The moon hung high over Kuoh, casting pale silver light over rooftops and streets that never truly slept. But tonight, something new stirred in the air luxury, danger, and power.
At the edge of the city, with the ability to be hidden by layers of enchantments and illusions, The Phenex Flame opened its doors for the first time.
Riser stood at the upper balcony of his club, a glass of wine in hand. Below him stretched a scene of opulence gilded chandeliers hanging like falling stars, marble floors that reflected candlelight, and velvet walls enchanted to shimmer subtly, pulsing with the breath of the leyline beneath them.
The air was perfumed with seductive incense, a blend crafted by Merlin herself to calm the nervous and entice the powerful. Music live and refined flowed through the space like a dream, played by a quartet of supernatural musicians whose fingers moved with preternatural grace.
Kaijin approached from the bar, straightening his tie. "The leyline anchor held. The energy is flowing perfectly. We're stable."
Riser turned, eyes flickering gold in the candlelight. "Good. I want this place to be more than a sanctuary. I want it to be a statement."
Kaijin smirked, brushing a speck of dust from his cuff. "You've built a palace in the shadows, boss. No one's going to ignore it."
A shimmer of light, and Merlin appeared at Riser's side, her slitted black dress revealing long legs and a back adorned with glowing arcane tattoos. She held a crystal glass swirling with wine that shimmered like blood and starlight.
"I enchanted the walls personally. No being below Satan class is breaking in without our say," she purred. "We'll be safe and unseen unless we want to be seen."
Riser took a sip from his glass. "Perfect. Let the world see a new kind of devil."
Grand Opening Night
Invitations had been sent weeks in advance embossed in gold, enchanted with layered seals, and delivered by Phenex familiars disguised as birds in the dead of night. Only those deemed "worthy" could even open them.
The elite answered the call.
Business tycoons. Politicians. Movie stars. CEOs of multinational corporations. The old money and the hungry new. All came dressed in the finest, stepping from limousines and sleek cars into a hidden stairway that led into the belly of the city.
A red carpet unfurled into The Phenex Flame.
"Do you feel that?" a human senator whispered to his wife. "There's something unnatural in the air."
"It feels divine," she murmured, clutching his arm, awestruck.
Inside, waiters trained by Thalia moved like dancers, enchanted with light glamour spells that made their smiles more alluring, their presence calming and attractive. Gourmet cuisine floated on levitating trays, and vintage drinks older than empires were served in goblets of crystal and obsidian.
Riser moved among the crowd, regal and commanding.
He wore a black and gold suit, woven with fire resistant thread and embroidered with invisible runes that flared only when seen through the third eye. His voice, calm and deep, carried the weight of power. His smile was charming, but behind it was something dangerous something ancient.
A portly nobleman approached him. "Mr. Phenex, I must ask how did you even get the permits to build this place? There's no record of it in any registry."
Riser smiled faintly. "I didn't ask permission. I created my own."
They laughed, awed and uncertain. Others watched from a distance, unsure if they were in the presence of a man or something more. Riser was no longer the idle noble of old.
He was a sovereign.
Beginning Operation Sweep the Shadows
While the guests danced and drank under golden lights, the streets of Kuoh underwent a purge.
In the western district, Thalia and Artoria moved like spirits of vengeance.
A rundown warehouse cracked open as Thalia slammed her spear into its gates. Inside, rogue devils scrambled, casting spells and drawing weapons.
"Too slow," she hissed, lunging. Her spear blazed with light and cut through the first three in one motion.
Artoria moved beside her, calm and efficient. Her Excalibur Morgan shimmered with dark light as it cleaved through protective barriers.
"We're to cleanse the area," she reminded. "Lord Riser demands precision."
Thalia snorted. "He also said to make a statement."
One of the rogue devils attempted to flee through a summoning circle only for Artoria to hurl her sword through his chest before he could speak the final word.
"We are the sword of House Phenex," Artoria said as she summoned her blade. "We do not allow rot to grow beneath our feet."
Thalia grinned. "Damn right."
Lower Districts
Milim was a blur of pink energy, skipping through alleyways, giggling like a child at play.
A gang of stray exorcist turned arms dealers fired holy bullets at her, only to find their cover ripped apart by a single punch.
"I said no one plays in my city unless I let them!" Milim shouted, grabbing a gang leader and spinning him overhead before tossing him through a billboard that read Support Local Businesses.
Kaijin trailed behind her, conjuring shields and earth walls to contain the chaos. "Could you please not level an entire district? Again?"
"Stop being boring, Kaijin!" she beamed, spinning. "This is fun!"
He sighed and turned to a cloaked man hiding a cursed relic. With a single stomp, stone shot up from the ground and snapped the man's legs like twigs.
"Stay down," he growled.
Together, they cleansed the slums banishing cults, dismantling illegal trade rings, and sending a clear, painful message to every creature lurking in the shadows Kuoh now belongs to Riser Phenex.
Return to the Flame
Riser stood once more at the second balcony, his glass filled with Phenex fire wine.
Below him, the final toast of the night was underway. His peerage stood tall, blood still fresh on their weapons, dressed in evening wear but radiating the energy of victors.
The music quieted. The guests turned toward him.
Riser raised his glass.
"To the new era," he declared. "One not ruled by fear, but by fire. Not hidden in shame, but forged in sovereignty. Tonight, we rule this city"
His golden eyes burned as his aura expanded, wrapping around the club like wings of flame.
"until it's time to shine."
His peerage raised their glasses in unison.
"To Riser!"
The leyline beneath them pulsed, alive and resonant. The chandeliers flickered. The runes in the walls glowed softly. Something ancient and powerful had awakened.
And far away, across realms and factions, the whispers began.
The boy has become a king.
And the king has claimed his kingdom.