I let the paladins put the manacles on with minimal fuss, before Anna and I followed the inquisitor out of the cell. The paladins followed right behind us, bringing up the rear.
The Hall of Inquisition wasn't like I expected. I always imagined it as a cold and foreboding place, filled with fanatics and torturers. Instead, it was warm and well-lit. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of gray stone. The temperature felt cool and even, combined with the lack of windows, suggested we were underground. A myriad of glowstone lamps bathed everything in warm yellow light.
There was little in the way of finery or decoration. What little there was was made up of religious iconography. Statues, symbols etched into the walls, a few tapestries, etc. Most of them focused on Sol, the king of the gods, but a few depicted Luna, the queen of the gods.
Simple and austere, yes, but not the sinister hellhole I expected.
Or maybe that was this part of the Hall of Inquisition. The torture chambers could be in another area.
As we walked, I tested the manacles. They were quite sturdy, more than strong enough to restrict a Second Ranked Awakened like . If I used my techniques, maybe I'd be able to break free. However, I noticed that the manacles were etched with several runic circles specifically designed to prevent this.
Despite the situation, I felt at ease. The Inquisition hadn't restricted my feet. So, if worst ca to worst, I'd still be able to run. I doubted I'd make it very far, considering I was in the heart of the Inquisition's power, but a slim chance was better than no chance.
Besides, I hadn't done anything wrong. While I doubted this would make a difference to the more fanatical and zealous mbers of the Inquisition, it should be enough to sway the more moderate ones.
Heh. Moderate inquisitors. It sounded like an oxymoron.
Even if that weren't the case, I was still a Sturm. Our family had served the Solarian Empire for millennia, fighting against demons and demon worshipers. This made us strong allies of the Church of the Sun. The Inquisition wouldn't execute , not without solid evidence. At worst, they'd imprison .
We didn't encounter many people on our way to et the Grand Inquisitor. The few we did see were inquisitors going about their own business. Most of them glanced in our direction, but otherwise ignored us. However, a few stopped and stared at our group. Rather, they stopped and stared at , the hostility palpable.
Skepticism and suspicion, I could understand. I an, a demon ripped my soul out of my body, turning into a soulless husk for almost two months. However, the hostility still caught off guard.
I gave Anna a questioning look.
"So inquisitors believe that you're a demon masquerading as Gabriel Sturm," she said in a low voice. "Though few in number, they make up a loud and vocal minority."
As soon as she finished speaking, I felt the two paladins behind us staring at . Even the inquisitor leading us perked up with interest.
"That doesn't make sense," I said with a snort. "If I were a demon, I would've avoided the church as much as possible instead of asking them for help multiple tis."
I an, two was a multiple of one so it counted.
"You think that makes a difference?" Anna asked. "Those inquisitors claim that it's all a trick."
I rolled my eyes.
"Well, no matter," I said. "Grand Priest Darius and the Grand Inquisitor will sort it all out soon enough."
With that, we continued the rest of our trip in silence. We traveled through a series of hallways and up several stairwells. The temperature rose a little when we erged from underground. Not that it made much difference since there weren't any windows in this area either.
Soon we reached a pair of wooden doors decorated with gold filigree in the shape of a shining sun, the most common symbol of Sol. The doors towered over us, standing at twice my height, giving them a majestic and awe-inspiring air.
The inquisitor gestured to the door and spoke in a man's voice.
"The Grand Inquisitor is waiting for you inside," he said.
I nodded, before Anna and I walked up to the doors. However, before I could open them, they opened of their own accord. On the other side lay a large chamber.
Like the rest of the Hall of Inquisition, the floor and walls of this chamber were gray stone. The forr was flat, but the latter were curved into the shape of a sphere. As for the ceiling, it was a massive skylight that depicted the sky above. It was late afternoon at this point, almost evening. The setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange, yellow, and pink.
In the center stood a raised circular platform, with an ornate white and gold altar situated in the middle. It looked like it was made from a strange material. I couldn't tell if it was wood, stone, or tal. There was sothing almost… organic about the altar, but it glead like tal or polished stone. However, there was no mistaking the power emanating from it.
The altar wasn't an enchanted item. That much was obvious. Instead, it radiated divine power. It felt sacred and holy, as if it contained a piece of the heavens themselves.
Standing atop the platform, right next to the altar, were two figures: Grand Priest Darius and an inquisitor. The Grand Inquisitor, I assud. He dressed like any other inquisitor, but there was no mistaking his power. His strength felt on par with Grand Priest Darius'.
I'll admit, I felt a little nervous. The Grand Inquisitor was a figure both respected and feared across the Solarian Empire. I never expected to et him under these circumstances, or at all.
Anna and I glanced at one another, before we stepped into the chamber. The inquisitor and paladins closed the doors behind us. Afterwards, we climbed atop the raised platform.
"Gabriel, you mischievous brat," Grand Priest Darius said in a chiding tone. Despite this, he wore a smile that blunted the sting of his words. "I don't hear from you in months, and this is the trouble you get up to?" He shook his head. "You're going to give this old man a heart attack."
I grinned at him and started to make a joke about his old age. However, I paused after taking a closer look at him. When I last saw him a few months ago, Grand Priest Darius looked middle-aged with salt-and-pepper hair. It looked like he had aged about a decade since we last t. There was more white in his hair and more wrinkles on his face.
Seeing him like this sobered up real quick.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't an to cause you trouble like this."
Grand Priest Darius' expression faltered for a mont, before he recovered his composure.
"Ah, think nothing of it," he said, making a dismissive gesture. "Just don't do it again."
"It's not like I expected sothing like this to happen," I said, giving him a small smile.
Grand Priest Darius nodded, before gesturing to the Grand Inquisitor.
"This is the Grand Inquisitor, leader of the Inquisition." Grand Priest Darius gave him a sideway glance. "I'd tell you his na, but he insists that he doesn't have one."
Anna and I both gave the Grand Inquisitor slight bows. He nodded at us in return.
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"I'd say it's a pleasure to et you, Grand Inquisitor," I said, giving him a slight smile. "However, considering the circumstances, that would be a lie."
The Grand Inquisitor just stared at and didn't respond. My smile stiffened. An awkward silence settled over the chamber. Grand Priest Darius cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
"Shall we get started?" he asked. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can move on to more important matters."
"Please," I begged, desperate to move on.
The Grand Inquisitor gestured for to approach the altar.
"Place your hands upon the Altar of Revelation," he said in a cold and indifferent voice.
I nodded, before following his instructions. The Altar of Revelation felt warm beneath my hands, like sunlight on a warm sumr's day.
"So, just to be clear," I said, looking back at the others. "What are we doing here? Anna gave so of the details, but she didn't tell everything."
Grand Priest Darius gestured towards the Grand Inquisitor.
"The Altar of Revelation will reveal if you are tainted by demonic influence," the latter explained. "Normally we would do this either under the light of the noon sun or the full moon. However, the light of the setting sun empowered by Lord Tempest's lightning shall have to do."
"What happens after that?" I asked.
"That will depend," the Grand Inquisitor said. "If you are innocent, as Grand Priest Darius claims, then we will question you about the events that occurred in Eastwatch before moving on to more important matters. If you are guilty, then you will be punished. The severity of your punishnt will depend on your level of guilt."
I mulled it over, before nodding. That seed simple enough. Grand Priest Darius and the Grand Inquisitor started to move, but stopped when I spoke up again.
"Wait, I have one more question," I said. "I have a spirit contract and my familiar is currently resting inside my body. This test won't have any adverse effects on her, will it?"
"Is your familiar a demon or demonic spirit?" the Grand Inquisitor asked.
"No."
"Then she'll be fine."
Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I heard dry amusent in the Grand Inquisitor's tone.
Grand Priest Darius and the Grand Inquisitor took up positions on the raised platform, the latter in the east and the forr in the west. Anna stood off to the side, out of everyone's way.
Once they were in position, Grand Priest Darius and the Grand Inquisitor started reciting prayers. The forr prayed to Tempest, while the latter prayed to Sol. At first nothing happened. However, monts later, light from the setting sun started to flow into the chamber in a liquid-like manner. It looked similar to molten gold.
The sunlight moved along the walls and floor of the chamber, creating a complex and multi-layered runic circle. Or maybe it was more accurate to call them multiple runic circles that were intertwined with one another. I didn't recognize most of them, but there was one that stood out.
A runic circle that resembled Lumina.
There were so subtle differences, but they were otherwise identical to one another. A shiver ran down my spine when I saw it.
However, before I could ask about that particular runic circle, rumbling in the sky above distracted . I looked up to find a single storm cloud gathering in the sky above the chamber. It wasn't large, just wide enough to cover the chamber.
The rumbling grew louder and louder, before a single bolt of lightning erged from the storm cloud and struck the skylight. I expected it to shatter. However, to my surprise, the mont the lightning t the skylight, it beca liquid-like as well. It traveled along the sa paths as the sunlight, running along the walls and floor, heading towards the raised platform.
When the combined sunlight and lightning reached the raised platform, they flowed towards the Altar of Revelation. The mont they connected, a humming filled the air. It started off low, but grew louder and louder.
At the sa ti, I felt sothing wash over my soul. It felt light at first, but grew stronger over ti.
A sickening feeling overwheld . It was difficult to describe. Every fiber of my being felt that there was sothing wrong with , sothing wrong inside , and that I needed to expel it. The thing inside wriggled.
My stomach heaved and I vomited. However, what erged wasn't the contents of my stomach. Instead, a black worm-like thing ca out of . It was small, about the size of a fingernail, and resembled congealed demon blood. The mont it erged, I felt much better. The sickening feeling from earlier disappeared, as if it never existed in the first place.
A sphere made of sunlight and lightning ford around the black worm, catching it before its touch could defile the Altar of Revelation. Soon, the humming stopped and the sensation of having my soul touched disappeared as well. The black worm wriggled a few tis, before falling still.
I let go of the Altar of Revelation and took several steps back.
"What the hell is that thing?" I asked, my tone bordering on hysteria. "Was that inside ?"
I felt sick again, but this ti it had nothing to do with the Altar of Revelation. The thought of this… I had no idea what it was, but the thought that this had been inside made want to vomit again.
"This is a fragnt of the succubus that you fought," the Grand Inquisitor said. "Or rather, the infernophage. When I heard that they tried to rip your soul out of your body, I suspected that they implanted this in your body."
My stomach heaved again, and I felt bile rising in my throat. It took all of my willpower to keep it down. As I struggled with this, I felt a warm hand on my back. I looked over to find Anna standing next to with a concerned look on her face. Her presence soothed .
"Damn," Grand Priest Darius said, a grim expression on his face. "I can't believe I missed sothing like this." He looked right at . "I am so sorry, Gabriel. If it weren't for the Grand Inquisitor…"
He trailed off, unable or unwilling to finish his sentence. The Grand Inquisitor shook his head.
"It's no surprise," he said. "I doubt you've ever encountered sothing like this before. This ability is rare. Only a few demons have it. The infernophage you fought must've consud one."
I shivered.
"I want to kill Ash all over again," I said.
Anna nodded, before looking at the Grand Inquisitor.
"What does this an for Gabriel?" she asked, her voice as hard and cold as steel.
"Ironically, the presence of this parasite proves Lord Gabriel's innocence in a way," the Grand Inquisitor said.
I frowned.
"What do you an?" I asked.
The Grand Inquisitor gestured to the parasite.
"Look, it's dead," he said. "This type of parasite is spiritual in nature rather than physical. It hid itself in your body. However, since your soul was missing, it had nothing to feed on. It must've starved to death while you were gone."
I swallowed before asking my next question.
"What would've happened if my soul had remained in this body?" I asked.
The Grand Inquisitor scrutinized for several monts.
"The soul parasite would've fed on your soul until it grew strong enough to rge with you," he said. "By that point, you would've partially beco the infernophage that did this to you."
A claw of ice gripped my heart. That was too close. If Ash hadn't… Wait a mont.
"That doesn't make any sense," I said. "Ash is the one who ripped my soul out of my body. Why would they plant so kind of soul parasite in if that was their plan?"
The Grand Inquisitor took a mont before answering.
"I suspect that this Ash never intended to completely remove your soul from your body," he said. "The connection between one's soul and one's body is strong. Since the infernophage hadn't severed that connection, your soul would've returned to your body right away. Once that happened, the soul parasite would've latched onto you. At least, that's what would've happened under normal circumstances. However, your situation is unique, Lord Gabriel."
So, the only reason why I hadn't been infected with a soul parasite is because my body on Earth survived and my soul ended up there instead? Talk about lucky.
Gods, while Ash wasn't the most powerful foe I ever faced, they were among the most dangerous. Thank goodness that Teach-I an my great grandmother killed them.
"What about Aurora?" I asked. "My familiar. Would the soul parasite have affected her as well?"
The Grand Inquisitor nodded. I felt nauseous. Soul attacks. This was a weakness I hadn't even considered. However, now that I knew about it, I needed to find a way to defend myself and Aurora. While the chances of running into another foe that could harm souls wasn't high, it wasn't zero either.
Who could I consult about this?
Kiki ca to mind. As a spirit herself, she likely had plenty of experience dealing with attacks that targeted the soul. I had already planned on talking with her about my ability to fuse with Aurora, so this was just killing two birds with one stone.
"Let's test you one more ti," the Grand Inquisitor said, gesturing to the Altar of Revelation. "We need to make sure no demonic taint remains in your body or soul."
I nodded. Until today, I would've never suspected that Ash left a soul parasite in my body. It was better to be safe than sorry. I walked over to the Altar of Revelation and put my hands on it again. Grand Priest Darius and the Grand Inquisitor summoned sunlight and lightning to activate it again. When nothing happened, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Afterwards, Grand Priest Darius and the Grand Inquisitor disposed of the soul parasite before heading towards the door.
"Co along, Gabriel," Grand Priest Darius said, gesturing for to walk beside him. "Now that we've cleansed your body, we have much to discuss."
I shared a look with Anna.
"What do you an?" I asked.
The Grand Inquisitor glanced back at us.
"If you regressors are going to succeed in your mission, you'll need the Church's support."
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