The Silent Deity: Saiki Kusuo in Tensura

The winds of the world had shifted.

Ruberios, once the shining beacon of holy light and divine rule, had fallen—not from within, but by the might of the Storm Kingdom, and the overwhelming presence of the reborn Veldora Tempest.

The world, shaken by the battle that had seen Hinata Sakaguchi defeated, Luminous Valentine struck down, and an entire holy crusade crushed, was now standing at the edge of uncertainty.

And nowhere was that uncertainty more palpable than within the marble halls of Ruberios' Inner Sanctum.

The silence was heavy. The once vibrant halls of the Church were cold, quiet, stripped of purpose.

Inside a dimly lit council room, Louis Valentine, the head of Ruberios' noble clergy, sat hunched over a long blackwood table, his fingers laced together, brows furrowed.

Across from him stood Ghunter, the loyal aide to Luminous, and several other high-ranking bishops and nobles.

Louis (grimly): "She's… gone. Truly gone."

Ghunter (quiet): "The goddess fell. And with her, our claim to divine supremacy."

Murmurs rose around the room.

Noble Lord Mirioth: "What will happen to us now? Without Luminous… what is Ruberios?"

Lady Seraphine: "The people will panic. The Paladins are shattered. The nobles are restless. Do we bend the knee to this… Storm Kingdom?"

Louis: "We are not dead yet."

He stood, his voice growing louder.

Louis: "If we are to survive this change… we must adapt. Not all monsters are mindless beasts. That much is clear now. But we must tread carefully. Veldora is not merciful."

Ghunter: "He's calculating… like a king."

High above the snowy cliffs of the Ice Continent, Guy Crimson, the Primordial Red, sat upon his obsidian throne in silence. His red eyes shimmered with thoughts untold.

The light from the crystal orb in his hand flickered—Luminous Valentine's Demon Lord Ring—now cold, lifeless.

One of the Eight Seats of Power… gone.

Guy: "Tch. I warned her."

Standing nearby, Rain and Misery, his two ever-loyal, eerily calm maids, waited without a word.

Guy finally spoke.

Guy: "Walpurgis. We're calling another."

Rain (softly): "As you wish, my lord."

Misery (calmly): "Should we send the call?"

Guy stood, his cloak fluttering as arcane energy wrapped around him.

Guy: "Send the rings. Drag them here if you must."

And with that, he activated the Demon Lord Rings, ancient artifacts that connected all Demon Lords, forcing their attention, and summoning them to the next gathering of power.

The pink-haired Milim, bouncing on her throne of skulls, tilted her head when the ring glowed on her finger.

Milim (grinning): "Ooh? Another Walpurgis already? Hehe, things are getting fun again!"

Midray watched from afar, sighing.

Midray: "Please don't cause a scene again, my lady…"

In his dark marble chamber, Draguel the King of the Giants, sat surrounded by his geners and brother Glassord.

He glanced at the ring, then smiled.

Draguel: "So Luminous fell… it begins."

He closed his palm, his aura flaring gold.

Draguel: "Very well, Veldora. Let us see how the world rebuilds from this."

Seated on a golden throne, Leon narrowed his eyes as the ring pulsed.

Leon: "So he wants answers."

Standing beside him, Elphina looked concerned.

Elphina: "Will you go?"

Leon: "Of course. This isn't just about Luminous. It's about balance."

In a hammock strung between two floating trees, Dino groaned as the ring buzzed on his finger.

Dino: "Ughhh. Another Walpurgis? I just finished napping…"

A soft breeze passed.

Dino: "Fine, fine… I'll show up. Don't expect me to stand though."

In the vibrant savannah capital of Eurazania, Carrion sharpened his claws while Frey read a sealed scroll.

Frey: "Walpurgis. Guy's summoning us."

Carrion: "Figures. The world's shaking. Time to weigh in."

Deep in the shadows of the crumbling city of Jistav, Clayman sat with a smug grin. His plans had collapsed, but the ring still lit on his finger.

Clayman: "Even after all that, I'm still invited? Heh… how kind."

Laplace (watching): "You sure that ain't a trap, boss?"

Clayman: "Let it be. I do not think they know that i am involved"

He smiled wickedly.

Clayman: "The Harlequin Alliance doesn't die in the first act."

Back in Pandemonium, Rain and Misery vanished in black fog, each off to escort the Demon Lords personally—part summons, part summons-with-force if necessary.

The air around the Ice Continent began to thrum with ancient magic.

A new Walpurgis was being prepared.

The empty seat that once belonged to Luminous Valentine… now a haunting reminder.

The world believed Luminous Valentine was dead.

They saw her heart pierced by Veldora's blade.

They heard her divine scream cut the silence of the battlefield.

They felt the tremor in the air as her holy energy scattered like dying embers across the heavens.

But none of it was real.

It was a show. An illusion. A masterpiece of deception orchestrated by one man:

Saiki Kusuo.

Beneath layers of dimensional barriers and psychic veils, Saiki had taken Luminous into what could only be described as a void within existence itself. No time. No gravity. No up, no down—only Saiki's will.

Luminous lay suspended in a throne-like seat of violet crystal, breathing but unmoving. Her senses were dulled. Her magic disconnected. Her pride shattered.

Suddenly, a presence filled the space. Heavy. Regal. Terrifying.

It was the voice of Veldora, deep and commanding—but unknown to Luminous, the real speaker stood outside her perception, quietly eating his coffee jelly.

"Awaken, Luminous Valentine," the voice rumbled.

Her eyes flew open. She looked around, startled.

Luminous: "Where… am I? Am I dead?"

'Veldora' (Saiki): "You should be. You were spared… by my mercy."

Her heart pounded. It was Veldora. His voice… his terrifying majesty… but something was wrong. Something beyond comprehension.

She tried to stand, but her body did not obey.

Luminous: "Why? Why spare me? To humiliate me further? To parade my life before your monsters?!"

The voice echoed again, colder this time.

'Veldora': "No. To remind you that your fate now belongs to me."

Luminous: "You demon…"

A flicker of red psychic light zipped past her neck. It didn't touch her—but she felt pain.

Real pain.

'Veldora': "Speak again like that and you'll feel what it means to truly die. A death that echoes through eternity. A soul shattered. No reincarnation. No salvation."

Luminous froze. She had faced Demon Lords. She had clashed with strong opponents. But never before had she felt such true fear.

Flashback: The Illusion of Death...

Back at the battlefield, seconds before Veldora's final strike, Saiki had:

Halted time temporarily.

Used psychic transmutation to replicate every cell in Luminous' body.

Created a synthetic soul signature that disintegrated upon 'death.'

Made even the gods watching believe she had died.

Not even Guy Crimson—someone who could read the ripples of fate—could sense the ruse.

Only Veldora and Testarossa knew. Everyone else—memory wiped. Saiki's existence, erased from their cognition like a passing dream.

Back to the Present – In the Void....

'Veldora': "Listen carefully, Luminous Valentine. From this moment on, Ruberios is no longer sovereign. It is under the protection—and authority—of the Storm Kingdom."

Luminous: "You're... you're forcing me to be your vassal?"

'Veldora': "It is not force. It is survival."

Luminous: "My church… my people…"

'Veldora': "If you resist, they all die. Every last one of your loyal followers will burn. The Church will be dismantled. Ruberios will become a crater. You will suffer an eternity of torment—pain crafted by me personally, pain beyond any human concept."

Her voice trembled.

Luminous: "What… what do you want from me?"

Saiki finally stepped forward—still invisible to her senses—but now within reach. His psychic field pulsed. Then, the voice changed slightly. Just enough to make her blood freeze.

Saiki (as 'Veldora'):

"Your loyalty. Your voice. Your influence. You will return to life… under our banner."

Luminous (softly): "But… the Church… it views monsters as enemies…"

Saiki: "Not anymore. That narrative ends today. You will return. You will declare the Storm Kingdom allies of the Divine. You will command your Paladins to never again raise sword against monsters. If you do not—"

He waved his hand.

An image appeared—a psychic window showing her people, her cities, her holy paladins training in the temples. Then, in a snap of his fingers, it all burned away in an instant.

Luminous screamed, falling to her knees.

Luminous: "STOP! STOP!! I'll do it! I'll do whatever you want!"

Saiki (coldly): "Good."

Back in the Storm Kingdom...

In Veldora's throne room, Testarossa stood with her arms crossed, watching the swirling display of psychic feedback with amusement.

Testarossa: "You're truly ruthless, Saiki-sama."

Veldora (still playing Overlord): "Mhm. Quite befitting of a ruler like myself."

Saiki (eating coffee jelly): "Yare yare… I just want to avoid unnecessary wars. But some people don't learn until they've lost everything."

Benimaru (walking in): "So… what is next lord Veldora?"

Veldora: " Now the church is ours."

Veldora (grinning): "… let us make our grand entrance at Walpurgis."

Testarossa (smirking): "Shall we show the world what true royalty looks like?"