The Western Holy Church believed in the god Luminas, the one they hailed as the radiant deity of light. But the truth was far from divine. Luminas was no god—she was a Demon Lord, one who had taken the title Valentine as a mask to control faith through fear and devotion alike.
Her real name was Luminas Valentine, and according to her, she had once granted her subordinate the right to bear the name "Demon Lord Valentine." Yet that illusion had long since crumbled—Atem himself had seen to that. During the Walpurgis Banquet, Veldora's careless tongue had exposed Luminas's secret, ending her divine charade forever.
The Holy Knight Order, under Hinata's command, had won the people's trust by declaring their opposition to "Demon Lord Valentine." The irony was cruel—what they had fought against was an illusion born from their own god. Still, Hinata had known. She had known all along that the Church's holy mission was a fabrication.
When Atem heard of it, he couldn't help but ask, his tone low but sharp, "So all this time, you played along with that lie?"
Hinata lowered her gaze. "It really couldn't be helped," she said, her voice calm but heavy. "I tried to stop it once. I fought her… and lost. Luminas-sama doesn't care for power over people's hearts. She just let the charade continue for order's sake. As long as no civilians are harmed, I have no choice but to follow."
Atem folded his arms, his golden eyes gleaming faintly under the dim light. "You made peace with hypocrisy," he said coldly. "You fight for justice, yet you kneel before deceit."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Hinata didn't answer. She simply met his gaze—defiant, but quietly ashamed.
Before Atem could press further, another voice entered the hall—smooth, composed, but with a hint of calculated pride.
"Indeed. I was the one who designed the plan."
A man stepped forward, his white robes adorned with the sigil of the Church. His hair was silver, his eyes sharp with intellect. Pope Louis.
"My brother Roy supported the idea. Luminas-sama did not." His tone was matter-of-fact, unbothered by Atem's piercing stare. "Hinata opposed it, even challenged us, but the order had already been sealed. If you take issue with our methods, speak to me, not her."
Atem's expression didn't change. His presence alone seemed to press the air tight around them. "Then I will. Tell me,Pope Louis—how does it feel to worship a lie?"
Louis gave a dry smile. "You may call me Louis, Demon Lord Atem. I see no need for titles. And as for worshiping a lie... well, lies have their uses. Sometimes faith requires one to see the bigger picture."
Atem's aura darkened subtly. A faint shimmer of gold and deep crimson flickered behind him like invisible wings. "Faith built on falsehood is rot disguised as holiness," he said. "And you've been feeding it to your people for years."
Louis didn't flinch. "Perhaps. But we did what we must to keep peace."
Before Atem could retort, Louis continued, lowering his voice but loud enough for the nearby knights to overhear. "You asked earlier about Demon Lord Valentine—the one who appeared at Walpurgis. That was my twin brother. He is dead now."
Atem's eyes narrowed. "Murdered?"
"Yes," Louis replied calmly. "Likely by agents of the nations hostile to us. The Holy Empire of Lubelius has many enemies. Roy was powerful, but… he grew careless."
His tone was disturbingly indifferent—neither mournful nor bitter.
Hinata crossed her arms, adding coldly, "He was slacking. I warned him many times. Even Sare defeated him once. Still, whoever killed him must be taken seriously. But that's no longer your concern, Atem."
Atem said nothing. The atmosphere grew colder with each passing word. The Holy Knights around them shifted uneasily, their faces pale as they pieced together the truth that had been hidden from them for years.
They had worshiped Luminas as their god.
They had fought for her name.
And now they learned she was a Demon Lord.
Shock. Betrayal. Confusion. The air trembled with it.
Hinata turned to her subordinates, her voice steady but soft. "All of you heard. I never meant to deceive you, but in the end… I did. I can't deny that."
Some knights clenched their fists. Others simply looked lost.
Atem watched them all, his expression unreadable. For a moment, a whisper brushed through his mind—
"Their faith trembles like a flame in the wind…"
It was Solarys, the Sovereign of Wisdom, speaking only to him.
"Do you intend to judge them?"
Atem's response was silent, his thoughts sharp as blades.
Not yet. Let them face their truth first.
Solarys' voice faded with quiet approval.
Atem stepped forward, his cloak rippling like shadow and starlight intertwined. The knights fell silent immediately. His presence commanded them—not through fear, but through sheer weight of power and judgment.
"You've all lived under a lie," Atem said, his voice steady, echoing faintly as if layered with something divine. "But your faith, your loyalty, your conviction—those belong to you alone. No god or demon can take them unless you surrender them willingly."
His gaze swept across the hall, meeting each trembling knight's eyes.
"Your god was false. Your leaders deceived you. But now you know the truth. What you do with it…" He paused, and the air grew colder, the gold in his eyes burning brighter. "…will determine whether you rise as knights of light—or perish in the shadow of your own blindness."
No one dared speak. Even Luminas herself, standing quietly behind Louis, looked away from his gaze.
And so, I led the Holy Knights — and their divine mistress, Luminas Valentine, accompanied by Pope Louis — through the shining gates of Eterna.
...
...
…
Rigurd was already waiting at the city's grand entrance. His uniform was pristine, his expression resolute. Even from a distance, I could sense his tension; this was not a simple visit. He bowed deeply the moment our eyes met.
"Welcome, honored guests, to Eterna," Rigurd said, his voice steady yet warm. "We are grateful for your presence. Please, enter and rest. You are under the protection of our Lord Atem."
The Holy Knights exchanged uncertain glances — they had never heard anyone speak that title with such certainty.
Luminas stepped forward, her eyes calm but sharp, her regal aura softened. "You've trained your people well, Atem-sama," she said, her tone respectful, her voice lacking the cold superiority she once carried. "This city… it radiates order and purpose."
"It is the will of Eterna," I replied simply. "Peace sustained through strength — and truth."
She inclined her head slightly. That small gesture spoke volumes. For a being like Luminas, who once saw herself as divine above all, even this act of deference carried immense weight.
Hinata followed beside her, quiet and composed. She still carried the disciplined poise of a knight, but now tempered with deep respect. "Your city is magnificent, Atem-sama," she said softly. "It feels… alive."
"It is," I said. "Every soul here has a purpose. And they know that in Eterna, there is no deceit. No hidden gods. Only truth."
The Holy Knights behind Hinata instinctively lowered their heads. The memory of what they endured under my Judgment of Osirion was still fresh — the pain, the divine terror, the suffocating weight that crushed pride and fear alike. They knew better than to speak carelessly in my presence now.
Rigurd gestured politely. "We've prepared accommodations and a welcoming meal. Please, come this way."
"Your hospitality is most generous," said Louis, his usually composed tone humble. "Eterna is a city unlike any I have seen. One can sense divinity woven into every breath of the air…"
"Divinity is discipline," I answered. "It exists not to dominate, but to guide. Remember that, Pope Louis."
Louis bowed deeply, hands clasped. "Yes, Atem-sama."
As we entered the gleaming streets of Eterna, the air shimmered faintly with light — not the brilliance of magic, but the steady pulse of divine order. Citizens stopped to bow as we passed.
Even Luminas's gaze softened as she took in the sight — the harmony, the silence, the unity.
"You've created a sanctuary that even gods would envy," she murmured. "Perhaps… this is what paradise should look like."
"Paradise," I replied, my voice low but firm, "is built upon understanding one's place in creation. Even gods are bound by the truth of their actions, Luminas."
Her eyes flickered — a quiet acknowledgment. "I do not forget what I've endured, Atem-sama," she said solemnly. "Nor what I learned from it."
"Good," I said. "Let that pain remind you that even divinity must answer to justice."
Hinata's voice broke the silence gently. "Atem-sama, we… we are grateful to stand here as your guests. Whatever misunderstandings once existed, they will not repeat."
"I know," I said. "That is why you are here — not as enemies, but as witnesses of what peace truly is."
Hinata lowered her head deeply. "Yes, Atem-sama."
Luminas's knights followed suit, bowing silently. Their fear had become reverence. Their faith — now in Atem — was no longer forced, but awakened by truth.
"Rigurd," I said, turning my gaze to him, "see that our guests are treated with every courtesy. Let them rest. Tomorrow, we will speak of what comes next."
"At once, Atem-sama," Rigurd said, his tone filled with devotion.
As the group followed him deeper into the radiant heart of Eterna, I stood for a moment beneath the crimson dusk, gazing over the city. There was no tension, no divine arrogance, no chaos — only order, quiet and unshakable.
Luminas glanced back once more before entering the hall. Our eyes met.
Her lips moved softly, almost reverently.
"Eterna truly belongs to you, Atem-sama."
And I said nothing — for the truth required no reply.
The world itself knew its ruler.