The Great Demon Holmes

Sherlock's expression finally lost some of its frivolity.

He quieted down and carefully observed the grotesque abyssal creature crawling out of the crack.

Although covenanters were no longer scarce in these times, given the vast number of followers in the church, second-stage covenanters were still rare. So witnessing a second-stage covenant summoning their covenant demon was even rarer.

Different from the High Priest's covenant demon, what Bader summoned was a creature that was difficult to describe.

If one were to attempt a description, it would be a combination of an insect and a buffalo. Its skin was covered in black-red scales that hung in folds. On the head, adorned with numerous antennae, there were traces of degenerated eyes, swaying as if inebriated. At the front, it had a nauseating mouthpiece, with enormous fangs protruding from it, accompanied by sizzling mucous.

Moreover, its size was somewhat exaggerated, easily twice as large as the spider, making the entire room feel cramped upon its appearance.

"Murdering a loved one should be met with divine punishment," Catherine said, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she watched the covenant creature crawl out of the crack.

Minister Bader remained expressionless...

But suddenly, he burst into laughter with a "splat" sound!

Sherlock was taken aback. He had thought that this stoic minister was genetically incapable of "laughing."

It seemed that Minister Bader was not particularly skilled at laughing, as his rigid muscles made the expression appear especially sinister: "Don't make it sound so noble. Karin was unfaithful to me, and she deserved to die. It can hardly be considered killing a loved one."

"But in the past few months, you have also brutally murdered over a dozen imperial citizens..."

"They were all impure individuals and deserved to be punished."

"Who should live and who should die is a matter for the Judicature, not you as a minister, to decide. You have abused your power..."

Minister Bader shook his head, seemingly unwilling to argue about this pointless topic any further.

He knew all too well what would happen next. With that impure woman dead, the Church would never spare him.

Although it seemed somewhat unwise to execute a second-stage covenanter over a woman, rationality aside, once the rules were violated, there was only one path: death.

After all... the Church was sacred and inviolable.

Just then...

*Cough* *Cough*

Sherlock suddenly coughed lightly twice.

"Um... I apologize for interrupting your conversation, but... this is my apartment, or rather, a rented one, so could you...?"

He had wanted to say, "Could you take your fight outside?"

But immediately, he saw the Minister's eyes filled with an overwhelming intent to kill!!!

"Okay, it seems there's no room for negotiation on this matter," Sherlock muttered somewhat regretfully.

While Sherlock could be considered the main culprit for pushing Minister Bader into this predicament, he acted as if he were a poor innocent victim:

"Well then, please continue your conversation. I won't disturb you any longer."

His tone even carried a hint of apology. Then, he turned around, leaped out the window, and disappeared into the night!

A detective's duty was to figure out who the murderer was, but apprehending the killer was a matter he decided not to get involved in this time.

...

Outside the window, the night wind howled, and the few hard-earned stars were veiled by dark clouds. The air became chilly and damp.

Sherlock actually wanted to witness a confrontation between high-level covenanters, but the room was too cramped. If he stayed to watch, his chances of survival would be slim.

Landing lightly on the ground, surrounded by silence, it seemed as though the small rented apartment could no longer contain the tension between the three ecclesiastical officials. The suffocating pressure began to spread throughout the entire street.

And in this chilly night wind, the damp air, and the immense pressure intermingling... in the dark corners of the street, where the gas lamps couldn't reach...

A heavy steam-powered exoskeleton slowly emerged.

Followed by three, five...

Ten, twenty...

Thirty, forty!!!

More and more, until they obstructed each other, making it impossible to accurately count their numbers.

These exoskeletons were painted dark blue, and intricate sunflower motifs on their shoulders reflected the dim glow of the street lamps. They bore the emblem of the Templar Knights.

Thus, in this damp night, clashes between steel and the hissing steam began, accompanied by the roaring of the machines...

It was difficult to imagine that such a quiet street harbored so many people. As the heavy machines were transported, not a single unusual sound was emitted. And that was not all. Looking at the buildings on both sides of the street, one would find that at this moment, almost every window in the night suddenly lit up, followed by the sound of chaotic footsteps growing louder, mingling with the roar of the steam.

A large number of law enforcement personnel seemed to emerge from nowhere, swiftly evacuating the nearby residents.

Every street exit was sealed off, giant steel gates erected, and two Zeppelin airships slowly extended their massive bodies overhead. Countless lights slanted down, casting a pale hue over the night.

For commoners in the lower district, this show of force was overwhelming, let alone the fact that each Templar soldier clad in steam-powered exoskeletons watched the inconspicuous second-floor window with unwavering solemnity, filling the air with an impending sense of gravity and reverence.

At that moment, Sherlock also watched his apartment with great nervousness:

"These clueless fellows better not tear down this building... It was so difficult to find such a cheap rental..."