After a moment of reflection, Kael turned his gaze to the fox god. The fox god, having been struck down, seemed gravely injured, lying weakly in the corner, unable to rise.
Yato walked over slowly, looking down at him. "I'll give you one more chance. Return the girl's presence, and I'll spare you."
The fox god sneered. "So you were summoned by that girl."
Yato remained calm, but the fox god was unmoved, instead provoking him: "Do you dare kill me? I am a registered god of Takamagahara, while you are nothing but a stray god without a shrine. If you kill me, Takamagahara will punish you. I want to see if you have the courage."
These words surprised Kael. He glanced at Yato and saw hesitation.
Yato scratched his head in frustration. "Ah, so troublesome. This really is troublesome."
Kael's eyes flickered. He stepped forward and asked: "If you kill him, will Takamagahara truly punish you?"
Yato sighed. "He's right. As a stray god without a shrine, if I kill him, I'll be wanted by Takamagahara. Not necessarily punished, but I'll never be able to become a proper god."
Kael understood. Being on a wanted list meant being a criminal. A criminal could never hold an official position. No wonder Yato was troubled.
He longed to become a proper god, and now that he had a chance, he didn't want to lose it.
If killing the fox god ruined that, it would be pointless.
But the fox god refused to return Mai's presence. How could their agreement be fulfilled?
Kael sympathized with Yato's dilemma—it was natural to hesitate. So he didn't rush him. After thinking, he asked: "If I kill him, will Takamagahara hunt me down?"
Kael was still weak and didn't want to clash with the gods.
Yato replied: "This is the fox's fault. If you kill him, gods may dislike you, but you won't be wanted. Your identity is different from mine."
Hearing this, Kael understood. Yato was a stray god, while Kael was human. Their statuses were fundamentally different. So the consequences would differ.
Without hesitation, Kael stepped forward, grabbed the fox god's head, and said to Yato: "Leave. Don't get involved."
Yato saw Kael's murderous intent and said: "You're not really going to kill him, are you? Though he's despicable, he's still a god. If you kill him, you may never receive blessings from gods again. Instead, they'll despise you."
"It doesn't matter," Kael said calmly. "I never expected blessings from gods anyway."
After all, he was a demonic cultivator. If his identity was exposed, countless gods would despise him. Blessings were out of the question.
At this moment, the fox god, once arrogant, began to panic. He shouted to Yato: "Don't joke! You'd really let him kill me? I'm a registered god of Takamagahara! If he kills me, you won't escape either—you're with him. Stop him!"
But Yato said nothing. He only gave the fox a cold look and turned away. Once, Yato had been a calamity god, killing countless people to survive. He was no soft-hearted man. Though he had grown gentler, even comical, his core remained cold. The fox god's pleas couldn't move him.
After Yato left, Kael looked at the panicked fox god with a sly smile. The fox god was afraid. Yato's punch had been devastating, leaving him gravely wounded. Still weakened, he now faced Kael, a mortal, with fear.
Seeing Kael's malicious intent, he cried out: "Forgive me! I'll return the girl's presence now. Spare me, please! I'll never dare again."
But Kael ignored his pleas, staring greedily. "Too late. You're destined to be devoured."
Devoured? What did that mean? The fox god was confused, but instinctively knew it was bad.
Without regard for his horrified gaze, Kael activated the Soul-Devouring Art. The fox god's divine soul was ripped out, shredded, and swallowed piece by piece.
Had the fox god been at full strength, Kael couldn't have consumed him. But weakened by Yato's blow, he was vulnerable. It was the perfect chance.
Kael hadn't planned this from the start. He had sought Yato only to use him to reclaim Mai's presence. But seeing the fox god crippled, the thought suddenly arose.
As the saying goes, "Heaven gives, but if you don't take, you'll regret it." With such an opportunity before him, Kael felt he'd be a fool not to seize it.