The next day, Nick met an angel that looked perfect in his eyes.
"Who art thou?" said he.
"I know thee, thou knowest me not; but I will tell thee about a Demon Lord's associations with the Khazra cult." replied the angel.
"A Demon Lord is behind this sacrifice?"
"Exactly, they intend to purge the world from evil, but behind this mentality is a dark secret."
"So the Devil sendeth a Demon Lord, who in turn disguised as the cult leader; and anyone who wanteth to join the cult needeth to sign a diabolical contract."
"However, they reveal to us the Grand Initiation, not behind it. They are charismatic - people really want to join this cult for untold power, in exchange of strong faith in the Lord and of the critical reasoning. 'Tis a difficult task, Nick. Many of the darkest evil acts are hidden behind the scenes. The Khazra cult will sever thy faith in exchange of fulfilling their vision."
"If I join them, they will control all of me. Is that what thou art trying to say?"
"On point, Nick."
"That is why I have to wait for that Grand Initiation, and I already warned them that I am watching."
"Convince them that no religion can save them."
"So be it. Now get away from me."
The angel faded through a bright ray of light, and a black angel was just in front of him watching.
"I'm warning thee, Prince of Darkness. Not all angels are good, not all demons are evil. It might be possible that the angel thou art confronting is actually a devil in disguise."
"Zen?" called Nick, upon seeing the familiar visage.
The black angel disappeared, as Nick was shocked of what he said. Nevertheless, he pursued to wait for the day the Grand Initiation rite will start.
The next day, Maria and Nick engaged in a conversation regarding the Grand Initiation rite.
"An angel sent thee?" asked she.
"Aye... However I never knew yet if he sided with the Heavenly Host or he actually is a demon from the Infernal Legion." answered he.
"I also experienced this case, Nick. There are angels who wish to disobey the Lord's commandments."
"And there are demons who choose to live in harmony with the humans."
"Nick, be not fooled. Thou know not if thou art manipulated by the Devil or not. But worry not, the Heavenly Host will help thee."
"I believe the Heavenly Host hath a grudge towards me. It is all on myself right now. Even humans can judge the way I look and act, without knowing the truth behind my choice."
"Nick, listen to me. I am here to help thee. We are both humans, but our spirits are on opposite realms. The Lord is a merciful and a just Supreme Being thou wilt meet, and in Him, we will know the truth behind anything we want to know."
"No religion can save me, Maria."
"But thy faith can, Nick."
Nick, now wearing a maroon frock coat with a black overfrock, black trousers, and a pair of black boots, unleashed his sword and went out of the chapel.
"I'll find a permanent shelter, not this. I'll be blamed for blasphemy if someone seeth me doing this..." said he, while the two ghosts vanished.
"I'll go with thee." encouraged Maria, who now wore a white dress with a turquoise blue bodice and a pair of ivory sandals.
Later, a parade of hooded peasants led by a black hooded cultist came during the initiation rite, and even one of the townsfolk in Caldeum did not spectate.
Nick and Maria spectated the initiation rite.
The Khazra cultists started a chant which began their solemn rite. This is where Nick started to move.
"We stand armed and dangerous before the bloody fields of history; devoid of dogma, but ready to carve, to defy the transient; ready to stab forth with our penetrative will..."
The initiates, who were unaware of the ritual, had the urge to escape from the clutches of the Khazra. However, they were still captured by the cultists.
"Ye dalcops..." cursed Nick, sneaking on the ceremony.
"Maria, this way." a ghost pointed to a safer place so that Maria could observe better.
The Princess of Light secretly grabbed Illumina, a heavenly bow, and continued watching the ceremony.
"I respect their faith; but if their way of worshiping is through human sacrifices, I will not accept." said Maria.
The initiates who resisted were placed on stone slabs, with their bodies chained around the slabs.
The cultists slowly slit the necks of the resisting initiates using special daggers, while the remaining initiates had their heads touched by the cultists, draining their thoughts.
An exploding fireball hit numerous cultists, forcing them to drop their daggers and search for the location where it was shot.
"What is happening?" said the cult leader.
"We are about to sacrifice these initiates, but somebody getteth in our way!" said a cultist.
"Leasing-mongers!"
The cultists used their daggers and even the Goatmen came to assist them. However, they still never knew where the fireball came from.
It was until a man in black with a pallid skin color and red eyes came in front of them.
"I know thee, Prince of Darkness..." said the cult leader, initiating a second battle.
The chains and fetters glowed in bright light and were shattered, releasing the captured initiates.
Holy spiritual arrows were fired and some of the cultists were shot in the heads. Blood flowed out from their heads and were blinded by the sacred light.
"Maria?" doubted the Prince of Darkness, who felt that he got few chances to strike.
"The cult leader ran away, after him!" replied she.
"Damn..."
"Thou canst not get in my way, fool!" said the cult leader.
"Unless I understood what thy religion hath explicated." countered Nick.
The cult leader was suddenly zapped. Upon his paralysis, Zen appeared.
"Let me help thee." said Zen.
Using his spiritual strength and instincts, Zen stabbed each Goatman with his claws. Nick ran away to chase the cult leader, who got up from his unconsciousness earlier.
But before the cult leader got his advantage over Nick, a dark mist surrounded him.
"Semper in te mala!" versed the cult leader.
"Et exocquam ad me." replied the slow dark voice.
"Tu quis es? TU QUIS ES?"
As the cult leader prepared his staff to unleash black magic, a demon grabbed his black cloak and pulled him.
The demon, using his sword, battered the helpless cult leader to death. Blood splashed from such brutal battering. However, the cult leader threw a dagger to the chest and started to escape again.
Long bloody wounds to the cult leader were unseen; but the demon removed the dagger forcefully and slowly walked towards him, even if blood flowed from his chest.
"Thou art tested, fiend. Hell awaits thee." said the cult leader, still running away even suffering the injury.
"Master of lies..." spoke the demon, who disappeared in black mist after the confrontation.
Meanwhile...
Blood flowed in the streets where the Grand Initiation took place. The initiates ran towards Maria.
"Believe me. May the Lord God bless each of thee. All He wanteth is for thee to have faith in Him, to love one another as ye love Him, and never to lose hope in any bad happening. I know thou hast sinned, but He wanteth thee to forgive and be forgiven. What people really want from thee is also what the Lord wanteth from thee. Remember that."
The initiates still doubted themselves. Some of them even bowed their heads down in despair.
"Their choices to join, their lives to sacrifice." said Zen, walking away but was stopped by the demon.
"Zen... I must thank thee for this..."
"Thank me not, Nick. I have reasons to help them too. By the way, the cult leader is assumed to be Belial, the master of deceit and lies."
"Doth the Devil summon him, or he is actually showing up?"
"I know not, but do not fool thyself. There may be Demon Lords lurking in Caldeum, and even in Zantrom. It's not only the Devil who attacked the citizens."
Zen left the place as Nick turned himself back to his human form.
Leo, riding a white horse, sent Nick a private invitation.
"Nick, I am sending to thee an invitation regarding a recollection. The Cardinal will also be involved in this event. Art thou going?" requested Leo.
"I will look forward to that. Father, the initiates, they need thy help." replied Nick.
"I will be aware. Where is thy companion?"
"Maria is also here, leading the initiates to the chapel."
"Let me know when we are there, Nick. I'll follow her. By the way, the Cardinal wanteth to talk to both Maria and thee. Meet me at the recollection tomorrow."
"Yes, Father."
Leo rode on his horse to the chapel, upon seeing the initiates struggling even in Maria's presence.