It wasn't a reversed joke; Rei Ao lowered his gaze and looked directly into Pandora's eyes.
Tohru: "Damn!!!"
Tohru: "She actually dares to seduce Rei Ao!"
Frieren: "It's obvious. Blame Rei Ao's overwhelming charmeven women fall for him."
Fubuki: "Does Rei Ao really have that much charm? He's actually attracting a little girl, well a female, anyway."
Sui: "Hmph, Rei Ao is the most charming man in this worldno argument!"
Yomogawa Ayame: "Agreed."
Mikoto Misaka: "Ugh, what 'charm'? He's just a lolicon! He wouldn't"
Aihara Enju: "Impossible. Rei Ao-nii would never like this person!"
Enju herself is the real "loli" but Rei Ao hasn't taken her, so how could he possibly go for this other one!
Miko Yotsuya: "Looks like Enju's jealous."
Aihara Enju: "Guh!"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Before we start talking about jealousy, I don't think Rei Ao would be easily swayed."
Mikoto Misaka: "??? How can you be so sure? She's radiating a goddess's charm, after all."
Mikoto Misaka: "Besides, Rei Ao's a total perv!"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "I don't deny he's a big pervert, but I still don't believe he'd be helpless against a goddess's seduction."
Mai Sakurajima: "I bet Rei Ao might have preferred you to deny the 'pervert' part."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "I'm not going to lie, and Rei Ao won't mind. Just look at his eyes!"
Rei Ao fixed his clear gaze upon Pandora's petite, lovely figure. Despite her divine allure, his eyes remained bright and unclouded. His sudden serious tone actually made Pandora blush.
"Geez, these modern humans How could you have such thoughts about your own mother!"
She averted her gaze shyly, though her reddening face betrayed intense emotions swirling within. It was the first time one of her "children," newly summoned through her ritual, had confessed to herhow bizarre!
Had it been someone else, they would likely have been astonished by Pandora's enchantment and then swept up by her teasing. Indeed, this was a first.
No matter how resolute a person might be, nobody could remain utterly indifferent before Pandora's beauty. It was akin to the curse-level allure of Diarmuid's Love Spot.
Yet
Unfortunately for her, Rei Ao was fully aware of who Pandora truly was. Yes, he felt a ripple of attraction, but so what?
No matter who you are, you feel some stirring when faced with great beauty.
A pure-hearted boy might blush.
A young man might be entranced.
A mature man might feel an urge to possess her.
Under Pandora's mischievous nature, that tiny opening was usually enough to force a complete collapse. But Rei Ao's actions were simple:
He stared.
He acknowledged.
He recognized he only admired her beauty.
As for rising to the level of "love" or "adoration"?
Sorry, at least for Rei Ao, that wasn't happening. Not yet.
"Ahem, my child. Since you've completed the epic feat of god-slaying, I shall now perform the ritual for you to become a Godslayer."
Pandora composed herself, bringing the conversation back on track. She worried his next words might embarrass her further. Taking a moment to adjust her mood, she proudly nodded, thrusting out her modest chest.
"Once you undergo this ritual, you'll obtain the gods' Authority and truly become a Godslayer, reigning supreme on Earth. I can't wait to see what kind of Authority you'll gain."
Realizing who stood before her, Pandora licked her lips suggestively. Even she was excited by the idea that this humanwho already possessed power on par with the godswould soon have divine Authority.
Gradually, a strange sensation appeared. It came from beyond even the Netherworldoriginating in Myth itself.
Through the condition of god-slaying and the medium of Pandora's ritual, the divine connection bridged the natural laws of the world, known as the Authority.
Upon completing the ritual, one would gain godly power, a divine body, a god's Authoritybecoming the Demon King who rules Heaven and Earth, a Godslayer!
Rei Ao closed his eyes. In the next instant, a mysterious power converged within him.
"Hold on!"
Suddenly, he spoke, interrupting.
"Huh?"
Blinking in confusion, Pandora asked, "What's wrong? Don't worry, the ritual is safe~!"
Rei Ao gazed at her for a while, then let out a helpless sigh.
"I don't think I need your ritual anymore."
"Ah?"
Without warning, a storm gathered around him.
Ding!
Behind him appeared a wheel marked with the Ten Incarnations.
"Eh?!"
Pandora's eyes widened. She rubbed them repeatedly in disbelief before confirming it:
Rei Ao was simultaneously displaying Melqart's Storm Authority and Verethragna's Ten Incarnationswithout her ritual ever having finished!
How could that be possible? Clearly, the ceremony hadn't concluded. This outcome was indeed beyond all expectations.
~~~
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Chapter 504: Allegiance and King of Swords Friendliness? (Bonus Chapter)
Just a moment ago, a notification popped up in the chat group:
[Ding! We have detected that you are obtaining abilities "Ten Incarnations" and "Storm Authority" through a special ritual, at the cost of being forcibly changed into a "Godslayer!"]
[Ding! Because all of your sacred power is inviolable, you can never be transformed into a Godslayer!]
[Ding! After making some alterations, you will receive the abilities "Ten Incarnations" and "Storm Authority!"]
""
After reading the notification, Rei Ao looked rather amused. It effectively bypassed this world's "Godslayer system" and simply granted him divine Authorities.
But that was precisely what he wanted. He might need certain Authorities, but the identity of a Godslayer was rather superfluous.
Although Godslayers can exercise divine power, the true owners of those Authorities are ultimately the gods of mythology. Even if a Godslayer obtains such powers, it doesn't mean those Authorities truly become theirs; there are curses that accompany that power.
For instance, the "curse" that fixes a Godslayer's magical energy so that it never increasesas Rei Ao sees it, that's essentially being bound by a curse.
No matter how many Authorities they acquire, the upper limit of a Godslayer's power never changes; only the methods and variety of powers differ.
At the same time, other traits typical of a Godslayer, like ironclad bodies or strengthened constitution, hold no meaning for him.
From Pandora's viewpoint in the Netherworld, she could see Rei Ao was acting strangely, and her expression froze.
"Hhow is this possible?!"
She stared at Rei Ao in shock, looking him up and down. Her gaze was not just surprise but sheer disbelief.
"This can't be! My ritual obviously isn't finished, so how can you already have Authority? And that Authority has already broken away from mythology!"
Pandora fell into chaos. She had lived so long, and every generation of Godslayers was birthed by her hand. But never had she witnessed a case like this.
Normally, the Godslayer inherits the Heretic God's powerat the end of the day, only a fragment of a mythological god's power.
Yet Rei Ao's new Authority had already stepped outside the bounds of myth. It wasn't something she had transferred to him, and it wasn't the mere power of a mythical "Heretic God's avatar."
This truly felt like witnessing an impossibility.
While Pandora stood there, face a mess of confusion, Rei Ao gradually reined in the Authority he'd just displayed. Since he'd now acquired the new powers and also seen Pandora, there was no reason to remain.
"Pandora, it's time I left this place."
He gave her a slight bow, wearing a perfectly composed smile.
"One day, I'll come back to take you out of hereout of mythology. Then, you'll belong to me."
"!!!"
Before Pandora could say anything more, Rei Ao's figure vanished. He returned of his own accord!
Pandora stood there, staring blankly.
"Wait! Let me make sense of this!"
What on earth had just happened?
First, this new Godslayer gained his Authorities before her ritual completed, and those Authorities were independent of mythology!
Then, he left of his own free will, with no help from hereven though normally, she personally releases the Godslayer from the Netherworld.
What on earth was going on?!
"Am I still supposed to be the one hosting the Godslayer ritual? Or is he actually the one in charge?"
Pandora felt her mental framework collapse. Moreover, Rei Ao's final words echoed in her mind.
"Did my own 'child' just flirt with me?"
Her face couldn't get any more bizarre.
Meanwhile, in the real world
Rei Ao slowly opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of Utaha and the others.
"Lord Rei Ao," Erica asked, voice quivering with anticipation, "have you become a Demon King?"
""
After a brief pause, Rei Ao nodded.
"!!!"
Joy erupted on Erica's face. She had just borne witness to the birth of the seventh Godslayer in the world! She immediately dropped to one knee, swearing allegiance without the slightest hesitation:
"I, Erica Browntree, hereby pledge the eternal fealty of the Bronze Black Cross to you, the mighty Demon King and Godslayer!"
"Mmm-hmm. I accept your oath."
Rei Ao smiled faintly and lifted her chin. He knew full well that this clever woman had her own hidden designs. Kusanagi Godou, among the Godslayers, was toyed with by this woman as if he were a pet. Rei Ao didn't mind her scheming because he would show Erica exactly who the master was.
For instance, in her astonished stare, he pressed his lips firmly against hersa kiss that permitted no resistance.
"This is the price you pay for my protection: You will obey me forever."
He stated it plainly, as though allowing no rebuttal.
""
Erica touched her lips, where he'd just gone deeper, her expression complicated. She realized that all her little plans meant nothing to this genuinely powerful man.
He had the ability to control her effortlessly, and any manipulation paled in the face of absolute power.
Momentarily dazed, Erica's gaze became resolved. She understood now: if she couldn't trick him, she might as well give up on that approach and serve honestly as a retainer of the seventh Godslayer.
"Yes. I shall forever obey you!"
Noticing the shift in Erica's eyes, Rei Ao looked pleased. Catching sight of Eriri and Utaha wearing a jealous expressionlike they were watching some overwrought soap operahe shrugged helplessly.
"Don't look at me like that. This is the official method of swearing allegiance in this world, not me messing around."
"Hahahaha!"
At that moment, the "King of Swords," Doni, suddenly came over with a hearty laugh. His gaze was trained on Rei Ao, intense with curiosity.
"Amazing. I saw with my own eyes the birth of the seventh Godslayer."
He introduced himself:
"I am Salvatore Doni, the sixth Godslayera King of Swords. You can call me 'Doni.'"
He tried to sling an arm around Rei Ao's shoulders, but Rei Ao quickly dodgedhe wasn't about to let another man touch him so familiarly.
Not minding the rebuff, Doni retracted his arm with zero embarrassment and waved his hand at Athena, grinning, "Rei Ao, my friend, we've got an extraordinarily powerful Heretic God over there. I honestly can't handle her by myself. How about you and I take her on together?"
~~~
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Chapter 505: So this was what he meant by Conquer...
The King of Swords, for his part, showed none of the so-called Demon King's dignity.
He tried to convince Rei Ao to help him defeat Athena. If not for Rei Ao deliberately keeping his distance, Doni might already be slinging an arm around his shoulders. Clearly, he was a very friendly sort.
""
Athena's gaze was fixed on Rei Ao.
Purely by instinct and aura, she knew that the man before her was now a Godslayer, her natural enemy as a Heretic God. A bow materialized in her hands, and she spoke in a cold tone:
"O Godslayers of this world, do you intend to challenge me?"
"Hah, Heretic Godmaybe I can't beat you alone, but there are two of us here. Bro, what do you say?"
Doni already had his sword aimed at Athena, seemingly eager to fight. The moment Rei Ao nodded, he would rush in without hesitation.
However
Rei Ao suddenly crossed his arms and turned away, acting as though none of this concerned him.
He said flatly, "Go ahead if you want; I'll wait until you finish your battle."
"Huh?"
Salvatore Doni froze in surprise. He looked at Rei Ao, puzzled.
"Brother, are you saying I should fight her one-on-one? Stop kidding aroundshe's unbelievably strong, and neither of us is sure we can handle her alone."
"Sorry, but I intend to conquer this woman all by myself," Rei Ao replied with a smile that didn't sound like he was joking.
""
Doni stared at Rei Ao in silence for a while, then put his sword away.
"Tch."
Scratching the back of his head with a click of his tongue, Doni gave in. Indeed, all Godslayers are oddballs, and Rei Ao was no exception.
Doni's sociable nature wasn't just for showhe had been testing Rei Ao in various ways. Now he had enough to conclude Rei Ao was quite proud as well. Shaking his head helplessly, he raised his hand in a shrug.
"Fine, I can't beat her by myself, so I surrenderdone. If you plan on going solo, I'll be a spectator."
He produced a chair and a cool drink from who-knows-where, then lay back to watch. Giving up so quickly, it seemed he didn't care in the slightest about preserving the "style" of a Godslayer.
Athena frowned.
"So it seems I have only you as my enemy, Godslayer."
She drew back her arrow, aiming straight at Rei Ao.
"No. I'm not your enemy."
Rei Ao shook his head gently.
At that moment, time itself seemed to slow.
Athena and all the others failed to notice anything, for their actions and thoughts had been frozen in placefrozen in concept.
Rei Ao took a step forward. Step by step, he walked across the air itself until he stood before Athena.
He studied her carefully: the heroic face, those pure, lucid eyes, and the long silver hair shimmering with divine radiance. She truly looked every inch a goddess.
He smiled.
"Instead of being your enemy, I'd rather be the man who conquers a goddess."
He lightly lifted her smooth chin. Leaning down, he kissed the goddess's lips.
