A blinding blood-red light flashed in the sky, and a heavy atmosphere permeated every corner.
Everyone present felt as if a sword was hanging overhead, ready to fall at any moment. However, the devout believers were not alarmed; instead, they became even more frenzied.
This is a miracle of the True God descending!
As the light gradually faded, the crowd, filled with trepidation and curiosity, slowly raised their heads. Some even secretly turned on their phone cameras, eager to catch a glimpse of the True God's face.
Such a rare and precious event should surely not be condemned by a merciful and forgiving God for the offense of an ignorant believer.
However, when they faced the True God for the first time, they were stunned. This so-called God was neither as majestic and solemn as they had imagined, nor as merciful and holy as they had imagined. Instead, he was a blood-red figure hanging upside down on a cross, his eyes coldly staring at everyone.
It doesn't look like a proper deity at all; it looks more like... a demon!
The thought had barely formed in the believer's mind when he forcibly suppressed it, hastily apologizing in his heart and constantly reassuring himself, "This is the True God, an existence that mortals cannot comprehend."
Devout believers are deceiving themselves, but wise believers have already seen through it all. Since this "god" has appeared in Pentecost, even if He is not the god they believe in, He must be now!
Rather than a cold, lifeless idol that will never respond, the Holy See needs a real, existing God!
The essence of faith is the projection of desire. The Pope and the cardinals looked at the slightly sinister figure in the sky, their hearts filled with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, constantly weighing the gains and losses.
They then remembered that the image of the god before them was exactly the same as the image described by a heretic not long ago, and that heretic had been imprisoned in the Inquisition.
The Pope suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, a coldness inexplicably rising in his heart. He glanced around discreetly and saw that all the cardinals were looking at him with the eyes of someone looking at a dead man.
As the Pope, he's certainly not stupid; he realized almost instantly that this was a way to push himself out and take the blame!
If the Holy See acknowledges the Hanged Man in the sky as the True God, then their previous condemnation of that heretic was a grave act of disrespect. Who knows if this God will hold a grudge?
Therefore, someone must take on this responsibility. God may not care about this offense, but the Holy See must make a statement.
This supreme honor of selflessness can only be bestowed upon the current Pope.
Having figured everything out, the Pope resignedly closed his eyes. In this situation, the Holy See absolutely dared not deny or defy the Blood-Red Hanged Man in the sky. They had no power to contend with him, so they could only acknowledge him as a god.
And he, the pope, was a victim.
There is no shortage of fanatical believers in this world who are willing to give up everything for their faith, but they are ultimately a minority. Most believers are just like ordinary people, pursuing profit and cherishing life.
Moreover... the Pope glanced at the crowd around him, and those who usually acted like fanatics were now extremely respectful.
Many people noticed that something was wrong with the "god" in the sky, but no one dared to say it aloud.
After a long while, seeing that the True God remained suspended in the air without making any move, an eerie silence quickly spread. The crowd looked at each other, not knowing what was going on, and began to imagine all sorts of things. They became increasingly frightened, fearing that the True God would become angry.
A priest quietly approached the cardinal in charge of the Inquisition and whispered, "Go and fetch Bishop Carlos!"
The bishop in charge of the Inquisition immediately realized what was happening, and quietly took out his phone to send a message.
Soon, a slightly disheveled middle-aged man rushed over, his face filled with excitement, the mark on his forehead glowing slightly red, and he knelt down devoutly to worship the True God.
The scene was exactly the same as what he had seen in his dream, and Carlos was so excited that he trembled all over!
However, Carlos's arrival did not cause any change in the True God in the sky; He remained completely still.
Carlos also seemed very nervous about this. Thinking of his bright future that was within his grasp, he gritted his teeth, slowly stood up, walked to the choir stage at the celebration, and picked up the megaphone.
To achieve great things, taking risks is essential. If you succeed, all will be well; if you fail...
No, he cannot fail!
Since he was the first person to encounter this True God in a dream, the True God will surely choose to protect him!
With this belief in mind, Carlos spoke firmly amidst the doubtful and apprehensive gazes of the Holy See's high-ranking officials:
"We mortals are all burdened with sin, having forgotten the true face of our Lord; this is the greatest sin of disrespect!"
After saying this, Carlos saw that the True God did not respond with any dissatisfaction, and he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his gamble had paid off. He then continued:
"Today, not only have some forgotten God's teachings, but they have even imprisoned God's Executor walk among men. This is blasphemy against God. Those burdened with sin should be cleansed by the holy fire. Before, the Son of God willingly died to bear the sins of the world; now it is time for the Holy See to prove itself to the True God!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Carlos turned his gaze to a white-haired old man dressed in the most magnificent attire behind him.
"Current Pope Mario, you are guilty. You shall be burned at the stake to purify your filthy soul and prove your loyalty to God!"
"Shut up, Carlos! Stop spouting nonsense! As the Pope, I am the true Executor of God on earth. Even if you have heard divine pronouncements, you have no right to judge me!"
The Pope's face flushed red, and he spoke with a firm and forceful voice, while glancing around, hoping to gain the support of the other bishops.
He could accept being ousted as a sacrifice, and even without becoming pope, his wealth was enough to ensure a comfortable and worry-free life for the rest of his days.
But Carlos was going to burn him alive, and he absolutely did not want to die!
The high-ranking members of the Holy See exchanged glances, none of them willing to be the first to speak. After all, one was the Pope, and the other was the person who had first come into contact with the True God; offending either of them would be unwise.
After a long silence, an elderly priest with a full head of white hair finally broke the deadlock. He looked at the Pope with a compassionate expression. "Pope Mario was, after all, God's supreme Executor on earth..."
Upon hearing this, the Pope was overjoyed, but this joy lasted for less than two seconds before the old priest finished speaking.
"Therefore, we should use the highest-ranking sacred fire to cleanse the Pope's sinful soul, so as not to betray the mercy of the True God!"
As soon as he finished speaking, someone started clapping. Amidst the thunderous applause, Pope Mario almost coughed up blood. He looked at everyone present with disbelief, but saw only smiles and satisfaction on their faces, as if accepting the baptism of the sacred fire was such a great and noble thing.
"That makes sense. Guards, come here!"
At the command of a cardinal, a group of paladins who had been standing guard beside the celebration quickly rose and came over.
"Arrest Mario immediately and offer the sacred fire as a sacrifice to the True God!"
Without a word, the paladin immediately restricted Pope Mario's movements.
Mario went completely berserk, yelling and screaming, but his voice was drowned out by the applause around him. Everyone seemed to be filled with joy and happiness, especially Carlos, who was happier than anyone else present.
Carlos watched the Pope being dragged away, his smile undisguised. "Gag him. Don't let him disturb the True God. To be bathed in the holy fire of the True God is an honor; he shouldn't be making such a racket. It's undignified."
Many people couldn't bear to look at the cross that was quickly erected and Pope Mario, who was tied upside down to the cross to please the True God.
Are they really going to burn a living person alive in public?
The fanatics' faces showed anticipation, ordinary believers questioned their own faith, and tourists only found it absurd.
Tsk~, the more I look at it, the more it resembles an evil god.
Everyone seems to have gone mad!
Just then, the elderly priest who had been the first to speak in support of burning Pope Mario spoke again:
"According to the Bible, when the Son of God descended to earth, he bore all the sins of the world with his own body, bringing the light of love to all living beings. Now that True God has turned his gaze upon us again, we should respond with sacraments. Bishop Carlos, as one of the first people True God came into contact with upon His return to earth, you are worthy of being called the Son of God. We urge you to set an example, once again bear the sins, and offer the most sincere congratulations to True God!"
Upon hearing this, Carlos was completely stunned, his eyes fixed on the old man.
The old priest, however, showed no fear, a mocking smile playing on his lips. If Carlos dared to scheme against the Pope, others would naturally dare to scheme against him as well.
An outsider bishop, attempting to wreak havoc in the Holy See Headquarters, cruelly murdered the Pope and was poised to seize power. If he cannot be eliminated in one righteous manner, Carlos will likely use various methods to eliminate all the Holy See elders!
After the old priest finished speaking, seeing that the True God in the sky showed no reaction, he grew bolder and said with a sincere expression:
"Your Majesty Carlos, rest assured, we will forever remember your sacrifice. Death is only temporary; you will surely be reborn in the divine kingdom like Jesus. For the sake of all living beings, we respectfully request Your Majesty Carlos to ascend to heaven!"
"May His Majesty Carlos ascend to heaven!"
"Farewell, Carlos, as you ascend to heaven!"
All the cardinals present echoed the same words, and the priests and pastors close to them also shouted. The surrounding believers, unaware of what was going on, were also infected by the emotions and inexplicably shouted out loud as well.
"No, you can't do this to me! I am the True God's Executor on earth! I cannot die!" Carlos cried out in terror.
Unfortunately, his voice was drowned out by the roar of the surrounding believers; his plan failed, and the god he believed in did not lend a helping hand.
Unable to dissuade the crowd, Carlos was quickly tied upside down to another cross, next to Pope Mario, who was also bound.
A flicker of schadenfreude flashed in Mario's eyes, but it quickly turned into sorrow. His gaze shifted to the Hanged Man in the sky, and at that moment he only hoped that a divine kingdom truly existed, and that he could ascend to heaven after his death.
Carlos was still shouting and yelling when the old priest coldly ordered, "Shut Carlos's mouth. Don't let him disturb the True God. It is an honor to sacrifice for the True God. He shouldn't be making such a fuss. It's undignified."
The exact same words broke Carlos's resolve. Faced with death, his faith was wiped out in an instant, leaving only resentment.
"Welcome the True God to descend to earth once more, and offer the most sublime gifts to the True God!"
The old priest shouted, passing by a group of cardinals and high-ranking officials of the Holy See, picked up the scepter symbolizing the Pope's power, and raised it high.
A scorching flame burned fiercely to his right, and Pope Mario struggled in agony amidst the firelight.
On the left, Carlos was nailed to the cross, groaning as he slowly lost his life.
This cruel and inhumane scene, however, drew cheers from the believers present.
Whether it's genuine or feigned, everyone must laugh and praise the True God.
Amidst the anticipation of countless people, the Blood-Red Hanged Man in the sky finally responded, its eyes emitting an eerie light, and its mouth opening to utter a few words that ordinary people could not understand.
Then, several beams of blood splattered from the cross behind Him, disappearing into the bodies of several fanatical believers and Holy See personnel below.
It was as if a true deity had bestowed a divine gift, after which the Hanged Man slowly disappeared, the blood-red color gradually faded, and the sky returned to its azure blue.
The original Pope Mario had been burned to a crisp, but from his charred face, one could still see that he was looking up at the sky with a longing expression until his death.
Carlos, who called himself the Executor, also bled to death, but before he died, all that remained on his face was endless resentment.
But at times like this, nobody cares about their deaths. The Holy See's high-ranking officials shout "Follow the divine decree!" even though they don't understand a word.
After a long while, everyone dared to stand up, then looked at each other, exchanging silent glances, their faces filled with ecstatic joy.
They all felt the power surging within them, tinged with a chilling and ominous aura. With a thought, red mist erupted, swirling around them like Holy Light.
Although they felt a little uncomfortable while manipulating the blood mist, and although their living instincts kept warning them, this was a power bestowed upon them by the True God, and there would absolutely be no problem!
None of that matters. The most outrageous thing is that old priest who, with just a few words, got the former pope and Carlos killed.
At this moment, the old priest held up the scepter symbolizing the papacy's power. The jewels on the scepter emitted a golden and red light. The old priest's face regained its youth at a speed visible to the naked eye. His wrinkles disappeared, his white hair turned black, his bald hairline was covered with hair, and his figure became straight and well-proportioned again, which was simply the envy of everyone.
Feeling the surge of power within him, and looking at his hands, now smooth and firm again, the usually composed priest couldn't help but smile and loudly praise the True God.
Regardless of his previous thoughts and calculations, at this moment, his praise was absolutely sincere and genuine.