3 The Priest of the Opera

Nogi awoke in a dusty, cramped room. Although it was too dark to see clearly, he could hear voices faintly echoing from his left side, and he felt his way along the walls through a corridor that turned leftwards.

As he neared the voices, he could make out that one was the familiar voice of the priest. The voices must be coming from the altar. As he hurried his steps, the words became clearer.

"You are blessed to have such a graceful voice," the priest was saying. "You should thank God every day for gracing you with this extraordinary talent. He has chosen you out of many. I am told that you no longer attend church as much, because you are training in a secular music group. Is that true?"

"Yes, father," a delicate, sing-song voice replied. It must be the female who was confessing to the priest. "That is why I have to confess... I have let pride in my singing get in the way of my faith in the Lord."

The girl's words sounded slightly rehearsed, as if she had practiced in advance. But they flowed melodiously, and if the priest was less discerning he would have thought her a pious, innocent girl.

"You speak wisely. Witness here the great crucifix, can your song be greater, more poignant, than the fate of the Christ? Then you should dedicate it to the Lord, who is the well-spring of all beauty and art, and you will in turn be enriched by His living waters which will lift your song to new heights."

"Yes, I must use my talents to service the church. But I came here to confess something more... private." She seemed slightly uneasy.

"Oh? What is it, young girl?"

"I - um, I was invited to this glitzy building, to sing at it. There was even a red carpet! I was so proud about attending, and getting a decent amount of money, that I started gambling in a shady casino there. The place was plated in gold and silver, it was really impressive, and after the popular performance I felt almost like an adult and wanted to show off the money... But by the time I was done, I had lost a lot of money, and had to pay for it out of my parents' account - but I lied and said that it was stolen. My family is only of modest income, so they were really mad about it, and I didn't feel courageous enough to tell them. We can barely afford our current flat now, and might have to move out, but what if they found out?"

"You should feel courage, from the Lord! His brethren, the people of Israel, were so enraged at Him that He was placed upon the cross. You should fear the wrath of God, and acknowledge your sin."

"But... They'll get so angry. They'd - they always loved me so much, but now they'll hate me forever!" The girl's desperation began to slip into her voice.

"Your sin of pride has offended not only against the Lord, but also against your parents! You must repent for it, and seek to redress your relationship with your parents. Otherwise, you will be trapped in a web of lies that will continue the aftermath of this sin indefinitely, when it could have been ended through honesty. First, stand before this crucifix and repent before the Lord."

Nogi heard the girl's voice whispering, though he couldn't make out the words. She seemed to be deep in prayer. Her voice was so elegant that his heart began to beat faster.

"Thank you, Isabelle," the priest's voice boomed, seemingly satisfied with her repentant prayer. "Now, have you changed your mind about confessing to your parents? After all, it shouldn't be so bad, if you just gambled away a small amount of their money? It could be put down to youthful rashness."

"Not just a small amount," Isabelle replied. "Um, so much, more than I could apologise for. Oh, pride is a terrible thing! But if I confess to them now, they'll - please keep this a secret. And - and I should tell my parents, but how could I explain myself?"

"I understand that it is difficult. But they don't believe that you did it? They think that it was theft?"

"Yes, I made up a whole story about it, they believed me since there have been a few thefts in our neighbourhood... But it felt terrible! I wish this whole thing had just been a dream, and I could wake up..."

"But that's not an option. Do you think that your singing will allow you to make enough money to compensate for the loss?"

"No... After my family moves, they'll be very frugal, I doubt I'll be able to take proper singing lessons or dress properly. I won't get another chance like this one. I only got to do this because of my singing group, and if I go further away then I won't have that any more." She was crying heavily.

"Yes, that would be unfortunate. Nonetheless, I feel that it would be best that I tell your parents, so that you don't have to lie to them. While I prefer to keep confessions private, you are only a young child, and it is best that I act responsibly and inform your family. But, since your sweet prayer of repentance was so earnest, and praised the Lord so graciously, I think there's something that can be done. I won't tell your parents about what you did, and will instead recompense your family for the money lost, while backing up your story about the theft. However, that is on one condition. Drop down on your knees, and suck my dick before the cross."

"Um... I mean, you would give us back the money lost? As if nothing had happened? Thank you, father!"

"Yes, dear girl. But you must also express your new humility before me, with your famed lips that were once your undoing through pride."

Nogi could hear the priest fondling the girl, and easing her down to the floor. He began to run, and almost fell down over some stairs. He caught his breath, and stood still for a few moments, knowing that if he fell down the stairs then the noise would alert the priest. He could also be injured then, and unable to properly fight back.

However, he heard the priest's satisfied moans echoing around the church, and scrambled down the stairs angrily. Soon, the girl's voice also began to ring out, like a small bell, as the priest's penis voyages deep into her mouth and she yelped and moaned from the strain.

As Nogi finally found a door leading to the altar, he opened it to see the priest holding Isabelle's head by the hair, and plunging his penis deep into her mouth, which he slowly drew across his shaft. She seemed almost uncomfortable, and as Nogi watched she let out a piercing, "Oh God!" but did not see him. Her voice was still as melodious as always. However, she seemed to be compliant, and kept her eyes closed obediently.

The priest seemed proud as he aggressively violated this young singer's mouth and throat, defiling what was once precious.

Although Nogi was aroused, he decided to not make the same mistake as last time. He snuck towards the altar while the priest was still in the middle of a sexual situation, hoping to take the priest by surprise. However, as he began to run towards the priest, he heard the old door creaking loudly back into place behind him.

The priest calmly pushed the girl to the ground, and ejaculated across her horizontal body. Letting out a brief sigh of satisfaction, he turned calmly towards Nogi, who was charging with sword raised.

Staring in Nogi's eyes, the priest calmly said, "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong."

Suddenly, Nogi found himself running quickly backwards, and had to slow down to prevent himself from tripping. Steadfastly, he tried to run towards the priest again, but found himself again hurtling backwards with no idea of where he was going, and stopped awkwardly.

The priest looked at Nogi, and smiled. "Fool, you attack me in a church again. My holiness gives me powers beyond what you can comprehend!"

At a wave of the priest's hand, the blade of Nogi's sword suddenly turned into a large, red dragon's neck and head, and grew towards the ceiling, where it snorted fire. It had two large, twisted horns, and rose mightily over Nogi who was barely even a fraction of its strength.

Frightened, Nogi stepped back, and pulled out a weaker, slightly bent iron sword which Satan had given him as back-up before his teleportation into the church. Due to his Sacred Gear, this fragile weapon became stronger as he held it out.

As the dragon's rows of jagged teeth bore down quickly on Nogi, he leapt to the side and slashed at the dragon's nose and eyes. This flustered the dragon enough that it pulled back slightly, rather than following him.

Behind the dragon, Nogi saw Isabelle — crouched on the ground — staring with awe at Nogi facing down this mighty dragon.

The dragon attempted to breathe fire towards Nogi, but Nogi ran to the side and began to slash at the dragon's neck, opening a slight wound and forcing it to lean down and hastily headbutt him away. He careened across the floor, but bravely got up.

He heard the voice of the priest. "It is time that we end this."

The priest tried to walk up towards him, holding a wooden staff topped with a golden crucifix, but was interrupted as the girl began wildly kicking towards his legs. He almost lost balance, and grunted in disgust.

He kicked the girl away, towards the crucifix behind him, but as he tried to advance again he found that the girl had stubbornly leapt onto his back and was scratching at his face with long nails.

"Go on! Kill it, my hero!" she shouted out towards Nogi, passion flaming in her eyes.

She saw him as an image of nobility, and a contrast to this lecherous priest.

However, as soon as Nogi attempted to approach the dragon, it would breathe fire in front of him and force him to retreat. He had already taken a few minor burns, and a few black marks on his palms began to sting when he swung his sword to fend off the dragon's lunges.

The priest finally managed to elbow Isabelle off, and she skidded across the ground.

"Alas, girl, your heart is godless and wicked!" he exclaimed.

However, he decided to deal with Nogi first. Stepping forwards, he held up the staff and a fireball appeared in the air, rushing towards Nogi.

However, Nogi dove to the side. Although he was scared, the girl's exhortations had given him new confidence, and he avoided the fireball. As the dragon lunged towards him, he threw his sword at its eyes, and while he didn't cause an injury it was enough to force the dragon to sway away. In the meantime, he rushed towards the priest, with his fists bared.

Although the priest noticed his run, the girl had got up again and jumped across the priest's shoulders, holding him in place. "Do it!" she screamed at Nogi. "Kill him!"

On seeing the girl dangling bravely from the priest's back, with her brown-black hair tucked neatly behind her and her light-brown eyes seeming to melt from passion, Nogi quickened his step. The girl's white nails dug into the priest's skin, and the priest grimaced at the sting. However, Nogi continued to stare forwards, both at the priest and at the girl, whose soft, delicate white skin inflamed his lust.

As he approached the priest, the girl made eye-contact with him, and Nogi suddenly felt his steps slow due to an erection. Her gaze felt like electricity through his veins.

However, as he leapt towards the priest, arms extended, he was thrown to the ground as the priest hoisted the girl over his shoulder and used her as a blunt weapon to strike Nogi's head. This blow was enough to prevent Nogi's attack. Held in the priest's sure grip, the girl screamed as the dragon reared up calmly behind Nogi to kill him.

However, after feeling the soft press of the girl's skin and frilly, white shirt across his skin, Nogi was overcome by a paralytic lust that stiffened his whole body, and he lay there weakly, staring at the dragon.

"Alas, such is the fate of those who commit the sin of lust!" the priest proclaimed. "Matthew 20: 'I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.'"

And the dragon's teeth easily tore Nogi to pieces, horrifying Isabelle who saw her hero be torn to shreds within the dragon's mighty, phalanx-like row of teeth. Yet she still thought of Nogi as a noble martyr, and her heart skipped a beat as she gazed upon his fate, with tears in her eyes.

The priest grabbed the girl's slender waist, and held her up. "Clearly sin has taken a deep root in your heart. I must catechise you in the ways of our faith, that you may be saved."

He bundled her out of the building and into the back of his car.

She cried out in a vibrant soprano voice as he violated her vagina and ejaculated, before tying her up in thick ropes so that she couldn't move. He then got into the front and started up the car.

Meanwhile, after about 20 minutes, Nogi found himself once again in the black, vast void of Hell.

"Ha! You have failed again?" Satan's mocking voice came out from above. "This time is even more pathetic, you tried so hard! But you didn't get far at all! And in the end, it didn't even matter!"

"The girl... What's he going to do with the girl?" Nogi sputtered.

"He will take her to his home, tie her up, and molest her there to his heart's content," Satan said. "Truly a righteous, pious priest."

"Not really! But can I save her? I can't just let him keep her there forever!"

"How does it affect you? But never mind. He will arrive at his home in about half an hour. You may revive soon after that, inside his house, and try to rescue the girl by killing him. After he imprisons the girl, you will have a brief window to appear while he goes to wipe the memory of her parents. You can try to ambush him as he approaches her."

Nogi felt a surge of determination. He had to protect this female.

"I will do it!"

"Alright," Satan said calmly. "Now, here is a replacement sword. Don't waste it this time. Besides, you won't be in a church, so perhaps you'll get the chance to attack."

He tossed over a sword with a dull silver blade.

"Yes! I will kill the wicked priest with this blade!"

"Yes, how dare he be wicked," Satan said with a poker face, before flying upwards. He yawned slightly, then said, "Make sure to practice before going, because maybe it will make you less hopeless. Though a noob who practices is still a noob at heart. In fact, I played a human chess master named Magnus Carlsen once, and I defeated him easily. I don't know chess, to be honest, I just used a chess engine named 'Devilfish' which we keep in hell. I had Mephistopheles sit just under the ground and whisper the moves in a voice inaudible to mortals. Poor Magnus was helpless and lost in spite of his decades of practice, because he is still a noob at heart, and did not opt to use an engine himself. How silly, doesn't he know that engines play chess better than humans? What noobs these mortals be! Though he wasn't nearly as much of a noob as you, it didn't save him from ignominy. He still thinks that it was the fault of some human named 'Hans Niemann,' not knowing that name was just a pseudonym which I used. I then brainwashed some German lad into thinking it was his name, and left, satisfied that humans had once again shown themselves inferior to the forces of hell. They have still not overcome the imbecility of Adam!"

Nogi was taken aback by this information - he knew that Satan was evil, but had not realised that Satan was dastardly enough to cheat at a game of chess by using an engine. This gave Nogi serious doubts about whether serving Satan was truly the right thing to do. However, he thought back to the priest abducting the girl, and knew that he had to try and kill the priest again. Otherwise, there was no telling what could happen.

He picked up the sword, and began to practice, as Satan flew quietly away.