Zain parked the car in the forest. The second Archbishop's corpse was devoured by the Godsbane Needle.
The needle needed to consume the corpses to awaken its next forms.
"Stop, the second archbishop is resting," Zain stopped the cultist who was about to open the door for John.
The group headed for the giant rock in the forest. Zain swept his gaze around, confirming he was at the right location.
He raised his hands.
The fifty Grade 3 metahumans, including two Executioners, prepared their weapons.
"Keep your weapons down," Zain told his men and opened the Magic Pocket. "They will open the gate for us."
…
Inside Yenner Church Main Base
Five people sat around the round table. They were the elders of the Church.
Currently, a heated discussion was taking place.
"Should we ask for help from the Academy?"
"I agree! They ended the previous Governor's tyranny two hundred ago! They will surely help us again!"
"No, we can't do that! The Cult's movements are too suspicious!"
"Then do we just watch!? Our family members are missing! How is that possible when the identities of the elders – our identities – were supposed to be secret!
"There is a traitor amongst us!"
"Stop fighting! We need to stand together! We have been fighting the Cult for 100 years! We can't let those years go to waste now!"
Yenner Church roots could be located in an anti-Mythos Cult union.
Hundred years ago, some people noticed the Cult slowly taking over their planet. These people asked for help from the authorities but were rejected. Ultimately, they formed the Yenner Church.
"Elders!"
A person entered the meeting room. He informed the elders that their location had been compromised, the first archbishop of the Cult was at their gates.
The five elders visibly paled.
Before they could call for reinforcements, they received more news. The elders checked the surveillance placed at the entrance.
"Hello? Is this working?" The first archbishop was staring at the CCTV. He held a five-year-old girl in his hand.
"Is Papa inside?" The girl asked.
"Yes, sweetie. He is there. Just wait for him to open the gate." Zain winked.
"Yay! I can play with papa after so long." The little nodded with excitement.
"Bastard! I will kill him!" The third elder shook with anger. The girl was his daughter.
The other elders stopped him before he stormed out. They barely calmed the third elder.
"The Cult was behind our family's disappearance." The first elder lamented.
They didn't expect the Mythos Cult to act so quickly. If the Cult was using their family against them, he dreaded to think what could happen.
Would they uphold justice and sacrifice their family to fight the Cult, or would they betray the 100 years of their ancestors' efforts against the Cult and bend to them?
"Open the door already, or should I open them myself?" Zain asked.
Watching the Executioners, the elders knew they were rats caught in a trap. They could run, but not escape. Zain had their families.
"Thanks," Zain smiled when the giant rock split, opening like a door.
He took the two Executioners along and left the other Cult members outside.
"Wow, the elders are coming to meet me. This is an honor," Zain grinned as he stepped inside the meeting hall.
The little girl, unaware of the situation, ran to her father happily.
The elders tensed when they saw the Executioners – the Grade 4 metahumans.
According to Universal Law, only civilizations with Domain-type portals were allowed to have Grade 4 or higher metahumans.
In case a metahuman reaches Grade 4, they were to be sent to a place with Domain-type portals. Breaking this rule was considered treason against the Universal races.
For civilizations without Domain-type portals, they could designate 0.001% of their land as a [Sector].
The Grade 4 or higher metahumans could only live in the Sectors, if they did not wish to leave for a civilization with a Domain-type portal.
Yenner Church had reported the Cult's Executioners to the Moretti Galactic Kingdom. However, nothing happened.
This meant that the Cult had powerful connections.
Zain snapped his fingers. He ordered his Executioners, "Kill yourself."
The two Grade 4 metahumans impaled themselves without hesitation. They were Cult's dogs, trained to follow orders without hesitation.
Everyone, except Zain, was shell-shocked.
"What are you playing at?" The third elder asked after sending his daughter out of the room.
The Church knew about the Cult's suspicious movements. Clearly, something big was happening.
Zain smiled. He sat at the chair and spun it.
"Isn't it unfair?" He said. "Father won't give up his authority. And he is about to regain his youth. What about me? I've worked hard for the Cult, but I'll be just a slave till the end? I don't want that."
The first elder gulped. He asked.
"Are you... Are you plotting a rebellion?"
"Correct! Five points for the first elder." Zain stopped spinning his chair.
"But…" Zain stretched his words for a dramatic effect. "With the Cult being Cult, they will never point their weapon at the Father. I need someone else's shoulder to fire the gun."
"You want to use us to destroy your, Father." The first elder felt as if he was conversing with the Devil. Did the first archbishop not fear the consequences?
"Correct again! The first elder is on a roll!" Zain chuckled.
"How can we trust you? How do we know that you aren't tricking us?"
"Hehe, I think you are mistaken. You don't have a choice," Zain opened the Magic Pocket, bringing out an unconscious old lady.
She was the mother of the first elder.
"Hehe, I hope our collaboration brings much joy to all of you." Zain stood up. "Now, the Cultists waiting outside, let's show them the Church's crusade!"
…
Underground Prison, Meta Police Headquarters
Professor James POV
Professor James paced around the prison cafeteria. He had come to this place willingly after hearing that a student had caused an accident.
He never expected Zain to be the mentioned student…
No, if he expected someone to be involved, it was Zain.
"I don't know where the other students are, I'm worried for them. I hope the emergency reinforcement I requested from the Academy comes quickly." He said to himself.
A commotion began in the prison cafeteria.
Professor James noticed everyone focusing on the TV.
A masked figure appeared on it. He wore a black suit, a white mask with a smile and a hat.
"Good day ladies and gentlemen, I'm Merryman, your favorite Clown! And, today, I'm announcing the beginning of the first show of my [Fairy Circus]! The [Guess the Place]!"
Professor James didn't know it, but currently, the whole world was watching the same show. Zain had used Yenner Church to access the national channels.
"Ahem, first, something about myself. I'm… an upstart Villain? Is that the correct word? Wait, lemme check it real quick."
The masked man disappeared from the screen. Background noises of objects being thrown around followed. He reappeared with a thick dictionary and wore glasses over his mask.
"Hmm.. yes, it's correct." He threw the dictionary. "Ohhh, I'm getting jitters, this is my debut as a Villain!"
The prisoners laughed.
"When did this comedy show start?"
"Hahaha, no idea. Though, will that guy be okay, calling himself Villain on the national tv?"
"Who cares? He is f*cking interesting!"
"Bwahaha!! Second that!"
Unlike the prisoners enjoying the show, Professor James had a bad feeling.
"Let's begin the show!" Merryman held a dart. He aimed at the board 10 meters from him and threw it. "Guess the Place!"
The dart hit the board. The camera focused on it. On closer look, the board was a collage of hundreds of Palvos Planet cities.
"Dun dun dun dun! We have a winner!" Merryman showed them where the dart hit. "It's the Metapolice Headquarters!"
"Oh, it's our place!" A prisoner laughed.
"What is he going to do? Bomb us? Mommy, I'm scared."
"Hahahaha!!!"
The laughter increased in magnitude.
Just then, Merryman spoke.
"Booyah"
Suddenly, the prison shook. The lights flickered and an explosion occurred above ground. Thankfully, the prison was underground, they were safe. However, the prisoners couldn't laugh anymore.
"The next [Guess the Place] will be 12 hours later! Till then, dear audience!"
All over the world, the news of the attack spread.
The people dreaded the blatant act against the Metapolice and prayed for the souls of the ones killed in Merryman's attack.
Only Zain and the Yenner Church elders knew that the attack was not an act of terrorism. It solely targeted the Mythos Cult bases, and not a single innocent was harmed.
However, neither party planned to leak the truth.
That day, for the first time, Merryman appeared in front of the society. And he took the world by storm.