"Come on, old man, cut the jokes already. Sure, monsters exist, but saying those things are Devil's… chil… children or whatever? That's insane. Sounds like something straight out of a movie, a novel, or a comic book."
The boyish Irat Gahanov ran a hand through his hair as he spoke, perhaps for the first time saying something entirely reasonable.
His sister, arms folded, reluctantly backed him up.
"It's completely unscientific. More importantly, in this modern age, the appearance of beings called Devils is impossible. And why now? Since ancient times, entities referred to as Devils have appeared in countless texts. If such beings truly existed alongside humanity's belief in God, shouldn't they have overflowed into reality long ago?"
The sharp-tongued woman hurled doubt and denial at the priest. Maybe it's because he's a priest, Elizabeth thought with exasperation.
"The Devil's greatest ability is remaining unnoticed. That was once said by a certain man. Devils have certainly existed within human society since ancient times. Long ago, natural disasters and disease were defined as the work of demons. Even the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism contains the existence of evil.
Speaking as a priest, the serpent that tempted Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of knowledge in Eden… the Devil that revealed itself along the road Jesus walked to Golgotha… these truths recorded in humanity's oldest scriptures, the Bible, are all evidence of Devils."
Messiah's head still swirled violently, his vision distorted and unfocused. He understood the priest's claims sounded impossible. Yet he also knew the priest had no reason to lie and was not the sort of person who would fabricate such things. Even so, he could not fully process everything. Recalling all he had experienced during this single day left him suspended in uncertainty.
That uncertainty appeared in the weak, unsteady strength with which he held Maria.
"Are you… really my father?"
At last Maria managed to whisper the question with lips so faint the words could almost be carried away by the wind.
The priest looked at his daughter's face. But he quickly turned away, directing his eyes toward the deadly battle raging in the distance as his throat tightened.
He lifted his clothes slightly, returning the gun to the holster at his waist. After letting out a small sigh, he inhaled sharply through his nose and spoke the truth.
Ever since the day he held his infant daughter in trembling arms, fragile enough to break with a single grip, he had feared this moment would come. Yet now it had arrived. Cursing fate itself, the priest finally opened his mouth.
"Neither I nor Beard Bull here are humans of this era. We time-leaped here from the far future beyond anything you can imagine. Simply put… we are people from the future."
Again, the conversation plunged into unbelievable absurdity.
The words felt completely incompatible with the dignified appearance of the priest, leaving Messiah and the others unable to hide their discomfort.
"I see. That would explain the inconsistencies. The physical shift… the giant capable of fighting those Devils… We are already being shown things beyond reality. With future technology, perhaps it's possible."
Fan Loppen, who had remained silent with pursed lips, stared at the priest with eyes suggesting he was carefully digesting the explanation.
Are you seriously saying this?! Elizabeth shot him a stunned sideways glance. Her younger brother stomped in frustration, equally unable to comprehend it.
"That's right. We possess technology beyond your understanding. Naturally, we also know what is about to happen."
The young soldier Beard Bull laughed mockingly down at them, his youthful arrogance obvious in the way he looked down on others.
The priest shot Beard a sharp glare that clearly said, Don't say unnecessary things, forcing the younger man to swallow whatever else he intended to say.
What's going to happen now? An indescribable anxiety swept through Messiah's chest like a violent wind.
At that moment, the giant several kilometers away was struck sideways by a tentacle twice its own size. The impact boomed across the city like metal being smashed with raw flesh. The massive giant was hurled into the air like a dead leaf before crashing into the sea, sending towering waves across the water as it sank beneath the surface.
"So even an HM is retreating… the situation is worse than I thought."
The priest muttered words too quiet for anyone else to hear as he signaled silently to his subordinate with his eyes.
The soldier slung his rifle across his back and climbed into the covered rear of the high-mobility vehicle. Seconds later, a bundle of black rope was thrown out onto the asphalt.
Carrying the heavy ropes over his shoulder, the young soldier quickly tied them to exposed steel bars jutting from the highway before tossing the ropes down into the abyss below.
The youths realized the truth.
They were about to descend into the underworld beneath them, a realm writhing with horrors and monsters.
To be continued in Episode 1-10