The location is the holy land—"Inner Sanctum."
The head of the "Seven Luminary Clerics," the "Master of Sun" Gran, had finished his duties for now and sat bitterly waiting for his companions to return.
There seemed to be changes to the plan for eliminating Hinata. The Master of Fire sent out an urgent call for help. There was no room for failure here. That's why he sent the Master of Moon and the Master of Gold together to fight.
"That woman is too smart," Gran muttered, fingers drumming the arm of his chair. "She'll be an obstacle to my designs unless we cut her down today. The Goddess Luminas—no, I'll bend that Demon Lord into becoming the true ruler—"
Gran had hidden his ambitions while serving Luminas for thousands of years. He'd snuffed out dangerous newcomers before they could be remembered. He'd whispered poison into the ears of colleagues and subordinates — the rest of the Seven Luminaries — using cunning words and half-truths. He kept playing the part of devoted servant.
It was easy to push their buttons. Some craved Luminas's affection. Stir jealousy among them and they danced to Gran's tune. This time was no different. They obeyed the Master of Sun.
The Master of Fire had disguised himself as the Holy Knight Garde, who had supposedly been disposed of. He set off to assassinate Hinata.
Everything had been planned down to the last thread. The Master of Moon guarded his presence with illusion magic so he would not be exposed. The Dragon Buster handed to Hinata had been tampered with; it could be destroyed at any moment. Combine the attack of Demon Lord Atem and the sudden destruction of the holy sword, and Hinata would almost certainly fall.
Yet Hinata didn't use the Dragon Buster. She refused the trap and even prevailed in her duel with the Demon Lord.
When the news reached Gran from the Master of Fire, he rearranged his plans like a surgeon adjusting instruments.
"If Demon Lord Atem can finish her, so be it," Gran said to the gathered. "If he fails, the Master of Fire will finish the job. Afterward, we remove every witness in the name of the Seven Luminaries to placate the Demon Lord. Better to win his trust than to stand accused ourselves."
"We'll win him over," one subordinate whispered. "We'll be seen as allies."
Gran's smile was thin. "Yes. We will gain his favor. Or we will bury our shame."
But new problems surfaced.
In the Nedler territory within the Kingdom of Farmus, a demon had been raising trouble. Bold and reckless, he flaunted his strength. That carelessness drew attention — journalists from surrounding nations had begun to pry and ask questions.
When Gran read the report brought by the Master of Earth, he slammed his palm on the table. "Then send Water and Wood," he ordered. "Master of Water, Master of Wood — go and clean that up before the pens sharpen."
They moved out like shadows at his command.
Given how things had unfolded, they concluded the only safe path was to remove all witnesses and pin the crime on that demon in Nedler. Make the scene look like the demon's violence, and the Seven Luminaries could present themselves as saviors. They would frame the story, bend public opinion, and secure their plan — neat, brutal, and surgical.
"We shall march in the name of God against the Demon who has committed such heinous crimes."
With that declaration, the actions of the "Seven Luminary Clerics" would be justified.
In other words, they planned to hold the Demon accountable for his reckless deeds rather than lay blame on Demon Lord Atem. That was the direction they intended to take.
If negotiations became difficult, they would invoke the name of Goddess Luminas as their justification. Demon Lord Atem sought to establish his foundation among the Western Nations. Being labeled the "Nemesis of God" would only make matters more complicated and leave less room for diplomacy.
The Master of Sun, Gran, believed this plan would succeed without fail.
But if there was a potential problem, it was the absurd power of the Demon — Diablo.
Still, with the aid of the Master of Wood, whose strength was second only to Gran himself, the Master of Sun had no doubts that victory would be theirs.
Yet his colleagues had not returned.
"What have those fools been doing—" Gran muttered unconsciously.
There should have been no one present to answer him. And yet, a voice came.
"What is wrong? You seem rather impatient."
"You… What are you doing here—?" Gran's voice trembled slightly as he hid his surprise.
The uninvited guest was none other than Hinata's trusted subordinate — Cardinal Nicolaus Speltus.
"Well, I've discovered something very interesting," Nicolaus said calmly.
"You discovered something?" Gran's eyes narrowed.
"Indeed. Here it is."
Nicolaus produced a crystal ball containing the memos from Atem.
"How is that interesting—?" Gran asked cautiously.
"I found someone has tampered with it," Nicolaus added, cutting him off sharply.
It was a brazen act of disrespect, particularly towards a figure of Gran's legendary status, yet Nicolaus seemed entirely unconcerned.
Despite his irritation, Gran's gaze was drawn to the crystal ball.
The deleted content reappeared, revealing the true message.
"—Ah!" Gran gasped, eyes wide.
Nicolaus studied him closely, sensing Gran's unease.
"I have no interest in your goals," Nicolaus said, voice steady. "Whether you wish to become pets of Goddess Luminas or manipulate her power—"
"What are you saying?! God is a concept that lives in people's hearts!" Gran spat.
"There is no need to hide it any longer," Nicolaus replied. "I realized long ago that Goddess Luminas exists. I merely followed Hinata-sama's footsteps and concealed that truth. Beyond that, I have no interest in it."
Gran could almost hear Nicolaus adding silently, "Including the fact that you sought to wield the name of God for yourself."
His eyes widened further as he stared at Nicolaus.
Nicolaus, in turn, looked back calmly. His eyes were like a bottomless swamp — full of calculation, devoid of emotion.
"You—" Gran began, but Nicolaus would not allow him to continue.
"Go to hell, you old crooks. Disintegration!"
"How—!" Those were the words Gran likely wanted to scream. Instead, his body was devoured by light particles, annihilated in an instant.
"Foul pest. Did you truly think I would let you walk free after attempting harm to Hinata-sama?" Nicolaus said, his voice cold and precise.
Leaving the words behind, he returned to his office as if nothing had happened.
Cardinal Nicolaus Speltus — Hinata's trusted subordinate, her fanatic follower. To him, religion was nothing more than a way to mark himself beside Hinata.
He was a heretic.
He held the highest position within the Pope's Ministry, yet he believed in no god. His loyalty belonged to one person alone: Hinata.
The heat of the fireplace kept the room warm.
Sitting in a thick, soft chair, Granbell Rosso sat in meditation.
"Nicolaus… you little shit…" he muttered as he opened his eyes. The bright flash of Disintegration was still branded in his mind.
Indeed, Granbell Rosso was no mere noble—he was Gran, head of the Seven Luminary Clerics, the "Master of Sun." He could separate his astral body to possess others. His heart burned with anger now that his newly restored body had been destroyed by Nicolaus.
Had he been there in person, it would have been a close fight. That thought only sharpened Granbell's fury. It was time to withdraw.
When he opened his eyes, he sensed someone approaching the mansion. That meant the mission had failed.
Glenda burst into the room and started shouting when she saw Granbell. "Granbell‑sama, I can't win against that. I can't handle that insane monster that showed up!"
Exhaustion baked her face; she had run and fought for her life. Her words were true.
"What happened to the rest of the Three Martial Sages? If you three all move in together—" Granbell demanded.
"No way. Our enemy isn't that weak. I felt a deathly aura on the battlefield. I realized things weren't good for us, so I escaped after leaving the fighting to Sare. The enemy could rival Demon Lord Atem—no, he was probably even stronger…" Glenda panted.
Granbell told himself she was overreacting, but none of his colleagues in the Seven Luminary Clerics had contacted him. He tried to sense them—no response. A chill crawled up his spine.
"Could it be…" The thought he could not swallow settled inside him.
A few days later, reports from spies across the nations reached Granbell: King Edward was defeated. Journalists from every corner were safe and had spread the story far and wide.
Rumors swelled in the Kingdom of Blumund that the Eterna Federation was planning a grand celebration.
Putting everything together, Granbell had to face the truth: the operation was a failure. The Seven Luminary Clerics had been wiped out. Completely annihilated. Granbell could no longer hide behind the false name of Goddess Luminas.
Later, his beloved Mariabell warned him. "Dangerous. Dangerous indeed. That town is very dangerous!"
Granbell blinked. "Do you mean the angels are attacking?"
"No, that's not it, Grandpa. That Demon Lord is planning to dominate the world through economy."
The idea of dominating the human world through economy—that was the Rosso family's dream. It was the same plan Granbell had been working on.
"How could this be…" he whispered.
"It's true," Mariabell said. "And it will happen eventually. That's why— we have to defeat him before that."
Granbell felt the cold iron of fate close around his plans. The world was changing, and whatever he had been building in secret would have to be finished—or broken—before Atem could make it permanent.
Mariabell wouldn't lie.
—Not once, not to this day.
That was why Granbell had to weigh her words carefully, include them as part of his assessment.
"I see… if you say so, it must really be the case," he muttered.
After all, Mariabell came from Granbell's direct lineage.
"Indeed. Next time… next time, we will succeed. I shall stake everything on my name, Mariabell the 'Greed'!"
She was no ordinary descendant. A reincarnated soul, she carried extraordinary power and knowledge from the Otherworld. She was the Rosso's beacon of hope, the key to reclaiming what had been lost.
With Mariabell at his side, the Rosso family would always hold the advantage. That thought ignited Granbell's ambition once more. Flames of desire, vengeance, and cunning danced in his eyes. The game was far from over.
This was not the end. It was only the beginning.