ladyjlb's manga / #demon(21)

Read ch 85 as of 09/01/22 - (ch 53 same as 54) - ML is Father Philip Louis, an apostle priest. He has the stigmata (since he was a child) and performs exorcisms. He reads the names of the demons to cast them out. - Apostles’ Council including Bartholomew / Nathaniel O’Neill (wealthy philanthropist), Simon Moore the Zealot (tabloid reporter), John the Revelator / Yohan, Andreas / Andrew Capsis (a model), Matthew Yadin (a congressman TBC), James, Peter. - The current Apostles are those who were granted the memories of the past apostles. Only ML has stigmata and he’s excluded from the council as they are jealous and wary of his power. - Black June: the day the skies turned black and red rain fell. - 7 Deadly Sins are each represented by a demon: Beelzebub, Mammon, Belphegor, Asmodeus, Leviathan, Behemoth, Lucifer. - 46 people horrifically massacred in a church, including 2 priests who attended an exorcism before with ML. The only survivor is Logan the paraplegic heir of Howard Enterprises but his father and brother were among those killed. This was the sacrifice needed to pave the way for the 7 deadly sins to awaken. - At this crime scene is the 1st time ML encounters the demon June who later gives him the nickname ‘Tristan’ (as in the opera, with Isolde). June shows ML a vision of what happened in the church. - Logan Howard / Mammon: personifies greed (tbc), secretly able to walk again. Has status, fame and wealth. - Anonymous letters sent to ML warning of the events to come ... the author knows Bartholomew and writes about his dreams. - Angela Harrison: a young church volunteer, she liked ML when they 1st met then she lusted after him in her dreams. - Angela is killed by Logan while trying to deliver a letter to ML. Police arrest ML as he’s found with her body. - June helps ML escape but he arrives at the church meeting for pregnant mothers too late. Snakes are in the wombs of the women. - Hellish beings chase ML down and his eyes flare, blowing them away. An apocalyptic vision appears before him but disappears before he is sucked into it. The police arrive to arrest him but have to let him go due to lack of evidence. Footage of Logan’s assistant killing Angela is found. Simon picks up ML from the police. - John / Yohan reveals he sent ML the letters. He says more sacrifices will occur. The visions are affecting his ability to distinguish them from reality and he’s questioning his sanity. Sister Magdalena / Maria, the only female apostle. Saved as a teen / child? by Bartholomew and Metatron the Angel. She fell in love with Bart and became a nun to stay by his side. - Maria rejects the temptation of the demon in the guise of Bart in her dreams. Continues to do so for days but faints from lack of sleep and is caught by Bart. - Bart had been tempted by June in the past to approach Maria but he resisted. Yohan later encouraged Bart to also tell Maria his feelings but he rationalised against it. - Both Bart and Yohan see the black vapour from Maria. It’s suffocating and poisoning her. Maria overhears their conversation with ML and to avoid anyone else becoming the next target, she resigns herself to fighting this alone. - Logan is on a public charm offensive with the media covering his apology and support to Angela’s family. He introduces Sister Heather who will help him in his work with the church. She is possessed by Belphegor and had poisoned Maria with demonic vapour. - ML tells Yohan about June who suggests maybe Peter can see June too, even if the other apostles can’t. - Andreas wants to exchange Yohan and his prophecies for info on where Peter is. ML refuses as Yohan isn’t an object to be traded. - Bart heads to the Vatican and gives Simon a one way plane ticket for Maria to follow if she chooses. - The detective finds Simon to give back his camera, but he saw all the photos taken on it of the recent murders and suspects Simon might know more than he’s letting on. - Maria is still fighting off the evil visions but the latest is her violent father with a knife and she faints. Maria is faced by Heather in her mind, and manages to reject her. ML tells Heather to back off from Maria, but Heather flees from the demon by ML’s side. - Maria wakes up to hear about a terrorist bombing at the Vatican that targeted the diplomatic envoy including Bishop Metatron and James. She runs to Bart’s office and is shocked to be stopped by him as she thought he died in the bombing. They confess their feelings and kiss. - Maria decides to leave the nun order. She and Bart spend their first night together. Later Bart proposes and Maria accepts. - ML overhears Heather and Logan talking about the bombing. - ML meets Peter after Yohan agreed to share his dreams. June was seen in the past with the original Peter. - Yohan has a vision as soon as ML touches him. - To atone for humanity’s sins, the apostles must die over and over again for eternity. The apostles must suffer martyrdom in a perpetual fight with the demons. - Simon is killed, his torn body hanging upside down. This mirrors the martyrdom of the 1st Simon. - Simon had an unsent message for the Apostles: The 3rd is the 1st. - Elias Evans, a genius violinist. - He is the 3rd demon, Asmodeus the demon of lust. - He was called the Black Violinist after 386 people died at his concert. The rest of his concerts are cancelled. - Logan Howard announces he will sponsor Evans. - A brief video is released of Evans playing a requiem and weeping. It generates sympathy and Evans is seen as a victim too. - The patterns in the sky have appeared 3 times now. They seem to signify the birth of a demon or the death of an apostle. - 1st time: a demon was born. - 2nd time: the apostle James was killed. - 3rd time: a demon was born AND an apostle Simon was killed. - ML has been exorcising creatures appearing in the streets at night. The detective finds ML and takes him to the station to meet Pastor Larry Kim. The Pastor tells his story about an oppressive father and subservient mother. The Pastor wanted to be a mystery writer but was forced to follow in his father’s footsteps. His sister killed herself after she was constantly abused by their father because she was gay. The Pastor gave in to his rage which caused his father to have a heart attack while driving, killing him and the mother as a passenger. - ML pleads with the Pastor not to let his rage overwhelm him, but it’s too late. The Pastor changes into a monstrous demon and becomes the 4th omen? (tbc) - It shows ML the Pastor’s congregation dying as they vomit blood. The possessed Pastor taunts ML about falling into Lucifer’s trap, but won’t say where Lucifer is when asked by ML. - Maria is stopped by Matthew who tries to force her to admit she knew about his feelings for her. She slaps him, calls him revolting and walks away. - Bart and Maria have their wedding ceremony. - 4yrs ago there was a 78yo man possessed by a demon who drove exorcists to commit suicide. ML is assigned this man next. - As ML chants his prayers, the old man reminds ML of how he almost killed his mother when she miscarried because of his power. She could no longer conceive after that. The old man speaks of ML’s loneliness and how he and ML are the same. - ML eventually finds the demon’s name: Lucifer. - Lucifer was exorcised by ML but his hair turned white and his stigmata bled. - Yohan’s mother collapsed and is in hospital. - Yohan sees his father in a vision about to devour his mother. Yohan fell unconscious as well. Andreas visits the hospital and sees Matthew standing over Yohan’s bed. Matthew punches his fist through Andreas’ stomach. Matthew also killed Simon. - Matthew has betrayed the apostles and become Leviathan, the twisted serpent. The patterns appear in the sky for the 4th time. - ML meets with Peter. He wants to send ML to meet Judas to get some answers. Peter uses chicken blood to draw a magic circle around ML for protection.