The blast of wind instantly spread to York' side. If an ordinary person or The Warrens were there, they would probably have been blown away.
"Protego (Shield)"
Having long since grown used to it, York whispered softly. Using the spell he had learned, he cast a protective circle around himself and Janet.
This evil Spirit, which existed in nursery rhymes and possessed a physical form, was actually somewhat strong. A shield costing two points of Mana from each person was just barely enough to withstand this wave of dark impact.
[Four points of Mana used]
Hearing the notification in his ear, York moved the muzzle of his gun to aim at the Hunchback and continued to pull the trigger.
Boom!
This shot hit its small chest, but it produced the sound of metal clashing. The impact only pushed the Hunchback back a step.
Without its umbrella as a weapon, the Hunchback roared and charged at York. At over two meters tall, its thin, twisted body possessed a terrifying momentum in the narrow hallway.
"Quite impressive..."
There was no ripple of emotion in York' eyes. The moment the Hunchback took a step, he had already pulled the trigger repeatedly. Having switched to a gun capable of rapid fire, if he didn't use suppressive fire now, when would he?
Boom!
The first shot exploded on the Hunchback's chest. A brilliant spark appeared and quickly extinguished, its impact blasting the Hunchback back a step.
The blasted-back Hunchback still wanted to continue its charge, but with another roar, York' second shot of rapid fire blasted it back another step.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
This gunfire was like a signal to attack; York opened fire with full force. A continuous series of roars began to explode incessantly.
As a result, sparks that were extremely brilliant yet quickly extinguished began to appear on the Hunchback's chest.
The Hunchback's body twisted continuously under the intense firepower as it was pushed back until it hit the wall behind it, with nowhere left to retreat. Pain began to show on its face.
The Hunchback pressed its hands against the wall behind it, but whatever it tried to do, brilliant sparks would explode right there.
The repeated impacts of the holy bullets caused the Hunchback to start taking effective damage. Its tattered suit had long been blown to pieces, revealing its mangled flesh.
"Roar!!"
The Hunchback howled in pain.
The roar was ear-piercing. Janet, standing behind, showed a look of pain and instinctively covered her ears.
York, however, remained expressionless and emptied the magazine in one breath.
The gunfire ceased. The Hunchback's eyes were blood-red as it stared fixedly at York. With a roar, it charged at him once more in a frenzy.
It wanted to tear the guy in front of it to shreds!
What the Hunchback didn't know, however, was that there was a fresh magazine for the gun.
York watched the Hunchback charging in a frenzy again. He casually ejected the magazine, his right hand quickly pulling a full magazine from his belt and slotting it into the SHAK-12. The entire movement was seamless and highly impressive to watch.
Sensing the distance was sufficient, the Hunchback swung its right hand at York, its sharp and long fingernails glinting coldly.
York' expression didn't change, and he didn't even move. He aimed the muzzle at the Hunchback's swinging right hand and pulled the trigger.
In an instant!
The continuous gunfire roared again.
Under York' fire, several consecutive holy bullets accurately exploded in sparks on the Hunchback's withered, vine-like right hand.
The Hunchback roared in pain again.
Its right hand wasn't as hard as its chest. Just five holy bullets blew its withered, trunk-like right hand to pieces, vaporizing it into the void.
"Just like a tree? The trunk is the chest, and the branches are the limbs?"
Realizing this, York took advantage of the Hunchback's painful howl to quickly aim at its chest and fire three consecutive shots, forcing it back three steps. Then, he rapidly shifted the muzzle to its thin, branch-like right leg and pulled the trigger repeatedly.
In just four shots, the long, thin right leg was blown to bits. Extreme pain appeared on the Hunchback's face. Lacking the support of its right leg, it fell forward, landing right at York' feet.
With a face full of malice, the Hunchback raised its intact left hand to scratch the person before it to death. However, a foot stepped firmly onto its left hand.
"You're already finished, baby. And... you're too weak."
Looking at the Hunchback beneath his foot, York remained expressionless as he aimed the muzzle at its left hand and pulled the trigger.
Boom... after five consecutive shots, the left hand was blown apart just like the right hand had been, its flesh flying and vaporizing in the air.
"Roar!!!"
The Hunchback let out a pained roar, trying to struggle and crawl up, but a foot stepped onto the top of its head.
The Hunchback felt an unstoppable, majestic force explode on its head. The strength it could muster was instantly crushed.
Bang!
In an instant, the Hunchback's hideous face slammed into the hallway floor. It was pinned in place by this force, unable to move.
"Game over."
York, who could pin down the Hunchback with just his right foot, casually ejected the magazine which still had three holy bullets left. With effortless ease, he pulled a new, full magazine from his belt and slotted it into the SHAK-12, then pressed the muzzle against the head of the Hunchback beneath his foot.
"Two choices. Tell me who's behind this and you live. Otherwise, you die."
The Hunchback tried to struggle hard again, but all its strength seemed to vanish into the sea. The foot on its head remained, and the muzzle remained aimed at the back of its skull.
"You were born from a nursery rhyme; it wasn't easy to evolve to this stage. That's why I'm giving you this chance."
York didn't care if the Hunchback beneath his foot could understand him and continued to drone on.
"I'll only count to five."
Looking at the Hunchback beneath his foot, which seemed to have given up resistance, York began the countdown.
"Five,"
"Four,"
"Three,"
When he reached three, a voice with something like a British accent rang out.
"I'll talk!"
Hearing this, York didn't loosen his foot, nor did he move the muzzle away from its head.
"Speak. Just what kind of figure could make you work so hard?"
"I am given, and I am taken. I was there when you were born..."
The moment these words rang out, York shook his head. Looking at the Hunchback who had already disappeared from beneath his foot, he looked back. Even Janet had vanished without a trace. The house was still the same house, and the hallway was still the same hallway, but darkness was spreading.
"Pulled into a mental space?"
York clicked his tongue as he looked at the instantly changing surroundings. His gaze began to search, finally stopping on a dark corner downstairs. He stared at The Nun, who looked exactly like the one in the painting, and grinned.
"It really is The Nun! No wonder it felt so familiar. But You are actually just a projection?"
York sensed the hollow feeling within the other party. Hearing the sudden notification of a random mission, he was somewhat surprised.
[Random Mission Triggered]
[Exorcism]
[Clear the Demon's Projection]
[Success Reward: Points +8]
[Accept mission?]
"Roar!"
Seemingly not expecting York to be able to find it, The Nun opened its mouth, which was full of spiral-shaped sharp teeth, and roared at York with bug-like protrusions.
Along with this roar, not only did the entire house vibrate, but darkness also appeared from all directions like flowing water.