The head priest and his fellow disciples were taken aback—shocked!
"W-what do you mean you're not interested...?"
"What's there not to understand? I'm not interested," Noah replied firmly and sternly. "I don't believe in any of these 'spirit' and 'exorcism' mumbo-jumbo nonesense."
His words caused visible distress among the robed priests as they looked at one another—uncertainty clear even through their masks.
But the head priest stepped forward, closing the gap to the apartment door.
"My brother... have you not experienced disturbances within your dwelling? You could have already been afflicted by a malicious spirit...!"
"...Nope. Didn't feel anything," Noah stated flatly. "All I know is this is just your typical run-down apartment with everything fucking broken. So no, I don't believe I've been afflicted by this so-called 'malicious spirit.'"
"W-wouldn't hurt to try, no?" the head priest coaxed with a nervous smile. "Don't worry! We would not charge our believers—"
But Noah shut him down.
"Thank you for the offer, but still no. So please... would you kindly leave?"
BAM—!
And Noah shut the door right in his face—! Leaving the still-baffled head priest and the other robed figures standing there, bewildered by his treatment.
Inside the apartment, Noah... let out a tired sigh.
"...Mortal," Evangeline called softly, floating closer, concern faintly evident on her face. "Why are you protecting me...?"
Her question brought him to pause for a moment... but as he turned around, he just shrugged in indifference.
"No particular reason."
"W-wha...? I do not understand..."
Evangeline furrowed her brows, utterly baffled by his reply.
"You could have used those priests to banish me from my domain..." she muttered dreadfully, her confusion deepening. "But why didn't you...?!"
Noah only raised an eyebrow at her reaction.
"Do I look like I want you gone?"
"...Huh?"
Evangeline was stunned—shocked.
Questions upon questions flooded her mind as she stared wide-eyes at the mortal before her—
But—
Bang—! Bang—! Bang—!
Their moment was shattered by the sudden, forceful pounding on the door—!
"...Really? They're still here?"
It seemed that the mysterious priest group from before hadn't left the premises after all...
Noah turned back toward the door, ready to shoo them away, but...
"Hey! Fuck off already, you damn—"
CRASH—!!
The entire door was blown off its hinges—!
"What—?!"
—And it came hurtling straight at him, slamming into his chest and sending him flying backward—!
"—Agh!!"
CRASH—!
THUD—!
He hit the floor hard, buried beneath the broken remains of his apartment door...!
"A-agh... w-what the... fuck... just happened...?!"
"M-Mortal...?!"
Evangeline quickly rushed to his side, her hands glowing faintly as she tried to lift the debris off him...!
But then...
"Excuse me..."
The head priest, along with his followers, stepped through the ruined doorway and approached them...!
"So... this is 'it'?" the head priest muttered, his eyes narrowing at Evangeline's translucent figure. "...Not what I expected. Is this truly the entity we're looking for?"
He turned toward his subordinates—each one exchanging uncertain glances.
"I-it is most likely her, your Eminence," one of the masked figures spoke out, "she's the only presence emitting any spiritual force within this place, s-so..."
"...What a letdown. I would've thought an entity so feared would put up more of a challenge."
Still, he stepped forward—his expression cold and resolute.
"No matter... we still have a mission to fulfill," the head priest declared, raising his hand high. "Apply Formation Five."
"Yes, sir!"
His five priest subordinates quickly spread out, circling the apartment—surrounding both Noah and Evangeline...!
"W-what's the meaning of this...?!" Evangeline cried, floating back in alarm. "How dare you barge into my domain—!"
But her defiance fell on deaf ears as the priests began chanting in unison, their voices low and echoing like a solemn hymn...!
Then... the head priest's voice cut through the chant—!
"Initiate Divine Star Seal!"
A blinding golden rune ignited beneath their feet!
The glowing lines formed a massive star within an equally large foreign rune circle that encompassed almost all of the entire apartment floor...!
The very air trembled... as light surged upward from the sigil... before forming luminous chains that lashed out toward Evangeline—!
"W-what—?! What is this—A-agh...!!"
The radiant chains coiled around her spectral form, binding her limbs and tightening around her body...!
"S-stop...! A-agh...! S-stop it...!"
She struggled, her form flickering violently as waves of divine light burned through her pale skin...!
The priests continued their chant, their voices growing louder and more fervent...!
And while everything around him spiraled into chaos... Noah was left powerless on the floor.
His body was still aching after the crash, but... he managed to lift his head—
Only to see the ghost girl's writhing expression.
He could see the pain, the suffering... and also—
The loneliness.
All of it was laid bare on her face as she continued to resist the chains that were binding her being...!
"...God fucking damnit..."
And with that... Noah Winters had decided—
"...Like hell I'm just gonna lay helplessly like a damn corpse...!"
He forced himself to his feet, fighting against the pain, before taking a deep breath...
Then—
"...HEY!!!You damn home invaders!!!"
He charged at one of the priests—!
"Leave her alone!!!"
"W-what—?!"
The startled priest barely turned in time before—
BAM—!
Noah's right fist connected squarely with the priest's mask—cracking the white porcelain and sending the robed figure hurling—!
The other priests gasped, almost breaking formation as their chant faltered for a moment...!
The radiant chains restraining Evangeline flickered weakly, their glow beginning to wane...!
"You fool...!!" the head priest shouted in anger. "What in heaven are you doing?! You're disrupting the sealing process!!!"
"Huff... huff... Good!"
Noah quickly scrambled to his feet, his right knuckle bleeding yet readied, as he turned toward the nearest robed priest—!
"That's what I aim for...!"
He rushed toward them—! His bloody fist already coiling back—!
The targeted robed priest paused his chant and raised his arms to defend—!
But it was a feint.
Noah dropped his body low... and instead tackled the priest—!
"W-what—GAH!"
Crash—!
He slammed the man into a nearby wardrobe—knocking the wind out of him!
And as two of the five-man formation were taken down for the count, the radiant rune and its chains binding Evangeline grew even weaker...!
"Tch... you insolent heretic!"
In anger, the head priest's hand darted to his side—gripping something by his hip—!
The hairs on Noah's neck tingled—he sensed danger and quickly turned toward the priest—
"What the...?"
Before Noah could fully process it, the priest had already drawn a gleaming sword from beneath his robe—its edge flashing with radiant shimmer—!
"—!?! The hell—?!"
And with a furious swing, the priest slashed through the air toward him—!
"Shit—!"
Slash—!
Noah lunged away just in time—!
The blade cut through empty space—missing him by a hair's breadth—before slicing through a nearby table—!
Noah landed a few meters away—his heart pounding and almost out of breath... before staring back in disbelief—
Toward the solid wooden furniture that was bisected cleanly in two, before the two pieces dropped to the floor with a dull thud...!
"...What the actual fuck...?!"
Shing...!
The head priest flicked his gleaming sword to shake off the splinters... before turning toward Noah with a fury-filled glare—
No—
One that was filled with killing intent...!
"You've gotta be kidding me..."
However, that wasn't the only arsenal of the sword-wielding priest—!
"Face your judgment, foolish heretic..."
The priest then raised his free arm... before—a radiant circle flared open on the palm of his hand—!
"—Holy Blast!"
He unleashed a volley of blazing holy spheres toward Noah—!
"—?!! Damnit—!!!"
Bang—! Bang—!
Noah dodged frantically—diving, ducking, and weaving through his slowly-ruined apartment—leaping over shattered furniture as the blasts tore through the room—!
Bang—! Bang—! Bang—!
Each explosion shook the walls, throwing debris and splinters everywhere—!
But then—
One of the blasts finally found its mark—!
"—Guh—!?!"
It slammed straight into Noah's side, sending him crashing into the nearby wall—!
CRASH—!!
The impact rattled through his bones, knocking all the air from his lungs as pain exploded across his chest...!
"A-agh... f-fuck...!"
He landed with dull thud to the floor, sprawled and gasping for air...!
He could feel it—more ribs cracked from the hit...!
The head priest stepped closer, his boots clicking against the ruined floor before—
THUD—!
"—Khagh—!?!"
—A cruel kick landed right in Noah's gut—!
He coughed violently, curling from the blow—
"—A-agh—!!"
—Only for the priest to plant his boot firmly on his chest, pinning him down.
"Tell me—why are you defending an evil entity?" The priest sneered, his tone dripping with mockery. "Do you think your foolishness will earn you salvation? You're only deepening your sin by aiding evil."
"S-shut... up...!"
Noah tried to push the boot off his chest, but his hand barely had the strength to move it...
He weakly turned his head to the side—to Evangeline.
"E... va...!"
He saw her struggling, desperately trying to break free from the chains of light—but to no avail.
The follower priests he'd managed to knock down earlier were already back on their feet, resuming their chant...!
"L-let her... go...!!!"
The head priest only shook his head in disappointment...
"How pitiful."
Shing...!
...Before raising his gleaming sword high—its blade pointed downward...!
"Then die with your sin."
And without hesitation... he drove the sword straight down—!
"—!!!"
Noah's eyes widened as he felt something cold pierce through his chest.
He managed one final glance down...
At the blade that had driven through his heart.