The old wood creaked softly as Desmond knelt on the thin velvet cushion. The confessional booth was cramped, smelling of dust, beeswax, and thousands of secrets whispered over centuries. Before him was only a wooden wall with a grated rattan screen covered by a thin cloth.On the other side of that screen, he could hear someone breathing. Fast. Shallow. Nervous."You came," Desmond whispered. His voice was low, deliberately husky and intimate, as if he were speaking across a pillow, not in a church."I... I promised," Sister Marie's voice trembled from behind the partition. "Tell your sins, sir. God hears you.""God is too far away, Marie. But you... you are here. Only inches from me."Desmond leaned his face closer to the rattan screen. He could smell Marie's scent—the aroma of cheap lavender soap and the cold sweat of pure fear. The scent of cracking innocence."Sabrun, activate 'Voice of Temptation.' Low frequency. Spinal reso

"You are too slow, Grandson! You move like a toddler learning to walk!"BOOM!Desmond's body was flung back, slamming into a marble pillar with enough force to crack it. Fresh blood sprayed from his mouth, staining the Sanctum’s pristine white floor."Cough... you pack a heavy punch for a fossil," Desmond winced, forcing himself to his feet despite his trembling knees.Before him, Victor—now in his True Demon form—let out a thunderous laugh. His rotting leathery wings spread wide, blocking the light from the crystals on the ceiling. His razor-sharp claws dripped with black blood—Desmond's blood."It's not weight, Kid. It's experience," Victor stepped forward, the floor shaking with every stride. "I killed kings, popes, and sorcerers before your human ancestors were even born. Did you really think that cheap *Shadow Step* of yours could fool me?""Fool you? No," Desmond wiped his chin, his eyes flashing red. "I was just stalling to tire you out.""Tire me out?" Victor grinned, baring h

"Desmond! Grab the Grail! The ceiling is about to collapse!"Eleanor's shout was barely audible amidst the rumble of falling rocks. The once majestic Sanctum had now turned into a death trap. White dust billowed, suffocating them.Desmond jumped onto the altar. The Holy Grail still stood firm there, protected by a golden energy dome that deflected the falling debris."This is it," Desmond hissed, his hand reaching out tremblingly. "The ticket home.""Final Warning, Boss! The Faith Energy in that thing is at 'Sun' level. If you grab it directly with your dying Demon hands, you’ll turn into a burnt crisp. We need a filter!""No time for a filter!" Desmond saw the main pillar behind Eleanor starting to tilt. "I’ll swallow it whole!"Desmond grabbed the Holy Grail with both hands.ZRRRT!"AAAAARGHHH!"Desmond's scream was louder than the sound of the collapsing ruins.It felt like holding a nuclear

"This wine is from my father's birth year. He saved it for my wedding day."Eleanor poured the thick red liquid into a golden chalice. She was no longer wearing her blood-stained battle armor. Her body was now draped in a sheer black silk gown—a color of mourning that she had turned into a symbol of power."And now you're drinking it with a Demon, a Witch, and an apostate Nun," Isabella commented from the large four-poster bed. The forest witch lay relaxed like a cat, covered only by a fur blanket from the waist down. "Your father must be so proud.""My father would be proud because I won," Eleanor carried the chalice to the balcony, where Desmond stood staring at the city, which was beginning to quiet down.Desmond turned around. He was shirtless, revealing faint purple light tattoos on his skin that were starting to fade as the Holy Grail’s energy stabilized."To the New Queen," Desmond took the chalice, took a sip, and smirked. "It tas