Cthulhu Gonfalon

Screaming for God, begging for mercy, mourning…

The sounds gradually lowered until there was only a strange sound of breathing echoing in the air.

Several men thickly wrapped in black robes placed a corpse in the magic array as per the strange law. Blood flowed out and dyed the magic array scarlet. The trails of blood followed the previously dug tunnel, creating an array within the array.

As for the pitiful sounds, they had been emitted from the soul that was now leaking fresh blood in the array.

Someone dressed in a red robe stood outside the array and watched this scene coldly. When all the corpses were arranged and those in the black robes had left, he took out a thick book with a gold cover and read a few lengthy spells.

He read these spells at a low volume, but yet anyone who heard it would feel extremely uncomfortable. As he chanted, the strange breathing sounds got stronger and eventually got to the point where it sounded like howling wind.

Furthermore, the new array created by the fresh blood also started vibrating like it had a heart at its core. The louder the breathing, the more violent the vibrations as if there was a monster hidden underground who could emerge anytime. Just as the sounds and movement were reaching their peak, the man in the red robe stopped chanting.

“That’s enough.” He used a piercing, soft tone to speak.

As he said that, he vanished with the men in black without once looking back, leaving the array which was still emitting breathing sounds and vibrating uncontrollably.

After about half an hour, accompanying urgent sounds of horses’ footsteps, a group of Sacred Warriors whistled and arrived. As they looked at the several corpses and listened to the sounds and vibrations, they all tensed up.

“It really is a Blaspheme Array!” the leader, a middle-aged Sacred Warrior, exclaimed furiously.

“This is not the first time this has happened! Which dirty organization is organizing these rituals?”

The Sacred Warriors who had accompanied him busied themselves by using the high-level holy water they had brought to pour over the Blaspheme Array. The seemingly plain water created a ferocious sizzling sound when it landed on the array, and black flames arose. They then dissipated under the priest’s spells without leaving any traces. The breathing sounds quietened down, and the vibrations died down accordingly. Eventually, other than the scars of killings, the array vanished.

“What are those people thinking!? They definitely could have completed the ritual before we arrived, yet why did they choose to stop midway? This is the third time this has happened,” one of the younger warriors asked the resting priest. It was only after completing their task that the warriors had time to gossip.

“That’s probably because they are also afraid of the horrible monsters from down below. Those creatures are extremely unfriendly and know no rules or boundaries. To them, life is about constantly fighting and engulfing. Once they’ve been summoned to our world, whoever summoned them would be the first to go.”

“If that’s the case, why do people still try to summon them?”

The priest shook his head. “I’m not sure as well, I’m as dumbfounded as you. These few years, I’ve fought with countless heretics as well as careerists. These people do not consider danger or imbalances in power. You could say they’ve gone crazy and are willing to kill or sacrifice themselves to summon monsters. Yet, I’ve never heard of these heretics who we’ve met these three times who actually partially treasure life enough to stop midway.”

“Could this be part of a more sinister plan?”

“Maybe… No, definitely. It’s just that we’re unsure what this plan is yet.”

“Let’s not waste time gossiping! We have to finish this task quickly and continue chasing after those evil thugs!” The leader of the Sacred Warriors interrupted their idling.

The younger warrior and the priest nodded fervently before continuing with their tasks.

They used nails with the holy emblem and attached them to places where the vibrations had been strongest. As the nails were inserted, nothing happened initially, but when the priest opened his bible and started singing hymns in a powerful voice, the nails started to shake violently, and roaring sounds were emitted from the ground.

These terrible sounds contained a frightening amount of power, and for normal folk, one would faint upon hearing one line or fall into a coma. They might even be internally injured if they heard more than a line. They would then be in a deep slumber and be tormented in their minds until death. However, the Sacred Warriors were prepared, and once the roaring sounds started, a pale white glow surrounded their bodies; this was the Holy Emblem they had brought along, which was doing its work of protecting them.

After a long time, the roaring sounds disappeared, and the ground regained its original state. No, that wasn’t true. If one were to look closely, they would see a faint light-blue tinge on the ground, giving one a sense of godliness.

“It’s done,” the priest commented after the ceremony. “This place definitely can’t be used as a venue for evil rituals anymore.”

The older Scared Warrior nodded and sighed. “There have already been more than forty victims; I really hope they catch this cult soon.”

“It won’t be easy. They always carry out their ceremonies and disappear midway. When we arrive, we’ll have to concentrate on shutting down the ceremony. By the time that’s done, they’d have long escaped. We need to increase our manpower!” one of the Sacred Warriors spoke up angrily.

“I think… we can find reinforcements. We can get gods from other churches as well,” the old priest suggested.

The Scared Warriors mulled over this suggestion before shaking their heads.

“I feel like what those evil people want to do is not as simple as we think. Perhaps they’re plotting a trap to incite us to gather all the good gods and capture us all in one go…”

“Good will always triumph over evil!” one of the younger warriors yelled.

“That idea comes from history. However, history has its ups and downs too. In the case of the presence of monsters in the past, evil triumphing has happened before. We cannot be complacent and have to secure our victory,” the warrior leader disagreed.

After a long period of discussion, they decided on their plan and mounted their horses, chasing after the trail left behind by those in black.

No matter what, they could not forgive these evil men’s sins!