The totems representing Verethragna's ten avatars flowed into **Lucas**'s body, and new words appeared in his mind.
Authority—divine power belonging to gods in this world. Once a human slays a god, they can seize the god's power.
At that moment, Lucas sensed someone calling for him.
He could use the power of "Gale" to instantly move to the caller.
So Lucas activated Gale.
Whooo—!
A tornado formed around Lucas.
In front of Erica, another tornado suddenly appeared, and Lucas's figure emerged from it.
"Lucas?! You… you really killed Verethragna?!"
Seeing Lucas appear like that, Erica immediately guessed that Lucas had taken Verethragna's Authority.
"Yeah… pretty much."
"Then a new Godslayer has been born—the seventh Godslayer… no, the seventh Demon King!"
"Demon King?"
Lucas raised an eyebrow. What a dramatic title.
Erica explained, "I told you about Heretic Gods, right? People weave countless legends, and those legends give rise to countless gods. Gods are meant to remain within the roles defined by their legends, keeping the world running as it should."
"But not all gods are willing to obediently follow the roles assigned to them. Those are called 'Heretic Gods.'"
"Heretic Gods bring disaster. Human mages fight them to protect the world."
"Even though the gap between humans and gods is enormous, now and then a rare genius—or a stroke of luck, or some coincidence—manages to kill a god."
"A mage who kills a Heretic God is called a 'Campione'—a Godslayer."
"And since killing a god is like overthrowing a ruler… a Godslayer is also called a Demon King. The supreme king among mages."
"When a Demon King kills a god, they steal the corresponding Authority."
"Like the 'Gale' you just used—that was Verethragna's first avatar."
"So yes… you're now this world's seventh Demon King."
"I see."
Lucas knew a little, but not nearly as clearly as Erica explained it.
Gaining powers by killing gods… it really was a blunt, game-like system.
"Alright. It's over, so I should head back."
Lucas opened the chat-group panel, preparing to return to the Fairy Tail world.
Erica hurriedly stopped him. "W-Wait! Lucas—aren't you interested in divine Authorities?"
Almost every Demon King craved killing gods—or even other Demon Kings—to steal more Authorities and grow stronger.
But Lucas looked like he barely cared.
"Not interested? I'm a little interested," Lucas said. "But not that interested."
"Power you get without training has limits. Compared to Authorities, I prefer magic, breathing techniques, and combat skill—then using those to beat gods."
"I'm not interested in killing people just to steal their power."
"But if you're ever in danger—or need help—call me."
Lucas turned to leave.
"Please wait!"
Lucas turned back—
—and felt something soft and sweet press against his lips.
His eyes widened as he realized what was happening, staring into Erica's beautiful eyes from inches away.
A moment later, their lips separated.
Erica's face turned faintly red. "A thank-you gift!"
Then she spun around and ran off.
Lucas stood there, stunned, touching his lips.
Did he just… get taken advantage of?
So that was his first kiss.
And honestly… it felt pretty good.
Watching Erica disappear, Lucas couldn't help the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
Then he pressed "Return."
Whoosh—!
Lucas returned to the Fairy Tail world, still replaying the sensation in his head.
Meanwhile, the chat group was buzzing.
**[Rin: "Lucas is insane! One hit wiped out that smug god and the whole island—so cool!"]**
**[Rin: "I've decided! I'm saving points starting now—I'm going to buy that spell no matter what!"]**
**[Kanae: "W-Waaah… I want to learn too, but I don't have magic at all. I can't learn it. I'm so jealous."]**
**[Whitebeard: "Don't rush, kid. Pops will get you a strong Devil Fruit. If you keep developing it, you can still become powerful."]**
With Whitebeard's influence, getting a Devil Fruit wasn't hard. And he certainly wouldn't hand out something mediocre—his pride wouldn't allow it.
**[Kanae: "Thank you, Pops."]**
**[Rin: "Pops, I want one too! I want one too!"]**
**[Whitebeard: "Alright, alright—everyone gets one. Everyone gets one."]**
Whitebeard sounded genuinely pleased. Ever since joining the chat group, his mood had improved day by day.
**[Rin: "By the way, Erica—what exactly do 'Godslayer' and 'Demon King' mean?"]**
Earlier, the live feed cut out when Erica started explaining, so the others missed it.
So Erica repeated what she told Lucas.
**[Rin: "So if you kill a Heretic God, you can steal an Authority?"]**
**[Erica: "Not only Heretic Gods. Demon Kings can steal Authorities from each other too—if they kill each other."]**
**[Kanae: "…Doesn't that turn it into a cycle of slaughter between gods and Demon Kings… and Demon Kings against Demon Kings?"]**
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