[Okay, so the masses have spoken. Irina will call Jin ‘Brother’ now, and this is final. Thank you all for your input, and please enjoy the chapter!]

Bloodborne Mansion. Bloodborne Throne Hall.

Just like the other major families of the Vampire Race, the Bloodborne House had sent forces in the battle against Eyghon. Although there was bad blood between them and the Moonreaver House, the Demon Lord’s existential crisis was too much for the Bloodborne House to ignore.

Therefore, just like the other Guardian Houses, the Bloodborne House sent a contingent of a hundred elite Vampires, including the prodigal Prince of Flies, Horatio Bloodborne.

One might question their intentions, sending the person who led the raid into the Moonreaver Dimension to the Blackburn House, but as the old adage goes… Beggars couldn’t be choosers.

The Blackburn House had already lowered their heads to the bastards from the Holy Church. Bringing the excommunicated Bloodborne House into the fold wouldn’t be the most drastic of their decisions.

But alas, all of that hoo-hah was for nought. Even though they had gathered the most powerful army to date, Eyghon had toppled without any of their assistance. A million-strong army, with thousands of beings equally as strong as ancient Vampires…

And yet, they were all outperformed by one young, upstart boy…

“Have you seen the footage?”

Horatio Bloodborne bowed his head solemnly at the figure seated on the high chair within the vast halls of flowing blood and crimson marble. The red-hooded figure rested his hand on the armrest with a withdrawn demeanour. However, his eye movements betrayed the anxiety and confusion that hid within.

“Yes, I saw it. You did well to record it.”

“I did my best,” Horatio smiled at the unadulterated praise.

Not many had recorded the red pillar of light that extended from Eyghon’s shell as they were mostly distracted with other things. Horatio, on the other hand, captured the video purely through coincidence. Per his orders, the Bloodborne Prince was on a secret mission. Yes, he was going to help in the battle against Eyghon, but at the same time, he was there to record his enemies.

It didn’t matter if they were members from the Guardian Houses, Exorcists from the Holy Church, Alpha Werewolves or even S-ranked Hunters. The Bloodborne House would have to deal with those flies one day when they ascended back to their rightful place.

While unethical, Horatio’s voyeur ways gave the Bloodborne House an unexpected benefit that no other entity in the world had.

A clear video of Jin’s attack.

“So? What do you think?” Horatio asked the High Elder with a sombre voice. “Are my suspicions right?”

“… I can’t be sure.”

“But… There’s no other explanation! A Vampire with that much power is practically unheard of! Especially at such a young age! Plus that crimson pillar… It reminds me of grandfather’s power.”

“I know what you mean…”

The High Elder rewound the video time and time again as if he were trying to burn the memory of that attack into his mind. He’d seen a similar attack once. Back in the glory days of the Vampire race. Back when the world was under the feet of the Bloodborne House. Back when… The Vampire Progenitor was alive.

“Father, no, the ancestor’s power is similar to that boy’s… It’s so similar that it’s eerie.”

“So… Do you think grandfather has reincarnated into that child?”

“…”

The High Elder kept silent.

The Vampire Progenitor had died; there was no question about that. He was present the day his father passed into the netherworld and had personally conducted the ancestor’s funeral. However, the Vampire Progenitor was a man of mysterious powers.

He was the one who created the Vampire race out of nothing. He was the being closest to magic and had obtained immortality beyond any living creature’s wildest imaginations. He was the strongest creature in history, and there wasn’t even a close second.

So… It wasn’t a stretch to think the Vampire Progenitor invented reincarnation, just as he did with the Vampire race.

“A power of domination and control… While that boy’s power seems different from father’s, it’s much the same. If he really is father’s reincarnation… This throws a wedge in our plans.”

“… Should we call off the ritual?” Horatio asked with a tinge of caution within his voice. The Bloodborne House had been preparing for the Progenitor’s resurrection since the day he died. Seeing all that effort get washed down the drain would pain his heart.

“No, we’ve been preparing for so long now. Especially since we’d just obtained the vessel, we needed to complete the ritual. We’ve made too many sacrifices to stop now. But, if father’s soul truly resides in his body…”

The High Elder started to think, and after a while, he gave the firm order.

“Let’s capture him. If he is father’s reincarnation, great. We can skip the ritual and awaken his memories. But if he isn’t… Well, he’ll be a great first meal for our hungry Monarch.”

The red-hooded figure waved his hands and barked out his drastic intentions. Needless to say, neither Horatio nor any of the other Bloodbornes, for that matter, could deny the High Elder’s decision.

But unbeknownst to them, a potted plant within the massive halls started to sway mysteriously. Though, it lasted for a fraction of a second before anyone could find out.

??

The Holy Lands. The Papal States. The Archbasilica.

The Holy Church. The base of the oldest religion of mankind and the largest faith the world has ever seen. Believers of this faith pray to the one God, the almighty being that created the Heavens and the Earth. They draw their strength from their God. Their beliefs from their God. And most importantly… Their magic from their God.

Believers that had been consecrated by their Lord are called on to serve the Holy Church, in whichever shape it may take them.

Some become Priests that would spread the word of their beloved God. The vast majority work privately to help their respective communities. While a select few of them… Use their Holy magic in a more direct and combative manner.

The Exorcists.

The elite combat forces of the Holy Church. They train their magic not to benefit their peers but to hunt down Demons that may threaten their brethren. In the old days, it would be hunting down Vampires and Werewolves or any sentient creature that wasn’t part of the Lord’s design.

However, in modern times, the Exorcists’ expertise had turned to the Outer Demons that invaded the planet. While many Hunters had emerged to compete with the Exorcists and their deadly skills, the Holy Church still retains a sizable force of elites.

And the man standing at the top of the food chain was…

“Are you sure that’s what you saw, Father Armoth?”

An old, jaded man stood in an ornate garden surrounded by man-made structures from the Renaissance Era. Tall bushes that seemingly turned into maze walls and a lavish water fountain with sculptures of deceased Saints weeping at the side. Plus, it didn’t help that the old man was donned in a white and gold cassock with a wooden rosary on his neck, making him feel like he was ripped from the middle ages.

One might think they had reversed back in time if they stood in this gorgeous garden.

However, the man standing next to the Pope didn’t falter. He bowed his head in silence and affirmed his words:

“Yes, your holiness. All of us were present when the Vampire launched his skill. He killed Eyghon with a unique technique before we even got a chance to do anything. It was something I’d never seen before.”

“… God help us all.”

The Pope took a deep breath and turned to the night sky with a pained expression. Given the news, the head of the Holy Church should be delighted to learn about Eyghon’s demise. Alas, with one Demon Lord’s death came another’s birth.

“A Vampire that can kill Eyghon… Is he an ancient Vampire that we never heard about?”

“No, your holiness. From our intelligence, it seems like the Vampire was a little older than twenty-five.”

“A twenty-five-year-old did that?!” This time, even the seasoned Pope couldn’t hold his composure. With a yelp, he snapped his head back to the tall, silver-haired Exorcist and asked: “Don’t tell me he’s the reincarnation of the Progenitor?!”

“We can’t say for sure…”

Jin’s masterful display of power had made others suspect his true identity. And who could blame them? Destroying a Demon Lord was something no one had done before. Even the Vampire Progenitor at his prime could not fully defeat the Demon Lords that invaded the land, let alone destroy them.

The magnitude of Jin’s display was felt not just in Vampire Society but far beyond that. The Holy Church, the Werewolf Tribes… Every living organisation on the planet was talking about Jin now.

“Yet another Dracula, huh? Yes… We can’t let that happen.”

“Shall we deal with him?”

“Do you have the confidence?”

“To be completely honest… We don’t know enough about the boy yet. But from what little intelligence we have, it seems like he’s still green when it comes to battle. Right now, with the information we have, I’m only thirty percent confident of eliminating the target.”

“What if we gather enough information?”

“A hundred percent, your holiness.”

Father Armoth didn’t get his decorated status through pure brute strength. And while that played a significant factor, the real reason why the Exorcist ascended to his position today was due to his immense resourcefulness. He knew when he was outmatched and the best ways he could utilise his assets.

The beam of crimson light still frightened the seasoned Exorcist to this very day. If he was hit by that deadly attack… Even his bones wouldn’t survive the carnage.

But that didn’t deter the man one bit. Father Armoth was confident that if he was given the information and tools, he could exterminate anyone from this planet. It didn’t matter if it was an ancient Vampire or a rookie who had obtained God’s power.

If the person was flesh and blood, he could be eliminated.

“I see…”

The Pope closed his eyes in silent contemplation. But it didn’t take long before he barked out his order.

“Father Amorth, from now on, your number one priority is exorcising that Vampire. I shall relieve you of your other duties. Take as much help as you need. I wish you the best of luck, and may God bless you in your endeavours.”

“I accept this exorcism!!!”

Kneeling down to the Pope, the silver-haired Exorcist bellowed out his acceptance with a renewed vigour.

The two never once thought of seeing Jin as an asset to humanity or thanked him for destroying a Demon Lord for the betterment of the planet. And as a consequence, the tree that stood nearest to them started to weep out leaves profusely…

Like the first coming of Autumn.