After enjoying a wonderful day with Jezebel, Klein and Diavolo left Yggdrasil...

*Forest between Yggdrasil and Babylon*

Night had fallen on the forest edge separating the verdant kingdom of Yggdrasil from the industrial lands of Babylon. In the center of a small clearing, a campfire crackled, casting dancing shadows.

Klein was sitting on a tree stump.

Diavolo was waving a long pipe, exhaling bluish smoke that seemed to take the form of miniature nebulae before dissipating. He was explaining to Klein some of the darkest secrets of this world, although he remained measured in his revelations. He feared that an overload of information would put him prematurely in the crosshairs of entities he was not yet ready to face.

Klein, with a thoughtful gaze, finally broke the silence.

"... Why do you consider the Constellations as our true enemies, old man ? ..." he asked in a calm voice. "Even more than the angels of the Holy Cathedral or the demons that The Spectrum wants to summon ?"

Diavolo let out a small laugh.

" Nyo-ho ho ! The angels and the demons are just victims , baby boy, not the real problem." he replied while blowing out smoke ... They are executors, they too are pawns on a chessboard. The real players, those who move the pieces for their own entertainment, are the twelve seats and the Constellations..."

Klein picked up a dry branch and threw it into the brazier, causing a flurry of sparks.

" And death ?" asked Diavolo" ... What do you really think about it ? "

Klein paused, remembering the old man’s previous lessons, then continued :

" You told me that death was only a form of astral projection at the moment when the mortal body is destroyed ... "

Diavolo nodded, his expression suddenly becoming more serious.

" That’s correct. The soul separates from its carnal envelope ..." he explained." But do you know how angels and demons are really created ? "

" If I knew, I wouldn’t be sitting here listening to you, old man."

" You’re right, hahaha !" Diavolo burst out laughing while patting his shoulder. " Listen carefully. When a mortal dies, his soul leaves this plane. Depending on his life or who he served, it is drawn upward or downward. It’s not really a question of pure good or evil. But if you have been a disruptive person, you will obviously not be accepted into heaven, even if you wore the armor of a paladin. Because unlike hell, paradise is not a chaotic place where you can do whatever you want. "

Klein nodded, he already knew that from reading the novel. But Diavolo did not stop there. He leaned toward the fire, the glow of the flames accentuating the features of his face.

" What they hide from you is the transformation process " murmured the dark elf.

" The soul of a mortal, before being integrated into the celestial or infernal army, is stripped of all its memories. It is cleaned, emptied of what made it an individual. This is how they become angels, chosen by the Constellations, or demons, selected by the Twelve Seats ... "

A sudden cold, which had nothing to do with the night breeze, ran down Klein’s spine.

" You mean that the angel Jophiel... the Seraph of Wisdom... was once a mortal ?" asked Klein.

" Yah ...All these superior entities that you worship were, at the beginning, only recycled raw material."

Diavolo stood up abruptly, his long coat floating around him. His attitude changed completely, losing its buffoonish aspect for an overwhelming solemnity.

" My time has come, baby boy.. " he declared.

Klein frowned, standing up as well.

" What are you talking about ? Your time ? "

Diavolo did not answer his question directly. He approached the young man, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

" Never forget what I taught you." he said, his heterochromatic gaze plunging into that of his disciple.

" The Constellations and the twelve Seats are our true enemies. They see us only as livestock or tools. Do everything in your power to stay alive, Kaiser. Live free, let no one chain your soul ."

He paused.

" In my long life, I had two powerful disciples... and a daughter ... ". he confided." I know that the latter betrayed you, but I beg you... don’t be too hard on her. "

Klein was confused.

" Your daughter ? Who ? And where are you going, old man ?" he asked, taking a step toward him.

Diavolo’s body then began to vibrate. A multitude of luminous sparks, similar to star dust, began to escape from his limbs. The dark elf firmly seized Klein’s arm. At the moment of contact, a burning heat radiated into the young man’s limb. Complex tattoos, representing constellations and astral runes, appeared on his skin, shining with a silvery glow before turning black.

[ Ding ! You have obtained the Star Runes ! ]

" What the... ?"

Diavolo smiled, one last time. His golden teeth shone with a final gleam.

" My work here has been finished for a long time, baby boy ..." he said, his voice beginning to fade.

" My essence only persisted to make sure you were well trained. Now that it’s done... it’s time for you to fuck everything up. Don’t let them come looking for you. Go look for them yourself. FUCK THEM, isn’t it ?"

In a final burst of light, he shouted :

" You are the new Konstantine ! Nyo-hoho ! "

The wizard completely disintegrated, his last particles rising toward the celestial vault to join the stars. Klein remained motionless, his arm still outstretched toward the void. The silence of the forest had returned, disturbed only by the weakening crackle of the campfire.

He raised his eyes to the night sky. The stars shone with shooting stars

"Thank you for everything... The Wizard of the Constellation." he murmured to himself.

That night, Kaiser D. Paragon definitively gave way to Klein Konstantine. The holder of the Sundering Eclipse art was now also the heir to the mystical Arts of the stars.

The next day, Klein set off toward Babylon. He was heading to the Towers of Sorcery, because he knew that his mission as a Mystical Exorcist was only just beginning.