Once the headquarters of Neville Pharmaceuticals, a pillar of light shot up from the building.
It was not the artificial glow of neon signs, but a light that warmed the heart just by looking at it.
In smog-filled Europe, where the sun was rarely seen, it shone like a miracle.
Even those with shallow faith could not deny that this was divine.
And the one who had summoned that pillar of light…
‘This is beyond my imagination.’
Amon was astonished by the miracle he had created.
The confession of faith he had used was the Sanctuary Proclamation—one of the most powerful spells he knew, ranking among the top-tier spells in sheer might.
But even so, this was beyond his expectations.
A spell that was meant to affect only a megacorp-sized area had instead spread far beyond, engulfing the surrounding buildings as well.
The surge of divine power flowing through him was also abnormal.
He had trained tirelessly, even using sealing orbs to suppress his power, yet now, his holy energy had grown to an unparalleled degree.
Just like Sonia.
Yet, despite facing this miraculous phenomenon, Amon remained calm.
Because…
‘Finally.’
He had known.
And he had intended for this to happen.
Of course, he hadn’t predicted this exact moment, but he had always known that this day would come.
The Awakening of Virtue.
Amon recalled an old memory.
In every installment of the series, Virtue Awakening was a one-time event that drastically enhanced all of a player’s stats.
It occurred in the mid-to-late stages of the story, and depending on a player’s past choices, they could awaken a specific virtue.
Compassion, Love, Faith, Humility, Hope, Justice…
The exact details varied by installment, but the awakening always depended on how one had treated NPCs and what virtues they had come to embody.
‘This is why late-game good-aligned players always became stronger.’
In the early game, evil-aligned players had an overwhelming advantage in terms of growth speed, making their path tempting.
But thanks to the awakening system, the game maintained a degree of balance.
Of course, that didn’t stop dopamine-addicted veterans from choosing the dark path anyway.
Sonia’s power-up was likely a result of the same system.
However, Amon was a bit disappointed with his own awakening.
‘Mine feels… underwhelming.’
Normally, awakening came with a halo and a unique power that no other skill could replicate.
Like how Sonia had awakened Forgiveness, gaining the ability to heal allies and pacify demons.
But for Amon, aside from his increased holy energy, nothing seemed different.
The only guess he had was…
‘So it wasn’t Honesty?’
He had assumed that was the virtue he needed to awaken.
It had felt right given the timing, so he had even confessed his past sins in full detail.
But clearly, he had guessed wrong.
‘Still, since I at least half-awakened, I must not have been completely off.’
Amon tried to recall his words to analyze his awakening further.
But at that moment—
***
“Amon~!”
Sonia tackled him from behind, her white hair fluttering in the air as she laughed brightly.
With her beaming smile, his train of thought crumbled.
“Did my angel finally come looking for me?”
Peck!
Sonia kissed him on the lips without warning.
Then, she pulled away and asked with a grin, “What were you thinking about so hard?”
Looking at her smile, Amon simply shook his head.
“Nothing important.”
He stopped searching for his virtue.
‘Well… does it even matter?’
There was no need to rush.
When he reached the true ending, there would be someone beside him, smiling.
‘I’m not like the other protagonists.’
He wouldn’t achieve great feats only to die alone in the end.
So for now, he just needed to prepare.
No need to rush.
Step by step.
***
Boom! Boom!
Late at night, someone pounded on the doors of Cologne’s Archdiocese.
“Your Grace! This is urgent! You must come and see for yourself!”
The archbishop rose from his bed, glancing outside his window—
The night sky was as bright as day.
He immediately understood why his priest was so alarmed.
Stepping out of his room, he turned to the young priest and demanded, “Explain.”
The priest struggled to find the right words.
“Your Grace… The light began descending from the sky without warning.
A massive pillar of light formed, and a shower of radiant motes fell from above.”
The sheer beauty of the scene had transfixed the people.
But among the clergy, some could feel the sacred power within the light.
“Your Grace… what could this be?”
The archbishop extended his hand, letting the radiant motes fall onto his fingertips.
Then, he spoke.
“Harry. Go to your room.”
“…Excuse me?”
“The morning mass is canceled. I will return by noon tomorrow—until then, manage the priests.”
The young priest sensed something grave in the archbishop’s demeanor and could only nod in agreement.
After sending the priest away, the archbishop contacted the Holy Knights.
“Commander. I assume I don’t need to explain.”
A firm voice responded over the phone.
“Ensure the source of this phenomenon does not disappear before we arrive. I will head there first.”
With that, the commander ended the call.
***
The location shifted—
Neville Pharmaceuticals.
A vehicle skidded to a halt, tires screeching against the pavement.
A man stepped out—the commander of the Holy Knights—and marched toward the building.
As he approached, he felt something profound.
A holiness that could only be experienced in the most sacred of places.
No demon, no devil, no wicked spirit could possibly set foot here.
Finding such a holy site outside the Vatican was exceptionally rare.
Yet, at the heart of it all, where the once-mighty Neville Pharmaceuticals had stood, there was only a pile of ruins.
Overnight, a megacorp had vanished.
As the commander was still processing this staggering fact, he noticed a group of young men and women emerging from the ruins.
The moment he saw them, he knew.
They were at the heart of this event.
Especially her—the woman at their center.
She radiated an overwhelming divine presence.
But even without sensing her power, it was obvious.
The halo above her head and the wings on her back were undeniable proof.
Yet… something about her felt… off.
“Amon! What do we do?! It won’t disappear!”
“What are you talking about?!”
The man called Amon was frantically trying to grab hold of the halo above her head, attempting to shove it back inside.
Of course, his hands sliced through empty air without effect.
After a great deal of struggle, Sonia finally managed to dispel the halo and wings.
But it was already too late.
The commander of the Holy Knights approached her and knelt.
“You have arrived, O Angel! We have been waiting for you!”
He suddenly bowed his head, revealing the crown of his head in reverence.
Both Amon and Sonia were stunned.
Amon turned to the kneeling knight and asked,
“An angel? What are you talking about?”
The commander assumed Amon was Sonia’s servant or subordinate.
After all, if he were an equal to an angel, he would have recognized the divine presence immediately.
With unwavering conviction, the knight replied, “Did you not witness the miracle?”
He gestured reverently toward Sonia.
Of course, Amon had seen everything, but he remained silent, figuring the man would spill more information if left alone.
However, what the knight said next was not what he expected.
“O Angel, please grant me a divine revelation…!”
Amon’s expression soured.
‘This bastard… Just wearing the robes of a clergyman, huh?’
A true priest would have known Sonia was not an angel.
Clearly, this man had only skimmed the scriptures, interpreting them superficially.
And that wasn’t the only problem.
His entitled attitude, as if Sonia owed him something…
His delusions of grandeur, acting as though he were the protagonist of his own holy scripture…
The way he demanded divine guidance so shamelessly…
It all disgusted Amon.
But worst of all—
‘A priest, a supposed servant of God… consumed by lust?’
The filthy desire in the knight commander’s eyes was palpable.
His gaze lingered on Sonia’s body, betraying the impure cravings hidden beneath his reverence.
A man who claimed to be chosen by God, yet was ensnared by carnal desires…
This was blasphemy.
A Holy Knight who pursued fame, succumbed to greed, and lacked true knowledge…!
‘Fine. I never liked these people anyway.’
From the moment he had first heard rumors about the Vatican, Amon had felt a burning rage comparable to hellfire.
The only reason he had remained patient until now was that his power had been insufficient.
But that was no longer the case.
His hand reached for his sword.
The Holy Knight Commander, sensing an ominous killing intent, broke into a cold sweat.
‘Is this a trial? A divine punishment?’
He did not even dare to resist—he simply watched Amon’s every move in terror.
From its scabbard, Amon’s blade gleamed faintly, yearning for the blood of heretics.
At the last moment, however, Amon’s conscience kicked in.
Instead of drawing the sword, he simply gripped it tightly within the scabbard.
‘If I had a whip, I’d use that instead…’
At that moment—
***
The Archbishop arrived.
“Hah… Was this your doing?”
With a single glance, he immediately saw through Amon’s group—he knew they were not angels.
Amon took the opportunity to peer into the knight commander’s lifespan using his abilities.
‘Tch. Not today, huh?’
With a sigh, he withdrew his sword and suppressed his killing intent.
The Holy Knight Commander let out a relieved sigh.
The archbishop examined the group with a curious expression.
Then, upon seeing Sonia’s face, his own went pale.
“Y-You…! That face…!”
At their first meeting, the archbishop trembled in fear at the mere sight of Sonia.
He did not even acknowledge the divine energy radiating from her or the holiness of the sacred land—he was looking for something else.
Realizing what he was searching for, Sonia’s expression twisted in frustration.
The moment her face contorted, the archbishop panicked.
He immediately began chanting holy magic, tracing symbols in the air.
Amon recognized it at once—
The same divine spell that Orobas had once used to shackle Sonia.
The same spell he had mockingly called “Astaroth’s Collar.”
The archbishop shouted at the Holy Knight Commander.
“How did you not recognize her?! She is Astaroth!”
The knight commander’s eyes widened in shock.
He quickly turned to examine Sonia’s face again.
Then, as if confirming his suspicions, his hand gripped the hilt of his weapon.
Sonia, seeing this, reached for her gun in response.
But before she could draw it—
Amon moved first.
Slice.
The sound was as soft as paper being cut.
A silver blade glided past the archbishop’s wrist.
Then, it swept down, slashing across his ankle.
The knight commander barely had time to react—
But Cassie had anticipated this and warned the others beforehand.
Before he could even draw his weapon, Amon’s allies restrained him.
Everything happened within a single second.
Only then—
With a thud, the archbishop’s severed hand hit the ground.
He collapsed forward, screaming.
“A-Ahhhhh! A demon—!”
Amon didn’t even bother to recite his usual verses.
He simply raised his sword, aiming for the archbishop’s throat.
But just before his blade could strike—
A familiar voice called out.
“Amon. Wait a moment.”
Amon’s head snapped toward the voice.
Approaching them with his usual half-closed eyes—
Father Gregory.
‘Wait… Father? No, my future father-in-law… What’s he doing in Europe?’
“Father Gregory! Please, save me! These wicked demons—!”
The archbishop’s filthy voice rang out from the floor.
Amon clicked his tongue and kicked him in the mouth to shut him up.
Then, he turned back to Gregory.
“Why are you here?”
If he was acting under Vatican orders, Amon figured taking an arm wouldn’t be unreasonable.
His hand reached for his sword again.
But Gregory didn’t even glance at the archbishop.
He simply looked at Amon and said,
“I came to Europe with Cassie from the beginning.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wouldn’t have been much help in direct combat against demons. If I became a burden, it would have been troublesome.”
Amon nodded in understanding.
The archbishop, realizing their connection, began screaming in rage.
Amon silenced him with another kick before turning back to Gregory.
The priest looked at Sonia with a hint of fear in his eyes.
Then, with a slight tremor in his voice, he asked, “Are you alright, Sonia?”
Sonia hesitated for a moment, then looked away.
In a small voice, she replied, “I’m fine… Dad.”
“…!!!”
Gregory’s eyes widened in shock.
He stared at her in disbelief.
Then, in a slightly louder voice, Sonia repeated, “I’m fine. Just… tell us why you’re here, Dad.”
Gregory silently removed his glasses and began to clean them.
Amon watched in mild amazement.
‘Wow. So his eyes do open.’