overlooked something, I watch the knights imitating me, shoving holy water into the mouths of the successively transforming demons. Then, I resume my own demon hunt.