Leo found himself trapped in an endless loop of memories of his time spent with his parents.

(It's enough self-pitying for the time being, isn't it?)

Sighing deeply, he asked, '...Did you know their reason?'

(...I won't lie. I did know about it. But I never expected them to go this far with their plan.)

'You could've explained it before I trained bitterly for days.'

(You look really handsome when you train. I felt like I could forever gaze at your figure without getting bored.) 

'...'

(Fufu, one point for me.)

'Pervert.'

(...)

With a smug face, he turned back, only to have two hands encircle around him and a pure fragrance invaded his nose, teasing it endlessly.

"Leo, did you win!?"

He also wrapped his hand around her and lowered his chin on her shoulder. Squinting his eyes, he smiled at Tio.

"Of course, I won. Your man isn't that weak to lose against them. Right, Tio?"

"Fumu. We should hurry and stop the invasion. How should we deal with this pitiful God?"

Tio asked while staring at Ehit lying on the ground unconscious. A mild rage flashed in her eyes. This god was the very person whose hands reeked of the blood of millions of innocents.

A sigh leaked past his lips. "I'll devour him… even if Shizuku hates me."

"I don't believe Shizuku will hate you for this. She is not that type of girl. Her awareness is far better than people give her credit for."

"Goshujin-sama devoured the Demi-Gods too?"

"Nah. We'll talk about it later."

"Understood."

He released Irene and ambled toward Ehit. Clenching the cursed sword in his hands, he pushed down the sword. The sword pierced his chest before slicing through the heart akin to a hot knife through butter.

"Urgh!"

Ehit released a weak groan as his eyes shot open. A burst of mana exploded from his body attacking Leo. Slightly frowning, Leo took the attack head-on.

The explosive mana only itched his skin before it was absorbed into his body, recovering his reserve back to near maximum.

"Great!"

"Spare me! Please, I swear I won't do this again. I'll even become your servant, no, let me become your slave."

"Do you regret summoning my woman here?"

"I do! I really do—"

"Then keep regretting even in your next life."

A burst of black aura flowed down the sword. *Boom!* The black aura exploded the heart from the inside out.

"Leo, how can he survive after getting his heart stabbed? And the dignity of God is so cheap."

"Power of Tier 4. They can survive even as a soul."

"That's intriguing. Goshujin-sama, then we all shall aim to become Tier 4 one day."

"Of course, we will. I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

Irene loudly slapped his back. "According to Eri, that's a death flag and you are not allowed to say it."

He deadpanned at her before touching Ehit's now cold corpse. "Step back for a moment."

[Do you want to devour the body?]

[Yes/No]

'Yes.'

The familiar black aura flowed from his body and surrounded the corpse. It kept gnawing Ehit's body until nothing was left of it.

*Throb!*

A faint heartbeat shook Tio's body down to the core. But it died down in a few moments.

"What was that? Was it my imagination?" she asked herself.

Meanwhile, a massive surge of power entered Leo's body, strengthening his absurdly strong body. The difference before and after this devouring looked ridiculous enough.

[All stats +20000]

[Spiritual Essence +200]

'How did I even receive the spiritual essence?'

(You are about to ascend. You won't even need to cultivate any divinity with your bloodline.)

'What bloodline is that?'

(...Who knows *whistle*.)

'... ... Status.'

[STATUS]

Name: Leo Evans

Title: [Behemoth Killer] [Cruel Hunter] [Beginner Craftsman] [Innocent Ladykiller] [Natural Tamer (II)]

Race: Monster, ??, ??

Age: 17

Tier 3 (Demi-Spirit)

Strength: 64560

Vitality: 67690

Defense: 70000

Agility: 61000

Magic: 98000

Magic Defense: 98000

Spiritual Essence: 200

SKILLS:

[Master of Wars (Passive skill)]

…

INNATE ABILITIES:

[Spirit Language] (S)

[Wrath] (EX)

Wrath Aura (Passive Skill)

Demon's Wrath (Active skill)

[Mana Manipulation] (S)

Mana Discharge (Active skill)

Mana Compression (Active skill)

Remote Manipulation (Active skill)

Body strengthening (III) (Active skill)

[Gluttony] (SSS)

Devour (Active skill)

[Blessing of Agni God] (SSS)

[Hollow Saint] (SS)

[Warlord's Territory] (A)

Domain of Perception (Passive skill)

Transference (Active skill): Ability to feel any presence and transmit thoughts to them in the territory.

Oppression (Active skill)

Touch of Death (Active skill)

TRANSCENDENTAL SKILLS:

[Ruler of Concepts]

…

Grabbing the hands of Irene and Tio, he sauntered into the hallways. If the trio tried meddling again, he had the confidence to leave them in the dust in a few moments.

Tio and Irene explained Eri's plan which he agreed to wholeheartedly. As he arrived outside the Royal Palace, his eyes fell on the worried faces of girls standing near the door.

"Leo!"

Irene and Tio separated from him as Yue jumped on him, locked her hands around his neck and *Chuu* kissed his lips in front of everyone. He reciprocated the kiss with more passion.

Everyone looked speechless at the couple kissing so romantically while a deadly battle was about to take place a few hundred meters away.

Shizuku had no idea how to treat him from now on. Should she approach and ask about Kouki? Or wait for him to approach her?

She silently considered her options…

Leo ended the kiss and lowered the Vampire princess showing a bewitching smile. He glanced around, searching for Eri. However, his gaze clashed with Shizuku's. She turned her head to the side, refusing to meet his gaze.

Sigh, I knew she would come to hate me… but it still feels bitter…

He shook away the thought and paced toward Eri.

"Now tell me about your plan. I can't let more people die like this."

"Of course."

Liliana for some reason blushed on Eri's side.

Eri nodded and began to explain her plan while his gaze was rooted in the crack in the sky.

---

Meanwhile, Meld stared at the swarm of Apostles pouring out of the crack far away in the distance. Like the sky itself cracked under the order of God.

*Rumble!* Rumble!*

The rumble echoed inside the heart of every being in Tortus. However, only Heiligh citizens had the view of distorted space above God's mountain. Just a look at it caused chills to spread through their bodies.

"Is the world ending?" One couldn't help but ask this question.

"What are those beings?"

"Move away! Hurry!"

A hurried female voice called out to the citizens gathered in mass. Seeing the caravan of the Royal family pass, none of them dared to dally any longer and parted to let it pass.

A few moments later, Liliana climbed to the top of the fortress rebuilt after the war. The terrifying aura made her tremble even though the Apostles floated more than a kilometer away. She now apparently understood the resolve one needed to even stand up to God.

Even Meld appeared frozen in his place. As for the soldiers behind, most of them were already cowering on their knees.

Yet one man toppled three of them at the same time...

Her admiration maximum admiration for Leo shot throught the roof, turning into something else.