She is not an investigator.

Is this really possible? Can the ritual really be resolved so simply?

"You're always like this, hesitant and indecisive when faced with difficulties."

A familiar figure suddenly emerged from the shadows and looked at Pasa, whose face was full of confusion.

“…Derion.”

Yes.

The figure that emerged from the shadows was Derain.

He looked perfectly normal, as always, with an extinguished pipe dangling from his mouth and a grin on his face, like a child who had successfully pulled off a prank.

"You seem unwilling to see me."

"...You are dead, dead in the Rotten Coral Bar, dead in the rain...or rather, dead in that disaster."

Passa raised the gun in his hand. He knew this move all too well, but his arm was still trembling uncontrollably.

"...You've been dead for a long time, haven't you?"

Instead of giving a direct answer, Derain slowly revealed a smile.

"You're still blaming me."

“I can’t forgive you… She died because of you… and now you’ve come back to my town, made a mess of everything, and even killed countless people… I can’t, and I never can, forgive you.”

“That’s exactly why I’m here, Pasa… I’ve always owed you an apology.”

"What's the use of an apology! Can an apology bring her back to life? You can't protect her... But why... why is she still willing to go with you..."

Passa's arms were trembling, his breathing was trembling, and his gaze was trembling.

Tears made his already wet face even wetter, but he ignored the hot tears on his face because he knew that Derain was dead.

“Yes…if she had chosen you back then, probably none of this would have happened…but that’s not what I came here to say, Pasa.”

Passa took a deep breath, hardened his gaze, and his weapon became exceptionally steady.

"Derion, you are suspected of engaging in cult activities, causing the deaths of innocent civilians and police officers, and causing great damage to the town's buildings and environment. On behalf of the Special Investigations Division, I hereby announce that you are under arrest."

Derain looked at Passa and smiled with satisfaction, a happy and carefree smile.

“You should have done this a long time ago. Put me in jail and let me spend my whole life atoning for my sins. That’s what I should have done, and what you should have done... But it doesn’t seem too late now, Pasa. You are a true hero.”

"Do not."

Passa shook his head with a cold expression and said.

"Not just me, but everyone here, in this town, in Maulkensson, who is striving and struggling to survive, is a hero."

At this point, he thought of many things, including the intelligence agent Ling who always liked to show off, and the girl he had never liked, and even hated a little.

Igris.

They are the heroes; they saved this town.

“You know what, I never thought she could do that… I thought she was just a little smarter and a little more cautious.”

Derain smiled at you again, but this time, he reached into his pocket and pulled out several silver dollars.

"Although she still owes me a week's wages... it doesn't matter. She is indeed a good assistant. If I were still alive, I would probably be happy to keep employing her."

Pasa looked at the silver coin in Derain's hand and slowly took a step, but was pulled back by the clown beside her.

Pasa shook his head at him and nonchalantly approached the figure of Derain, who had been standing still.

"I will tell her everything."

Derain smiled, a satisfied and happy smile.

Passa also laughed, a very sad and bittersweet laugh.

In the sewers, their laughter echoed incessantly, reverberating through this hell filled with sin and dust.

boom.

A shot rang out.

Everything has finally come to an end.

The Fools of the Gods—The Worship of Eternal Night: Chapter Twenty-Eight, Midnight Worship (The End)

The rain stopped.

The dark clouds soon dispersed, and time seemed to pass quickly.

The believers in the moon did not see the real moon throughout the entire night.

Until the sun rose, the radiance of the second moon finally dissipated and vanished into nothingness.

Countless creatures that knelt in devout worship slowly turned to ashes and disappeared into the air as the sun rose.

Inside the church, the unconscious believers and police officers awoke one after another. The pain and wounds on their bodies left them confused, but none of them made any attempt to attack.

But many more are people who will never wake up again.

The priest sat in front of the church entrance, and directly in front of him, the slowly rising sun cast its light on his face.

Moonlight, too, reflects the sunlight.

He smiled, wiped his rain-soaked face, smiled easily, and lay down easily.

Everything seemed to be over, and the priest who had longed for night all day long finally welcomed his dawn.

An ambulance arrived in town, took away a competent and dedicated intelligence agent, and provided him with treatment.

All the doctors found it hard to believe that, with just a strip of cloth covering her abdomen, she could have preserved her near-death injuries to this day without any deterioration.

The Special Investigations Department may have already prepared to contain that strip of cloth as an anomalous item, but only Ling knows that what can truly save her is neither an anomalous item nor a strip of cloth.

It was a hope, a request, and a belief.

“Once she has resolved everything, we’ll probably have a lot to talk about, so I’m still alive, so I can’t die.”

……

"To be honest, doctor, I know you may find it hard to believe, but if I just light a fire, I probably won't need these medications anymore."

In the ward, Igris was bound tightly to the bed with bandages, and countless IV drips were inserted into her body, almost turning her into a hedgehog.

But this is no exaggeration. No one could believe that Igris could survive, but she did, and she's even full of energy, despite almost 80 percent of her body's tissues being severely damaged.

She is as miraculous as a miracle itself.

“I’d love to believe you, but that doesn’t mean I have the right to do so. You know I’m just a doctor. If you’re feeling unwell, I can prescribe some painkillers or anesthetic.”

"Oh...I'm hungry."

"I'm sorry, your stomach has been blown up, so you probably can't eat much right now, but don't worry, we've given you IV fluids."

Just as Igris was about to ask if her butt was still there, there was a knock on the door of the ward.

The doctor stood up, looked at the visitor, and then left the ward without asking any further questions.

Igris also looked at the newcomer, and then at Pasa, who seemed to be the only one who was not injured.

"You are so lucky."

"This is what I wanted to say to you."

Pacissa came to Igris's bedside, placed a fruit basket on the table, and sat down on the empty bed beside her.

"You came here specifically to see me? I thought you wouldn't have the time for that."

"Aren't you curious about what happened after you detonated it?"

Igris wanted to shake her head, but her body wouldn't allow it, so she was forced to nod.

"...Krisuna is still alive. It's hard to believe, isn't it? But she is indeed alive, and she's currently in the Special Investigations Department's care, in a hospital-like facility. It's uncertain when she'll regain consciousness. The Church of Eternal Night... that is, Constantine, voluntarily confessed to all their crimes and revealed all the cases and successors of this church over the past three hundred years. He chose to surrender and was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison. However, because of his good behavior and the great help he provided this time, the Special Investigations Department will probably send someone to manage him. He might even become my subordinate. Ling's health is much better now. It seems you saved her life, at least that's what Ling said. She's very grateful to you. And the Joker, he asked me to tell you that you will be the friend who impressed him the most, even more than a certain wicked man. I don't know who he's referring to, but you might know."

Pasa confessed everything, and Igris was quite pleased to hear this rather good ending.

"Also, your weapon was left at the scene. Strangely enough, it doesn't look damaged at all after such an explosion."

Passa took out Igris's pistol and placed it next to the fruit basket, shaking his head slightly.

Igris quite liked the pistol; at least it looked cool, and it didn't seem to be a traditional firearm. She especially liked the sound of the gears.

"how about you."

"I?"

When faced with Igris's question, Pasa paused for a moment, seemingly not understanding what she was asking.

"Your friend Delian died in this incident. Don't you have anything to say?"

"Oh…"

Pasa couldn't help but smile. He rarely smiled, so his smile always looked so bitter.

“I have forgiven him, and I have forgiven myself… but the sins he committed cannot be covered up. He is still a sinner and my enemy for life.”

At this point, he looked at Igris, as if he had thought of something, reached into his pocket, and took out a few silver coins.

"And... here is your salary."

Passa placed the silver coin in the fruit basket, took a deep breath, and looked out the window at the bright sunshine and blue sky.

"Thank you, little town."

"You can praise me more; I think I deserve it."

Pasa didn't say much, just casually tossed something to Igris, turned around, waved to himself, and left the ward.

Igris watched his departing figure, then looked down at what he had thrown at her.

That was a lighter.

"He's so thoughtful."

……

[Double> The moon flag flies high in the sky, dark clouds gather, waves crash and night reigns, the moonlight and hope are together, the shadows buried in Maulkenson are finally revealed, you, Igris, a vampire killer, detective assistant, and clown, have successfully resolved this crisis with the help of two Special Investigations officers, a cult leader, and employees of Red Lake Amusement Park.]

You are the great hero of Maulkenson, their savior. Although most people won't remember your name, and most won't know what you did, they will only remember that they had a long dream, a dream in which it rained and thundered.

[Title earned: Hero of Maulkenson]