White light filled the room as the Signus burst from his dimensional prison. The essence in the air was so dense it lit up around him, forcing Nova to squint his eyes.

"What the hell happened?! Where are the Cardinals?" The Signus's voice boomed through the chamber, enhanced by magic that shook dust from the domed ceiling.

Nova put his hand up, unsure if the Signus had spotted him standing nearby. "I can explain everything, Signus. But you won't like what you hear."

"You?!" The Signus spun toward him. Rage twisted his aged features as he jabbed a finger at Nova. "You're the one who locked me up here?!"

"Of course not. It was Shivere."

"What?!" The word exploded from his throat. His face went slack with shock before hardening into fury.

Nova kept his voice steady despite the oppressive power filling the room. "Do you want me to explain everything from the start?"

The Signus's jaw clenched tight. Light pulsed around him in waves that matched his rapid breathing. "...Give me the very short version."

"Shivere contacted a being in the void, using its power to conjure a void rift in the sky above Damascus, and another one in here to keep you sealed in your pocket dimension." Nova spoke quickly but clearly. "I cooperated with the Cardinals to try and close the rift, and while our first attempt failed due to Shivere, the second plan of sending me inside it with a bomb and killing the rift being worked perfectly."

"What?!" The Signus's hands shook at his sides.

"Let me finish. Unfortunately, all the cardinals except for Shivere died while I was gone, taken by the madness after being influenced by Shivere somehow. She took all their souls once I returned earlier today, then she left together with the being she had been in contact with."

The Signus stared at Nova with wide eyes. His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths as the words sank in. "I knew she wanted to change the church…" His gaze dropped to the cracked marble floor. "But for it to drive her to this? All the cardinals and their souls are gone?"

"I know it's a lot to take in. Take your time."

"And you!" His eyes shifted back to Nova. "what an incredible coincidence it is that you show up here the day before she decides to attack!"

Nova met his furious stare. "...You're not seriously suggesting your order to have me dragged here was part of some elaborate scheme, are you?"

"You could have revealed yourself to the church at any point. And if you had any brains, you'd know what the result would have been."

"...Fair point. And after our conversation, I can see why you would think I was on her side. But there is a fundamental difference between me and her; I don't harm children. Ever!"

The wall behind Nova cracked, whipped by the surge of killing intent that escaped his control. He quickly unequipped the fragment.

"Ah, sorry about that..." Nova glanced at the damaged wall. "But my point stands. Not only did I do everything in my power to stop the rift—despite the great danger to myself—I also chased her away from here, and set you free! You should be thanking me! I'm the only reason this city isn't a ghost-town!"

The Signus's eyes narrowed, still far from calm. "...Why did you say she 'took all the souls once you returned'?"

"Because all the cardinals except for Petyr had entered contracts with me, just like Sar, to ensure they did not go berserk and kill people while I was risking my life in the rift. The moment they had any intention to harm anyone I cared about, they died. That's why their souls went to me."

"Why wasn't Petyr part of the contract?" The Signus's voice carried a sharp edge of suspicion.

"He had already gone mad, and was constrained in the main hall by the other Cardinals. I believe Shivere killed him there after all the others."

"It's all true, Your Holy Signus!" Annelie peeked out from behind the door, supporting Nova's side.

The Signus turned toward her voice. "Animo? You're the one who led him here?"

Nova watched the exchange carefully, noting how the Signus's demeanor shifted at Annelie's presence. 'Be careful Annelie. We can't risk letting him know too much just yet.'

"Most of the way, yes," Annelie replied, keeping her posture properly respectful. "But not the final door. That was all Nova's work."

The Signus's gaze flickered between them. "...And you say he's telling the truth?"

"I do…"

The Signus closed his eyes with a heavy sigh, leaning his head back. "...Even my assistants have been killed. She was thorough, making sure no one had access to this room…"

"I had to break the formation. But I can give you a better one if you want."

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The Signus kept his eyes closed, and something in the air around him seemed to shift. When he spoke again, his voice carried an almost ethereal warmth that hadn't been there before. "...It seems I owe you my gratitude, Nova. Though it pains me to admit it, the church would have been dealt a much greater blow without your assistance."

"Finally you see the light."

"Yes, finally." The Signus opened his eyes, and Nova had to suppress a startled reaction. Where there had been piercing blue before, white pupils now gazed back at him. "There is much to be done, but I cannot with good conscience let you leave without recompense. Are there any rewards I can give you?"

'What the hell? Is this another person entirely?' Nova studied the Signus's face, noting how even his bearing seemed different—calmer, more ancient somehow. The rage from moments ago had vanished completely, replaced by an almost serene demeanor.

"...Uhm, yeah, there are a few things I can think of." Nova chose his words carefully, still thrown by the transformation.

"Then feel free to tell me." The Signus spread his hands in an elegant gesture. "I believe most things will be in my power, as long as it does not include actions against any sovereign nations."

"...Of course." Nova gathered his thoughts. "Well, there is a soul in my possession that I would like to have purified. And I would love it if you could give me some powerful materials with essence of wood, water, fire, and wind."

The Signus nodded with a soft smile. "Both can be arranged quite easily. I suspect the soul is from the rift being you killed?"

"...Indeed it is."

"That's perfectly fine." The Signus's white eyes seemed to look through him rather than at him. "I should warn you that purifying a corrupt soul will remove nearly all of its power."

"Yeah, I kind of expected that. But it should still be worth quite a bit."

"Good. Then please give me your hand." The Signus reached out to Nova, bowing slightly to let him reach up.

"We don't need a soul stone?"

"I don't. But I will return it in a soul stone later."

Nova put his small hand in his, feeling a sudden tug on his soul. Nothing left without his consent, but it still felt uncomfortable. He let the soul of the rift being slip through his arm, hoping the Signus was a man of his word.

The Signus released his hand once the soul had transferred, standing back up. "There we go. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Nova glanced at Annelie standing in the doorway, wondering if asking would be too great a risk. 'It would be so much easier to bring her along if the church allowed it. Otherwise they would surely chase after her, and I'm a prime suspect after all the time we've spent together.'

"...I'm sure you would prefer avoiding a similar situation from happening again, right?" Nova tested the waters carefully.

"Of course." The Signus nodded, but with a small furrow in his brows. He seemed unsure of where Nova was going with this.

"Then… I hope you can allow me to bring Animo back to Collport."

"...I see. She is the same as you." The Signus's gaze shifted to Annelie with new intensity.

"...She is." Nova fought to keep his expression neutral.

"Hmm... Very interesting." The Signus stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Even one unique trait is so rare that I've hardly seen one before, but when two appear at the same time..." A knowing smile crossed the ancient face. "I did have my suspicions."

Nova waited for the Signus to reach a conclusion, holding his breath while trying not to show his tension. At the doorway, Annelie pressed a small hand against her heart, her grey eyes fixed on the Signus's face.

"I will allow it." The words fell into the chamber with the weight of divine law.

"Ahh…" Annelie leaned against the doorway in relief.

"Thank you, Signus." Nova bowed his head slightly, feeling the relief flooding through him. This was the hurdle he had feared the most.

'This Signus is a different person entirely. But how?... Could this be the soul of the Signus, passed down through the generations? That would explain the ancient air about him.'

"It is mostly based on the fact that unique traits cannot be gained by others." The Signus's voice took on a practical tone. "So don't think I am just being magnanimous here. It is simply for the best of the church. And you will need to put up with the status of a hero."

"...A hero? Wouldn't it be better to put that on someone within your church?"

"Perhaps. But that would be a lie." The Signus's white eyes studied Nova closely. "Do you not shy from telling lies in your pursuit of justice?"

"...I believe that some injustices are acceptable in pursuit of greater justice. And I believe the status as hero would be a hindrance."

"I disagree," Annelie interjected, walking into the room. She seemed more at ease now, showing her true self openly. "There are many ways to use such a status to your advantage. If you want the people to follow you, this is a boon to your cause."

Nova stared at her, feeling a challenge in her words. "You don't know how important secrecy will be in the beginning stages of my plan. I need to be unknown until the day I'm not."

"No one outside of the church will know anything about you until you make it known." Annelie's grey eyes met his steadily. "Even the king of your nation would be clueless as long as you don't reveal it on purpose."

"Fine, let's agree to disagree." Nova raised his hands in surrender. "I'm clearly outnumbered here, so have it your way."

The Signus clapped his hands together. "Good! I will have everything prepared tomorrow. For now, you may return to your chambers and rest. You've had a long day, I imagine."

"Well, not too long. But thank you, Your Holiness." Nova bowed his head slightly. "I am glad we could come to an agreement."

"Don't mention it." A hint of amusement colored the ancient voice. "This current Signus is quite inexperienced still, so we need to remind him of where his priorities should lie at times."

"...So you really are the past Signuses?"

"In a manner of speaking." The white eyes sparkled with hidden meaning. "We might have a few things in common, us three."

"Does this happen often? Souls being passed down retaining their consciousness?"

"Oh, no." The ancient Signus shook his head. "It's part of my trait, granted by our Lord. I am the first of my kind."

"...The first Signus? The one who founded the church?" Annelie stared at him with wide eyes.

"Indeed." The ancient being smiled warmly. "But I prefer resting, so I'll have this current vessel help you from now on. Good luck with your justice, fellow old ones."

Nova and Annelie bowed deeply, expressing their gratitude before turning to leave. Neither wanted to witness the young Signus's return to control.

"That went well, huh?" Nova's steps felt lighter as they walked down the corridor.

"Surprisingly well!" Annelie's face glowed with relief. "I admit, I had my doubts when you started asking about me..."

"Well, you said he was reasonable." Nova's lips curved into a slight smile.

"Compared to the Cardinals, sure."

They both stopped once they spotted Millie peeking around the corner in front of them. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she stared past them toward the Signus's chamber. "Is the prisoner that super powerful thingy?"

"Yeah, but he's nice." Nova patted her head gently. "Do you want to take a bath before we go to bed?"

"A bath? Yeah!" Millie's face lit up instantly, all concerns forgotten.

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