Lamina Mortis lay shattered in the obsidian crater, his shadow essence violently compressed. He was frozen, a perfect statue of hatred and disbelief, locked down by the raw, golden-white light emanating from Luke.
Luke stood above him, his face a mask of cold, serene intensity. His ordinary black eyes now burned with the radiant, golden-white glow of his fully activated Apostles' Eyes.
"All right, 13th of the Grigori," Luke said, his voice flat and heavy. "If I'm being honest, I've never felt more disgusted by someone until you. Normally, I'd kill you in the worst way possible."
He looked past the fallen angel, thinking of Riis, Yuma, Kyra, Akane, Kai, and Kotori. Then his mind drifted to the kind, non-judgmental faces of Kuze and Ichirou, his best friends. He knew they wouldn't want to see the murderous side of him if he ever went down that road. He fought to protect his friends and family, including Snoke, Valis, Robin, Ezio, and the rest of his knights.
Luke looked back down at the frozen Grigori. "The scripture says, 'those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.' You put yourself as absolute, Lamina Mortis, and now you've been humbled by a low-class devil, the Pawn of the Morningstar household. And you think you can get off easy? No. You deserve death, but I won't kill you."
Luke intensified the power of his Apostles' Eyes. The golden-white light flared, locking Lamina Mortis in a conceptual stasis that prohibited all movement, all thought, and all action.
Luke felt a sudden, profound shift within his soul. He focused inward, into the conceptual battlefield of the Chess Space. One of the golden keys that had sat upon the Golden-White Gate was gone, having removed itself and joined the cluster of other keys at the center. Now, four golden keys and three crimson keys hovered in the void, a testament to the immense, painful shift in his conceptual balance.
The low, resonant voice—the sound of the void itself—spoke directly into the core of his consciousness.
"Well done, Holy Devil. Your journey has just begun."
Luke wondered what the voice was talking about, but a sharp, searing sensation—the rebound of the raw power—hit him. He gasped, losing balance and landing heavily on one knee, his chest heaving uncontrollably like a sudden, severe asthma attack.
"Luke! Are you hurt?" Asuna rushed to him first.
He patted her head, forcing a shaky breath. "I'm fine, Asuna."
Riis and Yuma came up on his other side, their worried scolding overlapping. Luke managed a weak smile, teasing, "I see a fallen angel and my devil master are getting along." Riis and Yuma got flustered by his words, resorting to their usual gibberish and calling him an idiot.
Kyra ignored their squabbling, her eyes narrowed in thought. "Immobilization is one thing, Luke. But how? That power wasn't demonic. It felt conceptually pure. Like you didn't just stop his body, you commanded the very idea of him to cease."
Riis crossed her arms, a shiver running through her. "Different is an understatement. When he used that light... it didn't just feel stronger than my Calamity. It felt wrong—like the opposite of what a devil is supposed to be. Whatever he is, he's a paradox."
Valis, the Mage Knight, stepped closer and waved his now-golden staff over Luke's hunched form. "The Liege is not in danger," Valis stated, his new, serene voice calm but firm. "He is simply exhausted. He needs rest. His core is stable, but the conceptual energy drain was monumental."
Luke forced himself to stand, only to have Riis and Yuma immediately steady him.
"Luke, don't push yourself like this," Riis insisted.
"You promised to participate in the sports festival next month, right?" Yuma reminded him, her voice holding an uncharacteristic plea.
Luke smiled, leaning on their support. "I promise."
"Then take it easy, Luke." Kai spoke up. "You need to take a breather. We all do, but you might need it more than us."
"Thanks," Luke said, leaning into them. "I appreciate that."
In the background, the sounds of the routing Grigori forces finally died down. Tank and Thunder appeared, moving with silent efficiency. They ignored the small gathering, slamming heavy, demonic binding matrices—glowing with dark crimson energy—around the immobile Lamina Mortis.
Kyra stepped forward. "All right, the higher-ups are going to see something fishy if I bring Lamina Mortis back like that. I'm not bringing up Luke to the higher-ups—he saved me, too. But they are going to see something incredibly fishy if I present the 13th in this state."
"Could you bend the story a bit?" Riis asked.
Kyra nodded. "I'll bend it until it breaks. The security is compromised. The best way to keep the higher-ups from looking too closely is to be proactive." Kyra pointed to the massive hole in the wall. "Akane and I finished re-keying the ward just before your collapse, Luke. The perimeter is secure, and Lamina's remaining forces are cut off and routing."
She looked at Luke, expecting him to take the lead.
Luke, still leaning on Riis and Yuma, shook his head, wincing as the slight motion sent a tremor through his aching core. "I can't lead it, Riis. Not like this. That conceptual lock took too much." He looked at the four knights nearest him—Valis, Snoke, Ezio, and Gale—who stood with a newfound, respectful sentience. "But I have eight other options now."
He pushed himself upright, ignoring the sharp pain. "Valis, you have the highest analytical abilities. Snoke, you have tactical command. I need you to lead this mission. Take Ezio and Gale with you. Locate the trail of the stolen intelligence. Secure the objective, whatever it is, and report back immediately."
Valis, the Mage Knight, bowed slightly, his human eyes holding deep wisdom. "As you command, Liege. We will not fail."
Snoke, the Swordsman, gave a sharp, confident nod. "It will be done. Our King has given us life; we return the favor in service."
Riis crossed her arms, a calculating look in her eyes. "Sending four newly awakened knights into a fresh battle. Risky. But... effective."
"It's the only way to move fast enough without collapsing," Luke said. "My four strongest pieces on the board are already fighting the Grigori in the hallways. The rest of you are my eyes on this new target." He looked at Kyra. "Give them everything they need, Kyra. They're my independent agents now."
Kyra nodded, already moving toward the holographic display. "Consider it done. They'll have a jump point set up in five minutes."
Luke let himself lean fully on Yuma and Riis, watching as four of his most terrifying creations—now fully realized individuals—prepared for their first solo mission. He had won the battle, but the New Burden of the Holy Devil was only just beginning.