Nemo walked down the afternoon street wearing the holy shackle, returning a numb expression to all the curious gazes. An installed a holy shackle on him again, but this time the white chain of light was wrapped in a trace of black gas.
"You have to control it." After a brief exchange of information, Ann patted Nemo on the shoulder. "Imagine holding a pudding, don't break it - the time is long gone, we have to give the Holy See a good reason. Even with Oliver's charm, you'd better not leave any omissions on your side."
However, "carrying the pudding forward" is not a simple matter. Nemo basically took three steps and stopped to make sure that the chain of light was still completely wrapped around his arm. Oliver followed him with a bitter expression.
"You don't really want to tell me." Nemo's soles rubbed against the road, moving very slowly. "Relax."
"They won't be soft on you." Oliver sighed, "That's the dungeon of the Heresy Tribunal."
"So I'm so nervous that I don't have anything to say?" Nemo laughed dryly, "No way, it's an attack by a superior demon and a sacrifice of blessings, 'Cahill' really doesn't want us to continue. The other party does it all. At this point, there is definitely a secret to this matter.”
"But I've been thinking..." Oliver stroked his chin, "why did he ask other superior demons? He should have known that his identity had been exposed. It was late at night again, and there must have been a way to hide from Mrs Edwards—if she If you really don’t know it. Humans rarely help out for free, and the superior demons should not be so friendly.”
"After all, he was the only one who had the motive to attack us. And if it wasn't for me suddenly... uh, something went wrong, Witherspoon would have killed us. Wouldn't it be a bit reluctant to say it was a test?" Nemo was distracted, The light chain almost snapped, causing him to stop immediately to adjust his strength.
"What if he knew in advance that you might 'go wrong'?"
Nemo frowned.
"He might know something about you," Oliver said. "Otherwise it's a bit unnatural."
"I don't think he would be kind enough to tell us." Nemo sighed, "Let's figure out what happened to Cross first, and take it one step at a time."
When they finally moved to the stone steps of the Church of Penance, Oliver was even a little slower than Nemo.
"Sorry." He looked directly into the other party's silver-gray eyes, and his tone was very solemn. "I assure you, I would never actually do such a thing."
"I know." Nemo grinned, and the black gas on the light chain rolled even more - holding the pudding for a long time was really a technical job, and he couldn't hold it anymore. "bring it on."
After that, the two of them quickly pulled up their clothes, making it look like they had been fighting. Oliver took Nemo by the collar and dragged him up the stone steps. "guard!"
Alarmed by the holy yoke, the soldiers of the church moved very neatly. They quickly blocked the stone steps with a circle, and within five minutes, the chubby bishop appeared in front of them again—fortunately, the fake Cahill did not follow him this time.
"What's the matter, my boy?" The Bishop still had a smile on his face, but that was only for Oliver—he just gave Nemo a quick glance, then put the scepter down Nemo's throat.
"My friend... he doesn't want to give up his hands." Oliver looked at the scepter nervously. "He nearly broke your spell, and I think you need to know about it."
"Why does it have to be hands!" Nemo yelled in coordination, his voice almost overflowing with dissatisfaction - Oliver seriously doubted that was what he was saying. "Can't the toes? ... Half the sole of the foot is also fine? Even if it has to be a hand, one is enough, right? I didn't do it voluntarily!"
The bishop didn't answer, just raised his chin. Then Oliver held his breath for a moment - one of the soldiers drew a long sword and pierced Nemo directly in the back. The blood quickly leaked out, and the white stone steps were dyed dark red.
"Don't worry, child." The bishop explained gently, seeming to sense Oliver's stiffness. "We won't execute your friend so rashly. If you have something to say to him, it's too late."
"We're just... a little late." Oliver didn't move, he clenched his fists under his sleeves, trying to suppress the displeasure in his voice. "And like he said, he didn't voluntarily—"
"Unfortunately, your friend is no longer purely human. Child, he can even resist the holy shackles, you see those dirty shadows - he has been eroded too deeply." The bishop's voice was softer, even With a little reassurance. "I can understand your mood. It's normal to be sad. You have to know that that thing is no longer your friend. Its roars and pleadings are all to shake you, and you must not be deceived by it."
"...I know." Oliver squeezed an answer between his teeth. Nemo was being held up by the soldiers and dragged into the church—the bastard even took the time to give Oliver a quiet wink. "What will happen to him? Will he be tried, or...?"
"Judgment is reserved for humans, and the blood of demons does not need to be judged." The bishop replied, "According to the procedure, he needs to be purified in the dungeon and publicly executed three days later."
"Can I go to the dungeon to see him?"
"Unfortunately, not, my child. I'm really sorry. But you know, your sacrifice today will never be forgotten—you protected the city with your selflessness and piety. By the way, your name Yes… ?"
Oliver took a deep breath, trying to ignore his twitching stomach. He raised his eyes, and the green was replaced by dazzling gold: "You always knew us, Owen Rom and Nott Lang of Lower Town. Could you give me a talisman of light, Lord Bishop? I don't want to see this The tragedy happened again."
"Of course, dear Owen."
Nemo wasn't bothered by the sword wound in his chest, he was pretty sure it had healed completely by now. Fortunately, the bloody clothes helped him cover, and the guards who escorted him didn't notice it. He didn't even feel much pain, but Oliver's face was paler - I hope Oliver doesn't leave any psychological shadows.
He tried his best to look helpless, peeking through his tousled hair—the guards walking in front opened the door, and the majestic statue of Zeni moved back, revealing a wide passage to the ground. Even though it was daytime, torches were still burning on both sides of the passage. Two old clergymen followed closely to his left and right, reciting prayers. I have to say, when mixed with the sound of the torches, they are absolutely hypnotizing—the steps down seem endless, and Nemo almost fell asleep.
What kind of attraction is this ghost place? He thought in a daze, and he had to persuade Oliver well when he went back.
But by the time he got to the Wall of Sighs, Nemo had to admit that it was far more spectacular than he had imagined—and disgusting at the same time. The huge gray-white wall had a strange sense of transparency, and countless faces flowed on it, making indistinct whispers. The ceiling of the underground hall is extremely high, but it supports the entire space. If it is placed on the ground, it may not be much lower than the Penitent Church itself.
"Guilty—" the faces screamed as Nemo approached. "The smell of killing, the smell of blood! Guilty-guilt-"
Nemo got a headache from the noise, and one couldn't hold back, and quietly gave them a middle finger. The faces suddenly screamed more vigorously.
However, the two older clergymen did not react in any special way. They cut their palms, pressed the wall of sighs at the same time, and quickly recited the incantation. The wound that was supposed to bleed gleamed, and the faces cluttered together, reluctantly making a gap just big enough for the two of them to pass at the same time.
The tallest guard took Nemo by the collar and mercilessly dragged him into the wall. The thickness of the Wall of Sighs lived up to its reputation—they took ten steps before barely passing through the narrow gap.
Nemo gasped at the sight in front of him.
The snow-white Inquisition of Heresy floated above the huge pothole, and the brilliance of the magic circle kept flickering at its bottom. The downward darkness seemed endless, and as far as the eye could see was a dense circle of cells, embedded in the stone walls of the pit, like the texture of a conch shell.
This is quite different from the dungeon he imagined.
"The sinner has been accepted." A cold female voice blasted in Nemo's ear. Nemo subconsciously wanted to turn back, but found that he had been bound by metal at some point. Those things were like insect feet, binding his limbs tightly together. Man-like metal arms wrapped around his neck.
is a puppet. He gasped hard.
"No magic circle that triggered the state was found."
"No surface magic props were found."
"No abyss magic props were found."
"No special drugs were found."
"The sinner has been polluted by the abyss and is in a dangerous level. It will be contained and purified."
What followed was a swift fall, and Nemo's eyes were aching from the wind—and as the fall continued, the surroundings became darker and darker. When he was convinced that he was going to spit it out in an indecent manner, the puppet's speed finally slowed down. Nemo could already see the bottom of the pothole now, and the huge holy emblem radiated a soft white light from the bottom of the pothole. He looked up, and the imposing Inquisition of Heresy looked like a white pea at this distance.
The girl-like puppet was still clinging to him, stuffing him into a narrow empty cell. As soon as Nemo got his footing, there was a click behind him - the light of the magic circle lit up, and even the falling prison railings were covered with incantations. I don't know whether to call it beautiful or weird. The puppet vibrated its mechanical wings, and the holy water ball that shone with broken light smashed Nemo with its head.
It was an amazing purification, Nemo wiped his face stiffly, and could feel the magic circle behind him begin to faintly heat under the action of holy water.
After confirming that the puppet had left, Nemo, who was soaking wet, barely turned around. The cell was horribly cramped and reeked of rotten grease, and he couldn't lie down or sit down, like being locked in an upright coffin. The deep blacks were astonishingly dark, with only the shimmering light of the circle providing a tiny bit of illumination. He subconsciously took a deep breath—the feeling of being immersed in the darkness was inexplicably familiar.
The surroundings were very quiet, and there were no strange screams or groans, not even the sound of breathing. Nemo stretched out his hand and carefully touched the railing in front of him, and the pattern-like incantation instantly hissed like water dripping into hot oil.
A little hot to the touch, but not unbearable.
He adjusted his posture carefully, grasped the thick metal railings, and yanked them to the sides—the burning hiss grew louder and the metal bent overwhelmedly, jarring in the silence. Nemo almost stopped in a guilty conscience, but unfortunately under the push of the time limit, he had to continue with gritted teeth. Within minutes, Nemo freed himself from his coffin-like cell.
He pondered for a moment in the silence, and broke off two more railings to use as a tool to advance to the bottom - Ann had repeatedly warned that the hasty use of abyss magic might trigger the alarm, and now he had to use brute force to solve the problem.
After all, there are no steps to go. Nemo inserted the two sections of railings into the stone wall in turn, carefully moving them to the bottom.
The darkness is so thick that the flow of time becomes unpredictable. It might be an hour later, or it might be more than half a day, and he finally stepped on the huge holy emblem out of breath. The three corners of the holy emblem point to three cells—the rooms for sacrifices. They show faint outlines in the dim light, and they seem to be much larger than ordinary cells.
The answer is close at hand. Nemo took a deep breath and walked towards the dark cell in the dim light.
"Help me." A soft female voice sounded from the railing, weak and sweet. "Help me, kind man."
Three pairs of snow-white arms protruded from the railing, and their skin was glowing with a lustrous luster, but their length was really unnatural - Nemo was still five or six steps away from the cell, but they were about to catch him. .
Nemo swallowed, pretty sure it wasn't Adrian Cross. He quickly stepped back a few steps and changed direction.
There was silence in the cell this time, and Nemo moved closer, peeping inward by the light of the holy emblem.
A group half a person tall, what looked like a rag collided with the railing, and then screamed in agony due to the burning of the incantation. "The sky falls, the abyss rises!" he—or she—screams in a gruff old voice. "The sky falls, the abyss rises—"
Then it's the last one.
"Adrian Close?" he asked softly, crouching in front of the railing. The figure of the other party was hidden in the darkness, and he couldn't see it clearly.
"you are?"
The other party responded to him politely, with a calm tone and a low and pleasant voice. It was as if they had met on a sunny street.
"My name is Nemo Wright." Nemo moved closer. "I... ugh, we have something to ask you."
"Ask, Mr. Wright." The other party didn't ask about his identity or purpose, and his tone didn't mean the slightest bit of urgency.
"We know that the current Cahill Edwards is a superior demon," Nemo whispered. "We know you're not lying. Can you tell me what really happened...?"
"No comment." The other party was silent for a moment, then replied calmly.
,Wonderful!
(m.. = )