The city of Craterhold was more than a battlefield; it was a chessboard. On one side sat the Ministry Church, guardians of ancient wisdom and protectors of the Four boys born to hunt demons. On the other, the Vatican—a rigid, golden fortress seething with envy and ambition.
In the vaulted, opulent chamber, high-ranking cardinals convened around a marble table inscribed with holy sigils and ancient runes. Golden chandeliers hung like crowns above, their light reflecting off polished armor and cold eyes.
Cardinal Malraux presided over the meeting, his voice cutting through the murmurs like a sharpened blade.
"The Ministry's defiance is a threat not only to our order but to the divine balance. Their protection of the Four boys is a direct challenge to our authority."
A murmur rose, and a silver-haired cardinal responded, eyes sharp as a hawk.
"Their power grows unchecked. If these boys control the demon hunts, the Vatican's influence will crumble. We must intervene—directly."
Malraux nodded slowly, his fingers tapping a rhythmic pattern on the table.
"We will exploit their weaknesses. Our agents inside the Ministry report cracks in their unity—doubts, fears, dissent. Ruth's allegiance to us is only the beginning."
Down in the Ministry Church's ancient library, beneath the ruins of what once was a cathedral, whispers flew like ghosts.
Brother Simon, a middle-aged monk with weary eyes and a haunted past, met with several clergy in secret.
"The Vatican's corruption grows like a cancer. Their ambition to awaken The Herald threatens all of us. But not all within our ranks agree."
A younger priest, anxious and tight-lipped, whispered, "There are factions within the Ministry who sympathize with the Vatican's vision — order through control, even if it means sacrifice."
Simon shook his head.
"Such heresy must be rooted out. The Four are our last hope—if we fail them, everything falls."
Meanwhile, a shadow moved unseen through the twisting corridors of Craterhold.
A Vatican assassin, known only as "The Veil," was on a mission to silence those who supported the Ministry's cause. No one knew her face, only the trail of bodies left cold in her wake.
Her latest target was Brother Simon.
Back in the Ministry's hidden sanctum, the Four boys met once more, though their presence was kept secret even from many within the Ministry.
Daiki paced impatiently.
"We're losing time. Politics are poison, but demons don't wait for us to untangle it."
Haru's expression was grim but focused.
"True. But understanding these games is vital. The Vatican plays for keeps, and we're the pieces they want to sacrifice."
Ren smirked, flicking wind through his fingers.
"Let them try. We're not just pawns. We're the kings and queens."
Icarus' gaze drifted toward the cursed crown.
"But the crown... its whispers grow darker. I can feel the weight of choices yet to come."
Unbeknownst to the councils and cabals, the demons stirred restless beneath the earth. Lesser demons had begun appearing in pockets around Craterhold—attacks once rare were becoming frequent, brazen.
Reports came from the outskirts: villages burned, innocents taken, and new, more terrifying demon breeds emerging.
The Four's mission was clear: hunt, destroy, protect.
But with the world's powers tearing themselves apart, the path ahead was treacherous.
A Cryptic Message
As the political games played out above, Haru received a coded message via a relic linked to his foresight.
The message was chilling and fragmented:
"The seal weakens. The Herald's whispers become a roar. Trust none but the four who carry the mark."
His breath caught.
"We don't have much time."