Devils

As they passed through the enormous steel gates, they entered a vast lobby. The room was lined with numerous counters, each with a receptionist standing behind them.

As soon as they stepped inside an attendant approached them. "Welcome, Mr. Eichner and... uh..."

"Ezequiel and Marie," he interjected quickly, sparing the attendant any embarrassment in front of his boss.

"Right, Mr. Ezequiel and Miss Marie," the attendant corrected himself smoothly. "I've prepared a private presentation for Mr. Eichner, but you're welcome to join if he approves." Johann, as Ezequiel knew him, nodded in agreement.

With that, the attendant gestured for them to follow. He led the group down a hallway lined with numerous doors and stopped at the first one beside the lobby. They stepped inside a room that looked like a luxury cinema.

The room was filled with plush seating, and a large screen at the front was already displaying the opening scenes of a film. Once they were seated, the attendant moved to the back of the room and started the video.

"The world as we know it is divided into two realms: the lower and the upper dimensions. At the age of twelve, every Demi-God in the upper dimension awakens a subordinate species in the lower dimension, amassing followers and faith and expanding their territory. Both realms exist within what we call Chaos."

The screen displayed scenes from both dimensions, interspersed with images of war. A deep male voice narrated, accompanied by epic music.

"But our Chaos isn't the only habitable place in existence. Beyond it, there are other realms where different creatures reside. Among them is a faction we call the Devils. They are similar to gods, yet different. Instead of gaining power through faith and prayer, they grow stronger through slaughter. Whenever their subordinates kill a living being, they gain a currency akin to Faith Points."

Ezequiel and Marie were stunned by this revelation. Only weeks ago, they had learned about the existence of an upper dimension and discovered that Earth was insignificant compared to the vastness of Chaos. Now, they realized just how little they truly knew. Even Anna seemed surprised, though she likely had some inkling of this information.

"Because Devils and their subordinates, the Demons, require slaughter to grow stronger, they have invaded our Chaos, known to outsiders as Heaven. They hope to grow stronger since they are no longer content with the resources and life in their own Chaos. To combat this threat, we have established the Devil Slaying Bureau. Gods and those who have lost their worshippers are invited to join us in fighting the invaders."

"There are many rewards to be earned—Faith Points, Blessings, Contract Cards, and more. Even gods who have lost their believers can earn another summoning platform in the lower realm and reignite their hopes of growing stronger. What are you waiting for? Join the Devil Slayer Bureau now and fight for your home and epic rewards."

As the video concluded, images of devils with red skin and animalistic features filled the screen. They seemed like the dark counterparts to the inhabitants of Chaos, perhaps destined to be enemies.

The screen went black, and Ezequiel and Marie sat in silence. Moments ago, they had been content with their new, safe life, which promised luxury and security. Now, they faced the reality of an ongoing invasion. Their safety had never been guaranteed.

‚I need to get stronger,' Ezequiel thought, his determination rekindled. ‚No matter where you are, if you're weak, your safety is never assured.' The complacency that had begun to creep in his mind after facing no worthy opponents in the lower realm was swiftly blown away.

He realized he needed to grow stronger not only to protect himself and Marie but also to safeguard his believers.

But a nagging thought lingered. ,Why did that last part of the video feel like a cheap commercial?'

Johann interrupted his thoughts. "Now you see why I was so excited about Marie awakening such a high-level species," he said. "We need every bit of strength in this fight, especially from someone with such a powerful species. Marie is destined for greatness."

Ezequiel couldn't help but agree. If Johann knew the true power of the Fate Scrying Raccoons, he would be even more amazed—not to mention the strength of his Angels.

"Would you consider joining the Devil Slaying Bureau? It's a matter of your safety as well, and we can offer you the best conditions," Johann continued, slipping into his role as the bureau's branch leader, eager to recruit such a promising god.

"Perhaps we should discuss this further at your bureau," Ezequiel suggested. "A cinema isn't the best place for negotiations."

A few minutes later, they were seated in a luxurious office with three massive glass windows that reflected the outside world and were equipped with soundproofing formations. Nothing spoken inside would escape. Meanwhile, Marie and Anna were off playing somewhere, as they had arranged.

"Do you know about the realm classifications for gods?" Johann asked, piquing Ezequiel's curiosity, as this was information he'd never been privy to.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but given that your sister will likely reach these realms one day, it probably doesn't matter."

"Every being in the Divine Realm starts as a Demi-God and strives to reach the Lesser God Realm. You likely know this already."

"After the Lesser God Realm comes the Minor God Realm, which is where I currently am at. After that comes Major God, and finally High God. I know there are realms beyond that, but they're beyond my clearance."

Ezequiel was both surprised and filled with excitement. He hadn't expected that there were so many realms ahead of him, but the challenge filled him with a renewed fighting spirit.

"The only thing I can say for certain is that both Anna and Marie will reach the High God Realm as long as they avoid any major setbacks."

"That's why it wouldn't make sense to send them into battle prematurely, only to risk their lives as cannon fodder. So, I propose the following terms for Marie's entry into the Devil Slayer Bureau."

"First, she will only enter the battlefield once she reaches the Minor God Realm. Until then, she will receive the best combat training and guidance on developing her territory to minimize risks."

"Additionally, she'll receive 1,000 Faith Liquid each year to accelerate her territory's development." Ezequiel's eyes widened in astonishment. With that much Faith Liquid, Marie could cultivate rapidly, and perhaps he could even ask her for a small share—it was more than she could use alone after all.

"I'm generally happy with these terms, but could we add a clause allowing her to cancel the contract for a fee of ten times the resources she received during training? I don't want her trapped in a contract she didn't fully agree to. She's still just a child, after all."

"Sure, at ten times the fee, we'll still profit," Johann agreed with a laugh. Both sides were satisfied with the terms, and they signed the contract. It was a special binding agreement, enforced by Faith Points, ensuring neither party could break it without severe consequences.

"Oh, and could I also participate in the combat training? It's a dangerous world out there," Ezequiel asked, realizing his own lack of fighting skills. If he ever had to enter the battlefield, he would be at a severe disadvantage against opponents of equal rank.

"Of course," Johann replied. "I hope we can fight side by side one day."

Finally, they left the office and went to find Marie and Anna.

{A/N: I tried something new in this chapter by first writing the paragraphs and then leting chatgpt edit them. Since english is not my native language I hope that this way the story might be somewhat easier to read but let me know if you prefer this chapter or my old style. The content is still the same as before, only the vocabulary used is somewhat better.}