The Goddess of Space waited in silence, watching Luca's expression closely.
She expected panic.
Maybe a little outrage.
Perhaps even a streak of horror.
After all, this was no small revelation—he, once the apex predator of the world, was no longer alone at the top.
He had been the single chosen hero, the unmatched force who stood above armies, nations, and kings…and now, suddenly, there were others.
Not one, not two, but many—a whole classroom of heroes, all summoned to challenge him.
Surely, she thought, he'd look stricken. Maybe curse under his breath. Maybe demand answers.
But instead—
Luca grinned.
Not a nervous smile. Not a defiant smirk.
A genuine, almost childlike grin of excitement.
His eyes lit up, and a little laugh escaped him.
"Really?"
He said, his tone rising like he'd just been told his favorite festival was coming back to town.
"You're serious? A whole classroom? That's amazing!"
The goddess blinked in confusion. "…I'm sorry, what?"
"This is like one of those fantasy novels!" He said, eyes lighting up. "You know—the ones where an entire classroom gets summoned into another world! I can't believe this is actually happening!"
"Not only did I get to meet real-life elves, but now I get to see a whole batch of new heroes too? This is perfect!"
He was practically bouncing in place, looking like a kid who'd just been told he could go to an amusement park.
"I mean, come on, it's going to be so much fun! I get to meet other heroes! Maybe spar with them! See what kind of powers they have! This is going to be awesome!"
For a long moment, the Goddess of Space simply stared at him, her mouth slightly open in disbelief.
"You're…happy?" She finally managed to say. "You're actually happy about this? Why in the heavens would you be?"
"Do you not understand that this means you'll have more enemies now? That every single one of them is going to be coming after you?"
"Yeah, but that's what makes it exciting!" Luca shrugged, grinning. "Back in my old world, there was nobody to challenge me. Everyone was too weak, too normal—no magic, no real threats."
"But now? Real heroes. Real power. Real fights. It's exactly what I've been missing!"
The goddess's face twisted between frustration and amusement.
"You…are utterly insane."
She muttered under her breath, before speaking louder.
"Luca, you can't underestimate them. These are not ordinary people. They've been blessed specifically to counter you. They'll be given powers that match your nature, divine gifts tailored to defeat you."
He tilted his head curiously. "Oh?"
"Yes." She said seriously. "They've been summoned with one clear purpose—to bring you down. Their divine blessings are immense. And unlike you, they were given explicit enhancements meant to grow stronger over time."
"Even if they start off weak, they will continue to develop. Each day, each battle, they will evolve. Their growth potential is nearly limitless."
"Sounds fun." Luca said with a bright smile.
The goddess pinched the bridge of her nose.
"That's not all." She said. "Because of the inter-goddess treaty that was formed after your…incident, there is now a rule in place: you are not allowed to kill these heroes until they've reached their full strength."
"Wait, what?" Luca narrowed his eyes.
"Yes." She confirmed. "You can't kill them. Not even one. Not until they reach their peak."
"The idea is that both sides should have equal power before the final confrontation. So you'll have to wait until they're strong enough to face you on even ground."
He chuckled softly.
"So basically, I'm supposed to let them train, grow stronger, and then come for me later?"
"Exactly." She said sternly. "And I don't think you understand how much of a headache that will be for you."
"They'll be numerous, each with divine blessings you don't have, each growing stronger by the day."
But instead of worry, Luca just gave a confident smirk.
"It's fine." He said calmly. "I'm not underestimating them. It's just that I know what I'm capable of. No matter what they throw at me, I'll manage."
The Goddess of Space went silent for a moment, watching him.
It was only then that she realized why so many heroes had to be summoned.
Why an entire classroom was needed.
It wasn't because the humans wanted overkill—it was because they had to.
Luca's strength was far beyond what any single hero could counter.
He was so overwhelmingly powerful that the heavens themselves needed to send dozens just to balance the scales.
Her stern expression softened slightly as she finally exhaled.
"…Yes. I suppose that makes sense."
She murmured, half to herself.
"I might have been the one overthinking things."
Then she looked at him again, curiosity flickering in her celestial eyes.
"Still, you really don't mind any of this? You don't think it's unfair? Being suddenly targeted by so many heroes at once?"
Luca laughed lightly.
"Unfair? Nah. It's way more heroic this way! Think about it—one lone guy standing against an army of otherworldly heroes? That's like peak fantasy right there! It makes me look cooler!"
The goddess stared at him blankly for a second before crossing her arms.
"You really do have a… unique perspective on things." She said dryly.
"I prefer to call it optimism." Luca replied with a wink.
She sighed, shaking her head.
"In any case, the heroes have already been summoned to the human world. They're adapting, stabilizing the continent, and growing stronger every day."
"For now, you are to leave them alone. The heavens want to make sure the balance is perfect before your inevitable clash."
She pointed a finger at him sternly.
"That means no assassinating them early, no ambushes, no massacres. You have to wait until they're ready."
Luca only crossed his arms and nodded nonchalantly.
"Yeah, that's fine. I'm patient. I'll let the kids grow up a little."
"Kids?"
"Well, they're from a school, right? So they're basically children. I'll treat them like it." He said with a grin. "I'll play around with them a little, test them, have some fun. But I'll go easy. Promise."
The goddess pinched the bridge of her nose again, muttering.
"This mortal is going to give me grey hair…"
Then, regaining her composure, she sighed.
"Fine. But remember this, you can still kill ordinary humans. There's no divine restriction on that. However…" She added sharply. "I strongly advise you not to go on another massacre spree. Things have changed."
Luca raised a brow. "Changed how?"
"There's now a system in place." She explained. "The more humans you kill, the stronger the new heroes will become. Their growth is tied directly to your actions. Every drop of blood you spill will make them more powerful."
He thought about it for a moment before saying,
"…So killing people literally gives them experience points?"
"Essentially." She sighed. "So if you don't want them turning into demi-gods overnight, stop making rivers of blood flow through cities."
"Got it." Luca said, holding up his hands. "No mass genocide. Understood."
She stared at him suspiciously. "You're not taking this seriously enough."
"I am." He smiled. "I'll be careful. No more unnecessary killing. I'll try to think like a pacifist…at least for your sake."
Seeing him like this, the Goddess of Space didn't know whether to laugh, sigh, or scold him.
She truly couldn't tell if Luca was serious about turning over a new leaf or if he'd go right back to killing 'just a few more corrupt people' simply to make the new heroes level up faster—just so he could fight them later for fun.
He was unpredictable, infuriatingly casual, and far too comfortable with chaos.
Still, she had no choice but to trust him—for now.
So, after a long pause, she let out a weary sigh and said.
"Alright…I'll take your word for it for now. I'll just hope you actually try to be the pacifist you claim you'll be."
Then she took a breath, brushing her hair back elegantly as her tone shifted to something more formal.
"Now then. Just as I've had my complaints about you, I know you have your own grievances against me and it's time to address them all."
Luca blinked, caught off guard.
"Oh? You mean the whole thing I was grumbling about earlier?"
"Exactly that." She nodded. "The separation of the demi-human races, the male and female divisions and the matter of reproduction."
"I'll explain it all now."