A Warm Welcome and Troubling News

As we stood on the grand balcony of The City of Eternal Nights, the air carried a faint hum of magic—a presence approaching fast.

In an instant, Diablo materialized before us.

Dressed in his usual black and red attire, his golden eyes gleamed with amusement and reverence as he bowed.

"Welcome back, my Lord," Diablo said smoothly, his voice filled with unwavering devotion. "I trust your time in Tempest was enjoyable?"

Velzard smirked. "It was… interesting."

Ultima stretched, grinning. "We had some fun. Milim gave us quite the warm-up."

Diablo raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I imagine it was quite the spectacle."

I chuckled. "She's strong, no doubt. But she still has much to learn."

Carrera folded her arms. "And now that we're back, I assume you have something urgent to report?"

Diablo's expression darkened slightly. "Indeed."

He gestured toward the grand dining hall, where a lavish feast had been prepared in our honor.

We all made our way inside, the massive table adorned with exotic dishes from across the realms—succulent meats, rich wines, and delicacies infused with mana.

As we settled into our seats, Diablo stood at my side, his voice turning serious.

"There have been recent movements within Luminous' Church."**

I set down my goblet, my eyes narrowing. "The Western Holy Church?"

Diablo nodded. "Yes. As you know, they have long maintained their stance that monsters are enemies of humankind. But recently, their rhetoric has intensified."

Testarossa sighed, swirling her wine glass. "Tch. Typical zealots."

Ultima pouted. "We could just burn them down, you know."

Diablo smirked but shook his head. "Tempting, but unnecessary… for now."

I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand. "What exactly have they been doing?"

Diablo's expression sharpened. "Their priests have been spreading propaganda, stirring fear in human settlements, and subtly encouraging anti-monster sentiments. They claim that despite Rimuru's peaceful approach, 'monsters will always be monsters.'"

Velzard scoffed. "How predictable."

Carrera grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Sounds like they need a little 'persuasion.'"

Diablo chuckled darkly. "As much as I would love to… intervene, it may not be necessary."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Diablo nodded. "Luminous Valentine herself has remained silent on the matter. While the Church spreads its rhetoric, she has yet to make any move."

That was interesting.

I leaned back, thinking.

Luminous was no fool.

Despite ruling over a human-based religion, she was a monster herself—one of the oldest and strongest Demon Lords.

If she hadn't acted, it meant one of two things:

She was allowing the Church to stir trouble for her own reasons.

She was unaware of the full extent of their actions.

Neither scenario sat well with me.

"We'll keep an eye on this."** I finally said. "For now, we observe. But if they take it too far… we'll step in."

Diablo grinned. "As expected of you, my Lord."

Ultima smirked. "Can't wait."

Carrera chuckled. "Let's hope they give us a reason."

Velzard simply sipped her wine, watching me. "And if Luminous is involved?"

I smiled slightly. "Then we'll have a little chat with her."

The night continued, the feast lively, but my mind remained sharp.

Something was brewing in the shadows—

----____----

Some time after our return to the City of Eternal Nights, my spies reported something intriguing—Rimuru had traveled to Blumund.

That alone was nothing unusual, but what caught my interest was his plan to meet Yuuki Kagurazaka and his decision to start teaching the children left behind by Shizu Izawa.

Seated upon my grand throne, I listened as my spies relayed the details.

"Rimuru has arrived in Blumund and was welcomed warmly. From what we gathered, he intends to visit Yuuki in the Freedom Academy."

I tapped my fingers against the armrest, my mind racing. "And the children?"

"He has taken them under his care, as he promised Shizu. However, their origins remain a mystery."

Velzard, who sat beside me, crossed her arms. "Those kids are most likely the result of some past summoning."

Testarossa added, "Leon Cromwell has been summoning people from other worlds for a long time. There's a high probability that these children were among them."

Carrera smirked. "Or maybe someone else has been playing the summoning game."

I leaned forward, my eyes gleaming. "Either way, we'll get to the bottom of it."

Ultima grinned. "Should we just abduct one of the kids and find out?"

Diablo chuckled darkly. "Now, now, Ultima. That would be too… direct. Our Lord prefers a more elegant approach."

I smirked. "Exactly. We will observe first. If needed, we'll act."

Turning my gaze to my spies, I gave my next command. "Continue monitoring Rimuru and Yuuki. I want every move they make documented. If there is a deeper plot at work, we will uncover it."

The spies bowed. "As you command."

As they vanished into the shadows, Velzard leaned toward me. "Do you think Yuuki is hiding something?"

I exhaled slowly. "That man is always hiding something. But whether he's a direct threat or just another schemer… we'll find out soon enough."

A storm was brewing in the background of this peaceful front—

And I intended to be ready.

I smirked, leaning back on my throne. "Yuuki may think he's a master manipulator, but in the end, he's just another pawn on my board."

Velzard raised an eyebrow. "You're saying that as if you already have complete control over him."

I chuckled. "That's because I do. The moment we first met, I implanted a spell inside of him—an untraceable, unbreakable tether to his very soul. Whenever I choose, I can pull the strings and make him dance to my tune."

Carrera laughed. "That explains why you never seem too concerned about his scheming."

Testarossa smirked. "A man who believes he's in control is easier to manipulate than one who knows he's a puppet."

Ultima grinned mischievously. "So what now? Do we use him, expose him, or let him play his little game until he becomes more useful?"

I tapped my fingers against the armrest in thought. "For now, we watch. He still has a role to play in this grand scheme."

Diablo bowed slightly, his usual sinister smile in place. "As expected of my Lord. You weave webs that even the greatest minds fail to notice."

I simply nodded. "Yuuki may have ambitions, but in the end, his fate is already decided. When the time is right, I will tighten the leash."

For now, I would let him continue believing he was free—

But when the time came, he would learn the truth—

That his will was never truly his own.