Nick, who was now alone in the chaparral, closed his eyes and visualized about Satan's plans against him.

"The Cult of Khazra. This cult hath performed numerous occult rituals - rituals that no one canth understand other than them. They wore goat, ram, or deer skulls, depending on their ranks. Blood magic, summoning, and curses are three of their main magic spells. And a shadowy being is what they worship and glorify..."

"The cultists!" He opened his eyes and realized something.

Nick stood up quickly and began searching for the cultists by venturing to the dark forest.

Two ghosts, who stalked him invisibly, followed him.

"Where art thou going, my friend?" said the male ghost.

"I am going to the hideout of the Khazra cult." replied Nick.

"We will help thee track their location, my friend." encouraged the female ghost.

"I believe thou both art supposedly dead."

"Yes, indeed, but we have unfinished business in life. We both need thy help. We want not to go to Hell and be burned in eternal fire... we seek for forgiveness..."

"It will take time."

"Demons!"

In front of Nick they gazed at the demons he called Brutes. Each demon has two large horns, zombie-like bodies, sharp claws, and a big open-wide mouth with large teeth and large sharp tongues. These demons carried traditional butcher knives and their arms are wrapped by living snakes. They also covered their lower parts by torn black clothing, and they screamed like possessed people under exorcisms. The two ghosts hid themselves at Nick's back.

"I do not know thee yet, but let me take care of these Brutes. Move back." warned Nick.

The mournful ghosts vanished out of nowhere and Nick, alone, grabbed his Gehenna sword and unleashed hell at the Brutes.

"No remorse, blood for blood." said Nick to the Brutes, initiating a melee clash.

The butcher knives parried at Nick's sword, and he was put under pressure by the Brutes.

"For the victims under trauma." Nick was motivated by the ghosts, as he raised his sword and jumped up high, waiting for an opportunity to strike the demons.

"Do not worry; God will always have a greater plan for thee."

Nick slashed the necks of some Brutes, releasing blood and beheading them as a result.

Suddenly, the other Brutes stabbed him at the back.

"Oh yeah?"

Nick forced his open hand to release the stabbing knives, which released his blood from his back and his hands. He kicked the Brutes and slashed them afterwards.

It was at this moment that the two ghosts reappeared.

"May we have a request?" said the female ghost.

Nick raised his eyebrows, while the last Brute collapsed in a pool of blood.

"After thou takest down the Khazra cultists, we will take thee to the place of the Fallen Emperor's castle."

"I believe the Knights of Caldeum will take care of his revenant knights. But what can I do there?"

"We were once his loyal servants even if we are just normal smiths. But I do not like his brutal and manipulative despot attitude. He just treated us like his lowly pawns, and when we failed to accomplish our given quests from him, we will be doomed to die by his hands alone." sobbed the male ghost.

"I am not aware of it yet, but I will follow thee in that strange place. But for now, lead me to the Khazra hideout." replied Nick.

"My thanks..."

"If there are demons that will cross our way, hide to a safer place. Do not attack, for thou wilt be defenseless. I will be the one who will take them down."

"I will keep that in mind during our journey."

Meanwhile...

The shadowy being met with Satan, who disguised as a forest serpent.

"Do not let them see thy true form yet. Wait until they fell into thy trap. Remember, thou art my equal when it comes to being cunning." said the Devil.

"My lord, our plan is not yet done. The cult will pave the way to mankind's downfall." insisted the shadow figure.

"Indeed? Somehow thou knowest what these mortals are up to, but thou must go unnoticed. Manipulate the minds of these beings. These humans are mindful creatures, but their blind faith, their egotism, and their ignorance of reality are their weak spots."

The serpent left after delivering his last words to the shadow figure, which led him to disintegrate into black smoke and left the forest as well.

Moments later, Nick and the ghosts stalked the whole place.

"Be warned. The enemy is watching thee."

The Khazra cultists searched for random people, hoping that they will join their cult and believe in their mentalities.

One cultist, who showed his face and did not carry anything, spoke to a resident in Caldeum.

"Come to us, and we are free to give thee what thou wantest. There is nothing wrong in joining our religious group. Also, we are also worshiping the Lord God." said the cultist.

"Oh, I see. Is there any initial fee for me to join?" asked the resident.

"No need to pay anything. It's all free."

"Okay, I wanna talk to my friends about it. When will we meet again?"

"I will come back after three days. Canst thou make it?"

"I will try that."

While some of the cultists interacted with the townspeople, the other cultists performed a ritual for them to summon the Goatmen. Each of them, obviously, have a head of a goat, and a body of a man. These Goatmen acted like primitive human beings, wielding spears, axes, or spiked clubs on offense.

The Goatmen were tasked to guard the Khazra hideout, while the cultists inside drew a strange circular symbol which, to Nick's surprise, is used to establish connection with the strange being.

"Hmmm... methinks it is interesting. What strange supreme being doth every one worship?" responded Nick.

"Look, a new guest." responded another cultist.

Nick was visited by that cultist.

"Hello, my friend, I am here to..."

"Wait... I sensed something interesting which reflects my character as a demon. Dost thou worship demons and the occult?" asked Nick.

"No. We worship the Lord, for we are created in His image."

But Nick seemed unsatisfied.

"This seems odd. There hath been a presence of the 'Khazra beasts', as I wander around thy hideout."

"We never summoned any, the Devil secretly created them." said another cultist.

"Well, if this is true, thou wilt tell the priests about the true teachings of the cult of the Khazra. If false, the Devil just corrupted thy minds." warned Nick.

The cultists were shocked of Nick's words. It was at this moment that the Khazra cult leader just arrived.

"Sacrifice this man. He is against our cult's vision." ordered the cult leader.

The Goatmen, together with the Khazra cultists, confronted Nick and initiated the clash.

"We supposedly bring the future Neophytes to our initiation, but because of thee, and thy demonic vision which is against our own..." warned the cult leader but was stopped by Nick.

"No need to tell me the consequence. I know that God will seal my fate, even thine."

"Ille insidias suspicatur!"

"Vade."

While the Khazra cult leader stomped his staff, the Goatmen and a few Khazra disciples managed to attack him, but with Gehenna, Nick parried the disciples' daggers and the Goatmen's polearms. He then countered with a few slashes. While this happens, an equally bloody battle was fought.

Nick cast a hellfire ball towards the Goatmen, and even the cultists were hit by its hellish explosion.

"I have sensed the corruption inside thee, Prince of Darkness." said the cult leader, which made Nick chuckle a bit with his lips closed.

"Just tell me who between us is the lesser of two evils."

Blood splashed at some of the Goatmen as Nick flayed the souls of a few cultists with the shadow bolts coming from his fingers. The affected cultists barely breathed and struggled to get up in place, while the Goatmen were left fatally wounded by Nick's sword mastery. None of the Goatmen and the cultists were killed... yet.

Because of this, the cultists turned to their fellow cultists and Goatmen in severe danger. Nick simply tilted his head at the cult leader.

"Do not worry, my friend. I am not here to kill anyone of thy 'sacred' group, but I will come back when the cult's initiation ceremony will be done. Be sure that what thou didst benefiteth the masses. If not, then the claim of thy fellow cultist saying that ye worshiped the Lord... becometh useless."

"Cursed mongrel..." responded the cult leader, but Nick disappeared like a ghost.

Meanwhile in Leo's chapel, Nick had a conversation with the same two ghosts.

"Six days from now, the initiation ceremony of the Khazra cult will begin. Right now, they make efforts to persuade and eventually recruit the town residents. Not just in Caldeum, but also in other fiefs as well." said the male ghost.

"So I will wait after six days. I will first allow the Devil to take a great advantage." suggested Nick.

"But... why? Art thou the Devil's General?"

"Once, but I left the Infernal Legion in search for a new meaning."

Suddenly, a ray of light illuminated the chapel, lighting up the candles inside.

"Nick, since I have seen the light behind thy eyes, I will guide thee to what is good and right."

A female angel showed up, and she turned into the same lady in white dress Nick saw before.

"Who is that angel?" asked the female ghost.

"It is Maria." replied Nick.

The ghosts covered themselves at Nick's back. Maria prayed,

"Veni Sancte Spiritus, tui amoris ignem accende..."

After a long prayer, Nick started to feel an unbearable sensation and was weakened, while the radiant light healed his wounds and scars. He was forced to scream, kneel, shake himself in pain, and eventually lay down on the floor. The two crying ghosts, on the other hand, glowed bright while being removed of their sadness and guilt.

While Nick struggled to get up in place, Maria gently touched his left cheek and removed the negative emotions he had. A bit of black smoke came out from his body.

As the light faded and the chapel was back to its original ambience, Nick felt exhausted and the ghosts cried.

"Do not worry. He will be healed in time, I promise." Maria encouraged them in response.

Nick slowly opened his eyes while laying down on the floor.

"I am his ally," she added.

The ghosts hugged both of them and stayed inside the chapel for a while.