Long-term salvation

Chapter 415 Satan vs. Michael

Italy, Province of Rome, near the Vatican City.

The straight avenue is bathed in the bright amber sunshine. The neatly paved and clean road surface is trampled by tourists coming and going. The surging crowd connects every building on both sides of the road.

Occasionally, a sightseeing cruise ship passes by on the sparkling Tiber River, also packed with tourists from all over the world. They will wave to the people passing by on both sides of the river, whether they notice or not.

Amidst the surge of ordinary people, in a riverside cafe, a pink-haired girl in a white dress was stirring the coffee in front of her boredly, and she had no intention of enjoying the dessert next to her.

At this moment, two nuns from the Vatican were standing not far away, cautiously ready to meet the girl's request at any time - the request from the Archangel Michael.

Just as Shengyuan Weihua looked at the time on the distant clock tower again, she suddenly felt a familiar breath approaching:

"Sensei?!"

The girl turned her head sharply and saw an unpleasant guy slowly approaching on a scooter. Sitting on the back seat was Rhode, a man with a look of despair on his face. She slammed on the brakes and Hanuma Makoto laughed heartily.

"Huff, huff, how is it? My master, how does it feel to suddenly embrace the young girl's flesh? If you want... hey, hey, don't grab my horns, they're going to break!"

"Put on your helmet, you devil, you deserve to be thrown into the bottomless pit for a thousand years!" Father Anderson, who was also riding a small motorcycle, followed with a ferocious look on his face. He lowered his voice and said to Makoto angrily:

"How dare you run a red light with the Holy Son?!"

"What's the matter?"

"You fucking bastard—may God forgive my vulgarity—not only did you run a red light, drive against traffic, speed, and taunt the traffic police, you even ripped off the priest's wig in front of the church! In front of a bunch of kids!"

"The traffic is so bad, and those clueless guys won't give way to Sensei. So I have to save my master's face," Makoto said matter-of-factly. She rather rudely clapped her hand on the scooter's horn, causing several nearby tourists to frown. "Besides, why is that old Mediterranean guy wearing a wig? Aren't Christians supposed to have a haircut (tonsure)?"

"That was abolished by a papal bull in 1972!"

Father Anderson was so angry that he was shaking all over. He clenched his fists, and the corner of the musket sword blade was sticking out from his sleeve.

"Calm down, there are still many unrelated people here."

Looking around, Mika spoke up to stop the verbal exchange between Father Anderson and Makoto, and then met Rod's grimace, which made the girl feel a little relieved. Then, she walked forward, put her hands on her hips and said to Makoto:

"Since you're the Speaker of the Pandemonium in Gehenna, then don't cause trouble for Sensei! Are you some new kid on the block?!"

"Ok?"

Makoto looked up, and she flipped over handsomely and jumped off the scooter, letting it fall to the side, and in the process pushed Rod, who had not yet recovered from the scooter, into the flower bed next to her (Father Anderson: "Holy Son!").

Not noticing the chaos behind her, the arrogant girl stepped forward and looked at Mika, whose face was slightly irritated.

Pressing his chest against the other's chest, his eyes met, Satan sneered and said:

"Wow, isn't this the leader of the Trinity Tea Party? I know you got here a little earlier than me, but it seems you haven't done anything for Sensei."

"!!!" Michael narrowed his eyes and the wings behind him rose slightly.

"I haven't offered the whole world to Sensei, nor have I made those bald heads in that church bow down to me—but I'm different from you," Makoto said happily, turning around and opening her arms to Rhodes, who was picking dirt out of his hair. "I will transform that 'St. Peter's Basilica' into the 'Hall of Pandemonium,' a palace for Sensei and me—a bedroom!"

"..."

Hearing the word "bedroom", Weihua's cute little face flushed slightly, but she immediately revealed a rather proud expression, with her hands on her hips and her chest puffed out.

"It seems like you still haven't established a closer relationship with Sensei."

"...What's a closer relationship?"

Makoto was stunned, the gears in her brain that she used for thinking were stuck, but Mika on the opposite side was working at a rapid speed with her super brain that she had hardly used.

After a flash of electricity similar to the NT in the Gundam series passed through her mind, Mika raised her chin and said proudly:

"What could be a more intimate relationship?"

"ah,"

"Have we held hands? Have we kissed?" Mika stepped around the dazed Makoto, walked over to Rhodes and took his arm, then said with a low laugh, suppressing her shyness, "We have already established a 'one heart and one mind' relationship. A latecomer like you—Swiss Roll—has definitely never tasted it before."

The corners of her eyes twitched slightly, and Makoto, who had already reacted, clenched her fists. Her face flushed with anger and embarrassment, she quickly walked to Rhodes' side, took his other arm, and responded angrily:

“I want a Swiss roll too!”

What the heck is a Swiss roll?!

Rhode looked at the two quarreling girls with a headache. Fortunately, there were many unrelated people around, otherwise, he was really worried that the two would just start a fight here - and it would take a lot of effort to comfort the defeated Makoto at that time.

Unlike the two nuns who were already in a daze and bewilderment, Father Anderson standing next to them was very disappointed. He had thought that Archangel Michael would reprimand them or arrest them on the spot... The way the man in front of him was holding the Son of God's hand looked like two girls fighting for their lover.

Seeing the commotion getting bigger and bigger, and the tourists nearby starting to gather around to eat melons, Father Anderson quickly stepped forward and whispered:

"You two... Lord Michael and Holy Son, there are more and more onlookers around. Let's get out of here first—and you, Satan! Let go immediately. How can you be so disrespectful as to tug in public?!"

"Shut up, bald guy with a wig, what's it to you?"

Father Anderson: “…”

Oh my god, I'm so angry. When I think about putting this thing into the sacred temple and presenting it to the Pope and the cardinals... Father Anderson suddenly feels that the rest of his life will be shrouded in the shadow of "Satan and Michael competing for the favor of Jesus on the street."

Taking a deep breath, Rhode broke free from the two girls and put his arms around their waists, saying as he walked:

"Ahem, you two are here at the perfect time. Let's get out of here first and then discuss the meeting later in detail. Also, Makoto, you have to be careful and don't really send those cardinals away."

Hearing this, Makoto could only calm down for the time being. After glaring at Mika who was making faces at him, he muttered:

"Okay, okay, I will, but it's only because you asked me, Sensei. Anyway, since we're going to transform St. Peter's Basilica into Pandemonium, how about putting a golden throne inside? The Golden Throne! What a nice name, I like it."

"...You should give it a more auspicious name."

Rod had no choice but to deal with the excited Makoto. He didn't dare look back at the expression on Father Anderson's face, fearing that if he said something else, he would be sent away.

There is no heaven in this world, but there are plenty of hells.

Wait, if Father Anderson dies in the future, what should he do if he sees a blue-haired guy as soon as he opens his eyes?

Although this situation is unlikely to happen, if the fact that Alona, ​​the blue-haired girl, is still flirting with him is exposed, then this priest might end up in the frying pan of hell...

Letting these messy thoughts run wild in his mind, Rhodes sighed, turned his head with some pity and said to Father Anderson next to him:

"Thank you for your hard work, Father Anderson."

"...Um, thank you for your comfort. It's my honor."

"The future will be difficult, even after death," Rhodes said meaningfully, "You still have to be strong and enjoy life."

"???"

Chapter 416: Dawn has arrived, but Satan is faster

Dawn has arrived and the sun is rising.

The Vatican sky was crystal clear, and sunlight streamed down on a gentle Mediterranean breeze, casting a soft golden hue on the white marble of St. Peter's Square. In the summer morning light, this magnificent Catholic complex shone with a sacred and solemn aura—the wealth of sin gathered here over the centuries, built, carved, and painted by brilliant hands over the centuries, deeply embedded in human history.

St. Peter's Square is now blocked by armored Swiss Guards. These ceremonial guards, like the other tourists, are unaware of why St. Peter's Basilica is also tightly sealed, prohibiting anyone from entering. There are even a number of "priests" carrying heavy boxes as guards.

what happened?

Could it be an angel descending? Could it be the Pope and a group of cardinals summoning Satan in the cathedral?

"...So, the Holy Son refused to enter the hall through the main gate?"

"Yes, he will come to us under the guidance of Bishop Raphael and several familiar priests," said a cardinal. He took a deep breath, his lips trembled, and after hesitating for a few seconds, he slowly said:

"With the Archangel Michael, and—Satan."

Even though he already knew it, the Pope's eyes still twitched a few times.

This venerable elder had already lost four cardinals in the past two years, and another, whose faith had been shattered and who had taken to wandering, was now unknown whether he was dead or alive. Just the day before yesterday, two more people were hospitalized, but fortunately, they were treated in time and nothing serious happened. Today, they had even managed to come here despite being ill.

Next... the Pope raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the Baroque bronze canopy in the center of the basilica, and finally extending deeper to the throne of St. Peter - the statue of St. Peter himself was placed alone on the side of the corridor.

“…May God bless us,” the Pope said wearily, a phrase he had repeated repeatedly throughout his decades, but never with such devotion and longing as today. “May the Son of God have mercy on us.”

St. Peter, St. Peter, when you left the Sea of ​​Galilee, gave up your fishermanship to follow Jesus, did you think about all that had happened, was happening, and was about to happen? Did you think about the Vatican, a foreign object that had been implanted in the human body for so long?

The Pope repeated the prayer in a low voice, then took the cross from his chest, kissed it gently, and whispered:

“The glory of the Lord will endure for thousands and thousands of years, for tens of thousands of years.”

At this moment, the summer morning light has penetrated the mica-inlaid glass windows of the cathedral, weaving a golden spider web on the marble floor and cutting the Pope's white robe into dozens of irregular shadow squares.

"The Pope?"

The Cardinal's voice awakened the Pope from his reverie, and he straightened himself and withdrew his gaze from the throne of St. Peter.

"The Son of God is very unhappy with us, but we have no right to complain," the Pope sighed. Besides feeling honored, he felt more helpless. "I suspect that if Saint Peter were here, he would also be rebuked... Never mind, let's not talk about this anymore."

Hearing the Pope's words, the Cardinal nodded slightly. He had already seen his colleagues who knew about the existence of the other world standing in twos and threes, talking excitedly in low voices about what was about to happen - they were all very pious, and those who were not pious enough had already been secretly eliminated.

But this piety is just what they think is "piety", and some of them are even covered with a layer of dust.

"Well, I'll start getting the others ready now."

The cardinal also sighed. As the person who led the entire "Coming of the Son of God" process, he was under a lot of pressure - the Son of God had many requirements, such as prohibiting kneeling, prohibiting the holding of ceremonies, prohibiting the preparation of luxurious food, etc. - from these requirements, the bishop could see some of this person's character.

This made the cardinal feel a little warm in his heart, and even the cross on his chest seemed to become brighter.

"Very good, go ahead, be humble but don't flatter, that one is not arrogant."

The Pope nodded slightly, but he did not continue to wait alone. Instead, he followed the cardinal and walked towards the other cardinals. Just a few steps further, the Pope heard the noisy conversation of nearly twenty cardinals:

"Now that it has happened, we must respond – Cardinal Francesco, do you still have any heart pills left? Give me some more… Hey, give me some, don't be so stingy. He who shows kindness to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his good deeds (Proverbs 19:17)."

"I understand. Stop yelling. One pill is enough. Eating too much will cause harm." The cardinal whose name was called took out a small bottle with a look of disgust, but it was quickly snatched away by the other cardinals who gathered around and divided and hid it.

"Didn't you guys prepare this yourself?!"

"I brought an AED (automated external defibrillator)."

"Although I don't have any heart problems, I think I still need to prepare one in case of an emergency."

"Me too... I've been drinking wine ever since I heard the news about Satan. The medical team advised me not to have too much emotional fluctuation lately."

When one of the cardinals mentioned the name "Satan", the actions and words of the others froze for a moment, and then returned to their normal state as if nothing had happened.

Someone took a few deep breaths, looked around, and said with his head held high, pretending to be calm:

"Since the Holy Son hasn't said anything, then we naturally don't need to worry about it. Besides, Satan is a test given to mankind by God."

"Yes, this is a trial! This is a trial from the 'past'! Humanity must overcome this..."

"Then I have a question. Does Satan, like the archangel, also appear as a beautiful girl? I just arrived yesterday and haven't seen any photos or videos or anything like that."

This question once again brought the cardinals' movements and words to a standstill, a standstill even longer than before.

The sudden silence caused the cardinal who had asked the question to subconsciously clutch his chest. The old man looked helplessly at his colleagues, but they only responded by looking away guiltily. The bishops refused to delve deeper into the question:

For example, whether angels or some great demon whose name cannot be mentioned have the ability to reproduce.

"...Alright, let's stop this discussion," the Pope said, quelling what had become a meaningless argument... which wasn't really an argument, just a bunch of old men desperately refusing to accept the facts. "Regardless, I hope you're prepared and won't behave disrespectfully in front of the Son of God."

"Every move you make will represent the lives of hundreds of millions of Christians and determine the life and death and future development of the Holy See. Remember this."

Hearing this, the cardinals looked at each other, then bowed their heads and made the sign of the cross.

"Yes, Your Holiness."

The Pope nodded slightly in response and wanted to say something else, but he heard a loud noise as the side door of the basilica was kicked open - the exquisitely crafted and time-honored wooden door disintegrated into pieces in mid-air, spinning and falling to the feet of the Pope and the cardinals.

The Pope and the Cardinals: "..."

Looking at the fragments of the wooden door at his feet, the Pope looked at the angel relief on the fragments, and felt his heart begin to pump blood frantically, turning his blood pressure into a heavy punch hitting the old man's brain.

An arrogant and beautiful female voice and the crisp echo of boots hitting the floor were heard together, and the eerie halo and the big red dragon horn immediately came into the sight of everyone present.

"What's going on here? Why are there no statues or paintings of my master? Not even a throne worthy of his status?"

Makoto Hanuma—Satan—the demon that deceives people and seduces them into corruption, walked into St. Peter's Basilica without any hindrance or punishment. She raised her head, glanced arrogantly at the Pope and the cardinals, and a sneer curled her lips:

"If loyalty is not absolute, then it is absolutely disloyal, Christian."

"..."

The Pope said nothing. He silently removed the cross necklace from his chest, wrapped it around his right hand a few times, used the cross like brass knuckles, clenched his fist, and walked towards the girl with her hands on her hips...