PTSD Military Chaplain of the Academy

Parruru….

“Whew….”

I tightly grasped my right arm, which had gone into spasms.

Even while heading toward the Seminary Main Chapel, my right hand began to twitch uncontrollably, beyond my will. Desperately clutching it with my left hand, it seemed to settle down somewhat.

“Ugh…!”

I clenched my teeth. The pain was dizzying.

Since I stopped taking that medication, unbearable pain has surged occasionally. But there was no need for it to be now of all times.

“Ugh…”

It was the price I paid for using divine power with an injured body. The reason I was hesitant to use divine power was because of this.

Ever since injuring my shoulder, using divine power has inevitably accompanied this pain. In the past, I was prescribed medication with strong analgesic effects, so I could manage it to some extent….

But now, I had no medication. A typical painkiller wouldn’t even begin to help.

At least it was better than having nothing, so I quietly slipped my trembling hand into the pocket of my priest robes and took out the medicine container.

As I, who had been leading the way, stopped and clutched my arm, the students following me and Professor Esther looked at me with concern. I discreetly hid the medicine container into my sleeve.

“Are, are you alright? Professor Lucio….”

“Are you injured anywhere?”

“Ugh…! I’m fine…. Let’s hurry.”

“But….”

“I’m fine, so please move on!”

When I shouted, the students flinched but resumed their steps. I bit my lip. I felt a warm, metallic liquid trickle down my chin.

“Head Priest…?”

“…I’m fine…! I’m fine, so don’t worry and move.”

“…….”

Sofia Sub-priest walked beside me silently for a while, then gently pulled my right hand hidden in my sleeve.

My spasming right hand and the hidden medicine container were revealed. I shut my eyes tight and turned my head away.

‘…What would Sofia Sub-priest think of me?’

She would probably find it disgusting, just like everyone else.

I roughly pushed away Sofia Sub-priest’s hand. Her lost hand cut through the air.

“…Head Priest. What’s that medicine?”

“Sofia Sub-priest, didn’t I say I’m fine? Hurry up.”

“What is that medicine?”

“It’s just… a simple painkiller.”

“…….”

Sofia Sub-priest, walking next to me, glanced back. The students, each with tense expressions, whispered among themselves, while Professor Esther remained vigilant.

“Sofia Sub-priest, it really is nothing.”

“Alright. I’ll trust you for now….”

“…Thank you.”

I quickly opened the medicine container and tossed a painkiller into my mouth. It was difficult to swallow without water, but somehow, I managed to get it down my throat.

After walking for about five minutes.

“Whew….”

The effects of the painkiller began to gradually take hold. Feeling somewhat relieved, I slowly flexed my right hand.

“Head Priest.”

Sofia Sub-priest called out to me. I turned my head towards her.

“When this is over, please tell me.”

“Sofia Sub-priest.”

“Where it hurts, why it hurts. Everything. I need to know as a sub-priest.”

“…Later. I’ll tell you later.”

I couldn’t bring myself to meet Sofia Sub-priest’s gaze. I pretended to be indifferent and turned my head away.

I expected that someday Sofia Sub-priest would find out. But I didn’t want to be discovered like this.

I continued to walk while biting my lip. My already sore lips were made worse by the biting, and I felt the pain that had concentrated in my right arm and shoulder slowly fade a bit, which was a relief.

“Hey! We’re almost there!”

Following where Professor Esther pointed, I turned to my left. Through the window of the annex corridor, the majestic silhouette of the Seminary Main Chapel emerged.

“When this is over….”

I thought I should rest well over the weekend.

* * * * *

As the Head Priest of the chapel, I’m also responsible for maintaining it. That means I also hold the key to the chapel, which is firmly locked.

Click!

As I turned the key, the smoothly meshing lock made a cheerful sound as it opened. We cautiously pushed the church’s door.

Professor Esther’s magic had long since lost its effect. However, we could consider that the classrooms in the annex had already been checked on our way here.

“Let’s check behind the cross.”

“Ah, yes.”

We quickly entered the chapel.

The chapel was quiet. Only the candles on the candlesticks glowed as usual, and the moonlight, hiding beyond the mountain ridge, filtered softly through the windows, creating a solemn atmosphere. Even this serene chapel would be filled with devout believers when the sun rose.

“Is that the cross?”

“That looks like it.”

“Just a moment….”

I stopped the students who were about to carelessly touch the cross and carefully approached it.

“…Lord. I repent for my sins today. Please forgive this rudeness.”

Sofia Sub-priest naturally stood on the opposite side of the cross. I nodded and slowly laid my hand on the cross.

“I will remove it.”

“Will… will we be able to put it back?”

“Do not worry. Now, let’s go. One, two….”

“Three…!”

As the heavy weight of the large cross was conveyed, I felt something click, and the cross slowly detached. Sofia Sub-priest and I carefully leaned the lifted cross against the wall.

“Oh, oh…!”

“Really, there’s a space!”

There was a hole, about the size of a jewelry box, carved behind the cross. Daniel and Vivian’s eyes sparkled as they looked at it.

“Then….”

“Let’s see what’s inside.”

Amidst the tense atmosphere, I cautiously made the sign of the cross. Then, I reached my hand into the hole.

Slowly, as my hand delved into the darkness, it finally bumped against a hard wall, reaching as deep as my wrist. And there, I found a blood-stained finger…

“…Huh?”

I groped around in the darkness. But all I felt was a cold, hard wall.

“Prof, Professor?”

“Could it be…. there’s nothing?”

“Wait a moment.”

No matter how much I searched around, I couldn’t grasp anything. After rummaging around in the dusty hole for a while, I eventually pulled my hand out with a blank expression.

“…….”

“Um… if not, what is this hole? There’s no other place, right?”

“Could it really be hidden behind the lights in the annex….”

“Is that true?”

“Isn’t it a foolish idea to search all that?”

“Strange… it seems certain here.”

Surely, it didn’t seem likely that they would drill a hole behind the cross for no reason. Especially one so neatly cut that it looked like it had been sawed.

And then.

Thud—!

We quickly turned to where the sound came from. What entered our sight was.

“…What is that?”

Thud—! Thud—!

The antique wooden door of the chapel was shaking violently.

And we instinctively felt it.

“Whoah…”

“Head Priest Giovanni….”

The restless spirit of Head Priest Giovanni had followed us.

I bit my lip. Then I subtly looked at my right hand.

The spasms that occurred frequently had stopped, but my right hand was still trembling intermittently. If I were to use divine power with this body…

“Damn…”

It was impossible to use divine power any further. Especially at a time like this.

The situation was deteriorating fast.

The only saving grace was that the effects of the prayers I had endured were still holding, so the students had not fallen into panic yet.

“What should we do? Should we fight it?!”

“Ghosts don’t have a physical form, how can we fight?!”

“Would attacking with magic work?”

Yeah. Not yet. But there wouldn’t be much time left.

Because Professor Esther had already taken some time to look around the annex with her magic.

Thud—

Suddenly, from the center of the shaking door, a black mass began to ooze out, crawling like decay, beginning to consume the door of the chapel.

Sofia Sub-priest exclaimed in horror.

“W-what…! The door! Head Priest! I feel an evil presence from the door!”

“I’m aware of it!”

I hurried to the front of the door, then pulled out the Bible. I kissed the rosary I held in my left hand and quickly flipped through the Bible. The pages of the Bible were hastily turned with a rush.

Continuing to use divine power like this would put a strain on my body, but right now, there was no time to weigh the risks.

“Sofia Sub-priest! Do you know the walls of Terea?!”

Sofia Sub-priest rushed to my side, gripping the rosary as she answered.

“Y-yes, I know!”

“Start from chapter 4, verse 13!”

“But, I’m not yet…!”

“I’ll provide the divine power! Hurry!”

Confirming the opened verses, I set the Bible on the ground. Quickly making the sign of the cross, I wrapped my hands around the sacred rope hanging around my neck and reached towards the darkening door.

Shiiiii—!

With the sound of something burning, that familiar presence was felt. I was startled.

“Demons…?”

This corruption is surely due to demonic power. Even as I was startled, the door slowly continued to decay, so I hurriedly recited the Bible verses.

“Behold, O you children of Terea. I have blessed their grains and made their land fruitful, yet you are keeping your walls in jeopardy; this is because they have fallen into the whispers of a wicked beast.”

“I had established a covenant with you, and thus they shall not pass over the walls of Terea.”

“Moreover, listen! In my name, I shall cast their leader into the sulfurous fire of hell, for this is the Lord’s holiness!”

“Thus shall the people of Terea rejoice, saying that even if those who stray from the commandments pursue to cross over, the walls of Terea shall remain strong—!”

Ziiiiiing—!

With Sofia Sub-priest’s final shout, a radiant golden hue swept through the chapel like a wave. The door, once turning black and rotting, was instantly bathed in golden light, transforming into a barrier.

But that was only for a moment. The door began to turn black again from the center, eliciting a sigh from me.

Parruru…!

My right arm began to tremble violently, and a pain so great it turned my head white surged through me. I bit down hard on my teeth to endure, but eventually fell to the ground.

“Whew…! Hey…!”

Sofia Sub-priest, whose complexion had turned pale, hurriedly approached. This prayer was far too burdensome for her. But since the effectiveness of this prayer required the presence of vengeful clerics, it was unavoidable.

I felt guilty toward Sofia Sub-priest. Though I had supplied most of the divine power, it must still have been a significant burden on her.

I brushed aside Sofia Sub-priest’s damp hair and spoke.

“Sofia Sub-priest…. I can hold on for now, but it won’t last long…!”

“Y-yes?!”

“I couldn’t supply enough divine power. The prayer is incomplete!”

“W-what should we…! What should we do…?!”

The effects of the prayer would soon fade. We needed to find the finger or drive away Head Priest Giovanni outside before that.

“Drive away….”

Suddenly, something flashed through my mind like lightning.

I hurriedly glanced at the clock.

The current time was 6:10 AM. In about 20 minutes or so, dawn would begin. With all my strength, I shouted to Daniel.

“Daniel! According to the rumors, Head Priest Giovanni’s spirit disappears at dawn! Is that true!”

“Um, that…!”

“Is it true or not!”

“Y-yes! It’s true! It was written in the notebook! But when dawn breaks…!”

The fingers will also disappear. There’s no telling when we would get another chance to deal with that being.

I had hoped that it would not harm the students. But that was naïve.

Look at how it’s violently banging on the door now. The blood-red eyes glimpsing through the crack in the door glimmer menacingly. I pondered why it was acting that way.

“…The finger.”

I hurriedly looked back at the hole behind the cross. However, there was nothing there. But….

“There’s a finger hidden somewhere here…!”

“Head Priest! W-what should I do?! What can I do…!”

Sofia Sub-priest shook my shoulder with tears welling in her eyes. I appreciated her worry, but first, I needed to solve the finger situation.

“Sofia Sub-priest! Search for the finger with the students!”

“B-but the finger….”

“Go now!”

Thud—!

In the meantime, cracks began to form in the golden wall covering the door. Suddenly, Daniel stepped forward in front of the door.

“I’ll try to strengthen the door with magic!”

Daniel moved forward, pulling something from his robe. He then placed something on the ground.

“…A wooden statue?”

It was a strange carving, resembling both a human and a beast. It was clearly a magical catalyst used often by nomads from the East and their descendants.

“Everyone, step back!”

At Daniel’s shout, the students hurriedly distanced themselves from him. Daniel then pulled out an ink bottle and dipped his finger into the red liquid inside.

“The blood of a chicken.”

As the chicken’s blood soaked into the doll, it hovered in the air and began to rapidly inflate.

In an instant, the wooden statue swelled to the size of the chapel door, slowly wrapping around the door. It clung to the chapel door in the blink of an eye, as if being absorbed by it.

“This should buy us some time!”

“Well done! Daniel!”

Buying time was good news. However, the problem was….

Splat—!

“Uh, huh…?”

The statue shattered at once. The statue had effectively been a one-time use item. The prayer-formed barrier remained.

“Find the finger! Hurry!”

“Y-yes! Understood!”

Daniel went off to search for the finger. Meanwhile, Laura, also looking for the finger, was anxiously pacing around the chapel while biting her nails.

“Where on earth could the finger be…!”

To contribute to the search for the finger, I mustered my strength into my weary legs and forced myself to stand up. My right arm felt like it was about to fall off.

“Ugh….”

I looked at the clock. The current time was 6:25 AM. There was hardly any time left.

The sky visible through the chapel windows was beginning to show glimpses of blue as the sunrise approached.

“Professor Lucio! I can’t find it anywhere!”

“Professor! It’s not here either!”

Esther and Laura approached with disappointed expressions.

“Damn… where could it possibly be…!”

Think, think….

In the shadows of the brightest spot. Shadows can only reveal themselves where light exists.

I gazed at the hole where the cross had been. The hole was still filled with darkness.

“The brightest….”

Was it not the cross that was the brightest? As my mind filled with confusion.

Through the high window of the chapel, a slender ray of sunlight sparkled.

And I saw it.

“……!”

That thin, faint beam of light illuminated the inner side of the hole perfectly.

At that moment the beam of light shined, I glimpsed fragments of the finger.

“…The brightest place. The brightest light is the grace of the heavens.”

The sun is the grace from the heavens. It nurtures grains and sheds the light of life.

The identity of the brightest light was revealed.

“Head Priest?!”

I propelled my faltering body toward the hole. I checked my watch.

It was 6:30 AM. It was time for dawn to break.

“Ah…!”

“There! The finger!”

“Oh my…!”

And, it was.

Was it magic? Or was it a miracle from God?

In that fleeting moment, as dawn began to break, a ray of early morning sunlight illuminated the hole.

A withered, blood-soaked, darkened finger revealed itself. I quickly snatched the finger.

“I got it…!”

And at that moment.

Boom—!

With a powerful tremor, the sound of banging on the door faded away. The door, which had been rotting slowly, ceased its decay.

I slowly walked toward the door, step by step. When I finally opened the chapel door, what I saw was.

“…It’s gone.”

In the distance, only the sun rising and coloring the sky in vibrant hues remained.

I dropped to my knees. Sofia Sub-priest rushed over, grabbing my left arm and shaking it while shedding tears.

“Head Priest! We did it! We defeated that demon…!”

“You’ve worked hard, Sofia Sub-priest.”

“Head, Head Priest! More than that! Are you okay? Your body?!”

“…Sofia Sub-priest.”

Sofia Sub-priest looked at me with a face full of worry. I weakly smiled.

“Please help me….”

“…Yes?”

With her confused expression, my body slowly leaned toward Sofia Sub-priest.

The last thing I saw before my vision faded to black was.

“Professor! Professor…!”

“Professor Lucio—!”

Esther and the students rushed toward me.

And the clear, transparent tears of Sofia Sub-priest.

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