Hexagon, a nightmarish creation of the Black Company, was a name that struck fear into the hearts of all who heard it. Built around the ancient Anima's lifeless remains, this colossal structure concealed a dark secret within its heart. It wasn’t only the piece of that ancient Anima’s magicore that they mined.

The prisoners held within its walls were forced into labor as miners, extracting the precious magicore with bare minimum tools and no existent safety. Each day, these prisoners faced ruthless peril, their lives hanging by a thread as they slowly lost their sanity. Having exposed through thick Superadicals, their cells mutated, causing then to turn into a new Anima that then hunted by The Company. After all, these freshly acquired magicore stores held more energy than the ancient Anima.

This relentless and vicious cycle became known as "The Blossoming," a concept conceived by Kiara Megistus, the Inventor. It was a cruel method by which the Black Company fueled its insidious ambitions.

"We're here," Bianca lead me into a deserted mine devoid of any light. There I could hear voices arguing behind the hidden door, masked with illusion magic.

"Lady Lumina, it's too dangerous."

As I walked into the chamber, I found two faces dimly lit with a candle. They were as pale as ghosts, believing that The Company minion had found them. One of them, however, lunged at me, his grip tightening around my throat.

As ferocious as ever, Denova the Werebear looked at me with disdain mixed with fear. His growl reverberated through the chamber, filled with the desperation of a wounded predator. "The Blood Witch...! Are you here to make us suffer more? I won't let you!" he snarled, his grip tightening.

Suddenly Bianca stood by me and scolded the bear, “Stop, Denova. Release her!"

"B-Bian? B-but why?" Denova stammered, "She's the one who ruined our plan. If only she hadn't killed the dragon, those children would be safe in Pei Jin by now!"

"She kept her word, while we didn't. We selfishly sent those children, believing our method was superior," Bianca argued, her gaze unwavering. "But after what's happened, can't you see? She's trustworthy."

Tension hung heavy in the air as Denova's grip tightened around my throat. I struggled for breath, gasping for even a small pocket of air. Through the suffocating stranglehold, I managed to utter fragmented words, my voice strained and choked.

"I... more... useful... alive..."

Reluctantly, Denova finally released me. I fell to my knees, gasping for air while clutching my bruised throat. Since Kiara had sealed my Divinity, death had become a real threat to me, and now, for the first time in millennia, it was something terrifying.

“Your method…? I told you, right? I told you to give the pills to everyone,” I managed to rasp, my voice still strained and weak. Slowly, I mustered the strength to rise to my feet.

Denova's reply was cold, laced with skepticism and bitterness. "If the roles were reversed, would you truly put your faith in a demon who could manipulate us like puppets on strings?"

"Demons do not break promises as readily as humans," I countered.

Bianca's disappointment was evident as she interjected, “Denova, stop arguing. You know we’re in the wrong here.”

With a heavy sigh, Denova confessed, "It all seemed too good to be true. That's why we only administered the pills to half of the children, secretly planning to smuggle the rest underground, believing it was the path to their safety."

Regret was etched across Denova's face, his voice heavy with the weight of hindsight. "But we never anticipated that Pater was steps ahead of us. He had foreseen our every move and ruthlessly ambushed us, leaving no survivors in his wake. The following day, he even assaulted the Orphanage. Despite being trapped and his powers sealed, he effortlessly defeated Bianca. We were naive, thinking we could rescue everyone when, in fact, we were the ones who sent them to their demise."

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Oh, they still didn't realize that the one who beat Bianca was me?

"In the end," Denova reluctantly continued, "the sole survivor is the one who took your pills."

I listened in silence, a mixture of guilt for not managing to persuade them to trust me fully, anger toward Pater and the Black Company for their ruthless actions, and a detached apathy for the lives of humans, which had never truly been my concern from the start. What truly irked me was the missed opportunity to kill Pater.

Bianca's voice, tinged with sadness, shattered the heavy silence. "Our decisions indeed led to a tragic outcome, but we mustn't lose hope. There's still a chance to save those who remain. These children need our assistance, and to rescue them, we require the power of the Blood Witch."

Denova clenched his fists, "You're right, Bian," he admitted, "Sorry, I allowed my emotions to cloud my judgment."

Bianca gracefully leaped onto Denova's shoulder, perching there with a sense of comfort, "It also means you're an honest man, Denova. That's why, I married you.”

…? Married?

Staic voice came through my head, “For the rest of my life, my blade is yours, Princess.”

Suddenly, someone cleared her throat and approach us. She was a maid with unkept hair and obvious eye bags. Her sickly appearance made her look frail, especially with the bandage all over her body. I think she looked more like a zombie rather than a human. Despite her worn-out demeanor, there was a spark of determination in her eyes that caught my attention. But then, I noticed the flowery tattoo on her neck resembled mine. Was she a Greyhound? No, there was something amiss. Her tattoo... had a different color than mine.

"Hey, lovebirds, are you finished?" she brazenly interrupted our discussion..

Bianca stumbled over her words, flustered, "O-oh, yeah, Right. Um, Lady Lumina, the one in front of you is the famous Blood Witch," she replied.

Lumina, with an air of aloofness and a piercing gaze, scrutinized me from head to toe. "This plain girl is the Blood Witch?" she remarked skeptically. "Look at those delicate hands. I doubt she's ever lifted anything heavier than a teacup. Her vacant smile suggests a lack of grace and wisdom, and her eyes..." She began to mock me but suddenly halted, her tone shifting.

"Huh, those eyes... they belong to a great sinner. The one who extinguished all hope, a dream-killer, an Abyss of despair. A liar, rotten to the core," Lumina's words were a piercing revelation, “Are you The Devil, who left the world into ruin?”

I couldn't help but be impressed. It was the first time a mere human had seen through my identity, and a shrewd one at that, for she harbored no doubts about me. However, if my identity as The Devil revealed, those three would kill me on the spot, I’m sure of it. Time for an acting.

“T-The Devil?" I stammered, taken aback by her blunt words. “O-Ow, c’mon, that’s a bad joke, you know,” I continued.

“If I’m wrong, then tell me, who are you truly?” Lumina sighed, her tone softening slightly. "At the very least, give us a name, not just a title. I don't want to work with a nobody."

I was taken a back to the moment when Quina Megistus asked the same question. Back then, I had woven a web of lies around my identity. Where had it gotten me? Nobody believed in me. I was betrayed and condemned to Hexagon, unable to save all the children, leading them into misery. I couldn't help but wonder how far honesty might have taken me.

"My name is... Celliana Diamanda Adonis Shionne Lyrica Melodina Tiulle Chyrsanthemis Arise Himeko Ull As Khamer Hadian Sylvana Ultimate Destiny—" I began, only to be interrupted by Lumina's bewildered reaction.

"Wait, wait, wait, is that a magic spell?" Lumina exclaimed, her surprise evident. Bianca and Denova shared the same wide-eyed expression.

Frustrated by the absurdity of my name, I scratched my head and tried to simplify it. "In short, just call me Cellia Vanadis."

Lumina's eyes widened, realization dawning upon her. "The Goddess of Justice...?" she murmured, her voice tinged with intrigue. "If this were ten years ago, I would have laughed and called you crazy. But after my student betrayed me, there's little that can surprise me anymore," she confessed, a glimmer of nostalgia in her smile.

Her expression softened as she smiled and asked for my hand,

"My name is Lumina Stellaris Noctis, The Previous Divine Punisher."

My eyes widened, "What, you mean Arthur betrayed you?"

Lumina nodded, "Your eyes telling me you are quite fond of this boy, am I right? But as you can see, this world has been corrupted with lies and deceits. For example… Pater is not the true leader of the White Order. It should have been me."

...!

A chill ran down my spine as I sensed a deep-rooted bloodlust behind her words. This was no ordinary grudge; it was a profound hatred. Just like me in the past, Lumina despised the gods with every fiber of her being. But how was that possible? There should be no gods left aside from me.

Then, Denova's earlier words echoed in my mind—Pater defeated Bianca, even with his powers sealed. It should have been me, sealed inside the Abyssal Ice. Wait... That can't be? Pater was a god?

"Tthat's all in the past. My current goal is to free The Order from the clutches of the Black Company. It's clear that you deeply care for the children and are determined to protect them. Our interests align," Lumina declared with unwavering determination,

“Well then, shall we discuss our plan, Goddess Cellia?"