"Come out!"
York's calm voice rang out, and John Wick saw his bishop wave towards the house.
In that instant, John Wick's eyes widened.
A dazzling light appeared in his pupils, like the first ray of sunlight at dawn, instantly illuminating the surrounding darkness.
The air around them seemed to be swept by some force, producing a sharp whistling sound.
With a loud boom, the house and the remaining monsters were instantly shattered by this powerful burst of energy, turning into countless fragments that danced in the night sky.
At the same time, Diego, seated on a throne of lava, was revealed. His appearance had become twisted and horrifying, his once calm features now grotesque and deformed. His black eyes, with vertical pupils, glowed red, as if they could devour everything.
A sinister light flickered within them, hiding endless darkness and evil.
His lips were cracked and twisted, his mouth contorted into a strange smile, revealing sharp, jagged teeth. His skin had become pale and rough, covered with bulging veins and blood vessels, each inch exuding a sense of malevolence.
Even though the house had turned into fragments under York's power, and his body showed signs of being burned by flames, the demon remained seated on the throne.
"Hiss!"
The unknown demon, possessing Diego, licked its lips as it gazed at York and John Wick.
"Such potent power, it feels delightful."
"Stop pretending," York chuckled. He didn't make any significant move; the holy power within him naturally manifested. A heavy, glowing book appeared in midair.
In the demon's swiftly contracting pupils, the holy Bible, naturally formed by York's holy power, flipped open and landed in York's outstretched left palm.
Roar!
The demon-possessed Diego lunged towards York, holy flames burning on his body. His face was ferocious, and behind him, the dark energy flowed like tidal waves, pressing down on York.
"O Lord."
York's face remained calm. He let the demon leap towards him, allowed the dark energy to bear down, and his voice echoed, sacred and solemn.
"O Lord, we humbly invoke your holy name. By your mighty power and authority, dispel all evil spirits..."
Just as the demon-possessed Diego, burning with holy flames, was about to reach York, a tremendous holy energy erupted with the recitation.
The entire space transformed.
In an instant, everything disappeared. The night was gone, the house and lawn vanished without a trace.
Even the dark energy trailing the demon was gone.
John Wick held his breath—no, he couldn't breathe.
Before this, he had been an ordinary man, unaware of supernatural events. Only after joining the church did he learn about the supernatural world.
But what was happening now was beyond anything he had seen.
How could one change the entire space, no, the entire world, enveloping it in radiant holy light? Every corner filled with sacredness and majesty.
The sky was no longer black but golden, formed by countless layers of light, warm and mysterious, like the wings of angels spreading blessings.
The middle layer was soft white, like pure clouds drifting gently.
The lower layer was a faint blue, deep and vast like the ocean, able to contain all the world's suffering and sorrow.
"Is this heaven?" John Wick doubted his reality, his eyes fixed on York's back.
He had always thought York was special, but this scene was too extraordinary. At this moment, John Wick wondered if his bishop was indeed an angel in disguise.
For only a true angel could achieve such a feat.
In this world, all darkness and evil were utterly dispelled.
No!
There was still the demon before him, screaming in pain.
John Wick didn't dare make a sound, sneaking a glance at the demon.
The demon-possessed Diego was suspended in mid-air, his limbs bound by white chains. His supposedly tough skin burned away, revealing flesh, muscle fibers, and non-human organs.
"No! Who are you?" The demon's face was a mask of fear as it stared at York.
Since when could a mere bishop summon a holy domain?
This was an angel's holy domain!
In this domain, time and space were distorted. All evil and darkness were stripped away and dissolved.
The domain was filled with intense holy energy, capable of purifying all filth and making all beings feel the angel's majesty and power.
In this domain, angels could unleash unimaginable power, their attacks imbued with holy attributes, bypassing demonic defenses and inflicting direct harm, with purification effects that could destroy demonic possessions.
Besides offensive capabilities, the holy domain offered strong defense and suppression. Angels in the domain were immune to most negative effects, their powers greatly amplified.
Demons, however, were heavily suppressed, their strength diminished, possibly even consumed by the holy energy.
The demon, once a fallen angel, recognized the holy domain well.
Domains had varying strengths. Weaker demons could only affect a few meters, while stronger ones could cover kilometers, even the whole world, making it their kingdom.
As a demon or even as an angel, it could only extend its domain a few kilometers.
But York's domain covered the entire world.
The weak priest couldn't complete his exorcism because he couldn't maintain such a domain. He exhausted his life force for a mere glimpse.
But York, with a single word, created such a powerful domain, reminding the demon of its master.
"You don't belong to this world!" The demon's voice, now calm, ceased struggling.
"You are not of this world!"
Not even its true form could win against York, let alone a mere incarnation.
The demon's voice became a magnetic male tone.
York's expression remained unchanged. "I grew up in this world. Why am I not? Tell me your true name now, and I might let you go."
"Hehe!" The demon-possessed Diego chuckled, eyes full of human-like mockery.
York knew what the demon would answer:
"..."
"May your holy light illuminate the darkness, may your words become swords, cutting all ties to the evil spirit."
In this heaven-like world, giant white blades appeared, slashing at the bound demon.
Though Diego's appearance seemed unaffected, his face twisted in agony.
The blades bypassed all obstacles, striking the demon's essence.
Such was the power of the holy domain—directly targeting the essence, rendering defenses useless.
"We trust in your mercy and power, to free this man from the demon's control, restoring his original holiness and peace."
With York's prayer, a beam of pure white light, with floating feathers, shone on the demon-possessed Diego.
This was a critical hit. Diego's form dissolved, and a shrill scream erupted from within.
The scream echoed, filled with boundless despair and bone-chilling pain.
But York's goal was not just to harm; he needed the demon's true name to save Diego and the devout Lady Mehliban.
If York took over, it had to be perfect. He wouldn't allow any demon to act recklessly before him.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters, restoring my soul. He guides me on paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
In the name of Jesus Christ!"
"I command you to reveal your name!"
In response to York's powerful invocation, Diego stiffened, as if compelled, and began to speak its true name.
"*/@#￥%*****"
A series of lengthy syllables poured from Diego's mouth.
York remained calm, but John Wick was astounded. The demon's name was too long to remember.
Such long names tested clergy because exorcisms often involved reciting the demon's true name, using holy power to banish it back to Hell.
York also found the name's length surprising. He had encountered demons with human-like short names, but tonight, he finally faced one with an exceptionally long name.
His advanced mind could memorize the name easily, but for ordinary clergy, it was daunting.
John Wick struggled to keep up, showing how difficult it would be for a priest like Diego to exorcise such a cunning demon.
"..."
As Diego finished, York identified the demon.
It was one of the seventy-two demon gods he had previously exorcised, like Valac and Amon.
Yes, this demon was Bael, the head of the seventy-two demon gods, known in Hebrew as "Ba'al."
Bael was the first of the seventy-two demon gods, one of the supreme four pillars, a king.
In legend, he appeared in various forms, sometimes human, sometimes otherwise. His voice was harsh, considered a fallen god, commanding sixty-six legions, possessing lightning attributes, granting invisibility, and revered as an ancestor of the Semites.
York peered forward, faintly discerning Bael's true form through Diego's body, contrary to the legendary appearance—far uglier.
"No wonder there were no matching characteristics." York observed Diego's recovering form and began the exorcism ritual.
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