'Secret Operation'

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

"Eh eh eh??"

Ishtar clutched her head, her face a mask of bewilderment and helplessness. Although the Gugalanna she had summoned was not its full manifestation—merely a fragment brought forth by the power and storms unleashed during the battle between Enkidu and Gilgamesh—it was still a force of nature.

However, in this world, there shouldn't be anyone capable of facing a single strike from the Bull of Heaven!

Only Gilgamesh and Enkidu, with their immense magical energy reserves and the willingness to sacrifice their own spirit origins, could possibly have repelled it!

What on earth was that thing?

Why did it give her the feeling that she had caused trouble again?

And in truth, that was exactly the case.

With his demonic side activated by All the World's Evils, the divine power within Li Ke's body had been suppressed. Under normal circumstances, once his magical energy was exhausted, Li Ke would have reverted to his human form, and the power within him would have faded away.

But at this very moment, what remained of the shattered Gugalanna was not just magical energy.

It was a fragment of its divinity!

Yet, just as the authority of thunder and storms was about to fall into Li Ke's hands and ignite the power within him, a new development occurred.

"...The name of Grand is not what I seek; by the mandate of heaven, I strip you of your immortality!"

The tall Assassin, who had vanished without a sound, reappeared abruptly behind Li Ke, wielding his heavy sword. A pale blue light radiated from him, the sheer density of his magical energy causing the surrounding space to warp.

Li Ke currently lacked the concept of death, so to kill him, one had to force the concept of death back upon him!

But Li Ke, having just unleashed the entire magical reserves of the Greater Grail in one go, merely sneered.

"A mere Counter Force—"

You dare to defile his body?!

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

Pale blue power collided violently between Li Ke and the Assassin. Countless blue cracks appeared on Li Ke's arm first, the aura of death seeping into his body and forcing the concept of 'death' to take root.

But Hassan, who had sacrificed his own spirit origin to unleash this strike, realized that the power of 'death' was actually awakening within Li Ke!

It was not something he possessed innately, but a power awakened by the stimulus of his own attack!

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

However, the power of death was not so easily contained. As the concept of death continued to be forced upon him, leaving his body in a state of neither living nor dead, another power manifested!

Violent magical energy erupted from Li Ke's body, the high concentration forming a pale blue flame around him. Nine magic circuits—or perhaps, nine things that functioned as magic circuits—unleashed their power with such intensity that Li Ke now possessed magical energy that even a so-called 'Grand' could not hope to match!

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

Servants were nothing more than constructs of magical energy; magical energy was everything in this world!

Roaring thunder descended from the heavens, and the typhoons that had gathered earlier began to collide, countless bolts of lightning striking the two figures.

With every strike, Li Ke's body grew stronger, and with every strike, the markings of death upon him faded away!

Li Ke's body began to grow rapidly; his slender frame, nourished and blessed by the lightning, became robust and powerful, as perfect as a sculpture!

Even the towering Assassin looked small before him!

Standing nearly two point eight meters tall, Li Ke looked down at the two-point-two-meter Assassin, his arms crackling with the thunderous power of the sky itself!

The steel greatsword shattered inch by inch, and the body of the Assassin known as Hassan crumbled along with it. But before he vanished, he looked at the being who was both god and demon, and spoke his final thoughts.

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

As his voice faded, his skull mask dissolved into points of light, but even this meager amount of magical energy was absorbed by Li Ke's body.

Indeed, whether it was the power attacking him or the power he released, the greed of humanity drove Li Ke to not let a single drop go to waste, absorbing it all into himself!

However, because his demonic side had awakened first, Li Ke was now acting with a degree of recklessness.

Li Ke's eyes shifted, and a moment later, he spotted a young man with brown skin and white hair, draped in a white shroud, retreating rapidly over ten kilometers away. He smiled, intent on giving chase.

At that moment, Enkidu landed beside him, looking disheveled and staring at Li Ke in disbelief.

"Master, you are..."

In his eyes, although Li Ke possessed the aura of divinity, he was undoubtedly a 'Beast'. Even the aura and will of their mother, Tiamat—the creator goddess of Mesopotamia and all humanity—existed within Li Ke!

Moreover, her situation was similar to Scathach's; if Li Ke wished, he could manifest them into this world with complete bodies and full power!

Simply put!

Li Ke's body was currently packed with multiple Beasts, all at full strength and with clear consciousness! He had become an absolute catastrophe!

Yet, there was no doubt that while Li Ke had gained the power of the Beasts, he was also being influenced by their spirits and desires.

At this moment, his heart was filled with arrogance, rage, lust, and the love of a parent; he wanted to possess everything in this world, to obtain everything this world had to offer.

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

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

However, before he could finish his sentence, a crimson spear lunged toward his throat.

The violent force instantly sent Li Ke flying, but the crimson spear tip failed to pierce his skin. Scathach, gripping her spear, narrowed her beautiful wine-red eyes and immediately thrust her other weapon toward Li Ke's arm, intending to knock his spear away.

Watching Scathach—clad in a skintight suit that revealed nothing, yet left her exquisite curves on full display with every movement—Li Ke couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"My teacher! Isn't this exactly what you were looking forward to? Looking forward to failure, looking forward to being treated roughly?!"

Li Ke stomped hard on the ground to steady himself. He was filled with joy and power, and as he looked at Scathach, he knew this very strength was the reason she had constantly been training him.

"That is true..."

Scathach's wine-red eyes remained fixed on Li Ke. She did not mind that her disciple harbored desire for her body; in fact, she felt a sense of joy because of it.

"However, I would prefer you to strike at me out of your own desire, rather than relying on the power and lust of the Beast..."

She knew that to possess her, her disciple would surely erupt with a tremendous drive to grow stronger.

But she wanted that desire to stem from Li Ke's own will, not from the influence of something summoned from beyond.

Therefore, at this moment, she intended to use pure physical strength to exhaust Li Ke's magical energy!

Due to a certain unique power Li Ke possessed, whenever a Heroic Spirit drew near him, the magical energy constituting their existence would constantly collapse toward him. This was why he could easily slay the summoned Gugalanna and the Assassin who held the status of a Grand Servant.

Anything composed purely of magical energy was countered by Li Ke!

Only by keeping their magical energy contained and constantly plundering the energy within Li Ke's body—while competing for the ambient mana in the atmosphere—could they rely on their superior physical bodies to suppress him and drain his reserves dry!

With that thought, Scathach shot forward. The ground beneath her slender, elegant feet shattered instantly as she lunged toward Li Ke's chest.

"Ridiculous! You underestimate me!"

Li Ke knew that he wasn't displaying this posture because of the Beast's desires. It was simply that his internal morals and restraints had lowered as his so-called "evil" side began to manifest.

But so what? He was still himself!

Without sparing any magical energy, Li Ke thrust his own spear. The two tips collided with pinpoint precision. The moment their forces met, the ground beneath them and the space targeted by their spear tips erupted with countless explosions and roars!

The earth shattered, soil and stone flying toward the sky. The moment the debris crumbled, Scathach's figure darted forward again like lightning.

Magic circles appeared in the air, helping the Queen of the Land of Shadows change direction mid-flight. She dodged Li Ke's second strike and kicked him in the chest, sending him hurtling toward the city center!

Both of them broke the sound barrier. As Li Ke moved, he felt as if he were struggling through a swamp; the resistance was terrifyingly heavy.

Their movements were no longer visible to normal people; any bystander would have been torn to shreds by the storm generated by their clash!

"Hahaha!! Trying to use the city's terrain to fight? My teacher!"

Scathach kicked at Li Ke's chest again, but this time, Li Ke caught her soft foot. He looked at the startled Scathach and asked.

There was no answer. Instead, a surge of magical energy erupted from within Scathach, accompanied by another immense force!

Li Ke was forced back, but at that moment, a golden light flashed. Gilgamesh appeared suddenly, turning into a streak of light that slammed into Li Ke's body!

Unable to find purchase in mid-air, Li Ke was sent flying, his tall frame crashing directly into a three-story building under the impact of that massive force.

The reinforced concrete load-bearing wall shattered upon impact, and the building collapsed, drawing terrified screams from the people inside.

Yet, after doing this, Gilgamesh showed no other reaction. He simply clutched his knee and the arm that had struck Li Ke, gasping for breath.

Everyone knew such an attack was meaningless. Although they had gathered intelligence on Li Ke, relying on brute force alone was not enough to defeat such an opponent!

Li Ke was still growing stronger! Every time he reached the brink of death, he evolved once more!

They had to resort to other methods.

Watching the collapsed building, a smile appeared on Scathach's solemn face.

"As expected..."

The next moment, the building was pierced by countless dark purple rays of magical energy! The energy was used to disintegrate the falling debris, while even more of it enveloped everyone inside, ensuring their survival amidst this unprovoked disaster!

Li Ke's tall figure emerged from the smoke and the glow of the magic.

"Gilgamesh, isn't this a bit too despicable?"

Li Ke walked out, spear in hand. He wanted to hunt Scathach and vent his desires, but that didn't mean he enjoyed harming the innocent!

Seeing the children crying, Li Ke narrowed his eyes.

"Gilgamesh, do you not have a shred of heroism in you? Why do you do such disgusting things!"

Gilgamesh knew his actions could hardly be called heroic, but it didn't matter. These were not his subjects, nor were they "humans" worthy of being called treasures.

"Since you still possess humanity, then to defeat the current you, I must naturally exploit that humanity."

The wicked King of Tyranny sneered. After speaking, he pulled a young girl, roughly eight years old, from a nearby thicket and threw her directly at Li Ke.

"If you don't want this trash to die, then catch her!"

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

The girl pressed a divine core against him, awakening a certain "Beast" within his body.

At the same time, the girl held by Li Ke let out a sincere cry!

"Mommy, someone is bullying me! And he even said Rome is trash! Shiva is great! And Merlin is a good guy!"