Velnova's clone arrived at the Holy Empire of Ruberios, the heart of the Luminism faith and the domain of Luminous Valentine, one of the oldest Demon Lords.
Hovering over the grand city, he let out a smirk. His plan was already in motion.
With Spatial Bending, he vanished and located Hinata Sakaguchi, the leader of the Western Holy Church's paladins. She was in the middle of a meeting, strategizing with her subordinates.
Perfect.
Before she could react, space warped, and in an instant—she was gone.
She reappeared in a grand, gothic-style chamber filled with luxurious furniture, dark velvet curtains, and golden chandeliers. The air was thick with the scent of wine and roses.
At the center, sitting on a throne-like chair, was Luminous Valentine.
She had a crystal glass in hand, her golden-red eyes narrowing at the sudden disturbance.
"Hinata?" Luminous' voice was calm but wary. "Why are you here?"
Hinata looked around, immediately sensing something was off.
And then—
Velnova materialized.
Luminous immediately tried to rise, her aura flaring—but before she could act, her body froze.
Velnova tilted his head. "No need to panic, Luminous. I just wanted a little chat."
The power of Absolute King had taken effect, momentarily restricting her movement.
Hinata, however, was free.
She drew her sword immediately, taking a defensive stance. "Who are you? And what did you do to Luminous?"
Velnova chuckled. "Relax, I'm just keeping her in check for now. You, on the other hand…"
He moved.
Before Hinata could react, he appeared before her, his hand grabbing her wrist with overwhelming force.
Hinata gritted her teeth, trying to break free, but Velnova's Infinity Attribute suppressed her strength.
"Tsk, tsk." Velnova shook his head. "Is this the extent of the Holy Knight Leader?"
With a casual motion, he released her, making her stumble back.
Luminous' expression remained cold, but her eyes burned with anger.
Velnova turned his gaze to Luminous. "You call yourself a ruler, yet here you are, completely helpless. What kind of 'Divine Being' lets themselves get restrained so easily?"
Luminous' glare was sharp, but she remained silent.
He continued, his voice filled with mockery. "And you, Hinata… You're supposed to be the strongest swordswoman, the shield of humanity. Yet look at you—unable to land a single hit."
Hinata's grip on her sword tightened, but she knew attacking recklessly wouldn't work.
Velnova smirked. "For someone who judges others so harshly, you're awfully weak when faced with true power."
Luminous' expression darkened. "Enough. What do you want?"
Velnova hummed, then suddenly snapped his fingers—releasing Luminous from Absolute King's hold.
Immediately, she gathered a massive amount of energy—her most powerful attack forming in an instant.
She launched it without hesitation, aiming to erase him from existence.
A Terrible Mistake
But then—
The attack changed direction.
Instead of hitting Velnova…
It struck Hinata.
Hinata's eyes widened in shock as the overwhelming force engulfed her.
A blinding explosion of light filled the chamber.
When the dust settled—Hinata was gone.
Not a trace remained.
Luminous froze, her mind struggling to process what had just happened.
Her attack had…
"No…"
Velnova grinned, his voice low and amused. "Oops. Looks like you just eliminated your strongest knight."
Luminous' hands trembled, her golden-red eyes filled with disbelief.
This wasn't possible.
She had…
She had killed Hinata.
A heavy silence filled the room.
Velnova tilted his head. "How does it feel, Luminous? The one person who trusted you, gone by your own hands?"
Her breath hitched, her chest tightening.
Her body shook—an unfamiliar feeling consuming her.
Desperation.
Regret.
Rage.
And then—
A sudden shift in power.
Awakening of Lustful King Asmodeus
Luminous' body trembled, her overwhelming emotions surging into something absolute.
The Voice of the World echoed.
[Conditions Met.]
[Awakening Ultimate Skill: Lustful King Asmodeus.]
Her entire being shifted, her existence reshaping itself.
The power of desire, control, and restoration surged through her soul.
She could feel it—new abilities, new understanding, a force that could manipulate life itself.
But before she could even process what had happened—
SLAP!
A brutal shockwave rang through the air as Velnova's hand connected with her face, sending her crashing into her throne.
The entire castle shook from the impact.
Luminous' eyes widened in disbelief.
Velnova's expression was cold, emotionless. "Get a hold of yourself, you pathetic excuse of a Demon Lord."
Luminous gritted her teeth, her pride shattered, but before she could respond—
Velnova vanished.
The next moment—
He reappeared, standing before Dino.
The lazy fallen angel blinked, sensing the absurd power radiating from him.
Velnova's eyes locked onto Dino, his voice calm yet filled with absolute dominance.
"Wake up, slacker. It's time to talk."