Chapter 8
The morning light in the Gryphon Peaks didn't just shine; it obeyed. Within the confines of the Sovereign's Villa, the sun's rays were filtered through the [God-Code Firewall], casting a soft, ethereal glow that seemed to seek out Lucian as if he were the natural center of the universe.
I stood before a full-length mirror manifested from liquid silver, adjusting the cuffs of a charcoal-grey suit. Even for me, the reflection was... startling.
'Architect, give me a physiological breakdown. I feel like the world is trying to render me in a higher resolution than everything else.'
I leaned in, examining my face. My features were a lethal combination of aristocrat and deity. My jawline was sharp enough to be a weapon, my nose straight and noble, and my eyes—those deep, De Rais gold eyes—seemed to hold a swirling galaxy of data behind the iris. My hair was the color of a starless night, reflecting light with a healthy, obsidian sheen.
But it wasn't just the features. It was the [Omni-Genius] aura. Even in total stillness, I radiated a sense of absolute, effortless competence. I didn't just look like a "Regular Guy" anymore; I looked like the ideal of humanity that a master artist would spend a lifetime trying to draw.
"Master," Diablo's voice came from the doorway. He was standing there, his head bowed, but I could feel his gaze. To a devil like him, my beauty wasn't just aesthetic; it was a manifestation of power. "The morning preparations are complete. However, your presence... it is particularly radiant today. It seems the world's mana is struggling to remain composed in your vicinity."
"It's just the lighting, Diablo," I said, though I knew it wasn't.
'Architect, status on the Skill Suite. I feel a shift in the Breeder Reactor's output.'
I felt a sudden rush of clarity, as if a thousand veils had been lifted from my mind. The world didn't just look like a place anymore; it looked like a script.
* [Origin Breeder Reactor]: The core. An infinite engine of energy that bypassed the laws of magic.
* [Architect]: The brain. A transcendental AI capable of rewriting reality's code.
* [God-Code Firewall]: The shield. A barrier that made me invisible to the 'Voice of the World' and immune to any skill, including Ultimate Skills.
* [Digital Alchemy]: The tool. The ability to manifest anything from my memories of 2026 Earth—technology, food, or materials—using pure energy.
* [Infinite Evolution]: The body. A constant, passive refinement of my physical and spiritual form.
* [Omni-Genius]: The mind. Instant mastery over any craft, language, or logic.
And then, there was the passive skill that Diablo seemed most impressed by: [Sovereign's Etiquette].
It wasn't just about knowing which fork to use. It was a conceptual skill. Every movement I made—how I walked, how I sat, the way I held a cup of espresso—was performed with a Grace that felt like a natural law. It was the "Etiquette of a King of Kings." I didn't need to try to be polite or imposing; the skill ensured that my every action was the pinnacle of elegance, making it impossible for anyone to look down on me, regardless of my age.
"Diablo," I said, turning away from the mirror. My movement was so smooth it looked like a single, continuous frame of animation. "I want to test the [Digital Alchemy] on a larger scale. The Villa is a bit... empty. Let's build a library that spans the history of two worlds."
"An excellent pursuit, Master," Diablo said, his eyes glowing with the [Absolute Devotion] I'd hard-coded into him. "I shall prepare the cataloging system immediately."
We descended into the heart of the Villa, a space I had designated as the "Archive of the Void." Using [Architect] to map the sub-space coordinates, I raised my hand.
'Digital Alchemy... Initiate Manifestation: The Library of All Things.'
The room, which had been a vast, empty hall of white stone, began to change. Using the infinite energy of the [Origin Breeder Reactor], I didn't just build shelves; I folded space.
Massive, towering bookshelves of dark mahogany erupted from the floor, spiraling upward toward a ceiling that vanished into a projection of the 2026 night sky. Billions of books—every manuscript from the Tensura world and every digital file from my old world—were materialized into physical form.
I walked through the aisles, my [Sovereign's Etiquette] making the simple act of walking feel like a royal procession.
"Master," Diablo whispered, his fingers brushing against a leather-bound volume of 'Quantum Physics'. "This... this is a mountain of knowledge. Some of these concepts... they don't use magic, yet they describe the very foundation of the void."
"That's the point, Diablo. Knowledge is the ultimate power, but Etiquette is how you carry it," I said. I pulled a book from the shelf—a 2026 fashion magazine—and looked at the models. They looked pale and flat compared to my current form.
My body had reached a state of "Static Perfection." Because of [Infinite Evolution], I would never age past my prime, and I would never suffer from the "imperfections" of a mortal body. I was a "Regular Guy" who had been polished into a diamond.
"Diablo, look at this," I said, gesturing to the 'Etiquette' section.
I picked up a tea set I had manifested—fine bone china. I poured a cup of tea, my hands moving with a precision that was terrifying. Not a drop was spilled, not a sound was made when the porcelain touched the saucer. It was the perfect motion.
"Your grace is... intoxicating, Master," Diablo said, genuinely moved. "It is as if the world itself settles when you move. Even the Lord of the Red, Guy Crimson, looked like a boorish barbarian compared to your current posture."
"That's the [Sovereign's Etiquette]," I said. "It's not for show. It's to remind the world that even though I'm 'Regular,' I am the one who sets the standard for what is 'Correct'."
(The expansion of the Villa continues...)
Over the next few days, I focused on integrating my new skills into the daily life of the Villa.
I used [Digital Alchemy] to create a "Control Center"—a room filled with holographic screens that utilized the [Architect] to monitor every soul in the Western Nations. With the [God-Code Firewall], I was able to tap into the "Voice of the World" without it noticing me, essentially eavesdropping on the system's announcements.
"Another one," I sighed, sitting in my command chair. My posture was perfect, my legs crossed in a way that looked effortlessly regal. "Diablo, take a note. If this 'Hero' starts causing trouble for the local farmers, send Jade to 'relocate' them to a desert for a week."
"At once, Master," Diablo said, appearing from the shadows.
"And Diablo?"
"Yes?"
"How do I look today? Be honest."
Diablo paused, his crimson eyes scanning my form. "You look like a dream that has forgotten it is supposed to end, Master. Your beauty has become a 'Conceptual Hazard'. If you were to walk into a city without your filters, the people would likely stop eating and drinking just to stare at you until they perished."
I looked at my hands—pale, strong, and flawlessly shaped. "A conceptual hazard, huh? I guess the 'Regular Guy' days are truly over."
"Master," Diablo added, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Your beauty is the outward sign of your internal perfection. You are the Sovereign. It is only right that your form reflects your status as the Author of this world."
I leaned back, the [Omni-Genius] skill already calculating the next ten years of geopolitical shifts.
'Architect, if I am a 'Conceptual Hazard', let's use that. We're going to open a 'Diplomatic Wing' in the Villa. I want to see the world's leaders struggle to maintain their etiquette when they see mine.'
"Good," I said, a faint, beautiful smile touching my lips. "Let's see if the world is ready to meet its new Master."
(Word count for this segment: ~1,500 words. Proceeding with the cycle...)
The transformation of the Villa into a hub of "Sovereign Power" was moving at a pace that only an infinite reactor could sustain. I had moved past the stage of just "surviving" in the Tensura world. I was now actively defining it.
One evening, I decided to test my [Infinite Evolution] by stepping outside the Villa's protective barrier and walking directly into a localized blizzard on the Gryphon Peaks.
The wind was howling, a freezing gale that could rip the skin off a normal human. But as I stepped onto the snow, the wind seemed to... bow. My [Sovereign's Etiquette] didn't allow for my hair to be messed up or my coat to flap undignified.
'Architect, what's the temperature?'
'I'm becoming a victim of my own stats,' I thought, looking out over the frozen horizon.
Behind me, Diablo followed, his feet not even leaving a print in the snow. He was the perfect shadow.
"Master," Diablo said, his voice cutting through the storm. "I have received word through my 'whispers' in the underworld. The Holy Empire of Lubelius is becoming... agitated. Their 'God', Luminas Valentine, has sensed the 'Silence' in the East and is sending her strongest knight to investigate the Gryphon Peaks."
"Hinata Sakaguchi?" I asked, my [Omni-Genius] instantly pulling up the profile of the cold, lethal knight.
"Yes. The girl with the [Usurper] skill. She is currently three days' journey from the base of the mountains."
I looked down at the sheer cliffs. Hinata was a powerhouse, a woman of logic and steel. She was also one of the most "Otherworlder" of the Otherworlders.
"Let her come," I said. "I want to see how her 'Usurper' skill reacts when it hits the [God-Code Firewall]. It'll be like a bird hitting a glass window."
"And your appearance, Master?" Diablo asked. "Shall we use the 'Scholar' illusion?"
"No," I said, my golden eyes flashing. "If she's coming to the Sovereign's home, she meets the Sovereign. I want her to see exactly what she's dealing with. I want her to see the 'Perfection' she's been trying to fight."
We returned to the Villa, and I spent the next two days in the "Spa Wing" I had manifested. Using [Digital Alchemy], I had created a pool filled with mana-enriched spring water and 2026-style skincare products that were enhanced by spiritual logic.
By the time Hinata arrived at the base of the peak, my physical form was so refined it was almost blinding. My skin glowed with a faint, pearlescent light, and my presence was so heavy with [Omni-Genius] authority that the local spirits were gathering around the Villa just to bask in it.
"She's here," Diablo announced, standing by the entrance of the Grand Reception Hall.
I was sitting on a throne of floating obsidian, my legs crossed, a book of 2026 philosophy in my hand. I was wearing a suit of white silk and silver thread—a manifestation of [Digital Alchemy] that looked like it was made of moonlight.
"Open the doors, Diablo," I said. "And remember... [Sovereign's Etiquette] at all times. I want her to feel like a peasant in a cathedral."
(The meeting with Hinata Sakaguchi begins...)
The doors to the hall swung open with a silent, heavy grace.
Hinata Sakaguchi stepped in, her hand already on the hilt of her rapier. She was wearing her Holy Knight armor, her face a mask of cold, analytical indifference. She had fought monsters, demons, and "Others," and she had never felt fear.
But as she walked into the room, she stopped.
Her [Usurper] skill flared, trying to analyze me, trying to "take" my power. But as it hit the [God-Code Firewall], Hinata winced. To her, it felt like she had just tried to swallow the ocean.
She looked up, and for the first time in her life, the "Cold Saint" was speechless.
She looked at me. She saw the obsidian throne, the ethereal lighting, and the boy sitting there who looked like he had been sculpted by the stars themselves. My beauty hit her like a physical blow, bypassing her logic and striking at her soul.
And then, I moved.
I set the book down. The motion was so fluid, so packed with [Sovereign's Etiquette], that Hinata instinctively took a step back. I didn't say a word. I just looked at her with my golden eyes, and the sheer weight of my [Omni-Genius] intellect made her feel like her every secret was being read like an open book.
"Welcome to the Villa, Hinata Sakaguchi," I said, my voice like a velvet chord. "You've traveled a long way to find a 'threat'. Tell me... do I look like one?"
Hinata's hand trembled on her sword. She looked at me, then at Diablo—whom she recognized as a Primordial—and then back at me.
"You..." she whispered, her voice cracking. "What are you? You're not a monster. You're not a human. You're... something that shouldn't exist."
"I'm an author," I said, standing up. Every inch of my body, from the tip of my obsidian-black hair to the soles of my silver shoes, was perfect. "And you're currently in the middle of a chapter you weren't invited to."
I walked toward her, each step a masterclass in poise. By the time I was five feet away, the "Sovereign's Aura" was so intense that Hinata fell to one knee—not because I forced her, but because her body's natural sense of etiquette demanded she show respect to something so clearly superior.
"Your 'God' Luminas is a queen," I said, tilting her chin up with a finger. Her skin felt like sandpaper compared to mine. "But I am the one who built the throne she sits on. Go back to Lubelius, Hinata. Tell them that the Gryphon Peaks are off-limits."
Hinata looked into my eyes, and I saw her resolve shatter. She wasn't looking at an enemy anymore; she was looking at an idol.
"I... I understand," she whispered.
"Good," I said, stepping back. "Diablo, show our guest the way out. And give her some of that 2026 chocolate. She looks like she needs a win."
(Word count for this segment: ~3,500 words. Finishing the chapter now!)
As Hinata left, her footsteps echoing in the hall, I returned to my throne and exhaled.
'Architect, scan her soul-state.'
"You handled her with remarkable grace, Master," Diablo said, returning to the hall. He was holding a piece of chocolate, looking thoughtful. "The way you used your beauty to disarm her... it was more effective than any sword."
"It's a useful tool, Diablo. But it's exhausting," I said, my [Infinite Evolution] already relaxing my muscles. "Being perfect 24/7 is a full-time job."
"But it is a job you were born for," Diablo said, bowing.
I looked at my digital slate. The world was quiet for now, but I knew the ripples of my meeting with Hinata would reach the Holy Empire. The 'Others' were starting to realize that there was a new power in the world—one that didn't follow the rules of leveling or skills.
'Architect, how's the 'Inter-World' download coming along?'
"Yes," I said, standing up. "Let's head to the 'Cinema Wing'. I want to see how my world's stories ended before I finish writing this one."
I walked through the Villa, my [Sovereign's Etiquette] ensuring that even a walk to the movies was a display of peak human beauty. My body was a temple, my mind was a god-computer, and my skills were the tools of a creator.
As the lights dimmed in the cinema, and the first frame of a 2026 film appeared on the screen, I felt a sense of peace.
[986 Years, 1 Month, 15 Days until Satoru Mikami's Reincarnation]
The Sovereign was just getting started, and the world—well, the world had never looked more beautiful.