Second Genesis

The moment the woman appeared, it was like all the others were frozen in time. This wasn’t a reaction that came from seeing someone they respected, but instead quite literally.

The world became painted in black and white, and Grey couldn’t help but wonder where the hell this person had been all this time. If they had someone that could literally stop and freeze time, why wasn’t she helping?

Where was she while he was running around the abyss fighting demons? Hell, where was she when Calixan suddenly lost his mind and became a mutated skin walker.

Now that Grey thought about it, Calixan’s abilities were actually quite cool. Sure, he looked like a fucking idiot when he fought like that, but he was quite literally surpassing the limits of his own body with his energy, using his thoughts to direct his movement rather than any sort of training or the like.

Unfortunately, Grey wouldn’t be caught dead doing any of that. The fuck did he look like interpretive dancing on a battlefield? He’d rather die a few times and learn that way.

The woman walked up to Grey until she was just two meters away before stopping.

"It is not effective on you..." she said softly.

Grey had no idea what "it" was. What he did know, though, was that if this woman didn’t have those weird white eyes, she might have been the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She almost didn’t look real.

’Focus Grey, she’s not going to fuck you.’ Grey tried to focus himself. ’Well... she’s proooobably not going to fuck you. How would you know unless you tried?’

Grey shook his head. He was really going to have to find a way to vent, but those fucking rules...

He sighed.

"What are you talking about, lady?"

She didn’t answer. Instead, she tilted her head to the side.

"The Divinity is not something that you should have. Please give it to me."

Grey blinked, and then he laughed. He took a step forward until he towered over the woman. She looked up, unperturbed.

Grey’s mask split into a grin, the lines of crimson energy forming jagged, digitized teeth.

"I don’t like people trying to take what’s mine, lady. If you want it, you could try to take it, but I’ll be inclined to fight back."

The woman didn’t reply for a very long while.

"... I would not like to fight you. A Paladin is a great boon for the church."

"Speaking of which, what the hell are you to the church in the first place? I didn’t even know there were any nuns until yesterday, and now there’s you. Why don’t you help when the time comes?"

"That is not the duty of the Oracle of a Church. The knights are the church’s guard, the priests its guide, and the nuns’ only existence is to commune with the Goddess and pass down Her orders."

"That sounds like something that should be the Bishop’s job."

"Much of the time it is. A Bishop, however, only gives commands based on words already written. An Oracle hears the words of the Goddess Herself and can act when necessary."

"Is that so? The Goddess told you to steal my things, then?"

"No. The Bishop is dead and as such I was forced to step into a position I never wanted. Making sure that you are well-healed, while also ensuring that the bodies were given proper burials or prepared for proper retrieval, is only natural.

"Your ’things’ as you describe them are actually items of the envoy, Frantz, and the Dukedom he serves. When the people of the Duke arrive, they will be expecting those things. It is not a sign of good will to allow you to keep them. It will only escalate things further.

"Your personal treasures have not been touched, I have seen to that."

"Do you know what else escalates things?" Grey asked with a grin. "Sending people to kill me. You see, I don’t take too kindly to that."

"I understand the entirety of the proceedings. You killed a member of the Dukedom first." She replied plainly.

"Yeah? Is that where your future sight nonsense sees that things started? I can see why they burned people like you back in Salem."

The woman blinked in confusion, but Grey didn’t need her to get his joke. His patience was wearing thin.

But before he exploded, he thought of something curious.

"What do you know about Baron Giyoto?" Grey suddenly asked.

The woman’s head tilted to one side in thought.

"A scion of a fallen empire before it was replaced by Her Holiness’ Empire."

Grey’s gaze flickered. "Huh? Your Goddess is an Empress?"

"Yes." She answered plainly as though this was always obvious and she couldn’t understand Grey’s confusion.

Grey dismissed his Helm Frame and rubbed his face. These people were lunatics.

He thought he was dealing with an actual Goddess all this time and really they were just worshipping a human? He felt lied to.

All this nonsense for a fake goddess when there were real problems going on. No wonder there was a supposed Oracle here and yet she didn’t even know she was housing a demon.

"Good god." Grey said in annoyance. "What fallen empire? Did you fight his? Or was it destroyed by something else?"

"The Baron Giyoto you mentioned is of the royal line of an empire that fell to the Shadow of the Dark Kin. It is a land south of here where the Fog of Chaos is particularly thick. As one of the weaker territories of Her Holiness’ Empire, we are decently close to where it once laid."

"If he is from another Empire, why does he have status here?"

"This is because of the kindness of Her Holiness."

"Okay." Grey said with a shrug. "Then why aren’t you madder about me killing your Bishop?"

"Rage is not an emotion an Oracle would feel. It would make our connection with the Goddess impure. As I have said, we have healed you in preparation for what may come of your punishment."

Grey chuckled. "Alright."

He suddenly punched out, landing a knuckle right on the Oracle’s face.