He hated his white ancestry; that was only natural.

But at the same time, he didn't simply see himself as a black man, but as someone even more "special."

Perhaps he, too, had once trusted others only to be betrayed. Thus, he chose to be alone, unburdened, trampling everything underfoot with an addictive [REDACTED].

He claimed that he did not need love, nor could he derive any pleasure from it.

And so, he loved no one, and was truly loved by no one. Perhaps this was the end of his hatred.

What a pitiful man who did not understand love! Yet, if Qi Xing had taken one wrong step before, if Qi Xing had only known how to hate the world and had also chosen to be alone, I fear Qi Xing would be no [different] from Romanie.

The power of the silver coin is driven by the Messenger's heart. Using that power recklessly must bring a great sense of [happiness]; in such a state, it must be very difficult to reflect on oneself.

"Romanie Domingo. What you truly wanted was not an addictive [REDACTED]."

Qi Xing said, even though there was no one left to hear him,

"What you wanted was simply someone who would accept you no matter what, someone who would love you unconditionally."

Beyond that, Qi Xing had nothing else to say to Romanie.

As Romanie was blasted to pieces by Qi Xing, his silver coin naturally fell out.

Originally, because Rene was the other half of the "Silver Coin Messenger," she could theoretically inherit this silver coin… but Qi Xing certainly wouldn't let a completely blank, naive little girl who still knew nothing of desire or the world inherit such power. Otherwise, it would surely lead to new trouble.

He reached out and grabbed the silver coin that had fallen out. Just like last time, it looked like a small, ancient coin, a Roman denarius. However, the image on it was different from the "Dominator" silver coin in Qi Xing's hand.

Qi Xing's "Dominator" silver coin had Caesar's portrait on the front, and on the back, a woman dancing in the air, draped in a veil with her back to the viewer.

This new silver coin also had Caesar's portrait on the front, but the back was engraved with a crescent moon in the water.

"This is my fourth silver coin. The concept it represents is 'Illusion'—spirituality, bestiality, madness, and endless change."

Samael explained indifferently,

"Moonlight can pierce through the fragile skin of reason, reflecting the blood vessels of pain, pleasure, fear, and anger that truly drive a person's desires."

Honestly, this explanation sounded very Tzeentchian, giving Qi Xing a headache.

"Do not underestimate the power of 'Illusion.' After all, you have heard the term 'Brahma's Dream.' Everything in the universe can be said to be an ever-changing illusion… That said, I suspect you won't make good use of this silver coin."

Qi Xing certainly felt the same way. The way a silver coin's power manifested was closely related to the "Messenger's" personality and psychology. While the concept of "Illusion" sounded lofty, it was too Indian-themed; it probably wasn't a good match for Qi Xing…

Perhaps not necessarily.

"Where there is 'Maya,' there is 'Brahman.' Behind the veil of illusion, there must be Truth."

Qi Xing replied calmly,

"I will use it with caution."

If used poorly, he would end up like Professor Van Stra, led by the power until he truly went mad. After all, this was the power of an Evil God; it was not something to be trifled with.

"Good luck."

The Evil God answered lazily,

"Just don't end up like Romanie."

This remark struck Qi Xing as somewhat strange—in fact, he had found it strange earlier: "After you saw the little girl just now, you seemed to look down on Romanie. Why is that?"

"Someone who needs to split their soul, discard half of their self, and give up half of their power just to maintain self-consistency, rather than completely taming and controlling themselves…"

Samael said coldly,

"How can such a person be considered a qualified 'Silver Coin Messenger'?"

"I had thought he could serve as a test or a trial for you, but I didn't expect him to be such a half-baked Demon King. Sigh, it's hard to even find a good boss these days…"

If Romanie hadn't died, he probably would have been angered to death all over again upon hearing the devil's words.

This world's Dark Creator God was just like that. The tyrants holding silver coins despised other humans—and as for Samael, she likely despised everything in this universe.

Even Qi Xing, as a "Descender," was only slightly regarded by her, not as a true equal, but merely as "her own kind."

Just as adults look down on children, even though both adults and children are human.

Although Qi Xing had overcome a mental hurdle today and gained some insight, he still had a long road ahead in his dealings with the devil.

The Mysterious Little Girl—Rene—could not see Samael. She could only see Qi Xing holding the silver coin and talking to himself. She immediately became worried, looking around nervously.

Qi Xing didn't want to keep Rene worried any longer.

"It's nothing. I was just gathering my thoughts."

Romanie was dead, and even his silver coin had been taken by Qi Xing; the "Heart Chamber" had begun to collapse. The entire prison world was trembling, the entire "Inner Realm" was struggling, but it could not resist the end brought by the Underworld King. Thick walls twisted in the cracks, prison bars shattered one after another, and the stone floor sank and crumbled, destined to meet total destruction under the judgment of the God King.

It was as if the sky had been torn open, with blinding radiance pouring down from above, illuminating this domain forged of sin and despair until it was riddled with holes.

This was already the second time Qi Xing had destroyed an "Inner Realm." Even professional exorcists rarely encountered even a few "Inner Realms" in their entire lives, which was truly terrifying to think about.

Rene's long golden hair fluttered in the gale, and her slender body was still trembling slightly, as if she had not yet recovered from the destruction of this world. But at least this time, she was no longer an indifferent bystander.

Qi Xing reached out and held her firmly. The space beneath their feet began to collapse, turning into endless fragments and sinking toward the "Dream of All Living Beings"—

But he leapt up, turning into a golden stream of light, breaking through the collapsing prison, breaking through the dying darkness, and rushing toward that distant, unstoppable light.

They soared upward, crossing the broken firmament, passing through the tide of dreams, leaping toward the material world at the end of the rift. In their ears was the deafening roar of collapse; behind them was the annihilation of the "Inner Realm"—ahead, was pure light.

The world suddenly brightened.

The boundless sky, a gentle breeze on their faces, the early spring sunlight was tender and full of life.

Rene stared blankly at everything; having never seen the outside world, she finally felt the warmth and weight of the sunlight. She slowly raised her hand, her fingertips touching the warm radiance, as if unable to believe it was real.

"Is this… the outside world?"

She couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"No."

Qi Xing grinned,

"This is just the beginning of your new life."

"The outside world is even bigger."

— —

To the east of the Herculaneum ruins—or to be precise, the "former" ruins, since there wasn't even a scrap left of them now—a small hill stood quietly.

Morning light fell upon the dry rocky soil, where a dead tree stood alone.

A crow perched on the highest branch, its ink-black feathers fluttering gently in the wind, its dark red pupils reflecting the ruins of Herculaneum. It kept watching that dust-filled site.

It watched as a golden light shot straight into the sky. The hero, shrouded in golden light, held the slender young girl as they leapt from the dark underground, leaving a brilliant trail behind them.

Hundreds of miles away, a man sat quietly, his eyes half-closed, fingertips resting on a Rune, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. His consciousness pierced through space, merging with the crow's vision.

He wore the robes of an exorcist. The sight in the distance made his breath hitch, his fingers tightening unconsciously, forcing the crow to stare fixedly at the two figures leaping into the sky.

Was he a scout mage for the "Exorcism Association," trying to determine if "Master Leipu" had returned victorious?

But Qi Xing had just instructed the vampire knights to keep an eye on the people in the "Exorcism Association" and not let the exorcists move about easily. So, an exorcist shouldn't be doing this.

Unless he had escaped from Rome yesterday and sent a familiar ahead to lie in wait.

Unless he was the one Elaine and Qi Xing had both realized existed earlier—[there might be a traitor among the high-ranking officials of the "Exorcism Association"].

Unless he was the Vice President of the "Exorcism Association" whom Elaine had discovered was missing, but had no idea where he had run off to…

He was Vittorio Spina.

Organizations related to the Holy See that were non-religious but private had a tradition: the President was a member of the clergy, while the Vice President was a secular individual. This rule was called "One Saint, One Secular," a kind of dual-track system.

The President of the "International Exorcism Association" was Father Amos, so the Vice President was naturally not a member of the clergy, but an exorcist hired from the civilian world.

He was in his early forties, with a straight posture and black hair slightly streaked with gray, but neatly groomed. Beneath metal-rimmed glasses, a pair of deep gray-blue eyes were sharp. Only when he saw the golden-shining "Master Leipu" rushing out of the "Inner Realm" from afar did he show uncontrollable excitement.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! This is truly wonderful!"

"This is the potential humanity should have! As long as one awakens, even the temptation of the silver coin can be resisted, and even a Demon King can be defeated!"

Conviction and joy overflowed from his heart, making the man, intoxicated by the light, unable to help but loudly praise his own correctness.

That's right.

He was the man who had previously worn the black voodoo mask and spoken with Francesca.

He was the "Exorcism Association" mole whose true identity even Francesca didn't know—but he was undoubtedly, clearly, not a follower of Romanie Domingo.

If he were truly a supporter of Romanie, how could he cheer for the current crushing defeat of "Black Spartacus"? In fact, the current situation was the "Miracle" he truly sought to pursue.

That's right—a miracle, this is a miracle! What a beautiful word!

Because of "Master Leipu"! He was the man who had single-handedly subjugated two "Silver Coin Messengers," ignored all mundane logic, resisted temptation, and achieved a miracle!

Moreover, he had certainly heard about "Master Leipu's" past before joining the "Exorcism Association." Bearing the hopeless fate of a family bloodline, escaping from an evil sect. Even so, he had fought his way here, a solitary warrior slaying demons and vanquishing evil! Wouldn't such a hero be worthy of the great cause in his ideals?

—So, in order to create a new world, to cultivate saints and heroes, and to build an ideal land where all people could live happily, he was willing to help "Master Leipu" prepare more trials and prepare further steps for him!

Just thinking about how the great hero would overcome one difficulty after another and defeat one evil Demon King after another made him almost excited to the point of madness!

That, in short, was who Vittorio Spina was.

Just from this part, one could probably get an idea of what a terrible person he was.

Although Father Amos had the responsibility of neglecting the handling of the two "Silver Coin Messengers" in Rome, mere "failure to handle" it would not have been enough to leak so much internal information from the "Exorcism Association." Who was it? Which bastard high-ranking official had secretly sent out important information, letting Professor Van Stra and Romanie know where to steal things?

Of course, it was this man, the Vice President of the "International Exorcism Association."

By the way, his magical school was Nordic Runes, and his rank was definitely not low. For a Nordic Runemaster, manipulating a crow familiar to spy was a classic spell.

As Sister Elaine and the Papal Privy Council both reacted, by now, Vittorio Spina certainly could not return to the "Exorcism Association."

Everyone knew how wealthy the Holy See was. Being the Vice President in the Holy See's most important international outsourced demon-hunting mercenary organization was a very valuable position, yet Spina had firmly abandoned it. He not only abandoned his originally lofty social status on the righteous path, but he would certainly also have all his assets confiscated later. Once the "Exorcism Association" gradually realized what was going on (at most, it would take a few days), he would surely be hunted globally by Witch Hunters.

But for his great ideals, Mr. Spina could still resolutely abandon all of this!

What should he do next?

Where should he go to join more dark organizations, attract more Demon Kings, and feed them as experience points to the great hero?

How would the hero defeat them one by one?

Mr. Spina absolutely believed in the certain victory of "Master Leipu." That was how much he believed in the potential of humanity!

The will to move forward for a better future, regardless of what difficulties or sufferings stand in the way! The firm heart that advances relying solely on dazzling brilliance! That is the proof of why humans are the leaders of all living things!

As long as one never gives up halfway, one will definitely be able to open up the future!

—If you feel you don't know what this passage is rambling about, please don't worry; he is just that kind of person.

Mr. Spina simply never had a shred of doubt about these things.

After all, this world could never lack madmen.

059: Rep-[REDACTED]: Hero's Return

"Rep-Man" was back!

Although this was not his first time slaughtering a "Silver Coin Messenger," at the time of Professor Van Stra, no one had really seen it, and it hadn't caused particularly massive destruction.

This time, however, "Black Spartacus" had truly made all five million people in Rome suffer.

The heavy atmosphere had not yet fully dissipated, and the air still lingered with terror that hadn't yet faded. However, when that golden figure, holding the Mysterious Little Girl, stepped into the Sistine Hall, everyone's gaze was irresistibly drawn to him.

Because they had witnessed the power of the "Silver Coin Messenger" with their own eyes, experienced the despair brought by that human Demon King, and were suddenly saved in the midst of extreme despair and fear—so now, when "Rep-Man" returned from the "Inner Realm" to the hall, whether they were people who had been here from the start or those who had just arrived at the hall to take refuge, everyone watched him, and almost every gaze directed at him was filled with awe.

When the morning light shone through the stained glass of the Sistine Hall, refracting into colorful, sacred radiance and falling upon the hero's golden armor, it was as if even the gods were adorning him. The priests stood in silence, their expressions both solemn and trembling with a hint of fear. Some quietly made the sign of the cross, their lips trembling as they whispered prayers.

The "Exorcism Association" members' gazes toward "Master Leipu" were even simpler, their eyes filled with pure reverence. Because their hero had done what humans could not—and this was their hero, [theirs]!

The wall behind the altar of the Sistine Hall featured Michelangelo's famous giant altar painting, "The Last Judgment." The magnificent mural now looked down upon everything. The scene depicted by the great artist seemed to find a strange resonance at this moment—the judging Christ stood in the firmament, a powerful gesture piercing the silence, pronouncing the fate of all living beings.

And in the lower right of the mural were countless souls struggling in hell. Their twisted faces seemed to reflect everything that had happened before—the terror of the "Silver Coin Messenger," and the despair when the Demon King was slain.

Under the radiance of this "Judgment," people couldn't help but hold their breath. It was as if they were witnessing a new arbiter descending into the world.

The silence lasted for a moment like this… until applause suddenly came from the side.

It was Elaine.

"Thank God for sending a hero like you to us."

She said loudly while clapping,

"Let us offer our applause for the triumphant hero!"