"T-this is bad!" one of the Seven Luminaries stammered, panic creeping into his voice.
"Not good… the magic circle might collapse at this rate," another whispered, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
"We've already come this far! Cast it now, no hesitation!" the third shouted, defiance laced with desperation.
Shion's attack had no reliance on elemental attributes or clever tricks. It was pure, unrestrained force. And yet… something more.
«Analysis complete. Unique Skill 'Cook' and "Guaranteed Outcome" detected. Phenomenon overwritten.»»
Shion never ceased to amaze. Reckless? Perhaps. But powerful beyond reckoning. Even now, I had to acknowledge her strength. Yet… even this combined might was insufficient against the Seven Luminaries' prepared assault.
«Warning. Incoming attack.»
The massive extermination magic was now fully formed.
«Report. No issues detected. Analysis and assessment of the magic circle complete.»
A calm, measured voice filtered through my mind — Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom. His presence always brought clarity, even in chaos.
I exhaled slowly. That voice alone steadied my heart. The magic circle looked complex, incomprehensible even, yet for Solarys it was nothing. The Holy Knights and Luminaries could not hope to compete with his precision.
"Die! Trinity Break—!"
The Luminaries' voices overlapped, their attack unleashed simultaneously. I tilted my head, observing, my expression unmoved. Brute force and arrogance were no match here.
«Report. Expanding Judgment of Osirion.»
I lifted my hand slightly. From the heavens, killing beams began to pour down, intended to shred everything in their path. My "Judgment of Osirion" flared to life, consuming the beams before they could reach us. Light collided with light, and where it should have been devastation, there was only calm.
The Holy Knights froze, eyes wide as if staring at a living miracle.
«Warning. Spiritron reactions have intensified. Main attack imminent.»
So that was only a warm-up. I allowed a small smile to touch my lips.
"Prepare yourselves! Trinity Disintegration!"
The Luminaries' next move came with the weight of desperation. An attack designed to annihilate everything. Yet I was ready.
«Analysis complete. Recommend activation: "Absolute Defense" of Ultimate Skill 'Covenant King Uriel'. YES/NO.»
Of course, I chose YES. The moment demanded no hesitation.
A strange sensation crept across my skin, almost electric. A thin, transparent membrane began to envelop me — the manifestation of "Absolute Defense." My body felt impervious, every molecule in perfect harmony.
The beams and destructive waves of "Trinity Disintegration" collided with the membrane. For a heartbeat, time seemed to stretch. And then, the attack shattered harmlessly against it.
"Impossible!" one of the Luminaries shrieked. "Our power… it should have—"
"It's over," I interrupted, voice low but firm. "You relied on arrogance and ritual, but not on truth. I am not here to fight recklessly. I am here to enforce judgment. And in Eterna, no lie can withstand it."
"Impossible… how could this be—!"
"This… this can't be real! How could something like this even happen?"
"There is no one in the world who can survive a direct hit from Disintegration—"
The Three Luminaries were in utter panic, their faces pale, voices trembling. They had expected victory, yet now their carefully constructed confidence was crumbling.
They should be panicked. Even I, Atem, had felt the sheer weight of their attack. Their assault was the pinnacle of Holy Magic, layered threefold, designed to obliterate everything in its path. And yet, I had stopped it without effort. It was only natural for them to refuse to accept reality.
But reality cannot be denied.
"You've failed because you underestimated me… or rather, because you dared to oppose Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom," I said, my voice calm yet carrying an unmistakable authority that made the air itself tense.
"Very well. It's our turn now."
Benimaru, Souei, and Shion immediately understood, nodding in sync with my command.
"Your precious magic circle is gone. Can you withstand what comes next?" Benimaru asked, lazily playing with a black flame in his hand.
The Seven Luminaries visibly shrank back. Their trump card used, their arrogance now faltering.
"Don't even think about running, vermin. You'd better start praying," Shion said, her grin sharp enough to cut through steel, radiating deadly intent.
Souei remained silent, eyes tracking every subtle movement of the Seven Luminaries.
Above, Alvis and Suphia, the Beastketeers, circled the sky, keeping watch over all the Holy Knights. Even if no obvious threat existed, I wouldn't allow any surprises. Any suspicious movement would be crushed immediately.
"Uh…" The Luminaries were cornered. Yet they refused to show submission, still trying to bargain even under extreme pressure.
"Think carefully! We are the guardians of mankind! Kill us, and the faithful of Luminas will not stay silent!" one shouted.
"Indeed! The wrath of the God Luminas will consume you!" another added.
"We shall withdraw for now. Now that we know you are no evil being, we may speak of you favorably in the Western Nations. Let us be neighbors… peacefully," the third tried to sound conciliatory, alternating threats with diplomacy in a vain attempt to survive.
How irritating. Time to end their charade. I was about to move when suddenly—
"—Demon Lord Atem, sorry for the intrusion."
A sharp, piercing sound split the air. A rift appeared, and a massive gate tore through the battlefield. Through it stepped a figure, radiant and commanding.
Silver hair framed a youthful face, heterochromatic eyes gleaming with power. None other than Demon Lord Valentine had arrived.
The Seven Luminaries froze, their arrogance instantly drained. They dropped to their knees, terror overtaking them.
"Gu… Aahh!" one cried.
"You… you aren't—!" another stammered.
"Why… why have Your Grace come to this place—"
Their voices faltered, swallowed by the overwhelming presence of Valentine. Even in the midst of chaos, the balance had shifted. The true weight of judgment, the authority of Eterna's Demon Lords, now bore down on the Seven Luminaries.
Diablo trembled with joy, the wicked smile stretching across his face until it seemed to crack the air itself.
"—I'll permit it. Go banish them."
That single sentence from Atem loosened every chain on Diablo. He wanted to tear those pretentious fools apart right then, but there was business to finish first.
He turned his attention to the reporters, demon-slayers, and the Imperial Knights, all safely sealed within his barrier. The fireball the Seven Luminaries had cast had been swallowed effortlessly. Not a single person inside had been hurt. The barrier blocked every spell that relied on magicules — elemental, spirit, and otherwise. Relief washed over the group, though their wide-eyed expressions betrayed their terror just moments before.
"By the way," Diablo said, his voice deceptively gentle, "are you all all right?"
A hushed silence fell. They couldn't deny it. Every reporter, soldier, and knight inside the barrier had seen the intent of the Luminaries' attack — to incinerate every witness and leave only Diablo to take the blame. Recognition dawned on their faces, and along with it, a deep, visceral fear.
One reporter, voice trembling, finally asked, "W-what do you want from us? Money?"
Diablo's laugh was soft, but it carried a chill that made the hair on the back of every neck rise. "No," he said. "Only this: prove my innocence. Show the world who truly planned this. Nothing more. Nothing less."
The reporters hesitated for a heartbeat, then slowly, one by one, nodded. They would write, they would record, they would bear witness. They were in no position to refuse — and Diablo's presence, calm yet commanding, left no room for argument. Some felt it as compulsion, some as relief, but they all understood that their survival now depended on cooperation.
"Very well," Diablo said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I will protect all of you. All except one."
He pointed at the trembling figure of King Edward, just awakening from the barrier's confinement. The king's face drained of color as realization hit. Diablo's eyes flicked to him, cruelly indifferent.
"You're excluded."
"W-why? What have I done—" Edward's voice trembled, his eyes wide in terror.
"Silence!" Diablo's voice cut through the air like a blade. "You tried to deceive the great Atem-sama. That alone is a crime too severe to repay with simple death. Hear me clearly: you are unworthy of salvation."
Edward's mind raced frantically. Every option seemed impossible. If he continued to resist, he knew death would be inevitable. He turned desperately to his knights, hoping for some sign of support. Yet all of them averted their eyes. How could they intervene? Their opponents were either monsters led by a Demon Lord or the legendary heroes — there was no hope.
"I'm begging you… please, truly… save me… no, save me as well!" Edward fell to his knees, voice cracking with desperation. But Diablo's gaze remained cold, unyielding.
"Kufufufufu," Diablo chuckled softly, a sound that twisted through the air like black smoke. "Then you shall carry your regret for your stupidity into the next world."
No one in the crowd moved to help. Neither the reporters nor the knights dared intervene. Edward's fate was his own, the consequence of his arrogance and betrayal. He began to cry aloud, tears running freely.
"I'll give you anything! Money, power, the throne itself! I'll step down and give you everything—"
Diablo's expression softened slightly, a calculating glimmer in his eyes. "Very well. Hero Youm was tasked with overseeing Edmalis-dono. He is qualified to lead your nation, the Kingdom of Farmus. Do you understand what I mean?"
Edward's brain raced at an impossible speed. The meaning struck him clearly, and he understood the offer.
"I… I think so! He is a man of talent. I shall announce to the public that he is my successor!" Edward stammered, relief mixing with fear.
Diablo's sharp eyes gleamed. This answer satisfied him. The reporters caught on instantly, excitement rippling through the crowd.
"Hahaha! A new Hero King will rise!"
"We must spread this news far and wide!"
They all understood Diablo's intentions perfectly and eagerly agreed.
Now that the arrangements were in order, Diablo could finally deal with the true trash — the Seven Luminaries.
The moment had come.
"Huh, have you made your resolve?" one Luminary sneered.
"Our beam of cleansing evil will soon strike your way!" another added, their arrogance tangible.
But Diablo's calm presence made their confidence falter.
"Resolve? Don't make me laugh," Diablo said, his tone deadly serious. "You embarrassed me and hindered my mission. That crime alone is too severe to forgive. I will repay you tenfold in fear and despair."
The Seven Luminaries stared, speechless. Diablo's expression was unreadable, his hands relaxed at his sides, yet his gaze alone could crush spirits.
"W-what—?" one of them stammered.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" another demanded.
Diablo snapped his fingers. The sound echoed like thunder across reality.
"May the world be destroyed slowly, so you may taste helpless despair. Activate — Despair Time."
The air shifted. Diablo's power, one of the abilities under his Unique Skill Tempter — World of Temptation — manifested. This was no ordinary magic. It affected the consciousness of those targeted, twisting their reality and bending their very perception of life and death.
Diablo's mastery went further: he materialized an imaginary world in which he held absolute authority. Through Reality Exchange, this illusion intertwined with the real world, making it nearly impossible to distinguish what was true. Only those with extraordinary spiritual strength could resist.
The Seven Luminaries screamed. "W-what is this?!"
"Our magic… it's gone!"
"How can this…?"
Their reality collapsed, despair consuming them. There was no escape. Time passed, each second a torment of helplessness.
"Reflect on your stupidity at the depths of hell," Diablo intoned, his voice resonating with absolute authority.
He extended his hand, and the illusion began to collapse in on itself.
"Collapsing World (End of World) —" Diablo's command completed the act. The World of Temptation imploded, dragging the Seven Luminaries into an abyss of despair, leaving nothing but the echoes of their terror.
The world they had tried to control ended not with fire or steel, but with the crushing weight of Diablo's absolute will. And in this decisive act, the promise made at this place — the safety of the witnesses and the execution of justice — was fulfilled.
Edward, the reporters, the knights — all breathed, shaken but alive, witnessing the unparalleled power and cunning of Diablo. Justice, cruelty, and precision had blended into one terrifying force, and the world knew that mercy was a privilege for those who had earned it.