This heretic cannot be burned, he must be hung up and whipped!

Even with Neos's flaming sword at his neck, Berti refused to let go. His armor had burned until it adhered to his skin, but he seemed unfazed by the pain, instead revealing a mocking smile.

"I swear by the Emperor that I will keep my word."

Neos was a little embarrassed when the devil revealed his true identity, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"Credit is bullshit!" Berti said, his voice full of sarcasm. "I swear the credibility of the emperor you mentioned is not even as good as the shreds of that bastard profiteer's soul!"

“BOOM!!!” “Ugh—!”

Before he could finish his words, Neos's sword, which was resting on Berti's neck, suddenly erupted in flames, smearing Berti's face! The bluish-white flames, like a living thing, wrapped around Berti's head and neck, crackling.

"Why are you demons always so stubborn?" Neos didn't want to continue talking nonsense with Berti in the subspace. If he delayed, something might happen. Since Sherlock had escaped, he might as well use this big demon to replace him!

Neos controlled the force and the flames, piercing Berti with his sword. Berti screamed in agony as the flames, which could even burn away the soul, eroded his flesh. His figure began to shrink, like a wax figure being roasted by fire.

“Ugh—Aaaaaaaaah!!!”

"Huh? You still have the energy to scream?" Neos raised his eyebrows slightly.

Neos increased his power, and a dazzlingly bright blue-white human-shaped torch could be seen in the shallow layer of the entire ether sea. Even in the chaos below, the coordinates could be clearly seen.

Normally, ordinary demons would be burned clean in the flames. Only those powerful beings could leave their bodies intact under Neos's intentional control. But this demon—

"I—I represent the concepts of anger and murder," Berti's voice was painful but still full of sarcasm. "You, you can't kill me! As long as your human civilization exists, the concepts of murder and anger will never disappear! Even if you burn me to ashes—"

It coughed, with a hint of pride in its voice: "I cough... cough will also be resurrected in the near future!"

"I have seen it—I have seen it all! Every one of your followers will betray you, and your most trusted and closest comrades will murder you! In death, you will be disgraced by the wrath of your people! I will wait for you in Hell, damned one!"

Berti stopped struggling, a triumphant glint in his eyes, as if he had already seen himself wreaking havoc once more after his resurrection. Seeing the demon's fearless demeanor, Neos had an idea.

"Oh—you can't die, that's great!" Neos's mouth curled up slightly, and a thought suddenly occurred to him, "You still want me to kill you and then revive you in the city? Don't worry, from now on, you will never be resurrected again!"

Berti's expression froze, and a hint of uneasiness flashed in his eyes. "Ha! Are you kidding me? Can you kill a concept? A concept that represents the inferiority of you humans?!" His voice trembled. "Hey - what are you going to do!"

Neos said nothing, controlling the flames to grab Berti and drag him towards the rift in reality. The blue-white flames formed chains, tightly wrapping around Berti's body. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.

"You—no, no!! You can't!!!"

Berti's voice suddenly changed tone, from the previous sarcasm to pure fear. The light of victory in his eyes was no longer there, replaced by deep despair.

It realized that it was about to suffer eternal torture, and wanted to mobilize all the power in its body to self-destruct on the spot. Although it would lose most of its power after resurrection, it was better than suffering eternal torture in this world!

"Pfft!"

Neos slashed down with his sword, and a scorching blue-white flame surged through the wound into Berti's body, scorching it from the inside out. Berti's screams echoed through the warp as his body twisted and deformed in the flames like a piece of crumpled paper.

Now, the brightness of the burning human-shaped torch was so bright that even Neos felt it was dazzling.

"No - please! I can tell you anything you want to know! Sherlock's whereabouts, Mammon's weakness, the secret of the seven rings of hell - anything!" Berti's voice was filled with fear and despair.

"You can't negotiate with me about something I already have."

Burning Berti, Neos dragged it into the rift leading to reality. Berti's struggles grew weaker, and only pure fear remained in its eyes.

"I won't die... but I would rather die..." Berti's wail dissipated in the warp, leaving only its pain and a few drops of demon's tears in the air. Those tears flickered in the chaotic energy of the warp and finally dissipated in the endless void.

----------

The flames of psychic energy illuminated both sides of the rift, and Neos dragged Berti back to the real world. Berti looked utterly miserable, his once majestic armor now twisted and distorted, revealing his charred skin.

"Welcome to the real world, demon," Neos said calmly, a hint of teasing in his voice.

A large number of fully armed soldiers quickly gathered outside the room, but no one dared to enter. Priest Amos stood outside the door, carefully observing the situation inside through the observation window. Seeing that Neos had returned safely, he breathed a sigh of relief and quickly opened the isolation door.

"Great! You're safe and sound! May the gods truly bless you!"

Neos nodded slightly and handed the dying Bell to several soldiers wearing special equipment. "Send it to the highest security cell."

"Yes! Commander!" The Crusaders were extremely determined to carry out orders.

"Also, have Himmler come to see me. I want to personally supervise the interrogation of this prisoner," Neos added, his eyes falling on Berti, who uttered a faint whimper.

At this moment, a messenger hurried to Neos, gave a standard military salute, and took out a carefully sealed telegram from his chest pocket.

"Respected Monsignor Neos, this is an urgent message just received from Rome, from Pope Benedict." The messenger respectfully handed the message to Neos, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Neos took the message. "Take this demon away first. I'll be there shortly."

Only after confirming that Berti was safely escorted to the cell he designed specifically for demons did Neos walk towards the office.

He sat at the table, unfolding the telegram. As he read, his brows gradually furrowed and his expression became increasingly solemn.

The telegram detailed the Pope's findings on the list of crops Neos had previously requested: sweet potatoes, corn, potatoes, cassava, sunflowers, rubber trees—

These species are virtually extinct in the known world, despite Neos's detailed descriptions. The only clues come from a Ming Dynasty expedition to the east a few years ago, which discovered plants similar to rubber trees in India and Southeast Asia.

What intrigued Neos even more was the message's mention of the discovery of "America." Ever since Pope Pius launched the space program, a few intrepid explorers had attempted to cross the Arctic Circle from northern Norway. Most were stopped by demons pouring out of the demonic portals in the north, but a few lucky enough had glimpsed the outlines of another continent.

Because communication with the East was cut off by demons, most scholars mistakenly believed that land was India (a classic remake). However, since Neos believed that this continent called "America" ​​was of great strategic value, the Catholic Church notified England to organize an exploration team to go there, even if it meant facing interception by demonic submarines.

"So they knew about America - oh, they thought it was India." Neos repeated the name softly, with a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

After reading the telegram, Neos pondered for a moment and decided to communicate directly with the Pope. The messenger immediately went to notify the telecommunications room, and soon the Pope answered the phone.

“Your Excellency,” the Pope said, his voice a little weary, “I trust that you have received the results of our investigation.”

"Yes, Your Holiness," Neos said, "I want to know more about the maritime exploration team. What achievements has the church made in its overseas exploration over the years? It can't be that all of them were stopped by demons, right?"

The Pope's voice on the other end of the line turned bitter: "I'm afraid that's the problem. We've made almost no real progress."

He sighed. "Europe's fleet is limited to begin with, and we also have to contend with the heretics' naval fleet and numerous submarines. If we mobilize a large number of warships for escort, our homeland defenses will inevitably be left vulnerable, and the heretics will likely seize the opportunity to land."

His voice was filled with helplessness: "Who would dare to use so many ships to make such a huge gamble without knowing the true value of that landmass considered 'India' on the other side?"

The Pope paused for a moment and continued, "Besides, the Strategic Prophecy Committee has been trying its best to obstruct this matter, claiming that God has not allowed humans to travel to unauthorized lands. Ultimately, our plan to explore 'America' was shelved."

After hearing this, Neos's eyes flickered with thought. He recalled the blinding blue-white flames from his battle with Berti in the Warp, and a bold plan began to form in his mind.

"Your Holiness, I have an idea." Neos' voice became firm. "We can sail through the Aether Sea and bypass the heretic fleet and submarines."

"The Aether Sea?" The Pope raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You mean sending ships through the Warp? How feasible is that?"

"In theory, it's entirely feasible," Neos explained. "We just need to protect the mortals on board and navigate properly. The laws of the Warp differ from reality, and distance can be distorted. A successful crossing could save us months or even years of sailing time."

The Pope pondered for a moment, then turned and whispered to his advisor. After a few minutes, he turned to Neos again. "My advisor told me that all we really need to do is protect the mortals on the ship and navigate it properly. But the problem is..."

"Demons." Neos took over the conversation. "The Warp is full of demons. They will attack any ship that breaks in. But it doesn't matter. No demons dare to approach the ship I'm on."

"More than that," the Pope added, "we lack the ability to navigate the Warp. Without God's guidance, the ship is likely to get lost in the sea of ​​chaos and never return to the real world."

Neos was silent for a moment, his thoughts returning to the battle with Berti, to the blue-white flame that stood out so prominently in the Warp.

"I think I have a way to solve this problem." Neos had a plan in mind. "Give me some time to prepare, and I will prove that this is possible."

"We will be waiting for your good news, Saint. May the light guide your path."

As soon as the call ended, Neos rushed to the room where Berti was imprisoned. However, before he even reached the door, a crackling sound of electricity reached his ears, accompanied by the demon's arrogant laughter.

Pushing open the heavy iron door, he frowned slightly at the sight before him—in just half an hour, Berti's charred skin had almost completely healed! The demon was pinned to a specially constructed metal chair, surrounded by Amos, Himmler, and several heavily armed interrogators.

"Speak! In the name of God—speak your true name!" Holding the Book of the Holy Word in his left hand and the eagle cross in his right, Amos poured holy water over Belti. Every time the holy water touched the demon's skin, plumes of green smoke rose, accompanied by a sizzling sound.

"Go away—mortal! Go find your mother and drink her milk!" Berti had clearly regained his composure in those few tens of minutes. Without Neos's flames scorching his body and soul, the mortals' "torture" methods had no significant effect on him.

The demon's scarlet eyes flashed with arrogance. "I am the demon that represents rage and murder! I possess the knowledge of every killer in human history. Your little tricks are just what they left behind! Haha!"

"boom!"

"Uhhhhh-!"

Amos closed the iron book filled with Neos's quotations and slapped Berti hard in the face, who was tied to the chair. This seemed to cause Berti great pain. The demon's head jerked to the side, and a deep burn mark appeared on his face, as if it had been burned by an iron.

"You - how could you have - this is the cursed one -" Berti's voice trembled for the first time, and a trace of fear flashed in his eyes.

"In the name of Neos, the Lord of Mankind! Tell me your true name!" Amos slapped Belti's face several more times. Every time the book touched the demon's skin, it would make a burning sound and leave deep marks.

“No—I…I can’t possibly tell you anything— OOO ...

Himmler impatiently turned the current controller to its maximum. The demon's body instantly tensed, veins bulging, but he still showed no sign of compromise. Himmler shook his head and said to the soldiers around him, "No, direct current won't work. Go get Dr. Tesla!"

"No, let me do it."

Neos' voice broke the deadlock in the cell. Everyone immediately turned and saluted, and deep fear flashed in the demon's eyes.

"You - what are you going to do?!" Belti no longer had the arrogance and arrogance he had just shown when facing the mortal, and his voice was filled with fear.

Neos said nothing, but just signaled everyone to step back.

He took out a special knife and began to draw intricate patterns on the ground around Berti's chair. Sometimes he would cut his finger and let the pale golden blood drip onto the specific patterns, making them shimmer with a faint golden light.

Amos and the others stood quietly by, observing Neos's work with curiosity and awe. No one disturbed the Lord of Humanity. The only sounds in the room were the scraping of blades and Berti's nervous breathing.

"Clap!"

After finishing his work, Neos clapped his hands and looked at the complicated magic circle on the ground with satisfaction. He casually lit a ball of his signature blue and white flame and gently threw it onto the chair.

"boom!"

With astonishing speed, the flames instantly enveloped Berti and spread, burning fiercely along the lines of the ground. The blue-white flames danced like a living thing, forming a perfect circle that trapped Berti firmly in the center.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Berti howled in the flames, a sound unlike any human could make. Neos, annoyed by the noise, fished a few eagles and crosses from Amos's pocket to use as nails, and using the iron-bound "Divine Word" as a hammer, he began to nail Berti to the seat.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

First, the hands, then the feet, thighs, neck, chest... The eagle cross, believed by the Ninth Army to represent Neos, pierced the demon's flesh with a hissing sound, like a red-hot iron falling into icy water. Even its head was driven into a nail. With its throat nailed shut, Berti was unable to speak, only gasping for air, his eyes filled with pure pain and despair.

Neos watched the scene with satisfaction, extending his hand and drawing an arc in the air. A rift appeared in real space, leading to the subspace. Neos approached the rift and observed it carefully:

"Yeah, it's bright."

Through the rift, he could clearly see that Berti's essence in the Warp was burning fiercely with blue-white flames, emitting a dazzling light like a supernova. That light seemed particularly bright in the chaos of the Warp, like a beacon in the dark night.

"This brightness can definitely be used for navigation." Neos' eyes flashed with satisfaction.

However, as time passed, even the demon, representing the concepts of rage and murder, could not withstand such a fierce burning. As Berti's essence was gradually consumed, the light of this living "navigation beacon" began to dim.

Neos turned to the soldiers behind him and said, "From now on, sacrifices must be made to this magic circle every day. We don't need living people or mortal objects. Anything with the aura of hell can be placed here for sacrifice."

His eyes scanned everyone present, making sure they understood the importance of this order, "First, pull a demon over here so I can demonstrate it to you! From now on, when you perform sacrifices, you must have Dominica or Luce present. They can calm things down."

Several heavily armed Crusaders immediately tossed a weaker demon from the adjacent cell into the magic circle like a dead dog. Blue-white flames quickly spread across the demon, and it barely managed to let out a scream before being reduced to ash. Incredibly, a dark red aura of hell was forced out by the magic circle, slithering like a snake before finally being driven into Berti's body.

At this moment, the essence of Belthia space became bright again, the flames burned more violently, and the light emitted in the subspace was almost comparable to that of a star.

"From now on, you will burn a hundred heretics, or demons, on this big torch every day. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" Everyone present responded in unison.

Neos nodded with satisfaction, closed the cell door, and immediately called the Pope: "Okay, now that the navigation problem has been solved, when will the ship set sail?"

"So fast?!" Pope Benedict's voice was full of surprise, and he quickly asked the psychic beside him to confirm what Neos said.

The psychic closed his eyes and connected to the warp to observe the situation. However, when he opened his eyes, he was almost blinded by the blazing humanoid torch: "Bright! Too damn bright! Just like the sun!!"

"Then let's call it the Astronomican." Neos said calmly, as if he had just completed an ordinary job.

The Pope was silent for a moment, as if pondering the significance of all this. "Astronaut... is indeed a fitting name," his voice tinged with a hint of awe. "Then I will immediately notify England's fleet to prepare. We must select the appropriate ships and crews, ensuring they can withstand the pressures of Warp navigation."

"Very good," Neos replied, "I'll lead the team myself this time. Let's see which foolish demon dares to board the ship!"

PS: 260 votes, next update starts at 4.5k... (refresh in five minutes, add some pictures)

"Alchemical Principles of Type-Moon World"

Current progress: Fourth War (manned space flight) → Original Millennium Holy Grail War (historical choice precondition) → South American Amazon (the impact of aliens on the earth's ecology) → Clock Tower (development of own power)

After Xing Qingqiu lost a fierce karate match with Nitou Car, he woke up and found himself traveling to the Type-Moon world. There he met a Servant who called himself the Messiah.

——Why would a Servant like you who calls yourself the Messiah be a science major?

Why would anyone leave the Holy Grail War behind and go to the moon?

Studying the nature of the soul... Wait, let me do it? I'll deal with cutting-edge issues? Okay, I'll win!

"It is precisely because I cannot touch them that they sparkle and make my heart beat." Xing Qingqi, who had just returned to Earth from low-Earth orbit, said, "In the past, I could not touch them even if I wanted to. Now that I can touch them, they are still shining."

“I have a future I want to touch, a world I want to change, and ideals I want to achieve.”