Elden Ring is the property of FromSoftware and Monster Girl Encyclopedia is the Property of Kenkou Cross. I do not own any of these properties.


Chapter 9: Black and White

"...What do you mean by that?" Elt asked, his brow raised as he looked on at the man before him. He was being stalked by a monster? That… can't be. Lescatie's an impenetrable city, filled to the brim with veteran heroes. Even with the rampant corruption, a monster couldn't have just waltzed into the city without cause.

"Exactly what I mean, Elt. There's a monster after you, and from the looks of it, it's a powerful one." Akito muttered and decided to take a seat on a wooden chair as he picked his blade back up and placed it on his waist.

"That… shouldn't be possible. A monster couldn't have infiltrated the city like this so easily." Primera spoke up, her brow rising as she looked on at Akito with a stern expression.

She was of the same mind as Elt. This city, despite all of its faults, was supposed to be impenetrable. At least, logically that is. Countless heroes stood guard within the walls, a well-disciplined force stood within to support them, and magic wards in place to keep watch over the city were placed all around.

"You know, I'd expect that sentiment from Elt, seeing as how he's just a normal soldier… but to hear it from a hero of all people…" Akito muttered as he placed a finger under his chin in thought. He shook his head afterward, turning it to Primera before he spoke up once more.

"I guess I should tell you all now, this city… it isn't as impenetrable as you may believe. I see it in your eyes, the doubt you have in the Order you serve." He stated out loud, causing Elt to flinch.

"Relax, I'm not gonna kill you for it. There's a saying in the Inquisition, Heresy is dealt with a pyre, but Blind Faith is dealt with the blade." He stated with a shrug.

Unlike what most would believe, Inquisitorial Doctrine taught them that they should question everything within The Order. From the words of a peasant farmer to the words of a holy man, no one is truly free from sin.

To Akito and even some of the members of the Inquisition, Blind Faith was just as punishable as Heresy. Dogmatic Radicals could do just as much damage as a heretical sinner, and in some cases within the Order Nations, even more so.

Although to be honest, with how vague their doctrine truly was it was difficult to see what was heretical and what wasn't. As such, interpretation was often left to the Inquisitors themselves and unfortunately, some of them took said teachings to its most forgone conclusion.

"In any case, I need to ask you a few things. A high-ranking monster is targeting you, but we don't know the reason why." Akito explained.

In all actuality, he did know. But just to be safe, and to see how much Elt would give away, he decided to keep the information for himself.

"So tell me then, Elt. Why would a high-ranking monster take an interest in someone as plain as you." Akito noted.

Elt paused at that, he knew the reason why but he didn't know if he could tell the Inquisition about it. He couldn't lie to his friends, they knew him too much for him to truly lie to them. But Akito, Elt didn't know who Akito was and so he was much more comfortable with this. Still, challenging an Inquisitor like this wasn't exactly good for one's health, but if it meant keeping his power hidden then so be it.

"You researched me enough to know when and where I go every time I finish a big mission, so why don't you tell me why I'm being targeted," Elt stated, his tone stern and unflinching. That caused Akito's brow to raise before a smirk came to his face.

"Heh… You've got balls, I'll give you that much. Alright, I'll admit… we do have two theories. The first one's simple, your connections." Akito noted as he got up and walked around. He turned his head to a painting, one that depicted a certain green-haired hero.

"You're connected in one way shape or form to 6 people of influence here in Lescatie." He stated as he turned to Elt.

"I mean come on, Elt. Don't tell me that you don't think that it's strange that you know them all personally, you even live with two of them." Akito noted as he pointed at them.

Elt paused at that, in truth it was strange. He was nothing more than a simple soldier, and before that, he was just the son of a servant. He wasn't some noble, he wasn't a hero, nor was he anyone special before he got his powers.

Was it fate? Some higher force tampering with his life? Or was it simply a coincidence?

Either way, it would explain why some high-ranking monster might be interested in him. Saying nothing else, Elt nodded to acknowledge that he also said that there was another reason why.

"What's your other theory?" Elt asked, his brow raised as he watched Akito flash him a smirk.

"The second one is more interesting to me… you managed to match Lady Merse in combat," Akito noted, grinning as he watched Elt's eyes widen. Elt gritted his teeth, of course, he knew about that. He should've known, that duel had already spread to the neighboring barracks. If anyone had the authority to overturn a hero's threats, it was an Inquisitor.

Akito's words also had an effect on Primera, her eyes that were once focused on Akito had now turned to Elt. Elt sighed at that, looks like the cat was out of the bag then. He wondered how much he should reveal, and how much he should keep to himself. Primera knowing was one thing, an Inquisitor knowing was another.

"I wonder then, Elt… how are you, a common soldier, capable of matching a hero like Merse in combat?" Akito asked, his eyes narrowing as he waited for Elt to answer.

"Who's to say that it wasn't just a fluke." Elt countered, leveling his own glare towards the Inquisitor. Akito just grinned slightly at that, what kind of fucked up life did he live to be able to say that to an Inquisitor of all people?

"I can't really prove if it is or is not the case, but from the sound of your voice, there's something deeper going on… isn't there?" Akito countered.

"Then it looks like we reached a deadlock… you won't be able to confirm it, and neither would I be able to tell you," Elt stated with a glare.

Akito looked on, his face morphing into a frown before his face shifted slightly. His eyes moved towards the corner, his eyes widening slightly before he spoke up once more.

"Well… there is one way for me to find out…" Akito stated, slowly pulling his blade out, which caused both Elt and Primera to pull out their own weapons.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Primera asked with a low growl. She pulled her bow out and she locked it onto Akito.

"For an elf, you've got quite the growl… what are you, some kind of wolf?" Akito stated somewhat mockingly as he got into a stance.

"I'm no hero… but it's best if you don't underestimate me," Akito warned, his voice turning cold as he prepared himself for combat. Elt did much the same, getting into his own stance as he held his own blade with both hands. He grit his teeth, with the way Akito was standing there was no other way out.

"In any case, step to your right." Akito suddenly stated, causing both Primera and Elt to look on in confusion before Akito charged. Heeding his advice, Elt ducked out of the way of Akito's blade which then swiftly cut down a black tendril that was reaching toward Elt.

"What!?" Primera yelled out as she then fired her arrows toward a few more tentacles that appeared out of the walls. Ice froze them in place before Elt moved to cut them all down.

Akito got up as he looked around, his red eyes narrowing at the sight of over a hundred more tendrils crawling out of the woodworks.

"Looks like your pursuer decided to act. Come on, we need to get out of here." Akito stated.

Elt then looked around, his face narrowing at the sight before his eyes widened at a sudden thought. "The Kids!" He yelled out as he ran towards where the children were sleeping. Primera too widened her eyes, quickly following Elt as they both made their way to their rooms.

Barging through the door, Primera and Elt were met with the sight of a dozen tentacles looming over the children. Acting quickly, the two made their way towards the tentacles, cutting them down or shooting them with arrows as they moved. Elt's eyes widened as he saw a tentacle move towards the sleeping form of Lisia, acting quickly he vaulted through the beds, and weaved through the tentacles before he sliced it away from Lisia's form.

Primera looked around her as she moved, watching her every step as she took shot after shot. With speeds unmatched, she skewered the tentacles with her arrows with such precision that they were narrowly missing the children they were looming over. She couldn't use any of her magic arrows, not when the kids where in danger.

"Elt… Get the kids out of here, I'll try to hold them off!" Primera yelled out as she pierced another tentacle away.

Elt nodded at that, he looked around to see that the kids were all gradually waking up from the fight. They were quickly brought to their senses when Elt deflected another tentacle that sought to strike him. He gritted his teeth at the force that was exerted by the said black tentacle, twisting his blade, he sliced it in half before he turned to the stunned kids.

"Get out of here! I'll clear the way!" He commanded as he picked up the smaller children before he lead a few of them out of the room. Primera and Elt continued to do this, with her clearing the way for him and him doing the same for the kids.

When Akito finally made his way up, his blade was covered in the black substance that the tentacles seemed to ooze, while he himself was kept mostly clean.

"I fucking hate dark matter…" He noted as he looked on at the children gathering outside. Decided to help out, he charged in and sliced a tentacle that was grabbing one of the children before he pulled the girl out of the way and out into the streets.

Elt and Primera's fight had soon ended, with most of the kids evacuated there was but one left. "Emiyu!" He yelled out as he watched a tentacle grab the little girl. Panicking, he moved in to slice the tentacle as Primera held her hand out.

"Wait, Elt!" Primera yelled out but she was too late. Elt managed to cut the tentacle grabbing Emiyu but was unable to react at another one moving at him with speeds he could barely react to. Bracing himself, he caught the brunt of the tentacle's strike with a force that could topple the entire orphanage if it so desired.

"Big brother!"

"Elt-nii!"

"Bro!"

The cries of the children down below echoed through the streets. Elt himself was sent flying out into the streets. Skidding to the ground as his form crashed onto a pile of barrels. Elt spat out a bit of blood at the contact, his head getting a little dizzy as he slowly got up and his vision returned.

His eyes widened at what he saw. Standing atop the orphanage was the figure of a little girl. Her red eyes glowed under the silhouette of the moon, and her inhuman grin did little to ease his apprehension. An oversized scythe hung over her shoulders as her horns basked in the moonlight.

"Well… it seems that I've finally met you, Mr. Hero~ Hahaha…" She chuckled as she looked on at Elt with a satisfied smirk.

Elt's eyes narrowed at the sight, from a mere glance he could tell that he wasn't facing a mere monster. No, one… this one was absurdly powerful, he hasn't faced anyone like this since…

He clutched his head as a memory came to him.

"Welcome, honored guest. To the birthplace of our dynasty!"

Elt shook his head as he glared at the monster's form. Goat horns? black hair? oversized polearm? creepy beyond imagination? Yeah, this wasn't the first time he faced someone like that.

"I am Kuroferuru, Black Goat of the Devil Mud. Tis a pleasure to meet you~" The Baphomet stated, her form moving into a mock bow as she stared at Elt with her crimson eyes.

"What's with that look? Oh, was it because I threw you out of the window?" The monster asked with a mischievous smirk.

"Don't worry, I'll make you feel much better soon~ I just need you to come with me." She stated, pointing her oversized scythe at him. Elt grit his teeth as he got up and got into a stance.

Before he could make his move, Primera suddenly jumped out from where he was thrown out and shot a few magic arrows at the monster's back. The monster reacted quickly, turning her scythe to intercept and redirecting it towards her.

Seeing her distracted, Elt moved with a speed that matched those of the heroes. Quickly, he pulled up his blade in order to strike her on the neck. Unfortunately, a black tendril burst forth from the ground, and Elt was forced to fall back a few paces.

"Pretty bold of you two, I admit. Let me show you the true power of a Baphomet~" She noted with a vicious grin as a magic circle formed beneath her feet.

The light formed on the palms of her paws as she pointed it at Elt. "Pierce." With one word, a beam of demonic energy came crashing towards Elt with a speed unlike any he's seen before. Gritting his teeth, Elt managed to dodge out of the way before he began his charge.

With just this one little interaction, he already knew that she was far more powerful than the Amazon he faced before, perhaps even more powerful than Sir Gideon. She was toying with them, not even fighting at full strength and yet they couldn't even touch her.

"Hahaha… I love that look on your face, show me more of it~" She spoke in a manic tone, her eyes widening causing her red eyes to seemingly glow under the night sky. Primera ran around her, trying to find an opening to shoot through. Arrow after arrow was fired, causing the ground to freeze, burn, and even explode with the magic imbued within them.

But none of her attacks would prove successful. Neither Elt nor Primera had the means to even touch her and they both knew it.

Over a dozen more tendrils moved up from the ground, each oozing with a dark substance permeating with Demonic Energy. Elt gritted his teeth, unlike Aera's blades, these tendrils were far more potent. He could already feel the lust and the desire, but once again did he push it back.

"Why don't you just stop fighting me, you know that there's no way you could win against me… aren't you tired?" She asked with a smug grin.

It was at this moment that Akito decided to join in. With both Elt and Primera preoccupied, he had jumped out of the roof in order to try and skewer the monster with his blade. He almost made it to her but was stopped by a tentacle that moved in to intercept. Gritting his teeth, Akito turned his body and sliced the tentacle away before he skidded a few meters onto the floor.

"So… a Baphomet, huh?" Akito muttered grimly as he pulled himself back up. Though he was undoubtedly skilled in combat, he was no hero. There was little chance he'd be able to truly fight her if neither Primera nor Elt could do the same.

Nevertheless, he wasn't one to back down so easily. He grits his teeth as he readied himself once more. Pushing his leg onto the ground, he pushed himself forward with a speed that would leave most dazed. He was no hero, but he could still fight.

"Oh? You're an amusing one. You're one of the inquisitors who were after me~ Hehe" She stated, launching a barrage of dark matter towards Akito who sliced and dodged his way through it.

Elt blocked a strike from a tentacle before he sliced it off. He was getting fatigued, looking on at Primera he could see that she too was reaching her limit. Akito too was getting more and more fatigued, he was definitely skilled but he was no hero so that was to be expected. They couldn't keep fighting her like this, they needed a plan.

That's when an idea sprung to mind. She was after him, right? In that case…

With a loud yell, he ran straight at her with his blade in tow. The Baphomet's gaze turned to him and the two began their clash. Her tentacles flew at him with a speed that could rival that of lightning itself but he pushed through all the same. He sliced any that got too close, ducked through the ones he couldn't cut, and held in the lust invading his mind, and pushed forward. When he reached a certain point, he was grabbed by one of the tentacles and held up. The speed of which was far too much for even him to handle.

With him caught in its grip, the Demonic Energy invaded his very body and violated his mind with perverse thoughts. He bit his cheeks to prevent him from falling as he leveled a glare at his foe. Surprised, the Baphomet pulled him in closer so she could observe his face.

"Odd… no one has ever been able to resist my dark matter to your extent. No wonder you managed to beat Aera-tan~" She spoke up as she observed his face.

This was… odd… Elt was resisting her dark matter, and not only that there were absolutely no signs that he would even monsterize from this act. No wonder Druella was interested in this man, he was an enigma all to himself. She placed a paw on his cheek as she pulled him in closer in order to observe him.

With him here, she took this time to take a deeper look into his mana, and what she found somewhat surprised her. There was something foreign in his body, something that was… divine in a way, but different. It wasn't the same type of mana that she'd find in a hero, but it was… similar. Was this it? The secret to his power?

"Still… it was awfully foolish for you to charge in like that. I commend you for your bravery, however… why don't I show you a world of obscenities in return~" she spoke up with a lecherous grin before Elt returned it with a small smirk of his own.

"No thanks… but… have you forgotten that I'm not the only one here?" Elt spoke up.

With that, she widened her eyes as she looked for the other two. Soon she was met with the sight of the Zipangese man striking at her from behind, which she managed to evade only for Primera's arrow to strike the tentacle holding Elt causing it to explode with an arcane might that illuminated the streets.

It was magic specifically made to counter monsters, and so Primera was comfortable enough to use it even when Elt was held within the tentacle's grip.

Using this opportunity, Elt freed himself from its grip before he used it to leap towards the dazed Baphomet. Bringing his blade forward, he managed to pierce through the Baphomet's childlike body and push the sword out of her back. Black ooze forced itself out of her body as the blade glistened under the moonlight.

The Baphomet's eyes widened at the act, her face a mix of both shock and confusion as she felt the sword pierce her insides. The Baphomet collapsed due to the force of the strike and she fell down to the ground with a loud thud.

Elt breathed in heavily, trying his best to push away all of the lust invading his mind. He heaved out a sigh of relief, they did it… they won…

Or so they thought.

"Ah… looks like I got a little careless."

!

Elt's eyes widened as he looked down at the Baphomet's form. She didn't even look like she was in pain, if anything, it was the look of someone who had just spilt a drink on their shirt rather than someone who was stabbed like she was.

Such a mortal wound was nothing more than a minor inconvenience for her.

Looking down, he saw no blood gushing out of her body, there was only dark matter oozing around and her red eyes stared back at him with a small pitiful smile.

"Good job, no one was able to hit me like that in over 800 years. Be proud, you managed to stab a Baphomet in combat." she spoke up with a smile as she placed her paws on his blade.

Elt's eyes widened in horror as he tried to pull his blade out but it was no use. The blade just wouldn't budge, and no matter how hard he pulled he couldn't even make it twitch.

"Unfortunately, I'm tired of playing now… Let's just get this over with."

And with a simple twist of her paws, Elt's blade shattered into a million pieces. Elt didn't even have time to process this fact, another tentacle had appeared from behind him and grabbed him once more. Akito and Primera looked on in horror before they too were pinned down by more tentacles that burrowed themselves out of the ground.

It was fast, faster than they could even see. It was absurd, the disparity between her and the three of them was too much to bear. They had no chance of beating her to begin with, and now they were going to get abducted because of it.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt any of you… I just need to take you all back with me to a grander, more lecherous place~" She stated with a grin.

Elt struggled to move but found himself unable to do so. Even with his newfound strength, he couldn't get himself out of her grip. He was done for, and nothing he could do would be able to get him out of here. He looked on at the kids, all huddled together and afraid before he yelled at them.

"Go! Get Out of here!" He yelled out. After a momentary pause, the kids nodded before they ran off.

The Baphomet didn't even bother to catch them. There was no point, after all, she already caught her target and was now ready to send him back to Druella.

"How kind of you. But don't worry, you'll be able to meet them again soon enough~" she spoke out with another grin. That just caused Elt to level a glare at her before he spoke up again.

"You have what you want, right!? Let Primera and Akito go!" He yelled out.

It was him who she wanted, not Primera nor Akito. Unfortunately, she can't exactly accept his proposition. I mean, both a hero and an Inquisitor were basically in her paws. What reason could she have to let them both go?

"I'm afraid not, I mean… It's not every day I get to catch both a hero and an inquisitor. Besides, don't you want her to come with you? You and she can be one happy family~" she stated with another lecherous grin as she prepared to teleport herself out of Lescatie. Elt grit his teeth as he thought of something, anything to get them out of their situation. Luckily, he won't have to…

"I'm afraid that what you desire isn't acceptable for me, monster." A voice called out from above. That caught everyone's attention and as Kuroferuru looked up to see who it was, she was struck by a hailstorm of blue ethereal arrows causing her to let go of Elt, Primera, and Akito in order to block the attack.

Elt dropped down with a thud, with the lust invading his mind he didn't have the strength to get up. Instead, he used all his power to look at who it was that saved him.

Bathed in the rays of the moon was a single boy with a blue crystalline staff in his hands. His eyes were a stark blue, similar to the moonlight behind him and his hair was as black as the night sky. He wore a blue cloak that billowed in the wind, and formal wear one would often see in noble children underneath it.

He looked on at Kuroferuru with a blank stare, pointing his staff towards the monster before he spoke up.

"Leave them be, lest my hand be forced to act against you." He stated with a stern expression on his face, his staff glowed under the rays of the moonlight and his form looked on at the monster they tried to face off against.

Kuroferuru grinned, her teeth being laid bare as it revealed a set of sharp fangs. She looked on at the boy before she spoke up.

"I knew it, there was something strange about you~" she spoke up as she pulled her scythe forward and readied herself. Looking around, she made sure that none of us would be able to fight. With that confirmed, she turned to face her new opponent.

"I have no quarrel with you, but I will not let you harm the red-haired one," he stated with furrowed brows.

Kuroferuru said nothing, merely grinning before she got into a stance. With a single motion, she sent forward a beam of Demonic Energy towards the boy at speeds that would leave most heroes reeling. The boy's eyes widened before he reacted.

Lifting his staff up, he waved it into the air as a black void formed in the space above him.

Eternal Darkness

Kuroferuru's beam moved upwards and into the void, sucked in by the void of space. The boy looked down at Kuroferuru with a glare before he spoke up.

"Then you leave me no choice, feel the might of my Lady's sorcery!" He yelled out as he waved his staff once more, floating into the air as he curled into a ball. The figure of a dark moon formed around him, and with a single wave, the moon came crashing towards Kuroferuru with an arcane might unlike any she had seen from a human.

She quickly moved her hands up, erecting a magic barrier. The moon exploded in a flash of blue, causing the Baphomet to shield her eyes as the sorcerer came in from behind with a 'Carian Greatsword' in hand. Kuroferuru reacted immediately, intercepting the blade with her scythe as the two locked blades with one another.

"Strange... your magic is strange... you're not using your Mana in any way shape or form," Kuroferuru muttered as she thought of the ramifications of such a discovery.

One thing was for certain though, the boy was powerful. For someone who looked so young, he was undoubtedly a skilled mage in his own right. To be able to fight her on like this, even when she's holding back. It was enough to make her grin with excitement.

She swung her scythe forward once more, unleashing an arc of dark matter toward him. Widening his eyes, he reacted quickly. Raising his staff, he parried the dark matter away again and again.

From the look on his face, however, Kuroferuru could tell that he wasn't all that affected by Demonic Energy. But from his heavy breaths, she could at least see that he was getting fatigued.

'Dammit... no use... I can't face her in this state!' He thought as he blocked another arc of dark matter. He wasn't acting at full capacity, indeed his birth had been one that was marred by an unknown force. The body he was given was incomplete, a shadow of what it was truly capable of.

Looking on at Elt and the other two, he made his choice. He didn't care what happened to the inquisitor and Primera, all that mattered was that Elt was safe. He was the key to all of this, the Tarnished who slew the Elden Beast, Vassal to the Greater Will.

One look at their fight had all but confirmed this, he felt the runes that laid dormant within Elt's body.

Making his choice, he made his move. He redirected another arc towards her before launching a barrage of glintstone pebbles at her. Afterwards, he charged towards Elt and picked him up... or at least, he tried to.

"Damnable Child Body! Move...!" He sputtered out as he tried to pick Elt's fallen form.

No use, he looked around to see another way before he found both Primera and Akito getting back up slowly. Okay, no choice then...

He dodged another arc of demonic energy before he pointed his staff at Kuroferuru. He swung it around, casting 'Stars of Ruin' as stars manifested above him before launching towards The Baphomet.

"You two, carry this man and head out of here. I shall attempt to hold the beast off for as long as possible!" He ordered which caused the two to turn to him in confusion. They quickly decided to move when the Baphomet decided to strike at them with her dark matter tentacles.

Picking Elt up, Primera and Akito made their way into an alleyway leaving the boy to deal with The Baphomet.

"That's awfully rude, to call me a beast like that so casually." The Baphomet huffed as she looked on at as her target moved out of sight. Not that she cared, the moment the boy showed up her priorities shifted. His magic was strange, a type she's never seen before in her millenia long existence. He has her intrigued and oddly enough not in the usual monster way.

He was an enigma, an oddity in the world and she desired to know more about him.

"I agree, but I would also like to say that trying to abduct someone without their consent is far more heinous." Lucas retorted. He needed to stall for as long as possible until Elt escapes. If it means engaging in dialogue with the beast then so be it.

Still, he has no intentions of falling to her anytime soon. He just needed the right moment to escape her grasp and regroup with them. He knew the streets they had gone through and he knew that it only lead to one place.

The Baphomet just smirked at that, "You're absolutely right of course, I'm not exactly known for my politness~" She stated with a small wink, one that made Lucas tilt his head in confusion.

"Yes... that much is obvious from how you're dressed..." He muttered confusingly. The more this conversation continued the more he wanted to leave. This monster was giving him an eery feeling and he didn't much enjoy it.

"If you're gonna try and stall me, then at least do it in the more interesting way~" She spoke out as she twirled her scythe around before she got into a stance.

"I really dislike what you're implying..." Lucas stated with a gulp as he pulled up his staff. He stalled for long enough, he just needed to pull out of this battle with as little damage to himself as possible.

And so, as soon as she got into a stance he moved. He waved his staff once more, stars forming at where he moved it as it flew up into the sky. The Baphomet looked up, curiosity in her eyes before she widened them as a Rain of Stars fell on her with a fury unmatched. She held her paws up as a magic circle formed above her, forming a shield for her to protect herself.

Using this opportunity, Lucas then charged forward before he pushed his staff forward causing a mist of ice to cover Kuroferuru where she stood.

She felt her body freeze, the cold touch of the mist causing ice to build up on her body as she looked up to see Lucas run off. She narrowed her eyes at that, with a single wave of her paw a tornado of flames formed around her dispersing the mist and pushing the stars away.

Looking on at where the three had run off to, she smirked. That was fun, but unfortunately, it looks like her time out here would be over soon. She wasn't usually one to let her targets go, but just this one she'd allow them to leave. That Inquisitor could be a problem, if he tells anyone about her then the invasion could be a bit harder.

Then again, she was always up for the challenge. And besides, she already had powerful allies within Lescatie. This nation was broken, any defense they'd be able to pull would be insufficient.

"I'll see you all later then, let's have even more fun next time~" She muttered with a lecherous grin before she dispersed in a cloud of darkness.


Primera, Akito, and Elt moved as fast as they could away from the battle. Elt's consciousness was fading in and out, his eyes wavering as he tried his best to keep himself conscious. Out of all of them, he bore the brunt of the Baphomet's attack. Out of everyone he's faced so far after his awakening, she was possibly the most powerful one yet.

Looks like Akito wasn't lying when he said that, but at least now they knew what kind of monster they were dealing with.

The two continued running until they reached a plaza. There was a statue of an unnamed hero that stood at the center, and around it were benches for people to sit on. That being said, the statue and the benches were in a state of disrepair. Still, it gave them a moment of reprieve, and Elt was placed on one of the benches as he leaned back and tried to fight back the lust. Looking around, Akito and Primera saw that no one had pursued them, at least not from where they could see.

Primera looked on at Elt as he struggled to pull himself together. She reached out to touch his hair but paused. No, she wasn't worthy of doing this. With that, she pulled her hand back and looked on at Akito before she spoke.

"Stay here and keep Elt safe, if I find him more injured than he already is then by the Chief God I will skewer you with a thousand arrows," Primera stated with a light growl which caused Akito to widen his eyes before he spoke up.

"Geez, what are you, a wolf? Relax, he'll be safe here with me." Akito reassured as Primera nodded and turned to leave.

She needed to find the kids who were scattered after the incident with the Baphomet. It was foolish of them to leave them without a guardian, but they weren't really left with much of a choice.

With that, she jumped atop one of the houses as she made her way toward the streets with great haste. There was a chance that she'd run into the Baphomet again, but with Elt out of harm's way she didn't care. As long as he was safe then she didn't care what happened to her.

As she left, another figure made its way toward him. Covered in a blue cloak with a staff in his hand, it was the young boy who saved them from the Baphomet earlier. Moving towards the two, the boy looked around before he spoke up.

"Where is the green-haired one?" He asked, Akito looked on at the boy before he spoke up.

"Probably off to round up those kids, they got scattered in the middle of the fight." Akito stated as he looked on at Elt.

He cringed as he looked on at the man. He's been struck with a hefty amount of Demonic Energy and there were no signs of it dissipating. By this point, this much exposure to Demonic Energy would result in monsterization but from the looks of it he remained human still. Even then, there was no telling what could happen if it was left to fester.

Unfortunately for Elt, there was only one real cure for monsterization. He took a deep breath as he pulled out his blade, he promised Primera that he wouldn't let any harm fall to Elt but his duty to Lescatie was at the forefront. He'd slay him before he turned, that way he could keep at least a shred of his humanity in death.

However, as he pulled his blade out he was stopped by the young boy. A hand pushed the sword back into its sheath as the boy then turned to Akito with a glare.

"What do you think you're doing?" The boy asked. Akito's eyes furrowed, he didn't have time to lecture kids on how Demonic Energy worked.

"Listen, kid, I hate to say this but the guy was hit with a hefty amount of Demonic Energy. It's a miracle that he hasn't shown signs of monsterization but who's to say that it would stay like that if it remains there to fester." Akito noted.

The boy looked on at Elt, his eyes narrowing before he spoke up.

"I see... so would you say that this demonic energy acts as a sort of negative effect?" The boy asked.

Akito's brow rose at that, his eyes turning to the boy before he spoke up. "I mean, yeah... technically?" He muttered.

That was all the boy needed to hear. Looking over at Elt, he placed his hand on Elt's body. Looking on at the man, he then spoke up.

"Flame, cleanse thee."

With but a single spoken incantation, the Demonic Energy that ravaged Elt's body had been burnt away. However, burn marks had also appeared at the spot where the boy had placed his hand over.

Elt stopped breathing heavily, the lust and depravity that invaded his mind had been burned away. His eyes slightly opened as he felt a burn on his chest. With that, his consciousness slightly returned and he sat up in order to face the newest arrival here.

Akito's eyes widened at the display. That was... that was impossible. There were no known ways to cure someone inflicted with Demonic Energy. Those who were infected were doomed to fall and become monsters, that had been the harsh truth that had formed one of the Inquisition's Tenets. To see that truth disproved with such little effort was eye-opening, to say the least.

"Wh-What did you just do?" Akito asked. This was revolutionary, if they learned how to do this then they could save countless lives from monsterization. Sure it left a nasty burn, but it was an acceptable loss considering the alternative.

Unfortunately, the boy would not give away his power so easily.

"I am in no obligation to inform you." The boy spoke up.

These incantations were from his homeland, and he was not here to teach them about how his brand of magic worked. He cared little for the lives here, for the problems that Lescatie or the Order Nations faced. His purpose here was simple, protect the Tarnished at all cost.

The matters of this land do not concern him. His Master's teachings had been nothing more than a way for him to access the college, something to pass the time until the Tarnished returned. At least, that's what he keeps telling himself.

Akito's eyes narrowed at that. That power of his could serve the Order well, but unfortunately, it appears as though he doesn't want to share. He can't exactly force him either, he saw how he managed to face off against a Baphomet. The magic power that laid within him was something truly terrifying, he didn't even know if Mimil Miltie would be able to do what he saw, then again he doesn't know much about Mimil so he might be wrong on that front.

"Who are you?" Elt asked, eyes widening as he looked on at the boy.

The boy looked on at Elt, his head turning before he took a small bow. His head turned down onto the ground, in a display similar to how a servant would bow to their lord. Elt's eyes widened at that, he's seen some strange things so far this past few weeks and somehow a boy as powerful as he was bowing to him was not one of them.

"I have yet to be given a proper name, but in these lands, I refer to myself as Lucas," Lucas muttered.

Elt awkwardly looked at Akito who just shrugged before he turned to the boy.

"Umm... you can raise your head now, I'm not really someone worth bowing to," Elt muttered awkwardly. Sure, he was powerful now but he hadn't really done anything worth praising to this extent. The boy disagreed however, instead of lifting his head he bowed even further.

"I see that you are indeed as humble as how the Lady described, you truly are worth being her consort." The boy muttered.

Elt sputtered at that, c-consort? Wait... what did he mean by that.

"What do you mean by... consort?" Elt asked, which caused the boy to look up in confusion.

"Consort, as in... betrothed? hold on... perhaps... are your memories still sealed?" The boy asked, his head tilting as he asked.

"I...I'm sorry, I'm not really sure what you're talking about..." Elt muttered somewhat apologetically. He looked on at the boy whose brows furrowed as he stood up.

"I... see, that explains it then. That's strange, your memories should've been unsealed at this point in time..." The boy muttered as he placed his hand under his chin. He looked up at the air as he paced around.

"Your condition... complicates things, at your full strength defeating that beast would've been as easy as swinging your blade but..." The boy muttered as he cupped his chin. Elt wasn't as powerful as he should be, he could at least confirm that he is indeed the tarnished that he was looking for. Still, with Elt like that then his task had become exponentially more difficult.

Elt's eyes widened as he spoke though. This boy obviously knew something about his condition, and from the looks of it he even knew the cause. Whatever fatigue he may have had earlier had disappeared at the prospect, he looked on at the boy before he spoke up in hopes of learning what his condition entails.

"You know what's going on with me? Can you tell me, please?" Elt asked, tone somewhat pleading.

Lucas simply shook his head before he spoke up. "I'm afraid not, your condition is out of what I was foretold... I'm afraid I don't know the means to aid you."

"This reminds me..." The boy stated as he then turned to Akito before he spoke up.

"I assume that standard procedure within your organization would require you to speak about what has occurred, including the capabilities of the tarnished." The boy asked.

Akito raised his brow, 'the fuck is a Tarnished?' He thought before he shook his head. "It depends, we're usually allowed to keep the information for ourselves unless a higher authority asks," Akito explained.

"In that case..." The boy then lifted his staff up, pointing it towards Akito as a blue light formed upon its crystalline tip. Akito's eyes widened at that before he tried to pull his blade out to counter. Before anything could happen though, Elt got in between both Akito and the boy, lifting his hands up to prevent the two from fighting.

"Enough, we're facing a monster that neither of us can face alone... we don't need to fight needlessly like this." Elt spoke up.

The boy's eyes widened as Elt got in the way. His brows furrowed as he was denied the ability to remove a potential problem fromt he equation.

"You do realize that sparing him could cause more risks than necessary, if he tells anyone in the Inquisition then we could be in deep trouble." The boy stated, Elt just looked on at the boy with a look of disappointment.

"And if he dies while investigating me, no one would bat an eye?" Elt retorted. The boy looked on at Elt before he shook his head.

"We can frame the beast that sought you, that way we can clear ourselves of any suspicion while also moving the Inquisition's attention away from us." The boy argued back. Elt just sighed at that before he moved over to him and looked on at the boy.

"Even still, killing him might give us more problems than needed. It's bad enough that there's a powerful monster after us, but it would be even worse if the Inquisition places a target on his back." Elt stated.

Lucas looked in at Elt, his hands cupping his chin before he nodded.

"I see the wisdom in this choice, very well. Thank my Lord, your life shall be spared this day." Lucas stated as he turned his attention to Akito. Akito just shrugged at that, not really sure what to say. Elt somewhat cringed at the title, he didn't really like it due to some of its connotations.

It was at this point when Primera returned with the kids in tow. Luckily, she had managed to find them all unscathed. It was lucky, to be honest, but considering the night's events, she'll take it. She returned to the plaza, her head turning towards Akito and Elt before she finally turned to the last figure.

Quickly, she drew her bow out before she pointed it at him much to Elt's horror and Akito's amusement.

"Who and what are you?" She asked.

He could be another threat, someone who was looking to harm her family. Lucas just stood there with a head tilt before he spoke up.

"I am referred to as Lucas, and as for what I am well... I am not obligated to tell you." Lucas stated, causing Primera to pull her bow further back.

"Then I'm not obligated to keep you alive, how do we know that you're not here to hurt us?" Primera harshly stated.

"If I were here to harm you, then all of you would've been dead already. I promise you that I am not here to harm any of you in any sense of the word..." Lucas muttered, narrowing his eyes as he spoke the next line.

"That is unless you force my hand..." Lucas threatened.

Primera suppressed a cold sweat, this boy was no joke. Even still, she couldn't leave a potential threat be.

Before anything could escalate, however, Elt moved once more to stop them.

"Prim, please... he's not here to hurt us." Elt pleaded. Primera looked on at Elt with wide eyes. The boy was a threat, sure he had saved their lives but who would willingly face a Baphomet to save their skins. If there was one thing she learned, it's that there were no real heroes in Lescatie.

He had an ulterior motive, and in that case, she was absolutely correct. He had not aided them to help either Primera or Akito, he had done so to save Elt from the clutches of the beast they fought.

"How are you so sure about that?" Primera asked with a scowl.

"You saw how he dealt with the Baphomet, if he wanted to kill us then he would've just killed us when we were vulnerable," Elt muttered.

Primera processed his words, her expression morphed to one of conflict before she relaxed the grip on her bow and let the arrow fall. She placed the bow on her side before she glared at Lucas.

"If you hurt Elt, or my family in any way shape, or form then I will skewer you, got it?" She threatened.

That just caused Lucas to nod dumbly before he spoke up with a smaller smile. "It is good that my lord has people who care for him so deeply."

"Lord?" Primera asked, turning to Elt with an incredulous look on her face. At that did Elt just nervously shrug, he honestly had no idea why he kept calling him that. He wasn't of noble blood, as far as he was concerned.

"If all of you are done fighting, I think it's about time that we plan our next move," Akito spoke up, turning to the group before Lucas gave him an incredulous eye.

"We?" Lucas asked, his brow raising at the thought.

"Yes, 'We'. For better or for worse, you're all involved in this now. Key witnesses to an investigation, I have the authority to keep you all under protection." Akito noted with a wry grin, which caused Primera to give a mocking laugh.

"Protect us, you? you couldn't even face off against a Baphomet. What makes you think that you can help protect us?" She asked.

"Simple, I have the power of the Inquisition's resources on my side. HQ lies around the center of The Capital, there's no safer place against any monster than there. I can offer you all a witness status and have the kids be protected within HQ. Though... I'm not doing it for free." Akito noted with a sly grin, which caused Elt to furrow his brows a bit.

"You're gonna ask for money from us now? Can't you tell that we're not exactly good on it at the moment?" Elt asked.

"No, no... I don't want your money. I want your help." Akito noted as he turned to Elt, Primera and Lucas who all gave him a confused expression.

"Listen, my partner and I are trying to chase a Baphomet here. And from what I can tell, you three managed to hold your own quite well. As an Inquisitor, getting a Hero to help you is difficult especially since most of them are affiliated with the Noscrim faction." Akito noted.

If there was one group an Inquisitor can't just bully, it was the heroes. Getting them to cooperate was one thing, getting them to work for you even if temporarily is another. Looking at the three, he'd be getting three hero-level people to help him out.

"So what do you say, help me and I'll help the kids out," Akito stated, raising his hand for a shake as the three looked at each other.

Elt pondered on it a bit. He wasn't sure if it was the safest bet, the Inquisition could use the kids against him. But there wasn't really anywhere else they could send them for protection. The Orphanage was breached, and so sending them there would've been too risky. It was already a hassle to get The College to let him in, so he doubted that they'd let over 40 orphans in even with Mimil's influence. The Barracks? Just no, too many hazards in there for the kids. Plus, he doubted that Mersé had the time or the patience to look after a bunch of rowdy children.

They don't have much of a choice, it was either there or they risk them getting abducted by the Baphomet again. The Inquisition's HQ was the safest bet, but it was still a risky one at that.

"Alright, I'll take your deal..." Elt muttered, causing Primera and Lucas to look on at him with both shock and confusion.

"It's the safest bet, you've both seen how we fared against the Baphomet," Elt stated, turning to Primera as she pursed her lips in thought. Deep down, she knew that this was the best choice for the kids. While she would've wanted to send them back to the orphanage and defend them, she knew that with the strength the Baphomet possessed then there was little that would actually stop her.

If the Baphomet tried to do the same to the Inquisition's HQ, then she would alert the entire nation to her presence. And unlike the slums, the center of the capital had a lot more protection in it.

Reluctantly, she nodded but issued a threat saying that if anything happened to the kids then she would personally emasculate him. Akito just nodded with a grin.

Lucas too decided to help out, if only to keep Elt safe. It was dangerous, they were facing off against a Baphomet but Elt was prepared for it and so he shall as well.

"Alright then, three new manservants... sweet," Akito noted with a wry grin before he walked towards HQ.

"Come on then, chop-chop." Akito beckoned.

Elt was beginning to regret accepting it, but he pushed on nonetheless. He just hoped that Sasha would understand, she'll definitely be worried the moment she sees the state of the Orphanage.


Isaac's journey to the capital had been uneventful so far. It's been a few days, and from the looks of things, he was nowhere near the capital in any way shape, or form. He had stopped by a neighboring village to try and get a horse for him to use, but unfortunately for him, they didn't have any to spare. It was frustrating, but Isaac could understand. Horses were a valuable commodity out in the outskirts, where even a single bag of grain could cost them their entire fortunes. Things were hard out here, from constant monster raids to taxation, the outer villages were left to fend for themselves most of the time.

Still, he supposed that he was lucky. He had enough grain and water for him to journey for a few days. He'd have to resupply soon, but to do so he'd need to earn some money. He moved through the tracks, his feet leaving prints out on the damp dirt. It was nightfall, usually the best time for monsters to attack and so he had his guard up. His blade rested on his shoulders, as his eyes watched his surroundings for any threat. The moon hung over him, the stars blinked with every step.

It was strange, it almost felt like they were watching him.

The next village should be just a few paces forward, relative safety at least compared to the cold and empty grasslands. He continued on his walk before he noticed something in the distance. It was faint, almost unnoticeable in the dark of the night but he could see it. Smoke, coming from where the village should've been.

Quickly, he grabbed his things and rushed over there in case something had happened, he was not prepared for the sights he would see.

Stopping just by the hill that sat next to the village, Isaac's wolven eyes widened at the sight he beheld.

The village was in smolders, the wooden houses had turned into burnt ash and embers, and the only thing signifying their original status as homes were the pieces of wood left standing. The crops had been razed, not taken or stolen but burnt. A foul smell permeated the area, as Isaac placed a hand over his mouth before he walked over to where the village once stood.

He walked slowly and cautiously, his eyes turning to see any signs of life. There could be an enemy here, and so he held his tongue to keep his position hidden. Though the more he walked through the village the more he doubted that there was anyone here to even threaten him.

And so, he decided to speak up. Helping the survivors here would've been more important than his personal safety, at least this way he'd know what had truly caused this in the first place.

"Hello! Is anybody here!?" Isaac yelled out, his form moving cautiously.

All he was met with was silence, pursing his lips he yelled once more.

Once again, silence.

Suddenly...

"Help... me... anyone..."

Quickly, Isaac moved to find the source of the voice. Moving to a nearby house, he entered it before he looked around. Most of the furniture had been shattered, and all that was left was the smoldering remains of what had once been the house interior.

Looking around, he found the source of the voice. It was coming from down the cellar. Looking on at the entrance; Isaac saw how the debris had covered it, preventing any form of escape.

Quickly, he moved the debris out of the way to reveal...

"Chief God..." Isaac muttered in horror.

It was a little girl, her form was unnaturally thin, possibly starved. She smelt horrible, and she was filthy beyond belief. She was probably stuck under there for a few days at least. The girl looked on with wide eyes at Isaac before she took a few steps back in horror.

"A..Aaah..." She mouthed out, fear in her voice. She didn't have the energy to scream, but her form twitched and wrothed in the dirt as she tried to get away from Isaac.

Isaac's eyes narrowed, and he grit his teeth in response. What happened here? and who could've done this?

Quickly, Isaac moved down and gently tried to talk to the girl.

"He-Hey now... I'm... I'm not here to hurt you, alright?" Isaac stated, dropping his blade and getting into a less threatening position.

The child looked unconvinced, causing Isaac to purse his lips before he had an idea. He pulled an apple out from his bag before he offered it to her.

"Here, you must be hungry," Isaac muttered as he held it out to her.

That seemed to do the trick. The girl cautiously approached Isaac, her form moving slowly both due to apprehension and lack of energy. Soon she took the apple before she started to greedily eat it.

Looking on at the sight, Isaac gave a small sigh before he decided to ask her what happened here.

"So... what happened here?" Isaac asked.

The girl flinched, her form stopping as she slowly turned to Isaac. Isaac's eyes widened at the sight, her face was a mixture of terror, contempt, and sorrow. Tears started to flow through, though from the looks of it she tried her best to contain it.

"B...Bad men..." She began.

'Bad Men?' Isaac thought to himself. It was obvious that monsters didn't cause this, as much as he hated them he knew for a fact that they weren't the type to hurt people. No, human beings did this. When the Demon Lord cast away the monster's desire to kill and slaughter, the humans took its place. A human had done this, and that fact made Isaac's blood boil a bit.

"Bandits?" He asked.

The girl shook her head, looking down at the ground before she spoke up again.

"Soldiers... Badman... black coat... blonde hair... Chief God..." She continued.

'Soldiers?' He thought, his eyes widening at the thought. That didn't make any sense, why would soldiers attack a random village out in the middle of nowhere?

Black Coat...

Wait...

There was only one organization in Lescatie that made use of black coats as part of their standard uniform. Suddenly, a clear picture of what had happened here had made itself known within the confines of his mind. His eyes narrowed and he grits his teeth in thought.

He's heard of the Inquisition's exploits, and he knows how damaging they could be to a community like this. But to see it like this for himself, it was a harrowing sight.

"Mama... papa... where?" The girl asked, her head turning to him as she spoke.

Isaac bit his teeth together, what would he say to her? If it was the Inquisition then there was a chance that they were already dead. But... he hasn't seen any bodies yet, so there was a chance that they lived.

"I... don't know, I'm sorry... I'll help you find them," Isaac stated as he got up and offered to give the girl a piggyback ride. Reluctantly, the girl accepted and Isaac soon found himself carrying the girl on her back like a backpack.

They continued to walk through the village, its smoldering form doing little to alleviate either his apprehension or the girl's distress.

In order to keep her mind away from the state of her village, he decided to try and do some small talk with her.

"So, do you have a name?" Isaac asked.

"...Charlotte," she spoke up.

"Charlotte, that's a nice name," Isaac muttered.

"Thank you..." Charlotte muttered, her voice strained.

"So... if you don't mind me asking, why were you in the cellar?" Isaac asked.

"...Mama and Papa put me there after bad man come..." Charlotte muttered, her grammar was off but that was to be expected from a child.

Isaac nodded at that, looking grim at the thought. The parents had tried to hide her there when the Inquisition came then, probably to protect her.

As he continued on his walk, Isaac pinched his nose as his face furrowed. The further he got into the city, the worst the stench got. What could've caused this?

Fortunately, he would get his answer soon.

And he cursed the past him who wanted to know.

Isaac's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking in horror at the sight that befell him. Charlotte was largely the same, her tired and somewhat lifeless eyes sprang back open.

"Ma...Mama... Papa... No..." She started, tears forming in her eyes as Isaac gritted his teeth.

"Charlotte, Turn away!" He yelled out, moving Charlotte down so that she wouldn't see.

He bit his teeth together, no he definitely knew that it wasn't the monsters who did this. This kind of barbary, savagery, it was only something humans were capable of in this day and age.

In front of them was a tree, a large one. Before, it may have been a symbol of this village's resilience, their centerpiece in this world filled with suffering and hate. Now, now it was nothing more than an executioner's pyre.

Bodies hung from their branches, cold lifeless eyes stared back at him. Dried tears and blood covered all of their forms. None were spared, not the men, not the women, not even the children. They were nude, all of them branded with a mark usually reserved for heretics. Their injuries were indescribable, and it made Isaac want to throw up at their severity. No words would ever describe the scene that he saw

At the center of the tree was a book, stabbed by a knife embedded in its trunk. Just below it was a sign, a simple message that served as a warning to anyone who may come across this scene.

Any who aids Monsterkind Shall face the Blade of the Chief God, Blasphemy shall not be forgiven

Isaac couldn't read, but the symbol that could be found signed at the bottom of the sign was unmistakable.

The mark of the Inquisition.

That confirmed it, an Inquisitor did this. Looking on at the book, Isaac realized what it was this village was guilty of. They had a copy of the Monster Girl Encyclopedia with them, and because of this, they were all sent to the pyre. Even without his ability to read, he was taught what owning such a book would cost you.

Even still, all of this slaughter...

All because of a damned book?

There wasn't even a monster?

"Mama... Papa..." Charlotte continued to wail. Isaac didn't know what to do, he wasn't used to scenes like this. While he had undoubtedly hated monsterkind, was this kind of reaction really necessary?

It made him conflicted, he didn't know how to feel.

He looked down at Charlotte, his eyes softening before he pulled her in for a hug. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do. This was barbaric, brutal beyond belief and yet it was a scene that he's heard of multiple times over.

But to see it for himself was another thing entirely.

He just wondered what kind of monster could do something like this?

...

A man sat within a carriage, his green eyes wandering off to the window as he looked on at the scene in the countryside. His blonde hair moved around slightly as the carriage passed through the rough road. He looked dignified, with not a speck of dirt on his face and clothes, his face was neutral: showing neither happiness, sorrow, or any emotion at all for that matter.

His clothes were pristine, a black coat bearing the symbols of the Chief God and the crucifix of the Inquisition. A white dress shirt lay under it, covered by an expensive vest. Black leather trousers lay beneath his body, and black boots to match.

The man's eyes turned to the documents on his lap, his eyes scanning the various individuals that sat within.

"Lord Albain..." A voice asked, causing Albain to move his eyes toward the person who started it.

It came from a woman that was at least a few years younger than he was. She wore the same uniform and bore the same features as Albain. Blonde hair and green eyes, her beautiful face marred by a look of horror and a tinge of fear. This was Aria Rejulia, member of the Rejulia noble household and sister to Albain Rejulia. Much like her brother, she had decided to join the path of the Inquisition and thanks to her hardwork and studious efforts, she was accepted into the orgazination.

"What is it, Inquisitor Aria?" Albain asked, his eyes turning to her. Aria bit her lips, she hesitated for a bit before speaking up.

"...I... forgive my impudence, Lord Albain but... was it truly necessary to... take care of everyone within that village?" She asked.

Albain's brow rose, and for a second Aria was worried that she would've been sent to the pyre for such a blasphemous remark.

"Are you questioning my methods, Inquisitor?" He asked.

"N-No, No! I was just... curious..." She trailed off nervously. The two were siblings, but Aria knew that such things mattered little for Albain.

"Curious, you say?" Albain muttered before he sighed and crossed his legs. He then leaned back on their carriages seats as he clasped his hands together before he looked on at Aria incredulously.

"Tell me then, Inquisitor. What do you know about monsters?" Albain asked.

Aria's brow rose at that. She was taught many things, that monsters were evil creatures that hunt and kill whoever they pleased. Where their bloodlust remains supreme, and where their only purpose in life was to kill.

Because of these teachings, that is what she answered.

Albain looked on at her, his face neutral and unchanging. Aria shuffled in her seat, that was one aspect of her brother that she feared. No one truly knew what he was thinking, and he never showed any form of emotion whenever they did anything, and from what her colleagues told her: he was much the same when on duty.

"That is what most within the order would say, but alas... that is not but propaganda," Albain muttered as he clenched his fist slightly.

"No, monsters in this era do not kill, they do no harm, they do not even terrorize. Instead, they rape, they abduct, they force pleasures into your mind." Albain muttered. That caused Aria's eyes to widen. That painted a completely different picture in her mind than what she knew.

"But... why wasn't I taught this?" She asked. It seemed like vital information, especially for an Inquisitor like her.

"The same reason it is not taught to the populace, those who learn of their true nature are easier to entice. Compare your life as a noble to a lifetime of pleasure, wouldn't you be tempted as well?" He asked.

She opened her mouth to retort before she closed it. He was right of course, the life of a noble isn't as glamorous as how most would view it. Her family had to deal with rivals on all sides, and being the sole daughter she was expected to marry. All that pressure made things difficult for her, it was one of the reasons why she chose to be an Inquisitor with her brother.

"In any case, knowing all of this. Would you say that this makes them better than they were before?" Albain then asked.

Aria looked on at him before she thought about it, on the surface, yes... they should be better than they were before. They don't kill anymore, they don't slaughter, and theoretically, this means that if one should attack then none would die. But, thinking about it deeper, she knew that what they were doing was still wrong. It was a form of subjugation, not one of pain but of pleasure. To lock the mind and get it addicted to the pleasures of the flesh, was no better than slavery.

"No, I can't agree with how they do things." Aria answered. Whether it was through fear or her own conviction, the answer she gave was enough to satisfy Albain.

Albain gave a small satisfied nod before he spoke up.

"Then that makes you smarter than most. These monsters are far more dangerous than before. They subjugate, not through pain but through pleasure... it's a more enticing way to force someone to do as you wish," Albain continued.

Aria's brows furrowed at that, she agreed that the monsters were dangerous. But... wasn't the response too extreme? They had just slaughtered an entire village because a single villager owned a book. Not even a monster, a book. Their mages had even confirmed that there was no magic within the book, it was simply written text on pages with some images.

"But... Isn't our response a little too extreme... not-not that I'm trying to doubt your methods, I'm merely curious." She quickly added, not wanting to incur Albain's wrath.

At that, Albain merely furrowed his brow before he spoke once more.

"Extremities do not matter when faced with monsterkind. When a populace is faced with either suffering or pleasure, more often than not they would choose the latter. It is within human nature to choose what makes us feel happiness, no matter how genuine it is. What this means is that when facing monsterkind, we are at a severe disadvantage." Albain explained, his hand moving to his chest as he clutched the crucifix hanging from his neck.

"We're on the precipice of our own extinction, and while the aristocrats and kings squabble over petty gains, we in the Inquisition are trying to ensure the survival of the human race." Albain continued as he looked on at the scenes outside.

"Monsterkind is a disease, when one gets lured into the fold the rest will surely follow. In other words, the life of that village is menial compared to the very existence of mankind. It's not that I wish to destroy the lives within that village, it's just that I have to." Albain explained. Aria furrowed her brows, and she looked on out the window.

She was unconvinced, it was just one man and he hadn't even shown any signs of monsterization. The response was just too extreme, what right did they have to snuff out the light of that many people? To think that her own flesh and blood would be capable of committing such atrocities without even batting an eye, she feared for what was to come if Albain continued down this path.

And Aria feared that she too would join him in the future.

"But... to humiliate the dead like that..." She continued to argue. Even if their actions were extreme, she found no excuse in how they treated the bodies of those they had slain. Hanging them on a tree, naked and left bare with their scars open for all to see.

"A warning, to any who come across it. Terror is mankind's greatest teacher, none would dare defy the Chief God if they knew the consequence." Albain continued. The lives of peasants mattered little to Albain, he didn't view the individual human being with much worth, rather he looks at the whole and works for what he believes is their benefit. He was a twisted soul, who saw little value in all those around him other than as tools.

"But, did the children have to die as well?" Aria continued, causing Albain's brow to furrow before he spoke.

"I question what their importance is, sister. Their lives, much like the lives of their parents, mattered little. They would serve us better dead than they would their entire lives toiling in the fields." Albain spat out, his form leaning forward and growing slightly more irritated.

A radical follower of the Chief God, he believed his actions to be just. He was both the best and the worst kind of Inquisitor, efficient in his mission and yet vile in his execution. Hated yet loved, feared yet admired, his devotion would be one to praise and one to ridicule. This one atrocity that he had committed was just one of many, and he knew that there would be more to come.

For Lescatie and the Chief God, no action would be too vile for him to pursue.

"You better prepare yourself, sister..." Albain trailed off as his sights turned to where the capital was. His eyes narrowed as he saw a storm approaching, lightning flashing through the sky as a spark of electricity moved through his hands.

"You and I will be flushing out more rats once we return."


Author's Notes:

And so that ends another chapter.

First off, I know some people might be disappointed that Elt nor Lucas didn't just stomp Kuroferuru. But people sometimes forget that canonically, Baphomets are no joke, they are canonically some of the most powerful monsters in the MGE verse and have almost godlike levels of magic. Having Elt just stomp Kuroferuru at his current level isn't possible, and Lucas doing the same thing wouldn't be fun either. Something that you also might notice is that the monsters are a little more violent than their canon counterparts, with Kuroferuru literally slamming Elt out the window and into a pile of barrels and Aera doing something similar during their fight.

That's because while their core strength remains, the effects of DE are severely reduced in this story. If they weren't, then Primera, Akito, and the kids would've turned into monsters the moment Kuroferuru stepped foot in their general vicinity. Demonic Energy is absurdly OP, so I decided to trade some of that strength with the more conventional type for the monsters. As such, the monsters aren't above physically hurting their opponents to get them to submit. It's also easier to write fights if I don't have to worry about the monsters trying their best not to harm their opponents. Is that cheating? Probably, but this is a fanfiction so I'm allowed to bend the rules a bit.

Secondly, the stuff with Albain and Isaac. Not gonna lie, I debated in my head on whether or not I wanted to show him this early but seeing as how the Inquisition would play a vital role in this arc and the coming chapters then I should at least show one of their most infamous members. Admittedly, I wasn't sure if the scene with the tree was a little too graphic and if it was, I might bump the ratings up to M. He'll be important later on, but for now he'll be in the background doing his own thing.

In any case, that's all I wanted to say. As usual, leave your criticisms, reviews, complaints, and any concerns in the Review Section. My PMs are also free so you can use that as well. The next chapter's still in the works so it might take a while before it comes out.

With that said, Whamo out!