The white light did not vanish immediately.
For several long seconds it continued to glow faintly around Lucifer, gradually fading as the last traces of divine energy dispersed into the air. The chamber still smelled faintly of demon blood and burned mana. The demonic runic formation Mia had drawn across the floor had not been completely destroyed, but the symbols were fractured now, their crimson glow reduced to dim, wounded lines that barely held their shape.
Lucifer stood at the center of the ruined circle, breathing slowly while forcing the trembling in his body to settle.
The surge of divine power had not simply disrupted the ritual.
It had sealed something.
Inside his Soul Palace, the explosion of light had spread outward and formed an invisible barrier around the entire spiritual domain. The divine energy itself was no longer visible, but Lucifer could feel its presence clearly. It surrounded the Soul Palace like a transparent wall, calm yet absolute.
Nothing could enter.
Nothing could leave.
For a short period of time, the divine barrier would reject any outside entity attempting to penetrate it.
Lucifer closed his eyes briefly, calming his breathing.
Then he activated his origin card.
The small card hidden beneath his clothes pulsed once, releasing a carefully controlled ripple of mana through his body. The energy spread outward in an unstable pattern that perfectly resembled the aura of someone who had just awakened.
Across the chamber, Mia Valcrest watched him carefully.
What she sensed only confirmed her expectations.
Mana was circulating through Lucifer's body now. The pattern was unstable, uneven, and raw.
The unmistakable signature of a newly awakened core.
Lucifer had awakened.
A quiet satisfaction passed through her mind.
The ritual had succeeded.
Newly awakened souls were fragile. Their cores had not yet stabilized, their defenses were incomplete, and their minds remained vulnerable.
For a demon seeking a vessel, it was the perfect moment.
She had timed it perfectly.
The corner of her lips lifted slightly.
Everything was proceeding exactly as she had planned.
---
Inside Lucifer's Soul Palace, Dragoth the Whisperer had already arrived.
The towering demon stood within the silent spiritual space, his enormous frame casting a long shadow across the pale floor of the palace.
At first he simply stared around him.
Then his expression darkened.
Something was wrong.
He had entered the soul without resistance exactly as expected. But the moment he attempted to move deeper into the palace, he felt it.
A barrier.
Dragoth turned slowly.
His clawed hand pressed against the invisible wall of divine energy surrounding the Soul Palace.
The barrier did not move.
His eyes narrowed.
"What is this?"
He pushed harder.
The divine wall remained unmoved.
The demon's confusion quickly turned into irritation.
He struck the barrier again.
Nothing.
The divine light had sealed the entire Soul Palace like a prison.
Dragoth's expression twisted into anger.
"You think you can cage me?"
He raised his arm and unleashed a wave of demonic energy.
The attack struck the barrier.
The divine wall absorbed it effortlessly.
The palace did not even tremble.
Dragoth growled.
For the first time since entering the human world, the Demon Duke felt something dangerously close to unease.
Then he turned around.
That was when he saw it.
A pearl floated quietly in front of him.
The object hung in the air as if it had always been there.
Its surface pulsed slowly.
A deep blue light flowed across its surface in slow rhythmic waves, like the calm breathing of something ancient and alive.
Dragoth froze.
His instincts screamed.
Danger.
Whatever this thing was, it was extremely dangerous to him in his current state.
He immediately tried to retreat toward the barrier.
The pearl responded.
A beam of brilliant blue light erupted from its surface.
The entire Soul Palace filled with radiance.
Dragoth's eyes widened in terror.
"No—!"
The light struck him directly.
His soul began dissolving instantly.
The demon's scream echoed through the palace for only a moment before the light erased him completely.
When the radiance faded, nothing remained of Dragoth.
Nothing except a small black sphere floating silently where he had once stood.
For a moment the Soul Palace fell completely silent.
A moment later, Nox appeared.
The small monkey stared at the black sphere.
He tilted his head slightly, studying it with unusual seriousness.
Then he nodded in approval.
The next instant he disappeared from the Soul Palace.
Nox appeared inside the bathroom of Lucifer's room.
The monkey grabbed Lucifer's communicator from the counter and quickly dialed a number.
The call connected.
Without waiting for the other side to speak, Nox vanished again.
The communicator disappeared with him.
Back inside the Soul Palace, he calmly placed the device beside the black sphere.
Then he sat down silently, took out a piece of dried meat, and began chewing while watching the events unfolding outside through Lucifer's senses.
Outside in the physical world, Mia suddenly staggered.
The connection between her and Dragoth had vanished.
Not weakened.
Not interrupted.
Destroyed.
Completely severed.
The backlash struck her mind instantly.
Pain surged through her thoughts as the broken connection snapped violently.
Her eyes snapped toward Lucifer.
Confusion filled her mind.
What had just happened?
The ritual had succeeded.
Dragoth had entered the vessel.
So why had the connection disappeared?
Her instincts reacted before her thoughts could.
Dark mana erupted violently around her body.
She attacked Lucifer, believing he must somehow be responsible.
Lucifer barely had time to react.
The blast struck him directly.
His body shot across the chamber.
The first wall shattered instantly as he crashed through it.
The momentum carried him into the final wall behind it.
Stone cracked violently as his body embedded into the surface.
A dark green armor suddenly formed around him.
Caesar's artifact had activated automatically.
The mythical armor absorbed most of the lethal force of Mia's attack.
Before she could strike again, the door exploded open.
Michael entered first.
Four Valcrest elders followed behind him immediately.
Michael reacted instantly.
The moment he sensed hostile mana he released a burst of pressure that slammed into Mia and forced her backward, knocking her unconscious before she could attack again.
Only then did he look at her.
"…Mia?"
For a moment he said nothing.
His gaze shifted toward the broken ritual circle.
Then toward the dark mana still lingering around her body.
The elders behind him understood the situation immediately.
None of them spoke.
Michael exhaled slowly.
Then he turned toward the other side of the room.
Lucifer was still stuck halfway inside the wall.
Michael stared at him for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
"Well," he said dryly, "first Selena knocked you unconscious , and now Mia is performing demonic rituals in your bedroom."
He paused.
"I always knew you had a thing for strong women," Michael said dryly. "But psychotic ones? That's a new development. I'm starting to think you're actually a masochist."
Lucifer coughed weakly.
"Next time I'll try to attract the normal kind of murderous woman."
Michael walked over and grabbed his arm, pulling him free from the cracked stone.
Dust fell from Lucifer's clothes as he landed on his feet.
Michael studied him briefly.
"You alive?"
Lucifer nodded.
"Mostly."
Michael glanced around the destroyed room.
"Good," he said. "Because explaining this mess to father would be a lot harder if you were dead."
He jerked his head toward the hallway.
"Come on. It's been a long night. Get in the car. We're going home."