6. Prophecy

"My fear? What am I supposed to be afraid of? Your Oracle? Has the pain made you more delusional than before you got here?"

"It's not the Oracle you're afraid of, *pant*, but 'him'."

"!"

"He who's called the Destroyer."

"The Destroyer, this fable which announces the End of this World? You are delirious."

"And yet, ... this fable is the one ...that caused you to persecute, ... all those who refused to submit ...to the authority of your church."

"Hmpf! The Holy Church of the Seven Virtues has protected Humans on numerous occasions ; dozens of times prevented the annihilation of our World from the hands of Demons, but also from numerous Sects of Heretics like you.

The authority of our Church is legitimized by the Seven Great Goddesses, whose Holy Oracles we protect."

"Protect? You mean sequester....in these golden cages called Holy Sanctuaries?"

Hearing these words, the priest grabbed the bloody thorny whip he used at the start of the session.

"You still dare to blaspheme in front of this faithful servant of the Church, you filthy Heretic?!"

*Slap*

"Kuuurgh!!"

*Slap*

"It seems that your rebellious Heretic spirit needs to be properly broken before we continue !!"

*Slap*

*Slap*

"Kuaargh!!"

The priest continues to whip, as if driven by an unquenchable rage, determined to make his victim beg. No matter how many times he tortured him, not once did this prisoner beg his torturer to spare him. It seems as if the act of keeping information regarding the Oracle of Destruction secret was a noble cause. A cause for which dying would be a greater honor than serving the cause of the Holy Empire.

With each lash, terrible wounds are inflicted on the prisoner, making him cry out in pain.

*Knock knock*

It was at this moment that there was a knock at the door, interrupting the barrage of lashes. Angered by this, the priest asks.

"What is it?!"

On the other side of the door, one of the two men in silver armor standing guard responds, while a man in black armor marked with a blood-red symbol stands nearby.

"Priest Arion, the Inquisitor Oswald is here."

Inquisitor. The most feared and active profession in the Church of the Seven Virtues. While believing that the Inquisitors officially have no power in a territory outside the Holy Empire, a single unfavorable report from one of them to the Church, targeting a person, group, or even nation, and the target becomes a common public enemy for the entire rest of the world. Except the other enemies of the Church, perhaps.

"Let him in."

*Creak*

Once the Inquisitor entered, the door is closed again, and the priest had placed the whip on which fresh blood was dripping on the table. After a glance at the prisoner, Oswald compliments.

"Priest Arion, I must say that your zeal for the Church is remarkable. Allow me to introduce myself. Inquisitor Oswald, recent graduate of the Holy Academy. I am sorry to introduce myself in such a haste, but I wanted not to delay too long in my investigation tomorrow."

The Inquisitor in front of the priest is a young man just in his twenties. Mid-length hair as golden as the sun, sky blue eyes, fair skin, Oswald comes from a noble family. But his status as the youngest among four sons convinced him to renounce his privileges of nobility, to become a member of one of the greatest military forces of the Holy Empire.

"Inquisitor Oswald, you flatter me. What brings you to this place, when the forces of the Inquisition are mainly assigned to hunt down the Oracle of Destruction?"

"Well, I heard that Priest Arion has had a Cult of Destruction member as a prisoner for a few days. Judging from the present situation, I can conclude that your futile efforts have been unsuccessful."

"F-futile?"

"The Heretics of Destruction have all trained themselves to resist any form of 'destruction' that comes their way. Do you really think that by destroying their bodies you will obtain their surrender?"

"!!!"

"Also, if you caught him, and the Oracle wasn't in sight, that means he no longer has any relevant information regarding their Oracle."

"So why-"

"Why endure such treatment? Ha ha ha ha! But because the longer you waste time with him, the safer their Oracle will be. On this point, they are just as devoted to the Avatar of their Goddess as we are, Priest Arion."

"Kuh!"

"Well, you could always use him to build support from the people, through an execution. That is, if he were still alive."

"!"

During the few moments that the conversation between the two members of the Church lasted, the man having endured this torture as long as he could, finally let go of the reins of his life, which his torturer kept on track, by always healing him before he can die of his wounds.

"Tch. So, why is one of the Inquisition Academy's most promising young graduates coming here? Surely it's not for a simple visit?"

"Of course not. You see, I need to see for myself the place where your men flushed out these Heretics. As well as examine any objects that may have been discovered there."

"? Place, and objects? Are you not even interested in heretics' confessions?"

"Why would I be? None of the captured heretics have survived to date, including this one. Corpses will be of little use to me, but their last hiding place and their last personal possessions, can help us learn a lot more about their other locations."

For a moment perplexed, the priest senses a familiar behavior in this young Inquisitor. His way of considering places and objects more useful than the confessions of a heretic, reminds him of a person whose tracking methods are less brutal, but much safer than a person's words. Especially when these methods built the fame of this member of the Inquisition.

"Ah ! I remember now ! A few years ago, I heard that Grand Inquisitor Abigaelle had taken a talented one into the Light Element as First Disciple."

Grand Inquisitor Abigaelle. Although she is one of the seats of the 8 Grand Inquisitors, the faction that Abigaelle commands is the least imposing of all. This is due in particular to its recruitment criteria. Faith and fighting skills are not the qualities she looks at, but rather memory and the ability to see what is unusual, in a place or situation.

Oswald, chooses humility over pride. 

"My teacher taught me a lot, but I'm still far from equaling her."

"Well, Inquisitor Oswald, you have my support. I will place at your disposal the person who was in charge of the strike on the Heretics' lair. Guards, we are finished here."

Opening the door, the two armored guards enter and greet the priest and the young Inquisitor. Stopping for a moment between the two guards, the priest nods towards the bloodied heretic.

"Dispose of the body."

"Yes, Father Arion."

Leaving the depths of the underground prison, Priest Arion and Inquisitor Oswald converse about trivial matters, such as the events during Oswald's journey here, the situation in the regions of the Empire, and the rumors currently circulating. Which brings them to a more particular subject, linked to the heretic's previous failed interrogation.

"Tell me, Inquisitor Oswald. I've heard that the pre-selection of Heroes and Saints will soon be finished. Is it, as about the Cult of Destruction, due to the phenomenon reported by the forces of the Church, who are stationed at the border of the Demonic Empire?"

During one night several weeks ago, a column of light in the colors blood red, fiery yellow, violet and mixed with dark filaments, rose beyond the clouds for a little over three minutes, before disappearing. This incident takes place a few leagues from the border, in the Demonic Empire.

Of course, the Holy Empire, like many kingdoms close enough to see the lights reflecting off the clouds in all directions, were vigilant after that. But even today, no one has any conclusive clue about the nature of the phenomenon. Only speculation.

"The mission concerning the Oracle of Destruction is caused by the actions of members of its Cult. They have gathered in places to secretly celebrate the advent of the "Destroyer". For my master, there is no doubt that they interpret the recently observed phenomenon as such."

The Destroyer. This title designates in the Church of the Seven Virtues, a being whose actions would bring about the end of the World, if it were to appear. The myth does not even come from the Oracle of Destruction, but from the Oracle of Time, whose rare prophecies have always come true.

The controversy about the prophecy of the Destroyer is that prophecy, much older than all those that followed, should already have come true.

But many people, notably the Heretics of Destruction, claim that the prophecies are not required to come true chronologically.

Each prophecy requires an amount of Divine Energy which influences when the prophecy will come true.

What about the Destroyer's prophecy? She is the only one to have had the greatest manifestation of Divine Energy in her revelation through the Oracle.

"But senior representatives of the Church differ on this phenomenon's interpretation, relegating it to a simple display of force by the Dai Maou."

"So, the Demonic Empire is planning an invasion?!"

The last invasion of Demons dates back several centuries, but the colossal damage and countless deaths that they caused are still present in certain regions of the World. It was through superhuman effort that the war was won by the Humans, with the participation of the Hybrids, a group of humanoid species lacking the Soul Stone, as well as the moderate support of the Devas, from whom the elven race descended, among others.

"No fear. Even if that were to be the case, the invasion will not take place for at least a handful of years. The various reports from our spies guarantee that the Demons are not at all ready for war. "

"I see now. So the Holy Selection is a preventative action."

"Well, is there any reason not to prepare for the worst? Besides, the last Dai Maou died a long time ago, and it has already been a few years since the advent of her successor."

For Oswald, it is clear that the Holy Selection was destined to take place, sooner or later. The recent incident in the Demonic Empire has just moved things forward a bit.

"What is your position on the nature of this recent ominously colored column?"

"...Even some influential figures in the Holy Imperial Palace have different opinions on the matter. As Inquisitor, I can only have one position, Priest Arion."

"Which is?"

"It is necessary for the Inquisition to gather more information, until the Church can truly decide. Whether the danger is an ambitious Dai Maou, or something much more...ominous."

Soon after, Oswald meets with the priest Arion the knight who was in charge of the raid of the Heretics' hideout, planning his next inquisition on the ground.

*****

It's at the edge of daybreak and morning. Sun slowly rises from the horizon. In the Demonic Empire, it is at this very moment sunlight only briefly shines on the wastelands, too often covered by high thick clouds.

More than two hundred kilometers south of the castle visited by Dai Maou Mesvegg, the new Succubus Queen Meredith Laguira is traveling through the air, and approaches a very extensive mountain range.

Those mountains mark the border between the Demon Empire and the Kingdom of Dragons.

Many consider Dragons to be a Demonic race, but this is primarily evidence of the ignorance of those who adhere to this generalization.

Although they share similarities with a Demon race called in their non-humanoid forms "Drake" or "Drakkar", and in their humanoid forms "Draco", Dragons are necessarily born humanoid. Moreover, they're born without an organ that can contain the Soul Stone, a point common to all Mamonos. Which makes them a Hybrid race, not a Demonic race.

Despite the large surface area of their kingdom, made up of mountains and a few valleys, the Dragons are not as numerous as one might believe, their population being around twenty thousand, and only the most skilled among them can generate a massive body like a Drakkar.

They are not at war with the Mamonos, however they do not like to find those Demonic creatures in their territory, especially if they are from the Demon Class. But the reason why Meredith ventures into these mountains is pure whim. And a slightly sadistic one.

("Sigh, Darling really chose a annoying hiding place for those poor things.")

The "poor things" Meredith is thinking of are the two thousand four hundred and seventy-seven women who were migrated there, before Barokuga Evolved and took on the alias "Jack".

Flying low between the cliffs of the high mountains, the succubus finally finds a small town in a valley. The place is very difficult to access by foot, but provides basic living needs, like a river and small forests. Barokuga, with the help of Venus, created that small town to accommodate the numerous "guests" he had to separate himself from.

Approaching the valley, Meredith begins her descent, admiring a town rich in green spaces. The infrastructure is made of interlocking stone walls and terracotta tile roofs. A network of water canals efficiently irrigates the different green areas between the houses, and a fountain is put in the center of the small town, which beautifies the space designed to allow its population to gather if necessary. In some other places, you can see herds of cattle of several species.

The small town is surrounded by a semi-spherical magical barrier, generated by a set of pillars erected in several locations throughout the town. That barrier is for ward off dangers, and hides the presence of the town.

When Meredith crosses the barrier a bell-like sound is heard throughout the city.She also feels inside herself, her husband's mana resonating with the barrier.

("Interesting. Without Darling's mana, I probably wouldn't have been able to pass through the barrier so easily.")

Flying over the buildings, the Succubus Queen notices that all the inhabitants of this city have gathered in the large square. Obviously, they expected her to come. But for Meredith, this is nothing surprising, since one of the abilities that Meredith obtained by becoming Barokuga's wife is being able to locate her husband, and his eventual other wives.

Looking at them, Meredith senses thirteen presences among that big group of women. Some of those women are tall, others are short. Light-skin, dark skin. Young, mature. Looking weak, looking strong. Different hair colors, different body-types. Some look alike. Not like twins, but like alternate versions from each other. Others have unique looks. 

Landing a few tens meters from the group, Meredith uses her mana to strengthen her voice as she greets these "poor things".

"Greetings, girls. It's so nice of you to come together to welcome me."

A few moments after, one of the women speaks. 

"You are... the succubus who became that Orc's wife."

The woman who identifies Meredith has tanned skin, pink-red hair, and pale yellow eyes. In her mid-twenties, Meredith's interlocutor has a physique similar to the succubus but her aura is more warlike than seductress. Moving forward from the rest of the group, the woman stops a few meters from the Succubus Queen. The latter can discern that the woman is a little less tense than the others, but her distrust is still evident.

"Indeed. It is true that my appearance has changed a little since my last visit to the Dungeon, dear sister."

Frowning slightly, the woman responds.

"I'm not your sister."

With a little smile, Meredith defuses the woman's denial.

"You're not? But you and I have the same husband, so I consider you my sister. I'm Meredith, by the way. Nice to meet you."

Meredith is right. The woman in front of her is Jack's wife too, but her status of wife is complicated. 

Understanding that Meredith does not come as an enemy, the women are less tense. Behind, twelve other women come forward to stand alongside the woman with red-pink hair.

"...I'm Ingrid. Tell us why you're here, Meredith."

"Oh, not much. There are just a few things I think it would be generous for me to say. To the other women who don't share our status as Darling's wife, I mean."

----"?!!"----

"If you have come to threaten them, -"

"Of course not. I won't do anything to that end... But I think they deserve to know how far they are from salvation."

"...What are you talking about?"

This simple sentence told everything Meredith wanted to confirm. 

("Why did Darling hide "that" from them?")

"...So you really don't know anything?"

Maybe because it was yet quite weak, Meredith didn't feel the auras of some particular women immediately. She then turns her gaze towards a place in the group of women. There, she sees nine women with various body types, but the top of each head has slight pointed protuberances. Horns.

Those nine women are the Fallen Demons that Jack took in and who led him to confront himself to Dai Maou Mesvegg. The last time she saw them, their broken horns were clearly visible. But now they have new little ones.

"?! You have new horns?! How-"

Before she even finishes her question, a person comes to mind.

"Darling did it? Fu- fu fu fu! Ha ha ha ha! So that's why he kept you too with him temporarily."

Looking at them with a sincere smile, she praises them.

"Congratulations on your rebirth, ex-Fallen."

Hearing those words, the Demon girls feel a sense of relief and pride. When their horns got broken, they fell in despair, because there's no record of a Demon recovering from getting her (or his) horns broken. A Demon's horns are alive, and let his owner control sea-like Mana quantities. Without them, it's not impossible to live on, but there is no place for Magic, or Sorcery spells, or Evolution of any kind for a Fallen.

"Oi, don't change the subject. What are you talking about, when you say we don't know anything?"

It was a redhead with long, unruly hair who spoke this time. She's not part of the detached group with Ingrid, but her impatience and Meredith's nonchalance easily push her over the edge. If her situation and that of the other "free" women were not so stressful, she might even be more aggressive.

"Even they didn't tell you, did they?"

---"???"---

"Serelle, what does she mean?"

Serelle, one of the Demon girls, with black hair and pale skin, doesn't answer to the question. Not because she can't, but because she doesn't know how to say it. Some of the Evoked women are like friends for her now, and the truth can only hurt those women.

"I mean your lives as 'free' women don't matter."