Demon Lord Valentine—came with the
Man that was acting as the Demon Lord Valentine.
The three members of the Seven Luminaries become pale as they remain on their knees in front of Luminas. It seems that they've become fearful like lambs to be slaughtered and aren't planning to fight any longer.
Luminas bowed her head slightly and whispered an apology, "Sorry for the trouble," signaling she had no intention of fighting. But Atem was not so naïve as to allow a demon lord—or anyone—to act as they pleased in his territory.
The man acting as body double straightened and bellowed:
"Kneel at this instant. I am Pope Louis. And this lord here is our God—Luminas-sama!"
The declaration rang like a gong of arrogance. The Holy Knights all quickly kneeled, as though they'd just been confronted by a living legend like Mito Komon.
Atem raised his head slowly. The shadows of the hall lengthened. His voice broke the silence like a guillotine's fall.
"Enough."
It wasn't a shout. It was a verdict.
With that single word, he expanded the Judgment of Osirion. The entire hall warped. Chains of black and crimson light spiraled out of thin air, locking Luminas, Pope Louis, the Seven Luminaries, and every paladin in place. They froze, unable to move even their fingers. They couldn't even scream. They could only stare at him, their bodies trembling as invisible spikes of power dug into their souls.
Atem's cloak of shadow rose like wings. His eyes burned gold and red, like the sun at its last death.
"This farce," Atem said slowly, his voice echoing off the walls, "has gone on long enough."
The captives could not answer. But in their minds their thoughts raced like lightning:
No… I can't move…
What is this pressure? It's worse than any magic I've known—
Is this… death?
Why can't I even scream?!
Atem stepped forward, the floor cracking beneath his heel. "How dare you step into Eterna as if it were your playground," he said. "You mistake my patience for weakness. You mistake my silence for permission."
The pressure doubled. Shadows crawled up their bodies like living serpents, searing marks into their skin. Inside their minds they cried:
It's burning me—my soul is burning—!
Make it stop, please, please—
Why did we come here?
Atem's tone sharpened. "And you, Demon Lord Luminas… haven't you learned your lesson from Walpurgis?"
Luminas' body shook. Sweat poured down her face like rain, but she could not speak. Her mouth opened, but no sound came. In her mind she screamed:
I can't—breathe—he's crushing me—this power is not human—!
"First your pet Hinata," Atem continued, pacing slowly. "Then the Seven Luminaries. And now you and your pope dare to step into my territory, barking orders… And all you have to say is 'sorry for the trouble'?"
The hall's air began to tear, red cracks of energy running like veins across the walls and ceiling. Black feathers of shadow drifted down from nowhere, slicing through the floor as they landed.
"I told you before," Atem said, eyes narrowing, "I do not show mercy to those who defy me."
He raised his hand. His voice sank into a low growl: "And for that, you shall pay the same price Hinata is paying."
He snapped his fingers.
Immediately, the entire hall became a storm of agony. Black chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around their limbs, necks, and chests. Crimson sigils burned into their foreheads, searing their souls. A pillar of dark energy spiraled down from the ceiling and engulfed them in a vortex of shrieking wind and shadow.
They couldn't even cry out. Their mouths stayed open in silent, soundless screams.
Inside their minds, it was worse than death:
My body—it's being torn apart from inside!
My blood is boiling—my bones—they're melting—!
This isn't pain—it's erasing me—
We were wrong—wrong—wrong—
Atem watched without blinking. His voice rolled over their agony like a tide of stone.
"In this world," he said, "if you are naïve or show weakness, they will eat you alive. You fed others to this same fate, thinking yourselves untouchable. Now you will endure it. You will feel every shred of torment you gave."
The vortex of shadow shifted, tendrils of energy slithering into their chests, clawing at their very souls. Their vision blurred into fragments of hellish mirages — storms of flame, oceans of blood, swarms of phantoms clawing at their faces. Their bodies convulsed but could not fall.
Atem raised his other hand. Crimson lightning crackled from his fingertips and entered their bodies, sparking arcs of burning pain through their nervous systems.
"You will not forget this," Atem said, his voice now deep as a grave. "You will remember it in every breath. You will wake at night tasting ash and hearing the echo of this punishment."
Inside their minds they clutched at fragments of prayer:
God, please, end it—
This is beyond magic—this is divine wrath—
I don't want to die—
Atem walked closer, until his shadow fell across their bowed heads. "This," he said softly, "is not vengeance. This is the law of consequence. You stepped into my world thinking it was yours. Now you learn what that means."
The vortex began to implode, pulling their souls toward a void of screaming faces. The marks burned brighter, searing deeper into their flesh. Their hearts pounded against the chains like trapped animals.
And still Atem spoke, his voice steady and absolute:
"You thought you were gods. But in Eterna, there is only one Pharaoh. My word is the edge of the world. Remember it."
He snapped his fingers again. The storm cut off. The chains dissolved into mist. Luminas, Pope Louis, the Seven Luminaries, the paladins — all collapsed where they knelt, gasping silently, eyes wide, still unable to speak, their minds echoing with the torment they had just endured.
As I observed the aftermath of my Judgment of Osirion, it became clear: the trial's result had been delivered. It was quick, absolute, and ruthless.
Even after they were released from the grip of my power, the effect lingered. Luminas' face burned red with fury. She had endured pain and shame beyond anything she had known, all because of the Seven Luminaries and their attempts to manipulate and sabotage. The humiliation carved deep into her pride, and she could not forgive. Her lips curled into a resolute, terrifying smile as she made her decision.
"The punishment is death," she said, voice sharp like a blade. "As a parting gift, I shall send you on your way myself—"
"H-have mercy!" one of the Seven Luminaries pleaded silently, unable to form sound, their minds screaming in terror.
"We only did these for Luminas-sama—" another thought desperately.
"Please, f-for all the years we've pledged our loyalty, we beg you—"
Their pleas were fierce in thought, but empty in sound. Atem's presence still dominated the hall. Their voices could not escape their mouths; they could only tremble under the weight of authority that suffocated even speech.
Luminas raised her arms. The invisible hands of god extended, surrounding the Seven Luminaries as though embracing them.
It appeared gentle, a hug of compassion and love, but it was anything but. This was her Death Blessing, a skill of unimaginable cruelty that transformed life into death in an instant. Just to witness even a fragment of her power was enough to show how immense a Demon Lord she had become.
The Seven Luminaries, who had schemed against us, were gone in a heartbeat — their bodies, their lives erased without a sound. Their end was painless, yet absolute. Their minds screamed in despair even as their forms dissolved into nothingness.
Atem observed silently, eyes unwavering, as the echoes of power faded from the hall. No words were needed; the lesson had been seared into the very soul of Eterna. The Seven Luminaries' ambition and arrogance had met their ultimate reckoning.
With the hall cleared, I spoke finally, voice carrying authority and calm, the weight of a Pharaoh unmistakable:
"Let us change our venue," I said. "It is time to move to a location better suited for negotiation. The future of our relations must now be discussed. Let all present understand that in Eterna, power and consequence walk hand in hand. Weakness is paid for, and treachery is answered in kind."
Even Luminas, proud and fiery, understood the truth in my tone. The lesson had been delivered, the consequences enforced.
We prepared to depart, the air still thick with residual energy, the remnants of judgment lingering like a storm. The path forward would be decided not with empty words, but with the knowledge that in the presence of Atem, Pharaoh of Eterna, all defiance bore a cost beyond imagining.
Since it's not good to negotiate while standing, we decided to switch venues.
I returned triumphantly alongside Luminas, Louis, Hinata, and the rest to the town. The streets seemed to calm at our arrival, yet a lingering tension remained in the air.
As I was welcomed by Veldora, a thought suddenly struck me.
"Ah, sorry," I said casually. "The final defense didn't have a chance to show up."
"What! And I had my hopes high while waiting here…" Veldora's voice rumbled, a mixture of disappointment and complaint. His tone carried the weight of annoyance, but I could only ask him to accept it.
All in all, things appeared to have resolved smoothly—or so I thought. But in the world, there is never such a simple resolution.
As soon as Veldora laid eyes on Luminas, his expression changed, and he let out a shocking, irrepressible statement:
"…! Oh oh, you are that someone! Finally, now I remember! Luminas, aren't you Demon Lord Luminas! You are the female vampire who was at that castle I trashed. Haha, now I finally remember. Feels good, feels—"
Luminas' eyes flashed, and a sword of shimmering dark energy formed in her hand, poised to plunge into him and silence the indiscretion. But then she remembered what I had just made her endure, and her arm froze mid-motion. She stopped herself, restraining her power with visible effort.
But it was already too late.
The truth had been revealed. The God Luminas was Demon Lord Luminas Valentine. The secret she had carried, the identity she had masked, was now exposed in full.
The Holy Knights fell silent, their faces registering confusion, disbelief, and hesitation. They were trying to process the revelation, and many of them were clearly struggling to reconcile their faith with what they had just heard.
Hinata, as always perceptive, placed her palm over her face and sighed, quietly acknowledging the situation. Louis, on the other hand, wisely decided to step aside, keeping himself removed from the chaos that was about to unfold.
I couldn't stand it. The audacity, the lack of control, the utter disruption caused by Veldora's recklessness—my mind sharpened to a single truth.
I had a new understanding of how much of a troublemaker Veldora truly was.
And then—
I spoke. My voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Enough, Veldora. This is not the time for pleasantries…"
The air thickened around us, heavy with the authority that only Atem could command. Silence fell over the town, and every gaze fixed on me. Veldora, despite his usual bravado, paused, caught in the gravity of the moment.