Gabriel, Mak and Nico went to sleep after figuring out where to look next, their best bet was to visit the chapel in the morning, if possible they would want to scout the area while there are people around so that it wouldn't look suspicious, also if they manage to get inside the chappel and find nothing, they can investigate even further, for now, they decided to get ready just as the sun was rising, it's almost day time and Mak along with Nico are ready, what remains is for Gabriel to also manage to get up...

Mak-Come on, we have to go to the chappel.

Gabriel was still in bed and covered with a blanket, he just rolled on his side ignoring Mak.

Nico-Gabriel, we need to go to the chappel.

Gabriel-Agr...Why now? The sun isn't up yet, the only ones that are out at this point are getting home from being drunk, we would stand out if we are seen around the chappel right now.

Mak-Can't argue with that. I guess when it's about slacking off, Gabriel puts a lot of thinking in.

Nico-I must agree as well, let's head downstairs to the lobby for some coffee in the meantime.

Gabriel-You mean...Get up?

Nico-Yes, Gabriel, discipline is one trait you must get in order to work for the Vatican.

Gabriel argued a bit more, growling and yawning while he got up and dressed, Mak and Nico already went downstairs after Gabriel assured them that he wouldn't go back to sleep, last night he didn't get much sleep, he was just lying on the bed thinking about what Mak said, if it's not possible for two souls to inhabit the same body, then what's going on? Is this guy a demon trying to possess Gabriel, he didn't feel like he had to fight for control at all, he thought that he might have been possessed after going to hell to get revenge on Marbas but that wouldn't make sense since the powers that this guy showcased are nothing like a demon's and after all, he said that he was with Gabriel from the moment he was born, Gabriel wanted more answers and he has a couple of minutes alone in the room to try and get them...

Gabriel-(I need to know more).

???-(I have already told you, we share the same knowledge, the same memories, what you know is what I know).

Gabriel-(This doesn't make sense, Mak said that is impossible for two souls to be inside the same body, are you some kind of demon? Is this all a trick to make me surrender control to you?)

???-(I told you, I have tried to take control of this body, I simply can't).

Gabriel-Yeah...And that's why you are trying to trick me).

???-(What you are saying is stupid, from how I understand demonic possession, we would constantly fight for control over this body, but here we are coexisting. The goblin is obviously wrong).

Gabriel-(You are right, I suppose I never felt like I lost control, what you are saying sounds right for now. Since you claim to not know anything...)

???-(I don't).

Gabriel-(We have to find more together).

???-(My instinct tells me to keep myself safe, that's basic, I can't argue though that I also want to find out what I trully am, the goblin's claim did in fact bother me).

Gabriel-(So you do agree with Mak).

???-(His claim sounded true, if that's the case, I cannot help but question my own existence, what am I? Am I just a lowly demon with amnesia? Did I fail to possess you? Are you the demon and perhaps I am the remnants of the rightful inhabitant of this body? If that's true then I wouldn't feel so powerful, the only thing that I can feel is immense strength, that doesn't seem to a human trait, therefore I am not a human, I am not a demon. What am I?)

Gabriel-(Are you having an existential crisis right now?)

???-(Probably, I should stop, I want to make a request to you, Gabriel.)

Gabriel-(What is it?)

???-(You have your own goals and will, you can do whatever you choose, I just ask that you consider me an ally as I consider you, I want you to find out more about me, I want you to purposely search for my identity, ask any kind of magic user you find, any elemental being, any lord of hell and heaven if possible, I am but a fraction of existence within you, as such, I sincerely ask you to find out more about me in your quests.)

Gabriel-(Ok...)

???-(Thank you, Gabriel. I will do everything in my power to help you from now on.)

Gabriel-(What should I call you?)

???-(From the scaling of the battles we had so far I can tell that I am a powerful being, I cannot cooperate with the idea of giving me a ridiculous name.)

Gabriel-(I'll call you Mike, how about that?)

Mike-(Fine then, I am Mike.)

Gabriel finished talking to his "partner", from this point he decided to call him Mike, Gabriel is sure that he is not lying, the only thing that remains is to find out more about him, Gabriel said that he would actively try to find more information, he felt like he at least owes Mike this much from all the times that he has saved him, he was there when Gabriel needed him and his request is way too small to compensate everything that he offered, for now, Gabriel has accepted and thus made a better connection with Mike.

It wasn't long until Gabriel went downstairs to meet with Nico and Mak, this little conversation he had inside his head lasted about a fraction of a second, it seems like time doesn't pass by when he talks to Mike, just like a thought, the

conversations with Mike are instantaneous, when he got to the lobby he saw Luis behind his desk smoking, Mak and Nico were sitting in the lobby, Mak's first thought was to tease him...

Mak-There is our little prince, how did you sleep my sweet child?

Gabriel-If you ever say another word with a voice like that, I swear I will rip your tongue out.

Mak-Ok, that was uncalled for, sit down.

Nico-We will go to the chappel in exactly two hours, at this point the street should be populated enough for us to blend in, once we are inside the chappel I will use the Helm of True Sight to pick any traces of magic energy, if it matches the one we saw from Luis and Renata, then the only possible explanation is that Ozymandias has been in the chappel and has performed his black magic, I just hope that we won't stumble upon him in the middle of a pact, we don't want to anger a demon while it's striking a deal, especially a demon as powerful as Belial.

Gabriel-How can we be so sure that he hasn't already made his deal with Belial and he is already gone from here?

Nico-The remains of his dark magic seem "fresh" in some terms, he couldn't possibly have already made the deal, a demon like Belial would have destroyed the entire place for compensation, Ozymandias is no fool either, if he wanted to do this he would have already destroyed the village and all the residents already, he must be around here hiding, waiting for the right moment to invoke the powers of Belial and strike a deal, I would rather not see the anger of the demon when it realizes that it has been tricked, Ozymandias wouldn't offer his soul and the fact that the city is still intact signifies that he hasn't made the deal yet, the ritual would require a lot of preparation and planning, something he could not do in a few days, especially with so many people around, the town is quite populated.

Gabriel-What are we waiting for then? Let's go to the chapel.

Mak-In a few hours, just relax and enjoy a cup of coffee, for now, Luis has some great blends over there.

Gabriel stood up and asked Luis for a cup of coffee, they sat at the lobby for a little bit and then decided to head to the chapel, while they were standing outside the chappel they noticed the state of the building, it was a huge church with a massive clock on the central tower, the building was in bad shape as they have heard, there were ruble all around it and at some places, you could see the brick sticking out from the points where the paint has brushed off, most of the windows were still intact but there was also broken glass pilling underneath the broken windows implying that no one even bothered to pick them up and throw them away, the chappel was in fact not touched by anyone for a long time. There were people all around them and when Gabriel reached to open the door of the chappel they all looked at him weirdly, it was common knowledge to not mess around the chappel, after all, they opened the door and went inside, they saw the remnants of what was once a place of faith and devotion, now there are broken wooden benches where people used to sit, a half-destroyed podium where the preacher probably did his thing and the walls and floor was covered with trash clearly not cleaned in years, the whole place was sad to look at and Nico was disappointed at the sight of it, his face turned to one of sadness and regret as they were slowly walking towards the podium, Nico put on his helmet and looked around searching for traces of magical energy, Gabriel and Mak scattered to the corners of the main hall and also looked around, a couple of seconds later, Nico told them that he found something, dreadful energy was all around the podium, he called for Gabriel and Mak to come with him.

They gathered around the podium and looked at each other, without a second thought, Nico used one of his rings and called the Sword of Night to his hands, with one swing he destroyed the podium to reveal a hidden stairway leading down...

Mak-I am surprised, you smashed that thing way to easily for a Paladin.

Nico-From the moment that this place housed necrotic magic and hellish rituals, it no longer has any connection with the Lord, this place has no signs of his grace, it's nothing but a pile of stones and wood.

Mak-Ok, should we go down there?

Gabriel-What if Ozymandias is down there and a fight breaks out? Do we have a plan?

Nico-Mak should stay back, you and I will kill Ozymandias before he has a chance to cast anything.

Gabriel-Alright, sounds like a plan, let me get my axe out.

From the moment that Gabriel, Nico and Mak arrived at Mexico they begun the investigation and relaxed at times, even Nico forgot to teach Gabriel the method of sealing and unsealing weapons effectively.

Nico-Remember what I told you, Gabriel, don't put too much energy into that seal, the last thing we want is to blow up.

Gabriel-Yeah, I know. ( You also know what to do, right.)

Mike-(Yes.)

Gabriel focused the energy to the axe, with the help from Mike he was able to keep it stable, for now it will do, Nico promised to teach him a better way but they don't really have time, they walked down the stone stairs and the only thing they had

for lighting was another one of Nico's artifacts, he used the Radiant Bracelet, a bracelet made out of moonstone, a metal infused with the essence of a forest spirit, it was bright enough to illuminate a good portion of the circular staircase, Gabriel was a few steps behind Nico with his axe on his shoulder, it was quite difficult to fit the axe in the tight corridor but he managed to not hit every wall there, Mak was also a good distance behind Gabriel so that he could see but not get hit in the face with the axe. They walked for a good ten minutes downstairs, almost like they descended multiple stories of a building, Mak thought that must be a spacial spell on the chappel that made the underground bigger, they arrived a big room filled with demonc signs and banners, red banners on the walls and a central red carpet leading to a massive statue of a demonic figure, clearly a place for warlock rituals, there was no sign of a person down there at the moment so they took their time looking around, Nico wanted to destroy the demonic statue at first sight but he decided to not waste any of his stamina breaking rocks, they wandered around looking at the selves of the library at on of the sides, there were many books of rituals and spells to cast, Gabriel strafed a bit away from the rest and laid eyes upon a book that had a title "Consentual Possesion", he thought that this book had insturctions on how to let a demon posses you at will, he hid the book inside his shirt and

walked right up to the rest of them, he thought that it might have some information about Mike, he may be a demon after all. They continued looking around only to find traces of magic but not a source, Nico felt that something was wrong, Ozymandias should definitely have been there but there are no signs of a person living there, they came to the conclusion that Ozymandias was preparing the ritual there, their plan was to set an ambush for Ozymandias, they all hid amongst the bookshelves and waited for the right moment, one hour passed, two hours passed by and nothing, Gabriel started to get bored, at this point he started smoking, he might blow his cover since there was smoke all around but he didn't really care, Mak was hiding even further away from the entrance of the room, he didn't want to get caught in a fight, right as Gabriel put out his smoke they heard a sound, they are hearing steps coming from the stairway, they all exchanged looks to make sure everyone is on the same footing, the steps were coming closer and closer, they weren't certain it would be in fact Ozymandias walking down the stairs but based on what they already know it couldn't have been a civilian.