In stark contrast to the arrogance of the Clock Tower and the morbid jokes of the Dead Apostles, the Vatican—on the other side of the world—reacted to this transformation of humanity with a much deeper, older instinct. Deep beneath St. Peter's Basilica, there exists a chamber few clergy have even heard of, a space named the Hall of Saintly Tears dedicated to the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament.
There was no extravagant decoration here—only icing-cold stone walls and wall niches lined with relics. The air was thick with the scent of ancient parchment, sacred oils, and a faint trace of blood. The agents' blood, to be exact. For this was the nerve center of the Church's response to "heresy" and "inhumanity."
At the center of the room sat a massive baptismal font carved from a single slab of Lateran marble, brimming with a clear, shimmering fluid. This was not ordinary water, but the "holy water" the Church had accumulated over centuries, possessing miraculous powers.
At this moment, the surface of the water rippled, clearly displaying the final scene of SIDE3's speech—the moment millions of people cried out in response to his call.
An old man with white hair and beard, dressed in the crimson robe of a cardinal, stood before the baptismal font, eyes closed and an ancient rosary cross in hand. He was Cardinal Laurentis, the supreme decision-maker of the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament and the Burial Agency.
He had stood in silence for a long time, as if mourning the countless lost souls reflected in the water.
"Ah…"
A long sigh broke the silence. "The Lord's lambs, in the end, have lost themselves in the wilderness, and begun to slaughter one another."
"How grievous this sin is," he murmured, his voice full of compassion, like a pained father watching his children fight.
"Hmph, it's just a gathering of fools," a rough, disrespectful voice interrupted.
In the shadows by the wall, a tall, beastlike woman wrapped in bandages leaned against the stone. Her nails clicked against a massive, oddly-shaped stake hammer. She was Narbareck, head of the Burial Agency.
"Cardinal, I don't understand," she growled. "Why call me back from the hunt for something like this?"
Annoyance colored her tone. "Human wars have never once ceased since ancient times. If they want to fight, let them. Our mission is to hunt vampires, not to be the wet nurse to humans who seek their own death."
"Narbareck, your piety is beyond doubt, but your view is often too narrow," Cardinal Laurentis replied, not angered, opening his eyes slowly.
His gaze shifted toward a third person in the room—a woman in a standard Agent uniform, with short, iconic blue hair. Her face was calm, her eyes clear and surefooted, as serene as the surface of a deep, undisturbed pond. This was the seventh ranked of the Burial Agency, codename [Bow].
"Come, child... Tell us why we, the Lord's servants, cannot sit by and watch this mortal conflict," Laurentis intoned.
Ciel stepped forward, bowed gracefully, and began her report in a calm, unemotional voice. "Yes, Cardinal.
"Director Narbareck, the real threat here is not the war itself, but the existential subversion of faith in our Lord behind it." She pointed to the baptismal font's vision. "First, there is a 'theological crisis.' This man, the core concept proposed by Dr. Steve Weis, is the New Human.
"He claims that humans liberated from Earth's gravity have 'evolved' both their perception and their minds.
"This is utter blasphemy and heresy. It denies the basic doctrine that mankind was created in God's image, and instead teaches that humans may achieve 'sublimation' or 'salvation' through their circumstances and will alone.
"This is textbook Gnosticism! It is the act of stealing the authority of salvation from the Lord's hands and placing it into those of mankind!"
Narbareck curled her lip in contempt, plainly uninterested in such theological theory. Ciel went on regardless. "Second, we face a 'strategic crisis.' Director, you are only looking at the prey before you, not at the changes in the entire hunting ground.
"This war will draw 100% of humanity's attention. As the Church's power and the world's armies are tied up in this interstellar conflict, what do you think the 'true enemies' lurking in the shadows will do?"
Her voice went cold. "They will simply await an unprecedented 'feast.'
"Recent observation reports from the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament have monitored at least three abnormal magical surges from the 'Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors.'
"Wouldn't this alone be reason enough to intervene? The demons are preparing a Thanksgiving Carnival while humanity is distracted by internal strife!"
For the first time, a look of solemn concern flickered in Narbareck's wild eyes.
"Finally, and most crucial of all—the matter of judgment."
Ciel looked again to the Cardinal. "This 'Steve' did not appear out of nowhere, nor die in obscurity. He has the power to charm, to deceive, to captivate billions.
"He is forging a new, unique 'gospel' for mankind, in substitute for the Lord's."
"In the Church's historical record, there's only one title for such an entity—'Antichrist,' or 'False God.'
"He is the root of this monstrous heresy that now engulfs mankind's world."
Ciel's analysis ended, plunging the Hall of Saintly Tears into a deathlike silence. Only the glowing surface of the holy water reflected the three utterly different faces.
Finally, Cardinal Laurentis slowly nodded, ceasing the rotation of his rosary cross.
"Well said, my child. You see the essence of this calamity." His voice regained the undisputed dignity of a messenger of God. "The heretics of the Mage's Association may only think in terms of 'removal.' But as shepherds, before we execute the black horse, we must judge it first."
He turned to Ciel, giving his final command. "The Burial Agency is to obey orders.
"In the name of the Holy See, you are to lead your elite directly to intervene in this war.
"Your primary mission is 'screening'—find this man, question his soul, and judge whether he is a human corrupted by demons, or a demon himself.
"Your secondary mission is 'inspection'—seize those called the 'New Human' and use every means to test whether their souls are intact, or if they have been tainted with heresy.
"At the same time, monitor the vampires closely.
"If any of the 'Ancestors' try to use this turmoil as a cover, you may invoke Seventh Holy Scripture on the spot."
His gaze now sharpened like a knife. He met Ciel's eyes directly.
"Go, daughter.
"You are the Lord's blade and His holy shield.
"Go into the starlit sky, wrapped in war and deception. Bring back his repentance... or his head.
"The Lord's glory will shine through your hand."
"Yes." Ciel knelt on one knee, placed her right hand over her heart, and accepted the command that could change the course of the world with complete composure. She rose, and without hesitation, the blue figure turned and departed.
As she left the Hall of Saintly Tears, the bells of St. Peter's began to ring—a deep, sonorous chime that felt like an omen of war older than any other.
…