The following is a passage from the journal of the Kaijin Lord known as the Devout Heretic.

…

I once thought it was odd for there to be religious organizations in a world where people can turn themselves into divinities.

Then again, I had never thought that my own faith would be shaken by the revelation that other worlds existed.

But after spending time facing the forces of the Omninari Empire and meeting various deities and their cults… I can now understand this discrepancy through a lens that makes sense to me: it's a business transaction.

Or, I suppose, it's more accurate to call it a master-servant relationship.

Every aether warrior worth a damn, will do all they can to understand and strengthen the formula that they inscribe into their souls.

However, some warriors are…not so talented in that regard. That, or they end up in situations where their formulas could no longer cultivate without powerful intervention.

Divine intervention.

In a manner similar to how I and the kaijin have connections that allow me to benefit from their cultivation and vice versa, many of the people who become a member of a cult or church are doing something similar. Albeit with a connection that was weaker than what I and the kaijin of the Ars Goetia have.

This revelation actually had me think about something in regards to how my own cultivation compares to these zealot cultivators.

Devout worshippers attempt to emulate the being they worship, living by certain creeds and rules to better align themselves with their chosen god and strengthen their connection.

The kaijin remain connected to me in order to anchor themselves in reality, to remind them of all the things that make mortals...mortal.

Which leads me to this thought.

Does this feeling go both ways?

Do deities maintain mortal worshippers because they wish to be reminded of the beautiful ugliness of being mortal?

Does my formula connect me to the kaijin so that I may remember that I may no longer be human the further I go down this path of cultivation?

Who could say for certain?

I suppose the only being in this world or any other who could answer such a thing, is the supreme being who made everything in the first place...

...

"Alright, that's enough of that," Zhen Liu declared once he and his friends had been exposed to the burning orb long enough.

The moment he pocketed it, the effect on the room was immediate.

The pressure that had made their breathing slightly impeded like a bad case of allergies, had cleared up. Although, now that they were all on the same page, a whole new myriad of questions popped up.

"Okay, so we can probably conclude that members of the Sacred Flame Theocracy, at least the leadership of a sect, probably have some small bit of this [Sacred Flame] inside of them," Zhen Xing said first. "Does that mean if you were to extract it while they were alive, it would break their faith? Or would they start causing riots because the lack of [Sacred Flame] makes them fatalistically intolerant to other religions?"

"Maybe?" Zhen Liu honestly answered. His only frame of reference for such an event was kaijin-related, and he had only partially dealt

"Better question: how badly would you fuck up their cultivation if you absorbed whatever [Sacred Flame] they had mid-battle?" Zhen Tai asked.

"I think it's kind of like how y'all can still perform certain arts and abilities after being possessed by one of the kaijin," Zhen Liu speculated before honestly thinking about the situation further. "Actually, yeah, it's very similar to how the [Possession] thing works. So…it would probably throw them for a loop, but it wouldn't outright end them."

"So your preferred method in defeating opponents," Jinju Ren commented without missing a beat.

"...yeah."

The group continued to make small talk for another hour or so before finally calling it a night.

There was a small moment where Jinju Ren tried to sneak into Zhen Liu's bed, but Rianna put a stop to that before anyone noticed anything, including Zhen Liu himself.

"Oh come on! He looks stressed."

"Keep to the pact, Xiao Ren. Keep to the pact," Rianna told the struggling dragon princess in her arms.

"Pact?" Antonio asked the moment he heard the word.

"Don't worry about it," Rianna told the cat-like mercenary.

"Fair enough."

Of course, while all of this was happening, Zhen Liu made sure to send the kaijin on their way by keeping the window to the room just slightly open.

Not enough to draw attention, but just enough that anyone looking at the window at the wrong time might just assume they saw a squirrel scurrying, a rat running away, or a bird flying away, and not a whole mess of shrunken monsters that resembled action figures.

…

'Alright, you guys now have free reign to explore the city.'

[Finally!]

[Let's go!]

[I don't think church towns like this have a good clubbing scene…]

[But they are full of secrets.]

[I...don't...think... we're... supposed to...wreck...any...churches...though.]

[No promises.]

…

When the kaijin were usually sent out to explore the city nightlife, they usually went about it under the guise of mortal travellers.

However, they couldn't do that this time around for one big reason: the ongoing war.

Crack open any history book and you'll find that whenever there is war, society has a tendency to get...a touch more protective.

Rationing, checkpoints, forced conscription, but the most relevant issue affecting the kaijin ability to gather information was: mandatory curfew.

The moment the sun had set over Emberona, all of the people were forced to either go home or spend the evening inside of a sect that had an open door policy and deal with the possibility of getting converted to a faith they had little interest in.

Patrolling the streets were a bunch of stren-looking soldiers that were collectively referred to as the Temple Fire Keepers.

These fellows were neutral enforcers that reported directly to the Central Authority of the Sacred Flame Theocracy and not to any singular sect, as reflected by the fact that every single piece of equipment on their person's was imbued with [Sacred Flame], which Zhen Liu and the curators had established, carried small bits of [Chaos].

In other words, the kaijin had no choice but to remain in their small travel forms, lest they ended up causing a citywide disaster or worst.

Since the city streets were so empty, the kaijin decided that the best way to gather information was to split up and look all over the place by themselves.

While this meant that they wouldn't be able to assist each other if push came to shove, this also meant that they were now free to look around however they wished.

Which was why they were able to see just how many different sects stayed together in this weird city.

[Anybody find anything interesting yet or nah?] Hurricroak asked her fellow kaijin. [I followed some music and now I'm watching what appears to be a ritualistic dance involving drums made from the skin of a wild buffalo stretched over...oh, that's a live tortoise...]

[That's slightly more interesting than what I'm seeing,] Springerdermain reported. [I thought this theater would mean a religious play or musical. Instead, all I'm seeing is nothing but a bunch of people doing a philosophical debate...or maybe a dinner performance? They have inexplicably brought out a wheel of cheese and they appear to be scrutinizing it's holes and mold.]

[I think that's just the vegetarian version of a haruspicy,] Frosttusk answered with surprising fluidity. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

[Haru-what?]

[Divination by entrails,] Blazejudicator answered. [Also, Frosttusk, why do you sound like you're at normal speeds?]

[I snuck into what appeared to be a sacrificial bonfire. They're burning a wickerman that's been draped in viscera. I don't know the animal, though...]

[Wait, is that the wickerman next to the temple full of animal-masked orgy attendants, or the wickerman next to the guys boiling a giant pot of stew?] Screamira asked.

[The one by the stew.]

[Yo, that's where I'm at!]

The sheer variety of ways people paid religious tribute to the [Sacred Flame] was novel and interesting to the kaijin, but it was also mildly worrying.

On paper, none of these sects should be getting along, let alone share a neighborhood with one another.

But that is precisely what the kaijin were seeing all over the city.

Sects dedicated to blood and animal tributes, right next to ones that believed life was sacred and had it protected.

Wild religious orgies next to chastity-focused monasteries, and people in between who didn't do much other than provide oil and supplies to both.

The kaijin had wanted to drill down on at least two of these conflicting sects, just to see why they weren't tearing each other to shreds...but that didn't happen.

Instead, Porcelain Doll and Corpse Doll made a report that baffled everyone.

[Hey, it looks like the city is being invaded by—oh. Nevermind, the intruders just got defeated by a coordinated defense led by perverts, Fire Keepers, and people in full body chastity suits. We're going back on patrolling.]

[Wait, what?]