Chapter 35: The Unexpected Call
Evan stared at Gideon Black with curiosity.
No matter how he looked at him, the man didn't seem like someone from the Exorcist Academy.
"Brother, may I ask which church you're from?" he finally inquired.
"West District, Philadelphia," Gideon replied calmly.
Evan was visibly surprised.
He had assumed Gideon was at least a priest from a major parish—certainly not some local church worker from the West District.
West District?
If memory served, that was a slum area.
His gaze shifted to Percy.
"Miss, perhaps I should accompany you instead. I am, after all, trained at the Academy."
Evan was clearly trying to make a case for himself.
But Percy shook her head.
She was adamant—the boy from the slums was her choice.
That left just the three of them in the room: Gideon, Percy, and the girl, Emma.
Naturally, Gideon wasn't about to let Emma—a dangerous unknown—wander freely.
To his surprise, she was unusually cooperative. It even seemed like she was genuinely intrigued by the demonic situation.
"Whew... Father, you nearly scared me to death just now!"
Percy dropped a suitcase and patted her chest in mock relief.
Just as she was about to ramble again, Gideon quickly cut her off:
"Miss Percy, please keep an eye on the child," he said, gesturing toward Emma.
Then he stepped toward Carol.
The girl—possessed by something else—watched Gideon with a peculiar fascination.
"The church sends so many slaves these days... Though you seem—"
She suddenly paused, her expression changing.
Carol—no, the thing inside her—frowned.
It couldn't see his past.
That was... impossible.
Unlike low-level trash, this entity—this Carol—was a higher being. It had once glimpsed into that forbidden space, stolen a shard of a fallen angel's divine authority.
Yet when it looked at this priest, all it saw... was fog.
"If you're hoping to learn my name, you're wasting your time..."
The creature tried to resume its mental assault, chalking the disturbance up to its imperfect fusion with the host body.
But Gideon cut it off—bluntly, almost rudely:
"Not interested in your name."
"...What?"
It was caught off guard.
And then Gideon pulled out a miniature crucifix and held it just above her head.
"Lost child..."
He activated his skill: [Psychological Counseling]—diving directly into Carol's subconscious, searching for her trapped consciousness.
After witnessing Evan's failed attempt using scripture, Gideon had long given up on traditional exorcisms for cases like this.
Instead, he chose a different path: to awaken the host's awareness and re-establish their control over their body—then forcibly expel the demon afterward.
It was still an exorcism—just not the conventional kind.
This method, however, required immense mental strength. The exorcist had to reach into the victim's psyche, all while resisting the manipulations of the invading spirit.
Fortunately, Gideon's [Psychological Guidance] bypassed much of that risk—piercing straight to the soul.
The demon, enraged at being disregarded, tried to retaliate—
Only to find its control slipping.
Something inside Carol was waking up.
"This... this can't be happening!"
...
With continued effort, Gideon successfully drew Carol's consciousness back into the light.
And in the process, he learned the truth.
Years ago, Nicken—back then merely a regional prosecutor—had attended an art exhibition.
Carol had accompanied him.
At that event, she had accidentally touched a statue of a dove.
From that day on, she began hearing faint whispers...
Now Gideon knew the name of the demon behind it:
Shax — the 44th spirit of Solomon's 72 Demons.
"These guys again..." Gideon muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"Compared to the one from Ravens Fair, this one seems... less impressive."
Though still dangerous, Shax didn't feel as overwhelming as others he'd encountered.
Still, with Carol's consciousness restored, Gideon didn't hesitate.
He began the exorcism ritual.
Before starting, he gently placed a crucifix in Carol's hand—just in case the demon tried anything once more.
As he chanted the sacred rites, a wave of pure divine energy enveloped her body—
The battle for her soul had begun.
-
Soon, a glowing spiritual form resembling a dove appeared over the possessed body.
"Damn you... Who are you? How can you possess the power of spiritual probing?"
The dove's voice trembled with fury.
But Gideon Black ..remained silent.
"Hmph, I'm merely a fragment of thought left behind. Even if you purify me, you can't touch the true body."
"But," the dove hissed menacingly, "should you dare attack, everything about you will be transmitted to my master. Do you really want to be remembered by a Demon God?"
A threat. One meant to paralyze.
Gideon said nothing—he simply splashed a vial of holy water.
Sssshhh—
The spiritual dove shrieked, its form shrinking instantly.
"Damn church… you will pay for this!"
The voice cracked, then vanished into nothing.
At the same time, Carol's eyes fluttered open.
"W-What happened to me...?"
Just as Gideon was about to comfort her, he caught a flicker of shadow darting from her sleeve.
Crash!
It shattered the window and flew into the open air.
Outside, the tiny dove reformed mid-flight.
"That was close... Too close..." it muttered, trembling. "If I hadn't prepared an escape, I'd be nothing now."
But before it could get far, it slammed into an invisible barrier.
Just inches before impact, it halted in time.
"Cursed Church... How cunning!"
Had it not reacted in time, it would have been captured again.
"Only a three-year consecrated artifact," it muttered with disdain, and began attempting to disrupt the seal using its own spiritual essence.
After some time, it broke through.
But just as it escaped—
Boom. Another barrier.
The dove's body flickered. Its spiritual form was fading.
"Three barriers?! These damn church dogs! When did they become so devious?!"
It was unthinkable. But it couldn't stop. It had spent centuries severing itself from the main body.
"This one… ten-year consecration?"
The breaking took longer. And by the time it passed through, its form had shrunk to the size of a fingernail.
Only a few meters later—
A third barrier appeared.
The dove erupted in rage, cursing every notable church figure of the past thousand years.
That's the scene Gideon saw as he walked outside—just in time to seal the spiritual remnant into a wooden container.
He wrapped the jar with enchanted scripture, then returned inside.
News of the successful exorcism had spread.
Mrs. Nickens held Carol tightly, tearfully thanking "Percy" with all her heart.
Jim, despite losing face, smiled politely and conversed with her—like a seasoned politician should.
John, watching nearby, was amazed.
He'd assumed Percy was a fellow exorcist—but witnessing that earlier scene, he admitted he would've been helpless in her place.
Meanwhile, the muscular Zion pulled Morrison aside and quickly slipped away.
Percy blushed at all the praise.
She knew the credit truly belonged to Gideon, but couldn't understand why he let her take the glory.
As for Evan, he kept a level head.
Though annoyed, he approached Gideon.
"Gideon... Father Black?"
He'd asked Gordon for the name.
"May I speak with you privately?"
Gideon raised an eyebrow but nodded.
In a quiet corner, Evan made his proposal.
"I'd like to ask for a favor..."
Turns out, he wanted Gideon to persuade Percy to approach Jim and discuss building a church.
"You're young and talented. Staying in the Southside is a waste. If you help make this happen, I can recommend you for promotion in the diocese. As for the woman, the church will compensate her."
Gideon almost laughed.
Even putting aside the danger in his own parish, did Evan really think Nicken would agree to this?
Paying $50,000 would solve the issue, but instead, Nicken would rather spend the cost of three churches?
Evan was naïve. A politician like Nicken wouldn't make a losing investment.
So Gideon declined, claiming he wasn't close to Percy, then politely took his leave.
After receiving the $50,000 reward, he gave $10,000 to Percy—a significant sum for her.
After all, she took the burden (and the praise) for him. This was only fair.
Before parting, Percy hugged him tightly for a long moment.
And that confirmed it—that earlier "feeling" hadn't been a mistake.
---
Gideon and Emma rode back to the church in Gordon's car.
The moment they stepped inside—
RING RING
The phone rang sharply.
Gideon picked it up. A young voice came through:
"Hey, Gideon! It's Dustin—we need your help!"