After the absolute **chaos** Lucifer unleashed in Lustbound Heaven's royal court, he climbed into his grand chariot with his wives—Veronica, Severina, Zyrene, and Nocturna—and set off toward Westirifer. Cesar and Aleric went along too, handling the reins.
Meanwhile, inside the royal palace, the atmosphere was pure mourning and dread.
With just **one gesture** from Lucifer, Vance had decapitated Peter and casually placed the severed head at his feet like an offering.
Even though Lustbound Heaven followed a matriarchal royal structure where women held higher status than men… Peter was **not** just any man.
He was the **previous king** of Lustbound Heaven.
The current king, Ignis? He was Peter and Kaite's own biological son.
Ignis had been arrogantly arguing with Lucifer, completely unaware that the price of **one single sentence** from his mouth would be paid with his father's life.
And right now, the same Vance who had just beheaded Peter was strutting through the royal palace with full swagger… or rather, he was **hunting** for anyone responsible for Agastha's condition.
Lucifer's order had been crystal clear: **anyone** who contributed to Agastha's current state had **no right to live**. Death was the only path left for them.
That's why Vance was moving from one corner of the palace to another like a reaper on casual overtime.
People might ask: *Wasn't there anyone who could stop Vance?*
Answer: **No. Absolutely no one.**
Vance wasn't some ordinary person. He was a **system-granted reward** to Lucifer.
And he wasn't alone—Artemis was right there with him.
At the moment, Vance held the title of **Supreme Commander of Westirifer** and was Lucifer's most loyal blade.
His official system rank? **SS+** — and not just any SS+, but **high-end SS+**. In real-world terms, if someone ever measured him properly, he'd easily fall somewhere between **SSS–** and **SSS+**, probably leaning toward straight-up **SSS+**.
In the past 500 years of Sinflare Augustiland history, **not a single SSS– hunter** had ever appeared—let alone SSS+.
Every hunter and adventurer currently present in the royal palace? Their real-world equivalent ranks were **SS–** or **SS+** at best.
In Vance's eyes? **Ants. Literal ants.**
Who wants to die unnecessarily?
So as long as Vance kept playing his bloody little cleanup game, the spot where Lucifer had stood just minutes earlier turned into a **mountain of severed heads**. Including Peter's, there were now **11 heads**… no, wait—by the end it became **37 heads**.
Yes—**37 people** had participated in the atrocities against Agastha: drugging her with near-lethal aphrodisiacs and subjecting her to repeated violations and gang-rape, all while Peter watched it like Saturday-night entertainment.
When Vance finally finished his "sanitation campaign," the scene was something to behold.
Where Veronica and Lucifer had once stood? Now just a grotesque pile of **37 heads**.
Meanwhile, Vance and Artemis were calmly escorting Bekelen, Dora, and the unconscious Agastha toward their own chariot headed for Westirifer.
From start to finish, the entire world—especially the hunters watching—had witnessed Lustbound Heaven get **utterly humiliated**.
And this wasn't even the first time.
A few months earlier, when Bellatrixa came to collect Jasper's family, she had dragged Ignis back tied on top of a wagon like hunted game—**naked**—in front of not just Virexion, but the **entire world**.
Being naked wasn't the issue. Being **tied up and paraded like that** was.
Worse: Ignis had arrived in a **shattered** state—broken knees, mangled arms, and his… uh… manhood looking like a **peeled, burst banana**, scrotum torn open. Bellatrixa parading him through his own kingdom in that condition was humiliation on a historic scale.
The whole world had laughed then.
And now? They were laughing again.
"Hiring so many SS– and SS+ hunters and still couldn't save your dignity? Might as well save the budget next year—millions of silver coins down the drain for **nothing**."
Last time it was just Ignis returning half-dead.
This time? Envoys from Westirifer came themselves, and the **previous king's head** was severed right in front of the royal family.
And now Bekelen (the current head minister) were being taken away too—just like Jasper (the previous head minister) had been taken by Bellatrixa.
---
Lucifer's carriage—driven by Cesar and Aleric—was on the verge of crossing Virexion's border.
Vance's carriage had only just left the royal court.
If Lucifer had his way, he would've told Severina, Zyrene, and his darling Nocturna to slip into his shadow. Then—like last time—he'd scoop Cesar, Aleric, and Veronica onto his shoulders and **sprint** the whole distance in a fraction of the time.
His speed was **far** beyond any stallion or mare.
But three problems:
1. How the hell do you carry **three** people at once on your shoulders?
2. Veronica was **two-and-a-half months pregnant**—running at supersonic speed with her was **not** wise.
3. What happens to the stallions and mares? You can't just leave them behind and expect them to magically teleport home.
Last time he'd carried Mephis alone—easy.
This time? Four horses.
So Lucifer gave up the cool plan and settled for **normal carriage speed**.
When they reached Torren village on the return journey, they decided to rest.
And Lucifer got busy doing what he loved most: **cooking**.
Zyrene had earlier told him she was craving something delicious. Lucifer casually mentioned he'd hunted a **massive python** in Nightbloom Forest.
So beside a huge lake near Torren village, Lucifer started setting up camp.
Meanwhile, following orders, Cesar and Aleric began preparing food for the stallions and mares: chopped fruits, sweet & tangy berries, green leaves, hay, corn, and barley mix.
On the other side, Lucifer began building a makeshift stove using **earth magic**—a big, sturdy clay oven.
Once the stove was ready, he pulled the **giant snake** out of his space storage.
Calling it a python was generous—it was technically a juvenile **Titanoboa**. Only about **10 meters long**, but still… give the poor thing some respect.
Lucifer knew about prehistoric animals from his time living on modern Earth as Michael. But here in Sinflare Augustiland? Prehistoric beasts were **still alive and well**.
This little guy had made the fatal mistake of trying to ambush Lucifer while he was returning from destroying Rolavela Peak.
Big oof for the snake. Big dinner for everyone else.
The moment the 10-meter beast was pulled out, Veronica genuinely **yelped** in fear.
But for Severina, Zyrene, and Nocturna? Pure **Christmas morning** energy.
Lucifer calmly explained them all:
- Zyrene: how to properly separate the head from the body.
- Severina: once the head is off, how to peel the scales and skin like a pro.
- Nocturna: after skinning, how to clean out the guts.
And that's when pure, unfiltered **comedy** began.
All three shadow-born wives were now holding **gleaming black cleavers**, happily hacking away at the already very dead Titanoboa like it owed them money.
**CHAAAKKKK!**
**THUDDD!**
**SCHIIINGGG!**
**SLASHHHH!**
**KHUOII!**
**CHHINNGGHHH!**
Zyrene was **smashing** the head like she was trying to tenderize it with a sledgehammer instead of a cleaver.
Severina was sliding her cleaver along the scales with the grace of a violinist—except the "violin" was a 10-meter murder noodle and her bow was a meat cleaver.
And Nocturna?
She was holding the cleaver… but barely using it.
Instead she was **jumping up and down** full-force on the snake's belly like it was a bouncy castle.
Lucifer finally couldn't hold back:
"Noct… why exactly are you jumping on its stomach like that?"
Nocturna beamed the most innocent smile:
"Husband! Look—Zyrene is cutting off the head… and I'm jumping up and down to turn all the innards into a nice **smooth paste**! Then when Sister Severina peels the skin off, I'll just grab the tail, spin it **360° super fast**, and whoosh—all the guts will fly out by themselves! I won't even have to touch them~!"
Lucifer: ......…?
*(internally: Dear Nocturna… is your brain actually functioning right now?)*
Veronica: ???????????????????????????????????
*(internally: Why are you torturing a soul that's already very, very dead?)*
Cesar & Aleric (in perfect sync): ???????????????????????????????????
*(internally: …Is Lady Nocturna sane? Is she even speaking a known language?)*
Poor guys had no idea that Lucifer's shadow-born wives weren't even human—they belonged to an entirely different species with… unique logic.
Anyway.
After happily brutalizing the already-dead Titanoboa to the point its soul probably died **twice**, the three finally finished "preparing" it. The snake was completely skinned, gutted (mostly), and ready.
Lucifer—wisely not trusting Nocturna's "spin method"—cleaned the guts himself by the lake shore.
Then he cut off **one-fifth** of the meat, stored the rest back in space storage (where everything stays eternally fresh, but living things can't be stored), and started marinating the portion they'd use.
Zyrene and Nocturna immediately swarmed him:
"Honeyyyy… that's so little! This will barely fill me and Sister Nocturna! What about Sister Severina and Sister Veronica? And you're eating too! And Sir Cesar and Aleric! Come on, take out at least **that much again**!"
Zyrene kept insisting while Nocturna nodded furiously like a hype-man.
Watching his shadow-wives bouncing around Lucifer like excited puppies, Veronica suddenly realized something.
This was the **same Nocturna** who'd stood in the royal court completely stoic and expressionless just hours earlier.
But right now? All three of them were **radiating pure joy**—not because of the food, but because they were simply **spending time together with Lucifer**.
Their happiness came from **being with him**.
While Veronica was lost in these surprisingly soft thoughts, Lucifer had already finished marinating the snake meat in yogurt, pepper, salt, thyme, and cilantro, and slid it into the makeshift oven to roast.
The smell starting to waft out was… honestly criminal.
Dinner was going to be **legendary**.