The Demon's True Name... Who Goes There?!

"Tossing objects from high places really shows a lack of civic virtue, doesn't it?" As the newly minted Principal, the conscientious and dutiful Bai Zhou could hardly ignore an act that destroyed public property and shattered windows. He rushed to the sinister scene of the crime at the very first moment. "I'll let the fine slide, but I must confiscate the weapon used in the act!" Talking to himself, Bai Zhou tentatively reached out toward the greatbow lying on the ground. Before actually touching it, he had performed a simple ritual to divine whether picking up this bow posed any risk to him. Only a short while ago, while hiding in the teaching building and watching the assault of the Iron Thorn squad, Bai Zhou had lamented his lack of a ranged weapon, enviously recalling the ballista mounted on the walls of Rome. He had never imagined that, in the blink of an eye, a greatbow would come flying from the heavens, now resting right beside his feet. Although Deputy Director Liu's performance against the demon had been somewhat difficult to praise, Bai Zhou had certainly not forgotten the awe-inspiring might with which he had drawn that greatbow and pierced the former Principal's chest with a single arrow, let alone his earlier aura like a Thunder God descending to earth. "Does really nobody want this anymore?" Bai Zhou's fingertips made contact with the archaic, austere bow, his heart thumping wildly against his ribs. "If nobody wants it, then I'm officially confiscating it—" *** On the other side. Deputy Director Liu had been swatted away, but the demon had not halted its advance. The rumbling concussions left everyone present looking around in bewilderment. If even Deputy Director Liu, their strongest, had been so utterly fragile, what could the rest of them possibly do? *Whoosh—* A chilly gale suddenly rose, and snowflakes drifted around the Sword of Winter. The plummeting temperature forced the others to step back. His face was devoid of expression, but his current mood seemed even colder than the Ice Soul Greatsword in his hand. Even so, he continued to stride forward at a steady pace. With every step, the ground beneath his feet crunched as if he were treading on thin ice, his silhouette placing itself directly before the crowd. Whether he stood a chance of winning was one thing. Whether he had the resolve to step up was entirely another. Deputy Director Liu, the former strongest among them, had already fallen. Then, as the current strongest on the field, he was duty-bound to stand at the fore. No matter how powerful the adversary, he had to swing his sword at least once before all else— *Thud! Thud!* Heavy footsteps echoed. A man clad in thick, heavy armor silently took up a position beside the Sword of Winter, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. With a heavy thud, the Rusted Silver Knight thrust his greatsword into the earth, then drew a Black Box from his chest and set it down before him. "Frankly speaking, I've never cared much for your daily swagger and insufferable posturing." Slowly opening the Black Box to reveal a figure statue twenty or thirty centimeters tall inside, the Rusted Silver Knight spoke in a low, gruff voice without turning his head: "So, even at a time like this, don't think you get to hog the spotlight all by yourself." The Sword of Winter remained silent and did not speak, seemingly keeping his full attention fixed on the approaching mountain of flesh, yet a subtle ripple stirred within his otherwise icy gaze. "Fatty, wait a second!" Emerald Flame called out in warning to the Rusted Silver Knight, the high heels beneath her feet tapping lightly on the ground. "That is 'E-4577, Cursed Knight Figurine'! If you keep using that Black Box, the organization won't even have to wait for this incident to subside—they'll have to expend their energy taking you down first! "So... let me try first." She stepped between the two men, then turned her gaze toward the anxious, uneasy crowd wearing various shades of distress, and spoke in a soothing tone: "I once attended an academic symposium where a Monk from the Vatican shared Vatican exorcism techniques and taught everyone a ritual designed specifically to counter demons. "This ritual is derived from the *Roman Ritual* and is required study for Vatican Monks. Perhaps it might prove effective!" Emerald Flame's words caused the morale of the crowd to lift slightly. "The Vatican?" "An exorcism—" When it came to dealing with mysterious entities like demons, the Vatican was unquestionably the preeminent authority. After all, they had built their legacy upon it and had established numerous institutions specifically for that purpose. And the pathway corresponding to the Monk was a Destiny Sequence firmly held by the Vatican—one whose lineage had never been broken! It was precisely for this reason that the Cross Religion factions led by the Vatican had always held the most orthodox and formidable core position among the various branches of the Cross Religion. *Exhale—* Holding her breath and focusing her mind, Emerald Flame composed herself in silence. She traced the sign of the cross across her chest and even produced a silver crucifix from her garments. A Titled Extraordinary proficient in rituals like her rarely held genuine devout faith, yet at the same time, she placed a modicum of belief in almost everything. Keeping the symbolic implements of various faiths on hand was commonplace for her; whenever necessary, she could always produce the appropriate devotional object required for a corresponding ritual. After tracing the cross thrice over her forehead, lips, and chest, Emerald Flame brought the silver crucifix close to her lips, softly reciting incantations under her breath. *Hum!* No one knew what words she was chanting, but the silver crucifix began to vibrate. "In the name of the Light, this ground is sanctified." She murmured softly. Behind her, emerald flames and rampant vines grew wildly across the earth, twisting across the ground into mysterious, occult glyphs. The flickering firelight fell across the earth like brandished claws and fangs. Finally, Emerald Flame raised her head, looking from afar toward the utterly blasphemous Inverted Maiden at the center of that flesh-and-blood high-rise. Pressing the silver crucifix against the center of her brow, she let out a low cry, her solemn voice carrying far and wide: "In the name of God! "By the power of the Holy Name, *Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh*— "In the name of Jehovah, the Most High over all the earth, the Creator, and by the authority of YHWH, the Almighty, I command you— "Unclean spirit, speak your true name! You are not permitted to dwell here!" Hearing this, both the Sword of Winter and the Rusted Silver Knight could not help but show looks of sudden understanding. Even Bai Zhou, concealed within the fog, tilted his head slightly, wearing a thoughtful expression. *A true name—* Crow had previously spoken to Bai Zhou about this concept. It seemed that the true name was indeed the core foundation of the ritual Emerald Flame was conducting. This was an entirely logical approach; the vast majority of exorcism rituals within the Cross Religion revolved around finding every conceivable way to uncover a demon's true name. Just as the Major had been able to use the bronze compass to pinpoint Bai Zhou's location with only his name and photograph—in the mystical world, a "name" had always carried extraordinary significance! Crow had once said that in both the Eastern and Western Federations, an occult cultural belief had persisted since ancient times: people believed that whether dealing with humans, deities, or specters and monsters, as long as one knew the target's true name, one could employ extraordinary rituals to control or curse them. Erudite occult scholars studying history had once proposed that perhaps the shortest curse in this world was simply a name! When mentioning this, Crow had also given an example, saying he knew a simple miniature ritual that could neutralize snake venom—and the underlying principle of the ritual was to deceive the snake by claiming, "I know your name," thereby intimidating the venom into losing its efficacy. A true name, however, was something far more singular than an ordinary name. People believed that a true name was the pivotal essence of an existence, housing its true power; to master its true name was to master the entity itself. If an ordinary name was a kind of "coordinate," then for mortals, such coordinates carried a very high chance of overlap. Thus, during covert spellcasting, additional beacons were required to accurately guide the magic to the target—such as hair, fingernails, or flesh and blood. Sharing the same name or possessing homophonic variations could cause covert spellcasting to fail. Furthermore, if someone happened to bear a name like "The World" or "The Emperor," the fate of the person casting the curse would inevitably be horrific! Therefore, mortal names inherently possessed a natural degree of self-protection, and a mere name alone did not permit someone to achieve too much—yet a true name was entirely different. Across numerous mythologies, not even the true name of the Lord God Jehovah was known to mortals, and even true Allah possessed ninety-nine honorific titles to shroud His true name. In the ancient Eastern Federation, illustrated compendiums had once been compiled in hopes of recording the true names of demons and spirits lurking in mountains, rivers, and great marshes, allowing ordinary people to avert their harm. —And this was all the more true for demons! Setting aside lesser monsters completely devoid of sapience, high-ranking demons did not share the high degree of homogenization found among mortal individuals. Every single demon harbored a secret, unrevealed, and unique true name. From the moment of their birth, they were endowed by destiny with a true name based on their myriad individual traits. It was akin to an exclusive serial number assigned to a soul within the universe, possessing absolute inevitability and singularity. Even if Bai Zhou were to transform into a demon on the spot right now, the instant he became one, he would acquire a "true name" known only to himself, shaped by his demonic attributes. These lengthy, cumbersome true names often contained the fundamental essence of a demon. Once obtained by another, various weaknesses could be deciphered from them, and rituals could even directly strike at the true name itself. —Like lifting a cat by the scruff of its neck. A demon's true name was an incomprehensible, intricate, alien script that could never be fully grasped by mortals, not even by the most erudite of occult scholars. Yet mortals who learned these true names could derive unimaginable power from them; a mortal with a sufficiently steadfast willpower could even banish a demon through this knowledge! Crow had also mentioned a rumor of unverified truth back then: an ancient Extraordinary, a demonologist who had once danced with demons—the fallen Emperor King Solomon—had left behind a forbidden tome. That forbidden tome had recorded the true names of numerous demons, allowing mortals to banish them or even enslave and command them through its pages— While only the most supreme demons feared no subjugation by other beings, neither concealing their true names nor caring if the world knew their titles, the demon before them surely had not attained such a terrifying caliber! *As expected of a Titled Extraordinary!* Borrowing his authority as Principal and his bird's-eye perspective to look straight through the white fog, Bai Zhou peered eagerly through the window of the distant teaching building. *If she can learn the demon's true name—* *Perhaps this whole crisis can reach a happy and triumphant conclusion without me having to lift a finger!* Taking a deep breath, Bai Zhou unconsciously tightened his grip on the thunder bow he had just picked up. A numb, tingling sensation pulsed into his arm, making the hand grasping the bow feel as though it were receiving a continuous massage. *Rumble—* Confronted by the ritual conducted by Emerald Flame, the footsteps of the flesh-and-blood high-rise abruptly ground to a halt. Tentacles squirmed faintly, and jointed limbs stood still. These grotesque amalgams formed from clustered severed arms writhed on the spot in defiance of all reason, each sway rippling out a shockwave of gory turbulence in the air. Hundreds upon thousands of indistinct, low growls echoed continuously from within the flesh-and-blood building, forming the ambient background noise carried by its presence. "...—" The inverted demon seemed to fall silent. It made no sound for a long time, as though pondering something, or perhaps wary of something. "It's working!" "It's actually working!" The spirits of everyone present surged with hope. Striking while the iron was hot, Emerald Flame chanted the invocation once more. At that moment, the emerald runes formed by the coiling vines beneath her feet flared with light one after another. Rather than speaking words, it sounded far more like reciting an ancient incantation. The rhythmic cadences falling from Emerald Flame's lips differed entirely from ordinary pronunciation, each syllable seeming to resonate with archaic power: "By the power of the Holy Name, *Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh*— "Unclean thing, declare your true name!" After a brief pause, the inverted maiden abruptly spoke. That voice was like the macroscopic aggregation of countless consciousnesses, extraordinarily clamorous yet incomparably hollow and ethereal. Though the syllables were intensely obscure and completely beyond the vocal capabilities of human organs, they resonated directly within the depths of everyone's minds. The meaning behind the words was received and understood with absolute clarity by every person, as though the inverted demon had forcibly crammed the information straight into their brains: "Such a repulsive ritual—" "Unfortunately for you, I am a new-generation demon." "Unlike those foolish predecessors of mine, I have never signed a pact with Solomon, nor have I ever signed a contract with Jesus—" The inverted maiden seemed to flash a sudden, brilliant smile. "Therefore, I may refuse to answer!" Even as it smiled, the tender pink chunks of flesh pulsating like hearts around it bloomed at the very same moment like pink peach blossoms, revealing dense clusters of human faces one after another. Those horrifying faces came in varying shapes and sizes, clumsily attempting to mimic human contours. Human faces and peach blossoms, reflecting crimson upon crimson! Yet this ostensibly dazzling spectacle sent chills down the spine of every observer, freezing dread surging straight from their backs into their brains. "I know what you are trying to do." "However, I can tell you that this is my first visit to the physical universe. You will not be able to find any records concerning me, so you need not wrack your brains in that regard." The inverted maiden continued, "Where I come from, other entities generally refer to me as—" "The School Demon!" *The School Demon?!* Hearing those words, every heart sank like lead. The glimmer of hope that had just surfaced plummeted into a bottomless abyss in the blink of an eye. *It's over!* The demon had rejected the ritual, refusing to surrender its true name. An outcome far worse than a mere failed ritual had emerged— That inverted maiden was no ordinary demon; she was a named demon who possessed an "honorific name"! What kind of havoc such a demon, invading the physical universe for the first time while humans knew nothing about her, could unleash was something nobody could even fathom— *Rumble!* The demon moved once more. Tentacles squirmed, and the building surged forward. The mountainous Red Spider seemed intent on crushing everyone into mincemeat, assimilating them into the grand embrace of the mountain of flesh. "How could this be—" Emerald Flame turned deathly pale. The runes behind her still flickered and glowed, yet they now framed her like a ridiculous, pathetic clown. She stood frozen in place, seemingly unable to recover her senses for a long time. "You did your best. It's just unfortunate that this one is an exceptional case." With a faint sigh, the Rusted Silver Knight patted Emerald Flame's shoulder, then turned to meet the eyes of the Sword of Winter. Their gazes locked, both reading the resolute determination to fight to the death in the other's eyes. "Next up—" Right at that moment. *Rumble!* Abruptly, the flesh-and-blood high-rise halted once again. The inverted maiden slowly lifted her ghastly pale eyes, turning her head toward a certain direction deep within the mist. She stared into the distance for a long time, as though wary of something. "What is it?" "What's happening over there—?" Everyone exchanged bewildered glances and followed her gaze. Equally baffled, the Sword of Winter and the Rusted Silver Knight did not dare turn their heads; they kept their gazes locked onto the stationary flesh-and-blood high-rise not far away, terrified that the enemy was preparing some new trick. Until— *Tap!* Footsteps echoed through the mist. A figure carrying a greatbow slowly emerged from the fog. Faintly, the rumbling thunderclap familiar to all echoed from deep within the mist, harmonizing eerily with the hazy, grayish-white fog. "D-Director Liu?!" Cries of astonishment erupted from the crowd. One wielding a thunder bow could be none other than Deputy Director Liu! Since he had returned at this critical juncture, he surely had devised a countermeasure, or perhaps brought new reinforcements. *Thank heavens, Deputy Director Liu is back! We're saved!* *Clack! Clack! Clack!* The footsteps drew nearer. The figure within the mist grew increasingly distinct. —More accurately, the mist parted of its own accord upon meeting the approaching figure. Like Moses parting the sea, wherever that person walked, the hazy, grayish-white mist split toward both sides, congregating along his flanks like bowing subjects. The figure of the newcomer met everyone's vision. The voices of the crowd ceased abruptly. Once they clearly discerned the newcomer's figure, the eyes of these Extraordinaries gradually glazed over. A blue-and-white school uniform, and a strip of black cloth masking his face. The figure shuffling forward at an unhurried pace felt both familiar and alien to everyone. The greatbow in his hand crackled from time to time with arcs of eerie blue lightning, sending out rumbles of thunder that struck terror into their hearts. "Is that—?" Seeing the newcomer clearly, Number 9, the Explorer girl in the crowd, suddenly went pale. In total shock and disbelief, she blurted out: "—Why is it Senior Zhou?!" At the moment of their deepest despair. The suspected mastermind boss of Yuanmeng Middle School who had inherited the Principal's mantle— Senior Zhou had arrived!