The Imperial Hunter Chapter 53 - El Maestre (8)

Sometime past midnight, as the night deepened into early morning, the port finally became a battlefield. It was a decision that the UK had reluctantly made, trampling into this filthy mess.

In my eyes, it was partly thanks to the scavengers from ‘Double A’. These jubilant drug addicts, who had repelled the British convoy, returned to the port as if they were an army of victorious soldiers, dragging the corpses I had thrown to their vehicles. They wildly fired hundreds of rounds into the sky and shouted victorious cries, a barbaric celebration that was being live-streamed through the sicarios’ own social media accounts. These foolish and misguided individuals didn’t even consider the consequences. It seemed like the drugs and the rush of combat had completely obliterated their reasoning. Those who claimed to be the brains behind the cartel leadership were probably clutching their heads in despair at the atrocities committed by their subordinates. As Kyung-tae had informed me, social media was indeed a waste of life.

With this, the detestable island nation had put itself in a position where it had to address ‘Double A’ and the Sinaloa Cartel before figuring out what to do with the Knight Commander. No matter how hard the British Foreign Office and intelligence agencies worked, the widely spread photos, videos, and information would eventually catch up with them. If we didn’t achieve significant results here, the aftermath would be beyond imagination.

Most importantly, the bodies I had collected from the mountains were sufficient evidence to mislead the British into believing that the mysterious force that had attacked them was undoubtedly the Sinaloa Cartel.

So, what I had to do first during this opportunity was…

‘Kill the Knight Commander.’

I didn’t know why the Round Table wanted to keep the Knight Commander alive. Whether it was to welcome him as a fanatical follower wrapped in ancient wisdom, as a miracle and prophecy, or if they simply wanted an experimental guinea pig, I didn’t know. But one thing was for sure, tonight would not be the night for any of those endings. Not for me, and not for the Knight Commander.

So, I would kill him with my own hands. As I had pledged in the early hours of this night, with my own sense of respect and sincerity. Collecting the Knight Commander’s ‘Code’ would be a bonus benefit.

The islanders’ hunt could be concluded later.

Step, step.

Under my slow footsteps, the blood puddles that had slowly congealed made a squishing sound. It was the blood of the heavily armed police officers who had spilled so much blood. The ones who were sliced apart were the bodies broken down by swords, and the ones who were mashed were the ones who had been crushed by shields and bodies.

As I tracked them leisurely, I observed that from the moment they entered the streets of the port, the false ‘Templar Knights’ Holy Warriors had transformed into a scourge of the army, police, and Sinaloa Cartel. How they managed to thwart those adversaries, including valuable police and sicarios, was beyond comprehension. Knight Commander stood at the forefront, a figure unlike the one from yesterday. Through battles from Andalusia to Puerto Vallarta, he had evolved with a different level of violence.

The Knight Commander also smashed any lampposts along the roadside. As a result, artificial lights disappeared from the nearby area. However, occasional lights that continued to illuminate the streets came from the fires caused by arson, which did not spare buildings and vehicles. The blood-soaked road shone like it had been coated with oil each time they passed such an inferno.

How on earth had they set so many fires?

The method was simple. The unholy knights used their longswords to jab at the cars strewn along the road and pulled them out. Then, the momentary high temperature created by the friction between the sword and the car’s body ignited the fuel vapor in the fuel tank. If the fire didn’t catch, they scraped the spilled fuel on the asphalt with the edge of their shields to generate sparks.

I decided to try such arson myself.

Thud-

I brought a sword, which I had horizontally fixed to my backpack, into the water, and with my telekinesis, I forged it into a deadly weapon, gleaming and sharp once again. With a swift motion, I sliced vertically through the rear of a minivan facing the street. The sound of the exploding fuel vapor filled the air as the metallic fire shot out from the crack. I quickly moved back and slammed the car’s body sideways into a store with iron bars.

This should do it.

I thought it was a simple yet clever idea as I watched the rapidly spreading flames. Someday, this know-how might come in handy.

The path, protected by my loyal followers, was unexpectedly silent. The Army had withdrawn their forces from dozens of blocks in this area due to the massacre of the knights, the devastating loss of troops caused by the rampage, and the chaos resulting from the city being set ablaze. It was essentially a full-scale retreat.

It would take them quite some time to increase the density of their troops and firepower and return. Judging from the present situation, it would be difficult for them to do so tonight.

In the first place, the military personnel I had witnessed didn’t even have equipment for nighttime combat. For the most part, the enhanced individuals had better night vision than those who didn’t possess such enhancements. It was more reasonable for them to congregate under the pretext of protecting the evacuating residents.

Moving forward, the place I reached was a small square in front of the cathedral.

By this point, one might say there was a certain consistency…

The outer walls of the cathedral, built in the Spanish style, faintly glowed with a handful of moonlight even under the half-moon and dimly lit sky. On top of the two bell towers with six bells each, a pair of crosses stood tall.

The main gate carved into the stone buttresses had a relief of the Archangel Michael defeating the devil above it. The armored angel, holding his raised sword, was about to pierce Satan below with his lance. Considering that self-proclaimed knights of the Holy Order were inside the cathedral with their swords, I’d say it was an annoying coincidence.

However, from now on, what would happen was not a battle between angels and devils, but merely a fight between one devil and another.

Yeah, I too was just another devil. My only wish was my own survival and peace, but I was a dirty devil ready to kill, destroy, and set fire to anything to achieve that peace. I wanted to remember this fact, not because of a meager plea of conscience, but because I hoped I was a slightly better being than my enemies.

Buddhistically speaking, I was a person with many sins. One with many sins like me could die like an angel encountering a devil at any moment. Just like Satan beneath Michael, who trampled him down, in a disgraceful, weak, and miserable state. Those who preyed on others must be prepared to be preyed upon themselves.

How fortunate it was that hell and reincarnation were nothing more than human-made fantasies.

As an atheist, I looked at the knights in the cathedral and said, 

“I’d like to personally engage with them.”

“Hyungnim.”

Kyung-tae quietly objected, but I did not change my decision.

“They are only four, and there are almost no people in nearby buildings. In this situation, do you think I would let them injure me?”

“Well, I hope not, but it’s just that your demeanor is different.”

“Different from usual?”

“Yes, the atmosphere.”

Hmm. There was a slight burning sensation at the back of my head as if my brief sleep after midnight had been interrupted, lasting only ten minutes. Was it because things were going too well and I was excited, or was it the effect of taking six times the recommended dose of an awakening or stimulant agent? However, there were no hallucinations I had worried about, and my senses were still quite clear. My stomach felt a bit queasy, but I considered myself perfectly normal. The fact that the complex magic techniques were still running smoothly was another piece of evidence.

Although I felt somewhat more contemplative than usual…

“Don’t worry.”

Sometimes it happened like this too. I gently put down my luggage, making sure not to make any noise.

“It won’t take long. Just keep watch for a moment.”

I only held a longsword and walked toward the cathedral.

The cathedral, not of large scale, had an open structure where all the interior spaces were interconnected without a clear distinction between the nave and the aisle. Therefore, the sense of space inside the building was considerable compared to its size. Beyond the main altar, a large statue of Jesus carved from red pine hung. The large sculpture depicting the Ascension of Jesus was notable for the absence of the cross. A cathedral that did not place a cross on the wall behind the main altar. Someone might think it was heretical.

Underneath the statue of Jesus, the real heretics who gathered together, lighting large ceremonial candles, raised their prayers. They turned one by one and looked back at the sound of my footsteps climbing the main stairs. One of them had even taken off his vestments. Was it for treating injuries? Even though they wouldn’t have the luxury to show it while desperately running away, it would be difficult to judge the mindset of a zealot by the standards of an ordinary person.

Who knows? Maybe by chance, the cathedral I unexpectedly encountered could be seen as a kind of prophecy.

What were the chances of stumbling upon a cathedral while running aimlessly? Those guys, especially the Knight Commander, were fanatics who drew holy symbols even in the midst of battles in the mountains. There was a possibility that they believed in divine protection here.

The madman asks me, 

“Who are you?”

Even though it was informal, the Cartel leader had a rather polite tone. It was not strange, considering he was absorbed in role-playing. Some of his subordinates thought they were soldiers, after all.

The leader’s subordinates were already aiming their guns at me. However, instead of firing at me, they wore ambiguous expressions on the inside of their helmets, probably because even to the drug addicts, I, with just one sword in hand, looked strange. Besides, the sword I was holding was the weapon their comrade used. This should buy me some time.

Thud! The Knight Commander, holding a large shield, slammed it onto the ground.

“Who are you?” 

I saw hints of gold on the marble floor as dust fell from the edge of the shield as he lifted it again. Even though it must be made of titanium alloy, the full-body shield couldn’t be light. There was a smudge on the cross painted with paint. I stopped just before the nave and transept intersected and answered the Cartel Knight Commander’s question.

“I’m here to kill you.”

The dark cathedral flickered three times. All three of the leader’s subordinates fired one shot each from their automatic weapons. However, the bullets fired were suspended in mid-air, caught by telekinetic power, rather than simply deflected. It was a more advanced technique, greater than just bouncing them away. This was an impossible miracle for them.

The knights who had fired lost their movements. I could see their heartbeats speeding up dramatically. The Knight Commander was no exception. He corrected his tone and spoke to convey his group’s astonishment.

“…Who are you?”

In response, I projected my control strength over the magical field of this space to its limits, causing it to contract the magical fields of the Cartel members as if wringing them out. The knights were startled at once. What would the presence of a master-level mage, felt through the senses of an ability user, be like?

Only the Knight Commander, in the same trepidation, raised his sword and shield, ready for battle. He asked again.

“Who are you?”

The tip of the sword trembled, but he was still a formidable opponent. Without this kind of boldness, even an immortal natural awakener wouldn’t have made it this far. He would have been captured sooner or later, or left to die in the mountains.

Ka-ka-kang!

Three heads splattered with blood and brain matter. The result of telekinesis firing the three bullets that I still held them in midair. The three dead fake crusaders tumbled to the ground, their eye sockets pierced, their helmets bouncing and clanging as iron struck iron. Naturally, their heads were mangled. Only one, unhelmeted, died from a clean penetrating wound.

The Knight Commander looked at the deaths of his comrades to his left and right, then back at me.

I said.

“I thought I told you I was here to kill you already.”

The leader of the Unholy Knights roared like a beast and charged at me.