Someone Orchestrated a Palstar Hero's Death
Someone had instigated the death of a Palstar Hero. That single fact changed the gravity of the situation entirely. This wasn't just some rampaging evil spirit gone wild—it meant there was a mastermind behind it all, orchestrating the event deliberately.
“Who the hell would do something that insane…! And why on earth?!”
Yeonhui cried out in shock, and Astaroth glanced sidelong at Seong Hyun-jin.
“Figure it out.”
“Got it, Master.”
At Seong Hyun-jin's request, Astaroth turned to Ravolas.
“If you're planning to spill everything you know, you might get to go peacefully. That beats total annihilation, doesn't it?”
“…I've got my pride, you know.”
“Oh? So you'd rather vanish forever?”
Astaroth's tone turned menacing, and Ravolas shrugged slightly, shaking his head.
“Nah, that doesn't sound great, Your Majesty.”
“Tell us who gave the order. The why and the goal would be even better.”
Ravolas pondered for a moment, as if sifting through the memories of the contractor whose body he'd hijacked.
“From this guy's memories… they call themselves the 'Minions of the Moon.'”
“Minions of the Moon?”
“What?!”
Seong Hyun-jin reacted with confusion, but Yeonhui gasped in surprise. Tilting his head, he asked her,
“What's up, sunbae? You know something?”
“…There's only one group that calls themselves the Minions of the Moon. They're the ones who follow not the Sun God, but the Moon God.”
“A Moon God? What's the problem with that?”
“Worshipping the Moon God is taboo in the Holy Nation to begin with.”
It wasn't Yeonhui who continued, but Ahajaka Eldark, who had followed after Seong Hyun-jin.
“And they've got a grudge against the Holy Nation from centuries of persecution.”
Ravolas scowled the moment Ahajaka appeared, but the Dragon Emperor didn't even spare the evil spirit a glance, deeming it unworthy of his attention.
“What of His Holiness?”
“Uncertain how this will play out here, he moved separately to dispatch the Holy Knights. Looks like that won't be necessary now.”
Ahajaka glanced back and forth between Astaroth and Ravolas before addressing the latter.
“So what are the Moon God's cultists plotting, Evil Spirit of Destruction?”
Ravolas didn't answer Ahajaka directly. Instead, he asked Astaroth,
“…Your Majesty, don't tell me this guy's the Dragon Emperor of this generation?”
“That's right.”
“Whoa, this is…”
Ravolas let out a hollow laugh, his defiant gaze faltering as he realized he couldn't take on the man.
“What a monster.”
“Answer me.”
“…Fine, I was gonna tell you everything anyway. But you have to keep your promise, Your Majesty.”
Astaroth nodded in confirmation, and only then did Ravolas respond to Ahajaka.
“They said they were gonna bring down the sun. Killing that old guy—Abraham, was it?—seems like prep work for that.”
“…They're plotting to overthrow the nation.”
Ahajaka pieced it together. “Removing Abraham because he could be a major obstacle when they move to topple the Holy Nation later.”
“Huh? Then…”
The Holy Nation wasn't home to just one Palstar Hero. There was another: the Celestial Academy's headmistress and Divine Star, Shania. She was far more public-facing than Abraham, making her a bigger target. Unlike Abraham, who had been imprisoned and unable to wield spirits, she was in fighting shape… but if her foes unleashed something like the Evil Spirit of Destruction, who knew what might happen.
“I need to check on Shania first. His Holiness will return soon with the Holy Knights, so you all wait here and squeeze the rest out of this one.”
“Understood, father-in-law.”
“That 'father-in-law' bit… Hah, I'm off.”
Ahajaka turned and left immediately after getting the essentials.
Seong Hyun-jin turned back to Ravolas. “So how did your contractor track you down and make that offer? Did you approach them?”
“Nah, they summoned me.”
“Summoned you?”
“They've got that book. The kind that draws our type in on instinct.”
“A book? Why would evil spirits be drawn to a book?”
“The holiest things, when corrupted, become the most alluring, right? It used to be a Holy Scripture. Now it's just a cursed object.”
“…So there's a grimoire that summons evil spirits?”
“Pretty much.”
Seong Hyun-jin and Yeonhui reacted with shock to Ravolas's words.
“That means they can summon evil spirits willy-nilly.”
“…They could even control ones that never showed up before.”
“Not exactly. It draws us in with the curse, but contracting is separate. No benefit for us, no deal.”
“Then why'd you sign?”
“For me… well.”
Ravolas paused, then smirked faintly.
“It let me finish what I started before. No losing deal there.”
“……”
Yeonhui frowned at his response, but Ravolas just grinned, utterly unrepentant. It was clear in an instant: the destruction he'd wrought long ago wasn't mindless rampage—it was exactly what he wanted.
Astaroth asked Ravolas,
“We done here?”
“That's all I know, Your Majesty.”
“Right.”
Astaroth nodded slightly, then abruptly extended her hand toward him. Pitch-black energy welled up from her palm. Ravolas's face hardened.
“…Your Majesty, this breaks the deal, doesn't it?”
“Deal? Pfft!”
Astaroth openly mocked him with cold eyes.
“Why the hell would I honor that?”
“You…!!”
Ravolas surged to his feet in fury, but he'd been foolish to trust a mere verbal promise—especially from another evil spirit. The moment he bought it, his fate was sealed. With his hard-won body crumbling and no new contractor in sight, he was powerless against Astaroth.
Collapse.
The instant Astaroth's power manifested, Ravolas's form warped. In a flash, he ceased to exist, vanishing as if he'd never been there at all.
For the worst evil spirit in history, it was an anticlimactic end—but Seong Hyun-jin was just relieved it was over quietly.
He looked at Astaroth. “Honestly thought you'd let him live. Isn't that more fun for you?”
“His smirking, scheming vibe was pissing me off. And above all, you didn't want him around, Master.”
“You don't do it if I don't want it?”
“Obviously. Told you last time, right?”
Astaroth affirmed without hesitation, smirking faintly.
“I like you, Master.”
Her ruthless aura made it hard to tell, but these actions clearly stemmed from genuine fondness. He had no idea why, though.
“…No clue what you see in me.”
Seong Hyun-jin chuckled in disbelief, then turned to Yeonhui.
“Sunbae, let's head to Headmistress Shania once His Holiness arrives.”
“Yeah, let's do that.”
Yeonhui nodded. “Ahajaka's already gone ahead, though… so even if something happens, it'll be fine.”
# Divine Star Shania was the headmistress of Celestial Academy and the woman running the Holy Nation's education foundation. Her foundation primarily set up free schools for the nation's poor, providing them essential education. That kept her swamped not just with academy duties but foundation work too—especially when new schools opened, as she always inspected them personally, often leaving campus.
Today was one such day. To celebrate the opening of a new basic education academy on the outskirts of the Holy Nation, Shania had brought only one attendant secretary.
“Thank you for coming, Headmistress Shania.”
“Of course I had to. It's where the children will learn—I should see it myself as the one responsible.”
And there were those who wouldn't miss the opportunity.
The Minions of the Moon. The Moon God's followers planned to cap off their preparations for the greater cause by eliminating Divine Star Shania after Wise Star Abraham.
Of course, as a Palstar Hero, Shania wouldn't go down easily like Abraham had—unlike him, she wasn't helpless. But they had a way.
“Brothers, are we ready?”
“Ready.”
“Just give the word.”
Through the Human Skin Bible that had fortuitously come into their hands, they could awaken dormant evil spirits and contract them.
Following the Evil Spirit of Destruction, they'd prepared by contracting another evil spirit with one of their faithful. No—two, in fact.
Evil spirits weren't common, but the Human Skin Bible let them summon even the rare ones, making it possible.
Dunkel addressed the two cultists gravely.
“Let us begin. Any civilian casualties in eliminating Divine Star Shania are of no concern. They will be eternal sacrifices recorded in the scripture.”
The cultists echoed the passage as they activated their contracts.
“Under the moonlight, I offer this life.”
“Under the moonlight, I offer this life!”
The two faithful who had contracted the evil spirits surrendered their bodies willingly, yielding possession to the spirits within.