The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 136

In the shadows of the gods, sins took monstrous forms. Thus, beneath the grandeur of the Saint Nalo Cathedral, mortals constructed the Shadow Kingdom known as the Stagnant Sanctuary, a haven for demon hunters waging eternal war against these abominations.

"Do you know of the Night of Divine Descent? As the new head priest, you must understand our order's history, Anthony... High Priest?"

"Just call me Father, Your Eminence."

Father Anthony shook his head. He didn't fully grasp the events of that fateful night and was apprehensive about his new title.

The melodious tunes in his ears grew louder, the red glow from the steel crevices more intense, but the elevator continued its descent into darkness. The Pope's voice broke the silence.

"The Night of Divine Descent," he murmured, sighing. "If Heaven truly exists, that night was the closest we ever came to it."

Father Anthony remained silent, feeling an odd sensation that the man beside him was no longer the Pope, but something else entirely.

"You know we captured the last demon. Enveloped in scorching holy silver, inscribed with sacred words, priests prayed day and night, trying to purify its malevolent soul."

The Pope's voice grew faint, recounting the old tale in the depths of the descending darkness.

"We classified it as the 'Messiah' level, codenamed the Holy Grail. According to the Revelations and our analyses, it is the source of all demons. Destroying it completely would erase the concept of demons."

The Pope spoke, yet doubts lingered within him. Would these eerie creatures truly perish?

"But humans are inherently greedy, Father Anthony. If we were truly divine, why would we need salvation from God?"

The iron mask reflected the red glow, its patterns resembling bloodlines. Father Anthony met the darkness beneath those eyes, facing ancient and terrible secrets.

His breathing grew rapid. "We fought demons for so long that we nearly became demons ourselves. The entire Church of the Gospel is built on the forbidden blood techniques derived from demons."

"Killing the last demon, would we lose this powerful yet sinful technology too?"

The Pope posed this question, removing his iron mask, his face hidden in the shadows. Lighting a cigarette, the glow illuminated the surroundings but not his face.

The Pope's dignity faded, revealing just a troubled man. "Of course, no one knows if that would happen. We don't even know if the concept of demons would truly vanish. Everything changed on the Night of Divine Descent.

Honestly, we caught the Holy Grail at a bad time. If it had been captured centuries ago, or during the Crusades, it would have been perfect. Everyone wanted demons dead, and the Knights Templar razed cities. Even if we lost all knowledge of demonic technology, people would have accepted it."

That was still the church's most glorious era. Everyone was saint-like, believing the world would become better.

"But alas, times have changed, Father Anthony. The old era is gone. Ingleweg invented the steam engine, and the age of steam became unstoppable. The distant Far East Empire also rose...

For centuries, the church secretly controlled nations using the threat of demons. Label anyone as a heretic, and the terrifying demon hunters would knock on their door.

We were shepherds, and they were the sheep, always fearing the shepherd dogs. But now, those sheep have the power to fight demons—warships and cannons. Not to mention the Nine Summers, which seems to possess similar technology. The church's position was first shaken."