From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 197: Awakening Under Bat Wings

"This is something my grandfather gave me. He said it was a family token. Just like the hidden blade and short knife in my hands, they are all a part of our Martin family!"

Gabriel said in a daze.

He did not know why this priest seemed so intensely curious about certain heirlooms of his family, but he had no intention of hiding anything.

Just as he had said before, as a lone wolf with nothing left to his name, he had long ceased to care about such things.

That was until, bathed in the radiance from the man's palm, the black hue on the stone actually began to melt away, cracking and dissolving bit by bit. Right before their eyes, it revealed the hidden secret nestled within!

It was a sort of badge, adorned with silver patterns and black lettering. Furthermore, two words were inscribed in the Hebrew language: "Judgment"!

"Phew..." Leon let out a long breath. Recently, he had discussed the organizational structure of the Brotherhood with Pope Mario.

According to Pope Mario, the original covert members of the Catholic Church had all joined the Brotherhood.

Among them were the Religious Tribunal, the Knights Templar, the Holy See Council, the Inquisition, and the most secretive of all, the Silver Ark Project Group!

And if his guess about the badge in front of him was correct..."Thrum!" A sudden hum made the Knight turn his head toward the main doors. His evil premonition alerted him to something highly unusual.

Leon immediately handed the badge back to Gabriel and declared, "Now, leave this place, Mr. Assassin! I already know everything about you. People from the Vatican will come looking for you in the future!"

"Do not be afraid, and harbor no fear. The Lord is watching you. If your heart is truly free of evil, even if you have killed many people, you will ascend to Heaven!"

Hearing the man's words, Gabriel found that he could suddenly move again. He could not help but ask, "So, you know the origins of our family, right?"

"Yes, that is a very long story. You mentioned having dreams when you were a child. I believe the answer might just be hidden within those dreams!"

Leon replied with a smile, though his body was already beginning to emit radiance. "If possible, head outside. Take anyone you can see and leave this place. Enemies have arrived outside!"

In his daze, Gabriel watched as this priest surprisingly drew a golden light spear straight out from the radiance. Opening the doors of the church, the man simply walked outside.

In Gabriel's memory, it felt as if he had witnessed a scene like this before. Where exactly had he seen it?

He slowly fell into deep thought. Fingering the badge in his hand and gazing at the word "Judgment" inscribed upon it, he seemed to drift back to his childhood, back to the era when he would frequently have those dreams.

At that time, it was still the golden age of France. The people of Avignon still lingered blissfully between the countryside and the city. There was not so much pressure in life, nor was there endless scheming and drudgery—only a joyous childhood and a happy family.

It was also during this period that he followed his grandfather, Gurest Martin, and learned the so-called Assassin's Way.

His grandfather would always say that their family used to be glorious. They were a prominent family, an illustrious bloodline based around the Middle East.

Unfortunately, by his generation, all that remained were sparse descendants, ancient legends devoid of any verifiable news, and an old man who only knew how to wield knives.

These were his grandfather's exact words. Yet, precisely because of those words, Gabriel had trained bitterly in these techniques for fifteen long years. Then, for the sake of the justice in his heart, he had sent his own family to the guillotine.

He had even prepared himself to completely sever ties with so-called "justice" and "kindness," only to suddenly realize that his own lingering kindness had saved his life once again.

This Transcendent Being, acting as a priest, seemed to have recognized his inner kindness as well, and thus let him go.

Now, he was free to leave.

That was what Gabriel thought to himself, but his actions proved the exact opposite. Instead of trying to leave, he poked his head out the doorway to peer outside!

...

"Monsters!"

"Run away!"

"Help me!"

Various screams and cries reached Leon's ears, causing him to involuntarily furrow his brows.

The noise was simply far too loud, to the point of interfering with some of his judgment, but he had no choice but to step forward and calm everyone down first.

"Silence, ladies and gentlemen! Under the guidance of the clergymen and nuns, evacuate this area quickly!" he shouted loudly. The radiance showered down, instantly soothing many of the panicked civilians.

As a Knight, a follower of the Lord, and the temporary priest of this church, this was his sacred duty.

With his appearance, the scene in the plaza naturally fell into his line of sight, allowing him to understand exactly what was causing all the commotion and rioting!

Three "monsters," completely pale without a single trace of blood in their complexion, were rampaging through the crowd, lashing out at the people around them with their limbs. These three humanoid monsters possessed long, blade-like nails that were incredibly sharp. In a single fleeting exchange, one of them carved five horrifying gashes into a nearby stone wall!

Such a terrifying sight plunged the local residents into instant panic, prompting them to flee for their lives.

At that moment, the church security guards drew their guns, aimed them at the monsters, and bellowed sternly, "Stop right there! Take one more step, and we will open fire!"

Naturally, they received no response, only an even more terrifying, beastly roar!

As security guards in Sicily, they clearly possessed no hesitation. Three pistols fired simultaneously, blasting into the three monsters and blowing bloody holes through their bodies!

However, these bloody wounds failed to impede their advance in the slightest. Instead, it drove the three monsters into a deeper frenzy. They tore the clothes right off their own bodies and accelerated, lunging viciously at the three guards!

This fearless, death-defying display instantly filled the three guards with profound terror. They emptied their entire magazines, yet failed to halt the enemy's progress. They could only watch as the creatures stalked forward step by step, projecting an oppressive aura that was simply far too horrifying.

But soon, Leon's voice rang out. "Go evacuate the crowd! These three are nothing more than blood thralls. There is still someone else pulling the strings from behind!"

The man spoke softly, but his tone carried an unquestionable certainty. "These bastards came specifically for me!"

He planted himself in front of the security guards, simultaneously blocking the curious gazes of many civilians who wanted to look back.

Leon did not feel particularly surprised. Traces of vampires had been discovered at the site where the Pope was attacked. It was a no-brainer that these creatures would eventually come looking for him.

Gazing at the surrounding crowd, Leon narrowed his eyes. He still felt somewhat puzzled—why were these creatures so certain that he would be tied down here, rather than making an early retreat?

He could easily cover the people's evacuation and then leave the area. Did they truly believe they could lock him in this place?

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a profound aura of malice suddenly erupted from the building next door. It locked onto him like a vice, and then swept over the panicked crowd nearby!

Now, Leon understood.

He could not help but grind his teeth, feeling nothing but a burning desire to see these dark creatures dead!

The enemy was explicitly telling him that if he chose to leave, these believers would be tracked down and slaughtered even if they evacuated. As a Paladin, this was something Leon could absolutely never accept.

Dark creatures were truly utterly deranged!

"Come out!" Leon commanded. Raising his hand, he fired off a light spear that instantly impaled the three monsters before him, pinning them firmly to the ground.

During his time in New York and Illinois, he had dealt with these so-called blood thralls before. The truth was, they were no longer human. They were monsters completely drained of their blood, then reanimated by vampires using dark magic!

Because these monsters lacked blood of their own, they possessed a ravenous thirst for human blood. After drinking it, they would store it within their bodies, only to be individually drained by the vampires later.

They were nothing but tools used by vampires to harvest blood and treat humanity like grazing livestock!

Yet, with the sudden manifestation of the light spear, the surrounding civilians who had been running for their lives actually slowed their footsteps.

What had they just seen? The new priest of this church was actually a Transcendent Being?

"Hehehehahaha! Worthy of being a rare Knight. To think you actually possess such formidable combat power!" an eerie voice echoed from the side.

Then, a bat-like shadow descended from the sky. Right before everyone's eyes, it transformed into the image of an elegant, pale noble.

He extended a hand with prominent knuckles and slender nails, pointing directly at Leon. "Seven hundred years ago, I killed a Paladin in Sicily and brought an end to the history of the Knights Templar... Now, if I kill you, will I finally put an end to the emergence of Knights in this world?"

Leon scoffed coldly, "It is not as if I have never killed arrogant dark monsters like you! Even Demons wouldn't dare speak to me in such a manner. What makes you think you can?"

With negotiations broken down, the only answer was a head-on collision!

The vampire before him abruptly transformed into a cloud of blood mist and surged toward Leon. In response, a great shield seemingly forged of pure light materialized in Leon's grasp, blocking his front as the radiance erupting from his body intensified in a flash!

"God said, beneath the shroud of light, all darkness shall find no place to hide!"

Inside the room, as the battle unfolded before his eyes in a chaotic dance of radiance and crimson, Gabriel, who had merely been observing, suddenly frowned.

Before his eyes, a hazy vision gradually materialized, flashing past his mind like his life flashing before his eyes!

An ancient creed also surfaced in his vision:

"When other men blindly follow the truth, remember—nothing is true.

When other men are limited by morality or law, remember—everything is permitted.

We are the Inquisition, and we punish Demons!

We are the Heresy Tribunal, and we judge blasphemers!

We are the Heresy Executioners, and we slaughter every fallen one!

We work in the dark, to serve the light. We are Assassins, we are judges, but most of all, we are followers of the light!"