How a Former Pastor Lives in Another World

18

Capricorn (2)

Ralph Violet.

The lord of the northern borderlands of the Kingdom of Albion.

The Iron-Blooded Count of the Borderlands.

There are many titles to describe him, but one word succinctly signifies who he is.

A near Sword Master.

A knight said to be closest to transcending humanity.

Considering that Sword Masters are treated as transcendent beings in this world, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Count Ralph Violet stands at the pinnacle of humanity.

Such a being, a knight who has guarded the borderlands and accumulated countless battle experiences, had a gaze that, in some ways, resembled that of a devil.

“You… What exactly are you doing to my daughter!”

“Ah, um… Count. Please, calm down.”

“Daddy! Daddyyy…!”

“Ophelia!”

Capricorn cried out through Ophelia’s face and voice, tears of blood streaming down.

“Save me! These people are trying to hurt me!”

‘This damned devil!’

But it was the strongest card a powerless devil could play.

The topmost Sword Expert. A knight pushing the limits of human potential intervenes…

‘We’ll lose! We can’t possibly win!’

Ray stopped his prayer and tried to persuade the count.

“Count! A devil has possessed your daughter’s body! We must expel the devil! Do not be deceived!”

“Dad! Save me! It hurts! It hurts! They’re trying to kill me! Save me!”

“Opheliaaa!!”

She’s lost it.

The count is not in his right mind.

According to Lawrence Young’s testimony, he was extremely devoted to his daughter, always by her side.

Even a knight nearing the level of a Sword Master would have enough gaps for a great demon to exploit.

“Get lost!”

“Jenny, block it!”

“aaargh!”

Jenny sprang up and swung her halberd. It’s a solid piece weighing over 5kg. The count parried it with his longsword, smeared with the blood of a demon.

Clang!

A dizzying sound as metal clashed, sparks flying.

‘One hand?’

She had swung the polearm with all her might using both hands. And he blocked it with one?

“You insolent wench. How dare you harm my daughter?”

“This guy’s lost it…!”

Jenny, locking eyes with Count Byeon, leaped back to create distance.

Though Count Byeon was three heads taller than her, she wielded a 1.5-meter polearm. She converted its weight and speed into striking power.

“Stay put, noble sir!”

She spun the halberd at her waist, unleashing the centrifugal force in a mighty swing.

But Count Byeon was skilled. He dodged the full-powered polearm with a single step.

“Uh?!”

Jenny had swung the halberd with all her might, expecting Count Byeon to block it. Missing its mark, the force threw her off balance.

Seizing the moment, Count Byeon plunged his fist into Jenny’s solar plexus.

Boom!

A sound unbelievable for a human striking another.

Now, Count Byeon’s gaze turned towards Ray.

“Aron… join in! Put the exorcism on hold! We need to stop Count Byeon first!”

“Damn it… He’s a Sword Expert. And a top-tier one at that! He’s not someone we can handle!”

“Forget the monsters behind, come this way!”

“······!”

Realizing Ray’s intent, Aaron moved to the inner part of the room, leaving the snow bats entering through the window behind.

Ray joined in, pulling out a hand axe, and Byunghyunbaek sneered at the sight.

“You novices… Do you think by combining your strength, you can stand against me?”

“It would be tough with just ‘the two of us’.”

“······?”

Swoosh!

That’s when it happened. The snow bats Aaron was covering, entranced by Capricorn, rushed to destroy the barrier.

The problem was, to Byunghyunbaek’s eyes, they must have seemed like monsters targeting his daughter.

“You beast!”

Byunghyunbaek’s body flashed and then disappeared in an instant.

“Choke?”

“Snicker?”

The next moment, five snow bats rushing towards Young-ae were sliced and scattered on the floor. Witnessing this, Ray and Aaron were dumbfounded.

“······Did you just see that?”

“I didn’t see anything.”

But he had seen it.

Just overpowering Jenny with a punch.

The ability to slice five monsters in an instant.

Although he stepped forward under the pretext of saving his daughter, Byunghyunbaek still retained some ‘judgment’.

The irreversible consequence of killing the priests.

Hence, he tried to overpower them without killing.

“It’s ambiguously rational. We need to fight desperately to the end.”

“How far has the exorcism progressed?”

“Just a few more minutes if we focus… Can you buy some time alone?”

At that moment, Byunghyunbaek, who had slaughtered the snow bats, charged at Aaron.

The descending sword. Aaron blocked it with the holy sword, but with a thud, one knee hit the ground.

Even Aaron, blessed by the ‘Sun’s Grace’, was overwhelmingly outmatched.

“No! Never! It… can’t be! What power…! Help!”

“Try using your strength, noble young master!”

“You little brat!”

Ray couldn’t abandon Aaron. If Aaron were to be subdued now, it would truly be the end.

Somehow, they had to drive the enemy into a pincer attack to buy time.

“Byeongyeongbaek! Die!”

The dagger Ray pulled from his bosom was launched towards Byeongyeongbaek.

With a throwing skill sharp enough to be admirable, Byeongyeongbaek, who was pressuring Aaron, read the trajectory of the dagger and dodged it with the minimal movement necessary.

Anticipating this, Ray, with his stance disrupted, charged at Byeongyeongbaek with an axe, while Aaron also pushed Byeongyeongbaek back with the power of his divine protection.

Their joint attack was more in sync than expected.

This was not only due to Aaron’s swordsmanship skills but also thanks to Ray’s overwhelming amount of experience.

In his previous life, Pastor Kim Ray had the mission of exterminating all sorts of monsters.

The Paladins of the Vatican, the combat priests of the Orthodox Church. Even with the young master of the vampire hunter family that produced a U.S. president.

Since only a very few could stand against the non-human threats, there was often immediate collaboration on-site.

Through such processes, Pastor Kim honed the skill to observe and support the actions of a newly coordinated ally.

When an ally attacked, he would dive into the opening created and restrain the opponent.

His supportive abilities shone whether hunting werewolves in Florence or vanquishing vampires in Hungary.

“……”

Byeongyeongbaek, facing the two of them, sensed that his opponents were not to be underestimated.

A skilled practitioner of standard knightly swordsmanship.

With the blessing of the sun, his strength was at a considerable expert level.

But more irksome than that was Ray Anderson, who was gradually attacking from behind Aaron, using standard knightly swordsmanship.

Whether it was because his basic stamina was less than Aaron’s, or his protection was weak, there was an experience in him that shouldn’t be possible at his age.

Above all.

“Squeak!”

The eye bat that lunged towards Ophelia’s bed. Byeongyeongbaek had to be mindful of the monster threatening his daughter as well.

“Now’s the time! Crush him!”

“Such uneducated language!”

“Is that really important right now, young master?!”

“Damn it, you too……”

Aaron, annoyed by Jenny’s bad language habits, aimed for Byeongyeongbaek’s back.

Ray took advantage of the moment and swung his axe at Byeongyeongbaek.

But Byungbaek deflected all the attacks and even launched a counterattack.

“Crazy old man! Why are you so strong?!”

Isn’t it too lively for someone who has been eroded by a demon for half a year?

“Damn, Capricorn!”

As Ray called out the demon’s name, Capricorn sharply turned his head.

It was a do-or-die situation. Ray, while blocking Byungbaek’s sharp sword, recited a prayer.

“You cannot harm Ophelia’s strong and pure soul! By the precious power of the Savior Soltera, dispel the dark energy!”

“Kuh, Kaaack!”

Ophelia’s face grotesquely twisted.

Black smoke rose from Ophelia’s body, which spat out black blood, and the demon’s energy was scattering.

“Daddy! Daddy! Save me!”

“My daughter! Your father! Your father will save you!”

As Ophelia’s voice poured out in agonizing screams, Byungbaek’s energy became even more ferocious.

Byungbaek swung his sword to block Ray’s prayer, the cause of his daughter’s pain, and it was filled with a swirling ‘aura.’

“Damn it! Crazy old man!”

Crash!

Interrupting his prayer to block Byungbaek’s sword, Ray was horrified as his palm was torn apart.

It was a knight’s aura blade that could tear steel like paper. If it hadn’t been a weapon made from a relic, it would have been sliced in one stroke.

“In the name of Savior Soltera, I command…ugh!”

Byungbaek’s kick swept Ray’s ankle, knocking him down. His military boot pressed down on Ray’s neck, ready to strike with his sword…

“Ray!”

Aaron swung his sword at Byungbaek. But Byungbaek had already read the movement.

Byungbaek’s gaze flashed as he flicked Aaron’s sword into the air. It was a feat possible only with an overwhelming difference in skill.

The next moment, Byungbaek reached out and caught Aaron by the throat.

“Kuhuk…!”

The will to silence the voice tormenting his daughter.

Byungbaek’s icy glare shone, pressing down on the two with a thick intent to kill.

“Whether it’s the empire or anything else, I will not forgive anyone who touches my blood. I will kill you right here.”

“Kuh…!”

“Ugh, ugh…!”

The two struggled with all their might to fend off Byeon Gyeongbaek’s limbs, but the top-tier expert didn’t budge an inch.

Just as he was about to cast aside his rational judgment that he must not kill the priests of the religious state and strike down with his sword.

“Ugh…!”

With a heavy arc, the halberd swooped down on Byeon Gyeongbaek’s rear.

“Got you good!”

It was Jenny.

“You wench…! How dare you!”

Byeon Gyeongbaek turned around, swinging his sword. Jenny blocked it with the shaft of her halberd.

But with one hand free, Byeon Gyeongbaek landed a punch on Jenny’s face.

“Gah…!”

Is that really important right now?

Rushing in full force to take his place was Jennie.

“Choose the time and place, young master!”

Jennie nearly caused a collision akin to a body check.

Already struggling with wounds on their back and legs, and under the sun’s blessing, the two were grappling with Byeonbaek, who couldn’t maintain balance and fell over.

“Ray! We’ll handle Byeonbaek! Finish the exorcism!!”

“Ray, hurry up, little brother!”

The two holding down Byeonbaek. Though Byeonbaek thrashed wildly, Jennie’s strike seemed to have hit properly, as it was weaker than before.

But a wounded beast is most dangerous, especially when it’s trying to protect its young.

“……”

Ray looked down at Lady Ophelia’s body, possessed by Capricorn.

The demon tried to make eye contact with Ray, but he covered her eyes with his hand.

It was a risky attempt.

Touching the flesh possessed by a demon meant coming into contact with the demon’s malevolent energy.

As proof, the demon’s magic touched Ray’s palm, causing terrible pain.

A powerful curse that brought both physical and mental agony. Yet, Ray endured all the pain and attempted a swift exorcism.

【Ray! Ray! Foolish son of the sun! Do you think you can escape the prophecy of the morning star like this!】

“Say your full name.”

【……!】

Capricorn was at a loss for words at Ray’s command.

“Can’t do it? Don’t know it? Your tricks won’t work on me.”

After silencing the demon, Ray dipped his finger in the last remaining holy water and made the sign of the cross.

“Soltera, in your holy name. You who annihilate and destroy all evil forces.”

【Cough! Choke! Gag!】

“Drive out this wicked being and protect your daughter. Promise her eternal banishment from this land.”

He poured out the greatest incantation with a voice facing forward, not making eye contact with the demon.

To block Byeonbaek, Aaron and Jennie were fighting a life-and-death battle.

Only he could resolve this situation now.

Ray continued the prayer in a trembling voice.

“Soltera, in your love and mercy, save this tormented soul and purify her body and mind.”

Exorcising demons was an experience Pastor Kim had encountered numerous times.

The methods to banish demons in this world weren’t much different. But does that mean the conditions and past lives are the same?

No.

Pastor Kim was a pro at such matters, but Ray Anderson was not.

Ray knew the reason himself.

Because…

“You…”

The demon’s voice reaches out.

Capricorn smiled towards something unseen.

“Do you believe in another god?”

“…”

A moment of agitation.

Capricorn’s sardonic laughter spread.