The Church Cathedral on an S Tier planet....
The cathedral's inner sanctum pulsed with divine light, each stained-glass panel glowing with sanctified mana. Aurion, a pristine S-tier planet, sat below like a jewel in Luminous' crown untouched, holy, and perfectly suited for war councils.
Archbishop Lucien stood at the head of the obsidian table, flanked by over two dozen Bishops and Deacons. The room reeked of authority and anxiety. A soul-powered projector hovered above the center, displaying blurred visuals of illicit Midnight Covenant activity across the galaxy.
"The cult has expanded to six worlds in three months," Lucien began, voice clipped. "And now, even our informants whisper the same thing…"
He raised a hand. A distorted audio recording played:
"It's not a man. He's something else. No face. No mercy. They say he eats souls. Some think he's a demon. Some think he's worse."
A hush fell.
Bishop Tiran broke it. "A demon… leading humans? They would never obey. Even the weakest soul would revolt."
"Unless," muttered Bishop Meredy, "they don't know. Or worse… they want to follow him."
Lucien let the silence linger. Then:
"Whether he is demon, or a clever warlord pretending to be one, his myth is growing. And myths spread faster than faith. If we do nothing, the rot will reach the lower-tier systems, and from there…"
He didn't need to finish. The implication was clear: rebellion, conversions, planetary destabilization.
Bishop Serel narrowed his eyes. "So? What do you propose?"
Lucien activated a second projection: a top-down view of Planet Elaris, a B-tier humanitarian world under Church protection. Lush. Inhabited. Lightly defended.
"This," Lucien said, "is our bait."
Location: Planet Elaris – Designated 'Sanctuary World'
Officially, Elaris served as a recovery hub for refugees, low-mana priests, and retired knights. Its temples housed injured warriors, and its mana wells flowed with purity. What it didn't have was enough defense to deter a desperate cult.
Which made it perfect. The plan was simple in structure, brutal in purpose: Fabricate intelligence about a mana stone capable of ascending demons to their next evolution hidden beneath one of Elaris' temples. If a demon really was leading the Midnight Covenant, then it was powerful enough to lure it out.
Leak this information into the black-market network. Let the Midnight Covenant come.
And when they do…
Lucien grinned coldly.
"We exterminate them."
Lucien began his orders,
"First, gather ten veteran Bishops with layered ambushes. Deploy Lightbinders in each group. I'll commune with another Archbishop, and we'll both be on standby in case. This is a good time to test out our newest creation... the Archangels."
The cathedral grew quiet. The clergy shuddered as the Archbishop just confirmed the rumors. Archangels. An amalgamation of construct, man, and divine power. Said to be a personification of Luminous' light given form. So far in tests, even Demon Lords couldn't stand before their divine power.
" As for the mana stone? A simple decoy layered with tracking sigils and cursed scripture, designed to snare even demonic entities."
Lucien's voice was iron.
"They want to believe in a demon? Then let them meet our god."
Location: Noxis – Underground Hall of Gathering
The Midnight Covenant gathered like a storm in silence. Dozens of lieutenants knelt. At the head stood Gerald, reading the intercepted message aloud, flanked by Odin and Achlys.
"A mana stone… with demon fragments sealed inside. Enough to ascend any demon that consumes it. Hidden on Elaris, under Church protection."
Nidhogg considered the information presented to him. This was good news for him. Too good in fact.
Odin looked up. "They think we'll come for it."
Montgomery's cane clicked once against the floor. "And I'm guessing that we will."
Odin adjusted his glasses. "Obvious bait."
Gerald smiled. "And yet… bait worth taking."
A low, amused voice echoed from the back of the hall. Nidhogg, stepped into view.
"So they want to meet their monster?" he said, folding his arms. "Let's not disappoint them."
He looked to his Fullbringers.
"Prepare the Covenant. Send only those who've proven themselves. Let the Church see what we've become."
The plan was set. And Elaris would burn.