'Stealth Operation'

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Wha—what?!"

Ishtar clutched her head, her face full of confusion and helplessness. What she had summoned wasn't all of Gugalanna, but merely a part of it, called forth by the power and storm unleashed when Enkidu and Gilgamesh fought.

But, but no one in this world should have been able to withstand a single blow from Gugalanna!

Only Gilgamesh and Enkidu, with enough magical energy to draw on, might have been able to repel it again by sacrificing their Spirit Origins!

What on earth was that thing?!

Why did she have the feeling she'd gotten herself into trouble again?!

And in fact, she had.

The World's Evils had awakened the demonic side of Li Ke, while the divinity within him had been suppressed. If nothing unexpected happened, once he ran out of magical energy, he would return to his normal human form, and even the power within his body would fade.

But at that very moment, what remained of the defeated Gugalanna was more than just magical energy.

A part of its divinity remained, too!

However, just as the authority of thunder and storm was about to enter Li Ke's hands and awaken the power within him, another unexpected turn occurred.

"...I have no need of the name Grand. By Heaven's decree, I strip you of your immortality!"

The towering Assassin, who had vanished without a sound, appeared behind Li Ke once more, hefting his greatsword. Blue light blazed around him, and the magical energy radiating from his body even began to warp the space around them.

At that moment, the concept of death did not exist for Li Ke. So, to kill him, they first had to make him mortal again!

But Li Ke, who had just fired all the magical energy in the Greater Grail in one go, merely sneered.

"The Counter Force is nothing but—"

"—and it dares to defile my body?!"

Without using his spear, Li Ke reached out and seized the descending greatsword in his bare hand!

Blue power collided violently between Li Ke and the Assassin. Countless blue cracks appeared across Li Ke's arm, and the aura of death seeped into his body, causing the concept of death to take shape within him.

But Hassan, who had sacrificed his Spirit Origin to unleash that blow, realized that the power of 'death' was awakening within Li Ke!

It wasn't a power he'd possessed from birth. It was awakening in response to Hassan's attack!

In other words, the man before him was 'conquering death'!

But the power of death was no easy thing to bear. The concept clung to Li Ke, leaving his body in a state between life and death. And so another power revealed itself!

Violent magical energy erupted from Li Ke's body. Its density was so great that it formed blue flames around him. His nine Magic Circuits—or perhaps they were nine things that might be Magic Circuits—unleashed their power in a frenzy, granting Li Ke more magical energy than even the so-called 'Grand' could aspire to.

Li Ke reached his other hand toward the sky and seized the magical energy of Gugalanna, still falling through the air, along with the energy of Enkidu and Gilgamesh that had been used to summon it!

Servants were nothing more than beings made of magical energy. Magical energy was everything in this world!

A raging thunderclap crashed down from the heavens. The typhoon that had gathered earlier began to collide with it, and countless bolts of lightning struck the two of them.

With every bolt of lightning, Li Ke grew stronger. And with every bolt, the deathly markings on his body disappeared bit by bit!

Li Ke's body continued to grow. Under the torrent and blessing of lightning, his small frame became ever more robust and powerful, sculpted into something like a perfect statue!

Even the towering Assassin charging him looked small beside Li Ke!

At nearly two meters and eighty centimeters tall, Li Ke looked down at the Assassin, who stood only two meters and twenty. Thunder, the power of the heavens, crackled across Li Ke's arm!

The steel greatsword crumbled inch by inch. Hassan, the Assassin, crumbled along with it. Before he fell apart, he looked at the being who was both divine and demonic and spoke his thoughts.

"To think he could even absorb death... Counter Force, perhaps..."

As his words faded, his skull mask dissolved into motes of light. Even that meager magical energy was absorbed by Li Ke's body.

That was right. Whether it was the power used to attack him or the power he released himself, Li Ke's human greed refused to let even a speck go to waste. He absorbed it all into his body!

But with the evil in him awakening first, Li Ke had become rather reckless.

Li Ke's eyes shifted. The next moment, he spotted a young man more than ten kilometers away, retreating rapidly. He had brown skin, white hair, and a white Shroud of Magdalene draped over him. Li Ke smiled and prepared to pursue him.

Just then, Enkidu landed beside him in a sorry state. Panting, he stared at Li Ke in disbelief.

"Master, what have you...?"

In Enkidu's eyes, Li Ke still carried an aura of divinity, but there was no doubt that he was a 'Beast'. Even the presence and will of their mother, Tiamat—the goddess of all Mesopotamia and the Primordial Mother Goddess of humanity—dwelt within Li Ke!

And his mother's situation was much like Scathach's. If Li Ke wished, he could release them into this world, where they would possess complete bodies and powers!

In short!

Li Ke now contained several Beasts, each with their full powers and clear minds! He was already an unmitigated calamity!

But there was no doubt that although Li Ke had gained the power of the Beasts, their minds and desires were influencing him as well.

At that moment, his heart was full of pride, anger, lust, and parental love. He wanted to possess everything in the world, to claim everything it had to offer.

So, as he looked at the beautiful green figure, Li Ke smiled.

"Ah, Enkidu. It's fine. When we get home, come to my room. You and Scathach are the same to me..."

But before he could finish speaking, a crimson spear thrust toward his throat.

The raging force sent Li Ke flying. But the red spearhead couldn't pierce his skin. Scathach narrowed her beautiful wine-red eyes and immediately thrust her other spear at Li Ke's arm, trying to knock his weapon aside.

But as Li Ke looked at Scathach, dressed in a tight-fitting bodysuit that revealed none of her skin, yet showed off every gorgeous curve when she moved, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"My teacher! Aren't you looking forward to this? Hoping to fail, hoping for someone to treat you roughly?!"

Li Ke stomped hard against the ground to steady himself. Filled with joy and power, he looked at Scathach, knowing that his strength was the result of her constant training.

"That's true..."

Scathach's wine-red eyes remained fixed on Li Ke. She didn't mind her disciple desiring her body. In fact, it pleased her.

"But I'd rather you act on your own desires, not the power and urges of a Beast..."

After all, if he wanted her body, he would surely be driven to grow much stronger.

But she wanted Li Ke's desire to come from his own will, not from something that had been summoned into him.

So, at that moment, she planned to rely on nothing but her physical strength and wear down Li Ke's magical energy!

Because of Li Ke's special power, the magical energy that made up Heroic Spirits would collapse toward him whenever they approached. That was why he could so easily kill the summoned Gugalanna and the Assassin who had been a Grand.

Anything made purely of magical energy was at a disadvantage against Li Ke!

Only by keeping her magical energy from leaking out, while constantly stealing the energy inside Li Ke and competing for the magical energy in the atmosphere, could she rely on her superior body to suppress him and exhaust his reserves!

As soon as she finished speaking, Scathach shot forward. The ground beneath her slender, beautiful foot shattered, and she slammed into Li Ke's chest.

"Ridiculous! You underestimate me!"

Li Ke knew he wasn't acting this way because of a Beast's desires. It was simply that when the so-called evil side surfaced, his morals and restraint weakened.

But so what? He was still himself!

Without holding back in the slightest, Li Ke thrust his spear as well. The tips of their spears met precisely, and in that instant, countless explosions and thunderous impacts erupted from the ground beneath them and the spot where their weapons collided!

The earth split apart, and rocks soared into the sky. The instant they shattered, Scathach shot toward him again like lightning.

Magic circles appeared in midair, giving the queen of the Land of Shadows a foothold from which to change direction. She dodged Li Ke's second thrust, then kicked him in the chest and drove him toward the city center at breakneck speed!

Both of them broke through the sound barrier. As Li Ke moved, his body felt as though it were pushing through a pool of mud, meeting terrifying resistance.

But their movements had already surpassed what ordinary people could see. The moment anyone laid eyes on them, the storm their movements unleashed would tear them to pieces!

"Hahaha! Planning to use the city streets to your advantage, my teacher?!"

Scathach kicked toward Li Ke's chest again. Li Ke caught her soft foot, then looked at her startled expression and asked:

She gave him no answer. Instead, magical energy surged within her, followed by another immense force!

Li Ke was sent flying backward once more. But just then, a golden light flashed, and Gilgamesh suddenly appeared, streaking toward Li Ke's body!

Unable to brace himself in midair, Li Ke was knocked away. His towering frame crashed into a three-story building under the tremendous force!

The reinforced concrete load-bearing walls shattered on impact, and the building collapsed with them. The people still inside cried out in terror as it came down.

But after Gilgamesh had done all that, he made no other move and showed no expression. He simply braced his hands on his knees and panted, having slammed into Li Ke's arm.

Everyone knew that an attack like that was utterly pointless. They had figured out Li Ke's abilities, but no one could defeat an opponent like him alone!

Because Li Ke was still getting stronger! Whenever he reached the brink of death, he grew stronger yet again!

So they could only try another approach.

But as Scathach looked at the collapsed building, a smile appeared on her solemn face.

"Just as I thought..."

The next moment, countless streams of dark purple magical energy pierced the building! Some of it was used to vaporize the rubble, while the rest enveloped everyone inside, allowing them to survive the disaster that had befallen them through no fault of their own!

Li Ke's towering figure emerged amid the dust and glow of magical energy.

"Gilgamesh, that was a little underhanded, wasn't it?"

Li Ke strode out with his spear in hand. He had wanted to hunt Scathach and give vent to his desires, but that didn't mean he wanted to hurt innocent people!

Watching the children cry, Li Ke narrowed his eyes.

"Gilgamesh, don't you have even a shred of heroism in you? Why would you do something so disgusting?!"

Gilgamesh knew that his actions could hardly be called heroic. But he didn't care. These people weren't his subjects, nor were they 'treasures' worthy of being called humanity.

"Because you still have some humanity left, the only way to defeat you as you are now is to use it against you."

The cruel King of Tyranny sneered. After speaking, he reached into a thicket, pulled out a little girl who looked about eight years old, and flung her straight at Li Ke.

"If you don't want this useless brat to die, catch her!"

The eight-year-old girl was hurled like a cannonball. Li Ke could even see the tears in her eyes. Instinctively, he rushed forward, spending a great deal of magical energy to catch her, and then—

A god's Spirit Core was pressed against him by the girl, awakening a certain 'Beast' within him.

At the same time, the little girl in Li Ke's arms cried out with heartfelt urgency!

"Mommy, someone's bullying me! And he said Rome is trash! Shiva is amazing! Merlin is a good person!"