"Let me out, you idiot!"
The loli demon shouted in Lucius's ear.
She couldn't comprehend it.
Utterly baffled.
Lucius's reaction was beyond her expectations.
"You'll die like this. Are you seriously betting on becoming a Campione? Don't be foolish—you're not one of this world's chosen ones."
"You know it, don't you? In this world, those so-called 'lucky ones' are preordained! This world's fate would never include an outsider like you in its favored list!"
"All I want… is freedom. Let me out, and I'll handle this guy for you. I swear I won't harm you!"
The demon in the bottle yelled, her dark golden eyes filled with confusion.
"Is your brain broken? Aren't you the most cowardly, death-fearing guy out there? Just let me out!"
"Rather than gambling your life against an enemy far stronger than you, isn't trusting me a better shot at survival?"
"It's not a death sentence," Lucius said, gripping his sword tightly, his voice low.
Then, the demon sensed the temple's energies begin to converge.
Though the temple itself wasn't a divine artifact, centuries of worship had imbued it with extraordinary power.
Now, that faith-forged energy was rekindling, flowing into Lucius's body.
"What are you—"
Sensing the shift in Lucius's aura, Mars's pupils narrowed, his face a mix of shock and fury.
"You dare consume my divine power!"
The Roman war god's expression turned to rage for the first time.
"Evil wolf of the Huns! You once tore my flesh, devoured me piece by piece, and that hatred and pain are etched in my heart!"
"Now you dare steal my divine essence! You plunder my very core!"
Seeing his own familiar divine aura manifest in Lucius, Mars's killing intent surged.
"Mars!" Lucius roared, tightening his grip on the sword and charging at the war god.
Thanks to the demon's earlier guidance, he'd grown more adept at wielding his power.
Mortals and gods alike held perceptions of their world or environment.
They observed reality, forming their worldview.
For ordinary people, this relationship was one-way: the world shaped their perspective.
But the demon had shown him another path.
A worldview that mutually influenced the world.
With his current power, his worldview could only barely envelop himself.
This personal worldview stemmed from humanism, the belief that humans shaped everything.
According to the demon, it was one of the most potent systems in the infinite worlds, usable only by those with fiercely individualistic minds.
Through this [Worldview], he could channel his magic to conjure light swords.
It also allowed him to expend magic to enhance his physical abilities or accelerate healing.
Because he believed he could, he could.
But no matter how promising this system's future, its strength depended on the user.
"Evil wolf! Die!" Mars's sword blazed with divine light, striking down at Lucius with unrestrained force.
"You're the one who should die!" Lucius gritted his teeth, pulling the sealed bottle from his coat and raising it to block Mars's descending strike.
The divine Sword of Mars possessed unparalleled sharpness and power.
Lucius's conjured light sword shattered after a few clashes with it.
Yet when the Sword of Mars struck the sealed bottle, it left no mark.
This was within Lucius's expectations.
If the bottle were so easily broken, the demon wouldn't need to scheme so hard for him to unseal it.
Still, the force of the clash numbed his hand, nearly making him lose his grip.
But—
"Die, Mars!" Lucius shouted, swinging his sword at Mars's neck.
"Hmph! Futile struggle!" Mars sneered, the divine glow enveloping him growing brighter.
Lucius had tried countless times, unable to breach Mars's divine aura.
But this time—
A strange light flickered across his sword.
Its divine aura shifted abruptly.
A sudden premonition stirred in Mars's heart.
"That's—"
He swung his sword with greater force.
This time, Lucius's sword, now radiating a divine aura identical to Mars's, sliced through his protective divine energy like a hot knife through butter, cutting effortlessly!
"What?" Mars, the war god, was stunned for the first time, twisting his body aside in a desperate move.
Even so, Lucius's sword landed on his shoulder, severing an arm and half the shoulder in one stroke!
A pity it didn't take his head—
Lucius gritted his teeth, cursing inwardly.
Now he'd face Mars's deadly counterattack.
With that thought, under Mars's murderous glare, he stomped on the severed arm, absorbing its divine energy completely!
"Insolent!"
Humiliation and fury combined, Mars roared, raising his divine sword to cleave Lucius in two, man and blade alike!
At this range, Lucius couldn't dodge!
Yet, facing this peril, his expression grew calm.
"I'll bet—"
He raised his sword, ready to meet Mars's descending blade head-on.
"Hey! Are you insane?" The demon trapped in the bottle shouted frantically.
Of course not.
"Let me out!"
From any angle, this clash would end with Lucius and his sword cleaved in two.
"I'll bet my sword—"
His hand, gripping the sword, bulged with veins, trembling from the strain.
Having absorbed the beast tooth artifact, most of the temple's power, and now Mars's arm—
The power brewing within him had finally taken shape.
"—is faster than yours!"
***
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