Sin Trigger.

Every night and every morn, these innocent eyes are reborn to witness the cold. Feel the coolness. The blankets did not offer any recourse. Awake at the crack of dawn. It was his only memory of this place besides the short time he spent in the cell with B-ANGELO, after that…

It was hazy. And so is his vision, he groggily rubs his eyes before the blanket is torn off him, his eyes snap open and he darts out of bed before anything can be said. His master merely greets him with a half glare before exiting.

"Make haste."

Credo does just that, slipping his shirt on, then his trousers, and then his gloves. He forces his eyes to stay open, forcing his body to be at top alertness at all times. Breakfast is a short affair, he eats his fair share of proteins and carbohydrates, all calculated by the man sitting across from him.

The man is clean shaven, his head included. His eyes bleed blue. A tall and slender man who walks with purpose, who speaks with purpose, he is defined by purpose. And his purpose today?

Next is warmup, and conditioning, he sweats and groans after every burpee, after every push-up, crunch, plank, and explosive movement one after another, as much as he can perform until failure. Then he runs, and runs, and runs, and runs… He runs until he can no longer, keeling over and dry heaving.

"Get up!" They say.

"Don't be weak!" They demand.

"You must be strong, who else will defend your parents!?" They say.

And Credo holds back his vomit, pushing on, every drop of water is a vault of gold to the young boy. He does not question his circumstances, he knows… His parents will be safe if he does this, he will be their hero. He will be a hero.

'I will be a hero.'

'I will be a hero.'

'I will be a hero.'

He repeats to himself as the man conditions his body, striking him with a pole until his skin is blue, he must endure. The next day will be CQC, then the day after that will be swordplay, then he will work in a group the next day, then it will repeat. He will be a hero. Even when he bleeds, he knows this. It was an undeniable fact. He would fight the demon menace, he would protect his father and his mother. Credo swore to this.

Credo is only five years old.

The day goes by just like any other, quicker than the last. Blurring between moments without recourse, the sole mantra pushing him forward energizes his every movement.

After his body has been beaten and dried of energy, it is his mind that is next. And so he spends the rest of his day with his face in books thicker than his torso is. He retires for the rest of the day. Credo knows it will only end when it comes time for him to delve into the mental part of strength, economics, history, and literature he particularly enjoys.

And on some days, Mister Agnus joins him. The professor is a very busy man, but he makes time for Credo. He is his only friend besides B-ANGELO.

He's fretting like always, "M-my youthful f-friend, please turn your eyes to page t-three fifty." And so Credo does just that, diligently absorbing the information into his highly advanced mental faculties.

He scans the page for a moment before speaking, "Powerful demons cannot reach the human world by themselves, they are too strong to fit between the wall between the demon and the human world…" Credo trails off, looking at the images given in the textbook. "And so, powerful demons, also known as devils, will sometimes project their will onto the human world instead… And on rare occasions, will be able to acquire a powerful host to act through."

Agnus strolls back and forth as he reads, a smile gracing his lips as he writes notes on the boy's progress. "Yes yes very good, your reading comprehension is… Very outstanding for a young man such as yourself." Credo gives him a small smile.

Praise wasn't rare.

Deep behind the forest with no end stood the sprawling headquarters of the Order, a castle situated on a cliff before the ocean's embrace. Hidden from the world, one would have to cross through the sprawling Forest of Sine, the trees taller than most buildings, acting as cover for their base of operations.

Just the way Agnus liked it.

He adjusts his monocle before brushing countless papers out of the way, sprawling blueprints over his research table, and adjusting the light over it. He is an alchemist first and foremost, and his current task must be handled with a certain caution…

The savior would one day be a reality, but first… "I need to dissect Dr. Alphys work, a demon she may be… Her ability to create artificial life is astounding." He murmurs to himself, his eyes burning a hole into the blueprints.

Souls entrapped and synchronized with mechanical bodies, such technology… If humanity could wield such a thing then not only would they be able to create the Savior… They would be able to extend life after death as well, the state of soul death…

He can't make heads or tails of anything, it's all predicated on demonic technical magics, magics he as a human simply cannot possess… Alphys magic was innate to her biology according to her testaments, so even then…

'But I'm not going to fail now, not when there is so much work to be done!' A light bulb appeared over his head, "Aha!"

A delightful grin appeared on his lips, his purple eyes cackling with an inquiry. "I just need a subject… A specimen of hers! That harlot Mettaton is too protected, however..." He mused to himself, taking a thinking position.

Agnus failed to notice the door opening until it let in a hint of light, his eyes Naturally shying away. Barely edging on twenty, the professor feels his anxiety kick up. But he pushes it down. A figure enters his little domain of hell, and Agnus regains control.

His stutter remains, "Ah! Good e-evening Fornibas, I t-t-take it, you have news of our… Stead?" The tall and slender man before him doesn't respond for a moment, his blue eyes staring through him.

Agnus sweats a little, frowning. "W-well?"

Fornibas shakes his head, "A fine specimen, the boy has talent. He's very advanced for his age in all regards, but…"

"But?" The instructor sighs and leans against a nearby wall.

His eyes contain sourness, "But, he's a yellow soul, which means he seeks justice, he seeks to right what he perceived as wrongs, intensely. This could be problematic depending on his social conditioning, he's expressed worry for demons, specifically B-ANGELO." Agnus hums thoughtfully and continues deciphering the blueprints, avoiding eye contact with the trainer.

Agnus swallows, grunting. "Hmm, it seems the b-boy has a bleeding h-heart then? He wishes to do good, but man cannot always do good, m-man must make sacrifices." Angus pauses for a moment, "Make sure he k-knows this!" They had to make sacrifices to keep the city safe and to preserve the strength of the order.

The man nodded in response, "Yes, just like any trait, his sense of justice can be molded to fit the truth."

"Our truth~" Agnus confirmed, tapping his fingers together before raising a single one. "However, we must allow him to believe he is in power, that he has agency, and his relation to B-ANGELO makes him a prime c-c-candidate to be our grand general." A warrior, a great warrior Agnus imagined.

He imagined more, a world where the Order's law stood above all others… "Oh yes, a warrior with a sharpened mind, yet one loyal to the cause! His holiness decrees it!"

Fornibas nodded leaving without another word, Angus sighed as he did so.

'He must be prepared for the ascension ritual, those who are not… Will lose themselves.'

Shaking his head before jumping right into his work again, opening his laptop and placing it over the blueprints. If he wanted to find the secret to their savior, to a being with such mighty strength that even Sparda would bask in awe… A being that could contain an oversoul.

He needed to reverse engineer!

If he couldn't have Mettaton, then… Surely there was another option. "The days of the long past, when humans and demons united could achieve strength beyond that of normal men! I seek to unravel these mysteries, and you will help me!" He slammed a finger against the keyboard.

A slow chuckle. "Yes, yes… Perfect." His eyes reflected the screen, displaying a robotic demon kiting around a crowd surrounding a concert stage, the perfect subject to pick apart!

His cracked dry lips curled into a grim four expression, "You will do nicely!"

"Name: Napstablook."

A few days later…

"Did you know that during the reign of seven, Argosax attempted his first and last recorded invasion in human history?"

The water still dropped down in the cell, a single rhythmic truth. It was still cold, still quiet. And still, he listened to the young Captain, shaking his head at his question.

"He hates you."

"Watch out for him, don't get close."

"His words aren't true."

"He thinks you're stupid."

"He knows you're stupid."

Credo grinned, flipping the page over. "Yeah it was really cool, or I mean, it was bad, but Argosax failed at the end of course! Uroboros was destroyed a long time ago by Lord Dialou and the Seven, I want to be strong like them." The young boy is laying on his stomach and kicking his legs out, reading a book that's twice as thick as his upper body.

The boy babbles on further, groaning annoyingly. "Agnus says that I can't call Lord Dialou Lord Dialou, but he's a good warrior! I want to be like that, like Sparda! One day I hope."

Callisto can only watch, humming with a grin, the idea that he would even come here was pleasant. Even if the historical recounting was lost on his simple mind.

"Not for long."

"He's a smart boy."

"Pretty smart boy."

"He has a knife.

"Kill him."

Callisto sighs, shaking his head.

Credo further explores the text, "It says that during the battles of the time after the demon King… M-M-Moondus? Mundus? Yeah." Credo corrected himself before continuing, "Our order popped up, like BOOM! During the wars and stuff."

He nodded, that was more familiar information. Callisto then felt himself staring out into space, but he was still listening, he hoped Credo knew that.

"Pay attention!"

"You'll be punished."

"Punished, punished, punished."

"Eat something."

Callisto felt his heart plummet suddenly as a scream sounded out, shooting off into the corner and curling into a ball at the sight and sound. Credo stopped reading at the movement.

"Angieo? Are you okay Angieo?"

"Worthless worthless worthless."

"Poison."

"He knows you."

Callisto breathes in heavily as the sound ebbs out, the feeling of dread simply won't go away. The water is dripping red, darker than he could imagine. Why now?

"Stop it!"

"You're bleeding."

"We hate you!"

"They will cut you."

His breath hitches at the sound, tears flowing down his face. He's sobbing now, he can't hear the boy calling his name. He can only hear the sound of his breath, of his heart, he can hear…

"Stupid."

"Stupid."

"Stup-."

Green eyes shoot open, red and puffy. He feels a warmth against his bare arm, a small hand pressing against him, a worrying voice drowning out the rest. It reminds him of someone, reminds him of a soft touch he used to know a long long time ago. She'd sing to him, sing him to sleep some nights even when he was the one who was supposed to take care of her. She was always stronger than he was, smarter too.

Callisto breathed at a more even level as the ringing in his ears stopped, the blood disappearing. He could hear Credo speak now, the boy had rushed to his side through the bars.

"Are you okay Angieo?" He asks again, button eyes filled with worry.

Callisto nods and savors the warmth of the soft gesture, feeling his heartbeat eb with time. The infernal calling beneath his skin disappeared as well. He is no man, he is a devil. He is the enemy.

And so he can't understand why this young boy would use his free time, his only free time every day… Just to visit him? Just to spend time with someone like him? To share his findings?

Oh, how it pained him. He looked so familiar like they were friends in a past life. He was a light, a familiar sky of stars.

Credo frowned, "Don't scare me like that, I thought you were getting possessed!" His tiny hands left Callisto's skin, and he felt the warmth in his soul recede.

The young boy adjusted his auburn hair out of his face, "I wish you could tell me what's wrong, you always look off into the distance like somebody is watching us! It's creepy!" The demon averts his eyes, doing just what the boy despaired over.

Credo gasps before crawling forward, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

"Pathetic."

"Look what you've done!"

"You are so stupid."

After a few more apologies, the young boy growled and turned his head. "Fine, be that way! I'm hungry anyways." And with an aggravated sigh he picks up his book and turns to leave.

"He hates you."

"This is your fault."

"Good riddance."

Callisto regrets his silence, regrets that he can't assuage the young man… Can't show him the truth. And the smell returns, as the light recedes. He watches him go and is unable to stop him, but even if he could… It wouldn't be fair.

Credo didn't deserve to waste time on him.

The guards and other knights in the large castle were always bickering and speaking amongst themselves, Credo tried not to eavesdrop too much but thanks to his size… He was able to go unnoticed for the most part.

He sat just behind the wall, hugging his knees. Listening to the conversation going on around the corner, "They just… Up and snagged him? Just like that?"

"That's right."

"Are we allowed to do that?"

"No."

"Then why the hell is Andrei?"

Credo pulled himself further and further into a ball, the knights were hard to ignore.

Shrugging, the taller knight seemed nonchalant. "Because he doesn't give a shit, as always. Don't you remember the last time we tried to establish ourselves in Babel?"

The other one laughs, like a hyena. "Andrei was pissed, you think he'll ever let us in that place?"

"Fat chance, his holiness and Royai both hate each other… Red souls typically do."

"Peh, I don't think it's that deep."

Credo looked back towards the entrance to the holding cells, hopefully, Angelo wasn't upset with him. He was homesick, and the man reminded him of home… His eyes were bright green, a familiar sight.

'But I have to be strong for Mother and Father… They know that, they know I'm safe.'

Becoming a knight is the greatest thing someone could do, and becoming the captain? He would one day lead the holy knights of this order, that was his purpose. And one day…

'I'll be able to protect my family… I'll be strong enough.'

The sound of a door slamming open reverberates through the hall, the sound of boots hitting the floor following. Credo stands to his full height and leans around the corner, the knights have quieted themselves.

"Prisoner coming through! SDT class, a demon with a heart they say."

One of the knights laughs and whispers to his friend, "A demon with a heart? Hilarious."

"Shush!"

His vision narrows as a couple dozen or so knights escort a single prisoner… They are coming this way. 'Crap… I need to be small!' Credo thinks to himself as he covers his face with his knees, the footsteps coming closer and closer.

They are right in front of him, but they haven't noticed him yet. Credo pears a single eye open only for them to widen like saucers, he forces himself to stay quiet as the men pass with their prisoner.

The prisoner is Blooke, the demon his mother told him to be nicer to.

Credo peers at them as they enter the holding room, the robotic SDT wasn't awake. 'Why do they have him? He's a demon so maybe… Maybe he is a bad guy?' But that didn't make any sense to him, Blooke was a demon sure but a bad guy?

Maybe demons were just bad people by default, isn't that what everyone said? He stands to his full height and tries to follow them only for a hand to quickly snatch around his wrist.

"And where do you think you're going, young man?" It was Fornibas, Credo felt his heart sink into his stomach. "You have a routine! I'd advise you follow it."

"I was just-"

The much older man's eyes exploded, "I don't want to hear it, get to bed, now! And stop fettering around with demons, they are evil." Credo opens his lips to respond but looks to the floor instead.

The man began to drag him through the halls, "Maybe some are alright…"

He levied a dangerous voice and turned his gaze back towards the young boy, "What was that?" His voice was laced with a deadly edge.

Credo turned away again, "Nothing, sir…"

The uptight instructor grunted and tightened his grip around Credo's wrist, practically dragging him through the hall. The young boy managed to turn his head to look at the prisoner ward, and for some reason… He felt worried for the demon.

A recollection of the day he was brought here, Blooke helped him to school… Was nice to him but he didn't understand back then… But now he misses that kindness, he misses it very much.

'I'm… Sorry I was mean to you.' He thought, a wave of regret flushing over his young self. He gave one last glance at the prisoner's ward, and then they rounded the corner and his sight was gone.

Callisto edged away from the light as boots slammed against the floor leading up to his cell, risking electrocution wasn't on his to-do list tonight. His heart began to thump more and more along the tempo of the footfalls.

Three men led the new figure into the light, a robotic entity… It lacked any signs of life or mobility, merely being dragged along the floor. The kind soul dissociated, allowing himself to embrace the noise of his mind. He curls up into a ball, hiding away from the men as they enter his call and toss the robotic creature in.

"Don't do anything stupid to the SDT, Angelo, Professor Agnus will be in soon enough."

But the man merely rocked away in the corner.

"Useless."

He tried to stay as far away from the creature as possible, even in its current state, he swears he could see the robot's dead visage curl into a dire smile. But a simple shake dismissed the notion, and then…

The collar around its neck beeped, just like his… And then a faint whirring filled the room, Callisto curled in on himself and averted his eyes from the entity… Its glowing eyes burning into him, naked, metallic body motionless against the hard floor.

"A demon."

"A demon like you."

"He's your friend."

"He hates you."

Callisto closed his eyes.

And then another pair gained life, blinking rapidly as different colors before settling on cyan. He could hear the whirring of mechanical systems, but Callisto didn't wish to confront the entity laying before him.

He should not, never, never. Do not contact demons, do not see them as people.

"Where… Where am…? Oh… Oh no…"

Don't…

"I… I messed up."

It's not a person…

"H-hello? Is… Is anyone there?" The entity grabbed the bars, its metallic whirs silenced by its groaning. "Oh… This couldn't possibly get any worse." Callisto resisted the urge to correct the creature, the demonic blood coursing through his veins…

It pushed him to dominate.

"Stupid."

He flinched slightly, unfortunately for him, that was just enough for the entity to notice him.

"Hey… Hey! I see someone over there… Hey, are you okay?" Since when could a demon make such a… Such a kind voice?

It came closer, "Hey… Hey, can you hear me?" A sigh was heard, "Oh… I get it. You don't want to talk to me huh? I can't blame you… Sorry." The demon was… Apologizing?

Interrupting the demons self-loathing, the entrance to the cell block opened with a long and arduous creak. The candlelight from the outside fills in the room and casts a long shadow, two.

Callisto shuddered.

"Mmmmm."

The ceiling remained unchanged.

"Mmmmmmmmm!

Credo glared holes in the ceiling while he lay in bed, humming louder and louder.

"Mmmmmmmmm!"

The ceiling wouldn't give away, and so Credo, despite his exhaustion and tiredness, got up and slipped into his slippers trying to be as quiet as possible.

'Okay! All I have to do is see if Blooke is okay, then I go back to bed.' The young boy nodded with a hmph before leaning into his tiptoes and slowly inching towards the door, he wouldn't admit to anyone but… At that moment, he was scared of what was outside.

But still, he reached for the doorknob and twisted it as slowly as possible to not alert anyone.

Creeping through the halls wasn't very enticing to him, but it was exhilarating. His regimen was very strict, any ounce of missed sleep would ruin his progress. Or so Fornibas said.

Credo darts through the silent halls as quietly as he can, making sure not to trip over himself. His ears twitch, whispers echoing through the dim candlelit hall.

"He's… For the ritual."

"Y-yes… My lord… The perfect c-c-candidate due to his… To the B-ANGELO."

Credo grunts, unable to fully make out what they are saying.

"Y-your holiness?"

"Yes Agnus, speak your mind."

"I… Perhaps it is erm, prudent that I… That I take a small journey. After the b-boy is finished being p-prepared…"

"A journey? Of what sort?"

"The G-G-Goldsteins… They are known masters at crafting weapons of all kinds, perhaps I should study their methods in order to acquire the knowledge. The k-knowledge to create the grandest weapon of all?"

"Hm… I suppose, but the Savior shall be more than just a weapon I hope you… Comprehend that."

"Y-y-yes of course!"

Credo peaks through the small crack, his yellow eyes scanning over the cellblock. Both Agnus and Sanctus were standing perpendicular to the cell holding Angeio and… And Blooke.

The robotic SDT was holding the metal bars to his cell, "... Why are you doing this Sanctus?"

"Silence demon! You are at the whims of his holiness now." Agnus spat out. "You aren't fit to speak his name!"

"Calm yourself." Sanctus placed a hand over Agnus' shoulder, voice dead even.

Agnus flinched before complying, adjusting his monocle and fidgeting with his hands. "Y-yes…"

Credo frowned at the interaction. 'Why is he being so mean? Just because he's a demon…' The knight in training felt a constriction in his heart, his eyes following Sanctus as he slowly glided, practically hovering over closer to the cell.

Sanctus looked dead on with his burning red eyes, matching the meagre defiance of Blooke. "You are a demon, you should, if you have any conscience for that matter, be glad to support our cause." The man draped in gold inches closer, his face mere breath widths away.

"The savior will free us from the menace of your kind, oh the savior… And you will help us bring him to fruition." Sanctus snaked his hand around the SDT's chin and brushed a finger across his jawline.

Smirking as the compromised SDT flinched at his touch, "With you as our blueprints, with the boy as our greatest, most angelic warrior, we shall conquer all this world has to offer. And with the savior, we shall eradicate all demons, just as Sparda desired." Sanctus finished with a satisfied glee.

The robot snapped his head away, staring at the floor. "You… You don't know Sparda very well then."

"Watch your tongue, machine. Less I rip you apart." Agnus threatens.

Credo felt a cold sweat run down his neck, his hands shaking. 'What? They are gonna kill him?' How could they? Why would they kill?' His eyes felt itchy before a liquid substance fell down, rolling down his face as a single droplet.

'That… That isn't fair!' Demons sucked but that didn't… That doesn't mean they deserve to die…

"Vergil will stop you…"

Sanctus sneered, betraying his usual demeanor and kindness.

"VERGIL IS DEAD."

What?

Credo felt his breath quicken.

Huff.

Huff.

Huff..

"You're lying… No… I don't believe that!" Blooke's voice begins to break, tears falling from his robotic eyes almost unnaturally.

Sanctus laughs in a way that boils blood. "Believe what you will, your theatrics are of no concern to me." Standing to his full height, he glanced towards Agnus with a sick unspoken request.

Credo had long ago stopped listening, his breaths coming out sharply and without focus. "No… No don't…" Vergil was dead? The same guy… The same guy who his father thought was so strong? The same man who was always so strong?

'I'm sure your father will be alright.'

Only one thing could be certain. Something wasn't right in his mind, he needed to know… What was going on! His young mind had to understand. His rampant curiosity, his worry, his terror… He needed someone to say it was going to be okay.

And so, he bursts through the entrance, his albeit tiny frame alerting both Sanctus and Agnus immediately.

His face was frozen, his posture rigid as his eyes darted between the prisoners and their warden, "VERGIL CAN'T BE DEAD! YOU'RE LYING!" He was a heroic figure, a warrior! "I don't believe it for a second!" He cried while shaking in place, suddenly averting his eyes.

Sanctus and Agnus both recoiled at the sight of him, "Young Credo, what are you doing up at this hour?" Agnus reached out to the boy, his eyes narrowing.

"C-Credo?" A voice came from the cell.

The young boy growled and looked to the floor, "I don't care, how is Vergil dead? How!" He ignored the shocked stare etching into his skull.

Agnus stepped between them with a stern face, "Young k-knight you are directly violating y-your regimen by being up this late!" Sweat appeared on his tan face, even that much was visible in this candlelit darkness.

"Get back to bed!"

Credo roared in defiance, his face beet red. "I won't! You said Vergil is dead, I can't believe that for a second!"

Agnus reached for him, "D-don't raise your voice, boy!"

"You're not my parent, why won't you just tell me?" Credo slapped his hand away.

Agnus looks away, "It's n-none of your c-concern."

Credo felt his throat and neck begin to itch, his face heating up and turning red. Agnus wasn't telling him anything and Sanctus wasn't even looking at him, his weathered face shadowed in darkness.

Suddenly, a familiar voice broke through the silence. "Credo! You're safe! Oh I was so worried that you'd been hurt, oh dear… Are you okay!" Blooke yelled over, his modulated voice cracking.

The justice soul frowned, "I'm fine."

"Yes, s-so get back to bed… you'll be quite tired in the morning."

He took a step forward, "I don't care! Not until you tell me what happened to Vergil." His eyes darted all over the place, the idea… Death, it made no sense.

Vergil was always moving, always doing his job, saving people, fighting demons that the Order struggled with… He was always there, and he never lost a fight.

Pulling at the metal bars, "He… He can't be dead… Vergil is too strong, too fast… You're lying!" Blooke decries the very idea.

Sanctus decides to interject, silencing the machine with a single glare. "Vergil is a demon, he deserved his punishment."

Credo sputters for a moment before replying, "No… No he isn't, he's a human just like me. How can you call him that huh?" Shaking his head, Credo kicks a box angrily before pointing at Sanctus.

"You are a liar, liar liar liar!" Vergil was supposed to be a hero, someone who was strong!

Sanctus smiled warmly at the boy, kneeling to his level. "Don't demons deserve to be punished my dear child?"

He lowered his finger, looking away. "Maybe… Maybe some are good. Like Blooke, he's nice."

Sanctus clicked his tongue rapidly, shaking his head like he knew better. "But still a demon, and that I'm afraid is a crime greater than any other." He brushed a strand of dark Auburn hair out of the boy's face, trying to match gazes with him.

Credo then grabbed his hand and yanked it away, "If Vergil is a demon, then I'll be a demon too! If he's a hero, I'll be a hero too!" He snarls before looking at the captives in the cell.

He shakes his head and shuts his eyes tightly, "I can't believe you guys did this… You guys are supposed to be my friends!"

'Friends.'

Sanctus stopped smiling, reaching out to take the boy's wrist in his grip, "Your friends? Pay your respects boy! I'm Sparda's chosen!" His left raised high into the air, his visage molting into one of abject disgust.

Sanctus lost all pretenses of kindness, striking the boy with all his strength. Credo impacted the wall harshly and slumped to the floor, his head lolling to the side.

And then green eyes turned fire orange.

"KILL."

Heat flushed through the room like a tidal wave, two glowing orange eyes burning through the shadows as the steel began to give away beneath his grip, bending and shuddering beneath his rage. Runes and dark golden lightning burning across his skin, his skin begins to break apart and reveal-

"Agnus!"

Instantly, five thousand volts of electricity flooded through his body. His face met the floor before he could break the bars apart.

"Get up."

"Useless."

"Nothing new."

Pressing a fist against the ground as blue white lightning arced across his body, Callisto began to scream, burning orange eyes flashing at Agnus as his teeth elongated. Convulsing rapidly, his screams intensified into a layered war cry.

Credo blinked a few times, dazed. Regaining his conscience at the sound of screaming, "Stop it!" Credo cries with his youthful voice and stands up shakily, "P-please stop hurting him!" He shakes Sanctus' robe and looks towards Agnus with pleading eyes.

Sanctus brushes him off, disgusted. "Do you feel sympathy for that demon? For that beast? You will one day become just like him if you forsake the order!"

Tears running down his face, Crono rubs his face. "Just… Please stop! I'll go to bed!"

And then, a shadowed smile curves up almost inhumanely. Credo's blood ran cold as the weight of a holy dreadful glee crashed all around him.

Sanctus chuckled and shook his head, his voice soft as light. "I'm afraid… You must be punished for sympathizing with demons, you know this is an evil action young man.." His hands curl into a trap, an iron cage, shadowed by the darkness. Two blazing eyes. Red.

Credo takes a step back, fear etched into his eyes.

His hand wraps around Credo's like an iron chain, "You will learn your lesson!"

Brushing himself off, his gaze snaps towards the hunched over scientist next to him, "It's almost t-time for y-you to m-move out my lord…" Agnus absently comments, releasing the pressure on his device.

The electricity finally stops, Callisto can smell his burning flesh, can feel his skin stitching back from the lacerations, spitting out blood onto the floor; he feels a small body land on his back before tumbling away.

"Yes yes… Let's finish up here."

Every movement is painful, yet the eyes burning red still are caught… He angles his head upwards to see Sanctus grinning down at him, face shadowed.

His words accentuate the small figure next to him, "Since the boy seems to empathize with you demons, it's only fitting he remains here until further notice!"

He gestures for Agnus to leave, his red eyes burning. "Remember, all demons are to be exterminated… This was defined by Lord Lowell, defined by Sparda himself! Any weakness to uphold this, shall be punished!" Sanctus placed his arms behind his back and began towards the exit himself

He gives the child one last half-glance, "Think on that, young Credo."

The boy in question quickly recovers, scrambling towards the metal bars. "H-hey wait!" The light is leaving the room, "Wait Professor Agnus please don't leave, it's dark, it's dark, it's dark!" The man turns to catch his gaze, gone is the kind if slightly odd professor… In his place, a cruel frown.

Credo feels his heart stop, contracting every muscle in his neck, "PLEASE!" He cries, pulling and shaking against the metal bars. "DON'T GO, PLEASE DON'T GO!" His snot mixes with his tears, with one last look… He shivers as the darkness creeps up over his face.

The prison door slams shut, leaving Credo behind in the darkness… Reaching out for the man he thought was his friend, sobs wracking his small body… A punishment for sympathizing with the enemy, a punishment for…

Being weak.

Credo is only five years old.

An hour later… Fortuna.

To Sanctus, this world and its people were all defined by one rule… Strong, or weak. Just as Sparda was the strongest, he was worshiped as such for such a reason; for his bravery, his ascension from demon hood to Godhood. He was able to lead by example, humanity followed him without question and built statues in his name wherever he went.

It was that power that Sanctus coveted the most, that ability to wield others and direct them with a single word, a single action… To save them from sin, to deliver them from weakness.

It was his divine right, as the chosen of Sparda. The choir said as much, their voices heavenly against his aged senses.

And so the light strikes him, heading the stage he stood upon. Dozens of Knights standing at his side, hundreds of people's present in the seats of this session.

First is dedicated to a prayer, and then a sermon, the minutes tick by in the dead of night, the stage shadowed by a dim brown light.

After the heavenly chorus ended, Sanctus stood tall in the silence of this room. His eyes shut; he opened his mouth. "I… I have a dream." He spoke softly, his tender aged expression curling into a smile.

"That one day… No more children will have to grow up without parents, that our fears will finally be quenched."

"That one day, the demons will no longer threaten us… That Sparda will deliver us to the promised day."

He paused for a moment, his eyes opening and witnessing the trepid anticipation of the mass below. "But… We have been misguided." He tilts his head down and lets a shadow run over his smirk.

The murmurs are tantalizing.

Sanctus raises his hands suddenly, a worried expression etched across his features. "Do not fret! We may have been deceived, but do not worry! We are strong!" He raises a fist to the sky, shaking it at his people.

He shook his head, sighing. "The demons, no, the Subterranean Demons have infiltrated our city." He bemoans as if the idea is torture to him.

'Cut the head off…'

Sanctus glazed over the crowd with his gentle red gaze, watching their confused reactions, watching them mutter and come together close in fright. "And I am so… So terribly sorry that I thought to trust them, but… Their true colors have been revealed!" He shouts at the top of his lungs.

On the screen behind him, an image of a blue figure with silver hair glances towards them with his back facing their direction. "Vergil… He initially seemed like an ally against the demons, but, just now…" Sanctus swallowed as his eyes shut tightly.

His downtrodden expression drew their looks, their ire. "He not only attacked our stronghold without provocation, but he turned his eyes against the tower of Babel as well!"

"Andrei… Is a good friend of mine, and to see the attempt on his life so callously. It cannot be denied, this Vergil, ally to the Subterranean Demons… Is no friend to us." He sighs and fans his anger, narrowing his eyes and glaring at the figure behind him.

He gestures towards the image of Vergil, "This fiend has left many of our brothers in a coma, destroyed our property, damaged our people's faith!" He bit out every scathing description he could muster.

"They even hold our own men captive, no doubt using their magicks to abuse their minds!"

His hands shaking at his side, "I will not let it stand, my people, I won't." He then turns his gaze towards Fortuna.

"We must fight back! We can't let them seep into our society and threaten us like this, him or his allies!" A chorus of shouts matched his vigor.

His eyes burn, "We cannot allow them to divide us, Vergil, his allies, they've shown their true color! One of our former brothers has betrayed us to gather information about us for him, we cannot let this sin go unpunished!"

Another cheer, their angered expressions matching his own. All but one man could be found with a sour expression, his bandaged vision not allowing him to see… And yet he made his way through the crowd anyway.

Sanctus smiled, pressing his hands together in prayer. "Thank you… And may Sparda bless our endeavor tonight!" He cried, looking to the ceiling before shooting his hand towards the exit.

"Tonight, we will fight back!"

"Tonight, we will make a stand!"

"Tonight, we press against our enemies!"

His words coil around their beings, their souls, for the people of this world… They know the demons in only a single light, only a single way. Death, those who take, who steal love… Demons all, they must be punished for their collective consciousness.

"Stop!" A strong voice suddenly silences the jeers.

All eyes turn towards the man at the head of the mass, his tall imposing figure, his soft expression. "Please… You do not know what you say, Sanctus!" He rears his blinded face towards him.

Sanctus blinks, "Ah, Father Coigne." He smiles and lowers down from his podium, meeting the man face to face in the head of the mass.

"What pleasure do I owe?" He asked the man, red eyes glimmering dangerously outside of the limelight.

Coigne purses his lips, "Do not do this… The demons at that bar, they are innocent. And this Vergil just may be the Azure Knight…" A being wreathed in blue flame, a kind devil capable of incredible feats.

Sanctus didn't react outwardly, "I'm sure that's possible however…" He trudged past the man into the center of the crowd, raising his arms to the sky and leaving Coigne bewildered.

"AN INNOCENT DEMON, CANNOT EXIST MY CHILDREN! LET US MOVE!"

The people of Fortuna ignored Coigne, his shouts falling on deaf ears and only fueling Sanctus further. His arms still raised to the sky as dozens of people, knights, men, women, rushed past him and out of the cathedral. Rushing to their houses to the chant of their boots hitting the ground, torches lighting up the night sky as their faces hardened and their hearts did too.

Sanctus smiled, lowering his arms and turning to Coigne once more. The man was holding his hand out to them all, weakly. "You… You mobilized a mob." He states dejectedly, falling to his knees.

Sanctus moved towards him like a shadow, gliding over the ground like a wraith. "I did nothing but enable their desires." He says softly, "Return to your family Coigne."

He sees him clench his fists, sighing. "I won't give up hope, Sanctus."

The holy leader only had one response.

His lips quivered, "Then suffer."

Overlooking the interaction was a scholarly figure with a disformed face, his eyes two colors, one red, one violet. His conniving gaze tracing every moment, ears hearing every word, he watched as the holy leader left the poor poor Father to his lonesome in the silence of the empty cathedral.

"Such a pity." Arkham spoke above from a scaffolding, smiling as he read the compendium of William Blake.

"Such a pity it is to be a man." He finished, shutting the book and disappearing from sight. Leaving Coigne as the sole occupant of the church, his sigh echoing till time stands still.

Every action no matter how small or large… Will ripple through and change everything.

a/n: Anyone still reading?