Father Alfred P.O.V
"It's getting worse..." I thought out, as I continued to stare at Dante's unconscious body.
Flashback
"...father Alfred..." I heard Dante whisper out to me, like a cry for help, as he was confronted by the missing child... But at that very moment, that child was not present anymore, the child's very being had been possessed and now it seemed that the being using the child as a vessel was out for Dante... I stared at the bracelet skull and noticed a crack on the left eye of the skull... 'Oh no... He's after the seal.'
I disregarded the fact that my mana presence was cut short during the 11th executioner invasion, as I launched out to dante with my right hand stretched out and cast.
"holy art: AUTHORITY!" This spell was a top magic spell that cleanses a victim of possession and it is famously used in exorcism. The room shuns in a bright light emitted from my spell, as the child turned towards me and just glared before the eyes of the boy turned back to normal. After the spell was over, the child slumped to the ground. I stared at the unconscious dante and noticed that a faint tattoo started to form on his right index finger nail... 'What in the heavens could have already damaged the relic to this point?'
I heard footsteps heading towards Dante's door, as a worried Rin alongside Luca and Mark, busted through the door to behold the sight that was in front of them.
"What happened... Here, we saw a bright light from Dante's room and quickly rushed... Here...
"Rin, Luca, Mark, I need you three to take the boy to the infirmary and attend to him immediately... I will take dante to my office." I said while picking up dante, but Rin just stared at me with a confused expression on her face.
"but... Father Alfred, shouldn't dante be taken to the infirmary too... He doesn't look so well-." Rin tried to convey her point, but I just held up my hand to stop her.
"Rin... I believe that you understand when I say... I have to help dante... Myself." I said, as she then sighted his right hand and immediately understood the matter at hand, She then nodded her head and took the unconscious student on her back and rushed out of the room while being accompanied by Luca and Mark at her back.
I walked out of Dante's room while closing the door behind me, but then immediately I was outside I could've simply teleported directly straight to my office, but no... I decided to walk.
I made my way down to the main hall, and just held dante close to me, as I was struck in my mind... I reasoned out what had just transpired, as the scene still scares me.
'...the relic doesn't even seem to hold up the seal well... But still, that's not meant to be... The seal itself should be sufficient to keep him at bay, and with the current situation of bao that is still heavy on everyone's heart... The dark mana from Azul within dante that is already manifesting out of the seal could corrupt them all... Oh, I fear the day that the seal might just fail... And everything is lost...' I thought with a deep sigh, as I made it to the centre of the hall, I stared up at the painting of one of my best students... The leader of the executioners... Back then fighting for the people and what is right... Truly a position of honour...
I then brought my head down, as a sudden vision came in front of my eyes... That day.
"... I should have done something..." I growled, with malice in my eyes.
Flashback
I sat amid my pair, as we all gathered in the UNITY HQ for the meeting with the monarch, which is held every 5 years... The essence of the meeting was to discuss the importance of the improvement of the dragon guild... Very known as the army of the monarch. I sat by the right side, of the monarch seat, though the seating arrangement was a rather round table kind of setting, but not just like the rest. The hall of the meeting was being carried out had huge pillars of gold and everywhere was a monastery decor, with different pictures of fallen heroes and past monarchs that had existed long before modern civilization The seats were not just ordinary seats, but stages built for each bishop present, as they were all place at the grand walls of the hall in a round seating arrangement, while at the centre held the monarch on his thrown. All bishops wore a grey kind of robe with a golden rope at the belt's waist. The robe edges were laced gold plating, but compared to that of the monarch's attire... Was mere clothes, the monarch had a pure white robe to symbolize his divinity, and a golden mask accompanied by a gold crown to symbolize his authority above everyone... And finally, the ring on his right index finger to symbolize... The presence of God...
I was chosen to be his right-hand due to my high rank, as the meeting commenced.
"Welcome... Servants of God, this meeting held by his grace is to discuss the immediate improvement of the dragon guild, and I have proposed that we increase the training for every officer on ground. If we plan it out like this, then the guild force shall improve drastically-." I state, receiving convinced nods from the majority of the bishops... But just as it was about to be approved by the monarch.
"I don't think that would be quite necessary Alfred... For that would take too long to organize..." one of the bishops spoke, as this made me glare at him... He of all people.
'Dominic agrestor... The bishop of Domination'
"What do you mean Dominic... It is not about the duration but the reformation, we can't just come up with solutions like that-" I got caught off by Dominic, as he raised his hand and spoke.
"I believe that it would be far better... To create a squad... Of soldiers... Hand-picked by us the bishops and approved by his holiness-" I caught off Dominic, with my intense gaze as I knew what he was up to.
"Dominic that won't be necessary, do you know what you are asking... A whole new group of soldiers, apart from the dragon guild that had existed long before modern times... The first decree of the saint, Micheal of Gloria... The 70th monarch -." I recalled to them all, but as I was about to continue, Dominic caught me off.
"I never spoke of the termination of the dragon guild... Of course not, but I call for the formation of a new group, a squad that will be even stronger than the dragon guild and will help them in worse -" I caught him off again.
"Why must that be so, why not a division of the dragon guild... Why must it be severed from them?-" I questioned him, trying to get the truth from him... But he just smiled and pointed to the monarch.
"They will be directly under the order of the monarch... They will serve the monarch and will be far above the dragon guild... They won't be just the army of the monarch... But they will be the Generals of the monarch... They will pass out judgment on anyone that defies the monarch... They will be the executioners." Dominic suggested with a malicious smile, as I was about to protest...
"I second with bishop agrestor... " A bishop raised his hand and so did another.
"I back up this motion..." another bishop spoke... And so it started... Until everyone apart from me had raised their hands.
'Just what is your agenda... Dominic.' I thought while staring at him, who was now grinning that he got the most votes.
I was about to speak... Until.
".... ENOUGH.... I HAVE SEEN THE MOTION... AND HAVE HEREBY...
APPROVE OF IT, THESE... SO EXECUTIONERS SHALL DEVOTE THEIR VERY EXISTENCE TO MY AUTHORITY." the monarch spoke, as the moment he decides... It is final... 'no... Curse you' I thought in rage.
The monarch then turned his attention to me, as I was about to leave, due to the mockery of the people's lives... If they are loyal to only the monarch... Then they only live to serve one man... And not the people.
"BUT BEFORE IT IS FORM... I WOULD LIKE MY RIGHT HAND TO APPOINT THE VERY FIRST LEADER... OF THESE EXECUTIONERS... ALFRED... SPEAK." the monarch called out to me... But I stood my ground and said.
"Forgive me, your holiness... But I refuse to follow suit." I could have left at that very point, but I had to remain put, as it was my obligation to stay. There was an uproar from Congress, as my fellow bishops scolded me for disagreeing with the monarch's wishes.
"How dare you!" a bishop shouted out.
"You don't have the power to do that" another bishop called out in disgust.
"Alfred.. The monarch's decisions... Are final." Dominic said with a smug on his face, as he glared at me.
"And I am sorry for that... But I stand by my words." I said again, causing the room to burst out in insults... Until.
"ENOUGH!" the room settled down, as the monarch ordered in a loud voice of authority.
"ALFRED... I RESPECT YOUR WORDS... AND YOUR
WORDS ARE YOURS... BUT...
MY WORDS ARE THE LAW...
SO I SHALL PICK FOR YOU."
I walked out of the meeting and immediately vanished away.
End of flashback
I stared up at my best student portrait...
'I wish I could have done more...'
"I'm sorry
"ALEXENDER SPARDE" I could still remember the monarch's voice when he announced for... My student to lead his group of generals.
I brought down my head and continued on my way, and as I reached my office, my eyes glowed to activate a secret passage in my office bookshelf, the passage led to a stage, which had a seal on the floor at the centre. I then laid dante on top of the seal and left to be at the side outside the seal... But then, just before I was about to find out what was the problem with the seal, dante had then woken up, as he now sat on the ground.
"huh... Father Alfred.. Where am I? Where are we?" he questioned while looking around the place. "Why are we in the exorcism room... Does it have something to do with my seal?"
"yes, dante... I want to find out what was the problem with the seal... I'm sure even you have noticed some strange things..." I said to dante, as he started to remember what had happened before he went unconscious, he then jerked up and stared at me with fear in his eyes.
"Father Alfred someone... Or something is after the bracelet, and I don't know what going on!" dante tried to stand to come and meet me, but the moment he did, a force field stopped him from doing so. "Huh? What is going on Father Alfred."
'I knew it... It's already trying to break the seal ... Could it be that... I see.' I thought while staring at the now pitch-black skull, which was starting to turn dark red. "Remain calm dante, I need you to relax and follow everything I tell you to do alright?"
"Okay, Father Alfred... What should I do?" dante asked, Ready to follow my orders.
"Good, I need you to just do one thing for me... I need you to try and summon your chronicle... Now" I told him, as I started to brace myself for what was about to unfold.
"....father Alfred... I'm afraid I can't, the last time I did... Seal started to react-." I caught dante from completing his sentence, as I finally saw what the problem was.
'That monster... No, how could he have hmmm.'
"dante... I need you to summon it... Disregard the seal." I gave him the go-ahead, as he started to concentrate. He went into a charging-up stance and brought out his hands.
"Here... Goes... NOTHING..." he shut his eyes and went into full concentration... His body starts to get enveloped in a dense amount of mana... But then, his once light reddish mana starts to turn dark reddish-purple.
'I see... ' I thought while preparing for the last show from dante.
"COME FORTH" dante roared out in a demonic voice and his eyes pitched black... 'Got you' I thought.
A being of dark mana started to manifest...
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" the being got absolved into Dante's body, as dante was now possessed again. "yoUr tImE iS aLmOst Up aLfrEd!"
" I will make sure to protect everyone and the boy... From you." I said while pointing my right hand at the possessed dante. "I won't let you win Azul."
"... YoU FooL... As LoNg As ThE BoY LiVEs... I HAve AlReaDy WoN..." the possessed dante said with a malicious intent to it, as he was about to break down the force field... But then I immediately chanted.
"... Your hold over the boy is what I shall severe... The boy never asked for this... And I won't let you have him...
I the bishop of authority, expel the will of the Almighty and by his decree, I build upon your imprisonment and banish you to the world that existed before life.... I hereby sentence you to limbo."
I cast, as the bracelet started to absolve Azul's being into itself... But strangely Azul just laughed and said.
"YOU'RE ONLY DELAYING THE INEVITABLE... SAINT ALFRED..." Azul finally said as the ritual was now over... And the seal was now stronger than ever...
'It worked.'
The force field came down, and I ran towards dante to catch him... As he was fast asleep...
"I will always protect you dante... No matter what... I won't lose anyone... The second time..." I said while teleporting Dante to his room and putting him in his bed, for him to rest, as I then teleported back to my office and sat down on my chair... I stared up at the sky and sighed.
Somewhere else at the UNITY HQ
"Your holiness... The saint still lives and so is the vessel." the 11th executioner said while kneeling to the monarch, as this made the monarch smile with a twisted grin.
"IS THAT SO... THEN I PERMIT YOU TO DISPOSE OF HIM... THE CHRONICLE HE WILLS MUST BE RETRIEVED... AT ALL COST." the monarch said while releasing his overflowing mana as the cloud and sea are seen to be in disarray. "AND ALSO MAKE SURE THE BOY IS GONE TOO, I CAN'T RISK HAVING ANY FLAWS IN MY PLANS."
"yes... Your holiness...
Monarch... Dominic agrestor"