On the streets of the Far East.
A group that should have been incredibly eye-catching was walking slowly.
It was a party composed of one young man and two young women.
The youth was remarkably handsome, with ink-black hair and red eyes that burned like roaring flames. He was clearly the type that girls found very attractive.
The two girls beside him were even more stunning.
Their similar facial features were so exquisite they seemed unreal, like works of art meticulously carved by the Creator himself.
Surprisingly, however, such a group walking down the bustling street caused no commotion whatsoever.
Under a barrier of Suggestion, everyone instinctively ignored the trio who looked like they belonged in the spotlight.
---o---
"So, Ah-Li, is it really okay to go challenge the enemy without any preparation at all?"
Standing to the youth's left, the white-haired girl with eyes like a Persian cat tilted her head, complaining as she looked at the boy who seemed to have his head in the clouds, showing no sign of seriousness.
"What is there to prepare for?"
The youth, who had long known Kusanagi Godou's attack patterns, shrugged and replied.
In a battle between equals, the information gap is what decides the victor.
"Arrogance isn't a good habit, you know, Director."
The girl with pink eyes, standing to the youth's right, reminded her lover.
"Even if you're very strong, Director, you shouldn't be too conceited."
Li Zihan was stronger than Kusanagi Godou.
That much was obvious.
Both Li Zihan and Kusanagi Godou were newborn God-Slayers. Ignoring compatibility matchups, they could be considered to be on the same level.
But—
Their foundations before becoming God-Slayers were on completely different planes of existence.
One was an ordinary person with good combat sense.
The other was a (Pseudo) Tri-core Herrscher with a Composite Demigod Saint Graph.
It was already crystal clear who was stronger and who was weaker.
However—
God-Slayers were a race that didn't play by the rules. Upset victories and clutch reversals with a sliver of health were commonplace.
This was the reason for Ana's reminder.
It wouldn't be good if he messed up by getting too careless.
Of course, a small part of this was her own little scheme to make Li Zihan feel a sense of crisis, prompting him to bring her—a Herrscher and a God-Slayer herself—onto the battlefield to show off her skills.
---o---
"Want to make a bet?"
The youth, who had vaguely guessed Ana's little plan, didn't say anything to expose her. Such little schemes were rather cute.
Therefore, he naturally didn't call her out on it, but simply proposed something else.
"Bet on what?"
Sensing that the upcoming wager might be extremely disadvantageous for Ana, Miss Sirin's delicate face grew grave.
Ah-Li was a pervert. If he was proposing a bet, he would most likely demand something utterly shameless.
This was a very bad situation for Miss Sirin.
If Ana lost, she would also likely be forced to face something incredibly humiliating due to the empathy magic.
"Let's bet on how many minutes it will take me to make Kusanagi Godou lose his first life and capture him in a heavily wounded state."
The youth, who had never once considered Kusanagi Godou a true enemy, spoke in a completely serious tone.
Calculated in minutes?
Hearing this, the expressions of both Ana and Sirin became a little strange.
This didn't sound like going to fight a God-Slayer. It sounded like a butcher with ten years of experience going to kill a chicken that was already tied up.
"My wager is an oath that is within my power to fulfill. Do you want to match the bet?"
The youth, who was exceptionally skilled at using an information gap to score a first-encounter kill, looked at the two girls who were clearly hesitant and spoke in a flat tone, uttering words filled with temptation.
"If you win, you can make me swear to never chase after other girls again."
Ah-Li/The Director will never chase after girls again?!
Those words fell upon Sirin's and Ana's ears, causing their hearts to pound.
This had to be a trap.
But it was a trap that seemed to be made of sugar and honey.
The two girls, who deep down didn't actually want their lover to have a harem, were clearly captivated by the possibility.
In any case, the worst that could happen if they lost was being forced to perform some rather shameless acts at night.
"I bet five minutes."
After much thought, Miss Ana stated a time that would allow for a few rounds of combat.
"Three minutes."
The time Miss Sirin gave was even shorter.
Then I'll finish it in under three minutes.
The youth, who had absolute confidence in his ability to take down Kusanagi Godou, smiled faintly.
And then—
Like a volcanic eruption, the unique magical energy signature of a God-Slayer surged forth from his body.
---o---
Kusanagi Godou had spent the entire day holed up in the library.
His enemy was one of his own kind.
A God-Slayer who had slain the Celtic God-King Lugh, the "God of Light and Sun."
The Devil King who had seized power from that God-King would most likely possess an extremely potent Authority.
He would probably be a strong enemy.
But he himself was not weak.
Kusanagi Godou, who was a failure as a Devil King but possessed excellent aptitude as a warrior, thought to himself as he flipped through materials on Lugh.
In fact, it could be said that he was the perfect counter to a God-Slayer who had only killed a single god.
The Heretical Verethragna he had slain was an ever-victorious war god with ten incarnations.
[The Persian Warlord]—his tenth incarnation was the [Warrior].
While this ability was active, his physical capabilities were enhanced, and he would gain the insight to perceive the essence of a god.
Once he had detailed information about the opposing god, he could use words of power to empower his golden sword for an attack.
Against gods and God-Slayers, it was the ultimate shield and the ultimate sword, capable of even severing the divinity of a god or tearing apart a God-Slayer's Authority.
It could be said that this incarnation was quite broken.
If it had no restrictions, it would practically be a god-killer and a God-Slayer's bane.
Unfortunately, due to the restrictions of the [Ten Incarnations], he could only use it once per day, and it could only sever a single aspect of a god's divinity or a single Authority of a God-Slayer.
When facing a God-Slayer who had killed multiple gods or a Heretical God with multiple divinities, this incarnation was used more to neutralize the enemy's most threatening power rather than as a finishing move.
But—
This time, the enemy only has one Authority, doesn't he?
A smile appeared on Kusanagi Godou's lips.
The God-Slayer who had challenged him was, like himself, a newborn in their ranks.
For him, the high-risk [Warrior] incarnation, which might be less effective against other God-Slayers, was a surefire killing blow against this opponent.
He would use the [Warrior] incarnation to sever the newborn King's Authority, then unleash the [White Stallion] to punish the sinner.
Even though he wasn't very proficient with it due to his lack of combat experience, the flames, which could reach four thousand degrees, would be more than enough to incinerate any enemy who stood in his way.
Once he defeated that guy, he could go back to enjoying his quiet life.
A battle-hungry spirit began to burn in the chest of Kusanagi Godou, whose state was similar to Yoshikage Kira's—enjoying not a truly quiet life, but what he believed was a quiet life.
Just as he finished reading the last book on the mythology of the Celtic God-King, he suddenly shot to his feet.
An aura he had never encountered before, yet felt profoundly familiar, was rushing toward him from the distance without any attempt at concealment.
The enemy was here.
Kusanagi Godou recalled the knowledge he had just committed to memory, and a battle-hungry smile spread across his lips.