Chapter 282: Tough Guys (4)

There was a massive building at the edge of the Eastern Plains Region. Inside the building, which had thick walls and a narrow gate making it no different from a fortress, four statues were erected. One of them looked like mud pouring down. Another was the figure of a lamia, another was a woman with bat wings, and the last one was a strange shape resembling a human.

Passing between these statues and walking down a long corridor to open the door revealed an auditorium. The auditorium was a massive rectangular hall, and upon opening the door and entering, a podium stood atop high stairs. It was a structure where the believers absolutely had to raise their heads and look up at the speaker to hear their voice.

Countless believers stood in the auditorium. Following the dense crowd of believers up the stairs, men wearing armor were staring straight at the front with stern expressions. At the end of the massive hall, a man in a flashy white outfit was looking down at the believers. Next to him, a Masked Woman dressed in purple was watching the man. The man took a deep breath and shouted.

"Faiiiiiiith!"

Following the shout that seemed to blow the hall away, the believers all raised their hands and shouted.

"Faiiiiiiith!"

"Hooooope!"

"Hooooope!"

"Looooove!"

"Looooove!"

The prayer ritual repeated several times. The man stretched his hands into the air and trembled his head with eyes closed. The woman behind him chuckled behind her mask while watching the commotion. The man's name was Cutlass. He was a figure who had once been active under the name of Mayhem, a senior high priest of the Archdeity Church, but had founded the religion called the Church of Love and newly become the head of the church after the Demon King died.

"You have gathered here today in such great numbers, even amidst these difficult times."

The tips of his toes wiggled. No, his entire body was mushy like a slime. Cutlass was not human. He was a being capable of perfectly imitating all entities, including humans. He was precisely a doppelganger. However, only a very small minority noticed his mushiness. They panicked for a moment, but upon seeing the silent atmosphere of the crowd, they shut their mouths again.

Right now, the future of the Church of Love was grim. Countless Church of Love branches in the Eastern Plains and various regions had been oppressed, and rumors were circulating that a massive army from the kingdom was marching toward the headquarters. The thousands of believers here were devout believers of the Church of Love who remained in their seats despite bearing the stigma of being stooges of demons. Cutlass let out a heavy breath and examined their aspects once again. The people who remained solely with the single-minded dedication to making love blossom all over the world. Their faces were full of love for the Church of Love.

"A long time ago, I was wandering. Back then, I was drifting through the Eastern Plains, having lost my will to live. Do you know why I was wandering? It was because the Demon King had passed away. After the Demon King died, my life was completely ruined."

The believers began to murmur at the unexpected remark. They were each sharing their opinions on what on earth this story was about. This was because it was an impossible thing for a senior high priest of the Archdeity Church to use the expression 'Demon King'. As if he had expected this agitation, Cutlass opened his mouth again.

"Once, as a loyal confidant of the Demon King, I wanted to lay down my life for him. The name Archbishop Mayhem is a lie. I am a doppelganger of the Demon King's Army. I am Cutlass."

With those words, Mayhem's body began to melt into a mush. The believers fell into shock, screaming or checking their surroundings in panic. In front of them, Cutlass revealed his true form. A smooth, blue slime human. A being without eyes, nose, and mouth, lacking even the feeling of being a living creature, stood on the podium. Ironically, that ordinary and unsightly appearance made people quickly calm down.

It was also because the story of him being one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King's Army just did not hit them as reality, making them want to listen more.

"Listen to his story!"

"Listen to the story until the end and then judge!"

"Please take your seats!"

It was also thanks to the heavily armed members of the knight order wandering among them and shouting like this. Cutlass looked down at his own body and spoke again.

"What kind of beings are doppelgangers? We are monsters whose very existence is ambiguous. We can transform into anything, but cannot be defined as any one thing. Even in the Demon Realm, our only value of existence ended at portraying incredibly powerful demon beasts to frighten opponents. That is why in the Demon King's Army, I was called the 'Echoing Cutlass' because I only had a talent for imitating others."

Cutlass looked at the people with his smooth face. The believers felt it that way. It was because Cutlass moved his head little by little.

"Even so, I was happy."

Cutlass said so. He stared into the air and returned to Mayhem's appearance. He could feel the people exhaling as if their tension had been released.

"Because the Demon King was there, I was still happy."

Cutlass raised his head toward the ceiling with eyes closed. He let out a long breath once again and looked at the believers.

"But after the Demon King died. My life was completely ruined. The plans I was plotting, my very existence, all became meaningless. So I stormed out of the Archdeity Church and aimlessly walked the Eastern Plains. Because my plans held no meaning anymore. So. I just wanted to live as a wild man of the plains."

Bang!

Cutlass suddenly struck the podium and shouted.

"But! I ended up seeing it there! The cruel acts of looting by humans! Fastening collars around the necks of beastfolk! The atrocious acts of forcibly dragging them away! I ended up seeing it! And I ended up knowing! How many other species are suffering on this land! The fact that even at this very moment, mermaids are having their scales and skins torn off and hung up! That beastfolk are being dragged away as slaves! I ended up knowing it!"

Cutlass panted heavily and scanned the people. His resounding voice was enough to overwhelm the masses. Cutlass began to continue his words in a soft tone again.

"So I decided to create the Church of Love. To save the beastfolk and mermaids from the cruel hands of humans. And to enlighten humans to turn this land into a true paradise. I decided to devote my body to this cause."

Cutlass spread both of his hands wide and asked the believers.

"Do you know? How many children are sold as slaves, and sacrificed? How many are persecuted simply for the reason of having slightly different customs from humans? Do you know?"

The believers nodded their heads. In the suffocating atmosphere, there was no one who opened their mouth. Cutlass leaned on the podium, nodded his head, and spoke.

"That was how the Church of Love was created. But those wicked and ignorant other species discriminators. They are oppressing us right now. Using my record and my identity as an excuse, they are trying to frame us as remnants of the Demon King's Army and kill us. If we die, if we die, who will protect the beastfolk? Who will set the mermaids free?"

The people were glancing at each other. Someone shouted from within the crowd.

"That's right!"

At the same time, those wearing armor also stood in their places and began to shout.

"That's right!"

"We must fight!"

"We must protect the beastfolk!"

"That's right!"

An irrational madness was spreading at the scene. As a few people shouted, the men who got swept up in it shouted back.

"That's right!"

"That's right!"

Cutlass shouted.

"That's right! We must fight! We must fight and! We must seize our freedom from them! If we die like this, we will just! Remain as the remnants of the wicked Demon King's Army! To those atrocious discriminators! We must clearly let them know who we are! We are the guardians of the beastfolk! We are the prophets who will share love with the world! Faiiiiiiith!"

"Faiiiiiiith!"

"Hooooope!"

"Hooooope!"

"Looooove!"

"Looooove!"

The people began to cheer. Those wearing armor were also shaking their bodies up and down, sending cheers to Cutlass. The Masked Woman was simply watching this sight. Cutlass savored the crowd's response and shouted again.

"Let us show them that we were right! Everyone, take up your weapons! We must save the beastfolk and the mermaids! From those wicked humans! Do you understand?! We must not be swayed by those wicked bastards who call us the Demon King's Army! I am not the Echoing Cutlass who was a part of the Demon King's Army! I am not Bishop Mayhem of the Archdeity Church either! From the moment I saw the sight of the beastfolk suffering abuse in the Eastern Plains! I was reborn! My name is Cutlass! The head of the church of the Church of Love and your Father Cutlass! Believe in me!"

At Cutlass's shout, the believers spontaneously began to chant their prayer slogans.

"Faiiiiiiith!"

"Faith! Faith is precisely our shield! With our firm faith, do not listen to their wicked words! Believers! You are the right answer and the absolute truth!"

"Hooooope!"

"Hope! Believe in hope! Once you overcome this hardship, you will definitely be able to see the truth! Even in death, you will go to a heaven where the beastfolk run free!"

"Looooove!"

"Love! Love is our weapon! Tightly surround each other with love and respond to their invasion! Our love is stronger than their disgust! We are lovely beings who will strike back against their hatred! Believers, unite! I am your father and your savior! Even in death, we will make love known to the world!"

"We believe you!"

"We believe you!"

"Take up your weapons! Those wicked demons are attacking us! How long will you just shiver in fear?! Everyone, take up your weapons and prepare to fight back!"

With Cutlass's final shout, the believers scrambled and ran toward the weapon boxes. Their faces were full of joy. The joy of being of service to the Church of Love. The pride of contributing to the world from now on. Those wearing heavy armor calmly controlled the fanatic believers and distributed the weapons. The Masked Woman saw that sight, shrugged her shoulders, and hid her body into the shade.

Cutlass wiped away his sweat and smiled brightly. His unwrinkled, bright smile was truly making him look like a cleric.

"Hahahaha.....!"

He laughed quietly and looked at the people. There were still believers waving their hands at him. Cutlass was busy waving his hand back at them. Many believers grabbed weapons and went outside. Cutlass muttered in a low voice.

"What a bunch of idiots."