The war god, whose head was casually plucked off, didn't have time to react before dying on the spot.
Even his vessel body could remain lively after its head and body were separated.
As a Heretic God, his vitality should have been even greater.
But his death wasn't due to losing his head—it was because Lucius (Mozlis) had performed an act that ensured his demise.
As for why they changed their mind at the last moment, choosing not to erase Mars conceptually—
It was to avoid wasting the divine power within the Heretic Mars' body.
Lucius's left eye slowly opened, while the dark golden vertical pupil in his right eye returned to normal.
Regaining his consciousness and control of his body, he didn't say much.
He merely glanced at the elegantly poised Mozlis before beginning to absorb the divine power from the Heretic Mars' body before him.
By the time Lucius had fully absorbed the divine power from the corpse, the Heretic God's body had completely dissipated.
After all, a Heretic God's body was largely composed of divine power when they descended.
The only surprising thing was that his consciousness wasn't pulled into the Netherworld, the realm of life and death, to undergo Pandora's ritual and become a Campione. To be reborn as a Campione.
But then he recalled what the little demon… no, Mozlis had said before: the number of Campiones was predetermined. This outcome seemed perfectly natural.
It wasn't that slaying a god made one a Campione; rather, only a Campione could slay a god.
The rebirth ritual for Campiones was designed for specific individuals in each era.
By normal logic, those outside this predetermined list had no chance of slaying a god.
Thus, even if an anomaly occurred and someone outside the list killed a Heretic God of this world, the Campione rebirth system wouldn't react.
Lucius felt no regret about this.
After all, becoming a Campione was merely a means to gain power. By fully absorbing and converting the divine power from the Heretic Mars, the boost he gained might not be less than that of becoming a Campione.
Moreover, becoming a Campione came with certain traits, like an uncontrollable surge of battle lust when encountering a Heretic God.
In Lucius's eyes, he despised such things.
He disliked external forces influencing his will or actions.
Compared to undergoing the rebirth ritual to gain vast magical power, a robust physique, and one of a Heretic God's Authorities, Lucius found it far more satisfying to directly devour the entirety of a Heretic God's divine power.
From this day forward, though it was technically the little demon Mozlis who took over and fought, rounding it up, he had slain a Heretic God. He could rightfully claim the title of "Campione."
But compared to a slayer of gods, perhaps the title of "devourer of gods" Suited him better.
Lucius suppressed the extraneous thoughts in his mind.
Right now, one matter was more important than anything else and needed to be addressed sooner rather than later.
With that thought, he slowly turned around.
"Looks like my luck's not bad?" Lucius said slowly. "You didn't just take care of me on a whim…"
"Should I congratulate you on gaining your freedom?"
Just moments ago, when Mozlis had possessed him, he had regained consciousness.
Watching this little demon wreak havoc from a first-person perspective, Lucius naturally glimpsed a fraction of her true power.
But it was only a fraction.
Mars, a being strong enough to drive him to despair, was less than a frail child in the hands of this little demon.
The power contained within that seemingly delicate, petite frame was beyond his ability to fathom.
Yet, he felt no nervousness.
This calm and confidence didn't stem from narcissistic thoughts like "Does she have a soft spot for me?" Or "Could she actually like me?"
Rather—
"You need something from me, don't you?"
Without waiting for Mozlis to speak, Lucius continued.
"And it seems I'm the only one who can do it, right?"
Realizing this gave Lucius his current composure.
After all, he held a valuable bargaining chip.
In his gaze, the petite, adorable loli demon wore an impassive expression, her calm golden vertical pupils staring at him for two seconds.
Then.
The coldness on her face melted away, her gaze softening.
"Mm-hmm! You're absolutely right~" The little demon squinted her eyes, letting out a charming giggle.
She even raised a hand, winking with an "Ehe~" Sound.
He… felt a bit nervous.
"Let's cooperate, just as we discussed before—" She said in a saccharine voice, sweet enough to drown someone in honey. "Human and demon, each getting what they need. How about it?"
To clarify, this was indeed their previous agreement.
The little demon would grant Lucius power, and when his life ended, he would grant her freedom.
After making this pact, Lucius had planned to extend his life as long as possible—immortality being the ideal.
In that case, even if he freed the little demon, it would be after his power surpassed hers.
Conversely, the little demon planned to trick Lucius, putting him in a desperate situation where he'd have no choice but to rely on her and set her free.
"Trust between us seems a bit too difficult to achieve," Lucius said.
"Especially after this, it's hard for me to open up to you."
After all, trust was a heavy word.
It implied placing one's heart in another's hands.
"Trust…" The little demon furrowed her brow.
Trust was indeed a significant issue.
At this moment, she had no intention of doing anything to Lucius.
And since she needed something from him, earning his trust was only natural.
At the same time, she also needed to trust him. That was equally challenging, if not more so.
How could they reach a level of true mutual trust?
After a moment of frowning, she suddenly had a realization.
And Lucius, still weighing his bargaining chip, saw a delighted smile spread across the little demon Mozlis' face.
Silver hair, horns, dark golden vertical pupils, a refined face, and bare feet.
"I know what to do."
In that instant, Lucius felt his heart being seized.
***
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