Resolution

“The power of this weapon—surely you all glimpsed it in the fate of the Ashen Territory.

Its very existence already poses a grave threat to the survival of our border domains,

and even to the strategic security of the entire Demon Clan.”

The atmosphere in the space grew even more oppressive and heavy in an instant.

“Demon Lord of Evernight, Vivian.”

Moggs’s gaze turned to her, his ghostly green soulfire seeming to pierce straight through the soul.

“The intelligence was relayed by you.

Speak in full detail about everything you know—especially the specifics of this technique,

and the source and reliability of your information.”

In that moment, the eyes of all the Demon Lords—curious, scrutinizing,

icy, even tinged with doubt—focused on Vivian as if they were tangible.

Pressure crashed down like a mountain.

Vivian’s violet demonic pupils narrowed slightly.

Facing the invisible might of her many colleagues, she showed no trace of fear.

She knew that even a hint of panic or hesitation now

would drastically diminish the value of her intelligence,

or even invite deeper suspicion.

“The source of the intelligence—I’m afraid I cannot disclose in detail.”

Vivian spoke, her voice clear and steady.

“It involves a hidden line buried extremely deep within human forces,

one that came at enormous cost.

Exposing it would cut off all possibility of similar intelligence in the future.”

By citing “protection of the intelligence source,” she first blocked any probing into Anis’s identity—

a basic principle of intelligence work.

Even if the Demon Lords present knew full well this might just be an excuse,

they could not force the issue.

“But regarding the Son of God Charles and his ‘Angel,’

I can guarantee the core authenticity of the information.”

Before anyone else could voice a question, Vivian continued,

her gaze still calmly meeting Moggs’s ghostly green soulfire.

“The defeat in the Ashen Territory—you must have all felt that anomalously vast,

yet bone-chillingly cold burst of Holy Light.

That was absolutely beyond what ordinary holy arts could achieve.

“From what I know, Charles, the Son of God of the Rhine Holy Church,

wields a forbidden holy art called [Divine Bestowal: Descent].

Its core is not simply beseeching grace from the God of Rhine,

but rather… forcibly capturing, anchoring, and compelling

the lingering souls of powerful beings after death.”

She paused, then pressed on.

“He uses these soul fragments as the ‘foundation,’

reconstructs the core,

then infuses it with that cold, merciless Holy Light as the ‘light source,’

remolding it into an axe weapon of absolute obedience,

knowing only purification—the [Angel].”

She swept her gaze around the room,

noting several Demon Lords’ projections flicker slightly,

clearly shaken by the description.

“Lucia was merely the first successfully ‘summoned’ and displayed specimen.

You all witnessed its power with your own eyes—

the fall of the Ashen Demon Lord,

the territory reduced nearly to wasteland,

just like the Evernight Territory before it.”

Vivian’s tone sank lower, carrying just the right touch of gravity.

She even touched on her own tragic experience.

“But the worst part is not this.”

She paused again, her voice growing heavier.

“The key lies in the sustainability and scalability of this holy art—

according to my intelligence, the cost to Charles of casting it

is far lower than traditional holy arts,

and it has the potential for repeated use,

even simultaneous summoning of multiple ‘Angels.’

More importantly…”

Her gaze sharpened as it swept over every Demon Lord present.

“His targets are by no means limited to human Heroes!

Any powerful soul echo lingering in the world could become his prey—

including… the fallen Demon Lords of our clan across the ages,

and even ancient Heroes!”

The moment those words left her lips, the atmosphere in the conference space plummeted to freezing!

Several Demon Lords’ expressions hardened.

Some shot to their feet; others clenched their fists,

rage blazing uncontrollably in their eyes!

“Such methods—I’ve never heard of anything like it!”

“To trample the dignity of the dead like this—doesn’t he fear divine retribution?!”

“The Rhine Holy Church actually wields such a vile holy art!

What in the world are they trying to do?!”

Somehow, the mood in the hall grew unprecedentedly grave.

The many Demon Lords turned their gazes toward the white-haired youth seated at the head—

Augustus Solomon.

As the foremost of the seven Demon Lords,

Solomon held supreme authority over the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons.

His every move shaped the future of the Demon Clan.

“I understand how you all feel.”

Augustus slowly raised his head,

his pale golden pupils reflecting the angry, fearful faces in the hall.

“We have gathered here precisely to discuss how to counter the rise of the Rhine Holy Church,

and—”

He paused slightly, his tone growing heavier.

“How to face those… Demon Lords twisted by Holy Light, undying.

“The Evernight Territory was only the beginning.

If we cannot swiftly halt the Rhine Holy Church’s expansion,

perhaps every one of you here

will have the chance to become the next ‘Lucia.’”

Augustus’s voice was low and oppressive.

“The rise of the Rhine Holy Church is not merely a racial war between humans and demons—

it is a battle of ideologies… involving the order of the entire multiverse.

“The power of Holy Light is no longer merely a symbol of brightness and salvation.

It has been twisted, imbued with the power to plunder, enslave, distort,

and even devour life itself.

“Its goal is to conquer everything,

to assimilate all life into servants of Holy Light,

ultimately forging a world… controlled by Holy Light, pure and absolute.

“And we, as rulers of the Demon Clan,

must safeguard the freedom and diversity of this multiverse.

“Only then can we withstand this flood of Holy Light that corrodes everything,

and defend all that we hold dear.

“My lords, war has arrived.

We must unite as one,

stand together against the Rhine Holy Church,

and defend our homeland to the death!”

Augustus’s gaze swept over every Demon Lord.

His voice, firm and powerful, echoed through the hall.

At his words, the Demon Lords rose one after another,

warlike fire burning in their eyes.

They knew a war to decide the fate of the multiverse was about to erupt.

And they would be its staunchest guardians.

The atmosphere in the entire hall reached a crescendo.

“We swear to follow Your Majesty to the death!”

“For the glory of the Demon Clan!”

“For the freedom of the multiverse!”

Roars rose and fell in the hall, deafening.

In this moment, the Demon Lords of the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons stood united,

their battle spirit soaring,

vowing to fight the Rhine Holy Church to the bitter end!

The Winter Demon Lord Catherine shattered the silence.

Her voice was like winter itself, freezing the air.

Another Demon Lord shrouded in shadow—his projection twisted violently.

Even the ever-steady Decaying Demon Lord Moggs—

the green fire beneath his hood flared wildly for an instant!

To forge the souls of Demon Clan forebears into weapons that attack their own kin?

This was no mere strategic threat—

it was the ultimate desecration and blasphemy against the entire history and dignity of the Demon Clan!

“Absurd!”

A voice rough as grinding stone rang out—

it was the Demon Lord wreathed in dark crimson arcs, [Heart of Lava] Grem.

“The souls of the dead have long returned to the Demon Abyss!

How could mere human ants lay hands on them?!”

“Grem, calm yourself.”

Moggs’s voice remained steady, yet carried an undeniable authority.

“What the Demon Lord of Evernight says is shocking,

but not impossible—remember the fate of the Ashen Territory.

Until we confirm it is absolutely false,

we must prepare for the worst.”

He turned once more to Vivian.

“You cannot reveal the source—we will set that aside for now.

But the ‘Holy Light’ power you describe—

is its energy signature and fluctuation truly so cold?”

“…Yes.”

Vivian nodded without hesitation.

“Though I did not sense it firsthand at the scene,

humans are also extremely sensitive to the power of Holy Light—

it is an utterly condensed light, pure to the point of losing all ‘warmth,’

left with only absolute purification and command.

It is utterly unlike the Holy Light recorded by humans,

filled with compassion and protection.”

The hall fell into brief silence.

Each Demon Lord digested this horrifying information,

weighing the risks.

Finally, the Winter Demon Lord Catherine broke the silence again.

Her voice was like winter itself.

“If this intelligence is true, this fiend cannot be allowed to live—

his very existence upends the order of life and death,

threatens all sentient life,

and spells extinction for the Demon Clan!

We must strangle him utterly

before his power fully matures

and he can produce more ‘Angels.’”

Her stance represented the most direct interests of the frontline Demon Lords.

“Seconded.”

“My domain will never become the next Ashen Territory!”

Another Demon Lord declared.

“Seconded.”

“Seconded.”

Grem and the remaining Demon Lords added.

Moggs nodded slowly, his green gaze sweeping the room.

“It seems consensus has been reached—

the Son of God Charles, and the forbidden holy art he wields,

must be completely eradicated.

This concerns the very foundation of the Demon Clan’s survival—

no longer a matter of one city or territory.”

He paused slightly, his voice growing even graver.

“However, the target resides deep in human territory,

heavily protected by the Rhine Holy Church,

and wields unpredictable power himself.

Acting alone risks failure,

and we could be picked off one by one,

even providing him more… ‘materials’ for making Angels.”

The soulfire beneath his hood turned to Vivian and the other Demon Lords.

“Thus, I propose—

this operation requires our full cooperation.

We draw elite forces from every domain,

form a joint task force under my personal command,

devise a meticulous plan,

and if need be, all Demon Lords strike together—

to kill with one blow and end the threat forever!”