"Damned..."
Anton watched as the light agents massacred the demons, using highly advanced weapons that allowed them to confront these enemies who were much faster and stronger than they were. As they advanced, to ensure nothing went wrong, Anton glanced around the hallway again, observing how the vapor of holy water was rising, so he wasn't worried that something might go awry.
"Wait..."
Compared to the outside, this fire escape staircase was darker and not equipped with any emergency fire lights. Upon entering, it was so dark that they could barely see. The deep darkness that could swallow everything and the occasional chilliness made most people dare not linger.
Boom!
Along with the thunder outside and the sound of rain occasionally reaching them, the atmosphere throughout the fire escape staircase became even more terrifying. Anton looked up and down, his eyes filled with dark energy, taking everything in at a glance. When his faith points exceeded the limit of 100, Anton felt like he had unlocked a particularly useful ability.
He could instantly generate a moving three-dimensional image in real-time in his mind through all the movements happening around him. He had this ability vaguely before, when he killed those cannibals in the forest, but now, due to the increased faith points, it had become clearer. As long as he thought about it, he could detect everything. This ability could be called a 360-degree clairvoyant eye. Of course, it wasn't the kind of clairvoyance that could see through bodies, but it could closely inspect all obstacles.
"Sir, the support team is arriving."
Anton looked back and saw Rafael's team catching up, so he said, "You go reload ammunition, call the support team to bring up the necessary equipment for refilling, and let's keep moving."
"I'll lead the mission," Alexander offered this time.
Anton nodded and said nothing more; he had no time to spare for extra thoughts right now. After knowing that Alexander would take charge of the care, he resumed his walk.
Anton climbed the steps to the tenth floor with a gun in his left hand and a gauntlet in his right hand. As he ascended, a deep darkness invaded his body. But at that moment, Anton released his faith energy, which immediately transformed the surroundings into a much brighter place naturally and imperceptibly. Utilizing hundreds of faith points allowed him to do many things, besides manipulating light; it could bring many changes in the surroundings.
At the same time, Anton could perceive the protective auras covering the people around him. Thinking about this, just as he walked towards the intermediate floor between the staircases, Anton squinted and stared at the closed fire door. Footsteps sounded, and Anton saw a blurry shadow passing through the slightly open space of that door.
"It seems they're learning..." Anton signaled to the men behind him to get ready.
Rafael positioned himself to the right side of the door, and Anton, who was going to open it, waited for the right moment. In that instant, Anton, who was in front, kicked the door straight, and it flew open.
Roooaaarrrr!
Upon hearing the roar again from the hallway, the real-time dynamic stereogram in Anton's mind showed demons hidden in the darkness one after another. They were everywhere, on the ceiling, walls on both sides, and in the corridors. It wasn't hard to imagine that the neighbors from the entire floor had been possessed.
"Fire, shoot!" Rafael entered a few seconds after the door was knocked down.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Ahhhhhhhh!!!"
For a moment, along with the sound of thunder and rain outside, the gunshots in the hallway weren't too conspicuous for the people who were still alive. When the bullets penetrated the demon's bodies, they exploded into curtains of blood and then petrified, falling to the ground like debris.
"Cleanse this space, blessed sir, purify them with your light, radiate your peace in every space, in every corner, and take away all that suffering," murmured Anton as he made a hand gesture.
In this angelic prayer that sounded from Anton's tranquility, the chilliness in the surroundings diminished, and for a few seconds, everyone could see sparks of light around them. What remained behind him were debris from these demons that had been besieged with special bullets.
"Rafael, I need a report," Anton said after securing the hallway.
Rafael approached and said, "Archbishop, there are no survivors..."
Anton weakly closed his eyes upon hearing that; it seemed that this ritual performed in this building was so dark that no one would come out alive from this place.
"How many people do you think are left?"
"No more than sixty..."
After the mutter, steady footsteps reappeared between the fire escape stairs leading to the next post. The vapor of holy water had reached this point, so all evil was progressively being eliminated.
"Oh God, grant them eternal rest and let the eternal light shine upon these innocent souls..."
Rafael watched as the exorcists gave cleansing prayers. "May the souls of these deceased rest in peace under your mercy, my great lord..."
At the same time, the next post was completely dark.
"Turn on night vision goggles!"
All the light agents, including Anton, turned on their night vision goggles at this point to see in the darkness. Demons could be seen everywhere. Upon initial observation, it was known that there had been a massacre scene in the hallway.
But at that very moment, in a cabinet in a room, two children were hidden.
One fourteen and a fifteen-year-old girl.
"My father must come back!"
The girl was certain her dad would come back as they had told her, trembling in fear from what she had seen.
"Don't be afraid, I'll protect you," said the boy as he held the girl's hand.
Boom!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Not knowing if those explosions were thunder or weapons, tears welled up in the girl who was in the closet. But her voice remained firm, and she did her best so that no one would notice, because now, she was the only one left.
"Clear!" shouted a light agent who had entered the house where those children were hiding.
"Search thoroughly; it can't be that the people in this house have disappeared."
Rafael was about to leave when he suddenly saw the door of a closet opening. Pointing in that direction, he said, "If there are survivors, slowly open the door, show your hands, and come out slowly."