Filled with emotion, Kwon Oh-Jin stood at the front door with his eyes growing wet.

“At last...”

Even though he hadn’t been away for long, the sight of home had never felt more welcoming after enduring the two sisters’ constant bickering all the way from Pyongyang.

Isabella, following behind while finishing her phone call, deeply sighed. “Yes. Please take care of that, Roberto.”

“What did Roberto say?”

“He wanted to increase the number of security guards around me by ten times right away. I barely managed to talk him out of it.”

Considering Roberto’s usual composure, his panic after Isabella’s abduction was understandable.

“Honestly, adding more guards wouldn’t make much difference anyway,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.

“Exactly.”

Their enemy was once the Celestial of Ophiuchus, who was almost just as strong as the North Star Celestials. It would mean nothing whether they multiplied the guards tenfold or even a hundredfold.

Not even Mobius, but Isabella alone can wipe them all out.

What good were guards weaker than Isabella herself?

“Instead, I told him to focus on making sure the families of the plane crew and guards who passed away receive as much compensation as possible.” Isabella’s expression darkened as she sighed at the thought of those who had been on the plane with her. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Unlike her, who had been released unharmed, the others hadn’t been so fortunate. Long before the plane crashed near Pyongyang, Mobius had brutally murdered the crew and guards.

“Don’t let it weigh you down too much,” he said.

“Yes, I know.”

At Kwon Oh-Jin’s comforting hand brushing her hair, Isabella faintly smiled and nodded.

Everyone aboard the Colgrande Family’s private jet had sworn their lives to the family. Death during protection missions was an inevitable risk. She was used to such sacrifices as someone who bore the Colgrande name.

“Still, it doesn’t sit right with me.”

The thought of those people, so easily killed by Mobius, pressed down on her chest like a heavy stone.

“Our Bella still has a bit of innocence left in her.” Cassia chuckled and brushed back her long platinum-blonde hair. “How do you expect to lead the Colgrande Family if you get shaken every time a guard dies?”

“Hmph. Don’t you know that the best leaders are the ones who value their subordinates the most? Oh, wait, you were exiled from the family. Of course, you wouldn’t know.”

“My, my. I can’t believe this is coming from someone who lost her guards without even lifting a finger to help them because she carelessly stopped drinking blood.”

The two locked eyes with sharp killing intent.

“Enough. We’re home now. Both of you, cut it out.” Kwon Oh-Jin shook his head wearily and opened the front door.

He had hoped that the atmosphere between them would thaw or even improve after their hair-pulling brawl. However, real life wasn’t a shounen manga. Things didn’t resolve so neatly.

The first thing Kwon Oh-Jin did upon stepping inside was call for Song Ha-Eun. “Ha-Eun, I’m home... Hm?”

She was nowhere in sight. A wave of dread rushed over him. Could Song Ha-Eun have been kidnapped just like Isabella? In a hurry, he grabbed the communication relic directly linked to her.

Woong.

Unlike a regular phone, the relic worked even inside a gate. It began to glow.

—Oh? What’s up?

From the relic, a hologram shimmered into view and showed Song Ha-Eun’s wide eyes in surprise.

Relief washed over Kwon Oh-Jin. “Where are you right now?”

—I’m at the Sanctum.

“The sanctuary? Why?”

—Well, since you were gonna be with Bella today, I thought I’d hang out here with the old lady and chat.

—Who are you calling an old lady!

From the hologram, Vega’s flushed face appeared. She was holding a beer, likely brought by Song Ha-Eun.

—Oh, right. Considering your age, maybe I should call you grandma instead?

—H-How many times must I tell you, do not bring up my age!

—Hehe, I’m kidding. Don’t pout, our dear Celestial.

—Hmph! I have no memory of ever taking an apostle like you.

Song Ha-Eun playfully teased Vega.

So, she hasn’t heard about Isabella’s kidnapping?

Well, it made sense if Song Ha-Eun had been at the Sanctum ever since Kwon Oh-Jin went to the airport. Roberto, with no direct way to contact her, wouldn’t have been able to inform her.

Song Ha-Eun’s eyes narrowed as she spotted Cassia standing behind him.

—By the way, why is she in our house?

No matter how much she had once been under the Heavenly Demon’s control, Cassia had still killed the Avaricious Wolf, who had taught Song Ha-Eun how to wield her Stigma. It wasn’t easy for her to look at Cassia with a pleasant heart.

Cassia stepped forward and bowed politely. “This is the first time we’ve met properly. My name is Cassia Colgrande.”

Song Ha-Eun nodded stiffly with an awkward expression.

—Uh... Okay.

“I still deeply regret what I did while under the Heavenly Demon’s control. I apologize for harming your teacher.”

—Well... it wasn’t really your fault.

The sheer power of the Heavenly Demon’s ability to control someone wasn’t hard to imagine. Kwon Oh-Jin had seen firsthand how much pain Cassia and Isabella had endured back in Niflheim.

Even if Song Ha-Eun understood it logically, that didn’t mean she could entirely forgive Cassia. Still, it wasn’t right to hold Cassia fully responsible when. Back then, Cassia had been little more than a tool under the Heavenly Demon’s brainwashing. If Cassia were a blade, then it was the Heavenly Demon who gripped and swung it.

—Anyway, what brings you to our house?

“There were circumstances that brought me here.”

—Circumstances? Did something happen?

“I’ll explain everything properly once you’re back from the Sanctum.”

Explaining Isabella’s abduction over the communication relic would’ve been too much.

—Okay then. I’ll hear it later.

“Yes. Please take good care of me from now on, Miss Ha-Eun.”

—Huh? From now on?

“Hehe. It’s nothing.” With a bright smile, Cassia stepped back.

Song Ha-Eun watched her retreat with a strange sense of foreboding.

Kwon Oh-Jin cleared his throat and stepped forward. “When are you coming home, Ha-Eun?”

—Huh? Ah, in a bit. Our dear Celestial here must’ve been really bored, so she keeps on clinging to me.

—Who’s clinging to who?!

—Anyway, I’ll call when I head back.

“Alright.”

With their banter echoing, the call ended.

“I’m relieved she understands.” Cassia sighed in relief and patted her chest.

Perhaps she had been worried that Song Ha-Eun still resented her for killing Cheon Sang-Gil.

“I told Ha-Eun beforehand that it wasn’t your fault.”

“Thank you, Lord Oh-Jin.”

“Anyway... I’ve got something to ask you about Mobius.” Kwon Oh-Jin recalled that ominous emerald glow in the Celestial’s eyes. “Do you know what he meant when he spoke of his purpose?”

Kwon Oh-Jin had also heard about some kind of purpose in Lee Shin-Hyuk’s memories. He didn’t know whether Mobius’s purpose in this life matched that of the previous one, but it being the same as the Heavenly Demon’s made him deeply curious.

“No. I don’t know anything about that,” Cassia replied.

“Really?”

“All I know is that he has an intense hatred for Celestials.”

“He despises the Celestials?”

Cassia nodded firmly. “Yes.”

“Hm.”

That alone wasn’t enough to guess Mobius’s purpose. Like Enceladus, False Stars banished from the Sanctum often bore deep resentment toward the Celestials by default.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

“No, it can’t be helped.”

With a self-mocking smile, Cassia continued, “The truth is, I don’t know much about Lord Mobius either. Even though I did receive the Stigma of Ophiuchus... I was never acknowledged as his child.”

Kwon Oh-Jin cocked his head, puzzled. “Not acknowledged as his child?”

Celestials often referred to humans who bore their Stigma as their children. Of course, how they treated those children varied wildly.

“Yes, he’s only ever called one person his child.”

There’s another person who bears the Stigma of Ophiuchus besides Cassia?

“Who’s that?”

“I only know her name. Eve.”

Instinctively, a scene from the Bible surfaced in Kwon Oh-Jin’s mind.

“Have you ever met this Eve?”

“No. Even if I want to, I can’t.”

“You can’t?”

“I heard she died a long time ago.”

“Ah...”

“She was said to be the very first to bear the Stigma of Ophiuchus.”

“Apart from this Eve, Mobius hasn’t acknowledged anyone else as his child?”

“As far as I know, yes.”

“I see...”

It would’ve been nice if he had more information about this Eve. With a tinge of regret, Kwon Oh-Jin set his thoughts on Mobius aside. He had more urgent matters to deal with right now.

This confirms that the Black Star Celestials are actively moving on Earth now.

It wasn’t just Enceladus and Mobius. Surely others like Felis, the Celestial of Felis, whom he had met in the Demonic District, had manifested as well.

I need to grow stronger, faster.

At his current rate, Kwon Oh-Jin had no chance against them. He needed a way to get stronger faster.

First of all, I have to fully master Sacred Ground Deployment.

The faint layer of Sacred Ground he could spread around himself wasn’t enough. Like Enceladus’s Dragon Palace, he needed the power to alter the very environment itself if he hoped to stand against Black Star Celestials.

And to do that...

Kwon Oh-Jin’s gaze shifted to Isabella and Cassia. “There’s something I want to ask you two.”

“Go ahead, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

“Hehe. You can give me orders instead of asking.”

Both of them nodded eagerly without even hearing what it was.

“Help me train in creating a Sacred Ground.”

“Hmm... and how exactly?” Isabella asked.

“Let’s start with a simple sparring match.”

To truly train, he needed Awakeners strong enough to break through a Celestial’s Sacred Ground.

“Hehe. If it’s for you, I’ll gladly do anything. Should I go first?” Cassia asked.

“No. I’ll face both of you at once.”

Ordinary training wouldn’t cut it anymore. To prepare for battle against Celestials, he had to master Sacred Ground Deployment as quickly as possible.

Without Open Heaven, there’s no way I can take on both Isabella and Cassia at once, but...

Precisely because it was impossible, he had to push himself all the harder.

“My, my... both of us at the same time? How bold.” Cassia’s cheeks flushed as she twisted and turned like a serpent.

What is wrong with her now?