Ash had barely recovered from Gwen's session when the distorted voice interrupted his peace again.

"Next guest: Luminous Valentine."

Before he could groan about another unknown name, the shimmering door appeared, opening with a dramatic whoosh. Ash turned, ready for anything—or so he thought. His sarcastic remark about a vampire had apparently jinxed him.

A striking woman entered, her presence so commanding it made Ash instinctively straighten up. She wore an elegant, gothic-style dress that shimmered like starlight. Her mismatched eyes—one crimson red, the other an icy blue—were captivating, yet they seemed to bore holes into his very soul. She sat gracefully in the guest chair, arms crossed, and stared at him with an expression that screamed skepticism.

Ash gulped. "Uh… welcome?"

Luminous scoffed. "You're my therapist? A mere human boy? Surely, this is a joke."

"Hey! I'm not just a boy!" Ash protested, though his confidence wavered under her piercing gaze. "I mean… okay, maybe I am. But still! I've helped a Soul Reaper and a superhero already!"

She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "And now you think you're qualified to deal with me, a Demon Lord and the Vampire Queen?"

Ash froze. "Wait. Demon Lord and Vampire Queen? How does that even work? Are you two people at once or…?"

Luminous rolled her eyes. "Good grief, your mortal brain really is pathetic. No, I am one being who holds two titles. A Demon Lord is a ruler of immense power, while a Vampire Queen simply denotes my supremacy over vampires. It's not that complicated."

Ash blinked, his confusion only deepening. "So, you're like… the boss of vampires and a world leader at the same time?"

"Close enough," she muttered, clearly unimpressed. "Now, are we going to waste time explaining basic concepts, or are you actually going to help me?"

Ash scratched his head. "Right, uh… what's bothering you?"

Luminous hesitated, her confident demeanor faltering ever so slightly. She looked away, her expression unreadable. "It's… Hinata."

"Hinata?" Ash echoed. "Who's that?"

The name drop made Luminous snap her attention back to him, her eyes narrowing. "Are you truly this clueless? Shouldn't you know something about your guests before they arrive?"

"Hey, I don't get a dossier on you guys," Ash shot back. "I'm winging it here, okay? So just… tell me who Hinata is."

Luminous sighed, clearly regretting her decision to open up. "Hinata Sakaguchi is the head of the Holy Empire's knights. She's… someone important to me. And lately, I've been frustrated with her."

Ash leaned forward, genuinely curious. "Why? What's she done?"

"It's not what she's done," Luminous clarified, her tone dripping with annoyance. "It's what she hasn't done. She's been spending far too much time with Rimuru and barely any with me."

Ash tilted his head. "Okay, and Rimuru is…?"

Luminous's glare could have frozen a volcano. "You truly are insufferable. Rimuru is a slime. A Demon Lord like myself. And the one who occupies Hinata's attention far too often."

Ash blinked again, utterly baffled. "A slime? Wait, like a literal slime? How does that even—"

Luminous held up a hand, cutting him off. "Don't. Ask. I don't have the patience to explain Rimuru's… unique existence."

Ash threw his hands up. "Fine! No slime questions. So, you're upset because Hinata spends more time with this Rimuru guy than with you?"

"Yes," Luminous admitted reluctantly. "Hinata's loyalty is supposed to lie with me. But ever since she crossed paths with Rimuru, she's been… distracted. It's infuriating."

Ash nodded, trying to piece it all together. "Okay, I think I get it. You feel like Hinata's attention is divided, and you're not her priority anymore. That's gotta hurt."

Luminous's gaze softened just a fraction, though she quickly masked it. "It's not about me. It's about loyalty. Hinata is supposed to serve me. Her… fascination with Rimuru undermines that."

"Sounds like it's about more than loyalty," Ash said, his tone gentle. "Maybe you're scared of losing her—like, as a person, not just as a knight."

Luminous stiffened, her mismatched eyes narrowing. "Don't presume to understand me, boy."

"I'm not presuming," Ash said calmly. "I'm just saying what it sounds like. And hey, it's okay to care about someone. Even Demon Lords and Vampire Queens have feelings, right?"

Luminous stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she sighed, her shoulders relaxing ever so slightly. "You're… not as useless as I thought."

Ash grinned sheepishly. "Uh, thanks?"

The glowing door shimmered, signaling the end of their session. Luminous stood gracefully, her gaze lingering on Ash.

"Perhaps you're not entirely hopeless," she said, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "But don't let it go to your head."

With that, she stepped through the door and disappeared, leaving Ash alone once more.

He slumped back in his chair, exhaling deeply. "A slime, a vampire, and a Demon Lord… This is getting weirder by the minute."

The Pikachu plush tipped over again, as if agreeing with him.