Kaiser was sitting on a leather armchair, one leg folded over the other. In front of him, Diavolo seemed to have no notion of fatigue.

While they were discussing in low voices, the flap of the tent lifted discreetly. A young student, wearing the insignia of the Sol clan, poked her head in with hesitation.

" Mister Klein ", murmured the student in a timid voice that trembled.

Kaiser raised his head. His gaze settled on the young girl, which made her shudder imperceptibly. Without saying a word, he stood up and headed toward the entrance.

" What’s going on? " he asked in a neutral tone.

The young girl seemed to search for her words for a second, her cheeks slightly flushed by Kaiser’s proximity.

" The mistress asks to see you ", replied the student hastily, striving to maintain a professional demeanor. " Euh... I wanted to tell you, thank you for everything for your help ", she added suddenly before bowing deeply, a gesture of sincere gratitude for having been saved from the possessed.

" Hmmm, you seem to be in high demand lately, baby boy? "

" This is not the moment old man... "

Kaiser gave a simple nod. The young girl straightened up, displaying a radiant smile, then she ran off toward the center of the camp, visibly happy. Kaiser remained for a moment looking at the tent curtain before returning near Diavolo.

" Apparently, Jezabel wants to see us ", he said while leaning against a tent post.

" Hmmm... What for? " asked Diavolo, curious.

" I don’t know ", replied Kaiser. " But it surely concerns this affair of the possessed. "

" I see, in that case let’s go see what she has to say ", agreed Diavolo as he rose from his seat with agility.

Together, they left the tent and crossed the camp. They arrived in front of Jezabel’s temporary headquarters. The guard at the entrance immediately recognized the duo. He gave them a respectful nod and stepped aside to let them pass without a word.

Inside, Jezabel was standing near a table covered with reports. She turned toward them as soon as they crossed the threshold.

" Here you are ", she exclaimed. Her tone was less arrogant than usual. " I wanted to see you to share the information we obtained after the interrogation. "

She gestured toward a chair, but Kaiser remained standing. Jezabel took a breath and began.

" From what we all know, the possession process normally requires an affinity between the demon and the person. The individual also needs to be mentally weak for the possession to be complete. This is the basic rule of spiritual invasion ", she explained while crossing her arms under her chest. " But this case is different. We have discovered that it was provoked by a person themselves. "

Kaiser frowned. The idea of a human or at least mortal catalyst changed the situation radically.

" If what you say is true, how did he attack them? " asked Kaiser.

" We have deduced that it is a corruption power capable of transforming a person into a possessed by simple contact, or almost ", continued Jezabel. " We interrogated one of the students who was purified. He doesn’t remember too much about how it started, but he says he met a stranger. According to him, after looking him in the eyes, he doesn’t remember anything until you intervened. "

" I see ", agreed Kaiser. " And so, what do you want us to do? " 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Jezabel plunged her gaze into Kaiser’s. She knew she was asking a lot from a mercenary whose true allegiances she ignored, but she had no other viable option.

" I would like you to investigate the person mentioned ", she asked in a firm voice. " My troops are busy securing the perimeter and healing the wounded. I cannot send high-ranking mages to scatter across Tenebris without risking another attack. I will pay you generously for your service. The Sol clan knows how to recognize the value of its allies. "

Kaiser turned his head toward Diavolo, leaving him the task of giving his opinion, even though he already knew the old man’s answer.

" What do you think? " asked Kaiser.

" Nyo-ho! If she intends to pay, I don’t see why we would refuse ", replied Diavolo with a small stifled laugh. " And besides, I’m quite curious about this guy. A human capable of manipulating corruption to this extent... it’s a rarity that deserves to be studied closely. "

" It’s agreed, we accept your request ", said Kaiser while turning back toward Jezabel. " Since we have nothing more to do here, we will therefore leave right now. "

Jezabel seemed surprised by this sudden decision.

" You don’t plan to wait a few days? " she asked, a hint of worry piercing in her voice.

" We have rested enough ", replied Kaiser.

" I see. Be careful ", she said with a touch of sincerity she would never have shown before. " Don’t die before completing the mission. It would be a waste of talent. "

...

The darkness of Tenebris seemed to thicken as Kaiser and Diavolo ventured deeper into the steep canyons, guided by Jezabel’s reports.

Their searches with exceptional perception techniques did not take long to bear fruit when they emerged into a slightly wider area where the pale light revealed an immobile silhouette.

The man stood there, a few steps from them, hands in his pockets, adopting a posture that almost copied Kaiser’s. He wore a dark Oni mask, identical to the one Kaiser wore under his identity as " The Predator ", and his blue eyes shone with coldness.

On his back, a sword whose blade was hidden by firmly wrapped bandages remained attached, while his black hair floated slightly in the wind.

Diavolo let out a small stifled laugh. " Nyo-ho! It looks like he was waiting for us, baby boy ", he remarked with a carnivorous smile. Kaiser, for his part, frowned under his apparent calm, because this guy was the last person he hoped to encounter in these devastated lands.

Kaiser took a few steps forward. " Can you tell us why you attacked the academy students? " he asked in a neutral voice. The silhouette did not reply, contenting itself with staring at Kaiser. " Since you refuse to speak, I will therefore force you ", added Kaiser.

Drawing his katana, Kaiser propelled himself toward the silhouette, covering the distance in a fraction of a second. He delivered a straight katana strike, but the latter performed a quick shift to the right.

Kaiser’s blade met only emptiness and struck the ground, creating a small crater under the violence of the impact. Taking advantage of his momentum and his temporary inability to move in the air, Kaiser pivoted and delivered a horizontal blow. The masked man nevertheless managed to lean backward, turning on himself in a perfect backflip before landing a few steps further.

Kaiser gave him no respite and launched himself once more to the assault, aiming at his opponent’s left flank. This time, the masked man blocked the attack by using his still bandaged sword. The clash of metals produced a shockwave that pushed the stranger back several meters, his boots plowing the ground.

While he was trying to stabilize himself, the bandages on his sword began to unravel under the pressure of his own mana, revealing a dark blade. He then cast a quick glance toward Diavolo, as if to assess whether the old man intended to intervene.

Understanding the gesture, Diavolo raised both hands in a sign of surrender, retreating with an agile jump to give them space. " Don’t worry, this is my disciple’s fight ", he said with a smile that revealed his teeth, " I have absolutely no intention of intervening. "

The silhouette observed Diavolo for a brief moment before redirecting all his attention to Kaiser. He took a combat stance, knees slightly bent, pointing his sword toward his opponent. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and literally disappeared from where he stood. This sudden disappearance took Kaiser by surprise and even shocked Diavolo, because it was not a simple acceleration but teleportation.

Reappearing instantly behind Kaiser, the masked man delivered a quick attack aimed at the neck. Kaiser’s instinct made him react at the last second. He ducked, feeling the blade pass above him, then used his hands as support to deliver a violent spinning kick toward his attacker’s plexus.

The silhouette coldly caught Kaiser’s leg and threw him far away. Kaiser managed to stabilize himself in mid-air thanks to an " Aura Repulsion " and landed back on his feet, but the moment he touched the ground, the masked man was already in front of him.

Using his momentum, Kaiser swung his katana which collided with the stranger’s sword, causing a shower of sparks that briefly illuminated their faces. It was at that precise moment that the silhouette spoke for the first time in a voice that seemed strangely familiar under the mask.

" Is that you, Kaiser? " asked the man.

These few words took Kaiser by surprise, destabilizing him for a fraction of a second. This hesitation did not escape the masked man who took advantage of it to deliver a powerful kick to his thorax, making him retreat several steps.

" How does this guy know my identity? " Kaiser wondered internally as he caught his breath. " Apart from my master, no one should know here. "

It was then that the masked man brought his hand to his face and slowly removed his Oni mask, revealing his features in the light. Kaiser remained petrified.

" Isaak! "

His older brother who should have been dead and whose lifeless body he had himself looked at, now stood in front of him.