Seat of the Hortensia Church

In the Duchy of Valerus, prosperity was a visible reality on every street corner. The buildings were well-maintained, the paved roads remained clean and solid, and the markets overflowed with goods.

The merchants did not shout to attract customers, they spoke calmly, as if they knew the buyers would come on their own. There were no beggars crouched in the alleys, nor empty gazes marked by hunger. Even the children seemed healthy, their clothes simple but clean.

This stability did not come by chance. The duchy functioned almost like an independent entity. All of its citizens did not pay the tax imposed by the Holy Cathedral, which said a lot about its real power. Here, the dominant religious authority was not the one recognized in the rest of the world, but indeed the Church of Hortensia.

And above all, there was Black Neon, another entity that threatened the authority of the Holy Cathedral.

In the streets, several men and women could be seen walking in small groups. Their attitude was calm, proudly wearing the Black Neon uniform. They did not seek to hide as was the case in other places of the empire, the citizens also seemed to get along with them. After all, they were the blade of the church, the shadow that protected the duchy. Thanks to them, security was ensured.

At the center of all this stood the Church of Hortensia.

An imposing but sober building. The walls were light-colored, the carefully maintained stained glass windows let in a soft light that bathed the interior. The atmosphere there was peaceful, almost unreal.

Inside, Scarlet Valerus, the saintess, stood facing a young child. The latter still had some traces of pain on her face, but she could now stand upright.

Green runes glowed faintly on Scarlet’s skin.

"Try to walk one more time," she said softly.

The child hesitated, then placed one foot in front of the other. She took a few steps, awkward at first, then more and more confident.

"I... I can walk..." she murmured.

A slight smile appeared on Scarlet’s face. "Yes. But don’t push yourself too hard today."

The child’s mother, with moist eyes, bowed deeply. "Thank you... thank you saintess..."

Scarlet gently raised her hand. "Take care of her."

The mother nodded quickly and led the child out of the room. As they were leaving, a silhouette entered. Quickly the two bowed in a sign of respect. "We salute the predator."

She simply nodded her head while continuing to advance calmly. As soon as she appeared, a heavy silence settled. The members of Black Neon present reacted immediately in turn.

"We salute the predator!"

They bowed in unison.

The mask she wore left no doubt. An oni mask, with two visible horns, imposing and recognizable throughout the duchy.

The other people present imitated the gesture without thinking. Scarlet observed the scene with a slight smile, then turned her attention back to the newcomer.

When she arrived a few steps away, she placed one knee on the ground.

"I salute the saintess of the church."

Scarlet looked at her for a few seconds without speaking. Then, slowly, she placed her hand on her head and gently stroked her long white hair.

The gesture was simple, but loaded with meaning, then she removed the mask, revealing the face of the young woman.

"The prophet Nostradamus greets his child: Isabella Donoghan," she said tenderly.

But at the very moment these words were spoken, everything changed. A low rumble echoed, making the walls tremble slightly. Two of the temple’s windows cracked, as an overwhelming aura descended upon the room.

"Fuck!" growled a guard, seeing his legs give out.

The air suddenly became heavy and unbreathable.

Ordinary people fell to the ground, unconscious, without even understanding what was happening. Even some members of Black Neon staggered, their bodies struggling to stay awake.

"Fuck, guys I think we’re being attacked!" shouted one of them, exhausting his aura at a crazy speed just to try to stay standing.

"Who dares to attack us, inside the church?" stammered another who was pinned to the ground, unable to move.

Quickly, the members present got into combat position as best they could, all those who could stay standing. But in the middle of this chaos two people remained relatively stable.

Scarlet and Isabella. The latter reacted immediately, her aura deployed around her, forming an invisible protection.

Her hand quickly slid toward the sheath of her sword. But before she could draw it, Scarlet gently placed her hand on hers. She therefore raised her eyes toward her, trying to understand why she had stopped her. If it was really an attack from the Holy Cathedral, every second counted, especially against someone who could exert such power. But Scarlet made a small gesture with her head, while keeping her usual smile.

"You have no idea what’s happening, am I wrong," she said calmly.

Isabella turned her head slightly toward her. Confusion was visible in her gaze. She hesitated, then slowly shook her head.

"It’s the advent of the prophet!" added Scarlet.

While they were speaking, something was forming. A silhouette. It appeared gradually, as if descending from another plane. Its presence filled the space.

"Look!" shouted one of the guards, his eyes wide open.

The silhouette was imposing. A halo of light enveloped it, making it difficult to distinguish its features, but one thing was certain, it had nothing human.

All those still conscious began to tremble. It was not an ordinary fear, it was that instinctive fear, deeply anchored in the genes. The one that kept our ancestors alive by warning them of the presence of a predator. The one that leaves no room for reason.

Even Isabella felt a shiver run through her body, but thanks to her level, she managed to control herself and stayed in place, content to just observe the evolution of things.

She had chosen to trust Scarlet and slightly released the pressure on her weapon, without completely lowering her guard.

A heavy silence settled, as all eyes were fixed on the divine silhouette. In reality, it was not a god. It was Klein, using an astral projection. A rare ability, mastered only by him and Diavolo thanks to the mystic arts. But for those present, it went beyond all understanding.

"I bless the new predator and the saintess."

Each word resonated with waves of aura that forced everyone to place one knee on the ground. While Klein continued his speech.

"I bless the faithful of the church, and the extension of my blade Black Neon...."

While Klein continued to spout nonsense... When mentioning the predator, Isabella’s jaw clenched as she tried to contain her rage. She was so frustrated that she could barely stay in place, but every word spoken by this entity only pushed her further.

Her fingers clenched slightly, then almost without realizing it, she cracked, interrupting what everyone assumed was The Prophet Nostradamus.

"You who say that the predator is the extension of your blade," her voice was firm, filled with anger. "... But what happened to the former predator?"

Silence fell immediately, no one dared to move for a moment. They understood what it meant. She had just defied an entity that, in theory, could annihilate them with a single word and that had never manifested itself like today.

Several wanted to beat Isabella to death. Even if she was the new Predator, it was an unbelievable disrespect... had she gone mad? Having so little regard for her life was one thing but now, she had also condemned all the people present.

"Shit," swallowed a guy near the door while closing his eyes. "Why do I have to be so unlucky, just a few more steps and I was going to be able to escape but thanks to this bitch I’m going to die here..."

But nothing happened, even after a dozen seconds. The silhouette simply remained motionless, then the voice resumed.

"The former predator perfectly fulfilled his role, that of training the true leader, the one who was destined to accomplish the designs of Nostradamus."

The tone was grave, devoid of emotions, but somehow, this being seemed to understand Isabella. Was it omniscience?

"The former predator is alive and you should meet him soon," he added.

A murmur ran through the room, Isabella’s insolence had led to obtaining crucial information. According to the information, the former one was dead but somehow, even without proof, the assistance seemed to believe the words of this being.

And the most shocked was of course Isabella who remained frozen, slowly absorbing the information.

"It’s not a dream... I heard correctly," she muttered to herself. "So he’s not dead? He’s alive and I’m going to meet him?"

Her thoughts collided, as a flood of memories rose. She had so many questions but Nostradamus’s voice did not seem to allow her to ask them. She then forced herself to stay calm but before she could go any further, the voice spoke one last time as the silhouette was already beginning to dissipate.

The words were less clear, as if they came from afar, but nevertheless one name remained clear when pronounced.

"His identity... Klein Konstantine..."