"We shall see."Sister Claire’s voice was soft, barely a whisper over the crackling of the dying holy fire on my lawn. But it carried the weight of absolute conviction.She stood at the foot of my balcony, her silver armor gleaming under the moonlight. The massive greatsword on her back remained sheathed, but her hand rested on the hilt.I leaned against the railing, looking down at her.(Okay. She’s an S-Rank Executioner. But she’s still human. Humans have eyes. Humans fear power.)I needed to end this quickly. The longer she stood there, the more likely she was to realize I was shaking.I opened the System Shop.[Current Desire Points: 65,000.] [Search: Intimidation.] [Item: Aura of the Celestial King (Visual Upgrade).] [Cost: 2,000 DP.] [Effect: Projects a blinding, golden halo behind the user. Makes the user appear 20% taller and 100% more divine.]"Purchase," I muttered.HUMMM.The air around me ignited. A massive, golden ring of light materialized behind my head. It shone with t

The first sign of the siege wasn't an attack. It was the hum of the refrigerator dying.Then the lights flickered and died. The air conditioning groaned to a halt. Even the water pressure in the taps sputtered and vanished.The Holy Church of Purity didn't just bring swords. They brought utility bills."They cut the power," Ayaka announced, standing in the dark living room in her silk pajamas. She held her phone up like a torch. "And the water. And the internet. This is a war crime."(No internet? How am I supposed to check my bank account?)"It is a test," I said, sitting cross-legged on the Persian rug in front of a pile of burning mahogany chair legs in the fireplace."A test?" Runa asked, poking the fire with her dagger."They seek to break our spirit with discomfort," I lied, warming my hands. "They think a Sovereign requires luxury to function. They think that without electricity, we will crumble."I looked at my harem. They looked anxious. Ayaka was fanning herself. Melody was

"We are going to rob the Vatican."I said this while leaning over a rusted metal table in the back room of Spider’s bar. The holographic schematic of the Tokyo Cathedral hummed in the smoky air."Technically," Sae interjected, looking pale under the neon lights. "We are retrieving evidence of illegal summoning rituals.""Call it what you want," I said, pointing to the glowing red dot in the center of the map. "But that is the Mana Vault. It contains enough energy to blow up the moon. Or summon an Angel."(And if I don't get there first, I'm going to be the battery for that explosion.)"The plan is simple," I lied.(The plan is terrified improvisation.)I looked at my team."Ayaka. You are the Distraction."Ayaka smoothed her silk dress, which was miraculously stain-free despite walking through the slums."Distraction?" she scoffed. "Do you want me to scream? Or burn something?""I want you to be yourself," I said. "Walk into the main lobby. Demand to see the Bishop. Offer to donate a

"I need to go to hell," I muttered to myself in the dark confessional.My heart was beating so fast it felt like a trapped bird. Sister Claire—the S-Rank Executioner who could cut buildings in half—was waiting for me outside. She thought I was a divine test. She thought I was a priest guiding her to the light.But I was just a scammer in a bathrobe disguised as a cardinal.[Disguise Duration: 5 Minutes Remaining.]I couldn't stay in the booth forever. I had to finish the con.I reached into my pocket. My fingers brushed against the rough, cold surface of the S-Rank Mana Stone I had stolen from the Seven Stars dungeon.Dr. Mai said my Void was hungry. It craved energy.If I fed it this stone... it wouldn't just stabilize me. It would overflow. For a few minutes, I wouldn't be a void. I would be a star."Time to shine," I whispered.I put the stone in my mouth. It tasted like ozone and battery acid. I crunched down.CRACK.I swallowed the shards.BOOM.It felt like I had swallowed a gre

"DIE," the Angel commanded.The voice wasn't sound. It was a rewrite of reality. The air around the spinning wheel of eyes and fire twisted, trying to execute the command on my biology.(I'm going to die. I'm actually going to die this time.)My knees buckled. The Holy Vapor swirled around me, harmless but blinding.Behind me, Melody lay screaming on the floor, her skin blistering. Runa and Sae were paralyzed by the sheer ontological pressure of facing a Biblically Accurate Angel."You are a glitch," the Angel boomed, its thousand eyes focusing on me. "I will debug you."It raised a wing made of burning feathers. A beam of pure, white erasure gathered at the tip.I looked around frantically. I had no mana. I had no weapons. I had a dying siren and a terrified detective.My eyes fell on the floor.Specifically, on the spot where I had found Origin's note.There was something else there. A small, jagged rock. It was dull, grey, and utterly unremarkable. It looked like a piece of concret