Just as Millennia predicted, St. Heim was in total chaos, as was everywhere else. They were convinced that Valmar had risen to take away their souls and bring ruin to the very earth. I was responsible for their souls, so they came to me for guidance. I was nice to them and told them not to panic. Their souls were strong enough to resist Valmar. If they worked as a team and didn't give in to all the petty fears and doubts they held, their souls would be much stronger. Panic bred chaos and violence, which was exactly what Valmar wanted. Some of the priests gave me a lot of trouble- honestly, they're a bunch of wimps when it comes to the impending apocalypse- so I blotted out their wages. I said that poverty would cleanse their souls, and only when they showed strength in the face of Valmar would I consider them ready to cope with the terrible burden of being paid. They soon became very co-operative. I wanted to use music to keep people's spirits up as much as possible. That's why I invited Elena to the capital. I was a little worried about the fact that she had been possessed by the Wings of Valmar, but I figured Millennia wouldn't mind what I was doing.

A couple of weeks later, I suddenly had a real crisis on my hands. The Cathedral Knights had gone berserk. I discovered them trying to burn down Mirumiru village and kill some poor healer and her little daughter. I ordered them straight back home, threatening Selene with excommunication again to make sure they obeyed my order. I actually hired Geohounds to protect the people when I heard they were coming back home. I was waiting for them on the steps up to the Cathedral.

"Come here." I commanded the one in front. He stepped forwards. I think it was a he, anyway.

"Draw your sword." I ordered. He did so.

"Right. Now kill me."

He stopped and looked at Selene nervously. She shook her head.

"What are you waiting for? Run me through with that sword."

I didn't actually know whether he would do it or not. I was hoping he wouldn't, but just in case I cast an invisible protection spell around me. I was learning a few cleric tricks over the years. I could even heal people by the time I was fifty years old. I was using my benevolent paternalistic voice anyway, which I hoped would confuse him. He looked at Selene again. She didn't move or speak but gave me an odd look.

"You can't, can you? Okay, drop your sword." I let him off the hook, "Now, if you kill anyone under my protection, you'll be effectively killing me."

"But, your holiness!" protested Selene, "It was the Eyes of Valmar! And a witch!"

"Keep your dogs under control." I told her.

Ryudo heard a very different speech when he came to the Cathedral that day. That was actually about something else. You see, I got my beard caught in the paper shredder. Selene got angry and threatened to kill the man who hadn't replaced the safety catch after he used it. I wasn't really that mad about it. I was thinking of bending him backwards over the photocopier with a very sharp paper knife myself.

One day, shortly after I'd sent Ryudo off to look for the Granasaber and Selene had gone off to throw her army off a cliff (that wasn't what I told her to do, I swear it), I became ill. At first I thought it was stress. I suffer from bouts of low quality of life when I become sick and dizzy. It happens to admin clerics, especially game savers. We don't do anything interesting, we just sit at a desk all day, and a human being needs mental stimulation in order to stay alive. Then I looked at my record books. My data from the last six weeks was totally corrupted. I screamed and phoned 666 for data recovery. The emergency game-saving cleric rushed in. He wore black robes and carried a deadly-looking black steel battle ankh and a black leather record book.

"This is serious. Ye been fightin' demons, yer Holiness?"

I shook my head and vomited again. I was using my hat as a bucket because it was an emergency.

"Somethin's corruptin' yer data. I would have said demonic possession, ye know, but... oh didros."

"What?"

"Are ye by any chance a level guardian?"

"I'm half level guardian."

"Ye're evolvin' into a final guardian."

"WHAT?"

"Sometimes it just happens naturally. That's very rare though- only happens to one in every five million level bosses." he mused, "Sometimes it happens by accident, if there's a large source of statistical energy about. Especially if that energy is corrupted."

"A large source of... Holy Granas." I grabbed his arm and hauled myself up. I cleaned my hat up and put it back on my head before running out of the door, dragging the data recovery cleric behind me. I ran to the door behind my podium, forced it open and walked in.

The seal to the Core of Valmar was broken.