After the Kizaru sub-personality effortlessly took down two of the Three Great Generals alone, Lucifer finally realized he had underestimated this guy.
With his SkyFather–level eyesight, it wasn't hard for him to judge the strength of the Kizaru sub-personality from the earlier moves.
Without a doubt, the most troublesome part about the Kizaru sub-personality was his speed.
Even in the multiverse, there weren't many who could move at the speed of light. Even Lucifer's true body, speaking strictly of speed, hadn't reached the speed of light.
Of course, that didn't mean the Kizaru sub-personality could use speed alone to contend with a SkyFather–class being. If a SkyFather just stood there and let him attack, he still couldn't break through their defenses.
But a speed that fast was already enough to instantly kill any opponent below that tier.
If the Akainu sub-personality had been the one to act, even if he could have defeated Monterey and Kingsman, it would've taken some time, and it wouldn't have looked so effortless.
But those two, in front of the Kizaru sub-personality, hadn't even lasted ten seconds together before being wiped out.
And that was with the Kizaru sub-personality holding back. Otherwise, the time would've been cut in half or more.
Judging from the strength he showed, even if they called over the last general still stationed in Canada, having all three attack together, they might only be able to last a few more seconds.
Lucifer already knew that Raymond wasn't simple—otherwise, he wouldn't have had the sudden idea to recruit him.
But he hadn't expected to bring back such a hot potato, leaving him in a tough spot now.
The Archbishop's strength was certainly above that of the two generals, and if he really fought, he definitely wouldn't be cut down like vegetables in seconds.
But in Lucifer's judgment, it was almost impossible for the Archbishop to defeat Raymond.
Because speed alone gave Raymond an undefeated advantage.
Even if the Archbishop couldn't be beaten, he absolutely couldn't do anything to Raymond either.
To defeat someone this fast, your power had to be at least a full tier—or even multiple tiers—higher.
So after careful thought, Lucifer decided not to have the Archbishop fight. Instead, he said:
"You've already proven your strength. I can agree to the second condition you mentioned earlier. But remember this…"
"No matter what your purpose is, if you dare to betray me, I swear on my honor—I will hunt you down across the multiverse, and I will never let you go!"
Lucifer glared fiercely at Raymond, who had already switched back, but no matter how he spoke, his voice carried little intimidation.
If one didn't know his true body was a SkyFather–level Hell Lord, it would only sound laughable…
Pfft!
Before Raymond could respond, Monterey couldn't hold back and burst into laughter again.
The moment the sound escaped, he instantly knew he was in trouble and turned to run.
But Lucifer gave him no chance. He ordered the Archbishop: "Catch him!!"
The Archbishop smiled slightly, lifted a finger in Monterey's direction, and tapped gently in the air.
Pop—!
A sound like a water droplet rang out, and Monterey's whole body sank into the ground until only his head was left sticking out.
Lucifer jumped down from his chair, taking quick little steps over to Monterey's head, and stomped on him again and again:
"Laugh, will you?! I'll make you laugh!!"
Monterey howled miserably, begging for mercy over and over!
With his strength, he could have easily smashed through the ground and escaped, but with Lucifer right beside him, how would he dare?
Raymond glanced at the Archbishop but couldn't figure out what ability that little move revealed. The Archbishop noticed Raymond's scrutiny and smiled back at him.
After venting enough, Lucifer finally let Monterey off.
But he didn't let him out—instead, he left him buried in the ground to reflect on his mistakes.
Then, turning to Raymond, he said:
"Your strength surpasses Monterey and the others, but for now there's no higher position to give you. From today, you'll be the First of the Four Great Generals. I'll also grant you sufficient autonomy. Do you have any questions?"
"None," Raymond replied with a smile.
"Good, then it's settled." With his hands behind his back, Lucifer made the final decision.
At the same time, a familiar system prompt echoed in Raymond's mind—because he had risen to the high ranks of the Hell Angels, he had received another 200 Development Points.
Two hundred points, equal to a thousand Universal Points. To him now, it wasn't a huge gain, but as an unexpected bonus, it was still quite nice.
More importantly, with this, he could move on to the next step of his plan.
Compared to joining the Hell Angels, if he could wipe out the Church of Darkness, the rewards would be far greater.
–
Sage was troubled lately.
Ever since returning from the Hellfire Club's annual gathering, she had been in a constant state of distraction.
Her mind often replayed the cruel visions that Professor X's sub-personality had shown her—scenes from another world, even including her own death.
Every time those images of her "companions," people she had never truly met, being slaughtered flashed in her mind, it felt like a real nightmare. She would often jolt awake from her sleep, heart pounding.
She couldn't deny it—she was shaken.
She wasn't the type to fear death or give in to threats and bribes. Otherwise, she never would have dared to infiltrate the Hellfire Club.
Given her ties to Juggernaut and Professor X, if they discovered she was really a spy sent by the Professor, she would suffer a fate worse than death.
Even that hadn't scared her. That spoke volumes about her willpower.
But when she saw those visions… she admitted it—her resolve wavered.
If she hadn't, she would have immediately refused Raymond and the Professor's proposition, no matter if it meant her death.
Yet she hadn't. That alone said everything.
Since returning from Edinburgh to North America, she had been caught in an endless struggle, desperate to make a decision quickly.
But the more she tried, the less she could decide.
Reason and emotion clashed in her head like two tiny figures locked in battle. And slowly, the balance began tipping toward one side…
That day, when she returned home, she found someone waiting in her living room.
Instinctively, she prepared to attack—until she saw who it was.
"Ororo, why are you here?" she asked with a smile upon recognizing the white-haired woman sitting on her couch.
It was none other than Ororo Munroe—Storm—one of the X-Men's core members and Professor X's right hand.
Everyone knew Professor X had been grooming Ororo as his successor.
After all, the Professor was already growing old. His abilities hadn't weakened, but his body was failing him. Even if stronger than most his age, his decline was obvious.
Ororo's power and reputation were unquestioned, and her calm, reliable nature made her the "big sister" figure among the X-Men, someone everyone respected.
Before her undercover mission, Sage herself had received much care from Ororo.
Seeing her now felt like seeing her own elder sister.
"Professor asked me to check in on you, to see if you've had any trouble at the Hellfire Club," Ororo said warmly. "He also said that if things get too dangerous, you can end your mission early…"
"There's no need. The Club has new blood, so Juggernaut and the others are too busy to keep their eyes on me," Sage replied.
"Oh? You mean the Hellfire Club has gained a new core member? What position?" Ororo asked, immediately getting to the point—she knew the Club all too well.
"Black Bishop," Sage said.
"Black Bishop…? Could it be another newly emerged Level Four mutant?" Ororo's tone grew serious.
She knew that anyone holding the position of Bishop or higher was at least among the top Level Three mutants—or more likely, a Level Four.
Sage herself was only a Level Three mutant, yet she had been made White Bishop because her support abilities were invaluable.
Ororo remembered clearly: the last Black Bishop, Longshot, had joined late but was a powerful Level Four.
Professor X himself had assessed Longshot as the strongest in the Club besides Juggernaut.
"This new one… his power surpasses Longshot's," Sage said after a pause.
"What? Stronger than Longshot?" Ororo's eyes widened.
She remembered the heated debate within the X-Men after Professor X had rated Longshot's combat ability above all their main members.
Wolverine and Ororo herself had both refused to accept that evaluation.
Strength couldn't always be measured by rank. Wolverine, for example, had fought Gambit many times, with mixed results—yet if Gambit made a single mistake and let Logan close in, the fight would end instantly.
But Professor X had insisted Longshot's overall combat ability was superior to any of them. That naturally sparked pushback.
In fact, Wolverine and Ororo had secretly challenged Longshot.
And just as the Professor had said, they were both utterly defeated.
Fortunately, Longshot bore no grudge against the X-Men and had no interest in Juggernaut's feud with the Professor. Otherwise, things could have ended far worse.
Even so, Ororo still remembered the humiliation vividly.
Now, hearing that the Hellfire Club had a newcomer even stronger than Longshot… her first instinct was disbelief.
--
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