— — — — — —
"I gathered the Kaleid Blood not out of greed—but loyalty! For you, my King, the Fourth Primogenitor!"
Zaharias immediately forced a flattering grin onto his face.
Now that his schemes were exposed, and he stood before the awakened Fourth Primogenitor, begging for his life was the only move left on the board.
So, no matter what, he had to stick to the story: he was a loyal servant—nothing more, nothing less.
"It seems you're loyal," Ryo said casually, brushing off the whole situation like it was nothing.
Zaharias swallowed hard. There was relief in his eyes, a hint of joy at surviving the storm... and, strangely, a flicker of disdain. It was unclear how his face managed to express all three emotions at once.
That's it? He got off that easy? So even the legendary Fourth Primogenitor was just all bark, no bite.
But just as that thought crossed his mind, Ryo's voice drifted in, calm and chilling.
"You gathered half the Kaleid Blood, sacrificed hundreds of thousands in a ritual, woke the Fourth Primogenitor, and changed the entire world. You're the root of all of this."
He tilted his head slightly, lips curling into a playful smirk.
"I'm sure the gods of Little Garden would agree with me on that, Zaharias."
Zaharias blinked, confused.
Little Garden's gods? The Devas? What was he talking about? Why would the gods be paying attention to him? Weren't they supposed to be long gone?
Ryo reached out, gently cupping the face of Zaharias's sister and lifting it up. For the first time, Zaharias noticed something—two small, elegant horns had sprouted from her forehead.
Demon horns?
His eyes widened in shock. Ryo grinned, clearly enjoying the moment.
"Let's be real. A human like you couldn't have pulled off the Ritual on your own. You had help—someone pulling strings from the shadows. Someone you truly serve."
He paused, then added with a chuckle,
"And the gods found something very interesting: your sister has the blood of a pure-blooded demon."
What the hell?! My sister is a pure-blooded demon now?!
Zaharias was stunned. He had no idea what Ryo was talking about.
But Ryo wasn't done. He was just getting started.
"Sure, pure-blooded demons can reproduce, but there's no way a low-tier world like this could ever support the birth of one. It just doesn't have the resources."
He gave a wicked grin.
"There's only one other way for a pure-blooded demon to be born—by the Authority of a Demon Ancestor."
"So whoever's backing you… must be at least a four-digit-ranked Demon."
Zaharias's jaw dropped. What was this guy even talking about?! He had a Demon backing him now? Since when?!
Ryo paced around him like a cat playing with its food.
"Scary stuff, huh? So who is it, then?"
He leaned in, smiling brightly.
"C'mon, tell me—who's the Demon Ancestor behind all this? Who interfered in the rebirth of the Fourth Primogenitor?"
"I… I don't know anything!" Zaharias stammered, practically in tears. This was all coming out of nowhere! He had no idea what this guy was talking about!
Ryo raised an eyebrow. "You really gonna go with that? You think the gods are gonna believe you?"
Suddenly, a terrifying realization hit Zaharias like a bolt of lightning.
Wait… the gods… if they are alive then they're going to investigate this whole thing. And when they do, they'll need someone to blame. And that someone… is going to be ME.
His eyes went wide as panic set in. He screamed: "I SWEAR I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!!"
"No," Ryo said, voice cold as steel as he slowly drew his Zanpakutō. "You know too much."
"What—?!"
Zaharias's instincts screamed. He turned and bolted like a wild animal, scrambling on all fours in his desperation.
But too late.
Shiiing—
Ryo calmly slid his blade back into the sheath.
Shhk—!!
A geyser of blood exploded from Zaharias's waist, the slash nearly cleaving him in half.
He collapsed in a heap, soul shattered, eyes wide and locked on Ryo, who was now gently cradling his sister.
In his fading vision, Zaharias thought he saw towering divine figures looming above him, their gazes cold and judging—like gods staring down at a sinner's soul.
'I'm innocent—!' His eyes glazed over. His mouth foamed. His face twisted into a blank, dumbstruck stare.
"Still alive?" Koyomi Shizuka stepped over and checked his pulse.
"I thought you were going to finish him off completely?"
"No need," Ryo replied with a soft smile. "He's my little gift to the gods."
If the gods started sniffing around, they'd find the traces of Algol's power in the strike. As far as they'd be able to tell, the blade that cut Zaharias's soul was infused with her divine authority.
So when the accusations started flying, they wouldn't land on Ryo.
They'd fall on her. On Lilith. On the Demon Star Algol.
"Do you really think the devas will investigate?" Koyomi asked, frowning in confusion.
After all, the devas or gods of this world had long been declared dead.
"Oh, they'll come," Ryo said confidently. "This world… it's different. A human world that once defeated the gods, home to the forbidden technique known as 'The Cleansing'? There's too much potential here. They won't be able to resist."
In his heart, Ryo sighed.
This world—Strike the Blood—was really dangerous.
Humans, demons, spirits—all of them capable of using that world-altering technique: the Cleansing.
(The Cleansing is a magic created by Cain that allows him to temporarily override and alter the divine laws of the universe set by God. By doing so, he can transform the Devas (gods) into entirely different beings—specifically, Demons. This transformation weakens their power, making them vulnerable to being killed by humans. As a result, they can potentially be annihilated—or "cleansed"—from existence.)
This magic made by Cain was a gateway.
A signal that humanity might soon reach triple-digit status in the divine rankings.
There was no way the gods were going to ignore that.
Especially when you factor in the Cleansing's side effects—how it could corrupt deities into demons, shake up religious hierarchies, and elevate vampires to the peak of power.
Once this world was fully observed, Ryo was certain the vampires in Little Garden were going to get one hell of a buff.
Even he was hesitant about continuing.
"Well… I've only got fourteen days here anyway. A full observation will have to wait for next time."
Still, before he left, he had to make sure every trace of his influence was buried deep.
Ryo looked around at the unconscious Kaleid Blood surrounding him, then chuckled.
"From this moment on, I am the Fourth Primogenitor," he declared.
He gently stroked the hilt of his Zanpakutō, voice light and amused.
"A Fourth Primogenitor corrupted by at least a 4-digit Demon."
"Like the Demon Star, Algo, or as I prefer to call her... Lilith."
"..."
In a plane of reality only Ryo could perceive, a stunning girl with perfect features and flowing violet hair rolled her eyes.
"Hmph. Blaming me again? Typical," Lilith muttered.
Ryo smiled sweetly at her. "Oh, come on. The Primogenitor of the Demon Kind, better Cain, slayer of gods, harbinger of demonkind's golden age… Who else could wear such a glorious title, Lady Lilith?"
Lilith's eyes lit up as the implications dawned on her.
'Maybe I'll get the Cleansing as a high-tier Gift with divine-slaying power…
Her lips curled into a smile.
"I take it back," she said, chuckling. "You really are one hell of a good-looking guy."
"I approve."
.
.
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