From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 193: The Blood Legend of Sicily

"I will keep an eye on this matter. I know this is the greatest provocation against the Catholic Church, and that person will not be allowed to go unpunished!"

"Yes, rest assured, Father. I will do everything in my power. Furthermore... His Crown the Pope is not without power. In this Catholic nation, we are far from isolated and helpless!"

"One could even say this is our home turf!"

On a flight from New York to Italy, under the almost worshipful gazes of the flight attendants in the first-class cabin, Lyon Lankechi lowered his phone.

"Ladies, the passengers in the back have called for you several times already. They might need some assistance!" Lyon said, feeling somewhat helpless.

These flight attendants had boarded the plane with him in New York. From the moment he stepped aboard, they had showered him with meticulous care and constant attention, practically throwing themselves at him.

However, as an official Priest—since the Church currently lacked secular authority and could not grant military positions, he had not been formally ordained into the Knight class—Lyon could not simply give them the cold shoulder. He had no choice but to offer a polite smile.

Yet, that simple smile nearly caused a disaster.

The flight attendants immediately shrieked in excitement, with some even pulling out their bras and demanding his autograph!

After all, living a reclusive life in New York—where his routine consisted entirely of fighting Werewolves and Vampires, finding secluded spots to hone his combat skills, or praying at the Church—Lyon was completely oblivious to his own fame in America!The footage of his nighttime battle in Long Island had been leaked by an unknown source and spread like wildfire across the internet. This former prisoner and mafia member had somehow been dubbed the "Pride of New York" and the "Knight of America"!

Much like Father Angus, he had acquired his own nicknames and a dedicated fanbase. Thanks to his youthful and handsome appearance, he boasted the second-largest online following in all of America!

What? You ask who had the most? That was naturally the Holy Maiden Caroline. Did you really think it would be Golden Hair?

Golden Hair had already plummeted to third place! (Tragic)

Fortunately, this agonizing journey was finally coming to an end.

A glimmer of hope and Expectation flashed through Lyon's eyes.

After all, despite being of Italian descent, he had never actually set foot in Italy. Gazing out at the tranquil, waveless Mediterranean Sea, Lyon felt a profound sense of returning to his roots.

As the plane rolled to a steady halt, the flight attendants watched reluctantly as the man unbuckled his seatbelt and became the first to step out of the cabin door!

"Clap-clap-clap!" The sudden eruption of applause, popping confetti cannons, and lively music from outside caught Lyon completely off guard just as he reached the doorway.

However, the welcoming crowd, the elaborate parade floats, and the beaming Mayor of Sicily were not what caused his bewilderment. What truly shocked him was the distinct ripple of dark energy lingering in the area.

Thus, under the watchful eyes of the countless greeters, this world-renowned "Holy Knight" completed his combat preparations in a fraction of a second.

He gripped the Knightly Order Badge on his chest and softly chanted his prayer:

"Honored Trinity, The Lord of Hosts, Forger of Shield and Sword!

As Hymn ninety-one declares:

Your name is the fortress of generations, Your Realm is the quenching Furnace.

Please guide me, lead me forward onto the path of radiant brilliance!"

Under the gaze of everyone present, his body, spurred by the prayer, was embraced by a radiant light that seemed to cascade directly from the heavens.

He ascended into the light, erupting with an even more dazzling brilliance, like a descending sun!

In the next second, he leaped down from the cabin door several meters high, plunging directly into the crowd and instantly seizing a man by the throat!

"Councilman Stav?" Seeing the man Lyon had captured, the Mayor and the surrounding Government officials were utterly stunned!

What was going on? The "Holy Knight" they had come to welcome was giving them a Show of Force the moment he stepped off the plane?

But there was absolutely no need for this. They had no prior conflict with him, so why would he...

He looked anxiously at the Regional Bishop of Sicily beside him, hoping for an explanation. "Mr. Bishop, what is the meaning of this?"

However, they soon realized no answer was necessary. Under the intense, searing illumination of the holy light, the "councilman" Lyon held was actually "melting"!

A bizarre and unpredictable Dark Aura seeped from his body, materializing directly in the air. His agonizing screams were so harrowing that the previously smiling crowd almost burst into tears of terror.

Lyon raised his right hand, conjuring a Spear of Light that pointed sharply at the man. His tone was freezing cold: "Have the Vampires of Illinois already infiltrated Italy?"

Upon hearing those words, the previously howling councilman suddenly threw his head back and roared out loud, "Bullshit! Do not lump us together with those lowborn country mongrels!"

"How could mere vagrants kicked out of the pack ever hope to gaze upon the great Thirteen Clans?"

"Country bumpkins are country bumpkins! Even after being exiled, they still manage to cause trouble for us!"

He seemed extremely infuriated that Lyon had categorized him alongside the Vampire Race of America.

Staring at Lyon with unparalleled venom, an inexplicable sense of malicious glee flashed in his eyes.

"But Knight of the Church, since you've come... don't even think about going back! The great Lady Lilith has awakened. You lapdogs will die at the open gates of Hell, just like you did six hundred years ago!" As soon as he finished speaking, his body violently detonated into a cloud of black mist, instantly transforming into a swarm of Bats that scattered in all directions.

Lyon hurled the Spear of Light in his hand, but it only managed to skewer a few of the Bats. The rest continued to flutter away with reckless abandon!

With the man fleeing in bat form, the brief skirmish finally concluded. Lyon deactivated his Knight form, releasing himself from the radiant state, and turned to face the people who had come to welcome him.

"I apologize for startling you all!" he declared.

His handsome face, coupled with the heroic aura lingering from the brief combat, caused many of the women present to shriek on the spot!

"Ah! He's so handsome!"

"Yes, he looks exactly like he does on the internet!"

Squealing with excitement, they swarmed around Lyon, joining the Media reporters to barrage him with a flurry of questions!

"Mr. Lyon, did you discover that Monster hiding in the crowd the moment you stepped off the plane?"

"Mr. Lyon, could you explain exactly what kind of Monster that was? We heard the word Vampire. Is America currently suffering from this kind of plague?"

"Mr. Lyon, does launching an unprovoked attack without attempting dialogue count as a violation of their human rights?"

The Media truly had no shame. Even when encountering such a terrifying Monster, they still sought to stir up a massive scandal—regardless of the fact that the person standing before them was a Holy Knight and an apostle of The Lord.

Compared to them, his other "fans" were undeniably much more endearing. They simply huddled around Lyon, whispering soft prayers and gentle hopes.

However, the burning urgency in Lyon's heart never ceased for a single moment. He turned toward the Bishop who had come to receive him.

The Bishop was named Maurice, the head of the Sicilian diocese. "Your Excellency the Bishop, has the message from the Church arrived?"

"Ah... of course it has..." the Bishop began to reply instinctively, but upon catching the suddenly darkened expression of the Sicilian Mayor standing nearby, he immediately changed his tune. "Whether it arrived or not, I have no idea!"

Hearing this and observing their micro-expressions, Lyon naturally deduced exactly what was going on.

Sure enough, the "crisis of the Church" that Pope Mario had mentioned over the phone was no exaggeration. Even the Bishop of Sicily had to act according to the whims of the Government.

Lyon's expression hardened, and he stated bluntly, "You are utterly lacking in devotion, Bishop! You are committing Blasphemy against your own faith!"

"Father, you cannot throw around such wild accusations!" The Bishop was visibly panicked. Being publicly denounced as unfaithful by a globally recognized "Holy Knight" in front of such a massive crowd was tantamount to ruining his entire career!

"If you were truly devout, you would know exactly why I am here!"

"If you were truly devout, you would understand perfectly how to cooperate with me!"

"If you were truly devout, the directives from the Vatican would be etched deeply into your heart!"

"It either arrived or it didn't! I came here to safeguard the lives of countless believers and ordinary people across all of Italy, not to play political games with you!"

Lyon's harsh and booming reprimand left Bishop Maurice entirely speechless for a long while.

As a Bishop who had climbed the ranks entirely through nepotism, he was naturally not highly regarded by the Church. When Mario's reform plans had been issued, he was one of the first to voice his opposition.

Furthermore, the local Government had even supported his defiance, allowing him to comfortably exploit the Church's prestige to amass personal wealth while conveniently ignoring any summons from the Holy See!

"I will apply to the Vatican for the deployment of the Precept Order, and I shall personally serve as the head of the Precept Order in Sicily!" The moment those words fell, Maurice's face turned ashen!

During his time in New York, Lyon had spent a period assisting George with the purification of the churches. He knew all too well what wretched hives of filth and corruption the churches of this modern era had become!

According to Pope Mario, they previously lacked the power to act, forcing them to rely on mere warnings and mild reprimands. But now that they wielded true strength, all who dared to commit Blasphemy would be severely punished!

"The Holy Office will arrive shortly to evaluate your professional contributions, and then they will replace you!"

In front of the massive crowd, Lyon declared with an emotionless face, "Dereliction of duty, Blasphemy, and disrespect. You have broken the Precepts, Bishop!"